Riding to work, saving money and keeping fit...

I reckon the media's at it again, scaremongering. Matt Frei on LBC (under the circumstances, perhaps that should be Matt Fry) was talking up a lockdown with a former government chief scientific officer, who wouldn't be drawn either way, and the papers are full of it being over 40deg C. I haven't checked my iphone weather app for next week, but the last time I looked 40deg C wasn't on the cards, it was something like 36 degrees, if that, so don't believe the hype. There are even reports on the trains being disrupted due to overheated rails that might buckle. The train companies, or Network Rail, are advising people not to travel unless it's absolutely necessary, which is rather stupid as nobody's going to get on the train to Redhill, say, if they don't have to, but I'm guessing if you work there then you must catch the train (or the bus). Or, of course, you could do what I did three times last week and ride in, 25 miles per day plus a 21-mile ride to Westerham last Sunday morning, I was clearly on a roll and the weather was wonderful. I guess that the experts would say cycling is out of the question too, but I figure that early in the morning the sun isn't exactly at its hottest and when I ride home, normally close to 1800hrs, the hot weather is bound to have cooled off a little; in fact I might ride on Monday and Tuesday if there's the slightest hint of 'trouble on the trains', there's nothing worse than knowing it takes just one hour and 15 minutes to ride to work when you're standing on a hot platform with a load of sweaty commuters wondering if one of them has COVID. It is, therefore, highly likely that I will ride to work and in the process deny Southern Railway of my daily extortionate fare of £9.50.

Bike in Westerham last Sunday...

Last week's rides were good. I rode Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and enjoyed them all, apart from the big hills on the way back, namely White Hill Lane and Tithepit Shaw Lane. That said, I crank the bike into its lowest gear and set about the task of uphill riding in the heat, because it has been warm. I noticed my forearms sweating as the climb continued and when I reached the top I felt elated that there was just one more hill to go and then I'd be almost home. It's great getting home, of course, pressing 'finish' on Strava, putting the bike in the garage and then chilling for the rest of the evening. On a couple of occasions I've gone to bed early (around 2000hrs). I lie on top of the bed in a spare room, fully clothed, and then find myself waking up in the middle of the night, everybody in bed and asleep and me considering cleaning my teeth and going back to sleep in my own bedroom. Not 'my own' bedroom in the sense that I'm the only one there, but the bedroom I share with my wife who is fast asleep when I arrive feeling slightly more awake than I did prior to visiting the bathroom to clean my teeth. It'll then take me a while to get to sleep but eventually that's what happens and then it's morning again and time for work once more. Give or take, this happened on three days last week and I'll admit that I do feel better for it. I take sandwiches with me and that means I spend nothing, except, perhaps, for a cup of tea in the Pop Inn, which is £1.50. The caff is getting expensive, they're putting up their prices so that 'going to the caff' is no longer the cheap option (compared, I suppose, with other caffs, like the M&S caff, which is never good value for money) or other venues, although the choice in Redhill is very limited. Give me an avocado sandwich any day, it's all I need. I've cut down considerably on what I eat, although I do currently have a weakness for toast and honey (two slices in the morning and two when I get back off the ride). But I figure that cycling 25 miles/day means I can eat my toast and honey without feeling too guilty about it. So I'll aim for riding Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week, one ride more than last week. It's so easy riding to work: chuck a shirt and a pair of trousers into a rucksack along with a towel and all the stuff I'll need - ie glasses, iphone, phone charger - and then just go. I know roughly what time I'll arrive and the time I'll return as the only possible delay would be caused by a puncture and that would delay me approximately 20 minutes. That said I've got some new 'leeches' and they're not Leeches, so they might not be up for the job. The last thing I want is to be stranded somewhere between Redhill and Caterham (which is all out in the sticks and miles from a railway station).

Wild flowers on Clarks Lane on the return ride from Westerham last Sunday

These past two or three days it's been hot and in the morning very pleasant. In fact there's been nothing more pleasurable than riding from where I live to Redhill. Fine, there are a few dodgy bits, but not many, most of the ride is country lanes, but it's important not to take my eye off the ball, so to speak. On the outward ride the most dangerous spots are riding down Tithepit Shaw Lane and then White Hill Lane, the latter being extremely dangerous as it's a steep downhill and it's hard to keep control of the bike AND then signal a right turn. I might start riding along War Coppice Road and then Hexstalls Lane to avoid the steep drop and the effect it must be having on my brake pads. There is a way of avoiding Tithepit too, but it all adds up in terms of time. Still, better safe than sorry I guess. You have to be careful everywhere. Once in Merstham I was cut up as I approached a mini roundabout by a driver who cut in front of me as he turned left. On the return ride the main danger spot is riding down the lower half of Whyteleafe Hill. There are sleeping policeman in the middle of the road and all you need is an impatient driver getting too close and that's what happened to me last week. He got close enough, at speed, to make me feel wary of that stretch on the return ride; in the morning it's fine as it's uphill and, therefore, slower.

Clarks Lane looking towards Botley Hill last Sunday

A colleague at work has suggested high visibility clothing and he's right. I need a high-viz rucksack definitely as wearing, say, a high visibility top would be concealed by my current rucksack. The only time I don't need a rucksack is when I ride at the weekends and don't need to pack a shirt or a pair of trousers, but on those occasions (ie my ride to meet Andy in Westerham on Sundays) a high visibility top would be preferable. I guess I need both.

Railway crossing at the bottom of Whyteleafe Hill last week

The bike has performed relatively well, but the week before last I had a buckled wheel. I only noticed this because I noticed I had a puncture in the office car park prior to riding home and when I had fixed it and replaced the wheel I couldn't believe the wobble. A chappy in the bike shop in Redhill said place your finger next to the wheel, spin the wheel and if the rim touches your finger, you need a new wheel or you'll need to have the wheel and a couple of spokes fixed. As it turned out I needed a new wheel, there was a hole in the underside of it so I nipped in to Cycle King in Croydon with a view to buying a new wheel. But guess what? It's not in stock. It never is at Cycle King and the bloke there, a rather cocky individual, always suggests I go online, order what he tells me to order and then bring said item into the shop and he'll fix it. Easier said than done. He suggested Chain Reaction Cycles and I thought they'd be good because they're on Twitter and they appear to be fairly cyclist friendly, but now I'm having my doubts. The guy in Cycle King told me to key in '29 Er wheel with centre lock hub' or something like that; I made a note on my iphone and when I reached home I did just that expecting a whole load of products would spring up on the site and that I could choose from the selection, get the wheel delivered to my house and then take it Cycle King and they'd fix it. But it's never that easy, not with Cycle King at any rate. It should be but it isn't. For a start, when I keyed in what I was told to there were pages and pages of stuff about wheels and hubs, expensive wheels and hubs, but nothing at all to match my search criteria. I scrolled through half a dozen pages before realising I was not going to find what I wanted. On a later try three expensive mountain bikes sprung up, no wheels, nothing, just three expensive bikes. 

Riding over the motorway, not sure which one...

I realised that Chain Reaction Cycles were not going to be getting my business, not because I didn't want to give it to them, but simply because the item I keyed in simply wasn't there. It was a case of 'everything but' so I signed off. The guy at Cycle King said he would send me a link but as I suspected he never did, even now, over a week later, I haven't heard back from him. Fortunately, there was Balfe's in Sutton. It used to be Pearson's and it's a great bike shop, very very helpful. The guy said he didn't have the exact wheel but he could still make things work with what he had. I drove over to Sutton in the heat of a Saturday afternoon, having retrieved the wheel from Cycle King. The guy in Balfe's - I think it was Mike - took my old wheel, found a new one and told me what he was going to do, I said fine, go for it and went to wait it out in the Starbucks next door. I ordered a large English Breakfast tea and a couple of ginger biscuits and sat there watching the good people of Sutton pass up and down the high street as I reminisced about my childhood town and the countless times I'd walked up and down the high street 'back in the day'. I tend to visit Sutton once a week but never the High Street. However, on this occasion I left the car in the B&Q car park, walked through Manor Park, where people were playing ball games and generally enjoying the good weather, and then down the high street to Balfe's where I handed over the wheel and, as I said, sat outside Starbuck's awaiting my new wheel. The rear wheel was the problem so the guy in the shop had to swap over the block from the old wheel to the new. When I went back in I asked if he thought I needed a new rear tyre. He said no, there was some wear left in the old one. I paid up, £111.98 and left the shop with my new wheel. I felt elated because I'd told Andy that it was highly likely I wouldn't be riding to Westerham in the morning, but now I knew I'd be there so I told him so via a text message.

I was heading for Caterham and White Hill Lane...

The following morning I went into the garage and fixed my new wheel on to the bike and then rode to Westerham to meet Andy at Costa. We sat chatting for around one hour before heading back home. Andy was with James and the two of them were part of the Moof IT cycling team, they had the branded vests, the lot. They were the sole members but I'm sure the numbers will improve and even if they don't it doesn't matter as Andy is not only part of NoVisibleLycra, but also Oxted CC.

Hell is a left turn...

It's hot today. Too hot to mow the lawn, which is scorched and scraggy after around three weeks of not being cut, probably longer. There are wild flowers and it's tempting to leave it as the grass hasn't grown a great deal because of the heat, but I've promised to cut it later when things cool down a little. Right now, in fact ever since I started writing this blogpost, I'm sitting in the shade under a tree, lap top on lap (where it's supposed to be). There are birds tweeting, blue skies and a few scattered clouds of the white cotton wool variety. I can hear the drone of a plane in the sky but I can't see it and I can just see the tops of the trees in the woods. A radio plays in the distance and everything is still, especially the clouds, which are motionless.

I didn't go riding today on account of my three rides during the week, but I will be in Westerham tomorrow morning, a week after the last meeting that nearly didn't happen, to meet Andy and enjoy an English breakfast tea in the sunshine.

Sunday morning

I left home at 0801hrs and headed for Westerham. It was warm out, very warm. In fact, right now, at 1808hrs it's still warm, something like 28 degrees. I decided to put sun block on and a long-sleeved fleece to protect the old forearms and then I was on my way, having also tanked up with cold water. I doubted I'd need it on the outward journey but perhaps on the way home, at the top of the hill coming out of Westerham and then at the top of Slines Oak Road as I was planning on avoiding most of the 269. I didn't want to be dealing with hot and bothered drivers.

The bike at work...

By the time I reached Westerham Andy was there, sitting at a table on the green. There was a bunch of Japanese motorcycles lined up outside the Costa, which made a pleasant change from the usual Harley Davidisons, there was even an old Virago, but mainly, it seemed, Yamahas. It was one of those days, there was plenty of vintage this and that floating around, mainly vintage cars: old Ford Escorts, MGBs, Ford Anglias, you name it, all heading for a field off the Limpsfield Road. 

It was a good ride and I was feeling tip top, which was probably a lot to do with being almost a stone lighter and fitter through the riding I'd been doing during the week. Andy later said that I was riding faster than usual, which was good to know. While on the green we sat and chatted, mainly about Andy's ride to Cornwall and, of course, the nasty accident that preceded it. Hats off to Andy for having the determination to succeed and keep with his original programme, that of riding to and from Cornwall to see his sister. 

Andy and I stayed together on the return ride until we cleared Rectory Lane. I went back via The Ridge and through Woldingham, taking the Slines Oak Road hill with ease and then gliding along the Limpsfield Road towards home. I got back around 1120hrs and then mowed the front lawn and trimmed the tree a little bit too, it all looks good now. For the past three weeks or so we've not had a mower, the wheel came off and it needed repairing. The hot weather has scorched the lawns front and back, they're brown and dry and there's little in the way of growth. I've chilled in the back garden, drinking the odd cup of green tea, eating baked beans on toast and then driving over to Wimbledon (and back). Didn't see mum this weekend, which was a shame, but I'll see her next week for sure. 

Casting a shadow in Whyteleafe...

Tomorrow it's supposed to be almost 40 degrees, so pretty hot. I will probably ride in early and then, if it's really bad I'll either leave the bike at work and take the bus or check the temperature and if it's alright I'll ride back, but let's cross those bridges as we encounter them.

I'm rather hoping that after Tuesday - when they say the heat will calm down a little (perhaps to what is now) - that the good weather will continue and I can ride to work a bit more. What  I don't want is rain and storms, well, perhaps for one day, but it's still early in the summer, we're in July for heaven's sake, so I'm expecting more sunshine, just not so severe as they're expecting tomorrow and Tuesday. Actually, I'm hoping that it's all media hype, but something says it's not and the last thing I want is heatstroke.

The media was right!

As it turned out the media was correct: it turned out to be a real scorcher and temperatures almost reached 40 degrees C; it was 38 degrees C in Suffolk and over here in my neck of the woods it was cool enough to ride into work but there was no way I was going ride home as it was sweltering hot. Instead, I got the bus home and managed, thanks to cycling in, not to spend a penny on public transport. Result!

 

Strikebuster! I ride to work and back!

It's not often that I miss a week or two on the blog, but as desperate readers must be thinking, where IS he? Well, I'm here. I haven't gone away. In fact, the week before last, due to the train strike, I managed to ride into work from Tuesday to Friday, roughly 25 miles per day... and the weather was absolutely perfect, arguably too hot, especially on the the hilly return ride. Normally, riding to work is a bit of a pain and can be fairly stressful when you consider that the threat of puncture always looms large and it's the last thing I want when I'm riding in; on the return journey it's a little less threatening but probably worse as I'm tired from a day at work and looking forward to getting home to relax. But fortunately, no punctures, in fact, nothing was wrong with the bike at all so I was, if you like, blessed with good fortune.

The bike in an empty car park ready for the ride home...

The weekend prior to the train strike I didn't cycle anywhere because I was going away for a night, down to darkest East Sussex. I didn't ride on the Saturday morning to Oxted and then, because I woke up in a hotel on Sunday morning, no riding on Sunday either. But then I more than made up for it the following Tuesday (day one of the train strike) when I rode to Redhill through Whyteleafe, Caterham and Chaldon. The ride in, as I've said before, was a piece of cake, mainly because most of it is downhill, but not until I've cleared Whyteleafe Hill, which is not too bad, it's just long and dragged out. But once at the top and once having turned right just beyond a small park, the rest of the ride is plain sailing along Stansted Road, into Chaldon and then down White Hill Lane, turning right on to Springbottom Lane and then left and straight on, over the motorway and into Merstham. In fact, riding down White Hill Lane is arguably the most dangerous part of the ride because the downhill is fast and there are a few twists and turns and then I have to slow the bike down and make a right turn.

Sign for Route 21... no, not today!

Once into Merstham it's pretty much plain sailing through the village and then along Frenchies Road into Redhill. When I arrive at work I can shower in the office and then, refreshed, walk up the two flights of stairs to the office feeling energised and ready for the working day. The best bit about riding to the office (when the weather is good) is that I get excited about the ride home. It's great knowing that all I have to do is walk downstairs, unpadlock the bike, jump on and ride home. I can even let the folks at home know the exact time that I will return (barring hassles like a puncture) as it takes roughly one hour and 15 minutes to get home, give or take. The problem with the return ride is the hills. I encounter them just outside of Merstham on the Warwick Wold Road leading up to the bridge across the motorway and they continue from there. The first big one is White Hill Lane: dangerous riding down and bloody hard work cycling the other way. Oddly it's little more than around five minutes of pain and then it's over. Suddenly I'm approaching the Harrow pub in Chaldon and all is well. As the week progressed I got better and better at climbing up White Hill Lane, although on one day I decided to seek out Hexstalls Lane, a gravelly road that bypasses the hill and deposits me right at the top on War Coppice Road which leads down to the Harrow pub. But all that gravel worries me: what if I get a puncture? As I said earlier, it's the last thing I need on the ride home, even if the sun is shining.

Cycling over the motorway, with more hills to come...

On the Friday of the week of riding to the office I only rode in. I left the bike in the office over the weekend due to a calamity that needed immediate attention but then rode the bike home the following Monday and, much to my amazement – after another weekend of not riding the bike – I sailed up White Hill Lane. It was odd as I saw another cyclist a few yards ahead of me on a racing bike. I watched as he stood up and pedalled his way to the top and so decided that I would adopt the same practice. I found it worked well and realised that I'd conquered the hill and that it would never be a major problem for me again. I put this down to two things: one was all those rides to Oxted and the ride back up Titsey Hill; these rides would have put me in a good position for the pain of White Hill Lane. Two, the fact that I'd been riding on four consecutive days to Redhill and back meant that I was accustomed to the hill by the end of the week so when I tackled it on the Monday, having not cycled in to Redhill (which must have helped) I took the whole thing in my stride.

Reaching the top of White Hill Lane

White Hill Lane, however, is not the only nasty incline on the return ride, there's also Tithepit Shaw Lane. On the Monday evening I decided to stand up for as along as I could and change down as the hill reached its steepest point; this proved a great success and once over I felt the relief of knowing there were no more hills and that I would be home within around 10-15 minutes. 

On one of the days, I think it was the first Tuesday, the day of the strike, when I reached home I felt tremendously energised. So energised in fact that I set about making myself a homemade pasta and sauce (basically fusilli with chopped tomato, red pepper and onion. I ate the lot.

Ever since returning from Prague, where I started drinking green tea, I started to watch my diet a little bit and soon I was down to 12st 7lbs. I had weighed around 13 stone and wasn't happy so it was good to jump on the scales and find myself half a stone lighter, which I put down to not eating more than two to three slices of bread per day and trying my best not to eat between meals. By and large I've laid off the cakes too, although over the weekend just past I did eat a few chocolate digestives (at my mum's) and some digestives and a slice of chocolate cake (at my mother-in-law's). Not ideal, but then last night I didn't eat a big meal. Today (it's Monday and I was going to ride in, but will probably ride tomorrow morning depending on how I feel) I had Alpen and fresh fruit with yoghurt for breakfast, no toast, and mug of green tea. I made myself a tuna and mayo sandwich, just the one and that's all I've eaten today so far (it's now just gone 5pm and I'm about to go home, albeit on the train. I would like to get my weight down to around 12st, just over perhaps, but that would be enough.

Queen's Park in Caterham, I think that's what it's called...

On Sunday I rode to Westerham to meet Andy who told me all about his ride to and from Cornwall. We sat on the green sipping tea for around one hour talking about the ride and I must say the whole thing was inspiring. I'm pleased for Andy as he broke his hip, you might recall, earlier in the year, but was determined to ride to Cornwall and he did, so respect is due, top man and all that. I would like to have a crack at a longer ride, perhaps a trip to the south coast, but I'm not going to commit to anything as I have enough travelling to do in my job as it is. Avid readers will know that over the past month of so I've been first to Pittsburgh in the USA and then to Prague in the Czech Republic. There's a trip to Sweden and Finland coming up so I don't want to be away for longer than I have to, but a one-day ride to Felpham would work, I'll just have to see if an opportunity arises.

The last hill of the ride... and it ain't a walk in the park!