AstuteFred's blog

I  went out on my bike today with 5 others from my cycling club; only 30 miles but the sun was shining. Steep Cotswold hills, very wet and slippy. I went out on my roadbike and wished at times that I had taken the mountain bike. Came down one steep descent, turned a corner to find a very deep stream flowing over the road. Managed to stay on though, despite slick tyres: the views down into Nailsworth were fantastic. Treated myself to hot chocolate at the cafe but resisted cake! The main benefit is that I want to go out again very soon!

This is always a bit of a low point in the year, unless you are a skier, and even they are having a rough time.

Really keen to get out on the bike, as one always is when you know it really is not on with so many flooded roads around. Sue and I usually try and get away in January, using our wedding anniversary as a reason, rather than an excuse. Rather than chase the sun we quite like somewher even colder and last year we went to Copenhagen. It is a tonic to every cyclist, seeing a city where people ride their bikes, day or night, whatever the weather. We were amazed how the bike is the preferred form of transport even for an evening out! You can't help but come back home and realise how pathetic it is to use the weather as an excuse not to ride. I enjoyed looking at last year's photos of good times.

I had an ace book, with supporting DVD, for Christmas from Sarah and Tom. Well, an ace book if you appreciate the finer points of' 'courier chic', tearing through the streets of NYC on a fixed wheel trackie with no brakes and doing all those things that I have tried not to do since passing my cycling proficiency badge (about 45 years ago).

The footage of the Courier Racing Championships is terrific, if gut wrenching. It is certainly a case of "don't try this at home" and don't share it with the kids! It is called 'Pedal'.

I also got (well I blew a book token on it) a book called 'Push Yourself a Little Bit More - backstage at the Tour de France' by Johny Green, former road-manager with the Clash. As you might expect it is very different from the normal TdeF book with a blow by blow account of each stage. He takes a fairly extreme view of drugs in sport: if it ain't class A, why bother? It is very funny but incisive and draws interesting parallels between sport and the rock music scene.

Highly recommended but I can't find a  link for it.

The issuing of the Runs List and Social Programme has been delayed. Here are the dates for January:

The link below will take you to the Audax UK calendar of events.

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/index.htm

To date I have entered the Chippenham Whls 'Flapjack' 100k event on 28th Jan.

If you want I stunning ride through the Cotswolds I also recommend the Corinium CC's 'Windrush Warm -Up 100k event on 21st Jan. I will be manning the checkpoint at Northleach.