The trouble with packing away a turbo for the season, especially if it’s a Tacx iMagic is that sometimes, just sometimes, some of the ‘bits’ go astray and putting it back together ain’t so easy. In a flash of inspiration however, it did occur to me that with three cyclists in the household, there are three turbos (only my one is an iMagic) and that of those three, two are the right size for me. So, with much appreciation to the Mole Man (Nick) I can leave the iMagic for another day. 🙂
I have to say, it will be weird as the bike on the trainer is my old Giant which I passed on to Nick a couple of years ago so it will be a kind of reunion I suppose.
Naturally, switching to another bike & trainer (the Colnago is staying off Turbos) does mean that I’ll need another pair of shoes as Nick uses Look and I use SPD. Why do I use SPDs? It’s because it’s easier to walk up hills with mtb type shoes than with Look and for those that know me, I don’t like hills. I do hills. I cuss hills. I even look for hills but I don’t like them. And with my advancing years and my shrinking clothes!, getting up some hills does cause me to realise the term ‘Push Bike’ :-).
I’ve ordered a new pair of wheels for the Colnago by the way, just to add to its blinginess and will post a new photo when she’s ready: so that’ll be something to look forward to.
I’m now looking to acquire an old hack as I’ll be looking to cycle to the station in the future rather than drive the three quarters of mile each day. Better still, I’ve worked out I can cycle to the next station which is about 9-miles on which will give me my mileage quota and save me money. Of course I won’t be so smug when it’s blowing a gale and chucking it down with hail / rain but I’ll just have to deal with that as and when it happens.
As I seem to running out of pixels, I’ll finish here and switch to work mode now 😦 Byeee.
Go Podge Go.
Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category
Cyclist Reborn, or, Cyclist Recycled
Posted: April 23, 2012 in Cycling, training, TravelTags: Colnago, Dreamert, Fat Man, iMagic, Tacx
Typical isn’t it? Last week, I took the window of opportunity when I found some spare time to take the Colnago off the iMagic trainer and ready it for the road. I subsequently dismantled the iMagic and put it neatly away for the ‘Summer’. Better still, I found that getting a later train gave me the option of a more civilised start to the day and even get out and do a 10-mile ride before work.
Today was to be my first early morning ride. Trouble is, I was woken up at 03:00 by rain hurling itself at my bedroom window. Bugger, I thought. I ain’t riding in that. I then lay awake for the next two hours waiting for my alarm to go off. Of course, had I not dismantled my trainer, I could have at least done a session in the garage.
So, guess what I’m doing at the weekend? That’s right: I’m unpacking the trainer and retaining the option to ride indoors (well, the garage). Hmphhhh.
Go Podge Go
Training Update April 2012
I know: I know: I haven’t been around for a while. Truth is, getting up at 04:45 / 05:00 every morning and not getting back home until 20:00 or later really does’t give me much time to ride my bike. However, with the lighter mornings and evenings I’m kind of hoping that this will change. I’ve packed away the turbo trainer for the season and will now try, once again, to kick start my way back onto my bike. I have done a couple of short rides this week and have to admit that I did find it difficult. Having said that however, I do feel a different sort of rider now [I’m still fat though 🙂 ].
Whereas before I would always try [unsuccessfully] to prove to myself that I was better than than other riders and better even that myself, I now find that I am just happy to be out on my bike and do what I can and actually enjoy the pleasures of the road. I’m no longer in a hurry to complete my ride as quick as I can (which to be honest, was never that quick anyway: I just go out, ride my bike as if for the first time and am effectively ‘starting again’.
That’s all for now: Go Podge, Go.
Yes, that’s right. Yesterday I managed 40 miles on the Turbo Trainer and felt good, really good. Last weeks total mileage was 62.31 which was up on the previous weeks of 44.66 (see Training Log). My plan is to continue with the Turbo through most of the winter with a few rides out on the road from December onward (weather permitting).
Property of Podgethepuffer. Unauthorised use is VERY naughty.
At the start of each of my sessions on the trainer, I have to decide how far I want to go and subsequently which route to take. Well, as I’ve been feeling so much better these days, I started looking at the Rome to Home Route I’m planning for my 60th Birthday. OK, I’ve only mapped two days at the moment but as I do each day, I create the routes and convert them into GPX files which can then be used by various applications including my trainer coupled to Google Earth. So, yesterday I started off from the the centre of Rome and headed west and then North up the coast. I now know that Day 1 will be an easy day , so thats good.
Anyway, as I said, I did the first 40 miles and felt really good at the end. My weight is dropping and my breathing is improving. I’m still getting older though. 😦
Go Podge Go
After 4-dayswith a cold and the inevitable cough and sore throat I’m pleased to say that I again felt able to to return to my turbo trainer. During my time out, I took the opportunity to change the saddle as the existing one really wasn’t adapting to me, or should that be me adapting to the saddle? Anyway, on went the trusty Rolls and although still a bit tender at least I felt that this was going to develop into a comfortable saddle.
Erring on the side of caution, I elected to ride the A$ to Newbury and back, which is just short of 20 miles and added my last two rides as opponents to race against. I’m pleased to say that once again, I increased my overall performance (see training log): despite recovering from a cold. Only two months ago, had I caught a cold, I would have been ill for a couple of weeks and thoughts of getting on a bike just wouldn’t be there, so all in all, I’m feeling rather pleased with myself.
As an added bonus, I have lost another couple of pounds, a total loss of 11 pounds so far, and even better my peak flow reading has increased by 10 points.
Podge is VERY Happy.
Go Podge, Go.
The Adventures of Podge & Tubbs 