Tweats

I did keep a Twitter account whilst on the ride via my mobile - it seems to have disappeared from the link on the right, so here are all my updates - gives you a flavour of the ride. Read them in reverse order.

bit of a come down being back at work, missing the cycling already. Still, off on holiday again on Friday! (this time without the bike)9:39 PM Jul 28th from web

Back in Leicester at 2am, at work 8am :-( Still buzzing from the whole thing. Calves are aching this morning -310 miles does that to you9:10 AM Jul 27th from web

Driving back to Leicester after the Eurostar which was fab. Great day in Paris, saw Lance & Cav race by & on the podium, great atmosphere10:57 PM Jul 26th from txt

Hangover7:27 AM Jul 26th from txt

IN PARIS! Miles completed : 309. Number of falls : 1, number of falls unrelated to celebratory alcohol - 0, injuries - 0 :-)6:15 PM Jul 25th from txt

I can see the Eiffel Tower!12:42 PM Jul 25th from txt

... Legs-6, bum-7, this hotel-15! On to Paris!5:20 AM Jul 25th from txt

...fortunately the hotel is fab, with the best food of the trip & unlimited wine! Don't feel like getting up...5:18 AM Jul 25th from txt

Due to problems finding mechanic and tyre, took 90mins to get going after puncture. Then got rained on & lost on way to hotel...5:13 AM Jul 25th from txt

Finished day 3. 230 miles done, 12655calories burned, time to put some of them back6:29 PM Jul 24th from txt

Puncture and split tyre, awaiting mechanic, storm approaching :-(1:53 PM Jul 24th from txt

Another early start. Arras was a surprisingly nice place, best night's sleep yet. 79 miles today.6:26 AM Jul 24th from txt

Nous sommes arrives en Arras. 150 miles done, legs 8, bum 8, Arras hotel 10, French drivers 8. Vin Rouge - oui!3:42 PM Jul 23rd from txt

Lovely big lunch at top of less lovely big hill. Cycling in France better than England11:28 AM Jul 23rd from txt

First food stop. Pretty village at top of looong hill8:55 AM Jul 23rd from txt

Day 2, Calais to Arras. The route is well signposted, which is good, because I don't know my Arras from my elbow6:27 AM Jul 23rd from txt

1 day done. Scores: state of legs-9, bum-10, team mates-7, french hotel-5, english drivers-3, cold beer-117:39 PM Jul 22nd from txt

Au revoir Angleterre!4:40 PM Jul 22nd from txt

That's lunch! Two thirds of the day done, windy on all counts11:09 AM Jul 22nd from txt

1st 20 miles done, warm and sunny. Good atmosphere, v relaxed8:57 AM Jul 22nd from txt

It's sunny in London, time to get ready6:10 AM Jul 22nd from txt

5.45am. Full English breakfast, better just have a continental as well...6:08 AM Jul 22nd from txt

Arrived in London, all very organised, name tags and everything. Feel a bit like Paddington7:40 PM Jul 21st from txt

finished work! just getting ready to travel to London. The weather's clearing, can't wait to get going now

Unused Bikes

YouGov research commissioned by Sky has found:
• 38% of the GB population own a bike, equating to over 17.5 million bikes.
• Of these bike owners, 42% haven’t used their bikes so far in 2009, equating to 7.4 million unused bikes.
• 7% of these owners have not used their bikes for over 5 years, equating to 1.3 million unused bikes.
• Nearly a quarter of those riding saw cycling as “a social activity with friends” [22%] with twice as many taking the chance to “exercise by myself” [43%].
• The main benefit of cycling was seen as exercise [77%] with over half of riders saying that they feel fitter through cycling [52%] and just under half saying that cycling is one of the best ways to enjoy the sunshine [45%].

Godwyn's Blog

Godwyn - one of the other cyclists on the ride - also kept a blog. Read it here www.godwyns.wordpress.com but be aware he did part of the ride in a pink tutu and stripey stockings!

DONE IT!

Finished the ride on Saturday. I had a fantastic time, a really good laugh. Managed to avoid any major incidents, although I did have a cleat unclipping "incident" which lead to me falling off my bike outside the last hotel! (the celebratory Champagne may have had an influence).

There's a slideshow of the whole thing available here -

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/leicesterwards/LondonToParis#

We cycled 310 miles altogether (includes a few wrong turns) and my GPS says we used over 16000 calories and climbed over 5000 metres!

Bottom Care

When I tell people about the London to Paris ride, most of them express concern about the likely state of my nether regions after 300 miles in the saddle. I thought, therefore, that I would reveal the secret of a perfectly maintained derriere.

1. THE SADDLE



as you can see it has a hole in the middle. This stops pressure on a bit that could really do without it. All your weight goes through your sit bones (the two nobbly bits you sit on). Before buying the saddle I had to go into a bike shop and ask them to measure my bottom to ensure I got the right size. This would have been more embarassing if I had gone into the butchers by mistake.

2. THE CYCLING SHORTS



That alarming gusset is a life-saver containing stretchy padding. (I hasten to add they are inside out). If you've ever done a long distance ride wearing normal shorts, you will understand why cyclists always wear the lycra ones.

3. THE BOTTOM CREAM



or to give it its official title "Chamois Creme" - this is not the top of the milk from an alpine goat, it's lovely soothing cream that you put on before your bum before a ride. It stops saddle sores and easily beats the old fashioned remedy of putting a raw steak in your shorts before a ride.

Twitter

I've figured out how to post updates from the ride by text via twitter (it's all a bit Lance Armstrong) - you can follow my progress at http://twitter.com/pedaltoparis or via the toolbar to the right.

Day 4 - Compiegne to Paris

66 miles finish up the Champs d'Elysee


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Day 3 Arras to Compiegne

73 miles and finishes at the start of Paris Roubaix


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The Route of Day 2

En France - Calais to Arras - 78 miles


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The Route of Day 1

Here's the route we will be following on Day 1. It's about 67 miles of cycling, with about 30 miles of swimming at the end.

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194 in last 2 weeks!

Getting lots of practice in! About 91 miles was on the Pork Pies and Potholes sportive in Melton. It includes some off road sections, hence the potholes (not a pork pie to be seen though!). Very windy and tiring - it was supposed to be about 107 miles, but Dave and I took a sneaky short cut (local knowledge can be useful). Ended up coming in with the leading groups (who eyed us suspiciously) and had our photos taken by Cycling Weekly.

Not quite the same as taking EPO - but the principles are the same.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8638716

Quite a lot of miles done, not sure how many!

Done quite a bit on the bike, including a 50 miler with Paul last week, but the GPS is at the repairers and I don't know exactly how many I've done. Just that it was a lot, and my legs ached afterwards. Got the route briefing from Christian Aid and it does seem to be further and hiller than I thought, so more practice required.

The A team

Here's the official team photo - me on the left, Anil in the middle and Paul on the right. Paul and I are giving an interview on BBC Radio Leicester on Friday 19th June at 12.15pm if you're able to listen - should be available online - http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/local_radio/index.shtml

89 miles this week

A mixture of commuting and morning/evening rides. The GPS is still playing up so can't prove anything! It's going well, although my bike has developed a loud rattle, which sounds as if it might be a bad thing, best just to keep ploughing on regardless!

86 miles this week

Cranking up the miles this week, although GPS woes mean I can't prove what I've done. Started to do some fundraising at the University with a photo quiz - I'll post the picture of me as a small child later - the ones of me as a cachectic teenager are less appealing (if funnier)

Wembley 2009

Yet another disappointing result, but Ruby enjoyed her trip to Wembley. She made this collage of the best bits (i.e. before the game kicked off!)

77 miles this week

Back on with the training, although some bicycle maintenance I attempted resulted in a broken chain and some badly aligned gears, so onto the old bike for a change - a bit of a lump compared to my carbon fibre beauty - still plenty of miles pedalled and starting to feel a bit fitter again.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8333008

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8333009

Sculpture

Here's the sculptures that I have made on my night school course so far. The top piece has been accepted for an exhibition! What this has got to do with cycling is anyone's guess, I suppose I might break my hand if I fell off, and the middle two pieces might represent the progressive deterioration of a certain part of my anatomy after 300 miles in the saddle...

11 Miles this week

Bit of a rubbish week for cycling, although the Giro makes good viewing, especially in the Dolomites. Lance seems to be carrying a few extra pounds, something I can certainly identify with at the moment.

The picture of our ultimate destination was taken by my brother-in-law. He's got a website www.davecarsonphotography.co.uk and I'm trying to persuade him to take some action shots on the bike - he should be available for commissions!

Miles this week - Big Fat Zero

Just back from a week in Mallorca, which was full of cyclists, but not me. The only pedalling I did was on a pedalo, although I did maintain a high cadence throughout - much to the amusement of the kids!

A large number of the cyclists I saw seemed to spend most of their time sitting in bars and cafes in their cycling gear. I think London to Paris may involve a fair bit of that.

Did manage a fairly intense walk with some steep climbs and some very impressive overhanging cliffs - see photo - the GPS of the climb is here - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8183202

Hopefully back on the bike Wednesday - just the small matter of the play off semi-final second leg tomorrow night - COME ON YOU BLADES!

37 Miles this week

Bit of a poor effort, but time is pressing this week. Trying to sort out some prizes for the quiz at the University. Paul rejected the photos of me as a scrawny teenager as being inappropriate, but I may post them on here for a bit of a laugh if there's any interest.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8112322

55 Miles This Week

Started to ride a bit more this week. Commuting helped. No ride this weekend as I was at Bramall Lane to see the mighty Blades give themselves a chance of promotion to the prem. It's all down to the last match at Palace. The last time we were in this situation was in 1990, that fabulous day in Leicester. Here's a fantastic video to bring the memories flooding back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xug9GA5zrec. Who's the zone man?

This week's ride is here - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=8089484

39 miles this week

First ride out since the Cheshire Cat on Saturday. Pretty windy, but good to be cycling again. GPS went a bit wrong and gave me an average speed of 20mph over the 30 miles - more like 16-17 I should think.

Watched the Amstell Gold Race on Sunday - won by Ivanov from Russia (believe it or not). 160miles at an average speed of 24mph! The countryside looked pretty similar to Rutland, quite rolling, with a few steeper climbs.

Another Photo from the Cheshire Cat

Courtesy of Dave's brother. This was taken in the immediate aftermath of Mow Cop (once Dave had started breathing again). Notice how I am the only one willing to cycle uphill for the photo!

Cycling 0 Easter Eggs 4

Not sat on the bike for over a week now, probably just as well - I don't think the carbon fibre could take my weight after all the chocolate that I've eaten this last week.

Had to content myself with watching Tom Boonen win Paris-Roubaix. Fantastic spectacle as the cobbles reduced a leading group of 6 to err.. Tom Boonen after a couple of crashes in the last 20km. It's a bonkers race - the film "Road to Roubaix" gives a real feel of the atmosphere, and particularly of the absolute exhaustion of the riders at the end.

Raised over £200 on ebay from selling various cycling jerseys and football shirts.

More on Ebay

Some football shorts and a very orange Sheffield United away shirt.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/jimmymuir1889_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

1.5 Miles This Week

Really pushing myself!

Blades Shirts for Sale

I've just listed two of my old Blades shirts. They've had a bit of wear on the 5-a-side pitch, but they still look good - pity I've had to retire due to my dodgy knees - I was turning into a bit of a playmaker in the twilight of my career a la Gordon Cowans.

Click the links to have a look, and bid generously!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250401060873

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250401068634

I'll be listing another couple of shirts next week - so keep looking!

Team Doughnut

Here we are filling up on jam doughnuts just before Mow Cop. (from left to right - me, Dave, Martin). The jam doughnuts were great (I had 2), but they lacked the miracle healing powers of a Cherry Bakewell, which cured my headache and nausea at the first feed within seconds.

Mow Cop

Here's the latest photo from Mow Cop on the Cheshire Cat - I'm smiling, not grimacing - honest.

132 Miles this Week

Cheshire Cat boosted the total. It took real willpower to get on the bike this morning.

Lots of hills - Cobbles Missing

Cheshire Cat done this weekend. 104 miles, the last 40 of which were torture - as you can see from the profile of the route. Dave and I made it up Mow Cop for which we received the very tasteful medal here:- obviously worn with pride for the next 2 weeks. Martin had to put his foot down when approached by an inconsiderate motorist, once you do that, there's no getting going again!

The hills in that very spiky section of the profile were pretty unrelenting. The language of the participants deteriorated as yet another steep climb appeared around the corner. Pity the poor motorist who dared to peep us near the end - being in an open top car, they must have heard every word! Mow Cop was definitely the worst climb, Dave lay on his back at the top in a semi-conscious state muttering about seeing the light - I thought we'd lost him!

Still we all got to the end and a welcome cuppa. Hopefully London to Paris will be a breeze compared to this.

The missing cobbles in the title do not refer to the state of my anatomy after 7 hours in the saddle, but the cobbled climb in Alderley Edge that we managed to miss. Some unkind souls claimed we must have ignored it deliberately!

Here's the GPS of the whole route - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7903292

SOLD!!

Sold the Tour of Germany shirts donated by Prendas for a total of £64.53. One of the shirts is on its way back to Germany. Listing a few more items this week. So far I've raised over £120 in this way.

50 miles this week

Bit more low key this week as I was away for the weekend sans bike. Not really got much commuting in either. Still, I'll make up for it in Cheshire this weekend. Here's a link to the loop I did round Tugby - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7872569

Meow

This weekend it's the Cheshire Cat, which is a bloody long way with a bloody steep hill near the end. The picture is me battling up Mow Cop last year. This year I'll have my team mates (Martin and Dave) to keep me company, along with 1500 other riders. Should be fun (apart from the Mow Cop bit). There's a cobbled hill to climb this year which will be an interesting challenge.

Prendas Ciclismo

Just another mention for Prendas Ciclismo. Not content with supplying me with the Tour of Deutschland shirts, they have also promoted the auction on their own website! Top blokes. Their cycle jersey range is superb and their arm warmers are the best I've used.
Visit their online shop - http://www.prendas.co.uk

New Bike a Bit Disappointing

I think I got the sizing wrong!

Ebay - More Items to Come

Prendas Ciclismo http://www.prendas.co.uk/ who stock a fantastic range of Italian and Retro cycling get up, have very genorously donated two jerseys for me to sell on Ebay. They are the actual podium shirts supplied by Santini to the Tour of Deutschland 2007 and very collectable. They have the zips up the back to allow the podium girls to slip them onto the winners quickly at the end of each stage - see pic of Andy Scleck wearing the one he won! Thanks very much to all at Prendas - I will be listing the shirts very soon.



I will also be listing my small collection of replica Sheffield United shirts very soon. There's some old classics from the last decade or so (not sure if the bright orange one counts as a classic though)
Premiership here we come!

103 Miles This Week

Good week this week - went out on Wednesday morning for a quick ride and rattled off 28ish miles - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7799965 I've done the ride a few times and race myself on the GPS. Didn't manage to beat my best time though. I blame the wind (as in the weather!)

On Saturday I went out with Martin on a trawl of the best hill climbs we could reasonably manage in a morning, ready for the Cheshire Cat in a fortnight http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7799967. The wind was playing up again - very gusty headwind on the way home. All good practice.

Went out with the kids on a very sedate circuit of Pitsford Water on Sunday - really sunny Spring morning. Add all that to my commuting and over 100 miles this week. After the Cheshire Cat, will be able to ease back again for a while.

Ebay Charity Auctions

I'm selling some items on Ebay to raise money for Christian Aid - click on the pictures on the right to make a bid!

59 Miles This Week

Went out for a 50 miler from Dave's house in Whetstone (route here - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7747671) Got a bit lost a couple of times and ended up braving the traffic on the old A50. Martin and Dave's mate Paul came along. Paul on a hybrid(!). Took in the really steep hills at Gumley which went down well with Paul! Two more weekends before the Cheshire Cat.

Toupe or not Toupe?

The eagle-eyed will have noticed that the saddle featured at the top of this blog is called a Toupe. My mum bought it for my birthday. I asked her for a Toupe and she got me one. As you can see, it's fairly useless at covering up my rapidly receding hairline.

39 Miles This Week

Went out for a ride with Andy Sharp and Dave Steveley (Martin off skiing). Good ride in good weather. Arrived in Hallaton to find the cafe closed, which was a bit of a blow. The route is here -
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=7723638
Fitted in a couple of sessions on the trainer and commuting to work. Need to get a lot more miles in before the Cheshire Cat.

I Were Right About That Saddle

The title of this blog comes from the old yellow pages ad where the young boy is desperate for a new racing bike and his tough northern dad tells him he can't have one - "look at that saddle - like sitting on a razor blade". There's a happy ending though - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYZyUygW6Y

50 Miles This Week

This Saturday went out for a ride with Martin Tobin and Dave Steveley. At the end of March we are taking part in the Cheshire Cat sportive - 102 miles with the famous Killer Mile at Mow Cop to contend with (see piccie!) The pub looks very appealing, but if you stop there, you'll never get going again. Fortunately there won't be any hills like that between London and Paris. It's all good preparation. The bad weather of the last few weeks has left us short of practice, so we packed as many hills in as we could. It hurt! You can view the route here http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7684206

THE BIG 4-0!!!

It was my 40th on Sunday, so on Saturday night we held a Ceilidh at the University. Kirsty and Pat secretly organised a quiz and a raffle with some fab prizes donated by friends and family.

Carluccios (http://www.carluccios.com/caffes/default.asp?func=where&caffe_id=44&region=54) gave some stuff for a hamper,.

Paul's Organic Food (http://www.soyfoods.co.uk/index2.htm) donated a veg. box.

Venture Portraits (http://www.thisisventure.co.uk/) gave a voucher and some fund raising forms.

On the night we raised £312 for Christian Aid.

The Greenshoots Ceilidh Orchestra provided the music and were brilliant. The dancing often descended into total chaos, much to the amusement of the band. I would recommend them for any party http://www.green-shoots.org.uk/. Sunday morning I felt bad, not sure if it was the previous day's cycling, or whether that last pint was off. a drunk person wreaks havoc on the dancefloor during the ceilidh