Last weekend I had to spend two days presenting complicated stuff about biomechanics and carbon fibre to my professional colleagues and general hecklers. It went well (thank goodness) and I managed to ride my bike one morning and evening and then go out for a run on the Saturday.
A night with the kilt on, dancing and pretending to drink and I was ready for a big day on the hills of The Yorkshire Dales. I'd looked on a website that was built around Yorkshire and mountain biking, and managed to get a load of routes downloaded for use in my Satmap. 3 were grafted together on my desktop mapping software a few days previously, so I set off for 5 hours out on the rocks and mud of Settle and Skipton, with a visit to Malham Cove and a few other places. The Satmap is Brilliant.
All in all it turned out to be a great day. Yorkshire has some superb stuff for the mountain biker in us.
Two things happened on this day. I met a group of 5 guys out for a ride, as I held the gate for them as they got to it just after me and from the other direction. I told them about "The Hobbit's Tale" after their asking me why I was on my own.
"I'm on my lonesome, as I'm up here alone, but I struggle to get riding partners. I'm Billy no-mates."
"Where are you going today?" They asked.
I told them.
"No wonder you have no mates!"
They were good guys. I met them later on as they rode down a bit of the Short Settle Loop, whilst I completed the Long Loop.
"You still going?"
:)
The second thing that happened? Well, I did have an unfortunate conversation with a "Professional Driver" in Settle, though. The following is taken from my facebook page, for a giggle.
Funny Conversation with a BMW Driver today after he cut me up on the bike in Settle.
"What's your problem?" shouts he, right in my face as i followed him to the garage, after he beckoned me.
"You're the problem, you nearly knocked me off my bike. You only left me 3" of space between my arm and your mirror."
"I left you plenty of room!"
"It's not your job to decide what plenty of room is; it's the Highway Code's." Says me , calmly. He looks confused.
"I'm always courteous to bike riders, I'm one myself."
"Well, you're not doing a very good job this time, are you?"
"I left you plenty of room. Do you know what I do for a living? Do you know what I do for a living?" He shouts again, right in my face. I don't move away, but get slowly off of my bike.
"Honestly, I'm not the best guy to be aggressive with. Don't be aggressive." Says me, for some reason. I'm off my bike now, ready for a big fat punch off of a scary bloke.
What does he do for a living? Is he a rozzer? This could be bad.
He pipes up, "I'm a professional driver."
"I would drop the 'Professional', if I was you. And why are you acting like this? You're the one that cut ME up!"
"You flicked the bird at me as I drove off."
"No, I put both hands in the air, asking God what on earth you were playing at. I might have considered flicking the bird, but your driving was so bad that I didn't have a chance to think of it."
He faces up close to mine. I don't move. This is me at my most beligerant (parp).
Uh Oh, here it comes.
"AND, you stink of alcohol!" I piped in.
He got in his car and drove off very quietly.
Tuesday saw me in Exeter, so I went for a recovery ride on my roadbike. I headed from a little town, towards Princeton.
It nearly killed me, but the scenery was lovely.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday saw me riding around Bristol with a new friend. I had a great night getting lost around the streets, on a recovery ride, and the next night was spent riding around Halham with Matt.
It was great fun, and was followed by pizza and another evening spent with friends and associates. Work can be fun, sometimes.
Matt has a biomechanical and musculoskeletal problem, and I unleashed my new design of cycling specific bespoke insoles. They've taken a lot of development, but are almost certainly a bit special. Keep an eye out for some talk about these.
Here's hoping.
Friday morning was an exercise in biomechanical re-assessment, whilst Matt rode his bike to work, in Bath. The insoles seemed to be doing the trick. It was a nice ride back along the old railway, and they've put some nice little arty features in the old stations and on some old junctions.
Saturday was 2hrs, of Endurance.
Sunday was 5hrs of Endurance on the mountain bike and consisted of the following, generalised, route...
Home, top of Sirhowy; Bottom of Sirhowy, Top of Sirhowy, Top Of Machen Mountain, Bottom of Machen Mountain, Bottom Of Rudry, Top of Rudry, Bottom of Rudry, Top of Rudry, Bottom of Lower Machen, Top of Machen Mountain, Bottom of Machen Mountain, Bottom of Cwmcarn, Top of Cwmcarn, Bottom of Cwmcarn, Sirhowy Valley, Home, wash bike, shower, Lasagne, chips, coffee, TV.
I also had ice-cream.
At the end of it all, we walked the dogs and, as usual, we fitted our Exposure "Flare" light to our nuttiest dogs collar.
It's awesome. See for yourself. It fits by using the standard rubber band and bracket.
We are never going to lose him!!
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