Church Stretton

Ride To Church Stretton

Thursday 19 September 2013

We did a 50 miler today to Church Stretton and back. There was time to stop at Mrs Miggins' pie shop in the town for some refreshment:

Chester To Telford

Chester To Telford

Thursday 5 September 2013

To be continued.

Way Of The Roses - Day 4

Way Of The Roses - Day 4

Friday 23 August 2013
Huggate > Bridlington.

Entry to follow.

Celebrating completion on Bridlington promenade.

Cheers! Job done.

Way Of The Roses - Day 3

Way Of The Roses - Day 3

Thursday 22 August 2013
Ripon > Huggate.

Entry to follow.

Way Of The Roses - Day 2

Way Of The Roses - Day 2

Wednesday 21 August 2013
Settle > Ripon.

Entry to follow.

On the road to Pateley Bridge.

Way Of The Roses - Day 1

Way Of The Roses - Day 1

Tuesday 20 August 2013
Morecambe > Settle.

Entry to follow.

Setting off from sunny Morecambe.

Hebden Bridge To Home

Cycling Back From Hebden Bridge

Sunday 28th July 2013

Having spent the weekend in the company of Bryn with a day out at the Indietracks festival, I decided to cycle back home from Hebden Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

I set off at 12:45.

I decided to take the road out of Hebden to Heptonstall and then go over the tops via Blackshaw Head (past the wind farm) to Burnley. The worst bit was the immediate climb off the A646 up to Heptonstall. What a killer! I was in first gear for ages, grinding upward at little more than walking pace with sweat pouring down my face. The climbs after that were easy in comparison. When I got close to the wind turbines, I stopped to put my yellow jacket on because it was grey, felt like rain and I was getting a bit chilly. A minute later it started drizzling, then rained quite steadily for 10 or 15 minutes. I was soon descending on the Burnley side so this wasn't so bad.

2 pm I reached Townley Park in Burnley. It was drizzling a bit.

I navigated out of the park (following NCN 68 signs) and amazingly found the canal towpath with no problem. The sign for Finsley Gate was clearly there. Why did I sail past this on Friday? It's a mystery.

I began retracing my steps from Friday, reaching the bit where the canal goes into a tunnel so I had to climb up some steps, go through a few underpasses and then get back to the canal on the other side. Easy.

Once back on the canal tow path, I was soon making good progress. I had to slow down for a group of friendly walkers just outside the town and had a chat with some woman who was interested in buying a new bike.

At this point I made a slight diversion, having inevitably missed / not spotted a sign telling me to leave the canal and get on the Padiham Greenway (ie the old railway line). You'd expect that with me really. It became obvious when I came to a bit of the canal path that was blocked off with wire fencing for some building work and I had to take a diversion around it.

"Hmm, this wasn't here on Friday." I thought to myself.

I stopped just after this when a sign pointed to an exit from the canal for Hapton. Looking at my map, I'd come about a mile further than needed. No big trauma though, I just left the canal, cycled up the road a bit and spotted another sign for "Padiham Greenway". I actually joined this with only about half of the mile of it to go.

Soon I was on the A671 Whalley Road. I decided to just go for it down the main road to Whalley for a couple of miles, rather than faff about up and down those hilly lanes again.

3:20 arrived in Whalley. I'd been looking forward to visiting the deli / restaurant that's just by the railway station. I'd previously bought a sandwich there and with lunch on my mind, had been salivating at the prospect of a tasty tuna and cucumber butty for a good half an hour. Alas! It was closed! Oh, the disappointment. The newsagent on the main road was closed as well (this was Sunday afternoon after all) so I made do with flapjack instead. It just wasn't the same.

3:35 set off again after a bit of a rest. It started to drizzle a bit as I plodded on to Ribchester.

4:05 Arrived in Ribchester. I had a manic craving for chocolate milk so went to the Spar shop and bought a bottle. Took my jacket off because it was getting warm.

4:35 reached Longridge after the tortuous slow grind of Preston Road.

4:55 Inglewhite. It was drizzling on and off.

5:10 crossed over the A6. Hooray! Maybe the flat terrain made a difference, but I put in a burst of speed for 30 minutes and was cruising along nicely after the grind from Whalley to Longridge.

5:20 reached St Michaels. It started raining quite heavily. The jacket went back on. It was only a short shower, but the roads going forward were very wet so it must have put down a fair bit of rain before I arrived.

5:55 arrived in Hambleton. Back home! Get the kettle on.

Stats: exactly 55 miles from Heben Bridge. 117 for the round trip. 185.6 for the week.

Next time I'm getting the bloomin' train.

Cycling To Hebden Bridge

Cycling To Hebden Bridge

Friday 26 July 2013
For a number of years I harboured the idea of cycling over from the Fylde Coast to Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. It's a part of the country that I know quite well. My mate and occasional cycling partner Bryn lives there so I've driven there or taken the train over plenty of times. Cycling there was a slightly trickier prospect due to uncertainty over the route, but at a distance of around 55 miles it would make a decent afternoon's ride and be enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile doing. The extra miles would give my weekly total a boost, of course.

To be continued.

2013 Week 17

Week 17 (w/e 28 April 2013)
Miles: 110.5

No photo for this entry I'm afraid as I've used up my cache.

The week got underway with drizzle, although the skies cleared later. I took myself out for an hour in the afternoon, coming home with 15 miles despite the fierce south westerly gale that was blowing. I went back out in the evening for the usual 8 mile loop, thus ending the day with 23 miles in the bag. Tuesday was a running day ahead of the fun run, so I didn't get out on the bike at all. Wednesday afternoon was cloudy but fine, so 50 minutes in the afternoon brought me home with 36 miles. I went back out at 9:30 that evening even though there were spots of rain in the air, moving on to 47 miles in the process.

Thursday was fine and sunny once earlier rain had passed over. An afternoon ride took me to almost 59 miles. I topped this up in the evening to 67 miles. Friday was another scheduled run day, so no cycling was achieved in the afternoon. The evening saw me go to the pub, so I moved into the weekend requiring 33 miles to chalk up the obligatory ton.

Saturday was sunny and warm. I cycled into town as usual that afternoon, coming home with 77 miles. I didn't bother with the supplementary ride once I'd got back, but did nip out in the evening, coming back with 86 miles before sloping off to the pub again. Sunday was a bit grey and drizzly - not enough to prevent me from going out in the afternoon though. An hour later I was back home with 102 miles. Despite the lurking presence of more showers off the coast, I nipped out for the final time that week on Sunday evening, eventually rolling home with 110.

The stats
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 44 mins
Total for 2013: 1861.4
2013 average weekly mileage: 109.49
Consecutive 100s: 13
Miles needed for 6000: 4138.6
Percentage of target reached: 31%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.25

Meanwhile, back in 2012
101 miles exactly took me to 2004.3, a lead of 142.9.
And 1998?
133.1 meant a total of 1921.3, a lead of 59.9

2013 - Week 16 Graph

2013 - Week 16 Graph

Graph for the four weeks 13 - 16:

For this update I've added in 1998, since it overtook me in the last week of this phase. You can see on the graph that 2013's line flattens out in week 14 - 16 while 1998 curves up sharply thanks to scores of 168 and 165 in weeks 15 and 16.

Total figures after 16 weeks:

2013 - 1750.9
2012 - 1903.3
1998 - 1788.2

So 1998 inches ahead by 37.3 miles. I'm afraid that once ahead, the lead keeps growing.

2013 Week 16

Week 16 (w/e 21 April 2013)
Miles: 104.4

 

On Monday afternoon I travelled over to Yorkshire to see Peter Hook & the Light play in Holmfirth. I stayed overnight, returning home mid-afternoon. When I got back I decided to go for another training run for the local pub fun run. To save my legs, I didn't go out on the bike in the evening either. Thus, Monday and Tuesday were cycle-free. Not a promising start to the week. Typically, the weather had been sunny and spring-like too.

I finally kicked off the chase on Wednesday, when the weather had turned grey and blustery. I managed 9 miles in the afternoon and pushed on to 19 miles in the evening, even though the wind had me wobbling all over the road. Thursday was mostly sunny, although the south westerly gale was still howling in. I took myself out for an hour in the afternoon, returning home with 34 miles. After waiting for a brief shower to pass over in the evening, I went out again and moved on to 42.5. Friday was similarly sunny but windy. I'd planned on going for a run at around teatime, but I also needed to cycle some more miles to have a reasonable chance of getting the ton this week. So I went out on the bike a little earlier than usual and only for 40 minutes, rolling home with 52 miles. Then I did the run. In the evening I went to the pub, so that was that as I headed into the weekend.

Saturday. Sunny! I cycled into town as usual, then nipped out again once I'd returned home. That took me to 68 miles. There was nothing to distract me in the evening, so off I went on the bike again, ending the day with 76.5 miles. So into Sunday with 24 or so miles still to get. When I got up, it was raining steadily. Bah. Fortunately, the rain stopped by 4 and the remainder of the day was fine. I got out for an hour at 5:30, coming back with 91 miles in total. I mopped up the remaining 9 miles later in the evening, eventually finishing with 104 for the week.

The stats
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 52 mins
Total for 2013: 1750.9
2013 average weekly mileage: 109.4
Consecutive 100s: 12
Miles needed for 6000: 4249.1
Percentage of target reached: 29.18%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.03

A relatively poor week means that my required average for 6k moves back to 118 for the first time since week 8. It's a bit like paying off a 25 year mortgage. For years and years your payments make no dent on the original capital until suddenly the figures start shifting downward, and quite quickly too. It usually happens around week 30 (the beginning of August).

Meanwhile, back in 2012
I did 115.3 miles, moving me along to a total of 1903.3. That's a lead of 152.4 miles.
And 1998?
This time that year I managed 165.8 miles, bringing the total to 1788.2. So I've just been overtaken.

2013 Week 15

Week 15 (w/e 14 April 2013)
Miles: 105

Warm, hazy sunshine dominated the start of the week, then it  became greyer and more blustery from Thursday onwards.

Although Monday was as described above, there was also a gusty east wind blowing. I got myself out there for an hour in the afternoon and came back with 14 miles. I dragged myself back out later in the evening, coming home with 21.5 miles for the day. Tuesday was pleasant, so 40 minutes in the afternoon took me to 31.5 miles, becoming almost 40 miles once I'd been out for the customary supplementary evening trundle. I didn't add to this total on Wednesday because another form of exercise began its annual interruption: I went out for my first run of the year with thoughts at last turning to the local pub fun run at the beginning of May. I could have done with starting my training a week or two sooner, but better late than never eh?

And so the weather changed. Thursday was grey and occasionally drizzly. My legs were also stiff from the previous day's exertions. I got back out on the bike in the afternoon though, moving on to 54 miles in the process. Cycling was actually comfortable. It was just walking that made me look like an old man. I didn't get back out in the evening because a band of rain had moved in. Friday's weather was better, with warm, hazy sunshine. The best part of an hour's ride in the afternoon saw me head home with 67 miles. I went to the local pub that evening because there was a live band on, so no further miles were added.

Into the weekend with 33 miles required for the ton then. Saturday was grey with rain on the way. It arrived at 3, just when I'd be thinking of cycling into town. So that put an end to that idea. The rain hung around until mid-evening, but I eventually got out at 9:30 for 50 minutes, ending the day with 79 miles. Sunday morning was wet, but the rain had cleared by noon and it remained fine for the rest of the day. So I got out in the afternoon for an hour, rolling home with 95 miles. I mopped up the remaining 5 miles in the evening when I went out on my familiar 35 minute loop and back, with a little extra tacked onto the end so that I eventually finished with 105. Just made it in the last ride of the week.

The stats
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 56 mins
Total for 2013: 1646.5
2013 average weekly mileage: 109.7
Consecutive 100s: 11
Miles needed for 6000: 4353.5
Percentage of target reached: 27.4%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.6

Meanwhile, back in 2012
I did 125.2 miles, moving me along to a total of 1788 exactly. That's a lead of 141.5 miles.
And what of 1998?
That's a good question. I can feel '98 breathing down my neck. This time that year I managed 168.1 miles, bringing the total to 1622.4. Only 24.1 miles behind.

2013 Week 14

Week 14 (w/e 7 April 2013)
Miles: 142.3

April arrives. Sadly the weather was still in winter mode.

Easter Monday. It seems that the warmer weather at the weekend was just sent to tease us, as it turned cold again for the start of the new week and that east wind was back. I got things underway with a good hour's ride in the afternoon, coming back with 17 miles in the bag. Another half an hour in the evening moved me on to 25 miles. An excellent start to the week. Tuesday afternoon was cloudy but fine. An hour on the bike took me to 39 miles. That became 47 miles once I'd been out in the evening on the usual loop. Wednesday was cold but fine so that afternoon I moved myself on to 60 miles. That became 68 miles once I'd been out in the evening. A three-day 68? Good effort.

Thursday afternoon had sunny spells with broken cloud. The wind changed direction though, this time whipping in from the north east. It was still cold. An hour in the afternoon pushed things along to 82 miles and this became 90 when I'd been out again that evening. Friday was overcast but fine. A 40 minute trundle got me to 99 miles. I went to the pub that night, so stayed on 99 until Saturday. Bonkers.

Saturday was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm! I cycled into town that afternoon, passing the 100 mile mark on my way out. Having returned home, I dashed out again for 20 minutes, progressing to 113 miles in the process. There was time for another ride in the day and I accomplished that mid-evening. It was cold though under clear skies. 121 miles was the total. Sunday was mostly cloudy but fine. An hour's ride in the afternoon lifted my total to 134. Three hours later I was back out there for the final ride of the week, rolling home with 142 big ones. A satisfactory performance.

The stats
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 54 mins
Total for 2013: 1541.5
2013 average weekly mileage: 110.1
Consecutive 100s: 10
Miles needed for 6000: 4458.5
Percentage of target reached: 25.69%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.3

This week felt that I was back in the groove. 25% of the way to 6k, with the summer ahead of me.

Meanwhile, back in 2012
A total of 113.2 took me to 1662.8. The lead is cut to 121.3.

2013 Week 13

Week 13 (w/e 31 March 2013)
Miles: 112

The chilly east wind that dominated the second half of last week was still in evidence as week 13 got underway, but things began to warm up by the weekend.

Monday was sunny but chilly. I dragged myself out before teatime, returning with 9.5 miles. I got distracted by watching the cricket in the evening (the exciting final day of New Zealand v England at Auckland), so didn't add to that. I just about got an hour's cycling done on Tuesday afternoon, slowly moving to 21 miles in the process. That east wind was still blowing, which made it harder work than usual. Another half an hour's ride in the evening moved things on to 29 miles. Wednesday's weather was again fine but cold. I was feeling a bit rough though, so didn't go out on my bike. To compensate, I went out for a bit longer than usual in the evening, coming home with 38 miles.

Thursday was sunny but chilly. I got back on track with an hour's ride in the afternoon, progressing to 52 miles along the way. This became 60 miles in the evening. Friday arrived. Good Friday, as it happened. I got out for a spin in the afternoon and returned with 72 miles. Another ride in the evening saw me roll home just short of 80 miles. Saturday was sunny and it felt warm. A sign of things to come, hopefully. I cycled into town as usual that afternoon. I got back with 89 miles but didn't have time to do my customary supplementary ride before tea as I was off out that evening to see Buzzcocks in Kendal. And very good they were too.

Sunday 31st March marked the arrival of British Summer Time. It's always a point in the cycling calendar that I look forward to as it heralds the approach of those long summer days and evening bike rides in daylight. I required just 11 miles to get the obligatory ton, and the weather was good. I went out for an hour in the afternoon and came home with 103 miles. There was time in the evening for another half an hour's ride, so I eventually halted with exactly 112.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 56 mins
Total for 2013: 1399.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.63
Consecutive 100s: 9
Miles needed for 6000: 4600.8
Percentage of target reached: 23.3%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.97

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
A total of 132.1 took me to 1549.6 miles. A lead of 150.4 miles.

2013 - Week 12 Graph

Graph for the four weeks 9 - 12:

As noted at the end of the previous post, 2012 is pulling away with a lead - 130.3 miles by the end of this phase.

Total figures after twelve weeks:

2013 - 1287.2
2012 - 1417.5
1998 - 1272.9

The difference between 1998 and 2013 was also quite tight over this period. I had a lead of 58.9, 63.9 and 43.6 in weeks 9, 10 and 11 respectively but this was shrunk to 14.3 miles in week 12. Gulp. I can feel its breath at my shoulder already.

2013 Week 12

Week 12 (w/e 24 March 2013)
Miles: 108.9

Another week of attritional mile-collecting.

The week began in a dank and wintry fashion. The rain kept me indoors during the afternoon and the drizzle in the evening had much the same effect. Tuesday was fine and dry until 4 pm, then steady light rain moved in. I didn't get out on the bike because of this until the evening, when I got the week's run chase underway with a 30 minute trundle along the usual loop. 8 miles later, I was back home. Wednesday was grey and cold, but at least it was fine. An hour's ride in the afternoon pushed me on to 22 miles. This became 30 miles once I'd been out and back in the evening.

The weather turned cold again on Thursday for a few days: A finger-numbing chill thanks to that unwelcome eastern wind. I took myself out in the afternoon, with 43 miles the result. I nipped out again at 10 pm. The wind had really whipped up in the hours in between rides and it was damned hard work. I came back with 51 miles. Friday was a wild day, with a blustery wind pushing in sleety showers. I struggled out there for 40 minutes to move on to 60 miles, but it wasn't fun. The wind appeared to haved dropped a touch in the evening, although there were still bursts of drizzle here and there to endure. I dragged myself out and came back with 67 miles.

Saturday continued to be bitter and wintry, with occasional flakes of sleet blowing around. I didn't bother making my customary trip into town, as the weather wasn't great and I didn't really need to go for anything. I went out for a ride instead a little later, coming home with 80 miles. A second trip at 9 pm resulted in a new total of 88 miles. That 100 was edging closer. Sunday was clear and sunny, but that bitter wind was still howling in. It seemed to be gusting a bit harder that it had been. I went out in the late afternoon for a 12 mile ride - just enough to get the ton sorted, then scurried back home into the warmth. Conditions were still fine in the evening, so I nipped out on the usual loop to add another 8 miles to the weekly total.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 4 mins
Total for 2013: 1287.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.26
Consecutive 100s: 8
Miles needed for 6000: 4712.8
Percentage of target reached: 21.4%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.82

20% of the way to 6000. Another slow week (average speed of 14.14 mph to get to 100) thanks to that grinding, bitter east wind that arrived mid-week.

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
A total of 167.3 took me to 1417.5 miles. A lead of 130.3 miles takes 2012 somewhere over the horizon. On my averages, that's effectively a lead of a whole week's worth of pedalling.

2013 Week 11

Week 11 (w/e 17 March 2013)
Miles: 126.5

Monday was bitterly cold with frequent light flurries of snow swirling around in the air. Despite this, I got out for 13 miles in the afternoon. I didn't bother venturing out again in the evening because it was literally freezing. In contrast, Tuesday was sunny and it felt warm. An hour's cycling in the afternoon took me to 28.5 miles and this became 36.5 miles once I'd nipped back out that evening. Wednesday was again clear and sunny. An hour in the afternoon pushed me on to 51 miles. A trip into the countryside that evening saw the day out with 59 miles, but it was bitterly cold. My fingers suffered very much.

Rain moved in on Thursday and eventually called time on any hopes of play. It was raining again on Friday morning but the afternoon cleared up so I took myself out for the best part of an hour, rolling home with 74 miles. There was drizzle around in the evening but I went out anyway and finished with 82 miles. Saturday was overcast but fine. I cycled into town in the afternoon. After coming home, I dashed out again for half an hour and thus advanced to 98 miles. Light rain moved in on Saturday evening, but I went to the pub anyway. Sunday was grey with occasional drizzle. I dragged myself out for a slightly longer than usual ride in the late afternoon, coming back with 118 miles in the bag. I nipped back out later in the evening under clear skies and so ended the week with 126.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 42 mins
Total for 2013: 1178.3
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.1
Consecutive 100s: 7
Miles needed for 6000: 4821.7
Percentage of target reached: 19.63%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.6

2013 Week 10

Week 10 (w/e 10 March 2013) 
Miles: 110.6

After a promising start, the weather turned dank and drizzly so this was one of those attritional weeks where you have to take your chances when they are presented to you and battle your way to 100.

Monday afternoon was clear, sunny and very pleasant. I managed 16.5 miles in two spurts that afternoon. This became 25 miles once I'd been out and come back in the evening. Tuesday was similarly pleasant, so I went out with my camera first to see if I could find any snaps for this blog. Taking the camera back home, I set off again and then rolled home at teatime with almost 43 miles on the clock. I was back out in the evening, closing the day with 51 miles. Come Wednesday, the weather had worsened and it was grey and drizzly. That chilly eastern Russian wind was back. I still got myself out for an hour, pushing on to 65 miles. This also meant that I sailed through the 1000 mark for the year. I was back out again later that evening, arriving home with 73 miles. A three-day 73? That should have been the platform for a big score, surely?

On Thursday afternoon I got distracted by having to make several phonecalls to Sky TV, so didn't get out on the bike. Come the evening, light rain had arrived. So that was that. Friday was grey and cold. The rain radar told me that there was a band of slow-moving rain heading this way from the south west. It had almost arrived by the time I got out on the bike. Spots became light rain before too long and it was just starting to get firmer when I came home 40 minutes later with 82 miles. There was still misty drizzle in the air later in the evening, but I went out again anyway and arrived home with 90 miles. Only 10 more required and all weekend to do it.

Saturday was again grey and cold. Rain started to fall at the time when I'd usually cycle into town, so I didn't go. The rain was around until late in the evening, but I had an appointment at the pub anyway so no miles were added to the overnight score. At least Sunday afternoon was fine. The bitterly cold eastern wind was a blustery factor I could have done without. Having been delayed by football on TV, I only squeezed in half an hour of cycling in late afternoon, moving on to almost 97 miles. I was back out there at 9:30 pm though, eventually coming back with 110 for the week.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: Not recorded.
Total for 2013: 1051.8
2013 average weekly mileage: 105.18
Consecutive 100s:6
Miles needed for 6000: 4948.2
Percentage of target reached: 17.53%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.81

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
I did 137.1 miles which took me to a total of 1113 exactly. So 2012's lead is now 61.2 miles, up 26.5 miles on last week.

2013 Week 9

Week 9 (w/e 3 March 2013) 
Miles: 155.8

A week of fine weather enabled me to post a decent score this week.

Monday afternoon? 17 miles. I was back out in the evening to finish the day on 25 miles. Tuesday was clear but pleasant. I went out a little earlier that afternoon and took the photo of the snowdrops you see above. Then it was time for a bike ride. 45 minutes worth took me to 36.5 miles and another half an hour in the evening pushed things along to 44. An hour on Wednesday afternoon landed me on 57 miles and then the usual loop on a misty, cold evening saw me reach 64 miles. An excellent start.

More clear blue skies greeted me on Thursday. This was the last day of February and... it felt warm! 55 minutes of afternoon cycling pushed me along to 79 miles. This became 87 miles by the end of the evening. Friday 1st March was cloudy but fine. I went out for just under an hour in the afternoon and rolled home with the 100 sorted. Always a good feeling to get it done on a Friday. Naturally I headed out again in the evening for half an hour, finishing the day with 108 miles. I cycled to town on Saturday afternoon. I think this was the first Saturday of the year when I made it home in daylight without needing to put my lights on. It's a landmark I always look out for with some pleasure as it means lighter evenings are on their way. As is my way, I nipped out again 45 minutes after coming home, rolling back with 124 miles. I wasn't finished there either, as the third ride of the day later that evening through freezing mist took the total to 132. Sunday was cloudy but fine again. I went out for an hour in the late afternoon, coming home with 146 miles. The final ride of the week took place at 9:30 that evening, when I came gliding home with 155 miles in the bag.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 46 mins
Total for 2013: 941.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 104.5
Consecutive 100s: 5
Miles needed for 6000: 5058.8
Percentage of target reached: 15.68%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.65

My weekly average bursts through the 100 mile mark at last! I managed that in week 6 last year. The biggest total of the week so far should have closed the gap on 2012... unfortunately, this time last year I also enjoyed a bumper week with a very similar score of 152.5. So the gap is 34.7.

2013 - Week 8 Graph

Graph for the performance over weeks 5 - 8:

After being passed by 2012 in week 4, the deficit nudged ahead by 54.9 miles in week 7 before being hauled back slightly to 38 miles exactly by week 8.

Totals figures after eight weeks:

2013 - 785.4
2012 - 823.4
1998 - 781.7

So I'm just ahead of 1998 so far.

2013 Week 8

Week 8 (w/e 24 February 2013) 
Miles: 120.4

The first three days of the week were clear and sunny, but cold in the evenings as a consequence. I got the week underway with a 12 mile ride on Monday afternoon and then pushed on to 20 in the evening. On Tuesday I actually had a day off cycling (shock!) but made up for this on Wednesday with another 12 miler in the afternoon (the bitter easterly wind that was probably blowing in from the Russian Steppes didn't help) and then advanced to 41 miles with another ride in the chilly evening. Roll on summer.

Thursday was cloudy but still bloomin' cold. I went out for an hour in the afternoon (57 miles the result) and added another 30 minutes in the evening to end the day on 64.5 miles. Friday afternoon was bitterly cold. My fingers were frozen despite double gloves. I went out for 40 minutes, moving on to 76 miles and then added 5 and a bit at 10 pm to close on 81.5 miles. Saturday felt very wintry. Sleet in the morning gave way to drizzly rain in the afternoon. Despite the conditions I cycled into town and then nipped out again for half an hour once I'd arrived home. I finished the day on 98.8 miles! Egg would most definitely be all over my face had I not bothered to clinch the 100 and Sunday proved to be  a washout... mind you, I would have gone out in lashing rain for just a mile to reach the landmark. As it happened, Sunday was mostly cloudy but fine, so I went out for an hour or so in the afternoon to reach 112 miles, then did another 30 minute loop in the evening to end the week with a comfortable 120 miles.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 56 mins
Total for 2013: 785.4
2013 average weekly mileage: 98.17
Consecutive 100s: 4
Miles needed for 6000: 5214.6
Percentage of target reached: 13.09%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.51

It was a disappointingly slow time for the 100 considering that this was my first full week on a newly-serviced bike. Over the next week or two it became obvious to me that over the course of a week my average speed was down on what it had been, by about half a mile I'd say despite the bike desperately needing a service. The comparison with 2012 was even bleaker: in the same week, my average speed was 15.1 mph as opposed to the 14.4 I managed this year. I had a new front tyre fitted as part of the service and my suspicion that I was given a slightly wider tyre than I'd previously had proved to be correct. It was difficult to find the figure because it was printed in very small letters right on the rim, but the new tyre is a 37 mm one as opposed to the 35 I had on previously. It's surprising how such a little thing can make such a big difference, to paraphrase Morrissey.

2013 Week 7

Week 7 (w/e 17 February 2013)
Miles: 112

I finally got my bike serviced this week! About time too.

Monday's weather was clear and sunny and best of all, there was no wind. Unfortunately I didn't get out on the bike. For one thing I was giving it a good clean ahead of taking it into the bike shop the next day so they could price up the service. The weather was fine on Tuesday, so after riding to the bike shop and back I went out into the countryside for a trip, coming home with 19 miles on the clock. I didn't add to that later in the evening, mostly because it was bitterly cold out. Wednesday morning saw some snow fall here, but this turned to rain by the afternoon, becoming heavier in the evening. So no miles were done. Thursday was sunny and felt mild. I took the bike to the shop in the morning and rode it home later, post-service. I then went for a test drive. What a difference it made! I came home at teatime with 36 miles and did another 8 later in the evening.

Friday was mostly clear and sunny. I did a 40 minute ride in late afternoon, advancing to 54 miles in the process. This became 62 miles later in the evening when I'd done the usual loop into the countryside and back. Saturday was cloudy but fine. I cycled into town, then did another half an hour's worth when I got back. Another ride in the evening closed the day with 86 miles. Sunday was sunny and felt quite warm for February, so I went out in the afternoon for an hour and came home with the ogligatory 100 in the bag. Another 30 minutes or so in the evening saw me finish the week with 112 miles exactly.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 2 mins
Total for 2013: 665
2013 average weekly mileage: 95
Consecutive 100s: 3
Miles needed for 6000: 5335
Percentage of target reached: 11.08%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.56

10% of the way to 6k!

2013 Week 6

Week 6 (w/e 10 February 2013)
Miles: 102

Monday was a blustery washout, but I got underway on Tuesday afternoon for half an hour, then did another 30 minutes worth in the evening despite light drizzle. Wednesday was clear and cold so I nipped out for 45 minutes in the afternoon, advancing to 26 miles. An evening ride took me to 34 in total. Thursday afternoon was drizzly so that forced me to stay in. However, I got out in the evening for 8 miles, pushing on to 44 miles in the process. Friday's weather was much better, so I took myself out for a good hour and came home with 61 miles. Rain has started to arrive in the evening when I decided to get back out there, but I did another 8 anyway and finished the day on 69 miles.

Saturday was dank and drizzly but I cycled into town on my customary Saturday afternoon trip, then topped that up with half an hour's ride after I'd returned home. I had an appointment at the pub in the evening, so closed the day on 86 miles. It was raining when I got up on Sunday and didn't stop until 8 in the evening. There was also a ferocious gale blowing from the east to contend with. I finally dragged myself out at 9:30 in the evening and came home a bit later with 102 miles in the bag. Phew. Now that's dedication.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 19 mins
Total for 2013: 553
2013 average weekly mileage: 92.16
Consecutive 100s: 2
Miles needed for 6000: 5447
Percentage of target reached: 9.2%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.41

The second slowest 100 on record due my still creaking, knackered bike.

2013 Week 5

Week 5 (w/e 3 February 2013)
Miles: 103.5

Back to winning ways this week despite some unhelpful weather and an increasingly decrepit bike.

The week got underway with a wild and wet Monday afternoon. A 30 mph gale coming up from the south west really gave those squally showers an extra kick. Not surprisingly, no cycling was achieved. Things didn't improve much on Tuesday either, with rain for most of the afternoon and then the arrivial of another band of rain at 6, just when I was considering breaking my duck. The evening was fine but blustery. But I didn't fancy it. Wednesday afternoon saw more squally showers, buffeted by the gale that had been blowing all week. The rain at least stopped by about 4 pm so I managed to drag myself out for 9 miles before teatime. I topped this up in the evening to close with 19 miles.

After some heavy overnight rain, Thursday afternoon and evening were fine. The day was still menaced by that fierce SW gale though. I nipped out earlier in the afternoon to take a couple of photos for this blog, then did another half an hour's worth before tea. This took me to 36 miles. I did another 30 minutes worth later in the evening, rolling home with 44 on the clock. Friday saw some more heavy rain around lunchtime, but after that conditions were fine - although the clear skies sent the temperature tumbling. I went out for a 45 minute ride late in the afternoon (to 54 miles), then topped that up to 64 in the evening.

That left 36 miles to get over the weekend and thankfully, the weather was ok. Saturday afternoon was pleasantly sunny. I made my usual trip into town and back then did another half an hour's worth when I got home. That pushed me on to almost 80 miles. In the evening I went to the pub, so didn't add to the total. Sunday's weather was grey and dank, but it stayed fine. After watching Man City v Liverpool on TV I dragged myself out at 6 pm for half an hour, coming back with 86 miles. It was 9 pm before I got back out there to finish off the run chase. The wind had whipped up again in the meantime, which made things a little less pleasant. I got the 100 done but then nipped back home to check my figures. I noticed that if I managed 103 miles this week, my weekly average would rise to the more rounded figure of 90 miles, so I went back out for another 15 minutes to sort that out, rolling home with 103.5 for the week.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 30 mins
Total for 2013: 451
2013 average weekly mileage: 90.2
Consecutive 100s: 1
Miles needed for 6000: 5549
Percentage of target reached: 7.5%
Required average weekly mileage: 118.06

The slowest 100 on record due my creaking, knackered bike. You'd think this would push me into getting it serviced, wouldn't you?

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
I did 115.3 miles which took me to a total of 477.7. So the lead is now 26.7 miles, up 11.8 miles on last week.

2013 - Week 4 Graph

Four weeks into the year, it's now time to have a look at the graph. Since I'll be going into battle with 2012 for the next few months, I'll ignore all the other years for now. Hopefully it will be July before I have to start plotting when 1998 is suddenly looming at my shoulder again.

After a great start in weeks 1 and 2 established a lead of 51.2 miles, the rotten weather hauled me back in and I've been overtaken already.

Those figures then after four weeks:

2013 - 347.5
2012 - 362.4
1998 - 228.5

So I lost the lead after week 3 and now have a deficit on last year of 14.9 miles. To win back the lead over the next four weeks I'll need to add 476 miles exactly at an average of 119 per week.

As I mentioned in the previous entry, last year's mild winter allowed me to set the bar unseasonably high. Looking back at previous years in the last decade, particularly post-2006 when I stepped up the cycling after a series of fallow years, the averages for the first two wintry months of the year remained much of a muchness:

After 4 weeks
2007 - 52.6 miles
2008 - 56.8 miles
2009 - 59.45 miles
2010 - 26.17 miles
2011 - 56.82 miles

After 6 weeks
2007 - 68.8 miles
2008 - 66.4 miles
2009 - 72.1 miles
2010 - 52.75 miles
2011 - 67.26 miles

After 8 weeks
2007 - 64.3 miles
2008 - 69.2 miles
2009 - 79.3 miles
2010 - 67.23 miles
2011 - 76.6 miles

I'm sure the weather wasn't all that bad at the time. What changed in 2012 was the addition of the mental determination to keep the great run going that the weather had allowed me to start.

2013 Week 4

Week 4 (w/e 27 January 2013)
Miles: 60.1

This field has been flooded a full 12 months I think.

Oh dear oh dear. A promising start to the year receives a blow thanks to the weather.

Monday morning. Snow! Thick, wet sleety stuff that didn't stick very much. It cleared away by 5 pm but I wasn't going to get the bike out in a hurry. Tuesday's skies were clear but oddly it felt quite warm - until the sun went down at least. I went out for a ride down the main road just before teatime, almost getting knocked off by some dick in a car pulling out of a goods yard as I passed under his nose. Fecking idiot. I got back with 9 miles then went back out along the same road in the evening to come back with 17.5 in total. Wednesday afternoon brought the sleet back for a brief shower. Brr. The evening was clear but cold so I donned double gloves and went out for the best part of an hour to push on to 30 miles. Crumbs, it was cold though. My fingers still felt it despite the extra layer.

Thursday. Clear skies became overcast by late afternoon. I got out on my bike at teatime. I didn't fancy going down the main road again after the previous evening's near miss. Cycling in the dark when people are travelling home from work can be a bit hairy. So I  headed off into the country lanes instead, correctly thinking that the roads wouldn't be slippy by now. The gritter passed me after a couple of miles anyway, which was reassuring. I got back with almost 39 miles on the clock. In the evening I took up an invitation to go to the pub, so no more miles were added. Friday saw sleet, then proper snow. The gritters struggled to cope with the deluge and even the main road was reduced to a path of white cut by tyre tracks. Not a cycling day, clearly.

Heavy rain arrived on Saturday afternoon and it continued to fall all evening. Not a cycling day then. At least it washed the snow away. Sunday at least was bright and sunny. I got myself out on the bike at 6 for half an hour, moving along to 48 miles on the way. I went out again later in the evening. By this time the wind had whipped up, which didn't make it much fun. I crawled back home almost an hour later with a total of 60 miles for the week.

60 miles! Very poor. The problem is that last year's mild winter let me zip away to a great start and having laid down the early benchmark of 100 a week in the winter, I never looked back. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have to chase a total in the ice and snow.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: N/A
Total for 2013: 347.5
2013 average weekly mileage: 86.87
Consecutive 100s: 0
Miles needed for 6000: 5652.5
Percentage of target reached: 5.8%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.76

My figures are getting worse on my knackered bike. 60.1 miles took me 4 hours and 23 minutes at an average of 13.67 mph.

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
I did 107.1 miles which gave me a total of 362.4. So I've been overtaken already. The lead is only 14.9 miles mind you.

2013 Week 3

Week 3 (w/e 20 January 2013)
Miles: 84

This week, the weather turned cold again. Very cold. Snow was coming. My mileage suffered accordingly.

Monday started off with wintry showers, after which it turned clear and bitterly cold. So cold that I decided not to bother getting out on the bike at all. After all, it was only Monday and I could afford to take a day off, surely? Tuesday saw clear skies again but I got things underway in the late afternoon with a ride down the main road and back for 13 miles. I nipped out again later in the evening along the same road to come home with 19 miles for the day. Wednesday was cloudy and so not quite as cold. I was going to nip out for half an hour late in the evening but ended up struggling with my front light after swapping the batteries. The wretched thing refused to work. I wasted a good ten minutes fiddling with it and by the time I got it working again, it wasn't work going out. I did manage a decent ride in the evening though. Sticking again to the gritted main road, I came back home with 33 miles. So far so reasonable.

Thursday was very cold. A bitter wind from the south really pulled the temperature down. Sleet started to fall here at about 5 pm so I wasn't able to get the bike out at my usual time. There were still flakes in the air long into the evening, so that was that. Sheltered areas had a small covering of snow, but the roads and pavements around here stayed clear. Friday was achingly cold. A few flakes of snow twinkled in the air now and again but that was all. It was too cold for me to want to go for a bike ride, certainly. I think by this time I'd resigned myself to not being able to post a century this week and I was ok with that. I must be going soft.

I headed into the weekend with 33 miles then. The weather warmed up noticeably and it was dank but fine. I made my usual Saturday afternoon trip into town, dashed out again for a short trip when I got home and then undertook a third ride in the evening to push on to 61 miles. It was cloudy but cold on Sunday and fine at least. After making a short trip locally to take some photos for this blog, a 50 minute ride a bit later at tea time saw me on to 75 miles. I got back out in the evening and trundled up and down the main road to come home at 10 pm with 84 miles exactly.

So I missed out on a third consecutive 100. But to come within 16 miles of it in the circumstances (3 days of zero cycling) was a good effort... if I hadn't missed the chance of half an hour's ride on Wednesday thanks to the dodgy bike light, I would only have been about 8 miles short. Gah.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: N/A
Total for 2013: 287.4
2013 average weekly mileage: 95.8
Consecutive 100s: 0
Miles needed for 6000: 5712.6
Percentage of target reached: 4.8%
Required average weekly mileage: 116.58

It actually took me 6 hours and 2 minutes to get my 84 miles this week at an average of 13.93 mph. Very poor. At least I'm 32.1 miles ahead of this time in 2012.

2013 Week 2

Week 2 (w/e 13 January 2013)
Miles: 101.2

The weekday weather was mostly dank and misty, then came an arctic blast for the weekend... but I was able to chalk up another 100 despite my increasingly decrepit bike. I got the week underway with a short trip on Monday afternoon for 9 miles. Rain arrived at 9 in the evening, so I didn't add to the total. Tuesday saw steady rain until around 4 pm, after which it was fine but foggy. I was able to go out for a trundle in the evening and returned with 18 miles in total. Wednesday was a very foggy day and not the kind of weather to be wobbling around the roads on a bike, so I left it at home. It was the best move.

Thursday was clearer and colder with it. I got out for almost an hour's ride in the late afternoon, moving on to 31 miles in the process. I came back just as the fog was forming, which was quite a hairy experience. The fog had thickened in the evening but I went out anyway for half an hour on the usual loop into the countryside and back. I advanced to 39 miles in the process. Friday was overcast but fine. An afternoon's bike ride took me to 53 miles. Come the evening, I noticed on the rain radar some heavy showers drifting in from the south west. I thought I'd better get some more miles done before they arrived. I thus pushed on to 62 miles by 10 pm. The rain didn't actually turn up until midnight. So that left 48 miles to rattle off over the weekend to get another early ton.

The weather changed again at the weekend as the cold snap crept in. It was clear and cold on Saturday with an icy blast coming this way from the east. I cycled into town in the afternoon as usual, then nipped out for a supplementary ride after returning home. That put me on 78 miles. The temperature in the evening really dropped. By crikey, it was cold! I took to wearing two pairs of gloves at this point. This helped slightly, but the cold still managed to freeze my digits. I dragged myself out for a ride in the evening despite the cold and came back with 86 miles. And frozen fingers. I was glad of the effort on Sunday, as I only needed 14 more miles but suddenly the weather had worsened... sleet started coming down at 1 pm. This alternated with wintry drizzle without firming up into snow. By 7 pm it had stopped so at 9 pm I ventured out for an hour in my double gloves to chalk off the remaining miles I needed to score a century. I kept myself to the main road (the A588) which had been gritted - resuming the routes I'd cycled last month when the temperature had similarly tumbled. By 10 pm the job was done. A fine effort.

Having set a new record last week with the very first 100 in the first week of a year, it follows that I've set another first this week by doing 100s in weeks one and two.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 4 mins
Total for 2013: 203.4
2013 average weekly mileage: 101.7
Consecutive 100s: 2
Miles needed for 6000: 5796.6
Percentage of target reached: 3.4%
Required average weekly mileage: 115.93

The slowest 100 on record this week as I'm pretty much limited to using the first 7 gears on my ramshackle bike. My average speed was only 14.15 mph. Urgh. Terrible.

2013 Week 1

Week 1 (w/e 6 January 2013)
Miles: 102.2

Another year, another mountain of miles to conquer. For 2013 I've set myself the same target as 2012, that is, 6000 miles. Should I come close to that before the end of the year, I can always up the total again.

Although Monday 31st December technically fell within the first cycling week of my year, I made sure that I didn't sully my figures by doing any miles. Besides, New Year's Eve called for a pint or two. I pedalled my first miles of the year in the evening of Tuesday 1st. 8, to be exact. Wednesday afternoon was dank after morning rain but I got myself out again in the evening for another 8 miles to move on to 16 in total. A slow start then. Things weren't helped by me developing a horrible cold this week. I'd even venture to state that it approached the outskirts of man flu at its peak. I must have picked it up in the pub on New Year's Eve. It proved annoyingly difficult to shake off as well. Despite feeling rough, I dragged myself out on the bike late on Thursday afternoon for half an hour then did the same again later, moving along to 31 miles in the process. Friday was similarly dank, but I put on 11 miles in the afternoon and upped that to 50 by the end of the day.

So that left 50 miles for the weekend. I felt rougher than ever on Saturday with the wretched cold I had, but having dosed myself up with hot lemon powders I took myself out for a 16 miler having decided to give my usual Saturday afternoon shopping trip the swerve. I just got home as it started to rain, but this proved to be only a brief shower. I went back out into the misty murk of the evening later on, coming home with 75 miles. It was dank and dark on Sunday as well, but at least it didn't rain. I broke the back of the chase with an 18 mile ride in the afternoon, then finished things off mid-evening, rolling home with 102 for the week.

Amazingly, despite all the records that tumbled last year, I set another one this week: never before since I started keeping records had I managed to cycle 100 miles in the first week of a year. The previous record was 83 miles, set in both 1999 and 2008 (although 1999 was actually the record at 83.2). I felt quite proud about that.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 47 mins
Total for 2013: 102.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 102.2
Consecutive 100s: 1
Miles needed for 6000: 5897.8
Percentage of target reached: 1.7%
Required average weekly mileage: 115.64

A painfully slow 100 again as my bike is falling to pieces.