Almost a year!

since i started this much forgotten blog about cycling to work.
In part this was becuase i was getting married and didn;t cycle all winter, and another that my bike was giving up the go.

So after 6 years of service the old Marin is in the garage in bits. Bring on the Shirly!
Khalil my bike macanic brother built me my first custom bike - and wow its gooOOod.

based on a Surly 1x1 frame and some rock shox Recon forks with a Rohloff Speedhub Gear system
its the best thing i've riden.

ok off to work.

Bottles of gas

Got stopped ya concerned boatie yesterday on the way home. 'you must cycle round the outside of the next field! there is a gas bottle alight by the canal' the guy took some delight in stopping the cylcest next to behind who caught up and telling him the same thing. So of we set round the field and sure enough someone had started a BBQ and the gas bottle had leaked, caught fire and fallen into the flames. (reminded me of savage honeymoon )

I ended up cycling home behind the wheel of someone who clearly cycles further and faster than me, which was fun. He does a 17.5mile trip to work (and the same home) in about 1hour, thats Thatcham to Reading!
It turns out he in the newbury cycling club and does all sorts of time trails etc. So i didnt feel too disheartened that i got out cycled.

anyway- raining today but off to work.

Fox an deer

Saw a Fox is a field today, stopped to gawp at it and it starred back for a while then turned tail and skulked off. Only afterwards did I think that in my red cycling top sitting aloft my trustee steed, I prolly looked a little like a fox hunter. I guess the fox was attempting to stick 2 fingers up at me, and rightly so.

ohh the night before I saw 5 deer, looked like a family, red ones they were. I really admire deer and it feels like a good 'honest' meet to enjoy seeing as they aren't farmed like most of the rest of the meet we eat, at least they can roam free.

Questions of the day.
1: has anyone eaten fox? Not sure I need to, just curious
2: What is a LadyBower ? (I saw a boat today called ladybower) sounds like some sort of roundhead sexist fighting elite
update: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladybower

Riding home late at night.

This gets me very year.....

You take your front lights off your bike in summer, I should say I take my lights off my bike in summer. (as they are a bit large and heavy and likely to get nicked)

Then one day your working a little late, filling in your Blog more than likely and you set off home.
get half way and start noticing a fantastic sunset.

you see the thing is, if it goes dark on the canal and you don't have any lights, its really really dark and to be fear just a tad scarey.

but to let the story down a little i peddled like a deamon and got myself home, or at least off the canal before it went really, really dark.

note to self: Lighting up time in August in the UK is pre 9pm.

Shaky start

One of my main problems with cycling is that several of my colleagues, who also live in my area, and one in particular (mister Mattock!) have the habit of saying the one little magical sentence that gets me straight of my bike and into their cars. (with bike in boot)
'' Shall we go to the pub after work?'' I have no way to combat this affront on my cycling except to say YES!
so last night instead of riding home I got a lift to Thatcham and went to the pub (Crickets) for a couple of pints of large.
Cycled in this morning, ever late as usual and took many more pictures, but forgot camera lead, so will update this later.

Comments of the day:
I) The cows seem particularly belligerent today! (see pic on the left)

ii) More Dogs on the track today than people and boats put together.

today's Stats:
nearly run over by a car 1
dog shit on the track 0
open bridges (that hold me up) 1 (really just give me a breather)
Ride time 48 minutes

It begins.

I was talking to the local cycling organization yesterday at the Newbury farmers market and decided to create a blog about my ride to work.

This is my first morning and I'm already late. My bag is not packed and my water bottle is not full.

Over the next few months I intend to take you through riding to work, with some information that may help if you think of doing the same. On the other hand you could just look at some of the pictures I'm going to take and get in your car and drive to work. Either way you'll still get there.

My trip is from Thatcham (near Newbury) to Theale (near Reading) and back again. Its about 11.5 miles each way and takes about an hour 'door to desk' with 45-50 minutes of ride time. I'm lucky enough that 80% of the ride is on the Kennet and Avon Canal tow path.

(on the left) My bike, its not a very flash bike, but it gets me here and there.


anyway off to work.