"My Cycling for January 2008"

Fire! Fire! Heathrow Airport's on fire! Of course it isn't really on fire. It's just the sun setting behind me up on the West side of Richmond Parks Tamsin Trail on the 22nd Jan 2008 (one day before my 37th birthday), over looking Twickenham, Isleworth (where I was born) and Heathrow etc.


So, another cycling year begins. January could have been a better month. It would have been without the cold and chest infection and the absolutely terrible weather that seemed to dominate it! And it seems to be spilling over into February too! I'm a little fed up with the mud and rain to be honest. I don't mind the ice cold or the wind or the silly mild days that we have had too, but the rain doesn't do me any favours. I have decided that it is just far too dangerous to risk going night riding in the Surrey Hills whilst it is wet. I have this bad feeling that I am going to have an accident and injure myself if I continue to take risks! And I am fed up with washing my bike after every ride too. The way things were going, I'd have had no paint left on the bike by April;)

Anyway, so I avoid muddy situations at night and stick to going in the day or just pootle around Richmond Park on the Tamsin Trail. I have been using both bikes recently. Elvis and my old 2005 Kona Caldera (hardtail) "Dessert Storm", who has just had £300 spent on him in the form of two new hubs (XT), spokes, head set (Cane Creek), cable kit, chain, brake pads (Hayes Sintered), cassette (XT) and small and middle chain rings. He's just like new again. It's nice knowing you have two bikes on the go, in case one is out of action so to speak.

What will 2008 bring in the way of mountain biking, besides my normal keep fit/Surrey Hills/RP ride? Looks like I'll be entering Rough Ride this year, as well as a few of the Merida Marathon events. A friend of mine, Matthew of "Blood, Sweat and Tyres" has planned a ride from John 'O Groats to Lands End over a period of 23 days in August and will be cycling most of it off-road. I have been invited to join him for all or part of the ride, but I still haven't decided how much (if any) I will be doing. I really have to think about this one! I have been thinking for a while already and have not yet come to any decision. Damn my haemophilia!!!

Below are my cycling stats for January 2008.




Tuesday 1st January 2008 @ 18:30pm, RP, 15.98 miles, av 13.8, max 30.6 mph, 1hr 9mins, dry, temp 8, wind 4. Total 15.98 miles.

Thursday 3rd January 2008 @ 19:00pm, RP, 18.59 miles, av 12.2, max 22.8 mph, 1hr 31mins, dry, cool, temp 3, wind 8. Total 34.57 miles.

During this break of eight days, I had a horrible cold and also developed a chest infection! It was absolutely awful being holed up indoors for those days that I was ill! All sorts of things were going through my silly head! It doesn't matter how well you deal with or how long you have had HIV for, it still scares me to death when I get ill!

Saturday 12th January 2008 @ 13:00pm, first ride after nasty cold and chest infection!, RP, 20.12 miles, av 11.8, max 27.4 mph, 1hr 42mins, temp 8, wind 9. Total 54.69 miles.

Monday 14th January 2008 @ 19:00pm, RPx2, Ian, 24 miles, muddy, dark & windy, av 11.9, max 25 mph, 2hrs, temp 9, wind 13. Total 78.69 miles.

Wednesday 16th January 2008 @ 14:00pm, RP, 14.25 miles, av 12.7, max 25.1 mph, 1hr 7mins, sunny, cool, muddy, temp 9, wind 5. Total 92.94 miles.

Friday 18th January 2008 @ 15:00pm, 15.02 miles, av 13.2, max 35.7 mph, 1hr 8mins, mild, light, cloudy & very windy, dry, on-road in RP, temp 14, wind 18. Total 107.96 miles.

Monday 21st January 2008 @ 19:30pm, RP on-road, 18.54 miles, av 13.8, max 36.2 mph, 1hr 21mins, dark, windy with a very bright moon, temp 11, wind 22!. Total 126.50 miles.

Tuesday 22nd January 2008 @ 15:00pm (see photo above), RP, 20.10 miles, av 11.8, max 25.5 mph, 1hr 42mins, sunny, cool, temp 8, wind 8. Total 146.60 miles.

Friday 25th January 2008 @ 14:40pm, RP, 23.12 miles, av 12.7, max 27.1 mph, 1hr 49mins, dry, bright & windy, temp 11, wind 16. Total 169.72 miles.

Sunday 27th January 2008 @ 14:00pm, a very busy RP, 20.62 miles, av 12.6 max 25.3 mph, 1hr 35mins, sunny, windy & warm and dry, temp 11, wind 11. Total 190.34 miles.

Tuesday 29th January 2008 @ 14:00pm, RPx2, 20.96 miles, av 13.1 max 25.1 mph, 1hr 35mins, mild, windy, cloudy, temp 9, wind 9. Total 211.30 miles.



Jason








(C) JPT 2008.........211.30 miles.