With just four shopping days until christmas (a very scary thought indeed) I thought I would put together a little list of suggestions for the cyclist in your life (or maybe just treat yourself). All these items are on my list to the jolly red man, so feel free to send one or two of these my way, family and friends you can’t say I didn’t give you any ideas :-).
Author: rolyrouleur
A saddlebag full of wind
It finally happened. After a long few years and a final 6 month slog my amazing wife (Mrs Rouleur to you lovely people) has handed in her PhD thesis. No longer will I be the smartest in the house (not that my MSc ever meant I really held that title), but I don’t mind for what it also means is that I RIDE AGAIN!!
ICE ICE baby – Tagnix Emergency ID Dog Tags Review
The Good – Choice, Price, Quality, Something for everyone
The Bad – Not much really, being very (very) picky perhaps a slightly thinner chain?
The Ugly – Nada
Despite the arrival of winter this last week, this is not a post about the cold, or snow or even ice (though given the title you could be forgiven for thinking that). No this is an altogether different kind of ICE……….In Case of Emergency.
A diversion on two feet and some water
A couple of weeks ago whilst attending physio for Tennis Elbow (no I am not secretly about to join the ATP) I was told that to have any hope of getting rid of this persistent but very painful ailment I needed to rest it. “How so”? I asked “Well,” she said kindly, “No computer work, and no cycling for at least 4-6 weeks!!”
I spluttered and complained, argued and moaned, but the very nice lady just raised an eyebrow and reiterated her recommendations. Now given that my Nan had a lot of physio throughout her life but always ignored the advice of the trained professionals and suffered for it I was keen to do the opposite, however I have two pretty major problems;
Lance – Thoughts from a friend
A note before reading – This ended up being a longer piece than I had anticipated and though I hope you find it interesting I certainly don’t want you to feel I am being preachy so apologies if this is what happens. Please enjoy.
As a self-proclaimed ‘dreamer’ who really did believe all you needed was hard work, the fallout from Lance Armstrongs final capitulation to the USADA left me red-faced and angry.
Red faced because I had to admit that Mrs Rouleur had been right all along (we had argued about this often over the years when watching cycling). Actually in hindsight I am almost always exclusively wrong (apparently) so I am not sure why the red face but still….
Anger though, well isn’t that a bit much? He wasn’t a friend, and he didn’t beat anyone I knew personally so why the extreme emotion? Well as Mrs Rouleur likes to point out I am first and foremost a drama queen so there is that, but more importantly it’s the mockery of a dreamer.
BBB Innershield Winter Cycling Gloves (BWG-27) review
- The Good – Great quality, comfortable, versatile, a fantastic price and WARM
- The Bad – one size fits all may be a problem for those with dainty or shovel like hand sizes
- The Ugly – Nothing
What can you really write about a glove?
Well for the BBB Innershield winter gloves not a huge amount but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Winter is coming!
It is with great regularity that I have recently found myself quoting the head of family Stark (before he lost his) from George R. R. Martins rather long (yet unmissable) Game of Thrones. Whether I am complaining to Mrs Rouleur about my dire need to turn the radiators on (it is October after all), or standing in the shower shivering more than the kingdom of Arendelle when Elsa went ‘nucking futs’ in Disney’s Frozen, I continue to repeat the mantra ‘Winter is coming’, and so it felt this weekend.
I want, I want, I want
As the future rainbow jersey’s (my son) vocabulary currently runs to ‘Car’ or ‘Auto’ (yep already bilingual) I have yet to experience the fear all parents must go through of I want, I want, I want.
No time to type!
So it’s been awhile (well eight days) since my last post and some of you might be wondering why……. though I am sure others are thinking thank god for a bit of peace. But just like the Austrian Oak ‘I’m Back.
But why the scribing silence?
Well I would love to say I have been off cycling the route that Hannibal took with his long trunked friends in 218 BC as described by Felix Lowe in his cracking read ‘Climbs and Punishment’ (review pending but FYI a perfect 10). Or alternatively that I have been liasing with Purito Rodriguez to design a more challenging stage than this years ‘Easy Peasy’ Queen stage at La Vuelta.
The problem of size
A head as round as a Christmas pudding, a body shaped like a butternut squash (pear is being too kind), legs as short as a Corgi, feet as wide as a Hobbit yet hands as small as an Elf (if Elves had sausages for fingers)….
No not a weird creature from the latest straight to DVD horror movie in the bargain basement bin of your local supermarket but a very accurate description of my body shape.
The Roly Rouleur 