Musings

General cycling related thoughts

Kickstart my……Wallet

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By now I am sure you will have all heard of the wonder that is Kickstarter. A crowdfunding website that allows everyday people to fund other everyday people’s dreams. Or at least that’s how I see it.

Kickstarter describe themselves as ‘helping artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality’, and you know what, who can argue with that!

It is therefore with great interest and much enthusiasm that I have been looking out for projects that I can help fund which would be of interest to me, whilst also trying to remember those other cool projects where perhaps I couldn’t support at the time but want to revisit in the future once they achieve their targets and come to market.

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Looking Back, Looking Forwards (Part Two)

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I am writing this as I sit looking back on a week without exercise, whilst also realising it’s yet again been a good couple of weeks since my last post! Man does life pass by quickly this year. Though illness and injury has kept me away from exercising for a full week (meaning I feel rather disgusting at the moment), I reckon two turbo sessions this weekend should have me feeling alert again in no time, but that’s getting ahead of myself…..So let’s begin.

I’m not going to focus on the negatives (a usual favorite past time of mine) or look back (that’s been done here), instead it’s time to go forward in time and though I don’t have a DeLorean with inbuilt Flux capacitor I do  have a bike so that should be enough.

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Looking Back, Looking Forwards (Part One)

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First I’ll start with a ridiculously late Happy New Year to you all. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday period with lots of fun and laughter (and a bit of training too).

The last six weeks have been rather manic and have disappeared quicker than Quintana up Alpe D’Huez at last years tour, which has all added up to me neglecting you, my loyal readers.

So as an apology in the next week or so I will bring you a few reviews (BandofClimers it’s coming I promise), a ride report (or two) and a look forward to 2016.

Let’s begin then by setting the keyboard to 88mph and like Doc and Marty head back in time!

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Dont panic there’s still time (just) – Christmas gifts for Cyclists

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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 :-).

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A diversion on two feet and some water

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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;

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Lance – Thoughts from a friend

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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.

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No time to type!

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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.

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The problem of size

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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.

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Ch, Ch, Changes, and Ch, Ch, Challenges

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Another weekend is upon us and like hundred and thousands (can you still buy those?) of others I am busy trying to squeeze at least one ride in to a busy schedule of family and work (plus of course the essential activity of sport watching).

Since my cycle Europe challenge and RideLondon I have only been on the bike once and that was a tiny cycle to my local train station and back. This is despite the fact that I still had one final ride to complete for my three part charity challenge.

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