Exactly 4 months to go till we embark on the 244 mile trip to Paris and the training is now becoming painful.
Sunday the 4th saw our first 30 mile ride, and I still can’t sit down without wincing. The only defence I can present, is that the route was pretty much all up hill and the weather was a combination of heavy rain and strong winds, which, no matter what direction we took always seemed to be driving straight in to our faces. If there was ever a requirement for Sudacrem it was now.
The ride was, however, made a little easier as we had the company of Carl and Kevin Platt; it is nice to have someone to share the day’s observations with when you’re pushing your bike up a hill.
Speaking of observations, as always, there is something completely unrelated to cycling to talk about…I think this time it has to be canal barges and their owners.
Now rather than mock those who spend their days cruising the waterways of Britain, I feel I should let you know that I’m actually quite envious as it appears to be a very relaxing way to both while away the hours and observe an ever-changing landscape.
And, lest we forget, it is an opportunity to annoy fishermen the country over – reason alone to get out of bed in the morning.
It should be noted though, for those of you thinking of adopting a lifestyle change and taking to the water, there is a well respected etiquette among boaters. I’m unsure of the details, but from my own observations, I think I can present an overview of the fundamentals -
Sunday the 4th saw our first 30 mile ride, and I still can’t sit down without wincing. The only defence I can present, is that the route was pretty much all up hill and the weather was a combination of heavy rain and strong winds, which, no matter what direction we took always seemed to be driving straight in to our faces. If there was ever a requirement for Sudacrem it was now.
The ride was, however, made a little easier as we had the company of Carl and Kevin Platt; it is nice to have someone to share the day’s observations with when you’re pushing your bike up a hill.
Speaking of observations, as always, there is something completely unrelated to cycling to talk about…I think this time it has to be canal barges and their owners.
Now rather than mock those who spend their days cruising the waterways of Britain, I feel I should let you know that I’m actually quite envious as it appears to be a very relaxing way to both while away the hours and observe an ever-changing landscape.
And, lest we forget, it is an opportunity to annoy fishermen the country over – reason alone to get out of bed in the morning.
It should be noted though, for those of you thinking of adopting a lifestyle change and taking to the water, there is a well respected etiquette among boaters. I’m unsure of the details, but from my own observations, I think I can present an overview of the fundamentals -
- All women boaters must never use Immac or any other cosmetic hair remover
- All man boaters must wear leather sandals which are 2 sizes too small and have excessively hairy toes (Note: In times of cold weather, said hairy toes are to be covered by knee length white socks)
- All boaters must always smell of cheese and onion crisps
- All boaters must wear clothes that are covered in cat hair (dog hair is allowed by exception)
- When challenged about any of the above, all boaters must state that the adopting of a Bohemian lifestyle allows you to be free of all the restrictions of modern life.... for example hygiene and dress sense
Please check out the link below for further information:
http://www.iwearwhitesocksandsmellofcheeseandonioncrisps.co.uk/
Till next time….
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