1603.13 RIDE TO RETFORD

It's been a while since I went out with my cycling club but this Sunday I made the effort. The last club run I went on (not the Tom Simpson) I struggled, I was determined to make this one work. There were 9 of us in total, meeting between 2 meeting points. There was a new guy out with us this morning, I remember whit was like to be the new guy. I was out on my Boardman which I'm now using as a 'winter' bike. There was a low mist and a chill to the air but the ride was brisk, I felt good.

We ended up at the Broomwagon Velo Cafe in Retford, a favourite that I've been to a few times with the club.

I clocked up over 107km, door to door, more than that I remembered why I do this.

My club enjoying a break

1603.07 STRANGE MAN IN THE PUB

Most Mondays we (Morticia & myself) visit our local pub, the Green Dragon for the last hour (or so). It's usually pretty quiet which suits us. This Monday we were there as usual, the girl behind the bar was telling us about a bloke in the other bar who was going on about something or other over and over. After a short time this bloke asked (through the gap between the bar) if he could speak with me. I obliged and joined him in the other room. He then went through some concerns he'd had because of a meeting with the benefits people that morning. I advised him to speak with them in the morning.

Over the rest of the evening the chap went 'round every customer in the pub. At the end of the night I offered to encourage him to go home. Part of my job is being able to communicate and I used my skills to get him out of the door.

About 15 minutes later I went out to the car park (to check for the girl behind the bar if her lift had arrived). I found that same bloke with his head inside a car speaking to the driver. I spoke to him again and encouraged him to get off home, I witnessed him this time leave the car park.

Later, as we were leaving the pub, we saw him again stood on the street on the other side of the pub wall. When I got home I rang 101 and got my Rotherham colleagues to check on his welfare. He was well known to them and I'm confident that they looked after him.

1603.06 DAY OF THE MOTHER

This time last year it was a very different day, this year unfortunately I'm working and without enough leave to get the day off any do anything special.

Earlier in the week I took Rags shopping, she wanted to buy her mum a 'Me to You' bear ornament (that Morticia collects). 

The day started with breakfast in bed made by Rags with a presentation of gifts. Morticia loved her bear together with the champagne and flowers. 

I sorted the dinner ready just to turn on as required before I left. My day consisted of working whilst Morticia and Rags enjoyed a cuddlefest on the settee watching movies. 

The missing piece was the notable absence of our eldest. There was no card, no text, not a word. 

1603.05 THE COMMUTER BIKE

I've finally finished repairing and refurbishing the vintage 80s bike that was involved in a collision with a car a couple of years ago. I've accented the yellow more with yellow 'camouflage' effect bar tape which I've double wrapped over the previous tape to give a more comfortable grip. I've put on the better lights I bought after the last accident and added a hi viz cover for the bag that goes on the rack. The brakes have been updated to complement the new wheels which are of the modern 700c standard (replacing the 27inch old standard).

I've rode it a few times and initially I was unsure that I was going to get along with it. The bike is VERY heavy (my other bikes are aluminium or carbon fibre) and handles very differently. I took the first couple of rides very steady. It's taken a few goes to get used to friction shifters again, it becomes fluid eventually.

Hopefully we will have a long and happy relationship.

The Commuter Machine

1602.28 TOM SIMPSON MEMORIAL RIDE

I've never ridden this event but I've certainly heard of it so when my club mentioned joining in I felt compelled to join in. I've been a little off cycling (apart from my commutes). It's common to lose your mojo during the winter months so this seemed the ideal way to refocus. I made sure I told as many people as possible so I'd find it difficult to get out of participating. I got the summer bike up on the work stand the day before (it's been hooked up to the turbo trainer for a while) and gave it a good going over and a clean up.

The alarm woke me about 7am and after getting in my club kit and a bit of breakfast I got the bike set off to the starting point. The starting point was in Bircotes, over 15 miles from home - good warm up ride.

The ride out was good, after a few miles I was feeling pretty good. I took it steady whilst keeping an eye on the time. I thought I'd see more riders on the way up, I only came across a few on the way (although I had no idea if they were travelling to the same event). I arrived at about 9:10am. There were about 15 other members of my club there to ride amongst the hundreds of others.

It was a 10am start but the organisers started to let riders go in groups of 30 or so from 9:50am. We were off and although the organisers had stressed that this event was NOT A RACE it was clear from the off that the pace was much more than I expected. I stayed with my club mates for a while but the speed as we hurtled towards Retford was just too much (most of them are seasoned road racers and time trialists). I reached Retford much faster than I anticipated and before I knew it I was through the other side. I caught up with the club as we headed north and stayed with them for a while. We ended up in a large group somewhere near Gainsborough (I think) which scattered our group a little. I got penned in and lost my club again. As we turned west the field became thinner and where there were large peletons at the beginning now we had small groups and individuals. There was one member that I managed to catch up with and although he was a few hundred yards in front I felt confident that he knew where he was going (he'd said before that he'd loaded the route into his Garmin).

The field of riders had all but vanished except for my club mate who was ahead but still in sight. I had started to suspect that I was going the wrong way for a while and I was almost certain when I started to see signs saying I was on the A18 to Doncaster. I lost sight of my lead at the next roundabout. Knowing I was off course and on my own I considered just heading home but part of me wanted to finish so I headed towards Bawtry (knowing that the route passed through there) on a route that took me through the busy retail parks and past the racecourse.

Reaching Bawtry was a big boost to me after seeing riders that had obviously finished and heading home. From Bawtry it was easy going back to the finish point. I was pleased to have made it round even if I'd added miles to my ride. After a short break I had more riding to do. I needed to get home.

The ride between Bircotes and home had a few climbs, nothing nasty but after almost 5 hours in the saddle I felt them all. Having said that I got over and through at a fair pace and arrived home in good time.

Would I do it again? If the weather was as good then yes, but I'd make sure I had the route nailed down and I think I'd want to train a bit harder.

This is what the organisers said afterwards... 

The 2016 Tom Simpson Memorial broke all previous records today with the leading group that included Russ Downing, John and Jake Tanner racing around the course in 2 hours and 5 minutes taking 20 minutes off the previous fast time set two years ago. 399 riders signed on today breaking the previous best of 225 riders . The total money raised today was a staggering £2106.62 which has been banked today and a chq for half this amount has been sent to the David Rayner Fund . Thanks to all of those that signed on and took part in todays ride.

A great start to hopefully a great cycling year.

Strava
Tom Simpson

1602.22 PINCH POINTS

It's been a while since I've had any issues on my commutes to work. The biggest issue is the traffic islands on the main road towards Sheffield which cause 'pinch points'. Quite often you get motor vehicles racing for the gap which is quite frankly very dangerous for me and other cyclists.

See what you think on the short clip below posted on Instagram (warning, it gets a little sweary).

Double #twat yesterday. Same pinch points as usual. White van hits traffic island racing for gap, lorry is just plain dangerous. #cycling #commute #headcam #Rotherham #roadsafety

A video posted by CaptainKirt™ (@captainkirt) on Feb 23, 2016 at 1:50am PST

I'm not a cycling 'vigilante', I'm just trying to travel by bike. I have the camera for my protection following a couple of accidents.

1602.18 H2 STATION

(Now I want to put it out that I whole heartedly disagree with this project. I feel it's a transport system for the elite, I don't envisage being able to afford to travel on this train. I don't see the point of a new train line when the money could upgrade and revamp existing services (Sheffield to London isn't even electrified). Local public transport system is a shambles and doesn't offer a viable alternative to other transport methods.

I'm talking about this because there has recently been a debate locally regarding the location of the HS2 station in South Yorkshire. The plan is to build it in Meadowhall which is to the east of the city centre where there is already a small station which serves the shopping centre. A lot of people have been pushing for the plan to change and rebuild the old (and long time closed) Victoria Railway Station on the edge of the city centre.

Initially I was on the side of moving the plan to the city centre after all this was supposed to be a city station, why have it on the edge? Then I did some reading and looked at the facts. Victoria Station would mean some major demolition and would the location be difficult for other links (it's a fair distance from Midland Station (Sheffield's main railway station) and the bus station. Also where would they put any car parking? The benefits would be for high end businesses in the city centre only, would that be enough to sustain the project (I'm remember the doomed Sheffield City Airport)?

So why would Meadowhall be better? The plans for the Sheffield City Region (http://sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/overview/). If you are looking at a transport system benefitting the whole region then it needs to be somewhere easily accessible from all areas. Where better than an area which is serviced by rail from all the major towns and Sheffield plus bus and tram links. Also the M1 is there as well as potential links to Robin Hood Airport.

So I don't want it but if we have to have it then build it at Meadowhall.

1602.16 PEED IN THE POOL

I was disappointed to here about Stephen Fry's departure from Twitter. He was one of the early adopters and one of the few celebrities on in the beginning, I myself have been on twitter for 9 years now (find me at @CaptainKirt), back in the beginning there were less than a million users and the atmosphere was very different. Trolling was practically unheard of back then. I think Stephen did describe it well though...

Oh goodness, what fun twitter was in the early days, a secret bathing-pool in a magical glade in an enchanted forest. It was glorious ‘to turn as swimmers into cleanness leaping.’ We frolicked and water-bombed and sometimes, in the moonlight, skinny-dipped. We chattered and laughed and put the world to rights and shared thoughts sacred, silly and profane. But now the pool is stagnant. It is frothy with scum, clogged with weeds and littered with broken glass, sharp rocks and slimy rubbish. If you don’t watch yourself, with every move you’ll end up being gashed, broken, bruised or contused. Even if you negotiate the sharp rocks you’ll soon feel that too many people have peed in the pool for you to want to swim there any more. The fun is over.

I still persevere, it isn't as much fun but I do enjoy the interaction. I too have taken breaks from time to time, I think everyone does. It's a shame about Stephen though, he was the only celebrity that actually followed me back!

1602.13 VALENTINE LOVE

For the second year running Morticia and me have managed to get out for Valentine's Day. We decided to do pretty much exactly what we did last year.

Dinner at the Anchorage restaurant followed by drinks in town (Sheffield). Back home on the last bus.

Me and my Valentine ♥ #love #together

A photo posted by CaptainKirt™ (@captainkirt) on Feb 13, 2016 at 5:21pm PST

1602.05 COURTESY CAR

Our car has been back to the dealers today for some recall work to do with the engine management software. They told me when I phoned that it could take over 4 hours. I informed them that I wasn't able to wait that long and the dealership was to far from my house to get there and back easily. "No problem" they said, I could have a loan car. Well, I jumped at this. The opportunity to drive a different car was too much to miss.

I dropped our car in this morning at 9am. I told them that if the car wasn't ready by 12 midday I'd have to collect it the following morning (and keep the courtesy car overnight). That wasn't a problem, and I was presented with a 65 plate Fiat 500 to play with.

Now I've never driven the smaller cousin of our car (Fiat 500L) so this was my chance to compare. I have to say that it didn't feel as cramped as other small cars like the Ford Fiesta (we have some at work), the spec was basic compared with our car (but I guess it was the Base model). I don't think we could manage with a car like this long term but as a city runabout or second car (which I've never been in favour of) it would be ideal.

I got a message when our car was done around midday and went over and switched back. Morticia was disappointed since she wanted a proper go in it (I did let her drive it to her friend's on my way to take it back).

1602.02 LOCKING THAT DOOR

Every night when I check the house and lock the front door (it's actually already locked, I just put the chain on) and set the alarm just before bed I think of those not inside these walls that should be. If someone is away or sleeping out then it's fine but I give them a thought, hoping they're safe. Every night I think of my eldest. I miss her. She knows even though I lock that door it is always open to her.

1601.31 A TEMPORARY DRAWING

I've been illustrating my blog with cartoons since October 2007. By April 2010 it had become a requirement for every post. This caused an issue when I didn't have a cartoon to fit the post. Since then I always intended to come up with a placeholder cartoon (I did play with a 'test card' placeholder but I quickly dispensed with it). So 5 years+ later I have done the necessary. Hopefully, if you are reading this years down the line when I've collated my blogs into print (for posterity and my family legacy) this will be the only place you will see this cartoon.

1601.23 CHUNKY MONKEY

Since Christmas I've pretty much let myself go, eating pretty much whatever is not good for me. Add the fact that Morticia and I have been getting out together more (which is wonderful) it all adds up. My cycling commute is a considerably shorter since I moved workplace last August so the opportunity to burn off the excess just isn't there like it was. 

So I find myself looking down at a bit of a developing gut which has to go... 

1601.20 END OF THE BIRTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Many years ago when few were on the internet and it ran at a snails pace (remember 56K modems?) there came about a website that offered to put us in touch with old friends from our school days or even those friends we just lost touch with. There was of course a cost, they charged a subscription to communicate with our lost friends (it was free to put your details on).

Then came Facebook. Same sort of thing but free. Facebook also let you share information with your current friends too. Did I mention it was free? Friends Reunited eventually stopped charging but by then I think it was too late.

Today I got an email stating they were closing down, I'd all but forgotten about them let alone that I still had an account with them. I've probably still got an account with MySpace too (I have, I just checked). I don't think I'm about to lose any sleep about the passing but it is worthwhile remembering one of the early pioneering web services and social network before the term had even been coined.

1601.18 PROJECT COMMUTER BIKE

2 years ago I put together an old steel bike to get me through the winter commutes. Unfortunately it was crashed into by a car which resulted in me suffering a broken wrist. The bike faired quite well with minor damage and a broken rear wheel.

And so it's sat in my shed ever since. I just haven't been able to face doing anything to it. Until now. I've ordered new wheels (hoping they'll fit since they are a slightly different size) and if I just do a few tweaks and add a few accessories then I'll have a perfect commuter machine.

Watch this space for progress.