Potential Tandem Stoker number 2 arrives

Yes she is here.
Evie Ann Miles born 14.02 pm 22 March Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. A real cutey with tiny aero efficient ears. Just have to wait 3 years to get her on a bike like her big sister.
Mother and baby are doing well. Thanks Leona for carrying such a sweet baby. You did all the hard work.

Data time again

Time has passed since my last post but my eager readers want more so here is some very dry data.
In my last post I noted that I was targetting 1300 miles without a break, well I did it. I managed to amass 1480 miles before I took a day off the bike. 43 days with a bum on a saddle averaging 33.x miles a day. Ah that is not much I hear you scorn. Trust me by the 43rd day my legs were sore, my chest was tired and my ass was like an anvil. I actually only broke the sequence because I acquired a chest infection, darned immune system all that cold weather riding took its toll.
So 14 days off the bike, well 8 days off and the rest just pootling around in a very relaxed manner. But I am back, fit and riding with a goal. With Andrew my training partner we have been getting out to Aboyne and back, 62 miles, at a healthy average speed of 16.2 miles per hour into some vicious headwinds.
Just tonight we managed a midweek dash of 22 miles at 17.2 mph average, that brought a sweat on :).
It will soon be time to stretch the mileage, we need to aim for a 100 mile reliability ride in April which will be fun.But my main goal so to achieve repeatable 300 miles per week in April. Can I manage 1200 miles in April, don't bet against it.
I think I will take Saturdays off and recover just as a test, there must be some other stuff to do that doesn't work up so much heat and hunger.

1000 miles in 28 days

Ok, so I promised an update on the journey to a 1000 miles. The dull data is 1017 miles in 28 days, 24 January 2007 to 20 February inclusive. Averaging 36.3 miles per day. Peak 7 day mileage was 303 miles. Typically the time on the bike would be 2 1/2 hours a day, split between zipping along on the road bike and hauling a child in a trailer to and from school and creche. But there were 4 and 5 hour rides at the weekends, thanks Andrew :)

If the wind blows trees from the ground you cycle, if it rains you cycle, if it snows you cycle, no matter what happens you cycle. No rest days have been taken, well that is not strictly true there were days where less hills were ridden and no trailer was towed so in the spirit of this I did take some rest but I sat on the bike while I did it.

Without the need to tow the child trailer my legs tell me that it would have been possible to ride 50 rolling miles per day for the same 28 day period, with the odd tough climb thrown in. But the real killer is the lack of rest days.
So for the 24 hour time trial preparation I will need to remember to take time off the bike to let the body recover. This may sound odd after only riding 36 miles a day but the impact of the child trailer dragging in to the wind for 10 of those miles 5 days a week cannot be underestimated. It is serious effort. Hey if towing children to school in trailers was easy, everyone in Aberdeen would do it.

Next update will be on the target of 1300 miles without a rest day. I can just imagine the thoughts going through your remote heads but this is my mental preparation for the 24 hour race, I already feel resilient and I know I can improve.

You can tell winter is here when...

.. the front wheel slides to the side when you turn or brake.
Hmm methinks there must be a solution to the problem of sliding wheels and unstable baby trailers on ice.

There is, 700c Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 35mm. What I hear you say, well look above, see the carbide studs in the body of the tire.
Wow they work well. They grip the slippery stuff like a Gekko to a wall.
Downside, they are so noisy, like a herd of mice in hobnails and the drag on tarmac is unreal but it is getting me fit:)

A'lanes bike

Lorraine, my sister-in-law who you have seen here previously, or A'layne as Tabitha calls her; has become a closet roadie.
Transitioning from the hybrid she has moved onto a neat Edinburgh Cycles Continental Race WSD.
Rack packed with all manner of goodies, including a very out of date Strawberry cake bar type thing in the back. I you see her riding by feel free to honk.

24 Hour time trial bike

Here it is.
It rides like a dream.
Comfortable and very very fast.
Stock wheels swapped out for Mavic Aksium with Continental Attack/Force 700x22/700x23 tires.
Profile Design IronMan Aero Bars.
Oh and what is it.. a full carbon fibre composite framed Giant SCR Composite 3, Cycling magazine Long Distance Bike of the Year 2006.
Why do I need it?, to ride the Mersey 24 Hour Time Trial. Get on the bike on Saturday 21 July get off 24 hours later on Sunday 22 July. No drafting, no chatting, just pedalling for as far as I can go. How far do I want to go? 384 miles would be nice 400 would be better, but more importantly I want to stay the course and contribute to the team total.
11 riders to date have signed up from Deeside Thistle and that will be some presence on the course.
So the base miles from October, November, December 2006 will come in very handy when I start to up the stakes over the coming months.
Can I achieve 1000 miles in February.. still on the cards. But March will need to be 300 miles per week, April 350 miles per week. And May will need to include some back-to-back 150 mile rides. Keep this blog bookmarked if you want to read the weekly mileage and progress reports.

just data

Some mileage data for those that are interested

October 2006
31 days to ride, 29 ridden.
Mileage 900
average 31.03 miles per day.
Trek 2300 Racing bike, reasonable weather, if a little windy.

November 2006
30 days to ride, 29 ridden.
Mileage 708
average 24.4 miles per day.
Super Galaxy Touring bike, windy and chilly.

December 2006
31 days to ride, 30 ridden.
Mileage 874
average 29.1 miles per day.
Super Galaxy Touring bike, windy and very chilly.

January 2007
31 days to ride, 23 ridden (influenza in mid-Jan).
Mileage 646
average 28.06 miles per day.
Mix between Super Galaxy and Trek 2300, windy and uber chilly.

February 2007
28 days to ride, to date(13 feb) 13 ridden.
Mileage to date, 485
average 37.3 miles per day
Mix between Trek 2300 and Giant SCR C3, wind, snow, rain, ice, very sub-zero.