Blimey - nearly a whole week since I last put something up and what a lot has happened.......err no.
The usual drudgery last week peaking slightly on Thurday evening when a stern chat with the law over lack of lights on my bike interupted my usual ride home. Been meaning to get some, promised the vary reasonable copper I would but still havent. I'll check out CRC today.
Sunday brought my first xc ride for ages, had arranged with friends to meet at Swinley forest for a ride, all got there, geared up and headed out only to find the usual route interupted by a bloody Gorrick race - no signs at the lookout, just a sudden appearance of miles of red and white tape and rows of bikes.
I watched a few of the guys going by - they dont exactly look like they are having fun - I dont see the point in riding if it is that bad. Especially as they seemed not ot be going that quick or riding the techier stuff that well.
Still we finally got away from the race area and had a good ride - not a long one, out with two mates wives who weren't that up for a big ride - but a good one.
Home for a slap up roast dinner which was cool too!
Oh and on Saturday I finally got round to replacing three missing spokes in my rear wheel. How do you true a wheel FFS! The bloody thing just didn't want to know!
Monday now - five days of hell stretching out. Better do something to earn my keep...
Tuesday - I hate Tuesday, its not a weekend, its not the middle of the week, its not the beginning, its just bad. Couldn't get out of bed, finally did, running late, hate rushing, drag bike out the door to the oh so familiar sound of a broken spoke - must have gone on way home last night - probably that bunny hop over a kerb stone. That's three out in one wheel now and I cant get to my tool kit until the weekend. Just have to ride sensibly, no drops, just pedal.
Delays at the station, train delayed en route half hour, arrive at my desk late, morning goes quickly enough though.
I reckon I can survive the day, cant be too hard can it?
Might have to watch a ski dvd tonight to remind myself why I am working in London everyday........
A dry old party this weekend in terms of riding but saving money by working on my mates house at weekends instead of paying rent is probably a good thing. I don't currently have a car to get me to my favourite ride spots anyway.
Monday morning brings with it a crisp morning ride in some dense fog in Reading but bright glorious sunshine in London. My back street tour to work is peppered with wheelies, bunny hops and kerb drops just for fun in the sunshine and as a consequence of my lack of haste I am 15 mins late to my desk. C'est la vie.
The mornings work is going slowly - nothing interesting to grab me at present. Mind is porridge, cant think, want to go skiing. Or to ride my bike.
I started a life of seasonal work/dossing back in November 2004 when I quit my last full time job.
I ditched a London wage to head to Canada and learn to ski better and to learn to teach other people to ski.
Now its November 2006 and I am in London working in broadly the same job for broadly the same money and with broadly the same lack of interest for the task in hand.
The plus side is that the money I am earning will pay for my winter season and that's what I try to focus on everyday as I drag myself through the working hours.
I ride each morning and evening to get to the station from home and from station to office - the morning run is a fun blast particularly in the cold, a great little step ride to start out from the end of the road, a few decent curbs to drop and then fight through the station, once out of the station and into London its a constant vigilance for random cars and peds whilst cranking as hard as I can for the office car park.
Home I go ninja, riding without lights because they are in store where I cant get to them and dodging the cars, sticking to back roads as best I can, once in Reading the journeys safe enough and I slip home to crash out have a beer and relax.
Paul C
