By late 2013 the lycra had already started finding it’s way into my wardrobe, the ‘clipless’ pedals had been installed on TZ, along with associated, low-speed ‘crashes’! What some people thought would be a fad was becoming much more than that. I was cycling to work almost every day, and was beginning to venture out on 20-30 mile rides on the weekend. Not only that, but I had signed up to do the London to Paris bike ride for charity in April this year.

Cue Death Trap (DT)

It was clear the more cycling I was doing at the weekend and the ease with which my friend went up hills, which were otherwise destroying me, that I needed to get a weekend sporter. My answer I suppose to a mid-life crisis sport convertible! DT, a Giant Defy Zero, is my first road bike, she’s light, agile, accelerates fast, in fact in many ways is like a Ferrari! She’s equally dangerous!! I got her around the turn of the year and was immediately terrified as soon as I got on her! I still am!

Over the months immediately after Christmas I started ramping up the weekend rides. The lycra got tighter, I got fitter, stronger, more confident, and looked more and more stupid! Looking stupid was a small price to pay, I needed to be sleek, lean and aero if I was going to make it to Paris!

As you can see from the picture, I made it. As you can also see I didn’t succeed on the sleek and lean front!! It was awesome though – an amazing 4 days of cycling and I met some amazing people too. The bulk of my 4 days was spent with the same 6 people, we called ourselves the magnificent 7. They were magnificent…

…and I wouldn’t have made it without them. Chapeau to them.

Since Paris I have done a few sportives and continued on the weekend rides, more recently with the Penge Cycle Club. A real nice bunch of folk and some great routes every Sunday morning – always reacquainting me with the Downs, and almost always with  Biggin hill!

Bringing us up to date, one ride of real note, the Dunwich Dynamo, a crazy through the night ride from E London to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, 120 miles of madness. Did this with Lucy whom I met on the L2P – it was tough, real tough but we made it, and in good time.  Here are some pictures

And now to blogging…