Shortround.

It's like he says, "jump" and the other asks, "where do you want me to land?"

In the last couple of days I have been put into situations where I've been able to take a step back and look at what is actually happening rather than being fully part of the scenario. It is like my days as a photographer observing without commenting.
Most of the time if you are the one creating silence other people can't help themselves but talk, to try and say something, anything to take away the nothingness that has been happening.

Another one of my Grandma's sayings I'll dearly miss;
'If you don't have ought good to say, don't say anything at all.'

Progress.

Today reminded me of my old flatland BMX days, trying something on a bike over and over until it suddenly clicks, and then you're doing something almost naturally that fifteen minutes ago was making you scream with frustration. Today it was remounts on my cyclocross bike.

Bikes I have (and had).

The comment you have a lot (or too many bikes) is something I hear regularly, so I thought it's about time to lay everything on the table.
Here's what I currently own:

Bob Jackson custom made road bike.


The bike I waited 8 months to be built and have been riding all summer, including a few road races. Strictly my best bike, only summer mileage and maybe going into hibernation soon.


Scott CX Team cyclocross bike.


My first staff purchase bike through work, will be racing cyclocross in the coming weeks on this bike.


On-One Pompino singlespeed/fixed gear bike.
It's unusual I don't have a photo of this bike but it really isn't the best looking thing but does a lot of jobs and serves as my everyday bike. Usually equipped with mudguards it's coming into it's second winter and hasn't failed on any score so far.


Colnago Art Deco.


The photo shows it as a complete bike but this is now just a frame and forks that lives next to my bed. Bought it as an absolute bargain and will never sell it, if I did I'd have bad cycling karma forever.


Fit BMX bike.


Doesn't get ridden much anymore, lives at my parents house, again loathed to sell it mainly for sentimental reasons.



Here's what I have owned:

Kinesis RacelightT road bike.


The latest bike to leave me, was simply a stop gap till the Bob Jackson frame was ready but did me well to get some winter training miles on.


Pete Dunn Lo-pro track bike.


Probably the best bike I no longer own. Bought this off a local shop with a horrible purple and yellow paint job, then got Bob Jacksons to convert it to track ends and paint it green. I used to fly around York on this, doing laps of town without ever putting a foot down, really fun bike to ride and you have to focus all the time, being one step ahead in traffic. Ultimately it was what made it so much fun which was the problem, being brakeless in city roads causes issues, skidding through gaps is fun but skidding for the tenth time that ride so a taxi/bus/HGV doesn't kill you isn't.
It always got a lot of attention, especially on eBay where it sold for a bomb.


Carlton track bike.


Really nice old track frame that I built and rode on the street for a while before turning it into a velodrome only machine, unfortunately it became too expensive to just have sitting around not in use, maybe a lesson about punching above your weight too - never felt comfortable on it.


No name fixed gear conversion road bike.


My first fixed gear bike. This saw a lot of mileage when we lived in Leeds, later in York it had mudguards and swept back granny bars. Again went on Ebay.


Peugeot road bike.


My first geared bike, ebay special - bought cheap, done up and sold on.


WeThePeople Div BMX.


Probably my favourite BMX and certainly the one I rode the longest, thinking back I can't think why I stopped riding it, the frame is back at my parents but was damaged beyond repair when swapping the parts.



That's about it, not counting a few early BMX's including one that was stolen and a Specialized Langster, which I owned for less than 24 hours before selling. Another thing about cycling it you need more gear than just the bike, if you consider the parts that the average rider has in his pocession it'd probably make up a decent shop stock list.

Bad News Day.

I lost someone in my family today, very unexpected and out of the blue, can't really say what I want. Living life doesn't get any easier.

Euro Cool.

This mornings ride was a lovely two hour loop to the North, straight into the chilly north wind. Missed all the major climbs in favour of just getting some miles in.
Dress code mainly matched outlined guide from here: http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2008/11/how-to-look-pro/
White armwarmers matching white oversocks, team kit, old cycling cap, embrocation on the knees, ipod and riding my white bike (with white bar tape and saddle of course)
Had to laugh at the fact I was almost turning into the characteur of euro cool, but still a great way to pass a bank holiday Monday morning.

Today is also the first day of two weeks holiday from work, very much looking forward to getting away for a few days and catching up with people who we don't often see. Then it's straight back into Cytech training at work and cyclo-cross racing.

Just a Minor Threat.

Think about what you're saying. Do you believe every word that leaves your mouth? You could well be the only person who cares what you say.

I wrenched on a lovely Ellis Briggs steel audax bike at work today, reminded why I like the colour black for bikes, truly timeless. I predict the touring/audax bike to be the next big thing, cyclocross bikes that can be used for commuting etc are already ten a penny and fixed gears are so 2006! Its a rare treat when a great bike passes through the workshop, it really improves the day whether it be a fancy race machine or just a bike the owner loves and takes care of.
On a related note, I'm loving learning all the 'tricks of the trade'. It's almost something new everyday, not many people can say that.

Reminds me of a saying of my Grandma's;
"We don't have much money but we do see life."

Give me strength.

Recently I have found my strength leaving me, the classic 'Yorkshire' attributes of grit and determination lacking as different challenges and situations throw me off balance.
When the people and things that usually give me encouragement and help form part of the problem itself I don't know where to turn. It's easy to be hard on myself and to adopt a negative attitude but that just digs the hole deeper.
Things need done.



Some good advice from a Wu Tang Clan song:

Lord, don't move my mountains just give me the strength to climb.

Buy. Sell.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330459116673&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Oh dear.

I managed two laps of today's race before having a 'mechanical'. I stopped in the pits for my lap out and to fix my bike but wasn't allowed to rejoin as it was deemed a fault not a race caused mechanical. I was, and still am, absolutely gutted.
However many times you say life goes on it still hurts but I do have much bigger things happening in my life right now, so I won't brood too long.

Double palm face.

Up to our ears in mortgage quotes, house prices and deposit calculations, beginning to wish money hadn't been invented.

Keeping track.

+1

Watching BBC4 documentaries about the American South.
Home cooking.
Signing up to start my Cytech training.
Working on old bikes for good people.
Getting help.

-1

Katherine going down south for a week without me.
Not being around family when all is not well.
Missing the Yorkshire Show.
Money.
Not feeling you belong where you were once comfortable.

A 'cross weekend.

This is the first weekend I have managed back to back rides in ages but my mileage probably tops out at only 40 miles. Yesterday I went for a short spin on my cross bike to get used to the position and check it was in full working order, then after a couple of minor adjustments today I did some dismount/remount practice on the Knavesmire.
I've started thinking cyclo cross early because as it's my first season racing I want all the experience I can get, although with two weeks remaining to my last road race of the season I have to keep the mileage and leg speed going too.

Sneak Peak.

Funnys.

Calm after the storm

Weekends of driving around, going out for leaving do, racing another circuit race and nine hours days on my feet could all be classed as the 'storm', whereas a night watching Midsomer Murders on the telly and a curry for tea is definitely calming.

Otley.

Getting into the swing

Another race for me last night and another finish in the bunch, slightly higher up than before. Being a dry night it was very fast from the off and a bit of shoving going on in the pack kept us all alert, but everyone got round fine with no crashes.
Last race on this circuit in two weeks, so hopefully looking for another improvement again.

Last one for today

Going thru old photos on my Flickr and found this. I have a growing desire to live in Otley and this view is a major reason.

And Another...

Muttonchops.

Was watching the Isle of Man TT races last night when it was reported that Guy Martin had had a bad crash, I'm a big fan and wish him a speedy recovery but what I want to share is a little of his blog:



Also a story from his website that maybe a little close to the truth but still very funny:

The Squirrel and The Grasshopper

REST OF THE WORLD VERSION
The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building and improving his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he’s a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

THE END

THE BRITISH VERSION
The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks he’s a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed.
A social worker finds the shivering grasshopper, calls a press conference and demands to know why the squirrel should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like the grasshopper, are cold and starving.
The BBC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper; with cuts to a video of the squirrel in his comfortable warm home with a table laden with food.
The Daily Mail informs people that they should be ashamed that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.
The Green Party, Greenpeace, Animal Rights and The Grasshopper Social Housing Commission demonstrate in front of the squirrel’s house.
The BBC, interrupting a cultural festival special with breaking news, broadcasts a multi cultural choir singing ‘We Shall Overcome’.
A socialist rants in an interview with Andrew Marr that the squirrel got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the squirrel to make him pay his ‘fair share’ and increases the charge for squirrels to enter the congestion zone in London .
In response to pressure from the media, the Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The squirrel’s taxes are reassessed. He is taken to court and fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as builders, for the work he was doing on his home, and an additional fine for contempt when he told the court the grasshopper did not want to work.
The grasshopper is provided with a Social Housing Commission house, financial aid to furnish it and an account with a local taxi firm to ensure he can be socially mobile. The squirrel’s food is seized and re-distributed to the more needy members of society – in this case the grasshopper.
Without enough money to buy more food, to pay the fine and his newly imposed retroactive taxes, the squirrel has to downsize and start building a new home.
The local authority takes over his old home and utilises it as a temporary home for asylum seeking cats who had hijacked a plane to get to Britain as they had to share their country of origin with mice.
On arrival they tried to blow up the airport because of the British apparent love of dogs.
The cats had been arrested for the international offence of hijacking and attempted bombing but were immediately released because the police fed them pilchards instead of salmon whilst in custody.
Initial moves to make then return them to their own country were abandoned because it was feared they would face death by the mice.
The cats devise and start a scam to obtain money from people’s credit cards.
A Newsnight special shows the grasshopper finishing up the last of the squirrel’s food, though spring is still months away, while the Housing Commission house he is in, crumbles around him because he hasn’t bothered to maintain it. He is shown to be taking drugs.
Inadequate government funding is blamed for the grasshopper’s drug ‘Illness’.
The cats seek recompense in the British courts for their treatment since arrival in Britain .
The grasshopper gets arrested for stabbing an old dog during a burglary to get money for his drug habit. He is imprisoned but released immediately because he has been in custody for a few weeks. He is placed in the care of the probation service to monitor and supervise him.
Within a few weeks he has killed a guinea pig in a botched robbery.
A commission of enquiry, that will eventually cost £10 million and state the obvious, is set up.
Additional money is put into funding a drug rehabilitation scheme for grasshoppers.
Legal aid for lawyers representing asylum seekers is increased.
The asylum seeking cats are praised by the government for enriching Britain ’s multicultural diversity and dogs are criticised by the government for failing to befriend the cats.
The grasshopper dies of a drug overdose.
The usual sections of the press blame it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity and his traumatic experience of prison.
They call for the resignation of a minister.
The cats are paid £1 million each because their rights were infringed when the government failed to inform them there were mice in Britain .
The squirrel, the dogs and the victims of the hijacking, the bombing, the burglaries and robberies have to pay an additional percentage on their credit cards to cover losses, their taxes are increased to pay for law and order, and they are told that they will have to work beyond 65 because of a shortfall in government funds.

THE END!!