After a long lay-off it must be about time for another blog entry.
Much has happened since my last posting, unfortunately not all of it positive. I have failed to keep up the cycling to work as the weather has been pretty awful. Once the current snow falls have melted, this will have to change.
Myself and the wife did manage to get out of bed early enough for a good stomp around the hills of Hughenden Valley, details of which can be found by following this link:
This walk came after an idea I had of organising a two day ramble along the Ridgeway trail, from Ivenhoe Beacon to High Wycombe via Princess Risborough and an overnight stop at Wendover. I initially published this as a group on Facebook and received some good initial interest. So this is something I really must follow up on.
As far as the depression goes, I arranged for a visit to the doctor and have had a couple of session chatting to him and some blood tests. The bloods have come back normal, but the Doc thinks I may have self esteem issues (you think!). He has referred me to a councillor for some “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy”, which hopefully may help.
The major update since the last blog, however, is that I find myself at risk of redundancy at work. To be perfectly honest I am one of four in our department, and probably about third in line to go. Still I have found myself making fantasy plans for if I do get the push.
The North Sea Cycle Route I hope to complete next year starts with a ferry ride from Harwich to the Hook of Holland and then heads North. However there is a stretch to the South between Hook of Holland and Dunkirk. So I would quite like to spend some time exploring the Netherlands and completing a cycling tour from there down to Calais, giving me a good month off before attempting to find a new job. I’ve run the idea past my good lady and she seems happy enough.
So this is the short term plan, get my old mountain bike up to snuff and plan the tour. The whole idea is filling me with excitement and I really feel that a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Of course, the worst thing that could happen now is, when the axe falls, someone else’s neck is on the chopping block.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
15 miles or so, round the back of West Wycombe.
Christmas and the New Year celebrations are just about behind us and I figure it's time to blow away the cobwebs with a short little run out in the cold. This is a route I have cycled before on my mountain bike, but as that is currently in need of repair I have dragged the pedelec out of the shed.
All the pictures link to larger versions with Google map locators
It's a straight forward 3 or 4 mile run from the centre of Wycombe heading West. I stayed to the published East/West cycle route round the back streets, but it is pretty safe to just head straight down the A40 once you're passed the new shopping centre.
The ride itself doesn't really get interesting until the A40/A4010 junction. Known locally as the Golden Ball the picture above shows the Dashwood Mausoleum on top of the hill, underneath this are the caves of the Hellfire club. The route passes this to the left through West Wycombe village and then turns right to go behind the hill itself.
A mile or so further along the road we come to a three way fork, the hill in the picture above is Bledlow Ridge and you really don't want to cycle up it, even with the assistance of an electric motor. Also in the picture is my trusty steed, I bought this as a replacement for the car on my daily commute. It's only a five mile round trip to work but on the way in there is a pretty deadly mile long hill to get up. I have been known to walk it but the bike has made the trip a joy. It's an Izip Gents Trailz ST with a 250watt motor and a lead acid battery, about the cheapest you can get it is also one of the heaviest pedelecs on the market at 37Kg. It only takes the slightest incline or headwind and I am extremely grateful for the extra power. It has a top speed of 15mph, but needs my help to get there, and claims a range of 10 to 15 miles. This trip was closer to 17 miles, but I hardly used the motor so there was plenty of charge left when I got back.
After a right turn to skirt the base of the ridge we are follow a little used single track lane through a well farmed valley, eventually going past the farm itself. All very pretty once the blummin' girt blue tarpaulin is hidden from view.
The road soon heads right over the hills ready to drop down onto the A4010, but my route heads onwards up the valley using what must be one of the smoothest bridleways I've ever come across. No chance of this being cut to a bog by horses hooves.
This is lovely riding, the country side opens soon opens up and I find myself stalked by a Red Kite. Unfortunately a few hundred yards after crossing another road the path turns into a muddy field margin, which I would struggle with on the bikes road tyres, so it's back to the road I just crossed and head for the main drag.
The second picture above shows a nice smooth bit of shared use footpath/cyclepath that should eventually become the NCR50, unfortunately it's not like this all the way. Also in the picture is one of my Christmas presents, thank you Emily, you gave me the horn...
Anyway, a couple of miles later and we're right back where we started. I also tried to track the route on my phone using the Nokia Sports Tracker but as usual the GPS fell over, so ignore the speeds and distances. I have shown the photos in their correct positions on the map, however.
So that's it, I'm back to cycling to work everyday then? Not until it blummin' warms up a bit i'm not...
All the pictures link to larger versions with Google map locators
It's a straight forward 3 or 4 mile run from the centre of Wycombe heading West. I stayed to the published East/West cycle route round the back streets, but it is pretty safe to just head straight down the A40 once you're passed the new shopping centre.
The ride itself doesn't really get interesting until the A40/A4010 junction. Known locally as the Golden Ball the picture above shows the Dashwood Mausoleum on top of the hill, underneath this are the caves of the Hellfire club. The route passes this to the left through West Wycombe village and then turns right to go behind the hill itself.
A mile or so further along the road we come to a three way fork, the hill in the picture above is Bledlow Ridge and you really don't want to cycle up it, even with the assistance of an electric motor. Also in the picture is my trusty steed, I bought this as a replacement for the car on my daily commute. It's only a five mile round trip to work but on the way in there is a pretty deadly mile long hill to get up. I have been known to walk it but the bike has made the trip a joy. It's an Izip Gents Trailz ST with a 250watt motor and a lead acid battery, about the cheapest you can get it is also one of the heaviest pedelecs on the market at 37Kg. It only takes the slightest incline or headwind and I am extremely grateful for the extra power. It has a top speed of 15mph, but needs my help to get there, and claims a range of 10 to 15 miles. This trip was closer to 17 miles, but I hardly used the motor so there was plenty of charge left when I got back.
After a right turn to skirt the base of the ridge we are follow a little used single track lane through a well farmed valley, eventually going past the farm itself. All very pretty once the blummin' girt blue tarpaulin is hidden from view.
The road soon heads right over the hills ready to drop down onto the A4010, but my route heads onwards up the valley using what must be one of the smoothest bridleways I've ever come across. No chance of this being cut to a bog by horses hooves.
This is lovely riding, the country side opens soon opens up and I find myself stalked by a Red Kite. Unfortunately a few hundred yards after crossing another road the path turns into a muddy field margin, which I would struggle with on the bikes road tyres, so it's back to the road I just crossed and head for the main drag.
The second picture above shows a nice smooth bit of shared use footpath/cyclepath that should eventually become the NCR50, unfortunately it's not like this all the way. Also in the picture is one of my Christmas presents, thank you Emily, you gave me the horn...
Anyway, a couple of miles later and we're right back where we started. I also tried to track the route on my phone using the Nokia Sports Tracker but as usual the GPS fell over, so ignore the speeds and distances. I have shown the photos in their correct positions on the map, however.
So that's it, I'm back to cycling to work everyday then? Not until it blummin' warms up a bit i'm not...
Friday, 2 January 2009
2009 is here, and it's time to start taking this seriously.
New year, new start. It's hardly original but there you are.
I have been thinking for some time about finding some adventure in my life, the wife thinks it's a mid-life crisis and she may be right, but to be honest I've been a little down and want to snap myself out of it. OK, I won't be dwelling on this but it is a part of this journey so lets address it here, and then move on.
I have been depressed, you wouldn't notice but I have. Works going nowhere, lifes moving forward and I'm not. I'm unmotivated, lacking direction and momentum, my personality is in tatters, I struggle to be a social animal and sometimes really don't like myself. If it wasn't for the love of some amazing friends I would propable have become a recluse years ago. That being said, one of my greatest fears is pushing those friends away. That's it, it's said and done and I dread someone reading it, but time to talk about something else.
----------
About three months ago I bought an electric power assisted push bike, properly termed a pedelec. This has been a revelation for me, my short commute to work is up a fairly major hill but the bike eats it up with no problem. So I am cycling to work (well, up until the final icy weeks just before Christmas)and really enjoying it. I suffer terrible lower back pain, which can totally incapacitate me, and had a disc removed several years ago. This has lead to a lack of confidence with exercise and sport but the cycling really has helped to keep the pain away. So far I haven't had an attack since taking it up and I find myself a bit better in my head.
When I try a new hobby I find I obsess about it until I try it once and then drop it for the next big thing, after having spent far too much money on it. However I want to take cycling seriously as it really does seem to have a positive effect on my well-being, therefore I have given myself a challenge, something the will take some time to accomplish and that will need to go through some trials just to get to. I intend to cycle the North Sea Cycle route.
This is a rather ambitious undertaking and I intend to give myself the whole of 2009 to train up for it. I will need to save enough money too, not only do the trip, but continue to pay my half of the bills at home in the meantime; and that's only after paying off the credit card. Given that the provisional plan is to head off in May 2010 and give myself 4 months to complete the ride, I hope I can save enough cash in the time.
So first things first, I have an old mountain bike that I will strip down and rebuild with touring in mind. Replace all the perishables, cables, tyres etc., add new pannier racks, and give it a try. Any alterations to the gearing or brakes will come about after testing it out. I also have a plan for the first tour, which will be a short 30/40 mile-a-day on/off-road trek. Wycombe to Streatly YHA following the Ridgeway day one, follow the Thames cycle route then off to Jordans YHA day two, then back to Wycombe for drinks on Sunday. As the year warms up I will start heading for campsites instead, so giving me chance to carry full loads.
That's the plan, this blog is the place to come for news, routes and annecdotes and I hope to update it at least once every couple of weeks.
I have been thinking for some time about finding some adventure in my life, the wife thinks it's a mid-life crisis and she may be right, but to be honest I've been a little down and want to snap myself out of it. OK, I won't be dwelling on this but it is a part of this journey so lets address it here, and then move on.
I have been depressed, you wouldn't notice but I have. Works going nowhere, lifes moving forward and I'm not. I'm unmotivated, lacking direction and momentum, my personality is in tatters, I struggle to be a social animal and sometimes really don't like myself. If it wasn't for the love of some amazing friends I would propable have become a recluse years ago. That being said, one of my greatest fears is pushing those friends away. That's it, it's said and done and I dread someone reading it, but time to talk about something else.
----------
About three months ago I bought an electric power assisted push bike, properly termed a pedelec. This has been a revelation for me, my short commute to work is up a fairly major hill but the bike eats it up with no problem. So I am cycling to work (well, up until the final icy weeks just before Christmas)and really enjoying it. I suffer terrible lower back pain, which can totally incapacitate me, and had a disc removed several years ago. This has lead to a lack of confidence with exercise and sport but the cycling really has helped to keep the pain away. So far I haven't had an attack since taking it up and I find myself a bit better in my head.
When I try a new hobby I find I obsess about it until I try it once and then drop it for the next big thing, after having spent far too much money on it. However I want to take cycling seriously as it really does seem to have a positive effect on my well-being, therefore I have given myself a challenge, something the will take some time to accomplish and that will need to go through some trials just to get to. I intend to cycle the North Sea Cycle route.
This is a rather ambitious undertaking and I intend to give myself the whole of 2009 to train up for it. I will need to save enough money too, not only do the trip, but continue to pay my half of the bills at home in the meantime; and that's only after paying off the credit card. Given that the provisional plan is to head off in May 2010 and give myself 4 months to complete the ride, I hope I can save enough cash in the time.
So first things first, I have an old mountain bike that I will strip down and rebuild with touring in mind. Replace all the perishables, cables, tyres etc., add new pannier racks, and give it a try. Any alterations to the gearing or brakes will come about after testing it out. I also have a plan for the first tour, which will be a short 30/40 mile-a-day on/off-road trek. Wycombe to Streatly YHA following the Ridgeway day one, follow the Thames cycle route then off to Jordans YHA day two, then back to Wycombe for drinks on Sunday. As the year warms up I will start heading for campsites instead, so giving me chance to carry full loads.
That's the plan, this blog is the place to come for news, routes and annecdotes and I hope to update it at least once every couple of weeks.
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