A tale of two jerseys

When I first returned to cycling it was in normal clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. I rode a bike given to me by my brother. As the distances and frequency increased I wanted to be more comfortable. 

Looking for a replacement bike, I couldn't believe how expensive they were; I wasn't after a top of the range one, but it needed to be reasonable. So I bought my Kona through ebay, the spec was better than I could afford new; it was only eighteen months old.

A few years later I planned to do RideLondon, so a road bike was needed. I faced the same problem, resolved in the same way. This time it was older, I upgraded the brakes straight away. You need to buy well above entry level for them to be effective.

Last year I looked for a newer road bike, with some better features aimed at comfort. Second hand made it affordable, but again the brakes were a joke. It wasn't a starter bike, costing nearly £1000 when new, so I would have expected better. Looking at other bikes in that price range and higher, the same penny pinching is still evident today. It's had a few updates that I have mentioned previously to bring it closer to what it should have been. 

The clothing purchases started with padded under shorts. Then a coat to keep me dry, which it didn't. A pair of trousers was next, light enough that they dried quickly but still able to keep me warm; and shorts for the summer. 

That was it until March this year. Being furloughed meant I rode everyday. The weather was mostly brilliant, but I still needed some extra items, and more than one change of clothing. I looked at jerseys, and some more shorts. Buying from a big, well known brand is expensive. I found an alternative, that fitted well and had brilliant customer service.(d2d Cycling Clothing)

It appeared that the more premium producers used better fabrics, and spent a lot on development, hence the price difference.

Knowing a bit more I looked at these premium manufacturers, I found that they did list alternatives to polyester. Or varying percentages of polyester and something else, not always lycra as you'd expect. Some would just say "made of quality Italian materials", whatever that means. 

The short sleeved jerseys I have are 100% polyester, the long sleeved one has 10% spandex. Many months of wearing and washing hasn't affected them. I then bought a Rapha jersey, ex-display so nowhere near full price. What exotic material did it use to justify being double the RRP? The majority is polyester except for the stripe on one sleeve, which is 88% nylon and 12% Elastane. It could be the zip, it doesn't look like an expensive alloy though. In fact, the Rapha jersey doesn't have the grip tap around the bottom like the D2D has; it's just at the back, so you could say it's not as high spec. To access their high tech offerings I'd need to spend at least an extra 50%. I can't comment on it's longevity, it doesn't look different or fit better than to the jerseys I already own. If it wasn't discounted I wouldn't have bought it.

No-one is going to loan or give me clothing to compare, so I'll just have to pass judgement based on limited experience of the clothing available. I'm sure their racing kit is very high tech and consumes much R&D, but I'm not after every advantage, to save seconds on my rides. I just want comfortable, long lasting, affordable cyclewear. I'm not convinced paying so much has enough advantages

Now for my cycling week.

Monday; a bank holiday and really nice weather. Best of all a ride to a cafe in Westerham to meet Matt. I arrived just before him so ordered and took a seat. I was was very relaxed, and feeling great. 

Matt arrived and we chatted over breakfast. Deli Di Luca is a friendly place to spend half an hour catching up. It would have been even better without a few wasps, attracted by Matt's cake. I know they do a great job in the garden; but why do they have such a bad attitude all the time?

Tuesday; the Waller Lane loop on the mountain bike. On the return leg, up Waller Lane two people wished me luck getting to the top. I wasn't struggling, I guess my default expression is pained.

Two urban animals crossed my path, a fleet-footed fox and cool cat.

 

The second video shows why most urban walks are almost impossible for Marcia and myself without using a car. The pavements are blocked by thoughtless parkers. We couldn't travel by foot and wheelchair down most side roads and even some more major ones. We are forced to drive.

The rest of the week; because I'm sure you don't need a day-by-day report. 

I'm getting faster each time I ride up Waller Lane. People are still a mixture of surprised, disbelieving and impressed at my attempt.

A pic from the week.

The weekend came around and I could just squeeze in a longer ride on Saturday to Eynsford. It took me back to my childhood, we would regularly visit during the summer. Eating sandwiches on the banks of the river and splashing around in the ford. We would also bring boats my dad had made, careful not to let go of them, lest they be dragged under the bridge.

And a picture as well. No, I didn't ride through it.

Some ducks.

And finally a great way to end the week, cycling to the churchyard to meet Matt. There was a rumour Phil would be there; it's been years since he attended a club ride. Matt had bumped into him near Westerham on Saturday. But he he didn't appear, a shame.

Responsible adult

When will these storms end? One of the first questions Matt and I asked each other when we got to the cafe in Westerham this morning.

Looking back we have missed three rides this month due to the weather. Maybe it's average for this time of year, but it feels worse. Waking up to heavy rain and strong wind is not great on any day, but when it's the weekend; it's just not fair.

Yesterday was terrible, a lie-in was always going to be the best option. During the day it alternated between sunny and hailstones. A few times I contemplated going for a ride, but was glad I didn't when I was reminded we hadn't seen the back of storm Jorge.

I have lost count of how many we've had and their names. I hope Jorge is the last for a while.

It's not the rain that really puts me off, it's the cold and high winds. I have yet to find clothing that will keep me dry and warm at this time of the year. The biggest problem though is the wind. Close passes from motorists are so common, I don't feel safe with so little margin for error. It's bad enough on a normal day, sometimes I just want to give cycling a miss all-together. My MP, the media and police don't seem to prioritise road safety and cycling. I have contacted them, after an initial period of interest; total silence.

Back to today, it was a good ride. The "long way" to Westerham. We use the "long way" to avoid the B269 when we go to the bus stop. It adds a bit of distance, and some hills bit it's safer. The B269 is a fast road, and on a windy morning the risk of being blown off course into a close passing car or van is too great. This is another indication of how bad it's got; I choose routes by perceived safety, rather than distance. The longer rides I have planned for this year require the same considerations. I use google street view to gauge the type of road, and find alternatives if they look dangerous.


Anyway; Westerham: we arrived too early, despite the extra miles, for our normal cafe. So it was to  an Italian cafe a short distance away. Tea, croissants and a hazelnut paste filled crusty morsel was well received. The talk was of cycle clubs, I mentioned that I had thought about joining one, but it was maybe too formal and regimented for me.
We discussed our "club", and why we're the only members. I asked what would we had to offer members; other than our repartee, and mugs of tea. When we couldn't think of anything else, the idea was shelved. A bigger group would take more organisation, and require someone to be the responsible adult. Neither of us wanted that role.

Fingers crossed for a period of stable weather, so we don't miss any more rides.

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Cycling at Christmas

Christmas is nearly here, which means a couple of extra days for cycling.

Saturday 22nd at the bus stop

Saturday was a good day, the slow way to the bus stop and back. It's a nicer route, avoiding lots of  traffic, with a few good climbs. It was much warmer than last week, so no falls this time.

Sunday's ride was a washout, heavy rain and cold winds. Out intended destination was St Leonard's Church. We don't go there very often, but just recently it's become a popular place. It was where Matt and I discussed our obsession with drinking tea.

Monday was much better. It had warmed up a lot, we decided to go to Flower Farm near Godstone. This is another half way stop we don't go to very often. I don't know why, it's not very far; about 17 miles there and back. If does mean a steep hill on the way back, but it always seems worse than it is. Once crested we always say, "that wasn't so bad". 

A very good part of the ride is the food at the farm shop. Tasty cake is always on the menu for us. They served it this time with a couple of slices of apple so it was good for us too.

We met at the green a little later than normal so the farm was busier than usual, but our favourite spot by the fire was free.

Monday at Flower Farm for tea and cake.

Christmas Day is a family day so no cycling, we hope to be out again Boxing day.

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A poor March

Deli Di Luca Westerham

This year started well for cycling. More rides than in previous years for January and February. And then March arrived. Snow, rain and cold are the three words that characterised the last month. This weekend gave the opportunity to catch up a bit. On Friday we rode to Westerham and had food in a new cafe. The Tudor tea rooms was closed, so we went to the Deli Di Luca for tea and almond croissants.

I hadn’t planned to cycle on Saturday, but my plans changed and I could have. But I was tired and lacked enthusiasm. I really wish I had now though. We were out Sunday, to the bus stop. And then Monday, was a total washout. Four more days until the next chance for some cycling.

And then when the weekend does arrive, what will the weather be like? I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

More pass too close incidents happened this weekend. They occur on most rides now. Fridays ride had a few. Most of the time the vehicle at least slows down a bit. Which isn't ideal, but better than when they pass at full speed. Whyteleafe Hill is the the main location for the idiots. The next most likely place is the Limpsfield Rd on the way to Botley. I don’t know what to do. I always report them but nothing seems to happen. I use to get an occasional call from the police, but I have heard nothing from them for a couple of months. Maybe my name is now on an ignore list.

Here is the latest. Apologies for the language, I didn’t realise the microphone was that good on the GoPro. Or that I was so loud.

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Blackpool

 Blackpool tower and Central Pier

A few months back my wife and I were watching a program that mentioned Blackpool, it's illuminations and it's popularity as a holiday destination.  It turns out Marcia had never been, and my one and only visit was over twenty five years ago.

So that was settled then, a trip was planned. Accommodation is always a concern. Disabled access and facilities, and easy parking is a must. I used Trivago to search for a hotel. It's easy to use unless you have specific needs. I didn't want to just book any room. It had to be the disabled access room. So I contacted the Imperial Hotel. They were very helpful and I paid the same price as I would have going through Trivago.

It didn't occur to me the August bank holiday would be a bad time to travel. I don't travel far these days. So second guessing road works and other travelers is no longer second nature.

The weather report said very warm, may be even the warmest August bank holiday in a long time. So another thing I hadn't thought of was okay.

What wasn't okay was how long it took to get there. Ten hours including a brief stop for food. That's around 27 mph average speed. Only one set of road works. The delays were all caused by poor driving. I won't bore you with the details, except to say. When driving on the motorway, leave bigger gaps and we wont all be reduced to stop start progress for hour after hour.

First impressions of the Imperial were good. We were both tired and more than a little irritated. So we needed the check in to be trouble free and easy. It was.

The hotel is 150 years old this year. So it had a lived in feel to it. But that's not a criticism. It was what you would expect of a grand hotel. Confident and at ease with itself.

We rarely get up in time for breakfast when we are away, after such a late arrival, even with breakfast service ending at 10:30. We didn't make it this time. So I used Tripadvisor to find a cafe. The Promenade cafe is only a short walk away. A number two sized cooked breakfast had it all and we really didn't feel like eating much for the rest of the day.

Time for tea at the Promenade cafe.

Our end of Blackpool was very quiet. I thought it would have been much busier on a bank holiday. We walked down to the first pier. It was the North Pier. It's a traditional looking structure. Definitely the forgotten Blackpool pier. I hope they get the money needed to finish renovation works.

That was it for walking on the first day. Still not busy though for a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Sunday saw another a visit to the Promenade cafe, this time for the small breakfast. We had seen a second pier in the distance on Saturday. So decided to walk to it, thinking it would be the South Pier and be close to the rollercoasters of the pleasure beach. When we got there we discovered it was the Central Pier. It was a lot busier here, much more as I had expected Blackpool to be. And in the far distance, another pier. And beyond that the pleasure beach. We continued a little further, but it was very hot by now, and we had traveled over 2 miles. So we turned around and started looking for some fish and chips. We couldn't see what we would call a traditional looking establishment. Finally we bought some from a booth on the North Pier. I wouldn't recommend buying fish and chips from them. Greasy is how I would describe it.

Back at the Imperial, we went to the bar. Number 10 it was called. Pictures of past prime ministers were on the walls, along side mirrors engraved with their names. It as then that I started to notice how many people work in the hotel. There always seemed to be someone close by. A big difference to other hotels where you are on your own most of the time. We didn't need any help, but it was nice to know it would have been very easy to ask for.

On Monday we did make it down to breakfast. Again, it was a well staffed occasion. And the dining room was very impressive. The whole hotel, as I have said before was a nice, relaxed place to be. Wood paneling, stained glass rooves. Old fashioned maybe. But not in a bad way. The experience felt like going back to a time when good manners and respect for others was still common.

And the drive home? Seven hours. Still too long, but it was a bank holiday.

Links.

The Imperial Hotel

Promenade Cafe

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