Transport upgrade - Goodbye to the grey & the blue.........Hi ho Silver, away!

Reckon my 1993 Dawes Discovery Hybrid was the best £75 I ever spent. True, I  had spent a bit more updating and improving her since acquiring the bike second hand 2 years ago. With some tender loving care, some servicing and 2 replacement chains, cassettes and rear mech this bike served me well on commuting miles and for teaching purposes in schools. Most nnotably it gave me total reliability and doing several trips to and from London (c40 miles each way).

Luckily she has gone to a friend who will provide a good home! I have agreed to provide ongoing repairs, cleaning and servicing when needed.

The new Dawes Horizon Plus provides a sturdy replacement that will in addition allow longer cycling tours.



Outgoing




Incoming



Upton Grey Kinda Guys

Ride around Odiham, Greywell, Upton Grey, Herriard, Lasham, Golden Pot, Froyle, Long Sutton, Well & Crondall   27th October 2012
31.7 miles

Favoured local lanes often take me through the picturesque village of Upton Grey, south of Odiham, but if their Guy Fawkes competition is an annual event I obviously missed previous efforts. This year's Guy offerings are very eye-catching!



Guy that looked a bit like Nicola Roberts....



Just a regular Guy



Spy Guy - in 'The Guy who Loved Me' (ouch!)

The Guy in the Striped Pyjamas

Guy Dog!

The Silent months....

I have shamefully neglected posting here through the Summer and Autumn this year. I didn't stop cycling....honest!!
So I've got some catching up to do! There will be some retrospective posts to come which will look back to other events and rides that I did but was just too busy (or lazy!) to post.
Suffice to say I'm still out there.

Apologies and note to self. Must try harder!

Liphook Classic - Ride it Sportive - 22nd July 2012

My first Sportive.

I thought I could do hill climbs but  today's 90 miles over and around some of the South Downs threw up some crunching hills. Ouch. Feeling somewhat humbled. Beautiful countryside!

Says it all - didn't do it for me!!



Start - Bohunt School, Liphook



Downs looming -  oh no!



Forest Ride








Counter total



Sussex Summer view



London Reunion Ride - June 2nd 2012 : Train to Surbiton then a ride up to Primrose Hill via West London & The West End - return ride all the way back via Twickenham, Hampton Court, Walton, Weybridge, Frimley etc 

71 Miles total 

Reunion with a group of old colleagues. Have done the ride to and from London to Hampshire a few times now but it's always a bit of a daunting prospect. Getting around the busier parts of London is always a challenge. Lot's a Union Jacks on show a day ahead of the Royal Pageant.

Also surprised at the huge numbers of people using 'Boris Bikes', especially in Hyde Park.

Relaxed setting in the garden of the Albert, Primrose Hill.

Phone Pics only so not 'scenic' pics but you get the idea.

Old Trusty takes the Train



                                       

                                                     No Through Road - Red Wall in Oxford Street

                                                       





Return to Marble Arch - Red wall 2





Kindred Spirit - Rickshaw being 'squeezed' at the lights



A rather late April Fool..... or Insurance scam?

...Came across this in a park near Ealing!! .....The note says 'Please Steal Me'!

Spring Forward - Sunny Sunday Ride

Odiham - Greywell - Mapledurwell - Tunworth - Cliddesdan - Hatch Warren/Brighton Hill - Oakley - Wootton St. Lawrence - Monk Sherborne - Sherborne St John - Bramley - Stratfield Saye - Mattingley

40 miles      Tm. 2hr 37min      Pace 15.4mph

Despite 'losing'  an hour's sleep, I was up early and up for some decent miles. With the promise of non stop sunshine and a steady increase in temperature what better way to celebrate the start of Spring!

Odiham Castle from Greywell Moors

River Whitewater - Greywell

Big Oak - Wootton St Lawrence

You need a sense of direction around these parts!



New surface for a fast run down to Monk Sherborne!



All Saints -  Monk Sherborne

Sherborne St John - Post Office & Stores



The Vyne



Coming into Bramley



The Route