From Nought to Sixty

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7.5 miles in 40 mins

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Cool, bright and the cabbage fields look beautiful

Arrg! My bike bramble encounter showing one of the thorns embedded into my beautiful face

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So following my "Gentleman's op" (estimated recovery time 4-6 weeks, actual recovery time - still not quite right now) I had about 3 months off the bike. This was particularly galling as, having cycled all through the winter I was on target to do the planned London to Cambridge run at the end of July.

Luckily, instead of having to fork out my registration fee under the risk of failing at the task I am now attending a friend's 40th birthday that weekend because it wall be better to celebrate that than killing myself in a vain attempt to pretend I'm not already too old to undertake such tasks. There is always next year.

Having said all that back on the bike is a good thing, I am currently doing over 60 miles a week and trying to up this all the time. It isn't affecting my "impressive" body (although the head on photo looks ok the profile shot is still worrying) but I'm feeling much much fitter. Just wish it wasn't so warm - I'm missing the snow.

Sent from my phone, please excuse typos

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So, there’s this new thing to concern the fat cyclist.

The risk of heart attack after the mind numbing fear and adrenaline rush you get when your bike saddle gives way due the weight of your fat arse shearing the seat bolt clean off (see pics).

Still it gives me a blog entry and postpones the S Lee review.

The real irony of this little mishap is I was literally a centimetre away from a self inflicted castration.

Now, (as Ed Byrne might point out:

this is not in itself ironic), but considering that tomorrow I am undergoing a vasectomy, and my main cause for concern is that it will keep me off my bike for a few weeks and I think we get there.

So yes tomorrow I’m “being done”, which in a way is quite nice as it makes me sound all virile and not all past it, but in other way, not nice at all.  Still in light of today’s experience, it could be so, so, much worse at least they’re going to use anaesthetic.

And a final word from the, (not for everyone, sweary and rude), Doug Stanhope: http://open.spotify.com/track/7e4A0gTRb4aLQfT0XzDTF1

Now really looking forward to it L

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For anyone of a hefty persuasion who is considering cycling I have learned a two things which I’ll share here.

Comfort is never going to be a realistic proposition when you are big, bike saddles aren’t that comfy for anyone, but weighing twice what you should and then putting it all on a seat a third the size of a really uncomfortable bar stool is not going to be fun.  So you look for some proper “padding” and very soon find that in the UK, as far as cycling is concerned, you are XXL if you have a 38inch waist and nothing bigger is even made, let alone stocked.  Now I haven’t been close to having a 38inch waist for over 15 years, so what to do? 

Luckily I found http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/.  In America I would pass for merely “a bit chunky” and these guys supply proper padded cycling comfort in sizes that would make me goggle J.  I have got several of their shorts and they are great, and they’ll happily ship outside the US.

The other thing I have found is that my weight, not surprisingly, had a detrimental effect on my bike.  Towards the end of last year my 5mile, twice a day commute through the potholed delights of Cambridge was pinging spokes in the back wheel every other week.  Now I don’t mind replacing the odd spoke, but its fiddly and I never got the hang of truing the wheel quickly so I would take it to one of the many repair shops in Cambridge.

After the third time this had happened in a couple of months I took the radical step of asking some advice.  The conclusion we came to was that I should invest in a stronger rim on my back wheel, with stronger spokes laced in a 4-cross pattern.  This means each spoke intertwines 4 others, it is sort of explained here: http://www.danscomp.com/serve.php?serve=faq&html=wheels_hubs_faqs.htm but if I’m honest I don’t really  get it, but, the guy was convinced that this would either solve to problem or, realistically I should just give up and get the bus J.

However I coughed up the dosh and had them rebuild my wheel.

Wow!

What a difference.  I no longer worry about avoiding every last glitch in the road and haven’t lost a spoke since.

So 2 hot tips, Padded shorts in a correct size and reinforce your rear wheel: You’re good to go.

This is a relauch of this blog, and a relaunch of my attempts to lose weight.

I was inspired by this post by Mark Watson on his blog

I replied with the following:

1. Posted by Al on February 26, 2010

   Crikey, now I feel Old what with you young ‘uns and your cray plans

   In 10 years time I will be 51 and I’d like to sign up for this scheme with some fairly mundane, but important goals:

   1, Make it to 51.
   2, Be the weight of a normal human being
   3, See My Kids all grown up (currently 10 and 12)
   4, For My wife and I to be enjoying life

   Simple

   Just realise 1 & 3 are the same thing

This site was previously logging my attempts to go from 0 to 60 in 12 months. 

• The 0 being, not currently cycling.
• The 60 being the 60 miles it would be to do the London to Cambridge Bike ride: http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=238
• The 12 months was based on the fact that last year I drove some colleagues down for the ride, and this year I mean to ride it.

Suffice to say, since setting it up, I have cycled, but not blogged.

More about My TYSIC goals and the joys of cycling fat to come shortly