Quite a few rides in the last fortnight or so, total distance for this year now 1,600 miles, so I'm about as ready as I'm going to be. Hoping for good weather next week.

Huge thanks to everyone who has supported me again this year whilst training for this.

26 miles after work, such a lovely evening in Northumberland.

Local farmer thought he'd spotted a bargain on the Russian eBay site, and put a bid in.

Thought he'd bought 4 Ladas for 20 quid.

Imagine his surprise when these creatures turned-up!!

Away last weekend so over a week since out on the bike. Despite the 13miles yesterday, really felt it in the legs today.

71 miles, Adam's longest so far. Riding Mill up and out to the coast, St Mary's lighthouse, down to tynemouth and then down onto Quayside before heading up to Gateshead and then along back into the country.

Hmmm, only Adam's 7th ride and he's going and posting 3rd placing on Strava segments.... Need to slow him down somehow....

This ought to do it, nick his wheels!!!

Managed to get away from work, back home and then out on the bike as it was a cracking evening. 23 miles, keep the legs turning over ready for Sunday!

Well, long-planned day off on Friday so ou on bike for the first of three days training - solo due to illnesses with my trio - Adam tonsillitis and Lee with a creaky knee.

Left to my own devices, merely 23 miles on the Friday (but that's a whole 'nother story, 28 Saturday and then 45 Sunday. Just missed out on a century over the three days.

"French Revolution" Sportive next Sunday, with Adam. What a great way to spend Fathers Day!

Fantastic weather so me & Adam got out and took advantage. Adam's longest ride to-date, 42 miles.

I also took a demo-set of handbuilt wheels out to try - wow!! What a difference, I'd intended to upgrade the wheels on the bike, but today has confirmed it.

Thanks to Chris at BIcycle Repairman/Cycleart for the expert bike-fit sessions and the demo of the wheels.

Out again as a trio tomorrow with Stretch, looking forward to it.

Knowing how important a proper bike fitting session is and the difference it can make, I had intended to make sure Adams bike was set-up properly once he'd got his first few outings on it under his belt.

We both had a 2hour session each at Bicycl e Repairman/CYCLEART in Prudhoe, Northumberland.

Extremely thorough, starting off on a Wattbike confirming, surprisingly, we both have a good smooth pedalling technique with nice even power delivery. Laser-alignments for the settings f rom the Wattbike onto our own bike and a whole host of adjustments made as Chris spent the time to check pretty-much everything that could possibly be adjusted, and optimised it for each of us on our respective bikes. We'll see the what effects the changes have made on the next ride out, hopefully at the weekend.

Fantastic weather today, perfect for being out on the bike - not too hot, slight cooling breeze. 
A new route (for me) today, along to Hexham and then south, via some big climbs (Hexham up to Dukehouse Woods, then down to the Linnels at Devils Water & up all the way to and beyond Slaley, heading for Blanchland and the back of Derwent Reservoir, before heading north again to Shotley Fields, & [eventually] down through Hindley, and along back to Riding Mill. 
Just 40 miles covered at this point, so I pushed-on past my turn for home, dropping down into Corbridge and along to Hexham, then looped back home. Job done, 51 miles, and 4,200ft of ascent today! 

Training again, Adam's first 40miler.
Great ride, over the Ryals and with Stretch for company too.

Well with a break in the weather, no overtime shifts for Adam, the planets coming into alignment, we managed to get out both Sat (25 miles) and Sun (35 miles) in hilly Northumberland.

Back on-track for building the mileage and endurance for Sept 2014.

Decent ride out with Stretch, 35 miles at a reasonable pace, and our usual loop nr Hexham, Fourstones, Chollerford, Wall etc incorporating a few good climbs (pic).

Probably my last session before the Five Boro Tour, 7 days and 3,500 miles away!

Rain most of today so will take the opportunity to clean the bike and pack it.

Well, a Sunday morning jaunt with my reliable training-partner, stretch.

Rather pleasant out in Northumberlandcestershire this morning.

A good day out in Northumberland with Adam on bikes training. Very windy though, despite our route being a "loop", we were heading INTO the wind most of thug way round. With the hills & wind, a solid 46km (26miles in old money).

Although purchased almost 4 weeks ago, Adam hadn't yet been out on his new bike, due to weather and work-shift changes.
Well the weather in Northumberland was a little kinder yesterday, and we ventured-out. 
An important first session, Adam hasn't ridden a bike since passing his test at 17, and has NEVER ridden a road-bike before. 
To the uninitiated, a bike is a bike is a bike. Usually to be found with a saddle, handlebars, two wheels and some pedals. 
Those that do ride however, will understand road-cycling is different - different position & feel sat on the bike, and crucially, the way you ride is different: pot-holes and poor surfaces you simply mash-over on your mountain-bike or hybrid, have the potential to inflict major damage on the more delicate wheels of a road bike, not to say the rider! So, you look ahead more, you plan ahead more as irrespective of how powerful your brakes are in grabbing the wheel rim (unlike MTB's/hybrids, discs are rare - we care more about weight!), you've only got a few mm's of rubber on the road so shedding speed needs more control & planning. And as Adam observed within the first mile of our ride - poorly-surfaced C-cat roads from my house to nearest civilisation - YOU are the suspension on a road-bike.
We did a loop of 22 miles at a steady pace - I was more interested in making sure Adam's position and riding style were comfortable, and that he was thinking about unclipping/clipping-in to the pedals (again, totally new experience) all the time he needed. No issues at all (maybe next-time out, we ALL did that slow-mo fall over to the side at 0.1 mph!!).
A slight few spots of rain at about mile 8 started to get heavier - and we had foolishly checked the forecast which indicated no rain until mid afternoon - taking refuge under a bus-shelter until it lightened-up a bit, although we seemed to catch-up to the rain again, so, now throughly wet-through, we took a bigger loop back rather than straight-home. You can see our route on the "My Strava" tab at the top of the page.
 
Really pleased - except the part 2 miles from home (i.e. after 20 miles), where Adam just rocketed up the hill as if it were merely a bump, leaving me for dead huffing and puffing to haul myself up it. Bloody youngsters!!!

Still, a key day/ride, and here's to many more through the coming months as our training progresses.
(still think his bike needs some - ahem - "ballast" in the frame tubes.......)