Monday 31 January 2011

New year...New Stuff


Well It’s a new year and several other new things. First up I got a new bike. The Kona “Honky Tonk.” It was the most affordable all steel, nice riding, retro looking bike I could manage to lay my hands on. I’ll do a long term test/review once it’s done a few weeks of my daily commute and a couple of Long uns...

Which leads me on to my next project. I have joined a group of complete strangers to cycle from Lands-End-to-John- O’Groats (LEJOG) using the CTC youth hostelling route. Not content that this may be a challenge (nearly 1,000 miles), I was initially attracted to the idea as it combines my one of my other passions. We are going to be playing a gig at around 13 of the 15 stops, as part of busking cancer (A cancer research initiative). I’ll be taking the Uke, the Banjo Uke, and maybe a couple of oddities to play. We’re sticking to covers at this point as booking hostels in july for 10 people, planning the route, training and rehearsing may not leave us with much time for writing.

I hope to take some wicked photos (pinhole landscapes at dawn, Scotland, Cornwall etc)

We did our first training ride on Sunday. Assemble at an address in Brixton at 12:00. Great but that’s an 11 mile ride from mine. Everyone in high spirits despite a pre-start trip to buy a new innertube. All I can say is that Ken picked a cracker of a route. Over to Tulse Hill, up through Anerley, Out into Kent. Up a massive hill!!! In fact I didn’t realise how high we’d climbed until we got to ride the same route back. Very quick!

Back at Ken’s we popped out for a post-ride pint. Much deserved.

Then the cycle home... got lost... went via the houses of parliament and thereby adding about 3 miles extra.

Feel fine today... we might just pull this off... next week band practice...tonight Ukulele night.

Friday 7 January 2011

Happy New Year

After a trial week of commuting in mid December, and my Christmas commuting happening by bike. Thanks to a generous top up from my nana I am able to purchase a shiny new bike in the next couple of weeks...

Wish me luck...