Distance and relativity

I've just totted up the distances I've logged on the MWA app since I changed my tyres at the end of april. From the 28th of April to the 4th July I logged 701.8km.

It's all relative...

When I started riding in preperation for the LEJOG ride a couple of years back I would have been astounded at the volume of kms stated above... In fact I was as that was the sort of distances I had scheduled in for training. In reality 300km of the above is training rides. The rest is transportation.

When I got the brompton I was doing about 16 km a day as my round trip commute and found it exhausting at first and exhilerating after that.

By the time I started on the Kona the commute was 32-34km each day as a round trip but I didn't do it every day.

I saw both these as training rides. Now it's just transport.

In the end I thought of the ride to Brighton more as a fun day out than a training exercise. I don't know about you but I think that's a good thing.

Insidious acquisition syndrome

One of the key problems with any hobby that involves a specific set of equipment is the Internet. I have spent the last couple of nights looking at kit that will help me achieve the rides I have coming up in the next couple of months.

The thing is I actually have almost all of it, or something very similar that will do, but if you listen to the Internet experts what I have will never get the job done.

In fact all of it is fine. I am not Bradley wiggins. I am not about to undertake an epic voyage.

According to randoneering or audax sites my bike is wrong. It won't take big enough tyres. The wheelbase is too short. It is too racy. Actually I have ridden LEJOG on this bike. I have ridden across the Netherlands on it.

I don't have a dedicated GPS unit, but I do have an iPhone in a weather proof case mounted to the bars.

I don't have a hub generator, but I do have a massively bright front light that lasts for 6 hours.

I do need a saddle bag as I don't get on with single panniers, but I don't need a new brooks saddle to hang it from. I can get an adaptor.

All I need to work out is which of the many cycling outfits will I be wearing and which saddle bag will hold enough sandwiches...

What I do all day...

D.        If you pick up pizzas we can give you some money when we get there. If only there was some sort of brewed beverage in a handy container I could pick up that would go well with Pizza... If I think of one I could try and see if they've heard of it in South Ken...

W.      Okey cokey

D.       I'm not getting us coke... we're not that sort of band!!

W.      I think we should be that sort of band. The only reason we weren't that sort of band in the first place was because we had to ride our bikes the morning after a gig. I propose full-on heroin chic and model girlfriends (we don't need to tell the ones we've already got; it can be a Tuesday night thing).

D.      I'm not sure I could cope with a second girlfriend... could I stick with meaningless groupie action as I feel this would be less of a drain emotionally... all the agreeing to a second yet unrelated set of cushion based reasoning may be the end of me. I think the lack of heroin on the lejog ride was a serious oversight for the following reasons...

• Neil's guitar solos would have made more sense;
• Carlisle... ;
• Less achiness
• easier to sleep through snoring in dorm rooms;
• Lower food bills/better weight loss.

I'd like to look at the pros and cons of other narcotics too... although there may be some crossover with other lists.


LSD

• Neil's guitar solos would have made more sense;
• Carlisle... ;
• scotland may have made more sense (see also Devon, Cornwall The North)

PCP:

• Neil's guitar solos would have made more sense;
• Carlisle... ;
• Hills much easier
• Less afraid of fighting

Coke:

• Neil's guitar solos would have made more sense;
• Carlisle... ;
• Hills much easier
• Less afraid of fighting

 And so on ad nauseum...

New flat... New outlook

It's been nearly a month since I last wrote a blog post. I've been off cycling from land's end to John o groats, and jolly good fun it's been.
You can read about it at the BOB blog http://buskingbikers.blogspot.com/
I had an amazing time with some new friends, many of which I think may be friends for life. I have actually enjoyed playing gigs. Something I enjoyed less and less as I moved from band to band. I have something to contribute on the uke and in particular the banjolele.
After watching a guy play the mandolin I think I may have found my next instrument. Always wanted to play 12 string guitar but found it clumsy... And here it is... All the jangle in a pocket sized instrument with the magic element. 4 strings ( well courses in this case )
Ha ha home. ( to a new flat in stokie with the lovely miss s )
1000 miles, 17 days and 10 gigs...

Buskers on Bikes: Website Updated

Jonny just updated the website for buskers on bikes (I'm part of this... hence the repost.) we've got a logo and everything.

Buskers on Bikes: Website Updated: "Hi, I've updated the website to use our new logo and a nicer design. Let me know if you have any comments. www.buskersonbikes.org Jonny"

Charity fundraising

As I have mentioned before, this summer I am planning an epic trip. Six friends and I are cycling the classic LEJOG (Lands End to John O'Groats) to raise money for Cancer Research. I am reaching an age where paople I know are being struck down by this awful disease, and as we speak a close family friend is recovering following major surgery to beat cancer.

Not happy with just a massive physical challenge, Warren (the originator of the idea) decided it would be more fun to play gigs at many of the stops to raise both awareness and funds.

Please take a look at our Just Giving page and donate if you are able. We are aiming to raise £10,000 from sponsorship and donation at the gigs. If you do donate please gift-aid as this all adds up.

Thanks






Dominic

A most peculiar day...

I took advantage of the royal wedding to first go to an empty sainsbury's. Liking this I got on my bike and enjoyed a traffic free green lanes. I cycled up through enfield and out London proper, taking in a couple of parks and old houses. Lots of horse poo and the roar of the M25.
After a glorious late lunch at clicia, falafel for a change, I met up with my brother Matt. A lot of drinking... A chat with two 'close-up' magicians and a performance artist... I love north London.
Spent today... Slightly hungover.... At rob's. We are performing a tribute to Grant McLennon next weekend at the Lexington.
Ukulele rock

London to Brighton

Had a crack at London to Brighton yesterday. Whilst it wasn't easy, it certainly wasn't the problem I thought it was going to be. I had to walk up two hills, but they're massive and I would be riding slower than walking.
There is a full ride report on my other blog here. A great day out if the truth be told, and the first inkling I've had so far that physically we could do it as a team. I thought we could probably all do it, but we got there in good spirits.



The rest of the guys by the sea


I didn't ride today. I know I should, but it's my first day back at work after a week off, and I wanted to arrive looking smart. Train was delayed by half an hour so I got there cross. Typical.

repost from the buskers on bikes...

During Sunday’s ride Ken said something which stuck with me. It involved clipless pedals and increases to efficiency. If clipless pedals improved the transfer of power by x%. What else might help. Obviously a lighter bike, aerodynamic clothing...

Then it hit me. My bike weighs about 10kg without pedals or water bottles, so probably around 11.5 ready to go. I could shave some of this weight with lightweight bottle holders etc...

But what about me. I weigh 82kgs. The upper end of the healthy BMI for my height and build. The bottom end of Healthy BMI for me would be up to 6KG lighter or 7% of my bodyweight.

This might be key to me getting better.

I guess I’d better start counting the calories.

Melodica Rock

My Melodica arrived the other day. Not knowing if I was going to get on with the instrument I didn’t want to shell out £30-100 on a hohner, so I bought a £17 Swann. To be fair Swann are one of the biggest manufacturers of instruments, and it’s not bad. Melodicas always sound a little strange to me anyway.

The purchase was inspired by “The luckiest guy on the lower east side” by the magnetic fields. We are covering the song in the LEJOG band, and whilst I love playing Uke on this because there is one on the record, I could hear a melodic part for our version.

Bizarrely if you play it with the short pipe in place and hold it by the strap you go boss-eyed trying to see what you are playing. With the longer pipe you look like you are on oxygen or something.

Back to cycling to and from work as I got left behind on our ride at the weekend.

Rob has asked me to play a Grant McLennan tribute night at the Lexington with him in may so I need to meet up with him to get a cd of tracks for that fairly soon.

LEJOG Blog

I have finally got around to creating a blog for the charity ride in the summer. It can be found here...

http://buskingbikers.blogspot.com/

So far Jonny, Warren, Neil and I have all written stuff for it.

Weird Weekend

I have just had a very strange weekend.

Firstly Straight after work I headed up to ]Performancespace[ the new home of the Artevict lot. There were some durational actions underway when I arrived. I found the work moving and challenging. Highlights for me were Jamie and Victoria’s pieces. Anyway take a look at the site and make your own mind up.

Saturday we went to Brian’s to rehearse for the long distance busk (LEJOG). There was a frank and quite reasonable discussion as to how hard it would be and the fact we are all out-of-shape. It looks like we’ve decided to do it anyway, but we have agreed speeds and levels of fitness by certain dates to try and make it easier... can’t keep stopping.

Went to SHUNT’s new venue in the evening. What a lovely space. There is a section in the middle with a glass first floor and a viewing gallery at the top. Great DJs brilliant live acts. Good all round. Interestingly whilst I had to go on my own to both events (circumstances and planning issues) I wasn’t alone. A lot of people were there on their own.

A good weekend at that.

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.