Monday morning blues

This morning I rose at 7, ate a banana and headed off to work on my bike. I was rehearsing that much last week that I didn't get to ride so his week the plan was Monday to Wednesday I would cycle, carry my guitar on Thursday, then cycle again on Friday.

As I got to deptford the wind really picked up. It was strong enough for me to stop pedalling just short of junctions and allow it to blow me to a stop.

It was as I arrived at work that I realised that I was going to the theatre on Wednesday to see the lovely Bob Karper. I could maybe squeeze in the return journey before going to the out.

After a quick shower and breakfast I went through my work emails. Good. There were no unexpected early starts in weird places.

At lunch I was going through my personal emails when I spotted a notice about a band practice tomorrow. Not the LGO, but the band with no name comprising of ex BOB members. Well I couldn't ride on the Tuesday then.

I guess the moral is that unless we make time for something, the something else always gets in the way. I always have a lovely time playing music with my friends, but I hate the journey in laden with instruments. I love riding to work but it limits my after work activities. Either way I need to plan both very carefully if I am to be proficient enough to gig, and fit enough for the Dun Run.

The hill that beat me (reprise)...

A couple of years ago I posted a... Post. About training in Richmond park. I'd just bought my current bike and Ken was doing his best to prepare us for our LEJOG effort. Today I went back for the first time to see how I would do in Richmond park given that I'm now nearly three years older but have ridden a lot more.

Despite conflicting ideas about where the park may be... Thanks Richmond council man... I found the park and set off to try my luck.

The loop is not an easy ride by any stretch of the imagination. It is full of headwinds, false flats, climbs and descents. Needless to say the hill did not beat me this time and part of me is surprised it did the first time. It really helps to know that you are climbing the back of Richmond hill which I had already climbed to get into the park today.

Richmond park is 11km approx as a loop. You WILL be passed by men practicing on time trial bikes but this is ok.

Entering at the roehampton gate turn left and follow the road round to the left. Then climb the hill. Then descend. Then climb a bit. Roundabout. Descend then climb a bit. Roundabout. Climb then descend. Then undulate. Roundabout. Then have no idea where you are then climb then descend. Roundabout finish.

Did I mention the wind? It's always bloody windy. It's like a practice Cornwall.

As I lay there on the grass after my last attempt an old guy, maybe 70, pulled up, put his bike in an old estate car, grinned at me and left.

Richmond park is the best practice for a big ride on small roads.

Love it because that's easier than hating it.

List of weird things about the Dunwich Dynamo

So after yesterday's brief rant, here are some slightly weird facts that I hadn't realised. Some from research in general and some from Southwark Cyclists.

So it's going to get dark at 21:06. That's less than an hour after we set off. Most of the ride is on unlit roads so I will definitely need spare batteries. Weirdly Sunrise is at 05:09 the following day... so I've got 8 out of the 10 hours riding in pitch black.

Apparently there are quite a lot of bats

Last year 1500 riders took part. That's quite a lot. Less than  that cycled back.

Here is a lovely description of riding the event

That's all at the moment.

Dunwich Dynamo 2013

It's something I've been meaning to do for the last couple of years, but the timing has never been quite right. The Dunwich Dynamo is a 200km 180km ride from London Fields (Which is unsuprisingly in London) to Dunwich (Which I was suprised to realise is in Norfolk Suffolk).

This is a little further than I have ridden before. About 43km more. Or to put it another way just under 2 hours more.

It is also at night.

Admittedly it's in July so the "night" is only dark for about 5-6 hours.Or half the ride. (edit: I've just discovered it will be dark for 8 hours that night)

So 200km at night. Why would anyone do that?

Because we can. Because I can imagine what it feels like to cycle through the darkest hours of the day. trying to eat a flapjack in a pitch black country lane.What it must be like to feel the first rays of sun on your face as you see the sun come over the horizon about 7 hours in.To eat a portion of chips for breakfast soaking wet because I've just been swimming fully clothed. Snoozing on the bus back.

There are a couple of stops during the night to pick up more food and water but It's probably 9-10 hours cycling. This is either going to burn...

a)6990Kcal using a weight*distance*kcal per lb/mile. Or
b)4000Kcal using 400 Kcal an hour

Luckily I'm carrying about 30,000 spare Kcals in a handy front mounted storage container (Or belly)

My bike has been serviced by the lovely people at Comptons. It's been reshod following advice from the guys at 2 wheels Good. I've got a possy of people to ride with. Now I only have to decide what to wear for the ride.

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...

My anti corporate morning rant...

I work in an unspecified area of South-East London. It's only un-specified in the sense that I have no real wish to disclose it here. It is quite specific in my minds-eye, which I find helps with locating my place of work enormously come monday morning.

This, slightly drab and underwelming locale, has until very recently managed to avoid becoming home to the homogeonous high street brands present in almost every high street from Norwich to Nottingham.Instead plucky local business people have been allowed to operate the generally sub-standard, health and safety ignorant, British businesses favoured in the days of yore*

I'd like to forward this as my initial reasoning as to why market forces are not just ridiculous but in fact a complete arse. If I'm fair to the "market" it also proves that human beings are, by and large, complete idiots. But I am not in the mood to be fair to the market, and in a weakened post breakfast state, quite prepared to cut the human race some slack for once.**

In the last few months the general ambience of the locale has been disturbed by a Subway and a Costa Coffee. Prior to this we had budget sandwich and coffee shops, that somehow managed to thrive, selling wishy washy beverages and limp sandwiches at a price beffitting the said fayre and manageable to the local population. Everytime a more interesting (edible) eaterie opened, it would close within a few months*** to be replaced by a chicken shop or a minicab office.

This market ignores the health and wellbeing of the populus and reaches an state of equilibrium based solely on price. However these businesses are now being threatened by chains selling similar fayre for nearly three times the price. We are told time and time again that competition in the private sector will raise quality and lower price. Rather than variety and price driving the market, it is shiny cups and familiar logos. In six months these businesses will fold, as residents of this localle cannot sustain £3.99 coffees and £5.99 sandwiches, which will in turn lead to a beverage vacuum. Maybe the proliferation of public sector employment will sustain these businesses... If so, where will the locals eat.

Anyway. My point was that choice doesn't drive prices down and competition up. Itdrives prices up and competiton down. Mostly because people are idiots, or at the very least foolish brand magpies.

*The exact dates of this period are not nown but we're generally looing at post-industrial revolution and pre-McDonalds.
** Upon re-reading the first couple of paragraphs I noticed the complete omission of the letter "K". My keyboard had broken and the subsequent liocation of a (sub-standard) spare led me to take pity on humanity
*** With the exception of a rather pleasant Japanese restaurant

Sunday folk music

Miss S and I have just been off to see the other Sophie play a gig at the crypt in St. Peter's. As is her want the songs covered a variety of topics not often utilised in the folk format.
-Alternatives to GDP as an indicator for economic health
-What happens if you chop a forest down to make violins (I've over simplified this one)
-The joys of bicycle ownership as opposed to ownership of other stuff.

As an introduction Sophie said it's easy to see why academic papers are the norm for economic theories but there you go.

The venue also served tea. As in the beverage.

Miss S and I stopped off at a lovely French cafe for a custardy quiche and salad before buying up some Mertyle and rhubarb jam. Mmmm

How I learned to love the guitar again

I got a message last night. I say a message but effectively it was a comment on a photo I had posted online. I was playing a mandolin, and my friend had posted "Still playing that kids guitar then Dom?" I've had similar comments about the ukulele and banjolele over the past couple of years too. Whilst this particular comment was in jest there is the persistent idea that small means unimportant.

Several friends have remarked that they are not sure why everyone is playing the ukulele. Or rather why every band seems to need a ukulele or other comedy instrument. If you've ever carried a solid bodied electric guitar, in a hard case, with an amp and a bag of cables and effects to a gig by public transport you'd know the appeal of the tiny acoustic instrument. I recently started playing a smaller guitar to make things easier on myself and am still considering a Martin Backpacker so I can ride to rehearsals on my bike.

The beauty and simplicity of the uke or mandolin is the short scale and small number of strings. I have written before about becoming disillusioned, by age and lack of activity/success, with the guitar. I called into question why I even bothered playing it. I started playing the uke in 2009 after hearing about a uke band playing at an awards ceremony. I googled ukulele orchestra and saw the ukulele orchestra of great britain on youtube. I bought myself one for christmas just as I was going through a painful breakup.

I went along to a ukulele group at work, and another above a pub in Stoke Newington. It was fun. I wanted to play with other people too. In late 2010 I met (through a ukulele mailing list) Warren and the Buskers on Bikes. We rehearsed. We trained. We cycled Land's end to John O'Groats together playing gigs. An old school friend asked me to play a one-off gig with him. I started learning the mandolin. BOB played a few more gigs. I auditioned for the London Gypsy Orchestra on the guitar.

So there it is. Back to the guitar. I'm now playing with three groups of people and enjoying music more than I have done since my early 20's. I understand theory better now that I play 3 instruments tuned differently. As a guitarist I learn't chords and scales but could only relate them to the guitar. Learnign the uke and mandolin I needed to know why  the chord I was playing was a Insert chord name.

In short the ukulele reawakened my enjoyment of playing.The banjolele helped me to find my place in a band for the first time in years. The mandolin made me realise how music is constructed (and how loud a small instrument can be). The guitar became the instrument I continue to love most.

Plans for 2013

It looks very much like we're going to be doing bike to bestival again this year. The twist this year is that we are now going to also be doing a ride to camp bestival. Busy, busy, busy! It's really good fun, but needs a lot more work than you'd imagine. Partly because, by their very nature, festivals have to be in the middle of nowhere. This isolation makes it difficult to get people to and from their final destination. In fact it makes it much easier to get there by car. This is partly because from the 1960's onwards, successive British Governments have favoured the car. Even to the extent of taking out railways and building major road networks as the popularity of the car spread out through the social classes.

This wouldn't matter if we were organising a "Drive to Bestival" but we're not.

The destinations we are aiming for cannot be reached without using A-roads. It is impossible to cover vast swathes of the U.K. Without sharing a dual carriageway with lorries blasting their way across Europe delivering (as it turns out) vast quantities of horse meat by road. In Scotland there are motorways built right next to dual carriageways as roads were upgraded. You get to cycle along a badly repaired dual carriageway, whilst traffic hurtles by merely feet away on a shiny new motorway.

The most terrified I have ever been (scared for my life) was during the descent into Glen Coe. Rain so dense that visibility was down to a few feet. Inches of water on the road. No brakes. Mountain roads. Heavy traffic. Really heavy traffic. All whilst trying to find a right hand turn across the oncoming traffic, and onto a flooded road for several miles to dry off in a youth hostel.

I also wished the rain back almost immediately upon it stopping as clouds of midges swarmed towards us as soon as the rain started to let up.

Physio

So I have just got back from the physio. It turns out that one of the ligaments in my left ankle is no longer working. Or it might not be there. Or I might have damaged it. They aren't sure. However, apparently standing on one leg is the way forward. So I'll be doing a lot more of that over the coming weeks.

One thing that has come out of all this is that I've been told to avoid the exact movement that releases my left foot from my clipless pedal. They won't say that it was the pedal that did it , but I might "wish to consider other types of foot retention"

I should apparently not be running still. Or rather I should not be running. At all.

I'm currently researching platform pedals and straps. I never really got on with clips and straps.