Need to work it out first!!

So I treated myself to a Garmin etrex 32x, well the good lady did actually, I think she knew it would baffle me and keep me quiet!! I watched a few people review it straight from the box on YouTube before I ordered it and theres no way your telling me they haven’t spent hours learning how to use it, the lying gits!! It took me two minutes to get the tape off the box🥵I’m not a tech dinosaur, I’ve got an iPhone for gods sake, but I will review it when I can work it properly (that’s never then) one of the main reasons I choose it is because it runs on two AA batteries that last for up to 3 days, so no constant charging, handy when your in the middle of nowhere, as long as you have some spare batteries!! Used it for the first time today for a ride down the Brampton valley way, about 30 miles. It worked fine I think, didn’t help that I forgot my glasses! It’s a good job I’ve got 3 months to fanny about with it!!

Not going to go on about the corona virus that’s consuming every minute of everyone’s day at the minute, just to say that one of the great things I love about cycling, especially off-road cycling is that you can get away from everyday life, stress and worry free, even just for a couple of hours and it feels great.

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Decisions decisions!!

So I don’t know about you but usually the major decision in our house is what we’re going to have for dinner!! It’s a daily struggle even when we do a weeks shopping and plan every-day’s dinner with military precision, someone’s home late, or I don’t fancy that, the salads gone off etc.

Now I’ve got plenty of decisions to make, what camping stove, tent or bivvy, which sleeping bag, will it be cold at night? Do I need more then two pairs of shorts? I spend hour after hour reading reviews on sleeping matts , comparing weight as I want to be as light as possible, but the lighter something is the more expensive it is! unfortunately I’m not a middle aged man with plenty of disposable income so every penny counts, have you seen how much lightweight tents cost😳. I search the internet for the cheapest price on each item, slowly ticking things off my list. I spend a lot of time trawling through people kits lists on Bikepacking.com and seem to find something new to add to my list every bloody time! And just to let you know my frame bag has still not come!!

Rest day!!

So today is a rest day, not great at taking rest days, always feel a bit guilty , i am already panicking that I won’t be fit enough for my ride. The weather has been atrocious, wettest February on record so due to that and the dark evenings I have mainly sat on a watt bike in the gym! Anybody that has sat on a watt bike will know its bloody boring! I’ve listened to my entire music collection over and over and numerous pod casts! There are 4 watt bikes in my gym, one with a nice padded seat and the other 3 with bricks disguised as seats!! Having a bit of a prostate problem and a boney arse the padded seat is my only option, this is where the games begin, there’s another fella who is also very keen on the padded seat, he’s even been sending his son in early to sit on it! So I’ve been trying to get away from work early to beat him to it! The look on his face when he walks by the window and sees me peddling away! But hopefully I’ve solved the problem, went to Lidl today and bought a padded gel seat cover for £3.99! Will give it a go 2mor after work, also I’m hoping my frame bag will come in the next couple of days, have ordered a made to measure one to fit my trek procaliber from Alpkit. You have to make a cardboard template and post it to them, over £100 so it better bloody fit!!

It’s hard!

So it’s my 50th year on this planet! I will be 50th in December, I’ve decided to enter a bikepacking race the length of Germany! 1600km or a 1000 miles in old money! Never bikepacked before, all I have is a bike!
I’m not a complete novice, did London to Paris off road about 5yrs ago, but it was completely supported, I’m fairly fit, trained for a sprint triathlon last summer, but nowhere near fit enough to ride 1000 miles! This blog is about my fitness battle with sore knees and a sore arse! And the fight for the watt bike With the padded seat at the gym! Also the minefield that is bikepacking kit! I didn’t realise I would need a second mortgage!!
I will also be navigating selling our house This year and moving abroad to be near my wife’s family and live a more simple life! BUSY YEAR THEN!