The Route (I think!)

Along with some other changes to the site, I thought I'd best put this route map on whilst I think about it. I'm busy transferring Mrs V's record collection onto her MP4 player thing. So with KC and The Sunshine Band belting out 'Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake your Booty' (yeah, I know, I'm saying nothing) here I go again.

We haven't yet been given the definitive route, but this is what I have put together from the information one of the other riders (David Jones) has unearthed.

What with the lack of enthusiasm from the guys at the British Heart Foundation, this event is feeling a bit 'thrown together'. Should make it more exciting; amateur is what the British do best!.


View Directions to Avenue Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris, France (Eiffel Tower) in a larger map

Folding Bike to Work Week

In June we had 'Bike to Work Week', and our employer participated in the free breakfast scheme. I'm hoping the same will happen if I tell them about my 'Folding Bike to Work Week' which starts on Tuesday. (I'm off on the Bank Holiday)

I'm going to be a bit cheeky and ask Pierre - the manager of the restaurant - if he'll sponsor me by giving me 4 free breakfasts. What odds will you give me? I'll position it as a big feed up in preparation for the event which will happen the following week.
EDIT: I asked, and he said yes! Thanks Pierre.

It seemed such a long way off, and now the day is almost here. I think I'd better take the beast back to John just to check the spokes are still OK. Not that I've ridden it that much!

No response from my doctor's surgery despite them being the first people I wrote to. I think I'll do a chaser as its poor form to not get a reply at all. I've also tried to get a mention on the radio a few times but no luck yet.

The Jersey Sponsors

Managed to finalise the jersey design today. I had been hoping for sublimated designs which would have meant I could do a complete design job on the jersey. Unfortunately, these take 4 weeks to produce and delays with confirmation of the money coming through and getting the logos in the right format meant I had to go with just laser printing on a light coloured stock jersey.

Never mind, they look great anyway. Thanks very much to the sponsors Sovereign Healthcare and Bradford Bulls. You'll already have seen the result of the link up with Bulls - £400! Brilliant.

See what you think, pictures on the left. I'll be posting some pics of the real thing with me inside in as soon as they are delivered so keep coming back!

Jerseys produced by a company in Leeds: www.cycle-clothing.co.uk They've been really helpful and the prices are very reasonable. Check them out if you want something similar.

Bradford Bulls vs Catalans collection

I have to admit to some trepidation about this. It is quietly amusing, all this prep for the challenge and if it weren't I wouldn't be doing it. But I'm not sure I'm ready for 10,000+ people to be laughing at me as I ride round Odsal stadium. Still, I quite like rugby league - its a bit more spectator-friendly than rugby union - so will enjoy the game as well.

Don't get me wrong, I quite like watching rugby union too, its just a bit more of a players game than the league version. I mean, more of it happens in the rucks and mauls.... I think I'll stop digging, the hole is just getting bigger.

Will be updating the blog again after the event.... thanks again and again and again to John from CREW for organising it for me. This should be my major sponsorship piece.

Oh, yes. Did I tell you the jerseys are on order? I'm expecting a mock up sometime this week so if I can, I'll post something on the blog so you can see what I'm going to be wearing.


What a game! Bulls slaughtered the French. I think they were over-awed by the thought of crazy English cyclists on fold-up bicycles.... We collected £380.58 - which I've rounded up to £400 on the Justgiving page to make sure the fees are covered - I'm sure we could have topped £500 if I'd had more people helping, but it is still a great result.

Odd, isn't it? One of the half-time organisers said "Surprisingly quick, isn't it?" when I'd finished my two laps of the pitch. I just gave him a lop-sided grin and agreed. But really its all in the legs and lungs. If you haven't got those, you won't be able to make any bike go fast, no matter how little it weighs.

Which reminds me!! I've been meaning to weigh the beast for a while because it feels quite heavy. I finally got 'a round tooit' today and put it on the bathroom scales. (the same ones I weigh myself on, so any inaccuracy is consistent!)

Would you believe 14.5kg? (31.9lb for my American readers or 2 1/4 stone for those too old or idle to learn metric in the UK) For comparison, I weighed my road bike - which was complete with tool kit, spare tube and lights - 11kg (24lb or 1 3/4 stone) I guess if I can lose 3.5kg (7lb or 1/2 stone) before I go, I shouldn't notice any difference. Anyone prepared to sponsor me to do so? Ha ha... I weighed 79kg this morning.

Thankyou Bradford Bulls supporters for your generosity today. I've acheived target. Just the ride itself to do now.

Cannes Film Festival nominee

Here it is then. The next Cannes film festival winner.

It's the result of a full hour of hard work last Sunny Sunday afternoon. Hope you enjoy it.

Pass it on to all your friends, family and anyone else who may be interested - especially if they have any reason to be more likely to donate to the cause. Well, that IS what it is all about, isn't it?

Where am I now?

The test went well although the weather let me down. I was on the road a little late - 5:20am - and rode from Ossett to Flockton and was intending to go to Shelley and then round Kirkburton into Lepton to rejoin the main route at the B6118. But then it started raining, so I cut it a bit short and just went straight on to Grange Moor.

Here's the route if you're interested.



A few things to note:
1. My phone's memory isn't big enough to cope with calculating speed, direction or holding info on altitude. So those elements will always show as 'zero'.
2. If you are following progress, you will have to keep on refreshing the page.


I'm a bit obsessed with this at the moment, and have it switched on practically every time I'm on a bike. I then map the result into the website that the map above comes from - mapmyride.com and it calculates average speed and altitude climbed (and descended) and puts it all into a profile for me.

Good thing is, its getting me out on the bike a lot.

Next thing may be a video.... I've seen Steve's and feel I need one too. Watch this space.

Tracker

For a while now I've been looking for a tracking device so that I can show where I am on the web whilst I'm on this challenge.

Good news is; I've found a free one on the web that tracks the GPS function on my mobile phone. I have also tried Mapmytracks.com but their system doesn't work with my phone (a Nokia 6700 Classic) The application is supplied by InstaMapper.com and was dead easy to set up. I've set my phone to transmit every 2 minutes, so when it is switched on you will be able to see where I am...

I'm testing it on Monday 10th August as I ride to work if any of you are up at 5am....

Contact!

Aha! There are some other people doing this challenge after all. I was beginning to think I might be the only one stupid enough.

The organisers sent an email the other day with details of a 'FaceBook' page one of the participants has set up. (If you are interested: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75179230840&ref=ts )


Anyway, one of the people doing the event is also running a blog - we're following each others; mad isn't it!?
Steve Unwin, and you can find it at http://thefoldingbikechallenge.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-entry.html

On to more important things: Train times and Jerseys.

1st the jersey. I've asked other participants if they'd like a jersey, the more publicity for the sponsors the better and there is a minimum order and I can't possibly wear them all!

I've got some ideas for a design and will post the results on the blog soon. Well, got to get on with it because there is a 3 week production window and there are only 5 weeks to go!

2nd Train times. The event starts at 7:30 in the morning. The earliest train gets me into Kings X at.... yep; 7:30! I've asked them to wait for me but not heard anything to say they will yet. It could all be about to go wrong!