Mon velo
Mon velo!
I originally bought my bike in 2000, as I began training for an epic 1000 mile charity-ride from northern Spain back to Gloucestershire, which was home in those days. Originally it was a blue Trek 1200, aluminium and originally with steel forks. It had great reviews (Cycling Plus I think?) at the time, but at around £700 it was a few models down from the model then used by Armstrong but suited my budget. It weighs around 9 kilos so is far from the lightest bike around.
Now my argument against buying a lighter bike for several years was that ‘why pay a disproportionally high price for a lighter bike when I could just lose some weight’. When I arrived in France I weighed just under 76 kilo, now with healthier living and plenty of bikercise I now weigh in at 68 kg (about 2 kg more than when I left school). I have lost the weight of a good quality bike, so effectively my bike only weighs 2 kilo dunit!!
I also believe that me and the bike are a system and I want to see overall improvement. So whilst I believe there is still growth for improving my performance, I’m not going to worry about the additional couple of kilos she weighs just yet. When or should that time occour them maybe she will be promoted to head of winter training bikes.
I’m sure there is someone out there who could tell me how much time could be gained from this sort of weight reduction, well I’m all ears!
So where have I taken her – in addition to the routine solo and club rides,
2000 Santander to Gloucester – 1000 miles
2003 after a few days in the Pyrennees we rode to Lyon, whilst en route we rode up Mont Ventoux with a great group of friends from the UK.
2006 with the ROCC (my local club) we cycled fron Rochechouart to the Pyrenees over 3 days. While we were there we watche the Tour de france pass on Col de Peyrousalt, climbed the col de Aspin and the col de Tourmalet.
I have also ridden a few cyclosportives here in France and rode my first races too. So being an old fashioned guy I feel a little bit attached to her so my argument now is sentimentally justified.
Since originally writing this post the bike has undrgone a frame transplant so now with a Giant frame there is little left of the original old gal!
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Lanterne Rouge
A friend of mine recently asked whats this name ‘Lanterne Rouge’ all about. Well literally it translates to ‘red light’ not the red light found in seedy areas of towns and cities such as Amsterdam, duh!. In the case here it is the prestigious title given to the last man in the overall classification to finish the ‘Tour de France’ each year. The French almost hold as much respect for the last man in the tour as the first man. Why not? he’s done the same distance, probably gone through more pain and by the time he crosses the line in Paris he has been on the bike the longest. A special idiosyncrasy of the sport!
I guess when I was younger there was that dream of being the ‘best‘ at something, normally a sport, running, football, boxing, cycling, the list goes on. Of all of these cycling has been the one constant, so if I could have been the best cyclist around I suppose winning the Tour de France would have put me pretty close to that dream. Well the years roll by and priorities change and rather than being the best I think more like the old cliché – ‘its the taking part which counts’. Yeah, sure as cyclists we’d all love to win ‘Le Tour’ but just to have competed and finished would be more than enough, hence Lanterne Rouge!
Lanterne Rouge is primarily about cycling, but other things in my life are included as there are many hours in my life when i’m not on the bike, (then I’m just thinking about cycling)! Well for those who maybe interested, friends, family this is a little about what I’m doing and life in France generally.
Question – Guess who designed this shirt, look closely?
Answer: Paul Smith – OK not me, but along with the same name we both share a love of cycling.
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