Whats it all about?

So...Why the blog?  Well a big jolly friend of mine said you must do this blog or I'll sit on you.  He's big (I mean really big) so I took the easy option.

I've always loved bikes and when I moved to the Netherlands it was the perfect place to buy more bikes.  Lets face it the most prized possession of a Dutchman is his bike and each one owns about three.  When I was young and raced a road bike I wanted a mountain bike.  When that got nicked I brought a mountain bike.  And finally ten years later I finally have both again.

So whats the blog about?  Well now that I use the road bike a lot more I've met some friends and we have plenty of laughs along the way.  We all share a passion for cycling.  It doesn't really matter if your fat and slow or lean and fast.  Enjoying yourself comes first.  Along the way there's lots of fun and a few dramas as well.  This year we have all signed up for one Sportive to compete or even complete. 

I've signed up for a few more than the rest but most are to help me with one event.  The Trans-Portugal in where else but Portugal.  The lovely Mrs BobGfish was the one that suggested I go for this event. Not sure she was aware what was about to happen.

So a list of my events this year are

• Ronde van Vlandeeren 
• Paris Roubaix
• Amstel Gold
• Liege Bastogne Liege
• Trans Portugal (MTB)
• Klim Classic
• Jean Nelissen Classic
• Passportes Du Soleil (MTB)
• La Marmotte
• Otzaler

My first ever race I can remember seeing on TV at about 12 years old was Paris-Roubaix.  The "hell of the north".  Now that I'm finally in Europe nearly thirty years later I'm going to ride it !!"

I'm hoping to share some of the problems and pains along the way. I'm certainly looking forward to it all.

Paradise and Fragile Carbon

So.  Another Saturday in paradise.  Awesome weather and seems to be the calm before the very cold weather that's expected.  Whats one to do.  Well I should really have ridden a bike but I've just had a hard week of riding and must have averaged 80km a day.  And that was cutting it short on the few days we had torrential rain.  The 30km riding against a furious headwind last Sunday at 16-18km was shattering and it's taken me all week to recover anyway.

So...It was bike cleaning day.  Replace a worn out rear tyre.  (well actually Mrs BobGFish did this to learn how to fix a puncture) and clean the drive train.  I tried to find the cause of why my front mech wasn't working very well and found a very curious thing.  A lovely crack in my shiny bike.  So the bikes about three months old and it's time for a new one. 

Well I guess it's not as bad as the last one I broke which was the fork steerer. 

Another trip to the bike store is due.  And since I've not had the best success with help from the local bike store it will mean a trip back to Mud Island for a new frame.  Lucky Mrs BobGFish already has a trip planned.

I'm still going to ride it tomorrow and see what my cycling buddies think tomorrow.

With the cold weather being fore casted at -15 degrees C it will be the last ride on the road bike this week.  Might have to borrow a turbo trainer from a buddy and give it a go.  As long as it's not to icy the MTB might be another option.

And it starts

The blog that is.  

More to follow once I work out how to use this thing !!!