All Bonked Out!

Rang Pantani Wed night as I hadn't heard from him for a while and since we were both free Thursday we'd take a ride to Clitheroe. He'd bought new tubs for his carbon jobbies and a double bottle holder for the seat post so he wanted a longer ride to test them out, taking a spare tub just in case. I had new pedals ( LOOK keo Easy) 2 new 'part worn' tyres for the bike with double layering of duct tape for the rim to try to avoid another punture, this was on Vanquish.

ROUTEish Met up at 10.30am and went a back road to Edenfield rd which has quite a few nice short steep climbs and is surrounded by farms. Once on Edenfield rd, headed towards Rawtenstall then to Burnley. This didn't pass without incident as a flying water bottle tried to attack me, which I skillfully dodged. I carried on whilst Pete retrieved the animal. This happened again on the descent into Rawtenstall but this time I was ahead so the bottle tried to attack a car instead. Descended into Burnley and another pothole later the water bottle tried a different tactic. Instead of just flinging its way towards me it would lose its head too and fluid sprayed every where. That was bound to get someone!
Stopped at a nice little bike shop called pendle cycles where I browsed a nice TT frame but it was alloy £750. I pondered what I could get on cycle to work, only a measly grand to spend :(
Nice and flat to Clitheroe and cant say that about many of my rides! Stopped off at Booths where Pantani had a sausage and apple pie, egg and bacon sandwich and an apple danish which he tempted me with too even though Im on bonk training he wouldn't take no for an answer. It rained for 5 seconds exactly then the sun was out again and skies cleared. It was a little windy but when it blew it was very chilly.

Set off back home about 1pm after lots of faffing about and 3 mins into the ride something else from Pantanis bike decided to fling its way at me!!! This was getting ridiculous!!!! It was a sheared head off a screw holding his new dual water bottle holder in place and it had totally gone now. I ate a banana whilst he decided what to do with his broken toy. He used an elastic band to tie it to his tri bars and put the tub down his top and he threw his water bottle away. We were off again. Pantani didn't look like he was on form today and struggled up every hill, he didn't even try which was unusual. The new tubs were very hard and the road surfaces were vibrating through the frame and up Pantani. The route back was virtually identical with a couple of incidents. A coach overtook me then turned infront of me. I gave the wanker sign only for the coach to turn and lots of kids started waving at me. My hand unclenched and waved back :P Then a white van man nearly cut me up on a tight bend and a silly cow nearly reversed into both of us and she heard me call her a silly fucking bitch. So when she was the right way round I went as slow as possible in front of her whilst she blew her horn. Nearly did a Joby and threw the bike to the floor infront of her but I remained calm :) The route isn't totally correct and we ended up doing 72 miles with an average of 16mph. Pantani wasn't on top form and it showed, guess it was an off day.

Now the pedals have to be one of the best things I have bought recently. My pedalling action is now unbelievably smooth. Instead of push down and pull up hard with lots of loose points between cleat and pedal, its all one continous action in a circle! Also my cadence was usually very low but I could definitly tell it was alot higher. Hills seemed so much easier and that is saying something. Someone did say stick with spds for my commuter, Vanquish is turning into my fav bike, I can see why as the look cleats are very slippy and wear very quickly. Already the bottom looks mangled. If the Easys are that good the keo 2 max must be even better? Highly recommended over spd's for performance but not for practicality.

In the evening I did circuit training and spinning class. By the end of spinning I was totally Bonked out and when I got home ate 2 bowls of soup, 2 chiken butties and lots of water. Weighed myself before and after the gym. Before 69.8kgs After 69.4kgs and thats without having a shit for a day. Weight loss is going great after I hit a plateau and I guess its all down to Bonk. I suppose its helping my riding too, I feel better and better every time I go on a bike it cant be a coincidence that I felt like crap and rode crap when I put 3-4 kgs back on in 2 weeks a few months ago.