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Hints, tips, pictures and reviews for new road cyclists."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/-\/road+biking?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=5"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/road%20biking"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/-\/road+biking\/-\/road+biking?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=6\u0026max-results=5"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"61"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"5"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190090153914400044.post-6064236039854143164"},"published":{"$t":"2011-07-16T09:37:00.001+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-07-19T16:28:25.576+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"road biking"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Halfords Carrera TDF Review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003ENot everyone in life has a wallet full of cash to buy their first road bike.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E Faced with a tight budget you can either opt for a second hand bike or a new bike from one of the entry level brands.\u0026nbsp; One of those that fits the budget bike category is the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.halfords.com\/webapp\/wcs\/stores\/servlet\/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_786805_categoryId_165710_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_List_Zone_1-_-Blank\u0026amp;iozone=PLPz1\"\u003EHalfords Carrera TDF.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; At time of writing, this bike was on offer at £299 inc VAT, from Halfords stores - that's a really good price.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjwdvclxC7EQHIiXFVRw5TRWOQUtDh7ixsbWhOR6VnHqhYg5pUf10AYoP-9wpMRu1MSKCS_ZPtvEjY4JuZWNG8aV-5Z5-ceeLr2bDwe1XXn9096clCnweQzztsQ9jQok9cLfgS0tIGvj-3B\/s1600\/CIMG4214.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhBX-ytSdPcHFlFhyphenhyphenD6_RUYSgkUI2_7JzoU5RFiC8CNIif7pxCNeh1lG_I1t6gFO8wmv4IyernM110p_RCXwmDAbKSdvmOZxmOLD_VA3EJV5tdmcbIE0lAPluDM9Wup2mvryZhsKW2QhqtG\/s1600\/CIMG4218.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhBX-ytSdPcHFlFhyphenhyphenD6_RUYSgkUI2_7JzoU5RFiC8CNIif7pxCNeh1lG_I1t6gFO8wmv4IyernM110p_RCXwmDAbKSdvmOZxmOLD_VA3EJV5tdmcbIE0lAPluDM9Wup2mvryZhsKW2QhqtG\/s320\/CIMG4218.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ECarrera TDF Large\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EVisually the bike stands out, with it's distinctive black and yellow colour scheme on the 6061 Aluminium frame.\u0026nbsp; What also stands out is the weight of the bike, coming in just shy of 11kg (24Ibs) with the pedals on - no featherweight.\u0026nbsp; At this point, it's important to remember that this is an inexpensive entry level bike, not a £1000 carbon road bike.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nYou do know it when out on the road as the bike takes longer to wind up, I ride a carbon bike normally, however if you've got the fitness, you soon overlook it.\u0026nbsp; The current model has a paint scheme in honour of the Tour de France and there are graphics on the top tube denoting this.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh9UVNCK0gIOJ0J71zCP0VuUIuPQysY3uwVvHNgEtZRJB7X5lr0He1A_1aMCtLRovANCnbV6C7dZH-H4N9w1vB_BWPwwU27tGdKWAKIJnzB748Hfmh_b9agOy23oas9J5hzZTIegKaavD0z\/s1600\/CIMG4226.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh9UVNCK0gIOJ0J71zCP0VuUIuPQysY3uwVvHNgEtZRJB7X5lr0He1A_1aMCtLRovANCnbV6C7dZH-H4N9w1vB_BWPwwU27tGdKWAKIJnzB748Hfmh_b9agOy23oas9J5hzZTIegKaavD0z\/s320\/CIMG4226.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ETour de France Graphic\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EOne thing that did strike me quickly was the gear ratio set up on the bike.\u0026nbsp; Sporting a standard 52-38 cassette on the front and 12-26 on the back, means that this bike will prove hard work to push up a hill, particularly with it's overall weight.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGiven that a lot of people buying the bike, may well not have ridden much, I thought it more obvious to go with a compact chainset up front (50\/34) which would be much more forgiving when you come to an incline.\u0026nbsp; Long days in the hills will be preserverd for all but the fittest and strongest riders.\u0026nbsp; Something to consider on the next range perhaps.\u0026nbsp; If however, all you're doing is riding the flats to work, you will get away with it.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgucYCZ3l76l6Ewu2Y6OGwM5uMX31-BRQDGqKDYC754h5pP1DP7v0ZPhxpAQXV2t0AaEJnvuaek4f9BdQcN180GEi9CzVOhxblCBFVEeXLOCXOA1M4PYg6feCYz82yzztSwD8_N3mkaNlei\/s1600\/CIMG4229.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgucYCZ3l76l6Ewu2Y6OGwM5uMX31-BRQDGqKDYC754h5pP1DP7v0ZPhxpAQXV2t0AaEJnvuaek4f9BdQcN180GEi9CzVOhxblCBFVEeXLOCXOA1M4PYg6feCYz82yzztSwD8_N3mkaNlei\/s320\/CIMG4229.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EShimano 52-38 Chainset\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRear components are Shimano's entry level RD-2300 with ST2300 levers on the bars, so you shouldn't find any major problems with shifting through the 16 gears the bike has on offer.\u0026nbsp; This means you would click with your thumb to make the gears feel harder and push the lever inwards to go up the gears (make them easier).\u0026nbsp; This Shimano gearing appears on most entry level bikes.\u0026nbsp; Being a brand new bike will mean this all gets set-up in store for you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiyrYnCLHIlmG085lrRzg0TdNm5SEokt90q0x7OyBhrRULdtjafHmJd_4JKpJgLplsGNy6E9-XSEgJuuT90Uvou_aat9X5lpV0oAZyIZuhVWlDDNHGtS_ijeZ_IkaAib8A9__AxkCC5Mtwm\/s1600\/CIMG4220.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiyrYnCLHIlmG085lrRzg0TdNm5SEokt90q0x7OyBhrRULdtjafHmJd_4JKpJgLplsGNy6E9-XSEgJuuT90Uvou_aat9X5lpV0oAZyIZuhVWlDDNHGtS_ijeZ_IkaAib8A9__AxkCC5Mtwm\/s320\/CIMG4220.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EShimano 12-26 tooth rear cassette\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EThe wheel set-up is branded, with 700x23c tyres.\u0026nbsp; The wheels contribute quite a bit to the weight, coming in around 4kg (9Ibs) of the overall bike weight.\u0026nbsp; This is a combination of the 36 spokes and the material used.\u0026nbsp; Being an entry-level bike, they may buckle easily, so keep them nicely tuned with a spoke key. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEileSUQo2hvptDrzNUH3L-qpyms5kGkDOJ8uSj1Hk7aoaNyiWSnMlWKziGoxGzkxnGP6zw1ppcfDRQjzfFODVYN_qG7GK91vE67b-0YbHT-TjHoTnZWeDFY9gf_LZN13adHlh5xTkP3YtnJ\/s1600\/CIMG4230.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEileSUQo2hvptDrzNUH3L-qpyms5kGkDOJ8uSj1Hk7aoaNyiWSnMlWKziGoxGzkxnGP6zw1ppcfDRQjzfFODVYN_qG7GK91vE67b-0YbHT-TjHoTnZWeDFY9gf_LZN13adHlh5xTkP3YtnJ\/s320\/CIMG4230.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EOwn brand Carrera wheels with 36 spokes\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EBraking is supplied by Tektro.\u0026nbsp; I found the brakes to be fine and was pleased to see cassette mounted pad, which gives you the option to upgrade the pads down the line.\u0026nbsp; I'd recommend a Swiss Stop brake or Shimano pad, which will increase the braking performance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgeBeMLnUqy-r5bNYKZSIVlJmjbrZGTL8wXS818MX9hOMHEg8rO7mNRRkALG7gtQe2CxnLBPfsLfhCjOgZ3gA6Xaaw6RdDm_nHSIPp4joGtUu95L_hHuuIrpevesJ0-JwkLZu2LzIt9QulJ\/s1600\/CIMG4223.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgeBeMLnUqy-r5bNYKZSIVlJmjbrZGTL8wXS818MX9hOMHEg8rO7mNRRkALG7gtQe2CxnLBPfsLfhCjOgZ3gA6Xaaw6RdDm_nHSIPp4joGtUu95L_hHuuIrpevesJ0-JwkLZu2LzIt9QulJ\/s320\/CIMG4223.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ETektro brakes\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ERiding the Bike\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFor a new rider, the set-up of the bike will please.\u0026nbsp; Big front headset, long stem, wide bars, sloping top-tube.\u0026nbsp; That all adds up to being a comfortable bike to ride to work or to spend longer days in the saddle.\u0026nbsp; It will give you quite an upright riding position (more commonly now known as a sportive position).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhipping the bike up to speed takes a bit of effort, primarily due to the weight and gearing.\u0026nbsp; However, with some base fitness, you shouldn't have any major problems turning the pedals.\u0026nbsp; I did find myself working noticeably harder than normal to maintain an average speed of around 17mph on the bike.\u0026nbsp; For the ride to work though, you won't complain.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThinking of who might buy the bike, I thought there would be six types of potential buyer: - \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStudent market (low cost bike due to risk of theft).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EFirst time market (Budget bike, buying new rather than 2nd hand).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ERide to work market (low cost bike which will take a bit of a battering).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWinter hack (the bike comes with rack and mudguard eyelets).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETurbo trainer bike (gearing will be less relevant).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETraining bike (something heavier to build your strength).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMy overall assessment is that this is a good bike for the money.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp; It's not an all singing all dancing carbon road bike, it's not meant to be.\u0026nbsp; It's an entry-level budget road bike, delivering a solid bike for under three hundred quid. \u0026nbsp; At £449, I'd probably say throw another hundred quid on the budget and look around a bit more, however at £299 I think the value is there to be enjoyed, particulary when the bike is set-up and built for you and your first service is included within the price.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne thing that I thought was a good addition was the eyelets to fit either a set of mudguards or a rack.\u0026nbsp; Many bikes in the £500 sector don't have these, it's a small detail, but when it comes to winter, you'll be grateful of a set of fitted mudguards - trust me. \u0026nbsp; \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFinally, I think it's great that people can access the sport at this level- to get more people cycling, you need to make pricing accessible and get people out on the roads.\u0026nbsp; Despite it's name, you're not going to win the Tour de France on it, but you may well rank highly in the Tour de Work or Tour de University.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHalfords are running a competition to win one of these bikes whilst the Tour De France is on.\u0026nbsp; You can see it on Facebook \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HalfordsUK?sk=app_48008362724\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EOther Pictures.\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEilF8nnil9BNpysXxQPYcKZTc1LOroCyqQAQtKrE1YhTIFsdpy9UhIXp95kIVVQPICd5FCqYD-cO51RLcBkpbw4Gb2_7wXVQtwXeeU0Bwhvb9dV2HS_bDZlrZ9adq78321rV7bB5ijD7wTk\/s1600\/CIMG4222.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEilF8nnil9BNpysXxQPYcKZTc1LOroCyqQAQtKrE1YhTIFsdpy9UhIXp95kIVVQPICd5FCqYD-cO51RLcBkpbw4Gb2_7wXVQtwXeeU0Bwhvb9dV2HS_bDZlrZ9adq78321rV7bB5ijD7wTk\/s320\/CIMG4222.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ERear Drivetrain\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgdIDrDy1shdXbFvBrRYjpX4h54Oyd89GMJoKAqkDL9dSp_og7erwodeyQVNWm_kFlMQPo_A_k-e8e3mCigyaTM0cHIfxujKc4uZnmIunYS8aP-fJrvqrb36NYV1CMku61RHIO85Zf-BT_q\/s1600\/CIMG4224.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgdIDrDy1shdXbFvBrRYjpX4h54Oyd89GMJoKAqkDL9dSp_og7erwodeyQVNWm_kFlMQPo_A_k-e8e3mCigyaTM0cHIfxujKc4uZnmIunYS8aP-fJrvqrb36NYV1CMku61RHIO85Zf-BT_q\/s320\/CIMG4224.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EView from the Front\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhIeZll22qd91bqellkTFJM-3YIXTrm2esHeo4K8xGY1NXDMmXw6t7PYWNiQPoo_5wTD0twg1GPKHykOWHRu14VvyTaieVeQJa0EnPT3NFtKVdArCH9bDUfJw-rG9lnVTEReO7ZQM00CDPD\/s1600\/CIMG4225.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhIeZll22qd91bqellkTFJM-3YIXTrm2esHeo4K8xGY1NXDMmXw6t7PYWNiQPoo_5wTD0twg1GPKHykOWHRu14VvyTaieVeQJa0EnPT3NFtKVdArCH9bDUfJw-rG9lnVTEReO7ZQM00CDPD\/s320\/CIMG4225.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EAero Downtube\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgAVmoMKsGqlprdkyUnpS5eFMJ8EN0Bdek4_ZiNn7JDLuchCOG-dCDfYkKaXk1LDCelL4-r06IWMAK2Pzu0_WLBARxIRwfZ8FSiFfLRtxXca-V8On72MrI0gfaRP_dTgLJGmjXalLZq6_6r\/s1600\/CIMG4228.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgAVmoMKsGqlprdkyUnpS5eFMJ8EN0Bdek4_ZiNn7JDLuchCOG-dCDfYkKaXk1LDCelL4-r06IWMAK2Pzu0_WLBARxIRwfZ8FSiFfLRtxXca-V8On72MrI0gfaRP_dTgLJGmjXalLZq6_6r\/s320\/CIMG4228.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EView from the Cockpit\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKe3Z4vVAegwNfJBJQ6xqTrGb5WDgWrGd-kz9Dh8nmwG8Q1JOcuNamEfEbkD5J3KrcD0Xl0V2zErlZ9j5wb4NfKzBbnBhudr1CtoXYfszGLZNQuBvt9Db7TkZog0tu4pURhZyBTFQdmN8z\/s1600\/CIMG4231.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKe3Z4vVAegwNfJBJQ6xqTrGb5WDgWrGd-kz9Dh8nmwG8Q1JOcuNamEfEbkD5J3KrcD0Xl0V2zErlZ9j5wb4NfKzBbnBhudr1CtoXYfszGLZNQuBvt9Db7TkZog0tu4pURhZyBTFQdmN8z\/s320\/CIMG4231.JPG\" width=\"320px\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe Drivetrain\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6064236039854143164\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/halfords-carrera-tdf-review.html#comment-form","title":"20 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/6064236039854143164"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/6064236039854143164"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/halfords-carrera-tdf-review.html","title":"Halfords Carrera TDF Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhBX-ytSdPcHFlFhyphenhyphenD6_RUYSgkUI2_7JzoU5RFiC8CNIif7pxCNeh1lG_I1t6gFO8wmv4IyernM110p_RCXwmDAbKSdvmOZxmOLD_VA3EJV5tdmcbIE0lAPluDM9Wup2mvryZhsKW2QhqtG\/s72-c\/CIMG4218.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"20"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190090153914400044.post-314316340699447814"},"published":{"$t":"2011-03-13T20:25:00.007+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-03-18T20:48:24.809+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"road biking"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10 Tips"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"10 Reason to Start Road-Cycling"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhIURmPH5chIpPI-Mb2LkAKICuu9aoLs7p4q-bmYsF5I05YA8Q-zZZIQfdz6DcWIVKcbVUYyH0EwHbnalr0sUfKc8f0n_NJELyPATpEbVFgO9t9dskYeZfvuu-e8HIPb53v9oVcckZfHYcn\/s1600\/_CSP1993.JPG\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhIURmPH5chIpPI-Mb2LkAKICuu9aoLs7p4q-bmYsF5I05YA8Q-zZZIQfdz6DcWIVKcbVUYyH0EwHbnalr0sUfKc8f0n_NJELyPATpEbVFgO9t9dskYeZfvuu-e8HIPb53v9oVcckZfHYcn\/s320\/_CSP1993.JPG\" alt=\"\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585524637442938370\" border=\"0\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ETrundling along on the bike today, mind wandering as you do, I started to think about what a great hobby road cycling is. Here are ten reasons why you should consider to start road cycling (in no particular order).\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt isn't time dependent.\u003C\/strong\u003E If you're busy, you can jump on the bike when it suits you, rather than being driven by something that is time dependent, like many team sports.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can do it indoors or outdoors\u003C\/strong\u003E (indoors using a turbo trainer which is a device you can set your bike into which turns it into a static training bike).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou get to see some fantastic countryside\u003C\/strong\u003E. As your ability to ride greater distances develops, you get to explore some roads that you never knew existed. It really helps you to familiarise yourself with your locality and further afield.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can do it alone, or as part of a group.\u003C\/strong\u003E Some days you just want to jump in the saddle on your own, other times it's great to ride with a group. The choice is yours.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere are a number of different disciplines to road cycling. \u003C\/strong\u003EYou might start out on the road, but may develop into other elements such as time trialling (cycling against the clock on a pre-determined route).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere are lots of organised events you can participate in.\u003C\/strong\u003E Not only races, but charity fundraisers or rides such as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cyclosportive\"\u003Esportives \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Audax_%28cycling%29\"\u003Eaudaxes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou get to meet a lot of likeminded people.\u003C\/strong\u003E I've developed a large network of new people since starting cycling, great way to meet new friends.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can keep it simple or get right into it.\u003C\/strong\u003E If you want to just jump in the saddle and do some miles - fine, alternatively if you like technical stuff - you can get immersed in all the details of bikes, fitness and training.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt's a great low-impact form of exercise.\u003C\/strong\u003E You'll find a lot of ex-runners on bikes, because of it's low impact on the knees. If you want to lose weight, it's a great way of getting fit, losing weight and improving your cardiovascual capablity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt's easy to measure how you're improving.\u003C\/strong\u003E You're not dependent on anyone else, you can log how you're improving over time and this is a real motivation to keep going. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/314316340699447814\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/10-reason-to-start-road-cycling.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/314316340699447814"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/314316340699447814"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/10-reason-to-start-road-cycling.html","title":"10 Reason to Start Road-Cycling"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhIURmPH5chIpPI-Mb2LkAKICuu9aoLs7p4q-bmYsF5I05YA8Q-zZZIQfdz6DcWIVKcbVUYyH0EwHbnalr0sUfKc8f0n_NJELyPATpEbVFgO9t9dskYeZfvuu-e8HIPb53v9oVcckZfHYcn\/s72-c\/_CSP1993.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190090153914400044.post-4132835645471860623"},"published":{"$t":"2011-02-13T19:39:00.007+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-02-13T20:54:44.183+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"road biking"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Training Diary"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Red pill or the blue pill?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjODj_OdPDBawmS7MudNwswEiu4OgYKsXWEWzOl72wd7gnfg84hhHGx_DfyGZXRCAV4pnQX4nIDecXmyc1vrQ5zXc_xx_qU5YaM2o6GgYh1IZmUYZMOWAwgAsW_MtcCM4PSGJ6tPPj5kL08\/s1600\/2011-Specialized-Tarmac-SL3.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjODj_OdPDBawmS7MudNwswEiu4OgYKsXWEWzOl72wd7gnfg84hhHGx_DfyGZXRCAV4pnQX4nIDecXmyc1vrQ5zXc_xx_qU5YaM2o6GgYh1IZmUYZMOWAwgAsW_MtcCM4PSGJ6tPPj5kL08\/s320\/2011-Specialized-Tarmac-SL3.jpg\" alt=\"\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573261612691624162\" border=\"0\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERemember that scene from the Matrix when Neo gets asked about taking the red pill or the blue pill?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe had one of those moments today, when forty five miles or so into a windy and rainy ride we could opt to either take the short route home (the red pill) or opt for the longer drag (the blue pill).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiven that my ride partner was out on his maiden voyage on his brand \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.specialized.com\/gb\/gb\/bc\/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52900\u0026amp;scid=1001\u0026amp;scname=Road\"\u003ESpecialized Tarmac SL3\u003C\/a\u003E, it had to be done (gorgeous bike by the way, same as the one in the picture).  \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EThe blue pill it was.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat choice pushed todays mileage up to an unplanned 65 for the day.  In a headwind and with driving rain for the back 25, conditions were difficult, however the grimace went on and carry on we did.  I felt great today, could have easily knocked 100 out I reckon, pedals just seemed to be turning, perhaps some of my pre-Xmas fitness is starting to come back.  Let's hope so.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost irritating moment of the day was forgetting to press the start key on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/buy.garmin.com\/shop\/shop.do?pID=10885\u0026amp;ra=true\"\u003EGarmin 705\u003C\/a\u003E, so none of my ride stats got captured.  Garmin, will you please just put an option in the menu that if you load a route, it automatically says \"Do you want to start this route now?\"  The prompt would be appreciated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERiding back home, I thought that when I first started riding, rain, hills, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/riding-in-wind.html\"\u003Ewind \u003C\/a\u003Eetc was an excuse to not go out.  Contrast that with today, I just put on the waterproofs and got out there and enjoyed it.   Boy did I enjoy the hot bath when I got home and a good dousing of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lagazzettadellabici.com\/p\/rosso-olio-da-massaggio-per-ciclisti.html\"\u003ERosso \u003C\/a\u003Epost-ride massage oil. Pleased to be back in the Matrix."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4132835645471860623\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/red-pill-or-blue-pill.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/4132835645471860623"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/4132835645471860623"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/red-pill-or-blue-pill.html","title":"Red pill or the blue pill?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjODj_OdPDBawmS7MudNwswEiu4OgYKsXWEWzOl72wd7gnfg84hhHGx_DfyGZXRCAV4pnQX4nIDecXmyc1vrQ5zXc_xx_qU5YaM2o6GgYh1IZmUYZMOWAwgAsW_MtcCM4PSGJ6tPPj5kL08\/s72-c\/2011-Specialized-Tarmac-SL3.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190090153914400044.post-3400158483291947272"},"published":{"$t":"2010-12-27T15:23:00.005+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-12-28T21:26:10.644+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Club Rides"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"General Commentary"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"North Cheshire Clarion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"road biking"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Back in the Saddle"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgWfuXaSw7578V0Qt92zBRX8bifTg2UXoozxBJxdO0Zw2Z4TFznGtgMVQz5Xg9KF7_z6GvoOfwry12HuAoaM8l6iKHogvxfb_jhxH7X-c3wv_CFyJPqkUMflfHhKsKkGCLVWrZwig3TATvl\/s1600\/snowyscene.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgWfuXaSw7578V0Qt92zBRX8bifTg2UXoozxBJxdO0Zw2Z4TFznGtgMVQz5Xg9KF7_z6GvoOfwry12HuAoaM8l6iKHogvxfb_jhxH7X-c3wv_CFyJPqkUMflfHhKsKkGCLVWrZwig3TATvl\/s200\/snowyscene.jpg\" alt=\"\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555386312422358082\" border=\"0\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDecembers been a write off for me on the bike.  A second bout of chest infection plus the snow put pay to any base mile work.  Chutzpah!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EArriving back from my first club run, in I can't remember how long, I took a look back at my miles for the last six months, to get some idea as to the impact of December on my overall miles.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMiles since May look something like this: -\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMay   260\u003Cbr \/\u003EJune  485\u003Cbr \/\u003EJuly   290\u003Cbr \/\u003EAug   454\u003Cbr \/\u003ESept  460\u003Cbr \/\u003EOct   222\u003Cbr \/\u003ENov  224\u003Cbr \/\u003EDec    32\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo between June and November, I managed to clock around 2.1k miles.  My overall target for 2010 was 3,000 miles, so I've comfortably hit that with my Jan-April numbers, so despite Decembers poor mileage month, 2010 has been pretty good for my first full year on the bike.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETrundling along in the cold today, I could tell my fitness had taken a dive from where it was.  Sunday 28th  November was the last time I was on the bike, so it's about four weeks out of the saddle for me.  My heart rate monitor was certainly letting me know as I spent most of today's ride in HRZ4, far in excess of where I would normally be.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EStill, I enjoyed it. \u003C\/span\u003E It was freezing out, however I had four layers on to combat the cold.  A thermal vest, arm warmers, merino top, windtex jacket and an altura windcheater over that, with some very thick gloves.  All in all, I didn't feel cold once.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt felt good to be out on the road again, it started with a bit of a bump as the bike went from under me on my street, no damage done other than to my pride.  I considered to abandon at that stage and jumped in my car, full club kit on to lick my wounds at Starbucks.  Pulling off the estate I spotted our club secretary riding down, so pulling him over and checking the route, I nipped back for the Spesh and got myself up to Stretton.  Route \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bikeroutetoaster.com\/Course.aspx?course=196429\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, time to shortly think about objectives for 2011.  More distance overall.  More speed.  More stamina.  Faster Sportive times.   \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EWhat are you planning?\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3400158483291947272\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/12\/back-in-saddle.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/3400158483291947272"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/3400158483291947272"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/12\/back-in-saddle.html","title":"Back in the Saddle"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgWfuXaSw7578V0Qt92zBRX8bifTg2UXoozxBJxdO0Zw2Z4TFznGtgMVQz5Xg9KF7_z6GvoOfwry12HuAoaM8l6iKHogvxfb_jhxH7X-c3wv_CFyJPqkUMflfHhKsKkGCLVWrZwig3TATvl\/s72-c\/snowyscene.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190090153914400044.post-2798501985918522431"},"published":{"$t":"2010-12-18T15:42:00.004+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-01-10T08:30:41.826+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dolan Ares"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pictures"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"road biking"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"AN Post Team"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhuNWub_ikNWA7vVlboQ_80f4edW0KwSm8z3T2GfI9XJaSvhAipC9BM2H80ADUfEm_AaufiCKN-rN7ML6tXZ4pPIHSXrn8uIGimsdDMUnTMufob8Z45tKnj9QG4srhVnU-WXeDEjj19d7gB\/s1600\/anc.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552048217824543058\" style=\"float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; height: 150px;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhuNWub_ikNWA7vVlboQ_80f4edW0KwSm8z3T2GfI9XJaSvhAipC9BM2H80ADUfEm_AaufiCKN-rN7ML6tXZ4pPIHSXrn8uIGimsdDMUnTMufob8Z45tKnj9QG4srhVnU-WXeDEjj19d7gB\/s200\/anc.jpg\" border=\"0\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECycling supremo \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sean_Kelly_%28cyclist%29\"\u003ESean Kelly \u003C\/a\u003Ehas equipped his \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.seankellycyclingacademy.com\/eng.htm\"\u003EAN Post \u003C\/a\u003Eracing team with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dolan-bikes.com\/index.php?route=product\/product\u0026amp;product_id=68\"\u003EDolan Ares \u003C\/a\u003Ebikes.  I've owned an \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dolan-bikes.com\/index.php?route=product\/product\u0026amp;product_id=68\"\u003EAres \u003C\/a\u003Efor about five months now, awesome bit of kit and a great ride.  Here's my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/08\/dolan-ares-review.html\"\u003Ereview \u003C\/a\u003Eof the bike and a few decent \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/better-pic-of-my-bike.html\"\u003Epics \u003C\/a\u003EI had taken of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeems \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dolan-bikes.com\/\"\u003EDolan \u003C\/a\u003Ewill be providing road, track and time trial bikes for the team.  Great to see them transferring their track branding to the road.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2798501985918522431\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/12\/post-team.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/2798501985918522431"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5190090153914400044\/posts\/default\/2798501985918522431"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/philsroadbikingblog.blogspot.com\/2010\/12\/post-team.html","title":"AN Post Team"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00939215981235016467"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhuNWub_ikNWA7vVlboQ_80f4edW0KwSm8z3T2GfI9XJaSvhAipC9BM2H80ADUfEm_AaufiCKN-rN7ML6tXZ4pPIHSXrn8uIGimsdDMUnTMufob8Z45tKnj9QG4srhVnU-WXeDEjj19d7gB\/s72-c\/anc.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});