Pricycles

But don’t worry, I’m not into politics!

The extra costs of my new living lifestyle have brought me to reason with my over indulgence of bikes in the past… …time to sort the wheat from the chaff is upon us!

What is the most expensive individual item that is far in excess of my riding capabilities… …S-Works. Hmm… It’s so nice but i don’t need it too be all that it is to get my thrills & results. So, what do i consider it’s weaknesses in design & whats available as a cost effective alternative that covers the design weaknesses…

…well, by pure chance a second hand 2007 Giant Trance frame was still at the bike shop that fitted the bill! Now I remember checking over this frame from when I worked there some months back, all in good order & generally pretty sound! Incidentally, the guy who it came in from bought my first S-Works frame off me some years back!

It’s got 4.2″ of rear wheel travel & trail geometry! Suspension travel that isn’t out of place on a race machine, BUT, combined with fun & confidence inspiring slacker geometry with a shorter wheelbase that just just begs to be ‘ragged’.

Quite frankly, It’s great! The first outing was on the secret left handed track near my parents home outside Presteigne a few weeks back in the glorious mild, dry conditions, venturing into some other new terrain. First impression is great stability & comfort on the technical descents, but with equal climbing prowess on the even more technical climbs. This would be a pleasurable all day bike for the likes of the Merida Marathons, Rough Ride etc. There is more out there than the big S after all! Shame that a Merida frame opportunity some months back was brought to an abrupt halt for reasons beyond reason, boy do Merida make some swish bits of kit!

Giant View

DP

After competing in the Mawwdach Gold Rush on Sunday, my first race effort of the year (and a little longer) cleared my system out & gave me an extra boost of confidence. A rewarding day, though some people reconed it was down to the contents of my lunch box…

Competing as a relay team last year, comprising Jim Williams, Sparky Dave Lewis & myself, we won our category around 30 minutes up on the second place team.

This year we gave Jim the sack & recruited young Perry Gardener (a future XC superstar, though he doesn’t realise it yet). Perry the team leader did the first lap, followed by myself then Sparky. Perry set a 1:03:32, I did it in 0:51:52 & Sparky swooped in 0:56:51 after departing on the final lap. We came 2nd this year some 3 minutes down on combined time. The B team of Mat P, Jim & Lee Monks finishing a respectable 5th out of 16.

Now the circuit was the same as last year & afterwards Sparky informed me that I’d done virtually the same time as the previous year, to my Amazement! Since the start of January I have cycled very little other than some gentle rides & short haul trips to work, post office etc. Certainly less than last year!

My head has now swollen after setting the fastest lap of our two teams, & has made me realise my fitness is still ticking over quietly, a little below boiling point. Since the event, my concerning health symptoms have relieved somewhat to regular spells of heart burn, more tolerable than before!

In May, I shall be attempting to complete the 3 Peaks with my bro & friends, hopefully within a 24 hour period in an un-official manner (i think). A little spur of the moment, but why not? Sometimes you can think into matters too much rather than just getting on with it! Hmm… that gets me thinking why not now, but i’m commited by my word, & that is enough! Failure to stand by my word is a crime to me, but more often than not I find it hard to say no!

Lunch for a hardcore racer!

Always looking shifty (Watch your back!) - Sparky

Pricer

Not a huge amount of travels and excitement have gone on just recently (hence the lack of posts). But just so you don’t thing I’ve forgotten about it all, here’s an progress update…

…Hill Walking has been creeping into my agenda more and more just recently. Took a refreshing stroll up Pen-Y-Fan this Saturday just gone with my girlfriend Charley, despite the cloud. Though every now & again, the light wind would blow the clouds clear to produce some eye catching scenery & effects!

Plans are a foot for some more walking this Saturday In the Abergavenny area with my friend’s Joe & Sam.

The biggest concern I’ve had just recently, is my health. Despite having good physical fitness, I’ve been experiencing episodes of light headiness, chest pains, sudden sweating & breathlessness. Symptoms that have been increasing in frequency over the last month or so. I took a trip to the doctor today for an ECG scan. Not quite getting the full results the doc wanted, I’m now waiting an appointment for a bigger scale ECG scan in Hereford hospital. Now i don’t know a lot about this type of scan other than it traces the electrical signal from the brain to the heart. By means which i do not know, it can reflect major problems of the heart that has been experienced further back in history. Now as i say, the doctor wasn’t entirely pleased with the accuracy of the results, but did express a concern of irregularities in the nerve signal from time to time, possibly causing these symptoms? I’ll have to wait to find out more.

This is a blatant concern & i will be halting plans for intensive training & races until i know more. With exception of the Gold Rush event this weekend at coed-y-brenan, competing as a relay team.

It seems so many aches & pains are catching up with me. So i feel it perhaps a good plan to let my body recouperate at last. Of course still keeping active but at a more forgiving level…

… racing has gone far from the top of my priority list! The question i do not know is for how long?

Dave