Monthly Archives: April 2007

9 days in.. Turkey

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Day 1: 20 April

Welcome to Turkey and the start of your awesome ANZAC experience! Choice of shuttle transfers to hotel. Rest of the day free in Istanbul, a city that straddles both Europe and Asia! Overnight ? Istanbul

Day 2: Istanbul – Pamukkale – breakfast

South to Pamukkale, home to the naturally occurring thermal travertine pools. En route, we visit a carpet dyeing, weaving and manufacturing house. Dinner and overnight – Pamukkale

Day 3: Pamukkale – Kusadasi – breakfast

To Roman Hierapolis which sits at the top of Pamukkale?s travertine source, where we enjoy a short tour. Here, perhaps opt for a dip in the Pamukkale Thermal, an amazing pool full of sunken Roman columns. Continuing all things Roman, we enjoy a guided visit at Ephesus – perhaps the best-preserved classical city on the Eastern Med. We?ll also take in a fashion stop at a top-grade leather garment house, before driving to coastal Kusadasi, where we can relax and enjoy the hotel?s facilities. Dinner and overnight – Kusadasi

Day 4: Kusadasi – Ayvalik – breakfast

Driving north, we visit the Roman ruins of Pergamum with it’s steep hillside amphitheatre (good photo call) & neighbouring asclepion (ancient medical centre). We then continue to Ayvalik on the Aegean coast. Dinner and overnight – Ayvalik

Day 5: Ayvalik – Gallipoli – breakfast

Departing early, we enjoy a short visit to Homer?s Troy, famed for its Trojan wooden horse and the fabled Helen. Via a ferry crossing at Canakkale, we continue to the Gallipoli Peninsular. This afternoon, enjoy a guided tour aboard the coach (where subject to traffic from time to time we can get off and explore) of the evocative war memorials that dot the region, for example; Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, The Nek and Johnston?s Jolly not to mention the masses of trenches and Kabatepe – the modest ANZAC museum (subject to timings) and memorial gardens. Tonight, we?ll relax at our exclusive catered ANZAC Eve Turkish BBQ before later grabbing some space at the atmospheric ANZAC Eve vigil. BBQ Dinner and overnight – Dawn Service site (ANZAC Cove)

Day 6, ANZAC day: Gallipoli – Istanbul

First light heralds the Dawn Service. After, with maps in hand, you’re free to explore the many memorials dotted en route as you make your way to Lone Pine or Chunuk Bair for the Australian or New Zealand National services. This afternoon, we return to Istanbul, arriving late tonight. (timings on 25 April subject to coach traffic). Overnight – Istanbul

Day 7: Istanbul – breakfast

Today, a classic city tour of Istanbul. This afternoon, enjoy an afternoon cruise on the stunning Bosphorus, the body of water which separates European from Asian Istanbul. When the sun sets, enjoy Istanbul by night! With dinner, belly dancers and entertainment at a central Istanbul venue, it’s a top value evening and a great way to celebrate the end of the ANZAC smoko tour (transport shuttles provided). Overnight ? Istanbul

Day 8: Istanbul – breakfast

End of arrangements.

Pierwszy wyscig od dwoch lat – "First race in two years"

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T’was a normal work day after a mental two weeks preparing for our user group (almost got my weekly hours done in two days!). Fixie to work (the sun really brings out the dopes in London). Had I thought about the TT, I might have ridden the Ribble. It was only because I’d previously written in my diary about a 10mi TT around the Hillingdon circuit that I even thought about it. Plus, Ray had told me you don’t need a BCF license to do TT’s.

Once home, I googled and found the Westerley event started at 7.15pm, which I could still make. Called Mal and she was finishing at 9pm, so I didn’t even have to feel guilty about not seeing her (she moved in on Sunday and due to work I’d seen less of her this week than when she lived in Hanger Lane!). Changed, inflated tyres and scooted out the door on the very odd feeling Ribble.

Odd? Apart from the fact it freewheels, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m too stretched out on this bike. My arms had killed me on the last two Willesden club runs and the bike feels ‘loooong’ compared to the track bike. Thing is, I used to get pretty low on a 56cm frame with similar length stem, so what gives? Seat-tube angle is not as steep as the Peugeot so perhaps that’s the culprit? It makes me feel like riding the tops when I should be on the drops. My hands got pins and needles from the drops during the 10mi and this sort of thing never happened on the Pug.

Anyway, the “race”. ?3.50 to ride and I was 23 out of perhaps 28 riders. Number on the back and on the right arm so the time-keeper can work out who the hell we are. Starting order was registration order and riders were off in 1 minute intervals. The course was 11 laps of the 0.93mi Hillingdon circuit (10.23mi).

For the benefit of any aboc’ers who remember me, yes, I lost count and did 12 laps!!

I finally met Ed from One More Cup of Coffee who’s blog I stumbled across ages ago (I think because it mentioned “Ealing” and “cycling”?) and who’s progress I’ve been following to the point that I felt it necessary to join Willesden CC too! Unfortunately he registered after me which meant I was under serious threat of being passed by him! I’m actually not sure if he went by or not?

As usual, I went out too hard and was suffering on the second lap. The tiny ‘hills’ on this 0.93mi course conspired against me and turned my lard arse to a lactic arse. I made the mistake of taking a mouthful of iso drink on lap 3 because my mouth was so dry and this punished me for laps 3 and 4.

As 22 riders had gone off before me I was regularly passing people which probably gave me a false sense of speed and definitely made me work harder than I would’ve liked when going up the bumps past another rider.

I really should put more emphasis on “yourself” in “pace yourself!”.

Spinning away as I prefer to do I kept trying to gear up and drop my cadence to see if it helped. It did sometimes and other times I died in the arse. Around lap 8 I had to let go of the drops and ride on the hoods because the pins and needles in my hands were so bad.. after 8mi??.. told you something wasn’t right!

10(.23)mi time? 28:18. About 34kph. Not good, but not bad, especially given my lead up to this first race and, really, you wouldn’t want to set an unbeatable time on your first outing would you? 🙂

Ed did 25min as you can read here. Ed, I’m sure if you took the red ‘go faster’ helmet off you’d be a good 3min slower.. I reckon skinsuit and lack of bidons counts for the other 19 seconds 😉 😛

Ever had a bike stolen?

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Ever wonder how they got away with it? Well, it’s not as tricky as it seems and I’m betting Londoners would provide the same reaction as New Yorkers did.

I'd ride to work, if only I didn't have to wear..

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Puma Cycling Hood

velorution – pret a rouler

Unrelated Whining:

It’s taken two years but finally, a ped looked at me!! Not only that, he looked at me, saw the rate I was travelling at, stopped and waved me through!! Hellelujah!

Of course, revelation was spoiled when 30sec later two cnuts both tried to take me out with their cars. One youngish, spoiled fsck who probably asks his ‘mummy for bitty’ at night and the other a black cab who should friggin’ know better! I then proceeded to die in the arse and trundle home.

My cold continues.. I bailed on turbo training last night.. grrr.. can I get a refund on this body? I need a drink but I can’t even be bothered standing up.. I think someone’s trying to tell me something? Ooh goodie.. brain scan tomorrow.. wonder if it’s still there.. certainly doesn’t feel like it.. train for me.. at least a chance to read French Revolutions.

And another thing:

“A Scottish company has developed a composites materials made from carrots and is soon to roll out production of high-end ‘biofibre’ fishing rods. CelluComp of Fife said the material, called Curran, could also be used to make carbon-fibre style bicycle frames.” See: Carrot Fibre

Ealing -> Wendover -> Ealing

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Out until 3am. Have a cold so I ‘dressed up’. Turned into a warm day so I was now overdressed.

Usual suspects. We lost Ray in the Wendover garden centre cafe.. I reckon he’s still wandering around there looking for the toilets!

Parade in Little India (Southall) and a strong easterly wind cost me and Serotta-guy extra time getting home.

Out:

Duration: 2h 51s

Distance: 64.2k

HR: 128/170 (avg/max)

Speed 23.4/58.5 (avg/max)

Ascent: 545m

Back:

Duration: 2h 53s

Distance: 64k

HR: 132/182 (avg/max)

Speed 23.9/45.9 (avg/max)

Ascent: 300m