Tell us about your weekend ride

http://app.strava.com/activities/197021823

Today I sort of got my shit together, had ordered new tyres so first task of the day was to install them. Latex tubes are a little bit more of a faff to put on - it still amuses me that talcum powder is a toolbox requirement.

The plan had been to have porridge as fuel, but it was requested that I make french toast for breakfast in bed. I tend to use an Irish fruit loaf for this. Soaking thick slices of bread in eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and a touch of salt and then frying produces something quite marvellous. It's a bit like rich bread and butter pudding, the outside of each slice is brown and crisp, but the middle of the bread is soft and gooey, in places almost like custard. I am not convinced that something so sweet makes ideal pre ride food, but it was the cost of getting a pass for getting out on the bike.

It was quite a relief to find myself ready with the road bike, it even meant I could use the pearlescent disco slippers, there is something satisfyingly hideous about them. There was a moment of panic trying to find my sunglasses, I knew I had them last week for the ride but they were nowhere to be found - not on any shelf, or inside the helmet. Just before I started a full scale man style hunt - the one were everything gets all jumbled up as I rummage I noticed they were still attached to the outside of my skid lid. I am a muppet.

Sartorial issues resolved I could now get on the bike and go. Just as I was leaving my house I saw an old fellow starting his ride for the day. He has a collection of interesting bikes and trikes, today he was on a Bob Jackson though I have frequently seen him on a Roy Thame. He is always wearing mismatched colourful cycling kit, but manages to pull it off. I thought I had spotted him out in Surrey last week, and he confirmed this was, he was off to Dorking to do the timing for some cycling event, I offered him a tow out to Surrey but he declined.

The TNRC 5 Hills loop looked appealing, it's been a while since I did it and feeling the need to gently exert myself as feels about time I did more exercise as I can't find the resolve to eat less. The ride to Effingham was utterly uneventful, the roads today were surprisingly quiet, and I was accompanied for this section of the day by Ital's xlr8r podcast, deep and melodic it left me ruminating on some of what has been going on in my head of late. http://www.xlr8r.com/podcast/2014/08/ital

Time on the bike can be kind of moving meditation for me, thoughts bubble up, circle around and in the absence of their immediate triggers, they can seem less weighty and the associated emotions are less intrusive. The lack of other people on the roads gave space for this reflexive solitude and it was wonderful.

Itals mix finished just as I got to Effingham Junction, so I then started listening to Ryan Elliot's new mix album as I wanted something longish and uninterrupted. https://soundcloud.com/ostgutton-official/ryan-elliott-panorama-bar-06 To be honest it all felt a little too smooth, very efficient, pleasant but lacking any curveballs or moments to make me sit up and go wow. It did however soundtrack the first 90 minutes of the 5 Hills loop.

I usually like to pedal with a high ish cadence, but today struggled to feel like I could put any cogent power in when turning above 90 rpm. It just felt a bit more right to pedal more slowly which is odd for me. Perhaps last week's riding fixed has made me less quick to drop down a gear, maybe lethargy had set in.

The idea of lugging my bulk up hills is rarely appealing when considered in advance but is strangely satisfying in practice. The low key dread that preceded today's ride was clearly not required, though Hurtwood did seem to live up to its name.

Just after ascending Leath Hill it was time for a musical change, Mark Broom's Back 2 Rave mix was just the kind of livener that I needed. There is something wonderful about listening to a dj mix whilst riding, those moments where a track kicks in just as the lights change, or as you crest a hill. Going up to Ranmore Common Moby's "Go" came on and was just the incentive that was needed to spur me up the final bump of the day. Early music in most genres has a rough energy, rave encapsulates this spirit. Non musicians making music, disparate elements that almost don't go together being thrown in and somehow being made to gel together. The threat of these sounds nearly fighting with each other makes for wild energy. This really helped keep me moving when my body was saying otherwise. I always thought Mark was one of the UK's better techno DJs, great skills, fantastic selections but never too flashy. Hearing him dig out old rave tracks is really entertaining as I always remember him playing much deeper stuff. In contrast to the way that Ryan Elliot's mix lacked a little edge, Mark would always surprise me in a club, in the middle of a techno set I'd have to ask what a particular track was. It would generally be something weird or from another era, such as a Human League instrumental b side from the mid 80's.

For my return to London Greg Wilson's set from Love Saves the Day in Bristol came on. https://soundcloud.com/gregwilson/love-saves-the-day-festival-bristol-250514-greg-wilson-live-mix I could just imagine the crowd going wild as he opened up with Unfinished Sympathy, tracks from Loleta Holloway and Michael Jackson kept my energy levels up as I came back into London. Fuck I need to find a better route through Kingston, it is not a friendly lay out for any kind of road user- pedestrian, cyclist or driver - much stop start, most traffic lights, no wow.

Despite being grey and overcast the day was never cold - though being sweaty from the climbs led me to feel a tad chilly on a couple of the descents. The skies were getting greyer as I came up into Richmond and there was a smattering of drizzle.

It is becoming clear to me that one decent ride a week should be incorporated into my schedule. Doing one century a month is also becoming an aspiration - Gabes' recent efforts have also reminded me that I have yet to do 100 miles offroad, so that is another thing to add to my list of things to do on a bike.

tl;dr

I went for a ride, listened to music and want to do more cycling.