#Vanish

Wired (magazine)  writer Evan Ratliff disappeared for a month sparking an online manhunt with a $5,000 bounty.  His is fascinating story which is told in wired’s article…

 http://www.wired.com/vanish/2009/11/ff_vanish2/

Alternate Route

Distance: 8.25m, Ave. Speed: 9.70mph

 

Thorpe Marriot Loop

Distance: 9.68m, Ave Speed: 9.68mph, Top Speed: 21.6mph

New Bike

Finally the day has arrived.  New bike time!

I decided to take an alternate route to London.  I’m fed up with the speed camera’s on the A140.  So A11/M11 time.  The good thing about that route is it’s dual carrageway practically all the way.  The A406 North Circular to Barkin put me in mind of the A140 again.  Silly 50mph limit and a speed camera every 300 yards!  

Once parked up in Barking I got the District Line to Tower Hill and then walked up Cannon Street, past St. Paul’s Cathedral, to the Evans Bike Store.

Felt QX75

(un)Fair Cop

On the way home from the last concert in London I got flashed by a speed camera.  Turns out I was doing 55 in a 40.  To be honest I couldn’t see any speed signs in the fog!  £60 and 3 points (6 point total now), oh hum!

Vouchers and stickers

Hooray,  finally the voucher has arrived!  On Saturday morning I can now travel to St. Pauls (London) and pick up a shinny new Felt QX75.  Expect pictures on Sunday!

Also, I have bought some stickers from eBay.  I say stickers, they are professional graphics – decals.  Basically my name, for added security. 

New Training

In order to rescue the JOGLE next August I need to come up with a new training ragime.  Another weekend as gone with no bike and I feel time slipping if I’m to be ready to do 80 miles a day for three weeks.

Pre-19th Dec

• Weekdays, after work, 10mile Mile Cross-Thorpe St Andrew Loop
• Weekends, 30 mile Drayton-Sparham Loop

Christmas Holidays

• Daily, Mile Cross-Loddon, NCN Route 1

New Year

• Weekdays, 15 mile Ringland Hills Loop
• Weekends, 30 mile Norich-Loddon-Porringland Loop

After Half Term

• Weekdays, cycle to work
• Weekends, add distance/variety inc. Braintree-Maldon, Lowestoft-Bungay, Norwich-Fakenham

After Easter

• Weekdays, cycle to work
• Weekends, 65 mile Norwich-Sea Palling Loop

There are also a couple of organised rides (100km, 50m, 100m) to test my progress along the way.

Liam Finn

Finished work and set off straight to Bush Hall, just around the corner from the BBC Television Center in White City, London.  Standard two hour drive A146, A143, A140, A12 to Romford and then 40 minutes by train.  Overhead to Liverpool Street and Central Line to Shephards Bush.   Got there just after the 7:30 doors opening.  Liam took the stage at just after 9pm.

I Could Scream…

My good god, am I meant to do this trip?  I swear if it’s not one thing it’s another!  The insurance company as agreed to pay and will send my vouchers for Evans Cycles.  However I contacted Evans and it turns out the bike I want, the Specialised Globe Vienna 3 (2010), is out of stock and will take 3 months before it’s available again.

Now 3 months is far too long and would kill any hope of doing the JOGLE in 2010.  I just couldn’t get trained up in time for August and that’s the only time of the year I can get enough time off work for the trip.  So it looks like I’m back to researching what Evans have to offer…

Oh and since I’m paying by vouchers I have to go to one of their stores to purchase the bike.  The nearest is St Pauls, London – nice!