Running total expenditure...2 weeks to go

Even taking my increased food bill out of the equation, this has been the most expensive hobby I have ever taken up.  To put it in context, I have racked up more on cycling gear in a month than I have it 6 years playing golf.  To kick things off here is a photo of me trying on my new over shoes. 

In roughly the order I bought things:

- Shoes and cleats                                        £90

- Pink Giro jersey                                         £55

- King of the Mountains jersey                      £65

- Rain jacket                                                 £70
- Bib shorts                                                   £79

- More bib shorts                                          £70

- Socks                                                        £15
- Gloves                                                        £35
- Helmet                                                       £75
- Lights                                                         £28
- Spedometer                                                £29

- Saddle pouch                                             £20

- Pump                                                         £13

- Transport to Land's end                              £50

- Bike transport to Land's end and back        £100
- Washing service during tour                         £35
- Flight back from inverness                            £80
- Cost of changing flights to the right day         £68

- Spare inner tubes                                         £15

- Anti chaffing cream                                      £16

- Bike (yes I had lights before a bike)             £600

- Tools                                                          £32

- Arm warmers                                               £28

- Bike bag                                                      £70

- Bubble wrap                                                £25

- Bib shorts                                                    £80

- Overshoes                                                   £27

- Base layers                                                  £75
- New saddle                                                 £52
- Bike service                                                 £55
- Name tags for clothing                                  £3

RUNNING TOTAL                                      £2055

A few of the things I've learnt:

1) Get the bike first
2) I have the worlds most expensive bubble wrap
3) Get the name tags right, as they come in packs of 75
4) It may have been cheaper to rent a pony
5) My gloves give me positively unecessary tan lines (see below)
                                      

Annoying...when the look I was going for (below) was achievable.  This look is sometimes refered to as the "Coward on tour"... you know who you are.
   

                                                 

48 Hours in the life of the King of The Mountain

King of the Mountain: Red polka dots on white background to signify best climber on the Tour de France.  I own one as Evans had a sale and it suits me, this makes me the King of the Mountain (to use my full title or KOTM for Short).  Behind the scenes...


  

Saturday 2pm: KOTM has to pack up the bike.  I am now hiring a personal bike packer as this is not what I signed up for.  Must be able to pack bike and clean it too.






 

 Bike packed, just to prove I've still got it.  That's bike packing if you were wondering.

Sunday 5am:  Off to training camp.  Bike is about to travel more miles in an hour than I will over the course of 9 days.  Considered wearing bike jersey on plane but probably would have gotten annoyed with people wanting photos with me. 

 

Monday 8am:  About to begin training, looks a little different from the view at the gym, which is a mirror.  Not going to wear sunscreen as I'm immune to the sun and King of the Mountains don't wear sunscreen.  This much I know. 

Monday: 83 Miles done, all uphill (as you would expect from a mountain goat.  Had to push on this bit as I wanted to get a sense of how difficult it would be to walk the Ride Across Britain.  

 

Still pushing as I only like biking downhill.

King of the Mountain learning to urinate in full gear.

Had to stop at home to apply anti chaffing cream...not feeling like a King now.

Leaning on pathetic gradient, show me a real mountain and I'll show you...something.

Monday 7pm: Ice bath, because as the KOTM I'm hardcore and my personal trainer suggested it...14 degrees and I've run out of Ice cubes. 

In full King of The Mountain gear, probably for the best.

Stupid idea, I have pooped myself it's so cold.

Literally Ridonkelous.  Too cold.  Game over.  Screw the recovery as I'm the King of the Mountain.

At least I have a bike

Running total expenditure on this hobby: £810

Tried to casually ask if stabilisers could be mounted, shopkeeper laughed. So did I, nervously.

Harder than it looks

The truth is that I wasn't too worried about the Ride Across Britain. Nutrition was going well. I feel fit, the spin instructor sings my praises and I cycle faster on my stationary bike than the other gym goers. I've had my fair share of being sick through fatigue and how hard can a hundred miles or so be? Really?

Simply put, one training ride has changed all that. I fell off my bike more times than I have in my life, went from the golden gym boy to the slowest man on the road, struggled to get to grips with my gears and generally looked like I didn't know how to cycle.

I expected the real thing to be different from the gym, I did not however, imagine it would be so hard. Just over half the daily stage miles done, most of it in torrential rain, a drowned iPhone, two bloodied knees, a sore shoulder and a bruised ego later I may have begun to hate cycling, just a little.

Key stats of first ride:

-Falls brought about by not getting cleats out quick enough: 4 (3x left side, 1x right)
-Miles completed: 60 (25 more than my previous furthest ride)
-Age of the only person I overtook : 65 (female)
-Jersey worn: King of the mountain

Notes on what I learnt:

- Need better gear
- Need to find the extra edge (more to follow)
- Don't think the woman I overtook was trying

Behind the scenes - gym training

6:45 wake up. Hit snooze till at least 7:15. Peanut butter (smooth) and jelly sandwich.

7:30 pack bag (see picture). Run in and perfect stretching technique. Hip flexors apparently. A few lunges, give up.

18:30 back on my bike (see picture) - 40km on downhill setting. Getting good at that.

19:30 learn to ride in peloton - sort of (see picture) with personal DJ in the background.

Learning to break through the "Wall"

The "Wall" : the point at which glycogen levels become depleted in the muscles and liver and the body literally hits a dead end. Carrying on at this point is either pointless or painful, mostly both. I believe training should bring you to this point so that you get to know the feeling, learn to get beyond it and no longer fear it.

Tonight I overcome the food equivalent of such a "Wall". I will probably refer back to this victory when I am struggling up some hill / alpine pass in Scotland on the 7th day of my tour. I no longer fear this ride or any of the "walls" it can throw up.

Fundraising pledge

To reward everyone's generosity I pledge to mount bike tassels or streamers onto my handlebars for the Ride Across Britain.  Come rain or shine I will continously be reminded that I can't give up and hopefully they will look incredible as I'm gunning down the mountains.  I expect to be the envy of everyone.  Actual photos of my bike with the streamers to follow (when I have a bike).  For now you just have to image them, here is a picture to help.  Thank you for the donations so far!  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TommyNguyenCRAB