Well... The fact that I signed up to this ride whilst sober says it all really doesn't it!
As of January when I dusted the orad bike off it had been 3 years since I last had my road bike out... the tyres are splitting, the gears don't line up and the brakes aren't what they once were, but worst of all the saddle seemed to have turned to concrete. I first got out on the road again mid-Jan. After a pitiful 23 mile slog I found myself no longer able to sit and barely able to pedal anyway! 107 miles shy of the target (and without a hill in sight) it was clear that there was much work to be done. So, out with the TV, in with the turbo...
Now, 3 months later, I've cracked the half distance with a couple of 70 milers and have added 5mph to my average since January. So it's only right isn't it that I should treat myself to some new wheels (which just happen to be attached to a new bike... Yes - it does have a seat pin; no - the pin isn't 2 foot long! So a new nickname should definately be on the cards - suggestions on a post-blog! First ride on new wheels this weekend so watch out for news of hurricanes in Aberdeenshire this weekend!
Cheers for now. Col.
Nathan Evington
28/02/77 - 03/11/07
About Nathan
Nathan, was a big chap in more ways than one. He was always to be found at the centre of the action, telling it exactly as it was – loudly!
In fact, Nathan was in such a hurry to make his impact on the world, he arrived on a cold February morning 8 weeks early. He was so premature that he spent his first month in hospital, and at the time was one of the youngest babies in Hedon Road hospital to survive!
Cycling played a huge part in Nathan’s life. He loved the film American Flyers and watched it many times. In it, there is a scene where the main character does the "torture test" which involved running on a treadmill for as long as possible before ending the test by hitting the "chicken" switch. After Nathan’s diagnosis of cardiomyopathy in 2004, he was actually quite excited to discover that he would be required to do his own "torture test" and spent a good deal of time psyching himself up for a good performance. In fact, he was so determined that it was ultimately the doctor, his Mum and the technician who had to drag him off, as Nathan refused to give in himself.
Cycling also revealed Nathan’s talent for remembering facts and figures. He was our very own walking cycling encyclopaedia. He loved to test his friends and show off his knowledge, and he was always the person you would want on your pub quiz team.
Nathan was determined to live life to the full, and unbeknown to his Mum he began playing in a football team a few years ago. The cat was out of the bag when a new football trophy took pride of place on the mantelpiece one evening. Nathan was very proud of himself and his team-mates, although I am reliably informed that Nathan was valued more for his enthusiastic participation, rather than his football talents – which led to his shots on goal just missing the target – 100% of the time!
Nathan was the life and soul of any party and loved to dance. He would always take to the dance floor first, and was quite happy to dance alone. However, his infectious enthusiasm always encouraged others to join him.
Nathan was a kind man, and always generous to a fault – on the benefit of his Mum and brother. He had a very special sense of humour – one he shared with his brother – and left his mark on everyone he met.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
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3 comments:
suggestion for new name - still based on the bike you ride to keep in with the spirit.........Carbon Col
hmmmm, maybe?
please lets keep the mention of new bikes/wheels/accessories to a minimum. Mike needs no encouragement! He has turned up with two new pairs of socks today.......£9.00 each! Whats wrong with Primark! And a new computer thing that tells you allsorts... i am hoping he actually reads the fitting instructions before wrecking it!
Ah. It always STARTS with socks. I got one pair for Christmas, nice Briko ones - then I went back to the shop and bought a pair in the sales. Next time I realised I needed new tights (sounds a bit gay that doesn't it?) but ended up with some 3/4 too. I'm banned from bike shops. So lets not mention my GPS/pulse/cadence/altitude/hope it bloody pushes the pedals thing that Sarah is buying me, it can be our secret ;-) he won't read this anyway - will he?
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