Jake's Rides

How do roadies survive?

Yesterday I had a stark reminder of the main reason I prefer mountain biking. I hate riding on busy roads!

I've lived here in Sunderland long enough now to have perfected my own circular, door-to-door route that consists of about 2 miles of metalled roads in its 25 mile length. In a bid to get home a little earlier yesterday I cut the route short and made a direct approach to Sunderland on the main road (A182). While I sometimes enjoy the tarmac for the fact you can maintain a decent speed I generally hate sharing roads with cars, lorries, buses etc. While the vast majority are kind enough to give you the space you deserve when they over-take there are those that don't give a damn. What is it with people in cars? Always in such a rush to get everywhere!

Not only are motorists a direct danger to me I am a danger to myself. I take on this vigilante style approach to teaching bad drivers a lesson. Verbally and physically insulting them and even banging on the side of buses and vans. One day I am going to do this to the wrong person. For my own safety I think I will stay off-road....

Seven Weeks to the Perfect Ride

Thanks to the genorosity of a reader of my other site I now own a copy of The Lance Armstrong Performance Program - "Seven Weeks to the Perfect Ride". It just happens that I have about that long until the London to Brighton ride. Could this be my perfect ride? :o)

MBR's Book of UK Trails

This month's copy of Mountain Bike Rider magazine came with a free booklet called the Essential Guide to Off-Road Trails in the UK. The magazine arrived a few weeks ago (remember I have a subscription?) but I had no idea about the booklet, until this morning when it arrived in a separate envelope with a letter apologising for it being missing. Thankfully they didn't wait for us to notice.

Anyway, it's a good little booklet that's worth picking up if you get to the newsagents in time. Trails are listed by region and include contact details. What it's not is a book of suggested routes. It's merely a list of locations where they have ready-made way-marked trails for you to follow. Which reminds me, I really must get to Hamsterley Forest before I move to the Midlands. It's been 6 months since I first mentioned it!!

Geocaching in the Press

It's always nice when I turn on Radio 4 and it's John Peel's Home Truths on. I can never remember when it's on and only ever catch it by accident. Last time I did this it happened to be in the middle of a bit about two policemen who leave clues for each other when they go on holiday. At the time I thought about much that sounds like Geocaching and how I might make my contribution to the programme by bringing the "sport" to their attention. No need, as I wasn't alone and have been beaten to it by Alice Larter. Good to see Geocaching getting some press anyhow.