It's Christmas!

Today is officially day 1 of my personal highlight of the training plan - Christmas break! I've still been out for a ride, but it really was a 'just for fun' mixed in with trying to get up my confidence on my new bike. If I'm being honest I am slightly concerned about that at the moment. I've not worked out how to move my hands off the bars to indicate properly yet, never mind grabbing a water bottle on the move. I'm hoping it is just a case of practice, practice, practice. One of the other club members has very kindly passed on an old indoor trainer so just as soon as I figure out how to set up my bike I'll be using that to practice the technical aspects whilst stationary and hopefully will then be able to transfer that to outdoor riding. 

After Christmas we only have about 20 weeks left till the big ride, so fundraising will need to start properly, though I don't know if January is the best time for that. Still, getting some sponsorship in should be good motivation as we hit some of the harder bits of training just when we could be heading in to the worst weather.  I know most of us are training indoors at the moment but it would be good to get at least some outdoor rides in, and we do definitely need to practice group riding.  Ian has given us some very precise instructions for our group ride on 12th January so we'll see how we get on with them! 
We've also been given lots of advice on nutrition and hydration which is going to be really important as training steps up, though the advice for this week is definitely eat, drink and be merry 😃

The next stage of training is 'build muscular endurance' so in 8 weeks time I'll hopefully be the fittest I've ever been (which admittedly isn't saying much...) so that will probably be my next update.

Merry Christmas and keep cycling!

Prep phase 1 - done!

It feels like a long time since we were given our training plans now, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how I've managed to settle in to something of a routine since then. Of course the real hard work is yet to come, but most weeks I have managed to go out on the bike every Saturday as well as fitting in a spin class on Tuesdays and either walking or swimming on a Thursday. Do I enjoy spin? I don't know if I'd go that far, but I think the fact I'm approaching it from a slightly more disciplined perspective than last time I tried helps - that and it's a different class. Last one I went to felt like being shouted at in a nightclub....
My training actually sort of started with a trip down to Yorkshire for the UCI world cycling championships, so you can't get much more inspiring than that! Unlike David I didn't sign up for the sportive (far too hilly for my liking) but I did manage to persuade his mum to join me for a Breeze ride around Harrogate. It was a beautiful day for cycling, and really good experience for me as a Breeze ride leader to see how other leaders approach rides. Our route took in some of the Beryl Burton cycle path, named on honour of one of Britain's greatest ever cyclists, which seemed perfect for a women's ride.
 

The other ride I did was a ride out from York to Beningborough Hall with David - a really flat route so I actually managed a reasonable pace by my standards. Well worth it for the scones!

So far I've been really lucky with the weather for my weekend rides, though as we're now into November I don't expect that to continue. I have bought some warm clothes but it's still going to be a struggle going out for longer rides once winter sets in. This also probably means it was the wrong time of year to finally get around to buying a 'proper' bike, as I'll mostly be on the hybrid over the winter. Anyway, meet Mavis Grind the gravel bike....

Gorgeous bike, but as I've only ever ridden flat bar bikes before it's taking a bit of getting used to the different riding position. It'll be worth it though to improve my pace, once I get my confidence up!
We're now in prep phase 2 till Christmas so things are getting a little more technical - I'll just have to see how that goes....

Time for a challenge

It’s been a while since I posted here - this time it’s to keep myself on track with my training plan for a charity bike ride I’ve signed up for. A group of us will be cycling from Broughty Ferry Lifeboat Station to Killin and back over 3 days next May, to raise money for the Lifeboat Fund. The final day is 77 miles, and the furthest I’ve done in a day is 62 so I fully intend to stick as closely as I can to the training plan. So far it’s going okay, but let’s see how I get on over the winter months!
I’m also planning on losing a bit of weight (always helps on the hills!) so expect foodie pics and a weekly weigh in...current weight is 68.1kg and I’m targeting 65 so nothing too arduous hopefully!

At the moment we’re in the prep phase of training which means I have the option of non cycling cardio, so I’m planning on getting back to swimming, and my gym card’s finally getting some use at a weekly spin class. I’ve also treated myself to some new cycling gear to get me through the winter months.

Training plan and new cycle tights 👍

Still fiddling about with the technology, but I think I’ve added a donation button to my page if anyone  would like to sponsor me 😎

A quiet one

Not much to report this week - we’ve had a fairly quiet weekend to make up for the rest of the year looking pretty busy! I’m looking forward to all the busyness, though I’ve yet to work out when I’m fitting in Christmas shopping 😏
No cycling this week, just a couple of beers and a cafe trip. On Friday night I enjoyed a bottle of Campfire Porter by Box Social, a sweet, coffee porter that was delicious but didn’t quite hit the toasted marshmallow it promised. They have pretty much the most hipster branding I’ve seen (in a crowded field) but I’ll let them off since they’re based in Newburn 😉

I fancied something lighter on Saturday night to go with tea, so picked up a bottle of Good Times by Williams Brothers, who are one of the bigger, more established independent breweries I know of, with a pretty wide range of beers available in supermarkets and decent pubs you wouldn’t associate with ‘craft beer’ as such. Their Heather ale, Fraoch, is one of my favourites, even if I’m never confident on the pronunciation! I hadn’t tried this one before, but it turned out to be a good choice. A lightly floral pale golden ale, it complemented the spinach and ricotta cannelloni we had very well. I do like their label designs:

As an aside, even this supermarket purchase worked out at (I think) about 75p per unit, so well above the Scottish Government’s minimum unit price of 50p, and that was despite being on a price offer. It’s obviously a controversial policy but one I fully support, probably more robustly than was really necessary on social media to be honest. It is baffling to see dyed in the wool lefties making the same arguments against it as the Adam Smith Institute, and Rod Liddell on Question Time, but I think it shows how entrenched heavy drinking is in certain quarters.  Unsurprisingly, I have a reputation for being a beer lover, but the actual amount I drink is well within what’s considered healthy limits, so it’s been eye opening realising what some people think of as moderate alcohol intake...

Today we wandered into town for coffee and cake. Empire State Coffee must have been open a couple of years now, but this was our first visit. I’ve bought takeaway coffee from their new cafe in Broughty Ferry, so had an idea what to expect, plus I suspect it’s run by the same folk as the ‘secret’ bar! Downstairs was busy so we ordered and found a table upstairs. I’ve never been to the States, so I couldn’t say whether they succeed at creating a New York vibe, but the carrot cake was decent enough, and I enjoyed my chai latte. It was certainly busy. We might have to back for pizza, which they serve in the evening.

Winter cycling

Just been looking at photos and realised I didn't post last week, so this will be a two weeks for the price of one post.
It's definitely turned cold, but we've been lucky to have two consecutive weekends of the kind of crisp, sunny November weather that make you want to wrap up warm and get outside - or is that just me? Dave was full of cold last weekend, so on Saturday afternoon I took myself off for a wander into Broughty Ferry for a nosy round the shops. I did take a couple of photos for the black and white photo challenge that's currently doing the rounds:

Sunday looked promising weatherwise so I decided to get the bike out and do a ride I've not done in a while - Carrot Hill. It's a bit of a killer but figured it would be worth it to get some nice autumnal photos. I hadn't really accounted for the bitingly cold north wind, which certainly added to the challenge! I bumped into a friend from work in the car park at the top - she'd been for a walk with the family so good to know I wasn't the only one braving the cold! I considered stopping for a coffee at Dobbies but by the time I got there it was so close to lunch time I just headed sraight home.

Curried spinach and egg with pitta bread from the Hairy Dieters veggie cook book - I'll defintely be making this again as it was really tasty! I stood for ages at the junction of the road down to Dobbies watching a flock of geese flying around and making a right old racket. You can probably just make them out in the first picture, in front of Dundee Law. I've had a cold all week, but I think I would have caught it off Dave whether or not I'd gone out cycling in the cold!
Sunday was 5th November so we headed along to Baxter Park for the fireworks:

Dave was feeling better today so we cycled over to Fife for lunch at a new cafe that's opened up just near Tentsmuir Forest. Dave had been before with the bike club, but I missed that ride so it was my first visit. It's in a converted barn, and they've kept it pretty rustic looking. It was lovely and cosy, and busy with walkers and cyclists when we arrived. I had a tasty sausage and egg roll, followed by a slice of coffee cake, and my first gingerbread latte of the season!

We'd opted for a circular route, going through Newport and Wormit then on to St Michaels and Leuchars, but we hadn't factored in the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Newport, which meant we were diverted up a bit of a steep hill - good job I've had my bike serviced and the gears are working well! The wind had picked up by the time we set off back through Tayport, so the ride back over the Tay road bridge was a bit of a slog - I was definitely glad to get home for a cuppa and a hot shower!

On the beer front, I've reached that time of year when I mostly drink porters and other dark beers, and I've had some good ones from the stash I picked up last time we were in Newcastle.

The top one's a salted caramel porter and the Sublime Chaos is a coffee laden breakfast stout. Both quite sweet and creamy. I should say I drank them a week apart - I think  they'd be a bit much to drink in one sitting!

Blinded by the light

Just back from a distinctly autumnal bike ride. We didn't set off till 3ish, so the ride back from Monifieth was almost entirely into a low, autumn sun. Glorious, but a bit tricky actually seeing where you're going!

It was a little breezy when we set off but Broughty Ferry Harbour was like a millpond by the time we passed. We stopped at the Bay Diner for a hot drink - this has been a regular stop in the past, but as most of our rides this year have been either in Fife, or heading West we hadn't been in at all this year. It's a handy stop off for a shorter ride though, so now that the clocks have gone back we might manage one or two more trips before the end of the year!

After last weekend's epic Brewdogathon you'd think it would be the last place I'd want to go, but I had a voucher for beer and pizza that was at risk of running out unused, so we headed down for tea on Friday night. It's not often I have their 'headliner' beers, apart from Jet Black Heart, but the deal was a pizza each, with either a bottle of prosecco to share or a headliner flight each. I went with Dead Pony Club, Kingpin lager, 5am Saint and Jet Black Heart to go with my White Trash pizza - a four cheese pizza with spinach and walnuts. I'm not generally a lager drinker, but of the four beers, the Kingpin went best with the pizza - a clean, crisp lager, without a bunch of hops to compete with the flavour of the cheese. I'd have to say, my tastes must have changed since I first checked in Dead Pony Club on untappd as I don't think I'd give it 4/5 any more. It's fine - just not to my taste.

They did still have some collabfest beers left so I had another fumin' lou for the road. I could have gone with the sour cherry porter they had left too, but we made the sensible decision to go and get the bus instead!

It's not a pretty beer, but it's darn tasty!

There used to be a hotel and restaurant about half an hours walk away that we went to a few times before it closed. It's since been converted to flats, so when my friend messaged me to say they were having an open viewing on the last available flat I couldn't resist going to have a look! Going by the position we figured out it was in what would have been the kitchen. Nicely done but tiny. Not that we're looking to move any time soon, but it would have been far too compact for us anyway. A kitchen/diner/lounge the size of our living room would be fine in a holiday apartment but not to live in full time.  Of course, the main reason we went was because it's only another 10 minutes walk to Jessie's Kitchen, and we hadn't had lunch there in ages. I had a very nice tuna melt followed by a slice of toffee victoria sponge - no need for a big evening meal after that! Even found a hipster cycling magazine to read 😁

We bought a stash of interesting beers when we were down in Newcastle to celebrate my youngest brother's wedding, and one of them was slightly out of date, so I obviously had to drink that whilst watching the Strictly Halloween special. The beer - a sweet, creamy, white coffee stout lived up to expectations better than Strictly, which was a bit of an anti climax compared to some past halloween episodes.

#collabfest2017

Well hello there - it's been a while! I seem to have lost my blogging mojo over the last few weeks, but this weekend was Brewdog's annual celebration of beery cooperation, collabfest, and this is supposed to be partially a beer blog so I'm back.

This year's collabfest was the biggest so far with 34 bars and breweries collaborating to bring us new, interesting beers.  It was also the first to include some of Brewdog's overseas bars with Berlin, Malmo, Kungsholmen and Sodermalm joining the party.

The full list of breweries and bars is here.  I managed 14 out of the 34 over the course of the weekend, though I'll admit 8 on Friday night made for a challenging day on Saturday 😬

Not all mine...

So here goes with the reviews, in chronological order, complete with possibly slightly inconsistent untappd scores....

I kicked off proceedings with There's Saison About Mary from Affinity Brew Co/Shoreditch, and it certainly had a massive kick of chilli. Not so much to mask the slight farmhouse funk of the saison, but I don't think I'd manage more than 1/3 of this. 3.5/5

Next up was Fubarb from Ridgeside/Leeds. This was one of my favourites - a rhubarb and custard sour. Plenty of rhubarb flavour but with just the right amount of sweetness to take the edge off. The untappd reviews describing this as like rhubarb and custard sweets are spot on. 4/5

No Smoke without Sour from Lovibonds/Oxford had to be one of the best looking beers of the weekend. Another high scorer - absolutely laden with sour cherry but with hints of smoke and liquorice, making it a really interesting beer. I'd say the dryest beer of the weekend too, and it would probably pair well with a good dark chocolate pudding. 4/5

The final beer of the first flight was Fumin' Lou from Northern Monk/North Street Leeds, and takes us from the prettiest beer of the weekend to a seriously manky looking beer! Described as a gingerbread ice cream brown ale with vanilla this was the one I was most looking forward to, and it didn't disappoint. A rich, creamy, spicy beer with a slight nod to last year's Christmas offering from Northern Monk, Festive Star, it was the second glass of this later in the night that did for me I think! I'm all for cloudy beers, but maybe not when it's brown to start with...4.25/5

At this point the sensible thing to do would have been to call it a night, but with so many interesting sounding beers to pick from we all went for a second flight. Between the three of us we weren't far off managing all 12 of the first night's offerings.

From murky brown to clear and pale, my next choice was a Passionate Morning Cuppa from Brewheadz/Camden - a passionfruit and keemun tea oatmeal pale ale. The oatmeal gave this light, fruity beer a really smooth finish. The balance of sweetness from the passionfruit and dry tannins from the tea was spot on - very refreshing. 3.75/5

One of the surprises of the weekend was The floor is Java from Black Lodge/Liverpool. This may be heresy for a Brewdog event, but I don't actually like IPAs as a rule. This black IPA had so much coffee in it, along with treacly malt that it almost wasn't an IPA. Yes it was hoppy, but the hops didn't dominate in the way they usually do in an IPA. I'm sure there are debates to be had about these mash up style beers - when does a black IPA become a porter? Is a white stout actually a pale? However, that's a level of beer nerdery I'm not really ready for! 4/5

Next up was the local entry - Collaborator by 71/Dundee, which wins the prize for least imaginative name if nothing else! 71 mostly brew lager type beers so this doppelbock was maybe a gamble for them. It was a solid malty beer you could enjoy after wandering around a Christmas market in Germany, but a bit unexceptional amongst the big flavours of some of the other collabs. 3.25/5

Finally came the big beast we'd all been working up to - a 12% monster from Fierce/Aberdeen in what I suspect is a case of keeping your friends close and the competition closer! Their moose mousse session chocolate porter is fab, and this Very Big Moose is the Imperial version. Sweet vanilla, warm cinnamon and a serious amount of chocolate make for a very special beer, up there with Stone Xocoveza and Tempest Mexicake - delicious but definitely to be enjoyed in small doses...

As Saturday came around I wasn't convinced I'd be ready for round 2, but a lorne and cheese roll for lunch, then lasagne and garlic bread for tea almost sorted me out.
All the same, it seemed like a sensible idea to start with one of the lightest beers of the weekend, Fountain Mountain from Fyne Ales/Out of Town/Glasgow - so a double collaboration. Grisette isn't a style you see very often (yet), and I enjoyed the last one I tried. This one was very lemony, and would definitely make a good summer beer. Quite dry too, so maybe a good one to introduce the prosecco crowd to! Looks darker than I remember. 3.5/5

Next up was a beer aiming at the cocktail market, Sex out of reach by Fallen/Stirling. A peach, cranberry and orange witbier with an almost perfumy taste. Not unpleasant, but definitely unusual. The combination of flavours meant it tasted more like fruit jelly sweets than a cocktail 3.5/5




Dutch Udder from Brighton Bier/Brighton was a bit of an oddity. It was described as a Flemish Milk Stout, and certainly looked like a stout, but was sweet with a fizzy flavour, and not much of the creaminess you'd expect from a milk stout 2.5/5

Last up for Saturday night was a white stout, Nuclear Nuts from Black Iris/Nottingham. I'll admit I took too long to get to this one so it wasn't as chilled as it should have been. Having said that, it was a really interesting beer with the pistachio giving more of a fruity than nutty flavour - fair play though, it did taste like ice cream. Given the chance I'd like to try this ice cold and without the remains of a hangover 3.75/5

Going easy on Saturday meant I was able to round off the weekend with a Sunday afternoon trip to try a couple of the beers we missed on Saturday afternoon (they rotated at 5pm and we didn't make it till closed to 8pm).
Risk:Cherry Stone from Redchurch/Soho was the second cherry beer of the weekend, and this time it was a straight up sour. Bags of sour cherry flavour - this reminded me of the Cherry Gose I had at Howling Hops back in May, and Dave even liked it, despite not being keen on anything that gets too close to being blackforest gateau. 4/5

Finally, another one I'd been looking forward to so was glad they had some left, Cookie Dough by Siren/Clerkenwell. Described as a cookie dough white stout, I was expecting more chocolate and vanilla but mostly got the Rum barrel aged coffee - no bad thing but I don't think the beer quite matched the name. To be fair, any white stout I try has the unenviable task of competing with Westwood by Ilkey which was the collabfest champion beer a couple of years ago and is pretty much my desert island (or should that be dessert Island - it's definitely a pudding beer!). 4.25/5.

So there you have it. I'll be interested to see which beer has 'won' collabfest and whether it's one I tried. There were some crackers and not to many duds, so here's to collabfest 2018 - cheers!