Tifosi completed

Well, I finally finished my winter/commuter bike. It looks (hmmmm) ... sensible. Reliable. Not the most exciting bike ever to be honest. It is fully ready for commuting and dark evening riding - plenty of lights attached, full length mudguards and my old OpenPro wheels - a real trooper of a bike! I'm going to ride it for the first time tomorrow on my commute, so I'm hoping that all the gear indexing, headset adjustment and brake setting I did in the comfort of the home doesn't go wrong on the road. I've put a pair of latex gloves in my rucksack in case I get oily hands from adjusting the chain because - WHAT WAS I THINKING - I've put white bar tape on a winter bike. Actually I messed up the first tape (Fizik black tape) and found out that you can't readjust it without tearing the edges, so the spare Fizik white I had lying around came onto the scene!


Just as I was finishing the bike (and the rest of the family were finishing breakfast) I looked up to see a pigeon fly at speed at our house. It must have been confused by the reflections of the trees in the window. So we were all treated to the sight of a bird dying (luckily quite quickly) from sudden impact in the garden whilst finishing breakfast. The kids were surprisingly sanguine about the whole thing and insisted on accompanying me outside for the burial in a shallow grave in the back garden. My wife and I asked if they wanted to say anything and my daughter suggested that we sing either Happy Birthday or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Hmmm, strange! I got a really horrified look from my wife when I suggested that we could have eaten the pigeon. I don't know why - it looked pretty healthy, and pan-fried with some black pudding and a red wine jus - delicious. But a little insensitive maybe, bearing in mind I would have had to dig it up again! RIP, Mr Pigeon

Under construction

I’ve started to assemble my replacement winter bike. The basis is the Tifosi audax frame in battleship grey – it looks really drab! Oh well, at least it was cheap. I’ve got the 105 groupset along with 3T bars and stem. I’ll be reusing my OpenPro wheels, Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL pedals and Selle Italia SLR XP saddle. It’ll be fitted with full mudguards and I’ll be growing a beard and putting a wicker basket on the front. Rack, panniers, full length frame pump and a map holder. Are you allowed to race with a whicker handlebar basket?

So far it’s been reasonably easy to assemble. The only tricky bit (yet to do) is to cut down the carbon steerer on the front fork. I know, I know – measure three times, cut once. I’ve also had to order long-reach brakes (should have thought that one out before I ordered the 105 group) so will be eBaying the original brakes.

I did my first session in ages on the turbo as well last Sunday, which I really enjoyed. The break from something that seemed to be my nemesis for most of the summer has served me well and I hit the intervals with a new-found enthusiasm. I’m thinking of doing fewer long, steady rides over the winter and trying to fit in a quality turbo session each weekend. It allows for more time with the family and can be done at any time of the day (I hate early starts on winter weekends). Doing the intervals is really good for judging my RPE too, because the kids come out and talk to me. So I can gauge how hard I am going (without looking at the Powertap) by seeing if I can explain why it is fair for them to have different toys and no, the TV remote should not be controlled solely by my daughter in a) paragraphs, b) sentences, c) phrases or d) frantic finger-wagging and gasps!

I’ll post some pictures of the new bike next time – hopefully I will be using it for the commuting in a week or so, and my old Scott will be consigned to turbo-only duty.