Magic day...

Somtimes you just have one of those days but in a good way, and Friday 27th May was no exception.

It was the day of the annual Phoenix Bike Ride, where staff from schools bring 400 kids into the city centre on their bikes to watch bike films at the Phoenix. I rode in with a school from Thurmaston, and I have to say it was awesome (to use an american phrase which I usually hate!). I set off on my first leg at 0745, and 6.5 miles later (along the fab Riverside/Abbey Park/Space Centre route out to Watermead Park and beyond to Thurmaston. Then back into Leicester with the kids, watch some films, have some photos with councillors etc, then back out to the school. One of the big points of this is to show the kids (and adult helpers!) how easy it is to cycle into the city centre (Leicester).

Anyway, kids safely back at school, my work here is done and it's off to the Western>. I love this pub, it's kind of been our surrogate Pump and Tap, since the Pump was famously knocked down to build a swimming pool for De Montfort University. By the time I get to the pub and ctach up with various colleagues I've done 27 miles on my trusty Merida Glide.

A pint of beer later and I am persuaded to join various colleguey types on Leicester's Critical Mass (monthly bike ride around Leicester, attracted over 170 cyclists last month. I'd never heard the term Critical Mass until a couple of months ago - you'll have to check out the facebook page to read about its philosophy...

The ride attracted at least a couple of hundred people anyway, and took us on a route round the ring road, past the Space Centre (for only the 5th time that day!!!!) and ended up with several circles round the clock tower, which was akin to being at the eye of a storm - virtually imposible to escape once in the middle of it! There's some fab photos on the facebook page.

Ended up at the Criterion. I asked the bar man what bottled lagers they had, as they didn't serve Sol (which I'd ask for). He grumpily told me they had over 300 bottled lagers, so I replied that something light would do. Anyway he plonked an opened bottle of Desperado (a tequila laced mexican beer) in front of me. Not sure I needed a tequila laced beer at that particular point in time but went with it. Cycled home after just the one (only being a good girl because Twickenham looming the next day). Magic by Ladyhawke was the first song that came on, and yes - it had been a magic day...

Cyclometer showed 35 miles when I got in. Slept like a baby - flat on back, woke up in exact same posiition ready for the rugby.

Cycling through the Seasons of Love

WARNING - IF YOU'RE EASILY OFFENDED THEN LOOK AWAY (Later in this blog I'll be quoting from Team America World Police)...

My friend S is doing a Bike Ride from Leicester to East Coast vacation hotspot Skegness in a couple of weeks for Help the Heroes and asked me if I'd go on a ride last Saturday for 'practice'. On the way to Glenfield, I was cycling up Letchworth Rd when 'Seasons of Love' from Rent came on. It is the only song from a musical that's on my Blackberry (honest) and there's many places I cycle that I would be a touch embarrassed to have a song from Rent blaring out - but not the middle class haven that is Letchworth Road, it's a Letchworth Road kind of song.

The thing is - I can't hear any song from Rent without thinking of the Team America World police spoof of it 'Lease' with the world's most unpolitically correct song 'AIDS'. The words are in fact almost unprintable, so on second thoughts I'm reluctant to post them on this blog. The spoof of Rent is not big or funny(weeeellll....) or clever (actually, it's quite clever in a purile way) but if you want to check it out on YouTube then I won't tell anyone...

Anyway, S and I managed 18 miles (me a further 4 to Glenfield and back) despite the fact my neck was a bit dodgy and I couldn't look left. S had to constantly ride on my right, and look left at junctions.

For the record, my neck has now completely seized up which is a bit shit. Ironically I have just spent the last half an hour on the phone to Ticketmaster complaining that they have booked me a disabled space for Stevie Nicks at Hard Rock Calling when I said general admission. Maybe they knew something I didn't.

No one said it would be easy...

I am currently trying to clock up some miles on the Leicester Shire Cycle Challenge as well as promoting the challenge to hundreds of people, and remaining ultra enthusiastic about two wheels. I am, of course, loving this challenge but I am also cream crackered. So today (FRIDAY!), after a 50 something hour week I cycled home and it was with great delight that I nodded my head to the opening bars of 'Easy' by Groove Armada (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqnzehVRQWA).

What a tune! Love it. I would say it took me back to clubbing in the North West at Hacienda/ Feel/ Cream etc (which it sort of did) but it wasn't released until 2003, and I haven't clubbed in those parts since 1998.

Anyway, it's one of those songs that gets me dancing - even on a bike. I start doing this wiggly swerve of the handlbars and shoulder wiggles in time to the beat. I must like a right nutter going down New Parks Boulevard, but with a tune like Easy playing it's hard to care...

STOP PRESS: Had a go on an Electra bike yesterday. How cool. Thanks to Cyclemagic for that...