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Rutland Water cycle

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I can’t get over just how good the weather has been for the last week.  Been warm and sunny just about every day. Which is good news for me, since I am way behind on the number of miles I want to do on my bike this month. Since I was in Scotland for 1 week, only got to use my bike once that I got a flat tyre and did not have any tools in Scotland to fix it :(. By the end of the month I want to do at least 450 miles, right now I have only done 186.7, which also includes the cycle I did today. So need to do at least another 265 miles before the month is out 2 be happy with myself.

Anyways on with today’s nice cycle. I made up my mind, since it’s a great day to cycle to Ruland Water, which is not that far at all from my place, so only a short cycle. Only did 24.5 miles, but I do really like cycling to Rutland Water, it was so busy. Don’t think I have ever seen it so busy on a week day. Then I think that’s got a lot 2 do with lots of schools being off. But I got a ice-cream while there, which is one of the reasons I went :).

So other than the great cycle, not much at all 2 tell you.  Other than at long last Channel 4 HD has been added to Freesat, it can be found on channel 126. Meaning that Freesat now got 4 HD channels and all for free.  Now got BBC1 HD, BBC HD, ITV1 HD and of course Channel 4 HD. Yes I do really like my HD stuff.

Gay couple ‘removed from Soho pub for kissing’

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I am sure you will have heard this story by now. I first heard about it on twitter.  A Gay couple were asked to leave a pub in Soho for kissing. Can’t believe that things like this still happen and in what is London’s gay area 2. It’s been all over the news here in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident. I really hope that person that told them 2 leave, loses his job. Also the pub should be fined or even better closed down.

Read about it on the BBC New website.

Went a nice walk up the Campsie Fells

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If you have watched my three vlogs below then you will already know most of this… It was a really, really nice day… like 19C which for Scotland in April is very good indeed. So my plan was to go out a nice cycle maybe to Loch Lomond and back. I got all geared up in my sexy cycling gear. Then went outside, to get my bike. Only to find it had a flat tyre. If I had been in England, it would have been OK. Since I have the tools to fix it. But I did not have anything at all to fix it. So all I could do, was put the bike back away. Then think of something else, to do in the great weather.

So I went back inside, half changed out of my cycling gear. In other words I kept my cycling shorts on, just put “normal” shorts on over the top of them and changed out of my cycling top. Then I set off out towards the Campsie Fells, which was just a very short walk from my Mum and Dads house in Killearn.

The plain was only to go a short walk, but ended up doing 8.14 miles. I know this since I took my cycle GPS with me :). Now I will bore you with some of my walking stats. I spent 2:16.39 (h:m:s) walking. Avg speed was 3.6 mph, not 2 bad for hill walking if you ask me. Max speed was 12.7 mph, yes I did a bit of running also. Min elevation was 87 meters and max elevation was 535 meters. So well pleased with myself. In the whole time I lived in Killearn, it’s the highest, up point I have ever got to up the Campsie Fells.

While doing the walk, I also got some great photos. Please check them out at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/me/2011/page/5/.

Oh in that photo above did not go 2 far into the water, since it was a bit on the cold side. Also had no idea how deep it was. I have a feeling it’s a lot deeper than it looks. But next time, I go up will make sure I have my wetsuit with me, to find out :).

Had a great time seeing my brother

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I went to Glasgow to see my younger brother Craig and his girlfriend Alison. I think I did very well indeed to place there flat. I did have my Dads car sat nav with me. But it was no help at all, since my Dad likes to get our names mixed up, so when I told it, to check me to Craig’s it had the address for Douglas on it. So I then went looking for Douglas’ address on it, hoping it would then have Craig’s on it. But no, that would have been, way, to easy.

Lucky I had been a number of times before. But never driven there before myself without a sat nav. But lucky for me if I go somewhere, two or the times, I can find the place. You also have to remember that Glasgow is one the biggest cites in the UK. They live on the side, of the city, I next to never been 2. Till they both moved there.

But even without a sat nav I still got there just about on time. Once there we all went out a nice walk and also called in a place called Church on the Hill to get some food. Now to do a mini review of the place. But of all, it’s a very nice pub inside. Lots of places to seat down, to drink and eat. But there on it, can’t say much good about the place. We ordered food at the bar, but then had to wait for 30 minutes to 45 minutes to get it.  Which if you ask me, is way, way to long to be waiting for food. But at least once the food did turn up, it was very nice indeed. I am sure I would go again, just hope the service is better, or I would never go again.

Then after the meal, we then went a walk around a Queen Park, and all had a good chat. Then it was back to there flat, for while and more chatting. Before I went back home. Lucky the drive back is nice and easy, just had to follow the signs for the tunnel.

So thanks to Alison and Craig for having me :).

Stand Up! – Don’t Stand for Homophobic Bullying

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Irish anti homophobic bullying advertisement, created as part of BeLonG To Youth Services annual Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Weeks. The campaign promotes friendship amongst young people as a way to combat homophobic bullying.

I am sure you will all find this very moving, just like I did.

Longest cycle so far this year (60 miles)…

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This is where I should really say I did my 4th weekly shopping in a two using my bike… but no, I was bad boy and used my car. Also did it on Sunday… But now looking at it, it worked out for the best or I would not have done  the 60 mile cycle that I did 🙂

Think it may we one of the longest, if not the longest single day cycle, I have done since the End 2 End cycle, but I would need to check all my cycling data, to be fully sure. But one thing I do know for sure, it’s the most miles I have done in a single but, if I don’t count August 2009, when I did the End 2 End cycle. If the weather plays nice, may end my miles up to 700 before the month is out! So that’s my next goal…

Here are the statistics from the cycle:-

  • Time: 4:30:57 (h:m:s).
  • Avg Speed: 13.3 mph.
  • Max Speed: 30 mph.
  • Calories: 2,719.
  • Elevation Gain: 492 metres.
  • Elevation Loss: 486 metres.
  • Min Elevation: 31 metres.
  • Max Elevation: 161 metres.

Now done over 1,000 miles on the bike

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I have now done 1,040.9 miles of cycling so far this year!! Well pleased with myself, to think my aim was 1,000 miles before the 1st April. Still got another 9 days to go, till then. 1,040.9 may not sound much, it’s like cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End, with a good number of miles to play with.

So now on to today’s cycle.  I did the longest cycle of the year so far… I did wait for it… 51.7 miles. Even did my best average speed of the year so far, with 13.8 mph.

Here are the statistics from the cycle:-

  • Time: 3:44:30 (h:m:s).
  • Avg Speed: 13.8 mph.
  • Max Speed: 30 mph.
  • Calories: 2,351.
  • Elevation Gain: 510 metres.
  • Elevation Loss: 509 metres.
  • Min Elevation: 43 metres.
  • Max Elevation: 164 metres.

Some extra data from the cycle:-

[gpx2graphics elevation 23]

[gpx2graphics speed 23]

Firefox 4.0 is here :)

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At long last Firefox 4.0 is out. I have been using it, since the very first beta come out. So come on everyone download it!! Right now only 1.3% of my website visitors are using it. Which happens to be the same number that are using IE 9. Can’t be having that!! Need to get Firefox 4.0, up to at least 5%!! Download your copy for free at www.mozilla.com.

Weekly shopping with my bike, yes again :)

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That’s me now done my weekly shopping using my bike for a third week in a row :P. So again saved £2.78 going by google. So now saved £8.34, so just need to do it again two times and will have saved around the same money I use on a average weeks shopping. This time I only had 4 kg in each pannier. Even with just 8 kg in total, you still notice it when going up the hill.

Here all the statistics for the cycle:-

  • Time: 1:06:14 (h:m:s).
  • Avg Speed: 13.5 mph.
  • Max Speed: 30.7 mph.
  • Elevation Gain: 122 metres.
  • Elevation Loss: 123 metres.
  • Min Elevation: 27 metres.
  • Max Elevation: 57 metres.

Also well pleased with myself set myself target of doing 1,000 miles on the bike, by the start of April. So far I have done 989.2, meaning I only have another 10.8 miles to go. Oh even better looks like this will be my first 500 mile+ month of the year. Done 414.5 so far.  So only got around 85.5 more to go. Which if the weather stays like this, I will have done by Friday 🙂

989.2

Had a great day cycling with a mate

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Today I met up with a friend that I have been chatting to on the net for year and years… But till today, never got around to meeting up. It was great to get to meet you at long last Mark.

While he was here, both both had good look around Stamford. When he first got here, we went to Marks & Spencer to get some food. Then after that we went cycle to Burghley House. Then we cycled to Tallington to watch some train go nice on the ECML. Then after that we did some more cycling around the place. Before cycling back to Stamford, where we stopped at The Tobie Norris, we were hopping to get there, but did not start food service till 6pm. So we just had a nice drink and chat there, before going to Ask, which was lucky doing food. Big thanks to Mark, for picking up the bill. I will make sure I pay the next time. Then after the meal, we cycled around for a bit longer before he got the train back down to London town. So thanks once again to Mark for a fun filled day.

If you want to see the full cycle we did. Here is the map from the cycle :).

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