06-Aug-2013 : theBythams – Grantham Canal loop

I had great fun cycling from theBytams to Grantham, then back home via Grantham Canal and Woolsthorpe. I love cycling out that way, since I get to use National Cycle Network Route 15 (NCR 15) which runs along next to Grantham Canal for a good number of miles. Also it’s got some good hills, to give my legs a bit of a workout!

I will now leave you with the route map, elevation graph, route statistics and photos.

Route map:-

06-08-2013 bike ride

Elevation graph:

06-08-2013 bike ride elevation graph

Route statistics:-

  • Distance: 42.05 miles
  • Time: 3:12:55 (h:m:s)
  • Avg Speed: 13.1 mph
  • Max Speed: 31.7 mph
  • Elevation Gain: 769 meters
  • Min Elevation: 44 meters
  • Max Elevation: 188 meters

Data from: Garmin Connect.

Photos from the cycle:-

Grantham Canal (NCR 15)

Grantham Canal (NCR 15)

Grantham Canal (NCR 15)

Grantham Canal (NCR 15)

Pearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kit

04-Aug-2013 : Swavesey to Cambridge via busway

It’s been a great two days of cycling! Yesterday cycling around London on closing roads while doing the Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle. Then today, I cycled from Swavesey to Cambridge with a friend that lives in Swavesey. Using the cycle path next to the Cambridge guided busway. Then around Cambridge for a bit, before cycling back to my mates house! 🙂

I will now leave you with the route map, elevation graph, route statistics and photos.

Route map:-

04-08-2013 bike ride

Elevation graph:

04-08-2013 bike ride elevation graph

Route statistics:-

  • Distance: 25.57 miles.
  • Time: 2:46:38 (h:m:s).
  • Avg Speed: 9.2 mph (cycling with a slow mate!!).
  • Max Speed: 21.2 mph.
  • Elevation Gain: 169 meters.
  • Min Elevation: 2 meters.
  • Max Elevation: 5 meters.

Data from: Garmin Connect.

Photos from the cycle:-

Rvier Cam, near Jesus Green

Cambridge guided busway

Cambridge guided busway

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 03/08/2013

Cycling: Ride London (BBC1/HD | 11:30am to 2:00pm | Sunday 4th August 2013)

Live coverage of the new cycling event which features a number of races across a busy weekend in the capital. The morning sees 20,000 cyclists head out on the Olympic road race route from London to Surrey and back, later followed by the world’s elite men. There are also highlights of the women’s grand prix, which features Olympic gold medallists Laura Trott, Dani King and Jo Rowsell competing on a special street circuit around Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park. Jonathan Edwards hosts the coverage while Simon Brotherton leads the commentary team.

Cycling: Ride London (BBC1/HD | 4:30pm to 6:30pm | Sunday 4th August 2013)

Jonathan Edwards presents live coverage of the climax of a weekend of cycling in the capital. The world’s best riders head back on the Olympic road race course as the London-Surrey Classic builds to a potentially thrilling sprint finish on The Mall. There is also news of the 20,000 riders who cycled the course at a more pedestrian pace earlier in the day, including celebrities such as Boris Becker, Matt Dawson, James Cracknell and Sally Gunnell. Simon Brotherton leads the commentary team.

Top Gear (BBC2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 4th August 2013)

Motoring magazine. Jeremy Clarkson drives the new Jaguar F-type sports car on some of Britain’s finest roads; James May takes the New Bus for London for a nice day out in the country; and Richard Hammond tests the new Range Rover Sport off-road, on track and in its most natural habitat, the lanes of Cheshire. Inspired by these machines, the presenters meet up for an epic celebration of all that is great about Britain’s motor industry, culminating in a grand finale in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Cycle Show (itv4 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 5th August 2013)

The cycling magazine show with regular presenter Graham Little including special guests and items and features on all aspects of bike riding. In this edition, he is joined by Rob Hayles and Tammy G Thorn.

Undercover Boss (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 6th August 2013)

Peter Harvey, boss of slot machine company Quicksilver, adopts a dramatic disguise and goes undercover in the hope of working undetected alongside his frontline staff. Hit hard by the smoking ban, the company has seen profits drop by a massive 30% and Peter is desperate to find new ways to attract more customers. Once undercover, the CEO is shocked at what he finds: a young female employee who feels vulnerable working at night; a talented engineer with ideas who has been told to ‘shut up’ by management; and venue staff who feel so ignored by head office that many want to leave the company. The boss has to confront the reality, that it might not just be the company’s dwindling profits he has to worry about but also his underappreciated staff.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 10:50pm | Wednesday 7th August 2013)

Initially launched alongside the Paralympic Games, the award-winning gang show returns for a new series live to Wednesday night. Host, Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker take a look at the weird and wonderful talking point stories of the week to enjoy and celebrate what makes this country so unique. Each week the guys are joined by a celebrity guest with a live studio audience. This week’s guest is Micky Flanagan. The show also sees the return of the all-encompassing question: Is It OK? Viewers at home and the studio audience are encouraged to ask this question about anything from the week, without fear of judgement. Once again, our three hosts will attempt to step into the minefield of sometimes difficult and delicate areas and answer the questions with their own unique insight.

The Hotel Inspector Returns (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 8th August 2013)

Documentary series in which Alex Polizzi returns to the scene of some of her biggest challenges. Three years ago, Alex visited the Artist Residence, Brighton, a nine-room B&B run by 21-year-old student Justin Salisbury. He had created a unique ‘art hotel’, decorated and staffed by young artists, but during the week left them to their own devices as he studied in London. The hotel was slammed by guests and occupancy levels were low. Has Justin’s management style improved?

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

July 2013 most popular photos

Below are the top three most looked at photos on this website during July 2013.

Number 1 (454 views) : Wetsuit cycling
Wetsuit cycling

Number 2 (241 views) : Wetsuit cycling
Wetsuit cycling

Number 3 (156 views) : Nalini Columbia Highroad Team kit
Nalini Columbia Highroad Team kit

July 2013 cycling statistics

Here are my cycling statistics for July 2013. I ended up doing only 539.13 miles this month. I was hoping to do at least 600 miles, but all the long walks with the dog has slowed me down, some what!

So far my yearly total stands at 3,694.2 miles. Total miles since April 2003 now stands at 30,609.5.

Here is the data from July 2013:-

  • Total cycles: 25.
  • Total Distance: 539.13 miles.
  • Total Time: 40:53:34 (h:m:s).
  • Avg Speed: 13.3 mph.
  • Max Time: 3:05:38 (h:m:s).
  • Max Speed: 33.4 mph.
  • Avg Distance: 21.57 miles.
  • Max Distance: 40.23  miles.

Data from: Garmin Connect.

Here are my favourite cycling photos from the month

Nalini Columbia Highroad Team kitPearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kitPearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kitdsc00060dsc00078dsc00091

July 2013 wetsuit cycling

It was a bit on the wet side, when I set off for today’s cycle. So I had to make the most of it. I put on a wetsuit and went out on the bike! Hope you like the photos below! Looking forward to reading all your comments! HIT, HIT!!

Wetsuit cycling

Wetsuit cycling

Wetsuit cycling

More cycling photos taken with the new camera

Here are some more cycling photos taken with my new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V Digital Bridge Camera that I got yesterday. Think I am getting to get use to it! Love that it’s got a GPS build in. So I will never forget where I have taken the photos. To see the location for yourself, just click on a photo below and you will see a nice map under the photo :).

Team Discovery

Foot bridge over A1 at Great Ponton

Morkery Lane

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V Digital Bridge Camera

On Friday 26th July 2013, I ordered myself a new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V Digital Bridge Camera from Jessops. It set me back £259.99. It turned up today. So far I am very pleased with it. Just getting use to all the settings on it.

Here are some of the first photos taken with it :).

Pearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kit

Pearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kit

Pearl Izumi Team Garmin-Chipotle team kit

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 27/07/2013

Inspire: The Olympic Journey (BBC1/HD | 12:45pm to 1:30pm | Saturday 27th July 2013)

Gabby Logan is in Glasgow to mark one year until the Commonwealth Games. She gets a guided tour of the city from Sir Chris Hoy, who also shows her around the velodrome named after him. A year on from the Olympic Games, Matthew Pinsent looks at the legacy of 2012, and fellow rowing star Katherine Grainger joins the team to reflect on life after London for some of the key personalities from summer 2012, including Victoria Pendleton, Helen Glover and Dai Greene. And in the first of a regular series of features introducing the potential stars for Rio in 2016, we meet 17-year-old Bath swimmer Siobhan-Marie O’Connor.

Countryfile (BBC1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 28th July 2013)

Countryfile celebrates its silver jubilee by throwing a party in the form of a traditional country summer fayre. Adam’s farm in the Cotswolds is a frenzy of activity; there are stalls, food, entertainment and bunting as far as the eye can see. Along with 250 lucky Countryfile viewers, Matt Baker, Julia Bradbury, John Craven, Ellie Harrison, Adam Henson and Tom Heap are there to get the party started in good old-fashioned style. Matt finds out about the importance of country fayres to rural communities, while Julia discovers what life is really like on Adam’s farm when the cameras aren’t rolling. John puts Matt and Julia’s countryside knowledge to the test in a quiz, ably assisted by impressionist Jon Culshaw. He also reveals just how much money the Countryfile calendar has raised for Children in Need since it began – with a little help from Sir Terry Wogan.

Top Gear (BBC2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 28th July 2013)

Motoring magazine. Jeremy Clarkson and James May investigate an increasingly popular type of tall hatchback often referred to as a ‘crossover’. Meanwhile, Richard Hammond is in Italy driving a pair of Lamborghinis, the sensational Aventador Roadster and a 570 horsepower riot of carbon fibre and space age styling called the Sesto Elemento. Plus, James May is at the test track to drive a modern recreation of the classic Porsche 911 and Aerosmith legend Steven Tyler is the rock star in the Reasonably Priced Car.

Undercover Boss (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 29th July 2013)

Chief Executive Ian Wakelin goes undercover in waste and recycling company Biffa, a business that has been finding it increasingly difficult to turn muck into brass in these tough economic times. With debts in excess of a billion pounds when he joined, Ian’s been wholly focused on restoring the company’s flagging fortunes. Determined to maximise profits and pay back the company’s remaining debts, he heads to the frontline in search of ways to balance the books. After mucking in with his hard-pressed staff, and working in challenging conditions, Ian discovers that some feel they’ve been overlooked and dumped at the tip. But it’s not just hard physical graft, as tears and trauma come to the fore. It’s an experience that forces boss Ian to question whether the company’s people should be his main concern, not its numbers.

The Cycle Show (itv4 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 29th July 2013)

The cycling magazine show with Jill Douglas including special guests and items and features on all aspects of bike riding. Guests in this edition include Hannah Barnes, Liz Dimmock, Helen and Steff Wyman and the Irish Belles.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 10:50pm | Wednesday 31st July 2013)

Initially launched alongside the Paralympic Games, the award-winning gang show, now on its third series, returns live to Wednesday night. Host, Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker take a look at the weird and wonderful talking point stories of the week to enjoy and celebrate what makes this country so unique. Each week the guys are joined by a celebrity guest with a live studio audience. The show also sees the return of the all-encompassing question: Is It OK? Viewers at home and the studio audience are encouraged to ask this question about anything from the week, without fear of judgement. Once again, our three hosts will attempt to step into the minefield of sometimes difficult and delicate areas and answer the questions with their own unique insight.

Alex Brooker: My Perfect Body (Channel 4/HD | 10:50pm to 11:55pm | Wednesday 31st July 2013)

Alex Brooker, the Channel 4 Paralympics and Last Leg presenter, explores the world of male body image, shedding light on how men really feel about their figures. He also hopes to win his own war with weight, lose two stone and get a six-pack in just two months. In February the NHS and Social Care Information Centre revealed that 65% of British men are overweight. Self-confessed ‘perennial porker’ Alex thinks he might be one of them. To kick start his new svelte self, he follows in the footsteps of Beyonc?, and does a week of the cayenne pepper diet, losing 10lbs in seven days. But how far are men willing to go, and where do they get their perception of perfection from? Alex discovers how the pornification of society has influenced the way men look, but does it all come down to vanity? Alex’s mum provides some touching insights into Alex’s history of weight issues, while Alex’s girlfriend Lynsey says she loves him for who he is, not what he looks like.

The Hotel Inspector Returns: The Who’d a Thought it, Grafty Green, Kent (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 1st August 2013)

Documentary series. Alex Polizzi returns to the Who’d a Thought It, which on her first visit resembled the Kent countryside’s answer to the Playboy mansion. Self-styled showman Joe Mallet had aimed to bring a taste of four-star city luxury to rural Kent, but his unique taste in decor, featuring cowhide bedspreads, four-man hot tubs and erotic artwork, had not proved to be to everyone’s liking. Alex made a number of improvements, but what will she find on her return visit?

Hebrides: Islands on the Edge (BBC2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 1st August 2013)

Ewan McGregor narrates a landmark nature series focusing on the wildlife struggling to survive on the Hebridean Islands. In the final programme, a look at how the residents of the Hebrides learned to live side-by-side with their wild neighbours. Skye Ferryman Donnie MacDonald reveals that business can prosper when passengers can be treated to some on board entertainment in the form of white-tailed eagles hunting alongside the boat. Plus, how Andrew Abrahams is attempting to turn the Island of Colonsay into a nature reserve for bees, how the peatlands of Lewis and Innes Henderson inspire artist Alice Starmore, and the Coll fisherman who regularly has to steer his boat through a 100-strong group of basking sharks.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.