Another bargain buy

Remember I said I had ordered another cycling shirt but it hadn't arrived ? Well it arrived today and it turns out to be the best one of the three I bought. In very good condition I was very pleased with my £7.14 purchase.

 Best part is that it has a full length zip - it's the only shirt I have that has this so will be great to use on those baking hot days we are going to have next year...

 Exactly the same as last Monday we got home, had tea and were all set to go out to get some exercise - looked outside to see it had started raining ! Decided the time had arrived to put the turbo trainer to the test. Set it up in the garage, put Planet Rock on the radio and set off for half an hours spinning. It's easier than being on the road as there are no hills but you also have to remember there is no freewheeling on a turbo trainer. The only thing missing is that you don't know how far you have 'virtually cycled' 

 As far as this issue is concerned a quick look on Amazon and I have ordered a sensor that goes on the rear wheel and hooks up with my Garmin 305 GPS watch.

Hopefully with that in place there should be no three week lay offs like last year when the snow stopped us exercising. Sally has the treadmill set up - all we need now is some decent sounds to exercise to.

Harping back to Saturday - I have just about got over my strop with New Mills. A 40 mile drive in the poor weather - reminded me that the real life was to be a cat. This was what our cat was doing while I was out in the cold and the snow on Saturday.

Tomorrow night Belper have Derby County coming to town - can't see us winning that, especially with all the players missing through suspension and possibly Froggy out with a hamstring. Weather doesn't sound too good so might be a miserable night - or might be a turn up for the books.

Postponed !

Well this should have been a report on the trip to New Mills but instead it will probably turn into a rant. Todays game was always going to be in some doubt due to the weather. Last night we went out for a meal at the Black Boy with Mike & Jenny next door, when we came out at 9pm it was snowing and the roads were starting to freeze. With the game being up in New Mills (near to Stockport) the chances are that the weather was going to be worse up there. That thought was confirmed when I got up this morning to find that the game at Buxton had been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Despite reading every appropriate website (BTFC, Fans Forum, Evo-Stik, New Mills) there was not a hint that the game was in doubt. Well there may have been a hint when Dave Laughlin posted on the forum last night that he had heard there MAY be a pitch inspection this morning. No mention of a pitch inspection this morning, no updates from anyone. I texted Ian Featherby at lunchtime and he said the game was on (by this time the supporters coach had already left for the game). We set off at 1pm. The Via Gellia road and Newhaven roads were ok but he fields either side were covered in snow. Just as we turned onto the Newhaven road my phone rang. It was match secretary Ian Wright ringing to say that the game had been called off by the match referee. Not frozen, not snow covered - but muddy goalmouths apparently. So a 40 mile round trip for nothing ! We decided to call and watch the reserve game when we got back but we only stayed until half time as it was freezing cold and we had seen enough. I snapped a few photos in the first half. 

Yesterday saw me getting a good soaking on the bike. I set off in bright sunshine although it did look dodgy over Crich Monument as I turned onto Whitemoor Lane. All the way out to Little Eaton I was riding in sunshine (although it was cold - just 5.7 degrees C with a cold northerly wind) but all the time to my right (back over Belper way) it was Bible black. I had just descended to the A6 at Duffield when I felt the first spots of rain begin to fall. By the time I had reached Milford it was raining much harder and the spots hitting my face were like small needles. Along the A6 the rain got heavier and back in Belper it was raining quite hard. Sally was out jogging in Belper, just 2 miles up the hill in a blizzard. I ploughed on and totalled up 16.5 miles making a weekly total of 24miles. Hardly world beating but if I can keep this up through the Winter as long as possible I should be ready for the Spring when the better weather comes back (hopefully). I have a feeling the turbo trainer will be in action before too long though, which reminds me I must order another odometer to use with the trainer.

EBay Bargains

Everyone loves a bargain - and I got two recently (with another on the way hopefully). I found a shop on ebay who sell used cycling shirts. Prices start at just £0.99p although I always seems to pay about £4 for the ones I have had so far. Having said that the last one I bought (which hasn't arrived yet) was just over £7.

The first one I got was this one

I had no idea what team it related to when I bought it other than it has a distinct Italian look due to the writing on it - I just liked the colours (italbonifica were an Italian racing team back in the 1990's - italbonifica). Michele Moro is the only rider on the list that I have any vague recognition of.

Pleased with my purchase (£6.29 including postage & packing) I had another look on the site (they have literally hundreds of shirts including an option to buy 100 assorted shirts for £189) and came across this one:

The second shirt is this one from an amateur Belgium cycling team. This one cost the princely sum of £7.14 again including postage & packing.  

The third one (that hasn't arrived yet) could prove to be the bargain buy of the three. It cost just £4.98. I bought that one as I don't have a summer jersey with a full length zip for when it gets really hot (can't imagine that just at the moment). Hopefully that one will arrive in the next few days.

Finally I bought a DVD as a Christmas present from someone. It's from the 1980's and includes the 1987 Tour De France won by my personal cycling hero, Stephen Roche. It also includes the 1988 Tour won by Pedro Delgado. Hope the quality is good when it arrives.

Bad to Worse

Despite reports suggesting Belper played well again, to paraphrase Led Zeppelin, the result remain the same. A defeat at Grantham means we have lost 8 of the last 9 games. Saturdays trip to New Mills is another tough game, that will be followed by a visit from a Derby County XI in the Derbyshire Senior Cup then a definite Must Win visit from Shepshed Dynamo. Tough times at the Meadow.

Missed out on a bike ride on Monday as it started sleeting just as we were about to go out. I hadn't out the turbo trainer together so couldn't use that. I put that right last night by assembling it ready for tonight but thankfully it was dry so I got out for a quick 7.5 miles (33 m 08 s).

Won another jersey on ebay today. I needed one with a full length zip for when the really hot weather returns...wonder when I'll get to use it ? Not for a few months thats for sure.

Same Old Same Old

Another Saturday, another defeat (I think I've said that before recently). A goal down after two minutes in yet another game, we just cannot seem to switch on when the whistle blows. After that we were chasing the game and lost another goal to make it a 0-2 defeat. The game itself was not one of the best and Kidsgrove had won only 1 of their previous 10 games, so a very poor result for Belper. We need to get out of this run of defeats. Tuesday night we travel to Grantham (who sit near the top of the table and whom we haven't beaten at their place since I was 1 year old - thats 1964 ).

I still have to sort the photos from the game but I took these two during the 2nd half as the sun set on the Seddon Stadium.

Match photos are here: Kidsgrove v Belper

Off to Kidsgrove Athletic

With tension mounting after 5 defeats in 6 games todays trip to Kidsgrove makes for a pressure match. Kidsgrove are below us in the table and looking a poor side on paper but do have Dave Walker who always seems to be able to find the nest against Belper. In the past 9 trips to Kidsgrove we have won 3 and lost 6. The last time we came away with the 3 points was the 2007/08 season when Ross hannah scored two and Ant Wilson got the third in a 3-1 win in front of just 91 people. I assume there will be more there today on a sunny but very windy Saturday in December. Two things about Kidsgrove - it always seems cold there - although as we have only ever been in October, November, December, February or March thats not surprising. Another thing is they are so tight with programmes - hardly any in the boardroom and only print a few so it's always a battle to get one for the archive (which currently stands at (2013). Hopefully Tony T will be there in time to grab one for me otherwise I may have to pay for one !!

Yesterday I completed my longest bike ride since returning to the saddle in July. 22.1 miles in 1H 38m. The significance of this mileage was that it took me to 500 miles in total. A cold day but very enjoyable although the last few miles were hard going. It's hard top believe that I have cycled almost 5 times that distance in one day before - ok only the once but I did use to cycle 40-60 miles on occasions without too much trouble - I fear those days are gone although I do think I will try and cycle 50 miles before 2012 is out (while I am still clinging to my 40's). I can't wait for the warm weather to return, when I can get a pair of shorts and a jersey on and be off rather than the 30 minutes of getting into warm gear, hats gloves, three layers of tops, overshoes etc. 

Ok - time to go and get some dinner, Hugh is picking me up at 12:45 before we meet up with Scribbler for the 1h 15m trip over to Staffordshire. Catch you later.

Another Home defeat

Things just don't seem to be getting any better down at the Meadows. Another home defeat means we have now lost 5 of the last 6 games, 4 at home. A 1-2 defeat at the hands of Sutton Coldfield was no disgrace but the way we lost was typical of this season. A goal down after 8 minutes (again) and then chasing the game. Got an equaliser in the 86th minute (again - see Curzon Ashton) only to lose a goal in added on time (again - see Curzon Ashton).

Something is not right with the team as we have some very good players but not enough to stop us losing silly goals at the start and the end of games. If you want to see some photos from the game they are here: Belper v Sutton Coldfield

Not been out on the bike again this week - plan is to go tomorrow. I did get some more cycling gear in the sale at the Outlet village in Rowsley on the way back from Chatsworth yesterday - including a neck warmer thing that it looks like I'll need tomorrow (especially after having had a haircut in the morning, as the temp is forecast to be no more than 5 degrees at best !)

Colin Marrison fires in an 86th minute equaliser

Back to football and Saturdays trip to Kidsgrove is a must win game as they are one of the 7 teams still below us in the table, although our record at Kiddy is not a great one.