January was a great month for me on the bike. I managed to clock up 1060Km which would be a good effort any time of year but was super for a winter month. The weather was generally wet and windy but with a bit of Rule #5 and pre planning meant a good time. The highlight of the month for me was the Mere Two Hundred audax ride. This was a generally flat trip from Cheadle to Ellesmere and back. Last year the weather was dry on the day with ice and snow first thing in the morning followed by a quick thaw and floods. This year was a battle into a strong south westerly wind and at times driving rain. It was one of those days where had I been by myself I my have called off however I was having a lift down so no backing out. The return journey was much nicer now with a tail wind and a little blue sky. It's amazing how quickly you forget the hard work and the cold wet feelings when things start to go your way.
February is going to be a much quieter month with only one good ride out planned. This will be the Newport 200km audax towards the end of February. Lots of commuting will hopefully keep the base fitness ready for this event.
I discovered a fantastic little online shop this month called Mamnick. This I think is a one man shop based in the Peak District. I ordered a tie slide and an over shirt from them and both are fantastic. They are a great example of what happens when good design and top quality materials are used to make a product. I am looking forward to many years of use out of them.
