MUCHOS MUCHOS CICLISMO
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| I'm THAT Speedy ! |
I was off to Spain for RideAlongSpain with Strongher the womens cycling group.....
It's always with nervousness that I begin a new cycling adventure, and worrying thoughts creep in. What if I can't keep up? Will I be in tears? Will I have the energy? Will there be cake? Will my Garmin make it past 40km? What will the people be like? Whatever happened to Martine McCutcheson, and why doesn't the string work on my roman blinds anymore? Oh yes cycling thoughts, sorry I became very distracted.
And everyone says to me - "Oh you'll be fine". A bit like when you're taking exams and Aunties and Uncles who have never attended your school parents evenings or read your school reports seem qualified to reassure you "oh you'll be fine, you'll pass" ...but how do they know? ....well maybe I just won't be fine this time?
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| The world is ours ! |
As I stood at Barcelona airport waiting for Frank and his bikes, doubts crept in. I didn't know this guy, he'd taken my money but how could I be sure he'd turn up? And anyway where was he taking me? I stood anxiously by the Centro de Informacion Turistica. Smiling at every male stranger just in case it was Frank. First impressions count right? After 10 minutes I had been grinning insanely at several random men. I didn't want to make a stereotypical assumption of what this bike guy might look like.
The old guy in the baseball cap, Old Frank and his bikes. Nope. The hippy Frank smelling of petouilli oil dressed in tie dye and his bikes. Nope. Suave Frank in suit jacket. Nope. Frank and his dreadlocks and his bikes. Nope. OK so maybe I didn't look like a cyclist in my non-Lycra airport outfit. I got my cycling helmet out of my bag and started swinging it around casually. A sure sign that I was a cyclist. So now I was grinning inanely at strange men and swinging my helmet around. People were beginning to walk around me, and I was now attracting unwanted interest! It was time to call Frank. Ah there he was blonde Dutch boy Frank and his bikes all bouncy and enthusiastic. He took me to his van, which rather encouragingly had "Frank's Bikes" in big yellow letters all over it. OK so things were going to be OK. Phew. My face was hurting from grinning.
The old guy in the baseball cap, Old Frank and his bikes. Nope. The hippy Frank smelling of petouilli oil dressed in tie dye and his bikes. Nope. Suave Frank in suit jacket. Nope. Frank and his dreadlocks and his bikes. Nope. OK so maybe I didn't look like a cyclist in my non-Lycra airport outfit. I got my cycling helmet out of my bag and started swinging it around casually. A sure sign that I was a cyclist. So now I was grinning inanely at strange men and swinging my helmet around. People were beginning to walk around me, and I was now attracting unwanted interest! It was time to call Frank. Ah there he was blonde Dutch boy Frank and his bikes all bouncy and enthusiastic. He took me to his van, which rather encouragingly had "Frank's Bikes" in big yellow letters all over it. OK so things were going to be OK. Phew. My face was hurting from grinning.
That group riding thing....
For a start this RideAlongSpain group was being led by ex-pro cyclist Marijn De Vries. This fact seemed slightly terrifying to me. Would they all be nearly pro-cyclists and I'd be left at the back trying desperately to keep up? I wasn't feeling particularly bike fit either, as I hadn't managed to pack in as much training as I had hoped for, due to the weather in the UK and too many afternoon teas!
There were to be 4 of us and luckily for me Frank reassured me that we were an inexperienced group. Oh maybe now I'd undersold my ability?. The others were fit but hadn't had that much experience on a road bike. So swings and roundabouts. When it comes to hills always ride with dutch girls (not a euphenism) because they aren't used to them!. So while I'm not particularly fast I do like a nice uphill "embrace the mountain Catherine, enjoy the mountain" as someone once told me as I burst my lungs on the way up The Tumble. Take young Isabelle, she could whiz down the hills at a terrifying speed in a cloud of dust, but as soon as the climb began she almost ground to a stand still and I could pass her with ease. So it all worked out nicely. Even once Sasha had had her saddle altered for the 27th time! She was doing what is known as a Shakira - seat too high sending the hips rocking. Sasha was a mountain biker who couldn't quite get her head around the stopping and drinking coffee and eating cake thing. "Why do we keep stopping?" Me :- "Because we can and we get to eat cake, and that's the joy of road cycling the coffee stops along the road". If anyone wants a new business idea you need to get some cafe's in the woods for those poor deprived mountain bikers!! Not sure Sasha has totally fallen in love with road cycling yet. But hey what does she know she plays underwater hockey! WTF ! Yes there is such a thing apparently - absolutely ridiculous.
That cycling in Spain thing.....
Well I have to say I'm well and truly smitten. Riding in Spain is just bliss. You have your uppey bits, but there are always downy bits and flat bits. There's variation that's what I like. And I have to say the cycling in the mountains near Gironne was lovely. Lots of different landscapes, sea views, forests, stick farms, country lanes, farms. And lovely roads devoid of cars and actually even cyclists. And Marijn knew all the hidden treasures. We detoured out of very ordinary looking villages, under an arch and before you knew it you were stepping back in time into a cobbled courtyard. Places where you felt you had to whisper because it felt like you'd found a hidden village. Enchanting.
That cycling with just women thing....
It is just different cycling with women. I have cycled with men. Some very nice men. But when there's a mixed group, the men do just want to drop the women and leave them behind. OK not all men. But cycling with women just feels more harmonious, less intimidating. Because a man can't be seen to be "beaten" by a woman. I have had some ridiculous situations in Mallorca when I've been cycling on my own. Where men have nearly had a heart attack trying to pass me. And the comments and looks female cyclists get from male cyclists - sheer incredulity sometimes. That said I have had some very thoughtful male cyclists look after me whilst going beetroot red, swallowing flys, sucking my cherry drops - me not them (and that's definitely not a euphemism even though it does sound quite rude). So maybe it's just men in groups. What is the collective term for a group of male cyclists anyway ? Lycr-Osterone? A macho-ped? Brutus-Lycrus? or a Grunt? Well maybe it just makes us women try a bit harder? Actually I just want to enjoy my cycling, so whatever it takes.
That hanging out with a pro thing....
Marijn de Vries - what a really lovely lady. Great ride leader. She has taught me many things.
1. That that pocket at the back of my neck on my cycling rain jacket isn't in fact for my lipstick but to fold my jacket into when packing it away - genius
2. It is possible to dance until your toe nails drop off if you are on very strong painkillers.
3. That Frank likes his horn. I had to explain this might have another meaning in the UK.
4. How to pee in bib shorts. Not IN the bib shorts but whilst wearing bib shorts. A thing not often discussed a bit like child birth. Not going to go all lady garden on you - don't want to make anyone squirm!
5. She also has a "taking photo's of doors" thing like I do. She showed us many beautiful hidden doors.
6. The castles where Maradona and Katy Perry live. Not together apparently.
7. That she knows proper fast cycling people.
Fact 7. This was a cool moment. Over dinner Marijn asks if it's OK if she watches on her laptop her best friend who is racing. Yes we say. We start to watch the UCI track world championships in London. Quite special when you have a pro telling you all the tactics of a race. We watched Great Britain's Laura Trott come first and Marijn's friend happened to be defending her world title. Her friend happens to be Kirsten Wild who we watched get the silver. Wow! You don't get that cycling around Richmond Park!
That boys and their van thing....
Frank was very proud of his van, as well as his horn. Quite rightly. It was an impressive horn. The same sound as the Tour de France vans apparently. A horn that would make you jump out of your skin when hooted. But it also made you feel like a pro. As we toured the Spanish countryside with the van it looked like we were a proper team. Apart from the lack of team kit obviously. But we had crew who could fix things. That was Franks job as Marijn kept telling us. It felt good. I liked that.
The difference with Frank's van and the van driven on the RoadTripParis van was the contents. The van on RoadTripParis was like a mobile sweet shop with boxes of Haribo. I put this down to the driver Naomi being pregnant! Franks van was more nutritious ....banana's and almond nut snacks. Frank wasn't pregnant.
I think Frank is in love with his van. We often caught him taking photo's of it in various locations at different angles.
That to sum it up thing....
We were pretty lucky. It was great to cycle in a small group and the weather was definitely our friend. We like friends. Sunshine all the way. Over 300km cycled. (no thanks to Garmin again). Mountains climbed. Plenty of cake. No punctures to report. Great roads with no-one around for miles - bliss. A beautiful part of the world. All in all a great tour from the very start to finish with lovely people. Thank you.
Anyway back to reality again .....Whatever did happen to Martine McCutcheson ? to be discussed over a bottle of Rioja sometime!
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| Isabelle, Sasha, Nada, Me, Marijn |
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| To the Beach Beach ! |
That cycling in Spain thing.....
Well I have to say I'm well and truly smitten. Riding in Spain is just bliss. You have your uppey bits, but there are always downy bits and flat bits. There's variation that's what I like. And I have to say the cycling in the mountains near Gironne was lovely. Lots of different landscapes, sea views, forests, stick farms, country lanes, farms. And lovely roads devoid of cars and actually even cyclists. And Marijn knew all the hidden treasures. We detoured out of very ordinary looking villages, under an arch and before you knew it you were stepping back in time into a cobbled courtyard. Places where you felt you had to whisper because it felt like you'd found a hidden village. Enchanting.
That cycling with just women thing....
It is just different cycling with women. I have cycled with men. Some very nice men. But when there's a mixed group, the men do just want to drop the women and leave them behind. OK not all men. But cycling with women just feels more harmonious, less intimidating. Because a man can't be seen to be "beaten" by a woman. I have had some ridiculous situations in Mallorca when I've been cycling on my own. Where men have nearly had a heart attack trying to pass me. And the comments and looks female cyclists get from male cyclists - sheer incredulity sometimes. That said I have had some very thoughtful male cyclists look after me whilst going beetroot red, swallowing flys, sucking my cherry drops - me not them (and that's definitely not a euphemism even though it does sound quite rude). So maybe it's just men in groups. What is the collective term for a group of male cyclists anyway ? Lycr-Osterone? A macho-ped? Brutus-Lycrus? or a Grunt? Well maybe it just makes us women try a bit harder? Actually I just want to enjoy my cycling, so whatever it takes.
That hanging out with a pro thing....
Marijn de Vries - what a really lovely lady. Great ride leader. She has taught me many things.
1. That that pocket at the back of my neck on my cycling rain jacket isn't in fact for my lipstick but to fold my jacket into when packing it away - genius
2. It is possible to dance until your toe nails drop off if you are on very strong painkillers.
3. That Frank likes his horn. I had to explain this might have another meaning in the UK.
4. How to pee in bib shorts. Not IN the bib shorts but whilst wearing bib shorts. A thing not often discussed a bit like child birth. Not going to go all lady garden on you - don't want to make anyone squirm!
5. She also has a "taking photo's of doors" thing like I do. She showed us many beautiful hidden doors.
6. The castles where Maradona and Katy Perry live. Not together apparently.
7. That she knows proper fast cycling people.
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| Pac-A-Jacket - neat ! |
Fact 7. This was a cool moment. Over dinner Marijn asks if it's OK if she watches on her laptop her best friend who is racing. Yes we say. We start to watch the UCI track world championships in London. Quite special when you have a pro telling you all the tactics of a race. We watched Great Britain's Laura Trott come first and Marijn's friend happened to be defending her world title. Her friend happens to be Kirsten Wild who we watched get the silver. Wow! You don't get that cycling around Richmond Park!
That boys and their van thing....
Frank was very proud of his van, as well as his horn. Quite rightly. It was an impressive horn. The same sound as the Tour de France vans apparently. A horn that would make you jump out of your skin when hooted. But it also made you feel like a pro. As we toured the Spanish countryside with the van it looked like we were a proper team. Apart from the lack of team kit obviously. But we had crew who could fix things. That was Franks job as Marijn kept telling us. It felt good. I liked that.
The difference with Frank's van and the van driven on the RoadTripParis van was the contents. The van on RoadTripParis was like a mobile sweet shop with boxes of Haribo. I put this down to the driver Naomi being pregnant! Franks van was more nutritious ....banana's and almond nut snacks. Frank wasn't pregnant.
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| Frank's Van - it's a love thing. |
That to sum it up thing....
We were pretty lucky. It was great to cycle in a small group and the weather was definitely our friend. We like friends. Sunshine all the way. Over 300km cycled. (no thanks to Garmin again). Mountains climbed. Plenty of cake. No punctures to report. Great roads with no-one around for miles - bliss. A beautiful part of the world. All in all a great tour from the very start to finish with lovely people. Thank you.
Anyway back to reality again .....Whatever did happen to Martine McCutcheson ? to be discussed over a bottle of Rioja sometime!
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| The end celebrations ! |
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| Girls in Gironne |
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| BYE ! |
