Test ride for Kathy

Today we are at Evans Cycles in wimbledon taking a Cannondale  Synapse 6 out for a test ride. If all goes well we will be bringing it home and Kathy will have a new summer bike.
 The guy at the shop is once again really helpful and gets the bike set up for Kathy ready for us to head out. We leave the deposit and ID at the shop and head out onto the streets of Wimbledon. It is Kathy's first time on drop handlebars so we do the backroads first. A good job as it turns out as I have given Kathy lots of instruction on the gears and changing using the STI levers but have failed to explain the brakes!! Yes they are the same levers but Kathy didn't know this. Anyway we stop without hitting anything and head off for wider Wimbledon and in search of some hills to test it all out. All goes well the bike is brilliant and I think Kathy is in love! So back to the shop where we get a shorter stem fitted it's a bit too long for her and a quick go on the turbo then its off to pay for what is about to become Kathy's new bike!!

Well that was easy all we have to do now is get it safely home and look forward to some summer weather.

Oh and yes of course it is white and blue!!

CTC ride to Wareham

Off to Wareham for a quick ride out today with Kathy who is out for the first time after an injured hamstring. We set off for Merley Bridge where we meet up with the others and as there are only a handful of us we
decide to go to Bobs for coffee rather than the coffee shop as planned. We head off under grey skies on our normal route to Wareham pleased that the rain has stopped for at least a short while and that we are able to get out. There has not been a lot of cycling going on and the rain hasn't stopped much since January. Many roads are flooded and the back lanes are very dodgy.

Ark under construction?

On our way out we pass a house where it appears someone is building an Ark - this causes much amusement and talk of the weather.

As we near Wareham the skies start to brighten and the sun tries to come out from behind the clouds. However, its still quite chilly and the thought of hot coffee at Bobs drives us on. The ride out to Wareham is proving testing as there is a very strong gusting wind directly into our faces. On the up side the ride home should be fast!


We arrive at Bobs and have coffee where Kathy and I decide that we will not continue out on the rest of the ride but will head into Wareham to get some photos before heading for home. Kathy's hamstring is a little sore so best not to push too hard. At Wareham Bridge we cross onto the closed causeway and get some pictures of the floodplains - very much doing what they should!