Training

As some of you know, I have become a very keen cyclist this year.
To date, I have cycled 1,050 miles since January. And I plan to ride a further 2,000 miles this year.

It all started when Chris Hems got me into mountain biking last year, and I saw Shea Hindman commuting by bike in his suit!
I had been a road cyclist in my earlier life (back in Italy), and I must admit I could not resist treating myself to a brand new road bike. I got myself a Kiron Scandium, which weighs a meagre 7.8 kilos.

My current weekly schedule sees me commuting by bike to work three times a week. That's 81 miles of commuting miles a week.
Since I don't have a car, I must use my bike, come rain or shine. I am certainly not a fair weather cyclo-commuter.

I also take my son to the child minder on Wednesday mornings using the cycle paths in Wokingham. That's only a mile round trip, but saves on fuel and time.

On top of that, every Sundays I ride a training route of at least 50 miles.
My favourite Sunday route is Wokingham to Benson, in Oxfordshire, offering a total ascent of 900 meters (3,000 feet) over 53 miles. My personal best on that route is 2h 55m, at an average speed of 18 mph.

Since I decided to participate in the London to Paris bike ride this September, my training schedule got tougher.

I plan to ride a minimum of 80 miles every Sunday, and eventually move to two consecutive 80 mile rides in a weekend.
The first of those I have planned is an 80 mile loop from Wokingham through Camberley, Guildford, Dorking, Leatherhead, Cobham, Chertsey, Staines, Windsor, Maidenhead, Twyford and back to Wokingham again.
It should take me around 4 and 1/2 hours to complete.


View Wokingham 80 mile loop in a larger map