NOT LONG UNTIL THE COAST TO COAST ADVENTURE

A mixed week with punctures, poor weather and work taking its toll on my training regime.

I decided to change my rear tyre from a full off-road version, to one that offered more grip on harder surfaces, while still giving grip off-road.

Since then I’ve devised a shorter route that covers both on and off-road surfaces and I can certainly see that my speed over the harder surfaces is increasing without too many problems for my speed on the rougher terrain.

In the next week or so, after a few more test rides, I’ll change the front tyre and see what happens. The Coast to Coast has a good level of harder surfaces so I suspect I could be slightly quicker.

The new route is 5.5 miles long and to increase the length I just do two laps or redo the road section a couple of times, which includes a couple of inclines.

In the last week I’ve done five laps of the 5.5 mile route, with a couple of additions on the road section. As the weather is due to get better this week I hope to do a few two or three lap rides per night.

It’s only three weeks until Pads, Ian, Neil and I head to Whitehaven and I want to be able to do four laps of this route in one ride, before we go.

I can certainly feel a difference in my legs and fitness, particularly when doing a second lap of the 5.5 mile route, as this is always quicker. Perhaps it takes me a while to warm up and then I’m fine to continue at a good pace for a while.

One final addition will be a good 40-50 litre rucksack to carry all my clothes on the ride. If anyone can recommend a good one, for reasonable money, please let me know.

As mentioned previously we’re riding the Coast to Coast for Cancer Research UK, so if you would like to donate please go to http://www.justgiving.com/mydadgrahamknowles

Any donation is very much appreciated and will go to an excellent charity that has helped millions of people and will hopefully help many millions in the future.