With the heat that some of you are experiencing- I feel ashamed to say that the temperature over here is only in the high 80's, but I still don't feel like riding in it. My Sunday ride group has dwindeld down to just another 2 for the Summer and I do not like Riding with one of them. He is the competitive one that always has to get there first and although he cannot do distance- Neither can I when I try to stay at his pace. Then there are the trails round here. In the summer it is covered in tourists out for a days Walking or crowds of bikers out for a bit of fun on the hills. It gets too crowded and there is no way you can get in the only decent cafe on the rides if you are later than 5 minutes after they open. Then the trails are also rock hard and falling off on them is not a nice experience.

To say that I am not enjoying my riding at present is an understatement. I am trying to get out to a different part of the country -or even a different country, (France) to try some different rides but that is not too successful right now. Still getting some riding in- well a lot really, but that is on the road bike, and that is only to keep the legs turning. Roll on the Autumn when the weather gets a bit nastier, with rain and Frost and a couple of inches of white stuff occasionally and I will get the enthusiasm back.

I'll have to do a few rides that I used to do many years ago and see how that improves things. Might even start looking at the catalogues to see if there are any new parts that have come out in the last year that will improve my riding with the new "MUST HAVE WIDGET" that will improve my riding capabilities. See, I haven't even been keeping up with the latest trends on mountain bikes so I must be feeling off.

Only one thing for it. Change the Gearing on the road bike and find that 20%er that I couldn't climb last year. Now where did I leave the spanners- Might even get the bikes out and give them a polish while I'm about it, and I ought to start checking that pile of tubes in the corner of the shed to see if any can stay up after being repaired. If not it's a trip to the LBS for more tubes and I'd better start looking at the new Powerful lamps to see what I cannot afford again this year. Better get in touch with the Wessex club to see if the Salisbury 100 is on in september and if it is I,d better get a couple of rides in to get the legs straight again.

Think The enthusiasm is back.