surprise - no brakes - long live the adventure

Don't you just love surprises....
In one month I have to participate in a 'Raid', part of my studies. We will be out on our own, by bike, during 5 days and without any outside support. 5 Days of riding by mountain- and road bike out on the trails of the Mercantour National Parc. Me and the 15 guys of the course and so it is in my best interest to be prepared.

So I prepare myself seriously by riding and practising. Although I am still a bit handicapped because of the pain in my hand/wrist, I can ride my roadbike for hours. Now here comes the surprise....
Here I am, happily turning the legs around on the roads and my speed increases and increases....I have always wondered whether my brakes worked well and the guys and mechanics have made fun of me that I didn't know how to ride a roadbike......Until last week, a car decided not to give me the right of way on a roundabout. I hit the brakes, hard....and nothing happens. The damned bike DOES NOT STOP. Well, that was it. That was my 3rd almost accident and I have had enough of it.
I don't hesitate, ride to the shop immediately, tell of my 'adventure' and finally, after 6 months of complaining that the brakes on the damn bike are useless, he believes me. He believes me....
Unfortunately, changing pads will not solve the problem, I'll have to change the brakes entirely and it's gonna cost me, 'cause the bikebrand has issued a frame that does not allow many deviation of the original parts.......To be continued this week!!

With the beginning of a new year, it's time to pick up the pace and start progressing on some serious business. After my arrival on Saturday the 5th of January, I went for a ride on Sunday. Saturday's rain had gone, the sun was out and it was very mild. The only cumbersome thing, the wind, was strong. So I put my head down and put 90 minutes of roadcycling in, against the wind of about 70 km/h. Only the last 20 minutes I could cruise along and my ride finished with a nice 60 km/h descent into the last stretch home.

While cycling, 'cause all you can do on the road is think and ponder, I realised that I'll have to move in on my plans to offer holidays and day-trips to holiday goers in and around Draguignan. As if all has to be this way, I bumped into a guy today at my favorite store 'Bouticycle' who mentioned that someone he knows is building a guesthouse and maybe he'll be needing customers soon, and why not team-up?
I do have to start looking around for a nice Bed & Breakfast or hotel that can accommodate mountainbikers and other interested cycling fans, since the first options opted out. "Not interested".
I also have to look into the paperwork and other legal issues and I already have some leads and I will follow-up on these this week.
Tomorrow another ride, on my MTB this time.....I'm going to look for new single tracks and also put some time into some serious training this week. Looking forward to it. This year I'm looking at my first paying customers!!