So, what do I say about me…..?

I was born in London in 1971 – which makes me the grand young age of 48. I have lived in Sheffield since 1990 – which still classes me as an outsider to Yorkshire – even for the Millennials who were born after I moved here!

I work in computers – not literally, that would be stupid! I’m a computer programmer by trade but own (ok half own with my father but he’s been retired for 14 years) a Computer Software company supplying Enterprise software to run Car Dealerships.

My interest in cycling (this blog is all about cycling after all!) came about as I entered my 40s, getting ever fatter and less-fit… I was out of breath running up the stairs….

I decided that action was required, so bought a bike…. I cycled a mile and nearly died ! I cycled another, and eventually worked my way up to 2 miles… then 4 … then 8….. After 6 months I was doing 20 at a push and set my sights on a 30 mile sportive in the Peak District….

This needed a new bike…

I should mention here about the n+1 rule for cycling…. The number of bikes you need is equal to n+1 where n is the no of bikes you already have..

So I bought a new bike… The Specialized Roubaix shown above. It was carbon ! and for mem eye-wateringly expensive… Little did I know.

I did the 30 miler on that bike, and my next challenge was set to join the 4-Challenge charity team cycling 400 odd miles from London, to Manchester, Leeds and then Sheffield.

I repeated 4 Challenge the following year – cycling 4 days from Edinburgh down to Sheffield.

The Specialized was upgraded – in total I spent double the cost of the bike in upgrades, including new wheels (two sets), updated gears and brakes etc. Eventually though, n+1 rule kicked in again and I had to buy a new bike – my Factor O2…. a bike for the price of a car!

My cycling these days is a mix of commuting (I can cycle up to 50 miles a day just going to work and back), Riding with friends (big shout out to my often partner in crime – Owen!), with my local cycle club – Stocksbridge CC or at various Sportives.

What is a Sportive you may ask…. Basically, you pay to cycle with hundreds or thousands of other cyclists on a predefined route – normally over 100 miles. The best sportives (like Ride London or Velo Birmnigham) are on completely closed roads.

I also cycle on holiday where I can – it’s great to experience other countries, and exploring by bike is so much better than driving around!

Cycling can be a dangerous sport – the picture above was taken a few days after I crashed on the road and used my face as a friction brake to stop – I was unconcious until ambulance arrived, knocked a few teeth out and had lots of stitches in my face! I’ve also broken a vertebrae (hit by a car on a roundabout on holiday in Malta) and my collar bone as well as my shoulder blade (hitting a pot hole hidden in a puddle)

How about my other interests beyond cycling ….

Family

This is me and my better half – Amy… I’m not sure if I should count her as an “interest” but she’s here none-the-less. She drives-me-mad and takes-me-to-the-stars in equal proportions, but I wouldn’t have her any other way..

Leanne is both my daughter, work colleague and best friend.

and this is Malakai – my son. He is 13 now, but is very camera averse – so I’ll have to post an old picture from when he was happier to be photographed!

My Cars

My other love is my cars – I have been a Tesla owner for 3 years, and am onto my fourth one. The picture above is my first Tesla – a model S which I got in May 2016.

An electric car is more than just a car, it’s a way of life… It has introduced me to an amazing group of likeminded people through the owners group and meeting people when charging out on the road.

My current Teslas are a Model S (a P100D – “P” stands for Performance and it’s the fastest accelerating production car you can buy today!) and a Model X (which is a big SUV famous for it’s falcon-wing doors and it’s ability to dance!)

I bought a Tesla almost by mistake – I was after a Porsche (everyone should own a 911 if they ever can) and I was moaning to a friend that the local Porsche dealer wasn’t returning my enquiry about buying a car… He suggested going to see a Tesla with the words “if you drive one, you’ll buy it…” He was right, there is nothing like the feeling of being in and driving a Tesla. It is the future.

Tesla ownership brings knowledge of a whole different world – that which is more aware of Climate Change, the damage that CO2 and NO2 emissions can cause and items such as renewable power generation, reducing pollution and all such things.

I’m no tree-hugger but Id like to think that I’m doing my bit to leave a planet that is better for my children and grandchildren.

Up until now, a Tesla was for the relatively privileged – they aren’t cheap to buy. However, the new Model 3 is out (I have one on order) – and this will be the car to bring Electric Motoring to the masses! (remember you read it here!)