Tom Hill

And the answer is..... 10 stitches - so full points to One Lung. Hopefully the swelling will subside in a couple of days. I have a before picture but it is not very pretty. S[attachment=0]IMG_0172.jpg[/attachment]o in the interests of good taste I thought this was enough. Tom

I fancy this also, but I'll need to check dates with my better half as Heidi is also training for the Etape Caledonia. Tom

...........I did ask him if he had been to Flanders. As you say mistakes can happen!! Tips were mainly about using a turbo which involved a lot of standing and knee flexing. Far better to be on the bike proper I would say. Tom

Back home tonight. Thanks to everyone for their support!! All in all not a bad injury in terms of recovery. I hope to be back out in 3-4 weeks. The surgeon is a cyclist and gave me a few pointers on how to recover quickly. It might actually help my hill-climbing which can't be a bad thing. As for the number of stitches I do not yet know, but will count them on Wednesday when I change the wound dressing and post accordingly. I am guessing about 15 visible. As for the inner stitches, we'll never know. All true regarding the tights...... well you don't want to be buying those every week, do you? The doctors at Inverclyde had a good old time folding back the skin and scrubbing away at the wound. Even with local anaesthetic this was not the most pleasant way to pass thirty minutes, even if I was lying on my back with Heidi stroking my head! They were unhappy with their efforts and so thought someone else, with an even coarser brush and a power washer might like to have a go. Much to my relief IMO was closed and so I was transferred to the Southern General where they had a bed and an unusually quiet theatre. Thanks to a general anaesthetic, my memory of the second cleaning is happily non-existent. No bone or ligament damage so only a very, very clean flesh wound and bruising to heal. A few days of painkillers and horse tablets, masquerading as antibiotics and then try to get back to normal ASAP. As soon as I saw the gash, I could only think that I would lose the benefit of all that training. Fortunately it should not be that much of a set back. I am going on a skiing holiday on the 5th of February for a week, but hope to be out before then. Either way I'll be back out as soon as possible. Do you really think the arrow was necessary? Tom

Two for me too Ian. Tom

Perhaps you are like Cavendish............ short and fat! His numbers were expletive deleted as well but he was too bloody minded and ignored everyone saying he would never make it. You should try my approach 1/2 the number of sessions alternated with wine = 20 W improvement. Tom

Is it black only or is a white also available. If so I'll take one of each. Feedback on sizes per Gilbert's post also appreciated. Tom

Count me in too. This was very entertaining!! Tom

Hi Richie Licence number 885786 Tom

Thanks Billy

I'll be out tomorrow. 9:30 at club rooms. Tom

I'm up for a Saturday outing. Passed the bunch at Langbank, on the way back from the dentist; you did not look a happy crew! See you on Saturday, barring muesli mishaps. Tom

Pretty wild in Langbank. Broke a tooth on my muesli and a bit tender so does that count as two excuses? ........ so much for healthy eating! Tom

I'm in for Thursday. Tom

See you at the Clubrooms. Tom

Guys A word of warning re. the Morrisons' car park. If you are there for more than two (or three?) hours you will get a parking ticket - £50 Tom

Regrettably, I cannot make tomorrow either. Kinda forgotten what it's like riding a "moving" bike! Tom

An interesting day out!! Legs froze at the mammoth climb from the Tesco by-pass in Port Glasgow (Thanks to Mark for the pull!!). Guess it was all the hanging around waiting on the puncture repairs. After that all was going quite swimmingly. Literally at some points; I don't think I have ever seen so much water on the roads when it wasn't raining. The low altitude sun made it almost impossible to see where you were going. Warmed up nicely in the Bagel basket but the gears on the Scot gave out before we even turned the corner on to the Healy Brae. Rear mech into the spokes and wrecked the wheel. I trudged back to Largs railway station only to find they had their own problems and the next train was two hours away. So with renewed impetus I decided to bash the wheel a bit and managed to shorten the chain and make it into a fixie. Making more noise than a poorly maintained Trabant, I limped all the way to Whemyss Bay where thankfully there sat a warm and welcoming train. As luck would have it, it was the express train and so it did not stop at Langbank. I alighted, minding the gap as instructed, at Bishopton. With renewed and as it turned out, unwise vigour, I jumped on the ancient steed and started pedalling toward Langbank, where upon the rear wheel totally gave up the ghost. Martin would be proud the way I lugged it back, in true cyclo-cross style, the three and half miles to Langbank. Having now assessed the damage I think the bearings in the wheel had a sudden catastrophic failure causing the mech to jump into the spokes in mangling pretty much everything. Darryl, Yes it is time for the tricross to take over. The Scot is now part-time only and in need of some TLC. However I do have a pair of lovely vintage highly polished Campag hubs. So wheel building will be the next project. Taking the positives, it could have happened on the descent over the other side of the Healy which might not have been very pleasant!! On the wagon next Saturday night so I won't be out on Sunday. Tom

I'm in T

Can't make it this week T

Drumlanrigg sounds like a good idea. I intend entering a few sportives before Italy. The FW is beyond me unless I can have Cancellara's motor! Tom

Bridge for me too. T

Richie It took me nearly a year before I finally figured out about fluids and eating. Having said that I still left it too late today and almost seized just as Andrew left us. One muesli bar later all was well. Also the surges make it difficult, (for me at least). Great ride today. Can't believe it was so warm compared to last week! Tom

I can make it along now See you at 9:00am Tom

Paul Sorry to mess you about. ....... The best laid plans ...... I am afraid I will no longer be able to make it tomorrow. Only took 5 minutes to unravel !!