Some shorts – St Vincent@Epeigné-les-Bois, vins d'arrivée, Contend SL in Touraine

Epeigné-les-Bois: date for the diary – 29 janvier 2017: Fête de Saint Vincent + a meeting tomorrow about the Jour de Cher on 15th July – in particular the possibility of creating a float designed to navigate the Cher.

After a fairly uneventful drive from London to the Loire it was time to enjoy a reviving glass or so. First up the 2008 Remus Plus Montlouis  from Jacky Blot's Domaine de la Taille aux Loups. On first taste there were some wood notes but once the 2008 was swiftly put into a decanter these disappeared and the Remus Plus became more rounded and expressive along with lovely balancing acidity. 

For a red with our grilled chicken legs we opted again for Jacky Blot but this time the 2002 Le Haut de la Butte, Bourgueil (Domaine de la Butte). This was Jacky's first vintage in Bourgueil and he and his team took over the domaine just before the harvest.

Given that the 2002 Haut de la Butte is impressive it has aged attractively with very soft fruit with a finesse nodding towards Burgundy. Possibly this is past its very best but it remains a delight to drink and should continue to be good for at least another five years.   

Although temperatures here in the Cher Valley have barely climbed above zero it was a good day for a run out on the bike – brilliant blue sky, sunshine and dry roads. Furthermore this was the first time I got to ride by relatively new Giant Contend SL on the quiet roads of Touraine. What a treat not to have constant traffic passing you with some motorists passing far too close to the bike. Overall drivers are more considerate here in the Cher giving me plenty of room with just the odd exception who pass too close. Of course, there is no comparison between traffic levels here and London, so nothing like the same level of driver impatience – all too present now in London. Such impatience rarely gets drivers anywhere much quicker often they just get held up at the next set of traffic lights.

Back in London it is excellent news that the Met will be trialling 'close pass operations' across London. If this persuades London drivers to give cyclists' proper space when passing this will be excellent. Not only will it make it safer for those already cycling but should persuade those who hesitate to ride in London that it is safe to venture out.   

     

Excellent Cadence but some thoughtless drivers

The top of Anerley Hill 
approaching Crystal Palace

Cadence stocks Giant bikes 

Cadence Performance is almost at the top of Anerley hHill about 100-metres on the left down from the traffic lights at the start of Crystal Palace Parade. Years ago the late Ken Bird, who died in late January 2005, had his bike shop at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. 

Some four years after we bought our mountain bikes, CRM and I have decided to invest in a couple of road bikes. This time we have opted to buy from Cadence in Crystal Palace. I bought my second Scott mountain bike from Evans Cycles in Clapham and, although the staff were friendly and helpful, the bike fitting service from Evans is not a patch on what is offered by Cadence if you are buying a new bike. Even if you are not buying a new bike you can pay £150 to have a similar thorough fitting. 

I was very impressed with the thoroughness of Sandro Ferramaichi, the fitter who is Portuguese despite his Italian first name. His family comes from Sétubal and some members of his family are involved in wine in the Tejo Valley as well as making chorizo.   It isn't until you ride a modern road bike do you realise how much drag there is from the heavy tires of a mountain bike.

Having picked up my new Giant Contend SL yesterday, I made sure I benefited from today's glorious late autumn weather, although initially it was quite cold.

Apart from the short ride from Sydenham Hill to the Crystal Palace Park on my mountain bike and a couple of rides, today was the first time I had ridden on London roads for years.

The increase in road furniture since the early 1980s has been dramatic. Although these refuges may provide safe places for pedestrians to cross a busy road, they do little for a cyclist as they create pinch points. If it is a tight pinch point I aim to ride in the middle of the road to prevent traffic passing me in the fairly brief time it takes to pass through the road furniture. For some drivers this brief hold up is too long. Traveling through Beckenham towards Elmers Road, some idiot in a large car accelerated and then swung in to make sure they passed through the pinch point – a gain of just a few seconds but a foolishly dangerous manoeuvre. 

Despite driver idiocies I enjoyed my ride, which gave me a chance to get used to the new bike and its ways. One big change is, of course, that you change gear on the handle bars not by using levers on the bike's down tube.    
              

 Our expanding stock of bikes – 2 VTT and 2 road bikes