Space Race

Miles 112
Energy bars 6
Days to Etape 68
Hours browsing at Wiggle err, too many

This blog comes to you in the spirit of the original space race between the Americans and Russians. Legend has it that NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pen for its astronauts that could write upside down in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.

This eastern bloc wisdom came home to roost after all the hours I've spent selecting kit and upgrades for my bike, scouring catalogues and websites to save a gramme here or there. Then a secretary at work showed me how to cut a kilo from my cycling load in one easy step. Swallowing my pride, with a good dose of humble pie, I had no decent answer as to why I carried my bike lock with me every day. "Why don't you just leave it locked to the bike rack?" she asked, as she pedalled away on a Raleigh Shopper. "Err... good idea."

Now apologies to all those grandmothers whom I've just taught to suck an egg, but on daily commutes it seems there are easier ways to cut weight than pay through the nose for pedals or a pump that happen to be 10g lighter than their rivals. So I now avoid the burden of carrying clean clothes to the office on four days of the week, by driving a week's worth of shirts, pants, socks and trousers on the fifth day. My lower desk drawer is not the most fragrant bunker in our sealed-window office, but its pedal perfume of dawn sweat and morning hills is overpowered by the shoes I leave under my desk.

I've also dramatically thinned out the clutter I used to carry to and from the office without ever taking it from my briefcase. And on crazy lightweight days have realised that raisins are lighter than the equivalent number of grapes for an afternoon snack!

I did try ditching my packed lunch in favour of buying a midday sandwich, but the cost soon adds up, and that's money that could be better invested in lighter kit - or in buying the secretary a box of chocs and picking her brain for another genius weight saving idea.