Normally I’d welcome the wind and rain of a traditional bank, but with the return to the water still a week away the last thing I needed was wind. It was even too wet to work on the van, and the legs wouldn’t let me go out on my new bike. The week couldn’t have ended more different, the sun brought out the summers essential mix sun cream and beer.

You may have already read that Dave Noble is back running his shop, Nobles Windsurfing. While his son Sam has over taken him with time on the water, Dave spends a couple of hours on his bike most days and fortunately for me has the ear of the guys at Giant.

The timing’s perfect, I struggle with my weight and when not sailing it tends to go in the wrong direction, but I’ve found the biking is not only stopping the increase, but bringing it down. Most days I get one or two hours in the saddle, but now find myself looking for different places to ride to.

My younger brother, like me also suffers from excess weight, but has been biking an hour to work most days, so I thought join him one morning. What a mistake. Mark may not have turned to competition he defiantly inherited the family determination; combined with brotherly it’s a dangerous mix.

It only took a hundred yards and I knew Mark wanted to push it so thinking I’d teach him a lesson I took the lead. I was sure he’d drop off the pace after a few miles, despite pushing hard he was till on my tail twenty minutes later, I just had to push harder.

When I’m biking I use a Garmin Edge that displays my hart rate and tells me if I’m not working out hard enough. I pushed until 170 come on the display but with a three quarters of the ride done I had to let him past, it was me that was broken.

I normally ride alone, so had no idea just how much easier it is to follow than lead. We pushed on to his work place and made it twenty minutes quicker than his normal. Still feeling good I took a longer route home, but after another twenty minutes I hit the wall, just hadn’t realized how hard we’d been pushing.

Even stopping for a couple of rests it was a real struggle and only pride stopped me calling for a lift home, though if someone had come past I would have prayed for a puncture. The only conciliation was Mark didn’t ask for a replete performance the next morning, he took the car instead.

While Sundays ride with family and friends was no were near the distance, and I sure the pub lunch didn’t do the waistline any good, it was without doubt more enjoyable.

The van modifications are moving on, but with ever step forward I keep thinking of different ideas. Scott did say he spent weeks planning what he wanted to do with his van, and then gave detailed drawings to his man. I’ve certainly got no drawings, more of a few random thoughts in my head, but the biggest drawback is the lack of tools, but I’m sure it’ll all come together in the end.