This began in 1972. That small plastic bike for kids gave me the same feeling as I got when I had bought my new Claud Butler. First plastic 3-wheel bike, then a bigger three-wheel one: without tubes, just on rubber cords - it was ugly and uncomfortable, but I loved it. It later was converted into a two-wheel device - my first feeling of the true bike balance :) Then "adult" bikes like "Shkolnik" and "Salyut" (the latter was a real success of the Russian industry), and then a present from my grandma: my first mountain bike, heavy and simple stainless-steel VM which nevertheless helped me to participate in four marathons in 1999: 200, 300, 400, and 600km. Yeah, I did it :) Got four nice medals, see photo here (a 600km story published in the 'Voronezh University' newspaper is here). I should participate in the final Paris-Brest-Paris marathon, and I even got an official invitation, but had no money for the trip to France... Was so poor... Anyway, later I visited Paris :o) Back to bikes... Then a good Wheeler (10,000 in one year) which was stolen, then a Taiwan (though with Shimano double wheels) bike which was almost down when I left it in December 2005 after PhD course. Then Claud Butler, a trusty friend for another 5 years.
Suffered several sport traumas and injuries, mainly in the head: sport injury in 1996 (concussion), struck by car in 1998 (old driver didn't keep the roundabout), struck by truck in 1998 (drunk driver turned right onto me), road accident in 2001 (failure of automatic road barrier: it fell onto my head when I crossed the road), road accident on 02.08.2002 (road fault, facial surgery), struck by bus on 07.06.2008 (woman-driver entered the bicycle lane). It is interesting that Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was born on the same day July 30, too underwent facial surgery (genioplasty) and suffered many injuries (sport and road accidents). This is the influence of our common birth star Praesepe (7th degree of Leo).
On May 26th, 2010, my first Brompton was stolen in London (at noon under CCTV, with many pedestrians around seeing the thief - still, police were unable to catch him). In July 2010 I bought a new Brompton with who I participated in the Brompton World Championship 2010 and got a medal.
In May 2011, my Claud Butler was stolen (in front of the Royal Theatre, while I was attending a performance - two locks were cut). On July 30, 2011, I bought a new Bianchi Camaleonte, a great bike which feels as an aircraft in hands. Happy riding!
TOURS:
- Haifa tour (200km), 10 September 2000
- Freiburg tour (100km), 12 April 2001
- Mini Israel Park tour (100km), 15 October 2003
- Great Yarmouth tour (100km), 5 January 2007
- Norfolk tour (300km), 5-7 May 2007
- Cambridge tour (130km), 26 May 2007
- Oxford tour (180km), 16 June 2007
- The Wandle tour (80km circle via Croydon), 30 September 2007
- Lowestoft & Broads tour (120km), 7 July 2007
- Chelmsford tour (110km), 14 July 2007
- Fakenham tour (145km), 22 July 2007
- Suffolk & Kent tour (350km), 25-27 August 2007
- Aylsham tour (70km), 8 September 2007
- London FreeWheel event (70km), 23 Septemeber 2007
- Middlesbrough tour (110km), 29 September 2007
- OneRanger tour (Felixtowe, Bury St Edmunds & Ely, 85 km), 13 October 2007
- Greater London tour (Chelsea, Kensington, Hammersmith, Ealing, Hounslow, Southhall, 105km), 20 October 2007
- OneRanger tour (Ely, Ipswich, 35km), 27 October 2007
- OneRanger tour (Hadleigh, Sunbury, Harwich, Ipswich, 100km), 3 November 2007
- Yarmouth-Cromer tour (100km), 24 February 2008
- Loddon tour (60km), 2 March 2008
- Crufts & Cadbury tour (70 km), 8-9 March 2008
- Castle Road tour (810 km, Stuttgart-Prague), 20-30 March 2008
- Devon & Cornwall tour (240 km, Exeter-Truro), 24-26 May 2008
- Peak District tour (290 km, Sheffield-Derby), 20-22 June 2008
- London & Greenwich tour (100km), 13 July 2008
- North-East Norfolk tour (60km, Happisburgh-Cromer), 23 September 2008
- North-West Norfolk tour (100km, Sheringham-Holkham-Houghton), 25 September 2008
- Norfolk tour (50km), 9 November 2008
- Wales tour (300km, Liverpool to Hollyhead & Swansea to Cardiff), 27-30 December 2008
- Aspall tour (80km, Norfolk & Suffolk), 10 May 2009
- York Roman festival tour (280km, York - Peterborough), 23-25 May 2009
- Holt tour (50km circle from Cromer), 27 May 2009
- Thorpe Market tour (40km), 29 May 2009
- Norfolk coast tour (50km, B1159), 31 May 2009
- Suffolk tour (80km, Ipswich, Sutton Hoo burial site, Orford Castle, Lowestoft), 18 July 2009
- Norfolk minitour (10km, Worstead, Coltishall), 23 September 2009
- Norfolk loop (50km via Loddon & Reedham ferry), 4 October 2009
- Belgium tour (150km, Gent, Brugge, Oostende, Blankenberge, Antwerpen, Marche-en-Famenne, Namur, Liege; also Lille and Maastricht), 20-28 February 2010
- Danube tour (400km, Budapest, Visegrad, Esztergom, Tarjan, Gyor, Bratislava, Vienna), 28 April - 2 May 2010
- South-West tour (500km, Penzance, St Michael's Mount, Land's End, Portreath, Perranporth, Newquay, Treyarnon, Padstow, Boscastle, Bideford, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth, Minehead, Bridgewater, Glastonbury, Bath), 18-23 July 2010
- Coast to Coast tour (200km, Windermere, Kendal, Hawes, Aysgarth, Leyburn, Bedale, Northallerton, Guisborough, Whitby, Scarborough), 25-27 March 2011
- Donauradweg (370km, Passau, Linz, Grein, Krems, Tulln, Wachau, Vienna), 30 March - 3 April 2011
- Scotland tour (100km, Inverness, Loch Ness, Elgin, Buckie, Cullen, Banff, Aberdeen), 28-30 May 2011
- Hadrian Wall and Northumberland Coast tour (300km, Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Bamburgh, Seahouses, Whitley Bay, Newcastle), 12-15 August 2011
- Italian lakes tour (420km, Malpensa, Arona, Verbania, Laveno, Lavena Ponte Tresa, Cuasson al Monte, Riva San Vitale, Mendrisio, Como, Dubino, Lecco, Desenzano, Riva del Garda, Peschiera del Garda, Milano; lakes: Maggiore, Lugano, Como, Garda), 16-24 September 2011
- Norfolk loop (60kms via Laddon and Reedham ferry cross over the Broads), 3 December 2011
- Snowdonia & London suburbs (320km, Blackpool, Liverpool, Ewloe, Rhyl, Conwy, Bangor, Benllech, Moelfre, Beaumaris, Menai bridge, Caernarfron, Porthmadog; London Excel, Barking, Romford, Brentwood, Ingatestone), 27 December 2011 - 1 January 2012
Some of the tours are described here.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 5th Brompton World Championship 2010, 3 October, finished 66th among 116 women with time 00:37:55 (two loops in the Blenheim estate, 13kms)
- 6th Brompton World Championship 2011, 21 August, finished 50 among 93 Open Female (or 60th among 127 women) with time 00:35:12
