Well Monday was weigh in night and normal service was resumed after last week big loss, a small gain. I was expecting it as I had fish cake a chips during the past week and with only one ride the odds were against me having another loss. But this is the bit I just don’t get it, I have stopped eating so much rubbish, apart from the normal unhealthy meals I used to eat I would tuck into biscuits, crisps, pies\pasties, cakes all as extras. But now I eat sensible healthy meals, I eat loads of fruit. I have one portion of fish cake and chips and bang my weight is up. The total weight of the fish cake and chips does not equal my weight gain so what is going on? Sometimes this weigh loss and diet are a mystery to me.

I am on holiday this week and Monday was taken up with me taking a journey to collect my new toy. I have been considering getting a full suspension bike mountain bike for several months and with the announcement of the VAT increase at the end of the year I decided that by the end of the year I would purchase one, maybe a discounted 2010 model as the 2011 models would be available by then. I had already discounted the Whyte E120 I test rode over the Purbeck’s earlier in the year as I could not justify paying the price for one regardless of how good it was. For the same reason I discounted the Orange 5, the cost and it was more bike than I could really use for my riding.

So what do you do when you are offered a bike at a very good price, ex demo, less than 12 months old and less than half price…………………..well if you are me you say yes please. I spoke to the supplier on Friday, left a deposit to hold the bike till Monday so I could drive down to East Sussex and give the bike the once over and if I am happy with it complete the purchase. Well at 11:15 Monday morning I was in St Lennards, East Sussex, by midday I was driving home the proud owner of a Whyte E120.

Looks nice against the back drop of the gazebo

Apart from a couple of minor little marks on the carbon frame it looks brand new, the tyres still has those little bits of rubber you get on new tyres. Unfortunately it was to late for me to go for a ride yesterday so first ride was this morning. I decided to ride over the local heath as it would give me some sort of bench mark as I know what the terrain is like on my other bike. I was not disappointed, it felt nice not to have my saddle pummelling my butt on some of the down hill sections. I am still trying to get to grips with the settings.

Ironic as it seems, Monday a fellow riders announced he was selling his old Orange 5 and for quite a bit less than I paid for the Whyte and yes, had I seen the Orange first I would of bought it!

Unfortunately buying the bike came at a price, the wife sent me an e-mail with a web address and the words Order This!! what could I say she let me buy the bike (and it was a lot cheaper than the bike).