I celebrated my birthday this week in quiet style. I was hoping to have a proper session next week when everyone is back from travels and mountains. It was strange celebrating the day miles away from home, and away from old friends and family. I made the big mistake of keeping it a bit quiet and I ended up feeling pretty silly – several friends would have really wanted to surprise me with something or other. Still – you live and you learn.

I also just got back from another fantastic ride up Yang Ming Shan. The conditions were terrible, with the weather making a rather unwelcome return to winter, but the terrain did a terrific job of transfmorming into something different. Very slippery, I had several minor comic spills, but always managed to get my feet down when the front wheel washed out. Still, happy to build up my confidence. I maintain that my new pedals made a big difference!

Luckily for me, the celebration dinner for my birthday fell on the same night as the Red Dot design award celebration dinner. The result? Plenty of free booze and food. Result!

Diego devours a fish