Tom, Get Your Plane Right On Time.

Until 5pm today, when I'm due at the Gym, I have absolutely nothing to do. I might head down to the shops, buy some new jeans, put a new chain on the road bike, tidy up the house. You know, basic TCOB stuff. But that reminds me that this blog needs to be taken care of. So here we go: my first ever school holiday TCOB special. Look at all these links!

First of all, you should follow me on twitter, in order to receive such insights as "bombers then flanders. good day for TV sport." or, even more incisively, "just heard smells like teen spirit on melbourne's classic rock. i am officially old." If you like dull training updates and imprecise weather reports, it's a hell of a ride.

Secondly, the advice section is taking off quite nicely, with some folks even sending in real questions. But this won't last long if you folks don't keep sending in questions. Hit a brother up. If you need mechanical advice don't fear - I won't answer those questions myself, but will forward them on to Sean the Man for his expert opinion.

Thirdly, after already overcoming one training setback, I was pretty bummed out to consider that I may be facing another. A week ago my bike developed a creak. Despite Andy's advice (how do you solve a creaking noise? Turn your iPod up.) I went down to the store to have it checked out. And was there for the next five hours. The boys regreased and replaced all the important bits - different bottom bracket, different cranks, different pedals, different rear wheel - and the bloody thing just got noisier. I was there so long they bought me lunch. The consensus was that it was the frame, and that I should come back during the working week to discuss a replacement. I left a dejected man.

So I took it away on holidays with me, followed Andy's advice, then took it back in upon my return. DC had a quick look, flexed the frame a bit, produced the noise, took out the front skewer, greased it up and eliminated the creak. The process took about thirty seconds. He didn't buy me lunch, but I still could've kissed him.

Next up is my new favourite school holiday activity: screwing around with surveys. You'd think, after the Cyclist of the Year debacle, that people would be wary of allowing respondants to write in their own answers to questions. But some folks never learn. As such, I'll ask you to respond to this survey for Ride Cycling Review (actually a pretty good mag), and when it asks you who you would like to see on the cover, please write in "James Kent". You could also win a fancy carbon bike worth a whole lot of biscuits, so it's totally worth your while.

Finally, it's lovely out, but this autumnal gorgeousness ain't gonna last. If I were you I'd ride my bike down to Rathdowne Street and sit out the front at Tre Biccieri, watching the bikes go by until the afternoon turns cold. Hell, I may even see you there.