It felt like I’d been punched in the head. A sudden impact, followed by a throbbing pain. It took a few seconds to register what had happened, which ordinarily, would have been ok but at this particular moment, I was travelling downhill at over 35 miles an hour.
A bee sting, just what I need when I’m suffering like a dog on the hardest single day I’ve ever had on the bike. Why did I sign up for this ridiculous event where the organisers are determined to break people? I’m on the 107 mile route of the Northern Rock Cyclone sportive and as you can probably make out by now, it’s not a nice place to be.
It all seemed like a good idea at first. I got an invite from my friend Lee, for a reunion of the London 2 Paris 2010 group. The format was perfect. We were to arrive at Lee’s on Friday, watch the evening criterium races, do the sportive on the Saturday and then catch some of the National Championships on the Sunday. I’ve done a fair few miles this year already and was looking forward to notching up my first century of 2011.
Saturday began wet, with a constant fine drizzle on the three mile ride to the sportive that had us soaked before we even arrived at the starting line. Never a promising start to a century ride but not as bad as the poor soul who hit a traffic island after immediately exiting the car park and was promptly collected by the St John’s Ambulance crew.
The first 20 or so miles flew by. I got into a group and was travelling at a fair pace before I saw sense and eased off a little. This was going to be a long day after all. Soon, we were in the quieter lanes but the damp conditions made for some cautious riders which only added to the difficult conditions. Once again, I was disappointed by the standard of riding I saw. It was as if some people had never ridden in a group before and I would witness several crashes over the course of the day as tired riders weaved across the road.
As the route progressed, the hills came thick and fast as we crossed several valleys and onto the moors, close to military ranges. The distant gunfire adding to my own personal battle. The roads dried but by 60 miles I was really suffering and was greeted by a long single track road that snaked into the distance as far as the eye could see. Did I mention the head wind? I was now at a pitifully 8mph crawl, wishing I’d opted for the shorter route, cursing the organisers for their sadistic ways.
Mile after mile stumbled by as faster riders continually passed me. My only saving grace was that I tackled every climb and refused to walk as some others around me resorted to pushing their bikes up the hill. Compact gears were my saviour.
I created games in by head to pass the time and promised myself jelly babies as I reached milestone markers but it was a struggle to stay motivated. If someone had offered me a ride home at 70 miles, I’d have bitten their hand off.
The century mark came and went and it was a final drag for home. My thighs started to cramp. I hadn’t consumed enough fluids but I was so close, I just had to push on. I’d speed up on the flat and tear away, only to be passed again as soon as the road went skywards when the pain in my thighs became too unbearable.
The finish line arrived and for me, it couldn’t be soon enough. It was done and I carried on back to Lee’s house where the unanimous verdict of “a day in hell” was agreed.
Would I do the ride again? Probably.
Stats for the day (lap 2 for the sportive):
Northern Rock Cyclone
Monday 27 June 2011
Thursday 23 June 2011
Amateur Home Mechanics Part 3
Following my ridiculous stack on the weekend, I bought some bar tape and had a go at some home mechanics. I went for black this time as the red colour gets dirty pretty quickly. It's taken me a little while to get used to it but I think it makes the bike look more stealthy.
I'm surprised to say that things went smoother than I thought. There were no fires, no injuries and it looks like a visit to the local bike shop won't be necessary. I'm pretty pleased with the results. It's not "bike shop" perfect and there are a few little bits i'm not happy with but for a first attempt, it's not too shabby and I've got that warm glow inside of a DIY job gone well.
I certainly won't be worried about fitting new tape in the future and will change tape more often as it really freshens up the look of the bike.
Saturday 18 June 2011
An alternative way of thinking....
I love being in a bike club. There's always a ride of some description going on and a great sense of inclusiveness. It always feels me with pride to see a group of us in the club kit, it's just a shame I don't get to ride with the club as often as i'd like.
I had a window of opportunity today to get out for a ride with the club on a Saturday. It's not something I always get a chance to do. Usually, a hectic family life means that I fit my weekend riding in around the other weekend activities, often snatching a couple of early morning or late evening rides.
This weekend though, the in-laws are down to stay. This was made obvious by the teapot being carefully brought down from that high shelf at the back of the cupboard and given a thorough clean - it's usually the sign of an impending invasion, followed closely by an enormous shopping list packed full of things that we don't usually buy.
Anyway, they fought their way across the moat and avoided the archers to arrive at the front door. I must have done something right for a change because I was gifted a pass from the Natural History museum and offered the freedom of a Saturday ride with the club. The weather looked ominous but I thought i'd sooner take my chances with it, although to be honest i'd probably have agreed to swim with sharks to get out on my bike this weekend.
I'm a fan of the club run. It does what it says on the tin and offers a head down, bum up ride to the cafe in Charlwood but I fancied a change from the norm today and a bit more of a sociable ride so decided to head out on Pete's Alternative club run.
I was a little bit worried at first as to what alternative meant and whether these rides were alternative through personal choice rather than shunned by the rest of the club but I need not have worried as although the bunch was a mismatched bunch of misfits, they were all very welcoming and friendly.
10 of us set out and it quickly became apparent that anyone was fair game and the order of the next few hours was to take the piss out of eachother as much as possible.
We sped through the country lanes, some of which i've never seen before, which added to the beauty of the ride. It's nice to have that little edge of not knowing exactly where you are and the fear of being dropped that could result in lost days trudging round Surrey, trying to find a route home.
No fear of that with Pete and Co really though as we all waited at the top of the climbs and made it to the cafe destination of choice - Tulley's Farm where we were greeted by coffee, cake and mystical hovering goats.
The ride back was an eventful mix of rain showers and an off-road excursion along a wooded cycle track. Brilliant stuff, although i'm surprised we didn't get more punctures.
We finished off nicely with a return climb up to the top of Farthing Downs where I managed to complete the most spectacular of bicycle moves and crash whilst standing still. The usual thing of being clipped in with one leg on an adverse camber. Scuff to leg, pride and bartape although I think the guys did very well to stifle their laughs.
Haven't pulled off that move for a long while but I guess i'm still not as proficient on a bike as I like to think.
So, I have the annoying situation now of a slightly scuffed bike (not too bothered) and ripped bar tape (very annoying). I called into the bike shop on the way home and they said they could do it today but then wanted £15 on top of the £12 for the tape so i'll have a go at fitting new tape myself before ruining it, being a tit and taking it to the bike shop for a professional job....
I had a window of opportunity today to get out for a ride with the club on a Saturday. It's not something I always get a chance to do. Usually, a hectic family life means that I fit my weekend riding in around the other weekend activities, often snatching a couple of early morning or late evening rides.
This weekend though, the in-laws are down to stay. This was made obvious by the teapot being carefully brought down from that high shelf at the back of the cupboard and given a thorough clean - it's usually the sign of an impending invasion, followed closely by an enormous shopping list packed full of things that we don't usually buy.
Anyway, they fought their way across the moat and avoided the archers to arrive at the front door. I must have done something right for a change because I was gifted a pass from the Natural History museum and offered the freedom of a Saturday ride with the club. The weather looked ominous but I thought i'd sooner take my chances with it, although to be honest i'd probably have agreed to swim with sharks to get out on my bike this weekend.
I'm a fan of the club run. It does what it says on the tin and offers a head down, bum up ride to the cafe in Charlwood but I fancied a change from the norm today and a bit more of a sociable ride so decided to head out on Pete's Alternative club run.
I was a little bit worried at first as to what alternative meant and whether these rides were alternative through personal choice rather than shunned by the rest of the club but I need not have worried as although the bunch was a mismatched bunch of misfits, they were all very welcoming and friendly.
10 of us set out and it quickly became apparent that anyone was fair game and the order of the next few hours was to take the piss out of eachother as much as possible.
We sped through the country lanes, some of which i've never seen before, which added to the beauty of the ride. It's nice to have that little edge of not knowing exactly where you are and the fear of being dropped that could result in lost days trudging round Surrey, trying to find a route home.
No fear of that with Pete and Co really though as we all waited at the top of the climbs and made it to the cafe destination of choice - Tulley's Farm where we were greeted by coffee, cake and mystical hovering goats.
The ride back was an eventful mix of rain showers and an off-road excursion along a wooded cycle track. Brilliant stuff, although i'm surprised we didn't get more punctures.
We finished off nicely with a return climb up to the top of Farthing Downs where I managed to complete the most spectacular of bicycle moves and crash whilst standing still. The usual thing of being clipped in with one leg on an adverse camber. Scuff to leg, pride and bartape although I think the guys did very well to stifle their laughs.
Haven't pulled off that move for a long while but I guess i'm still not as proficient on a bike as I like to think.
So, I have the annoying situation now of a slightly scuffed bike (not too bothered) and ripped bar tape (very annoying). I called into the bike shop on the way home and they said they could do it today but then wanted £15 on top of the £12 for the tape so i'll have a go at fitting new tape myself before ruining it, being a tit and taking it to the bike shop for a professional job....
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Talk with the legs.....
The sun sets lazily in the background as I survey my surroundings. This is alright.
Today’s been a hectic day. It seems everyone wanted a piece of me. Deadline this, deadline that, help with this, help with that. I don’t have a stressful job and I’m a relatively relaxed person but sometimes it can be draining.
The tension’s drifting away now though, neck loosening and the strains of the day disappearing into space. I take a deep breath and get a lungful of the humid, dense air. There’s a slightly different smell in the air tonight, a mixture between the sweet smell emanating from the flowers and the faint smell of an incoming storm. The air feels heavy around, perfectly balanced ahead of the thunder to come.
It’s good to be out, perched up high on the North Downs, close to civilization but a million miles away from the humdrum of every day life. This is the best part of the year, before the heat of a full summer but with warm, light evenings where I can snatch a ride after work.
Sometimes it’s good to stop for a while. So much can be lost by simply keeping my head down and turning a pedal. I think that sometimes I concentrate too much on times and speeds and forget to actually enjoy what I’m doing, I spend my time talking with my legs more than listening to my head.
Up here I can relax and forget about life for five minutes. A guy on a mountain bike cruises past. We exchange nods as he carries on, carving a path and enjoying his own adventure. Nothing comes close to an evening ride in the early summer sun. He knows it and I know it.
Next time you’re out on a ride, take a break somewhere nice and survey your surroundings. Breathe in the experience around you and escape the rat race.
Today’s been a hectic day. It seems everyone wanted a piece of me. Deadline this, deadline that, help with this, help with that. I don’t have a stressful job and I’m a relatively relaxed person but sometimes it can be draining.
The tension’s drifting away now though, neck loosening and the strains of the day disappearing into space. I take a deep breath and get a lungful of the humid, dense air. There’s a slightly different smell in the air tonight, a mixture between the sweet smell emanating from the flowers and the faint smell of an incoming storm. The air feels heavy around, perfectly balanced ahead of the thunder to come.
It’s good to be out, perched up high on the North Downs, close to civilization but a million miles away from the humdrum of every day life. This is the best part of the year, before the heat of a full summer but with warm, light evenings where I can snatch a ride after work.
Sometimes it’s good to stop for a while. So much can be lost by simply keeping my head down and turning a pedal. I think that sometimes I concentrate too much on times and speeds and forget to actually enjoy what I’m doing, I spend my time talking with my legs more than listening to my head.
Up here I can relax and forget about life for five minutes. A guy on a mountain bike cruises past. We exchange nods as he carries on, carving a path and enjoying his own adventure. Nothing comes close to an evening ride in the early summer sun. He knows it and I know it.
Next time you’re out on a ride, take a break somewhere nice and survey your surroundings. Breathe in the experience around you and escape the rat race.
Saturday 11 June 2011
The Dream
I love the Allez. It's turned out to be a brilliant first proper bike and to a degree, it's probably all I need in a bicycle. I dislike riding it in winter and bad weather where you can almost hear the components crying as they get smeared in grit and road muck.
A winter bike is a sensible choice then and if I get one that will have a bit of flexibility, it could become an all-round bike and perhaps a light tourer. I figure a second hand purchase will make financial sense and if I stick to Specialised, I know the sizing will be spot on. I've decided that I'll keep an eye out for a good second hand Allez sport (possibly a triple for added flexibility) or a Tricross for the option of some light off road action. Once the summer is out of the way, i'll get the wallet out.....
So why's there a picture of the Specialised Venge at the top of the page? Well, I can dream can't I? I saw the bike on several websites and i have to say, it's my favourite looking bike at the moment. It looks super fast, just standing still. I thought dreaming would be the end of it, but seeing this bike and stumbling across a thread on the BikeRadar website regarding the influx of Chinese carbon frames got me thinking......
For the past few years, we've spent a fortune on a nursery place for my son. Thankfully, he starts school later this year, which means a saving of £700 a month. This gives me the flexibility of a potential bike build over the winter months. Looking around, the Chinese carbon frames seem to be getting rave reviews and as we all know, the majority of bike manufacturers produce their frames in the far east, so it's only natural that these factories would start selling unbranded frames at discounted prices.
A bit of searching and I found that one such well reviewed importer, produces a version of the Venge frame and it comes in around the £300 mark. I could order one and then with a mid range groupset, a few extras and utilising my Fulcrum 3 wheels (putting the stock ones back on the Allez) could see a build come in at just over £1000 for a 7kg full carbon bike that shouldn't look too dissimilar to the Venge. Wheels could then be upgraded at a later date when funds allow. Empty pipe dream? Watch this space........
Thursday 9 June 2011
Dragon Ride 2011 Report
This was the ride that I had been waiting for. A fair bit of effort had gone into the preparation but I had reservations about only signing up for the medium 70 mile course. With the rain on the day, I was glad that I’d made the right choice.
We arrived at our hotel on the Saturday, on the outskirts of Cardiff, 15 miles from the start of the Dragon. A Travelodge special, costing £19 between the 3 of us. Another 4 friends joined us on the Saturday and we decided to head out on a 30 mile spin to loosen the legs.
Not being familiar with the area, I mapped a route which turned out to be quite an event in itself, crossing 3-4 valleys with climbs that turned out to be steeper than those on the Dragon ride!
It was with slightly sore legs that we awoke on Sunday morning to find the sunshine from Saturday disappear, to be replaced with grey skies and the threat of rain. I’d spent most of the early start checking various weather sites on my phone, hoping to find one that I liked. Attempts were futile though, we were going to get wet. I wish I’d packed that gillet.
The M4 was a clear run and then we turned off at junction 35 to find a queue of cars waiting to get into the main car park. Whilst friends in a separate car turned off for the overflow parking, I was committed to the line and sat for 40 minutes until we got a space.
Once the bikes were unpacked, we set off to the start where we were confronted with the biggest group of cyclists I’ve ever seen. The line went on for ages and we waited for an hour to reach the timing mat and finally got away at 9.30am.
I’ve seen on some forums that people have criticised the organisation. Perhaps larger groups could have been released but when you choose to enter a mass event, you kind of expect some hold ups and although I was a bit cold, I wasn’t annoyed at the delay, just at the people who were obviously pushing in at the front and holding the rest of us patient folk up.
Four of our group got away early because of the parking so there were just three of us to start which quickly became two after we lost one on the first climb. After the legs got warm, a group of four came past and we latched onto the back of what turned out to be a pretty fast moving train. It meant that the first 30 miles was completed at a 19-20mph average before we slowed to appreciate the coast views as we headed in for the first feed stop.
On the whole, the standard of riding was pretty good but there were the usual few who decided to treat it like a race and demonstrate their lack of ability and group experience. I took particular dislike to the idiot who continually half-wheeled me and never took a turn and then a second moron who decided to ride between my mate and I when we were chatting. We turned our heads to find him half-wheeling the pair of us. I saw a couple of nasty accidents and road rash on one of the corners and hope that those riders weren’t badly hurt.
The route was fairly fast rolling and I was having an enjoyable time but was getting concerned with my heart rate monitor which was massively over-reading and indicating over 200bpm (my max is 190!) on the flats. I decided to ignore it and push on.
A large group came along just at the right time as we headed towards the dreaded Bwlch but then I lost touch when my chain over shifted past the big ring and onto my pedal. A quick stop and restart had me going again. Stupidly, I forgot to restart my Garmin which meant I missed 1.5 miles off my total distance. I need to learn to stop messing with these things!
The Bwlch came and completely lived up to the hype – what an awesome climb. I’ve experience high roads before in the Peak District and the Alps but nothing like this in the UK. Seeing 100’s of cyclists snaking their way up the climb was truly inspiring. I had no choice but to change into the granny ring and spin my way up at a pedestrian pace. I got passed a fair bit and I passed a few riders myself before reaching the top and then dropping down to the second feed stop.
The heavens then opened on the descent which made for some interesting cornering before the rain cleared and left a damp run in to the finish. The two of us decided to go for broke and took turns to get the final few miles finished. We passed quite a few riders on the run in before a final sprint for the finish in a final time of just over 4 ½ hours with a riding average of 16.9mph.
I’m pretty pleased with that but think I can definitely do better and if I do the ride next year, will aim for knocking 30 minutes off my time.
Overall, I think the ride was well organised when you consider just how many riders participated but I’m disappointed that the official timing didn’t work, although with a bike computer it doesn’t really matter. I don’t think this detracted from the overall atmosphere of the event, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
Saturday’s ride around Cardiff:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90525662
Dragon Ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90525645
We arrived at our hotel on the Saturday, on the outskirts of Cardiff, 15 miles from the start of the Dragon. A Travelodge special, costing £19 between the 3 of us. Another 4 friends joined us on the Saturday and we decided to head out on a 30 mile spin to loosen the legs.
Not being familiar with the area, I mapped a route which turned out to be quite an event in itself, crossing 3-4 valleys with climbs that turned out to be steeper than those on the Dragon ride!
It was with slightly sore legs that we awoke on Sunday morning to find the sunshine from Saturday disappear, to be replaced with grey skies and the threat of rain. I’d spent most of the early start checking various weather sites on my phone, hoping to find one that I liked. Attempts were futile though, we were going to get wet. I wish I’d packed that gillet.
The M4 was a clear run and then we turned off at junction 35 to find a queue of cars waiting to get into the main car park. Whilst friends in a separate car turned off for the overflow parking, I was committed to the line and sat for 40 minutes until we got a space.
Once the bikes were unpacked, we set off to the start where we were confronted with the biggest group of cyclists I’ve ever seen. The line went on for ages and we waited for an hour to reach the timing mat and finally got away at 9.30am.
I’ve seen on some forums that people have criticised the organisation. Perhaps larger groups could have been released but when you choose to enter a mass event, you kind of expect some hold ups and although I was a bit cold, I wasn’t annoyed at the delay, just at the people who were obviously pushing in at the front and holding the rest of us patient folk up.
Four of our group got away early because of the parking so there were just three of us to start which quickly became two after we lost one on the first climb. After the legs got warm, a group of four came past and we latched onto the back of what turned out to be a pretty fast moving train. It meant that the first 30 miles was completed at a 19-20mph average before we slowed to appreciate the coast views as we headed in for the first feed stop.
On the whole, the standard of riding was pretty good but there were the usual few who decided to treat it like a race and demonstrate their lack of ability and group experience. I took particular dislike to the idiot who continually half-wheeled me and never took a turn and then a second moron who decided to ride between my mate and I when we were chatting. We turned our heads to find him half-wheeling the pair of us. I saw a couple of nasty accidents and road rash on one of the corners and hope that those riders weren’t badly hurt.
The route was fairly fast rolling and I was having an enjoyable time but was getting concerned with my heart rate monitor which was massively over-reading and indicating over 200bpm (my max is 190!) on the flats. I decided to ignore it and push on.
A large group came along just at the right time as we headed towards the dreaded Bwlch but then I lost touch when my chain over shifted past the big ring and onto my pedal. A quick stop and restart had me going again. Stupidly, I forgot to restart my Garmin which meant I missed 1.5 miles off my total distance. I need to learn to stop messing with these things!
The Bwlch came and completely lived up to the hype – what an awesome climb. I’ve experience high roads before in the Peak District and the Alps but nothing like this in the UK. Seeing 100’s of cyclists snaking their way up the climb was truly inspiring. I had no choice but to change into the granny ring and spin my way up at a pedestrian pace. I got passed a fair bit and I passed a few riders myself before reaching the top and then dropping down to the second feed stop.
The heavens then opened on the descent which made for some interesting cornering before the rain cleared and left a damp run in to the finish. The two of us decided to go for broke and took turns to get the final few miles finished. We passed quite a few riders on the run in before a final sprint for the finish in a final time of just over 4 ½ hours with a riding average of 16.9mph.
I’m pretty pleased with that but think I can definitely do better and if I do the ride next year, will aim for knocking 30 minutes off my time.
Overall, I think the ride was well organised when you consider just how many riders participated but I’m disappointed that the official timing didn’t work, although with a bike computer it doesn’t really matter. I don’t think this detracted from the overall atmosphere of the event, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
Saturday’s ride around Cardiff:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90525662
Dragon Ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90525645
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