Steel is Real: Homage to the Lugged Frame

Tour of Qatar

2012-02-11T10:38:00.001Z

Had one of those "once in a lifetime" moments on Thursday. Jumped out of bed and on the spur of the moment decided to drive to Doha, Qatar to try and catch some of the Tour of Qatar series. Threw a few things in the bag, booked a hotel online and jumped in the car to try and make the finish line for about 4pm that day. Was a 500 km drive with the added aggravation of negotiating a visa at the Qatar border. The mileage and border hassles meant that we narrowly missed Cav's sprint finish win. The only cyclist in evidence was Tom Boonen doing the yellow jersey interviews. To say I was gutted was an understatement. Anyway, trundled back to the hotel determined to make the start of the final day on the Friday.

Friday arrived and we headed off for the Sealine Beach Resort where the teams were gathering for the start. We arrived 3 hours early and we managed to blag our way in to the resort to the cyclist area. Was an amazing experience as the weather was glorious at 25C, the teams just sat around on the lawns relaxing and putting on their sun cream. Strolling around we sighted Eddy Merchx running around performing his race director duties.

Of course the highlight was finding Mark Cavendish just sat on the lawn gossipping with his team. We exchanged a few words and he posed for a photograph. As there were so few "joe public" it was possible to look at all the bikes (and riders) at very close quarters.

The mechanics were running through quick gear and brake tests on all the machines then putting them on the racks. Looks like electronic Dura Ace and deep, deep Zipps are the order of the day.

Race started at 1pm and again was very relaxed. After the start we had to jump back in the car for the 7 hour drive back to Saudi. Sadly it looks like my best wishes to Cav were not heeded as he had a get-off in the finish straight. Perhaps it was a good thing that we couldn't stay for the finish after all. Tom Boonen was overall winner.

All in all a great experience and I was glad that we made the effort. The show moves on to Oman next but sadly that is just too far to contemplate. And the closest I will ever get to a podium finish..........................

One for the Anoraks

2012-01-27T16:36:00.001Z

Used the Garmin for my turbo work for the first time today. Was trying to keep it in zone 3 for heart rate and between 70 and 80 for cadence. For a first attempt I was reasonably happy with the results and it will no doubt get better. Looking at a new set of figures is a welcome distraction while spinning. After uploading to the Garmin Connect website I can review all the stored and extrapolated info. I wish I'd had the total cadence data for the JOGLE ride last year. If a little over an hour gives 5500 revolutions what does 9 days and 975 miles result in? Billions?

BTW, I hasten to add I will not be posting the number of times my heart beat on each of my posts. Have no fear, I will spare you that tedium!

Garmin Sensors

2012-01-26T18:20:00.003Z

The Huxley Wheelers team masseur has joined me in the Eastern Province and brought gifts from afar (as it were). Included in the maximum baggage allowance were a Garmin speed/cadence sensor and heart strap. I want these additional parameters so I can log my exercise on the turbo which is becoming a bit of an addiction. Setup was straightforward with the Garmin 800 recognising the sensors straight away. I have read some tales of woe trying to get them connected but no problems there. They are a touch expensive but anything to keep me motivated on the turbo. I can now start doing some proper zoned heart rate work to burn that fat! And fat is going to be a problem now that the Huxley Wheelers nutritionist has joined me!
Was on night manoeuvres at the airport so no early morning ride at Dammam Velodrome today, just turbo work in the kitchen. Might fall slightly short of my target 600 miles for January but it's still been a good effort. Will give the new sensors a proper test tomorrow and then wallow in analysis of the data.

Off Topic

2012-01-22T17:45:00.001Z

No apologies for this post being off topic, the only bike I rode this weekend was a quad. Was actually the first time I have been on one of these beasts but I was reasonably reserved. At 700cc it was a pretty powerful bike and the more experienced pilots were popping wheelies etc. No such heroics from me. Was back on the rather more sedate (and safer) indoor turbo tonight which was a tough session.

False Alarm

2012-01-19T11:23:00.000Z

It's the weekend here in the Eastern Province and usually time to grab an extra hour in bed. But not this morning, I foolishly forgot to disable my early morning call so was rudely awaken at 04:50hrs. If you are awake early at the weekend there is nothing else for it except to crack on with the training ride. Did my now normal weekend ride of 31.6 miles at the corniche. I think I can just detect the effect of the nightly turbo sessions on my fitness. Not sure the weight has dropped any but the ability to maintain a reasonable pace has improved. I put the deep section wheels back on for the road as the cassette gearing is better than on the Mavics. Mileage is creeping up for January and I should be close to the 600 mile mark by month-end. A good start to the New Years resolution.
I am a bit worried to notice that it looks like the elevation sensor (altitude) on my Garmin 800 is kaput. Elevation is not something that I have taken notice of as all my riding is at sea level these days. However, in an expensive item like the 800 it is disappointing. Will investigate further but not too hopeful.

Another 1st

2012-01-13T13:26:00.003Z

In my career as an enthusiastic cyclist I have become used to being overtaken by most things on the road; cars, buses, trucks, milk floats, even other cyclists. However, today was the first time I have been overtaken by a hovercraft! The hovercraft was "hovering" close to the shoreline along which part of my Dammam Velodrome loop passes. (Note that the photograph is not of "My" hovercraft but an example from the Solent to get you in the swing of things. After seeing me it sped off up the shoreline and was certainly maintaining more than my 19 mph average. Fortunately the prevailing wind was offshore otherwise I would have been drenched in sea spray. After seeing me off, the craft then headed out to sea to leave me to think about it. Not sure where it came from as it looked commercial rather than military.
Pretty tough session today and I did a loop to warm up before 50 km at race pace and then a loop to warm down. I was a little late arriving and most of the Filipino national team were just about done with their ride. Rather looks like they come down for the social rather than any serious cycling. One or 2 nice rigs including huge rim section Zip wheels on a Cervelo frame. They do sound glorious those wheels as they slice the air.
Cooled down after the ride and watched a European osprey sea fishing, not something you see everyday. Today was the day for a bike wash so gave it the treatment once I arrived home. Everything looked in good fettle so it all went back into the kitchen on the turbo rollers for another week.

Spoke Ping

2012-01-05T18:27:00.002Z

This morning I had that rare experience of riding on a brand new set of wheels. I love the sound of spoke ping as they settle for the first few revolutions. They are a pair of Mavic Open Pro CD with 105 hubs. They are my set of winter wheels (well, when it is less than 20 degs C). I don't want to use the deep profile American Classics during the winter as the brutal cross winds in the Eastern Province make the ride extremely twitchy. Apart from the lack of twitchiness with the Open Pro rims I noticed absolutely no difference at all between a £150 wheelset and a £600 wheelset. It is my opinion that all the guff talked about wheels is largely just that, guff.
Had a good 90 minute ride that was enough to know my weight has increased and my fitness declined over the Christmas period. The ultegra cassette is an 11-25 which gives me one less tooth at the upper end for that bit extra speed when the wind is behind me. Like all things Shimano, the thing just worked straight out the box. No fiddling with trim or indexing to get perfect gearchanging. I have now rigged up the Scott bling on the kitchen turbo and hooked up a computer and screen to allow me to watch the Sufferfest etc while riding. Will do a proper ride again tomorrow at the Dammam velodrome and then it is turbo work for the rest of the week.
On the off-chance that I am in the UK in August I have signed up for the Wild Wales Challenge 2012. This is one of my favourite sportives and doesn't seem to attract the same testosterone-fuelled clientele of the Cheshire Cat etc. Hope the weather is kind as its a very hilly route.

Domestic Gym

2011-12-30T17:12:00.001Z

Arrived back "Home" yesterday after the Christmas travels. Was planning to have a ride-out this morning but the jet lag took its toll and I slumbered. In order to continue my New Years resolution (exercise more, eat less, drink nothing - but then isn't everyones?) I rigged up the rollers and turbo trainer in the kitchen. It has to be said that my temporary bachelor lifestyle does have a few distinct advantages (but there are only a few dear wife). It is an advantage to be able to rig-up the training bike in the kitchen, and what is more, leave it there!
This is the first chance I have had to directly compare the stealth trainer on both turbo and rollers. Have to say that I prefer the turbo as it allows me to stand occasionally to allow the blood to reach parts that other beers cannot reach. Rigged-up a monitor screen on the kitchen bar to show a Sufferfest video; Angel. Was targeted at hill climbing which was OK on the turbo but not on the rollers. Was a slightly disjointed session but better than nothing. Will be attempting to do an hour each work night and then longer rides at the weekend on the Dammam velodrome. New Years resolution and all that!

NYCVelo

2011-12-26T18:08:00.000Z

NYCVelo is located on 2^nd Avenue in NYC andspecialises in steel bikes and frames. Saw some very tasty kit including aRichard Sachs cross bike. Looked nicely put together with all thetrademark Sachs touches. I treated myself to an ATMO "T" shirt (almost a RichardSachs trademark statement). A very friendly shop and some great bikes on offer.It is almost sickening at how much cheaper bikes and components are in the UScompared with the UK. The workshop team were just putting the final touches toa beautiful fixie (with 3 speed SA rear hub) which is retailing for about £475.The quality of the bling would have pushed this to closer to £1000 in the UK.NYC is almost solely a fixed speed environment. I only saw one carbon framedbike in the city, the rest being steel and aluminium. However, there is obviously atheft culture as all bikes were locked with some very substantial chainswhenever left.

New York Cycle Art

2011-12-23T17:51:00.000Z

Bit of a hiatus since the last post as I have beentravelling without any cycling activity. Currently I am in New York and gettingready to return to the UK for a few days before heading back to Saudi. While Iwas in NY I managed two pretty good ticks; NYCVelo store and also a visit to Taliah Lempert’s http://www.bicyclepaintings.com/print/archive/index.html studio. I found Taliah’s website while surfing for stores to visitwhile I was in town. It is located in Brooklyn in an archetypal (to us Brits)loft space in an old flower warehouse. She is a cyclist and artist thatspecialises in painting steel framed bikes. These are painted only from thephysical bike and not photographs. Her partner runs a bike shop in Brooklyn andso half the house is given over to previously owned bikes, frames, wheels andgeneral cycling bric-a-brac. Her larger paintings were out of my price rangebut some of the smaller works were affordable. I bought 6 pieces in all which Iwill post pictures on the blog once I am home.

Have a look at her website and if you fancy anything it canbe shipped to the UK. If you are serious about buying when in NY contact Taliahthrough the website. I have posted a few pictures of the loft (which alsodoubles up as their living area). Really amazing place and a great experience. Spent a great couple of hours with Taliah and was a highlight of the NY visit. Note that my pictures don't do her art justice so go to the website for glorious technicolour.

MagicShine Light

2011-11-28T17:39:00.000Z

On the expectation of some evening rides I have bought a matching rear light for my MagicShine front light. This rear set-up just plugs in to the cabling with the splitter cable. MagicShine are a little pricey but they do deliver a quality light beam. This will be delivered to my UK address so will be put in to action when I get home in December.
I have been carting the bling bike around in the car since the weekend for no better reason than I haven't got around to taking it out. Pulled in to the petrol station for fuel tonight and the attendant saw my bike as he filled. The conversation then took the normal path of asking how much I had paid for the bike. The contrast with the UK is interesting, rarely does anyone ask its' value. There, they are much more interested in how much it weighs. Here, the thing could weigh a tonne but it is the cost that is the clincher. I am reluctant to disclose the value as it seems terribly vulgar to be discussing what could amount to an annual income for some.
Thought that the new weather widget on the blog had thrown a wobbler a couple of days ago when it predicted rain. Not a chance I thought, how wrong I was.

What a Wind!

2011-11-25T12:04:00.001Z

Garmin plot of this mornings ride. I have just uploaded the latest firmware for the Edge 800 and the splits and lap displays are much improved. There was a fierce wind today down at the velodrome and I was battling for 50% of the route. I would estimate a 20+ mph blow so things were tough. Was a good workout and allowed me to process some sad family news and put things in perspective.
What I have noticed about these lap rides is that there is no let-up. The route is completely flat and I have to pedal every foot of the way. I am used to an undulating training route that at least has some downhill sections that allow some respite from pedaling. 32 miles (50 km in local currency) without a break, going at a reasonable speed is quite demanding. It is even more demanding as my fitness is nowhere near JOGLE standards and I am pushing things a little. The Filipino cycle club has been absent from the 'drome this weekend, looks like they have a road ride on somewhere. I only have one more weekend here in Saudi before I take a home leave. Looks like I will have to save the Bahrain ride for next year.

And another one

2011-11-18T09:27:00.001Z

Today was supposed to be the big adventure with a ride that covered the length of Bahrain but in the end that wasn't possible due to time constraints. I had to content myself with the Damman loop which actually turned out to be a good session. The wind has died down somewhat and a decent pace could be maintained. The Filipino bike club were out in force but were mostly promenading rather than cycling.
The above photo is taking looking out across the Persian Gulf with next stop Iran. I managed to take a shot without the obligatory national flower of Saudi Arabia (the discarded plastic bag) in the foreground, no mean feat. The bling has been customised with a few life-preservers; a bell and a bar mirror. The observant will notice that the Scott issue saddle has been replaced with an entirely more suitable model; Brooks B17 Special.
Arrived to a nice surprise as my wife had airmailed out the latest copies (well the latest 3 weeks ago) of Cycling Weekly and Cycling Plus. That's tonight taken care of.

Magic Roundabout

2011-11-11T10:02:00.001Z

As my brother, the Africa-based domestique, has already pointed out, it is going to be tricky keeping a blog going for the next 3 years based on going round and round a 2.75 mile circuit. Now while this "Magic Roundabout" may not be everyones' idea of fun at the moment it is as good as it gets. Keep with me and I'm sure that we can make it interesting!
Friday is the day of prayers so the course was even quieter than normal this morning. Wind had dropped a little today so managed 11 laps at a good pace giving 29 miles.

Huxley Wheelers - Saudi Chapter

2011-11-08T15:16:00.000Z

It's been a while! Finally got myself installed as resident in Saudi Arabia, that well-known cycling destination. In truth I haven't done a great deal of cycling since the John O'Groats to Land's End epic in June. It has been a combination of lack of motivation, lack of opportunity and lack of bike. Anyway all that changed a week ago as my sea freight shipment arrived which included the bling (Scott CR1). Despite being carefully boxed in a wooden crate it arrived slung in the corner of my container and the wooden crate empty. No damage thankfully other than a very badly scored carbon seat post. I think someone ripped it out the seat post to inspect if I had hidden any forbiddens. They would have been sadly disappointed but not as disappointed as me with the scratches.
Anyway, onward and upward as they say, well not actually upward as there are no hills in this part of the world to speak of. I have found an ideal road circuit that juts out in to the sea and is 2.75 miles for the loop. 10 of these loops gives a healthy 27 miles which combined with a strong wind (which is my version of hills) gives a good 90 minute workout. So far I have done the ride 3 times so starting to clock up the miles again. I have put a google map picture above so you get the general idea. The main thing is that it is safe and I am much less likely to be regarded as a moving target by disenfranchised youth.
I have started to look at some motivational rides for next year as something to aim for. I was half tempted by the RAB Deloitte LEJOG but as we all know that is the wrong way to do it. Also the "proper" accommodation in hotels and halls of residence is a worry. Don't fancy waiting for a bus at the end of the day and much prefer camping. I think my motivation is going to have to come from somewhere else. Another issue is that my domestique is living in Angola these days so we have to coordinate a mutual date and venue.

RAB Deloitte JOGLE 2011

2011-06-22T22:23:00.015+01:00

Well I survived the challenge and have had a few days at home to reflect on the ride. The bottom line is that the RAB was indeed the challenge of a lifetime and I think we pulled it off with not a little aplomb. To put the cart (summary) before the horse (daily notes) I will give my reflections;

John O'Groats to Land's End is a huge challenge in 9 days but this is just about the right time span. Much less and the daily mileage is huge, much more and you would be dawdling along and getting bored. We averaged between 100 miles and 113 miles a day with the odd exception.
The steel Steve Goff was the perfect machine for the ride with a relaxed position that absorbed the uneven roads. I experienced no mechanical problems at all and didn't even have a puncture.
You can never apply too much bum cream. That, combined with the Brooks saddle gave me a perfect contact point for the entire ride. Others were not so lucky.
Thresehold Sport who organised the event are a hugely capable outfit that left absolutely nothing to chance. It is a cliche that all we had to do was pedal but that indeed was true.
British weather cannot be relied upon in any month of the year. Weather in Scotland started off superb but by the time we were in the West country conditions were dire.
It was really something, to be part of a mass event, moving between 400 and 600 riders over the length of the UK in 9 days.
I really enjoyed the challenge and will never forget the ride.
I didnt lose any weight during the ride so my feeding and drinking was just about right.
Energy gels and drinks are the worst foodstuffs ever invented. Ditched all that rubbish about day 2.
My total accumulated time gave me a position of 64th out of the 417 finishers at Land's End.
Time in the saddle was 66.5 hours with an average of 14.43 mph. Official mileage was 960 miles but the Cateye recorded 975 miles and the Garmin recorded a few less miles.
I could not have got to Land's End without the support of my wife, especially in the months leading up to the start date.
I would not do it again!!

A few notes below of each day, it's not meant to be a detailed route description or running commentary of everything that happened!

Friday 10th June
John O'Groats Hotel
Flew to Wick on Flybe and checked in to the RAB camp at 2pm. First impressions were of a vast encampment that looked like a Roman army on the move. The bikes were all lined up on the racks and sadly there was a dearth of real steel frames, probably only 5. Even the carbon frames were not that exotic with most being from the Trekalised world. Weather was glorious and looked perfect for an early start the following day. Riders were predominantly male, middle aged and with a fair mix of experience.

Day One: Saturday 11th June
John O'Groats to Kyle of Sutherland
106.2 miles, 16.9 mph average, 06:17 hrs in the saddle
Very little sleep getting used to almost no period of dark. Weather was great. Pipe band saw us off from the camp and we cycled behind as they marched to the starting point. Cycled all day with my brother at a steady pace and arrived with pleasing few bikes in the racks. A few minutes after we arrived the heavens opened but luckily we avoided a drenching. Already apparent that there are a lot of annoying wheel huggers on the ride. We would not put up with that in the ensuing days.

Day Two: Sunday 12th June
Kyle of Sutherland to Fort William
100.6 miles, 16.5 mph average, 06:05 hrs in the saddle
Much better sleep as I adjusted to camp life and the tiredness took effect. A fairly stiff climb at the start was up Struie Hill. Had everyone chewing on the bars and regretting that extra sausage at breakfast. Good pace throughout the day through spectacular scenery and camped at the foot of Ben Nevis which still had snow on the peaks. Starting to hear of a few bike and rider problems after 2 fairly tough days in the saddle. First signs of civilisation today when we passed a Tesco! We managed the wheel huggers much better today and shared out the work.

Day Three: Monday 13th June
Fort William to Glasgow
122.4 miles, 15.9 mph average, 07:41 hrs in the saddle
Very tough day today with the route being extended by roadworks. Glencoe had awful weather with very low cloud, no visibility and rain. It was a real slog through the glen and we were glad to get to the top where amazingly the wind was suddenly behind us. First casualties of the event this morning when a pile up near the start resulted in a broken collarbone and a broken ankle. Broke the habit of a lifetime and had my first massage on a very tight thigh muscle. I need not have been sceptical as it worked wonders the next day. The Glasgow camp was a little like a nuclear waste dump but it did have all the facilities that we required. Some poor unfortunates took the wrong turn and ended up doing 138 miles today. Not sure how that was possible as the signage for the event was superb throughout the route. Weather is starting to really deteriorate and wind is building with lot of rain.

Day Four: Tuesday 14th June
Glasgow to Carlisle Racecourse
105.4 miles, 16.2 mph average, 06:28 hrs in the saddle
A good days riding despite the heavy traffic through Glasgow rush hour. Roads in this part of the world are appalling and the A74 is a moonscape in places. We were rear-ended at some traffic lights by a rider not paying attention. Just shows you how easy it is to get hurt. We knocked along today in our own group. We stayed out of the trains as they are either going too fast or there are too many passengers. Had a fantastic 10 miles ride at high speed along an unusually smooth section of the A74. This was one of the highlights of the entire ride. Bizarrely as soon as we entered England the road quality immediately improved. This was the first night that the camp was located at a racecourse and it had a slightly different atmosphere to it. Much higher demand for physio and medical treatment now as the poorly prepared and the unlucky started to pick up injuries. Noticeable that a number of people are starting to hobble around the camp. Haven't mentioned the food stops yet but they generally come at the 35 mile mark each day and are very well stocked.

Day Five: Wednesday 15th June
Carlisle Racecourse to Haydock Park Racecourse
114.6 miles, 13.1 mph average, 07:44 hrs in the saddle
Wet start that got wetter as the morning progressed. We were joined by our other brother Paul for the day. Start of the day was through low cloud and rain up Shap Fell. Was not a difficult climb but the conditions were very poor so much so a rider came off and broke his collarbone. Weather cleared approaching Kendal as the terrain became very undulating. A long day turned very difficult as we cycled through Wigan and the rain was torrential for an hour. We got caught up in a funeral procession which slowed our progress even more. Had to take refuge a few times from dangerous downpours and floods. The Smith clan came out in force at Haydock Park and it lightened our spirits after a long ride. James Cracknell put in his first appearance today and was to ride with us the following morning. ITV put in an appearance for some publicity shots for the Paralympics.

Day Six: Thursday 16th June
Haydock Racecourse to Ludlow Racecourse
108.2 miles, 15.8 mph average, 06:49 hrs in the saddle
Great breakfast at Haydock Park which set us up for the day (our brother Paul joined us again). A bit cool setting off and it quickly started to rain. Travelling through Knutsford and Lymm in the rush hour traffic was a challenge. Our uncle Roy was acting as an outrider which took our minds off the rain. First food stop was at 39 miles and the rain started to ease. Fuelled up and left only for Ian to suffer the only puncture of the RAB in our group. At the end of the day us 3 brothers had a blast in to Ludlow Racecourse and manged to drop a Sky team rider which we were pretty chuffed with. Not sure how hard he was trying but we were trying damn hard! Ian also managed to hug Cracknell's wheel for a mile before giving up. The lad can certainly ride. Climb up on to Wenlock Edge was nothing like the Long Mynd that was used last year. A lot of clothes hung in the jockeys drying room tonight to dry out after a wet day.

Day Seven: Friday 17th June
Ludlow Racecourse to Bath Racecourse
92.5 miles, 13.5 mph average, 06:48 hrs in the saddle
Good nights sleep which was a good job as this was a very tough day for me. Was plagued by a sore knee caused by my pulled thigh muscle. I decided to take it easy today and rode on my own for much of the route. Strong SW wind made progress slow with rain on and off all day. The ride over the Seven Bridge was very spectacular and a highlight of the ride. Route was fairly hilly and I was pretty much exhausted by the end. The approach up to Bath racecourse is up a very long and surprisingly steep road. I pedalled up with a lot of effort but I heard that many in the ride actually walked up it.

Day Eight: Saturday 18th June
Bath Racecourse to Okehampton
114.1 miles, 12.4 mph average, 09:09 hrs in the saddle
One look at the amount of saddle time today will tell you that it was a long one. The hills came as a shock to most and this combined with truly awful weather made the day a struggle. In all honesty this was the first day that I did not enjoy on the event. The wind was so strong that I was struggling to maintain 8 mph going downhill at some points. Rode on my own all day as it was unfair to expect my brother to wait for me as I nursed a sore knee. The incidents of road rage certain increased as we approached the West Country. Not sure of the reasons for that but they certainly resented being held up but groups of cyclists.

Day Nine: Sunday 19th June
Okehampton to Land's End
112.6 miles, 12.9 mph average, 08:40 hrs in the saddle
Early start today with the cyclists being waved off at 06:00hrs. Had a good sleep despite the anticipation of the the end of the ride. Route was hilly, more so than the previous day but the weather was kinder. Lots of unfamiliar faces riding with us today as they had set off early to get to LE as soon as possible. We cruised in to LE just after 3pm and the feeling was more of relief at having finished rather than elation at what we had achieved. My wife met me at the finish line brandishing a "Real Steel Hero" placard which I would assume most people didn't have a clue what it meant.
It was sad to leave Land's End and I was reluctant to drive off. I think that probably indicates that it had become a huge team effort by the end of the 9 days that was difficult to break up.

The Trainings Over

2011-06-08T17:18:00.000+01:00

The day has nearly arrived and we are at the starting point for the RAB. Today is my last day at home and I kept things normal with my 33 mile loop. That makes a total mileage for 2011 of 2800 miles in preparation for this event. Some will have done a lot more, some will have done a lot less but I know that is about the right amount for me. The legs are all shaved and the false tan applied like a pro! The kit bag has been packed and unpacked many times in the last days to get to the magical 15kg allowance. Plane seats are booked and the daughter put on notice of a very early start to Manchester Airport tomorrow.
Strange how the blog and facebook sites have all been changing their emphasis from fitness and training to weather. The riders seem to have a preoccupation with the weather this week, primarily the wind. Weather looks like it will be reasonable but I am not worrying unduly. However, I have hedged my bets and left the mudguards on the bike. I hate riding with a wet backside so will be happy in the knowledge that if it does rain I will stay "dry". Cousin Bike is hoping that we cycle into a head wind to confirm his pet theory that it is folly to go from north to south. We shall see.
Not sure how much updating their will be on the ride as I am not taking a laptop. The Cisco mobile internet cafe will be available but heavily subscribed I imagine. Expect a more indepth and reflective report when I get home on the 20th June. Just a note of thanks to all my followers over the last year and especially to my family who have been hugely suportive of my endeavours.

John O'Groats The Easy Way

2011-06-04T06:41:00.002+01:00

Packed up the Goff last night in a couple of miles of pipe insulation. Hope that they look after my steed and don't damage anything. We were told that we needed to attach our numbers so that we could identify our bike in the "Sea of carbon", fat chance. I think mine will be fairly distinctive with the pursuit bars and mudguards. And just for good measure I have also labelled it "Steel is real". I have to drop the bike off at the M62 services at Warrington this morning so this will be the first RAB event that I have been too. At least my drop-off point is fairly local, my brothers is a long drive to Cambridge. The bikes are travelling up by lorry for collection at the camp site on Friday 10th. I removed the bottle cages as they made fitting the insulation difficult. That should be the only thing that I need to fettle once I get the bike back.

After fitting the new chain had a quick 8 mile blast to check that all was well. I was amazed how much quieter this KMC chain is compared to the Ultegra that it replaced. Bike was running really well with no rattles and rubbing so that bodes well. For todays training ride I will have to use the carbon Scott. Today will just be a 30 mile ride as I don't have time for more. Will try and do a much longer ride tomorrow. Beautiful weather and I hope that it holds for the next few weeks.

Last Minute Preparations

2011-06-02T23:22:00.001+01:00

Had a very good ride out today on part of the RAB day 6 route. The route looked well chosen and was on quiet but well surfaced minor roads. Distance was only 62 miles so nothing too strenuous. At a junction in the middle of nowhere I was asked by an old couple on bikes if I knew the way to *&$%^£ (can't remember where). Obviously I didn't as technically I was as lost as they where except I had the advantage of the Garmin. Had a quick chat with them and turns out they were LEJOG'ers. They were doing it the leisurely (and sensible) way by limiting it to 45 miles a day. There is a distinct chance I will see them at John O'Groats on the 11th June.
The ride was very worthwhile in that the second SPD pedal started to creak almost from the start of the ride. Replaced that tonight with a new one. While I had the Goff upside down messing with the pedal I measured the chain. Turns out it is a touch more than 1/16" stretched. Under normal circumstances I would have left it but with 1000 plus miles being added in the next 2 weeks it had to go. No Ultegra 6700 was available at my LBS so I plumbed for a KMC X10L. It is a slightly dearer chain but includes split pins. Will fit that tomorrow, have a quick ride to check all is well and then pack the bike up for collection. Collection for me is in Warrington on Saturday morning. Lucky that I have the Scott to get a few rides in before next week. At the risk of looking like one of the CTC I have decided to leave the mudguards on the bike. Weather is too unsettled and I hate having a wet backside. So, they stay.
Nature notes: Was pedalling along this morning when, in broad daylight, a badger came ambling along the lane towards me. Stopped to sniff a few things and then trudged in to the hedgerow. Pretty amazing sight.

Fathers Day 19th June 2011

2011-06-01T07:33:00.001+01:00

Just realised that June 19th is Fathers Day. How appropriate that is for all the Dads arriving at Lands End on the last day of the RAB. I rather suspect that for many there will be few FD celebrations as most people will be in their vehicles heading home from Cornwall. Yesterday was my first day home and I procrastinated all morning as the rain was persistent. Glad that I waited as after lunch the sun came out and was perfect for a ride. Had intended to just take things easy but that got lost in the translation. I ended up keeping up a good pace over my hilly route and averaged 17.7 mph for the 33 mile route. That was one of my fastest times on my training route. I can really feel the benefit of spinning when I am popping in out of saddle. Fitness is good I think but I am carrying a few extra pounds! I wore my calf tights for 4 hours after my ride and will hopefully see the benefit tomorrow. I picked up my second RAB jersey from the embroiderers yesterday. This one just has my name and no number (979). I like the result of the lime green stitching.
On more mundane topics last night I started loading my Garmin with all the GPX files for the RAB which was a time consuming process. After loading the files I jumped in the car and drove to pick up the route at Nantwich to ensure all was well. The guidance is working OK so I am happy the files are properly created. Just south of Nantwich the route was down a lane that was closed due to road works. Didn't really find my way around it and ended up stopping a village pub for a drink with my wife. Beats training.

Start Your Engines

2011-05-29T19:15:00.000+01:00

The day is finally arriving and I travel home to the UK tomorrow after another trip to the training camp. Probably not been the best preparation for the RAB as work ruled out the chance to do many roller sessions outside of spinning. Still, I have got within 12 days of the start without any injuries and in reasonable fettle. There will be just time enough for 2 or 3 rides before the shipping company transports the bike to Scotland. Then it will be a few rides on the Scott before the flight to Wick. The excitement isn't really building yet but I am sure that once I set foot back in the UK it will.
First priority will be to get the Garmin GPX route files uploaded to make sure that everything is in order. A final check of my kit and then we should be ready to go. Not much coverage in the press at moment but that may change.

And Another Thing

2011-05-22T10:33:00.000+01:00

Just to continue on in the same tone, I again have to praise my long-suffering wife with her latest contribution to the "Cause". She has organized that my RAB Deloitte jersey be personalized with my name and number to improve the chances of getting my own shirt back from the in-house laundry on the RAB. I would not want to lose this shirt as they are certainly the most expensive I have ever bought. Fortunately the shirts are high quality and a good fit.
I have continued last weeks initiative of a quick 10 miles on the rollers before work and it seems to be having benefits. I am no longer getting cramp in my calves at the evening spinning sessions after a morning '10. The downside is that I have to rise at 04:30hrs to make time for the roller session. The bearings on the rollers are silent now which makes life a little easier at such an ungodly hour (as far as the neighbors are concerned).

Compression Fitting

2011-05-20T08:58:00.000+01:00

I am always battling sore calves and cramps and so in a rash moment have ordered up some compression legs that may or may not make some improvements. My calves cramp up during most spinning sessions and I generally just cycle it off. No amount of fluid, salts, food, bike position etc seems to make any difference so the leggings may be worth a shot. There is something a little bit bizarre about these things but if they work what the heck. Not sure that I would like to waltz around in them without tracksuit bottoms over them.
I have started doing 10 miles on the turbo before work in addition to the spinning in the evenings. Only 3 weeks to go till the start of the RAB and I need to up the exercise a little while I am work. Return back to the UK on at the end of the month so will not have time for many rides. I fly to Wick on 9th June, spend a day in Wick "Sightseeing" and then we are off on the 11th June. The price of the flights to Wick is now treble what we paid six months ago. What it is to be organised (or have an organised wife!).

All Rise

2011-05-14T16:46:00.000+01:00

I can imagine that the girls and boys over at Wordpress have been having an office party for the last 2 days with the denial of service going on at Blogger. Looks like we are back up and running now and that all the posts have been restored.
Loaded all the RAB daily rides in to BikeRouteToaster.com and produced the elevation and mileage for the days. Apologies that the days are not actually in order on the graphic above. I think we can see which will be the bad hair days. Just have to hope that the old wives tale about training in to a JOGLE is true. There is some discussion going on as to actually elevation statistics quoted by RAB and those calculated on route planning sites. I have always found BRT reasonably accurate and as it doesn't make the ride any easier it isn't worth worrying about.
Was supposed to head off spinning tonight but there is some angst going on about non-members joining the sessions so I have chosen to stay away tonight. I'm sure things will have cooled down by the time my next session is booked on Tuesday. However, a little annoying as I can ill afford to be missing spinning sessions at this point of my preparations.

RAB Route Released

2011-05-12T19:28:00.000+01:00

Blog has been quiet for a while due to work eating in to my cycling time. Managed quite a bit of spinning which is going pretty well. The big news this week was the release of the RAB JOGLE route. Following the announcing email, the GPX files, route map PDF's and elevation profiles were put on the rider info hub. Downloaded the GPX files and loaded them in to bikeroutetoaster. The routes all loaded without problem but there remains an issue with some of the elevation graphics.
First impressions are that the route has changed quite a bit from last year. There is far less deviation on the way to the evenings base camp. Gratuitous hill climbing also seems to have been eliminated. Though thankfully each of the 9 days seems to have at least a notable and significant climb. The ride would have been a sad one if it was all on the flat. Daily mileage looks to be between 100 and 110 miles which is achievable. Gone are some of the 130 mile days of last year. The 2 most serious days in the saddle are the last 2 getting to Land's End itself. I'm sure everyone's hope is that we will be a hardened peleton by the time we reach the West Country. I am a little disappointed that the Cheshire stretch does not go past my own house as it did last year. However, perhaps that is just removing the temptation to get off, throw the bike in the garage, take a bath and climb in to a luxurious bed!
The legs in my part of the world are Carlisle racecourse to Haydock Park racecourse and the following day Haydock Park racecourse to Ludlow racecourse. Incidentally the next leg ends at Bath racecourse. We are certainly going to get used to the stench of horse piss around the camps! Only 29 days to go now and things are starting to get exciting.

Milestone

2011-05-03T19:50:00.000+01:00

Reached a milestone tonight by passing the 1000 mile point for the last 4 weeks. I needed to get some miles in tonight as it was the last day of the 4 week period. I know that this will be of little interest to anyone except myself but I am happy to have passed it. The 2011 mileage total now stands at 2287 miles. Looks like I could be on for a 4000 mile year. I travelled to the Middle East last night and tonight was my first spinning session. Was pretty tough regardless of the fact that I had 1000 miles in my legs since my last spinning session. It was also fairly warm as it is now in the low 30's outside. I will be aiming to do 4 sessions a week and alternate that with the rollers and gym. Just need to keep the basic fitness in place until I go home in early June. Pretty important to stay hydrated now that the temperatures are rising. I pop a salt tablet in the water bottle while exercising.

Surprises

2011-04-29T22:48:00.001+01:00

Replaced the pedals on the Goff as I decided that the non-drive side was creaking away. The pedals are plain bearings but even so 2000 miles is not very impressive. New ones arrived courtesy of ChainReaction and it seems to have solved the problem. Did 33 miles on the Goff, came home and decided to do a quick 8 mile loop on the Scott. I was pushing it against a wind and managed a 18.8 mph average which I was fairy chuffed with. I did notice that the saddle seemed a little more set back than the Goff and I kind of liked the pushing position on the pedals. Got back to the workshop and decided to try and adjust the Goff saddle position to similar dimensions. Probably moved the Brooks back about 1cm, perhaps a tad more. Went for a spin on the same 8 mile loop that I took the Scott on. It didnt feel as quick and I was labouring a little. I had sort of decided on all the negatives in my mind that would result in a slower speed than the Scott. Got back to the workshop and lo and behold the average was actually faster than the Scott at 19.0 mph. Just goes to show that this game can all be in the mind sometimes.
Had fitted a new Gatorskin Hardshell to the rear rim on the Goff. No noticeable influence to the speed (as I described it was actually faster than the Scott). Should give a little more pinch protection on the rear for the RAB. Managed a very easy 48 miles today, nothing compared with what John Berry, our resident nutter is attempting. With you John.

Wheel Truing

2011-04-27T22:19:00.000+01:00

Dropped my rear Mavic Open Pro on an Ultegra hub off at Dave Hinde for a little truing therapy. The wheel went out of true after hitting a raised manhole cover very hard a couple of weeks ago. I think it would be prudent to get the thing sorted out before the RAB. Only 4 days at home before I head back to work so I need about 80 miles to get me to the 1000 mile mark for the last month. Should manage to get a couple of rides in to pass the target. As the Goff was minus a rear wheel I did the hilly loop on the Scott. Was a really nice, rapid ride with an average of 17.4 mph. The carbon contraption certainly flies along when required.
Had a dummy run with packing my RAB kit last night. We are allowed 15kg and my bag should be comfortably below that without me needing to leave anything out. Just about have a complete kit now with the possible exception of a pair of bib shorts. Will wait a little before ordering some of those.

Pendle Witches Vintage Velo

2011-04-25T00:01:00.001+01:00

This has to be the best event in my calendar. Last year's inaugural event was good, today's was truly great. Sean McAdam and the Pendle Witches team put on a tremendous event, for a great cause and deserved to do well. Where else can you find an event that starts in a pub, honours the history and superior craftsmanship of steel-framed bikes, has a fantastic route including the defining Nick O'Pendle climb, the best stocked feeding station in the history of sportives, finishes in a pub with free steak pie, chips and peas, Northern bitter to wash it down with, awesome weather AND allows me to win 2 prizes in the raffle. There isn't one that I know.

The ride set off at 8:50am and being Easter Sunday the roads were very quiet. There were about 150 starters and the steel frames had a mass start followed by the ignominy of other types a few minutes later. Sign-posting was improved on last year with a little changed route. Thankfully the blazing sun didn't break through until the major obstacles of Nick O'Pendle and Waddington Fell were behind us. It is not a long ride at 53 miles but there is 5000 ft of climbing. Most people finish in 3 to 4 hours (my brother and I had 3 hrs 36 mins on-the-road time). Arriving back at the Craven Heifer Pub in Rawtenstall at lunchtime was perfect timing for lunch and a drink. A really great day in the saddle.

Not The Royal Wedding

2011-04-22T22:26:00.003+01:00

The Audax UK 200 km ride (that I signed up for in December and was cancelled due to snow) is being run on 29th April. As all workers will know that is now a bank holiday to celebrate the latest royal wedding. As all cyclists will know bank holidays are great cycling days due to the lack traffic. The Audax route runs right past my house but the start is 50 miles away. Just can't bring myself to drive 50 miles, start and then ride past my own front door. Re-planned the route on Bikeroutetoaster and now the start and finish is my very own bike shed. The 200km has dropped a little and is now a more acceptable105 miles. Problem is that after planning the route I am tempted to do it tomorrow. Yes, that would be the day before the Vintage Velo in Lancashire on Sunday. Removed the mudguards today which was the witch doctor signal for a thunder and lightening storm followed by flash flooding tonight. However, I will leave them off in the hope that the sun will return over the Easter weekend. I will be doing the Velo on the Goff as Nick O'Pendle is a bit of a tester. The Scottie would not have the gearing to allow an old spinner like me to make it up to the summit.

Update: Resisted the temptation to do the whole route and limited myself to 59 miles. Was a great route until about the 50 mile mark when a nasty wind kicked in. Used the 9 miles to home for a sustained effort against the wind and managed a good pace. Once again my average for the ride was 16.5 mph which is becoming something of the norm. Good preparation for tomorrow's Vintage Velo.

Cheshire Kitten

2011-04-21T18:24:00.000+01:00

This morning I upgraded the firmware on the Garmin 800 that is supposed to fix the bugs. The worst of these is the way it slyly slips in a course point in Patagonia when I am on the way to Llangollen. To say that it messes up the stats would be something of an understatement. With the device upgraded the obvious thing was to get out and test it.
Plotted up the Cheshire Cat route that I and Cousin Bike did last year. I did however omit Mow Cop as I don't need that sort of challenge in my life at the moment. Route came to 98.8 miles which was a reasonable distance. Set off a little late but fully fuelled with carbs etc. My leaden legs appear to be over the problems of earlier this week but I took care to take on much more food and drink on today's ride. The route was typically Cheshire with undulations and the odd climb but nothing serious. Was interesting to remember all the Cheshire Cat course points and the miles slipped by at a reasonable pace. Final stats for the day were 98.84 miles with a 16.5 mph average and ride time of 5 hrs 57 mins. A reasonable effort.
Bike ran OK today though I did fit the aero wheels to the Goff to give them a run out. The route is a nice alternative to going west and in to the Welsh hills. It is the vintage velo sportive on Sunday so will just do a few 30 mile loops over the next few days, nothing too strenuous. I moved past the 2000 miles for 2011 today with a running total of 2030 miles. Will hopefully crack the 1000 miles ridden this month by the time I go back to work in early May. All looking good so far.

Wrynose or Bust

2011-04-18T07:39:00.000+01:00

Website Quote:
"A cycling sportive event of just over 112 miles, starting from the Halton army camp near Lancaster, through the hills of the Lake District, including severe climbs over Grisebeck, Wrynose Pass and Grizedale Forest. This event is not for the faint hearted and is intended to be a serious cycling challenge". Well, there was no kidding there!

Early start at 7am from the barracks and was all pretty smooth signing in etc. Very cold at 3.5 C so attire was tricky with 20 C forecast for the day. Set off and it was apparent that this was going to be a long day. I just didn't have the legs and had the feeling I was cycling with my brakes on. Not sure why my legs were like lead but they certainly were. I was horrible and this was before we reached any hills. Really struggled to keep the momentum up for the first 30 miles. I was on the Goff as I knew that the triple would be required for the Wrynose. The approach to the Wrynose starts at about the 50 mile mark and gradually winds it's way up the valley. The Pass itself is very narrow but the cars were respectful and allowed the bikes to keep going. Made it over the Pass without stopping which was something of an achievement. I was chewing on the handlebars as the front wheel was pawing off the ground as I pedalled.
Descending the Pass was actually very scary, it is equally as steep, potholed and gravel strewn. I was fighting with the brakes all the way down to keep my speed to a controlled 15mph. I'm falling out of love with the Ultegra bakes as the SRAM are just so more powerful. Was glad to make it in one piece though I hear that someone did come off. Battled on through some glorious English landscapes on a very well sign-posted and marshalled course. Lots of challenging climbs and grinds before making it back to the finish. I posted 08:13hrs door to door with 07:44hrs riding time. That placed me at 83rd out of 109 finishers. Just glad to have made it around to be honest. There were quite a few finishers after me and so had horrible times and must have really struggled.
The Rotary Club organised the event and did a great job. Pity that the numbers were low but I guess the hills put a lot of people off. There was even a lucky bag at the end with lots of goodies and a bowl of pasta. The feed stops were excellent with lots of water, energy drink, energy bars and bananas. No complaints there. I find it hard to imagine that anything on the RAB will be this tough, I certainly hope not. That was toughest day in the saddle since the 2009 Wild Edric. I might just have a day off the bike today.

Bling!

2011-04-15T17:57:00.000+01:00

All can now be revealed........I have gone over to the dark side in purchasing a bike to ship out to work. The bike in question is a Scott CR1 Comp and is a 2009 model. You will be surprised to hear, nay shocked to hear that it is carbon fibre! What caused this heresy? well I was in Brian Rourke's in Stoke and the bike caught my eye. It was being sold for a customer who, after throwing a lot of money at it had decided to sell. What really caught my eye were the upgraded components from the standard Scott issue;

Scott CR1 Comp Frame: 56cm Large
Rear Dérailleur: Dura Ace
Chainset: Ultegra SL
Front Dérailleur; Ultegra
Levers: Ultegra STI
Wheels: American Classic Aero 420
Brakes: SRAM Rival
Stem: FSA
Seat Post: Ritchey
Bars: Ritchey
Pedals: Look Keo Sprint
Computer: Cateye Strada
etc

The bike has done only 500 miles (as recorded on the computer) and all the paper delivery labels are still attached to the bottom bracket. As so many of the parts have been replaced it is basically a brand new bike. After suitable negotiations I bought what I consider to be something of a bargain. It is far and away much higher spec than anything that I was considering buying. Where I live in the Middle East is basically flat so the double chainset (53/39) will more than suffice. Got the machine home and set it up with the same dimensions as the Goff.
So how does it ride? remarkably neutral to be honest, I really don't notice the aero wheels and it doesn't really feel like I am going any quicker than normal. The gear change is good, though not as good as the Dura Ace thumbies on the Goff. The Scott saddle is functional rather than comfy. You don't feel planted to the road like on a steel frame and it skips over the poor road surfaces. I put the wheels on to the Goff and did not notice any difference in comfort or speed, are we being conned? What I did notice was just how comfortable the Goff felt after riding the Scott. The Goff felt like an old comfy armchair by comparison. It also felt a lot heavier. One really big difference was how powerful the SRAM calipers are. They are streets ahead of Ultegra in braking power. My future builds will use SRAM. I took it out on my normal 33 mile loop and I had a higher average speed than normal so I must be going quicker. Though how much of that is due to adrenalin on a first ride remains to be seen.
The bike is fairly highly geared and so is unlikely to get much use before I ship it out to work. I will not be using it on the up and coming sportives or indeed on the JOGLE. Not the right machine for that with the high gearing. However, all in all I am very pleased with the beast and it will be perfect for the role I have in mind. I am also very happy that there was no "Road to Damascus" feeling when stepping off the steel on to the carbon.

Indulgence

2011-04-13T22:24:00.000+01:00

Had a trip to Brian Rourke's emporium in Stoke-on-Trent to pick up a few bits and pieces. Great shop and I recommend a visit if you haven't been before. While I was there I was lured by a pair of Assos bib tights. The quality of the material and especially the pad insert looks superlative and it is easy to justify the cost as it's for the RAB! Not sure what excuse I am going to use once the ride is over.
Had a couple of days off the bike taking a rest (well I did do 16 miles spin tonight as I couldn't resist.). Need to start making the plans for this Sunday's sportive. Not fretting too much over it though, I did plot and upload the route to the Garmin this week.
I have been looking around for a bike to take to work but more on that later.

Tour de RAB

2011-04-11T20:05:00.000+01:00

If things keep going like this I will have to join the Audax UK club. I have been home for six days and already have 3 century-plus rides under my belt; 105 miles, 116 miles and today's 122 miles. Today's ride was the culmination of tinkering with the same route and was designed to give me some extended time in the saddle over longer distance. I will take my foot off the gas now for a few days in the run-up to the "Wrynose or Bust" on Sunday.
Today's ride was a tale of 3 halfs! The weather was brutal this morning with a strong, cool wind blowing with occasional downpours. The middle section of the ride through the Berwyn Valley was great with the wind behind me and blue skies. The cycling gods were certainly looking after me on this section. The Berwyn Valley is a fantastic ride and a real challenging climb from the Llangollen side, I recommend it to you.. By the time I turned for home I was back cycling into a headwind with downpours. Logged just over 8 hours riding time which is acceptable for 122 miles in my opinion.
What I did find out today is that the new lightweight summer tights are not up to the job for these longer rides. Will need to find something with a thicker, comfier pad insert. Could be tomorrows task.

Unfinished Business

2011-04-08T20:33:00.001+01:00

Had to take care of the unfinished business hanging over from Wednesday when I didn't finish the ride due to the plague of punctures. Can report that there were no issues with the tyres, inner tubes, Garmin 800, route or my knees today. Managed a 116 mile ride at an average of 14 mph - well there was a lot of hills so that's my excuse. A couple of pounds short of 7000 feet of climbing to be precise. Had a slight wobble at the 104 mile mark and needed to refuel and reboot my body. Today was the first truly warm day (by UK standards) and I was going through a great deal of water. The route that I followed is a real tester with magnificent scenery to make it worthwhile. There is a steam train weekend in Llangollen and the disciples of steam were out in strength. Was a magnificent sight cycling up the valley with the steam billowing out the trains in glorious sunshine.
Might do another century ride next week before the Wrynose sportive. Tipped over the 1500 miles for the year which is good and noted that the hits to the website have gone over 10,000. Who are all these people and what are they looking for??
Need to have a look at the Ultegra rear hub as there seems to be a bit of noise. Hopefully will just need repacking and all will be well. All in all I am reasonably happy with my fitness with 2 months to run before the start of the RAB. Climbing hills and grinds are definitely benefiting from all the spinning classes. I used the new Wiggle DHB tights today.They are summer weight and the pad insert is not as cushioning as the winterised Super Roubaix version.
Postscript: Have been reflecting on how much more time and effort is required to increase the mileage from the 80 mile mark up to the 116 mile mark, especially when it is hilly. RAB self-certification requires only an 80 mile ride but I think that would be a mistake to restrict yourself to 80 miles or so. The daily RAB is 110 miles so I think some longer rides are required. I'm no stranger to 100 miles days but need to do a few back to back this week. It is the Wrynose or Bust next weekend so that would be the icing on the cake.

Did Not Finish!

2011-04-06T22:09:00.004+01:00

Had my first ride since I arrived home, decided I needed a longish ride at a steady pace. Set off at 07:30hrs and within the hour was struggling with the Garmin 800. In all honesty I was at fault as I had forgotten how to operate the thing in the last 5 weeks off the bike.
I had plotted up a 115 mile course last time I was at home and decided to give it a go today. Was basically a Llangollen, Bala, Oswestry, Whitchurch loop with some decent climbing required at points. Miles 50 to 60 were a long grind through the hills. This was followed by a lull before some very nasty short, steep climbs between the 70 and 80 mile marker. Memo to self: at least have a cursory glance at the contours when planning routes. All in all there were 7000 ft of climbing today which was good training for sure.
The ride was "punctuated" after Llangollen with 5 (yes five) punctures. The problem started after I heavily hit a pothole around a gutter grid. Something was sticking in the inner tubes and puncturing them. However no amount of inspection could find the cause. Made it to Malpas after 105 miles but the 5th puncture had me throwing in the towel. Called the sporting director and was picked up in the car. Was very frustrating as I was looking for something more that 115 miles. This is the first ride I haven't completed in 3 seasons so not too happy. Will inspect the cause tomorrow when I have more time. The new pump was a god-send today and good job I wasn't relying on my normal 2 C02 cannisters. Inspection of the Continental "Force" is a little worrying. Seem to be lots of nicks and cuts. I think I will go back to Ultra Gatorskins.
Edit:
Looks like Ultra Gatorskins have been replaced by just "Gatorskins". They are a little lighter than the older version (not that it matters) and are the same price. Will pick a pair up today.

Schwinn Olympics

2011-04-01T06:09:00.001+01:00

Well the "Schwinn Olympics" passed off without incident.For the last month the trainer has been threatening the class with an extended 2 hour session. I wasn't so much worried about 2 hours of spinning but more with getting my pace right. I generally aim to be just about exhausted at the end of one hour so found it a bit tricky to keep a little in reserve for the second hour. I need not have worried as I made a pretty good effort and comfortably completed the course. I aimed to keep the heart rate below 160-165 for the 2 hours and succeeded till the last sprint. I like to do spinning as though I am on a fixie and rack the friction right up at the start of the class and then maintain it throughout, even during the "resting" periods. I vary the pace I am pedaling along with the beat of the music which can be tough on a fast track. I think that mimics a proper bike ride much better than twiddling every time you get up and down out the saddle. Seems to give me a much deeper workout than most of the other spinners. A motivator was thinking about my brother Ian doing his workout. If he can do 2 hours on a gym bike in West Africa with no air conditioning, music, leader or team spirit then my mini olympics should be a doddle, no excuses. Not too sure how many miles you rack up in 2 hours but I would estimate between 25 and 30. It all adds up. Only 2 more spinning classes left now before I return to the UK. Looking forward to getting on a real bike, especially as apparently the weather is on the mend.

Rollermania

2011-03-30T12:37:00.000+01:00

I just didn’t have the patience to wait until I arrived back in the UK before ordering the replacement bearings for my Tacx Antares rollers. As you will see in my previous post they had failed and were driving me bananas with the clattering as I pedaled. Set the purchaser at work the task of hunting down the correct bearing and he didn’t fail me. Now the really shocking news is that the cost of the exact same items I was planning to order was half the UK price, and that’s here in the Middle East. Now how can that be? The bearings are made in France, ie within the EU, are shipped over the channel and then become 5 GBP each delivered. I purchase the exact same item here in the Middle East for 2.50 GBP. Rip-off Britain. Fitting was a cinch with some light tapping on the axle bar pushing the bearing out of the plastic cup. The only tool needed as a small hammer to apply the light tapping. Was all done and dusted within 15 minutes. Total for the six bearings was 15 GBP and I essentially have a new set of rollers. This is great news as it puts my non-spinning nights back on track. Anyone out there needing assistance with this fix let me know. This puts me in good shape for a roller session tonight. We have the Schwinn Olympics on Thursday night but more of that later.

Failed Tacx Antares Rollers

2011-03-25T06:33:00.000Z

Pretty disappointing to find that my Tacx rollers have failed after a relatively short, cosseted life. One roller has started making a very loud and disturbing rasping while pedaling away. This noise is so loud that I just can't keep going. A search on the font of knowledge reveals that this is not an unknown problem with Tacx rollers and the quality of the bearings is a little suspect. Further searching finds that the bearing is a standard type and readily available in the UK for about 3 GBP. I have ordered a few of these and will bring them back out with me next month. Pretty annoying situation as I was starting to do a short ride in the morning before work and then spinning in the evening. For the benefit of others who may suffer the same failure here are the specifications of the bearing: SKF62002Z/C3. Basically any 6200 (bearing dimension) C3 (clearance) will work. 2Z means it has 2 metal shields.

Schwinnless

2011-03-20T09:44:00.000Z

The observant will note a slow increase in my mileage over the last week or so. The lurgy has got the better of me and I just haven't been well enough to make the spinning classes. The last couple of days has seen something of an improvement so I did attend the classes but took things easy. I need to keep my spinning prowess going as the trainer is threatening an all-out 2 hour session at the end of next week. Under normal circumstances I would be really looking forward to that but at the moment its a bit of a distraction. I just want to feel well enough for some regular classes. Don't want to do too much too soon.
While off the bike I have been teasing myself with some lightweight wheel options. The 3 wheels of choice are Mavic Ksyrium Elite, Shimano RS80 and Campagnolo Zonda. The tricky part is actually deciding if any of these wheels are a worthwhile upgrade to my Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs. They are all certainly lighter and with fewer spokes and if you believe the blurb climb better, get up to speed better and maintain that speed better. What they don't do is help you turn the pedals though. On longer rides that may not be all that important but who knows. Tempted by the Mavics for strength, RS80 for lightness and Zonda for unusual spoke arrangement. Will have to ponder a little longer on this though (and contributions from the audience most welcome).

Spinning (and thinking about the Wrynose)

2011-03-11T18:49:00.000Z

Not a lot to report on the cycling front now I am back at work and in the world of spinning. I have made it to 3 spinning sessions since arriving at the Middle East training camp which is pretty good going as I am decidely under the weather at the moment. The spinning has been particularly demanding and I have been pushing myself. There is no doubt in my mind that spinning is addictive. It is heresy to say but I almost enjoy it as much as the road. After 680 road miles in the last month my fitness is reasonable and as I shed a few kilos this trip I will be nicely lined up for the RAB.
Starting to look at the long rides I will be doing when I get home in April. The highlight has to be the "Wrynose or Bust" which is 115 miles with lots of climbing in Lancashire and Cumbria (picture of the pass above). Only 100 or so have signed up so far which is a little disappointing but I won't let that spoil the day. It will be a pretty good test of my fitness 8 weeks before the JOGLE.
I have been entertaining myself choosing items of clothing that I need to complete my wardrobe for the RAB. Most important is another set of bib tights and a new rain shell. No doubt Wiggle will do the honours there.

Bad Day At The Office

2011-03-05T15:41:00.000Z

I had the sinking feeling that today wasn't going to be straightforward when I checked over the bike at 07:30hrs. The front tyre was flat and I knew that it wasn't a puncture but more likely a sticking valve after I pumped up the tyres the previous evening. Quickly used the track pump to get things moving but grabbed the mini pump to throw in the saddlebag. Set off in very cold conditions and struggled to make headway. Just didn't have any strength in my legs and the bike was labouring to get up to speed and to maintain that speed. We all have days like this I know so just kept going, at least it wasn't raining. On the approach to Llangollen the Garmin decided to have one of the much published fits. It threw in a way point 5000 miles away and a supersonic speed to get there. Not surprisingly it was beeping away that I was off course. At this point I noticed the front tyre was soft. Stopped and whipped out the mini pump only to realise that I had stupidly picked up the MTB one and not the presta fitting. How annoying is that? had to use a CO2 bottle to get the tyre up but I noticed the valve was loose so that was the cause of the deflations. Totally reset the Garmin and got on my way.
Climbing the Horseshoe Pass was the usual grind and I made it up without too much drama. Headed over to Ruthin and then had the climb over the hills to Mold. Was then back to Chester and home. 85 miles all in with an average of 14.9 mph and 4000 ft climbing. Nothing very impressive but I am going to have days like that. To top it all the rain came down for the last 20 miles. In truth the bike was overloaded with gear in the saddlebag (food, pump, clothes) and I had lights fitted etc so it was a bit of a tourer. However ride time was 5 hours 41 minutes so I will take that. Today's mileage takes me over the thousand mile mark for 2011 which is a lot further ahead than last year. Getting towards the last ride of this trip before work beckons, just hope that it's more enjoyable than today's. Looking forward to getting home in April and I can hopefully strip off the guards, lights and extra clothing to lighten things up a little.

Last Few Rides

2011-03-04T22:32:00.000Z

I have been back from Norfolk for a few days and only managed a single ride this morning. Planning to do a reasonably long ride tomorrow with another ascent of the Horseshoe Pass and the Ruthin to Mold climb. This is about an 85 mile ride with 4000 ft of climb. This ride will take me over the 1000 mile mark for 2011. I had hoped that it would be more but the Artic conditions in January put pay to that.
Mapped out the route on BikeRouteToaster and uploaded it to the new Garmin. Must admit that I am smitten with the Garmin and very impressed with its ease of use and quality of the data. I have the full Ordnance Survey version (no heart rate or cadence sensors) of the 800. It is a few clicks to load the TCX file to the Garmin and away I go. I have set my father the task of building an external USB power supply that will step up 3 volts to 5 volts so that I can keep the back light on all the time. I find the OS map is much clearer with a back light.
It is forecast as a very cold day tomorrow so I've fitted the Carradice saddlebag to allow me to strip off a few layers after a very early start. Amused myself creating a kit list for the RAB this morning. Baggage is limited to 15 kg so that will be a challenge. Also been putting the final touches to my wheel building project. This has taken something of a back seat as the garage has been like a freezer since Christmas. Just too cold to stand there making minute adjustments. Only a few days to go before I return to the Middle East so need to make the most of tomorrow.

Norfolk Rides

2011-03-01T13:40:00.000Z

Came straight from the Hell of the Ashdown to Norfolk to join up with my brother and Bryn who are doing the RAB Deloitte with me in June. This was the first chance of a ride out together to test our group riding pace. In the spirit of the RAB we did a modified Norwich 100 route that was actually just over 98 miles. On Tuesday we did a fast blast of 45 miles. It is bitterly cold in Norfolk at the moment with the mercury hovering around 1.5 degs C. There is also a very strong NE wind that not only chills you to the bone but make any consistent speed difficult. The riding terrain in Norfolk is so different from the Cheshire lanes. There aren't many undulations or hedgerows to hide from the wind. Have to admit the 100 miler was not a very pleasant day out but the 45 miler was fun. The 3 rides in the last 3 days have grossed over 200 miles which is pretty good going. Don't feel too bad from it all apart from a bit of inner thigh cramp.
That is the end of this training camp as it is back to Cheshire tomorrow. Bikes performed well with nothing more serious than a puncture. These rides again used the new Garmin 800. It is proving to be a great piece of kit for planning routes (Bikeroutetoaster) when I have no idea of the area. It is a little geeky to be analysing the ride stats but I'm sure that novelty will wear off soon. Starting to find my way around the Garmin and the slightly quirky menu structures. Just waiting for Frank Kinlan's authoritative document on it's proper use!!

Hell of the Ashdown

2011-02-28T07:49:00.001Z

Sunday saw the HOTA sportive based at Biggin Hill in Kent. I had an early start booked at 8.20am but in the event started just after 8am. Was a busy event with plenty of early season triathletes and cycle clubs testing their fitness. The defining feature of the event were the hills and not the mileage which was only 66 miles. The sportive blurb identified 6 major climbs and 5761 ft elevation gain in all (as recorded by the new Garmin 800!).

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70453258

There was a fair amount of testosterone present and quite a bit of racing going on. Not many people were there for the scenery. Averaged 14.1 mph which is reasonable due to the amount of time I spent at less than 10 mph grinding up hills. Fortunately I didn't have to resort to walking which was pleasing. Huge amount of puncture casualties along the route, possibly due to the summer bikes being wheeled out for the first time. The Garmin elapsed time had 04:57:53hrs with 04:40:22hrs cycling time. I will take that as my personal target was sub 5 hours. Certificates didn't materialise at the finish as promised so left without it. All in all a reasonably well organised event with plenty of facilities at the finish with showers etc. Not a sportive I am likely to do again but a good experience nonetheless.

Manchester Velodrome

2011-02-22T16:53:00.001Z

Had a fantastic experience at the velodrome on Friday night and again all day Sunday. For Sunday we had row one seats, bang on the start/finish line. We were so close to the riders we could have stood up and slapped them on the back! The highlight of the weekend was definitely the men's pursuit on Sunday afternoon. Wiggins, Kenny, Clancy and Burke did an outstanding effort to to come within 2 seconds of the world record. The atmosphere was absolutely electric with the crowd roaring away each time they passed the straight. It bodes well for the Olympics next year. The women didn't perform quite to expectations and Chris Hoy was also a little disappointing. All the great and the good in cycling were in attendance including Boardman, Brailsford and Porter.
We didn't attend on Saturday night and just as well with the injury to the Malaysian rider. He was well and truly kebab'd after a 9 inch shard went through his calf. Pretty sickening to see the pictures. This picture from the Sporting Life website captures the moment!

Awang is making a rapid and full recovery by all accounts. Not been too much of note happening on the training scene in Huxley excepting normal rides. Starting to prepare for the "Hell of the Ashdown" sportive in Kent on Sunday. This is a shortish (63 miles) but very hilly ride that was sold-out in 2 days so a popular ride. I will not be killing myself on the hills, just taking things easy and grinding up as many as possible.

Quality Miles (in my opinion)

2011-02-17T19:36:00.000Z

Haven't done too much since the century last weekend so decided today was time for another long ride. This wasn't just junk miles though as I factored in some serious climbing with the Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen and the climb from Ruthin to Mold. The day topped-out at 104.98 miles in 7 hours 15 minutes with a total elevation of 4000 ft.
I have (mostly) done this route before so know what to expect with the Horseshoe Pass. It is a grinding 3 1/2 ride from the town of Llangollen to the summit at the cafe (which I didn't stop at). Secret is, like all grinds, is to get in to a rhythm and just keep going. Was a very thick mist/fog at the top so didn't get the chance for a valley shot. Had to make do with the pass information sign. Really bizarre day weather-wise as one minute I was freezing and the next cooking. By the time I got home I was a little weary that's for sure. However my ability to get out there and do a century, on my own, is reassuring and my fitness obviously isn't too bad. Really hoping that the spinning has something to do with this. The collective team spirit on the RAB can only help with this.
What today told me was that I need to get my mapping sorted out. I find stopping to read an OS map just too disruptive and it breaks my rhythm. To solve this will be a Garmin 800 with OS mapping. I am struggling to justify the cost but no sense in waiting. No ride tomorrow as I will recuperate. In the evening I am taking number one daughter to the Manchester Velodrome. I have best in the house, front row seats on the finish line for Friday night and all day Sunday. Should be a good night out. I will be the one wearing the "Hello Mum" T shirt for the benefit if the BBC cameras.

Unbelievable, a puncture!

2011-02-12T20:22:00.000Z

I broke my duck of more than 25 years today; I got a puncture! I have been carrying puncture repair kits, pumps and latterly CO2 on every single ride I have ever been on and not once before have I had to use it. I was aware that the front wheel rim was bottoming-out when climbing and sure enough when I stopped there was a gentle bubbling on the tyre. It was a pin-prick but enough to let the tyre down. Was the first time I have used a CO2 canister in anger and was pretty impressed with the result. I only carry one inner tube and then some glue-less patches for a follow-up puncture. I use Gatorskins and have them at maximum pressure but that didn't prevent the thorn (I'm guessing) penetrating.
Today was a pretty hard day at the office and I set out to stage another Huxley sportive this time solely on the hilly loop. The loop is 33 miles so after each one I stopped at the house for encouragement, snacks and drink top-up. Ride went pretty well and I notched up 100 miles after 3 loops. The average was reasonable at 15.4 mph and saddle time 6 hours 29 minutes. There were quite a few clubs out today, all going depressingly fast, but hare and tortoise and all that. I was pretty bright and breezy up until the 80 mile mark when I then had to dig a little deeper. Will have a day off tomorrow and clean the bike.
The new stem did the business and is comfier for my trapped nerve. Also, my back was not aching today due to over-stretching to change gear. All in all a pretty successful ride out though the Goff is absolutely minging from all the farm mud on the lanes. The mud gets trapped between the mudguards and tyres and acts as a brake. I will use this ride as the self certification for the RAB. The advantage of this loop course is that it mimics the distance between the food stops on the RAB. I can see that a 20-30 minute break after 33 miles really pays dividends and I do recover quite a bit. On sportives I tend to grab a drink, some food and jump back on the bike.

MTB Shoes

2011-02-11T17:29:00.001Z

I have been home for four days now and have managed to get four rides in so far with a useful 100+ miles. I have swapped my Ultegra SPD's for some flat touring pedals so I can use a MTB shoe. I treated myself to a pair of Northwave MTB shoes which are really comfy. The good news is that they do not have mesh cooling panels so my feet will not freeze. I have gone for a MTB shoe so that I can walk during the day on the RAB ride without destroying cleats. There willbe lots of walking around at the start, feeding stations and photo stops and I don't want to be clunking around in road cleats.
I am battling with a trapped nerve in my neck that his causing all sorts of problems with my arm and hand. I cancelled the MRI scan and just opted for a sports physio. Confirmed my long-held opinion that it is quackery and didn't do anything other than confirm that I had a problem with my neck!
To alleviate this problem I have raised the stem on the steerer by the remaining 1.3cm and bought a shorter stem (75mm as oppose to 110mm). The stem is an Easton item and good enough quality to see if it makes a difference but not as aesthetically pleasing as the 3T original. I have been using the Steve Goff despite the roads being so muddy. No point having it sat in the garage and time is starting to get short for training. It's just not as much fun on my other bikes. Have to admit to admiring a Scott CR1 in the LBS when picking up the stem. It was 2011 Ultegra with a carbon frame in battleship matt grey and white. Had a £2500 ticket so was a reasonable bike. Heresy I know!

More is in you (me)!

2011-02-05T08:56:00.001Z

Pondered this question last night while suffering a tough spinning session. "More is in you" is a trademark for the RAB Deloitte ride across Britain and I assume means that we can all do "it". I reached the point that I usually get to about 10 minutes from the end. I have a heart rate of around 170 bpm, I'm dripping in sweat and feeling like I want it all to end. I try to compartmentalize the problem and ask why exactly do I want to stop. Is it that I am out of breath, no. Is it that my legs hurt, well no except for the occasional calf cramp. Is it that I feel exhausted, again no. It's certainly not that I lack the willpower to go on but I still can't put my finger on why we have the overwhelming urge to give-up when the going gets tough. Perhaps its just a natural survival instinct to stop before your really do yourself some damage. And the amazing thing is if I just keep plugging away I always reach the end intact, frequently with the feeling that I could have done that little bit extra.There is no doubt that the team spirit and music (such that it is) definitely drags you along. I have had a very poor relationship with my rollers on this training camp and find it very hard to make the effort to use them.
Talking of spinning, tonight is my last session before I return to the UK on Monday. Looking forward to getting home and getting some real miles under my belt. The "Touring" pedals have arrived so they can be fitted to the Goff. I plan to get some mountain bike shoes so that I can walk in cleats without destroying them. I notice that the Garmin 800's are still on offer at Wiggle despite them being on a 24hr special last week. Still toying with treating myself but struggling to justify the cost.

13, Unlucky For Some!

2011-01-27T17:10:00.000Z

Though hopefully not me. I was interested to see that at tonight’s spinning class someone has helpfully gone around attaching numbers to all the 20+ bikes. I was rather amused that the bike I always use by choice has been labeled "13". Now I am not a superstitious person by nature (It really doesn't matter which foot I put in to my underpants first) so I'm not too perturbed by choosing the # 13 Schwinn. In fact it might work in my favour if all the superstitious types avoid my bike. Apologies for the rather poor shot of the cockpit but I was still dripping in sweat and staggering around while taking the photo.
The mileage has been slowly increasing but I am doing less roller work as I find it desperately boring compared with the spinning. I also don't think they are quality miles compared with spinning. Really been putting in huge efforts in the classes and the bike is floating on a sea of sweat by the end of the hour.
I saw on the RAB Deloitte website that this weekend is the last training weekend, the last one!! I feel like I have barely started my training. Really need to get some quality miles in when I get back to the UK. Just hope there are plenty more like me. Fingers crossed for the weather.

Rolling Road

2011-01-18T17:57:00.000Z

Nothing of note to report since I arrived back to work. Have managed to get quite a few rides in on the Tacx rollers this week and the set-up is pretty good now. I position the rig in the corridor of my room which gives me a little security against falling. Have been experimenting a little with the distance apart of the front rollers. I have moved the front roller forward a little in an attempt to get rid of a very annoying rasping noise as the elasticated belt vibrated. Once that was sorted I moved on to the saddle. Didnt bring my leather Brooks with me, BIG MISTAKE. How anyone uses these gel contraptions I'll never know, just gives my unbearable numbness. Found an old saddle and stripped the sponge and cover off it to be left with the plastic hardshell. This is actually comfier than the original design. Not sure what the cure for roller boredom is, might have to try the suffertest as recommended by John Berry. I have brought it with me but not used it yet. Truth be told it was spinning class tonight but torrential rain resulted in 18 inches of water on the roads.

Inaugural Huxley Sportive

2011-01-08T20:52:00.001Z

Today saw the staging of the inaugural Huxley Sportive over a 87.92 mile course. Unfortunately the course sign-posting was absent, as was the masseur, food station attendant, and winners medal. In fact for this inaugural event there was only one entrant: me. Owing to Christmas and the horrendous weather I have not managed to get the miles in that I had intended. I need to self certify for the RAB Deloitte John O'Groats to Lands End by the end of February. The self certification is to prove that all entrants are capable of 80 miles by the end of February. Now that is no big deal under normal circumstances but with the mercury hovering around zero degrees it is not to be taken lightly.
The big advantage of running a sportive based on my training loop is that I can call in to home every 30-odd miles for a food stop.This worked out pretty well today and I managed 3 loops for ensure that the mileage passed 80 miles. I had originally intended to top the 100 mile mark but the temperature was dropping and the sun had set so took what I had. Bike ran really well and the only casualty were the toes on my right foot. They were pretty damn sore towards the end of the ride. May have to look at changing my shoes.
I thought I was doing reasonably well until the Shropshire crew stormed past. They must have been averaging 25 mph which made my 16 mph laughable. Of course the acid test would be to get up tomorrow and do it all over again. Somehow I don't think that is going to happen as I am away on Monday for another 4 weeks. Back to the spinning and rollers for me.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

2011-01-04T00:35:00.000Z

Had the first ride of the year today and it was a quick blast around the lanes for 26 miles. Had to take care of some work stuff today so the planned big ride had to be cancelled in favour of a fast, short ride. The Goff performed beautifully today after I fitted the new Dura Ace bottom bracket. The old item was giving a creak after a few miles and no amount of tightening would cure it. The Dura Ace doesn't seem any better quality than the 105 but at least it doesn't creak. I am a little OCD with rattles, bangs and creaks on a bike and must find the cure. No sign of the problem so far but it only has 26 miles under its belt.
Spent the Wiggle vouchers last night on some tooling for maintenance. Included a Topeak folding toolkit, a pair of link pliers and a 3rd hand cable puller. None of these items are essential but they do make life a little easier. Hopefully they will arrive before I go back overseas.

Had a trip to Halfords to buy some Gunk as the bike was rather grotty with accumulated oil. Opted for the green version of Gunk which was pretty effective at cleaning the gunge. A conical brush was just the ticket for getting the areas around the chainrings sorted out. The bike is looking great again and the dry roads mean no guilt trip using it instead of the winter hack.

2010 Retrospective

2010-12-31T09:24:00.002Z

2010 year-end and time for some cycling reflections . This year was disrupted by some changes in my work schedule and I didn’t get in as many road miles as I hoped. However, I did achieve the stretch target of 3000 miles (give or take) which is probably as many as I can realistically achieve with my work schedule.

I let my fitness slip last winter and came in to the spring a little off the pace and overweight. The first sportive of the year was the Cheshire Cat which proved to be a struggle due to lack of bike time. Cousin Bike spent too long dragging me along and I will learn from this in 2011. Cousin Bike had his own milestone with the mammoth Paris-Roubaix sportive. Next up was the Pendle Vintage Velo in Lancashire that was an amazing ride up some of the biggest climbs in Lancashire. It was in some ways my best day in the saddle and I’m already signed up for the 2011 event.

In June, after a chance meeting with some cyclists on my regular training route, I found myself signed-up to the RAB Deloitte John O’Groats to Lands End in 2011. This has focused my year and alternative training methods such as rollers and turbo have now been incorporated. This will see a lifetime ambition being attempted and I will be giving it my best shot. It is an expensive way to do it but cuts out all the hassle over support and accommodation.

A highlight in October was the Blenheim Palace sportive that marked a 50^th birthday celebration for myself. The ride was with my brothers on their “New” steel bikes that made it especially poignant. A good day out for the Brooks saddle team and may be repeated in 2011.

The awful weather in UK in December has really curtailed the miles but that has allowed a bit of time in the garage having a go with wheel building. I had booked my first Audax in December but the artic conditions saw that cancelled. This target plus the coast to coast will be carried over until 2011. A change in my UK residency status means that I am not planning beyond the summer at this point. Watch this space!
All in all a good year that has built on what I achieved in 2009. Thanks for reading the blog and the always welcome feedback. See you in 2011.
Update:
For the final ride of the year I headed out on the 853 Goff rather than the Dawes. Roads were a little better than of late and I was resigned to a bike clean-up when getting home. First impression was just how much faster I ride on the 853, it really did make a difference. The Ultegra brakes were fantastic compared with the cantilevers on the Dawes. Had an uneventful ride but very enjoyable for that. Total 2010 mileage topped-out at 2930.81 miles which is frustratingly short of my target. Anyway the mileometers will be zeroed this morning and it starts all over again. Happy New Year.

Tarporley, The Hard Way

2010-12-21T22:11:00.001Z

Yes, Tarporley the hard way, to misquote Chris Bonnington. Tonight I did 30 miles in the dark and cold to test out my new lighting system and take advantage of the temperature soaring to zero degrees. I think I was probably overdressed for an ascent of Everest rather than a quick loop on the Cheshire lanes. However, I was toasty all the way around and enjoyed the ride. I modified the route to go east to avoid the snowy lanes that lie to the west of here. Have to say the Dawes is really excelling itself as a winter ride and I am glad I didn't dispose of it as I had planned earlier in the year. The front lights were really impressive and I found that cars recognised me at a greater distance and dipped their headlights. Previously cars where almost upon me before dipping lights.
When I got back from the ride I jumped on the turbo trainer that arrived last night. The Steve Goff is on the turbo and first impressions are that I really like the setup. The great thing about a turbo versus rollers is that you can stand and climb and generally move around. I also love the quiet ride from the turbo, I find the rollers annoyingly noisy.
The wheel building is going well. I have the wheel laced now and have tightened the spokes. I need to fashion a wheel dishing tool and a wheel truing stand. These will be made of timber as I think my wheel building career will be a short one. Need to hunt around for a training tyre but this will not arrive this side of Christmas.

Wheely Good Idea

2010-12-20T05:51:00.000Z

I decided that I needed a project to take my mind off all the excitement of Christmas (?) and the probable lack of riding days. Hit upon the idea of building myself a rear wheel. I have wanted to have a go at this all year but have never had the time or the opportunity. I plan to use the wheel on the turbo trainer with an old tyre so that I don't wear away my expensive Continentals. The wheel may also form part of the spec for the next frame that I plan to build.
I went for a 32 hole Mavic Open Pro CD which is grey in colour. I matched this with a black Shimano 105 32 hole rear hub. Spokes are double butted and are 294mm on the drive side and 296mm on the non-drive side. Chances are that I will get the rim sprayed at C&G Finishes in Liverpool before it makes it on to a new bike but at the moment I can live with the grey colour. I plan that I will build and dismantle this training wheel as many times as it takes till I am familiar with the process. I willl use an upturned bike as a jig and will fashion a dishing gauge out of some angle iron. Like everything else these days there are some clips on YouTube to give good advice on the process. All in all quite an exciting project and I'll keep you up-to-date on how it progresses.

Snow Business

2010-12-17T21:28:00.000Z

Well the forecast doesn't look too promising for the next few days and so I decided that I needed to get a few miles in while I could. Headed off on the normal training loop and then diverted off into Wales after reaching Malpas. Someone flicked the snow switch as soon as I crossed the border and the roads became pretty bad. Thankfully the Dawes super wide tyres coped with the conditions without a problem. It was between zero degrees and minus 5 C and as soon as I stopped I suffered. At one stop the SPD pedals froze and and I couldn't get my cleats clipped in properly for the next 15 miles. After Bangor-on-Dee I decided to head for Whitchurch on the main road before returning to home via Malpas. All in all a pretty good ride with 53 miles being added to the tally. My winter clothing once again proved to be adequate for the conditions. I dropped the cycling gloves in favour of skiing mitts and hands were like toast. One thing that I have convinced myself of is just how much I hate drop handlebars. They are dreadful and little wonder that no one ever uses them. My next creation will either have bull bars or even flats.
With all this in mind I bit the bullet last night and ordered a turbo trainer. It is pretty difficult deciding which one to go for as I only have magazine reviews (which I never trust) and forums. In the end I plumbed for a Minoura Gyro V150 turbo trainer. I also bought the sweat spray deck and the front wheel riser. Not sure when this will arrive as doom and gloom is forecast for internet deliveries. The item was on a healthy discount and didnt look any worse than the others in the price range. May arrive next week conditions allowing.

More Team CTC than HTC

2010-12-16T16:53:00.001Z

There is little point in buying all this winter clothing if I don't get out there and ride. With that in mind today I headed off on the normal training loop with snow flurries coming down. Nothing approaching white-outs or ice on the roads I hasten to add. This was the debut ride for all my new clothing and it seems to be OK. The winter tights are tight and almost a compression fit on my calves. However, the windjammer protection seems to work and I was not cold at any point. The advantage of having proper clothing is that I don't look like the Michelin man. I have put the Steve Goff to bed for the winter months so pressed the Dawes in to service. Actually I was surprised at just how comfy it all felt and is just the steed for the bad weather with massive mudguards and wide, tready tyres. I spent an hour putting on some bar phat and an extra tape to make the bar thickness a bit more to my liking. Glad that I used the Dawes as the roads were horrible with mud everywhere. My time was down about 10 minutes on the lightweight bike but I felt pretty good going up the hills and the spinning is paying off.
Must not forget to mention the new lighting that I used on the ride. While it was still light for all the ride I felt safer in the knowledge that cars at least could see me (if they were looking).
I am in a bit of a dilemma over what I should buy to ensure fitness during the bad weather; another set of rollers, a turbo, a Schwinn spin bike or nothing! I struggle to enjoy rollers and can't believe that a turbo is much better. My experience of a spin bike is that it is so tough I need the group thing to keep me going. A ride like I have just had today convinces you that there really is nothing like the real thing. Decisions, decisions.

Wiggle Mountain

2010-12-08T17:18:00.001Z

My wife has commented that the embarrassment (collective noun for cycling must-haves) of Wiggle boxes and bags delivered in the last 6 weeks has grown in to something of a mountain. And an expensive one at that. Will be putting the fairy on the top of the tree with the latest order; Shimano Dura Ace bottom bracket. I am in the market for a bottom bracket as I suspect that the new Shimano 105 item on the Steve Goff has a creak. The bottom bracket was not actually new when fitted to the bike which possibly explains the creak. Anyway I couldn't resist the chance of a Dura Ace at 105 prices from my friends at Wiggle. I was nearly tempted by a stainless steel Hope version but they are horribly dear so resisted. Have to admit that I probably prefer a tapered cartridge BB especially now that I have the proper extraction tool. Perhaps for my next frame I may revert to a traditional type.

Sadly work has eaten in to my exercise this week and I have only managed the spinning classes and no rollers. Have to be content with that but I was hoping to have done another 100 miles while I was here. Flying home on Sunday to the big freeze so it will be a challenge to make the 3000 mile target by the end of the year. Will be strutting the cat walk when I get back after tearing open all the Wiggle parcels.

Magicshine Lights

2010-12-02T03:48:00.000Z

With the prospect of doing some night rides when I get home (assuming the white stuff has melted) I have been toying with some bike lights. I have a cheap and cheerful lighting set that makes me visible to the British car driving community but nothing that will allow me to navigate the million potholes on our roads. I have worked on the theory that it is better to splash out on some decent lights rather than trash my expensive Paul Hewitt rims.
Bit the bullet and ordered a set of Magicshine MJ-816 headlights. These are something of a flavour of the month on the internet with cyclists (mostly MTB) raving over the floodlight effect of these lights. My feeling is that if they are good enough for off-road then they will be good enough for the moonscape that is our local Cheshire lanes. They are a Chinese import (aren't they all) but seem to be much superior to the recognised makes like Cateye etc at this price point. The new lights, combined with my winter clothing, should put me in good shape for some chilly rides when I get home. I will stick with the cheap and cheerful Smart flashing rear lights for the moment. The headlights will almost certainly be required on the 125 mile audax I have planned on the 19th December. It will be after dark by the time I finish I'm sure (and probably dark when I start).
Missed my spinning class tonight due to a late one at work. Probably no bad thing really as I am feeling pretty weary at this point at the training camp. Will be off to spinning again tonight and will hopefully make up for my missed class. Need to keep focused for the remaining 10 days before I travel home. Some good news is that my brother has paid the balance for the RAB Deloitte JOGLE ride so at least he is commited now.

Audax Challenges

2010-11-27T18:27:00.000Z

I have been entertaining myself looking at the audax scene in the North West of the UK. I think I might start doing a few of these challenges. They are almost free to enter and are unsupported. My only concern is the thought of map reading while cycling (as they are not sign-posted). I find stopping and starting while map reading very disruptive to riding. This isn't a subliminal request for a Garmin 800 to land in my in-box but it may be worth looking in to.
Quoting from the Audax UK site; audax events are not races. People ride them more in the spirit of an event like the London Marathon, everyone riding to their own limitations with the primary objective to just 'get round'. Size of entry varies greatly but is typically around 100 starters. Small local events may have just a handful of riders while a few popular events attract 200 starters or more.
The routes typically feature a few fast main roads and a lot of quiet, scenic lanes. Many events are quite hilly, some are extremely hilly, and even the flatter ones usually have one or two challenging climbs. Support - for example a following car - is very much frowned upon. There are maximum and minimum time limits, which are designed to suit everyone from the fittest of recreational riders, to more occasional riders who have plenty of determination. Each rider carries a 'brevet card' which is stamped at intermediate checkpoints and at the finish, and which is later returned to the rider as a certificate of their achievement.
The first event that takes my eye is the Winter Solstice ride on 19th December. This is a 201 km (125 miles) ride in Cheshire. This event was marred last year by heavy snow and ice which would stop me doing it too. No sense in breaking a leg if the conditions aren't ideal. This event is classed as a "Permanent" which means you can actually do it any day you wish with some supporting documents to get a brevet stamped. I have sent off the application and will wait to see what happens.

A Few Milestones

2010-11-25T04:27:00.001Z

This week has seen a few minor milestones pass. Firstly the Deloitte RAB counter went below 200 days which is focusing the mind a little. At the moment my game plan is just to keep my fitness ticking over until January and then ramp it up. Secondly I passed the 2500 miles for the year mark. While 2500 miles is small beer to many reading this I have little chance to ride for much of the year so am content with the pace that I rack up the miles. My year end target of 3000 miles is achievable and I'm confident I'll crack it.
In anticipation of some cold weather when I return to the UK I have ordered some winter tights and a winter'ish long sleeve jersey from our friends at Wiggle. The tights are a bit of an investment but I hope they keep me cycling in the winter. There is a worthwhile discount when buying through Wiggle if you are a member of British Cycling. I currently buy quite a bit of kit in the dhb brand. This is the Wiggle own brand and is reputed to be the quality of equipment at double the price point of dhb. You can recoup the membership fee almost straightaway with your first purchase. It is always a risk buying clothing online but Wiggle have the best returns policy in the business.
Spinning again tonight with all the usual victims no doubt. It's a pity that I discovered this exercise late in life as I could easily become an addict. I know the Schwinn system is all about spinning as an individual but I love pitting myself against the some of the others. It's a bit like a sportive, it's not a race but.........

Spin Bike Etiquette

2010-11-20T18:59:00.001Z

Now that I am beginning to be an old hand at this spinning malarkey I'm starting to get a bit of a feel for the etiquette of a spinning session. Needless to say if up to 20 strangers are gathering there is always going to be a few personal details that will annoy (the matching shirt, headband and wrist bands for instance). However there appears to be 2 major traits that will get the spinner wound up. The first is practiced by the frauds who pretend to be winding down the friction but are actually just fiddling with their knobs! Why bother?
The second is the guy (for it usually is a guy) who is intent on showing complete disregard for the required cadence of the particular technique or the rhythm of the music. There is nothing more annoying than some boyo next to you spinning away at 120 RPM when the instructor has just called for an uphill grind. With spinning the room starts to take on a complete hypnotic rhythm as everyone is moving in unison. Everyone that is, except boyo who is intent on spoiling tactics. Somehow it is not as disruptive if a spinner is going too slow, we can live with that. It's the budding Lance Armstrongs that nark us.
A particular irritant are the guys (for again it is usually a guy) who have just done a gym session before they roll up at the spinning. Now all this exercise is laudable but for the fact that by the time he gets to the spinning session he is smelling rather ripe. There is nothing worse than dreading the swing of the giant cooling fan as it blows a whiff of this guy directly at you. The most worrying thing is that people might actually think it's me!!
It's a tough life being a spinner.

Spin Doctor

2010-11-17T13:03:00.001Z

During previous training camps I had been struggling with calf and thigh cramp after all the spinning and roller sessions. Decided that I had to consult the family witch doctor for a remedy. Recommendation was to increase my magnesium intake using both food and a supplement. I have a fairly balanced diet and always rehydrate during and after rides with both water and isotonic drinks. Started to pop a magnesium tablet (250gm) and a handful of almonds and so far this training camp I haven’t suffered any re-occurrence of cramp. Usually during the spinning class I can feel my calves tightening up and thinking about cramping but a shuffle in the pedals usually eliminates that. I will get another chance to test the treatment tonight at another spinning session. These are pretty tough going at the moment and with 4 sessions a week I feel like I can almost miss out the roller evenings, but I don’t!
The RAB Facebook site is up and running but with very little activity at the moment. I guess that is understandable with the event still over 200 days away. There seems a bit of a preoccupation with training rides etc.I am considering signing up for the "Hell of the Ashdown" sportive that is on Sunday 27th February 2011. It is only 63 miles but is reputedly a very tough test. Might be just the thing to get the season underway. Registration doesn't start until 1st December so have some time to plan that. It is based in Kent and I have access to some accommodation there so it might be a good option.

In Pursuit Of Glory!

2010-11-12T15:23:00.002Z

I have nabbed the Manchester velodrome poster billing for this blog title. Used the British Cycling preferential booking system to book tickets for the UCI Track World Cup, final round on 18th-20th February 2011. I have booked the Friday evening session finals and the all day Sunday session finals. Managed to get pretty good seats with front row trackside at the finish line. I have been to the velodrome before and found it pretty good entertainment. Some of the longer races do test your attention span but the shorter battles are pretty exciting. By booking the 2 sessions we should get a reasonable spread of race types and "Celebs". Good to get these things booked up and get my cycling calendar underway for 2011. I will need to have a read of the rules before the event to try and fathom exactly what is going on though.

Friday 18th February:
Men's sprint
Men's omnium - points race 30km
Women's team pursuit 3km 12 laps
Women's team sprint
Men's individual pursuit 4km
Men's omnium - elimination 48 laps

Sunday 20th February:
Men's team sprint
Women's omnium - pursuit 3km
JKA Kieren 2km
Women's kieren 2km
Men's team pursuit 4km 16 laps
Women's omnium - scratch race 10km
Women's omnium finale - 500m TT

The Bicycle Saves My Life Everyday

2010-11-11T19:31:00.001Z

I certainly had a "Robert Penn" moment last night and it did feel like it saved my life. I was badgered in to resurrecting a mountain bike that a colleague had purchased from a supermarket here in the Middle East (don't ask). The bike was about 80 GBP and at first glance looked reasonable value. There were 15 speeds, the frame was nicely painted, it had a saddle, wheels etc. It was only when you looked a little closer you began to realise that this was the saddest, sorriest piece of junk you had ever seen. You read stories about the abject quality of these cheap bikes but now I know it is all true. The quality of everything was just appalling, brakes didn't work, gears didn't work and the back wheel was buckled. What possessed the man to walk out the shop with it I can't imagine.
Started off with the rear derailleur which eventually worked (well in all but one cog). The front derailleur is just about functioning though why you need a triple in a flat country beats me. However, the truly awful components were the brakes. These were such poor quality that I can only claim partial success. Should a bus cross his path there is just a possibility that he may be able to retard sufficiently to prevented a bloodied mess. By the time I had the thing functioning it was about 11pm (I had been spinning in the evening) so next on the list was a test ride. Despite the fact that one of the pedals was screwed in to the crank at an angle the thing did work. Amazingly I actually had fun pedaling the thing around so much so I decided to give my roller rig its first ride on the road.
And that is where the story comes full circle. Riding this basic (some might say piece of junk) bike around the compound at 11pm at night, in the dark was just fabulous and I was grinning ear to ear. A real Robert Penn moment and I must have done about 5 miles around the car park. It just goes to show you really don't need the latest and greatest widget to make cycling fun, it really is all about the bike.

Heart Rates

2010-11-06T09:31:00.000Z

Back in the swing of spinning and rollers now. Spinning class coming up again tonight so will be aiming to keep my heart rate to reasonable levels. I think that I have now confirmed a theoretical heart rate limit of 170-174 (220 minus age) after maxing out on the last spinning session at exactly that value. I am taking 172 bpm as the maximum for my calculations. I think my true resting heart rate is something like 60 to 63. Using those numbers I can now just about work out my zones.

Zone 1 65% of MHR = 112 bpm (recovery rides)
Zone 2 65-72% of MHR = 112 - 124 bpm (endurance events)
Zone 3 73-80% of MHR = 124 - 138 bpm (high level aerobic activity)
Zone 4 84-90% of MHR = 145 - 155 bpm (lactate threshold (LT,AT); time trialing)
Zone 5 91-100% of MHR = 155 - 172 bpm (sprints and anaerobic training)

It is suggested on various websites that the optimal approach is to train below 80% of maximum heart rate (zones 1 to 3) on easy days to build your aerobic base. This is at a low enough stress level to facilitate muscle recovery. Then, when you have a good training base, push training to include several days a week above 85% MHR to improve your high level performance. But avoid training in the no man's land or mediocre middle at 80-85% of MHR where it's too difficult to maintain the pace for the long rides needed to build endurance, but not hard enough to significantly improve your overall aerobic performance and increase your lactate threshold. All getting a little scientific (if inexact) and it doesn't actually help turn the pedals but it takes your mind off the pain when training.

Heart to Heart

2010-11-02T09:09:00.000Z

Back in the land of sand grains, rollers and spinning. I am on a mission to try and regulate some of my training days based on heart rate. I have a cheap and cheerful (ie not continuous readout) heart rate sensor and am using that to stay in heart rate zone 2 which is about 120 bpm as far as I can work out. According to the learned this is the optimum zone to burn fat (and keep my weight down). The type of exercise I will use zone 2 will be the cycling on rollers and power walking/jogging. Tonight was my first attempt to stick to zone 2 on the rollers. This proved to be much more difficult than expected. So much so I had to stop after 30 minutes (it's a fixie) and change the gearing. In previous sessions on the rollers I have averaged 22-24 mph. Today I had to drop the average speed to 16 mph in order that the rate stayed in the zone. Finished 60 minutes of that and then had a bash at power walking/jogging and again maintaining zone 2. Again it was tricky but you start to get a feel for what you feel like with the heart at the correct rate.
Tomorrow night is the debut spinning session for this trip and the first for some 5 weeks or so. That will definitely be in zone 3 and the only concern is that I don't blow a gasket. It will be interesting (or shocking) to see how high it goes. The facility where I live has promised that the new gym will be completed by the year end and it will include two or 3 schwinn bikes. You can only hope.

Last Minute Diversions

2010-10-29T20:18:00.000+01:00

I am off to work tomorrow until the middle of December and so just could not resist the temptation to go for another ride this morning. Did the full 33 mile loop with all the hills. A great ride only marred at the end when my newish cycle computer gave up the ghost yet again. This time it is going back for replacement. The indexing needs a little fettling as the new cable has stretched and there is a little chatter which is very annoying. I decided today that when I return to the UK I need to start upping my mileage on the daily training rides. I will start doing 2 back to back laps of my loop ie 66 miles which will be about 4 hours in the saddle. I will not do this everyday but twice a week if it is possible. These longer rides mixed in with the normal loops should get my legs sorted for the RAB. I'm hoping, against all the omens, that we have a mild winter and I can get out on the winter rides. It is so much better actually on the bike rather than a set of rollers in the garage watching daytime TV..
I have been running around sourcing a few items to make my training rig at work roadworthy. It looks like I now have to cycle to my spinning classes and a bike without brakes is not going to work. I will just put a brake on the front wheel which should be sufficient. Weather in the Middle East is probably just about tolerable now so riding to classes is a viable option. I am taking the leather Brooks saddle tofit to the training rig as I would like to start doing a few 2 hour sessions and a gel saddle just doesn't allow that.
All in all a very busy month in October with the Blenheim Palace Sportive, 50th birthday and a 2 week holiday followed by a surprise party a couple of days ago. I think I may be back on target for 3000 miles in 2010 if I can get the miles in on the training rig.

Autumn Training Camp

2010-10-25T18:40:00.002+01:00

Just back from 2 1/2 weeks at the autumn training camp at which I managed to do a little spinning and a lot of eating and drinking. I'm viewing this as the big chill before I get down to the winter training for the RAB. Was a great way to celebrate the 50th birthday and move in to the second half of my century. While I was away the information on the newswires was that the Team Smith action shot from Blenheim Palace sportive was in last week's Cycling Weekly. I haven't actually seen the article yet but I'm pleased that they published. Managed to get time to read 2 cycling related books; Tour de Lance and The Death of Marco Pantani. Both leave a bit of a taste when you read about doping in cycling sport.
Had some correspondence with Robert Penn (the author) while I was away. Was chuffed that he replied and it's great that he is spreading the "Steel is Real" message. I am only home for a few days and then off to work for 6 weeks. Might get a single ride in before I have to leave but the weather looks awful. RAB have mailed to inform me of a training weekend 4/5th December but I will not be able to make that. Pity as it would have been good to meet up with some of the other riders.

Birthday Boy

2010-10-11T17:57:00.000+01:00

Today, the 11th October, is my 50th birthday and also marks the start of my 2 weeks vacation. Now unless the postie has managed to squeeze a Brompton folder through the letter box I will not be cycling in the next 2 weeks. Mixed emotions about that as I am just starting to really get settled on the Steve Goff and looking forward to riding the machine each day. I am hopeful that the ship (for we are on a cruise) has some decent stationary bikes (Schwinns might be asking a bit much) and I am going prepared.Fully expect to put a stone in weight back on but needs must. I did get a Carradice saddle bag off the number one daughter. I will get it embroidered with "Steel is real" when I get home. Keep the faith.
Keep up the training while I am away!

The Carradice Emporium

2010-10-07T00:14:00.001+01:00

With the impending celebration of my 50th year and the requirement for present choices I had a trip to the Carradice saddlebag factory in Nelson, Lancashire. A present that I am hopeful of receiving is a "Zipped Roll" which essentially is a day bag that I want to complete the Goff for long day rides and ultimately the RAB. It only has a 2 litre capacity and so it is not possible to overfill it with "Just in case" goodies. I want the black version, not the green as pictured.
Eventually found the factory in the back-streets of Nelson. Headed up the stairs in to the factory and was met with an amazing sight from a bygone age. The place was full of part and completed saddlebags of all sorts of shapes and sizes. An amazing place and once again true English craftsmanship at work. Carradice is a company that is at the pinnacle in the same way as Brooks England and Reynolds. They take on the foreign imitators and beat them at their own game.
Called in on another English craftsman; Paul Hewitt. My rear wheel had a millimeter or so buckle and a couple of pinging spokes. This reared its head at the end of the sportive and I assume that it was the brand new wheel de-stressing (wheel building term apparently) during the longish ride. Was impressive to see Hewitt tinkering with the wheel sat at the truing stand with his spoke key. A real skill that I must master myself soon.
The RAB organisers have sent out the suggested training programs to achieve fitness for the ride. It looks a punishing regime and not one that I can keep to while overseas. I will be away for the first love-in weekend on the 5/6th December but that can't be helped. They are very insistent that training starts from now. One piece of information is that the Long Mynd has been removed from the 2011 route. Only six out of 650 made it up the hill this year. Having tried and failed the Long Mynd last year I am pleased to hear of its absence.
No ride today due to the wheel building duties. Only a few more days till I am off on holiday so no cycling for 2 weeks (unless I smuggle my bike on the Queen Elizabeth!).

Blenheim Palace Sportive (on the Steve Goff!)

2010-10-04T20:35:00.003+01:00

Yesterday saw me and my 2 brothers complete the Blenheim Palace sportive in rural Oxfordshire. This was a ride-out to celebrate my 50th birthday which is looming this week. We did this ride last year and it was such a good day out it was pencilled in as soon as booking opened. I threw caution to the wind and built up the Steve Goff on Friday night. Had a 50m (m as in metre!) test ride in the dark and convinced myself that all would be well. It was definitely my Robert Penn moment when I realised that this frame was actually going to work. Finished the build on Saturday morning and jumped in the car for Oxford to the hotel. Booked in for the ride on Saturday evening to avoid the big queues on Sunday (there are lots of events going on and around 2000 entrants).

We started the ride in almost torrential rain and gales which was a challenge (the Ryder Cup wasn't cancelled for nothing). It was apparent almost straight away the Steve Goff is the comfiest bike I have ever ridden. The sizing is perfect with no leg problems and out the saddle the bar position is just so comfy. I am really chuffed with the Dura Ace bar end shifters which are a quality piece of kit and gear changing was perfect every time. Very glad that I fitted the mud guards as roads were very, very wet. We all had a Paris Roubaix tan by the end from all the grime being thrown up by the spray.

The only downside is that I confirmed my suspicions that the Harry Hall is too small after all these years. This might mean the end of the road for the Harry Hall as it it just not the same bike after riding the Goff. This may also mean a realignment of the blog with an emphasis on 853 rather than 531c. The Goff will definitely be the bike that I do the RAB JOGLE on.

Because of the awful conditions I think many riders opted for the 60 miler but we didn't and came home with 103.33 miles in 6 hrs 57 mins (ride time). A good effort considering the appalling conditions and very happy with that. All 3 steel bikes performed magnificently and we saw off lots of exotic, expensive carbon fiber. It is so satisfying that all 3 of us had assembled the bikes ourselves after choosing and sourcing the bits. I need to get a postcard from Oxford to send to Steve Goff thanking him for his part in the momentus day.

For those that don't know the Blenheim Palace Sportive the course was the same as last year which was good news as it is so well planned. It's a very friendly sportive with none of the stench of testosterone unlike some of the more competitive events. The only casualty were my sit bones that were a little sore after 100 miles on a brand new Brooks B17 saddle (foolish I know but you have to start somewhere). This wasn't lasting damage though as I managed a training ride on Monday. I am extremely happy with the new bike and it has caused me a few problems now as I realise the HH is not a long term option. I may even revert to the Dawes as a winter bike.

All in all a great day out with the Smith peleton and support crew.

Congratulations Sir, It's A Goff!!

2010-09-30T17:44:00.000+01:00

Certainly felt like the arrival of the newborn at the maternity ward yesterday with the delivery of the Steve Goff frame. As most of my readers will know this has been a journey, no an expedition, into the world of the artisan frame maker. It has been a long road, not without it's hiccups and frustrations it has to be said. Yesterday we certainly arrived at the destination when I collected the frame. All I can say is the wait has been well worth it as the frame, lugs and finish has come together into everything that I have planned from the outset. Currently the frame is sat on the sitting room coffee table like a piece of Anthony Gormely art. It seems almost a shame to think about dressing it up with Japanese widgets. It has been great to see my original vision slowly coming together into the frame I want.

The combination of the stainless lugs, cut-outs, flamboyant ruby stove enamelling and decals has come together into a really fabulous frame. There is just the right amount of stainless bling to really make the frame stand-out without appearing cheap. Steve Goff has done an outstanding job pulling all this together and full credit for humouring me in this project. One of the most satisfying points is that there is no other bike on the planet that is even remotely similar to this one. In the Trek'alised world individuality is something of real value. I have spent a long time this morning really analysing how the parts have all come together. I've already started to plan how the next frame will be subtly different from this one!

Goff pressed in the Ahead bearing cups (Campag Chorus) and set up the star spangled nut affair. This is the first time I have seen this system put together and hugely relieved that I didn't attempt that myself. A hammer and block of wood just wouldn't be the same. I have left the stem purposely high until I get the bike together and see how it all jives then I will trim it. Still haven't decided if I will use this bike on Sunday, depends how the fitting progresses. Slight diversion with my daughters 18th celebration today so need to give that the attention it deserves. Will keep you posted with the fitting over the next few days. It should be fairly straightforward but the bar-ends on the bull bars may be fiddly. I also have Nokon cabling system to figure out. All exciting stuff. Then it's out on the road to see how it actually rides.

458 Miles And Going Nowhere

2010-09-27T05:52:00.000+01:00

Well today is the last day of my confinement and I am up to 458 accumulated miles on the spinner and rollers in the last 5 weeks. This almost certainly says more about my tenacity than than it does about my fitness as you will all know that rollers are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I had a bit of a send-off at my last spinning session and I am already worried about how much my fitness will drop while I am at home. I will try and arrange some roller classes while at home and see how they compare with what I have been doing. I fly home tomorrow and had a night off from all forms of cycling last night. Just relaxing this week ahead of the weekends ride.
I am picking the Goff frame up on Wednesday so that will be a fairly momentous occasion and then it will be down to dressing the thing up with a bit of Ultegra. All exciting stuff, it has been 10 months in the making, certainly a long time, probably too long but I think it will be worth waiting for. Next blog post will hopefully have some pictures of the creation.

End of Season (but not my season)

2010-09-22T10:43:00.000+01:00

No posts this week due to work and the usual exercising regime not throwing up anything of interest. I have just been steadily putting in the miles on the rollers and spinning machine this week. Reached a pretty good level at spinning now and really put myself through the paces. I think the pool of water under my bike is half sweat and half tears now. It really is a testing exercise method and I can see why so many professionals use them alongside turbo trainers. Very keen to get home on the real bike and see how all this is translating to the road. Will probably only have time for a single ride before Blenheim Palace but that should be enough. The rest of the peleton has also been upping their training so we should have a reasonable effort on the day. We are dragging some newbie cyclist around so don't think the time will be anything amazing. My annual total is creeping towards 2000 miles and I have mentally adjusted my year end target to 2500 miles.
I have been picking up heavily discounted end of season team colours from the websites. I don't really want to cycle around looking like an advertising hoarding but Nalini jerseys for just over 30 GBP is a bargain by anyone's standard. I find the quality and cut of Nalini is just perfect for me and better than kit at twice the price. As I said, the downside is I look like an advert out of the yellow pages.

Smelly Mitt Syndrome

2010-09-16T17:47:00.000+01:00

Now I know that I am not a smelly person by nature so it can't just be me. It's apparent when cycling on a stationary bike (rollers or spinning) that my mitts honk to high heaven. It's not quite so obvious when on the road as the waft, as I slice the air, speeding along, hides the smell. But in the gym it's difficult to get more than an arms length away from a smelly mitt. So much so that I am worried about offending the sensibilities of the woman who quite often spins next to me (she is the star of the class and spins like a good 'un). I have taken to washing the mitts in Aerial each night which is doing nothing to extend their life. Problem is I don't like gripping the bars without gloves, it just doesn't feel right. Perhaps I should consider cutting the fingers off a pair of polka dot gardening gloves to see if cotton fares better than leather.
Just completed a trio of spinning classes tonight. Was especially difficult as I was feeling rotten but I didn't let that be an excuse to ease off on the friction. Was glad when it came to an end though. My mileage is creeping up and with less than 3 weeks till Blenheim I am feeling in good shape. My weight has stabilised which is good as I don't want to lose any at this stage. My stretch target of 3000 miles is starting to look a little ambitious this year, 2500 may be more reasonable. Still I will not be disappointed with that given my limited opportunities for much of the year. I am here for the long haul so don't need to over do it this year. Anyway must dash, got gloves to wash.

O.A.P. Status

2010-09-12T17:59:00.000+01:00

Was thinking about my registration for British Cycling membership last night. Apparently at the grand old age of 49 I am eligible for the senior level of membership. I think that this is probably something akin to being entitled to an old age pensioner bus pass. Not sure that is a place I want to be in right now. I have already tested the 10% extra discount using my registration on the Wiggle site. Bought some very fetching red bibs. Can't see too many pensioners in those.. They may get their first outing on the sportive.
Satisfied my craving and went spinning again last night and made it a very tough session. I went through the whole program without altering the friction setting. Even during the breather/hydration minutes I kept the pedaling and wattage going. Felt pretty good despite the extra effort. When I arrived back at my accommodation I was still a little pumped up so did 10 laps of jogging which equates to about 3 miles. I can't maintain running for all that distance but manage to run about 90% of the lap. I had a nervous moment midway through when I appeared to be getting pains in my chest. Wasn't quite sure what was going on and didn't really believe that I was having a coronary. Turns out it was a severe case of "Runners nipple" masquerading as a heart attack. Think I will have to get the duct tape out!
Tonight I just did an hour on the rollers to keep things moving. It was going to be a night off but I like the exercise. However no running tonight, have given my nipples the night off.

Olga, The Nordic Trainer

2010-09-11T07:46:00.000+01:00

Had my first date with Olga, the nordic trainer last night. She has been away in Dubai for a bit of TLC. The friction braking system had failed and required a new part. All well and good but now the machine is locked into steep fjord mode so extremely difficult and tiring to keep up the momentum. Before the nordic trainer session I did 60 minutes on the rollers. Kept up a cracking pace and managed 24 miles in the hour. This was the first night of rollers after three consecutive spinning classes. I can see that my ability to maintain 24 mph has definitely improved over the last week or 2. Really keen to see how all this translates on to the road bike. Will not get the chance for that for another 2 1/2 weeks so still room for improvement. I have managed 300 miles in the last 3 weeks on the rollers and spinning. Would like to make that 500 miles by the time I travel home.
Been looking around for bib shorts being sold off at the end of the season. I reckon I need 5 sets of shirts, bibs and sweat vests for RAB. Not sure that my 15kg baggage allowance or finances will run to buying 9 sets of clothing for fresh everyday. A little gross I know but have to draw a line somewhere. I don't really want to look like an advertising billboard but the previous season team colours are amongst the best value. I particularly like the Castelli bibs above but they are a bit pricey.
Off spinning tonight so looking forward to that. Will try and put as much effort in as possible to prepare for the Oxford hills. Then its back on the rollers and Nordic trainer for 2 nights. What an exciting life I lead.

British Cycling

2010-09-10T12:23:00.001+01:00

Whipped out the cards last night and made a few purchases. Started off with a pair of spinning cycle shoes. Not very sexy but reduced from 90 GBP to 25 GBP as an end of season sale. Question is does spinning have a season? If they fit they will be a bargain and hopefully will solve the problem. I am getting a sore left ankle and I am sure it is because I am using running shoes on the spinner. My foot is flexing in all the wrong places compared with having a stiff sole on. They can also be used on the stealth roller rig. Went spinning last night and really started to push it. In the sitting down periods I maintained the friction level and pushed away. The music is starting to annoy me though. The beat of most tracks is faster than my cadence. I find that I am trying to bob my body to one rhythm while my legs are working to another rhythm. All very confusing.
Next thing on the list was to take advantage of a discount code I had for British Cycling membership. To enter the RAB JOGLE it is a requirement to have British Cycling membership so that you are covered for 3rd party insurance. The silver membership level includes this cover and is normally 36 GBP. The discount code (was available through the SkyRide events: SKYRIDE2) gave a discount of 18 GBP. Snapped that up just in time. The package should arrive before I get home. Membership also includes a provisional racing license. So if I fancy turning professional at 50 there is still hope! I think not.
It is all quiet in the Middle East today as it is the equivalent of Christmas Day (not a good comparison I know). Will be able to get home a little earlier and then perhaps get down the gym and test out the fixed Nordic trainer.

More Spinning!

2010-09-09T07:53:00.003+01:00

Have been overdosing on spinning this week with 5 sessions. I "spun" for the last 2 nights and will do so again tonight. Last night was a killer and I only just made it to the end. The routine varies quite a lot so you can't pace yourself. I have just decided to give it my best shot and make the most of the sessions. You are only kidding yourself if you take it easy. I have been suffering from cramp in my calves and I'm possibly not eating and drinking enough. Not eating as much as normal as it is the fasting month of Ramadan in the Middle East and illegal to eat in public. I estimate that about 80% of the hour is in the standing position, that is hard enough but the real challenge is to maintain the watts when sitting down. There is the temptation to wind down the friction when sitting to rest but that's when the real exercise is being done in my opinion.
Been very testing times at work and the spinning in the evenings has proven to be the perfect antidote. I'm continuing to log 10 miles for the spinning classes which is less than my roller sessions but they are quality miles. I have had my super sleuth daughter source some classes for when I am back in the UK. I might even be able to drag her along. I will invest in some stiff soled spinning shoes though as it puts a strain on the ankle joint in running shoes. Always tricky ordering over the internet but everything is easily exchanged.
My wife has told me that not only is the RAB JOGLE balance paid she has also bought a cycle jersey for the event. A bit like "seen it, done it, got the T shirt" but I am pleased. It's a good design and the predominantly white colour is in keeping with me only wearing high visability clothing. Hope that it has arrived by the time I get home.

2010-09-04T19:26:00.000+01:00

I am getting sucked in, slowly but surely, but I am getting sucked in. The pain is addictive and the sense of well being after finishing the hour is great. Tonight's spinning program was the best yet and involved lots of sitting and climbing with 8 pedal stroke intervals. Doesn't sound too bad until you are doing it for an hour. That doesn't quite do it justice as it is intermingled with a structured routine governed by the music which thankfully was a bit better tonight. As you will see from my bio I am not really a music lover and wouldn't dream of using an ipod on a bike. Again I would estimate that it was about a 10 mile workout. There are classes 6 days a week so I can see in the month or 2 leading up to JOGLE I will be there every night. Only 3 GBP a sessions so that is a fair price.

Book Early!

2010-09-03T18:58:00.000+01:00

Well this is the lovely spot that I will be spending the evening of 19th June 2011. It is the Travelodge in St Ives, Cornwall and is where I will sleep the night I complete the JOGLE! All this is very premature but a sure sign that my wife is getting in the swing of things and booking the hotel 9 months in advance. There is a slight problem of 9 months training and 1000 miles between now and that bed. It's all in the mind.
As John Berry would say, night off tonight, stayed in and played computer games. Well it is but I didn't. Decided to have a night off after 11 days exercising and I have another spinning class tomorrow to look forward to. Got a busy week at work coming up but will try and stay dialled in to the exercise.

Arrgh! Take 2

2010-09-02T20:06:00.002+01:00

Just felt the urge to have another go at the spinning tonight after work. Went along without a booking and got a ride. I paced myself a bit better today and perhaps could have pushed it a little more at times. Was a 1 hour session and I guess we covered about 10 or so miles with a lot of climbing. All this training is timely as the Deloitte RAB people have been in touch today. The balance is now due so need to send that off. Also found out that there is a single tent supplement of 90 GBP which I shall pay. The bike transfer to John O'Groats is also available at a cost which I will also take. The RAB 2011 ride is slap bang in the middle of A levels so taxi rides courtesy of my wife can not be relied upon.
RAB is pretty insistent that you are fit enough to undertake the ride and I have to prove my fitness sometime in February. I need to be able to do 80 miles at an average of 12 mph. All things being equal that should be OK. There is also a plan to reduce the route by 60 miles which reduces the days by some 6 miles. The mail suggested that some days were just too long this year. There will also be training camps (weekends) where we are taught about training, diet etc. I just know that these will all coincide with me being away at work. Can't be helped. The RAB website has been updated if anyone is interested in having a look. They are still taking bookings Ian!!

ARRGH!!

2010-09-01T02:32:00.000+01:00

Let me get it out there straight away, that was one of the toughest hours I have spent on a bike whether moving or stationary. The class actually ran for 1hr 10 minutes but it wasn't the 10 minutes that saw me off, I was worn out from minute one. Not sure why it was so tough but there was certainly more out the saddle stuff than I am happy with. There was a lake of sweat under my bike which wasn't too pleasant. The trainer was a Filipino guy called Edwin who was amazingly fit. The motivational music was a little modern for my taste but I know it was all about the beat. The worst part was during the relaxing sections when I was over spinning with little resistance and my calves started to cramp up. The Schwinn bike itself was a quality beast and no wonder when you see the price tags. Makes me realise that the time I am spending on the stealth training rig is a bit one dimensional and not a complete workout. However to counter this I am supplementing it with jogging and step training. I can see that I am probably not pushing it enough with the exercise I am doing.
Having been sucked in I signed up for another 4 sessions over the next month. I think one hour a week is quite enough at this stage. Can't even think about 2 hours sessions. The session was fairly popular with 16 spinners which is about average apparently. All in all a good life experience and one I shall repeat. I would guess the mileage to be around 12 miles as there was a lot of climbing. Not feeling any after effects like stiffness so that bodes well.
Only a month till the Blenheim Palace sportive so all this could be coming together at the right time.

Sore Butt

2010-08-29T18:55:00.000+01:00

It doesn't take long (about 47 minutes actually) to remind myself just how bad those 80's gel saddles are. The stealth training rig has the original Raleigh OEM saddle and it is just agony at the end of the hour on the rollers. The problem is that I am not proficient enough on rollers to get out the saddle and stand so just have to shuffle around to ease things. Anyway, I will not let that put me off and am managing 21 to 22 miles an evening which is great compared with doing nothing. 140 miles a week on the rollers will have me very happy.
Back to the saddle sores; I will bring in a Brooks for my next trip and hopefully that will cure the problem. I took some advice from a fellow blogger and now the front wheel set-up is just about perfect. My balance is much improved and pedal stroking is smoother. In addition to a saddle I will bring some old cycling shoes with a stiff sole. Cycling on bear traps with running shoes is no joke.
However, there is a new twist in that I have been invited to a spinning session at another expat compound on Tuesday. I haven't tried spinning before and hope that it is a real challenge. The session is just an hour though other evenings are 2 hours. Will keep you posted on that one.

It's All About The Bike - Robert Penn

2010-08-27T09:37:00.001+01:00

Starting reading this book yesterday and it really is a fantastic read. The reviews on Amazon are far more eloquent than anything that I can write. It is on bargain offer at the moment so go ahead and treat yourself, you won't regret it. The television show was good but there wasn't enough meat on the bone for me. The book has all that and is very inspiring. Steel is most definitely real.
Guardian, Telegraph, Independent.

Stealth Rollers

2010-08-24T10:48:00.001+01:00

Well amazingly the bike and rollers arrived off the luggage carousel at the airport. Walking through the customs I was challenged by the official "What is that box", I answered a bike and he just said "Good luck, go". That is how unusual it is to be considering a bike in the Middle East. Little did he know that there was also a set of rollers in the bottom of the box.
Got the equipment home and had it all bolted together in 1/2 hour. I had bought myself a six foot long prayer mat to sit the rig on to absorb a bit of the vibration and noise. All looked good so jumped on for a ride. Managed the usual ten miles in 30 minutes which will be my stock exercise. All looking good so far and more satisfying than walking the block. Will need to keep this up each night to ensure fitness for the Blenheim Palace sportive in October. I am also hopeful that this will allow me to stay fitter over the winter. The only worrying thing is having a bike and rollers sat in my hotel room. Not sure what the room boy will think of that.
I am going to cheat a little and add these miles to my running total so that I have some idea how much I am doing and can then set targets and goals. A target of 500 miles in the next 6 weeks might be ambitious but it gives me something to aim at. It is the fasting month Ramadan in the Middle East and that means eating in public is banned. That should at least stop snacking of junk food to assist the fitness drive. Now I wonder how the rest of the peleton are doing?
I called the spray shop in Liverpool today and the Goff frame is having it's last coat (3rd) of lacquer today so will be finished. Pity that I am not there for the handing over but I will be patient. Goff will ream out the bottom bracket threads and then Bobs your uncle!

The Stealth Trainer

2010-08-17T10:58:00.001+01:00

I have been away for a few days and returned home to find the tyres for the training rig on the door step. Quickly put the new tyres and tubes on the old wheels to see how the bike performed. Wasn't a great success as the chain tensioner system reduces the number of teeth the chain hooks onto, result was a slipping chain. This is just as Red Bike had warned me would happen. Took out a few links from the chain and it improved a little. A few links more and the chain was running problem free. The front wheel gives a slightly irritating vibration as the tyre is not set in the rim concentrically. Had a few quick attempts at fixing it but will need to work on that again today. Next problem will be getting all this in to a suitcase and on to a plane. That's tomorrows challenge.

Peleton Rigs

2010-08-14T10:47:00.002+01:00

The rest of the peleton have sorted their machines this week in preparation for the Blenheim Palace sportive on 3rd October. One bike is the 853 Reynolds Raleigh and the other is a 531c Reynolds Bob Jackson.

The Bob Jackson is a 60cm frame which I have built-up over the last couple of days. The bike rides really well (though it's too large for me to be completely comfortable). Relaxed touring geometry and definitely a different ride to the Harry Hall with the high bar height. Components are Shimano Tiagra which is good quality at a bargain price. Saddle height is adjusted for me and not the intended domestique. Really needs a Brooks leather saddle to complete it rather than an old gel. Hopefully the owner will be happy with the result when it is collected later today.

The Raleigh build is a sharper beast and is in a 58cm Reynolds 853 with straight blades. The components are a full 105 groupset and Mavic Open Pro's. Haven't seen this bike yet but I imagine that it is huge bang for your buck. The good news is that we will not be humiliated at the Blenheim with a selection of shopper style bikes as in previous years. Should make for a good day out.
The Steve Goff is making progress and the spray shop told me that it will be sprayed on Monday. Not sure if that will give me enough time to collect it before I go away. If not then it will be a mad scramble to get it fitted out before our ride in October. Had a visit to Brian Rourke's in Stoke yesterday to pick up a few things. Some nice 953 frames but he has moved away from lugged builds to butt brazed which I am less keen on.
Still waiting for the delivery of the tyres to complete the "Stealth" training bike, hopefully will be later today. It's all action on the bike front and now we just need to get some miles in!

Pseudo Fixie

2010-08-11T23:20:00.002+01:00

Been converting the Raleigh Pursuit bone shaker into something approaching a single speed rig for the training rollers. The project is intended to have minimal costs and so far it's looking pretty good. Major outlay was the chain tensioner as pictured above. This isn't a thing of beauty and detracts from the minimalist approach but needs must. The frame is finished in matt black from a spray can left over from a car renovation some years ago. Chopped the bars into bull bars and added gel and tape. Will have a completed picture tomorrow I hope when the tyres arrive. These were no expense spared from Wiggle at 6 GBP a pop! The crank arms came off in a heartbeat using the new crank extractor. This is a must have tool if you are removing square taper crank arms. The satisfaction is well worth the outlay cost of the tool, crow bars don't even come close.
Had a good ride out this morning and enjoyed clear blue skies. As I put the bike back in the workshop the heavens opened so good timing there. May try and get a longer ride in tomorrow if I can find the time.

Training Rig

2010-08-07T19:35:00.003+01:00

Managed to swap 2 Mars bars for an old Raleigh Pursuit bike that was advertised locally. This thing is as old as the hills but will be a very cheap solution to a training rig for the rollers at work. I will strip all the brakes and gears off the bike and get the weight down to get it on the plane. Will not quite be a fancy fixie but it's a fraction of the cost of a retail bike. It's amazing the poor quality and rudimentary engineering on these bike. The bike is probably from the early eighties and a relative low rent machine. Still, it is exactly what I am looking for and will be the bees knees by the end of the week. I had gone down the route of phoning all the local bike shops but drew a blank. I was told that many shops no longer pass on 2nd hand bikes due to the warranty requirements making it uneconomic. There is also a flourishing market in stolen bikes which the shops obviously want to stay away from.
After a spin on the rollers to ensure that the bike was viable I started to tear it apart. Binned the brakes, levers, gears and adjusters. Will not be needing any of that. Also turned the handlebars up-side-down and took a hacksaw to them to create bull bars. Seat post is free so that always helps though it is a steel and chrome affair, heavy. I have ordered a list of stuff from t'internet including crank extractor tool, bar tape and gel, chain etc.. I would prefer to bin the wheels but the flip/flops are 95 GBP and that would blow the budget. Spacing is 120mm so would have to be fixie wheels.This will not be a fixie in the true sense of the word as I will use a chain tensioner and retain the 5 speed cassette. I will ditch the inner chainring once the crank extractor arrives. Will also swap the bottom bracket for a cartridge that I have in the spares box. The current loose ball bottom bracket is grinding away. The frame will not be getting a respray so it will remain black and rusty.

Had a very relaxed training loop today and just didn't have the race wheels on so cruised around. Hardly surprising I guess after not being on the bike for 4 days. It is the Phil Liggett CTC ride tomorrow which I would like to do but haven't registered.

Frame Is Done

2010-08-06T00:04:00.004+01:00

Apologies for lack of updates on the progress of the Goff frame. After some applied pressure to the builder the frame and forks were finally delivered on Monday. That gave me a few days to work on the lugs between entertaining house guests. The clean-up of the lugs was tricky and I basically started the polishing process again working through the grits. The learning curve here is that lugs should be polished to remove all the casting marks but not polished to mirror before brazing. I have decided against polishing the bottom bracket as this is a huge amount of work and would have delayed delivery to the spray shop.

I am basically happy with the quality of the silver soldering and only a few shorelines were loaded with silver. I have cleaned the frame as best I can and it is ready for the spray shop. I had a last minute change of heart and have now ditched the red in favour of flamboyant ruby. This is essentially a purple colour which I hope will go really well with the stainless and decals. I reined in on the decals and only have a single frame builder name on the downtube, my name on the crossbar for security and a Reynolds 853 above the bottom bracket. I am on a promise that it will be ready before I go away on the 19th August. Time will tell. The spray shop (C&G Finishes in Liverpool) are among the premier division in the UK and will do a good job I am sure. The stainless steel will be masked off using rubber and the cut-outs carefully revealed to be filled with the same paint as the body of the frame. I have purposely stuck to one colour so that it doesn't detract from the stainless lugs. The entire frame will have a final coat of clear to protect it. The frame will be at the spray shop for a week to 10 days so there isn't much to be done till then.

Knock at the door today was the Amazon parcel truck. Was amazed to find that my work colleague has ordered the Robert Penn book on building a bike. Was pretty overwhelmed by this gesture and it hit all the right notes. Many thanks Paul.

Forks Are Done!

2010-07-31T20:06:00.002+01:00

Collected the forks and was put on a promise of Monday for the frame. Time will tell. Got the forks home and assessed the silver soldering. The shore lines are a bit over-filled and the cut-outs on the crown are not as distinct as I would like. This is very difficult to clean up even with a dremel but I had a bash. Fortunately the cleaning up that the builder had done did not mark the stainless items so I just worked through the grits and then did a dremel polish. End result was OK and I give it about 8/10. This will all pale in to insignificance once the main frame is polished and painted.

On the cycling front had a good ride-out today in a reasonably quick time for the loop. Not many cyclists around today surprisingly. Unfortunately I will not be able to do the Chester Broken Spoke tomorrow as we have guests this week. Definitely struggling to get the sportives in this year.
Had to order some new mitts online last night as my current pair are splitting. Thats a shame as they have been great gloves and lasted a number of years. Always a bit hit and miss ordering clothing online but fingers crossed.

Roller Dilemma

2010-07-29T22:23:00.000+01:00

Went to Manchester today with the intention of buying a cheap and cheerful fixie/single speed to take to work for the rollers. I had previously planned to use the Dawes Horizon but it is such an over the top bike for roller work that I decided on a single speed. Problem is that single speeds are vogue at the moment and the prices are ridiculous for fairly low spec and low quality machines. An option was the 300 pound bike at Edinburgh Bicycles. Was a bit underwhelmed as the bike was heavy and had fairly low rent components. OK, I know its only 300 pound but I was hoping for just a little bit more. In the event I kept my hands in my pockets and didnt buy one. This bike will have no other function in life other than as an exercise machine on rollers. The Dawes is sitting idle so unless I spot a bargain that is what I will ship out to work.
Had a shortish ride today (26 miles) as I was tight for time. Looking foward to tomorrow as I am having a ride-out with cousin Bike over in Lymm. Will be a faily steady ride I suspect as its not too hilly though rain is forecast. The uniglide freehub is slipping and I know that a replacement will take some research. I stripped the hub and cassette and lubed everything up. I suspect that after 26 years it may just be getting a little worn. Oh and by the way I will be dropping in to Steve Goff's for another round of disappointment!

False Dawn!

2010-07-25T06:20:00.000+01:00

Came home a couple of days ago filled with anticipation. I need not have wasted the adrenalin as a trip to Steve Goff's to collect the frame resulted in disappointment again. The front triangle is brazed but the rear is not and there is still work to be done. This was not the progress I was looking for and now I know that it is a least a week before I will go again. However what this does is reinforce the feeling that I must do all the frame building myself so that will be the next stage.
Got up early and was loading the Harry Hall in to the back of the car when I thought to hell with it I am going on a ride. Unloaded everything and then headed off on the training route. This was my first ride in over 5 weeks and I was a little worried about my fitness but it was OK. The jelly legs were acceptable at the end.
After some domestic DIY I then helped one of the domestiques fit some parts on the reborn Bob Jackson. This was fun and its a collection of eclectic parts and colours that definitely make for an interesting build. We had already collected some vinyl decals from printers and they looked the business. All went together pretty well but we ran out of time. It was by now chucking it down with rain and the sensible thing to do was go home. So we went for a bike ride!
Did a short hilly ride around Lancashire including Parbold Hill and Ashurst Beacon and clocked up 18 miles in an hour. That brought the total for the day to 48 miles which was way more than I had planned.
Had toyed with the Bickerton Challenge on Sunday 15th but the 103 mile route takes in some serious climbs including the Horsehoe Pass. Sense tells me that I am not fit enough this week.
Anyway it's back to seething about the Goff frame.

It's Time (well nearly)

2010-07-16T19:45:00.000+01:00

Called Steve at Steve Goff Cycles yesterday and the amazing news is that the frame is ready to be collected. Not that it is ready for the build, it is ready to be collected and have all the lugs polished to a mirror. Then it goes back to Steve and on to the stove enamelers in Liverpool. Steve assures me that the shorelines have remained crisp despite their intricacy. I don't want any photographs of the results until I actually see it in my hands. This could be quite a moment and is penciled in for Friday 23rd which is when I am back in the UK. Could be cause for celebrations and I'm looking forward to the big day. Hope that it all lives up to expectations. Its been a long 6 month haul and we are in the final act.
I had the confirmation from RAB Deloitte that my registration and deposit was all in order and so just have to worry about the balance now.

Team Liquigas

2010-07-09T15:32:00.001+01:00

Internet, credit card and time on my hands is a dangerous combination. Not to be outdone by the masseurs in the Smith peleton buying ballgowns I treated myself to a Liquigas 2010 team shirt. Now I know team shirts may be a little crass but the price (Wiggle) was a bargain and I was looking for a training jersey to bring to work. I love the lime green colour and I know it will look vile on the new, red Steve Goff but heh, there was no holding me back.
The Bob Jackson is back from the initial round of powder coating. As a first draft it looks good and the guys doing the coating are starting to get their eye in. They have never done a bike frame before so it is something new for them too. It's an interesting conundrum finishing a frame. You can be the best frame builder in the world but unless your paint sprayer is on top of his game its all for nothing. There is a case for letting someone else build the steel and you just concentrate on the finish. After all at the Stuttgart show the stand-out frames were the ones with the unusual or immaculate paint jobs. Few people notice the quality of the brazing but everyone notices the paint scheme. Of course some of the amateurs combine both frame building with spraying such as Craig at Foresta Bikes in the States. I think the thought of becoming a master sprayer is a bit much before I have become a master builder!