Today we rode in a bunch

I have spent years riding on my own or in small groups. The reason is that whilst cycling is one of the most important things in my life, it is not the only thing. I have also worked most Saturdays and so I only have one day a week free, Sunday. Ever since I had a young family I found that riding early in the morning was the only way to get several hours on the bike without affecting my family life (commuting was another). Now, years on, I really enjoy having a full day as well as riding. The only problem is that so many riders sacrifice ride time for bed time.

I have finally got together a group of riders that both rise early and ride at a similar pace to me.

Today, we met at the Red Lion in Shoreham and as I led the group of 5 up to Bramber I had an enormous grin on my face. I love riding in a peleton. We didn’t ride far or fast but at least we rode and I am sure that this group will, as the days get warmer, wind up its speed and our Sunday runs will prove to be good training rides for the fast approaching race season.

I’d recommend to all riders to start using Strava. I have just begun to up load my rides and it is fascinating. There won’t be a hill that I ride up on or off road that I won’t be thinking about my time and my ranking on Strava. Join up now. All that you’ll need is a GPS device, Android phone or iPhone to record your rides.

Here’s the ride.

So what is our national sport?

In the Barcelona Summer of 1992 I remember pulling off the road in order to listen to Chris Boardman winning Olympic Gold. Little did I know then what that was going to do for us today. First we had the World Class Performance Plan, then the National Velodrome and since then a stream of medal victories in World Cups, World Championships and  Olympics cross all aspects of cycling (the exception is cross county mountain biking). In this Olympic year we, The Brits, are favourites to win Olympic Gold in all sorts  of cycle events. We are now one of the strongest cycle nations in the world.

As a prelude to the Olympic Track competition the UCI Track World Cup is in London this week. On Thursday we went to see the Team Pursuit qualifying heats. The Velodrome is state of the art and mind blowing; it was jammed with 6,000 fanatical cycling fans and the roof nearly came of when our girls rode close to WR pace and just missed beating the Canadians. Later the men hit the boards to a roar from the crowd that never let up but increased in volume as they started smashing the previous times. I have never experience anything so loud, exciting, emotional or up lifting. It was amazing to see the other competitors standing open mouthed and agog at the sensation of the British Teams. On Friday the women went on to win Gold and set a new World Record time.

We can be so proud. Gone are the days when it was the taking part that counted. We are now a nation that is proud to win and capable of creating winners.

So, with 42% of the population owning a bike, sales for the London WC Track meet selling out in 30minutes, 3,000,000 ready to line the streets when the Tour de France passes through, and the Brits heading up the league table in early season wins on the pro road circuit, I have to ask what is our national sport? Can we honestly say football? Football may be enjoyed by many but it seems to represent every thing that is bad and unsuccessful about British Sport.

Here are a few comments about our experience last Thursday should you be able to go. Security is a bit like the Airports with the same restrictions. They say no food or drink allowed in but they didn’t bother about my water. Apart from the security area, you will not see a waste bin from entering your train station to leaving your station when you get home. So take a bag for rubbish if you don’t want to be a litter lout. They need bins in the velodrome and signs to find them. It is around 30°C by the track. Take a camera and binoculars. Be prepared to scream until you can’t speak. To be a part of British Cycling click here

GB boys do good

LTWC queue

Up close with the Germans

Velodrome

GB Women Prep Talk

Lap of Honour

Athletic stadium and Canary Wharf

GB Women Start

GB mens Team Pursuit

Roll on the Track World Championships in April and the Olympics this Summer.

At last a real and fun winter’s ride

The temperature had only risen a few degrees but that was enough to make this mornings ride really pleasant. It was still freezing, the ground was frozen sold or iced up but grip was good provided by the really cold snow. I was riding with my other brother and bearing in mind the conditions we weren’t going to be hammering flat out for miles. So I was riding again for the sheer pleasure of pedalling, the conditions and the company.

I wish I’d taken the Garmin as you could have seen our route, we zig-zagged all over to stay on single track with our most northerly point the bottom of the Lion Trail. It may not be Wales or the North Downs but if you know your way around there is a lot of good riding round here.

The best trail today was the Monarch’s Way to No man’s Land. No snow, clear and rock hard. I took the Whyte 829 down faster than any other bike so far. I use this trail as a test of a bike. If I can ride it without touching the brakes then I assume that the bike works. Perhaps due to the conditions, maybe the balance of the Whyte 829, whatever, I was able even to pedal to accelerate. I don’t think that I’ve pedalled so hard when on a non-braking run. It’s a real buzz whipping through those turns trying not to let my forefingers flick off the bars. Cool. Try it!

Another 829 shot….. but I just like it so much!

Whyte 829

Paul near the top

For the sheer joy of riding

Whyte 829 on the Sheep Track

For me riding is always about trying to get faster, thinking that these miles will benefit me later, perfecting my cornering, trying always to get better. Now at my age that may be a pointless task but that is the way I am.

Sometimes something else takes over. I nearly aborted this morning’s ride as, first the customer wanted another day on the Scott Spark 29er and second it started to snow when I went to bed. I left for work on the Whyte 829 and as soon as I hit the trails I was on snow. Unlike Sunday’s slippery, fondant mush this was nice dry, cold snow. This stuff is great for riding as it offers excellent grip and being untracked there were no intimidating roots or ruts to worry about.

I was really enjoying myself happy that I was taking the perfect line when all of a sudden I realised just how nice the riding was. I wasn’t busting a gut, risking life and limb as I cranked the bike over, no I was just enjoying riding for the sake if it and being out in such a beautiful place. Bliss! People pay huge amounts of money and travel the world for this sensation and yet there was I in complete contentment on an hour’s single track commute to work.

The Whyte 829 could not be a more perfect fit for me and it handles like a dream. It took me a while to fall for this one but now that I am used to it I think that it has got to be one of the best 29ers out there for my shape and riding style. My Whyte 29CS isn’t due until the 25^th March and as they are in such short supply I might end up losing it to young Will (on the up and up unlike someone on the down and out).

A few tips:

The trails: some parts of the hill (northside) have ice and frozen snow under the fresh stuff: beware!

Cold hands: Here’s a technique that I used when windsurfing in February. Warm up, stop before your hands are cold and shake them and yourself about to get the blood circulating (when really cold you body takes blood away from extremities to keep the core warm), ride some more and do the same again (at the next gate), once your core is warm and the blood is pumping you may find that your fingers are warm. Circulation is the key to this.

Warm feet with Northwave Celsius Boots now 20% off!

 

Its amazing what a bit of motivation can do for you

Snowy path from Hangelton

Last night I had planned to ride this not expecting the temperature to drop quite so much. However, I wasn’t to be beaten after fun I had on Sunday was so, at just after 7am, I headed off on the Devil’s Dyke loop. It was evil out with a brisk North Easterly cutting into my cheeks. I could see the snow on the Down’s but was surprised to find that the Hangleton railway path was still covered in it. I kept my 23mm road tyres in tracks left by mountain bikes. Over the Dyke and back through Poynings and Egburton I was in total fear of black ice. My bottle froze up and I had ice in the rim.

It may have been grim but at least I rode and I now know that I’ll now be able to enjoy the early Spring weather whilst others will still be whimping out waiting for the sun.

It was -5c when I left but I never felt that cold. I wore a Buff, two base layers, a Gore Tool jacket and an old Gore Windstopper gilet (from the Kona days), wind proof tights, two pairs of gloves (the outer glove was a cheapie pair of Thinsulate gloves that you see at every B&Q checkout). Naturally my feet were warm wrapped in Endura woolly socks inside my Northwave Fahrenheit boots. All topped of with a Kask Vertigo. When you next think that it is time to spend some money on your cycling, think clothing first bike kit second.

I rode my Wilier Cento Uno, and felt safe with Conti Four Season tyres providing the grip.

Watching Cav & Co riding through the desert with crowds numbering nearly 10 didn’t inspire me at all. Roll on the Classics, the Tour of Qatar might be good training but, boy, is it boring.

Here’s the ride, one of my slowest ever.

Inspiration and motivation are all that you need but a new 29er helps

You may want XX, Super Record or be dreaming of Di2 but no equipment or expense will work if it doesn’t come with some inspiration and motivation. Of course, buying a new bit of kit often provides the motivation or being in a group but really it needs to come from within.

Yesterday, I tried to rise above the effect of the cold weather but I couldn’t imagine riding today. Then the customer borrowing the Scott Spark 29er called up to cancel. Result! That would be my ride today. I immediately got excited about the route. I was going to ride to Portsmouth via the South Down’s Way and Queen Elizabeth County Park. I could meet my wife there for a lift back. The trail conditions were perfect being both dry and frozen. With the wind blowing from the East, 29 inch wheels and full suspension I was sure to be really quick.

Scott Spark 29er Expert in snow

Scott Spark 29er Expert

Few tracks below Chanctonbury

And then the snow came. I went to bed depressed and I slept in. I never do that! I had let the weather beat me. I was demotivated and lacked any inspiration as I surveyed the thaw. There is nothing worse than this for riding so I spent the morning alternating home plumbing with watching the Down Hill in Les Houches and then the Tour of Qatar.

As Boonen celebrated victory and Cav rolled in at the back I noticed that it was gone 1pm, it was Sunday and hadn’t ridden. What was happening to me?

I needed to make an effort. I got changed and rode off on the Spark 29er. It was cold and I felt miserable but I soon found myself on a climb and relishing the challenge of maintaining traction and staying upright. This was fun. The riding was incredibly slow but really challenging as the snow was up to 10cm deep and melting. At first I panicked each time that the front wheel slid but eventually it just seemed normal and I got better and better at riding through the sliding front end.  Eventually the fear of falling left and I began to relax. I couldn’t get up Cardiac Arrest so rode down the back of Chanctonbury which was in great condition partly because it has been so dry this winter and also because the ground was still frozen despite the water and melting snow.

So after a week of freezing, mind numbing weather I managed to find some inspiration and motivation and now I can’t wait to give this bike a hammering. The only thing that I can report is that the climbing traction is incredible. I was amazed to be able to pick my way through the walkers as I ascended the Wiston Bostal cleaning the whole climb with hardly any dabs.

So thanks to the Scott Spark 29er for inspiring me to self motivation.

Comfortable and warm thanks to Gore Tool jacket and Northwave Celsius boots

Out classed but still happy to be riding

I suppose that I can look back on this being a good week (116 miles not counting commuting) but if you’d asked me at 10am I thought I’d really bitten off more than I could chew. Eric is a new rider in the area and he wanted to get to know some routes and some riders so we met him for a ride today and within 15 minutes of hanging onto his wheel we heard that he had actually ridden in the Athens Paralympics. He piloted a tandem in the Pursuit. His partner, Matt King, was a 4000m World Champion. The only thing that kept us together was that he didn’t know the way. I’ve waited a long time to ride with an American as I’ve always wanted to shout out that the church at Botolphs is over 1,000 years old. I managed to find enough breath to cry out. In this year of the Olympics it was great to speak to and be riding with someone that has been there and done it.

Eric DeGolier and Matt King

We did a big figure of eight going up to Hammer Ponds. There were riders everywhere and as we started back South we passed several big bunches heading North along the Twineham/Slaugham cycle route. It made me proud to be British and a Southerner. You’d either have to head to Yorkshire or Belgium to see as many riders as we did today.

It baffles me that cycling is so big in this country and yet we bring up our drivers to treat non motorists with total disdain. Today, we even had a driving instructor glaring at us for walking in the road where there was no pavement. Why not try to make a difference yourself? And before you start educating your family and friends try driving with care and respect yourself. Just see if you can spend a week not exceeding the speed limit, stopping for pedestrians to cross and generally treating others a human beings. Once you grab hold of that steering wheel you’ll be surprised how difficult it is and what a selfish prat you can become. It’s a British thing, nothing to be proud of, but is considered acceptable and the norm. Why not toot and wave in encouragement next time that you see a rider.

Here’s the ride, I forgot to switch off my Garmin whilst we enjoyed some tea and cycle banter with the Brighton and Worthing Excelsior riders crammed into Washington Village Hall. If we cut out all the faffing about meeting up with Eric we probably avergaed close to 20mph. The tempo felt like a mid summer ride for me and Joe, not so for Eric.

Bike Wilier Cento Uno, my wonderfull and comfortable Endura Convert Softshell , Kask Vertigo and Northwave Farhenheit boots

If you are or one of your friend is a female rider we are running a girls only road ride this comming Saturday, 28th Jan. Meet at the shop at 10am.