Tracks

A question on a site I sometimes dip in to posed the question 'Where have you been riding recently' which got me thinking about my own saddle time during the past few months, here's my response..

 2014 is, in my mind going to be a big year, I have several challenges set which will require me to be fitter than in previous years, this means I need more training.. Yep, you read that right, training, in order to be able to achieve them.  Two races in the first quarter of the year will push me hard and an imperial century on the road in May means that I need to ensure my hard won form from last year is maintained.

 So, I'll admit where I'm at in order to do this

 

 ..A turbo trainer

 I've been considering one for about 18 months and now that I have it I can vouch for the brutality of a turbo workout if you're prepared to sweat and suffer in equal measure.  It's great for pre dawn, pre kids rides when the feasibility of riding miles on the road isn't possible.  I enjoy it for the simple fact that I'm turning legs and grimacing when others are huddled down under duvets.

 However, despite the UK being currently battered by heavy winds, rain and low temperatures (a natural phenomenon I like to call 'Winter') I have ventured out doors..

 

 It's muddy.  Very muddy.  And flooded.

 Fun though and whilst I long for the dry, dusty, frictionless trails of summer I appreciate the hard miles won during winter for the increase in fitness and handling our soggy mud covered  rides are currently handing over in return for the motivation to resist the pull of warm homes and rubbish tv.

 So, I'm getting a buzz from riding indoors and outdoors at present.. I mean, it's just good to be riding at the end of the day, right?

Biblical

That's the only word that can be used to effectively sum up last nights ride.

Bloody wet to you and me.  With some weather system effectively buggering up any chance of having dry trails until 2030 the stoic few of us in the midweek ride group met in the Forest of Dean to make the most of a bad situation.  Our now regular ride haunt around Ross is currently falling foul of the Forestry Commission who are able to turn any piece of woodland quickly and efficiently into a landscape worthy of an end of the world or war film.

We set off with no real plan apart from try and stay upright and to gain as much feeling of smug as is possible for braving the conditions whilst our nesh mates sheltered in doors.

Heading up the man made trail from the Pedalabikeaway car park we were soon heading to a small piece of raised woodwork that was being put in as a trial.  Whilst we all cleaned it without issue, Matt, who is probably the best rider in our extended group had multiple attempts.  Any time he doesn't do something first time and better than anyone else is cause for much hilarity and woe betide him if he falls off.  Whilst he circled around for yet another attempt I wasn't sure whether to take a photo, or, as H suggested crack out the easel and sketch him riding it.. I'd have had the time

Not a great picture, maybe I should have gone with a sketch..

 

I've not ridden the Verderers trail for about two years and I had a great time picking up the trail again, lots of berms and swooping through deepening puddles whilst the relentless rain pounded down on us.  A strange evening though, wet but humid meaning getting the right level of clothing was tough.. Coat on, coat off..

Sitting at the back through a sweeping section of trail Jamer lost the front end after dipping slightly off trail, he hit a tree dead centre and superman'd it over the bars.. No harm done but he took no time in extolling the virtues of his knee pads to me.

Hitting a well known trail I couldn't believe the sheer amount of standing water and thick mud which lay in front of us, it wasn't recognisable since my last trip down it and if one thing was certain is was that no records were going to be broken as we each (with the possible exception of Matt who had regained his crown as trail maestro) struggled to stay upright and pointing down the trail.

It was here that two things happened, firstly I lost the front end in mud and went over and secondly, I became aware that my cleat had become loose, luckily I fell to the side which I could still unclip from, but the tumble jarred my other knee painfully.  Finishing the trail somewhat more carefully than seconds earlier my mates rallied round and in increasingly heavy rain rearranged my cleat for me.. No lost bolt thankfully but something I need to sort out at home and in the dry.

With the rain now so heavy that our headlights made each raindrop look 6 inches long we headed for a final descent and the sanctuary of the cars. 

The descent in question contained a section of trail I've never cleared before, in thick mud and pouring rain I managed it, getting to the bottom I had an enormous sense of achievement.

Last climb and drop and we were back at the carpark, but not before the final problem of the night made itself known.. My forks had completely seized, something was up and it's the sort of something which needs the bike to be dropped off at Revolutions to sort.. and only 4 weeks until the new one turns up...

Arse

Watch Wednesday

Don't worry, this isn't a regular feature to the blog, but in the follow up to the hugely popular Road Bike Party Martyn Ashton has done it again with a little help from his friends, who seemingly have recreated some of their own vids but on a rather fine road bike.

 

It's demonstrations by some of the UK's finest riders, so sit back, grap a cuppa and spend 6 minutes of your life having a watch

 

Travels

It seems that an inevitable part of my job these days involves travel.  Any notion I may have had that this was romantic or exciting quickly dissapated during my trip to the states last year when, instead of a road trip down 'Route 66' I spent a week rushing between meetings and spending more time than is healthy sat in various regional airports.

This weeks trip to Denmark , although not filled with multiple flights again left me with little in the way of cultural enrichment but a head and to do list straining at the seams.

Couple this with numerous issues back at the office requiring me to work into the night whilst my colleagues were consuming the entire 2013 production output of Denmarks micro-brewery industry and I can safely say that I'm looking forward to getting back to normality over the weekend.

Good intentions when packing to hit the gym or pool on a daily basis quickly faded as well.  The first afternoon in Copenhagen was spent catching up with work and the regional hotel we stayed at the for the following three days (which boasted comprehensive facilities on it's website) had a swimming pool, which seemed to be 10mtrs long and closed for 23 hours a day, the one hour it was open was obviously the hour I was either sleeping or working.

Without sounding like a travel-phobe, I've not really enjoyed the food either, I've become increasingly concious of what I eat and the food in the hotels seemed heavy and made for stodging you out.  Maybe that was just the lack of exercise though, I'm pretty sure  that a few hours of exercise during the week would have easily burnt off the food I ate.  As it was, I cut down on portions and promised myself a ride when I get home..

I've developed a love of just going out and wandering round new places, this may not be sensible but I've not had any problems and you get to see places which are fantastic.  Copenhagen is a stunning city, the architecture is something that even an uneducated oaf like me can appreciate and the people are friendly.  The cost of everything can only be described as eye watering though, and the first time I had to hand over 9 quid for a pint I almost ordered a second at the same time just to numb the pain of the first.

Bike friendly place though, my local colleague informed me that the order of priority in the city is Cyclists, Pedestrians, Cars.  That's not bad and Danish seem to be a law abiding bunch as I didn't see a single light jumper on my wandering. 

Fixies and sit up and begs seem to be en vogue for the average Dane and I spent the final evening strolling through the centre admiring the more odd bikes on display along with a colleague from England who, it appears, is another bike nut.

The first was the beauty which sat proudly in the window of the Louis Vuitton shop.  All stainless, black and brown..

At the other end of the spectrum was a trike type contraption which had obviously been constructed with lumpng stuff around in mind

So I've waved Denmark off at the airport and am heading home to catch up on family life, watch Dash eye ball his advent calender with increasing excitement and plan which of the new urgent jobs is the most urgent.

I guess I better squeeze some training in there as well, god knows I've missed it!

Name Change

I've been unhappy with the blog for a little while, maybe that is one reason why I just haven't kept it up to date.

During the past week, I've swung between closing my account and quitting the world of blogging and starting anew.  I sat and thought about it though and I decided that to be honest, a name change to something which is a little more accurate would be a good starting point for refreshing mojo for sitting and writing. 

So, Velo Addict it is, that sums me up, I love bikes and biking, whilst I may not have the biggest collection of bikes there isn't much time that goes by without me thinking about rides I've done or am planning on doing.

Maybe this is the digital equivalent of having kids to save a marriage, but I'm willing to try and make it work.. are you?

Catch Up

A lot has happened since the last blog post, I'm busy and struggling to sit in front of the screen long enough to finish off the half written post about the Malvern Mad Hatter.

That's a shame because the ride was fantastic and went utterly to plan.  As a natural self critic I am perpetually disappointed in my own performance, able to find the smallest issue and honing in on it until all other good stuff is lost.

Not so this time, the 104 miles of the Malvern Mad Hatter passed under my wheels in 5hrs 49 minutes and I finished feeling bloody great.  The last 10 miles were a bit of a slog as my nutrition plan of stopping only once and being self sufficient for the remainder
of the ride saw me moving on when the group I had happily stuck with for 40 miles pulled in to take advantage of the generous feed stations, that coupled with a few stinging climbs and a bastard headwind meant I was in a head down get there mindset for the first time all day.

My stretched goal of achieving a gold medal worthy time of 6hrs 30 minutes was obliterated as I rolled over the line 40 minutes ahead of it and I didn't suffer the normal issues I get from long rides thanks to a little care and the excellent products on offer from High5.

I've enjoyed the increased fitness I've gained over the course of the summer and my regular Wednesday night rides in the exceptionally hilly Symonds Yat area were all achieved on a singlespeed, not only that, I was storming away from my mates in the process up the
steepest of hills.

My last post of exile appears to have been written just before an important tipping point.  On the last of my wednesday night mountain bike rides before I set out to attempt the Malvern Mad Hatter I found myself at the top of what I considered to be a nasty little drop in on a downhill trail, I reasoned that after investing heavily in both a new bike and higher levels of fitness, smashing myself up to
simply prove a point (to whom I wasn't sure) only three days before my first imperial century was a little foolish to say the least.  The result of this was that I just wheeled down the chicken run and watched whilst my riding buddies ummed and ahhed for a while.

That's been an epiphany for me, rather than battering myself mentally I accepted I didn't want to do it, my mates didn't immediately dis-own me, the world didn't implode and I wasn't denounced as a coward when we walked into the pub a few hours later.  Since then, my off road riding has seemingly come on, my jumping is better, my descending better and I just have my mojo back.  The crisis of confidence has left these shores, at least for the time being.

Exile

As the Summer begins to fade and my fitness continues to increase I find myself in a strange two wheeled no mans land.

Cycling has always been a social event for me, yet as my fondness for road biking grows my rides are generally solitary affairs.

The number of mountain bike miles added to my annual total since June can be counted in low double digits, whilst hundreds of miles have been covered exploring an expanding area centred around home.  Local climbs and descents have been learnt and my Strava times on segments continue to improve, once happy with getting somewhere close to the top 10 or an occasional KOM off road, I have gathered multiple crowns in my Strava feed in recent weeks.

And yet...

Something is missing, as I said, I'm a sociable creature, my mates are mtbers, they have seen me at my worst and best and carried me through in both cases.  My road experiences have none of this camaraderie, and whilst I get an occasional enquiry I can see that the interest is surface deep, routes and distances mean nothing to them and I feel increasingly the same when descents, jumps and trails are discussed in return.

Requests for company on the road have met with refusals and excuses, the option left to me is to join a bike club, something I can't yet bring myself to do.  I'm proud of my increased fitness and reduced waist, I take a passing interest in cadence and understand what my HRM is telling me during the stages of a ride but to me a club means stern chairmen and arm patches, rule books on club conduct and inevitable posturing and club politics.

On the rare occasions I have met riders on the road they are invariably going in the opposite direction and I'm too nervous to spin around and ask for company.. fearing that I'll be dropped unceremoniously on the next climb as my mouth writes cheques that my legs aren't able of cashing.

A mates brother road rides, I've seen him a couple of times and in each case we have spent 10 or so miles together discussing the world and his adventures as an ultra runner.  Whilst Pat is happy to spin along at tick over however I find the pace too low and we soon part ways.

During the 77 mile Peak District Sportive however, my ride companions were a tall and powerful ex work colleague from Sheffield and a Cat 1 semi-pro bike company owning cycling monster.  I was suffering a migraine and my pace was humiliatingly pedestrian in comparison to these gods of the road, they pulled me round though, dropped their pace and protected me from headwinds as we covered miles in the stunning scenery of the Peaks.  I felt immense gratitude for their actions and this further fueled my love of the road, returning home though I was back to lonesome rides.

My confusion grows; too slow for Cat 1 Racers, too quick for an evening bimble, too nervous of speed and fitness and politics to join a club, too disinterested in throwing myself off gap jumps to ride off road.

For now, then, I'll continue to experience the solitude of the road.. if you see me out please say hello

Perfect Prep?

I sometimes wonder whether the man with his eye on the big game is having a laugh at my expense.  During my last event of 2011 my rear shifter decided to give up the ghost a mere 200 metres before the start line.  Hurried replacement and a charge to the line in time to see my fellow competitors moving off were the order of the day.

In order to get myself ready for Wentwood my preparation started last night... and ended this morning with nothing in between.

A thorough clean off after Tuesdays cracking ride around Rivelin Valley saw me finding a few little things that need attention.

My 10 month old Hope BB is making noises that 10 month old bottom brackets shouldn't and, more annoying, my rear SRAM X9 shifter decided that it wanted to play the same game as the front one did last year.

Cue swearing, late night google searches and dozens of attempts to get little springs back into tinier spaces in the old shifter.

I eventually gave up on the idea of repair some time past midnight and dejectedly switched searching the net from 'Repair' to 'Buy'.

Two things spring to mind when considering SRAM;

1) When they work, they're fantastic
2) When you need to buy them they're bastard expensive

A final decision saw Chainreactions relieve me of yet more of CJ's inheritance in the vain hope they will deliver in time for sundays start line.

A frustrated text to Nic this morning proved the theory that seeing things the next morning always makes it seem a bit better.  The offer of a loaned shifter whilst he attempts a second SRAM warranty replacement for me in as many months and the suggestion that a similar try with Hope will probably see me right on the Bottom Bracket front.

I know that the internet based cycles stores are the first stop off point for many cyclists, but you can't beat the service from your local one.

So, my prep hasn't been perfect, the bike will need more work the day before the event, my legs have less miles in than I had hoped and I have a sleep deficit last seen when CJ was about 2 weeks old.

At least I've got the all the bad stuff out of the way eh?

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV Pump Review

Picture courtesy of Lezyne

I'll happily admit to being a gadget geek and can easily justify adding shiny things to internet shopping baskets because of how a product looks (although I will always look at reviews before pressing the 'Confirm Payment' button.  When I recently decided I needed a new pump I assumed my normal position in front of the laptop searching online bike shops for the best solution at the right price.

A few months back I bought a puncture repair kit made by Lezyne, a company founded in 2007 that set out to design high quality cycling equipment.  I admit to falling slightly in love with its styling, daft I know for something as seemingly inconsequential as a puncture repair kit, but some things are not only functional but finished in such a way that you have no option but to admire the design process behind them.

Lezyne therefore seemed an ideal starting point for the trail pump.  My final choice is the High Volume track / trail pump that is designed for MTBs, they also do a High Pressure variant for Roadies.  The next choice was whether or not I needed a pressure gauge, I decided I didn't and that the time honoured tradition of checking tyre pressures with the thumb and forefinger squeeze hasn't done me wrong yet (I can't be arsed to get too hung up on tyre pressures I have to admit and stare blankly at people when they ask what pressures I run my tyres at).

I went for the Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV after much agonising..

The rather eye watering price is £32.99, A tag would suggest normally being reserved for full on track pumps, but I have bought cheap before and usually send them spinning over next doors hedge with a frustrated drop kick after a pre-trail trial proves they match their price tag.

When it arrived it I was keen to give it a try, the weight is feather light at 150g and the quality of finish exceptional, with lazer etched logos on the handle.

There is a 60cm long hose to ensure you don't have the issue of direct attachment issues of the bike wobbling when you pump the tyre up and a thread chuck to securely fit onto the valve - this proved both a curse and blessing during my first attempt as I managed to unscrew the valve stem deflating my nicely inflated tyre within a second or two.  Once I got the hang of it though, it really did make short work of inflating my tyre (2.2" Bontrager Mud X)  From dead flat to pressure in 58 pumps *ahem*, way quicker than other trail pumps I've owned.

Whilst using it I did notice the handle is small and uncomfortable after a time (I wouldn't want to do three or four tyres in a row with it that's for sure) but with gloves on it's not unbearable - this is a common complaint though and most user reviews I've seen make mention of the same thing.

There is also a fold out foot rest (foot rest is probably stretching it a little, it's about 3" long, but it does the job of keeping the pump upright during use)

It comes with a bottle cage mount but to be honest, it's on the large side for that and I also wouldn't want to lose it so it lives in my pack instead, the weight is bugger all so it won't slow me down.


Pro's
Solid Build
Styling
Efficient
Positive Connection to tube valve

Cons
Cost
Uncomfortable handle

Overall
This is a high recommendation if you're after a well styled and effective pump, with it's high volume capability it would make an ideal companion for long trips or travel, the cons are far outweighed in my eyes

Reminder..

I've had this for a couple of weeks, but haven't published it for some reason..

The lights of my riding buddies fade in the distance, dropping my head, I concentrate on the pool of light in front of my front wheel and resume the bollocking I'd been giving myself for the past 30 minutes.  As the track rises I click down gears and stand on increasingly tired legs to summit before another wave of tiredness robs me of yet more precious momentum.

Rounding a corner I drift to a stop beside them, two concerned faces highlighted by the powerful beam of light shining from my headlight. I can tell they're worried, instead of the merciless piss taking they ask quietly if I'm ok and reassure me that we'll soon be back at the carpark.. there's just the final descent to home, warmth and food...

The final descent, that fantastic opportunity on normal rides to race against friends one last time until responsibility drags me reluctantly to home.  This time it is faced with nothing more than a stoic resolve to get down in one piece.

We set off again, them racing off ahead, me consumed by the dreaded 'bonk'.  Reflexes are dulled and my riding is cling on rather than hang off.

I reach the carpark, clearly some time has passed between my riding buddies getting there and me rolling in.  Again at a stop I rest my forehead on my bars and contemplate the seemingly monster task of loading a muddy bike and rider into a car for the drive home..

  ----x----

So, that was the ride then, my mid Christmas ride that I've been looking forward to for some time, my fitness has gone from high to low in a few arrogant months and I suddenly face the prospect of rebuilding it all again, the task at hand is now akin to reaching forward to place the last two playing cards on the full pack tower only for someone to open the door and blow the whole lot down.

The idiot with his hand on the door is me though.. I've let the laziness in through the mistaken belief I'd kept more fitness than I had.. laziness that has blown the house of cards down around my ears and I'm now staring dejectedly at the scattered remains of 2011's health coming to a rest at my feet.

Getting home after that ride I re-read a post I wrote ahead of last years Enduro about a new mindset.. I needed reminding, the ride served the purpose of doubling the new resolve.  I felt angry that I had wasted my hard work, I know illness has played its part and I can bet that I've not had this many colds in such a short space of time for years.  I was angry nonetheless.  I have plans for 2012, plans that require a fitness I've not had before and I don't want to be apologetically writing at the end of the the year about how I didn't do them because..

So, I need to regain my aggression, assume nothing and set out to demolish 2012..

I'm still here..

It's been quiet online.. work has been manic and I'm once again in the middle of study ahead of exams in January.

Stuff has been happening though, I've been riding (not as much as I wanted), I've run a bit (pleased with how I coped to be honest) but have seemingly been unable to get myself to the gym of late.

I also went to the premiere of the awesome From The Inside Out.. a biking film so amazing on the big screen that I got home and immediately downloaded it..

Seeing this sort of thing both motivates and disappoints.. I want to get out and crank the pedals down singletrack, but have had the back of my mind that I'll never be able to make a bike I own do the stuff these lads can.. ah well.. if it was easy, no one would bother paying 7 quid to go watch it would they?

There is something though, something sitting in mind that I've pushed out to just one person.. until things become certain.. that's the way it'll stay ;o)

What else is there to say....

Along with a huge amount of bikers all over the UK, I have a certain fondness for Mint Sauce.. the mtb riding sheep that sprung from the creative mind of Jo Burt.

Mint Sauce has an iconic status, with deep messages hidden in beautifully drawn whole page cartoons.

I found this the other day.. it's since taken up residence as my wallpaper.. but I just had to share;

How can I say any more?

Hazy Summer Memories Part Deux (Evolution)

A Note before I start...
I gotta say, this isn't a definitive list, more the stuff which have been important to me, if you've been around biking for a little while, check out the links for some "Oh Yeah!" moments, if you haven't, take a look to see how things used to be.. either way let me know what you think.

I remember thinking I was a little strange when I was younger, and not for a lot of the normal reasons typically associated with teen angst (although I had my fair share of that too).  Regardless of my age, I remained obsessed with all things pedal, friends started leaving bikes in respective sheds for longer and longer and then, when cars replaced bikes as the main method for geting around many were finally shelved for good.

Not mine, instead of saving for expensive stereos and bucket seats for xr2i's I was dreaming of things like this..



The Girvin Flexi-stem... ahh.

It's worth mentioning at this point I was about 14 when this came out and that everything is relative...

When I wasn't looking through magazines for expensive add ons I was watching rather grainy biking videos in an attempt to get a biking fix.. MBUK used to give videos out with their magazine, including the rather fantastic Dirt Video.  This was great for the teenage me, when I wasn't able to get out and ride I was able to sit in my room and watch other people do it instead.

These first videos were simple things, riders hooning down fields, poking out their tongues at the camera and wearing typical early 90's oversized tshirts, the bloke behind the lense appeared to be attempting to keep everything in focus whilst being repeatedly kicked in the nuts with a heavy pair of workboots.


Then there was the racing (rare and hardly ever seen on tv) showing the early heroes, Tim Gould, Caroline Alexander, John Tomac, Missy Giove and of course, the legendary JMC The sight of a MTB race in the tv listings had me excited and glued to the tv.. Check the out the colours  1990's bike race


Fast forward to the era of the Playstation and, in my mind came the export from Australia which did something to make up for  Rolf Harris. Mud Cows  This, although still grainy, contained both substance and style.. it was still seemingly filmed by a bunch of mates there was a range of camera shots, humour and bike skills that made me watch over and over, all alongside a soundtrack that I lapped up.

Now, in a pre-ride ritual I could either watch crazy Aussies injure themselves for my amusement or fire up the PS2 and play this... No Fear Downhill Racer

 And now we hit the You Tube generation, biking has gone mainstream and big name companies are making lots of cash, sponsored riders get familiar brands into houses up and down the country through their increasingly mind blowing riding and now mates are able to make professional quality videos with a laptop and a camera costing a few hundred quid.  A favourite of mine these days is The Collective Seasons

Incredible riding, beautiful scenery and big budget camera shots are now the order of the day and some that I've seen in the last few days are dropping my jaw in the way that Mud Cows once did. Life Cycles   La Palma - Dusty Days
 
Regardless, to me the effect is the same as it was back in the early 90's to keep the desire for riding going when my bike is out of reach and long may the film makers continue.