I came across this today, and given the level of argument in the UK about cyclists thought it was worth publishing.

My personal view is that motorists hate being delayed, they are in a hurry to perhaps do ...well nothing. They do not like people overtaking them especially on a cheap bike (often not realising the bike is worth more than the car). They do not realise most cyclists also own cars, pay tax and are simply enjoying some exercise. Anyway read on and make your own mind up.... 

All cyclists jump red lights and menace pedestrians

Posted on November 22, 2011 by John Sutton

Rants against cyclist in the popular press take an all to depressingly familiar tone. Even if, as this Guardian “Bike Blog” piece, facts are presented to try and make a fair case, it only takes a quick scan down to the comments section before the familiar trolls take over. The common complaints seem to be:

• Red light jumping (a fair enough complaint, but see below);
• Non payment of “road tax”;
• Danger to pedestrians;
• Lack of accountability and partial treatment in the courts.
• General lawless, arrogant and aggressive attitude.

In general, I consider myself to be a reasonably considerate cyclist and I never jump a red light. I will however, park myself in front of a car if it has edged into the “advanced stop box” which is there to provide me with a safe piece of road and protect me from left turning vehicles (the commonest cause of fatalities to cyclists in London). I have been knocked off my bike twice, mercifully without serious harm to me, and on both occasions the car driver was completely at fault: they failed to see me coming as they turned out from or across a junction. I don’t generally rant at motorists, but do gesture my displeasure if a driver passes too close for comfort.
Looking at the issues outlined above, some are very simple to deal with. Road Tax, for example, was abolished in the 1930s and replaced by Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). This is a licence to pollute and nothing to do with payment for upkeep of the roads. The lowest polluting vehicles such as electric cars pay £0 VED, and therefore, if cycles were subject to VED, then they would be zero rated, too. Moreover, the road building and maintenance budget comes from general taxation and the cost far exceeds the amount collected through VED. The cost of setting up a computer system to collect a tax from cyclists on similar lines to VED would be so expensive as to be not worth it. Would we really go down the road of taxing children’s bikes?
The rest of the issues are generally a mixed up bag of motorists’ frustration with traffic congestion, most of which don’t bear any scrutiny. Let’s take the red light jumpers issue, and danger to pedestrians, as an example. Transport for London have statistics on this very issue. In a study of the figures from 1998 to 2007, precisely 0 deaths of pedestrians were caused by cyclists jumping red lights. In the shorter period of 2001 to 2005, 7 deaths of pedestrians were caused by car drivers jumping red lights. Overall, looking at deaths and injuries caused by red light jumping, Transport for London found that only 5% of all injuries to pedestrians were caused by bicycles and 78% by motor vehicles (the remainder by taxis and motorcycles). The obvious reason for red light jumping is to avoid delay, yet there are quite a number of cyclists who jump red lights because they consider it safer then waiting at the junction. In fact, there are rumours of an unpublished Transport for London report that shows it is riskier to cyclists to wait alongside traffic at a junction than it is to break the law and jump through the red light. This is due to large vehicles and buses turning left and crushing cyclists on their inside. The obvious retort is to not cycle up the inside of large vehicles, even if there is a cycle lane. Nevertheless, considerable numbers of cyclists obviously feel safer being way in front of the stop line than they do mingling with the traffic.
As for the rest of the arguments, I have no sympathy whatsoever. Aggressive behaviour on the part of cyclists, I would suggest, is a direct result of being on the end of aggressive actions by drivers – overtaking on blind bends; passing too close; overtaking then braking hard to turn left; moving into the advanced stop box; revving engine when following etc etc. It’s a depressing litany of behaviour that even the most polite of cyclists experience all too often. It’s only a tiny minority of motorists that display this sort of behaviour, yet its enough to put lots of people off taking to their bikes.
The only way forward is to constantly educate people on the real facts: cyclists are far less likely to injure or kill other road users than motorists (even when allowing for the much greater journey miles undertaken by cars). This CTC (Cyclists’s Touring Club) report citing Transport for London’s figures makes very interesting reading and shatters a few myths at the same time:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Campaigns/1110_Cyclists-behaviour-and-law__4M__brf_rev_.pdf

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Flapjack delights

24 hours after making cycle plus's flapjacks this is all I have left and I have only ridden 30 miles. I am so ashamed! For those of you with more will power here is the recipe. The magazine points out you can save money, you know what's going in them and you can tweak it to taste. They are full of carbohydrates to boost your energy levels mid ride so to make 12 bars (I made 24)

175g butter
280g golden syrup
225g mincemeat
425g unrefined porridge oats
grated zest of two oranges (I didn't bother)
large handful of raisins

Preheat the oven to 170oc/gas mark 3 and lightly grease a shallow 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin. ( I just used a tray)

Melt the butter with the syrup on a low heat. Add the mincemeat, the orange zest, the raisins and the porridge oats and mix it all together really well. If it seems sloppy add another handful of oats until the consistency is thick and sticky.

Turn the mixture into the greased tin and press down into the corners with the back of a spoon until it is evenly spread.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove the tin from the oven and place on a rack to cool,

Once it has cooled slightly, cut the mixture into fingers or squares with a knife.
Remove from the tin when they are cool and firm, and they're ready for munching.

Nutritional information
Energy 375kcal
carbohydrates 56g
salt 0.5g
protein 4g
fat 16g
fibre 3g

Easy to make and too delicious

WInter TIme

One of the best things you can say about winter time is 'spring is on the way'. I also have time to write a bit on the blog site while putting on weight, feeling the cold and finding more excuses than normal not to ride.

One good reason I found to cycle this week was the #onixtwitterride. Twitter rides have been made popular by Lance Armstrong and appear to me a far better use of social media that the recent riots in the UK. Lance Armstrong manages to gather thousands by tweeting a ride to join him on a short journey such is the power of a legend.

[In the middle of writing this I have just read a twitter from #millermind saying he did 3 hours behind a bike today. Hope he is somewhere hot as I now feel even worse]

Back to the blog. There is a British bike manufacturer and on-line shop called onix bikes. The owner Craig is crazy about bikes and knows a thing or two about them. It was his idea to call a twitter ride last Sunday just north of Macclesfield and then into the Peak district over the Cat and Fiddle hill (highest pub in the land).

We gathered in a pub car park but were swiftly moved on when we filled it with over 40 riders on a very cold, windy and sometimes wet Sunday Morning. Not before Craig arrived though, his face a joy to see as he looked dumb founded and perplexed at the numbers who turned up. Within a few hundred yards of the ride starting we hit a hill maxing out at over 20%. I immediately lost my co-riders (until later) but struggled over this warm up and taster of things to come. A few punctures split the group but Onix provided a service car so they were quickly back on the road. (They also provided gels, energy bars and water bottles).

To sum up the ride it was windy, I was blown off the bike just before the cat and fiddle and when I picked the bike up by the top bar it was blown horizontal with me holding onto it for dear life. The hills were steep as you can see -

In particular the long drag up to the cat and fiddle and the 20% descent the other side where a few people crashed. {Millermind has just tweeted he was joking- feel better now]. Across the moors the wind made riding very hairy with people riding at strange angles down steep descents. A good decision was made to half the distance and ride back to the pub. Here we did the usual MAMIL thing of talking about our ride like it was a stage of the grand tour, ate as much cake as we could, provided by CafeVeloBlog and warmed ourselves up.

It was an amazing day, with stunning scenery, difficult and challenging riding and great company. I think the company was the main thing that made this the experience it was. There were professional riders, professional commentators #spokesmen and the rest of us. It felt like a tight group that got on well together. I suppose the cost may interest people-absolutely nothing, free, nichts. Interested - There will be four more around the country next year and I can say it was the best group ride I have ever done.

I should also say the onix bikes look the business, they are rated by a number of professionals and all of those tyre kicking, bike lifting, no idea what to look for mortals. Have a look on their site http://www.onixbikes.co.uk/

Finally a picture to show the combined weight we had to haul up those hills, looks a fair bit and this was after the ride and before the cake so as pure sprint athletes - didn't we do well over those inclines?

Lessons From the Bike

It's been fantastic, with the exception of Wednesday, to get some dry miles on the wheels. Amazingly 150 from Monday to Friday. On Friday I had a great idea, as I had done a few miles already I thought I would take out the Time Trial bike for a 25 mile ride. I normally only do 10's on it but there is a first time for everything. Having rolled down the road I hit the first of several hills and found the gears were stuck below the 13 sprocket which meant I either span really quickly up the hills or ground my way up them in the 54 at the front. Still it was a good ride if a little uncomfortable and of course being a TT bike it is harder going on the body and very twitchy on the bike.

Lesson One - check the bike before you go out.

13 hours later and it was off on the Orbea through Heswall, Neston, Puddington and down into Chester, to treat myself to a new Fizik cherry red full carbon saddle from 69 cycles. Well order it anyway, it will look great once its fitted. I've been testing saddles from there for about eight weeks now and I am finally happy enough to invest in a top bit of kit. The only bad thing about the solo ride was the headwind against me all the way into Chester, 27 miles the morning after a session on the TT bike

Lesson 2 - don't hammer it the evening before a long solo ride.

I stopped at Eureka for a well deserved coffee and cake before finishing with 54 on the clock not the longest ride but a good one after the week I've had taking it to over 200 for the week and of course the second 27 with the wind behind is always a joy.

THe other thing I have been trying is experimenting with my drinks. I have tried just using water for anything less than 25 this week. Well hitting Irby I got severe cramp in my left leg for the first time since 1986.

Lesson 3 - keep hydrated and top the minerals up, cramp hurts!!!!

Tomorrow is back to the track to finish my accreditation with some work behind the derny so should be great fun. Only problem - side kick Ade got himself sent to China, not the cleverest thing to do, still more on that tomorrow.

The Dream - The Reality

This is the WILIER VELODROMO - ALU Track bike.  Every fixed boys dream. Having searched the interent and various uk stores, it appears that Wilier have no intentions of bringing this work of art into the UK market.. Madness.. 

Never mind, Shaun has now got his Dolan track beast, and I am hoping that a stealth black Wilier Pista (Cyclesurgery Limited Edition) will be winging its way to me in the next month. We'll then be set to rip the track up like boardman in his heyday!

As to the track sessions, we are now lining up for our pink slips tomorrow, no, not what you imaging, these slips are our entry into the track skills session which will then lead us onto full accreditation and Shaun's goal of showing Hoy how it 'should be done'.... Can't wait to see that during next year Revolution!

Anyway, this is my first blog post, so with luck i'll get the hang of it shortly. 

He's back!!!!

It's been a while thanks to a number of things going on in  my personal life and of course the number of opportunities to ride the bike. One thing is sure though, the naked,sexy Italian lady I wrote about in one of my first blogs hasn't changed a bit. Stunning as ever and still willing to let Ade throw his leg over her whenever he wants.
Much has gone on since my last blog; Le Tour, the greatest show on earth was the cleanest in living memory with Contadour's participation turning cycling into a verbal contact sport.. Nothing is hitting people's emotions more than using Armstrong and doping in the same sentence. The sad death of Walter and the rise and rise of sky. Then of course there is the topical issue of Cavendish, surely one of the greatest UK athletes of all time and so much more to come. How he achieves it while distracted by PetaTodd I will never know.
On a personal front the rides, sportive's and all things cycling go on. I have bought a new track bike and I am loving riding the loop with the other Wirral mamils and their kids. We had the pleasure of seeing Sir Chris Hoy and other members of the UK track team in training last Friday and boy are they focused not to mention fast. More on this from Ade who will be joining me with some contributions to the site shortly,
Plenty has happened and I will be adding to the site shortly for your pleasure, remember we are still riding so if you fancy some company get in touch and enjoy the ride.

A very hilly Sportive - the bay dash

Wirral Mamils entered the bay dash sportive on Sunday. 62 miles of Cumbrian hell on a warm day ensured the cycling tan began to take hold, so no swimming until it fades again. The sportive takes riders around some stunning countryside and quaint Cumbrian Villages. Merge that with some of the steepest hills nature can create without defying the laws of gravity; including a 23% descent around hairpin bends on a road suitable for cyclocross. Mix into this good company including people we met on the road, a puncture, no wind, warm weather and, for me, the new orbea, and a level stretch paced at 25 mph and it was a great experience.
That said, we did find a few faults with the organisation, stops in the wrong places-just before a climb frustrates, no drinks at the end, though they did have a stall nearby. Overall a typical mamil day, amused by the fact our bikes cost more than any of our cars, the thought that we could now keep up with any professional rider and trying to convince each other our legs don't hurt and we could have done another 25, kidding no-one but we won't challenge each other.
Next is the Wirral bikeathon, then the hope 100, a real challenge. After that who knows...up for suggestions



Cycling weekly recently ran a survey to find the average cyclist of 2011. It's always interesting to see how you fit into the statistics of your favourite hobby but ultimately - it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it. I intend to keep going until I'm way beyond average (I have to I just bought a new bike, more on it later).
Anyway some fun facts

84% MALE - Me
41yrs 4 months used to be me
height 5ft 10 nearly me
waist 33.3" - part of my waist is
Average spend on bikes £1,070 a year Ha- every two months maybe
number of bikes 2-3 I have 6 of my own, don't know why but need another one
Weight 12-5lbs no comment
Time riding 15 years - not even close
hours riding per week 8 - about right
50% have raced - me too
miles per week 105 - I do a fair few more
Only half have ridden a sportive, I've done two and a few more booked
81% use energy drinks quite right
70% have a turbo trainer but 10% don't use it - I love them and have two
57% have a heart rate monitor, I wouldn't move without one

other than that hardly any one is happy with their weight and time trial times for the 10 vary between 19-19 and 50-12 so give it a go.

There we go, the average cyclist, wonder if we can find one or do we all sit outside average? I hope so.... Ignore the stats and happy cycling

My bike is a toilet

I have mentioned in a couple of postings the Orbea Orca I have ordered which should have arrived last week. Then airbus stepped in and bought up all the carbon fibre available from the company that supply Orbea. So my bike is a toilet somewhere overhead. Two good things though - first of all it will only be about another three weeks..so six weeks in total, excellent timings for a bike built to my specification and much better than the times offered by many of the Italian manufacturers. Even better than settling for what is available in the shop. Secondly - Orbea have refused to compromise on the quality of carbon fibre and buy from elsewhere..even if it costs customers, very reassuring.

So while I am waiting I found this on the Internet http://www.twitvid.com/4JOWR It's Samuel Sanchez and worth a look. My personal view...if he had worked hard up the hill the motorbike wouldn't have been close on the downhill. Perhaps if he joins us for a Vita ride he can pick up a few tips....

Neil Pryde - Go Ride

Years ago I was addicted windsurfing. Neil Pryde were the ultimate in wind surfing equipment particularly in the design and quality of their sails. They recently surveyed their customers to find out more about their lifestyle. Surprisingly it would appear that a high percentage of windsurfers love race bikes too. Neil Pryde have subsequently taken years of knowledge about wind dynamics and turned it to race bike technology. Ratings in the press have been exceptional but, what do they know?
The bikes come in a range of colours and, I'm told, you will shortly be able to opt for custom colours. There are also a range of group sets but, for more on that, speak to your dealer.

I took out the diablo and boy was it a devil of a ride!

The first thing you notice is the quality of the finish and quality of the build, exceptional and something some of the Italian frame designers could learn from. The headset is a huge affair and the bike tends to push you forward over the bars in a sprinters position so the headset strength will be reassuring for you future Cavendish's out there.

These are the specifications of the bike I rode;

Frame: C6.7 high-modulus unidirectional carbon fibre full-monocoque

Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 6700

Wheels: Mavic Ksyrium SL

Seatpost: FSA Team Issue 27.2mm

Stem: OS-150 Carbon, 6° 31.8mm

Bars: Wing Pro Compact, 31.8mm

Seat: Selle Italia SL Kit Carbonio, w/ Vanox tube

Tyres: ATOM COMP, 700x23c

Weight: 7.25kg

The gears were positive and quick with no slippage, the wheels light and well balanced, no skimming the brakes when sprinting. The frame is very stiff and notice the weight, you don't get much lighter for this money. I only went on a short ride and found myself forward on the bike ready to sprint, urged on almost by the bike wanting to leap forward. When I did sprint it flew. This is a bike for the hard core racer, ideally suited to criteriums or short evening races on closed circuits when the action is non-stop and the sprinter is king. If you want a bit more comfort during longer rides consider the other Pryde the Alize, still  a racer but looks a touch more forgiving,(I've yet to ride it)

These are the first two offerings from Neil Pryde, their aero knowledge has transferred well and I look forward to future offerings. For now though a Matt black diablo with matching wheels is on the shopping list or it's my birthday in May if anyone is wondering what to buy me.................. 



http://www.neilprydebikes.com/usd/?country_id=US



Cav crashes in tour of Qatar

Mark Cavendish managed to crash in the opening stage of the tour of Qatar today. The stage was a fast and furious 2km prologue around the famous culture city. A combination of high winds, sand and slippy paving stones mixed with narrow lanes excessive road furniture linked to the Manx missiles win at all costs attitude left him lying in the road with injuries to his left leg. It shows how 'on the edge' these guys ride.

Equally news worthy, well known Wirral Mamil Ade (pictured) tried to wheelie over a small puddle today and knew he was in trouble when he realised his feet were higher than his head. Landing on his back, in true nautical language, he said 'it smarted a bit', still like Cav he remounted (that's were the similarities to Cav end) and finished the ride. He now has to complete his cycling proficiency test before he's allowed out on his bike again.

It's as easy as riding a bike - isn't it?

Have you heard of the Race across America? It is one of the greatest challenges in the cycling world. To me it is all the more extraordinary as it is not a  race just for professionals but a race to be entered professionally by amateurs as well. Let me tell you about it....

Race Across America (RAAM) is one the most respected and longest running endurance sports events in the world. It is seen as a pinnacle of athletic achievement not only in cycling circles but the greater sporting community as well.RAAM has a rich and storied history.  In 1982 four individuals raced from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Empire State Building in New York City.  Covered by national television, the race captivated the public’s imagination. Teams were added in 1994 and quickly became the most popular and fastest growing segment of the race.  The 2011 race will be the 30^th edition of RAAM.

There is no other race in the world like RAAM. The Race inspires every one who has been a part of it - racer, crew, staff and fans alike.  RAAM is the true test of speed, endurance, strength and camaraderie, the ideal combination of work and fun!  There is no race that matches the distance, terrain and weather, no other event that tests a team’s spirit from beginning to end.It begins in Oceanside, California and   Finishes in Annapolis, Maryland covering 3000 miles and170,000 feet of climbing it crosses 12 states, passes through 88 counties and 350 communities

This Ain’t No Tour

RAAM is a race!  But unlike the three great European Grand Tours (Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro de Italia), RAAM is not a stage race.  RAAM is one continual stage, similar to a time trial.  Once the clock starts it does not stop until the finish line.  RAAM is about 30% longer than the Tour de France.  Moreover, racers must complete the distance in roughly half the time allowed for the Tour.

More importantly, RAAM is not limited to professional cyclists.  RAAM is open to professional and amateur athletes alike.  While solo racers must qualify to compete, anyone may organize a team and race.  Team racers have a maximum of nine days and most finish in about seven and a half days.  Teams will ride 350-500 miles a day, racing non-stop.  Solo racers have a maximum of 12 days to complete the race, with the fastest finishing in just over eight days.  Solo racers will ride 250-350 miles a day, balancing speed and the need for sleep.

Fancy it? If you do I would imagine you have some miles in your legs already or a plan to prepare. Wirral Mamils for example have a number of goals this season. Complete the circle of hope 100 sportive climbing to the highest village in Wales being one of them, a coast to coast ride another. This is in preparation for a Lands End o John O'Groats next year. Very specific goals intended to build strength, stamina and speed.

Imagine my shock then when I watched a program this week end about a 53 year old musician who decided to compete in the RAAM. Why the shock? He hated riding a bike and only started riding four months before. (Although he was reasonably fit). He was lucky to train with and try to win a place with the RAF team, winners of the RAAM team competition twice. He was,at the time, completing 10 mile time trials in 33 minutes but on a closed road. There was no doubting his commitment 5 hours a day on a turbo trainer at 25mph. The problem as many will know, the turbo ain't the road and it doesn't teach you bike handling skills.

What happened in the end? Well, if you have watched x factor, Britain/America's got talent you will know the early programs have two types of contestants, the one's who deserve to go through and those who are deluded, yes they are funny and make great entertainment, but someone needs to tell them 'you will never be a star, get real'. That's what should have happened with this man. Get real and work your way up to such a race. In the end he went to America with the RAF but was averaging 12-14 mph and falling off at least twice a day in training (see riding a bike isn't as easy as riding a bike). He was dropped from the team in the end and the program ended with him claiming he could have completed the race and laughing at the RAF for ONLY coming third and averaging 20 mph, pretty good to my mind. Well done the RAF and I suggest the rock star sticks to music or  goes for a 100 sportive! Makes me wonder about the goal for 2012.......... anyone fancy a team entry?

On another note did you see the helmet cameras being used by cyclists to record traffic in case of an accident. Great idea but I must add it could make some great mountain bike footage or perhaps even some of your own race recording, available from Argos apparently for a good price, if you get one can I borrow it please?

Contador 'meats' his fate.

Some time ago Alberto Contodor tested positively for the performance enhancing drug Clenbutrenol. The winner (his third) of the tour De France's epic battle with Andy Schleck (a title he has now quite rightly lost) claimed he had eaten contaminated meat. A claim that was proved to be untrue.

Contodor has just received a 12 month ban demonstrating he has doped. The length of the ban though is concerning. Doping carries a mandatory 2 year ban not one. One year bans just haven't been given out before. So, why twelve months. Is it to encourage an appeal, if so he has ten days to lodge one, if he does, will it continue beyond July to allow to race for his fourth title? There are still likely to be chapters left in this tale. Contador has always said he will give up cycling if he is found guilty. This to me just sounds like a naughty child trying to get out of trouble. He has a press conference tomorrow so perhaps we will learn more. It won't be easy though... it is a zero tolerance approach to doping. If it is in your system, no matter how minute, it is up to the athlete to prove they are not guilt of knowingly using the drug.

Where does this leave other riders? Well hopefully turning down any drug offered to them and competing on their own merits. Armstrong is still facing indictment after the admissions of Landis and claims that Armstrong personally gave him drugs. The difference for him is that, as he was sponsored by US Postal he faces charges of defrauding the US government. A more substantial charge than Contodor's.

My argument though remains the same. If Contodor has been convicted with so small an amount of the drug in his body that some scientists say the test should not be valid surely Armstrong, as the most tested athlete on the planet and the extraordinary lengths the French went to to find traces of drugs in his blood (often over years),  would have been caught during his tours. If you want to know more on my opinion read the blog 'cold case detectives' from late last year. For now let's see what happens tomorrow.

Cyclists aren't always professors but professors can always be cyclists.

Last year cycling lost one of its iconic figures. Laurent Fignon is remembered for many things including the blond pony tail, the big glasses and the sweat band that made him look like a dancer from Olivia Newton John's single let's get physical. The last two things you may remember him for can test to see if you are an optimist or a pessimist. Do you remember him as the man who lost the tour of France to Greg LeMond by eight seconds (pessimist) or the man who won the tour twice (optimist). He was one of the few people to win the Tour at his first attempt beating Bernard Hinault. However you remember him you will remember how exciting he made cycle racing. He also took back to back wins in 1988 and 1989 in the Milan St Remo classic amongst many others. His defeat to LeMond is seen by many as the greatest tour ever. Fignon began the final 25km time trial with a 50 second lead but, unfortunately, a sore on his backside as well that made him suffer. LeMond used a radical new set of triathlon bars that gave him a 1 second per kilometre advantage. The rest is history. Interestingly though the bars were illegal and banned in other races though Fignon never complained or appealed. Fignon went on to other races but found the battle against EPO to much to compete against and retired. He remained involved in the sport for many years as a race organiser and commentator until his untimely death of cancer. His nickname in cycling was 'the professor'. Not because he had a PhD but because he thought about studying for a degree! How times have changed and now many cyclists are involved in the science of the sport. Thanks Laurent for the memories.

So why the professor link? Late last year I blogged about a new lady in my life 'Trinity'. A giant time trialling bike. I also said I would test the bike to see if it was worth while. Why the link to Fignon? Well I tried to test the bike in laboratory conditions hence me as the professor and I bought my first set of tri bars after watching Fignon lose the Tour. The difference with those bars was they were just that. Bars, the gears and everything else remained the same. I love time trialling. Known as 'the race of truth' it is you against the clock. Even if you lose you get a result. Fantastic. The time trial bikes of today are the 'bling' of the cycling world. Aerodynamic they push you into the optimal position for wind efficiency and pedal power.

I wanted to find out how much faster than a road bike they are. To do this, any professor will tell you test conditions have to be the same. I decided on a ten mile route and earlier in the week I went out on a windless day, completed a one mile warm up, 10  miles, and a one mile cool down. Today after a gentle ride yesterday I decided to try the Trinity for the first time. Same food before hand, same drink for the route, same time of day. Perfect? No.... the gods conspired against me. It was blowing a force four straight off the Irish sea and had just started to rain. I decided to go for it anyway.

Straight after the one mile warm up as the 10 began I hit a traffic jam that slowed me down for 750 meters. Then a straight road, and wow, I had a wry smile on my face after yesterdays blog - when did the bike become too fast? This bike is fast. It has a 53 ring on the front and off it went hovering around the 30mph mark with no extra effort (I thought). I soon realised the bike was carrying me away with it and I loved it.

Don't get me wrong, there were problems. The bike is more twitchy due to the narrow handle bars designed to round your shoulders. The gears are difficult to get used to being so far away. This left me powering up hills in the 53 when I should have dropped a ring. I also found it difficult to reach the drink from the tuck position. Also it is difficult to use the bars to power up hills with the narrow width. I only used the tri bars twice. I want to get used to the bike a bit more first. The end result of all this was I ran out of energy round about the 9 mile point and slowed down, My average for the second half was 3mph less than the first half, something that didn't happen on the road bike.

Overall though I have to say this was so much fun I am hooked and can't wait to go out again, consider this force 4, rain, traffic jam, first go on the bike and the mistakes made, I dropped a whopping 59 seconds off my ride earlier in the week, nearly a full minute faster. I would expect to get that to at least two minutes when I work out how to ride the bike properly. They are pure speed. There is no sitting up on the bars you are sculpted to fit the bike and achieve the fastest you can. Incredible. I'm going to read up about riding the bike, ask questions and build my skills on the machine. It is going to get better!

People often talk about things to do before we die. If you are a cyclist, whatever your age or experience you have to have a go of one. If like most cyclists you love to talk about your times you won't regret a time trial bike. So, to answer my earlier question 'when did bikes get too fast?' The answer, 'Today when I couldn't keep up with it!'

Orca SLT

Cycling to the moon (in just over 200 years) When did the bike become too fast?

Today's blog is a bit of a history lesson finishing with the latest in technology. Did you know that the word bicycle comes from a combination of two Latin words? Bi for two and cycle for circle or wheel. So much kudos has been placed on the invention of the bike that some people claim that Leonardo Da Vinci (before designing the puzzle that caused Robert Langdon so much grief in the Da Vinci code) dreamed up the earliest design, while others say the design was inserted by an over enthusiastic monk  reviewing his papers. Imagine! Such was the desire to claim the first bike design.

The first official bike was the Draisienne or hobby horse, a bike with no pedals that you scooted along on.

The hobby horse

People being people, racing soon followed and over the next fifty years some of the most famous races of today developed with people pushing themselves to their limits to reach the highest speeds and longest distances in set times. The six day events and the Madison appeared and were probably the most popular sport of the day. Cities competed with one another to provide the best roads for cyclists who often travelled hundreds of miles to ride a smooth surface [much as we do today for a good sportive].

Blacksmiths put together the latest ideas in bike design with the more famous of these going on to manufacture the motorcar. The basic shape of frame the 'diamond' we use today was invented by William Starley in 1885 patented as the Rover safety bike in Coventry, it was the first bike with two wheels the same size, the rider over the centre and able to touch the ground with both feet. In 1896 he floated the Rover cycle company. In 1904 it became the Rover motor company taking cycle technology into the motorcar. As a piece of trivia, when Starley died every bike manufacturer in the country closed on the day of his funeral which was attended by over 20,000 people. The point is his design has remained the same while lesser engineers such as the Wright brothers (who started by building bikes) and Karl Benz motorcar have all moved forward in design specification while the bike is pretty much the same, just the material differs. Rover wasn't the only bike manufacturer  to move into cars, many others did the same including Peugeot that moved into cars and bikes, dropped bikes and are now back designing and building bikes. Others included Bianchi, Singer, Opel, Morris, Hillman, Humber, Winton and Willys

Many other engineering designs sprang up from the bike, gears were added in 1868 to the bike now called the velocipede and a whole new range of competition emerged in the velodrome. Changes in cogs followed in the quest for speed. A Swiss textile manufacturer living in Manchester invented the chain to allow variable gears - his name - Reynolds (heard of them?) The bike designers invented wire spokes, pneumatic tyres, ball bearings, steel tubing and differential gears all of which were borrowed by the motorcar industry. Bike mechanics included Henry Ford, Charles and Frank Duryea and William Hillman, you may have heard of them.

So onto my point, without the bike would we have put a rocket on the moon? Think about the advances mentioned above and how many of them are in the rocket ship. Still not convinced? Campagnolo as well as designing the campio corsa -the first derailleur - also built the chassis for a NASA satellite launched in 1969.

I could go on and usually do... so if someone trivialises the bike to you, ask them if they enjoy their car, flying on holiday and satellite TV...I'm sure you can think of many more. If they do then tell them they are welcome to whatever it it is they love.

So where next? Well look at this.

This is Cervelo's latest offering http://www.cervelo.com/en_us/bikes/2011/P4/  Let me leave it to the manufacturer to describe this piece of art

The world's first fully-integrated aero TT/Tri bike

While outlandish claims fly in the world of “superbikes”, the quiet redesign of the P4evo keeps it firmly atop the ranks for the ultimate in TT/Tri bike design. 25 upgrades including a better IBT rear brake, ICS3 cable routing, more secure seatpost clamping and improved downtube & seattube shapes help it to remain the fastest in our latest test of all the newest TT/Tri bikes. Faster than ever while easier to set-up and maintain, a golden combination.

The P4 is part of the P-series, made for the timed solo effort from prologue to the Race Across America and from sprint triathlon to Ironman.

Experience:

1. Cervelo’s tried and true geometry, putting the rider in a fast and comfortable position.
2. Aerodynamic design to reduce drag resistance and increase speed.
3. Handling and stiffness characteristics straight from the road models.

MAIN TECHNOLOGIES

- Smartwall for Carbon
- TrueAero shapes
- P4 aero seatstays
- Aero chainstays
- Aero headtube
- Internal Cable Stops ICS3
- P4 rear wheel cutout
- Integrated hydration
- IBT Integrated Brake Technology
- Dropped downtube
- Integrated seatpost clamp

 

Not yet accepted (my belief) by the cycling authorities - it is so fast... it is limited to triathletes and those interested in pure speed. Here's a thought though, Lance Armstrong used a helmet in a Tour of France that was banned right up to the day he used it when setting the fastest team time trial in history. Just think, at some point this speed machine will be made legal, think how difficult it will become to get hold of one and how much more they may charge..... At the moment they are less than you think.   Is this the first real progression since the diamond frame?

How to organise a mass ride in less than five minutes.

Some time ago I wrote about the 'cold case detectives'. A group of American investigators touring Europe trying to find evidence that Lance Armstrong used drugs to win the Tour D'France a record seven times. For my views on this farce read my previous blog. In short however I believe dollars are being wasted and if there was anything to be found it would have been found already. I also mentioned the risk to the highly successful Livestrong foundation raising millions of dollars for cancer research. Reputations can be destroyed by whispers and gossip. Take a look at what a true champion can achieve by reading the below report from Sky. Lance, prior to starting his final (maybe) professional race has organised another mass ride on his twitter in support of the flood victims. No long organisation period, no high percentage going to organisers, just a plea from a true cycling champion for some help... and boy did the people respond.

Thousands of people have taken up cycling legend Lance Armstrong's Twitter appeal to join him in Adelaide for a fundraising ride in aid of Australia's flood victims.

The American sports star organised the event by posting this message on his Twitter page: "Hey #Adelaide - Twitter ride!! Let's show our support for Queensland those affected by the floods. Saturday 10am Wigley Reserve, Glenelg!"
After personally donating $50,000 (£31,000), Armstrong asked the crowd on the outskirts of the city not to forget the people of "Brisvegas".
He said: "We're here to let the people of Queensland know that you are not going to be forgotten.

Around 8,000 turned out for the sporting star's Twitter ride

"We are all thinking about you, we're all riding for you and we're raising money for you.
"As an American it's amazing to see the solidarity that goes on in Australia."
With nearly 2.5 million people following Armstrong's online musings, it is no surprise that such rides attract cyclists in their thousands.
The seven-times Tour de France winner is in Australia to kick off the 2011 racing season at the Tour Down Under along with his new RadioShack team-mates.

Great Expectations

Charles Dickens knew a lot about the expectations we place on ourselves and others. In his book the expectations fall on people with money and education. Sneak the poor into these exclusive areas and expectations increase. These days expectations can be seen in second rate entertainment such as football. Don't believe me? Look at Liverpool and Chelsea. Money and education through academies and the best managers money can buy raise expectations to a Dickensian level. Every team expect to win the premiership. Now I don't know how many teams are in a premiership but I do know there can only be one first place. If they aren't there everyone wants blood and usually it is the managers. Funny thing, I think my expectations would be higher of someone paid £250,000 a week who is incapable of scoring a goal for Manchester United.

Back to cycling. The tour down under starts this Sunday. It will be Lance Armstrong's last professional race. Expectations were high when he returned to the Tour D'France. And in my mind he delivered; managing to be the oldest person on the podium the first year of his return and showing how much he enjoys cycling the second year. He is a hero in many places around the globe and rightly so. He is particularly embraced in Australia as a sporting legend. Are there expectations of him? Well not from me. I hope to see him entertain, I hope to see some close calls and would love a victory for him. The reality is that as we get older we get a bit slower and someone else ends up a champion. What you can guarantee is they will never make the level of Uber Champion Lance. To continue competing at this level over the period he has shows the level of skill and ability he has. Hope he enjoys it and I look forward to watching the event. No, my expectations aren't what they were when he was master of the tour but it is a pleaasure to see the man cntinue to race, entertain and raise the profile of cancer through the livestrong trust,. Just Do It Lance.

The Road Racing Specialists are back.

Some years ago mountain bikes did to road racing what the grey squirrel has done to the red here in England and much of the rest of the world. They bred so fast and took all the food (read money for bikes) from the red squirrels (road bikes) that the red (road) was nearly extinct. Road bikes almost disappeared as everyone turned to the bikes that made them look 'cooler', the baggy t-shirt and shorts could be worn almost anywhere unlike the tight Lycra that is less forgiving of any bulges. Also you didn't need to push yourself as hard on a mountain bike, some people even took to taking ski lifts up mountains and rolling downhill. Great fun and a real buzz but .... I just think you should ride up the hill as well.

Personally I think this goes back to the Raleigh chopper. A totally unrealistic bike that defied the science that makes the bike the efficient machine it is; working in harmony with the human body. It's wheel was smaller at the front and gear changes were on the cross bar. This led to an unstable bike. I know my brother went over the handle bars and was in a comma for three days. Why then was it one of the biggest selling machines of all time and reputedly saved the Raleigh brand? Because it looked cool. Teenagers rode them in PVC leather look jackets smoking menthol cigarettes imagining they were covering route 66 on a Harley. and so because of this the universe shifted.....

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. By saving the company the world moved from the road bike to the chopper and on to mountain bikes. Now I don't blame Raleigh and I am glad they survived and went on to sponsor a team again but the pay off was in the bike shops. Road bikes have been coming back for a while now thanks to television coverage and super stars like Lance Armstrong and the epic battles between Contodour and Schleck. Add to that the Sportive and road bikes have been saved from extinction. However, they are still under the wrong care. When I went to my bike shops this year they stocked everything from road bikes (in the smallest numbers) to mountain bikes ( the largest numbers) and BMX, kids and commuters. The people that sold the bikes to me where BMX or mountain bike enthusiasts. Happy to help but short on experience and I always left with my bike feeling I had got something wrong. There just wasn't the expertise. It was a quick ride round the car park a couple of questions and do you want it or not? No proper set up. Well try Cheshire cycles just outside of the outlet village or even 69 cycles in Chester, they know what they are talking about and how to fix your bike,
. It's like walking around a Ferrari dealership. Go have a look and see what they can do for you. Remember if you don't support your local dealer they won't last long and like I love the red squirrel and want it to survive I love the road bike shops and want to see them survive to