Riding with the brakes on slows you down

Last weeks Saighton ten was another lesson in time trialling. I had a few problems with the bike before I left. The rear brake is integrated into the frame and sits underneath, just behind the down tube. I was struggling to stop the brake catching on it. I would think I had fixed it than a couple of goes on the brake and it would catch again. 

I drove down anyway and set the bike up again, once again i thought it was ok. i rode the warm up and knew with the speeds I was doing something was still wrong. I got back to the start line and with the help of a couple of the palefish crew thought I had finally fixed it. Despite maintaining my usual heart rate I was passed by two people starting after me. While its not the best indication of performance it stings a bit when you find out they were both slower than my time last week by about a minute. I ended up being just over three minutes slower than last week. At the finish line I picked the bike up, span the back wheel and watched it stop after quarter of a turn. No wonder I was slow. I put it down to resistance training and dropped the bike in the shop. The bad news is there is a problem and its gone back to the manufacturer. So I'm back to road bikes for now. I didn't do a great deal of riding through the week with gales making riding dangerous though I have managed a few hard interval sessions 

As I'm writing this its five hours to tonight's ten and its still 50mph gusts so I'm trying to motivate myself  ready to try again......

Second Effort-getting a bit faster

So after last weeks 27-51 I had beaten my target of a sub 30 minute by 2 mins 9 seconds giving me the right to ride my TT bike on the next event. The first problem was that I actually haven't ridden it that many times and they take a bit of getting used to. There is a lot of weight on the arms and looking up uses different neck muscles. So on the Tuesday I took it out for some interval training. Just two lots of 4 by 2 minutes in zone four in the middle of a 2 hour ride on the Tuesday settled me into position, started getting me used to the gear changes and building the neck strength.  Wednesday was different again. I was out for 2 1/2 hours on a hot day. I was doing sprints so 6 to 15 second sprints with up to 45 seconds of recovery many many times. My last sprint went past cheshire oak cycles and I was starting to struggle with the heat and effort. I didn't have a bottle (or cage) on the TT bike, stupid mistake. Cheshire Oak cycles gave me a can of energy drink so in return I ordered my cage and bottle, not that they expected me to. They also checked my bike ready for Thursday. 

So I was feeling prepared and ready for the Thursday night ride, secretly hoping to get into the 26 something. 

Of course the gods conspired against me. I woke Thursday to heavy rain and howling gales. I spotted a tweet from a local semi-pro who returned home after 20 miles due to the conditions and began to decide (maybe) not to ride. Later in the day though I thought I would drive down just for a look. That in turn became a ride. The bike set up I once again did a 7 mile 18.1mph warm up getting to the line as number 9 with 5 minutes to spare (perfect). Both number 8 and 10 either side of me were on TT bikes with aero helmets (I haven't earned the right to wear mine yet) and looked pretty handy. I tried telling number ten it would be rude to pass me in the first four miles but he looked to have little sympathy.  

My turn came and I set off in the rain and in to a strong head wind. I dropped down the descent and just a few hundred yards from the first corner got a big cheer from a group just watching, not bad in this weather. As I hit the first corner I was slightly delayed by four cars passing (safety first). I then noticed number 8 not far ahead. I love a carrot but I was a little embarrassed to catch them before the three mile point. I passed them muttering that I would blow soon and pushed on determined not to give number ten the same satisfaction. The ride was hard with the cold, rain and wind buffeting me about. I felt wobbly on the bike at times but not uncomfortable. The wind pushed me uphill back to the start and I tried going wide on corner one to maintain my speed. At the last minute I spotted a pile of mud and slammed on. To be honest I need more practice on the narrow bars so it didn't matter. I pushed on with lungs burning on the final uphill before pushing as hard as I could on the downhill. 27.21 for the 10.1 miles. I was slightly dissapointed at first not getting into the 26 minutes but riding back with number 10 he told me he was 90 seconds slower than last week and I beat him by 1-40. So hopefully with better weather next week I can get into the 26 mins and drop that even more on a fast course.  I need to get into a club and race a few other courses perhaps even try a 25- just for the pain of it,

Those interested in trying it feel free to get in touch or turn up on a Thursday night in Saighton just outside Chester. The first rider sets off at 7 so try and get there about 6 to warm up and settle down. It's £3-50 to ride and is a good, though technical and slightly slow course. There are all sorts of levels there so don't worry about your ability. 

1st one done

After working hard through the winter it was important for me to get a benchmark of where I am up to in my quest for a 25 minute 10 mile time trial. I had opted for the Saighton 10 just outside Chester. It's described as a technically difficult course of 1&1/2 loops, dropping down from the start to a left hand turn the course runs flat for a couple of miles. It's then a left turn and uphill fo a while. Past the car park again where your fellow velo-nuts cheer you on before you ride back through the start for another lap of the first three miles.

This was my first time trial in over thirty years and just one week off my 50th birthday so, to be honest, I was nervous. I felt I hadn't ridden the TT bike enough so I opted to race on the Cannondale super six. Still a fast bike but no TT machine. I always said I would allow myself 'treats' when I managed certain times. My goal for today was simply under 30 minutes. Late last year I was managing 30 to 31 minutes on the road.

So with a 7pm start I had plenty of time through the day to get ready. I checked the bike over and put it in the car. Clothes selected to be as similar to a skin suit as possible without subjecting the world to me in a skin suit. Recovery drink ready, and an energy drink for sipping in the hour up to he event. I ate well through the day with my last meal three hours before apart from fruit and an energy bar. All a little over the top but it stopped me wondering what I was up to.

I got to the course at 6, an hour early. I met the organisers, signed in number 9, paying my £3-50 and set the bike up. As people gathered it was clear there were riders of all abilities and a friendly bunch they were. I decided for my warm up I would ride around the 7 mile loop. (I had already driven round a week earlier to see what it was like). As I got to the bottom of the hill I checked the actual time (I know) and realised I was pushing my luck getting back to the start in time for the off. Classic rookie mistake. I ended up averaging 18mph for the warm up, not much for some but a bit quick for me. I had a quick gel and made the start with three minutes to spare.

My heart rate rocketed at the start (possibly through panic at making the start) then settled to my functional threshold where I held it for the rest of the ride. After charging down the hill and sweeping left I got into my preferred cadence along the flat. At about the four mile point the course goes under a low railway bridge. As I approached I could see the beginnings of a traffic jam. Slowing down I weaved through the cars to a tractor with a JCB on a trailer stuck under the bridge. I squeezed through. The last rider to do so. The organisers rightly cancelled the event. I was told by all the Marshall's as I rode round it was cancelled but I was on my way and even if the time keepers had gone home I could time it on my garmin.

So on I went, through the riders packing up with some still shouting my name and cheering me on it encouraged me up the hill.

The downhill strip was welcome and the section after the left turn went on for ever as I tried a final surge. The keepers gave me almost the same time as my garmin (I pushed the button after crossing) and with everything considered I was delighted with my time of 27.51 an average speed of 21.8mph and a maximum of 29.1. It was then just a gentle ride back to the start and not under th bridge.

So I have learnt a few lessons, I can ride my TT bike next time, I'm told this is a slow course and I should try some straight out and backs. Not slowing for corners will keep my speed up but all in all I may need to reconsider my 25minute target.

 

Girona Baby

With the cold weather lingering over the British isles and people muting of more snow at the end of April I took the opportunity to join Al from Polocini cycling in a four day venture to Girona in Northern Spain. Known as a key destination for professional cyclists since, well before Armstrong made his home there it is still the primary residence of 87 professional cyclists and with good reason when you see the mountains around this relaxing city.
So the first game was spot the professional. Al was much better at it than me but then again I didn't recognise Steve Cummings when I was talking with him at the Eureka cafe. So to backtrack a little, before we left England we watched Liege Bastogne Liege at the soon to be world famous Polocini Cycling cafe in Romiley with Ireland's Dan Martin winning the race in a dominant performance. So it was an absolute pleasure to meet the man himself the next day looking like he had done little more than walk to the  shops the day before. A real nice guy and ambassador for the sport he part owns bike breaks in Girona. http://www.gironacyclecentre.com/  We rented our bikes from the shop for just 25euros a day, while they were a little heavy you can get anything you want up to Di2. You can also arrange tours, accommodation or mountain biking through the two front of house members of the team. Dan appeared very hands on in the shop checking the tyres on hire bikes, while his dad was in the corner fixing a wheel and his Mum also wandered around. In addition you can pick up basic supplies from bars, gels, inner tubes and C02 cartridges or at the end of your ride enjoy relaxing on a sofa with  coffee or even having an end of ride shower. The walls are covered with pro rider kit in various states of repair with their surplus for sale. Most of the pros have their bikes serviced their so if you are into celebrity stalking make sure you go there and post your photos.

Dan Martin on the left (just in case)

 

 

We spotted (I think) plenty of other obvious pro riders, judging by the team kit, the right make of bike 100kg bodies and the speed so high that I had no chance of telling exactly who they were.

 

So to day one. Al knew a great climb. With the effort required and distance from Girona we took a short train ride for the first thirty miles before almost immediately starting our climb to Montseny. This mountain was infamous in the 1970's when a jumbo jet pilot missed it coming up and crashed into it. A bit of a warning there then. The day had 7570 feet of climbing with 6500 of them coming in the first 16 miles taking us to the top of the mountain. It was a lot for my large frame and the last couple of miles to the top over slightly broken pathways up to 17% were a real grind but gave a great sense of achievement. One of my abiding memories was of a mountain biker in the highest car park some two miles from the finish looking at me as though I was off to my funeral.

Job done though and it gave a tremendous sense of satisfaction despite the effort it took.

We started down there or half way up and still happy

 

 







At the top you can see the road in the distance and getting ready for a rapid tricky descent

 

Helicopter landing pad just in case.






The route down was cold, temperatures in the Mountain dropped as low as 7 but the effort was keeping me warm going over 14 strava HC climbs and one 1st category not to mention many others. The way down was different hence the rain coat to keep me warm. I managed to hit a hole at 25mph and got a pinch puncture on the front but luckily stayed on. We made a rapid descent back to the railway, with time, effort, and the next days trip we decided to jump the train back into Girona avoiding a busy road in.

We went up the highest one-over there

Day two was the famous Rocacorba. On paper it looked easier than the day before. In reality, with temperatures hitting 31 degrees and long 15-17% Gradients and the previous days efforts in the legs I found it hard...Very hard.

 

Although we took it easy at the start over rolling ground, it was only 15 miles before we slammed into the climb. A sign at the start taunts you and with every KM along the route marked by the distance to go and the average gradient in that KM. The problem was when it states average 10%, half could be at 6 and half 14 so the efforts were really hard in the 31 degree heat and likewise on the lesser slopes where it varied from 4 to 11%.

 

At the start



Fooled into hapiness at the start

The ride just kept going with plenty of switchbacks and little else. Once again the finish was slightly lower than the top so we pushed on a further 2 km up 17% gradients to some spectacular views. We met with some local riders on the way up, shared some food of theirs, they shook their heads at our heavy bikes then we raced back down the mountain to lunch by a lake....the perfect reward.

At the top

Sitting on the paragliding ramp over a cliff edge was fun. The lake we passed on the way up can be seen in the distance

Coffeee and lunch enough said

The rest of the ride home was tough, with more climbing in what appeared to be a relentless effort particularly with the head wind. Overall though a fantastic trip I can highly recommend regardless of ability there are plenty of options for climbing though be warned it is a mountain range. The trip itself for flights, hotels and bike hire was under £200 for four days. I wish I had left earlier on day one and later day 4 which would of added 40E for 2 extra days riding, but as a last minute decision Al had other things to do so...next time then

I need to keep up....

It has been a while since I completed my last post (other than the one on fittings that I just did). I still have to write about Lanzarote, the Glasgow revolution, my new steed, some testing at university a new trip I planned amongst other things.

This post though is about the training. Once again the weather is conspiring against cyclists with temperatures out there similar to my freezer. Throw in a chill factor and the body quickly starts to shut down and long mileage becomes difficult. I opted to fight this and invested in some excellent bioracer winter kit. The sort of clothing the Palefish and Polocini  teams use as well as others up to and including World Champions. To finish it off a superb Goretex jacket and winter socks from Cheshire Oak cycles have seen me out in sub zero temperatures. So my outdoor mileage has jumped up to about 200 a week again, apart from a short illness dropping one week down to 150. With another freeze this week the winter that never ends shouldn't stop me from enjoying myself.

So what have I been up to? First of all I wanted to drop my weight a bit more. I made a conscious effort to watch my diet over the last three weeks without loosing power and managed to drop 7lbs. Another 7 as it warms up will really help over the hills.

My weeks are getting interesting. They are still fairly routine but all the winter base miles are now paying dividends.

They look like this:

Monday is still a rest day though it is often hard to stick to this it allows me to catch up on things (other than blogging)

Tuesday, I have been going to meet the science chaps at Hope University to collate some data that should help me become more competitive. More on this in another blog when I finish. In short I am finding my functional thresholds using ramp tests, and simulated time trials.

Wednesday is a bit of a recovery day usually a 1-1/2 to 2 hour zone one session to spin the lactate out of my legs. This week I went on my TT bike and overdid it (a lot) but boy was it fun and that machine flies.

Thursday is a long steady ride up to 4-1/2 hours in zone 1 and 2 hitting 3 on the hills.

Friday is a hill session working in laps after an hours warm up I alternate climbing a 9% hill about 400m long, 1 lap standing 1 lap sitting for five laps. The idea is to push the hardest gear you can and just roll over the top. I am doing the following at the moment 53/1 standing. 53/17 sitting, 53/14 standing, 53/16 sitting and finally a horrendous 53/11 standing when I just about make it.
It does appear to work. I climb an 11% hill on the way home and I fly over it using the lower gears.

Saturday is interval time, it should of been on the TT bike but with heavy rains the night before there was a lot of debris in the gutters and I don't want to ride a new style of riding in poor conditions yet.

So I took the Scott foil out, after a 40 minute warm up finishing at the top of zone 2 I planned to start a loop through Thornton Hough.  8 minutes in zone 5 (yes zone 5) followed by 8 minutes in zone 2, with three of the zone 5 sessions - you get the idea. The course was undulating, the wind breezy and temperature cold but it was dry and  I was looking forward to the challenge. Zone five isn't easy and it takes some training to get the body used to it. I managed to average 24mph on the first lap but my legs were sore from the day before and I knew I was going to struggle on the next two. After what felt like two minutes I was into the second 8 minutes. I was going OK but with just over a minute to go I punctured in a lane with no pavement. I gingerly rode to a footpath stopping 20 seconds before the 8 minute time. Wheel out bike flipped, the heavens opened with fat, cold rain. I put a goretex coat on top of my other three layers and fixed the bike but it was no use. I ended up very cold, very quickly. Once I started again I managed 21mph for the second lap, not bad considering the slow punctured wobble at the end. The third lap though dropped to just over 19mph, still OK though considering how cold I was and how many layers I had on.
I span off to Eureka for some coffee and back adding just over an hour and a half to the ride so not a bad day.

Sunday was going to be an easy spin in the evening but I didn't make it home in time to get out so opted for a thirty minute spin on the tacx to ease the legs and keep them moving.

Over all its going well. I was going to do my first T next week, just a ten, but my club hasn't registered yet so I have had my entry refused. I will give them another week then I need to consider joining someone else perhaps.

That's it more soon

Bike Fittings-Do we need them?

 

I suppose the answer, like many things, is it's up to you. Not a lot of help I know so perhaps a few more thoughts. Most of us got our first bikes when we children. Many of us would of been stood next to something with one large and two small wheels at the back and possibly of heard a comment similar to 'He will get a lot longer out of this'. Roughly translated, we only have this size in and I need to sell it to pay the rent'. There then followed a period of uncomfortable/dangerous riding with everything from crashes to high pitched squeals as you hit the cross bar. Then, after a growth spurt suddenly cycling became easier, safer, faster and well more fun. What happened was you grew to fit the bike. Unfortunately as you continued to grow it lost this moment in time when everything was perfect.

 

How does it relate to today and maybe as an adult our fixed height? Well you have several options with a bike fit.

 

1. Guess, it worked as a child.
2. Have a look on the Internet, it will explain plumb lines, and knee angle
3. Get a fit at the shop when you buy a new bike
4. Go for a professional  bike fit

 

I have done the latter for some time. I had a shop fit when I bought my orbea and although they worked hard on it frankly they didn't have the equipment needed to get it perfect. I had aching shoulders and lower back, knee pain and appeared to be rolling around in the saddle. All signs that the bike doesn't fit properly. 

 

So I went to meet Richard Salisbury at Pedal Precision in the Manchester Velodrome www.pedalprecision.com Not so much, just a fit as a complete adjustment of all contact points to match your goals. One of the things I am always keen to check is the credentials of anyone I am paying money to. Richard not only has all that is required he has vast experience of, well people like me, to world champions. Good enough for me. 

Pedal Precision takes bike fitting personally. That is to say that they really work with each individual rider, taking into account their sports and injury history, and helping the rider work together with the bike. It’s not about telling someone “this is what your position SHOULD be” it’s about helping achieve a position which allows the riders body to get the most from every pedal revolution whilst preventing overuse injuries or offloading any structures which are already compromised. They will also help you identify areas of weakness which can be addressed through exercises or physio style treatment in order to help you get the most from your riding.

 

It begins with a conversation about your goals, training, experience and, well, many other things so that Richard can begin to understand your needs.

 

Next are the shoes and cleats. I began by standing then walking up and down the room. Then, a little bit of sorcery, Richard simply set my pedals and gave the shoes back to me. I hadn't even used them on the bike. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical at first. However, once back on the bike the knee pain disappeared so that bit was right.

 

Next was onto the turbo machine. Once I was spinning Richard captured my movements using a slow motion camera to optimise power and comfort. When he fitted my first bike some major tweaks were made. The stem was too short causing my back to curl and shoulder blades to stick out hence the upper and lower back pain. Problem solved. The other thing that happened was my average speed jumped an incredible two miles per hour.

 

Finally we discussed injuries, Richard was able to offer credible advice he is qualified to give that helped me pre and post ride.

 

I mentioned that the first bike needed significant changes, I have been back three times now and although I set my bike roughly in the right position mainly because I can't wait to have a ride each bike is different. The geometry changes and it can actually be impossible to set the measurements exactly the same between bikes. Then of course there is the TT bike. A balance has to be struck between aero tuck and the ability to breath and transmit power. Again something Richard really helped me with. Each bike was adjusted and two of them even required different length stems.

 

So my view it is worth taking each bike for a fitting and perhaps have a quick go on the track at the same time. The price for increasing your joy on the machine? Well, check his site as it may change but when I last went it was £110 for the first bike and half price for any others. I have spent more on a stem which didn't come close to benefiting me as much as the pro fit did. Go and try it.

 

 

 

Revolution Round Three

Revolution 39 at the Manchester Velodrome sold out before the tickets went public through British Cycling membership showing the increasing popularity of the track. I treated myself to a VIP ticket though I'm not sure why I become a VIP simply by paying an extra £10. What I do get is parking next to the building free saving a cold walk to the nearest public car park, no queueing to get in, a £3 program included, four free drinks, access to the track centre with table seating or go and sit in the stands. In my opinion excellent value for money. Manchester City were playing the other side of the road. I wonder what their top tickets cost out in the cold?

Anyway the event headlined a number of stars including Ed Clancy, Peter Kennaugh, Russel Downing to name a few. Also present was the German Robert Foestemann who attract attention through the size of his thighs were ever he goes (that won't be M&S for trousers). The look of incredulity says it all in the above picture. Then again it can't be often you meet someone with thigh muscles bigger than your waist.

The events can vary and run over between each series. Tonight's included;

1km Madison time trial
A kilo with a difference. The first rider completes ahlf the distance before slinging his team mate for the second half. A good change over is vital, and not as easy as it sounds.....

Points Race

A sprint is held every 10 laps with points awarded to the first four across the line. The winner is the person amassing the most points at the finish. However, if they gain a lap an extra ten points is awarded and you are in the lead. Harder than it sounds at the speeds on the track for the first time at this level I watched amazed as Peter kennaugh back from the sky training camp took two laps and nearly won the final sprint.

While there are several other races I will save them for the next session which is going to be at the Sir Chris Hoy stadium in Glasgow so I guess I am going on tour

More of the same....

Last week the UK once again ground to a halt with ice, snow and freezing temperatures plunging many into panic. As usual having decided not to ride I would see people ride past oblivious to the conditions. It doesn't take long to convince yourself that they have thicker tyres, their bikes are little more than scrap value and the person astride it is escaping from a secure location. Then of course you hear about the semi-pro riders (you know the sort) dodging black ice and sliding cars while altering their body temperature like a reptile.

I will be honest and say that safety always comes first with me, we take enough risks as cyclists. I also believe that some time on the turbo will improve your road speed. So, having examined the forecast and discussed it with my coach (who buggered off to Spain for the week) I had alternative rides each day of the week for both road and turbo.

In the end I spent six hours and five minutes on an indoor trainer and 90 minutes on the road. I tried to alleviate the boredom watching videos while pedalling away and using twitter on my Ipad but I found it mentally very hard. Monday as usual was my rest day followed by an hours high speed spin on the Tuesday. Wednesday was two hours of intervals keeping the heart rate and cadence high really took it out of me not to mention getting quite sore as you are sitting most of the time. On Thursday I cracked and went for a ride on the road dodging the ice and on occasion flooded roads where the snow was melting. It wasn't fun though and always at the back of my mind was my upcoming trip, the hard work I had put in and what I stood to loose if I crashed. In the end I only did a gentle 90 minutes.

Overnight the snow came back with a vengeance and with 12 of my last fifteen rides being on the turbo I finally cracked and didn't ride. I had had enough even though I was only scheduled to ride for an hour. By late evening the guilt had set in and I wanted to get on it but convinced myself I would make it up after the next days ride. With a hard turbo session the next day though I didn't. I waited and did 128 minutes of intervals the next day. The Sunday session was supposed to be just a gentle 30 minute spin on the turbo but for my penance I opted for a hard one hour slot which I did so hard I finished in 55 minutes. So overall I only missed 30 minutes which will do.

Next week I am off for a bike fitting and the last day of the week I am in Lanzarote though with the forecast looking much better I am hoping to be out and about and upping the mileage

The week I grew to despise a cycling icon...

No not Armstrong, the turbo trainer..

With temperatures plunging to sub zero, snow and ice covering the roads I decided not to risk riding in Lanzarote with a broken collar bone and opted for the tacx machine instead. Unfortunately the weather stayed like that all week which meant that I ended up doing six turbo sessions A total of eight hours, 8 minutes and 35 seconds stuck in a saddle with little relief from the saddle pressure and loosing about 3lbs in weight each session in fluids. I covered 235 miles in the sessions with some high speeds though of course this is often distorted when doing normal turbo sessions rather than the tacx session that tends to replicate the genuine road speed.
While it was hard to motivate myself, often doing the sessions late in the evening after finding something else to do all day I still pushed myself up to a 2 hour 8 minute session. To give you an example this session was 20 minutes in zone 1, 25 minutes zone two then four seven minute sessions in zone three with five minutes recovery in zone 1 between. I finished up with 20 minutes zone 2 and twenty minutes zone 1.

To keep myself going I always have an energy drink on the bike and a recovery drink in the fridge. I always have a TV in front of me with some bike racing on it resulting in me sprinting with the racers on the screen. I ride in my conservatory and even in this weather have the window and door open. I always have an extra top on to warm up  and usually put it back on when cooling down. Always worth doing these few things and perhaps a fan as the turbo is a really intensive session that takes a lot out of you. If you are changing from road to turbo then you should half the planned time.

Although I avoid the turbo I sadistically enjoy it once I am on it. It helps with weight loss and my cadence has jumped from 90 something to 102 rpm which could prove useful. So despite my complaints I will carry on with the tacx.

On a more enjoyable note I was followed by a world champion on twitter this week. Colin Lynch @TTworldchamp is the current UCI world champion in time trial and pursuit in the Irish Paralympic team. Amusing, insightful and well worth a follow. he also has an interesting blog on his preparation for Rio. You can find it at  637daystogo.blogspot.com/

Never talk about religion or politics and now Armstrong

And yet here I go. I don't think that any cycling blogger can avoid the issue though, with most people sick of the subject, I will keep it brief.

In the past on this blog I have expressed my disapproval over the Armstrong investigation. Not because he was a particular hero of mine or because I believe his charitable work was more important than justice but simply because I believe that judicial procedure was more important than catching any one guilty person be it a criminal or a cycling cheat. So that investigation and process has passed and as a consequence Armstrong initially buried his head ignored what was happening and eventually admitted to cheating throughout his seven tours. He is now banned for life from all sports a punishment he describes as a death sentence.

How do I feel? Well first of all in the last week I have watched all seven of his winning tours. They were exciting, challenging and, at the time held me captivated to a TV screen.

Now first of all I know he is a cheat, a liar and has lost all credibility. Let me put a different slant on it. Football fans watch their heroes dive, handball, pull at opponents, head butt, punch, stamp, racially abuse other people. There have been accusations of rape, violent assault ,death by reckless driving and always a very rich footballer emerges sneering with contempt for every one outside of their circle even their manager. For the cheating on the pitch it may be a red card and two match suspension or a £100,000 one weeks wages fine. For the worst criminal offences they score two goals and the fans deify the individual and cheer themselves until they are mute. I don't like it some people don't care.

Do I think cheating is ok cause everyone does it? No I don't. What I do think is that Armstrong was not the problem. The system was and especially the director sportives, doctors and coaches who had an almost parental responsibility to their riders. At their age the lines become blurred by youth and they need guidance. Now, is it that cycle fans are less tolerant than football fans (and let's face it many other areas of society, politicians, movie stars, pop stars, American football, basket ball, baseball, golf) all have had their villains that have been forgiven sometimes without an apology. But cycling has had many villains in the past who have been forgiven. Some of the French ones became national heroes, then there was Mercx who claimed he was drugged and didn't take them, Simpson and of course every ones favourite German Jan. one of the most interesting to me is David Miller. He has been very vocal in his condemnation of Lance and yet he never admitted to being a doper until he was caught. He lost everything mainly though because by his own admission he lived day to day partying and spending everything. If doping made such a difference why did Miller the doper come 143rd and Armstrong the doper come 1st? There is more to winning than doping..

Anyway, enough. My point is that like many others Lance Armstrong cheated, lied and deceived. He deserves to be punished proportionate to the crime and certainly not a life time ban. I believe that any civilised society should believe and practice rehabilitation. Lets face it we eventually let murderers out of prison. Armstrong has some more work to do before he is rehabilitated but he must be absolved at some point. Personally I hope he gets to compete again once he has paid back the money he sued for, but not the money to sponsors. They got what they wanted. Increased exposure and as a consequence a massive increase in sales. They won't pay money back to the public so why should Lance. So lets keep things in perspective. It was a bike race, he cheated, he was caught and humbled. It makes no difference to my enjoyment and there are a whole bunch of clean riders out there.

Winter is back again

So another week complete and more complications to riding. My plan, inspired by the slice next to the TV, was to get back to a 250 mile+ week. The elements, children and workmen conspired against me. Keeping things in perspective (I don't earn money from cycling) other things took priority including my safety.

Monday's ride went from a planned road ride in sunny weather to an indoor turbo session with a sickly daughter off school in the next room. Still an hour (27 miles done). Tuesday I got out for a four hour ride. The problem today was my Scott with the light brackets was in the shop so I was out on the orbea with no lights. Should be no problem in the middle of the day, however, two hours in a thick fog came down and I was still just over the Welsh border. Luckily I found a group of riders heading to the Eureka cafe with plenty of lights. I jumped into the middle and had some coffee and my luck held out when I was provided with a rear light by Ann at the cafe on credit. The fog thickened again during the last ten miles home with cars still coming up fast and seeing me at the last minute. I didn't like that. So with fog the next two days I hit the tacx again. An hour and ten on Thursday and 2 hours Friday. The sun came back on Saturday but so did my sickly daughter so it was still indoors for another hour.

Sunday was planned to be four hours, With ice on the road and the temperatures plunging to -3 I dropped it down to two hours and taking it easy leaving out the zone three work. Overall I made 202 miles for the week, 48 less than I planned but considering turbo work should be half the road work it was still a good week.

With snow forecast from tonight my week in Lanzarote can't come soon enough but there are still three weeks to wait. The other news is I have decided to do a dream ride from Paris to Nice and onto Monte Carlo in September, more on that later but a challenge for the coach mixing the ride with the TT training.

Time Trial Warming Up

An essential part of any race, but particularly the Time trial is the warm up. Designed to kick start the heart to race pace it prevents the competitor losing time over the first fifteen to twenty minutes. A race loser over short distances. I haven't read Bradley Wiggins book yet but he takes 30 minutes to warm up including listening to music and then a twenty minute warm up on the turbo before taking five minutes to reach the start line. I don't know if this is his specific warm up but it is the team sky and Olympic team warm up so there is a good chance that it is.

 

Warm up-(Warm up used by Olympic Pursuit Team)

1. 5 minutes easy gear – 80rpm
2. 8 minutes progressive build up, by the end of this time you will be very warm (up towards top of Zone 3)
3. 2 minutes Easy
4. 3 x 6 second accelerations to activate heart (evenly spaced out within next 2 minutes) Usually start with 6 secs effort then 51 sec easy, 6 sec effort then 51 sec easy and finish 6 sec effort.
5. 3 minutes Easy
6. Finish of getting ready/walk to Start.

So there it is, try it before committing to a race day. Try a turbo session with and without it and try your ten mile road course with and without. My guess it will make a huge difference...

Here it is....

So after a few technical difficulties getting the photos onto the blog here is the new time trial bike...

 

 

It's a cannondale slice RS ultegra with upgraded wheels to Mavic Cosmic RS rather than the standard Kysirium equip. It was lovingly put together by the team at Cheshire Oak cycles not the easiest of jobs as it's the first of six in the country and has a few unique attributes.

 

When I got to the store it was already being admired and photographed so I politely waited while the spotters took their pictures.

 

 

It's everything I had hoped it would be and looks much better in real life than the pictures that frankly don't do it justice. With it's racing slick tyres and the weather in the UK at the moment it is staying in my lounge next to the TV until I finish admiring it.

 

So here is the technical side:

 

It has narrow cross sections to reduce drag and increase speed with the highest level of stiffness and power transfer, The fork steerer is outside the headtube to make it narrower and reduce the frontal area while helping to increase stiffness and improve handling.

 

 

 

All the cables run through the top of the stem and into the downtube increasing the aero profile and improving steering through the carbon bars.

 

 

The brakes are hidden behind the fork and under the bottom bracket in a v shape to improve stopping power and again, increase the aero dynamics.

 

 

It has the thinnest UCI legal seat post preventing air from the legs interfering with the aerodynamics of the bike frame as well as reducing vibration on the road.

 

I opted for the ultegra group set though I would love the electronic version on it (maybe later). The crank is a BB30 with vision 31.8 carbon bars and cannondale brakes. A fizik arione Tri 2 with magnesium rails in blue completes my favourite patriotic colour scheme of red, white and blue. While connecting the machine to the road are schwalbe durano s tyres.

 

So this is it in all its glory, In short its designed to be fast and it sure looks it.  I can't wait to get out on it and, of course, knock four minutes off my 10 mile time, easy... Updates as I try it

 

Final picture was taken by my daughter Katie.... The Cannondale RS slice in its full glory,, I'm going to enjoy this. (if you want one get in touch with Cheshire Oak cycles http://www.cheshireoakscycles.co.uk/ 0151 355 9991 and ask for Phil [tell him he looks like a smurf and you get a discount])

 











Sometimes it just doesn't happen

 

Another week done finishing off the difficulties of the Christmas season and into the New Year so how did it go? As usual Monday was my rest day and despite wanting to go out I stuck to it. Tuesday was planned to be a two hour ride in zone one just spinning the legs and keeping to my build up following illness. I rode with Ade again today and found it hard to stick to the zone simply because it was so cold leaving me needing to go faster to keep warm and the wind pushing my Heart rate up when heading into the blustery weather.

Wednesday was planned to be a four hour ride with three six minute intervals. The gods had other ideas and the weather was horrendous. The roads were flooded the rain torrential and the gales harsh. After three near misses I cut the ride short at just over two hours and one six minute session and after warming up and drying out I was going to do an hour on the turbo to make up for the shortfall. Luckily I convinced myself it was better to go and pick up the time trial bike from Cheshire Oak cycles. Right choice the bike is magnificent. And if I may sing my own praises it wasn't a day to ride anyway.

What a difference a day makes, although it was windy it was warmer and dry. Stupidly I dressed similar to the day before and overheated a bit but instead of my planned two hour ride I did an extra 30 minutes and had a great spin around the Wirral. I also managed to wear out the brakes on my Scott. SO it now needs new brakes and wheels.

So to Friday and a three hour zone one and two session with three six minute zone three sessions. With the scott in disgrace it was back onto the orbea and SRAM groupset. Although I love the Ui2 on the scott it was great to go out on this machine again for a while. After ten miles in Willaston Village I punctured and rapidly lost all the air in the rear tyre. A quick repair, a check of the tyre, rapid Co2 inflation and bang off it went again. I had missed whatever caused the puncture and only had one inner tube. So it was back to a patch and a hand pump to inflate the tyre.
A big shout out to one of the residents of Willaston who offered me coffee and the use of a phone. Always good to meet nice people even if I didn't need the phone i enjoyed a coffee. So having inflated the tyre I could hear air escaping again and decided to dart the five miles home and accept that someone didn't want me to ride that day. Sometimes it just happens.

Saturday was planned to be just thirty minutes easy turbo to fit with my child care arrangements. However after spending most of night looking after my daughter with a high temperature I was shattered and just binned the session. Some things are more important.

That afternoon though it was off to Polocini cycling cafe and over coffee and cake agreeing to ride from Paris to Monte Carlo via Mont Ventoux in September, before zooming into Manchester for the third revolution of the series. More on that later.

Sunday was my day to reconnect with the bike. After a good nights sleep and a late start/ puncture repair it was back out for a four hour spin in zones one and two with three six minute spins in zone three., It was a windy day but still one of those great days. My heart rate stayed at the top of each zone and I was loving it. Instead of zone three for the six minutes I was in 4 or 5 and during the ten minute zone 2 session between each sprint kept it in three. I know this isn't the plan but I couldn't help it. I enjoyed the orbea again and as I headed home was planning on raising it to a five hour non-stop ride. My problem was the lights were on the scott in the workshop and the light was failing. I value my life so it was back home after 4 hours 15 minutes of pure pleasure. With a rest day tomorrow I can't wait for Tuesday.

Less Horse Power - more Watts

Another week gone and the big adventure was my encounter with a very frightened horse. I had just finished a three hour ride and as I approached my home decided to ride on for another 30 minutes. I looked down to reset the garmin and moved out to pass a parked car. As I looked up I saw a horse charging at full speed towards me. Its eyes were wild and it still wore its saddle and had reins around its neck.With its feet slipping all over the road it seemed to fill the entire width of my proposed route. I managed to slam on behind the parked car as it shot past and skidded its way into the road on my right. It shot straight across the next road somehow avoiding any traffic. Being aware it could injure someone and of course its own rider was probably lying in the road somewhere further back I phoned 999 and let the police know what was happening. The problem was the road it ran into was called the Paddock and the operator for valid reason thought it was a crank call. I did manage to convince them otherwise and left them looking for the poor animal.

So, the worst case of road rage aside the week was good. My heart rate is back down to 44 when at rest and my weight is just 2lb higher than pre Christmas. My mileage has jumped back from a illness restricted 61 (last week 132) to to a solid 212 miles. The first two sessions were on the turbo due to child care commitments of just over an hour each. And to be honest, it let me check I was working ok as well. I then enjoyed two three hour road rides and felt the pure joy of cycling the lanes of Wirral, Cheshire and Wales again. The roads were quiet and the weather kind. The 5th day of the week was 70 minutes on the turbo again and some X box kinnect track and field training while the last day was another 3 hour windy session.

Most of the rides remain in zone 1 & 2 though the wind and weather often force me into 3 and 4. I am also starting to build some protracted times in higher zones which feels easy and I find myself looking forward to them, So despite the weather i am back on target. I have picked up my time trial bike (more on that this week) and have five weeks until I head of to Lanzarote for a weeks training.
So all is going well#

I won't get the best out of the bike....

But the bike will get the best out of me....

First of all it's been another bad week for me with my Heart rate still high and going beyond what I thought possible. My mileage has doubled from the week before and the good news is that, although I haven't fully recovered next week either, with the benefit of writing this towards the end of next week my mileage starts going back up.
So with this dragging out I am wondering exactly what is wrong.

1. Am I ill? I was but at the moment I feel great other than my HR being high so I want to put this one out of the equation.
2. Have I over trained. Always a huge fear, I have done this before and with it lost all enthusiasm to ride the bike so I did a quick test on this site http://www.thedietdiary.com/diet/healthIndex/OverTraining.html and again the answer is no
3. I'm on a sugar rush. I don't even know if this would do it but out of boredom I have put on 6lbs and eaten all the Christmas goodies. So... i am wondering if all the sugar has pushed my heart rate up. The strange thing is after 90 minutes of riding it drops into the normal zone...

So it is time to take care of my diet, drop the heart rate and try to drop another half stone.

The week, as you may imagine has been easy, keeping the legs spinning, recovery rides in zone 1 and 2. It consisted of the usual rest day, an hours easy turbo, 2 days of 90 minutes on the road, an hours turbo and 2 hours on the road. Weekly mileage 133 up from 61 the week before so looking good. Also, strangely I wasn't out of breath during the rides nor did I feel tired. So back on target.

So why the title, I won't get the best out of the bike but the bike will get the best out of me? Well I went to have a look at the new TT bike at Cheshire Oak cycles. It was still being built and when I went in politely stood behind customers taking photos of it. I think it is stunning. More on it later though.
What did shock me a little was another rider outside telling me I should be doing 21minute time trials over ten miles on a machine like that. He then went on to ridicule people who use time trial equipment. My response isn't important but when did cyclists start to decide what one another can or can't do. I am under no illusion that I will ever be more than about a twenty five minute man given my age and ability I think this is a great time and the bike will help me achieve it. What does it matter if I have bought a great bike to do it on? We don't wait on a marathon line knocking every one that finishes over four hours wearing two hundred pound training shoes or tell someone they can't have a Ferrari as the speed limit is 70. The time trial is a race against yourself and if you want to do a 40 minute ten mile time trial get out there and do it...Anyway rant over, More on the bike when I pick it up and even more when I ride it,.

Mavic GP4's

In 1983 I bought my first custom built bike. A bright yellow machine with 753 tubing put together by a frame builder in the German town of Detmold. The group set was Campagnola, Shimano was only a baby and no one wanting to avoid mechanical problems would touch it. I can't remember the type of wheels that came with it other than they were Mavic. Again, there was no choice if you were serious. I also remember it cost me about six months wages so it was fortunate that it could be straightened out after a crash. All that remains of this dream machine is a few fading photos of me killing myself in various locations including a ride of over 1600 miles around Germany.

What I do remember clearly is, even before I bought it, I was planning to save for a set of race wheels and they had to be mavic GP4's The 80mm Zipps of the day. You see back then you had (at least) two sets of wheels for your bike. One set for training and one set for racing.

That trend is starting to return. There is no point in asking a cyclist if he is planning to upgrade his wheels. We all want to upgrade our wheels. And like my ode to the TDF the best way to do it is buy a good bike with cheaper wheels and upgrade later. You can't build a bike piece by piece for the same price as buying it whole. So for economic reasons buy the race ones later.

Now in a previous blog I mentioned that wheels aren't necessarily the best bang for your buck in the pursuit of speed. That doesn't mean that it isn't worth upgrading your wheels it just means there are other options. So with a pair of wheels costing more than the alloys on your car (as they should) how much should you spend and why? Well the answer is spend what you want but it may not be worth it. The French at the end of the 2012 Olympics famously complained that Britain had cheated. That their wheels were rounder giving them an edge. Amusing considering team GB use mavic wheels, made in France. But seriously, it is hard to get a perfectly round wheel. Even at a basic level of cycling you can feel quality in a wheel. Put simply it takes less watts to push a better wheel conserving your energy for the final sprint. Even I know the difference between my Mavic Elite's and my carbon spinnergy. I believe I have bought close to a 2mph average though I will always claim I am benefiting from the placebo effect.

So simply put a bike will accelerate better and climb faster with lighter wheels by reducing a wheels mass. If you think of it this way, climbing and accelerating are the same thing. When you climb you constantly accelerate its gravity fighting you to keep the speed constant. Here is the science bit though. A reduction in weight in the wheels will improve performance more than the same weight loss in the frame; because the wheel rotates you notice it more.  The mass is all at the rim and tyre, the result being it has twice the resistance to acceleration than the rest of the bike. Carbon helps this but you also need the wheel to be stiff to transfer the power and prevent rub. This of course can be difficult with alloy rims on carbon wheels but full carbon changes the braking temperatures requiring different brakes.

So all you need to do is get the lightest wheels, perhaps those shallow rim GP4's still have their place.
Err... not quite, aerodynamics and inertia are also very important. Think of the fly wheel in a car. Almost perfectly balanced so once it's moving it spins faster and faster under its own weight raising speed and improving the MPG.
It's the same with [particularly carbon] wheels. When you are riding on the flat without accelerating weight doesn't matter. This is the key point. At 15mph aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance are the same. Approach 25mph and aerodynamic drag is far higher, rolling resistance is only around 15%. So your wheel choice depends on terrain and your average speed.
The carbon wheel can actually push the bike along supporting my feeling that the spinergy wheels were adding around 2mph.

So do we all dash out and spend 4k on wheels? Well its a law of diminishing returns. In other words wheels between 800 and 1400 will make a significant difference to your speed and make that jump of a couple of MPH. Go from 1400 to 2000 and it may help you improve .25mph or even less. So are you prepared to pay 600 to 2600 more of your pounds for a quarter to a half MPH average? Well if you are a pro rider then without a doubt. If you just want the best possibly. Before you make your mind up it is important to mention that the most expensive wheels will also be more stable in a cross wind with an 80mm feeling like 35 in windy conditions. In other words pay a bit more to stay on your bike.

So before you decide....

1. Think about what you need. Unless you can afford a range of wheels is the best first purchase a rear disk? 30 to 40mm will make a significant difference.
2. Make sure you have the same type of brakes for each wheel set.
3. Check the weight limit for the wheel. Particularly if you are over 90kg.
4. Watch for brake wear particularly on carbon rims.  
5. Carbon rim tyre pressures are often lower than alloys, check for the recommended pressure.
6. Get suitable tyres to match your investment. More on this in the next blog.
7. Check spoke tension before riding.

So it is up to you, do what I did and trawl the net, look at forums to see what people think of the wheel before you buy. Set a budget and stick to it.

The wheels I can comment on are the following,

The mavic Kysirium elite retail around £550 but shop around. They originally came with my orbea. I have to say I love them. Thousands of miles without being straightened for a reasonable price and a reasonable speed and weight. They are great in cross winds with little deflection even in high winds. On the downside they are a bit slower, the water gets in the hubs in heavy rain and that's it. They are an upgrade from most wheels but if you want good carbons they make an excellent training wheel.

 

 

 

The spinergy stealth PBO carbon wheels. Ceramic bearings, 40mm rims, spokes spun from nylon to keep the weight down. Round about £1400 a pair I have these on my orbea and they look fantastic. They are the ones I believe add around 2mph avg. I managed to borrow a pair before buying them and flying down a hill I hit cobbles and a rail track at around 30mph. I snapped two spokes in the rear wheel. I managed to tie them out the way and finished a difficult ride with lots of climbs with no buckle in the wheel. After buying a pair I have thrashed them and had no problem with spokes or buckles though I have lost nearly two stone in weight. So they are at the top end of what I would like to pay but worth every penny. A quick warning, they aren't stable in cross winds, you need to change them to the elites. They do, however, take full advantage of centrifugal force and want to push faster and faster at high speed. They are excellent value for money with the only downside being a creak from the nylon spokes when climbing after about 1000 miles. They have very little flex and maintain their good looks.

 

 

Hopefully I will soon be picking up the time trial bike and I have decided to upgrade to the Mavic Carbone SL for around £800. I've heard great things about them but can't comment any more until I try them. If I'm unhappy they will go on the Foil and I will try something else but I have a feeling I am going to love them and don't think the small loss of weight  justifies the £500 extra for the SLR's

 

 

 

 

So I have bored you with the science, talked about value for money and ultimately would suggest you need the resources of team sky to get exactly what you want when you want....There is always-

 



 



 

Testing two weeks

Well after a promising start to my training my body has succumbed to illness. Not through over training I am pleased to say. I have monitored this closely being only to aware of how long too much effort can keep you off the bike for. No, I have picked up a bug that was floating around. It started with a cold and the usual difficulty and finished two days ago with a heart rate of 200 at just 14mph. Not a good sign for someone who thought their maximum heart rate was just over 180.

On a positive side the first of these two weeks was a test week so it was back on the tacx for the Olympic warm up and the 9 mile run through Paris. My watts avg dropped to just 211 with a max of just over 300. Not the increase I had hoped for. Despite being enthusiastic the engine just couldn't deliver the demands of the bridge and I found myself just going through the motions. Even in the warm up my max wattage was down to 650 from nearly 800. All fairly obvious signs something was wrong, that and the usual indicator of an increased resting pulse.

I still forced myself through a 1 1/2 hour ride the next day in temperatures of just 2 degrees in zone 1, nothing too taxing so I began to hope it was a short glitch. Not to be, the next day was another 1 1/2 hour ride (this was a recovery week after the increased miles last week) my HR hit 200 and I knew something was about to hit big time. A heavy cold hit me that night and I struggled to breath. I managed 1 hour 40 mins on the Turbo on the Friday but it was awful and probably a waste of time. I fell of the bike at the end regretting forcing myself onto the machine.  I took a decision to take three days of the bike, missing two planned rides and going into the scheduled rest day on the Monday. My weekly mileage was a miserable 94.67.

Ever the optimist Tuesday was another week. The so called beast from the East failed to appear; A predicted -10 and below weather front skirted our Isles and we basked in 0 to -7 degrees. Well a mixture of being a wimp, being unwilling to risk expensive bikes on icy roads and continuing to be ill saw a change in training again.
On the Tuesday I hit the turbo for just 45 minutes on a downhill training session but after about 20 lost all power again and I realised I hadn't recovered sufficiently yet. I took the Wednesday off and on the Thursday with temperatures at -5 and an inch of ice on the pond hit the turbo again. My average power was still low but up 14w from Tuesday with a max at 660 which looked promising. After the 65min session I felt ill again though and looking at the graph once again saw a drop in power after about 40 mins. I took the next day off again and instead of the scheduled 4 hour ride on the Saturday went for a 90 minute ride with Wirral Mamil Ade who was just back from Germany. It was a good decision, my HR hit 200 again, I felt weak, light headed and unable to concentrate properly on the bike. We ended up riding just 20 miles at 15mph with an average HR of 135. This is a good 20bpm above what I would expect at that speed. Needless to say I took Sunday off and Monday is my scheduled rest day. So a week with just under 90 miles has not thrilled me.
That said on the Friday I did drive out to the Polocini cafe on the Friday for a piece of cake and some delightful company. If ever you are in Romiley near the Peak district its a must. The proprietors are two of the most enthusiastic individuals I know who just love cycling. In the interests of disclosure they do run the Polocini test team for whom I shall be competing but a bonus for me is that it costs me a fraction of what it could cost if I joined another team.

So I am writing this on the Monday rest day and feel a touch better. My enthusiasm hasn't wavered despite the cold. I wouldn't presume to tell anyone how to train. This blog is just about a bloke pushing 50 who wants to compete in time trials, but I think cancelling the training was the best idea. Riding alone when ill and it is so cold is just too risky. Anyway the choice will always be yours..for me lets see what this week brings......