voiturebalai

Hill repeats at the end of a 100 mile ride… Ouch. And...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:32:28 +0100

Hill repeats at the end of a 100 mile ride… Ouch.

And not the Alps either.

A week today and it will be all over. Just the time trial up alp d’huez the next day….

It’s customary to visit the place you got married on the...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:27:52 +0100

It’s customary to visit the place you got married on the last training ride before a big event.

High Easter.

Last training ride before La Marmotte - 171km into Essex and...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:23:02 +0100

Last training ride before La Marmotte - 171km into Essex and back. Legs check, bike check. And now for the taper and lots of carbs…

Second time at hog hill this year. 26 mins on the nose, a...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:52:00 +0100

Second time at hog hill this year. 26 mins on the nose, a personal best. Only beaten by pointy hats and proper TT bikes.

Nice

Wise words

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:20:11 +0100

Graeme Fife is a friend, he supported the Fairbridge team on their Raid Pyreneen adventure in 2009. He’s a writer, a very good one. And here are a few of his best words.

The greatest battle is not physical but psychological. The demons telling us to give up when we push ourselves to the limit can never be silenced for good.

They must always be answered by the quiet, the steady dignity that simply refuses to give in.

Courage. We all suffer. Keep going.

Less than two weeks to go until La Marmotte. The legs are ready a grand raised for kids with autism.

Bring on the suffereing.

A month and counting… Less than 29 days to go and almost...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:04:40 +0100

A month and counting…

Less than 29 days to go and almost £900 raised when you include gift aid. Not bad but could be much better. Thanks to those who have already donated; for those that haven’t please do so. No money will finance the trip; it all goes to a good cause!

And what about the training..? Well, could be better. The weather might be a good thing for gardeners but not us cyclists. And getting knocked off the bike didn’t help as still getting headaches from the whiplash. Still, two 100 mile rides on the bounce inItalywere brilliant and other long rides, time trials and racing planned so things should work out.

A view from the top of the Cipressa climb

Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:13 +0100

A view from the top of the Cipressa climb

Just got back from riding Milan - San Remo. Amazing...

Mon, 28 May 2012 12:55:44 +0100

Just got back from riding Milan - San Remo. Amazing weather, food, people and time on the bike. Tan lines sharpened…

The Giro Things get interesting on Saturday with the start of...

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:02:33 +0100

The Giro

Things get interesting on Saturday with the start of the Giro, the best of the three Grand Tours in my opinion. Its French counterpoint (Le Tour), better known and more scrutinised as it is, long ago became a victim of its own success. Yes it’s still a great race but the opportunity for surprise seldom arises when the racing is controlled to the turn of a wheel by the big boys and their teams. The odd breakaway on a lumpy transitional stage is all that can be expected in terms of true excitement, and that’s only when the breakaway boys are way down on GC or have played the wind well.

As for the high mountains, the steep gradients and suffering that make or break any yellow or pink clad contender. Yes, they still entertain but, like the rest of the race, they are contained by race radios and team tactics. A new kid on the block will usually show their legs each, often in terms of the white jersey competition, but that’s about it. Next year they will marked like the rest of the favourites, their opportunity to shine curtailed

The Giro is different. Yes the big teams try to stamp their mark in just like Le Tour but the element for surprise still exists often as a result of the chosen parcours. In recent years the route have been so tough, mountain stages running back to back, that the last week resembles a true war of attrition as the riders’ legs and minds fatigue. But this year it’s different, the route more human under the guidance of a new race director. The mountains are still likely to decide the winner – the last week in the Dolomites is a best – but the winds ofDenmarkand the final TT could still shake up and decide how who triumphs inMilan. There is even something for the sprinters; Super Mario would have been pleased had he of made the return that he talked about earlier this season.

One of the defining moments of the Giro for me is not a lone breakaway, mountain top finish or breakneck sprint. It’s a lingering shot of the peloton tinkering along, riding tempo on a transitional stage. The speed is no higher than your average Sunday club run and some of the riders are eating ice-cream. They are not racing because they have decided – collectively – that they do want to. Now would that happen on Le Tour!

Six months in… two to go I’ve been training for six...

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:42:07 +0100

Six months in… two to go

I’ve been training for six months now I guess and things are going pretty well. By that I mean I’ve put the miles in, shed a few pounds and feel pretty good. I’ve not exactly employed a scientific approach to this event; no looking for V02 max or power thresholds like some have the time and money to do but when tested (long rides, early season comp) things look… pretty good. I was tested for V02 max a couple of years ago and scored highly (64) so the system is there, and now I feel fitter.

In the day of power meters and compression socks it seems a little old fashioned to just clock up the miles but that exactly what I’ve done. And it’s been planned, it has to be to manage the amount of training you have to stick in around a full time job and two young kids. To date, I’ve averaged around 600-900 km a month, based largely on commuting. Not a huge amount but the grind can be tiring. Still, clocking up 5,000 odd km in preparation so far is not to be sniffed at, especially when peppered with a few long rides of 80-100 miles. Not enough of them mind!

So what does the next couple of months hold? Well, the commute will be extended to include some local short, sharp climbs. Will also get two 100 + milers in during May and a couple in June as well as two days in Italy riding from Milan to San Remo courtesy of Action Challenge. Add to that time trailing at Hog Hill and I should be ready. I need to start using the Airborne rather than the single speed as there’s no point riding most of your miles on a bike that your not using for the event, especially when the geometry and crank length is totally different. And sleep, I need to sleep to recover from the training - but ask any dad of young kids and they’ll tell you that is the most difficult thing to come by.

Allez, allez…

The Rack There is only one thing worse than riding in the wind...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:19:49 +0100

The Rack

There is only one thing worse than riding in the wind and rain and that’s riding indoors on a turbo trainer. It’s dull, it hurts and it can get very hot. But when the weather is like it has been (thanks to the green fingered types who were praying for rain) the choice is limited. Get out on the bike only to return thoroughly drenched and cold or stay indoors on the ‘rack’.

Well on Sunday the ‘rack’ won as the day started grey and wet and didn’t get any better. It’s the first time I’ve been on the turbo for a year (I hate it that much) so limited it to just over an hour, mostly getting a feel for the new bike set up but also threw in a few harder efforts to keep things interesting.

And surprisingly, I have to say it was good fun – propped up on a copy of Nigela’s new book (it’s better than using it for cooking) and the Thompson Local as I sweated buckets all over a tea towel and the conservatory floor. But it was only an hour; any longer and it I’d have lost the will to live, even when wired into the Actress album on the iPod.

The Tour is won on the Alpe The Marmotte finishes on Alpe...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:45:25 +0100

The Tour is won on the Alpe

The Marmotte finishes on Alpe d’Huez, probably the most famous climb in pro cycling. The Alpe features 21 hairpin bends and is horribly steep, especially the first 3KM where it averages over 10%. As the final climb, and after a 40 odd KM descent off the Galibier, this one is going to hurt a lot, despite knowing that end of the race is within reach.

In 2008 the Tour de France took a similar route to the Marmotte in that it featured the Galibier, Croix de Fer (next door to the Marmotte’s Glandon and used for the race in years past) and the Alpe. However, they went the other way over the first two climbs before reaching Bourg d’Oisans and the foot of legendary climb.

Carlos Sastre was riding for CSC in support of the Schleck brothers but that didn’t stop him attacking at the foot of the climb. 49 seconds down on general classification, he rode like a true climber, accelerating again and again to ‘snap the elastic’, win the stage by over two minutes and in doing so winning the Tour.

It was a truly legendary performance from the boy Sastre and I’ve a sneaky suspicion that his ascent of Alpe may be slightly faster than mine on July 7.

Race face Cold, wet and windy (24 MPH) sums up this year’s...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:04:16 +0100

Race face

Cold, wet and windy (24 MPH) sums up this year’s Easter Classic, an annual 112 KM drag though the lanes of Essex. 300+ had signed up for the ride; only 150 actually started.

Caught onto a couple of strong riders for the first 60 KM, looking for a fast time. Sitting on wheel in that weather was tough given the amount of water and grit being kicked up off the road but we pushed on well, averaging 30 KPH against a tough head wind.

Made the mistake of stopping at the feed station to refill bottles rather than stick with them. That meant riding alone for the last 50 KM and time traiing to the end, pulling along a couple of riders who I caught later on. There was no let up in the rain and wind - hard going.

Despite getting a bit lost (route signage has been tampered with) I still managed to get back in under four hours as the 7^th fastest rider. Not a bad effort considering the conditions and getting lost.

The best part of the day was a post-ride refuel of roast beef dinner and cheesecake. Not a gel or energy bar in sight.

Milan - San Remo, or La Classicissima as it’s known, marks...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:22:00 +0100

Milan - San Remo, or La Classicissima as it’s known, marks the coming of spring - it’s the first ’classics’ race of the year. At almost 300KM long it’s a race for the sprinters and hard men of the peloton. Simon Gerrans, the Green Edge rider won it this year after outsprinting Nibali and Cancellara.

Not perfect prep for La Marmotte - pretty flat in the main - but I wasn’t about to turn down an offer to guide ride it over two days for the excellent Action Challenge. All expenses paid and in late May the weather should be good enough to shapren up the tan lines.

Bring on the Italian Riviera, the gelato, the sunshine and the cycling!

This is video of the last 2KM of the Galibier. It looks like the...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:01:00 +0100

This is video of the last 2KM of the Galibier. It looks like the middle of January but it’s actually June. Never trust the weather in the mountains.

Check in at 1.15 when the road splits and they turn left over the summit to sestriere. Narrow and properly steep.

Hoping the weather is significantly better on July 7, 2012!

March training Three months to go and counting… March is a...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:02:00 +0100

March training

Three months to go and counting…

March is a good month for cycling; the weather picks up (usually) and the clocks change provides a bit more light.

I was aiming for 1,000 KMs this month but fell just short. The commute was expended, taking in Highgate and Gospel Oak before looping back to Muswell Hill. This increased the one-way distance to around 35KM and took in three sharp climbs (Crouch Hill, Queens Wood Road and Highgate West Hill); done at least three times a week, sometimes before and after work on the single speed which is proving good for leg strength if you keep seated.

The commute was supplemented by the usual weekend ride of approx 35KM at a fair lick (30 KPH), out into Essex - Chigwell, Lambourne End, Abridge, Theydon Bois and High Beach before coming back through Buckhurst Hill to Walthamstow. Hardly ideal Marmotte training but you take what you get at weekends which revolve around the kids. Still, these rides are good for keeping up the speed and getting the legs ticked over.

The big ride this month was out in the Surrey Hills – a 100 miler that took in most of the ‘legs of steel’ route. Rode it on a standard chainset with 11-23 on the back, but still fine on the hills. The 100 miles included a 30 odd KM ride back to Walthamstow with a big rucksack but still felt pretty fresh. A good sign but then again, the Surrey Hills are not the Alps… been there, know that. Leith Hill is sharp but it is not the Galibier.

I’ve decided not to take the Glider to France for the La Marmotte but instead will resurrect the Airborne which has been in the shed for a little while. It’s already got a compact chainset on it and I’ll fit it with a 12-25 or 26 on the back which will help with climbing. I’ve just bought new control levers for it (Veloce… on a budget) as the old Centaur ones have worn out. The frame is titanium and will make for a much more comfortable ride than the aluminium Glider.

The weight is looking good, managing to keep the scales a good couple of pounds below 10 stones. No idea what my power is but feel strong on climbs so happy enough despite non-scientific approach. Body fat is just over 11% so skinny enough to climb well in theory and at least two stones lighter than my two mates who are also riding the Marmotte.

And now for the totals:

Commute - 620 KM
Weekend rides - 144 KM
Long ride – 170 KM

Grand total - 934 KM

Everyone knows that a new challenge needs new kicks. So the...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Everyone knows that a new challenge needs new kicks.

So the Sidis (four years old now) have been ‘retired’ to the role of commuting shoe and these beauties will be saved for weekend wear, racing and time trials…

The Giro Factor courtesy of Chain Reaction Cycles at a very good price!

This is Bernard Hainault on the Stelvio during the 1980 Giro,...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:51:12 +0000

This is Bernard Hainault on the Stelvio during the 1980 Giro, climbing through the snow to take the race lead and Maglia Rosa.

Despite taking place later in the year (July as apposed to May for the Giro) it has still been known to snow on the Glandon and Galibier. In fact, once it got so bad that the Marmotte was called off.

Mountains have their own microclimate. I remember one day on the ’09 Raid Pyreneen, climbing through a hail storm and then into snow. We reached the top and then descended for 40KM through what felt like a tropical rain before the sun finally came out. Bone dry and burnt by the sun we finally reached the hotel, exhausted.

The pros have domestiques and team cars in support, ready to hand out clothes, food and drink at a moments notice. Amateurs do not. So the first rule of cycling in the mountains is be prepared for anything… a baking valley floor can easily lead to rain, fog and snow at 2,800 metres. And if you haven’t got the kit it can get very nasty. A bit like the school party climbing Ben Nevis, the weather changes and mountain rescue get called. It happens every year.

Not that any of this would have affected Hainault, or the badger, as he was known by the peloton and fans alike. He was a true hard-man, so hard that he still cannot feel the tips of his finger after soloing to victory in Liege-Bastogne-Liege through a snow storm. Most of the peloton had packed up and gone home; the nearest rider to him finished almost 10 minutes in arrears. A true legend!

I not sure I thought we’d ever pull this one off when the...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:35:00 +0000

I not sure I thought we’d ever pull this one off when the idea was first raised - perhaps gave it a 6/10 chance of it coming together. After all, production companies can be really inflexible on allowing you to screen their films, especially when it’s online and for free. What do they get out of it, why should I bother? I should know how they think, I’ve worked for one.

Back in December of last year I met with Saskia Baron, director of the first film in the series (The Autism Puzzle), and she also thought it would be tough given who and what we were dealing with. But she, like me, thought it was worth a punt and agreed to allow her film to be screened… if and it turned out to be a rather big if, the BBC agreed to it.

And so here we are some months later and we have the rights to screen four amazing films online and free of charge starting on Wednesday 4 April. Even the BBC said yes after some arm twisting. And what’s more, we have all four directors lined-up to take part in online Q&As the day after their films have screened.

Autism is fascinating but it’s also a tricky thing to get your head around. There is no set autism type, people experience it in diferent ways - some are non-verbal, others highly intelligent but unable to cope with social situations . It’s also a hidden disaability -many people with autism look ‘normal’.

The reason for screening these films is to give people a better understanding of what autism is all about; to meet people with autism who can explain in their own words what it is like have autism. They are not dry or heavy; they are funny, informative and always engaging.

Registering for Autism Film Club is easy, just visit the Ambitious about Autism website

This is a good photo - it really shows how steep the climbs can...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:30:06 +0000

This is a good photo - it really shows how steep the climbs can be…

The Galibier is properly steep, especially at the top. And the markers don’t help, only serving as a reminder of how many more kms you’ve got to grind out before reaching the top before a 40 + km descent.