Mechanical --luckily not mine

Think someone at work may need to visit the bike shop.

A sojourn in the Somerset hills

With a bit of fitness in my legs from the L2P and a few weeks commuting on the fixed wheel bike I decided that a short trip was in order before the summer finally ran out.
The result was a combined family/work and cycling trip down to the west country.

I always knew that the main road out of Porlock Hill would be too much so I had decided that I would take the Toll road up onto the moor and across to Lymouth. What I didn't bank on was the jurney there.
Even before I got to Raleigh's Cross from my base in Crowcombe I had to contend with a leg breaking climb.

With my new iPhone securely fixed to the handle bars and Strava installed to log the data I set off.

In order to avoid the main roads I headed up to Dunkery Beacon.

It was here it occured to me that if I loosened off the mount for the iPhone I could rotate it and use the video camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8-5PTT99qg&list=LLuNu9fknyO8fjcAHbvn-tcQ&feature=mh_lolz

Dunkery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhNQqiUnZIU&feature=em-upload_owner


This link takes you to the descent of Countisbury Hill but the drop down into Porlock is close to it on that You Tube account. Sadly I deleted the climb of Porlock Hill including a ride up the steep main road section ( about half way) just to see what it was like.  Not the most rivetting videos in the world but something to watch if you happen to be recovering from a medical procedure or it's raining outside.

At Lynmouth I breifly tried to climb out the steep (A39) way to get to the Valley of Rocks. As my heart began to pound and I realised I would have to double back on myself to get home I turned around.
So it came tp pass that in one day I failed to climb two hills . This is the first time that has ever happened to me (other than on the fixed wheel) since I was a kid. I'm not so proud to say I could have ridden them on that day but they are both doable.

I had a lovely lunch in Lynmouth (where it started to to rain) and then had to face the long climb out of the town back onto Exmoor. As the visibilty fell and the mist turned to drizzle, the wind picked up and then the drizzle turned to rain I thought of all my relatives over the years who had tended their sheep on those very hills.No wonder one of my paternal grandfathers had been so keen to ditch the sheep farm and become a station master when the railway came to the area at the turn of the 20th century.
From there a gradual descent brought me past Wimbleball reservoir and back across to crowcombe. Despite only covering 80 miles I could feel it in my legs but it had been an enjoyable day.
I have unfinished business with Porlock Hill. It's not an impossible climb but not one I want to take on when I'm 40 miles away from my base and flying solo.
To anyone thinking of climbing Porlock Hill don't be put off by its reputation. But what I would say is the toll road is a more pleasant way to spend your time on a bike. The descent down Countisbury Hill is well worth the journey but remember, you have to climb out of Lynmouth so have a pasty and chips while you are in the town.
As a kid my family used to go to Porlock to see great aunt Gert, she'd been a teacher there, but was 90-odd when I was ten. I wish I had returned a little sooner to ride the Hill.
One day I hope to return to do just that.

London to Paris completed

 

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 There's no denying that the prospect of cycling from London to Paris had filled me with some dread given that I had only ever cycled with one of the guys on the tour but I needn't have worried.
Far frm being a testosterone-fuelled bunch of Alpha males they were the nicest bunch of people I could hoped to have cycled with. This three day, 300 mile, cross channel tour was going to be a blast.
As a local on this tour I had the advantage of a short hop to the start, a luxury not afforded to my East Anglian-based cycling buddies. Having arrived at 7.45, I had a bit of a wait as the main group was stuck on the M25 and we didn't get moving until 10ish. This offered the advantage of not having too much traffic to struggle through but the clock was ticking.
The UK part of the ride was pretty uneventful other than a monster climb into Groombridge, mid-afternoon in the heat of the day. It was made all the harder by the weight of traffic and a couple of agressive and impatient drivers. Once in the village a welcome, if very late, lunch stop beckoned. Time was beginning to move on and the delayed start and the slow progress was  making us pretty late for the ferry. Once the coast at Folkstone was reached the bikes were loaded in the failing light and the wait began for the crossing. Unfortunately the ferries were also suffering delays. Once on board the team made a beeline for the restaurant to refuel. Despite the short crossing it was close to 2.00am before we got to France, that's 3.00am their time.
 The Ibis Style hotel was mercifully close and surprisingly good.The night's sleep was welcome but short.
The second day started with the presentation of the jerseys from the previous days ride. Modesty permits me from revealing the results. I had said I wouldn't compete in the sprints and the King of the Mountain stages but when it came to it I just couldn't help myself.

The start out from Calais really felt like the start of the ride proper but before we were out of the town Steve fell when his wheel got caught in a rail track. We then realised that the Garmin was picking out tracks instead of roads forcing a few recalculations and quite a few stops. A few U turns and scratching of heads followed but the leaders were on to things pretty quick. I must admit it felt as if progress was going to be very slow but things started to improve quickly.

 By the middle of the day the countryside had opened up, the sun was out and the roads had emptied of traffic. Some fantastic riding followed with groups forming and breaking away from one another in an afternoon of spirited riding.
Another highlight was a stop at Agincourt for a rendition of Henry V's rousing speech. Although we didn't make it to the St Swithen's Day part but we had a bit of a laugh as did a couple of Dutch tourists who also just happened to be there at the time.

 The group had great discipline and the back of the pack riders were never left alone for too long. Better still most people took a turn to ride towards the back of the group between sprints, KoM stages and some just-for-fun draughting giving the whole peloton a good vibe.
As the light began to take an orange hue we found ourselves in Amiens and a well equipped Mercure hotel for the night. The town was full so a modest meal and a couple of beers were enjoyed before we retired to bed in readiness for day three.
Day three started with another presentation ceremony and the riders looking forward to where we had left off the day before. We were not disappointed. The roads were fine and progress good. A stop was made at the WWI Namps Au Val cemetery to lay a wreath. A poignant minute of silence followed as the group contemplated the contrast between the enjoyable time we were spending compared to the sad loss of life men our ages had suffered in the same spot less than 100 years before.
More food was followed by the lure of more fast riding and the first glimpses of the Paris skyline. As the journey restarted we were less lucky with the roads as a rash of punctures was suffered on a flinty track and some muddy rural roads the Garmin had directed us down. In all four peple punctured over the space of a couple of hours.This soon passed and the speedy riding we had enjoyed the previous afternoon resumed.
As we neared Paris we met up for the fianl time with the support vehicle. The driver had decided a drive right to the Arc de Triomphe the day before Bastille Day probably wasn't a good idea, last supplies were taken on board . The cyclists would ride to the Arc and the bus would make for the hotel.
There is no denying that the ride on the outer outskirts of Paris was a bit of a nightmare. A series of diversions sent us round and round in circles. A more direct solution was sought so up on the pavement we went to link back to the main road.Driving attitudes in Paris were much more like those in the UK and were were glad to get off the suburban rat runs. Our route used a road that ran alongside the Seine for sometime so we avoided the really heavy traffic until the last few miles.As we were a big, experienced group this didn't pose too much a problem and before long we were at the Arc.

 Once at the Arc an obligatory bottle of Champagne was opened and sprayed, rather too successfully, around, photos taken and the curiosity of passers by sated. To top off the arrivee I donned my Vision Aid Overseas shirt once more ( I wore all day on the first day) for photos to prove the ride had been a success.

So far the just giving page has recieved £1400 in donations from individuals, Specsavers, Rodenstock, Maui Jim, Charmant and  Luxottica ( one of whose staff also cycled with me). Hoya made a cash donation and provided of some super-padded shorts to soak up all the rough rods and cobbles ( thankfully few) along the way.
If anyone would like to make a donation please go to http://www.justgiving.com/opticianawards. Videos of the ride and presentationsare also available for viewing.

Optics shows its heart

The donations to the L2P bike ride are really beginning to roll in now with some fantastic pledges. A big thank you to all of those who have made a donations especially given the short notice.
Even Jeremy Jalie at Vision Aid Overseas has offered to make a donation despite his own heavy training programme and the recipient being the charity he works for.
 
My attention has now been turned to the more nitty gritty aspects of the trip: equipment, food, planning for the weather. I have joined a fellow optical rider for the Paris trip but the core of the trips is already organised so I don't have to worry too much about the route, on-road support, accomodation and food.

For my most recent ride ( the very hilly King of the North Downs) I swapped out my gears for some easier ones to cope with the hills. My quandry now is do I leave them on? On balance I think the idea of messing around with the bike set up at this stage outweighs to prospect of have some big gaps between gear changes.
As long as the speed stays below 35mph I should be OK!

The Editor is on the scrounge again

The Editor of Optician is cycling from London to Paris starting on July 11.

 Support his ride by donating to Vision Aid Overseas here: justgiving.com/opticianawards .

 If you are in the optical industry and have any branded cycling kit, jerseys etc. I would be more than happy to wear it in exchange for a small donation; 500kms and 3 days of expsoure plus coverage in Optician !! You can read my blog here: http://lnkd.in/NW4bw6 less

London to Paris here we come

Having resigned myself to the fact that I had no major sporting event planned for this year I suddenly find myself three weeks a way from cycling London to Paris. I'm officially excited.
Cycling through the plane tree lined roads of rural France, stopping at roadside bars for a Pastis and a croissant has always been something I wanted to do but had never really got around to. Being part of a peloton streaming through France or even Paris must be most cyclists dream.
The chosen route is via Dover so that's 550km of cycling over a three day period so it's still a challenge.

At Optrafair I had a conversation with the students putting together the Optoms Cycling for Sight project. Between August 15 to 25 this year they want to encourage people to cycle 25,000 miles sponsored at a £1 a mile to raise money for Optometry Giving Sight . They are encouraging anyone in optics to do what they can, long or short to help reach the total by cycling and raising money.

Those who wish to get involved in this year’s challenge are invited to email info@oc4s.co.uk to receive further information and sign-up forms. To follow the progress of this year’s event you can join the Facebook group ‘Optoms Cycling for Sight UK’ or follow @OptomsCyclingUK on Twitter

 

 As part of OC4S, student, Fares Hatoum is planning to cycle L2P in 24hrs starting at the OGS headquarters in London and racing through the night to be in Paris a day later. I toyed with the idea of joining him but decided my old legs are quite up to a sprint across Normandy.

It so happened that an old chum from the SBR team ( that's not him above) said he was involved in a L2P ride which might have spare places so I am in. Chapeau Mr S.

Feeling deflated

With the King of  The North Down looming large next Sunday I realised that with a new rear changer and cable fitted and the Brooks Swallow saddle back on the Pearson Palace carbon I should really take it out for a spin.

My old Ironman training instilled in the me the foolishness of riding an event on new kit so a test ride was in order. It wasn't until about eight o'clock in the morning this Sunday on a quiet country lane that I realised how lucky I had been with my carbon bike.
It was at that point, thankfully close to home, when I got a puncture. Not a problem I thought but it was then that it dawned on me that the puncture kit I had with me included the Pro Flate 16 kindly given to me by those nice chaps at Transitions during one of the Swedish Bike Ride events. A carbon dioxide inflator I had never used before.
I'm not scared of technology so I got out the tube and the carbon dioxide inflator and put the little capsule up the right way and screwed it home --nothing. I checked the gizmo over and it looked fine but no hole in the top of the CO2 bomb. Did the capsule have a fault, was it not being pierced? Who knows. All I knew was I had a flat and nothing to pump it up with.This is when you wished you had:
a, Stuck with btried and tested kit
b, taken a busier route so you could flag down a  passing cyclist

I was left with no alternative but to phone Mrs Optician Editor and ask for a lift home.

Once there I decided to take the fixed bike out and bombed around  a few local lanes and even made it up (just) onto Ranmore. Passing hordes of Sunday cyclists on their carbon multi-geared machines as I went.

I was well and truly knackered when I finally got to the top so called the foolish hill climbing ( Box Hill was next on my list) to an end and stuck to the flat roads. I had forgotten how great it feels to ride fixed especially when you are feeling good and most of those around to are just out for a Sunday pootle. My moderate fixed speed was accentuated by my fellow riders' leisurely pace so I soaked up the feeling and returned home.

But how ready will I be for the King of the North Downs? Who knows. As long as it's not raining I will enjoy it all the same.

Hail and hurty

With little prospect of the weather settling down and lots happening at work I am finding myself  bike commuting on days I might otherwise have decided against. This means I have also had to become resigned to the fact that I will be getting a soaking now and again. That's not really a problem as its good practice for a rainy race day. However....

This Monday tested me a little more than expected. I didn't mind getting wet but then the rain turned to hail, quite big hail. It was being lashed around by the wind and ( not wishing to sound like a whimp) it was beginning to hurt a bit. I was cycling into a headwind so I suppose that increased the impact speed a bit too. In the end I had to admit defeat and shelter under a tree while the worst of it passed through.

When it cleared there was a fantastic rainbow, which all goes to prove cycling is always worth it in the end.

Blood, sweat and gears

It's official I'm scared.

After seeing Paul Maxwell's lean physique and rippling muscles at the Optician Awards I decided my bike needed a few more gears.
I had a week at home last week (chores mainly, great weather) but I squeezed in some time to give the bike a good tinkering with. First on was a ludicrous 12-32T rear cassette. Despite frantic fettling with the B screw on the rear changer it just wouldn't get onto the big cog so I had to invest in a longer cage derailleur.

Once arrived and fitted I took the bike out into the hills. It changes like a dream and the range is incredible. But is it enough to keep pace with the Cheltenham Flyer?  We'll find out on June 2.

Pictures and Garmin print out to follow.........

Isn't she lovely...

Although we haven't made it to the track just yet I thought it was about time the fixed had a bit of a mid-life update. It all went pretty well apart from removing the bottom bracket which took a Black and Decker Workmate and a socket set to shift.

After such a successful bit of fettling on the fixed I then subjected the blue Pearson to the indignity of chunky tyres and mudguards. What a thing to do to a bike that has many triathlons (includng an Ironman) the Alpe d'Huez and the vatternrundan under its belt (saddle?)

Saggy Brooks

I'm getting slightly concerned about my Brooks Swallow saddle

Old gits on bikes

It's autumn and I'm not as young as I used to be. Getting a soaking has never really bothered me that much but this year I thought enough is enough. As I sat in my fairisle sleeveless pullover, brown leather brogues, moleskin trousers and Harris tweed feeling rather comfortable I realised it was time to bring some of that comfort to my commute. The mudguards that came off of the blue Pearson when I first started my dalliance with the whole Ironman thing back in 2007 went back on.

 The Brooks saddle that was on the Carbon bike for the Le Mans 24 hrs  then took a trip onto the fixed wheel bike and is now on the blue Pearson too. The handlebars have been double wrapped with bar tape to cushion my old hands and there are more lights on the thing than there will be on Heathrow's runway three (when it's built).

The bike is looking as it was intended to be used. A old man's bike suitable for touring amd leisurely commutes. The next thing we know the rack will be going on --NEVER!!!!!

When the mid-life crisis get too much for me I just reach for the fixed wheel bike and burn some rubber.

Transitions SBR shirt makes it into the Tour of Britain

Spot the Transitions jersey on ITV4's coverage of the Tour of Britain? With the summer of cycling almost over (the world championships start later this week)and with yet another major cycling event on my doorstep I made one last trip out into the Surrey countryside to cheer on Cav Wiggo (well perhaps not) and the new boy Jonathan Tiernan-Locke. I chose the short, but steep, Crocknorth Road which had the peloton almost stopped in its tracks. In the end both Cav and JTL did the business. I think my shouts to JTL of 'come on Jon do it for Devon' clinched it. If anyone would like to recreate the climb with the SBR team before the winter sets in just let me know.

Match the backside to the bike ride

A few more pictures from the longest night

Trying to sum up the Le Mans 24hr velo is quite tricky.

You would think that when people ask you what it was like the focus would be on the speeds, distances, cornering etc. Not so. My abiding memories around about the small hours, eating and heading back to the pit area. The range of food rustled up by Kristin was awesome, I had no idea you could eat so much and still be hungry. But as the stats show 26,907 calories is a lot to put back in.

There always seemed to be a specific reason to go back in to the pit and I remember it as a crowded and busy place. Although some of us in there were more active than others.

From the photos it looks calm and quiet, not the feeling at the time as there was usually a heated discussion going on about something. Usually pace and who kept disappearing up the road.

I suppose minute for minute we did spend more time in that room that at any single point on the course.

Banging on about food and the pit lane does elicit some unusual looks. 'Where did you sleep?', is the usual question. How great to be able to say: 'we didn't.' I'll be dining out on this ride for years.

Lies, damned lies and statistics

I always knew that my Garmin readout from the 24 heures velo was going to be a little strange, tracking the same squiggle for a whole day. My Forerunner only has 10 hours of battery life and I wasn't convinced that charging it during the race would work, but it did. Stupidly I forgot to start it at the beginning of the race but the readout below still offers intresting numbers. My personal favourite is the total of 26,907 calories burned. It makes me feel much better about stuffing my face every time we came back to the pits and trust me, that was often. Second favourite has got to be the climbing, 31,098ft of ascent, astonishing even for someone who cycled it. Good news comes in the form of my average heart rate 103bpm, very low I thought. From the graph below you can see how it varied. The shape is a classic bathtub curve. When I was a student of engineering this kind of graph would be used to demonstrate the life of light bulbs and the like -- MTBF, Mean Time Between Failure. I think this is also true of cyclists, you either blow up early and die or hang on in there but eventually wear out and die. My burn out was self-inflicted as I blasted a lap at the end to celebrate. I should imagine the shape of my fellow riders' heart rate curves would be more of a chaise longue profile, much more civilised.

Elsewhere Andrew has tracked down this great video at 6.45 there is a team of three Transitions riders speeding along in close formation. I think I need to take another look at my riding position.

Follow the velo thick road

Dinah Washington certainly knew what she was talking about when she sang 'What a Difference a Day Makes' but even she would have struggled with 24 'little hours' on the blustery Bugatti circuit suffered by the SBR Team at the weekend.

Tension was high the day before the start as the bleary-eyed cyclists gathered in London's St Pancras station to catch the Eurostar to Le Mans via Paris. Most had set their alarm early that day (mine was 4.15am) and travelled with their bikes to meet the van that would transport the bikes.

Sleep deprivation was to become the norm. Tears were shed ( Andrew and Mark) as the beloved bikes were loaded and left while the riders let the train take the strain. An enjoyable journey was followed by a visit to the famous circuit for registration, freebie cans of Red Bull and a recce. The return to dinner was delayed by the lack of taxis, despite Kristin's valliant efforts to flag down a driving instructor, one ( yes, just the one taxi) was found to ferry us all back to the hotel. Incredibly the team went to the bar before dinner where a few beers eased the tension as strategies were decided on, developed then dismissed and discarded.

How little we knew about what would be in store. Wine accompanied dinner as the race chatter continued. Although the race didn't start until 3 the team had an earlyish start to get to the course and set up the bikes and stock ( Thanks Matt and Kristin) the pit area. Immediately it was clear that there was a breeze blowing. The next few hours saw tension rise once again as the team familarised itself with the Bugatti stadium and realised what was in store. The sight of so many professional-looking (and large) teams also made us think. An elusive race briefing left the team none the wiser but it soon dawned that the start would be at 2.15 not bang on 3 to allow time for a warm up lap and renditions of national anthems from around the world. Much jolity was had by the three solo riders, Paul, Andrew and I, as we saluted, sang and encouraged our French solo counterparts to have a bit of fun. At 3.00pm the gun sounded and the riders ran across the track ' le Mans' style. The solo squad set off easily resisting the temptation to chase down any groups. The first few laps were quite easy and keeping the target of 25kph wasn't a problem. As the race went on we eased into apace just about the level planned, this wasn't too bad but did encourage the odd turn of speed. On the descents Andrew and Paul would chase down a group or two and wait to be caught. I may even have had a blast or two myself. Not a good idea in a 24 hour race. It wasn't long before the headwind at the back end of the circuit began to take its toll. The laps took on a pattern of: climb the hill, enjoy the descent and the hairpins then, find a wheel to hang on to and shelter from the muscle sapping wind. All too often that wheel tuned out to be ours as riders in teams of 4,6 and 8 happily enjoyed our slipstream while getting shirty if we decided to enjoy theirs. The chosen strategy of 2 hour on, half hour off began to falter in the late evening as the wind peaked at around 35kph and the mind games began. Morale hit rock bottom around 1am and the group decided that if we were going to finish the strategy would have to become more flexible. Time targets were swapped for mile marks as we headed out onto the track with a distance in mind rather than for two hour stints. Not only would a two hour stint have been crippling in that wind but (for different reasons), we all wanted to use the toilets.The pit area became our world as the night dragged on and new foodstuffs tried. Each stop gave us the opportinity to drink copious amounts of Red Bull, eat chocolate, energy bars, peanuts, bread and stretch out. Andrew overdid the energy gels a tad, hence the frequent toilet stops.

As the night wore on each of the team of four riders made an appearance and to their credit they provided us with all the support they could. Some protected us from the wind and others just cheered us up, either way seeing them out on the course provided a much needed morale boost. As the morning dawned and the bodies warmed up the 300km marker was passed but by this time the goal was simply to keep going and finish. There was little energy for bravado about big distances that could be covered let alone how fast. The sun was up and the wind wasn't dropping and niether were we! Unoffcially I would say our race finished around 2pm. We had pulled in to have the midday meal and with the race finishing at 3 the last few laps were more of a thank you to our growing band of fans around the route. The pace dropped and the realisation that we had made it sunk in. Unlike most of the riders we weren't taking things too seriously which went down badly with the other riders but seemed to endear us to sections of the crowd. One group of supporters who had adopted us the previous evening and returned the following morning to pick up where they left off even rustled up a Union Jack to wave at us as we went by as I gradually exhausted my repertoire of French phrases to shout as we went past. As the bell sounded for the last lap I decided to have a final blast and link up with a fast group ir exersions and take the cheers of the crowd. All in all a great day. How will we follow that?

Crucial training information

The latest findings from the Bennett Institute of Endurance Cycling Research conclusively shows that extensive training is needed to compete in endurance cycling events. Ahead of the Le Mans Velo 24 heures the Institute decided to conduct research into how the body might cope with a day-long bike ride. The purpose of the trial was to induce fatigue through cycling up hills over a period of four hours and then increasing the period of excercise. Initial findings were very successful with fatigue setting in after less than two and a half hours. The second half of the trial was to see how performance dropped off once a stage of fatigue was reached. The results were conclusive -- it does. After a day's rest the experiment was repeated. This showed that discomfort during extended exercise grew exponentially while speed continued to fall. Researchers called off further trials due to the conclusive nature of the early findings. Associate professor at the Institute, Siad Al Soar, said anyone attempting to ride for 24 hours without careful planning and comprehensive training could well be suffering from an Olympic Games-induced psychological condition. Professor Al Soar said the condition had first been identified, among UK cyclists, ahead of the 2011 Vatternrundan and was known by the medical term Phantasie Landous abillitius. He added that sufferers may benefit from a small dose of reality and large amounts of Chamois Cream.

It's a Le Mans world

With the the Le Mans 24heures velo looming and lots more entries made by Matt a little jockeying for position has started around who is going to ride what. Now the frites are down, so to speak, who will be up for the full 24 hrs?

I had resigned myself to a few hours riding and lots of lazing about in the sun, but with three 24hr entries to be honoured things have suddenly got a bit tougher. Having looked at the website it appears that the pace will be quite high. On the day I envisage a few Englishmen travelling at a slightly lower pace in order to make it through the night. I'm sure Paul has some ideas on how we could make it even more difficult.

Olympic inspiration

There's been a bit of a mixed bag of emotions surrounding the Olympics.

While Wiggo has been collecting gold in the TT (shot here on the Portsmouth Rd) the previous weekend was a bit more of a shock. The gold expected by Cavendish didn't appear but Lizzie did us proud in the rain the following day. I met up with Andrew for the Men's Road Race and a very nice day it was too. There was a real party atmosphere down on the A24 where we pitched up at a spot just as the riders turned into Mickleham village. Little did I know that a fellow SBRer was standing just outside the church in the village.

Andrew also had a chat with this guy, no wonder he was late onto the Mall with those little legs. All of which provides great inspiration for the Le Mans 24hrs. Thanks to Matt this now looks like being a 24 hr race for Paul, David and myself. A leisurely ride in France has just turned into a potential epic.