A quick rub down with the Sporting Life

Gig of the year 2011

2012-02-05T22:16:00.004Z

Some while ago I blogged about seeing Stephen Stills with his band at Shepherds Bush Empire. Well, last year we went to see a good many bands, including Peggy Seeger, The Decemberists (Again), Gillian Welch (twice), and BB King not to mention Squeeze among many, but FINALLY got to see the Grandaddy of them all. Yup, you've guessed it David Crosby and Graham Nash at the Royal Albert Hall. Band members included Crosby's son on keys and a very hot guitar player who appears to be able to effectively imitate SS at will! I've longed to see Crosby for years, but he doesn't some to the UK very often. Spellbound, they played ALL the big hits: Eight miles high, Almost cut my hair, Cathedral, 4x20, Teach your Children, Ohio and most of If Only I Could Remember My Name, to recall but a few. The only thing I missed was The Lee Shore.

Crosby may be 71 and have got into more scrapes than the average marauding army including a stint in jail, the ingestion of more drugs than you could imagine, a liver transplant, serious motorbike and car crashes, revelations of sperm donor offspring and the re-uniting with a son he never knew he had after 30 odd years (see above), but he's still the boss and still has the most amazing voice ever. Obviuosly an added bonus was the harmony singing with and overall contribution to the evening of Graham Nash , but it was Crosby we all went to see.

He is apparently still not totally out of the woods financially as it appears that his schooner "Mayan" (pictured) is up for sale. This is the boat featured on the cover of the CSN album and on the headstock of his signature Martin D18C and which he's owned since the '70's, so if you want a boat with real mojo, this has to be it.

The next tour with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash kicks off in Australia next month so watch the space for a return visit by the man himself. Wild horses and all that. . . . .

W-I-N-T-E-R

2011-11-12T18:46:00.004Z

I've dug the winter training bikes out of the back of the garage and over the last 2 weeks I've done a ride on my old Claud Butler fixed trainer and another on my Geoffrey Butler geared bike. The Claud is a 56cm frame and is a tad too big while the Geoffrey is a 53 and an even smaller tad too small. However, the saddle is stuck in the frame on the GB and it's got a liberal coating of rust in all sorts of nooks and crannies, so it's time for a new training frame and swap the parts over. A quick browse round the web and the Dolan Preffisio looked about right and a 54cm (you only get 2cm increments) was duly ordered and has now arrived.

Slip the headset in, add the saddle and pin, put in the bottom bracket and its time to measure up for the stem length and height. I've done this hundreds of times to the point I know my measurements without reference. The top and seat tubes measure pretty much to my fit and the amount of seat post showing looks about right but It's taken me nearly an hour to work out why I suddenly have 40mm of spacers under the handlebar stem. Of course - INTEGRATED HEAD SET - no stack height over the top of the top tube so the stem height looks out of proportion. This is hardly the first bike with an integrated HS I've built up, but its the first that's come out like this. Having said that my other road bikes with integrated headsets are all 55cm C to C (and I now note have larger diameter top tubes) and I sure as hell don't want a 56. Theoretically it will all fit but at this stage I need convincing.

It's been a while

2011-10-30T20:01:00.003Z

And not without reason. I have a typical corporate lifestyle. I travel a lot. All over the country. I stay in hotels. A lot. It's my job. This means I eat. A lot. For most people there's nothing else to do in the evenings.
I ride in the sumer evenings and run in the winter but in isolation it does little for the waistline. So far this year I've ridden over a thousand more miles than last year and still feel highly unfit. In preparation for next year I'm going to ride fixed all winter. Along with some dietary cutbacks I've been working on, we'll see if this makes a difference. I'm making hunger my friend.
For the last few years I've competed in the SPOCO Southeast timetrial competition and this year I got the Lanterne Rouge in both the main competetion and handicap. Apparently, that's a rare feat and an outstanding testimony to my total lack of fitness and, more importantly speed this year.
My family have a tendency to the overweight, if not obesety: witness my uncles and cousins (on my father's side particularly) - they all have my body shape - or do I have theirs?. We all look like Uncle Bubbles as we get older.
However, I need to get seriously back in the saddle as this weight gain is not doing me any good.

Bespoked

2011-06-12T13:07:00.005+01:00

Just for a change, yesterday we took a trip to Bristol to visit the opening day of Bespoked - the UK Hand made and bespoke bicycle show. Held in The Paintworks, an old factory complex which houses a number of businesses and exhibition space near the city centre, this is the first year the show has run and I don't think anyone really knew what to expect. Not surprisingly for a new venture, the show was quite small with about 35 exhibitors. These ranged from the established - Condor, Brian Rourke & Enigma to the newly started - Feather, Paulus Quinos etc. through the slightly left field - Il Soigneur, Pete's Bikes, Paper bikes and the more traditional racing end of the market - Guru, Strada etc.
In all a very eclectic mix representing frame and wheel builders, clothing and accessory sellers and publishers, a mix I sincerely hope the organisers do not dilute when the 2nd edition takes place in March 2012. We arrived quite early to find the hall buzzing and left shortly after lunch, by which point it was getting pretty rammed, a good pointer for the future.
This is all a very welcome development from the situation about 10 years ago when you could name UK custom frame builders almost on the fingers of one hand and outside of these all you could find were mass produced alluminium and plastic bikes from the manufacturers who rule the pro peloton to this day. But, as one exhibitor noted, there is no such thing as the wrong material to make a frame out of, it all depends what you want to do with it. For an increasing number of people a reversion back to an artisan, bespoke building industry making predominantly steel frames (with a few titanium specialists such as Burls and Enigma it must be added) individually to order and specification is exactly what they want. It is also clear that recent cultural changes like Sustrans, city centre cycle routes, cycle polo and the present "Fixie" craze, not to mention the more traditional touring/audax types such as Mrs. Kipper and I are starting to exert an effect on this return to more traditional values, albeit with a bit more "street cred" than in the past - long may it continue.

As the dust settles

2011-05-12T12:46:00.000+01:00

I've deliberately avoided blogging about the tragic events in the Giro as I think enough is being said far more eloquently than I can manage.

However, Leopard Trek has announced the creation of a fund to help Weylandt’s partner, An-Sophie, who is due to give birth in September:

Dexia Banque International a Luxembourg,
69, route d'Esch,
L-2953 Luxembourg.
Account name:is Leopard SA ‘Wouter Weylandt’
Bank IBAN code is LU93 0020 6100 0904 0500, BIC: BILLLULL.

Alternatively you can donate via paypal using this link http://bit.ly/m92ZKT

Its early season here too

2011-04-23T18:46:00.008+01:00

Well, So far so good. Until Good Friday (yesterday). Usually we go to Herne Hill for the track meeting, but this year it was transferred to Manchester, which is a bit of a hop from here, especially since I've been working in Wales for the last 3 weeks and was not very interested in driving half way across the country yet again.
Instead I entered a 25 mile TT on Good Friday with a 50 on Easter Sunday and our own club 10 on the Monday. This was my second 25 of the year as I did another on the same course (well, nearly the same - same route, just different start and finish points) last week. In the recent past on these courses, which are fairly sporting, I have managed anything between 1hr 6min to 1 hr 10min and expected to do something simillar this time. I dug deep and did a 1:14 which was all very well considering I've allocated this year to getting fitness back and times down. Now to Good Friday..... After riding the hardest part of the course in reasonable style I started getting sharp pains down my left leg. Every time I pushed - nothing happened so at the halfway point I sat up and pootled home nice and slowly to record a rare DNF. When I rode slowly, the pain went but as soon as I got onto the tri-bars and gave it a bit of stick, same thing happened. Its now the eve of the 50 and Mrs. Kipper and self have just done a gentle 30 miles round some local villages, just to make sure they are still there. The legs feel fine after that, so I've dropped the saddle 3mm, changed the gears and tomorrow I'll be using my Carbon Cosmic on the back and a normal hard hat on my head, dropping the disc wheel and pointy hat. Both for comfort. We'll see how it goes. Or doesn't.
What I don't get about this is that since Majorca, we've been doing more miles than in recent years including, in my case, the Dorset Coast 200 again. This ride on 10th April, I did on my Flying Gate Tourer and although my overall time was the same as 2010, rode in better style - without walking hills - than last year. I think I'll always be a flat earther but the up bits hold less terror than they used to. But its still early in the season yet.

Photo's courtesy of Mike Street. Top - Mrs Kipper riding round the course, Bottom - A bit of a gurn.

La Primavera

2011-03-19T19:55:00.005Z

Spring is sprung,
The grass is riz,
I wonder where the riders is?

Milan San Remo. That's where. The classics season was opened by the longest single day race on the calendar today. Often described as like an opera in 3 acts, it never disappoints. Ozzie Matt Goss got the win with some seriously intelligent riding in a sprint from a small group of riders after the field was split by a seemingly minor shute at about 60k relegated a number of big names to a chase group at more than 2 minutes. My pre race vote was for Phillipe Gilbert who eventually took third after Cancellara, a good indicator for the following classics. Boonen was washed away in the 2k after the Poggio as were a number of the other favourites such as Sagan, Pozzato et al. Rides of the day have to be Scarponi (Leaky Gas), Offredo and Shainel (FDJ) all of whom did more work than was strictly necessary, but who enlived an already exciting race.

Gent Wevelgem next week, then De Ronde, then Roubaix. Holy week is nearly here for the pros.

Tomorrow, though, us mere mortals have the Maldon Hilly TT which is on a new course taking in two ascents of North Hill in particular and avery tricky course in general . Yours truly is off at No.13 and I confess I'll be riding tempo rather than eyes out trying to get fit for objectives later in the year.

Majorca. Been there, done that.

2011-03-12T18:47:00.002Z

A few statistics. 6 days. 536km. 23hrs 45mins in the saddle. 30,000calories and 30,000m of climbing. OK for a few days relaxing holiday methinks. And I’ve got a tan.

Having hauled two suitcases, two loaded bike bags and hand luggage from home to Palma we were pleasantly surprised to find everything in full working order when we got settled in the hotel. Apartment hotels offer plenty of room and with the bike bags out on the balcony we spread ourselves out like kings. Day 1 was a short shake down ride of about 40km so that the guides, Martin Birney and Alistair Irvine could work out who was strong and who might need a slower group to ride in. Despite it being half term back home there were only 4 clients for the week, myself, Mrs Kipper, Sylvan from Versailles and Cathy (pron Catty) from Paris. It was quickly apparent that the boss was being given special treatment as the two French and myself spent the following week amassing a good bit of condition and the above statistics with Alistair while Mrs. K spent the time one on one with Martin and while doing slightly less distance and time had the benefit of a weeks intensive speed and climbing coaching which already appears to have paid dividends. That with such a small number of riders booked for the week it says something for their organisation that having advertised a welcome for all abilities with no one being left alone or dropped that they actually followed through completely on that promise.

The faster group was an entertainment in itself. Sylvan has been riding for only a year, but having a running background proved a strong rider, especially in the hills. Cathy has 7 Iron Man events behind her but did not appear to be at all able to ride in a group, refusing to follow a wheel, rushing off the front, breaking up the rhythm, yelling everyone’s attention to the slightest twitch of a car moving (in front, behind, to the side or even across the fields, it didn’t seem to matter) and generally talking to herself all day. She was very strong but there’s definitely a screw loose up top somewhere – maybe even several. She wanted to ride over 200km every day and seemed slightly unhappy that we did about half of that, even though she was getting tired towards the end of each days ride. However, every time we stopped for coffee or a snack she immediately started massaging our shoulders and on one occasion legs. A couple of time she even gave the café proprietor or waitress a massage. What the hell they made of it is anyone’s guess!

Having noted that what we as a group all needed was base conditioning the high mountains were taken out of the equation and rolling rides added instead although Tuesday did see us climbing some 600 metres to a café at an average of 7% gradient. Now, 7% may not sound that much, but over 8km it’s pretty taxing. Mrs. Kipper had ridden up about an hour before we got to the bottom of the climb, showing off her new-found climbing ability but I trailed in some 10 minutes behind the rest of the group having only been kept going by dreams of a coffee and something to eat at the top. The way down was a different story and I topped just shy of 70kph on the twisting descent earning the nickname of “Savoldelli” for the week.

The weather for the week held to its promise and despite being rained on Sunday’s ride it improved and we hade 6 more days of faultlessly clear skies and temperatures averaging 17 to 20 degrees, depending upon who you believed at any one time. Appearently the weather for the following week was pretty awful with very few people actually getting out of hotels and onto the roads so we seemed to get the best of the spring so far.

Of the 7 riders (including the guides) there were 7 punctures. Mrs. K had 2, one found on Sunday morning after unpacking and the other during the week while I had the remaining 5, all in the front wheel and apart from the last one which resulted from a displaced rim tape, all from flints, none of which we found! Even putting on a new tyre didn’t make any difference, it was just poor luck I suppose. A full steward’s inquiry will be held once the incriminating equipment is unpacked and checked over.

As to the form books, having spent the winter watching the club run disappear over horizon while they wonder what’s happened to the bloke who normally rips their legs off, all I can say is they’d better not rest on their laurels any more.

The last post

2011-02-13T17:19:00.006Z

Well, the bikes are packed, suitcases too. Flights confirmed and final ride done. 42 lumpy miles in 3 hours including stops means I should be able to fit into a group in Majorca without getting too dropped, but we'll see. Even climbing is getting a bit easier, if not faster. A couple of runs during the week should do the trick though.

Surprisingly, I've started to lose a bit of weight too, 4lb in as many weeks, only 1 1/2 stone to go so perhaps a better season is on the cards this year. Lets go to Majorca!

Flying in spring, dying in summer

2011-02-07T20:12:00.005Z

Things are getting tight. I've started to get the miles in but although I'm still relying on the granny ring too much the fitness is begining to come along. I read on le-grimpeur.net that it can take 3 weeks to regain the fitness lost after one week off the bike so I shouldn't hope for too much too soon.
This weekend saw 102 miles under the wheels as I rode a 106km Audax on Saturday (10256ft of climbing) in the drizzle and a howling gale and our own clubs 40 km reliability trial with Mrs. Kipper on Sunday.... Well, it should have been 40 km, but we took a little detour and it turned into nearly 58km. On her 2nd ride since a quite intrusive operation and on a very pretty and brand new machine, Mrs. Kipper was less than impressed as we struggled back to the HQ against another raging headwind.
Another Reliability Trial and a 40 miles ride home afterwards next weekend and it will be time to pack the bikes and a suitcase for a week in Majorca for our first ever road training camp. I've done track camps before, which can get pretty intensive, but a road camp is a first for both of us. I just hope we survive with legs and lungs intact because March sees two hilly time trials, one with a new course this year which means twice up a serious (for Essex) hill. I don't think I'll bother with the TT bike and disc wheel just yet.

Every cyclist should have one

2011-01-22T16:43:00.007Z

I've been a "cyclist" since before I went to school, which by now is more than 45 years. In that time I've toyed with most disciplines and excelled at none of them. This has never bothered me, especially since I learned to keep my competitive instincts in a box and just bring them out when required. I've toured over a good part of the UK and Northern Europe, I've done randonees up to 400km, including permanent events on my own, I've done a bit of time trialing, road racing, cyclo cross and mountain biking, but I've never been so surprised as the day I first got a folding bike.

Now, when most people think of a folding bike, they think of that awful Raleigh Shopper they sell in the classified at the back of the Sunday Express, otherwise known as a BSO (Bicycle shaped object) but technology has moved on more than a bit and there is no reason that anyone with more than an ounce of common sense should ever even consider a BSO in this day and age. There are any number of folding bikes on the market that are lighter, better made, more reliable, fold smaller and handle better than that Raleigh, all in one package.

I expect most readers of this blog are familiar with the Brompton and the fact that you can take it almost anywhere but there is still surprise at the answer when non cyclists ask how much it costs. It never ceases to amaze me that people will gladly pay £20-30 thousand for a smog maker (sorry, car) but gasp at £5 or 6 hundred for a machine a versatile and well built as the Brompton.

I’ve had my Brompton L6 for over 7 years and it must have done thousands of miles by now. I used it to cross London daily for a number of years, I’ve taken it to towns and cities across the country but these days I mostly use it for trips to the shops or if I have a distance to ride from the station when going by train.In fact I'm sure my lifestyle would change for the worse if I was without it.

Of my children, two were never really that into cycling. One had a couple of bad crashes early in his racing career which kind put him off and getting the other to ride a bike in the first place was worse than trying to teach a cow to write copperplate with a fountain pen. However, they both have Bromptons and both ride them regularly to and from work which just goes to prove, doesn't it?

If I had to thin out my stable, I think the Brompton would be one of the last to go.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-01T17:59:00.006Z

Dateline: 1/1/11
Location: Home
Weather: S***e.

School report for 2010:

This blogger has been somewhat delinquent since April. The standard excuses are wearing a little thin so I've decided to get back on the horse in 2011. Last year I did nearly 1000 miles less than in most previous years and about 2000 short of any of my better totals since records began in 1997. In 2010 I rode 10 races, all 10 mile TTs, in previous years it has normally been about 35 ranging up to 100 miles or 12 hours. In 2010 I rode a single 200km Audax in April and the Paris Roubaix Sportif in June, but since then nothing. Nada. Bugger all. Nowt. Not a sausage. Square root of squit-all. This must change.

Its not that I've been indolent - The new enterprise is going well (so far), I'm keeping existing clients and gaining new ones without any advertising (in fact I've turned a couple down). But I've spent a lot more hours working as I have to work for the clients and operate a business. It's also meant travelling by car a lot more than I'm used to and staying in hotels on a regular basis, which I've got un-used to. As a result, in the last year I've put on about 1 1/2 stones and lost almost all of my fitness so now its time something was done about it.
Sooooooooo........... Over the holiday out came the rollers (new ones too. Yahoo!) out came the running shoes, and out comes a training plan. Just as an added incentive, we have 7 weeks before we go to Majorca on our first ever road training camp so that's pulled things into perspective. I've already run more miles than over previous christmasses and done several hard roller sessions and its all upwards from here.

Now.

Targets for the year?

Wait and see.

Because you can

2010-04-15T16:17:00.003+01:00

I'm sitting on the train blogging and listening to Nick Cave's Murder Ballads again, just because you can. Isn't technology wonderful? Come to that Stagger Lee is mind altering at high volume too.

After a long winter layoff, I decided that drastic action is now called for and rode the Dorset Coast 200 Audax last weekend. 132 miles, 11hours 30 minutes, 9985 calories and 12,000 feet of climbing was certainly the short sharp shock my body needed, even if I was the last man (or woman) home. This is the 5th time I've ridden this event, the first being 1982 but the first I've had to walk up Abbotsbury Hill (Fantastic views of Chesil Beach), Sector Lane or Spyways Hill. At the top of the latter, fortunately after I was back in the saddle was a "Gentleman" with a camera telling me to smile and pretend I was enjoying the experience! I think I was nice to him, but was too far gone to be sure.
The Boy Wonder did the Rapha Hell of the North Cotswolds on Sunday and apparently it had a similar effect on him but it's all good prep for June. Round 2 is this Sunday as I'm riding another 200k, this time the Witham 200 through North Essex and Suffolk. Club 10's start the following week with track training only a week or two after that. Combine this with an occasional commute and the miles will start to build up. All I'll need then is that turn of killer speed I've been looking for in vain for the last 30 years!

I know its there somewhere......

Its Holy Week

2010-04-03T20:39:00.009+01:00

Again.....

and the big question is can Tommeke or Stijn make it 3 at Flanders. If I recall correctly, only about 3 riders have got 3 Ronde's in their palmares and of all those currently in the pro peloton only these two, both riding for Quick Step have more than one win. But, but but....Stijn Devolder could equal Antoine Magne's records of three on the trot having won in 2008 and 9. that would be a proper hat trick.

The whole of Belgium is wetting itself in anticipation.....

If he wins don't even bother talking to the Belgies for at least a month.... hmmm.....Mind you, if Tom boy wins a fourth Roubaix next Sunday as well, they'll be totally insufferable until at least the Giro and Roger deVlaemink will probably be scared enough to get back on the bike and try for No.5.

All we need now is snow like we had in 2008.

What a prospect......

(Photo - Stijn Devolder on the Muur Kappelmuur on the way to winning in the Belgian National Champions Jersey) Mrs Kipper and self are behind the KBC banner at the top)

Effing Mumfords

2010-03-27T21:04:00.003Z

We went to see Mumford and sons at the Shepherds Bush Empire the other day. I have to confess it was not quite what I expected. And the aftermath just confirms this.....
As usual for shepherds Bush gigs we had an early dinner in a nearby Italian restaurant and proceeded to the venue once the doors had opened. For a change (and surprisingly) the goons decided to search my bag which was on its way to the cloaks in any case. HaHa for them! In my bag I had: 1 pair of handlebars, 1 handlebar stem, a pair of Campagnolo Ergo levers, 250g of Fortnums tea and a jar of Fortnums Blackberry jam. Well that threw them! I was ESCORTED to the cloakrooms by a heavy just to make sure I put the bag and contents in the cloakroom. What did they think I was going to do? Flick tea leaves at the stage?

So we finally got in well in time for the support, of which there were two, both of whom appeared to have other links with the headliners, but never mind, they were both good value and acts to watch out for in the future. Finally Mumford and Sons took to the stage and at this point it dawned on us that not only were we at the last (or nearly last) gig of a very succesful first national tour, but we were on their home turf and right in the middle of what passes for a mosh pit in such refined company. Mums and Dads were in the balcony while old school chums etc. were down with us. It certainly added to the atmosphere and the boys were in cracking form, Gromit.
I say "boys" and I mean boys... From the album and associated email newsletters I had expected a band of "not so youthful" experienced musos (maybe from the west country) who might have been on top of their game for years, but no.. I don't think any of them actually shave yet!
None of this should serve to distract from the evening. They played pretty much all of their first album Sigh No More in a very deft manner and added a few new tunes which admittedly did not sound as strong as the older material but will likely get more defined with repeated listening - I'll give the benfit of doubt here.
The aftermath part 1 - On the way out I paused to have a look at our fellow gig goers... I must have been the oldest person in the standing stalls by a good 20 or 30 years - even Ed or Rachel would have felt old in this company! Suddenly I didn't feel quite so comfortable. . . . .
Followed by the aftermath part 2 - Since the gig I've noticed that both BBC and ITV are using Munfords tunes during programme trails. Now I really can't get them out of my head.

Productivity at last.

2010-03-27T17:50:00.005Z

Yahoo! The decorating is finally done, the pictures are back on the walls and the house is back to looking like its a home again. We've got two pictures bought in San Francisco to frame and hang, but wall spaces are allocated so its only a matter of time before we get that one done too. Its been raining on and off all day but we also got a load of stuff down the charity shop and the conservatory now looks suspiciously empty. I suppose its only a matter of time before it gets filled with toot again but it looks nice at the moment.
I've also changed the stem on my new Flying Gate touring bike about 4 times this afternoon but I think I've got it dialled in about right now. A bit of a shake down tomorrow will tell if its right and then I'll be planning a charity ride from Warwick to Home overnight on it some time before Roubaix to sort the legs out.
The first race of the year is next Monday, the club's Easter Egg 10. There's usually a big field for this one and I have got a few miles in during March so far and although I've only done about 45 miles at a time, some rides have been quite fast and I am starting to feel back to normal on the bike. It will be interesting to see how my time stacks up against previous years. In 2009 it was my 4th race and I managed a 27:59. In 2008 I'd done 4 races and clocked 26:48. I think this year I'll be lucky to get near either of those times but pride says I have to beat 29 mins - I could probably walk it quicker... Time will tell.

I don't believe it!

2010-03-04T20:39:00.004Z

No I really don't believe it. February 2010 was the first month for at least 14 years that I have touched the bike for more than about 2 weeks and I've had a complete calendar month off! How did I manage it?
You could say that what with the weather this winter being the worst for 30 years or so (Official - The Met Office) and all of the other distractions involved in setting up a new consultancy business especially as I'm currently up to my eyes in Contract Law and desperately trying to remember stuff from Uni its not a surprise.
But today I rode to and from my Basildon office and boy I am soooooo unfit. Hopefully I'll get there in a couple of months.
Targets for the year, as stated in an earlier blog are fairly straightforward: Paris Roubaix Cyclo, two 100 mile TT's and the ECCA 12 hour. I ought to have started with 10 milers and hardrider events by now, moving up to 25's and 50's before the end of April but with training starting today a little readjustment may be necessary. I've decided that an early season based on 200 and 300 km randonees is probably a more logical approach, but its been a while since I rode a full 200k - 2 years to be precise (and that one was like last weekends KBK - Chapeau Ian Stannard!) and the 300k has always been a bogie distance for me as I've started loads but never finished one! A couple of 400k's would also be a good idea but time is seriously running out. Let the fun commence!

Liposuction?

2010-01-31T20:28:00.004Z

There's a lively debate on the cycling forums at the moment about the so called linkage between food consumption and exercise, mostly about the "fact" that they are not directly related. I'm not sure there's any truth in this as every time I stop riding, running or going to the gym I put on weight big style. However, at my mum's 80th birthday party last September I couldn't help but notice that we Knowlers have a "body shape". Uncles Bubbles and Will had the "League of pear shaped men" body shape in spades and cousins Richard and Roger have the same "stylee" almost exactly. It now starts to look like I'm not far behind. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, or even if I suffer for it, I appear to be going down that road, a belly is starting to form. Mind you, this winter has allegedly been the harshest for 30 years and I really cannot, cannot, stand hours on the turbo. So what with starting up Crowstone Safety Ltd. and everything that entails I've been labouring under the inpression that my current total lack of fitness has been due to my lack of miles and that this has been directly related to my expanding waistline but maybe not so.
Maybe, just maybe, its all out of my control and all I should do is ride the dragon, get the miles in and relax in the knowledge that if I'm a bit porky it was all meant to be. Ed, Joe, take note.
In the meantime a serious lack of winter miles has meant a re-think of my usual early season strategy. For the first time in years I'm not going to ride either of the 2 traditional season openers, the Maldon and Hainault hillies. I must make a point of riding out to spectate though as I'm gonna be doing my winter training though the spring and hopefully I'll come into a bit of form and a lot of belly loss in the summer in time for Paris Roubaix (June 4th), the ECCA 12 hour (Early August) and a couple 100 mile TTs (Kent CA and ECCA?) in the summer. Why do I stress about this? After all don't I have enough to worry about in the real world?
Is there a real world that doesn't include bikes?

So what did you get for Christmas?

2010-01-02T21:07:00.002Z

Two weeks of almost total hibernation have yielded some unexpected results. As noted earlier, both self and Mrs. Kipper have spent the last fortnight in slob mode (copyright Dan Hutson). However, Christmas yielded a new MP3 player - 8 Gb with radio and tiny as whatsit as well as several Cds. So far I'm so totally stuck on Sex and Gasoline by Rodney Crowell and Sigh no More by Mumford and Sons that I haven't even got as far as properly listening to Now Again by The Flatlanders which also landed under the tree this year.
We saw Rodney Crowell supporting the Flatlanders at the Barbican earlier this year and I am still undecided who gave the best performance. I'd seen Joe Ely leading the Joe Ely Band over 20 years ago in support of Robert Cray (who we also saw this year) and kind of knew what to expect but The Flatlanders were superb. Rodney Crowell was altogether more low key than The Flatlanders (if such a thing can happen) but I was blown away by the quality of his songs and his confidently assured set. The CD does not dissapoint.
We've both been getting into Mumford and Sons since their EP was released in the summer. Now they have an LP length CD out and believe me it's a cracker! I can't wait to see them in March, especially as its at the Shepherds Bush Empire, a venue close to a really nice Italian restaurant and at which we have seen some seriously class acts including Stphen Stills in the last couple of years. I'm stating to think 2010 will be better than the calamity that passed as the end of 2009. Cheers Dears, as Glen Tilbrook would say.

Mr Blobby talking

2010-01-02T20:41:00.003Z

As previously mentioned, the Common Cold has intervened over Christmas. It feels like we've spent the entire holiday in hibernation. That's not an entirely bad thing as I feel a lot better for it even though large amounts of snot are still making their way down my nose on an hour to hour basis. I've managed a few runs and actually been out on the bike once. (see previous post).
So the plan is to get fit again and lose a stone over the next year. (Yeah. Right.)
I don't normally do well on New Year resolutions but this year "something must be done".
Over the holiday, following an unexpected an very illegal redundancy (and yes they paid for it) I've set up a new Consulting Company and start my first contract on Monday. I only have one client so far, but full time employment for 6 months, so now I have to find a way to: a) Get more clients & b) Get race fit by March.
a) I have a cunning plan, Lord Blackadder.
b)We have a gym membership which we need to start using - like urgently - and I have to get some miles in my legs as well as more than a bit of speed, so here's the target.
Last March I rode the Maldon Hilly 20 followed by the Hainault Hardriders 50km. Times for the Maldon event in recent years have been:
2009 - 1hr 4m 35.
2008 - 1hr 2m 39s
2007 - 1hr 5m 54s
2006 - 1hr 2m 54s

And for the Hainault:
2009 - 1hr 38 31s
2008 - 1hr 32 41s
2007 - 1hr 34 5s
2006 - DNS

So 2008 is the year to beat. I'll keep you posted.

2009-12-31T18:59:00.003Z

A few weeks ago I may have mentioned a near death brush with man flu. Well, over Christmas both Mrs. kipper and self have been down with the Common Cold - its much worse!
Apart from the holiday break its been a fortuitous time to get this particular ailment. Its been snowing, blowing a gale and generally unpleasant outside for nearly 2 weeks and now the snow has all melted my running routes are totally waterlogged so I guess I've not missed anything. I went out today for the first time in 3 1/2 weeks for a little ride around the Dengie peninsula road. I'm always stunned how only a week or two away from the bike can make you feel like a slug, but after 3 1/2 weeks I'm surprised I got round all 50 miles on one energy bar and a gel, even through a couple of squally little showers although I feel all stiff now. A weee dram anyone?

The lure of the open road

2009-12-23T18:43:00.003Z

Over the last few years my cycling has mostly been of the racing variety, ranging from short distance time trials and track through cyclo cross to 100 milers, 12 hour TT's, Paris Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders but maybe its time for a bit of a change for a year. (I know the last two aren't exactly races, but I dare you to try riding them in a leisurely manner.) Don't get me wrong, I love racing, well actually I just love being on the bike and its been a while since I did much Audax or touring. Until last year Mrs. Kipper and I started the year on the tandem with 4 or 5 100 or 150 km Audaxes locally but in 2009 we didn't do any. We did a few amiless rides just going out on touring bikes in France in August - rough stuff, not really knowing where we were going to go, finding cafes en route etc. etc. Perhaps its time we had a change in emphasis and just go out for a ride a bit more in 2010.
What with starting a new Company, a six month contract requiring every Tuesday in Warwick and not knowing where the money will come from as the year progresses, planning a racing season is going to be more problematic than it has been in the past so a more relaxed approch is called for.
So.... Despite the fact that I've already entered the Paris Roubaix Cyclo next June and entered the South East SPOCO competition, I think there will be more days just going for a ride. Hopefully I'll be able to carry on the club Wednesday 10's and defend my Classic bike 25 crown but with Christmas coming, snow and slush on the ground and a stinking cold making its way through my sinuses, its time to get the maps out....

Gloop & rain

2009-11-22T14:10:00.006Z

I don't normally blog about training rides, but this weekend has seen some strange weather across the whole of the UK and I feel like I've been out in most of it.

Saturday was dry, sunny and windy so I went out on the cross bike for about 24 miles. There was a huge black cloud hanging over North Kent & SE London, but prevailing winds kept it off Essex until after I'd reached home. I was surprised the trails were so dry although there were some gloopy puddles with lovely sticky mud over the wheel rims.
Almost home and I got attacked by a dog! Normally they just want to run and bark a bit or even play but this one came straight at me, teeth bared and hate in its eyes. I managed to fend it off with a fist across its nose a few time but it did manage to take a lump out of my shoe. Unbelievably its "owner" seemed to think that it was my fault and seemed to have a problem with the idea of keeping her dog under control. Its a shame that when adrenaline takes over logic goes out of the window or I'd have reported the incident at the time and hopefully had little fang put down - Its a good job I'm not a 10 year old little girl faced with that animal.

Today, it started out the same so I went for a spin on fixed. After an hour and just when I was at my furthest point the heavens opened. And I mean opened! You could hardly see across the road so I cut things short and rode home soaked and freezing but not unhappy at 15 miles out of the total of 30 against a million miles an hour block headwind. Proper Belgie today. I love Autumn.

Swallowed by a whale

2009-11-22T13:44:00.004Z

Warning to everyone out there:

If you go to see the Decemberists prepare for a fantasticly inventive band on rousing top form but beware where you go to see them.

We went to see them this week at the Coronet Theatre in Elephant and Castle. The previous night they had been in Kentish Town and we made the fateful decision not to venture into North London, but to slip south of the river. BIG mistake. The Coronet theatre is a dump with repressive and totally unnecessary security, even on the balcony where it was unbelievably innefuctual. The sound is crap and the beer VERY over priced. With the exception of indigo2 to see Aimee Mann it's been nearly 30 years since I queued more than a couple of minutes to get into a venue and even at the O2 the goons are less interested in what you've got in your pockets than making the queues go in pretty lines.

In the pub before hand I paid £6-30 for a round of drinks for 4. In the venue, the same round was £16! How the hell do you justify that? Tickets for the band were about average price at £18:50 each, so the beer isn't subsidising the entry. I won't go on about the sound: It may have been better downstairs as the house p.a. was aimed in that direction, but listening to the soundman chasing the levels all night to the point where vocals were lost, the Zylophone (Jenny Conlee) was inaudible and Chris Funk's guitar levels were all over the place was irritating to say the least.

However, the band themselves were obviously on form, playing The Hazards of Love from start to finish in one set and then selections from 5 songs, Picaresque and The Crane Wife in a second. They finished with TheMariner's Revenge Song which is fast becoming a signature ending (Not exactly Meet on the Ledge, but you get the picture) and as for the whale itself......you'll have to go and see them to find out, just make sure its not at the Coronet Theatre.

Come on St Jude, I need you

2009-11-05T21:12:00.004Z

Hmm.....I hope its not lost cause time just yet. Prayers to St Jude have been made and candles lit.
I recently "won" a Planet Pintail frame on fleabay. I must admit that I got it for a quite reasonable price which was just as well as I did not know anything about Planet cycles in general or even the Pintail model specifically.
It turns out that what I've ended up with is an extremely rare frame made from Accles and Pollock Kromo tubing which is an equivalent of dear old 531. Its pretty light and the tubes are joined by Nervex Professional lugs with simplex dropouts, so its no amateur job and quite high quality, although likely to be a "hand built" production jobby. My guess is that it was made sometime during the 1950's or 60's. There's a lot of deep pitting behind the bottom bracket (the first place a frame will go if you run it with mudguards on and don't clean it down properly) but it's been given the structural OK by a well known frame builder friend. I now have to decide what to do with it. A respray will involve a lot of making good of tube surfaces even before paint, a service provided more or less by any reputable builder, but I have found a specialist who has a patented process. (Of God...more expense). Then there's the problem of matching the original colour. I think I've found the nearest RAL but getting it in anything other than powder coat is proving an interesting challenge. From the very limited information available I've only found them made in 2 colours, a light grey-green or a sort of flesh tone. Mine is flesh but with bits of the green in, neither of which are obvious choices to the modern pallette. Internet searches have drawn a blank, the Classic Rendezvous community have come up with only a little less than f*** all and I'm still searching the National cycle Museum and Veteran Cycle Club archives.
So. The big question of the day is do I a) Struggle to restore it as it originally rolled out of the Tildesley Cycle Works in Birmingham or b) Restore it as best I can using modern colours and parts from the 70's or80's. The former will likely involve a good deal of beg steal and borrow, but will hopefully produce a machine that is "period correct". The latter is more of a temptation as I think I have a Shitmano Crane front and rear mechs and levers from the late 70's stashed somewhere in the woodpile and I'm sure I can build the rest up to make the finished machine a nice vintage ride.
Do I go for approximate and well ridden or an exact replica ready for a museum?

Up yours Clarkson

2009-10-23T19:33:00.002+01:00

This is how they do Top Gear in Belgie:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.619199

Class!

Another old bike

2009-10-17T19:26:00.003+01:00

Thanks to fleabay, I finally landed myself a frame that I've wanted ever since I saw one leant against the wall at the "Meffy" in Woolston about 20 years ago. This one is a 1939 or 1940 Bates Vegrandis in a very fetching lilac-purple. Hateful, but with this frame I could live with any colour. This one has diadrant forks which are Horace Bates' trademark and as much a signature are Hetchins' curly rear stays as well as "Cantiflex" tubing which gives a cigar shape to each of the frames main tubes. These days manufacturers trumpet that their latest aluminium frame tubes are "Hydro formed" when they have bulges in their middles. Reynolds were doing this for Horace & Co. with simple internal mandrels 80 years ago. So much for progress, eh?
The story of the Bates brothers is an intersting mix of fantastic business acumen, innovation and infighting. Mine was made when the brothers were still together with a manufacturing base in East London and sales outlets as far apart as the City and Grays, Essex. Interestingly, they never had a dealer network, preferring to sell direct from their own outlets. About 10 years after this one was built, they split up with EG Bates staying in London and brother Horace moving operations to London Road Westcliff, coincidentally the top of the road I used to live. EG continued to make high end frames for the local racing community with considerable success while Horace held the rights to both the Cantiflex and Diadrant features experiencing similar fortunes until the early 1960's. Horace died in 1968 and his son took over the business, continuing to make frames but by now in decreasing numbers until the 1980's. Eventually after a couple more changes in both name and ownership the shop became a branch of Action Bikes, but its empty now. I remember that when Action Bikes took over the new manager told me that they'd found several sets of tubes together with fittings, lugs, fork crowns etc. upstairs. I'd love to think that they went to Ray Etherington who now holds the rights to the design, but they probably got chucked in a skip by some spotty 16 year old. The Volante model is still being made by, I believe, Classic Bikes in Scotland albeit in limited numbers. Lets hope the old Bat (Bates TM) lives on for years to come!

I feel ill

2009-10-04T20:54:00.002+01:00

I've just had a near death experience with ........... "Man Flu".

On top of that a Saturday night curry out followed by our final accredited marshalling duty of the year has left me feeling like I've had a visit from the man with big boots.
Ho hum. Work tomorrow. At least I get to commute on the bike. Fixed of course.

Planning

2009-09-19T09:34:00.003+01:00

Had my annual check up in the week. Low blood pressure, high lung function, lowered cholestorol, not over weight, Fit as a butcher's dog. Apparently.
So what's on the menu for the winter?
Mostly this winter I are be doing Cyclo Cross. I expect I'll be lounging around at the back of the field as usual if you're looking for me. Long training rides on fixed as usual and a bit of running are also on the menu but you can forget the turbo this year 'cos it won't be happening.
Objectives for next year? Well, obviously a third Paris Roubaix Cyclo, a better 100 (perhaps we'll try the Kent CA again) another crack at a 12 hour perhaps and possibly Tro Bro Leon (in Lannilis, Western Brittany) for a change. Work rather got in the way of the track season this year and considering the way things are going at the moment, will probably wipe next year out as well. Never mind, I suppose you can't have everything. In between all that lets hope for a warm summer and some long weekend touring rides, maybe on the tandem this year.

End of term report

2009-08-30T21:36:00.006+01:00

Its the end of August and for the most part, the time trial, track and road seasons are drawing to a close, so perhaps now is a good time to sit back and have a review of how things have gone this year.
In the spring my objectives were to do 220 miles in a 12 hour, improve my 100 mile time, ride the Welwyn track league and hopefully ride l'Eroica. Regular readers will know by now that the 12 hour was a non starter this year following a horrendous 100 and will deduce that I won't be riding l'Eroica this year either, so on the face if it I have failed on 3 out of 4 accounts. I did, however, manage to ride a few track league events, actually getting in the racing and not just hanging on the back as I had expected, so although work ultimately got in the way of a full season I log this as a win. I managed a grass track event as well, gaining my 3rd cat licence in a madison that day. Perhaps I'll manage more next year.
Just measuring set objectives does not reveal the true picture and a few more details will maybe flesh things out a bit.
Taking time trials only as that is what the majority of the season is made up of: This year I have ridden 30 events over a total of 563 miles. Last years totals were 22 races at 368 miles and in 2007 I rode 31 over 863 miles. 2006 totals were 26 and 492 respectively. This year I had 2 wins, one open and one at club level, 5 second places and 3 thirds. Last year I had one win, 2 seconds and one third. In 2007 I had one second place and a third while in 2006 I failed to score at all, although I did win an ECCA medal on handicap! So, I think I'm actually getting better overall results now than I have over several recent years. I'm not too worried about missing my set objectives as success can come in many forms and I guess you have to take it where you find it.
On Tuesday, the cyclo-cross season starts and you'll find me in the laughing group at the back on a regular basis assuming I manage to stay upright and no more trees walk out in front of me.
Objectives for next year? Well firstly there's unfinished business at both 100 miles and 12 hours and a third Paris-Roubaix is definitely on the cards with Ed. Another win a open level would be nice, but lets not get too hasty. Really it all depends on whether work prevents me doing too much and whether I get enough winter training miles in. Watch this space chaps.

Holidays

2009-08-10T22:36:00.006+01:00

Auvergne. Beuriers near Arlanc, southeast of Clermont Ferrand. Nice little area, laFrance profond definitely. Sits in a gentle valley but surrounded by "large" hills.
77 miles, 14000 feet of climbing. 8100 calories.

Why do my legs hurt? Why have I eaten like a pig and lost weight?

Oh and did I mention we walked 1000 feet straight up the side of La Puy de Dome?

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

2009-07-27T21:06:00.003+01:00

100 miles.
5 hours 26 minutes
6903 feet of ascent
8500 calories

Well, measuring 10 mile splits for evens plus a bit in hand was the plan. If I'd managed to stay on schedule I'd have come in at 4:55 and been happy with that. For the first 50 miles I was slightly up on schedule and although my back and knees were aching I was thinking all was looking good.
But.
At about 60 miles I had a visit from the man with the hammer. He didn't F*** off for the next 40 miles and by the time the century was up I was crawling around in the 42 ring battling an unbelievable headwind on the second, southern half of the course losing 30 minutes in 40 miles and not even able to stay on the tri bars and put any power down. Things are not looking good for the 12 hour and I'm worried that riding fixed all these years is doing my knees in. suggestions for exercises anyone?

Ooh scary!

2009-07-21T18:49:00.004+01:00

Following the cancellation of the ECCA 100 due to (very) thick fog three weeks ago I have entered the Southern Counties 100. Looking at the very spare course details given on the CTT website it looked like the course was centred on the Crawley area. This is a long way to travel for an early start but I thought it would be OK.
The start sheet has now arrived and I find out the start is just north of Ashingdon. Yes the course does go up to Crawley (twice) but it also goes down to Washington Bostle roundabout (yup, you got it...twice) so it's within a spit of the south coast. I'm aiming to beat 5 hours and from what I can see the course is seriously harder than the Kent CU one I rode 2 years ago when I did 4:59. For those of you who have not ridden a 100 mile time trial, the first 25 miles are generally fairly easy, up to 50 is OK - I've done 2 50's this year so far and I know I can live with the effort - but from about 80 miles onwards it's a real pain fest. Just trying to stay up to 20 mph hurts and any notion of maintaining anything like a real race pace is just fantasy. I can remember parts of the southern end from training rides in the 80's centred on Worthing and it's a tad more than "rolling" so adding in the weather, which if it holds it's current promise will be cool, wet and windy and I'm facing sunday with more than a little trepidation. Wish me luck chaps.

A classic

2009-07-19T16:43:00.004+01:00

A couple of years ago I built up a "classic" bike. It's a 1958 model A.S.Gillott and was in a real state when I got it. After sending it to Bob Jackson for straightning, having a load of non period braze-ons taken off and a classy paint job, the task of adding parts began. Liberal use of Fleabay, cadging off mates and visits to cycle jumbles and the old dear was ready to race. So, last year the Essex Roads CC held its first ever open 25 for classic bikes which clashed with the ECCA 100. I wasn't sure if riding the 25 instead of the planned 100 was a good idea, but it turned out to be as I got my first ever open win as a result.
This year there were no calendar clashes so off went the entry. On paper the competition looked tight and I was thinking I'd rise to the occasion and get second or more likely third. Still a result, but I was not expecting a win. As it happened Steve George scratched so that was threat number one out of the way even if not the way I'd have liked. The next best rider was off a minute behind me and as I came back from the turn looked to be closing fast. He didn't catch me by the finish, which considering he's derailed his chain on the way out, was a real surprise. Having given it everything to the finish I gained about a minute on him from turn to win by 45 seconds.
They'll all be out to get me next year, I bet.

Bling

2009-07-12T15:43:00.003+01:00

Yellow club kit. Yellow shoes. Want some.

Le Tour

2009-07-12T15:15:00.003+01:00

The world's largest annual sporting event is now on. Known to Classics fans as an out of season stage race with minimal influence of what really matters and to the average Joe in the street as the only cycle race there is outside of the Olympics its more of a travelling circus than it deserves to be.
I'm not being curmudgeonly about this...I enjoy all 3 Grand Tours and the TDF is a grand shop window for the sport, but in reality the Giro is usually as intense a race as the Vuelta is boring with the TDF hovering between the two. Certainly the Tour has had elements of both over the years. Indurain riding like a bloody robot for 5 years in a row and Armstrong sucking the life out of it for another 7 has given us a string of very boring and predictable tours in the modern era. On the flip, there have been as many exciting moments to. Fignon losing by 8 seconds, Roche coming out of the mist to ambush the race and Little Tommy holding the yellow jersey through the Alps and against the odds are the sort of moments we all watch cycling for. This years issue is shaping up to be a cracker, but how I wish all those American websites would get over the fact that LA is a to55er and concentrate on things that matter instead of analysing his every fart and (typical yanks) missing the point by a mile.

2009-06-27T18:31:00.002+01:00

Hello...hello... is there anyone out there?

Carry on testing

2009-06-07T14:08:00.007+01:00

Well, further to previous posts, we continue to compare frames, wheels, tri-bars etc. Last Wednesday Ed was over and as it was the club's noon-aero night we decided to do a track bike 2-up. Over the years we've done quite a few of these and it was a good opportunity to do a further try-out on our regular course. The results, however, are a little out of odds with what I had calculated we would do.
In previous years, I've ridden this machine in this set up (apart from the wheels with the addition of a Mavic Elipse rear wheel instead of the usual XP33 on Miche -32 spokes crossing 2) and in 2007 recorded times as follows:
May - 27:38
June - 28:01
July 26:14
August - 26:56
In May on my TT bike I was 2 minutes faster the week before and the week after.
In June, the difference was almost exactly 3 minutes although in July it was down to just under one minute and in August back to about 2 and a bit minutes. On all of these occasions, the TT time differences were consistent on the weeks either side of the track bike outings.
So what happened this time? well, firstly the time difference is to be measured in seconds being plum in the middle of the times recorded on this course under all conditions although interestingly we felt the 2-up was going well until Ed pulled his wheel over with about 3 3/4 miles to go. At this point we had been slowly catching another rider, but after slowing and getting going again I got further behind them over the final distance.
I guess my point here is that:
a) A 2-up with matched riders used to doing TTT's is definitely faster than an ITT.
b) Fancy equipment matters far less than fitness. (Although having all of the bells and whistles makes you feel fast)
c) What's going on in your head and the state of the wind are also key deciders.
Perhaps the only way to find out is to do tests in either a wind tunnel or an indoor velodrome. Both of these are scarily expensive, so perhaps that will have to wait.
By the way, the pic shows Phil Griffiths & Eddie Atkins 2-upping in the rain some years ago (Courtesey Bernard Thompson).

What's in a time?

2009-05-26T09:20:00.005+01:00

I think I'm starting to slow down. Certainly I'm not getting any faster. I've just looked at some recent race results and compared times this year to those of 4 years ago. Take the E22/22 course: In 2005 I got round in 57 minutes 45. Last Sunday it was a measly 1:01:42. The winners time was within seconds of 48 minutes on both occassions and I could only manage a tad over evens on a (basically) flat course. Thats a loss of a minute a year. My wristwatch does better than that.
So. . . . lets check this by looking at times over the E21/10 course. The best times per year are:
2009 - 26:13 (April)
2008 - 25:14 (June)
2007 - 25:15 (July)
2006 - 25:44 (July)
2005 - 24:44 (July)
From this you could deduce that by July I'll be flying and pushing down into the low 25's again and that this years loss can be made up in 2 months. If only it was that simple and my legs and lungs could obey basic commands, but they don't, so what's really been going on? Lets have a look at miles ridden first: Up to July every year since 2000 annual mileage done has averaged 2500 with 1200/1300 done by the end of April. This year I was down to 950. Now, as moaned about in other posts, a lot of this has been due to the winter weather, so it is fair to assume that base mileage is one culprit. In 2005/6 average heartrate while racing (sticking with 10 mile timetrials for easy comparison here) was 175, max 186. This year I notice that my average has dropped to 167 but max remains at 183. Resting rate has remained constant at 52. Why is that? Is it significant? Does it explain why I'm riding slower this year? (I'm sure the mobile blogger will have the full science on that one. If not perhaps Vertical Blue would pipe up with an answer).
All of this has delayed the answer to the question posed in my last post - Is a disc faster than spokes? But it has lead to a conclusion on tri bars! Lets look at some club 10 data again.
Here are the best times on fixed:
2009 - 26:40 (May)
2008 (None ridden)
2007 - 26:14 (July)
2006 - 27:17 (June)
2005 - 27:12 (May)
We will notice that this year the difference in times is purely seconds, but in previous years around 2 mins slower was to be expected. (Are you still paying attention at the back of the class?) For 2009 I made the following changes to the track iron:
1 - Tri bars.
2 - Disc wheel
3 - Switch to a plastic bike with a lower front end.

As I've used the disc consistently all year this year, I think we can eliminate that as the big improver. Likewise fitness. The Dolan plastic (sorry - Custom laid carbon fibre monocoque frame) is actually heavier than my trusty 531 Bob Jackson, and certainly not as comfortable to ride as shown by the fact I've stuck to the Jackson for the track league. That leaves tri bars and leads us to the reasoned assumption that it is they who account for such a spectacular closing of the time gap. Does anyone know how this conclusion compares to manufacturers claims or any proper test data?

Is a disc wheel better than spokes?

2009-05-10T20:12:00.004+01:00

After years of indecision I have finally splashed out on a disc wheel. Riding both track and road I decided I needed a wheel that will do for both. Finally I found the PRO-LITE Padova which appears to be about the only clincher disc on the market supplied with an axle conversion kit. After a large amount of wonga had changed hands my mate Dave finagled one at more or less trade price - apparently the last one in the UK, until the next shipment anyway.

So far I've used it in both geared and fixed configuration although not yet on the track. . . that comes on Tuesday.
Is it faster than a spoked wheel? Hmm.... Well the jury is still out on that one. It certainly sounds as though it should be, it transmits every single tiny bump and it feels as though its fast. Having said that, the bike feels lighter and more responsive with a Mavic Carbon Cosmic on the back and given my current state of fitness how would I ever know if it was faster? (Well, less slow in my case). Further tests will be carried out and I will advise of the results - if there are any.

We're getting there

2009-05-03T21:07:00.005+01:00

I have to confess that over the winter I spent more weekends looking out of the window at the almost incessant rain, sleet and snow and come the racing season its been showing. The hilly events through March rendered times regularly 2 or 3 minutes slower than in recent years. April's results started very poorly (28 minutes for 10) but over a month have reduced by over 2 minutes. My first 25 of the year (on 18th April) on the Leaden Roding course was 1:13:39, but today I took almost exactly 5 minutes off that in some pretty unfavourable conditions. Combine that with the fact that I discovered I can stay in the bunch on the track even though I'm riding on power rather than being able to stay in the middle and getting dragged along and I guess I finally believe that I'm getting fitter. If I continue racing 3 times a week and training on a tuesday will I be flying come the summer?

Bless the weather

2009-04-12T20:22:00.004+01:00

This has not been a typical Easter as far as the weather goes, although one could be forgiven for thinking it has been.
On (Good) Friday at Herne Hill we had Paris Roubaix rain. Well cold drizzle really. The programme was abandoned about 1/3 of the way through which is a first for recent years. I can remember coming home with sunburn and a dose of panda-eyes on a couple of occasions in the last 4 or 5 years or so and I can't remember the last time this meeting was abandoned. Not good.
Sunday, today, for Paris Roubaix the weather was perfect for an outdoor track meeting and far from classic Roubaix rain, mud, s**t and bullets, but even so has produced one of the most dramatic issues of the biggest day of the year in recent memory. Tomorrow is our club "Easter Egg" 10 season opener. I'm praying for sun and no wind. We'll see, but in these perverted days I'm not holding my breath.
All those doing their gardening or indulging in Holy Carmunion probably think its been a good day weather wise but we know better, don't we?

ITS ROUBAIX!!!!!!!!

2009-04-12T13:34:00.002+01:00

Turn off the phone. DO NOT knock on the door. Get out the Leffe and do not disturb until four o'clock because Paris Roubaix is on.

Multi-blog

2009-03-28T17:19:00.004Z

Well peeps, it’s been a while since I blogged so I thought I’d have a bit of a catch-up. (Photos courtesy Ellie Hutson)

Calshot.
Last weekend we went to Calshot track for Legro’s training camp. The track is short with very tight bends and I’m given to understand can be extremely cold due to a lack of heating of any kind. We all went out for a couple of hours social ride through the New Forest on Saturday morning at a comfortable pace. The sun was out, as were the daffofils and it was a pity that we had to spend the rest of the day indoors, but at least it was warm on the track. All the other riders and coaches had said that the track is easy to ride, but as I soon found out, its easy to ride slow, but a real bugger at speed as the tight 60 degree banking will throw you up above the stayers line before you know it.
There were 3 or 4 of us who hadn’t ridden this track before and we all had trouble getting our heads round how to stay down at speed in the bends. Despite Lee Povey continually telling me it was just a matter of convincing myself I could do it, it was starting to be a bit of a blocker. Halfway through the afternoon a change of programme gave us the chance to follow experienced riders on a 1 to 1 basis with everyone else off the track. Dipping up and down at 25 mph behind Simon form Velo Club de Londres it suddenly made complete sense and I didn’t look back from there. Thanks Simon, nice job.
Sunday was Madison changes and despite being slower that the elites and first cats I managed to pair up with Steve O’Hara, an unattached rider with similar speed to me and over 2 sessions we started to really get the hang of it and by going home time was feeling as comfortable on this track as I do at other, wider, longer ones.
The only downside to the whole weekend came during the warm up on Sunday morning. As we got to about 8 or 10 laps to go, The hammer went down with me in the middle of the string and not enough leg speed so I dropped out and slipped up the track to let the group come round under me until coming off a turn I got too close to the fence and hit it. 3 times. Before coming down the banking on my back. A week later I’m still showing off the scabs across my knuckles and telling everyone that’s what we call disciplinary action at work although my shoulder is still stiff at times.

New Job.
Well, I’ve been in the same job for nearly 6 years now and both the job and I have changed a lot in that time. I’ve had a number of significant successes and overall have been happy working where I am but I was rung up out of the blue by someone with an odd request to come and talk to them about possible opportunities. Not being one to turn down such an invitation I found that not only do they (I can’t say who yet) want to employ me, but they are based a cycle commute away and prepared to pay a very good wage for the dubious privilege. Now all I have to do is sign the contract and resign from my current job. Let the games commence!

Live feeds.
I’ve suddenly become addicted to cyclingfams.com. They put up links to live feeds of pro races which is brilliant for the raft of semi classics that intersperse the Flanders and Ardennes weeks. So far I’ve seen Dwars Doors Vlaanderen (Race Across Flanders), stages of Castille y Leon stage race in Spain and the finale of the E3 Prijs Vlanderen (Race of the E3 motorway – unbelievably). Tomorrow is Brabantse Pijl (Fleche Brabanconne) – or the Brabant Arrow in English. As we’re in Belgie, the name in Vlaamse is properly used and I remember many of the hills and cobbled stretches from riding the Ronde twice in recent years.
The only problems with live feeds are that the commentary is in the language of the broadcaster usually Vlaamse, Frog, Spanish etc. and I have not found a way to record these races.
None the less, I’m still looking forward to catching tomorrow’s double stages of Criterium International too.

Europoo

2009-02-28T18:59:00.003Z

Today is the first day of the professional road cycling season. Until now all we've had is training races. The Tours Down Under, Palma-Mallorca, Qatar and California etc. None of these races have any real meaning at all in the grand scheme of things, they're basically just distractions for us and training for the teams until the season proper starts: and that is today. Today is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (formerly known as Het Volk) and tomorrow is Kuurne Brussels Kuurne.
This weekend is the first chance we have to see the pro's race for real, the first weekend of the classics, the openining races over the hallowed cobbles and bergs, and the first indicators of serious form for the biggest 2 races of the years - Ronde Van Vlaanderen & Paris Roubaix. Nothing else comes near these races, not even the Grand Tours, so why is there NOTHING on Eursport? All through the tours of Qatar and California David Harmon repeatedly assured us that Eurosport would have greater, improved coverage of the classics and what have we got? NOTHING. Not a whisper, nada, F*** all, in fact the square root of f*** all.
I hold little hope of these clowns even showing Roubaix or Flanders, after all they failed totally and miserably last year. For ewxample we got only the last 10k of Roubaix. So we saw no cobbled sections apart from Avenue George Croupeland (at the entry to the velodrome). The race had been long decided (100km previously was the first selection with another sorting our at Carrefour Les Arbres). Flanders was no better, we came home from seeing the race in Belgium on the Monday to find a recording of (I think) Biathlon and sledging.
This is totally unacceptable, not just the failure to show the races, but the lying to us, the viewers that they say they will do. I think a petition to number 10 is in order. Either that or give up sky altogether and take out a subscription to cycling.tv with the savings. What a waste of time and money.

Just because you can

2009-02-22T14:28:00.000Z

We’re on the way home from a weekend in Leeds for our friend’s 25th wedding anniversary party and I’ve decided to try this blogging from a train lark. We nearly didn’t get there at all as it happened as someone (who? Me?) locked themselves out of the house in the morning. Oh yes, not only out of the house, but out of the garage (where the tools are) and the car. By the time we’d enlisted the help of a friend to break in without doing too much damage which is actually much harder than you’d think poochie was getting severely stressed. He was definitely not best pleased at being dumped in kennels. Maybe he’ll forgive us when we spring him tomorrow.
Anyway, to cut a long story short we eventually got up to Leeds for the party and met up with a couple of people from Southampton days who I’d not seen for years. Mike’s band played and as I’d been asked to sit in, I did just that. I’ve not played the old box much lately and this morning my fingers are throbbing but I must make an effort to get back into it.
I like train travel, especially inter-city, the 2½ hours from London to Leeds just flies by and with this new fangled inter webby thing on the train too it makes for a very nice way of passing the time. On the way up yesterday I bought a c.d. from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC in America, just because I could. How cool is that?.

The Rack

2009-02-11T21:56:00.002Z

I’ve decided enough is enough. We’ve had 2 weeks of snow and ice, rain, floods and tempest. It feels like we only need a touch of Pestilence or a dose of Bubonic Plague to complete the set. After a good start, this winter has delivered the curse of the optimist in big style and decreed that riding out on the road is the most reliable way to end a season before it’s even started.

Last weekend our club’s reliability ride (sorry “Sportive”) was cancelled because of icy back roads and apart from ‘cross and a bit of off road riding there’s not been much chance to get out at all lately. So I’ve decided something must be done and resigned myself to sessions on the rack in a desperate bid to get just a little zip into the legs and a lot of fat off the belly before racing starts.

The question is, what to put on the mp3 to relieve the intense boredom? In previous years I’ve made up a mix of clubland “bangin toons” but they’ve started to get stale so a search for replacements has been going on.

I’ve tried Manu Chao but the beat’s wrong, I’ve had a go at Mr. Scruff, but that’s real mood music. Blowzabella worked for a while, but you really need to concentrate on that and the turbo is not a good place to concentrate. No, I need something to erase all conscious thought…especially thoughts of getting off early because the legs hurt and I’m out of breath.

Hmm…Nick Cave? Too Dark. Phillip Glass?....interesting, but ultimately too much thought involved. I’ve even tried Tangerine Dream but I need something to pedal to at a steady 100 – 120 bps. Klaus Schultz might fit the bill perhaps?

For the moment I’ve settled on Royksop’s The Understanding. Melody A.M. is too variable in both tone and tempo, but The Understanding has just the right pace plus the bass is compressed almost to flatness and there’s enough reverb on the top to make it a good listen. Not Spector-ish but with space. There’s a couple of tracks with an irritating amount of hi hat, but apart from that it’s now just a question of how long it is before I get tired of it.

Any suggestions or alternatives anyone?

Gig of the year

2009-02-05T22:08:00.002Z

I should have mentioned this earlier, but a high bar has been set for Gig of Year 2009, even before January is out. the other evening we went to "Folk America - Hollerers, Stompers & Old Time Ramblers" at the Barbican. Hosted by the inimitable Seasick Steve, it featured Alison Williams & Chance McCoy, The Wiyos, Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole, the fantastic Diana Jones and someone who's well on the way to being an all time fave - C.W.Stoneking.

Described by Seasick as totally stuck in the 1930's his mixture of old time jazz, deep south blues and street "Hokum" held us spellbound. With a truly authentic vocal sound, you'd be forgiven for thinking he was one of the original bluesmen, but no. In his 30's Stoneking hails from Australia - unbelievable.

A quick mention for some of the other artists - The Wiyos mix of Vaudeville, swing and old time hill billy had the whole audience stunned with their brilliance. Diana Jones is becoming well known in the UK, having (I think) recently supported Richard Thompson and had a feature spot on the Bob Harris show. Alison williams started out playing in punk bands in the 90's but soon crossed over to old timey country. She plays a mean clawhammer banjo and her band is pretty hot too. Guitarist chance McCoy put his taps on and gave a super demonstration of of Appalachian clog, which took me right back to my time with Loose Screws, which some of you may remember.

We came out of the Barbican at gone 11, very late for Barbican gigs, but with our ears ringing and a very long list of "must have" CDs. It's going to take a VERY special artist to top that one.

The Greatest?

2009-02-05T21:58:00.003Z

Today on Eurosport I heard Lance Armstrong described (in all seriousness) as the greatest cyclist ever!!!! I don’t think I have ever heard such a stupid and obviously wrong statement. EVER.

Let’s be honest here, No one can come close to Eddy Merckx. OK he only won the tour 5 times but he did win the Giro 5 times, the Vuelta, the tour de Suisse, Paris Nice (3 times), every single classic at least once, including Milan – San Remo 7 times 1966,67,69, 71,72,75 and 1976, semi classics including Gent Wevelgem, Het Volk, etc. etc. 17 six day races, the World Championship road race three times and the Super Prestige Trophy, not to mention the hour record and God knows how many other tour jerseys.

Second on my list has to be Fausto Coppi. His palmares includes 5 tours, 5 Giros, Milan – San Remo 4 times, Paris Roubaix, 5 Tours of Lombardy together with the World Championship road race and the inevitable hour record among many others. We should also remember that he spent a significant part of the 2nd World War as a POW in the UK, so that knocks out a good 4 of his prime years.

Third: well I guess it has to be Maitre Jacques: 5 TDF (yawn) 2 Giros d’Italia, The GP de Nations 7 times – not bad for a tester! The Super Pretige Pernod (World Cup equivalent, more or less) 4 times, Paris – Nice 5 times, the World Championship road race and as is becoming usual, the hour record. Anquetil, though is best remembered for his incredible performance in riding and winning the Dauphine libere stage race and the now regrettably defunct Bordeaux Paris with less than 12 hours gap.

Fourth, Bernard Hinault? – The usual. 5 tours, 2 Vueltas, 3 Giros, Paris – Roubaix, Liege – Bastogne – Liege twice, not forgetting the 1980 issue, run of in an absolute blizzard. Hinault was apparently so cold at the finish he had to be taken of his bike and had to wait until his bath water was cool before warming up. Only weeks later could he feel his middle fingers again! Now that’s a hard man.

Fifth, Gino Bartali

Sixth, Felice Gimondi

Seventh, Big Mig? Van Steenbergen?

Eigth. Hmm… Louison Bobet or Henri Pellisier? Or how about Maurice Garin (winner of the first tour, Paris Roubaix etc.) or perhaps one of my favourites Octave “Curly” Lapize.

Now. If, like me you value the classics (monuments) over the Grand Tours, (and loads of big name riders including Maggie B and Pretty Boy George have said that one Roubaix takes as much out of a rider as a 3 week tour) we come to some of the REAL hard men of the sport... Enter my all time hero Sean Kelly (who I finally met last year – fantastic bloke, really down to earth) Rik Van Looy and Mr. Roubaix himself – Roger De Vlaemink, Francesco Moser, etc etc.

So where does that leave Armstrong? 7 tours,(a record for TDF wins, but not a record for overall grand tour wins – Merckx has 11, Coppi 10, Hinault's got 8 and Anquetil 7)…a single worlds, 1 tour of Luxembourg, 1 of Switzerland, 1 minor pro tour race (San Sebastian) and that’s about it. Certainly that’s the palmares of a champion, a top rider of his generation, but the “greatest ever”?

Please don’t insult my intelligence.

Enough said.

The swanny

2009-01-27T22:45:00.000Z

Soigne. (French). “To look after.”
Soigneur. (Also French) “Welfare man”

Of course us bikies know that the Soigneur is the engine room behind every professionals success. They’re the person who fills the bidons, makes the sarnies, cuts the energy bars in half, fills the musettes and stands on the side of the road (in the feed station if they’re lucky) to pass lunch up to their rider(s) and then drives to the finish with spare clothes, more food and massages tired legs before starting it all again the next day.

Well, I’m here to tell you that even fat and fifty midfield laggards like me can benefit from a good swanny. I have one of the best in the business and here’s why.
1. During my recent trip to Manchester I took my personal swanny. This was a good move in parts only. I got a bottle every time I came off the track, spare glasses when I needed them and a flat fixed (yes even on the boards they happen). HOWEVER. . . . all the other riders were somewhat jealous, to the point of “ooh get you” when I got handed clean glasses to loan to a rider who’d forgotten his.
2. Last Sunday was bloody cold, muddy and pretty grotty all round. Oh and did I mention the rain? So what does the birthday girl say when I look out of the window and decide to go back to bed?
“Get up, you need the points. I’ll come and hold your jacket in the blistering cold for an hour while you have fun collecting stinky mud to bring into the house later, Oh and would you like your energy drink now?”
3. And let’s not forget a vital role in the ECCA 12 hour, without which I may well have packed at about the 7 hour point.
So like I say, if you want to get ahead, get a soigneur. Top Totty or what???

A very gloopy day

2009-01-26T21:57:00.002Z

It rained cats and dogs all Saturday night. Watery Lane was flooded (No! Really!) but we still rode 'cross yesterday. The pics don't show it but we had more than 20 riders for a few quick laps round Eric's brand new swimming pool. Once I'd got home, stripped off and been hosed down the kitchen floor was coated in a tick layer of gloopy mud. Bloody good fun though.

Why do we have winter?

2009-01-10T18:20:00.003Z

During the snow and ice of the last week at least 2 of the Southend Wheelers have tasted tarmac and I have no intention of joining them in casualty so tomorrow its load the car and DRIVE to the Maldon club 'cross meeting. It's only 12 miles away and I've never considered not riding out and back. Even after headbutting a tree during a race a couple of years ago and getting a funny head I rode home afterwards. But having almost gone base over apex a couple of times just walking poochie through the woods this afternoon, my normal invincibility has taken a back seat and so we're driving it. If it doesn't warm up a bit I can see me riding with BKW and roubaix tights and generally wrapped up so warm that the dismounts will be followed by a short waddle and several attempts to remount the bike. It looks like the comedy quotient will be extremely high so anyone wanting a laugh at my expense is welcome.
This weather had better mean we're in for a good summer. The race calendars are out and despite there not being many local audaxes this year I'm hoping for a couple of 100 mile TTs and a crack at the club 12 hour record of 224 miles. I managed 214 and threequarter at my first attempt in 07 which brings me back to a bloody good reason to stay of the bike until until the Good Lord sees fit to turn the global warming on again 'cos its going to be a long season. The pic shows me avoiding that tree last year while holding off a load of riders queueing up to pass me.

Manchester

2009-01-01T20:11:00.001Z

On Saturday we drove to Manchester Velodrome for a day of track accreditation training. I’ve been stressing about this for a while as it entails 5 hours on the track, culminating in a “mock” race and laps behind a Derny As you will see from previous posts I have been concerned about a lack of fitness, enough to get through the full day anyway.

On Saturday evening I got onto the track with Bob Barber, a clubmate and the manager of the track. We circled on the stayers line doing alternate laps for about 30 minutes, joined by Jennifer, a relative novice rider who was also booked for the full accreditation the following day. With a 50x16 gear lapping at evens was no problem but I was surprised to be sharing the track with a number of first timers, many of whom were wearing jeans and trainers! Continually passing female “builders bums” at twice their speed became quite off-putting after a while, but it proves that cycling has become extremely popular of late. Once the session was over we all went to Cathy’s (Bob’s partner) where she had prepared a pasta dinner perfect for carbo loading for the following day. It was good to catch up with bob and Cathy and all too soon it was time to get back to the hotel for some shuteye.

28th December 2008 - 07:30 hrs.

It was bloody freezing (literally) waiting to get into the velodrome. Once the doors opened the other 15 candidates for accreditation begin to leach out of the woodwork and soon we were all meeting and introducing ourselves to the coaches. During the following hours we did lumps and bumps (at quite a high speed), half lap changes, riding and changing in pairs, through and off in ball formation as in traditional club runs – and yes, we still do it in the Wheelers - and chasing half laps. The day ended with a mock race of 24 laps. Once the split went I managed to get on but couldn’t stay with them. I also managed to stay on the derny quite well so apart from a bit of top end speed I’m going as well as I should be.

The day ended with a debrief from the coaches both of whom had been good humoured and professional all day except for one point when instead of changing into a “square dance” routine by swinging up from the low string to the front of the upper string to allow the lower string to circulate forward, one rider dropped to the sprinter line to spiral the lower string off the track. Total and utter chaos ensued and sensing panic in the coaches shouted instructions we dropped swiftly off the track for a group bollocking. That demonstrated exactly what we had been taught earlier in the day about knowing what we are doing and safe riding. Despite this small hiccup we all got our accreditation tickets and then, after showering and changing, drove home happy but tired.

OUCH

2008-12-14T17:16:00.000Z

I went out for a run Wednesday lunchtime, something I do regularly throughout the winter. As usual for about 45-50 minutes, as always cross country – never on the road and as usual poochie came too. I never take him running on a lead and he normally does about twice the distance I do before collapsing on his mat in the living room. I don’t usually push it, the purpose is just to keep the fitness ticking over so in 45 mins I reckon to do about 4 to 4 ½ miles.

Wednesday, however, may have been a run too far. The ground was mushy with a thick layer of leaves and I was slipping about all over the place. I altered my route to avoid the worst of the mud and only stayed out for 35 minutes or so. When I got home my left knee hurt whenever I put any weight on it but did feel better later on. This was probably a result of either slipping about in the mud of running on uneven ground when you can’t see what’s there. It’s been fine since when just walking around although occasionally there’s a twinge behind the knee cap and getting up off the sofa can be…er….interesting.

So. Whinge over. But I went out for a test ride on the track bike today after fitting a new chainset, seat post and (most importantly) wheels. Everything was fine until I backpedalled to stop and then OUCH. Manchester is 2 weeks away. Think I’ve got a problem?

Solutions on a postcard please.

Cabin Fever

2008-12-13T16:38:00.003Z

Its four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon less than 3 weeks before Christmas. Its been raining all day. Its been blowing about F7 all day and its freezing out and only a professional cyclist or a moron would go near their bike in this weather. What to do? There are a million and one things I should be doing, fixing a leaking radiator joint, tidying up, wrapping presents, even buying presents, painting the house or washing the car, not to mention all those bike repair jobs I’ve been putting off for weeks since the season has ended.

But what am I doing? Writing a blog entry, that’s what. Nutty daughter is upstairs wrapping presents for Mrs. Kipper and self using paper, tape, scissors and labels provided on the house before buggering off to paint the town with Swiss Dave, whose just spent the last fifteen hours installing Firefox, RSS and some other whatnot onto my computer so it does what I want as opposed to what it wants when I turn it on. No don’t ask me, I have no idea, but it does stuff it didn’t before and I’ve finally lost all of those irritating adverts.

I’ve got cabin fever. I’m bored with my new computer setup, even though it works better than ever before and I’ve loads of new toys on it. I’m bored listening to Gillian Welch. I’m even bored with Google Earth and the Astana team website. Quite how one can be bored web surfing is beyong me, but I seem to have managed it. After all there’s even a www.iamboredr.com website among many others! I’m too bored to pick up my guitar. Even the dog looks bored and the turbo is glaring menacingly from the conservatory. Perhaps I should dig out a razor blade and some old Leonard Cohen records and make a proper job of it.

Oh. Sod it. I’m gonna go and make a pizza.

Baby, its cold outside…

2008-11-23T18:18:00.000Z

The training day everyone fears arrived on the back of a North wind overnight. Coming home from a night out with family at the dogs somewhat after midnight the cold ripped through your average overcoat rather like a knife through, well… butter, but it was at least dry. At 7:30 this morning, however, there was a sugar coating of snow over the fields and roofs and it was still coming down although as I watched it turned to freezing rain. A day for making a pot of tea and going back to bed. Winter training, Pah! Not for softies like me.

Mid afternoon and the guilt of inaction finally gets to me so it’s on with the running kit, out with the dog and 50 minutes slogging around the fields and through the woods at the back of our home with poochie in tow. Mrs. Kipper, meanwhile, wisely decides to drop into the local Somerfield for veggie stew makings, rushing back to a warm house in record time.
By the time I got back home the sweat was dripping through 4 layers of Decathlon’s own brand finest and the thermometer had risen to an alleged 19 degrees from this morning’s measly one degree. All of my clothing (Apparel to those of you who can afford Hincapie stuff) went straight into the washing machine along with a major part of the contents of the fields I so delicately tromped about in. The shoes will have to wait for another day but I feel that preparations for Manchester have only suffered a minor setback.

Discuss

2008-11-15T16:03:00.001Z

BKW’s latest post in praise of innovation lead me to consider how many of the improvements in bike design have been true advances and what effect some of those of “lesser” impact have had on the bikes we ride; so here’s a personal list of the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good

1. Clipless pedals:To this day I cannot understand why it took Sean Kelly so long to change to Look pedals. I first used them in 1988 and from the first clip in I could see that they were a major step forward in both safety (have you tried getting out of tightly done up toe straps lately) and ergonomics. Certainly my feet stopped hurting immediately I first put them on.
2. Ergo Levers: O.K. I know, Shimano introduced the first ones in the early 90’s but I could never get on with those, my hands are too small and to this day start to ache after about 2 hours riding on them, So it’s Campag all the way for me. Anyway, to the point: to get to this point in development, they had to have both hidden brake cables and indexed gears worked out but the whole thing made a single huge step forward with combining gear changing and braking on a single lever on the bars. No more leaning down to change gear etc. etc.
The Bad

1. Disc front wheels: Recipe for disaster anywhere except pursuiting in an indoor velodrome.
2. Roval Wheels: I don’t have a problem with “boutique” wheels in general, certainly for racing, I even use them myself, but those Roval wheels with the plastic star thingy in the middle must be the worst of both worlds. How do you true them up and what happens if you break a spoke? Mind you the same goes for Lightweights, but if you can afford those, you deserve all you get when things go wrong.
The Ugly

1. Carbon frames: Does anyone actually believe the B.S. the hacks write about “torsional stiffness” “vertical compliance” etc. etc. While a carbon fibre frame is very light and rides just as well as a modern steel frame, all these “aero” tweeks, bulges and formaed shapes just seem to add cost. I don’t even have a problem that 95% of all carbon frames are made in factories in the Far East and end up looking the same, only differentiated by paintwork, but how long do these things last? Carbon Fibre is one of the few materials that do not follow Young’s modulus of Elasticity and there have been a lot of high profile failures: Splintering Look road forks in the early 2000’s lead to a number of serious crashes in the pro peloton, regular frame failures of (a high profile U.K. supplier relatively new to market) and the infamous story of Specialized’s complete failure to provide robust machines to either Quick Step or Gerolsteiner in 2006.
2. 1980’s colour schemes: Lime green and pink? What was that all about?

This is an “off the cuff” personal list with no real thinking through before I put fingers to keyboard. Further contributions in all categories welcome…discuss.

World Cup

2008-11-02T15:17:00.002Z

Beijing seems to have disappeared into the distant past and the Manchester round of this years World Cup is with us. Several of the big GB stars are absent, but the medals still keep coming. I'm really impressed at the strength in depth the GB team now has because lets not forget there's several up and coming names (Dowsett, Hampton etc.) are waiting in the wings in addition to the "new boys" riding here. Victoria Pendleton was interviewed in the Grauniad during the week and bemoaned the fact that there are so few events for women at the Olympics. She's right and let's hope the blazers in Lausanne are listening.

It also shows well when the weeks roundup takes up 3 hours of prime time Sunday afternoon on BBC2. The track was sold out for every session even before the Olympics had finished which , when you consider that 4 years ago they couldn't give tickets away is pretty astounding and shows the lottery money has been well spent. Every time a GB rider took to the track the noise was deafening and when yet another one won a medal I began to get worried that the roof would still be missing when I'm up there training in December. It must be terrifying for Johnny Foreigner, faced with a shouting, yeling stamping crowd against them to a man. I'm not saying they were partisan, but very noisy....

The joys of winter training

2008-10-26T15:17:00.003Z

It's eight o'clock in the morning, dark as grandad's hat, blowing a hoolie, slashing rain and about 12degrees outside. You go downstairs to make tea and when you let the dog out he takes one look into the garden and looks at you as if to say "If you think i'm going out there for a p***, you must be mad" and scuttles back to his bed. Yup, for me its straight out to the garage and on the bike for 3 hours of joyful pedalling.

Why oh why do we go out on a bike when it's like this? Even the runs leader stayed in bed today and I still managed 40 miles before swimming home. I had full rain gear on and Steve turned up with shorts and windtex jacket..." It's not cold really, just a little wet"

No mate, it's not cold really but with 20 mph of wind chill it shows some of us have no sense and less feeling. I wouldn't like to be your knees. Time for some BKW methinks and if can keep this up when all around are pulling the duvet over their heads I'll know the motivation is still there even after all these years and I''ll be truly ready for timetrials in heavy snow and driving rain come March.

Danga danga nang nang

2008-10-25T19:05:00.004+01:00

Watching Stephen Fry in America and he's got to West Virginia, Kentucky and Tenessee. Not much Bluegrass or Old timey music, but just listening to what there is and watching all those "Good 'ol Boys" brings me out in a rash of both jealousy for not being there and nostalgia for the time I played in Loose Screws. We were probably the nearest thing to the real sound in Southampton, playing more hickey than Oh Brother!

What's worse is that this part of the world also has the Jack Daniels distillery AND C.F. Martin guitars. (OK I know Martin are in Pensylvania, but its not that far really). Just the smell of my 0015 reminds me of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've had it for about a year now and it's just starting to play in but the inside still has the scent of fresh cut wood. The scenery there is fantastic and just when you start to think that poor old King George III made a very serious mistake someone tells you that our colonial brethren mix marshmallows with mashed potato....Gordon Bennet! what's that all about?

To finish the prog, SF goes to Miami Beach. Most people relate Florida to theme parks and little else, but for my money Miami Beach is the nearest I'm likely to get to that whole world. Florida to me is Gators, Airboats, Canaveral and....yup....Miami Beach. I stayed in a huge, posh hotel right on the beach and despite several visits to all parts of the state (including road rage in Tampa), its Miami Beach and the Deco buildings that live with me.

Winter training

2008-10-18T14:36:00.002+01:00

Around this time of year I usually make rash promises about the training I'm going to do over the winter ready for next season. Most years this ends up with me spending a lot of time looking out of the window wondering why I didn't get up and out when I had the chance. Maybe the odd half an hour on the rack (sorry - turbo) and the odd jog will be about it and then I get dissapointed when I have to race myself into something approaching fitness during the spring.

This year was a real mixed bag. I felt strong in Flanders in April and won my first open TT in June but in between rode like a bag of spanners. When I wasn't unwell, that is. I didn't even ride a single 50, didn't ride the ECCA 100 and as a result failed to enter the National 12 hour which had been my main target. 2009 can only be better.

This year will be different...I promise. I has to be, I'm booked into a 1 1/2 day track acclimatisation & accreditation course at Manchester at the end of December and a training camp at Calshot in March, the plan being to ride the Welwyn league next year.

In the last 2 months I've only managed one century and a few short rides so I'm effectively starting from scratch. This weekend I'm getting my legs ripped of by Pete H on the club run. If I do this every week plus regular runs through the local woods, Tuesday training with Team Welwyn and the Maldon 'cross series throughout the winter I will have no excuses for creeping in the new year. All I have to do is get my arse in gear. Simple really.

A near religious experience

2008-10-12T18:25:00.008+01:00

"F*** it. The f***ing thing's f***ed. ". . . . .Not the best start to your second encore after a barnstorming set, especially after a 45 minute late start and an opening comment "Lets not get pissed now, there's a long way to go" but Stephen Stills had the Shepherds Bush Empire in the palm of his hand from the moment he walked on stage. The first half was acoustic, the second electric and I can't make my mind up which was the best set. With so many hits to choose from, he seemed to play just what he wanted with a couple of covers from Tom Petty and Dylan thrown in but still managed several that even Mrs. Kipper knew! - Helpessly Hoping, Change Partners, Johnny's Garden and Love the One You're With. The F*** was a blown monitor which immediately preceeded (after prompting from drummer Joe Vitale) a fantastic electric version of Dark Star. The only disappointment of the evening was that he didn't play Black Queen but that's a minor quibble.

The Great Depression?

2008-10-06T18:29:00.004+01:00

Today the London stock exchange had its biggest ever fall, this after weeks of simillar losses in share prices. The strange thing is that if you walk round the City, the shops and pubs look like they are doing good business, there is no drop in the traffic on the roads or the trains, concerts and theatre performances remain sold out and even the employment agencies seem to have a steady stream of posts to advertise. Travelling out through East London the number of construction projects currently underway is higher than I've ever seen it since they built Canary Wharf. So apart from the banks and other financial institutions, everything appears to be life as normal. One can't help but wonder whether we are talking ourselves into a credit crunch out of boredom or have the chattering classes finally decided to put the money gamblers in their place? It has to be said that the obscene salaries and bonuses "earned" by people who gamble with our pensions and life savings have become unsustainable and it would be nice to think that if mass redundancies in this sector had not happened, that the population would rise up as one and sack the Bank of England. . . Watt Tyler where are you now?

Welcome to my blog

2008-10-05T14:42:00.003+01:00

We've been out marshalling the final road race of the year (Finsbury Park CC) before the 'cross season starts and I'm sitting in on a wet Sunday afternoon with lots of better things to be doing. However, I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while but the question is, do I have anything to say thats worth saying? Time will tell...