Just one word.

ROUBAIX.

You can forget your Grand Tours, your mountains, your World Championships, your flat out sprints and so on. Those are for ordinary professional cyclists.

Tomorrow is different. Tomorrow is for the true hard men of the sport. Tomorrow is for the real champions because tomorrow is Paris Roubaix.

I could wax long and lyrical about this race, but its been done far better than I can manage, so all I can add is to turn on the telly, open a Duvel or 3, hope for rain and watch.

At 5 o'clock the season will be over and a new king will be crowned.

Gig of the year 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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?

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?

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.