The Time that I Overtook a World Champion

A couple of great CX races to reflect on, fantastic considering the time of year which always throws up its own challenges.

Can I keep going?

This has been a long year of cx racing for me.  I started way back in May and have been racing pretty much non-stop throughout the summer, autumn and winter.  Whilst I really enjoy racing there are times when I really just want to ride my bike for a few hours at the kind of intensity that I feel up to at that moment.  This is in opposition to cx training sessions which tend to be 1 hour or so in length and very much interval based (no surprises there!). 

I think the quality of my training has started to decline a little and perhaps my maximum power output has declined as well.  Coach Tom has spotted this and adapted training plans accordingly.  He has incorporated some more fartleck type activities, fewer really hard sessions and creeping some more club style rides in as well. 

Only 2 or 3 more races this winter to go at, then next year's challenges need some attention.

Shibden Hall Yorkshire Points race

What a fantastic course!  I have been there before for a Rapha race (I think), but big kudos to the organisers who designed a really testing, yet fun course.  The weather was proper wet and muddy which made the going really tough.  There were lots of falls in the races before us old gaffers got on the course.

My target for this race was to not fall off and ride within myself to ensure that I did not burn all my matches too soon in the deep mud.

Off we went, things started well.  I played to my strengths and struggled on the long, long climb where I lost places each lap.  On the long downhill with added corners I made lots of these back.  As previous races I knew where I wanted to dismount and stuck to the plan.  As before it worked well as there is nothing worse than an emergency jump off the bike.

There was a long slight uphill section that was sooooooo muddy that I had to run the majority of it.  This is where I lost most places as lighter riders did not sink as deeply as me and managed to ride through.

Proper muddy bike

I stayed on the bike, managed to clear mud each lap and finished with a good result that definitely will help me in the overall league.

This race really brought home to me that the difference that power/weight ratio makes in cx is different to road riding.  I was passed by riders that I will usually beat on a dry day.  These riders are lighter than me and (I presume) less powerful.  In deep mud if you are light you float over the top far more and can keep momentum.  Larger and (once again I presume) more powerful riders who often beat me in the dry were passed by me on this day as they struggled even more in the mud than I did.

Target for next winter:  LOOSE SOME MORE TIMBER!

Great Skills Session with coach Tom

Tom put on a cx coaching session at Yorksport which was realy enjoyable for several reasons:

• It is great to train in a group
• He set up a proper mini course with proper taped corners
• We focussed on key areas - Start, corners, dismount and remount
• I could push the limits without compromising a race which I did and fell off quite a few times

North of England CX Championship

York Cycleworks and Yorksport hosted the championship race.  I was lucky enough to pre-ride the course on the day before the race, after helping a little to set it up.  The course seemed quite big, a lovely design with lots and lots of corners that could be taken at speed.  A long slog up a hill would sort the real fast riders from the rest.

Some things will always make me giggle and this number is one of them

Race day was damp under wheel but not proper wet.  Should I go mud tyre or intermediate?  I went mud tyre to ensure that I could keep speed in the many grassy corners.


My race came around so soon, gridded riders to the front, I was mid pack in the "also there" group behind. And they are off!


The start at Yorksport makes use of the tarmac cycle circuit meaning it is a faster start than usual for Yorkshire cx races.  25mph in a close bunch, each looking to gain advantage, is a nervous place to be.

I held my position well and once off road was a lot happier.  I made good ground first lap or so then settled into a rhythm.  Once again my main strategy was to stay on the bike except for planned dismounts.

Ian Taylor with broken bike

Couple laps in and what is this?  I pass the rainbow banded jersey of Ian Taylor, World Champion in my age group.  Wow

OK, I will have to admit that he was carrying his bike in 2 pieces, but I still officially overtook and hence have a lap recorded where I was faster than the current World Champion.

He made it to the pits, got a new bike and flew past me a couple of minutes later.




This is one of the magical things about cyclocross racing.  Very few riders of any other discipline will get the chance to ride in the same race as a World Champion, National Champion or professional riders from big name teams.  I have raced with all of these, been lapped by them and have nothing but admiration for their skills, strength and regard for other riders.

Its all about the performance

We are well over half way through the winter CX season up here in Yorkshire and I have had little time to reflect on what has happened so far.  I am going to split this blog entry into two main sections - a racing type report and then some bits of thinking and reflection.

Winter CX in Yorkshire

Firstly the weather has not been very seasonal up here.  Mud tyres have not been used often and full finger gloves have only come out of the bag once.  I have raced in colder summer CX races!

Performances in the Yorkshire Points series have been pretty good.  I have developed my start into a major weapon that usually puts me in a good position after the first lap or two.  I have tried to limit the number of mistakes as I race which is a good idea as well and have mainly stayed on the bike.

Highlights include good performances and results at Northallerton, Temple Newsome and Bingley where it really showed that the hard power training prescribed by coach Tom really has made an impact. 







My best race has been Huddersfield New College which is perhaps my favourite course on the circuit.  It has proper steep bits, a fair slog section and some really fast sections.  This year it was muddy - needing mud tyres.  I recced the course well and decided my strategy in terms of "I will get off the bike here and run" for 5 sections of the lap.  The skill, of course, is not deviating from your plan as I am always tempted by the "go on, you can climb that" devil on my shoulder.  If I listen to him I will of course mess up the climb and fall off.  This time I kept to my plan and produces a good performance and also a good result.

So 6 races down in this league, only 2 more to go!

Wednesday nights have seen me racing in the Vive le Cross mini series at Hull.  Four races in near darkness around some excellent courses that make really good use of the limited terrain available.  The thing about these courses are the lack of recovery time, you are always on full gas!  The series is over and I finished in the prize money!  4th in my age category is a nice result for me.  Made even better by some really close racing against good friends in each round.  Some battles I lost and some I won.

Time for a wash

Reflections

Firstly I have been enjoying my Training plan provided by coach Tom.  It is a joint effort, I tell him how I am performing and he tells me what to do to try and improve.  We have been really successful in terms of CX speed and power and I have worked on technique.  I know that my performance in training is not always reflected in race performance, an area that we will be looking at as time goes on.  As I have written before, it is really important that if you have a coach then you need to build a relationship with that person.  Tom understands me pretty well now, he knows my strengths and weaknesses both physically and mentally.  I do not know for sure, but I think that my own specific set of needs probably throw up more challenges to Tom as a coach than "the average" rider.  I like to think that I have helped develop him as a coach in return for his help.

Up to recent weeks I have been in a really good place on my bike.  I have been very positive and realistic in my goals for each training session or race.  I have seen real progress in both as a result.

I am at the moment going through a dark patch again, many of the indicators that I have seen before are rearing up again and I am trying to avoid descending into the state that I was in a couple of years ago.  Stress and anxiety are nasty in the way that they creep up, but more nasty in the way that they change thought patterns.  In good times I will train hard and be able to push well into the red.  At the moment my legs seem to hurt more and my head is yelling at me "Just stop and give up, you are rubbish at this".  Working with Tom right now is vital, I am very good at self reflection and know when I need to rest or simply play on the bike.  Tom is as always good at listening during these times and guiding me correctly from a physical point of view.

I recently read a fantastic little piece from cxmagazine.com click to read which really summed up how I try to ride and race my bike.  I race as hard as I can, I love the feeling of a good start, overtaking friends and clearing sections that others falter on.  I am not an angel and when going full gas I have been known to question "What are you doing? or "Don't stop there!" to other riders who accidentally get in my way.
My result is not ever going to be at the detriment of other riders.  Recent examples of this that really get on my nerves include:

• Any rider who is racing you on the same lap but makes progress by shouting at you rather than overtaking.  Lapping riders have the right to warn others, racing riders should overtake using skill and strength.
• Riders who push through gridding.  I recently saw a rider who, even not gridded, managed to push through the 3 lines of grid to just behind the front row. 

Is the result so important?
I want to focus on my performance.

Perhaps this is why my training performance does not get the race result?
If I shouted at other riders more often I might gain a couple of places.
I could never take enjoyment from removing somebody else's.

And I want to be the best rider that I can, one that is good enough to overtake properly, so that is what I will try to do.

Summer CX winnings

I have been mixing up some mtb in my riding recently.  This is great training, but also brings some enjoyment back into my riding.  I love riding the road, but nothing puts the smile on my face more than riding off road.  That is where my mojo can always be found

Riding a bike is all about mojo.

Long may it bring smiles.

Summer Cross is dead. Long live #WinterCross and #schwalbeXone

Well that's it then, the end of Summer cx season and what a tough one it has been for me.  The weather has been surprisingly dry and warm which has made the courses vary in speed between fast and faster.

Last race was a couple of weeks ago in Scarborough.  In my opinion a boring course that I had targeted to perform well in and score highly in the league. 

Unfortunately the God of "Poor Preparation" sneered at me as I had not fixed my slow puncture from the gravel race the previous Sunday.  I had pumped up the tyre and it had held for several days-

"It'll be OK" are famous last words uttered by me far too often before racing and of course it was not. 

A combination of 5 years of riding and at least 6 discovered holes/splits/torn off nobbles and really poor sealing ability of the sealant I was using (and will not ever use again) led to the tyre deflating to <10psi after 2 laps. 

I chose to continue the race and use it as training effort. 

To do so I had to leave the course, ride to my car, get my track pump, return with the pump, re-join the course.  Now I was a lap down on where I should have been, but could ride again.  Every 2-3 laps I stopped to re-inflate the tyre.  Result out of the window but a good training effect.

Now I am waiting for the overall results for the league, am I in the prize money?

Preparation Starts

There are 3 weeks between Summer and Winter CX in Yorkshire, I chose to rest completely for the first of these.  I have been feeling a little up and down both physically and mentally with my riding and even lost my mojo for a day or two.  I hope that the days recovering will reignite me perfectly for the coming training and races. 

Instead I had a great week with the family camping - no bikes.  An hour pedalo and a 10k run were all I did with regard exercise.

New term, new boots

As I have binned my very old Vittoria xg pro cx tyre I have the opportunity to choose some new boots for my summer cx wheels.  I like to ride intermediates as my second pair as I just feel more prepared for changeable conditions and have decided to try some Schwalbe X One tyres.  I am really impressed with my Pro One tyres on the road bike which hold air really well and were a doddle to fit.

Where the Pro Ones could be eased on to the rim with just fingers, the X Ones have been a bigger challenge.  I had to reach for a single tyre lever to help finish the job. 

Inflation was instant and with some proper Bonty sealant inside I expect them to work well.  The tight bead will ensure that I can run these happily down to about 20psi if I want to although I usually race at about 25psi. 

The size of the tyre looks big enough for some gravel races as well which is another of my targets in the future.

Hit the Training Hard

First session since holiday was last night.  It went well, I put all I could into it and seem to have produced some good output. 

Power and power sustainability are the game for me this year, it is my main area of weakness.  Whilst I can hit pretty good power output figures, I do struggle to hold these for long enough. 

Hence coach Tom has prescribed me plenty of over/under and high power sessions to address these issues.

Power (w) over time

Guest Blogger

My good friends at  York Cycleworks approached me to write a piece for about cyclo-cross racing for their website.  They are very involved in helping riders try new types of activity and looked to me as an average Joe in the sport.  Read what I produced for them here.   

A Busy Week - #Agg100, #YorkCycleworks Elite Road Race, Last Wednesday evening Summer CX race

This is a long blog today, apologies if you fall asleep along the way.

 The last week of a busy few weeks of racing, training and recovering but what a way to finish!

Volunteering at an Elite Road Race

Sunday saw me giving back some time to a sport that gives me great pleasure.  As with all good things in life cycling is organised and run by a few people for lots of participants.  I am guilty of not volunteering enough to help behind the scenes so as the opportunity came up with my girls away for the weekend I was happy to put my name down to help out.  I have done some marshalling before and expected to be donning a bright yellow tabard, perhaps armed with a red flag to point, direct, applaud riders and stop, persuade, explain to members of the public who simply cannot wait for one minute to let 60 riders hurtle past at 40mph.

To my surprise Fraz asked me to drive a support car.  At this level there are 4 or more cars that drive either in front of the race, behind groups or the peloton and at the rear.  The idea is to monitor the race, allowing the race commisaires to have an overall picture and keep the riders safe.  As I had not driven before I was to have the top dog commisaire in my car - now known as comm1.
I was handed a radio, aerial and big magnetic sign for my car roof.  I duly put all the kit on, in and turned the radio on.  After a quick briefing and introductions we were off.

I was positioned behind the main peloton from where comm1 called other cars, neutral service van or medic car to different positions in the race convoy.  The race speed alternated between 10 mph up the climbs and 50mph on the downs through villages and those are the range of speeds I had to drive at.  At certain times I would be asked to move ahead of the peloton to stay with a break away and had to drive past them hand on horn to warn them.

During these races the roads are not actually closed and public can simply drive along as they see fit.  Marshalls do their best to hold cars or other road users in safe positions as the small race convoy go past but sometimes the public exert their rights and continue on regardless.  This race saw a couple of horse riders ignore the pleas of marshals.  I think they may have regretted this as the peloton and cars came hurtling down the hill on the other side of the road.  Although all riders slowed as best they could the horses were not happy and came close to becoming part of the peloton.  The rather pompous riders got the scare of their life as well.

The end of the race with me following

I really enjoyed the day, the riders were truly grateful for the organisation of the race and I feel that I have given a little bit back.

Final Wednesday Evening Race of the Summer CX league

Wednesday saw me driving to Huddersfield for the last evening race this summer.  To be honest I am quite glad, I have found these to be really difficult to perform at my best in as I usually arrive too near the start for a good warm up and start the race in the wrong mind set.  As always I enjoyed the ride, but came away with my worst result this year.  It was a great course that I knew from previous races and I should have done well.  I just made poor tactical choices at key places, but stupidly repeated these mistakes on future laps.  One more race this series, Scarborough on a Saturday, then I can look at my overall position and see if I'm in the money spots.

@aggregate100k gravel race by Kinesis

As I have said before I entered the first edition of this race based in the North Yorkshire Moors. I am taking this opportunity to write about all aspects of the day, I believe this is a way forward for cycling and want to help the organisers who I hope will read this, so sorry about any negative sounding bits.

Firstly this was not a cheap event to enter, in fact it cost in the same league as 3 Peaks and Etape du Dales, both of which contribute much of the takings to charity.  Not so this one, it had better be good.

Furthermore, as the event date closed in the organisers chose to attract more riders by reducing the cost to enter "on the day" to below that of pre-entries.  Hardly seeming fair, why would anyone ever pre-enter again?

So it was with some scepticism that I met up with my fellow mini-team riders on a near perfect morning in a field with a luke-warm coffee making man to prepare for the ride.  I was excited.  This is my perfect type of event.  I wanted to ride well.  I wanted it to be good fun, no I needed it to be brilliant fun.

A small field of riders made themselves ready and we were off.  The format of the day was simply brilliant.  100km of riding in total, mostly sportive riding with 4 timed segments (think enduro racing or rally special stages).  Timed segments would take about 20 mins to compete. The times would be added together to give a total time and hence a winner.


Segment 1 was the wildest with best views as well - climb Rudland Rigg to the top and then descend Monkett House.  The climb is not steep, but plenty enough to hurt if you go too hard and the descent claimed several riders with punctures.  Local knowledge informed me well and I kept myself just out of the red going up and knew to trust my tubeless tyres on the way down.  I also knew some good lines that kept me clear of real nasty bits.  As I rode over the timing mat at the end I felt good.  What a rush, just under 20 mins of effort and a big smile.  I had passed my friend and coach Tom on the way down, he had suffered the first of several punctures through the day.


I waited for the rest of the guys to reassemble and off we went to climb Blakey Bank, a climb I had never cleared before.  Today was different, cleared easily seated all the way.
Some more riding along disused railway to descend over Spaunton Moor and then into Cropton Forest.


Segment 2 was making use of forest roads, gravelly,hardpack and dry these were fast to ride but the uphill nature of the segment made it hard going.  I worked as hard as I could and was pleased to cross the final timing mats with a loud beep.  Food stop was there!  Really well stocked, whisky for those mad enough. A welcome rest and sharing of experiences so far with other riders.  And guess what, I was faster than coach Tom again as he had punctured again.

On we went at a leisurely pace to find segment 3.  After some disorientating signage we finally got to the start and off we went again.  I absolutely buried myself in this one, running through boggy sections and driving hard on the good roads.  A fully stood up sprint finish took me over the timing mats.
But wait.
Something missing here.
No noise.
I jumped on the mat, still no noise.
Nobody else had heard a noise either.
A man turns up, looks at the box of tricks and turns it on. Not happy. 
Tom was even less happy as he had really beasted this segment.

On we go again, we eventually get to where I believe segment 4 will be, but no start mats?  A lone marshal there informs us that this segment has been removed (never put in).  We take the path and are glad it is not a timed segment as it had very little to do with riding and more to do with carrying/pushing.

We complete the ride and semi collapse in the field.  100km is not far, but 100km off-road is pretty far as you use different muscles to absorb shocks as you plummet over the stones.







FEED ME NOW!
Hoping that some post event food is included in my entry fee I go and see the food man.  It is not included....... and whilst good food, not cheap either.












I have put some thought into my overall opinions of the day:  

• Yes it was expensive to enter, some food thrown in at the start/end would have helped.
• The concept for the day was brilliant and in my opinion one way forward for gravel racing in the UK.
• Expensive, important equipment that the day is based upon should be looked after and monitored by humans all day.
• Signage in forests is really important, a bit like proof reading have somebody who does not know the route follow the signs as they are put out.
• The route was great.
• The smiles I had were brill.
• Overall I really enjoyed the day and will look for similar events in the future.

I really wish Emma and Kinesis all the best with this format and event, I do accept first time glitches and hope to see it again, but better.  Thanks for a great day.

Have I said how much fun the riding was?

Oh, and I placed 6th overall - WHOOP WHOOP!

Of I go to search out some bigger gravel tyres...........

A big ride in the Dales, planning and leading a group ride

Last weekend saw me leading group of riders from Selby Cycling Club around 124km of Dales roads.  We took in some of the remotest and most beautiful areas of the area along with over 2000m of famous climbs and descents. 
Such a venture is not without challenge when alone or a pair, but what about when you invite a group along?
I have planned and led several of these rides and this is what I have found out.

Planning a Route

Buttertubs Pass

I always start my ride planning with a few key highlights - good climbs, cracking descents, fabulous views etc.  I use personal experience of rides in the area and books such as Simon Warren's excellent series of "Climbs" books to help.  Then I sit with Ridewithgps.com and plan the route as best I can.  It is usually now that I start to consider the best start/finish point if it is a drive and ride day.  I will endeavour to avoid major roads as much as possible.  The route length and climbing severity will evolve with the planning.  The ride needs a focus.  This latest ride was focussed on my favourite descents in the area and I chose 4 brilliant extended descents that always make me smile.  I just had to join them up.  I wanted to descend fro Birkdale Common to Nateby, from Tan Hill to Keld, Buttertubs heading north and down Whipperdale Bank to Leyburn.

The café stop is really important.  It needs to be between 1/2 and 2/3 way through the route and ideally a good few km from the next hill as you do not want anybody to be seeing their lunch again on a 15% gradient.  I always look for quality, it is after all a highlight of the day.  For this ride I did some extensive searching online and came up with a suitable pub half way around called the Moorcock Inn.

Timing the Route

Whatever time you think the group will accomplish the ride in, add 20% for first 5 riders, then 10% for each extra 5 riders and that will be nearer the truth.  This extra time is generated by waiting to regroup, waiting for food in the café, mechanical problems and general faffing that occurs with groups.  It is always better to over estimate the time for the ride as this keeps fellow riders in the good graces of their families at home.

Announcing the Ride

Different groups will have different vehicle to announce such rides, SCC use Facebook pretty effectively.  I will post an invitation on the Facebook page some 4-5 weeks ahead stating date, length, climbing, area and a link to the planned route so people can make an informed decision about joining the ride.  I will also be clear about the required speeds and abilities that I will expect from participants.  I try to be as fair as possible to all, I do not want riders to be too different in abilities as this is no fun for faster or slower riders.

Ride Rules

When I announce the ride I will always state the ride rules.  These will be repeated in posts nearer the date of the ride.  My rules are simple and, I think, there for clear reasons:
The group climb and descend at their own pace.  The group will regroup at the top and bottom of every hill.
The group try to stay together along valleys riding at an appropriate pace for all.
Safety and enjoyment are paramount, no rider will put others or themselves at unnecessary risk (eg descending on cross bar) as we will probably be out of phone coverage.

Changing the Rules as you go along

Sometimes it becomes clear that the ride rules need to be adjusted.  In the case of my last ride it was clear that stronger riders needed to be sent down the road to ensure their enjoyment whilst other riders needed to be allowed to set their own pace, once again to ensure their enjoyment.  A meet point was set (lunch café) and the break allowed.  Over lunch, adjustments were made to the route for all and suitable decisions were made for the remainder of the day.  These situations are not uncommon, especially when riding with riders for the first time.

Group Ride Mind-set

If you are riding in a group over challenging terrain such as this you have to change your mind-set.  You may be used to riding at a set speed, looking good in 2 nice lines all nicely spaced wheel to wheel.  This is going out of the window as soon as you get to hills.  The bunch explodes as each claw their way up the slope.  Descending is spaced for safety reasons as confident/competent riders exceed 35mph easily.  All riders need to exhibit more tolerance of other riders, smile when waiting again and be willing to spend more time than is usual chatting whilst stood still.  Enjoy the view and encourage others in the group.
As ride leader I will happily ride at the front, middle or back of the group.  On this ride I was the one who waited for others and tried to ensure that all were enjoying their day.

Safety briefings

At certain points in the ride I impart whatever safety knowledge I know to all participants.  On this ride this included a ford to cross, some steep hairpin bends on a descent and in one case I rode ahead to stop and flag a particularly nasty bend coming off Buttertubs which has claimed lives in the past.  It is of course down to individuals to assess personal risk, but it is my responsibility to warn of every known danger to inform personal decisions.

Another Successful Day

The ride was a success.  We had one fall and broken bike which meant one retirement and a volunteer to assist with transport.  I am very grateful to this volunteer as I could not really leave the ride as leader.  We only went off course once and I seamlessly took us back on course.  Lunch was acceptable, though not up my usual standards and the weather played nice. 

Where shall I go next?

The Evolution of MY Gravel Racer for @aggregate100k

Section of Aggregate 100 Route above Rosedale

Following the bitterness I felt after my repeated failed entry into #3peakscxrace (did you know that I have been refused entry two consecutive years now?) I have entered a local gravel race.  Well gravel race in the UK sense of this kind of event.  #Aggregate100 is run by Kinesis Bikes and will involve (surprisingly) 100km of riding, mostly off road, across the North Yorkshire Moors and through forests therein.  It is not going to be to the same scale as Dirty Kanza 200 or others of such grand scale in USA as we are clearly a smaller place with far fewer unmade roads.

Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race

The biggest difference though is that most of the event is run as a sportive and the race part is over 4 timed sections.  I guess this is because of our strict laws on racing bikes on public byways that we have in this country.

My take on a Gravel Bike

I have gone for the simplest option with regard a gravel bike.  I have just taken what I have and made it work.

So I start with a Kinesis Pro6 aluminium cx frame - disc brake only, and as seen in the pictures utilising my own weight saving paint job in key areas.  This frame doubles as my winter bike when mudguards and road wheels are added.

Add to this tubeless clincher wheels.  In my case 29er Stans mtb rims built up by Hope, running Vittoria xg pro tubeless tyres.  A combination that I have used on previous 3 Peaks and Scotten 100 rides.

Drivetrain is 10 speed Sram Rival, 44/34 chainrings with 12-32 cassette give plenty range of gears (Too big a range, but fickle UK weather could dictate the whole ride in small chainring or whole ride in large chainring)

Brakes are Avid BB7 cable pull with added "chicken" levers on the bars.

Bar tape is Zipp Service Course CX - works really well in wet and mud and is bit thicker than usual.

Pedals are Time mtb pedals as normal for cx.

Special touches to make it all work better as a gravel bike

From my experience the two most frustrating aspects of off-road riding on a bike like this are forearm/hand comfort and keeping bottles on the bike.

Arm/hand comfort is best addressed using a variety of positions.  When cx racing I stay continuously on the hoods.  For gravel riding I will ride on hoods for climbing and along fast flat sections.  Descents can be taken on tops, hoods or in drops.  If I am carrying speed I will use the drops as this gives the best braking and also the most bump absorption before the hands.

A bit of grip tape on the drop brake levers ensures my fingers do not loose connection whilst bouncing over rocks on the hoods with wet, muddy hands and levers. 
In the past I have used gel pads on the bars, this bar tape is thick enough ridden with padded gloves and varying hand position.

Bottle cages are "reinforced" with strips of inner tube tied between the two halves and more grip tape stuck on the inside to hold those bottles in.

The addition of second set of brake levers gives another possible safe hand position whilst riding.

Tell us about Tyre Pressure

All cx riders love to talk about tyre pressure, preferably whilst squeezing front tyres with knowledgeable nods or frowns.  It is an entirely personal thing, I ride much lower than many of my fellow riders (perhaps due to mtb heritage rather than road) but it works for me.

During my recent test recce of parts of the course I rode with 40psi front and rear, about 15psi more than I would use cx racing these wheels and tyres.  This gave enough solidity for road riding and good grip over gravel.  I might try a little more as some of the bangs I managed to achieve smacking the rims on rocks were a little alarming.  There is a reason that mtb tyre have such large volumes.

How does it feel?

I love riding off-road.  The course is simply old school mountain biking - from a time before Dalby Forest had a bike park when 1.5inch tyres and steel rigid forks ruled.  It can be ridden fast on this bike, stronger riders could ride it even faster.  I have found this setup to be fast up, fast along and as fast as I dare down.

Ride light

Is a phrase that I was told by a good friend many years ago when I rode mtb and he came out on a cx bike.  He managed to keep up with us over rough ground (who am I kidding - he was loads faster) and did not puncture. 

I asked him how?
He replied that he simply rode light.  (Down towards Sheep Wash Mr. Streeton)

I have tried to do this ever since.  My understanding is to encourage the bike to float over rough sections.  Not a full on bunny hop, just ensure that your feet are not pushing down on the pedals and arms are absorbing as much as possible.  Modern mtbs encourage riders to hit most obstacles as forks and big tyres do the work for you.  Each crash from a wheel hitting a rock full on is a potential disaster, yet speed is still your friend.  At speed a 1m lift of the bike becomes a 2m lift and your ride can become nearly silent as you glide over the terrain.

I do suffer with aching legs though.  All that standing whilst barrelling down through rock gardens takes a real strain on the lower legs no longer used to such abuse.  I have worked hard to protect my hands, little I can do for my legs.

I am looking forward to this new event.  It is undoubtedly part of the future of cycling in this country, how it can be made more competitive for longer distances without going to Kielder or Scotland is the question.

As always, thank you for reading and happy cycling

Sunset over Farndale

Race, Recover, Race again. #3peakscxrace update and Reasons to Love your LBS

Cyclocross

A busy few weeks (strangely) for a cyclocross racer.  Cyclocross, being a winter sport, leaves the summer for other forms of riding.  In Yorkshire we have a summer cx league and smaller local series that squeeze in during spring and autumn as well so that means it is possible to race pretty much all year round.  In recent week I have raced at Nunroyd Park, Leeds and Pateley Bridge, squeezing some quality hard sessions and recovery in between.

Nunroyd Park is another fast course, I averaged over 22kmh which is fast for me (winter speeds can be down to 16kmh).  It was a good race,  I showed good power on a long drag climb and kept good speed although I kept fluffing up a few off camber corners.  I must commit more and be more aggressive with the front tyre.  My finish position of 65 was good in the field of 130, 15th in my age group.

Pateley Bridge was much more to my liking.  A more technical course with lots of off camber tight turns followed by short, sharp steep climbs.  A bit of sand and an even bigger wheel of doom made it a fun (in my eyes) course. 
A little moisture in the ground and in the air meant I opted for mud tyres which gave me plenty of confidence for the corners.  A good choice! 
The nature of the course brought the average speed down (I averaged just over 17kmh) which also played to my strengths.  Don't get excited reading this, I did not win but came in 52nd, 12th in my age group which with an influx of strong "Sunday only" racers was really pleasing.

Recovery between these really hard efforts is really important.  I have worked with coach Tom to try to coordinate three elements:  "Do nothing" rest, active recovery exercise and nutrition.  It seems that we are getting the combination somewhere near effective and I can bounce back from hard efforts much quicker.  If I could make myself behave more during active recovery and ignore Strava bleeping at me on my Garmin I could recover even quicker!

#3peakscxrace

As I mentioned in an earlier post I have been unsuccessful in my entry to #3peakscxrace for the second year running.  I have been in email contact with the event organiser who has explained the selection procedure.  I hope that he does not mind me reproducing it in part below for all readers to understand:

  We check experience from a safety perspective.  There were very few entries removed this way, mainly those who left the experience box blank.

2.       Guaranteed entries are put through.  This includes marshals from the previous year and the top 10 riders from each category.

3.       Rider quotas are established to ensure the field is balanced.  These quota’s are balanced against the number of entries in each category (i.e. if 40% of the registered entry is V40, then 40% of the paces are allocated to V40).

4.       The entry list is then subject to a random sort using Microsoft excel – the resulting sheet forms the list from which entries and reserve list are drawn.

 

The popularity of the race is the problem – particularly since 2012 when numbers surpassed 650 for the first time.  The landowner for P-Y-G allows an entry of 650 which means that one third of applicants are unsuccessful.  This year, there are so many well qualified entries who have a place, such as yourself, and it is also disappointing for us to see these turned away.  An alternative approach would be for us to just select riders we liked from the list although they would clearly be unfair! 

 

As a mathematician I cannot see any aspect of this procedure that is anything other than very fair and I have to live with the disappointment, hoping to get in off the reserve list.  Next year.........

 

I Love my LBS

As you will know, my LBS is York Cycleworks.  There are nearer bike shops to my home, but this is the one for me.  In this time of internet shopping and price matching I would like to share my reasons and my own rules with regard to purchasing bike related stuff.

#yorkcycleworks will always help me out.  If I need a cup of tea during a ride, mechanical assistance or advice they will always provide it.  As an example, I dropped in the other week and top lad Liam fixed my poorly maintained rear road wheel.  It needed some work after 6 years of none.
He could have sold me new freehubs and all sorts, but no.  He stripped it, replaced only what needed replacing (bearings), cleaned it and gave it back nicely greased and as new.  All at a brilliant fair price.
As a clever bunch of chaps and chapesses #yorkcycleworks are fully aware of the internet and the low prices that can be found.  My personal rules are these: 

• I will never ask my LBS to match a ludicrously low price, it is unfair to expect them to sell at a loss.
• I do use internet providers for some stuff just because the price is right and I have the ability to maintain/build my own bike at home.
• Items that may go wrong (Garmin, wheels) I will buy from my LBS as it would be unfair of me to ask for support with an item bought elsewhere.
• If I find a good price I will ask about price matching, if my LBS get close I will go LBS.
• I love the fact that they will help me if I drop in, but fully understand that if they are busy I have to wait and drink tea.
• I will buy them biscuits/cake/beer in gratitude for their help.
• I will always race in their colours (even though I am not very good) because their colours are ace.

I will always be an advocate for #yorkcycleworks as we have built our relationship over nearly 20 years.  I would not enjoy my cycling as much without them.

 

My love is undiminshed, so why does #3peakscxrace not return my love?

June 1st saw me once again make my annual web based pilgrimage to the 3 Peaks Cyclocross Entry pages. 
I duly checked all my details and filled in as truthfully as I could details of my past performances, current relevant competitions and expected finish time.

I then sent this off and waited patiently, feeling fairly confident that this year I would get the opportunity to spend a day with my love as last year she had refused to meet me.



Off went my form to the #3peakscxrace dating agency who would put my profile to the panel for possible compatibility potential.  Such a worthwhile partner does of course have many suitors, some searching for long term relationships and some looking for a quick fling to see what the fuss is about.  I felt that I had met often enough on the last Saturday of September  to have some kind of "understanding" between us, I knew that we were not exclusive, but come on, I had stayed with her in the rain and wind of 2012 which had reduced her number of admirers that day considerably.

So I waited for a reply, checking each hour for the email.

Finally it has arrived.

 

 

Oh, but how she teases, am I just a mere muse to her? 

 

My confidence was still high, surely she would return my love and devotion.  I had specific training workouts ready to schedule into my ongoing training plan.  These must impress her.

 

 

Then I received the second email.  I open it and read with disbelief.

 

I read it again and again and again.  What does this mean? 

 

 

Why does she reject me so?

 

Am I not manly enough?

 

Do I not show her respect?

 

Should I have included a photoshopped image of myself in my profile and exaggerated my achievements?  Perhaps if I said that I would finish in 2hrs 30?

 

 

I know that this is a race and the best entrants must be on the start line.  It is not a sportive.  All entrants are expected to be there to hurt themselves in order to finish as quickly as they can.  I get it.  I enjoy that aspect.  I am competitive.  I do not finish at the back, in fact I finish nearer the front than the back.  So I do not understand what I have done wrong.

 

 

Rejected two years running?  My fragile riding ego is shattered, I see no fun anymore in riding intervals.  No fun in planning customisations to bike set-up.

 

 

 

I wish I could simply move onto a new infatuation, friends of mine who hold similar feelings for London Marathon simply move onto Paris or Edinburgh or many other eligible marathons, but there is only one #3peakscxrace and she does not seem to love me. 

 

 

 

 

I know that #3peakscxrace is not gender specific, I am simply happier applying a sexual orientation for the sake of this piece of writing.

Two Races in 3 Days and Will Strava ruin my life?

A double whammy of ramblings this time around.

Race Reports

First up is my continued efforts in the Yorkshire Summer CX league.  Sunday and Wednesday saw races at York and Killinghall, Harrogate.  The weather at both was fine, dry and not windy either.  Not my ideal conditions as this makes for fast paced racing with few technical challenges.

York, being my local race organised by York Cycleworks is very important to me.  It is the flattest, most featureless course you could dream up for cx racing but the twisty, turny nature of the design and lack of recovery sections makes it probably the hardest course in the series as you are at full gas 100% of the time. The circle of doom is huge and seems to take forever to go in and come back out again.
I raced hard with a fairly good start and aggressive first lap to hold my position.  As the race progressed I was quite literally seeing stars as the effort ramped up and I tried to maintain speed. 
The end came and I replaced the lung that seemed to have fallen out earlier in the race.  My vision returned and I handed in my timing chip from my leg which was, surprisingly, still attached.
I had finished well (for me) in the standings, 6th in my age group.




Wednesday came around far too fast for my aching legs.  A couple gentle days between had not cleared the muscles of all the pain incurred Sunday. 
Oh well, we can but try. 
This was an evening race which of course means some juggling with kids, Annabel, traffic etc.  As always the family helped as best they could and I got to the course with 30 mins to sign in and warm up.  Unfortunately the junior race had started so I could not ride the full course but had "the back half" to warm up on.
This course is one of my favourites.  It has elevation change, fast bits, tricky bits, trees and another massive circle of doom to ride in and get lost for a while.
At the start I was feeling pretty good and as the whistle went I surged forward.  Again a great start, perhaps too aggressive in some early corners as I locked the rear wheel a few times and had to use other rider to "rest upon" going round.  All good fun and perfectly legal.
I was ahead in my own private battle with friends Sven and Steve.  Couple laps in and Steve seemed some way off but Sven was right behind and soon passed me.  Couple more laps and Steve also went by and on to catch Sven and win our little battle.  Things were not going great for me.
Another good friend Sam came past me on a corner and my rear wheel slid a bit much, losing air as it burped.  I had to finish the race with a half inflated tyre.  I managed to keep speed on the straight but corners had to be taken a little more gingerly so as not to cause more problems.  A few more riders cruised by on the many corners.
This race saw me finish 14th in my age group which I was grateful for.

Will Strava ruin my life?

Strava is a magical thing that lets you know how fast you were on segments of road, trail, race course etc.  It works via gps and a magic website.
I am still fairly new to Strava and the gloss has yet to fade a little.  I enjoy looking at my segment results and have some favourite local segments.
My problem is that I find it hard to ignore them.  As I ride along on my gentle recovery ride my computer suddenly shouts at me the next segment challenge.  As the distance countdown continues to the start of the segment I am also confronted with the name of a friend who is a bit quicker than me on that segment, personalising the challenge even more.
This gives me about 30 secs to try to ignore the challenge and continue riding at my gentle pace. 

Can I do this? 

Can I 'eck!

Before I know what is happening I am "giving it a go, nice and gently" which of course becomes "full gas, go, go, go"

Bang goes my recovery. 

I know I should ignore it. 

I know it is not helpful to good training. 

I know, I know, I know.

Turn it off you fool.

Nutrition Timing

 

OK, so I see myself as quite an intelligent person, well read in stuff that I am interested in.  It is clear that I am interested in performance on a bike (or running) so that is what I read about - a lot!

But a simple conversation with coach Tom this week turned a stone revealing information that has led to an immediate improvement in training.

 

A bit of background:  I have been struggling with turbo sessions in a big way, really struggling and feeling pretty low about these sessions.  Weak, much lower output numbers than targeted, not enjoying them at all.  In contrast my "big rides" outside have been going really well.  Why is there such a discrepancy?

My nutrition is pretty good.  I look closely at what I eat and my wheat free diet means that I monitor things more closely than most and do not eat many processed grains (pasta/bread).  I know roughly how many calories I consume each day and I know details at the macronutrient level as well (amount of carbs, protein etc.).  I try to plan my eating to ensure that I get the right amount of what I need to perform.

Turning the stone:

Coach Tom said "I know you eat well but have you looked at nutrition timing?", "I think so" I replied.  "Grazing is good" said Tom.  I thought "I do graze - breakfast, snack mid morning, lunch, snack afternoon, tea, supper".  BUT then Tom asked "Do you eat before your turbo session if you are doing it at 4?". 


He carried on "There is too long a gap between lunch and your hard turbo session, eat a banana about an hour before."


On came the light bulb!




So this week I have eaten a banana about an hour before the hard turbo sessions and bingo - much better performance in outputs, alertness, confidence.

Lesson: 

Plan nutrition for all training sessions, you need to be fuelled correctly for an hour at high(est) intensity just in the same way as 3 hours tempo on the road.

When things are not working well, talk to somebody who knows stuff.  A conversation is actually better than an email as well as it can drift around the issue.

Thanks Tom, another gain in my training.

Why do bad things happen at the furthest point?

Went for a great ride with a group of friends on Sunday.  Things were going well, comfortable speed and a lovely route.

Then things went a bit wrong.  I punctured or rather something put an inch long rip in my tubeless tyre.  There was no way the sealant was going to cope so time for an inner tube.

In front of the group of impatient to get on riders expecting this "new-fangled tubeless" stuff to not work I quickly got the tyre off with just thumbs!  Things were looking good.

Then came the removal of the valve - a valve that has not been touched for 6 years - a valve covered in sealant - a valve with a fixing nut that was very stuck.  Now in my mtb pack I carry a small set of pliers just for this problem, but not in my road pack.  What now?

First, get rid of the spectators - send them off to continue the ride giving me peace to solve the problem and stop any grumbling.
Second, a nice man doing his garden lent me some pliers and within 5 minutes I had the valve out.

Time for the new tube - in it went.  Pump it up and pump it up again and keep pumping.  Bugger, the tube had a hole in it.  The main reason I love tubeless is the removal of tubes which I always seem to puncture whilst fitting.

Now some will say at this point that if I was not using tubeless...... but a double puncture can happen to anyone.  I know that I should have had a puncture kit as well.

Now I have a problem.  Fortunately my lovely partner agreed to come a get me in the car.


BUT WHY DID THIS ALL HAPPEN AT THE FURTHEST POINT FROM HOME? 

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAPPEN FURTHEST POINT FROM HOME?


To continue the tubeless story, the tyre is now fixed using a Velox tubeless tyre patch  on the inside and superglue on the outside.  Fixed in 10 minutes.
Seat pack now also contains a small set of pliers, a new tube and a minimal puncture repair kit to go with the tyre levers, multi-tool  and CO2 canister.

Otley CX Race and the week since

Alternate Wednesday nights are Yorkshire cx summer league.  These are a great chance to continue the development of race speed and catch up with racing buddies.  Unfortunately the start time is a little tight for those of us who a) work  b) have partners who work  c) have kids.  But I try to get to as many as I can.

Otley is probably the closest to me so I had a chance to warm up (I often rock up, pay and race immediately).  Not gridded yet in this series I held my elbows out at the start as top riders were called forward.  The start was good, I was making places already.  First lap going well, the long slog along the bottom of the course which killed me last year was a doddle (training having some effect) and then it went a bit pear shaped.  Quick releases do not usually come undone.  I am pretty good (as a mountain biker) at doing them up but strangely I had to stop 4 times to retighten and reclose QRs.  Still it was a great race and I finished smiling.

Next day I ordered some meaty QRs to replace the spindly weight savers I was running.

This week was half term week so I have had a few days off the bike whilst we visited family and went camping in Shropshire.  I did take trainers and ran 10km for the first time in ages.  Although I took it at steady pace (55mins) my quads really told me their opinion of the downhills.

I also squeezed a couple of shorter runs in whilst camping and took the strategy of running up the hills and walking down in order to appease my abused leg muscles.

This week I have entered the 3 Peaks once again.  I say entered, but the process is not so simple.  I have applied to enter.  If I am seen as suitable or drawn out of a hat then I will be able to enter properly.  I will be gutted beyond guttedness if I do not get a place this year following the disappointment of not getting a ride last year.  Here's hoping.

Etape du Dales

What better way to spend a Sunday 

Drive to Threshfield.  Park up.  Unload your bike.  Get on it and stop riding 7 hours later.  What a great route as well, plenty of climbing and descending.  Some up valley roads and plenty of fast down valley roads as well.  This ride takes in some of the most beautiful and remote roads in England.  If you get the chance - ride it

Strava link for the ride

So how was the ride?  I had a clear strategy for the day - ride in groups as much as possible and don't overcook the climbs.

I succeeded on both counts, good group riding of various speeds and well controlled climbing.  (Controlled in this context means not dribbling snot on to my stem and having to stop to pick up my lung.)
Real fast freight train groups made short work of sections around Horton in Ribblesdale and Littondale.

Gold standard time limit was 7hrs.  I finished in 7:15, outside this limit.  If I had not queued for a wee I might have made it.  It was not my intention to achieve a gold, simply finish the course strongly so I am more than chuffed.

What will make you faster on a bike?

What will really make you faster on a bike?

Much is written and argued about how to get faster on a bike.  Here is my personal take on the issue.

I choose to spend money on bikes and bike related stuff.  I want the most impact that I can get from each expenditure.

What will not make me faster

 

 

Expensive wheels

Yes they look great.  Yes they sound ominous and threatening.  Yes they will make me 5secs faster over a few km.  Improvement per pound - Not enough

 

 

Aero everything

Same argument as with wheels.  As I wear stuff out I am replacing with more aero versions (shirts, helmet in next year) but I am not spending wholesale for the sake of a few seconds.

What has made me faster

Bike Fit

You want to ride fast for a long time (not just the Strava segment you are on) you need to be comfortable.  Get a bike fit.  No more pain.  More power going to where it should be.  One off spend for years of comfort.

Getting a coach

That money I have not spent on wheels I have spent on a coach.  Massive measurable improvements in all aspects of my training and riding.  Without doubt the biggest improvement per pound you can spend.

Getting a power meter

My latest toy- single side power meter.  I do not need double sided so have saved the money.  I also went for Bepro as cheapest proper power meter I could find.  Why has this made me faster?
Until you see power figures you never really know how hard you are pushing.  Climbing long hills and sustained hard efforts are so easy to control with power.  You know what you can hold for 5 mins and you keep near this.  This is how Team Sky ride (different time factors and power outputs withstanding) and it clearly works.  I am faster climber and faster all around because I can ensure that I do not over cook and burn all my matches too soon.




All 3 of the above have cost me less than a pair of semi flash wheels.  The cost of a pair of Zipp wheels would keep me in training, bike fit and power for maybe 4 years.

It has been a while since my last post........

The year is now 2016.  Some things have changed.

• I now have two gorgeous young ladies that bring me boundless amount of joy.
• I still ride bikes and love every moment that I can get on two wheels.
• I don't run as much or as far as I did.  I do still run, but only as cross training.
• I now train under a coach.
• I am recovering from a serious illness.

So to catch up since last post:
I have completed the 3 Peaks in 2012, 13 and 14.  But 2015 I did not compete.  I MISSED THE DRAW!  The number of applicants for this highlight of my year always surpasses the number of entrants allowed.  Last year I missed the cut and sulked a lot.  This was a double whammy because I had trained hard under a coach for the year up to this event.  Hopefully this year will be different.

 

Cyclocross

What started as a laugh has become a focus for my cycling.  I love this discipline and am getting quite good sometimes.  It is a strange combination of fitness, power and recovery over 40mins along with bike handling skills and a bit of luck.  It is an excellent release for competitive urges and of course an excuse for new kit.  This year I have built up my Ritchey Swiss Cross which I have to say I am very proud of.

 

 

 

 

Finished bike with FMB tubs, Force 1x10, TRP cable discs and of course Ritchey finishing kit.

Extra bits included gutting the left lever to make true 1x drivetrain











Lovely when clean and shiny, but usually looks like this:

 

Training with a coach

Thought I would see what all the fuss is about and it is all true.

• I have somebody who will listen to me and look at what I do and what I want to do
• He pushes me in sometimes strange directions
• He tells me when to go hard and when to go easy
• He explains the macro and the micro
• He praises me and challenges as well

Yes it costs money, but I think it is worth it.  I am stronger, more powerful, faster and recover better than ever before.  I still have a way to go but I  am on the road.

Recovering from Serious Illness

This bit is a bit personal and really hard to talk about, but I want to get it out there to help myself and perhaps help others as well.  It seems strange to be posting on the internet stuff that I have not spoken to many people about.

During 2015 I suffered from some kind of breakdown.  It seems that the years of stress and demands of work had built up to the point that I had to have some time off work - quite a bit of time.  I was diagnosed as suffering from anxiety and depression (oh how on trend) and have received various types of treatment to help me gain control of my life again.

I have done counselling, am on a long term course of medication and obviously use cycling as a type of meditation.

How did things get so bad?  Well I don't know really.  I guess you can liken it to ivy growing over a building - it grows slowly and you never really notice what is happening until there is a major problem.

What have I done?  Changes have been made to my work which are all positive (except financial) and I am becoming better at understanding myself in terms of "moods" and how I react to situations.  Gone are daily panic attacks, gone are dark moments and self-doubt.  Positive thinking is my aim.

The few friends that do know about my illness have been soooooo supportive, never judgemental and positive.  My immediate family have always listened and helped me through my periods of darkness.