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.

What will really 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.

Been away from this blog for quite a while........

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.

#3peaks entered

My entry to 2013 Three Peaks Cyclocross has been successful.  Roll on end of September.  This is by far the most exciting sporting event I have ever entered.

Couple of Target Events Completed

It has been a while since I wrote anything, being a dad and work commitments take priority I am afraid.  Well anyway, I have done a couple of events that need reflection.

Richmond Sportive

Way back in early July I rode the Richmond Cycle Club 80mile 4 Dales Sportive.  This is the second time that I have ridden this route and I have to say it is really good fun.  The climbs are great, all appear in Simon Warren's fantastic "100 Greatest Cycling Climbs" book.

This year a necessary detour took the route over Buttertubs Pass instead which added a new tough climb and brilliant descent to the route.  The new route took in 1810m climbing and 113km.

Anyway, I succeeded in achieving a Silver standard time again and got to test my new tubeless wheel setup which was fantastic - fast, good grip and quiet.  I managed a max speed of 65km/hr coming down from Buttertubs.  No skipping or nervousness from the wheels, simply smooth and confidence inspiring.

Next year I will aim to complete the full 100mile route and take in Fleet Moss and Park Rash climbs as well.

Lakeland Trails Coniston Trail Marathon

Early August saw me take the whole family to Ambleside for a little run around Coniston Water.  They were put into a B+B with pool whilst I went over to Coniston for the race.  The weather was pants, rain and more rain for the actual race.  The course was tougher than I thought.  A total of 950m climbing combined with a course that muddier, rockier, narrower and generally more technical as the miles ticked away.  The final 10km or so along the lake shore was especially unpopular with me as it was root infested meaning I spent my time watching my feet, chopping and changing my stride length constantly.

Anyway I completed the course in 4:18.  I wanted to run 4 hours so did not manage that but reflecting on my training, total lack of speed work and the tougher than expected running conditions I am actually quite happy.  

In comparison with other competitors I was 124/310 finishers in all classes.  42/92 in Vet40 class.  A time of 4:13 would have put me in 100th position overall so I was well in the bunch.

As an event I really enjoyed it.  The trails were fair and challenging (if tougher than I expected).  Running along trails that were little more than running streams is always fun.  I judged my pace well, managing to run the whole route except one especially steep climb and even overtook quite a few other runners.

Marathon running in the rain

Data from Coniston Trail Marathon