Heading into Christmas

It goes without saying that 2020 has been a bag of rusty old spanners. I think cycling is one of the things that's kept me going. As we head into Christmas in the cold and wet of England there's still plenty of riding to do. I'm trying to hit my year goal and I've optimistically signed up up for the Festive 500 challenge. So here's what I've been up to.

On Tuesday I made it to Corby Capers CX training. Those of us in tier 2 Northants benefitted from Phil and Dave setting up a cracking course with cambers, mud and a killer hill. Ridiculously our friends five minutes away in tier 3 Leicestershire weren't allowed to join in. The virus knows and does actually rebound at the border between Harborough and Braybrooke. Anyone looking at that Strava data and thinking that doesn't look much of a ride...come and have a go! Check out my heart rate data.

These are all age sessions so the oldies like me are mixed in with kids. It was great to see the dad and lad combos. It took real bravery to descend off the hill into no grip mud so kudos to the kids giving it a go. 

The next morning I went for a run which my legs advised me was a distinctly poor decision! I then hobbled around work for the rest of the day.

On Saturday I set out with the intention of joining the Cyclasylum ride. I mistimed it by a few minutes and failed to meet them at Rushton meaning I did the group ride route solo. This then became the most eventful ride. The route went a bit weird in Desborough but led to one of my favourite roads through Braybrooke and onto Market Harborough. I was loving that rolling road and my Forme Longcliffe was flying along with those American Classic wheels. In Harborough the route went doolally again on my Wahoo and I ended up practising some CX skills going over this railway footbridge...

The adventures kept coming as an old man driving round the corner to get his Daily Mail did the classic of looking for cars and not bikes and nearly turning straight into me. Fortunately I have a big gob and my shout stopped him in his tracks. The poor bloke looked shocked to bobbins and I feel a bit bad for calling him names but near death experiences do that to my reasonableness levels.

In better news the route got really nice heading into Medbourne where Mr Minney predictably sent us up Neville Holt. I realised I needed to tweak the front derailleur as it had some chain drag in full granny gear. Some lovely walkers gave me encouragement as I huffed and puffed past. I then took my banana 🍌 break at the top exactly where I imagined my missing friends would have done, a bit earlier in the day. 

Then the route took me through Great Easton and I instantly knew Mr Minney's sadistic route plan. Rocky flipping hill!

I changed down to Granny again and what was a necessary tweak suddenly appeared more serious. My rear mech was pulsing all over the place. I changed back to the big ring which fixed the problem but no way was I riding up Rocky in the big ring so I changed down and tried to nurse it up the hill. I was at the bit where you can see the sign at the top and got over confident...I stood up on the pedals and came to an abrupt halt with a sickening crunch. Initially I thought I'd ripped the derailleur off but then realised my entire back wheel was off, the derailleur looked wrong and the chain was all looped up. Some kind fellow lycra loonies stopped to help and kindly suggested this was due to "too much power." We got the back wheel on, the mech straight and I was able to tentatively proceed in the big ring. By the BP roundabout it felt okay again and I was riding normally. In Pipewell the chain got thrown off the bottom cog so evidently all was not well. I took it as easy as possible all the way home. One of those lycra sammaritans suggested I get it looked at, so I best seek professional help! I'm guessing I haven't set the wheels up correctly. Oh well it's only money...

On Sunday I decided on an off road route and once again got the Forme Calver out of the shed. It was a road route to start with, up to Harrington and towards Kelmarsh before that lovely descent to Arthingworth.

Form there I headed through the village and onto the Brampton Valley way. There were lots of walkers and fellow cyclists on this shared use path and as ever excited/scared children having an adventure in the Kelmarsh tunnel. 

Being multi use the Brampton Valley Way is not a place for high intensity training, racing or riding without care and consideration. I really enjoy the general atmosphere of friendly waves and thanking dog owners for responsibly getting their dogs under control. I don't have a bell so shout "ding, ding!" as I ride up behind groups of people. This is almost always responded to with the humour intended. The track was full of puddles so sticking to a dry line meant a bit of consideration for other users.

This brings me to the only downer of the day. As I made my way down the track another cyclist headed my way. I swerved round a puddle and moved back to the left and went to say good morning. Before I could get a word out the other cyclist snarled "left!" As you can imagine my response was swift and contained two words. I briefly considered chasing the bloke down and really giving him both barrels but common sense got the better of me. I have no idea why people need to behave like this. A walker a few metres on told me that the cyclist was rude to him too! Thankfully my mood returned to normal quickly and I was lucky enough to bump into an old friend for a chat! 

I met my friend half way up Merry Tom Lane and from there headed to Pitsford Reservoir which was just as busy and just as friendly as the BVW. I headed up the hill from the causeway towards Brixworth and then towards Scaldwell, then back to Lamport so I could get off road again. The fields round the back of Lamport and onto to Faxton were very muddy and hard to ride but great slippy fun. Then I encountered Phillip the dog. Poor Phillip is scared of bikes and ran round me in circles barking. Having been bitten earlier in the year I was wary of Phillip but there was no need, his poor owners clearly not expecting a lycra loonie in swampy fields were running round trying to catch frightened Phillip. As a dog owner they had my Sympathy! 

 

Those fields were enough mud for one day and I got back on the road at the Harrington war memorial. I caused more walkers to jump out of their skin on the green lane to Orton before heading down the hill to Rothwell where yet more walkers acted as if I was a passing herd of elephants. 

Once home there was a couple of immediate jobs.

First off my bike needed a thorough clean. Nothing decreases a chainset like mud and a quick hose down, brush with car wash and a thorough coat of GT85 did the job.

The queen of cakes presented me with my towell so I could strip off in the utility room. Everything including my shoes and camelbak went straight in the washing machine for the second week running.

All in all that's a great fun filled, eventfull week of riding! I'm looking forward to the Cyclasylum Christmas Eve ride and we'll see how I go in the festive 500.

Happy Pedalling 

Turning 50, too much running, covid19 ruins things again and a return to riding!

I haven't written a blog for a while because I haven't done much riding. The reasons for this are lockdown 2.0 and completing a running challenge in November. Now though I'm firmly back on the bike as I try to finish horrendous 2020 on a cycling high and complete 3000 miles for the year!

Whilst lockdown 2.0 ruined November we lost coaching the kids at KCC Cyclones, Corby Capers cyclocross training, racing and group rides. For that reason I concentrated on a running challenge and completed 100km in a month for the first time ever. Helping me with that challenge was a long standing cycling friend, Jamie Stockham. Jamie and I shared a run around Pitsford on a couple of occasions. 

After a solo run around Pitsford I thought the challenge was over after experiencing a very tight achilles and calf. 

However with a lot of foam rolling and taping everything up not only did I get over it, my running got better and better each day. I always thought I needed more rest...it turns out I run better if I run every day.

In the middle of the challenge I enjoyed my 50th birthday. Again Covid19 ruined most of our plans but I still had a good day and was very lucky indeed.

Those delicious hoops of carbon are my most brilliant birthday present. Along with new bar tape, new pedals and a new saddle my Giant Propel has had quite the makeover!

The picture above shows how it looked in 2015 when we bought it. The wheels were not fitting for the bike then but a couple of years later I won some American classics which really ride well but...they're also not aero and so these Hunt 50mm Carbon wide wheels really finish the job. I've ridden the propel once outside since then and she's not coming out much between now and spring! I love those wheels though, you can feel they want to go fast and I could listen to that freewheel all day!!!

Lockdown 2.0 is over and now we're in tiers. We've decided not to run Cyclones until after Christmas. Corby Capers is back but only half of us can attend due to Leicestershire being in tier 3. The Leicestershire cyclocross league has been cancelled for 2020. A real shame for all those involved. Group rides are back here I tier 2!!!

Yesterday I opted for a solo spin, largely due to knowing that Mrs L wanted to get the Christmas tree 🎄. I didn't want to risk getting back late and getting a flea in my ear!!! 

Another reason was that I'd swapped those excellent American Classics wheels onto my trusty Forme Longcliffe. That upgrade means the Longcliffe is now an excellent 2nd/winter bike. It was cold and wet so massive kudos to the Cyclasylum riders who went out for a long group ride. Even bigger to my old cycling mate Andy Pendred who managed the sort of 100 mile ride that most of us save for a nice summer day! 

Today I took another of my mostly Forme fleet for a really enjoyable short off road ride. My Forme Calver is an absolute off road weapon. Its no wonder this bike is popular with cyclocross riders from the very best right down to well...me! No need for new wheels on this bike as it came equipped with Hunt Mason X disc wheels. One of the reasons I wanted Hunt on my Propel. 

It was cold, wet, slippy, windy and I absolutely bloody loved it. 

Not long after taking this picture at the Red Kite sculpture the real thing taunted me in Weekley Woods. For those of you who know how badly I want a good red kite picture, I could've touched this one! Anyway below is as good as I got!!!

That bird is definitely laughing at me. I tried some new kit out today having ordered new winter tights from Planet X at a bargain price. At first I was disappointed to discover they didn't have a chamois but then realised that the last thing you want to ride on is a cheap pad. Luckily I've had a few pairs of endura MTB shorts that come with a detachable inner short and a decent pad. So I just used a pair of those under the tights. Job done, nice and warm plus comfortable! These aren't as good as the Endura winter tights I used to have but they're also about a third of the price! Another thing I tried was aluminium foil to keep my toes warm as my cx shoes are not waterproof. Not sure how well it worked as the foil had disintegrated by the time I got home. Perhaps I need to go heavy duty.

So what next? Well I hope to get to Capers on Tuesday and out with Cyclasylum on Saturday. I've got 219 miles to reach my year goal of 3000 miles. I'm determined that gets done!

Before I go a big shout out to another good cycling friend David Wilson. He's started his own cycling blog the Davey Chain check it out, it's a good read.

Happy Pedalling 

12 reasons why group rides don't suck!

This weeks blog has been fueled by an article in Road CC 11 reasons why group rides suck! Let's get one thing very clear...THEY DON'T SUCK!!!

I've only been on my bike twice this week and only ran once. This is largely due to work...because even if you have a job like mine which is both satisfying and worthwhile...you still have to prioritise work over the hugely enjoyable hobby of cycling.

Ride number one was the long awaited return of Corby Capers cyclocross training. Massive thanks to the good people of Rockingham Forest Wheelers for sorting this out with extra special mentions to Mike, Phil, Sean and David. I can't tell you how much I have missed Corby Capers and Muddy Marvels. We had a great session with the new light sabres to illuminate the course. Technically not a group ride but there was a group of us and we did ride so...number 1 riding in a dark field and woods on your own would be rubbish...with your mates you haven't seen in ages its a lot of fun!!!

On Saturday I had another great group ride with the Cyclasylum. Reason number 2 I have had loads of really enjoyable group rides!

The morning didn't start well. That troublesome tyre had lost pressure again so I put more air in. At 80 psi the problem became apparent. This massive gash overwhelmed the sealant and just to really take the mickey was virtually invisible on a deflated tyre. To sort it out I removed the tyre, glued the gash and put an inner tube patch on the inside. Due to being an otherwise excellent tyre it took about five minutes to refit and I can report the fix was successful. 

Having spent time on this there was no chance I could join the early birds and I was very nearly late for the mellow birds. There was of course some banter about punctuality as I turned up. Which is reason number 2...group rides have tonnes of banter even when you're limited by the rule of 6.

The route created by Steve M was heading west from K Town towards Long Buckby and as usual for undulating Northants was a total hill fest. In our group we rode our own pace on the hills and then got back together to help each other. Reason 3 we help each other on group rides. Reason 4 drafting. 

Between Loddington and Foxhall, Mike tried to remove his gillet whilst riding. He slowed down to do this and £12k of carbon fibre and lycra was overtaken by a lady in a high vis jacket on a cheap hybrid. She definitely saw the funny side of this! Reason 5 there's always something funny going on.

At Haselbech we went down that infamous hill. As it can be sketchy they let me go first. I seem to have a reputation as a skilled descender...the truth is I enjoy the thrill of hurtling downhill a little too much! Its definitely more stupidity than skill! The hill itself lulls you into a false sense of security because the sketchy bit is on the flat at the bottom. There's a slight bend where the road gets lumpy and there's also a large patch of gravel. The only way to tackle this is to hold on for dear life and stay off your brakes! Reason 6 if you crash in a group your mates are there to help you!

As the ride progressed towards Long Buckby I misjudged a hill and ended up on the wrong side of the road on a bend. Luckily for me no cars were coming the other way. This is a good reminder to rein myself in! I'm definitely not as good as I sometimes think.

On the gated roads we caught up with group one which was mostly early birds and they kindly held the gate open for us. We had a banana break at the other end so returned the favour. 

During the break we had a good chat about life the universe and everything. Its not all banter on a group ride, there are interesting conversations too. Reason 7 ride conversations Reason 8 you always learn something new on a group ride!

The hills continued such as the one into Guilsborough, then Long Buckby, Ravensthorpe and the three lung busters to Teeton, Spratton and then Brixworth. Steve D led the way up each hill whilst telling us his Garmin hill data. What goes up must come down. The descents were glorious and on wider, straighter roads, a little less risky! Those hills can be demoralising on a solo ride but in a group with others encouraging you they are far less daunting. Reason 8 supporting each other.

I opted out of the coffee stop, mostly because I wanted to get home for the Merseyside Derby. I enjoy most sports, football is way down my list of favourites with rugby, cricket and cycling in the top three. However Everton are my Premier League team and they're doing well for a change. So no golden chai latte and cake for me. However reason 9 for group rides not sucking is the cafe stop. The cafe stop I missed was the Workhouse in Brixworth, a very good cafe!!! 

On the ride Mike had complimentary things to say about the cleanliness of my bike. I let him know I use a hose, carplan demon foam and a brush. It takes 5 minutes. The bike needed it because the roads were in their usual minging autumnal state!

Reason 10 talking about bikes.

When I got home I was on 49 miles which is a stupid number so I had a spin round the block until my wahoo got to 50...then Strava was its usual pillock and changed this to 49.97 miles!!!

However once in the house with the bike cleaned everything felt good in the world. This is reason 11. Group rides are good for the soul. They are a vital part of my emotional wellbeing and my physical fitness. I haven't missed a day of work through sickness for years and I'm convinced that cycling, especially group rides are the reason for this.

Reason 12, group rides inspire me to write. I enjoy writing this blog, there's about 60 people who read it most weeks and most of them are people I have enjoyed riding with. I'm never going to make money or win literary prizes but that really isn't important to me.

Group rides don't suck in my opinion. They're brilliant.

Happy Pedalling 

It's okay when you're out!!!

No blog last week because it was a bit of a washout and I stayed in by the fire!

This week I've got back on it. I enjoyed coaching at the cyclones again on Monday, through the week I had a couple of runs and some roller sessions. This weekend I got out for some proper riding!

Saturday was fondo day for the cyclasylum. We decided to postpone to this weekend because of the weather last weekend. For those who don't know, a Gran Fondo is a long ride, for us it's a monthly challenge on Strava. 

I was undecided on what I wanted to do but having reviewed Marcus' route I decided to meet the others in Harrington. I didn't tell anyone this so I didn't expect anyone to know my plans...the truth was I still hadn't decided if I wanted to go full fondo, do my own shorter ride or whatever. Group 1 whizzed past and I got some hellos but didn't really know what was going on. I could see more riders in the distance so  I thought there must be two groups. I tried to catch group one but trying to catching up with Graham et al in a stiff headwind wasn't going to happen. So  I eased off and Mike and Richard G caught me up. We agreed to ride as a three and then to our surprise Mark, Paul and Neil joined us in Kelmarsh. So that was our group of 6!

As you can see it was full winter clobber all round. Everyone was doing something different with some early birds 🐦 and all starting from different places. Paul will need to invest in winter gloves though!

We'd just had a chat about how clean Mark's bike was when the route took an interesting turn. This started as tarmac, turned to gravel and ended up as thick mud. Mike ploughed on through and loving this sort of thing I was laughing my socks off as I slipped and slid through puddles. Group one apparently abandoned this particular folly. Apparently my group decided they better follow me as I'd just ridden on through it! 

Not really road bike suitable

Once back on tarmac some furious bike cleaning took place with sticks and leaves. Other cycling groups looked at us oddly due to our muddy state. A group of MTBers rode past looking cleaner than us! For some reason my rear tyre lost pressure, I tried to carry on and it kept losing...I started to worry a tubeless fail was immenent. However we confused the hell out of some temporary lights as I pumped back up leant against the stop sign. Pressure was returned with no further issues and my tyre remains firm the next day.

Neil on the other hand was less lucky. His tubeless tyre set up appeared very odd. We soon found out why...he had inner tubes! Poor Neil was clearly confused by the whole situation and with the usual onslaught of unhelpful banter his skills deserted him. We decided to abandon the traditional approach of pointing and commenting to actually help out. After less than twenty minutes or as Mark said, the time it took for an entire weather front to pass over, we were on our way again.

We made it to the cafe in Catthorpe to discover only outdoor seating available. It was a nice touch for cyclists but on a cold wet day we didn't wish to hang around.

A few miles later our middle aged bladders were struggling in the cold and we stopped for one of several pee stops. 

Richard G managed to step in something unpleasant and more sticks were deployed to help Richard the turd. We then carried on with better weather in front of us and rain chasing us on what was now a tailwind. 

After Naesby we joined the quiet lane back to Kelmarsh. This section made the ride for me. Its a bit rough in places but mostly its just a great bit of downhill. 

The group split as we made it back to Harrington and having said I wasn't bothered if I was short of fondo distance...I cycled past my house on 57 miles and carried on until I got to 63!

This morning I just wanted to get some off road miles in. I got my MTB out and saw something on my front tyre. I pulled out a massive thorn which was too big for the sealant to cope with!

To resolve this I superglued the hole and then waited for that to set before putting more sealant in and reinflating. 

This left me time for a short ride which was good as I soon discovered heavy legs from the day before. I also found that my fast rolling summer tyres weren't really up to the job...instead of repairing I should have swapped over to tyres with  more tread!

I was enjoying myself though and decided to add just a little bit more. I thought this would add ten minutes until I discovered the farmer had ploughed his field with no respect for the right of way that goes through it!

I made it home in time for a quick shower before heading to the inlaws for dinner. 

In other news the televised cycling this weekend has been fantastic. I really enjoyed the mountain bike world championships on red bull TV. Another great victory for Pauline Ferrand Prevot! The Giro has also been good. I'm pleased for Alex Dowsett on his stage victory. Also Gent-Wevelgem was a good race. Somewhere I believe the CX superprestidge was being shown but I didn't find that one.

Happy Pedalling