My neighbour and buddy Scherrit (aka The Bike Whisperer) is now coaching me, hopefully towards a 24hr TT in 2011. I’m working through my first program now. I’m actually on track for the first week, even with the icy conditions in London earlier this week.

Yesterday was simply an hour on the turbo before saying bon voyage to Tim and Dale, two Melbourne lads heading home. See ya, guys!

Although a road ride was specified I thought I’d have a go at the 3hr ride on the turbo. I figure a large part of a long duration time trial is going to be the ability to focus at a steady output for a long time. I HATE turbo workouts, they bore me to tears and the longest I’ve ever managed is perhaps 1.25 hours, so 3 hours would be a test. To make it more interesting (ie. cheat) I watched some Sufferfest videos (See: @sufferfest). I worked through Revolver, Fight Club and Downward Spiral back to back with a little bit of my own music added to crack the 3hr. It wasn’t fast, it wasn’t pleasant but I’ve now done a 3 hour turbo session. It’s probably better quality than doing it on the road since there’s no stop lights and no coasting on downhills.

I was going to ride with the Willesden CC clubrun today but left a bit late so headed to the last place I rode in the Chilterns – Longdown Hill, where I defended my club hill climb trophy a few weeks ago. On the way out I spotted McCarthy and shortly after Willesden’s own Mike the Bike, both heading into town.

Today I finally unwrapped the overshoes I’d bought during last year’s very cold winter. It was the first time I’ve ever used full overshoes, normally preferring toe-warmers. I have to say, I really like these Adidas Climaproof booties. I didn’t really think about them for the ride and didn’t notice my feet getting particularly cold or anything. So job well done. Of course, now it’ll be another one of those things where I go “why the hell didn’t you try these things sooner?!” Stubborn idiot, I am.

I’m having some sick ideas at the moment about attempting to break the club’s 24hr TT time trial record. It currently stands at 459.07 miles (19.13mph) or 738.80 kilometres (30.78kph) and was set by Simon Doughty in 1995. Meurig James broke all the other club records last year, including 272.367mi for the 12hr, 3:45.18 for 100 miles, a 51 minute 25mi and a 19 minute 10mi! I’m not sure if he didn’t attempt the 24hr or didn’t break it.

There’s usually only a single 24hr TT in a year so you only get one chance. In 2011 there’s going to be two, the usual Mersey Roads 24 (Rapha inc. video) in Cheshire and a southern one, the Sussex 24hr.

So, I was doing some testing to see roughly what power output I’d need for 32kph and was finding it to be quite high. I’m hoping that was just because I’m running a huge anti-p_nct_re Schwalbe 25 on the rear and I’ve not adjusted my PT from 700×23. As it stands, holding 260W for 24 hours is not going to happen. No way.

I lost interest in that, cycled out the A413 and through Great Missenden then up and down Longdown Hill, then over to Whiteleaf. I picked the wrong turn so missed the intro but there was a through road so I could join the climb again. It looked completely different to how I remember. Lots of red from fallen leaves and quite foggy.

Then a quick little drop to an unfamiliar crossroads, a phone/GPS consultation and I was on my way back through Gt. Miss. and back towards London. Of course, I’d taken off my mudguard so it was now raining.

Just east of Uxbridge there was a guy I’ve seen before, Tim, who asked if I had a pump. He had a slow leak. Unsurprisingly he was using the devil spawn tyres produced by Continental (boo hiss). I ended up escorting him the 15k back to Pitshanger Lane (hinting he should pay the Bike Whisperer a visit), stopping every couple of kay to reinflate his tyre. It was a pain but I should earn some serious karma points right?

Bit of a cold, soggy ending but a good ride with some new (to me) product testing done, some new terrain explored and some miles in the legs, which was the main aim after all.

Another wired Powertap died on the Kinesis and Gizmond listed these on lfgss.com so I hatched a plan. Zipp 404s with wireless Powertap go on the good bike and the wireless Powertap with Open Pros can be moved to the Kinesis. The wired Powertap can then be shipped to Paligap for conversion to wireless and then I’ll think of something to do with that wheelset. The sad part about this upgrade is the S-Works probably won’t be ridden for 6 months whilst I wait for England’s crappy winter ‘seasons’ to vanish.

WHEN he was 41, Mildura anaesthetist Arthur Anderson was concerned about his health ? so he took up cycling to get fit.

After 19 years as a member of the Mildura Coomealla Cycling Club (MCCC), Arthur has just been awarded a life membership for his long ?services to the club and the sport of cycling?.

?I was putting on weight and having a stressful job, I decided to do something about it.

?My work includes anaesthetics, intensive care, helping ladies having babies with pain management, occasional trauma and the inevitable after-hours emergency commitments.

?I was always interested in cycling as an activity and tried it in my first year at university in Sydney.

?I had to give it up due to my commitment to do medicine and the risks of cycling in Sydney traffic were too great.

?A student colleague of mine at the time was having trouble assembling his bicycle wheels, so he sold the parts to me.

?I put them together and started cycling in Sydney, that only lasted six months, but it put the desire there, which stayed with me for the next 20 years.

?Once I joined the MCCC, I found I was getting fitter, losing weight and enjoying the camaraderie of the members as well as the cycle racing.

?I?ve been in Mildura for 29 years and cycling for 19 ? before cycling I managed to play A Grade squash for a few years before I did my shoulder in and had to give it away.

?The friendships I have made here in Mildura, especially through the cycling club have helped me cope with the daily stresses at work and have helped keep me here in Mildura longer than I would have been otherwise.

?Presenting me with this life membership award has touched me and I appreciate it deeply,? he said.

?I feel it is because I?ve been helpful and motivating and hopefully, setting a good example to young and old cyclists alike.

?The club runs a summer and winter program ? the winter is predominately road racing (40km plus to 100km distances) either handicap or scratch racing.

The summer competition comprises mainly criteriums or time trials? which we stage at the Aust-Link site next door to the airport, which makes it very safe for the juniors and the time trials are generally conducted around the riverside circuit.

?Cycling in Mildura is a lot safer than cycling in a major city, once you’re five minutes out of the city centre there’s very little traffic and far less road rage.

?Our biggest worry on the roads here are the occasional magpies, but we get to know where they are.

?I?ve won a few races over the years, far fewer in the last 10 years, but have, and still do, enjoy the spirit of competition.

?Once you reach a certain level of fitness, it becomes enjoyable to ride hard and fast.

?There is a lot to learn in cycling ? it’s not just a matter of jumping on a bike and going for a ride.

?You?ve got to learn about how your body reacts, how to train, how to position yourself on the bicycle ? if these things are done correctly, you avoid minor injuries.

?I particularly like is the technical aspect of cycling.

?I?ve designed and built many pairs of wheels and now I’m making bicycle lights ? I make a brighter rear red flashing LED (light-emitting diode) light ? it’s another interesting hobby.

?My other hobbies include building hi-fi speakers ? it’s like furniture with a practical purpose ? beautiful timber veneers finely sanded, stained and oiled to a smooth satin finish.

?Photography and fiddling with computers is another pleasant way to enjoy some free time.

?We no longer have immediate family in Mildura, our three children, Nicholas, 33, James, 31, and Stephanie, 25, are busy working from Sydney, Montreal, and Mackay in Queensland.

?We plan to retire to Newcastle in the first half of 2011 to be close to family members,?? Arthur said.

?My reservations there will be finding a cycling club offering the same degree of camaraderie as here in Mildura.

?When I get there I?ll do a few races and find out which club I want to join and hopefully find the safety of training is not too much of an issue.

?I hope the MCCC continues to grow as it has (many juniors are now participating) as it is a healthy and enjoyable activity.

?Even if you?ve got bad knees you can still cycle because it’s not an impact sport as is running,? the medical man said.

?I hope in the future, Mildura authorities will improve safety for bicycles by providing ?bicycle-only? lanes with a more ?Amsterdam type? atmosphere.

?It would work well in Mildura, given our flat terrain and grid road/street layout.

?The ideal environment for Mildura cyclists would be an outdoor velodrome which would encourage kids to progress from BMX to cycling in a generally safe environment ? which Mildura did have in the old days,? the ?pedalantic? cyclist said.

This story appeared in Saturday?s Sunraysia Daily 09/10/2010.

www.sunraysiadaily.com.au – Arthur Anderson’s cycle of life

Congratulations Arthur!

(Say g’day to James for me)

I rode these today for CS Grupetto in the hope that it would help me defend my own club hill climb trophy. ‘Training’ I believe it’s called?

The MDCC champs are trickier though in that you ride over 3 different hills and it’s the total time that decides the winner. I found it quite difficult to pace, going to easy on the first hill, not being able to breath on the second hill and not doing too bad on my old favourite Windsor Hill.

The first hill – Quarry Wood Hill, Marlow – HHC024

Site of a broken collarbone on a LFGSS ride to Oxford (I think) I’d never ridden up this, only down. It’s a long flat and then mild climb with a kicker left and then drags on. I knew I couldn’t go all out after since that would require me to sit down for 30min before vowing never to climb again. Unfortunately I took it too easy, as I turned around almost straight away and was cheering riders coming up after me (I was rider #1). I could even hold a conversation back at the start line. Waaay too easy. 🙁

The second hill – Burroughs Grove Hill, Marlow – HHC025

I’d never ridden this before and didn’t get a practise ride either so I was going in blind. All I knew was everyone saying it’s LONG but not too steep. It did go on for ages and I thought I was pushing pretty hard, certainly harder than the first climb, but still didn’t feel like I’d done it properly at the top.

The third hill – Windsor Hill, Wooburn Green – HHC011

I’ve won at Windsor Hill before (and come in second winning my club’s HC trophy, last year) so I knew the climb. I think because I’ve not been doing any riding other than commuting I just can’t handle long bouts out of the saddle like I could after having come back from the Pyrenees last year. So, I would get out of the saddle, dig in but quickly blow up so I’d have to sit and grind. This hill is shorter and more suited to brief powerful efforts so sitting down and grinding isn’t going to help. I was still happy that with a cold, with no food and next to no training AND having done two hills already, I was only 15 seconds off my time from last year. So, mixed messages really. One thing I know.. I need to start riding again!

Thanks to MDCC for letting me ride (EOL FTW!)

MDCC Hill Climb Champs 2010 Results

vimeo.com – Rollapaluza Urban Hill Climb 2010

The scene that greeted us on return from the 100. (c) fastandwithpropercyclingshoeseddy

Completed the Southern Counties Cycling Union 100 mile TT today. My first 100.

I was aiming for a time of sub 4:20. I finished with a crappy time of 4:52 but let me explain..

Whilst packing the car at 5am this morning I mentioned to fasteddy how I leave stuff in the doorway so I don’t forget it. He was telling me not to forget my shoes and I went on to tell him about how Wayne had taken the wrong shoes to Paris Roubaix and blah blah..

We arrive at the HQ and I attempt to put my shoes on.. my.. shoes.. on.. my.. where the fscking hell.. what the fsck?! Where are my SHOES?!

You flippin’ idiot! All the talk of not forgetting shoes and I’d forgotten my shoes! fasteddy asks around and no one has spare shoes. We also don’t have any toe straps.

Eddy has picked me up from the station, let me stay at his place, cooked dinner for me and driven me to the start so I’m feeling pretty damn obliged to at least start this TT.

“No worries. I’ll do it in my trainers.”

So, kit up and rock up to the start line with a full carbon bike, deep section carbon front wheel, aerodynamic helmet, Powertap wearing a pair of skate shoes on top of SPD-SL pedals.

With Scherrit and Corinne’s help I’ve got pacing and fuelling advice and the ability to easily read my Powertap. The course is quite nice and quite varied. There’s some A24 and some smaller, quieter A roads, some flat, some long up and long down and some rolling bumps. Having failed my feet, I resign myself to just getting around and do quite well for the first hour. I’d had a caffeine gel right before the start and have another gel now. There’s a brief light rain shower. I’m waving at all the marshalls having vented as much as I could about the shoes already and enjoying myself. I think because it’s a 100, the pace is easier and it didn’t feel all out like the 50 did. I’m also more comfortable thanks to some adjustments to the aerobars (thanks to Bike Whisperer Scherrit again).

Further into the ride after some more light showers and I’m starting to notice my existing tendonitis issue appear and I’m getting hotspots on my feet thanks to my shoes only having a very flexible rubber sole that curved around the pedals. Drop some more gels. I get to a roundabout and following their signal carry on up the road.. “hmm this is weird.. bit of a back road this.. doesn’t look very TT course like” and sure enough after a while I pop back out onto the A24.. with a rider coming towards me from the left! “Ahh craaaaaap!!”. I realise I’ve taken a wrong turn and so swing around and head the way the other bloke is going, ie. back to the marshalled roundabout. Sure enough, this time I notice the big red sign that indicates it is a U-turn at 26 mile and straight over at 50-something. I slow right down and tell the marshalls that I screwed up and to treat this as my first time around. In the end, that mistake added 10k (6 mile) to my ride. 100 miles isn’t enough..

Around this top loop again and then straight down the A24 and then it was two loops of some rolling, quiet, back roads near Washington. I enjoyed this section of the course and really hammered around the first loop without thinking about my pacing. Mistake. As soon as I was back on the A24 (this was around 3 hours ride time) I was toast. I was also in a lot of pain from ankle and knee tendinitis, exacerbated no doubt by the stupid shoes. I sat up and dawdled along, taking in the scenery or swearing at myself or complaining at the idiocy of TTs or something. I was a little more restrained during the second loop (read: totally knackered) and when I finally got to the 3rd time around and into the finish lane I threw my feet off in the hope a photographer would catch my sneakers. No luck. I rode up and down a few times, called Eddy who was at the HQ, got some instructions on how to get back to the HQ, rode back to the HQ and ate some cake, explaining why Eddy never passed me – “because I wasn’t on the course at the time! Ha!”.

fasteddy came in 10th with a PB of 4:11 and Willesden’s Peter Dixon rode the course as well setting a time of 4:15, I think?

So, take out 15-20 minutes for the extra 10k I did and I’m say 30min down on FE when riding in trainers.. and he is ‘fast’eddy.. not bad. 🙂

The funniest thing was arriving back at fasteddy’s place to find my cycling shoes laying where they were left, smack bang in the middle of his drive! (mate, have you got the photo?)

I didn’t come last, I didn’t DNF and technically it’s a PB. It should be very easy to beat but it’s a PB still. Even with the epic shoe fail, I really enjoyed today’s ride. I won’t be able to walk for a week but it was good fun. I was much more comfortable on the adjusted bars and with the Assos knicks instead of the skinsuit. The saddle might get swapped though.

Thanks to all the marshalls, the organisers, the kitchen staff, Bike Whisperer and massive thanks to fasteddy for putting me up and putting up with me.

from: www.redhillcc.co.uk

Last Thursday I gave up free food and booze to smash it up Swain’s Lane in north London. WTF?! I’ve clearly lost the plot whilst living in London.

I did ok considering my weight (~91kg at the moment) and the huge amount of wheelspin I was getting through the steep part (20mm tyres, wet road, too much power out of the saddle).

I finished just better than mid-field with 1:58.6.

Full Urban Hill Climb 2010 results and report can be found here.

This time raised ?60 for LCEF and another ?20 came in from The Bike Whisperer.

Andy Waterman’s Photos

Big Steev’s Photos

London Cycle Sport Photos

Road.cc Photos

Great Event! Thanks guys. Hopefully it gets run next year.

www.rapha.cc

Rapha TTT video on vimeo.com

Rapha Gentlemen?s Time Trial 2010, final standings and times:

1. Rapha (staff team): 6hrs 47min

2. Rapha Condor Club: (the Pre-Raphaelites): 6hrs 56min

3. Grey Shadows/ Mosquito: 7hrs 24min

4. Armchair Anarchists (LFGSS, geared): 7hrs 31min

5. Condor: 7hrs 37min

6. Bespoke Cycling: 7hrs 55min

7. Rollapalooza: 8hrs 17min

8. Buns & Poses (LFGSS, fixed): 8hrs 25min

9. Brompton: 10hrs 11min

10. Look Mum No Hands: 10hrs 20min

11. Tweed Run DNF (Honorary placing due to crash)