Chiltern 100 aka Jeremy’s magical mystery tour

Posted on 15 May, 2014 by doug

Yesterday’s ride was mapped out by my friend Jeremy who kindly leant me his Garmin to play with.  It was based on the Chiltern 100 route but had a few adaptations, making it 113 miles. One word that sums it up is FANTASTIC!  Another word is TIRING.  Here’s the route followed by a few observations:

Based on the Chiltern 100 route

Based on the Chiltern 100 route

Distance: 113.2 miles

Moving time: 8 hours 35 minutes

Elevation: 8,156 feet

Kcals burned: 4,205

Average output: 122 watts

Maximum speed: 43mph

Items lost: one pair of glasses (second in 6 months)

Mr Garmin

As mentioned, Jeremy had kindly let me borrow this bit of handle bar bling.  I needed to be shown “press this” and I was off and it did its stuff without too many pressing of buttons.  Once I was getting out of my familiar territory it seemed strange relying on it to show me the way, what made it especially strange was not knowing where it was taking me.  Normally, of course, when I use a SatNav, I know where it’s taking me because that’s what I programme in.  This was so different!

I quickly got used to the various noises.  Two of these were for approaching a junction and were a multi-note chime (quite sweet) and the other was a Garmin Raspberry noise telling me I’d gone the wrong way.  Whenever I had gone the wrong way, the screen would go black which did not exactly help with getting back on the right road.  You see, Jeremy had warned me that somewhere on the route there was a turning the Garmin would take me except it was a farmer’s track.  He simply advised me what to do.  When I came across this, dealing with it was simple enough and I’d had the benefit of seeing the on-screen map.  When this happened a second time, I had to guess the route, which was further and sure enough the screen went black, leaving me totally in the dark.  Other times a message would appear on the screen but I couldn’t make it out, having already lost my glasses.

I’ll do a more comprehensive article another time.

Other cyclists

In spite of the perfect conditions, I only saw a handful.  Pleasingly they were all friendly and we were all boyd on by the lovely surroundings and wonderful weather.

First up was someone (don’t know his name) before Wendover.  We chatted for a little and he zoomed ahead and I maintained a comfortable distance following him downhill.  At one point we were both being over taken by a car and our speed was 30 – 35mph and he unclipped his left foot and started waving it.  This was strange but then I realised he was signalling left!  Thinking about that, it was the most sensible thing to do – I wouldn’t want to continue braking like that with just the front brake and take my hands off the handlebars.  He made it okay.

I think I might have spotted the Hill Climb Champion Tejvan Pettinger, who us also a fellow blogger.  He was dressed in his familiar white top and bright blue shorts.  At the time I was grinding my way up a particularly sharp climb, while he was enjoying blasting down the other way.  Not enough time to say “hello”.  Another time!

Next was Paul (hi Paul) on his nice Trek who caught me up and we cycled a pleasant few miles with each other before he peeled off heading for towards home in Marlow.  Somehow his company meant those miles drifted by without any effort.  Seemed we had quite a few things in common and in many ways a similar outlook.  Paul, I much appreciate your company., thank you.

Finally I had an encounter with a fascinating cyclist coming through the Ashridge Estate as 100 miles were clocked.  Didn’t catch his name; again he over took me and I had the opportunity to catch him on a downhill slope.  He was riding a single speed Condor, which I couldn’t resist asking him about.  He explained it was a “Zen thing”.  Although I knew what he probably meant, I was pleased when he explained it was all about not having the things you don’t really require. Indeed he had a fixed sprocket on the other side of the hub, for times when he didn’t need a freewheel, or a rear brake.  Seemed a really nice cyclist!  Embarrassingly for me, the Garmin chimed and he needed to go in different directions at a junction.  Suddenly I was feeling over-equipped with my handlebar bling.

Overall

Wow what a ride!  Even now the next day I am enjoying it but my legs are aching a bit, even after a good night’s sleep.  Not so much because of the distance but moreover because of the climbing.  I can tell you I am pleased I have a triple chainset, taking me down to a 1:1 drive (26x26T) as I did use it on some of those climbs.

The funny thing was in thinking “where is Jeremy taking me now?”.  This was most in my mind as I was getting towards home and on more familiar roads and then I’d be taken onto something completely new, or off in a different direction to what I expected.  I stuck faithfully to the course (apart from returning to my house, not his) and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The big question in my mind was “could I make the remaining 37 miles to Whitby” on the actual Coast to Coast?  I think the answer has to be “yes” but it will be tough going.  The climbing in today’s ride, 8,156 feet, is in the right level for the actual event but still there would be plenty more to go.  That makes me nervous and I’m thinking as I have come this far, surely I can have a degree of confidence on the day, albeit slightly apprehensively.

Today I have seen new countryside and England is looking its best.  Once again a good ride and I find myself whispering “thank you God” for another splendidly long cycle ride.

 

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Women’s tour, amazing clouds and meeting Mr Garmin

Posted on 13 May, 2014 by doug

Quite a funny mixed up day as far as cycling was concerned!  The cycling today was a straightforward commute to work, taking in the Luton Dunstable busway cycle track, NCN6, pretty Hertfordshire lanes and some other features.  Round trip of about 42 miles.

Firstly, amazing cloud formations to tell you about and they’ll probably make their way onto Cloudwiz at some point.  These occurred throughout the day and I was keen to see some of these amazing airborne sculptures on my ride home.  I was not disappointed and certainly not surprised as this is quite typical at this time of year.  The photographs below are exactly as taken – I don’t do Photoshop.

IMG_1246Not that I need many excuses to cycle instead of driving, these are examples of the simple joy in cycling.  It’s so easy to stop and grab photographs like these; not so easy when driving.  Besides, when driving it’s all-too-easy to miss a sight like this, not to mention the hassle of pulling over to the side in a car – with a bicycle you can stop almost anywhere!

iPhone 5c panaramic photograph

iPhone 5c panoramic photograph

Women’s tour

In the office we got talking about last week’s Women’ Tour and how fantastic it was.  That’s a bit rich coming from me as I hardly saw anything of it on TV and nothing in real life.  Caroline, one of my colleagues went to see the final stage finish in Welwyn Garden City and what excitement that was for her and her husband!  It’s fair to say Caroline isn’t what you might call a committed cyclist, or probably any kind of cyclist at all.  Nevertheless the excited vibes had reached her and her hubby as they dusted off their bikes, pumped up the tyres so they could go and watch.

“Well” she said “it just wouldn’t be right to drive down for that kind of thing, that would be daft”.

And so they took their bikes down to WGC and found a spot to watch.

“Corrrrr we were right near the finish and it was AMAZING!  Those little things were going so fast!”

“Well I guess that’s what you expect to see in a race?” I suggested, gently

“Yeah but I didn’t expect that.  They were SO fast!  I wouldn’t even drive my car along there and around that corner at that speed.  They were so close together and amazing they didn’t crash as the roads were still damp”.

Caroline was simply beaming with it, impressed and excited at the speed in which the women cyclists were racing each other and especially after the long distance that day.  She even commented on the support cars and the difficulty they were having in keeping up, with the spare bikes waving around on the top of the cars as they went through the bends in WGC.

I wish I too could have been there to watch and feel the excitement.  Isn’t it fantastic that the Carolines around feel the excitement too and dust off their own bikes to watch an event like that.  Events like the Women’s tour are important for cycling in general in stimulating some interest and encouraging people to “have a go”.  Going one step further with it being the Women’s tour – there now seems to be an acknowledgement around that women’s cycle sport has been under-funded and not taken seriously enough.  Now maybe that’s going to change for good…..

Meet Mr Garmin

No, I haven’t bought a Garmin, although I’m wondering if I should.  My friend Jeremy has kindly loaned his Garmin to try out.  I’m wondering if I need to invest in Mr Garmin with the Coast to Coast in mind.  I know my map reading skills are not the best and I am worried that once fatigue sets in I might easily miss a sign and go off the course.  That could be disastrous as I don’t know the route at all, other than finishing in Whitby.

So Jeremy has a version of the Chiltern 100 course loaded which sounds about right for this Wednesday’s bike ride.  Cycling over 100 miles is not a problem and I know that I can benefit from a more hilly 100+ miles, hence looking at this route.

I had a quick lesson in “press this, swipe that and you’re off”.  I wish I could read without my glasses but the middle-age deterioration is really setting in with my eyesight and I’m now going to have to figure this out now!  Ride report to follow in a few days.

What a day!

So it’s lovely when an ordinary day has cycling running as a nice theme throughout, showing itself in many different ways.

 

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I have to remind myself….

Posted on 11 May, 2014 by doug

I have to remind myself that every run or cycle ride is of benefit, whether it is enjoyable or not.  Not every cycle ride can be a “great ride” and be memorable for glorious whether, fantastic downhill blasts and a feeling of euphoria.

Early this morning was one of those rides.  Although I didn’t enjoy it, I’m pleased I had it as it does help keep things in perspective.  I only did 7 miles, covering one of my running routes.  I set off at 6.30am and it was very breezy and squally, grey and cold.  So cold I wish I had put my winter gloves on.  When I got back I had a hot shower and was tempted to put the central heating on but somehow that doesn’t seem the right thing to do in May.  This was the first opportunity I’d had to cycle for three or four days and I’d really been missing cycling.

I remember times when I have run and cycled in horrible conditions and people look at me as if I’m crazy.  All of those times when it has been bitterly cold, horizontal wind, sleet  or blizzard conditions have been valuable, although I have never understood why people say it’s “character building”.  I am the way I am.  Still, we perhaps have to appreciate challenging times when it is less than enjoyable to really grasp and savour the times when everything is perfect.

Every ride is valuable.  Each time there’s benefit, either physically or mentally; just getting out there no matter what.  I’ve said it before about not wanting to be 100 years old and having too many regrets about not doing things while I had the opportunity.  Just pausing to think, does this cold, hard, short ride of 7 miles count as a “great ride” in terms of blog post categories?  Yes, perhaps it does.

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Daydreaming and cycling

Posted on 9 May, 2014 by doug
Lush green crops, Bucks

Lush green crops, Bucks

This post is all about daydreaming and cycling.  Daydreaming and cycling are both very beneficial things for me to do, especially a couple of days ago when I had the opportunity to have another all-day ride.  In brief I clocked up 113 miles.  Although the route was over mostly familiar roads, much of it felt new and fresh.

The month of May is my absolute favourite time of the year.  We have daylight getting longer by the day, the countryside is looking lovely (blossom, lush green crops growing), often beautiful clouds, the weather is getting warmer and it just feels great!  So all the ingredients were there for a fantastic day cycling.

Even better my bicycle continues to run smoothly and fits me like a glove, so one less thing to worry or fret about.  My position on the bike is just right, the Brooks B17 saddle is comfortable all day long, nothing is worn out and it’s all running nicely.

Daydreaming

With all the ingredients in place I knew roughly which way I was going but still managed to include a bit of exploration as I said to myself “where does this road go to?”.  I knew it was in vaguely the right direction it was heading and so I decided to follow it to see exactly where it turned out.  It wasn’t quite the direction I intended and I didn’t have a map, so this added to the fun.  It was a step of faith deciding which way to go at some cross roads and I suppose I made the right choice as soon enough I knew I was going the right way.  All of this added to the daydreaming opportunity in just seeing where things went in terms of the road ahead and the thoughts in my mind.

113 miles

I have become more disciplined at eating and drinking.  On these long rides I make sure I eat something every 90 minutes, whether I’m hungry or not.  I’ll have something to drink a little more often, according to how warm the day is and how hard I’m working.  This seems to be working and is minimising the “bonk” quite well.

Levels of tiredness seemed to be gradually creeping up through the day which is fair enough.  The nice thing was getting near home and deciding to turn off and go up through Ashridge, Hudnall and up over Dunstable Downs – this is a fairly hilly route and I can tell you I wasn’t too tired for that!  In fact when I was at Ivinghoe I remembered looking back and seeing a distant rain shower, you know, where you see the dark, feathery edge to the underside of some clouds.  By the time I was at STudham I could smell the rain in the air (how fresh!) and then once I’d got to the top of Dunstable Downs there were some spots of rain in the air followed by a downpour.

I could have stopped and put my not-very-waterproof Montaine jacket on, but I thought I’d simply carry on and enjoy the rain, after all I wasn’t far from home.  I turned up looking like a drowned rat with a huge grin, I loved it!

It was such a fantastic ride and I remember whispering “thank you Lord” as I pedalled over Dunstable Downs, looking over into the distance of where I’d been that day.  It was a special day and many daydreamy thoughts together with some practical things I need to do.  Overall the feeling of “well being” is what I was left with – wonderful!

Oh, moral of the story as well.  Need to ensure my iPhone battery is fully charged as Strava stopped tracking me before I got home.

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Slobusfaticus, now on a bike?

Posted on 7 May, 2014 by doug

I recently came across a possible new breed of cyclist, though I’m sure readers will correct me if I am behind the times.  I have blogged about Slobusfacticus sometime before but that was a few years back when I was a member of the local fitness club.

Imagine the scene on the Busway cycle path.  It is about 3 metres wide with a gravel surface for most of the width.  A narrow strip has worn which is smooth and free from gravel and this is where cyclists tend to aim for.  There is room only for one bicycle on this narrow strip at anyone time, with cyclists who need to pass each other one clearly has to move sideways.  This is the scenario that brought me into a near-miss with Slobusfacticus.

The narrow strip is definitely on one side of the cycle track and as I was travelling east from Dunstable it was on my left.  So if I were on a road, that would be my natural position.  I could see a cyclist coming towards me and I was kind of expecting him to pull over so we would pass each other on the right hand side.  No.  Not so.  He was determined not to move at all as he lumbered along.  I was thinking of MJ Ray’s advice (see MJ’s comment on this post) about showing a hand gesture to indicate my intention but that would have been risky if I needed veer off one-handed onto the gravel part if he didn’t respond.  Our closing speed was about 30mph (Slobusfaticus 10mph + me 20mph = 30mph) and I wasn’t going to risk a head-on collision so at the latest possible moment I veered off.  We passed each other uneventfully.

So what is Slobusfaticus like?

Probably worth me describing how Slobusfaticus appeared.  It was a He.  Definitely.  Definitely a man.  Dressed in jogging bottoms and a huge hoodie and the hood coming right over his head as far as possible making it clearly difficult to see where he was going (explains a lot here!).  Cheap trainers with the laces flapping around as he grunted his way along.  I only caught a glimpse of the bicycle, or rather his position on it.  In common with riders of most Bike Shaped Objects the saddle was way too low and he was using his heels to heave down on the pedals as he lumbered along.  As we passed each other I briefly heard his BSOs sounds which were of creak, squeak, creak, squeak, creak…..

Does this mean I’m a cycling snob?

Phew I thought, that was a fortunate escape, near miss etc.  I reflected as I pedalled on.  While I was mentally chastising him, does this mean I’m turning into some kind of elitist cyclist, all snobby about bicycles and cycling behaviour?  Does this mean I’m turning into some kind Jonathon Vernon Smith (JVS) of the Busway?  Eeeeek.  Note to self, carry on reflecting on the speck in my own eye and not the plank in someone else’s eye.  Nevertheless, Slobusfaticus, please could you play the game, keep to the left and allow other cyclists to pass you on your right hand side? Thank you.

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Brooks Limited Edition Swallow

Posted on 6 May, 2014 by doug

I came across the interesting, timeless and curious Brooks Swallow saddle, produced as a limited edition.  In the case of the photograph below, this is one of the 2007 models where just 999 were made.

Brooks Limited Edition Swallow, 2007

Brooks Limited Edition Swallow, 2007

Alternative colours have also been available in white, blue and red but these are all sold out, adding to the “limited edition” claim of these saddles.  The jaw-dropping feature, however, is the price.  They cost a cool £590.  Yep that’s right: five hundred and ninety pounds.  Or is it Euros?  Can’t be completely sure , looking at the Brooks website, most likely pounds. The other figures are:

Width: 153mm
Length: 287mm
Weight: 370g

According to the Brooks website, the “Swallow 2007 Limited Edition has been faithfully recreated utilizing the original patent books and has been stitched by hand, in time honoured fashion. The first Swallow was patented on 20th August 1936, a time when all Tour de France riders used Brooks saddles. The second 2007 limited edition of 999 pieces differs from the first in the colour of the leather top”.

As with all Brooks leather saddles, the would-be owner needs to be aware of a few things.  Firstly they’re rather hard and uncomfortable to begin with, rock solid in fact.  With the right care the leather saddle top (in Brooks lingo the leather part is called the “top”) will become more supple and mould itself to you.  That means you gradually get a saddle customised to the shape of your butt.  The correct care means using Proofhide leather dressing, tensioning (as per instructions) with the Brooks spanner and, if possible, keeping it dry.  Do this and it will work fine.  I can testify to that through my own experience of owning two Brooks B17 saddles.  These B17s, by the way, are the cheapest ones in the range and I have got on really well with them.

So, who would buy such an expensive saddle?

  • someone finishing off a classy restoration of a period bicycle where a Swallow would be authentic
  • an exhibition bicycle
  • someone wanting something a little different in finishing off their carbon fibre road bike.  Such a saddle would justifiably raise an eyebrow
  • someone simply with far too much money; or has more money than sense
  • someone not concerned with charitable causes, humanitarian needs etc
  • someone with a weird kinky interest in leather

Not suitable for:

  • Vegan cyclists

Related:

Care for a Brooks B17

Brooks B17 review – first few months

 

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Cycling 100 miles

Posted on 5 May, 2014 by doug

I had completely forgotten how great the feeling is when you finally get home after cycling 100 miles.  In recent years I’ve had a few decently long rides but it must be DECADES since I last clocked over 100 miles in a day.  I remember cycling from Mombasa to Nairobi in 1984 and taking three days to cover the 290 miles; I recall cycling from Gloucester to Tooting, south London which was a little over 100 miles.  Both of those were on my heavy BSA 10 speed heap-of-junk.

So a few days ago I decided to crack 100 miles once again and thoroughly enjoyed it, all part of getting ready for my Coast to Coast in a Day.  Before I go into the highlights, here is the route:

Screen Shot 2014-05-03 at 11.54.17

Overview: I knew roughly where I was heading but as usual I tend to make changes as I go along.  First change was being held back by slow traffic getting out of down town Dunstable so I headed up over the Downs, always a splendid thing to do.  Next was a blast through Whipsnade and the newly resurfaced road.  Even nicer was hitting 40mph on the Bison Hill decent, though I daren’t go any faster with the mid-drop curve.

Next was the big anti-clockwise loop via Ivinghoe, through Winslow to near Buckingham.  Carrying on with mostly minor roads past the prisons at Grendon Underwood and cutting underneath Aylesbury on the possible home straight.

Knowing I still had some more miles in me I added a little detour through Aldbury and up Tom’s Hill Road to the Ashridge Estate (love it!) and then down to Piccots End, Potten End.  I still needed a few more miles and realised I didn’t have much climbing done so I worked my way to the bottom of Bison Hill and plodded up.  Then a few more loopy bits before zooming into Dunstable from the Downs and back home.  Bloomin’ brilliant!

Specific pointy bits:

  • The first 10 miles always seems to be the hardest for me; a combination of the air temperature and my muscles being cold together with the hassle of cycling through the town’s streets.  You see, our residential areas now have a 20mph speed limit which I think is a good thing.  The trouble is with car drivers who often cannot handle driving behind a bicycle at 18-22mph as the instinct is always to get in front and overtake.  They are then faced with a speed camera and hold back, get frustrated and rev their engines in annoyance.
  • Other cyclists: not too many and a nice experience of those who were out.  First off was a guy on his 2014 Specialized Allez who past me near Stewkley.  “Morning” he said as he inched past and looked cool in his everything-new outfit.  I wondered whether he’d seen my review on that bicycle….?
  • Next up was the first of two pelotons a few minutes apart.  They were really colourful, tightly packed and almost everyone said “Hi, hiya, morning mate”.  Moments later there was an almost identical in appearance and style but they appeared to all be arguing with each other, shouting and yelling at each other.  I was invisible!
  • Within a few minutes I got overtaken by three young women.  Heads down on time trial bars but each one said hello to me.  It was a great sight in seeing women’s cycling is alive; I had the feeling they were in a team as they were dressed alike.
  • The weather was as perfect as it could ever be.  Not too hot, not too cold, just right.  No wind at all, soft hazy sunshine for most of the day and enough for me to catch the sun a little.  Hey I even have the first tan line on my tops of my legs!
  • Once I had hit the 70 mile mark I was heading back towards home but I wanted to clock up some more miles, I knew I could reach 100 miles and I knew I hadn’t tackled too many hills so far.  So without further ado I went to Aldbury and up Tom’s Hill Road.  After touching the edge of Hemel Hempstead and coming back towards home I decided to cut across to the bottom of Bison Hill and crawl my way up.  I knew that neither of these ascents would be good times but I nevertheless wanted to do them!  These brought the total climbing to 4,471 feet.
  • No ride these days would seem complete without whizzing into Dunstable from the Downs and near the bottom I saw Rachel in her car with the open window.  I couldn’t resist yelling across the road “100 miles!”
  • At a few points during the ride I could feel myself approaching “the wall” but thankfully nothing too hard.  I am paying more attention to getting the “on board” fuelling and fluids right and it seems to be paying off.  I always used to hit a bit of a wall when running.  This used to come at about 25 minutes and last for about 4 or 5 minutes and then I’d naturally pick up the pace again.  Just the same with cycling although the timing is different as I guess I’m putting slightly different demands on my body.

Back home I slept well that night.  Unsuprisingly I could feel myself reflecting on the challenge ahead of the Coast to Coast  and I’m now feeling more confident,  I could have managed far more than the 102 miles on this ride but I need to be mindful of the weather conditions (which can have a huge impact) and this ride being relatively flat for the most part.

I had a nice feeling of satisfaction.  Just the same as when I had started running and my first 10k, half and then full marathon.  Feels good.

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Aldi 2014 cycle clothing

Posted on 29 April, 2014 by doug

 

Aldi spring 2014 range

Aldi spring 2014 range

I was hoping to bring you a review of Aldi’s 2014 spring range of cycle clothing but this is looking less unlikely now.  Following last year’s genuinely positive review, the plan was that they’d send some samples but alas it appears there has been a change in their arrangements.

Nevertheless it might be worth any thrifty cyclists taking a look inside their local Aldi store in the near future as the latest range of clothing is almost out on sale.  Do remember these are not continuously stocked; it’s a case of grabbing them when you see them.

Personally I wouldn’t bother with the accessories, such as lights and tools, unless you know different?  The clothing, on the other hand, is actually very good value and the quality has been pretty good in the past.  The range isn’t that wide and you’ll not find any trendy team names there but for some that is all part of the appeal.  Myself, I could be tempted by a bright yellow gilet for increased visibility and some arm warmers (yes we will have some “short sleeves” days coming up!).  Arm warmers are good for summer cycling with early starts and I’m wondering if the Coast to Coast might justify investing in some of them – when the temperature rises, you simply take them off and they’re small enough to tuck into a pocket.

As before, there’s a little snobbishness about some cycle clothing around amongst some cyclists.  Don’t get me wrong, some upmarket gear is really nice, comfortable and cost effective.  So too is Aldi but a whole lot cheaper.

Where are you standing on this issue?  Please let me know if you get a chance to try out any of the new range, you could be doing a favour for some other (pragmatic) cyclists.

 

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Jonah the man on the run and C2C chit chat

Posted on 27 April, 2014 by doug

Stirring start with “How Great Thou Art” at church followed by a sermon all about Jonah, described as the man on the run.  And that, he certainly was.  This in turn was followed by catching up with a few of my Coast to Coast pals and it seems there are a few “wish lists” developing.  Tackling the 150 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing is a bit daunting for each of us.

Robin will be using his carbon fibre Trek with its rather nice Ultegra kit but he’s in the market for some lower gears.  He’s got his compact chainset with 50 & 34t chainrings and the cassette at the back goes to 25 or 26t.  So it looks like 28 or 30t could be the solution in handling some of the Coast to Coast hills.  We touched on Hardknott Pass and how blooming’ tricky it will be for anyone walking in Look-type cleats.  This would not be cool.

And then there’s Andrew who surprised me through having his eye on a new Bianchi.  Andrew, who has entered sometime after the rest of us, has quickly stepped up his weekly mileage and impressively gets out before breakfast for some training miles.  The problem is with his bike, an existing Bianchi, as it seems too highly geared for the event.  Fine and fast for quick blasts here in Bedfordshire but questionnable for the C2C.  He’s already weighed up the options of upgrading the current groupset and it’s probably not cost-effective.  While a Bianchi isn’t an obvious choice in my view, he’s a level-headed thinker about this kind of thing and so I’m eager to see how this develops.

Mind you, Josh has already got himself sorted with his top flight aluminium Cannondale and its Ultegra kit.  He’s pleased with it, to put it mildly.   I might be lucky and get a glimpse of his back tyre in mile one and little more.  Paul and Jeremy are pretty much sorted.

Finally, there’s me.  I had been kicking around the idea of updating my shoes.  My Specialized Sonoma are okay but the wrong size and horrible in the wet (they become like lead boots when wet).  Now my attention is towards a Garmin.  I’m nervous about missing a signpost, taking the wrong route and losing my way.  I’m not a gifted map-reader at the best of times and when I’m tired I seem to lose my ability completely.  I’m disappointed by my iPhone map app is so limited (can’t enter a customised route) unless anyone can recommend an app for me?

We now have two months to go.  Almost everyone else seems to be further ahead than me.  I have, mind you, booked some weekly leave from work to make sure I get a long ride in each week through May.  This will be very helpful and I clocked up 82 miles earlier this week without any difficulty, knowing I had scope for quite a bit more.  I am “feeling my age” and need a few days to fully recover from these longer rides so becoming more accustomed to them will be helpful.  I’ll be hitting 90-100 miles for my long ride this week, then a little more etc etc.  From marathon running I guess I need to be peaking in two weeks (followed by two or three weeks of tapering) so the Coast to Coast looks feasible.  Those 150 miles won’t be fast; the strategy is to complete, never mind the time.

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Solving leg cramps

Posted on 27 April, 2014 by doug

This is all about my need in solving leg cramps. Some of my friends who I occasionally cycle with will know I am prone to getting cramp in my feet and legs.  My wife knows how I sometimes leap out of bed in the middle of the night in agony, all because of suddenly getting cramp in one or both legs.  So now I think I am making progress in solving leg cramps.

High 5 ZERO electroloyte & magnesium

High 5 ZERO electroloyte & magnesium

I bought some Zero High 5 tablets and they seems to be working by providing a supply of electrolyte and magnesium.  I have used these before but I suspect too sparingly.  I can’t claim any scientific proof that these are the solution but all other things being equal, it looks good.  That does need some qualification, however.  The variables are the climate which is getting a little warmer now and I think the coldness might be a contributing factor to getting cramp.  The other factor is that I’m gradually increasing my mileage (440 miles in the last 4 weeks).

The other things I have tried include salt, warmer socks, Brazil nuts (increased consumption!).

So these modest dissolvable fizzy tablets seem to be doing the trick.  You can get these in various outdoor-type places, sporty places or Wiggle (special offers at the time of writing – I’ll be stocking up!).

The taste is okay and if thought of as medicine it is pleasant – at least as far as the Berry flavour.  The ‘neutral’ flavour isn’t wonderful but at least they are calorie free and no sugar to rot my teeth.

This is all good news as I have been getting pretty fed up with getting cramp on every single bike ride.  Not only does it leave my muscles feeling a bit sore afterwards, it disturbs my sleep and simply has been bugging me because something is wrong that I have not solved.  I like to think of my body as being in good order all the time; I hate being ill or injured in any way.  Besides, solving this leg and feet cramp issue is good news for my fellow cyclists and my wife.

Related:

Cycling and muscle cramps

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Latest Coast to Coast training ride

Posted on 25 April, 2014 by doug
Confusing signs at Cuddington, Bucks

Confusing signs at Cuddington, Bucks.  I’m not impressed.

On my latest Coast to Coast training ride I passed through the very pretty village of Cuddington in Buckinghamshire, Bucks for short.  Apparently it has won the Best Kept Village award for the county several times.  That is all very well but I am not impressed by the current sign post arrangement, even if a cycling By Way is signposted.  What made things worse was the signs pointed the wrong way, clearly some vandalism had occurred.

Cuddington was one of the many places where I stopped to consult my map, which I seem to use more and more when I’m out of my usual range.  Before I go any further, here’s an overview on the cycle ride in question:

Miles: 82.6

Moving time / average speed: 5hrs:35mins / 14.6mph

Elevation: 3,307 feet

Calories: 2,480

Other friendly cyclists: 6 or 7.  Each one exchanged a nod or a smile or a “Hiya”.  Good camaraderie, encouraging.

Other less friendly cyclists: 1. He was pretty fast, expensive looking bicycle, Lycra, shades.  Didn’t even bother to glance across the road at me.  Snooty.  Not encouraging.

Wifely pep talk

For the cycle ride itself, I set off at around 6.15am, still rather gloomy and dull.  This early start had been planned and agreed at home with wifely motivational talking going on the day before.  This is where the Reluctant Cyclist is tipping the scales against me with choice questions designed to make things happen.  Some of these were along the lines of:

“how far do you fancy riding?”

“any good places, or any good hills planned?”

“I bet you’ll feel fantastic when you get back?”

“do you think the roads will be nice and quiet?”

This is where I am getting a dose of my own medicine and I recall Rachel always resisting my efforts to have the same effect on her sometime before.  Generally the response was “don’t you go social-working me with all those open questions”.  I took it on the chin and it did the trick.  Besides, curried vegetables and rice was on the menu that evening and that was nice to look forward to.

A few reflections of the 82.6 miles

  • Weather conditions were near-perfect: no wind at all.  There was some nicely refreshing drizzle early on which gradually got replaced by slightly lighter grey skies
  • I took a few wrong turns having forgot the route.  Maybe I’m losing my marbles but I’d stop, check the map and say to myself “T junction in 3 miles turn left and then second right towards so-and-so”.  By the time I got to the T junction I had completely forgotten which way and would need to check the map again!  This could be something to consider for the Coast to Coast ride as I know I will be so distracted by the stunning landscape and the whole experience.
  • This route turned out to be pretty flat without many hills.  So as I got closer to home I took in a few hills which made it feel more complete
  • Refuelling with Nakd snack bars every 60 – 90 minutes seemed to work
  • Virtually no cramp at all and this was a brilliant outcome.  I attribute this to electrolyte drinks and I’ll blog about this soon – I think I have found a solution
  • Getting back home I was naturally a little tired but much better than I expected
  • My bike ran almost perfectly.  The only issue is a squeaky Brooks B17 saddle.  The bike handles so nicely and I’m still loving the Tiagra STI levers!

 

 

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Cycling before breakfast

Posted on 22 April, 2014 by doug
Early morning cycle ride, in Hertfordshire

Early morning cycle ride, in Hertfordshire

I hope you might like this photograph, above.  I took it yesterday morning while I was out cycling before breakfast and I think it captures the “feel” of the ride.  Cycling before breakfast really is turning out to be simply the best time of day for cycling, especially on weekends or Bank Holidays.

Sometime before I have blogged about running at dawn and what a great experience it can be, so it’s a real delight it is turning out to be very similar in terms of cycling.  Here’s why:

  • the roads are often quieter, making cycling a more pleasurable experience
  • you’re more likely to get into a regular habit through doing something often early in the morning; I can certainly vouch for this applying to running and cycling
  • I feel more refreshed
  • I always seem to run and cycle better on an empty stomach and have breakfast when I get back home.  That works best as it is always a good idea to have some protein and antioxidants – this helps with recovery and mopping up free radicals
  • being out in the early morning is a wonderful way of setting myself up for the day.  Somehow things seem to go better especially if there are some challenges lying ahead.  It’s great for mulling things over, getting things in the right order
  • being the first to travel down a road, see the view etc can be a wonderful thing, a blessing and a real privilege
  • in the summer it can be wonderful making the effort to be out on the road at 4 or 5.00am.  Generally the cooler part of the day and lovely.  In winter, however, that can be a different story and one that I’m not so keen on!
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Has the top of Bison Hill moved?

Posted on 21 April, 2014 by doug
Bison Hill, Beds.

Bison Hill, Beds.

Recently I had two bike rides, one before breakfast and a longer one in the afternoon.  Fab.  Both were fab in fact.  Fab for different reasons.  I just want to reflect on some of the highs and lows of my morning bike ride here.

Setting off quite early I still needed lights to be seen by the small number of other cars around.  My plan was to cycle for about an hour and wasn’t quite sure of the route, instead taking a make-it-up-as-I-go-along approach.  I took a clock-wise direction in the map which some might spot it includes the infamous Bison Hill (yet again).

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 08.31.40

The weather was pretty good, though cool.  I was going well and reflected on the fact my best time of day for running was before breakfast and there I was cycling well, on an empty stomach.  In spite of that I didn’t feel as if the fuel tank was empty at all.  Half way around I decided to include Bison Hill in the route and I felt I had a chance of cracking my PB of 4 minutes 56 seconds from way back last year.  In fact I’d been frustrated that so many of my recent attempts seemed pathetically slower and this is now made worse by feeling significantly fitter.

And then I took the trouble to look at Bison Hill on Strava in a little more detail.  Turns out there are a couple of end points at the top of Bison Hill and I’d been looking at the wrong one, putting me at a much slower position than I thought. This now explains my quandary of whether the top had “moved”.  Nevertheless I am still slower, albeit only by one second, as Saturday 19th April I managed 4:57 which is at the very least, under the magical 5 minute score.  Naturally my Coast to Coast friends Josh and Jeremy are significantly faster.  Otherwise I am 1185th out of the 2284 cyclists who have tackled Bison Hill (and using Strava).

Screen Shot 2014-04-21 at 21.55.54In my mind Bison Hill is turning out to be a personal challenge, a litmus test of my fitness.  Last year, pre-Strava days, I used to loathe it as it always represented 5 minutes of unnecessarily hard and unrewarding cycling.  It was simply 5 minutes of hard huff and puff up a flipping’ steep hill.  Nowadays it is different and one that, thanks to Strava, I am finding a little more rewarding.

I am sure my friend Paul will be taking great delight in interpreting the stats for me, commenting on my power output and how much more I’ll be needing to climb up Hardknott Pass at the end of June.  Heck that is a challenge, more and more, and it still gives me the creeps a bit.  In spite of that it is good training.  From running I learnt how interval training was so good for me and I hugely benefitted from that, so why shouldn’t that principle apply to cycling?  I suppose the disadvantage is that the duration is more or less fixed but I can live with that.  From the perspective of interval training it’s good to push yourself really hard, perhaps going right to the limit for a brief period of time and then backing off to allow the heart beat to come back down to a more reasonable level.

So there you are, a case of user-error rather than Bison Hill somehow moving.  My performance is remaining steady, which is okay.  No doubt Bison Hill will be tackled again and again, though not as Jeremy suggested.  His suggestion was to ride up 30 times and taking in a 5 mile loop to the bottom: that will simulate the Coast to Coast challenge we’ve set ourselves.  He may well be right in terms of the height climbed and distance travelled, it might even be great training, but it just doesn’t have the appeal of the real thing (creeps or no creeps!).

Jeremy might also be mocking me for taking up with Strava as I have done.  It adds an extra element of interest in cycling.  I must admit to being “fair game” here having resisted it for so long, emphasising how these electronic gizmos take away the honest simplicity of cycling.  Perhaps it does.  After all I have thoroughly enjoyed cycling all my life without Strava but nowadays I do admit to liking it as a way of keeping a record, month-by-month of my cycling and levels of fitness.

Related:

Cycling up Hardknott Pass

Turbo training torture

Cycling up Bison Hill, Bedfordshire

 

 

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Guest blog: John’s view of the Busway cycle track

Posted on 12 April, 2014 by doug

My friend John nicely surprised me by sending me a ready made guest blog, completely out of the blue.  John is a regular user of the Luton Dunstable guided Busway as a bus passenger as he commutes to work each day.  Perhaps John is typical of many who used to cycle when they were younger but now have a bicycle collecting dust in a shed or garage.  Here John takes us through his honest down-to-earth experience of getting on his bike and cycling the entire length of the Busway cycle track.

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I thought I would write a guest blog for Doug, after using the Luton Dunstable Busway cycle track for the first time last Sunday 6th April.  This was the first time I had got the bike out of the shed for 10 + years, although I used to cycle quite a bit when I was a child or teenager.  I got the bike out as my youngest son wanted to go out on his new bike for the first time and he wanted me to go on my bike.  I had to pump the tyres up as they were flat but this was easily done with the electric car pump we have.  Like me, I guess he was encouraged  by my wife asking for her bike last Thursday.  She went out on it, again the first time for 10+ years.  She went to the L&D bus stop which was a round trip of 3 or 4 miles and then last Sunday to Luton and back. She is loving the Busway cycle track, but can only do it when the boys are not around or I am here to look after them.

So having taken my youngest out for a short trip to try his bike out, I deceided to try the cycle track out myself for a ride. As I mentioned, I used to cycle a lot when younger but I am not used to mountain bike gears, so need to learn how to use them.  I have known about the cycle track for a long time due to commuting to my work by bus 5 days a week since it opened.  We have a stop just 3 minutes walk from our house, so accessing the cycle track is very easy and fast. 

On my cycle ride I set off thinking I would go to the L&D stop and back. Once I got there though I thought I would go a bit further to the Chald End Lane bridge then once there I was like well I might as well go all the way to Luton!  Once I got to Luton it started to rain so I didn’t stay around before coming back again, luckly the rain did not stay for long.  It probably took me between 45- 60 mins each way and that included putting my chain back on.

So having been on the cycle track for the first time what did I think?  I am not sure if stones are the right surface for it, I did notice that both my wife’s tyres and mine are now white!  Also there seemed to be a certain line along the track where people must always ride so there are no stones on that part.   When I wasn’t on that line it felt like the wheels were maybe slipping slightly especially when going faster.  Also with it being stones I am not sure how good it is for going fast on.  Also the A frame cycle gates are a pain to go through, although it was easier to get the bike through then I first thought.  You are just picking some speed up or just getting a nice rhythm in your cycling and you come up to a gate and have to slow to a stop and then build back up again.  

Will I use it again?  Yes probably I will do as it is handy, but I will not be changing the bus for the bike as it is a bit much for me and a bit slower.  I also felt it in my legs the next day, although that would probably get easier if I was doing it more often.

So my thanks to John for stepping forward with his guest blog.  My own view is it is local people like John who are the measure of success for the Busway.  He uses it for daily transport which means he’s using an efficient public transport system – that is something which helps our communities in many ways.  He’s gone that one step further and tried out the cycle track, together with his wife and young son.

I think this is important.  In a cycling world of high-end machines and enthusiastic MAMILs, we should always encourage cyclists at all levels and this is a reminder of how cycling is viable for recreation, fun for families, improving health and daily transport.  Well done John, the world of cycling needs more people like you!

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