With the Pearce Cycles annual runners versus riders just over a week away, plus the fact that I’m in second place on the Pearce Cycles Champion of Champions 2006 leader board, the pressure is on, and a final push will see me on the start line in good form.

For the last couple of months I’ve been out with the Radbroke Wheelers, a mix of roadies and triathletes who thrash around the lanes of Cheshire for an hour or so each lunchtime. They ride roadbikes, or cross bikes with road tyres. I have been riding my mountainbike. It has been absolute agony, but come rain shine and gales I’ve been there. On good days I have contributed, on bad days I’ve just grovelled on wheels, but I’ve not been dropped once, and the hard work is surely paying off. I feel fitter, faster, and more aggressive on the bike.

Why am I trying so hard? Well, after last years poor performance I was dissapointed in myself at having let my fitness go so much, and resloved to do something about it. It’s amazing how having a goal spurs you on.

My Chances? I know that my main rivals have also been out training hard, but I don’t think they’ve put in as much work as me, and I’m banking on the fact that they won’t have the miles in their legs, and will fade early. I’m playing my cards very close to my chest, and haven’t mentioned to anyone how much work I have put in.

I’m cutting back on the miles this week, but keeping the intensity high, I’ve lost some weight, and I’m feeling mean. A final push…..

I’ve used Crank Bros pedals before, for cyclo-cross. I had two sets of Eggbeaters. I chose them because they were light, simple, easy to use, and fantastic in mud. They gave a couple of seasons of faultless service (I stripped and regreased them regularly). After that I sold the bikes. They may still be going strong.

I’ve always associated the Crank Bros name with quality specialist products. To me the Smarty pedals looked cheap. Maybe it was the plastic, or the shiny black spindles I’m not sure. Also not sure about the spare plastic covers in different colours. Seemed like a waste of plastic to me. I expect they’d end up in that drawer where things go never to be found again. But they are very light, much lighter than the Shimano pedals I took off.

Fitting the Smartys was a piece of cake, no problem, simple. Pedals fitted to the bike in seconds, and the cleats only took a little longer. Because Crank Bros pedals have such good float there was no need to spend ages lining cleats up, then testing and tweaking. Just line ’em up fairly straight, tighten the bolts and you’re done. No tension screw to faff about with either. In fact they were so easy to set up I tried them with three different pairs of shoes. Top Marks!

Once fitted it was time to ride. As a rider with experience of clip-in pedals the Smartys took no time at all to get used to. Clip in was easy and sure, clip out was the same. I could use them confidently straight away. Top Marks again.

But, they creaked. The shoe creaked against the pedal. This was worse on the oldest pair of shoes I tried, and it maybe that the creaking would stop as they beded in. They didn’t seem to be designed with maintenence in mind. The plastic end cap was difficult to remove, and I could see how it could easily become loose/worn and get lost. The pedals had a larger Q factor (meaning that the riders feet are further apart) than the Shimano ones I took off. While this was not a problem for me, I know it is a biomechanical issue with some riders.

As I understand it Smartys are Crank Bros budget pedal, and as such I think they are great. As I said earlier, i’ve always associated Crank Bros with quality specialist products. If I was looking for a cheap lightweight pedal then the Crank Bros name would give me confidence, and I would look no further. Would I buy some? Well for cyclo-cross yes, but for mountainbiking no. My mountainbiking pedals take such a hammering that I choose robust over lightness every time. I’ve had one bad painful experience with a lightweight pedal, and I don’t want another. Placed side by side with a similarly priced but much heavier Shimano pedal I’d choose the Shimano one.

Bear in mind that I only tested the pedals on one ride so cannot comment on how they’d be long-term. I tested them on my Spesh Stumjumper Hardtail. I tested them with three pairs of shoes – a hardly used but old pair of Shimano, an old pair of Specialized 2000 pro race shoe, and a Specialized 2006 carbon soled race shoe.

Thanks to Julie of 2Pure, and Pearce Cycles for the opportunity to try these pedals.

First some background – The last time I got the chance to test an Epic and an FSR back to back, side by side, was in 2004 (we also rode a 2004 Enduro that day). At that time the FSR had 100mm at both ends, and I loved it so much I bought one. The Epic also had 100mm both ends, and I didn’t like it at all. Since then I have owned a 2005 FSR, which I had a love/hate relationship with, before going back to a Stumpjumper Hardtail for 2006.

My testing partner for the day was my brother ‘Supawal’. The great thing about testing with Supawal is that we ride almost identical set-up, so swithching bikes mid test was a simple matter of switching bikes! Technically we are of similar ability, so differences in bike should show more. We chose Mortimer Forest as our test venue, as it has a good mix of trails and terrains.

Both test bikes looked sexy in their colours. I’ve often prefereed the colours of the test bikes to the colours of the production bikes. The FSR was a lovely purple colour, while the Epic looked hot in mustard yellow. After checking tyre/shock pressures, setting saddle heights we loaded them into the van. Both bikes felt light, the Epic especially. I’d say the 2007 Epic with it’s E5 frame is only slightly heavier than my 2005 M4 Stumpy HT.

Continue reading →

A lovely sunny autumn day, it’s mid morning, and I’m supposed to be working, but can’t wait any longer. I decide to take an early lunch and go out on my bike.

Outside it’s warm enough for shorts and a short sleeved jersey. As I carry my bike down the steps to the road it occurs to me that I have dramatically increased the weight of my bike by adding a bottle cage and bottle (did I mention that she only weighs 16lbs? 😉 ).

Round the sharp left-hander and onto the short climb out of the cul-de-sac she handles beautifully, and surges forward when I press on the pedals. Out of the saddle on the hoods feels completely comfortable. Out onto the main road, and along past the school where there is a long stretch of frost damaged road, a perfect test for the Roubaix’s Zertz damping. I rattle across it at a brisk pace. I can still feel the road, the feedback is still there, but the jackhammer jolts that you would get from a normal road race bike have no sting.

Heading downhill towards Wolverley I pick up a lot of speed. OK, now I’m not so happy, I feel a little wary going this fast. It’s not the bike, it’s the traffic. I move out from the kerb a little and push on, it’s only half a mile to my turn.

Up through Wolverley village and onto the lanes. Kingsford lane runs along the bottom of Kinver edge, at around three miles long it’s a snaking roller-coaster of a lane and a good test for the Roubaix. I float along effortlessly, just the whoosh from the tyres, in the beautiful countryside, under the lovely autumn sun. I weave my way through the lanes to the Sheepwalks, probably the biggest steepest climb in the area. Pushing myself back on the saddle I take the first part of the climb seated, hands on the tops. It feels easy.

The climb eases, and the panorama opens out. I can see the Abberleys, the Malverns, and beyond. The final part of the climb is a steep ramp, and I attack it out of the saddle. Legs stinging with ‘good’ pain I reach the top and decide to stop a while and take it all in.

I’d been out for around an hour now, the bike had exceeded all of my expectations. I decided to push on a bit to see if it was real, or whether I could break the spell. By Shatterford I had worked up a good sweat, the faster I went the more I liked it. Back towards Kinver, sprinting every rise, and feeling funky. Speeding into Cookley with 1:40 done I stormed up the last climb before dashing down the A449 towards the lights at ‘Nabarro’s Folley’. No fear of the speed or the traffic now.

Almost two hours done, and I had worked hard in places. No back-ache, shoulder fine, feeling as fresh as when I started out. Spell still in tact 🙂 But, I was on my own, what I really need is someone to test it out on 😉   

It’s been a couple of years since I rode a road bike, but my dodgy shoulder has stabilised enough to make me want to try one again. Of course it would have to be a Spesh, and over recent months I’ve been thinking about the Specialized Roubaix. When I saw a picture of the all new 2007 version, and heard tales from the trade launch about how fabulous this bike was my mind was made up. I ordered one! 🙂

Originally scheduled to arrive sometime in November, imagine how excited I was when I got an email from Gary at Pearce Cycles to tell me it had arrived. This was on thursday, the day after my 51st birthday! Ace world cup meticulous mechanic James had built her up, and next day I was there to collect her. Wow!!! Even better in the flesh, the pictures I’d seen just didn’t do justice. So light, so well put together, as much like a work of art as a bike, and so damn sexy.

I could go on and on about how the 2007 S-Works Roubaix is a totally new frame that represents the absolute leading edge of what can be achieved with carbon cycle technology. How the frame is stiffer and lighter than ever, how the S-Works carbon crankset is lighter and stiffer than Dura-Ace, how the new Mavic 10th Anniversary Ksyrium Edition Spéciale wheels were chosen as the very best blend of performance and compliance, how even the open-tubular tyres are designed to be the fastest most comfortable tyres possible. Or how Specialized’s Systems approach to Bike Design fits with their ‘inovate or die’ creed, but I won’t. Too excited see.

So excited that I ran out of fuel on my way home. Had to use my new bike to go to the garage. It wasn’t what I wanted for a first ride. I’d planned best kit, sunny day, super route. As I pedaled toward the garage in my non-cycling clothes and trainers I tried not to notice how bloody fantastic she felt.

When I got her home, I put her in the living room so that I could have a cuppa and study her. First proper ride tomorrow, if it’s sunny.

At last, a chance to ride the Ambazacs in the summer. I followed my usual perfect pre-ride preparation – good food (thanks ‘azel), and a skinfull of beer. My riding partner as usual in the Ambazacs ‘Paul the Painter’. Our start point was St-Goussaud and we were gonna do FFC route 13, a black grade route of some 33km. It was warm and sunny, but not too hot, and I felt funky as we pedalled away. The first descent gave my brain a wake up call. Huge rocks everywhere, made it down more by luck than judgement.

Over the next few kilometres we rode some super sweet sweeping singletrack, some boulder strewn ball breaking sections, and the scenery was stunning. The wild flowers, the birds, the greeness, and challenge of the trails… I was just floating along. We crossed a river below Chaurverne-Neyre and started a long climb along the valley side. It was granny ring stuff, and quite tricky, requiring full concentration. As I rode up it the smell of the pine trees lifted me, I felt great, and the faster I went the better I felt. The climb eased a bit, and the view opened out as we climbed above the tree-line. Up into middle-ring and out of the saddle racing along as though someone elses legs were doing the work. Up a final loose rocky section bursting out onto the top full of the joys of cycling. If you can’t do this stuff you ain’t lived!!!

Paul arrived at the top some time later. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t feeling that good!!! Too bad, we just seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. As a friend and fellow cyclist I did my duty, over the next couple of hours I pasted Paul on every climb that we came to. As I explained, it wasn’t a malicious thing, it didn’t give me pleasure, but it was my duty, and I felt so damn good I couldn’t stop myself. Paul is a younger fitter man than me, and knows that his turn will come, and he’ll pay me back. I can’t wait 😉

First some stats from my GPS – Distance Ridden 96 miles (same as last year). Max speed 33.5mph (half a mph slower than last year). Moving time 09:14 (that’s two minutes faster than last year!). Moving average 10.3mph (same as last year). Stopped 1hr 33mins (thats a full 6mins less than last year). Overall average 8.8mph (same as last year).

Now the ’anorak’ stuff. I rode a standard Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Hardtail. I ran a worn out Specialized Rockster 2.2 on the back @ 40psi, and a worn out Hutchinson Python on the front @ 40psi. I set my Fox RL 80mm forks soft with a slightly quicker than normal rebound so that they would soak up the smaller bumps and save my wrists. I carried 2 spare tubes, a small allen key tool, a Blackburn mini pump, a gillet, a chewy bar, and a bottle with ‘gear’ in it. I fitted a bloody great bugle horn on my bike, you know, the type with a squeezy rubber ball, it was used a lot. Walkers seem to like it. 😉

Here’s how it went…

The heavy rain overnight had left the going very wet with huge puddles, but I splashed on, and the brisk tailwind meant that I made good progress. On the descent into Queen Elizabeth Country Park it started to rain, just light rain at first, I thought I would make it to the checkpoint without stopping to ‘cape up’. I was wrong, by the time I reached the car park I was cold and wet. I stopped for a cup of tea, and some toast at the team bus (my van). Ten minutes later the rain had stopped, so with warm dry gloves, skull cap, and cape on I was off. It took a good while to warm up again.

By South Harting my back brake sounded awful, and didn’t work no more. The EBC green pads that were less than a month old had worn out, and it was metal to metal (I won’t be buying anymore of those). I called ahead on race radio (moby) to tell the team manager (wife). I rode on, with just a front brake and the natural berms in the descents to slow me down 🙂 By the time I arrived at the A24 road crossing near Washington she had some new pads waiting for me. This was the halfway point, I was well ahead of schedule, and feeling good. A complete change of kit, a brew, and a fettle of the bike and I was totally refurbished and on my way.

Things started to go wrong. The howling tailwind became a nasty gusting crosswind, riding at speed became very difficult. As time went on it seemed to get worse and worse. By Itford Farm I was seriously thinking of retiring as I felt it may be unsafe to go on. I stopped for a brew and studied the map trying to work out how much more exposed crosswind sections there would be. I continued.

The next twenty miles were not a lot of fun really, but I had taken on the challenge, and wanted to see it through. The worst bit was the last 5 miles. What is normally a victory glide along the top of the downs before whooping down into Eastbourne turned into a frightening crawl just trying to stay moving and upright. Even turning downwind for the final descent was scarey as the wind was shoving so hard.

I was glad to arrive at the finish, what a wild ride. I found out later that the TA had measured the wind as 55mph at one of the checkpoints!!! Later still I was astounded to find that I had completed the route two minutes faster than last year!

Thanks to everyone who sponsored me, and special thanks to my wife for looking after me, I couldn’t do it without her 🙂

Less than a week to go now before my third attempt at the ‘Hearts First Randonnée Challenge‘. You may remember I did it in 2004 with my brother, as part of my recovery from a broken shoulder, then again in 2005 because I had enjoyed it so much in 2004, and now I’m all set to do it again this year.

I’m whippet thin through mile after mile of tough training, and I’m up for it. Last year I was 14th rider home, and although I know it’s not a race, I wanna be up there with the leaders this time.

The event is organised by the British Heart Foundation The British Heart Foundation (BHF) who are the leading UK charity fighting heart and circulatory disease – the UK’s biggest killer. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients return to a full and active way of life. They rely on donations to continue their vital work.

So me and the BHF are doin’ all the hard work 🙂 , and all I’d like you to do is to sponsor me. You can do it online at my page on the BHF website. Thanks in advance, wish me good luck, and I wish you good karma.

In the blink of an eye, two months in France gone, all our tomorrows turned to yesterdays, all rides ridden, time to pack and leave. Where did it all go? Two months seemed like such a long time at the start, even halfway through there was no need to panic, and then, in a puff of blue smoke, gone!

Our two months at Noisetieres in the Limousin had been fantastic. When we arrived, it was tail-end winter, when we left it was full-blown spring, even early summer. I found so many trails to ride, and whole areas where I need to go back to for further exploration. I reckon I’d be hard pushed to ride them all ever, and some of them so sweet (wipes tear from eye).

We left on Friday afternoon about 4pm, the weather was warm and sunny, I wore t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. We drove North at a leisurely pace, past the Monts de Blond and the Ambazacs where I’d ridden in rain and shine, then on up towards Orleans. We stopped for coffee about 100k before Chartes, and it was freezing! OK, slight exaggeration, but it was so much colder that a frantic rummage through the bags to find warm clothes was in order. By the time we reached Chartes, and booked into our overnight accommodation, we were looking for the heating switch.

Next day, onward to Boulogne, the clouds rolled in, and it started to rain. A fitting end to our stay in France really, but it didn’t make the driving any easier. As we rolled off the ferry at Dover I couldn’t take anymore, I handed over driving duties to Carla while I drowned my sorrows in a can of French supermarket beer.

It was one of those days when I didn’t want to faff around with a map. The sun was shinning, there was a light breeze. My plan was to ride upwind, then when I’d had enough turn around and ride home with a tailwind feeling like ten men.

I set off through the lanes to Rochechouart, descended down the back of the Chateaux, then on toward Babaudus. About a kilometer along I turned up a chemin for no reason other than I just did. The chemin climbed out of the valley in a middle-ring easy going sort of way, then across a road and on toward who knows where.

And so it was for the next couple of hours, I just rode along, in the warm sun, trending in the same direction, along fabulous tracks that just presented themselves one after the other like a gift, carpeted in spring flowers, not a care in the world, lost in the moment. However, with the realisation of being lost in the moment came the loss of the moment, and I found myself lost.

I had arrived at a huge lake, with a cafe, and a bar, and not a person there apart from mowerman. There were places launching saling boats, and signs that mentioned fishing, I wondered if the place ever got crowded, maybe in August, and how it survived the rest of the year. I spotted a path around the shore, I rode it.

By now my legs and hunger were telling me it was time to head home. As per plan, I turned to ride with the wind, noted where my shadow fell, and trended in that direction, it was that simple. Some time later, I grovelled my way back up the steep climb past the Chateaux with tired legs. On the run in along familiar roads I began to feel good. Maybe not like ten men, but certainly like a man who had enjoyed a gift of a day. Twenty minutes later I was back at home with a cool beer in the garden.