After a quiet November and December, I went to Sicily, with training bike.
The weather was excellent 10-18 degrees, mostly sunny – only rain one day. After the persistent drizzle of England in the past few weeks, it was welcome relief. The first day, I had to panic buy suncream and sunglasses, you get out of the habit to think about sunglasses – cycling in the UK mid-winter.
I stayed near a town called Sciacca, the other side of the island to Palermo. The hotel waiter proudly told me he had served Marco Pantani and Miguel Indurain when the Giro passed through here one year. The island is very hilly. If you stay off the main roads, the terrain is constantly up and down. The main roads are more horizontal because of bridges over the innumerable dips. The good news is that the climbs are well engineered, with average gradients of 5% making it all quite palatable. From Sciacca to Caltebellotta there is a 15km climb – which goes from sea level to 930m. It averages 5% and is a great climb to both go up and then come back down.
I’ve always used lightweight jackets and gilets before – the type that fold up to the size of a satsuma at most and give reasonable wind protection but not a lot of warmth. This softshell gilet is very different – it has a windproof / water-repellent outer fabric and a warm microfleece lining, so even when packed flat it’s about the size of a couple of thick-cut sandwiches. On the plus side, it’s been perfect for such a wide range of conditions this winter that I’ve not had to take it off and find room in a pocket for it.
The softshell gilet is part of DHB’s performance range, so it’s aimed at the serious cyclist wanting good value training kit rather than the commuter or occasional rider. Having worn it for a few weeks of winter weather though, I’d say just about anyone who rides in all weathers will love this piece of kit.
Genuinely warm and windproof, this gilet has kept my torso dry in some sharp showers and sustained drizzle too. The cut is definitely sleek, with a lot of stretch and an effective gripper around the base, so when I drop down into an aero position it doesn’t sag around my middle like some jackets do. It’s great in windy conditions, with no flapping of fabric and zero rustling. The zip is robust and backed by a storm
flap which protects from wind penetration and also prevents any rubbing at the neck.
My favourite feature is the storage – 2 very large, stretchy pockets give me space to carry all the gear I need on a long ride (bananas, bars, lightweight waterproof etc.) or my winter commute (small lock, bunch of keys, wallet, etc.). Honestly you can cram a lot of gear in there and the flaps at the top of the pockets make sure it stays put while still allowing easy, fumble-free access when you’re riding.
There’s good reflective trim at the back, a reflective logo on the front and if you opt for the navy/fluoro colourway as I did you’ll be seen from miles away. If you are more worried about how you look than how well you get seen in the dark, there’s a cool-looking black version available too.
Verdict – warm, windproof and showerproof with a sleek, body-hugging fit and generous storage.
My winter riding consists of a 10 mile hilly commute in all weathers and long training rides at the weekends, so I bought this cap hoping for something that would do a job in all kinds of weather. I often start my commute with a downhill section, so it takes me ages to warm up – for that reason I was a bit dubious when I saw that this hat is much more lightweight than the thermal/fleece caps I’ve used before on winter rides. Would it be warm enough?
In use, it’s proved pretty good right down to 4-5 degree temperatures. Below that, I stick a buff or thermal cap under it and still benefit from the windproofing and handy peak of the DHB cap.
On it’s own, this cap is on the large side for me – the phrase “one size fits all” is rarely true and while my head is small enough to save me money on helmets (I can buy the junior ones) it does mean that this cap is too loose to wear on it’s own. Under a helmet, with the cap set back on my head to prevent the peak coming too far over my face, it’s perfect.
The windproof panel covers the mid section of the scalp from front to back and does a good job keeping out both wind and light rain on long rides. That windproofing makes this cap surprisingly warm for its weight and it still breathes as well as I need it to. The peak is designed to be flipped down or up, depending on whether you’re keeping the driving rain out of your face while riding into a headwind or sitting up to enjoy the view. Once flipped, the peak stays either up or down until I flip it back, and now I’ve got the hang of positioning the cap just right under my helmet it gives me as much rain protection for my face as I need while still letting me see the road.
The lighter panels of mesh fabric over the ears are also warmer than they look and it’s only on the coldest days that I need an extra layer to keep my head warm. If you start your ride in cold or wet weather then warm up, these side panels can be folded up inside the cap to leave your ears uncovered.
Verdict – good fabric and a good, functional design for all weathers – but check that it fits you well before buying, especially if you ride without a helmet.
2015 has been a good year. I did a record annual mileage – despite tailing off in November and December. I won quite a few races, though missed my pre-season goal and didn’t get on any podiums at the National championships.
In some ways, the highlight of the year was an unexpected 7th place at the British Time Trial Championship – which is ironic because I always doubted whether I would be able to actually ride until about 10 minutes before my start. It was a really great experience, with closed roads, racing on the motor circuit, but whether I will do it again I don’t know. Perhaps the best thing was getting on telly for seven seconds as the commentators talked about Alex Dowsett’s great form.
I trained a lot for the national 100 mile TT, but came 7th – compared to 3rd the previous year. I wasn’t far off a medal, but it wasn’t to be.
More than ever, I feel that sporting courses are much more fun that blasts along dual carriageways. Other season highlights were racing the Circuit of Ingleborough and Little Mountain time trial. Even if you have to do it in bad weather, when you’re not particularly fit, they feel more like the essence of the sport to me. (plus, I do better on the hills – which is another personal reason to like them). Still mid summer, you don’t have much choice in timetrialling.
The low point of the season was spending all season waiting for a Bioracer skinsuit and when it finally came, it was wrong size and I had to send it back twice. Probably takes the record for both the worst service and the most expensive piece of clothing I’ve ever bought. I’m sure it would have helped to save a few seconds in big races. That’s the trouble with timetrialling, it’s more than ever a sport of marginal gains and aerodynamics. If you want to go faster, spend a lot of money in aero testing. I’d rather just ride the bike and I’d be quite happy to ride Japanese Kieren style (everyone on the same bike) but I may have to bite the bullet next year and get some more ‘free’ i.e. ‘very expensive’ speed next year.
Photo Dan Monaghan
The hill climb season was quite good, though I didn’t win as many races as previous seasons, and I had to get used to more 2nd places than usual. I made a big effort for the national on Jackson Bridge, but again was a couple of seconds off the podium. It was a good event though.
Paul Jones’ book A Corinthian Endeavour was also great to read – a reminder of the great history of the hill climb championship.
With young and faster riders marginally edging ahead, it made me think of racing in a slightly more philosophical point of view. Essentially, it is the amateur ideal which attracts me to the sport. If you do it with this mindset, you can enjoy the race, even if you don’t quite get the position you would like. (Not everyone can be Eddy Merckx)
Recently there have been a few revelations of doping in amateur cycling – from under 18s to masters. I find it a little shocking and very disappointing. To me, it is summed up by a guy who won a junior national championship, but didn’t want to stay for the medal ceremony, instead he slinked off home early because he knew he was under investigation. That’s the thing about winning under false premises – there is no joy – only the opposite. You just hope these cases, act as a stark reminder and warning – what a terrible choice it is to cheat.
The Knog Blinder R70 is a rear LED light unit with integrated USB recharge, peak lumens of 70 and only weighing 50 grams. It is easy to attach and comes with three different length straps for the ability to fit to seat posts of different sizes.
This summer I spent a lot of time trying to get a satisfactory light for my time trial bike, which has a large circumference aero seat post. (I felt the choice was pretty limited. See: rear light for aero seat post) Many people advise a light which can be put under the saddle – but there I often have a water bottle or saddle bag. What I really wanted was an clip on rear light which would go around the seat post. But, because it is so large (34cm circumference) many lights didn’t fit.
When I say the new Knog light had an adaptation for aero seat post I asked a copy for review. Knog sent me a copy and I was happy to test.
Review
Firstly, it is quite similar to many other Knog lights that I have used in the past few years. I have both a Knog front light USB and a Knog 4V rear light. I have used them for other two years, and have had good experiences.
Previous model Knog blinder 4v
The only problem is that I broke the strap of the Knog 4V rear light trying to stretch it around an aero seat post.
Since end of racing season, my training has been stop start, but mostly stop. I wouldn’t say it is an injury, but a feeling of tiredness in right leg. Aching muscles. It’s perhaps no co-incidence it occurred at the end of a relatively long season.
Because of the warm weather, I’d like to get some good training in, but I’ve had to take it fairly steady and last week did nothing on bike.
I went to physiotherapist who identified some weakness in various muscles so I will work on that and also greater flexibility. There is a degree of imbalance between legs – see: imbalance in legs – which caused previous problems with knee.
It’s not the end of the world to take it easy in November and December.
On the positive side, I went out yesterday for 20 miles and cycled up to Langbar, a mist was clearing from the Wharfe Valley, which looked great from the top of the moor.
There was quite a buzz about Chris Froome’s physiological testing released this week. The general consensus seems to be – well it’s kind of what you would expect, it won’t prove anything either way – the doubters will still doubt, those who believe Froome is clean will certainly have nothing to change their mind.
Perhaps, though I do also remember in the bad old days of Lance Armstrong – people always used to say the same thing. It doesn’t matter what comes out – people have already made up their minds. But, ultimately, people did change their minds.
The final convincing proof that changed a nations mind.
It is quite likely Chris Froome will be challenging to win the Tour de France for the next couple of years, I hope the rather extreme manifestations of suspicion can fade away in future years. Releasing results of testing is perhaps one step.
Limits of physiological testing
As much as I’m aware of the importance of physiology, genetics and ‘natural talent’ the thing that appeals to me about cycling is the potential – perceived or real of seeing how far you can transcend your own personal efforts. Maybe I’ll explore this more in the future.
I’ll probably never get round to physiological testing because:
A) I’d rather spend the time training.
B) I don’t want to pay.
C) I’m not sure what you are supposed to do with the results. It’s a bit like my power meter, all very interesting, but I never really go through files to learn from it.
D) I don’t even know where you can get tested.
E) I don’t think it’s that interesting. A VO2 Max figure would be of mild curiosity value, a bit like your resting heart rate. But, ultimately, you race to see how fast you are.
Another article on doping
I wrote another article on doping, it got a bit long and, in parts, a bit philosophical so I put on another blog – Doping and cycling. The Tejvan blog is a collection of personal musings.
Last week I received a copy of Chris Froome – The Climb for my birthday, and have spent the past two weeks reading it. I have enjoyed the book, and have read at quite a quick pace. It is an unusual and quite intriguing cycling story. Gangly Kenyan born Brit learns to ride mountain bike with local Kenyan cyclists and despite multiple crashes, having to impersonate officials and coping with tropical diseases, manages to work his way into the European pro cycling scene.
Even if it stopped there, it would be quite an interesting story – a triumph of will and determination over adversity and an unlikely background for a pro cyclist. Of course, it doesn’t stop at just getting into a pro team, Froome has gone on to win the Tour de France twice, Olympic bronze and has come very close in the Vuelta twice. If all that wasn’t enough drama for a wannabe cyclist, Froome was fated to be the first winner of the Tour de France, since the very public expose of the greatest doping scandals in cycling (if not sport).
There was a time when cyclists were heroes, and any awkward questions were swept under the carpet. But, post-Lance – and anyone who has the temerity to win a race, is subject to the latent suspicion and, at times, hostility of those who are fed up with the unending doping scandals that have blighted the sport in recent decades. What might have been celebrated as a romantic story – “The guy who went from the African bush to the Champs Elysees podium” – has – to an extent – been overshadowed by questions of where did this guy come from? If he was this talented, why wasn’t he winning bigger and earlier?
A strong theme in the book is that Chris gets to tell his side of the story. How he started, how he became a better cyclist, how he missed out, why race performances often didn’t match training data. A cynic might say, it is a long attempt at self-justification, but I didn’t feel that. Everyone tells their story in a way to portray themselves in the best light. Especially given the sub-plots circulating around pro cycling, I wouldn’t have expected anything else.
African roots
In many ways the early chapters are amongst the strongest in the book. It is just a very different life – brought up feeding pet rabbits to your pet python, the only white boy training with Kenyan locals and learning to ply his trade on a mountain bike bought from a supermarket. This is boys own stuff, and makes the Otley CC Sunday run through Yorkshire Dales look like a walk in the park.
The dhb Extreme Weather overshoe is a tough, rainproof overshoe designed for cold and wet winter rides.
I received a free review copy in the post at the start of the month. Training has been somewhat interrupted by minor injury niggles this month, but I’ve still been out several times. Often wet, and only a couple of times cold.
The shoe is pretty impressive in being waterproof. Constant spray doesn’t seem to get through at all, which is a big bonus.
Time trials are the simplest aspect of cycling sport. Riders go off at timed intervals and race alone. The fastest rider wins. It is a simple race against the clock or as they say in France – ‘contre la montre’
It has also been called ‘The Race of Truth’ because there are no team tactics. The strongest rider should win.
It’s not as exciting or spectacular as road races, but, time trials are often included in big stage races like the Tour de France and can be exciting in their own right for big events. It is often the time trial which decides who wins the big Tours. For example, in the 1989 Tour de France, Greg Lemond (USA) famously overturned a 50 second deficit on the final time trial to win the Tour by 8 seconds.
Rules of Time Trials
The rules of time trials are fairly simple.
Ride the course
Don’t take shelter from other riders (known as drafting)
Have a bike fitting regulations of the cycling body.
In practise, there are many minor rules. The UCI have very strict rules about the placing of your saddle, angle of handlebars and even the aspect ratio of materials. In the post war period, the UK Road Time Trials Council (RTTC) had a long book of rules, including having a bell on your bicycle.
History of Time Trials
In the 1880s, UK mass start road races were constantly under attack from the police. This was due to complaints from (the generally wealthy) motorists that felt they were being terrorised by ‘furiously fast cyclists’. This was in the day of motorists driving at 10mph (how times have changed…)
An early time trial. The rider is performing a ‘dead-turn’ – a u-turn in the middle of the road. He is also dressed all in black. It is rather quaint that there was a time when you can stand in the middle of the road as the turning point for a cycle race.
