Cycling uphill

Buckden and the foot of Park Rash

November 22, 2015December 26, 2014 by tejvan

In the end, I did a nice steady 60 miles on Christmas Day. It was a rare December day, when the weather was as good as it gets. The early morning sun made the Wharfe Valley look very attractive. It was a steady ride up the dale, with frequent stops to take photos.

After two hours, I got to the foot of Park Rash. I was in two minds whether to climb up to the top. There may have been a good view from top, but after 50 metres, I did a u-turn. – I got some great presents, but all I really wanted for Christmas was a compact chainset. The 39*25 is too high for this time of the year.

If I had strained every sinew in the body I could have hauled the winter tank up to the top. But, I didn’t feel like it. It turns out you don’t have to start training for October hill climbs the previous December.

I went as far as Buckden and then, with a tailwind behind me, I picked up the pace for the return leg. I came across another rider, Matt from Baildon. Matt had started even earlier and had been as far as the top of Fleet Moss – impressive for Christmas Day and also proving – there’s always someone who will have done more training than you. But, the sight of a fellow cyclists, seemed to galvanise me into cycling a bit faster . With the wind behind you, it can be a great ride down the valley from Buckden to Burnsall and to Ilkley. There were only a few cars on the road, and the valley flew by.

60 miles and four hours. So no epic training ride, like the vainglorious promises of a few days ago. But, it was a pretty good ride, and back just in time for Christmas dinner.

Photos from Yorkshire Dales

My Christmas training plan

November 22, 2015December 23, 2014 by tejvan

I’ve heard on the best authority – no less than Sir Bradley Wiggins – that the key to being the best cyclist is to make sure you do a five hours training season every Christmas Day.

Whilst all your rivals are staying indoors eating mince pies and stuffing their faces with turkey, and sausages wrapped in bacon – you can be out there getting in the base miles. Never forget – that will be 87 rainy and windy miles that you’re competitors have lost to you – forever. Physical gain marginal – psychological advantage – incalculable.

I have also heard this Christmas Day theory previously expounded by no less a cyclist than- a certain Mr Lance Armstrong – who to his name holds the impressive palmeres of – 3rd Overall in the Tour of Sweden (1993) and 1996 winner of La Flèche Wallonne.

For those who may have forgotten who Lance Armstrong is – he has apparently taken up golf because he’s attracted by golf’s code of honour and sportsmanship. The ironic thing is that apparently in the UK – golf membership is in free fall because all the former golfers are taking up cycling. Cycling is the new golf according to the BBC.

MAMILs and WAMILS will one day rule the world – except not quite, because a good MAMIL will not be out cycling on Christmas Day, he will be too busy unwrapping his – Rapha festive neoprene lined, vintage cycling, limited edition, cotton cap. No need to go cycling, as long as you have the gear.

Anyway, back to my Christmas Day, six and a half hour, smash it up all the hills in the Yorkshire Dales. I hope there’s a super strong tailwind on Christmas – because it will make my up coming seven hour training session even more epic, and into the bargain I’ll be able to pick up a hat full of KOM segments – if that isn’t the Christmas spirit I don’t know what is. And one thing I’ve learnt from 15 years of cycling – it’s never too early to start training for the British hill climb season in October.

Today, I didn’t go out at all, and I feel suitably guilty, depressed and convinced of a useless up-coming season. I spent all day waiting for the weather forecast of 6mm of rain to appear. It never did. I was lulled in to a false sense of security that the weather would be too bad for cycling today. I couldn’t work out if I was happy – that the weather wasn’t quite as miserable it was supposed to be. Instead I went to Bradford – (which isn’t necessarily the most obvious cure for when you feel at a lost end.)

But, even Bradford has the capacity to surprise.

Slow improvements in fitness

November 22, 2015December 16, 2014 by tejvan

At this time of the year cycling takes a bit of a backseat, but I’m still able to clock up quite a few winter miles. Every mile helping to boost that very long term project of improved fitness for 2015. If you’re wanting a quick fitness fix and noticeable improvements in form, winter miles are a very hard and slow way of going about it. Every time I go out, there is part of me which thinks – it wouldn’t really matter if you missed today. But, then there is the other part of me which thinks, if I do 50 miles today, perhaps that will knock 2 seconds off a 100 mile time trial time in July.

Fortunately, I would be out cycling even if I never planned to race in 2015. I’m happy to clock up the miles for the sake of cycling – rather than as a means to an end. Today was a steady 60 miles towards Kilnsey Crag and Littondale; in terms of enjoyment it was one of the best rides of the year. I could get used to being a cycle tourist. Perhaps I could grow a beard and get a touring bike with proper mudguards – not these lightweight, aerodynamic, clip on ‘I’m a racer at heart’ type mudguards jobs.

The weather is remarkably good for December in Yorkshire. Just 6 degrees, but warm enough to make it pleasant; and dry. Of course – when I say dry – I mean the absence of rain. There’s still enough water on the road to get soaked through – especially when you leave your front clip on mudguards in Oxford.

I arrived in Yorkshire with minimal packing. I didn’t pack any cycling energy bars, so have been relying on ‘normal’ food that you might find in the kitchen. It’s amazing that, to cycle, you don’t actually have to spend a small fortune on proprietary cycling bars. I found a honey sandwich was enough to get from Bursnall to Halton Gill. Yes, it made me feel like a real cycling tourist to be eating kit-kats and honey sandwiches.

For mid-winter, I’m in pretty good shape. I managed close to 900 miles in November. The hours spent is even more impressive. If I spent that time on a time trial bike on the A50, I could have done twice the mileage. I have an old saying ‘Yorkshire winter miles count double.’ Because it can all be painfully slow at this time of the year. But today I managed to keep a reasonably impressive average speed; and as the light began to fade, I upped the effort to get back before it was really dark. Four hours on the road, 60 miles on the log.

The whole ride was pretty undramatic. I would like to say the roads were exceptionally quiet – they were in places, though in recent years I’ve noticed a big increase in Yodel and white vans, making frantic last minute Christmas deliveries. I know the convenience of internet delivery is very useful, but for the cyclist trying to enjoy quiet roads, it’s not the best development.

Still that’s the only complaint. Mostly it was enjoying the Yorkshire Dales scenery and clocking all those all important miles for the winter mileage saving bank. If I get to 700 miles by the 25th, I might give myself Christmas Day off.

A few more photos

Littondale

Rainbow over Grassington

Low level sun near Grassington.

Kilnsey Crag with mud on the road.

Related

Cyclist magazine – up, up, up

February 7, 2018December 11, 2014 by tejvan

Before the national hill climb championship, the Cyclist magazine commissioned me to write an article on the national hill climb championship. The article is published in this months edition (Jan 2015), which came out recently. – There are some good photos of the hill climb championship too.

If you’re looking for some more in-depth articles on cycling, it’s worth checking out the Cyclist Mag. It’s mainly pro-cycling, but hopefully, the essentially amateur hill climb championship makes an interesting counterpoint to the other road racing.

Talking of hill climbs check out this video by Thom Heald featuring Bristol South CC rising hill climb star Robert Borek. Robert is one of the many new converts to the discipline of hill climbs, and in this video he talks about his enthusiasm for the strange attraction of riding fixed gear bikes up steep hills.

Up Up Up from Thom Heald on Vimeo.

Hill climbing is a niche within a niche. It was one of the original tests of a cyclists skill, the proving ground before time-trials and road races. Now somewhat forgotten, a hardcore band of thin-limbed riders spend their Autumn sacrificing beer and cake for a shot at amateur bike racing glory.

Related

National hill climb championship 2014

Clif shot energy gels and bloks

November 22, 2015December 11, 2014 by tejvan

A few weeks ago, I was sent some Clif shot bloks – energy chews and Clif Shot energy gels for review.

At this time of the year, I don’t use many gels and energy bloks. But, on a four hour plus ride, you can burn up pretty much anything so I took some ‘bloks’ along as well. I have also used them quite a bit over in the US; in America the brand seems quite widespread and were often most common gel on sale in local bike shops. Perhaps the American roots explains the American spelling of ‘blocks’ I used the blocks and gels on some interval training sessions back in August.

Anyway, the energy chews make a change from your typical energy powder and energy gels. It is satisfying to have something to chew. They are quite easy to eat on the move and taste quite nice. The packaging is easy to manage, even with thick winter gloves, which is a bonus. You can just squeeze the tubes up the plastic packaging until it pops out.

The nutrition information is pretty much what you would expect from an energy gel. 80g of carbohydrate per 100g. 50% of the carbohydrate is carb which sugars, the rest is maltodextrin. There’s nothing surplus to carbohydrate – zero protein, fat and fibre. Just a touch of salt – potassium citrate. Quite simple.

6 pieces in a 60 gram pack give

Energy 192 kcal
Protein 0g
carb 48g
of which sugars – 24g
fat – 0g
Fibre – 0g

With condensed energy, it is advised to take water with them. I don’t often take too much gels in winter, preferring to work on the fat burning capacity. But cycling up to Aynho junction last Monday, just 3 pieces was sufficient to give a good sugar boost to the system. You could feel it right away.

Clif shot bloks 18*60g – £29.99

The energy gels are very similar – same carbohydrate content. Ingredients based on maltodextrin, can syrup and water. Some come as double expresso, which gives a whopping 100 mg of caffeine – far too much for my taste. There is also gels with single caffeine shots or without.

The consistency is quite thick. You obviously need to take water with them. But, taste quite pleasant. Though when it comes to gels I’m not overly fussed about taste. Some people speak highly of the ‘Razz’ flavour. But, I’m always dubious about eating something as exotic as ‘Razz’ flavour. I prefer the chocolate.

Clif bar shot gels at Wiggle – 24*34g – £26.49

Two days in Yorkshire

December 9, 2014 by tejvan

In case you are wondering what Christmas present to buy your family member who is a keen cyclist, I’m sure this book would be much appreciated and go down very well…

200 photos of the Tour de France in Yorkshire.

Two days in Yorkshire at Amazon.co.uk (£35!)

All quiet on the cycling front

December 8, 2014 by tejvan

I’m steadily clocking up the miles – long, lonely trundles through the Oxfordshire countryside. It is all rather unremarkable, leaving not so much to write about. It’s hard to get too excited by logging steady mile after steady mile. So far I am really enjoying the winter training; it’s just that it all seems one speed and quite unremarkable.

It’s bleak mid winter, but it’s still quite beautiful. Not the most obvious time of the year to reinvent yourself as a touring cyclist, but there’s a lot to be said for Oxfordshire when the sun is out – even if it is mid-winter

***

When I came back from a short lived cold last week, the weather had distinctly changed from mild Autumn to proper cold winter. It’s time to get out the thermal layers, the hotpads, and pretty much everything bar the kitchen sink. It’s the time of the year where it takes me longer to get ready for a ride than it does to read all the things that interest me in Cycling Weekly; last week I finished the comic in a record time of 1.28 minutes – The competitive spirit is still there, even if it is getting a PB for finishing a cycling magazine.

On the positive side, I’m able to combine winter training rides whilst indulging in another very part-time hobby of mine – observing railway infrastructure. I’ll keep this brief as I appreciate I’m really scrapping the barrel of a cycling blog, when I resort to describing railway bridges observed on route.

A freightliner on the Banbury to Oxford railway with a viaduct nearer by. This is near Souldern, I was dissappointed not to get a better view of the viaduct after cycling 30+ miles but it is all training I suppose. I do like seeing freight trains because it means less lorries on the road. If only we could transport more by rail…

How safe is cycling? – stats on cycle casualties

April 22, 2015December 3, 2014 by tejvan

November was a bad month for cycle casualties, with several tragic accidents reported in the press.

These are some statistics produced by the Department of Transport for road traffic accidents, which helps give a perspective on the dangers of cycling on British roads. (Source: Sept 2013 D o T)

Fatal Accidents

Fatal accidents have been falling in the past few decades. In 2012, 118 cyclists were killed. This was higher than in 2011 when fatalities fell to 107. However, it is significantly lower than early 1980s, when it reached a peak of 350. This compares to:

420 pedestrian fatalities
328 motorcycle fatalities
801 car occupant fatalities.

2013-fatal-accidents

Fatalities and serious accidents

If we include all serious accidents in addition to fatalities, there has been a stronger upward trend since 2003.

2013-ksi-uk

Cycle accidents per miles cycled

If we look at cycle casualties per billion miles cycled, the situation looks less promising. There was a significant improvement in cycle rates in the 1980s. But, the increase in cycle rates since late 1990s appears not to have caused the hoped for ‘safety in numbers’ we might expect. This shows that cycle casualties per bn miles cycled is increasing in the past decade.

2013-cycle-casualties-per-bn-km

Relative risk of different forms of transport – Cycling vs Car vs Pedestrian vs Motorbike

These statistics show casualties per billion km travelled. They produce a slightly skewed figure in that car drivers will clock up many miles on motorways, which tend to have much lower accident rates per miles travelled, compared to rural and urban areas. Nevertheless, it still shows how much safer car journeys are compared to cycling or walking. Which is to be expected. In a car you are protected by crumple zones and a block of steel. Walking and cycling, you are not.

Casualties compared

2013-casualties-per-mode-transport

Fatalities by mode of transport

Using fatalities, pedestrians have a slightly worse risk than cyclists.

Mind-body link

December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 by tejvan

A friend was talking about a theory that the mind can have a big impact on the body. In particular, some niggles in the body can be a result of mental issues. The example they used was stress – manifesting in the form of back pain. The back may be perfectly strong, but to deal with the mental stress, the body deals with it by having pain in the back; furthermore it is claimed releasing this stress in the back is actually a good thing.

If you have have a fall, and injury your knee, it’s pretty certain what the cause is. But, if you wake up the day after a ride, and find a mysterious injury / pain – then it may be some mental cause – often unconscious, and not an underlying physical cause.

I’m no expert on this kind of thing, and I’m sure there are doctors who would disagree – but it is interesting. In particular, I’m sure there have been times when I’ve gained some kind of minor niggle, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the enforced rest did a lot to improve my long-term form.

One thing I should add, when I have had persistent niggles in knees – Physiotherapy did a very good job in getting it better.

I also often think about to my early 20s, where I was injured for several years – meaning I only took up cycling in the late 20s. From a cycling point of view, this was hugely significant. If I’d taken up cycling 10 years earlier, my cycling career might have been quite different. I don’t have any regrets though because, in this lifetime, I am glad I didn’t become a professional cyclist.

Colds

The other interesting thing is that I nearly always get a cold in November / December. During the racing season, I try to hold off any cold. But, once the season is over, I let go of any resistance and almost invite a cold. It’s the best time of the year to have one. A week off the bike, and I’m enjoying it; it’s amazing how much time you have when you don’t cycle 250 miles a week.

It doesn’t always work. I’ve had inopportune colds, just when I don’t want it. But, I think there is something in the idea we can have a mental influence over the body – either positive or negative. My feeling is that we are only just touching the surface of this mind-body link. I’m sure in hundreds of years time, people’s awareness of this will be greatly expanded and we will gain greater intuition and ability to influence this link.

But, at the moment, it’s back to the Vicks vapour rub and snotty handkerchiefs – and dreaming of cycling up Col du Tourmalet in the Pyranees next summer.

Clif builders Protein Bar review

December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 by tejvan

I have been sent a box of Clif Builders Protein bar for review. I’ve been munching away the past few weeks.

I eat a lot of protein bars. Not just for recovery, but on longer rides of three hours plus. Perhaps because I get fed up with just eating all the simple sugars and carbohydrates, it feels good to be eating a more well balanced bit of food. Protein bars have the advantage of being lower GI than most energy bars so you get a slower release of energy without the surges and spikes of sugar.

I had two flavours – Mint Chocolate and Chocolate. It tastes quite pleasant, nothing amazing, but quite palatable for an energy bar. I preferred the non-mint version – though the mint version is still quite mild.

Like many protein bars, it requires quite a bit of chewing and eating. It’s not something to eat in a race because it doesn’t slip down easily. It feels quite compact and it’s a big job to get it all down. Having said that, a protein bar is really for after a workout rather than during it. You will also need to take water with eating it. It means quite a lot is packed into the 68 gram bars. The main thing is 20 gram of soy protein which is quite a lot of protein for a protein bar.

It is based on soy protein. As I take quite a lot of whey protein products, it’s good to have a variety of protein. Even if just because ‘Whey can make you a bit windy.’ and it’s good to have something different for a change.