The day after

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brompton-in-cafe

The day after the 100 mile time trial I was cycling into town. I knew I’d done a good ride because I was getting overtaken by all kinds of commuters on 3 speed bikes. There might have been a time when my pride would not have allowed me to be overtaken by a young women on a sit and up beg bicycle. But today pride was working the other way. “I’ve smashed myself so much, I’m even getting overtaken by old lady on a a 1950s Hercules!” – That was a  proper ride!

The interesting thing is that after a long ride there is a great sense of satisfaction that can last at least a day, if not longer. In a strange way, you still feel the movement and effort in your legs; you can still remember the speed of flying down the dual-carriageway.  It’s a bit like the day after going to Alton Towers – you still have the feeling of the roller-coasters in your body.  If you’ve managed a pb, you get a lot of joy just by repeating the time to yourself.

brompton-in-cafe

The other thing is that the day after riding a 100, you can’t wait to do the next one.  It’s strange because your legs don’t at all feel like doing a 100. But your mind can’t start plotting how you can take off even more time off. –  A bit more training, more power, better bike, less wind, faster course without potholes, and you can see your way to taking at least 15 minutes off your pb.

My next race is actually the National 50 in two weeks time. Hopefully, I will be in good form for that. Though, first I need to recover from this 100. Yesterday was just 6 miles cycling into town and back (very slowly). Today I’ll go out for 2 hours steady and on Wednesday, I’ll see how the legs feel for doing some intervals. It depends how the legs feel, I may need another day of steady riding, it’s hard to say – it’s a long time since I last did a 100.

I think this is all the attraction of long distance time-trialling – you really get value for money. The effort required is that much more, but you get an even more intense experience.

 

Hounslow & District CC 100

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Timetrial-rider-daises

Sunday 25th May was the Hounslow and District CC 100 mile time trial on the A31 Bentley Course. After writing an article on 100 mile pacing, training and eating – it was time to see if I could put any of the theory into practice.

Conditions were relatively good. Definitely not as bad as the last time I grovelled around the Bentley Course in the Charlotteville CC 50.. But, it was still a bit windy.

Before the race, I left a bottle by the Hen and Chicken pub. It was a good job, as I found that was where the start was, I hadn’t done this course before. The first lap was pretty good. I felt it was one of those days when you had quite good legs. Occasional looks at power meters made me back off a little. It’s hard not to go out too fast in a 100. The interesting thing is that on the fast tailwind sections, if you reduced your power from 280 watts to 240 watts, you seem to stay at the same speed anyway. I went through 25 miles in 54.53 (it was very well organised event, with times taken at 25, 50 miles and the finish.)

Timetrial-rider-daises

After previous 100s where I’d got my feeding wrong, I was trying to stick to strict schedule; so after 25 miles, I took first energy gel. The problem was that I’d taped it to the Time trial frame with sellotape. As I took it off, it exploded all other the place. I got that nasty sticky stuff on my legs, hands, bike and handlebars – pretty much everywhere apart from in my mouth. It was a good job, it wasn’t my only gel. I had a plan to take after 25 miles, but this happened to be just before a roundabout, which had rumble strips on. This made it even more difficult to to deal with. I went round roundabout with empty gel wrapper in my mouth.  Then I couldn’t decide what to do with empty wrapper. I’m not a big fan of the Rules – but I do agree with the rule about not throwing litter by side of road. I couldn’t bring myself to throw empty wrapper by road, but I didn’t want to stuff it down my skinsuit. So undecided, I ended up carrying it my hands for about 5 miles. Eventually, I threw it into a layby and made a note to pick it up after the race. But my hands were terribly sticky and for a while it felt like my fingers were glued to handlebar tips.

Apart from the exploding gel incident it was relatively incident free race. In fact, I really enjoyed the first 50 miles. I suppose ‘enjoy’ is a relative term. But, it was nice to be going at a good speed, without killing yourself – especially on the smooth tarmac parts. I went through 50 miles in 1.50.33 – almost 4 minutes quicker than last 50 mile TT.

As the miles and laps wore on, the inevitable tiredness creeped up. It was getting harder and harder to keep the power up. After averaging 271 watts, the average began to fall. But, the good thing is on the tailwind section, you could really take it easy, but still keep good speed. I saved the diminishing efforts for the hard uphill and headwind sections.

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Training for 12 hour time trial

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At the moment I can’t decide between training for a 12 hour time trial and training to be fast up hill climbs. My training is often a mix of racing up hills, then trying to do 80 miles of endurance. Getting the best of both worlds (or perhaps failing to maximise either). Anyway, the rides are a lot of fun which is the main thing.chilterns-aldwich

The Chiltern ridge makes an excellent training area. You can go up and down the hills of the Chiltern ridge until you get tired of hill intervals, then you can take the flat roads back to Oxford. I’ve learnt not to overdo the hills. Every training ride doesn’t have to take you to the max. If you leave something in the tank, it makes the next training sessions more productive. If you really go for it, you can spend the next 7 days recovering.

Clearly defined goals are important

In cycle training the first thing is to have a clear goal of what you want to achieve. Later in the year that will be easy – peak for the end of October for a 3 and a half minute effort. But, at this time of the year, the goals are not quite as prominent. I hope to do my first 12 hour time trial this year at the end of July. But as it’s my first 12 hour, I don’t have any major expectations; I can just turn up and see what I do.

The event will be the National Championship 12 hour TT on a pan flat course in Yorkshire. In the run up to that, I will have quite a few 10s, 50s and 100s. Racing 50s and 100s is an excellent preparation for a 12 hour time trial.

Though the idea of racing 3 consecutive 100s (3* 4 hours), does put the 12 hour into context. The record for a 12 hour time trial is 317.9 miles set by Andy Wilkinson (Port Sunlight Wheelers) in 2012. (26.48 mph average)

These are a few thoughts about training for a 12 hour time trial, though I haven’t done a 12 hour yet. I may revise this post, when I’ve actually done one!

Getting the miles in

At the risk of stating the obvious, if you want to do a 12 hour time trial, you need quite a few miles in your legs, and be comfortable with riding for 5-7 hours. If you can manage 6 hours, the logic is that if you pace yourself correctly and manage food / hydration, you should be able to keep going for 12 hours.

Fortunately, I had a reasonably good winter; despite a few weeks off, I had a few 6 hour rides which provides a good winter base. In early spring, my rides were a bit shorter as I got over an injury and concentrated on short hilly time trials. But, now the exams are coming to an end, I have more time for training. The hope will be to do a 5-6 hour ride once a week.

If you don’t have such a good basis, it is good to start off with a 3-4 hour ride every 7-10 days – in addition to shorter rides during the week. A couple of months before the event, if you can make this long ride 5-6 hours it will get help you get used to the duration of the event.

Target for training

In terms of 12 hour training, I will be hoping for a couple of 300 mile weeks, possibly the odd 400 miles. It would be nice to have chance to do a really long ride, like 150 miles, that would give a lot of confidence for a 12 hour and give an idea of what it is like to ride for 7 hours.

But, you don’t need to do 300 miles every week, it could be counter productive. Recovery is still as important for 12 hour training. Like all aspects of cycle training, you also have to listen to your body and know when you are fatigued. My training schedule has built up over several years. When I started cycling, I couldn’t manage what I do now. This is why it’s hard to give concrete training plans.

Training on a time trial bike

I would say it is essential to train on the bike that you are going to be racing on. There’s no point doing long training rides on a road bike, only to find after 3 hours of the race that the TT bike is too uncomfortable.

Last year, I was in a lot of pain for a 100 mile TT so I felt to do a 12 hour, I’d have to do something radically different.

  • Firstly, I got a new saddle (Adamo Saddle review) – which is super-excellent for a long time in the TT position.
  • I also did a bit of upper body core strength – in particular the plank – for strengthening the back.

These two factors have made a big difference. I can now ride on TT bike for 6 hours without too much discomfort. It would be a shame to be in good cycling shape, but to have to give up because your back or neck can’t take it.

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Tubeless tyres – pros and cons

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Tubeless tyres are a ‘relatively’ new technology that dispenses with the need for inner tubes. Instead, you use specific wheel rims which can keep an airtight seal between the special tubeless tyre and the bead on the wheel .

I’ve updated this post because (inspired by readers comments) I’ve got round to actually buying and using a tubeless (Hutchinson Atom). First impressions are very good,  I was quite surprised because previously I had decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. But, now I’m considering next wheel purchase will be tubeless. It was easy to fit and I’m fairly confident to run that wheel virtually puncture free.

hutchinson-fusion3-tu-med

The main advantages of tubeless technology are:

  • Avoiding those irritating pinch flat punctures, where you get the inner tube pinched between rim and tyre. Some claim this is 99% of punctures, but I don’t believe it is that high. Nevertheless, I’ve had many pinch flats over the years, tubeless eliminates these.
  • If you want to ride at lower tyre pressure, tubeless are good because you don’t need to worry about pinch flats. Lower tyre pressure can be good for giving better grip and traction and comfort. (though a lower psi will also have a higher rolling resistance)
  • With tubeless you can put a small amount of liquid sealant in the tyre. If you puncture, this sealant will fix most of these punctures. This gives you excellent puncture protection – better than standard inner tube and tyres where you can’t run sealant.
  • Alternatively, if you do flat, you can put in a spare inner tube, and the tubeless tyre will still work
  • Can be marginally less weight than a standard clincher tyre and inner tube because you don’t need an inner tube.
  • If a tubeless tyre does puncture, air should escape more slowly – there is less risk of the inner tube bursting and causing a rapid deflation – which could be dangerous when descending rapidly. I ran an ordinary inner tube on a tubeless wheel, when I punctured, I was able to cycle home 7 miles because the air leaked out very slowly.

Disadvantages

  • They can be difficult to fit. Because the tyre needs to be airtight against the rim, many models are difficult to put on. This is a real pain if you puncture out on a ride. For some tyres you may need an air compressor to put on. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. I found that the Hutchinson Atom tubeless went on very easily. The other advantage of fitting a tubeless tyre is that you don’t have to worry about using tyre leavers – there’s no inner tube to pinch.
  • To get the best from tubeless tyres is it advisable to purchase some sealant. This makes it airtight and also enables punctures to be fitted.
  • So far they haven’t really caught on, (at least for road bike. MTB seems more successful because MTB tyres are often at lower pressure). There is no critical mass meaning most local bike shops often don’t carry them.  Even online, the choice isn’t great.
  • They are not particularly cheap.
  • Ordinary road tyre technology has improved a lot meaning you can get some good tyres which rarely puncture. These days clincher tyres are really quite good value. As long as you are very careful in refitting an inner tube to avoid puncture flats, there isn’t such a big puncture risk.

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100 climbs of the Tour de France – Review

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100 greatest cycling climbs of the Tour de France is the 4th book in the popular series of books by Simon Warren. This book includes 100 climbs which have featured in the Tour de France, including famous climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees, such as Alpe d’Huez and the col du Tourmalet.

A while back I saw a survey in Cycling Weekly that said something like 40% of all riders consider themselves ‘climbers’ – it was by far the most popular type of cyclist – (Perhaps this means we will be seeing bumper entries in the hill climb season this autumn…)

There is definitely an enduring fascination with climbing up hills. It is the thing we love to hate. Pictures of sweeping hairpin bends and looming vistas just make you want to go out and ride them. As a cyclist, there are few challenges as rewarding as conquering difficult hills. And it is the mountains of the Alps and Pyreenes which are the most iconic aspect of cycling.

Quite often you read a book – and that’s it. It sits on the bookshelf until you give it away to a charity shop to make more space. But the 100 Greatest climb books are the kind you want to keep going back to – Looking for a new hill to ride, looking at the hills you’ve just done.

I’ve probably looked at my 100 UK climbs books more than any other book in past few years (with notable exception of complete works of William Shakespeare, King James Bible e.t.c.)

The problem with 100 climbs of the Tour de France is that it make British hills look rather feeble in comparison. I know we have Great Dun Fell and Hardknott Pass, but the Tour de France is just littered with mind blowing climbs complete with beautiful hairpins and stunning scenery. I’m just jealous of all those hills and I haven’t ridden even one. Reading the book does gives me pangs of inadequacy – I haven’t conquered even one Pyrenean pass.

A while back I was researching climbs which would give maximum higher gain in minimum time frame. The magic gradient is a steady and consistent 10%. In the UK this is virtually impossible to find. But, in the Pyrenees, it seems every climb was perfectly engineered to give this magic gradient for a high Vertical Ascent per Meter.

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col du Tourmalet. Photo Will J

  • Col du Tourmalet 1,404 metres of height gain over 19 km. Average gradient 9%

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Power uphill and sliding in the rain

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Bradley Wiggins must be enjoying riding in the sun of California, resplendent in his yellow jersey. Much more preferable to  slipping all over wet Italian roads. 12 months ago, it was painful to watch Wiggins nervously descend Italian roads like he was on an old fashioned club run. But, 12 months on, it was good to see him putting out the power in the time trial and up the long mountain in sunny California. By contrast the Giro riders are having to deal with extraordinarily difficult conditions, which is leading to crashes all over the place. A times it appears more like a badly planned circus than a cycle race.

Here in the UK, we grumble about the rutted state of British roads. True the gravel and heavy roads slow you down, but at least you don’t have the ice-skating ring of Italian roads which seem to be doused with olive oil. There are so many crashes in the Giro this year, that you would think that if it was monkeys riding the Giro, it would get shut down for cruelty to animals.

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Power on the Uphill

I can understand why light riders go quicker uphills. Less weight, increases your power to weight ratio. But, one thing I’m not quite sure is why is it much easier to put out more watts cycling uphill. In a recent hilly time trial, I was struggling to do 300 watts on the flat. If I made a big effort, I could do 310, 320. But, when the road went uphill, I could hold 360-370 watts. The last five minutes of the race I averaged just shy of 370 watts, because it was a 10% climb. If it was a flat five minutes I would have averaged 290, if I was lucky. The steeper the hill, the easier it is to put out more power.

Recently I did a one minute intervals, I went  flat out for a minute. But, despite making maximum effort, the power depended on the gradient. At the start it was flattish and I was getting 450, but when it became steep, it went up to 600 watts.

I’ve heard that some riders are more suited to putting out power on a climb. I wonder why or perhaps everyone experiences that.

Reasons to take up cycling

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Some of the best reasons to take up cycling.

1. See the world

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Cycling gives a sense of freedom that sitting in a car can never give. Descending a hill on a bike is exhilarating, something you never feel in a car. Cycling also gives greater freedom about where to go. Cycling will help you see many beautiful parts of the country, that otherwise you wouldn’t have seen. Even within my local city Oxford, a bike gives you vistas you would never get through driving.

 

2. Quicker Travelling

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In many congested towns, a bike can offer the quickest method of transport. For example, in London average speeds on roads amounts to a paltry 9mph (this is a lower average than 100 years ago!) Even a moderately fit cyclist will have no trouble in beating cars, buses and the underground. Also with a bike, you don’t have to spend time driving around looking for parking. You can park usually exactly where you want to end up.  Many towns are encouraging pedestrian only areas. With a bike you can go down narrow lanes, on canal paths and often cut corners that you cannot do in a car. As cities get more congested, cycling is a practical way to beat the queues and get to work more quickly.

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3. Saves Money

A good bike costs £400; a reasonable car will cost £5,000. With oil prices and car parking charges rising, cycling can also save significantly on petrol costs. The majority of car journeys are for distances less than 5 miles. These distances are easily cycleable. These short journeys also have the relatively highest petrol costs because cars are most inefficient at low speeds. It is estimated that leaving the car in the garage for the average commuter could save an estimate £74.14 ($150) per week (source: Cycling Weekly June 19th 2013). (This is of course assuming your passion for cycling doesn’t take you down the route of buying something like Shinamo Dura Ace Di2  – definitely not necessary for the commute into town)

4. Lose Weight

Cycling is a low impact aerobic exercise and is an excellent way of losing weight. Cycling can also be combined with shopping and commuting, enabling very busy people to find time for exercise. It is also a lot cheaper than gaining membership to the gym. With obesity becoming an endemic problem in western society, cycling can play a key role in helping to keep the population in shape. You should have seen what a lump of lard I was before I took up cycling….

5. Health Benefits

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Cycling is good for the heart and can help reduce incidence of heart disease, one of the biggest killers amongst developed countries. Sedentary lifestyles also contribute to other ‘silent killers’ such as diabetes and high blood pressure. According to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves fitter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who take no exercise, the heart foundation claims. If you worry about the dangers of cycling, this helps put it into perspective.  – Cycling and health

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Cycling rates 2012/13

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Cycling UK

According to the Department of Transport, The prevalence of cycling in England (at least once a month) reduced from 15.3% to 14.7% in the year to October 2013.

This decline in reported cycling rates is disappointing given cycling’s relatively high profile in the past couple of years. The fall in cycle rates could be attributed to several factors.

  • High profile accidents reported in media

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Cycling casualties per bn km cycled have been increasing since 2008

  • Little change in cycling provision
  • End of recession and relatively lower petrol prices.

 

Most popular boroughs for cycling

Oxford is the second most popular borough for cycling, despite having no co-ordinated cycling infrastructure.

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Charlotteville CC 50 mile TT

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After Saturday’s ride through a mini gale, it was more ‘gluttony for punishment’ this morning at the Charlotteville CC 50 mile TT on the Bentley course. A big field of 110 riders, plus 47 women in a separate event were on the startsheet. But, given the forecast wind and rain, quite a few thought better of it and stayed at home. I could feel proud for riding through the conditions, but I had my own moment of weakness, frantically checking the Weather forecast on Sun morning trying to work out if 0.6mm of rain is enough excuse to give cycling on a dual carriageway a miss.

two-cold-timekeepers

It was a pretty close call, but, buoyed by Saturday’s ride I thought I’d risk a drive down to Hampshire and have a go at my first ‘fast’ 50. (I’ve already done the Circuit of the Dales 50 earlier in April, but it’s not really a fast 50)

It was windy and chilly. But, not quite as crazily windy as Sat, and the forecast rain never materialised. In fact the sun, defied all predictions and came out to marginally warm up the May morning. I was off quite late at 10.50 but the A31 never seems to get too busy, whatever the time. The traffic felt quite light this morning.

The start is pretty hard. Uphill, into block headwind and some pretty ropey road surface as you get towards Chawton. The best way to start a 50 is nice and steady, but, following the logic of going harder when it’s hard – I started with a big effort, though at a depressingly low speed.

You’re never sure which is worse – battling through a headwind – or the rhythm breaking vibrations of the horizontal ‘trenches’ every 20 metres in the road. But, after negotiating the pits and rivets around the Chawton roundabout, it was time to enjoy the tailwind sailing back up to Farnham. After 12 miles, at least the road surface became smooth.

Just because you’ve written a blog post about the benefits of holding back with a strong tailwind behind, doesn’t mean you will actually listen to your own advice. Somehow after grovelling along at 22 mph – you get carried away when you start flying along smooth tarmac, it’s easy to forget you’re doing a 50 and think maybe you’ll just go really hard and enjoy the speed. 

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