Cycling uphill

Preventing and treating saddle sore

May 29, 2014April 11, 2014 by tejvan

Saddle sore is a common affliction for cyclists, especially when you spend increasing amounts of time in the saddle. To some extent they are inevitable and can’t be avoided. But, it is worth trying to minimise their frequency and severity as much as possible, because they can become a real pain.

Many non cycling friends say that saddle sore is the biggest reason why they stopped cycling. It seems a real shame because they could probably make a big difference if they tried a few things. Some of the biggest names in pro-cycling have been afflicted with saddle sores – from Eddy Merckx (couldn’t start 1976 tour) to Joop Zoetemelk pulling down his shorts to show journalists a boil ‘the size of an egg’ on his inner thigh, to explain why he wasn’t able to challenge the winner of the 1976 Tour, Lucien Van Impe (Guardian link). Greg Le Mond abandoned the 1992 Tour de France on the l’Alpe d’Huez stage blaming unending torture from saddle sores. Fortunately, there is no need to despair as we can reduce the frequency and severity of sores.

Saddle sore typically has 3 stages:

Mild skin abrasion / chaffing
Red acne lumps, like acne (folliculitis)
Abscess

The third stage requires medical treatment, and not just self-medication.

Prevention of Saddle Sore

Prevention of saddle sore is the most important thing we can do.

Increase distance gradually. Firstly, if you are new to cycling, there is an element of getting used to cycling. If your posterior is sensitive at first, it will get less so, the more you cycle. If you start off with very long rides, you are not accustomed to – saddle sore is much more likely. I think I get less saddle sores than I did when I first started cycling. There is another reason. As your legs get stronger, they are able to take a bit more weight and less for your butt.

Stable position. Related to the first point, saddle sore is more likely if you are rocking around your saddle. If you have a stronger core and can keep a strong position on the bike, it will help reduce irritation.

Buy the best shorts you can afford. Always use a good non – seamed cycling short (just in case you were afraid to ask – you definitely don’t want to wear underwear underneath cycling shorts!) A good quality chamois or synthetic chamois leather is important. From personal experience, I found some cycling shorts to be much better padded than others. The worse were some custom Impsport shorts, which were truly dreadful. In between were some Dhb Aeron Pro (£69.99) The best are unfortunately the most expensive. I strongly recommend the Assos F1 mile padded cycle shorts – I’ve found it really effective in giving the best comfort for long cycle rides. If you do regularly ride over 3 hours, it will be money well spent. There may be other shorts not as expensive which are still good. But, obviously I haven’t been able to test all varieties. ‘Reassuringly expensive’ is perhaps an apt description of Assos shorts.

t706-shorts-assos2 — £150 for a pair of shorts is some of the best money I’ve spent in cycling..

Use a good chamois cream. This can help reduce chaffing on the side of the saddle. My current Adamo saddle is a bit wide, so I’ve got into the habit of always putting chamois cream directly onto the skin, in the area where chaffing is likely to occur. (e.g. Assos Chamois Cream or other, such as Udderly Smooth which is a bit cheaper. As a last resort a bit of vaseline will reduce friction)

Move around. During a ride, take time to alter your position; give yourself time out of the saddle to relieve the pressure. Some kind of hilly rides will get you out of the saddle without having to think about it. But, other flatter rides, you may need to make sure you do relieve stress, every now and then. Note, you need to do this before your butt starts to feel numb or hurt. This is particularly important in time trials or when you are on the turbo because you’re more likely to get stuck in the same position.

Make sure your position is correct. Awkward positions could lead to too much pressure being put on the saddle. The weight should be evenly spread over the bike. If your seat is too high, your hips wiggle around more.

Don’t drive home in your sweaty shorts. Get clean and dry and soon as possible. It is essential to always wear clean shorts for every ride. I also find a bit of talcum powder with Daktarin (anti-fungal) added to be excellent for preventing any fungal problems. If it might be difficult to get a shower straight after a race, buy some antiseptic wipes to apply to groin area.

At night wear loose fitting pyjamas to reduce contact and allow air to circulate into the nether regions

Methods for dealing with existing saddle sore

Sudocrem one of best defences against saddle sores

Check for first signs of abrasion, and keep wound clean and disinfected.
Apply Sudocrem (12% Zinc Oxide). This is designed for sores and abrasions, and works quite well. I tend to put on sudocrem as a matter of habit after a ride now. (Sudocrem at Amazon)
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The Belgian classics

April 7, 2014 by tejvan

A tribute to the Belgian, and other early season classics.

There was a time when I used to think watching pro cycling was pretty boring. I watched the Tour de France for many years because I was interested in cycling, but if I’m honest it was all pretty tedious and not very much really happened. The action was mainly enlivened by Carlton Kirby or the legendary David Duffield getting randomly excited about a local wine vineyard that the peleton had just passed (and if that was the highlight of a stage, imagine the tedium…) For several years, the Tour de France was just three weeks of watching the US Postal team ride on the front, and at the end of the month, the same bloke always seemed to win.

Photo Brendan2010 - Tour of Flanders 2013 — Photo Brendan2010 – Tour of Flanders 2013

These days, the Tour seems slightly more unpredictable and in 2013 there were some great stages, despite the fears it would be all about the Sky train. But, whatever the Tour de France can serve up – the great spring classics are on another level for sheer excitement, interest, unpredictability and sporting endeavour. Even the place names in the classics seem to conjure up the best of cycling and northern Europe. Just hearing the names of the great cobbled climbs like Oude Kwaremont, the Paterberg, the Kopenberg, the Muur seems to evoke epic battles on the bike.

the-muur-lo-ise — The Muur by Louise Ireland

The classics have everything – iconic locations, great pictures, evocative place names, a testament of endurance and fitness, but also luck and the ever changing tactical calculations. When should you ride? when should you attack? You never really know what is going to happen, and it’s hard to pick a winner. They often provide tension and excitement right up to the last. If nothing else, they are wonderful spectacles; it’s just great to watch the top cyclists power or struggle up the cobbled climbs. When you see a Boonen or Sagan in full flight, you know that is real power (and if you’re interested Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt used to do 30 seconds intervals of 1,000 watts + in his preparations for Paris Roubaix.)

Circuit of the Dales 2014

April 8, 2014April 6, 2014 by tejvan

The Circuit of the Dales, promoted by Nelson Wheelers, is an early season classic around the roads of the Yorkshire Dales. Starting off in Ingleton, the course heads West towards Kirby Lonsdale, then north up to Sedbergh. From Sedbergh, it climbs up towards Gardsale, before the descent into Hawes. At Hawes, there is the hardest climb of the race, as you go up onto the exposed moors around Ribblehead. This moor road takes you past Ribblehead Viaduct before finishing just outside Ingleton. This year there was a full field with 153 entrants. This entry included quite a few road riders, and a big turnout from Velosure-Giordana Racing Team. There was a good prize list to celebrate Nelson Wheeler’s Centenary anniversary; and the 66th running of the Circuit of the Dales.

With Rapha Condor JLT racing in Japan / Asia, last year’s winner Richard Handley was absent. The organiser mentioned the only previous winner in the race was Martin Brass (1991).This year James Gullen of Velosure-Giordana Racing Team won in a very good time of 2.02.37. I finished second in 2.03.33. 3rd was Pete Williams (Haribo Beacon) 2:05:19

1st lady was Nina Benson Ilkley (CC) with 2-46-56.
1st Tricycle: Geoff Booker (Oxonians CC) 2-58
1st Vet: Simon Bridge Manchester Wheelers 2-06

My Race

In the past 8 days, I’ve ridden over 400 miles in an unusual burst of getting the miles in. It was helped by finishing teaching and a period of good weather. With so many miles in the legs (including a 120 mile TDF stage on Tues) I wasn’t sure whether I would come to race with great fitness – or tiredness and overtraining. I think it was a bit of both, but riding a lot does seem to make you fitter.

I spent quite a bit of time in the preceding days nervously checking the weather forecast. I always get cold doing the Circuit of the Dales, and that’s with dry weather! With the predicted rain, I spent a lot of time trying to weigh up how much clothes I should take. Should I take a spare rain jacket in case of puncture? Is the aerodynamic cost worth the greater piece of mind? In the end, the weather was much better than predicted. Apart from a few showers, it mercifully stayed dry.

Air Pollution over the Yorkshire Dales

April 4, 2014 by tejvan

Yesterday, I cycled out to Arncliffe. There was a strange fog of pollution, hanging over the Yorkshire Dales. They say it is partly dust from the Sahara, but I fear man made pollution could be making this a lot more common. Can you imagine living in a place, where it was always like this?

A very good reason for more people to cycle and leave the diesel car at home…

I went out to do a 55 mile ride, I got a runny nose, like the start of the hayfever season.

This climb to Arncliffe is always deserted. A nice cycling road, though the climb is pretty steep.

Energy bars for cycling

January 7, 2017April 4, 2014 by tejvan

Over the years, I’ve taken a huge variety of energy bars and food on rides. These are a quick review some of the bars I buy most often.

What to look for in an energy bar?

High level of carbohydrate / low fat.
Mostly complex carbohydrate, with some carbohydrate which sugars. Medium GI index.
High concentration of energy for size.
I tend to take a variety of energy bars. I’m not particularly fussy which brand. But, a bit of variety helps in various aspects – even if just making eating of the bike more palatable.

Specific Cycling energy bars vs non-Specific energy bars

For a specific energy bars developed for the cycling market, you will pay around £1 – £1.50. You can get a similar level of carbohydrate through much cheaper non-specific energy bars. For example Kellogg’s Nurti Grain contains around 35g of Carb, but only costs 40p. If you don’t want to pay £1.20 for 30 grams of carbohydrate, you don’t have to.

However, I still like to pay ‘through the nose’ for branded energy bars because:

Psychological habit. You just assume if it’s more expensive, it must be better. ( a common attribute of cycling shoppers)
The energy bars tend to be more concentrated, and relatively lower fat.
I would get bored of eating Kellogg’s Nutri Grain and the like all the time.
I always like to believe manufacturer’s claims that eating their energy products will make me go ‘15% faster’ – even if it is rather a dubious claim!
Proprietary energy bars often contain trace elements and electrolytes which may help in different aspects of nutrition and energy consumption. (even if I’m not entirely sure how)
It’s handy to buy a big box of 24 energy bars. You always have something in stock to take on long rides.

Some of the best Energy bars I buy

Powerbar 55 gram- Energize

Contains slow release carbs, = brown rice, oats and maltodextrin for slow release energy.
Contains 2:1 Glucose / Fructose, which is claimed can increase total energy uptake
Some electrolyte (sodium) + vits and minerals, such as magnesium.
1.9g fat per bar
38 gram of carbohydrate (sugars 23g) , per 55 gram bar. Quite a high % of carbs which is sugar (from fructose)
Review: Quite concentrated energy source. Needs a bit of chewing and you need to take some water with it. I do like the taste of the chocolate variety. Not too sweat. Good for long rides, and very thin for slipping in back pocket. One of most expensive though. I wouldn’t use in a race, because it does slow you down a little chewing through the bar.
25 *55g Powerbar at Wiggle £29.99

Torq 45g Energy bar

Mixture of GI foods. usual maltodextrin, oats, plus fructose based energy
30 gram of carbohydrate per 45 gram bar 22g sugars)
Review: These are pretty enjoyable to eat. They are moist and tasty. This is important for long rides, where you often need something attractive to get you to eat. 30 gram of carb makes it easy to calculate – 2-3 an hour. I wouldn’t just rely on eating these on a very long ride, it becomes a bit too much fruit.
25*45 gTorq bars at Wiggle

Theory and practise of fuelling and pacing long rides

April 2, 2014 by tejvan

As a follow up to a recent post on energy levels for cycling, I tried to measure how much I consumed during a recent 120 miles TDF stage (120 miles, 7hrs on bike, 7hrs 30min in total, including 30 mins to fix mechanicals and take photos.)

9-bar
Firstly, it’s very difficult to remember how much you are eating. Even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to keep track of how much you’ve eaten / drunk.

One very rough rule of thumb is if you are drinking 400ml of energy drink per hour (30g of carb )- you need to be taking one additional 30 gram energy bar / gel per hour. If you keep an eye on your elapsed time, whenever another hour passes, take another bar / gel and check what you have drunk. This way you don’t have to count so much, but just to remember to take something on the hour.

From memory and empty energy wrappers, I think this is what I got through in the 7.5 hours on the bike.

3 litres of energy drink 4 * 750ml bottle (varying concentrations) usually a bit weaker than recommended = 180g
2 energy gels * 25g = 50g
7 or 8 energy bars * 30-35g = 255 g (inc 2* protein recovery bars towards end of ride)
1 banana * 25g = 25g

total 500g of carb / 7.5 hours = 66.3 grams an hour.

If I counted correctly, I was fairly close to the 60-70 gram limit for absorbing carbohydrate. I never bonked, though my climbing muscles got exhausted after 2,500 + metres of going uphill. No amount of powerbars can change this.
If I was racing, I would be eating less energy bars, and would be relying on just energy drink and gels.

Pacing on rolling terrain

If you want to manage a 7 hour ride, it is best to pace yourself. But, for a route like the TDF stage, that doesn’t mean a constant power – because it would take you forever to get up some of the hills. There’s also a lot of freewheeling down them.

One interesting thing that stood out, is that when you’re going along a rolling road, you can look down at your power meter, and you’re doing 350 watts (I have an FTP of around 300 watts) – You’re doing a huge power output, when you thought you were just taking it fairly steady. Yesterday I spent a lot of time above anaerobic threshold (more than 15 mins of greater than 370 watts). No wonder I was shattered for the last climb of the day.

One thing I would suggest is be careful of rolling terrain, use you’re gears liberally. You will definitely want to increase power going up hills, but for the rolling terrain, it may be best to avoid those surges of power into anaerobic threshold – save that for the really steep long climbs.

Don’t just look for the big climbs, be prepared for rolling terrain. I was a bit surprised at how hilly that route was.

Riding the 2014 TDF Stage 1

April 1, 2014April 1, 2014 by tejvan

Ever since the Tour de France route was published a few months ago, I’ve been planning to ride the first stage as it includes some of my favourite roads in Yorkshire. 190km is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to see what it was like to do a full stage.

hawes-utd — Hawes United win the 2013 Wensleydale Cheese makers league – (and the Tour de France is coming to town)

In the end, I modified the route to avoid heavy traffic and ended up including some extra climbs. It turned out to be 120 miles, with 3,100 metres of climbing. It was a great day, and really enjoyed it, even if I did really suffer for the last 20 miles.

I didn’t start in Leeds, but from Menston near the A65. The A65 is not the most cycle friendly road, so just before Addingham I turned right on the B6160 towards Bolton Abbey and Burnsall. This cuts off a corner, but more importantly saves battling the articulated lorries on the Skipton bypass. The B road through Bolton Abbey and Burnsall is a really great cycling road. Little traffic and great scenery. It’s never flat and always rolling. At Grassington I rejoined the tour route proper on the B road towards Kettlewell and Bucken. After you have passed the slate mine near Grassington, this becomes a good cycle road. It wanders up the Wharfe valley through good countryside. Today the traffic was quite light.

kidstone-pass — Buckden with Kidstones pass in the distance

Kidstones Pass

Kidstones pass may only be a category 4, but it’s still pretty hard work. 130 metres of climbing, and quite steep around 16-17%. It will make a great place to watch the tour.

kidstone-yorkshire-dales — Descent from Kidstone pass towards Bishopdale

By the time I’d reached Aysgarth, I had only done 1 categorised climb, but noticed I’d already done 1,000 metres of climbing. It is really ‘rolling’ countryside, and the metres all add up.

Energy consumption whilst cycling

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014 by tejvan

Eating sufficient calories for cycling should, in theory, not be too difficult, but in practise it is easy to get it wrong.

It is surprisingly easy to ‘forget’ to take on enough energy. But, at the other extreme you can try to take on too much in a short space of time – food the body can’t digest leaving you just a bloated stomach.

It is not just amateur cyclists who struggle to get the calorie intake correct. I’ve heard many coaches of pro-teams say one of the hardest things is to get Pro-cyclists to eat and drink in sufficient quantities. I’ve heard many times Director Sportives say of a pro-cyclist – he’ll be fine so long as I can get him to eat and drink. The problem is that when you’re racing, it can feel like an effort to eat and drink.

On a personal note, I’ve often messed up 100 mile time trials (4 hours) because I didn’t take the correct levels of energy / drink. This post is partly for my own benefit.

Top tip for optimal energy intake

The maximum rate of carbohydrate consumption per hour is 60-75 g.
This figure is very important as a rough guide to how much you should eat for long rides; you want to be aiming to keep a constant carbohydrate intake around this figure.
If you are taking more, e.g. 100 grams +, you will just get stomach problems because you can’t ingest it all, the food will be sloshing around your stomach, making you feel bloated / sick.
If you only taking less – e.g. 20 grams or less, you are under-fuelling and more likely to run out of energy and end up with the dreaded ‘bonk’.
One easy way is to split up food into 25 gram units – and take 3 an hour. Or 2*35 gram units
It does requires discipline to actually take what you need. When racing, you may not feel like drinking / eating, even though you need to. You can’t rely on the normal hunger / thirst indicators. Sometimes, you can just feel too exhausted to reach for a drink. In a Timetrial you can get stuck in the aerodynamic position and not want to move around to get food.
Twice in a 100 mile race, I didn’t stop to pick up a third bottle because in the racing mindset I didn’t want to lose 5 seconds picking up a bottle. But, I ended lost a few minutes because I took on too little energy.
Don’t do something in a race, you’ve never done in training. e.g. don’t suddenly drink litres of fructose / glucose energy drink if you’ve never done that before. Your stomach may not like it! You don’t want to find out in a big sportive / race.
Remember there’s a big difference between a steady four hour endurance / training ride and racing for four hours. The calorie consumption increases significantly the more effort you make. You might survive a steady training ride on little food, but if you race hard, the energy consumption will be significantly greater.

Easy to remember hourly units of 60-70g of energy

400 ml of energy drink mixed at 5% solution (35 grams) + one energy bar (35 grams )= 70 grams
800 ml of energy drink at 6% solution (70 grams)
3 * Energy gels (25 grams)
3* bananas (25 grams)

(you will need to check the carbohydrate levels in the energy drinks / bars that you use, and make sure you check the concentration – as this alters the energy levels)

Nick ‘O Pendle Hill climb

September 7, 2015March 30, 2014 by tejvan

The Nick O Pendle hill climb is a testing climb from the village of Sabden Village up to the moors of Nick O Pendle. (#72 on 100 hill climbs). The climb averages approx 10%, but at the start there are a few sections of 16%. It has been used several times for the National Hill Climb Championship, including 1988 when a young Chris Boardman won his first hill climb championship, setting a course record of 3.29 (he used a 60 inch fixed). A 19 year old Malcolm Elliot was also national champion on this hill in 1980.

Course Description

Start at the lamp-post outside the apartment block on the site of the old garage in Sabden Village. Proceed up the hill to FINISH at the large stone at the start of parking area and approximately 50 yards before the crest of the hill.The course is approximately 1350 yards long and has a maximum gradient of 1 in 6.

Nick ‘O Pendle Hill climb (from Sabden)

Distance 1.2km
Avg Grade 11.1%
Max Gradient: 16%
Elev Gain 135m
Height 1,514 ft – 461 metres
Course Record: Chris Boardman 3.29 (1988 – hill climb championship)
My PB: 3.35 (2011)
100 climbs #74

Veloviewer

Strava

National Hill Climb Championships at Nick o Pendle

1988

881030-NationalHillClimb — A youthful Chris Boardman takes his first National hill climb championship in 1988.

1988 – 1st Chris Boardman – 3.29, P. Sheard 3.43, P.Curran 3.43.6 (link Paul Curran’s page)

Chris Boardman had finished second by less than one second to Paul Curran in 1987. But, after winning in 1988, he told Cycling Weekly: “I’m quite satisfied with the ride. It’s nerve racking to get it all out in three minutes. Some start too fast.

1980

Malcolm Eliot hill climb — Last man Jeff Williams (and 1979 Champion) in the 1980 hill climb championships. He broke his nose before the race and did the race with blood coming down his nose. At half way he was four seconds up on Elliot, but by the finish had lost out by just 0.2 seconds. A very close championship. Cycling Weekly estimated a crowd of 5,000.

1980 – 1st Malcolm Elliot – 3.33.4, 2nd Jeff Williams 3.33.6, 3rd Gareth Armitage 3.36.6
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100 miles to Whipsnade and Ivinghoe

March 30, 2014March 29, 2014 by tejvan

It was one of those days which made all the long, cold winter training rides feel worthwhile. Ironically, I was supposed to be racing the North Hampshire RC 19 mile TT this weekend, but it got called off due to continued flooding from the winter rain. It meant I could finally get round to riding the first ‘century’ of 2014.

At the start of the year, I’d planned to do a 100 mile ride every week as preparation for 100 mile TT and 12 hour, but, like many good intentions, it never happened – not even once. The furthest I’ve been in 2014, is about 80 miles. But, with the temperature creeping up to 20 degrees, it was a good a day as any. It was the first ride of the year in shorts, the first where suncream was needed, and the first without a winter jacket. Since it was a day of firsts and I didn’t need a winter jacket, I took the national hill climb jerseys for its first outing. Though rather inappropriately I spent the first 40 miles plodding along remorselessly flat roads towards Chinnor and Wendover. I wanted to do some new climbs and new roads so I headed East over to Ivinghoe and Whipsnade. It’s a bit further out that usual, but it was good to get some new roads in. I climbed up Ivinghoe ridge, Whipsnade hill, Aldbury hill, Aston Hill (Wendover) and finished off with Whiteleaf and Wardrobes. I could have done more hills, but I didn’t want to overdo it. I’m off to Yorkshire next week, and would like to try ride some of the Tour de France stages.

Compared to earlier in the week, I felt good. Although I wasn’t going full pelt up the hills, there seemed to be more power in the tank than at any other time of the year. I have an unscientific theory, that if the temperature goes over 20 degrees, I can ride at least 1mph / 20 watts faster.