Pretty Euro.

Lists...

I wish...

-I could talk to people who aren't here anymore. One person in particular would be able to set me straight.
-I didn't care so much about stupid little things.
-Other people didn't effect me so much.


I need...

-To live in the present. My present, not the future or anyone else's.
-To hurt to get stronger.
-To be able to forget.
-To remember who I am and be proud.


I want...

-To be a hermit amongst my own little group of friends.
-To wear a shirt and tie more.
-To be in Italy.

Get away.

Need to know more about this.

Everyone want to feel like they belong.

A moments peace.

Finally getting to ease off for a short while. Forget about work, about being a cyclist, and a host of other stuff and just be ourselves with no pressure for a few days.

Stuck.

Like shit to a blanket.
Tubular gluing was a success. I've been surprised at the reaction towards the process, a little bit of effort goes a long way sometimes.



With a domestic race scene like this, it make's English racing seem more in the darkages than ever.



Also creative use of the pavement and any available half decent road surface.

All in a day's work.

Finished tub gluing and spoked a new set of road wheels.

Clubfolk.

Had a good long day on the bike today. Felt good to not have decide the route for a change, although the climb of Acklam Mast has never been high on my list it was great to do a long and varied climb.



Also, checked a few things off my to do list;
* Two wheel drift on a sandy downhill corner.
* A blast down 'freewheel' hill, made it past the sign but not to the junction.
* Big ring mashing.
* Drinking warm, flat coke out of second water bottle.
* Hang out with an old boy who bought his first racing bike 60 years ago.

Plus relearnt that not everyone in a cycling club is an idiot and not everyone who's not in a club is the best thing since sliced bread.

Fatherhood

A friend and new Dad came into the shop yesterday and gave us the best description of how becoming a Dad changes you;

"You cry in front of people you know"

Talking and saying nowt.

July is shaping up to be a funny month. It's TdF time so road bike sales go crazy at work, which equals being busy and not having a moments peace. Also we're taking a few days off with friends and then revisiting my farming roots at the Great Yorkshire Show.

I've been getting a bit pent up in the last few days because of things completely out of my control not going how I'd imagined, if it continues goodness knows where it will lead to. So I think it's time to shut my mouth and do what's right for me. It'll probably be slightly quieter on here but you can't have anything.

You know when..

..that sudden flash of anger rises up and the plate or cup in front of you begs to be thrown at the nearest wall. I can only think of the mess it'd make if I did it. One day it might happen.


In a 'tub update' first layer of glue is on the rims, spending my lunchtime working as usual.

In My Opinion

Philippe Gilbert has secured his position as a legend.
Four hours solo on the bike in the sun makes for a pretty good Sunday.
Assos make the best cycling shorts.
Cycling has too many 'joiners' - people who flit between clubs/teams with no loyalty.
Me and my Dad talk exactly the same.
I can be a bit of a bugger sometimes.
The new Ultegra Di2 is going to be the next big thing.
Twitter should just disappear.



Remember opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one.

U23

I think Beloften must mean 'Under-23', these race's are pretty entertaining, the skills are less polished and often there's not a solo away to victory more of a dog fight till the line.
With the tub gluing already started I think the 'cross bike has to start coming out of the shed a bit more, I want to make sure my skills and fitness don't let me down this year. No more DNF's.



York Cycle Show this weekend and I've already been and got my bargains. Although each year the worst kept secret gets a little better known and the price's rise. I'm talking about the ex-display Assos dealer. This year I walked away with a pair of S5 Mille shorts and a pair of Early Winter gloves, also a windproof Pinarello team jacket for commuting because I can't see the headwinds stopping any time soon.
Met a few familiar faces as always, heard stories good and bad but life goes on regardless.

100% wet.

Is how I arrived home tonight. I could go on about how it was typical Belgian weather and it evoked feelings of the Classics but in reality it was just typical shit English Summer weather and I had to commute by bike. Nothing romantic or special just a necessity. I'm glad I rode though, it would have been easy to get a lift but after all we're not made of sugar and rain never hurt anyone, right? I was a tad unlucky to pick up a flat tyre just as I was almost home but as it was on the front I made the executive decision to ride it out, rather than freeze by the road, fumbling with already numb fingers. It went ok, as long as I kept the bike in a straight line and kept all my weight way over the back wheel, almost on the verge of a wheelie!

It was a completely different story last night over in Otley thanks goodness. A beautiful evening for maybe the best year of racing I've witnessed there. It's always nice to check in with some familiar faces both old and new, and the course usually singles out a deserved winner. I shot a roll of black and white film too, so looking forward to seeing the results and reliving some memories when I get that developed.

Now time to change a tube and give the bike a wipe down and oil.

Fast kids...

...and a soothing Belgian accent.

Intelligent use of time.

I seem to have crammed a lot in to my two days off this week. A little 'get off my land...' incident, family visits, a haircut and a bit more.
Today was a decent road ride, steady away with a cafe stop on roads which I really enjoy riding. As the saying goes, I had good sensations for a change. My legs kept going when I asked them for more, although spinning out in a big gear made me hungry to get my fixed gear back on the road.
As we arrived in the cafe a few old boys from Otley CC were leaving, part of their conversation involved describing a typical Yorkshireman, according to them we're all "Scottish but with the generousity squeezed out".

You've got to have adventures.

But the key thing to the whole 'adventure' deal is coming home alive to tell the tale. A morning exploring is never a morning wasted.

Corner. Straight. Repeat.

I've been staggered at just how boring the Halfords Tour series has been when I've caught it on itv4 over the past few weeks. I suppose it's the curse of crit racing or perhaps it's the fact the coverage never seems to leave the top 5 guys on the road. What's wrong with highlighting some of the rider's turning themselves inside out just to hang on to the tail of the bunch? Sadly I reckon most people watching are only watching for the riders to crash, instead of understanding the level of fitness it takes to be part of racing.
One moment I will remember forever is riding out to watch the Tour of Britain finish in Dalby forest. I was positioned three-quarters up the final climb just before the finishing straight to get maximum viewing time. The leaders flew by, Di Luca in the big ring while fully looking over his shoulder. Then the midpack finishers sprinting to hold wheels fighting with all they had for an anominous position. Finally the backmarkers. Dead last was David Miller, looking like death, in bottom gear and just grinding the pedals to the line. It was only later I read that he hadn't slept the night before due to food poisoning and had thrown up everything he had tried to eat during the day's long stage. I had a new respect for cyclists that day and the demands we all put our body through in the name of enjoyment and fulfillment.

Call me suspicious but with the advent of Rapha seemingly getting a lot more interested in Audax riding lately, I'm calling it out as the next 'newest - biggest - reinvented - marketing hyped' aspect of cycling, the same as cyclocross was a couple of years ago.
Here's a type of riding I've been doing a lot of lately, usually into a headwind all the way home. This is SF style commuting:



I'm werking the weekend, let's hope there's something to talk about Monday.

Crispy.

Had a cracking ride today, the kind of ride where you fall in love with cycling again. Did some stuff, saw some things, found new roads and a had lovely coffee by the river. Unfortunately, as normally happens when I go out in the sun, I got burnt. Today's example is pretty bad even by my standards.

Hopeful.

It feels like time to do another ride where I just set off with only a loose plan of route/destination.

Also weighing up options of building a fresh set of wheels to go in the Bob Jackson, possibly something a little out of the ordinary but still handbuilt and definitely not carbon.

Had a good chat with a mate this morning, a drive with the windows down and the music pumping, now time for a bit of housework and then go pick the other half up from werk.

Too many ........ not enough ......

When I'm home alone I have no motivation. To be fair it's never been my strong point, the best example was my revision technique for exams. Pretty much left till the last possible point before it was too late, almost as if the invisible gun at my head focuses my concentration better than anything else.
Now I don't really have anything to prepare for it's the nagging feeling of not making the most of my time, which gets to me the most but instead of being motivating it usually just gets me down and means I'm even less likely to do anything useful.

I actually needed a day of doing sweet f*** all though, after last weekends activities and then a week at work where I didn't have a moments peace. Also the quiet time means I can get a little plan together so stuff gets done in the near future.
One of the things on the top of the list is gluing my first set of cyclocross tubs on this week. I finished the wheelbuild last week and although I'm not a 'weight-weenie' I was satisfied with the final weight of just under 1.5kg for a handbuilt 32 spoke wheelset. Especially satisfying, to a Yorkshireman, is how much they cost me. With careful ebay selections and a few swaps they work out dirt cheap, considering its a Hope Ti-glide rear and brand new Mavic Reflex rims.

They fit perfectly with a little personal ambition I've been harbouring lately, which is to only own things that are high quality but not flashy and not getting precious over material pocessions. Such as having Centaur on my road bike instead of Super Record or sticking with 105 on my 'cross bike because I don't want the fear of damaging overly expensive parts to be in my mind whilst racing.
I think it's called punching your weight.

Thoughts.

At the moment my fascination with human behaviour has gone up a level. With increasing methods of exposure, such as Twitter etc, anyone can tell the whole world exactly what they've done or are doing. In my mind this raises the question at which point does the old saying of 'too much information' come into play.
I know a lad that is quiet as you like, very unassuming but when you get him talking it quickly becomes apparent he's done a lot of stuff in his short life. He doesn't shout about it or bore us with stories from the past but when you get him in a conversation it's pure entertainment. And that is the problem with most social media from my point of view, there's no conversation just endless statements to be interpreted however the viewer wishes.
I'll get off my soapbox now.

The agricultural way.

What a weekend. Today I held baby Issac Hugh Ryder for the first time, nevermind Katherine getting broody - it was me that was getting carried away. Although at the moment sometimes we can barely look after ourselves nevermind another life and we're already living in sin, having a bay outside of wedlock would just be a step too far!
It was a nice change to have different topics of conversation, including farming, Yorkshire dialect, whether babies dream of big boobs, the TT and many other non-cycling issues.

Anywho, to dive straight back in to full Euro-mode;



Just found this video from, in my opinion, the best Classic of this year;

Taking the batteries out of the remote.

It feels like I've been cheating the past few days. I managed a two hour ride after work on Thursday, which felt like I'd had a day off then a pint after work and lovely homecooked meal afterwards made the week come to a close the right way.
This weekend we have a family wedding, my Grandma's birthday and visiting the newest addition to my rather large family.
No drama or plans or work.

A bit of pride.

On tonight's ride I glanced over my shoulder to see the group perfectly lined out behind me, all leaning in sweeping around the mini-roundabout and it felt good to see progression in the riders around me. As for myself, I had less than nothing in my legs after kneeling all day in the backyard painting the walls yesterday, so I did what you have to do, go to the front and suffer at a level you can handle and make everyone else feel the same.

Couldn't resist.

Duncan is making me more and more interested in this Supermoto lark, here are a couple of cracking videos;


Fred GUERIN - Spring 2011 by -TribalT-


Championnat de France Supermotard 2010 -... by -TribalT-

It's always the French that seem to be up some crazy shit.

Flexin'

I did a funny ride yesterday evening that has left me with a few thoughts swimming round my head.

Firstly the categorisation that is happening in cycling is barmy, it reminds me of music genres - stupid titles given to the slightest difference to create another market to sell to. We did an off road ride at Dalby, two on mountain bikes and myself on my cross bike and we each faced challenges and had fun in different ways on the same ride. Whether it was me attacking each climb because I didn't have a low enough gear to spin up it or watching Alastair bombing down descents I had to run because of my lack of skill. We were all just riding. Full stop.
The same applies in my mind to the craze of off road riding on road bikes, be it bridlepaths, gravel or old coach roads. It doesn't need a name and to be placed in a genre for manufacturers to rehash old ideas and spin out 'original' new products. That aspect of cycling personally reminds me of 'Green Laning', which is basically driving 4x4's down unsurfaced tracks or forest tracks and enjoying the countryside, almost the audax of the 4x4 world I guess. One thing it is definitely not is cyclocross. 'Cross has to be raced, you can use a cross bike for a multitude of different rides but racing is a whole other ball game.

On a related note, it seems that riding generally slows down this time of year as riders who are tired after a full Spring rest up before Summer and some stop almost entirely when family duties take over.
It's a time for plans to be hatched and one of my all time favourite things to do is bullshit plan making with people, where we're all dreaming and not even considering reality. This weekend was a classic - a week long riding trip to northern Italy. One bag and a bike, days spent in the saddle, evenings spent eating, drinking and sleeping. But it is what it is probably a dream. To do it solo might be possible, but the organisation it requires to get two or four lives full of responsibility to match up long enough to make a window of opportunity is mind boggling. Hell it takes a week to get a trip to Dalby to happen and even then half of us don't even turn up!

So, my recovery Monday has actually been complete rest so far. The most effort has been making beans'n'toast for my dinner but maybe the washing up will require more will power or at least another cup of tea first.
Who knows the sun might even come out again when the rain goes away and we can all get our guns out.

You only get what you give.

A what point does expressing what you want to do become being selfish, also how do you tell a man who is half your age again to stop acting like a kid?

As the Giro comes to a close in Italy, I've been enjoying watching the Tour of Belgium on my lunch break. Today was great with Gilbert winning and seeing cyclocross stars in the thick of the action, like Niels Albert in the break.

I was going to write a lot more but I forget sometimes.

Another set.

I met a man today..

He was a bike racer that knew when it was the right time to stop.
He had been a photographer for Cycling Weekly during the 60's and 70's.
He was a Colnago owner.
He lives in Spain but travels Europe in a campervan for seven months of the year.
He and his wife are Masters World Champions at cross country skiing.
He uses a Leica.
He was at the 1980 Paris-Roubaix.
He was at every Classic this year (and is a Gilbert fan).
He knows Francesco Moser.

Does it get any better? and he was a really nice guy too.

Chocolate Spread.

Print. Wash. Repeat.

Had a pretty awesome day today. Firstly, Katherine had bought me a darkroom printing session for my birthday, so this morning we had a few hours printing old negatives and revisiting old memories. Including this gem;



I was a little nervous that I would have forgotton everything but a quick run through of the DeVere enlarger and I was away. In a few hours I knocked out a couple of small cycling prints for the wall at work and a few large scale enlargements from our holiday in Italy to frame for the bedroom wall.
Then we had a little day trip, lunch and a visit to Castle Howard followed by a drive over to Whitby, for a walk on Sandsend beach then a chippy tea.

More derny action;


ROUE DES AS MARQUETTE by jjdelrot

One thing about the PRO look that is completely unobtainable to the average cyclist is the skeletal gaunt look of a rider in form. You can keep the full carbon bike and Di2 it's about what's in your legs and your head.

Derny.

I would pay a lot of money for one of these.

Step by step.

This week has been about checking things off an invisible 'to do list', almost got the end. Possibly heading up to Dalby tomorrow night to watch some Pro MTBer's race round the streets of Pickering, although there is a strong chance that I might just come home and sleep.

There is also an interesting day coming up this Saturday, more details after it's been and gone but it could involve revisiting some past activities and probably this photo;



In equally happy news my immediate family has increased by one after my cousin gave birth to a little baby boy. Another one to invite to the wedding then.

And again.

Just back from watching TT3D again for the second time, honestly I could watch it everyday. It's amazingly inspirational but not really from a 'let's go ride motorbikes fast' point of view, instead I get the feeling I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
Let's see if I can.

Beer and Curry.

Spending the day at work on my birthday was fine, especially because I was looking forward to a couple of swift shandies and a bhuna afterwards.
There was a lot of talk of motorbikes, and now I come back and see Duncan's latest video he's posted;



Personally would love a crack on a 'crosser or have a everyday run-around such as an old school Italian style Vespa or Piaggio. Not for a while though...

Stop to think, and it'll never be the Jackie Chan scene it could've been.

Motorbikes and slow-mo.



The french way of doing cyclocross.




It's good to see friends and people I like doing well and enjoying life. Last night was a homemade Mexican meal, a bit of swapping and selling of bits that aren't being used, some banter today and thoughts turning towards my birthday in a couple of days.
I'm trying to make all my actions be centred in confidence rather than doubt, making everything happen smoothly so energy can be saved for the better things in life. This week's events bring back the idea of living life to the full, making sure time is well spent. To that end I'm heading back home tonight for time with my family, then battling the elements with a off road ride tomorrow.
Now time for a lovely cup of tea.



Still have a secret crush on the simplicity of track bikes.

Something good from Italy.

Tuscany looks like a place I could spend a lot of time.

L'EROICA (english version) from Edouardi Sepulchro on Vimeo.

Not Good.

RIP Wouter Weylandt. Death shouldn't be part of cycle racing, but unfortunately it's part of life.

...................................

All clean again.



White bikes need a lot of work.

Dressed like a Victorian at a swimming pool.

Race report.

Today was my only proper scheduled road race. It went pretty much how I'd expected, dropped somewhere around the mid point as the serious riders took over and the already 25mph average speed went up another notch.
I had some demons I had to lay to rest though, so I carried on and kept the bunch in sight for another half a lap before they disappeared round the lanes. Satisfied I'd done my best I pulled over at the finish line and watched the now splintered bunch come through, surprising how slow they looked when you're not the one hanging on to the last wheel for grim death.

Fail better.

2011 Tour of California — Stage 4 from RAPHA on Vimeo.

I haven't been that into what Rapha have been doing lately, but the Continental project videos that have just been released rekindled something. The word fun is mentioned a lot, while the 'advertising' vibe has been dropped in favour of a bit more of a documentary feel.
Full sleeve tattoo's look sick too.

There's a knack to finding people who are enjoyable to ride next to. It helps if you share the same sort of tempo/speed on the flats, ego has got to be left behind, no halfwheeling - climbs are done at your own speed, yet a certain amount of competition is always good but more than anything you have to be able to share silence comfortably.

Talking is easy, listening to silence can be unbearable in the wrong situation.

I will always remember a line from a Sherlock Holmes story, as a compliment to Watson, Holmes says 'He has always been able to do silence well.'

Doing work.

Just been quietly going about my business so far this weekend.

Have to recommend everybody to go see TT3D while they have the chance, it contains some horrific scenes but the overall feel left me full of motivation. Also enjoyed the 3D aspect, rather than being over the top it gave a HD appearance that added another layer to the beautiful Isle of Mann scenery.

Commute inspiration.

Snaked from Duncan:



Really into motorbikes these days, hopefully going to see TT3D tomorrow night too - can't wait. I really admire Guy Martin's approach to life:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/12577835

Go to around 13 minutes in,
"9 times out of 10 you get it wrong around the TT and you're dead, and that's what I like."

We have to ride, yeah.

I read about this guy in Joe Parkin's first book "..Dog in a Hat". He looks exactly as I imagined he would do;
Patrick Cocquyt


Had a great weekend so far. A solo ride round Harrogate, stopping in Knaresborough on Saturday afternoon followed by a meal out at night with my Parents. Yesterday I showed Rich the secret lanes and tried not to get eaten alive by horse flies. Got back in plenty of time to see Phillip Gilbert do the triple and end the spring classics on a massive high.

Also had enough time to organise a few things to get on ebay soon. I hang on to certain pocessions far too much and one of my pet hates is having stuff for cycling and not using it, unless the sentimental value is too much.
I'm at a level now with my bikes where I don't really need anything else. Sure parts will wear out and have to be replaced, and if a set of carbon wheels tough enough to race 'cross on landed in my lap I wouldn't mind but overall I don't want anything.
The Bob Jackson is as good as it gets, my CX bike is going great and the winter bike just keeps crunching out the miles.


"It's not just hitting it with a hammer but knowing where to hit it and how hard."
Dave Yates.

The next level

Click on the video once playing to watch on Red Bull website and full screen. Amazing riding and film making.

Too much talk.

If a job's worth doing it's worth doing right, in my book it also helps if things turn out looking exactly how I pictured them at the start. It's not necessary looking good just right in my mind.

Also on a daily basis I encounter the driving force of the bike industry - the middle age man with money. Carbon road bikes are great tools in the right hands and they are incredibly easy to sell because the person who buys one will enter the shop believing there is no other option. There are very few unique carbon race frames out there, the real progression in frames I think will come in steel, inspired by the old and pushed by functionality and adaptability, not lightness.

It's often the small details that make a bike feel right. Never underestimate the power of fresh bar tape - correctly fitted. Even wrap and NO GAPS around the levers, never use the finishing tape - it never sticks etc. I have a few trade secrets too, in fact if I went on Mastermind my specialist subject would be Bar Tape and it's application.

This site covers an area I have previously stated my views about; the key to having rules though is knowing when it's ok to break them.

http://slamthatstem.com/

Tomorrow I get to forget everything and ride solo, hopefully enjoy some quiet roads, the sun on my skin and a smooth Campagnolo drivechain.

I'll put you in Hell.

MASH-SF 2007: Garrett Chow from MASH TRANSIT PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

All I seem to be posting is videos recently. This one reminds of walking round SF, just trying to take it all in.
Life is going on around me while I feel all I do is work, eat and sleep. A long weekend coming up hopefully means a mix of riding and home-organisation, which means I might feel a bit more grounded.

Another dream job.

Circle.

A good day.

Morning commute. Fresh air, thumping music in headphones.

Good customers all day. Problem solving on road bikes too. Everything works, everyone's happy.

Strong coffee.

Evening Commute. Silence and secret off road way home including my own piece of 'strade bianchi', bike feels great for Sunday.

Homemade pizza for tea. Plenty of garlic.

This video.


Now to the shower and then chill with her indoors. Sweet.

A headwind is always honest.

This video makes me want to ride, and not ever get an ear ring.

I could go on about my need of coffee, hatred of headwinds on commutes and describe the abundance of cuts on my hands, but instead I'm going to bed.

Health and Happiness.

All that matters, when everything else has gone.


It's Paris-Roubaix today! Hopefully I'll get to watch it all on some hijacked Belgian feed with biased commentary I can't begin to understand. I'd love to be there in person but more for the days before when the teams do the recon rides, lie this;


Also could leave this one out,it's so euro it's almost painful:

SF.

Just a couple of finishing touches left and my cross bike is back on the road.

Fountains.

As I set off on yesterday's audax I thought I'd probably be safer in the middle of a race bunch due to some of the riding on display. It's a weird mix of old guys who can ride you into the ground, weekend warriors and newbies who have never ridden in a group.
Things settled down but I was glad that things broke up on the climb through Studly Royal and following hills, meaning I completed the distance in a small group where we all helped each other to the finish.
It was also good to talk to some familiar faces, without any drama, for a change.

Notes of a bike tart theme:
-Still not convinced about the functionality of carbon clinchers.
-Someone else's squeeking bike is like nails down a blackboard to my ears.
-Oversocks and gilets are my best friends.

Reminders.

At Home With : Cleggy Rowlands. from Channel 4Down on Vimeo.

Got to see this.

Maybe I can convince Katherine we should honeymoon in the Isle of Mann next year?
I'm guessing probably not.

Killer.

Taken over a week ago, and she's already put on 10lb.

Points.

+1

Three days in the Lake District and not getting wet.
Six years.
'The shed' is almost done.

-1

Getting mistaken for being under 18. I'm almost fucking 27.
Unpacking after a holiday.

Let's cut the crap.

No-one's impressed.

Half and Half. from FBM BMX on Vimeo.

FBM works every time.

Muckspreading.

Another ride today, still on the winter bike even though conditions would have allowed the use of no mudguards. While at work and during many previous rides the conversation often turns to aesthetics of a bike and also the rider, looks will generally be second to function but somethings should be set in stone. This is not one of those lists that frequent the internet relating to how roadies should look - rather just a few points that in my circle of friends should be followed.


- Mountain bike pedals have no place on a road bike.

- In relation to headset spacers, a maximum of 25mm under the stem is allowed. A 5mm spacer above is advised but not critical. Also the stem should be -10 degrees, zero degrees stem are fine too but not a minus angle stem flipped upside down is not.

- Hopefully bartape will be white, the same as the saddle, but if not it should be matched to the main graphic/logo colour of the frame.

- Mudguards will be accompanied by the appropriate size mudflap.

- In an ideal world the bars/stem should be free of any computer etc.


All the turbo work is paying off on the road but still need longer saddle time to get my body used to hours riding again. Unfortunately I got the call that I didn't make the cut for the Seacroft road race so I plan on riding the Fountains Audax, which is an old favourite of mine, plus it does turn into a bit of a race to be in the first group back. Also got the dates of the Summer CX series today, mostly on Wednesday nights so probably pile everyone in the van and hopefully have some fun racing.

Back to being PRO

For now that means back to having a Pro Flickr account;



But it could also stand for a variety of other aspects of my life right now.

Pissing in hedgerows.

Had a proper ride today. Rain, crosswind, keeping the knock at bay with Jelly Babies.

Also found out I've been the subject of some shit-talking. Shame people can't say stuff to your face instead of running their mouth. Not massively bothered, just simply confirmation that certain members of a certain club are arseholes.

Ghostliner.

A very mixed bag so far this week. From 'accidentally' buying a set of wheels off t'bay (although they do have Mavic SSC Paris-Roubaix rims) to getting back into the commute-work-commute routine.
Managed to see a couple of films too, as well as planning to see True Grit tomorrow. The original starring John Wayne is one of my all time favourites and it's only the Coen Brothers who could actually make an equal or better attempt at the same story, so expectations are high.
No matter what happens I am going to get out and go for a proper ride on Saturday, anyone else out?

Problems and solutions.

This weekend I've had more of one than the other.

Everything will be ok after going for a Curry'n'Film night later.

Northern Filter?

CX2 - Charge bikes from Charge Bikes on Vimeo.

Recap

Just a few things that have been going on lately:

Since the 1st of February I done over 16 hours on the road bike.

My Mum and Dad got a new puppy.

I built the wheels for and worked on a BMX today that cost over £1000 and weighed 13lbs (in case you don't know thats STUPID light) had a mint Profile cassette hub too and Ti all over it. Proper bling.

My Dad tried on a pair of Oakleys for the first time ever and couldn't see what all the fuss was about




Tomorrow we're spending Valentines Day in a place most people have nightmares about, yep it's back to Ikea. This time we're going with a list and a 'getting shit done' mentality. If she's lucky I'll treat our lass to a plate of meatballs too.

Euro Cool.

For the first time since I started my commute I almost made it all the way home in the daylight, I was fast running out of light as I approached Tad but it made a change from pitch black all the way back.

Had a couple of ebay bargains too recently; including a pair of Oakleys as seen here modeled by Katherine.


That's enough for now, the Turbo is calling. Another sweat-fest session but then I get to try out our new MASSIVE bath!

What am I trying to prove.

There's something right about getting up at seven in the morning, making it downstairs only to turn right back around and go back to bed.
My reward was a day spent with a real friend, instead of people who I pretend to like for convenience.
Watch this; it will make you a better person.

I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM (Full Movie) from Joe Stakun on Vimeo.

Also thanks for the telly! Now where is Katherine, I want my tea.

Mavic Service Course

A dream job that would either kill me because of the pressure or make me the man I've always wanted to be.

Getting it done.

We're in. Everything's going to plan so far too.
I'm also three days into my new commute, the headwind back tonight along the A64 was too cruel for words, all I could think was 'character building'. I even got called lucky before I left work for getting a decent length ride home and when I think of the two amazing sunrises I've seen this week I might agree.

53x12

Sometimes Life has a way of feeling like you're putting in massive amounts of effort and not seeing much gain but with everything still moving really fast. For me moving house is like this, and it's only in the last day that things have started coming together.
The best thing is it's starting to feel like home.



For the cycling geeks reading this, the title is 53x12 not 53x11 because I don't use cassettes with an 11 tooth cog. This is because in 'cross I rarely use the 12 so having an 11 is only taking away a gear I could use mid block, and (now really nerdy) on my road racing wheels I use a Campagnolo 12-23 cassette is a straight block through to 19 with 21-23 tagged on the top, the benefit of this is getting an 18 tooth cog, which is missed out if you run a 11-23 cassette. It's a bit old school but 53x18 is a gear I can pedal all day long and 39x18 is a climbing gear which I can push knowing I've got a couple of lesser options should the gradient increase.
Told you it was geeky.

Around 186bpm

The best way to find your maximum heart rate is riding at full gas, on a turbo, for 8 minutes, at night, in a freezing cold garage, whilst sweating profusely and keeping your cadence above 120rpm.
At least that's the way I did it last night. My first coaching session was more of a 'field test' to work about the zones I need to train in. It feels good to have some saddle time and confidence steady growing again.

I want to do this.

French Supermoto 2010 - www.pocprod.com from Thibaud POULAIN / POCPROD on Vimeo.

Just trying to be someone I talk to in the morning with a smile.

It's been too long since a proper entry.
At the moment our world is upside down, with splitting time between work and getting the new house ready. My shifts aren't allowing me to be involved as much as I'd like but Katherine's doing a cracking job at getting everything organised. Also I've had the cold/flu, which has been doing the rounds, it has basically robbed me of all energy and left me a bit absent minded and short of patience.
Today was the first morning where I didn't feel like crap in about a week, so I took the chance to get out for the first road ride of the year. Three hours and 50 odd steady miles has destroyed me to put it simply. I've decided that this Summer is basically building fitness for cyclocross in Autumn/Winter, this should mean I can build steadily and use road racing as a stepping stone rather than it being the only thing I'm focusing on. My upcoming longer commute should help my mileage total each month too, while at the same time I'm building my 'cross bike up sooner this year to do a lot more skill training and hopefully Summer racing after work.
The 'cross bike is going through a couple of changes this year. Stripping it down to the bare essentials with racing being the main priority, probably 1x10 gearing, a little HOPE equipment and tubulars for the first time.
This year I've decided to ride only for Here Come the Belgians and not join Clifton, it was something I thought a lot about but some recent events pushed me towards my decision. I still plan to ride some of their events but I'd like to take a back seat from the politics and concentrate on my own riding.

Say What.

We are now house owners.

I am now Cytech level two qualified.

I have a cycling coach.



Getting older and wiser one day at a time.

Almost.

Almost another year gone, sure is going to be an interesting 2011.

Solo Boxing Day.

Due to Katherine working in a job that requires her to work on Boxing Day I have found myself alone today. I carried on the tradition of a walk, and took the opportunity to nip to the shop for supplies and take some snaps on the way.
This afternoon will be filled with eating turkey sandwiches, watching Columbo on ITV3 and today's euro cyclocross race live via the internet.

Fakie on a motorbike.

Future & Present - Gerard Trueba & Toni Bou - from Pira Dirtyflows on Vimeo.

Sunday.

Sometimes all I need is a day to just sit back and look at life, the business of a regular routine can lead to a lack of appreciation for the finer/stranger side of things. Such as,

I can't tell you how much I don't understand people who have white tyres on their road bike, but I absolutely love white tread on cyclocross tyres. White Dugast Pipistrello file treads anyone?

Yes, they're even the older style design with the diamond pattern on the shoulders. Most likely going to FMB to transplant on to new casings!

We signed on the dotted line on Friday for our own house and started a joint account together. The modern equivalent of getting married, who knows next news we'll be getting a cat too.

My desk is always a mess.

And I'll never sell that Colnago.

What it takes.

One longsleeve thermal baselayer.
A pair of thermal socks.
One pair of bib shorts with a pair of padless winter fleece lined bib tights over the top.
Assos winter jacket.
Windproof gilet.
Neoprene overshoes.
Defeet wool gloves inside windproof winter gloves.
Rapha hat and merino wool buff.

All this for a quick two hour spin this morning. Can't wait till it's back to just wearing short sleeve jersey and shorts.

Progression.

A day of good news, very good news and why the fuck would you do that news.

Tread patterns.

I have always been a little too interested in the tread patterns of my bicycle tyres, whatever bike it may have been at the time. Recently my passion for BMX has been stirred again, nothing is as fun as cruising around town on that small bike, it immediately puts you at odds with 90% of society and means the riding never gets overly stressful.
My most recent cycling discipline of 'cross reminds me a lot of BMX with a bit more competition thrown in, while also breeding tyre and tread pattern experts too. With all this snow and no off-road bike I'm finding myself longing for dry roads and steady winter miles, whatever aspect of cycling you're into it's the same:
You only get out, what you put in.


+1

Dugast Flying Doctor Pippestrello file treads in WHITE.
The colour green.
Two more weeks before the days start getting longer again.
Getting Christmas shopping done early.

-1

Minus temperatures.
Not feeling like you're getting the full story.

Continually searching for what is already here,

and it's going to stop.









I promise.

Running.

It seems like too many people are rushing around and belly aching about things they do for 'enjoyment' recently. It's all to easy to get dragged into their rants, and it can spoil a perfectly good day.
So, today I went for a walk, took some photos, talked, and learnt from some like minded folks and topped it off a great coffee in town. Tomorrow I'll go on another solo ride and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Just...

...fell down the stairs. Have lost skin from back, under arm and hip. Nothing broken and using red wine to dull the pain - could be worse.

When one door opens another one must close.

Or however the saying goes.

The title is my posh way of saying I'm not racing 'cross anymore this season because we're buying a house! The stress and workload of two undertakings outside work would surely kill me so racing had to go, for this season.
The good news is the new place is very bike racing friendly - outside bike storage, outside tap for muddy bikes and a great mix of quiet roads and trails on the doorstep. Also I'll have a bit more of a commute so base miles won't be a problem.

Of course it's not finalised until we sign on the dotted line but the offer has been accepted, solicitors called into action and mortgage agreed so it's looking promising.
This week I'll also be cannibalising the cross bike for parts for my winter training ride, expect compact chainrings, full mudguards (and mudflaps) but with a hint of PRO white thrown in, with a Turbo saddle of course.

Early mornings lead to early nights.

This week I have been getting out of bed at 5:30am, traveling to Manchester and building wheels. I now know all the usable spoke patterns off by heart, if you need a 3 cross asymmetrical rear wheel build I'm your man!
Seriously though all this is going towards making me a better mechanic and gaining some qualifications I can use in my career. The day's activities doesn't leave much time for anything else, so this weekend I will be mostly riding my bike and maybe attending one of those bike jumble sales to sniff out any deals.

Mud.

http://www.crosstube.net/Cyclocross+2010%252F2011/Cyclocross+Super+Trophy+Ronse+2010+-+Final+2+laps/68OGkkayiJc%3Ff%3Dplaylists%26app%3Dyoutube_gdata.html

Go to 11:00 to see how much of a fool a bit of mud can make you look. Still don't think it's as bad as Temple Newsam last month.

Usual system.

+1

Possible house-moving opportunities.
Banter.
Home baking from the other half.
Trade price.
Standing on our own two feet.


-1

Talking about money.
Having to admit some things are not at the top of your priority list.
Training rides in November, the first road races are in April - they'll be sick of training before February!

Day off.

Had a proper day off today.
Not done anything that requires much energy, apart from tidy up a little, chicken soup for dinner and then GVA Trophy Koppenbergcross live off the t'internet. Good to see the best in the world struggle in the mud like the rest of us.
I'm no expert on euro cyclocross but it was nice to see someone other than Stybar win, Nys looked like his old self and is it possible Pauwels could podium when the Worlds come around?

Best and Worst

Today I experienced both the positives and negatives of cycling in a group. This isn't the place to go into details and the brisk 90 miles to Bedale and back certainly will do me good.
I missed today's cx race for a few reasons, mainly transport but also when it boils down to it for me bike racing isn't life and death. I have enough of that in my family at the moment, so I'm taking it each day as it comes and riding when I can and making sure it's enjoyable. Lets leave the proper suffering till the new year when training starts in earnest again.

Appreciate the small stuff.

I can ride through the park on my way to work everyday.

Says it all.

Second race. First finish.
Got lapped. Lapped some riders.
Tasted blood.
Great day.

Here comes...another.

Again.

I'm restarting carrying a camera round with me everyday. As long as I remember I'll post the results on Flickr pretty much everyday.

Too much crap.

I'm a hoarder. I'm not only talking about material possessions but also random boxes, unopened envelopes and general clutter. I'm also struggling to focus on the things in life that actually matter due to recent events, all of which can lead to me mindlessly questioning what's going on.

Things that need done:
1. Start a charity bag.
2. Stop buying just in case things on ebay.
3. Infact only using ebay to sell!
4. Sort out a load of rubbish for bonfire night.
5. Tidy the house.

Contact me if you fancy making an offer for various items such as old cameras, tubular tyres and many more probably coming to ebay soon.

F**king cyclocross.

It feels like I've waited all year for my first cx race and I go and pick the wettest and muddiest day I've ever seen, but then again it's probably right it happened that way.
On a course that wasn't particularly suited to my lack of technical skills, I was having my own little battle of 25th place before two crashes in quick succession meant I DNF'd. It would have been great to finish but looking back I have no regrets, the likely hood of doing myself some lasting damage on another lap was quite high, as it was I get to walk away (quite badly bruised) but still keen to come back and race again.
It was great to meet a couple of the 'Belgians' and have support at the side of the race. I also couldn't have managed without my mate Rob supporting in way of Chief Mechanic (and bike washer)
Looks like I might be taking advantage of another kit reorder as my jersey is still stained with mud after two washes!


On the other side of life I'm making the trip to the other side of the Pennines on the 6.30am train to Manchester everyday this week for my Cytech bike mechanics course. Didn't appreciate the early morning but the day went well.
One thing I have to comment on is the abundance of electronic devices ordinary people have today, on the way home I watched one guy mess on his iPhone, then use a mobile organiser device, then start listening to his iPod Nano at the same time as reading from one of those Amazon electronic readers! I'm only 26 and already I'm asking the question what happened to cassettes and real books?