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?