#Lightbro

Sometimes I do wonder why I set my alarm for 5am to go cycling. Most people, infact, most other cyclists would think that is perhaps a little daft? I can't really argue with that, it is kind of daft, but at the same time I love it. It's all about the #lightbro.

This morning was a clear example of why that 5am alarm made sense. The weather forecast was good for the first few hours of the day, and with only limited time, and potentially icy roads in the countryside out of London, Lucinda and I headed over to Swains Lane, Highgate, for our annual Mt Ventoux Challenge (25 reps, 6,500ft climbing) It was the light streaming through the trees, increasing shadows on every lap, the birds just waking up, and the pain in the legs. I know that 25 Swains sounds hard, but as with most challenges like this it is 50% body and 50% mind. That said, I don't fancy 135, which is an Everest... A really great morning on the bike. The best bit? You finish your ride, all before 10am and can spend the rest of the morning drinking coffee and eating pastries. #pro.

Up on Swains today.

Some mornings the weather is rubbish and you do wonder why you bother, but then the following day you'll wake up to clear (and cold) sky. Regents Park, is another pretty special place when the sun is rising, the rest of London is just waking up, apart from a few runners, some ducks, and some wild RPR members.

Regents Park. Central London, but not. 

It's often hard to believe when you're sat at your desk, gazing out the window at grey skies that earlier that day you were riding your bike, and the weather was awesome. There is something about seeing a sunrise over a city, not quite sure why, maybe it's the buildings acting as urban mountains? Maybe the light just looks cool? It's all about getting the best of the day.

Over to Central London from Alexander Palace

That same morning above. 

Central London from Archway Bridge

Central London from Hampstead Heath.

Not to forget the #lightbro, but that 5am alarm certainly means you'll get the miles in. "Ow I could never get up that early" Try it, I guarantee you'll have finished your ride, be sat at your desk, at home, whatever, and be feeling pretty chuffed with yourself. Biggest tip though, make sure you get everything ready the night before and be out the door in 15 minutes. 

Why #lightbro? have a look on Instagram. Then you'll see. 

Enjoy the photos,

Will

The Long Term Kit Review: DHB Aeron Range

For anybody that knows me, or has ridden with me, you'll know that i'm pretty much always cold when on the bike. I've tried lots of different methods over the years from extra thick base layers, to waterproof jackets over the top of a jersey. So, it was with much trepidation, that when DHB asked if I could review and test their Aeron range, I thought I might actually find a range of kit that will keep me warm over winter. 

I've been riding and testing the Aeron range for the past 3 months over a wide range of rides and conditions. So, some background, DHB's new Aeron range is their performance and flagship kit. Originally starting off as just DHB's top of the line bib shorts, this range has evolved into a full range. 

Aeron Roubaix Bibs

This might sound a bit odd, but these are only my second pair of bib longs. Up until winter 14/15 I had only ever ridden in bib shorts with leg warmers. So, as you can imagine, my first pair if bib longs were a bit of a revelation. A pair of classic DHB Roubaix long bibs, served me well, kept me warm and looked good. I was sure these Aeron bib longs would be just as good, if not better. I've worn these for around 1,000 miles now. Usual ride time in these was around 3 hours, as I tended to ride them on the longer weekend and weekday training rides, and they have been superb, very comfortable on all day rides, look good, have zips at the bottom to make getting on and off easier and most importantly the fleecy roubaix fabric throughout keeps you very warm. What more can you ask for? The only change I would make would be to have the zip and material coming up further up your chest to provide an extra layer of warmth.

Aeron Roubaix LS Jersey

Perhaps the best bit of kit from the entire range is the Aeron Roubaix long sleeve jersey. I find jerseys quite a difficult thing to get right in terms of sizing and warmth. The Aeron jersey is made from roubaix lined material, so offers a nice, thick fleecy lining on the arms and body, yet on the rear has slightly thinner material and thus being extra breathable. This jersey has some really key features that I look for, they're simple, but it makes a big difference, first of all, the neck is high, this offers essential protection from the cold, and in addition, looks great. A second key thing is long arms. At 6ft 4" I clearly have quite long arms, often when trying jerseys if I opt for a size that is good in the body, offering a close fit, the sleeves are miles too short, and you get that annoying bit of skin showing between your gloves and jersey, with this jersey, that just isn't an issue. The cuffs are long and elasticated for extra comfort, and ease of getting on and off over gloves, clever. 

I opted for Small and the fluro yellow colour. I tend to go with slightly smaller sizes that usual to get the close fitting nature (This is small, i'm a 37/38" chest) I'll be honest, this is probably one of the best fitting jerseys I own. It looks great, doesn't bulk up when on the drops, doesn't flap in the wind. The fluro yellow is also a great touch for winter and helps with being that little bit extra visible on the roads. I've been wearing this jersey for around 3,000 miles now  in a wind range of conditions, from early December's mild "winter" of 8 degrees, to the more recent weather where we have finally seen temperatures drop below zero. The jersey has been teamed with a LS DHB merino base layer for temperatures around 5 degrees, anything colder than this i'll use the Aeron lightweight Windslam gilet for extra warmth. A couple of cool little features include a zip rear pocket with a waterproof lining, simple touch, but clever and keep the rain and sweat out. 

Aeron Thermal Socks
Socks. A topic that will stir up much conversation and debate between cyclists. Long white,  fancy patterns, black etc... everybody has a favorite style. Thankfully, winter means this debate if often sidelined as your socks are often covered. These Aeron socks are a good length, a simply grey colour (others available if you fancy), no odd patterns, but most importantly for this time of year they're thermal. Nothing much to say really, they work, they have worn well, and can be worn at work if you forget your plain black work socks...

Aeron Lightweight Windslam Gilet
Another cyclist's wardrobe favorite, the gilet. I wear one alot. I've got 4 different ones, and this is often a go to choice. The Aeron range consists of two gilets, softshell one, and this, the lightweight Windslam. The very nature of a gilet means the lightweight construction of this is ideal. It will keep the wind and chill off you first thing but when you're drilling yourself in Zone 5 you can stuff this in a jersey pocket. Once on, the fit is great, I opted for a medium to allow for layering up, and the fit over a base and jersey is perfect, I certainly wouldn't want to go any smaller and the elastic grippers keep it in place no issue. An issue i've had with other gilets in the past is that once on, unless you unzip, you can't access your jersey pockets. DHB have overcome this by putting two slits on the back to allow your hand through to access the pockets. It's the little things but that is a really good feature.

Aeron Oversocks
Oversocks are pretty simple really (although try explaining to non cyclists when you're putting socks over your shoes) and an ideal extra layer when full overshoes aren't needed, they also do a pretty good job of protecting your shoes and keeping them clean. I've been using Prendas oversocks for the past few years, so was keen to see how these DHB ones will stack up. Whilst you may think and oversock is just an oversock, these DHB ones have a few key differences, first of all, they're quite long. Second they have reflective stripes on the heel and the toe, subtle but offer just a little bit extra visability in low light & dark. They have worn well, the constant stop/start nature of commuting means that they are now starting to develop holes in the toes, but they're only £10, so I reckon that's pretty good.

So, my overall verdict? Well, the Aeron range really is great, the value and price is on point, typically much cheaper than rivals, the quality and fit are superb, and have really upped the game on previous DHB items iv'e worn, and so far, all the item have performed very well indeed.

You can pick the Aeron range up from http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ 

Thanks for reading guys.

2015 ROTY: Coed y Brenin - All the Trails

That's right, Ride Of The Year... And that is just what this blog post will focus on. 

Christmas has been and gone, it's now (somehow) the middle of January and 2015 seems all but a distant memory. That said, I had some truly great rides, The Etape, Peaks rides, Mountain Mayhem, The RAS and of course a few reps of Swains Lane. But, for me, one ride stood out as my ROTY...

I have always wanted to ride all the trails at Coed y Brenin in 1 day. I'd never really thought about how far it would be, how much climbing would be involved, or even if it was possible, but I knew I wanted to do it. For those that don't know, Coed y Brenin is, some say, the home of mountain biking in Britain. Located in mid Wales a few miles South of Trawsfyned, lies miles of man made singletrack and forest trails. I have been riding here since 2006, and often make the trip up a few times a year. The vast array of trails and terrain makes it a brilliant place to ride, whether you're a beginner, or, well, fancy smashing yourself around The Beast, there is something for everybody. Great facilities on site, cafe, bike shop, running shop, showers, everything you could need really.

I sat down to plan this one lunch, picked a weekend in August and that was that. To be honest, as all the trails are waymarked it didn't really take much planning, rather the only thing I really needed to decide on was which order to do the 8 trails. These range for the 33km Beast with over 3,000ft of climbing to Yr Afon at 10km and around 400ft of climbing. After a quick think, I thought it best to start off with the harder trails, and then finish on the easier stuff, made perfect sense really. Whilst The Beast at 33k doesn't sound very hard, i'd often just ride this trail in a day, and nothing else (albeit fairly slowly) and the recommended time is between 3 and 6 hours... Around 80% of the trails are man made singletrack, huge amounts of fun, fairly techy in places and pretty fast. One thing CYB is famous, is the bone shaking nature of the trails. No soft mud to rest on, and all the descents are real body shakers. Your typical bike at CYB will be a trail bike with maybe 140mm travel front & rear, so doing this challenge (i'll call it that) on a 29er hardtail with 100mm forks (at best, they were abit broken) will be tough... So, the total distance was 87 miles and 12,000ft of climbing, or there abouts. Lets see how this goes...

The plan was to set off at 7am on Saturday. That meant driving up there the night before, finding a place to camp close to CYB and trying to get some rest. Well, I found somewhere, the side of the road in the car to be exact, but I woke up rested (and cold). Quick drive to the carpark, unload, get kit on, make sure bike is ok and we're off. 

6:54am. Good, i'm early. I hadn't really worked out timings, but wanted to get The Beast done first and before 9:40am, then The Dragons Back, which was 31k and just under 3,000ft of climbing, that would be the two hardest out the way, and, if my calculations were correct, just under halfway done, i think.

The trails were beautiful, quite, no other riders, the sun coming up through the trees, it was a pretty awesome moment, even if I still had 85 miles to go... The Beast is probably one of my favorite trails, you really seem to get away from the forest, and some of the trails towards the top of the large climb (if you've ridden it, you'll know what I mean) feel quite natural. I was feeling great, loving the ride and enjoying being back in Wales, I almost forgot what I was doing, almost. I finished The Beast in 2:22, so about 20 mins ahead of my schedule, which meant enough time to fill my bottles up, take some layers off and grab some food from the car. Quite handy really that all the trails start and finish at the same location, the visitor centre. Quite odd really, leaving with the car park empty, to return, full of riders all ready to ride and i'm just getting back. 5 minutes later and I was off onto The Dragons Back, a fairly similar trail to that of The Beast, but taking in some sections of the classic MBR trail. Another trail with some big climbs, so I was pleased to get them out of the way, know that I wont need to do these again. I'd kind of planned to get these two trails done all before 12, and I arrived back at 11:45. So far, so good. No issues, bike was holding up, legs were fine, hands and fingers hurt, all the constant bumps and braking, but hey, not much I can really do about that. Slightly longer rest now, get some proper food (Egg Sandwich) and electrolytes in me and i'd be ready for the next stage. 

Now at 42 miles, just under half way in terms of distance and climbing. The next tail was the old Red Bull route, now the Tarw trail. Only 20k, but nearly 2,000ft of climbing, and because the trail is on the other side of the valley the they don't really get ridden much, and as a result are pretty rough and sketchy in places. Essentially one big climb, a tasty descent, another big climb and another descent. I could tell I was getting tried, messing up my lines, not being smooth, and not having much feeling in my fingers or hands, less than ideal really. The final descent was fast though, and put you on a section of slab made singletrack called "Pins & Needles" Never has a trail name been so apt. It was agony to be honest, I could hardly hold the bars, but, obviously you can't let go or you'll come off. I dropped the pace a little and slowly, carefully, edged my way down back onto the fireroad. The next and final section (which I had forgotten about) was called the "Flightpath" Now I remember this for years ago as being a fast, all out and flowing bit of singletrack, well, it wasn't this day. Slowly, but surly I made my way along, hands still hurting, but i knew I was nearly back at the car, where I could rest a bit... More food, abit of air out the forks, bottles refilled and now, off onto Yr Afon, a nice, flat, easy 10k spin. 

Give my hands, legs and body a bit of a rest. 59 miles now and 6 hours 28 minutes in total. Starting to get a bit tired, but the next trail was the MBR, along with the Red Bull a really trail centre classic, and almost exclusively singletrack trails. 18k and around 1,700ft of climbing made it pretty tough (obviously) but after the rest and more food I had some renewed energy. The final climb, shared with many of the other trails is always an energy sapper, you know you're nearly back at the visitor centre, but you also know you've got this climb, simply known (on Strava) as the A470 Climb, 1.1 miles and 400ft climbed, doesn't sound that hard, but after 70 miles in my legs this was hard. 

Back at the car now for a final stock up of food and water and I was now onto the final push, a selection of very short blue and green routes with 2 short red ones. But only 17 miles... I tell you what, I felt everyone of those bloody 17 miles, the pace was slower now, thankfully the trails were easier, I didn't need to concentrate as hard, and most importantly it would seem, my hands could have a bit of rest. 

Before setting off i'd said to myself, anything under 10 hours and i'll be pleased (that's total time) Well, I finished with a total time of 9 hours 42 minutes (9 hours 2 minutes riding time) I'll be honest, I was pretty pleased with that really. So that's 87 miles and 11,982ft of climbing. I was pretty tired and ready for a bath and bed. Ow wait, I was camping that night in a small 2 man tent, nice.

So that's it really, my personal favorite ride of the year. Mountain Biking will always be my number 1 discipline, the one I started off doing, so doing challenges like this throughout the years will always be an idea. Just wonder what my next one in 2016 will be.

Thanks as always for reading, and for those interested here is the Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/369577094

Winter Riding: Cross, Kit & Flaps

So that's it. I've had my first ride of winter where the temperature was just above freezing. It was a steady 100K one Monday morning in sunny Hertfordshire, doing that simple, yet classic, Ford Route. After a fairly mild November this ride was rather cold, a strong reminder of how important proper winter gear and layering is. Still, it was a great ride.

With the road & hill climb season coming to and end at the start of November, i've been enjoying an unseasonably warm November and looking forward to crisp winter mornings, blue sky and cafe runs. The realty of course, is always somewhat different, and donning yet more wet gear at the end of a day at work is never a highlight of my week (still better than the tube, no?) however thankfully these days have been not that common.

I've been fully embracing cyclocross, and decided to mainly concentrate on the Central League, simply because these seemed the easiest races to get to, in general. First race (for me) was Round 6 located just outside Hitchin. A very flat and fairly fast course, little in the way of serious mud, and a frankly daft 19 degrees! I was unfortunately, not gridded so started at the back, spent the first 2 laps fighting my way through. A good battle with 3rd saw me eventually take the 4th spot, just off the podium, but it was a great race, I felt strong and really pleased with my position. Plus, now i'll be gridded in my next race.
Next race was the Eastern League in Bury St Edmonds. Damien had offered me a lift, so thought why not eh? Well, the weather was what you'd probably call "proper cross weather" with fairly heavy and consistent rain, and what looked quite a tough course.  I was unfortunately at the back (theme here isn't here) so tried to fight my way through, which I was doing quite well, until I came off on a concrete section and hit my hip quite hard (road rash in a cross race...). I got back on and continued to ride, I was slower, and it hurt. After 2 laps of wondering what to do there was a serious crash on a section, ambulance called and the poor lad off to hospital, so the race was cancelled. Hope it wasn't too serious.
The following weekend was back to the Central League, and Round 7 at Houghton Regis. It was fairly wet, and couple this with freshly cut swamp/grass it was going to be tough. I was gridded this time and bagged 4th again, happy days. More detailed blog here:
http://ridingcircle.blogspot.com/2015/11/race-report-central-cx-rd-7-houghton.html
That's it for cross so far, there has been a slight break in Central League races, so back on it 12th December. I'll be trying to race as many more central league races as possible until the season ends in January. Expect to see plenty more mud and clogged up rear mechs over the next month...

Now winter is always a good time for silly challenges, in general, you're not racing (apart from cross) so don't need to save yourself for those, plus there is an element of stupidity and hardness about doing a challenge when it's dark, cold and wet outside. With that in mind, I rather jokingly suggested to Lucinda that we should do the Strava climbing challenge in 6 days. That's 6,000m in 6 days. Might sound easy, but when you factor in a full days work it starts to become a little harder... This effectively meant that we had to ride Swains Lane a minimum of 12 times per day. Sounds a bit stupid doesn't it, but Lucinda, Aoife and I managed this, and clocked up over 6,000m of climbing that week. The next challenge, which I might actually do this year, will be the Rapha Festive 500, one of the original Strava challenges. Suspect the Peak District weather might have something to say about that though...

We're now in Decemeber, the weather, thus far, has been quite kind to us. I suspect that will soon change. I've got a few trips plans over the festive period, Glasgow this weekend and then back into the Peak District over Christmas to find some snow and ice to play (fall) on. I'll be racing till the end of the cross season, and mixing this with plenty of longer base rides and a few Chain gang sessions per week and a few turbo sessions. I'm hoping, and suspect that i'll be feeling pretty good once road racing starts again. That said, at the moment the thought of racing doesn't exactly fill me with glee...

During winter i'll be riding and reviewing the new dhb Aeron winter kit. This is dhb's latest performance offering and their top of the range kit. I've always been a huge fan of dhb kit, consistently impressed by the quality and fit. On first impressions, their latest Aeron range does not disappoint, the Roubaix LS jersey is very well fitted, has some excellent features and looks great (especially in fluro) I've worn this a fair bit recently in a mixture of conditions, and it really has performed well. I've got the full range to review and do a longer term test, so roubaix bib tights, ls jersey, lightweight gilet, merino socks, merino cap and oversocks, all, obviously, in fluro. #flurolife It would seem that i'll be fully covered for those winter rides now and will be able to report back with a more detailed review on the range over the coming months.
You can check out dhb's Aeron range (and others) here: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mens/cycle/clothing/?ea=4294789716

The final piece of any cyclists winter kit, should of course, be the winter bike.. This year i'll be riding the classic Ribble Winter Audax/Winter frame, I firm favorite of many a club rider due to it's price and traditional geometry, ok, so no, it doesn't have disc brakes *Rolls Eyes* but it does have proper mudguard mounts, which as any cyclist should know, are essential. I've taken to somewhat modifying my guards a little though, and whilst they protected me and my bike before (mainly) they still didn't offer any protection to the rider behind. Welcome to the stage, "The Flap"... I'll be taking orders for these over the next few weeks, different lengths and widths available, handmade and sourced in the England, ideal Christmas present for your loved one/winter bike. What more can you ask for eh?  For some additional revenue you can even sell space on your flap for advertising, I just opted for a classic " Stay Awesome" sticker.

Thanks for reading as always, and thanks to dhb & Wiggle for the Aeron kit, stopping me get hypothermia on the bike since Nov 15. 

Race Report: Central CX Rd 7 - Houghton Regis

Finally, my first gridded race, and front row next to Matt Jones (Winner) all thanks to the previous week where I came 4th. However despite this I actually didn't get a very good start, and perhaps need to work on this, as I must have lost at least 10 places coming into the first bend, the crash next to me didn't help, but still. 

It was clear from the few warm up laps that this would be quite an energy sapping course, couple this with all the grass and mud slowing the bike down I knew it was going to be tough. 

First lap in and I had managed to pass a few riders and was up into around 7th now. HR went from low 60s to about 180 in around 20 seconds, there is nothing quite like the first lap of a cross race.  Bike seemed to be handling well, and the lowered pressure on the Clement MXPs was working well, certainly felt better than in practice... Onto the 2nd lap and I pushed into 4th where I pulled away from 5th to create quite a gap which kept on growing, bar any mechanical I knew I could hold 4th and it was now a matter of reeling in 2nd and 3rd (no chance was I getting 1st...) I could see 2nd & 3rd battling it out ahead, and over the course of the next 3 laps I managed to get across, it dam near killed me, but I did it. I sat on their wheels, thankful for the rest for around 1/3 of a lap, and then made to move to try and drop them, this worked (for a bit) and I was now upto 2nd, but after a quick look around it became clear that 3rd and 4th were not going anywhere, I made a few attacking moves, but unfortunately nothing managed to stick (apart from the mud) We all exchanged places over the next few laps with nobody looking like the clear favorite. With 2 laps to go I was 4th rider, but starting to feel a bit, well, knackered. Damien was shouting from the side to keep it smooth and stay with them, I was trying... I stayed with them until the bell lap where they opened up a 5 second gap, I tried to get across, they were slowly pulling away. I knew that even if I managed to get across, after my earlier 3 lap solo attack, i'd have nothing in the sprint. I therefore crossed the line 4th, some 8 seconds behind 3rd and 2nd who battled it out in the sprint. To be honest, I was really pleased, in what was another tough field (both people and circuit) I actually really enjoyed the circuit, there was enough twisty sections and fast and flowing bits to make it enjoyable. The bike preformed well, a 1x9 setup was perfect, meaning that the chainline, except the rear mech of course, was mud free (kind of anyway), that said the frame did get a bit clogged up with grass and mud and that no doubt slowed me down, but then I guess that was the same with every other rider. 

It was great to be in a proper battle for a position, compared to just a solo cross TT which my last race was, tactics played a big part, and perhaps something I need to learn about a bit more. 

Thanks to the Central League for hosting another great event and get the results up so quickly! Thanks to Keith Perry for the photos. 

10 thoughts I had during a Hill Climb

There is nothing quite like travelling hundreds of miles for less than 5 minutes of racing. Welcome to the wonderful world of hill climbing. Of course though, it's not just about the actual race. It's the nervous prepping beforehand, the heckling at fellow competitors and not to forget the coffee and cake that is almost always present at a local village hall or church, often dished out by a cycling legend from the 1970s who's job is now also chief timekeeper. What a time.

Hills have long been a favorite of mine, and over the past few years I have seemed to get better and better at getting up them. Last year I took part in my first proper hill climb event, albeit only doing 3 of them and seemed to do ok. This year I was keen to enter a few more and hopefully improve on times/courses that I did last year...

First off were Catford & Bec, two famous hill climbs on the same Sunday in October in Kent, then was the triple header of Riber, Beeley and Bank in the Peak District (again, all on a Sunday) and finally Mott Street in Essex at the start of November. There were a few others I was keen to do, namely the nationals, but that will have to wait until 2016..

• Catford HC - York Hill - 0.4 miles - 256ft elevation - 2:13 (20th)
• Bec HC - White Lane - 0.4 miles - 285ft elevation - 2:12
• Riber Road HC - Riber Road - 0.8 miles - 372ft elevation - 4:09 (16th)
• Beeley Moor HC - Beeley Lane - 2.5 miles - 734ft elevation - 10:06 (7th)
• Bank Road HC - Bank Road - 0.4 miles - 258ft elevation - 2:26 (20th)
• Mott Street HC - Mott Street - 0.6 miles - 213ft elevation - 2:16 (1st)

So, 10 thoughts I had during a Hill Climb?
1) What am I doing?
Pretty much every hill climb I did this year I was sat in a que of 4/5 riders all waiting to set off. Always thinking, what the hell am I doing? Although I do enjoy climbing hills, i'm not quite sure I enjoying climbing hills under such pressure. You too will have these thoughts when you do one. There is always some chat at the start, sometimes along the lines of "shouldn't have eaten that pie yesterday" or "why do we do this?" It's nice to know you're not along in thinking this, yet being a little bit odd, and still wanting to hurt yourself. Before you know it, you're being held up and have a 30 second countdown. Last thought that goes through your head? Pain.

Catford HC

2) How the heck to I pace myself over a 2 minute effort
Earlier in the day, or maybe the night before, you'll be trying to think what kind of pacing strategy would you employ. I often thought this, studied the gradient, the road, looked on street view a few times, and if possible, rode the hill before the event. However, in reality, I found that any pacing ideas or dreams I had were quickly shattered about 5 seconds into any hill climb. I only went full gas. Catford for example is a cruel hill. You start off quick easy, very quick, you know what's around the corner, and you know there are two ramps of 20% + I hit the first one and pretty much stopped, maybe I got my pacing wrong here, but on a hill of around a 2 minute effort I couldn't really take it easy on the "lower slopes"

Bec HC

3) 20 second in, this isn't so bad.
That's what your mind and maybe your legs will tell you, but after about 30 seconds you'll want to cry. I generally found whilst building up speed and a rhythm the pain wasn't too bad, it was all quiet exciting really. Riber HC, for example, starts off on a wide B road, the gradient at this point is around 6%/7% and the pace quite hot. I was feeling great and knew the hill well, there was a small let off in gradient before it ramped to the castle up those 30% switch backs. I paced it perfectly upto here, getting my breathing right and allowing my legs maybe a slight rest... However the final two bends I was a mess, I was on for a good time, but feeling slow and really not sure I could keep going, maybe I went out too hard, maybe everybody feels like this now though? 

Riber HC

4) This is 20% i've pretty much stopped

I had this thought during every hill climb. Catford, yup, Bec? That's right. Riber? Too right. It's the shock to your legs but also your rhythm that does this, sounds obvious, but there is always a bit in my head that says don't slow down, so when you do inevitably slow down don't panic, everybody does, well I hope so. 

Riber, more than 20%

5)  I'm going to be sick

Absolutely guaranteed to think this. It's the pain in your legs, your arms and your lungs. Rarly do you feel this pain in anything other than a hill climb. That said, I've never actually been sick, or even seen anybody be sick, and that's with a Cornish pasty before the Bec Hill Climb.

6) I thought the finish was around this corner?

So i'm about 3/4 way through and all I can think is where is the finish? It doesn't matter how many times you have ridden the hill, there is always an extra bend and one section longer than you think. Riber is a classic example, there are 5 hairpins, I always think there are 4. Beeley Moor, at 2.5 miles is the same, a fantastic climb through the woods before a long (very long) straight section of road that gradually lessens in gradient. This tricks your mind into thinking you should be going quicker than the Garmin was telling you. There are no landmarks to aim for, just a bleak moor. 

Beeley Moor Finish

7) Is that blood in my mouth?

It's usually the last 30 seconds to a minute that hurt the most. It's also usually at this point you get a weird taste in your mouth, I'm not sure what this actually is. The combination of (usually) cold and wet air and your lungs and heart working at maximum capacity means it's not enjoyable. Riber was a key example of this. Awful. 

I'm going to be sick

8) How can these guys knock 30 seconds + off my time?

You don't really have too much time to think about anything but the pain, but I remember this during Bank Road and Beeley Moor in particular that I know guys will be knocking 40 seconds to a minute in some cases off my time. Seriously, I'm giving it everything I have, literally, nothing left. It's perhaps even more impressive when you see these performances, like at Catford & Bec, and seeing Richard Bussell (now national HC champ) storm to victory on Catford, was incredibly impressive, mainly because I've just ridden up that same hill, but 25 seconds slower over the 0.4 miles. Just how can I get that quick? 

9) Why am I doing this, i'm 6ft4". I'm never going to be a lightweight

Right after seeing other riders do the climb, and do it quicker, you start to think where can I get some help, the obvious place is the bike. I'm running a Giant TCR Advanced, Mainly standard bar the wheels, that are the latest Ultegras. So it's fair to say I could knock a fair bit off the big to make some gains, I mean though, I didn't even bother removing the bottle cages. I went through all these thoughts, but then it kind of hit me, I'm 6ft 4" I'm never realistically going to weight in at sub 65kg... That said, that Froome champ seems to climb well for a tall fella...

10) That was awesome, what's the next one?
I've basically listed 9 points why I would not do a hill climb, or why I wouldn't recommend one to a friend. However, after about 10 seconds from when you've finished you'll be thinking about when the next hill climb is. The whole event and race are superb, truly British in tradition and a right laugh. If you've never done one, just git it a go, I mean, what's the worst that can happen? 

Mott Street Cake.

So, that's my take on hill climbs. I love them, I love everything about them, but they are certainly interesting.

I'm pretty pleased with how I did in general this season. My Catford time was quicker by 2 seconds, which was both a surprise and a pleasure, Bec slightly slower, but then that's no big deal. Perhaps one of the important things I'll take away from this short season is that longer hills are better for me in terms of performance, and I proved this on Beeley Moor where I came 7th, chuffed with that, and it was great to climb/race up something longer than 2 minutes... Next year I'll be looking to ride the national and improve on this year's times, might even remove my bottle cages, you never know.

Thanks again for reading. 

Road Season: Done

The days are getting shorter, the hands are getting colder and the bikes are getting dirtier. That can only mean one thing. The road racing season is done (well for a bit anyway) I can now concentrate on the real racing that is cyclocross...

However before that starts and my time is either spent riding my bike or cleaning the bloody thing, I wanted to have a quick recap over this road season, my highs and my lows.

Essentially due to revision, exams and work I could only start racing in the middle of May. This meant I lost valuable early season time and winter/spring races where the chance of points and fewer riders is greater, well only if you like racing in truly horrible conditions... I'd also missed the start of Crystal Palace Crits, something of an institution in the London racing scene and a circuit (and atmosphere) that is the best around. My first race, towards the middle of May was however indeed CP crits. Over winter, although i'd been studying i'd actually been riding alot, having the benefit of getting out super early with RPR and managing my time quite well meant I could keep the miles and high intensity training up still. I seemed to be feeling strong, nothing at all scientific to back this up of course, but feeling good is all I had to base my performance on. First race and it was predicable hard, big fields (50 plus) and CP meant unless you were on/at the front moving up during such a short and tight crit circuit was hard. That said, riders were being shelled out in the usual fashion, so staying with the front group meant I bagged 10th and my first point, only 39 to go! 

In an unlikely fashion I then got really organised, I entered loads of races, put them all in my diary, that way I was committed. The next few weekends I was away, and in the week couldn't escape work (life eh?) Next race in the diary was 28th May at Hog Hill, part of the summer series, however the weekend prior I did the Tour of Wessex (3 day sportive) and came off, some pretty nasty road rash and injuries meant I was off the bike for 2 weeks, and missed ALL (5) the races I had entered, frustrating, but one of these thing I guess... 

So it was now the middle of June, I should have raced quite a bit by now, but had only managed 1 race, less than ideal, but the next one on the 16th June was Palace. having had two weeks off there was no argument that I wasn't well rested, unlikely to have lost any real fitness and keen to gain more points I emptied myself that race. It paid off, and in my best result at Palace I placed 4th, pleased with that and the much needed 6 points awarded. 7 in total now...

June is always a funny month for me, mainly because it's Mountain Mayhem (24 hour mountain bike race) so before hand I need to rest a bit and after, well I couldn't even walk, let alone ride or race. It really takes it out of me. This year though it was all worth it because I came 7th. a personal best for me. 

Prior to this, there had been some discussion in the club about the RAS de Cymru, a race i'd always wanted to do, but felt that there were probably better riders within the club who were keen to do it, As it happened whilst there was plenty of people interested only 3 could commit, so I was in the team. I'd never even done a road race let alone a 5 day, 6 stage road race. I mean, how hard can it be? Well as it turned out, very bloody hard. I don't think i've ever felt quite so far out of my depth. There is a full report on my blog already, but it essentially we went well in the TTT with a 7th, then from there on it was a world of pain. I managed to stay with the bunch on all the stages (apart from when I got a puncture) I took so much away from that race, so much learnt and so much more to learn, as well as just generally get, well, faster.... The rest of July then mainly consisted of going to France for the Etape du Tour, I did a few other races, 1 at Hog Hill where I didn't place in the top 10, and then post Etape another Palace race where I placed 11th.

So it's the start of August, i've got 10 points, and cat 2 seems quite way off. I had a few races in the diary in the week, namely Crystal Palace as per usual. I'll get straight to the point, CP Crits number 14 was won by me, i'd only bloody well gone and won Palace, there is even a whole blog post on that one race. That gave me a much needed confidence boost and perhaps even more useful was the 10 points this provided. Now i'm on 18, that sounds better! The following week palace was cancelled due to rain, but CP crits number 16 was on. Feeling pretty good from my win (Yeah I know, still) I went into this knowing just how to play it from a tactics point of view. Well, that seemed to pay off again, and this time I came away with 2nd and the first in the bunch sprint, another 8 points.All of a sudden i'm on 28 points and the prospect of Cat 2 now seems very real. End of August was another stage race, this time up in Manchester where London Phoenix had a pretty big turnout for the Manchester Wheelers 2 day stage race. This was a 2/3 race so I was hopeful to maybe pick up a few points. Stage 1 was a TT of 1.1k, no points, stage 2 a 50k crit, no points and the 2nd day, stage 3 was a 80k hilly road race, no points (16th) So no points on any stages, however unlike the Ras I felt in control at all times, really enjoyed the race, felt my form and fitness was strong, and was perhaps a little unlucky not to get points. But hang on, given my consistent placing in all 3 stages I had managed to grab 13th on GC, that meant 3 extra points (to my surprise). So yeah, 31 points now, only 9 to go.

It was at this point, the start of September, that I decided I had to really go for it. I had to go for Cat 2. I traweled the BC website and found plenty of races both at the weekend and midweek, not all were that easy to get to, and perhaps not really what I wanted to be doing in September, and maybe October, but never the less, if I set myself a goal i'll get annoyed if i don't reach that goal.

First race was out at Cyclopark, and was part of the Summer Series run by  Full Gas racing. I've not bothered entering these races before, mainly because it's a pain to get to Cyclopark after work for a 7am race (no bikes on the train) so you have to ride the 27 miles there and then race. Less than idea. This does however mean that the field is typically smaller, with around 35 in both races when I raced there. I have always liked Cyclopark, it was the home to my first even win 2 seasons ago as a Cat 4, and when i've raced there I have always done quite well. First race here and myself and 4 other riders were doing most of the work, nothing managed to stay away, despite quite a few attempts and it came down to a mass sprint. I was positioned well and hard from the final bend, perhaps a little too early as I went from 2nd wheel to 7th wheel when we crossed the line. Not great, but still the much needed points and something to learn for next time. (34 points now). The following week was pretty much the same, albeit this time with Andy Price from LP also in attendance. He proceeded to do most of the work all race and paid the price in the sprint. Again, no break so it was a bunch sprint. This is where it got confusing. i crossed the line either, 4th, 5th or 6th. I was pretty sure 5th and looking at the video/ipad after I still thought 5th. Either way, turned out I was 6th. 4 more points and now on 38...

2 days after at it was off to Hog Hill for the Big Events Cat 3 only race, another circuit I like and either seem to do very well here or completely bomb, the outcome of which kind of depends on my positioning coming up the final hill... The race seemed fairly easy despite very windy conditions. Andy p was again very active on (and off) the front, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to stop attacks and being a general pain. Last lap and it again came to a bunch sprint, I was well positioned around 5th wheel, Andy around 4th. But, then all of a sudden the rider in front just sat up, causing both Andy and I to get boxed in. I somehow managed to squeeze through a gap and watched riders go past. I held on for 10th, not the result I wanted of course, but still a point is a point. 39 points now...

The next race was another Cyclopark one on a Saturday. 2 weeks in between this and my previous race meant I was well rested. Andy went off the front on the first lap and stayed away for a brilliant solo win. Kudos. I then spent the entire race slowing the pace and chasing down any attacks, it was actually really good fun, and I felt great. Coming into the final corner it was another bunch sprint for 2nd. I fought my way to the front and was holding position  around 3rd wheel now, this could be it. I crossed the line and sat up, around 4th. Hang on... Everybody is still racing... i'd sat up for the Thursday finish line some 100 yards before today's finish line. I finished pretty much last. I was understandably frustrated with myself. Mainly because it meant i had to continue racing, I was ready to be done now.

So i'm now on 39 points. I've got one more raced lined up before i'll have to start looking again and finding some last minute point grabbing opportunities. Unfortunately what was hopefully my final race was at Velopark, a circuit i don't much like. Race day arrived and it was cold and gloomy, maybe that will deter a few racers? Nope, not the case, as around 50 cat 3 lined up! We were also racing the wrong way (clockwise). No real attacks off the front so it was yet another bunch sprint. I was positioned fairly crap coming into the last corner, around 15th. I knew the final corner forces people out wide, so i cut it tight and had a clear line to sprint as hard as I could. I hit the bridge having gained maybe 5 or so places and continued to pass a few more. I was in the points for sure. Results in (via electronic timing) and a confirmed result of 8th. Cat 2 confirmed. Thank god.

It's been a long old season. I'd have liked to have stopped racing end of August so I could start cross, but that can't have been helped. I've no doubt got a lot of work to do next year, a few winter series races for sure and no doubt a healthy helping of getting dropped at Palace E12 to start with, but i'm looking forward to the challenge. Who knows, this time next year I could be Cat 1...

Thanks for reading.