She cannae take any more captain!

Duck tape and zip ties - sorted.

Sods law dictates that if a component is going to break, it's going to do it when you're furthest from home or help, when it's dark and preferably when it's cold and wet.  Luckily last night it was a balmy 7 degrees and the rain had just stopped when my rear mech decided to part company from the frame.  Also the mech didn't get tangled in the rear wheel and tear it to pieces (I've had that happen before too).  The ride ended sheltering out of the wind waiting for the cavalry to arrive.  I was able to call for a lift, far preferable to the long walk it would have been otherwise!

Does make you wonder just how prepared do you need to be for a ride?  'What if...' leads to 'where do you stop?'  Should I carry a spare mech hanger now?  The first time I attempted a proper long distance MTB ride (south downs in a day, 100 miles or thereabouts) I really wasn't sure how much stuff I should take.  I ended up with a 25L bag stuffed full, mech hangers, chain, I think I might even have had a spare derailleur in there!  It didn't last, I got to Devil's Dyke, where my wife was waiting to offer some moral support, and emptied the bag of all non-essential items!  A lesson learnt.  These days it's a saddle bag and whatever I can fit in jersey pockets.  Lighter and faster.  Well, definitely lighter...  

My commute isn't really far enough to worry about having a full spare parts list in my bag - if anything I'll pack a chain tool and some power links so I can bodge something to get me home.  And maybe a warm layer for when I do have to stop.  Plus of course the zip ties and duck tape, that way I'll be equipped to fix near enough anything!

This is why.

Keeping a cool heid - I'll get my coat..

It's a sad fact that at this time of year in order to witness a beautiful sunrise you need to endure freezing temperatures.  I've had to clear ice off the bike after leaving it outside for 5 minutes whilst I get my bag from the kitchen, been stuck in one gear as the cables have frozen, ridden through freezing fog and ended up covered in a thin film of ice.  I've lost count of the number of times my hands have been painfully sore, I still haven't found gloves that work for me which is starting to get annoying - and expensive!After a night when the sleep deprivation tag team have worked me over, getting out the house can be difficult, bordering on painful.  Tired eyes end up hurting in the cold early morning air and stiff muscles and joints take forever to warm up.  The first few minutes are horrible and it can very often take twenty minutes or more before I can feel my extremities again (if at all!)  Once I turn off the main road and onto the quiet back roads I am normally quite, quite alone.  At this time of year it will be pitch black as I start riding as well (though it has been getting lighter).  I do often wonder why I do it to myself.

But then the sun starts to come up.

Another glorious sunrise - another freezing morning...

The contrast between the strip of fiery red sky on the horizon and the pitch black landscape is breathtaking.  As I ride it slowly spreads across the sky until the sun itself finally appears above the horizon.  It's mesmerising and casts an eerie light over the road.  Now I don't mind being outside in the freezing cold.  It's worth it for the views across the hills.  

It's why I've always loved being outdoors, for those moments when mother nature rewards you with a display of her power and beauty.  Whether it's sunsets over the south downs, blizzards on exposed hill sides or a full moon lighting the way on a night ride, it never ceases to amaze me or remind me why I get out there.



One thing on my list to do this year is get out on a bivvy trip to the Galloway Forest Park, which has been awarded dark sky status.  When I was a teenager we used to go walking there and overnight in the bothies.  The view of the stars on a clear night was simply stunning.  I'll be back there this summer with my bivvy bag (and midge net) to find a good spot!  There again is the trade off.  A stunning view of the night sky, all you have to do is share it with a million tiny, wee bloodsuckers...

Once more unto the breach, dear friends!

Well.  Here we go again.

In an earlier post I mentioned the Kielder 100 bike race and my failed attempt this (last) year.  Sorry - it will take a while to get the hang of 2013, in my head it's still 2012.  Anyway, the Kielder 100 is a one lap MTB race over 100 miles in and around Kielder forest in Northumberland.  When I first heard about it in 2009 I was really excited - this was the sort of race I was looking for!  No laps round a muddy field for 24 hours, one big lap over varied terrain.  The sort of thing I'd been reading about in XXC Magazine (but actually held here in the UK, not the States).  Unfortunately the inaugural race was the weekend of my wedding and my (now) wife was having none of it.  I did enter in 2010 and completed the race - I wrote about it here on my friend Jason's blog Velorunner.  It was a bit epic and I didn't go as fast as I was hoping.  I entered again in 2011 but had to withdraw due to a number of circumstances, most notably just not getting the time to train.

When 2012 entries came round I once again put my name down.  Several of my friends did too but with one thing and another they gradually all pulled out until I was the last man standing.  Not to be deterred I went alone - it wasn't a problem, I met some really nice folk there and had a good time (as much as you can when there's a 100 miles of pain in front of you!)  I had spent the year riding pretty well and was probably feeling stronger than ever before.  But then July rolled around (the race is in September) and the whole process of moving up north started.  My training slipped a bit.  Not massively, but enough.  Still, in all my pre race training rides I was bang on the pace I needed so I was feeling reasonably confident.  I thought I'd finish, it was merely a matter of how quick.

What an idiot.

Race day dawned, I was up on time, ate a good breakfast, had my fuel strategy planned out and was raring to go.  What followed is an abject lesson in how NOT to race a marathon event.

1. Do not pick race day to use different energy bars/gels to what you know but if you do at least stick to a fuelling strategy.
2. PACE YOURSELF!!! If the race had been over 30 odd miles I'd have been very happy with my results.
3. Keep trying, don't give up.

I got it wrong on almost every level.  I started far too fast, I didn't follow my nutritional strategy, I used energy products I wasn't used to and I let my head drop and stopped pushing at one point.  If I hadn't have done that I'd not have missed the last cut off by 47 seconds...  C'est la vie.  It taught me not to underestimate the course, it's brutal.  Simple as that.  The first 50 miles are relentless.  

No one else I met whilst rehydrating (pub) was overly keen on doing it again.  In fact everyone I spoke to after the race said they never wanted to go through it again.  I bet the vast majority of them are now sitting like me thinking they'd like another crack at it!

In hindsight just finishing it is an achievement and I'm pleased to have done so in 2010, actually getting a time will require (for me) some serious work both physically and mentally and a lot of organisation at home to structure my training around the family.  But I'm sure I can do it.  Which is why I already know I'll be back on the start line in the dark and cold in September with a lot of other like minded idiots, determined to prove that fun hurts...

See you there!

No Excuses... Part 2

So yesterday I posted all about there being no excuse.  I was all kitted out, no ducking out of a ride now.  As Graeme Obree says - grit your teeth and turn those pedals.  The weather gods obviously heard me.  The wind picked up and the rain came down.  So did the cloud base.  Was a fun ride home in the wind, rain and dark.

Look - there's the road.  I think...

It rained all night and was still hammering down when I left this morning for work.  Luckily I had recently re-proofed my gore-tex jacket.  That lovely beading effect lasted all of 10 minutes.  Why do they make these jackets without vents?  It's like riding in a bin bag...

Time for my morning dip.

Still, the forecast is set to improve this afternoon.  There's even mention of something called The Sun?!

No Excuses... Rapha Pro Team Thermal Shorts Review

This time of year it's very easy to pull back the curtains, shrug your shoulders and crawl back into bed.  Or settle down on the sofa to watch all those movies recorded over the Christmas break!

There is a view, it's just behind all the clouds.

Well, if you don't have kids that is.  If you have kids it's just as manic as any other day.  By the time the breakfast melee is behind you the prospect of getting out there and knocking out some km's in driving wind and rain seems even less appealing.  In fact so often the breakfast routine takes longer than expected and the window of opportunity negotiated for riding disappears.  The turbo can be a life saver on those days,   though still being in the house means that getting the peace to do even an hour can be impossible!

I prefer being outdoors, as most people do I imagine.  Plus every hard fought winter km makes those summer rides all the more enjoyable.  There is no substitute for actually riding on the road and certainly none for riding off road.  As the old saying goes - there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad kit.  I try to get out whether it's raining, windy or freezing.  If I'm presented with the opportunity to ride and it's blowing a gale or pouring with rain it feels wrong to turn it down just because it's not 20C and clear blue skies.  This is Scotland after all.  If it's really cold and I'm worried about ice I stick to the main roads which have I know have been gritted or go ride the MTB.  And a head wind is a training aid - right?

Ready for winter - crud raceguards and MTB pedals so I can use my MTB winter boots.

All this means I need the right kit for riding over the winter.  Which is a great excuse for buying new kit, which is something I love doing!  I am a self confessed kit junkie...  But with the arrival of the children it's a habit I've had to put on hold somewhat.  This year I was delighted to get a pair of Rapha Pro Team thermal bib shorts from Santa which I put to good use during the Rapha Festive 500.  I prefer thermal shorts to full on tights.  Tights can pull across the knee and very often be too warm.  Thermal bib shorts combined with warmers is a more versatile combination and with the climate here will see a lot of use.  Pretty much any month with a R in it!  I'm a big fan of Rapha jackets and jerseys - I have the classic softshell (again, thanks Santa) and a lightweight jersey both of which I really cannot fault in any way.  Plus their winter accessories are all excellent - merino hats - awesome!  Having said that, cycling shorts are a different thing altogether.  Getting the fit right is difficult.  I have to say I was sceptical of the Rapha shorts at first.  I have a pair of Assos bibs which I find superb and wasn't sure how Rapha could justify a pair of shorts that cost more than the equivalent Assos.  I was afraid the shorts would ultimately prove to be style over substance.

Turns out I needn't have worried.  Firstly the quality is undeniable.  As it should be for the price.  I hope to still be using them for several years.  The fit is excellent too - possibly better than my Assos shorts.  The cy-tech pad is really comfortable, I've knocked out over 500km in them so far and I've been comfortable throughout.  The pro team shorts have a good level of compression around the thighs, but not too much!  There is a thicker material around the crotch to keep you warm whilst the legs are a slightly lighter weight, makes sense, your legs generate plenty of heat whilst cycling.  Similarly to Assos, they feel a bit tight when standing up, but once on the bike you soon forget they are there.  And that's the key thing for me, forgetting they're there.  Shorts that are so comfortable you forget they're on!  So far I've ridden them down to about 1C or 2C and they've kept me plenty warm enough, though you can feel the lighter weight material on the thighs when you first start out on a cold day.  Overall I'm very, very pleased.  I'd certainly look at other Rapha shorts now.  The icing on the cake has to be the look of the shorts.  It's not a shiny black as comes across in the over exposed photo's on Rapha's website, more of a matte black.  the left leg has RAPHA in white, the right has RAPHA in black.  They do look achingly cool.  For cycling shorts obviously.  Well, not that I'm much of a judge of fashion, but my wife likes them so there you go!  Stuff like the laundry label and race radio pockets are amusing rather than necessary.  I suppose they are meant to be 'pro team'.  All part of the Rapha mystique (or bullshit branding depending on your take on such things) but there is no denying that these are fantastic shorts, well made and a great fit.  They're just rather expensive.

Very quickly, I've been experimenting with my nutrition on the bike recently (mostly making my own!) after a disastrous Kielder 100 last year where stomach cramps and a bit of an over enthusiastic first 25 miles (it's a marathon not a sprint) led to me failing to make the final cut off (by 45 seconds, the shame!)  I'm a big fan of Torq products, I find them easy on the stomach (mostly) and they taste OK   Torq gels are the business, I haven't found better and their bars are palatable, which is more than can be said for many other brands.  But I've started to find their energy drink powder giving me stomach ache and I can barely face drinking it after a long day in the saddle.  Happily I came across their natural, unflavoured powder in the Wiggle sale and thought it was worth trying.  Wow, it really is virtually tasteless, no stomach cramps and easy to flavour with some fruit juice if required.  I'm converted.  I doubt I'll buy flavoured powder again.  I'm still far keener on making my own energy drinks and bars if possible, but where it's not practical I'll stick with Torq Natural.

So - no excuses.  Rain, hail, wind or shine I'll be out there.  Kitted up and fuelled to ride through the worst south west Scotland can throw at me this time of year.

Wet shoes... Nice.

Burry Stander - RIP

Burry Stander - RIP

Couldn't really think of anything to write when I heard the news Burry had been killed whilst training yesterday.  I've only been fortunate enough to see him race once at the Olympics in London where he finished 5th.  He was a great racer and will be sorely missed from the XC circuit.

Rapha Festive 500

The Rapha Festive 500 probably needs no introduction to the cyclists out there, it's an annual challenge to ride 500km over the festive period from 24th to 31st of December.  If you're a keen cyclist, the distance involved split over a week isn't too daunting, but combine it with the children (we have a one month old baby and a seemingly irrepressible toddler) and all the family commitments of the festive period and you start to realise that finding the time was going to be hard!  My wife said I should give it a go, so I sat and planned out a weeks worth of riding to take in 500km.  The only way this was ever going to work, especially at this time of year, was through planning and organisation.  The weather forecast for the week wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't brilliant either...  I re-proofed my now tired gore tex jacket just in case!

One of my favourite MTB racers, Sally Bigham, recently wrote a blog where she thanked all her sponsors for their support over the past season.  So it's only fair for me to mention Infacol, without which I would be so sleep deprived I'd not have had the strength to ride anywhere!

Day 1 - 75km

The challenge started on Christmas Eve, I planned a 75km ride north of Dalbeattie to Loch Urr and back via the Glenkiln Reservoir (home to several Henry Moore sculptures).  Accuweather forecast was for light showers.  Last time I believe them.  It started raining as I rode through the rolling farmland by the river Urr and by the time I was climbing to the Loch it was pelting it down. 

I was wet and not even at half way.  I turned at the Loch and headed down the opposite bank, into a headwind and driving rain.  The ride home was going to be brutal, though some of the riding was superb.  By the time I got to Glenkiln my hands were numb, by the time I'd got back to Dalbeattie they were painfully cold.  I sat on the floor in the shower in agony as they warmed up.  Great start!  Kit all washed and up to dry, shoes packed with newspaper and drying.  Time to get everything ready for Santa's visit!  Lucky old Santa enjoyed a 16 year old Jura single malt that night.  Well earned.

Day 2 - 105km (180km total)

I was intending to ride across to my parents for Christmas Day but family and time took precedent so I took the day off and planned out a ride for Boxing Day (already my careful planning was out the window!)  Very fortunately Santa brought me a pair of Rapha thermal shorts for Christmas so the 105km I planned up to Moniavie over to Dalry before coming back down the side of Loch Ken and through Castle Douglas would be the perfect test.  The ride itself started in the rain again.  Great.  Luckily by the time I started the long climb out of Moniaive it stopped and I had time to dry out as I climbed.  It's very quiet out there.



I read lots of blogs and tweets from people in the south of England getting excited about the quiet roads at this time of year.  Up here it's always quiet!  At Christmas even more so.  I lost count on the way over to Moniaive.  Was it 2 or 3 cars I'd seen?  You can often feel like the last living soul.  Though sods law dictates that when you stop to answer a call of nature is when the minibus full of German tourists rounds the bend...



The Rapha shorts performed brilliantly, a more detailed review will follow in the coming weeks but suffice to say they literally saved my arse over the coming km's!

Day 3 - 30km (210km total)

A quick blast round the coast coming back via part of the Tour of Britain route from a couple of years ago.  It was dry and the sunset over the Solway Firth was beautiful.



A late ride due to a day hanging out with my daughter and her new pink bike from Santa - cue a very happy and proud dad!

Day 4 - 55km (265km total)

Rode to a party at my parents house via the coast and then looping round some of the back roads.  It was grim and wet when I left so full gore tex and overshoes.  It dried up about half way through.  I got a little hot!  Still, felt very 'pro' as I rode over some left over graffiti from the Tour of Britain this year !  Also managed to find some well flooded roads.  Right up over my shoes and half way up my shin!  Left the bike at my folks for the night.

Day 5 - 60km (325km total)

Picked the bike up before anyone was even up!  Don't they have some km's to get in before the pub lunch we had planned?  Rode back criss crossing the main road taking in a lot of my favourite GWR's (great wee roads - shamelessly stolen from Iain Banks).



This region is truly beautiful, even when the clouds are low and grey.  Saw my first and only other road cyclist of the festive period as well!  Oh, and the sun came out, briefly.  Which was a turn up for the books!  Enjoyed a guilt free pub lunch.

Day 6 - 172.5km (497.5km total)

So close!!  It was now the 30th of December - if I was going to finish this I had to either do all the last km at once or split it over the remaining two days.  The weather forecast for the 31st wasn't good.  Strong winds and rain.  The 30th looked dry but with strong winds.  By now my wife was also getting a little fed up of me disappearing out each day leaving her babysitting so I decided to try and bag as many km as I could in the one day.  I planned to ride from Dalbeattie to Mennock, up to Wanlockhead and back down the Dalveen Pass, a brilliant road on any other day.  I packed lights, just in case.  The route was long and I didn't have a lot of daylight. Unfortunately I started later that I'd have liked, about 10ish.  The ride out to the foot of the climb (over the Old Military Road to Shawhead, through to Dunscore and over to Thornhill) was lovely (though for any visiting cyclists, the A76 is not a particularly nice road and should be approached with caution).  The wind was at my back and it was dry.
I turned off at Mennock and climbed up to Wanlockhead, as I gained height the weather gradually closed in, the winds building.  Some of the gusts were truly fierce.  I had toyed with the idea of riding up to the golf ball (radar station) at the very top, a tough climb across exposed hill side.  But I could see it was still covered with snow and probably ice so I decided not to bother and stuck to the main road.  It was vicious enough!





Unfortunately I made a bit of a navigational error and missed my turning in Leadhills.  Yeah, the ONLY turning in Leadhills...  By the time I realised this I'd descended very quickly into Abington.  The tail wind drove me along at some pace.  I had no option other than following the A702 along the side of the motorway to Elvanfoot and eventually the Dalveen pass.


That tail wind was now in my face and a strong head wind.  It was grey, grim and brutal.  I could barely manage 20kph!  I crawled through Elvanfoot, fighting to keep the bike in a straight line.  It felt like it took forever to reach the top of the Dalveen Pass and once the road started angling down my speed barely crept up.  I fought the bike all the way down to Durisdeermill.  I now knew I was finishing the ride in the dark.  It had taken me a lot longer than I'd hoped with my slight route deviation and the head wind.



I refuelled in Thornhill and then struck for home.  Lights on as the rain was now falling.  By the time I'd reached the A75, crossed onto the Old Military Road and was close to home the light had faded and the rain was hammering down.  I could barely see the road, was fighting the wind and the rain was soaking me through.  I had planned on adding a few km on the end to roll past 500km, but conditions were so bad I took the quickest route home possible!  I'd do a lap of honour on the 31st to grab the final few km needed, all I wanted at that point in time was somewhere warm, dry and off the bike!

Day 7 - 5km (502.5km total)

I rode the final few km's I needed up the hill behind the town to catch the sunset.  The wind had died and it had dried out.  A fitting end!  I was pleased to have completed the 500km, I enjoyed it, despite the weather!  I spent 19 and a half hours on the bike, didn't have a single puncture or mechanical and rode some beautiful roads.

It was a lot of time to dedicate to cycling when we have a colic suffering infant and toddler at home.  My wife has been very supportive and luckily I have a whole other week of holiday to now spend with the family.  And not on the bike.  Well.  Might fit in a couple of wee rides here or there!  I think my MTB is feeling neglected...