Chasing wheels

Sheldon Brown is a name every cyclist should know. His website, at www.sheldonbrown.com/ is an encyclopedia of anything useful you might wish to know about bicycle mechanics and history.

Sadly he passed away this week, to much sadness among cyclists who have relied on his practical wisdom to resolve and explain technical issues which the manuals rarely manage to do so clearly and with so much enthusiasm for their topic.

I've relied on his online gear calculator on numerous occasions when trying to figure out what casette to buy and what the advantages are of a compact as opposed to a triple and so on. His site is full of those sort of things that others fail to break down to the simple level of the end user. Hopefully it will remain long after his passing.

Posted by Alex on 5 February 2008, 15:02 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

She's gorgeous, she's articulate and she's bloody quick on a bike. Enough of my boyish lusting about one of the best women on the track, Victoria has given Will Fotheringham of The Guardian and excellent interview:

Victoria Pendleton on why she'd love to be more famous...

I have to agree with some of her points but some would argue that Athletics was fairly well represented with two women. What her absence from the shortlist does show is how narrow the attention of many sports desks is in this country. Some don't have a cycling correspondent so it depends on whether or not they have someone with an interest in cycling on the desk as to whether it gets covered. Others are so focused on the big audience sports that niche is as nothing to them.

Still, I look forward to seeing Victoria hammering round Manchester in March at the World Championships. Hopefully I can find a way to blag myself up there for work purposes.

Posted by Alex on 12 December 2007, 08:12 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

Another genius line from the ever-consistent wit of Bikesnob NYC:

"I hadn't ridden much since the pre-Dunston days, when I was a hairy fixture on the So-Cal crit circuit. (Show me a banana prime and I'll show you a sprint that makes Ale-jet look like a lemur on a tricycle.)" - Fixedgeargallery... of Special Reviewers

He may be in New York, and thus based in the "the colonies", but by jingo the chap can write. If you don't already read it, you almost certainly are missing out.

Meawhile I skived going for a ride other than to the shops on my day off today. I will make it up with a ride tomorrow morning. Richmond Park beckons for a blast in the winter air on the Dolan, subject to sunny conditions and me getting up in time.

Posted by Alex on 12 November 2007, 19:11 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

Despite a frantic week at work and minimum time on the bike I still managed to get my mug on just about every cycling site going. What's more, I didn't even need to win a race to do it.

I got asked to take part in the press call for the Smithfield Nocturne and, as I had the day off, I thought I would play the role of suited commuter. It was a rather novel experience to find myself tootling through central London in a suit and tie at a leisurely pace on a folding bike. What's more surprising is that it didn't take me much longer to get where I needed to go.

So here's me on Pez Cycling, one of my preferred cycling sites:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5016

And here's me on the extremely informative cyclingnews.com (who got my name wrong, grrrr, points off for accuracy there):

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jun07/jun20news

I've also blagged into the journo race so I'll be riding over with a folder on my back with my suit in the bag it's strapped to. That might be a bit of a challenge.

Once again it all kicks off around Smithfield from 5pm or so with a tasty looking regional A race then there's the journos/all stars; the fabulous wacky races insanity of the courier race; the utter bedlam of the folding bike race; and finally the daredevil speed of the Elite riders. More info here:

www.smithfieldnocturne.com

Posted by Alex on 22 June 2007, 19:06 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

One week you're kicking the cobbles in Belgium, the next you're stuck in the office trying to follow Paris-Roubaix on the internet and Eurosport. Meanwhile, outside it's a glorious spring day, over 25 degrees and perfect cycling weather.

That's how I spent last weekend. Not much fun in any sense other than watching O'Grady win convincingly. More than anything not being able to get out leads to the fear that I'm missing out on valuable training so I forced myself out on Monday for 70km round Richmond Park.

Felt reasonably good although I've still not dealt with this hip flexor trouble properly. I've been trying to do more stretching to ease it but when I push hard it flares up. Yes, I know I should have been to see a physio already but money is a bit tight at the moment. It's on my list for this week.

To add to the lows I can't get time off for the Ventoux trip so I'm going to have to sell my package - Eurostar and hotel between 24 and 28 May - £445 including taxis from station to and from hotel. I was really looking forward to that trip so it's a bit of a blow to say the least. I've crossed my fingers in the hope someone will take it off my hands before I end up out of pocket.

Posted by Alex on 18 April 2007, 06:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I came across Flamme Rouge while having a browse about:

http://www.flammerouge.je

It's a Jersey-based website which offers a lot of very useful information on everything from training to cyclosportives and racing. It's rather well and clearly written and covers most aspects of cycling.

Most useful is the factsheet section which offers guides to training, fitness, performance and so on. I was particularly interested by the cyclosportives section as it contains an excellent overview of the Tour of Flanders event.

Posted by Alex on 27 March 2007, 12:03 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks ()

Matt Seaton's weekly musings in The Guardian are a regular read for me as it represents one of the few regular mainstream press pieces on cycling other than just race reporting.

So I was overjoyed to find that the paper has produced a fabulously complete guide to cycling:

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/guides/cycling/0,,2020192,00.html

There's more to choose from than I've managed to wade through but I've browse a couple of bits of interest, including a nice piece by Robert Elms on Highgate Hill West, one of my favourite patches of London, especially now they're resurfaced the worst bits of it.

Browse and enjoy.

Posted by Alex on 8 March 2007, 02:03 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

My mate Dave sent me this. It's one of the greatest bizarre moments in the history of Le Tour:

Posted by Alex on 21 February 2007, 07:02 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I'm very much up for this, so I'll be using every wile I can to get a place. There's a huge number from my club who are also up for it and there's talk of trying to get a club entry. Here's some of the key details about the event on Sunday 1st July 2007:

Entries open on 1st March and 5000 riders will have the opportunity to complete the 117mile (187km) route, tracing much of the same route as stage 1 of the 2007 Tour de France.

Jonny Clay, Competition and Events Manager of British Cycling commented: "We are delighted to offer the rare opportunity to ride such an iconic route. It has a mix of climbs, rolling countryside and flat terrain that will appeal to all levels of cyclist. The route is stunning and passes major landmarks, castles, villages and towns along the way."

"There will be transponder chip timing and four feed stations along the fully waymarked and marshalled route. Riders will be able to experience what it’s like to take part in a major tour event, without having to go abroad or get back on their bikes the following morning!"

Sports Tours International will be the Exclusive Sports Travel Partner of the event, offering packages including entries from 1st March. It is anticipated that interest from overseas riders will be high, and Sports Tours will be able to offer tailored accommodation and entry packages through their dedicated sports travel web site.

- Entries will go live on www.everydaycycling.com at 12pm on 1st March.
- Alternatively call Pennine Events on 01695 682020 from the 1st March.
- Entries cost £40 including a £2 voluntary donation to the Geoff Thomas Foundation.
- Transport back to the start is available at a cost of £12.

Posted by Alex on 16 February 2007, 08:02 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I've got rid of "Two wheels good" as there are plenty of pre-existing uses of it on the internet, including a shop, and gone for "Chasing wheels" as it seems to be what I spend almost all of my time doing when I'm out riding. Hope you like it.

Posted by Alex on 15 January 2007, 17:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

This year there must be something to aim for, just to make things easier so here we go with the big "policy decisions" for me and my bikes:

• Get my weight down to 70kg - the heavier I am the harder work the hills are.
• Improve my flexibility and core strength - I've got an exercise ball and I'm trying to make plenty of use of it. Being about as flexible as teak and with the core strength of balsa wood this is a bit of a priority.
• Ride the Tour of Flanders sportif- I'm planning the 140km but Justin is trying to persuade me of the full distance. 260km in the Belgian spring? Dream on.
• Ride Mont Ventoux - there's a club trip to Beaume De Venise's sportif event (170km) and as it's 40 years on from the death of Tom Simpson, it seems a fitting year to make the pilgrimage.
• Ride the UK Etape - it seems to be pencilled in to the British Cycling events calendar for 1st July 2007 with everything else about it TBA. I'm still contemplating trying to get a place on the Etape Du Tour itself. If you can get me a cost entry, then I'm interested.
• Score a point - obviously this involves actually finishing a race, something I singularly failed to do last year. I've got to remember to get my race licence and upgrade to British Cycling's Silver membership too.

Tomorrow I'm seeing a man about a dog, or rather a bike shop about a frame. In this case a lovely Eddy Merckx one in the Cyclefit sale. Potentially it might be a bit long in the top tube for me, so I have crossed my fingers and started hoping. In my mind I've already decided how I am going to build the bike up so I'm trying to avoid disappointment at this stage.

Posted by Alex on 2 January 2007, 23:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

So after my morning disaster I trotted down hoping to catch the back end of the women's support race and, of course, managed to miss it. I did get there in time to watch the Bob Chicken London GP where London Dynamo had plenty of riders showing well for what felt like a home fixture.

Sadly we didn't have as many as, or the ability to organise like, Malcolm Elliott's Plowman Craven team, who made sure that when he got away in the break he stayed away. They blocked and boxed our man, Warrick Spence, and there was no way he could get across. Still it was good to see our bunch of club riders doing battle with a proper team like Plowman Craven who, as I understand it, are able to focus much more on racing than holding down a day job.

The main event itself was a spectacular race for largely the wrong reasons for the press - the much talked about accident involving motorcycle outriders on the finishing straight was right in front of a large wedge of the crowd and certainly did nothing to allay fears about standards of security and safety on the part of the organisers. It has been quite widely discussed on various forums so I shall leave you to read reports elsewhere and decide for yourself.

My impression overall was that it was all a bit parochial - the pro teams lined things out and ensured that their riders stayed out of trouble near the front while the British riders tried to get in among them. The Bike Fest and general on-course entertainment included a military marching band and David Duffield's incessant and uninformative droning, none of which was to my taste.

Boonen's lead out train turned up and his win seemed all too easy, even if Hammond and Cavendish were the next across the line and not far off his wheel. As it's late and I haven't really reflected properly I'll save it all for another time and leave you with a picture.

Posted by Alex on 4 September 2006, 22:09 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I haven't done anything more than ride gently all week simply because I still haven't recovered properly from last Sunday's brutalising. Either I'm still exhausted or my body has given in.

I'm trying to figure out which race I should enter on Sunday - the novice one or the HC/All Cats one. The former would involve getting up earlier but might allow me to finish the race and ride in a race I might be able to handle. The latter will probably involve vomiting in a bin before the hour is up.

Or it might involve me clinging onto the wheels of over-eager teenagers with decent lungs and legs, and not full-time employment to restrict their training and rest. This time I plan on beng a lot more aggressive and not playing "after you" with everyone into the corners. No doubt it'll absolutely shell it down on Sunday as I ride over again.

Rain has been the highlight of my week really. I rode home on Wednesday night with the rain bouncing off the road, my Montane Velolight jacket on my back and the KLF on the iPod, cackling as I whizzed through London getting drenched. Mostly at the feet but not that it bothered me as it wasn't cold enough to chill.

Part of me loves riding in the rain. It's the part that knows I'm not going to have to go more than 30 minutes to get home and plonk myself in the bath or shower and warm up again. I like the sensation of it bouncing off me and forming rivulets as it runs off. I love that moment when I am so saturated that I can see the droplets forming on the peak of my cap and dropping onto the stem and top tube.

My legs are still leaden and stiff tonight and that niggling pain in my hip won't go away. I wonder if I've got that degenerative hip thing like Floyd? I've tried doing my stretches but I think this one is down to lack of rest - Saturday may well be a full "no bike" day.

Posted by Alex on 24 August 2006, 22:08 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()