Stay safe cycling with a tracker

Just over four years ago I went missing while out on an evening ride after work. The sun set, my dinner got cold and my wife had absolutely no idea where I was. I wasn't answering my phone and in her mind I could have been dead or in agony amongst the trees of any wood within a 20 mile radius. I was eventually found 5 hours after I left home, by a road worker. I was lying, still unconscious, at the side of the A27 close to the Shopwyke foot crossing, just east of Chichester. 

Any route out to the trails from my house takes me over the A27. The main link road along the south coast of England. I have no recollection of what happened that evening. My Garmin tells us I was on my way back, just a couple of miles from home. Then I didn't move for 3 hours. Amazingly I was largely unscathed apart from a head ache and a few scuffs and grazes. The main damage was psychological. I feel terrible for what my wife must have gone through. It must have become very apparent to her something bad had happened and there was absolutely no way for her locate me. She rang all my friends, but I was on my own and there was no advice or help they could offer. I'd be a mess if roles were reversed. I of course was actually blissfully oblivious, dozing away in the long grass. But I do think sometimes about what would have happened if my injuries had been more serious or that road worker hadn't spotted me amongst his traffic cones?

From that day on I have always ridden with some form of tracker with me, so people know where I am. Currently that is the Lifef360 app on my phone. I've used this to enable people to track me on adventures all over the world and it is great - provided you have phone signal. There were a few times on my South Downs Double ride when the app reported that I'd failed to move for 15 minutes. My family thought I'd come a cropper or had a puncture, while presumably I actually traversed a valley or was deep in a wooded area away from phone masts. I feel naked now if I realise in the middle of a fast descent that I've forgotten to turn on my mobile data.

For a long time this year the Shopwyke crossing on the A27, where I had my accident, has been closed. They have replaced the existing crossing with a bridge. I'd been finding alternative crossing points since my incident, but as soon as it opened I was eager to return to the most direct route out to Goodwood.

The walkway/cycleway is very wide, much wider than any other bridge in the area. It links two traffic free roads and I expect will become my primary crossing point again, now I can cross without having to dodge lorries and cars at 70mph. 

Maximum Heart Rate

It has been a while since I raced and the results earlier in the year were disappointing. I could ride consistent lap times all day long, but they weren't fast enough. I'd done the base miles training for other things like the South Downs Double, but had no top end speed.

The other week for some reason the usual Sunday Social ride became an off-road team time trial. We tore along the trails at warp speed trying to rip each others legs off on every climb, descent and all the bits in-between! I spent over an hour of the 3hrs I was riding with the guys, in my top heart rate zone.

I was ruined when I got home but I hadn't got dropped or spat out the back of the group. The others have been racing all summer so it had hurt but it gave me hope. Since then I've been following a more structured week, instead of just crunching out the miles.

Part of this is something I haven't for done a while. Hill rep intervals! When I was younger I'd head out every Tuesday and push the heart rate monitor up to 220. Now-a-days I'm coughing up a lung at about 185bpm.

It hurts and the final rep is always torture, but the raging endorphins riding home and the sense of achievement is worth it. I've got a month until the Gorrick Halloween race. Lets hope I'll have more va-va-voom when the starting horn sounds.

Summer continues!

Strava reminded me that it was a year ago today that my road bike came out of its annual Summer hibernation. So far this year it is still tucked up in the shed. It hasn't been ridden since the 13th April (the day we arrived in Barcelona!)

Maybe today was our last chance to ride dry trails, under blue sky's, with the sun warm on our backs. Autumn is surely coming.

Madison Crypto Glasses First Ride Review

I haven't had new cycle specs for a couple of years, so although I have finally switched over to longer socks, I admit I haven't been at the cutting edge of fashion posing at the local cafe. My real motivation however for buying some more glasses was that I needed some clear lenses ahead of winter, as my old ones are getting scratched and tired.

There are two options with glasses. Splash out on the latest designer brand (you know I mean Oakley) and hope they are tough and durable and provide many years of service. Or go cheap and cheerful, knowing that in reality you'll sit on them or lose them somewhere in the wood within 2 weeks of purchasing. 

At £45 the Madison Crypto's lean more towards the second category. On first impression though they punch well above their relatively low price. I was very impressed with the quality packaging.

Inside the box the glasses came fitted with the mirror tint lenses, as these look the most striking. Also included are some yellow tinted lenses for low light levels and the clear lenses that I was originally after. There is also a nice case to keep everything together and a pouch for polishing and storing the glasses in.

I bought these at the beginning for September with Autumn and the coming winter in mind. However, the weather currently has other ideas and the first ride was on a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid 20's. Therefore I left the mirror lenses in and hit the trails.

The most obvious thing about the Crypto's is how the large profile is very on trend. Offering maximum coverage, like a wide screen TV on my face. Despite the sunshine it had rained a few days earlier and there was plenty of mud still being flicked up by my front tyre and from the guys in front. Nothing was getting past these lenses though! 

The risk might be that instead of my vison being attacked from the front, things start to mist up on the inside. I certainly worked up a decent sweat chasing my usual riding buddies, but had no issues with steaming up. This is helped by the adjustable nose piece which allows you to space the lenses with a slight gap to allow air to circulate. Obviously everybody's face is different but the wrap is spot on for me. I also didn't have sweat dribbling down the inside which is often an issue I have. 

My first ride was a definite success. The tinted lenses were occasionally a bit dark under the trees, so I slide the glasses down my nose and peered over the top like a stern school mistress! I look forward to popping in the clear lenses in the near future and providing an update.

The Crypto have the latest modern look and I think exude a quality above the price tag. No need for brand envy here while chatting at the trail head. Based on the first ride there were no issues and I didn't really think about them once we were cycling, which is the best thing to say about something new, but so fundamental to riding in comfort.