TV appearance at the Tour of Britain!

My first TV appearance during ITV's coverage of the Tour of Britain. Unfortunately not on the bike. I'm the bald chap with the camera next to gold jersey wearer and tour winner Jonathan Teirnan-Locke.

Rotor MTB Q Ring Review

The publicity drive behind oval chainrings seems to have ramped up recently, not least with Bradley Wiggins using them at the Tour. The marketing spiel quotes increased power, reduced fatigue and improved acceleration. I needed some new rings and decided to give them a try.

 

I opted for the '29er' marketed 38 tooth big ring. Unfortunately Rotor only go down to a 26 tooth for my spider set-up although many other sizes are offered. I previously had a 24 tooth granny on my old cranks so wasn't willing to make the leap. So I opted for a 25 tooth Carbon-ti inner ring.

 

The chainring turned up next day in a nice plastic sleeve with four bespoke bolts. The detailed data supplied with the rings describes a 4 week long acclimatisation period. Hah! I just jumped straight on and got riding!

 

Initially I was almost disappointed to notice hardly any difference. However, as soon as I tried to accelerate or get out of the saddle there was a definite ‘feeling’ that the rings were trying to help. Please be aware that this is just a feeling, I cannot substantiate any extra power or noticeable speed advantage. What I can say is that after two months on the Q-ring I really do like it. The fact that I think it is helping me is probably as positive as any genuine performance gain. To me it feels like the oval is helping me stay on top of the gear and keep the pedals turning. On climbs I seem to be able to stay in the big ring for longer.

 

I had to slightly tweak the position of my XX mech so that it just cleared the tallest part of the oval and then shifting, even to the non-Q inner ring has been fine.

 

I would suggest you give them a try but be warned they aren’t cheap so they do require some commitment prior to purchasing.

August Summary

Miles: 467.2

Riding Time: 30hrs 33 min

 

Highlight: Watching Olympic MTB on the TV!

Low Point: DNF at Brighton Big Dog

 

As you’ll have guessed from the lack of posts recently baby Ferris has been taking up a lot of my time recently. Cycling has definitely been on the back burner.

 

The one exception was the Brighton Big Dog event held at the beginning of the month. The event is a 6 hour enduro around Stanmer Park north of Brighton. The omens were good, despite recent rain it was sunny and I was amazed by the huge turn out. Numbers were limited but still it was great to see so many cyclists mingling under the summer sun. 

 

Within the first 500m I knew I was in for a long day. A lack of training, plus a definite lack of sleep had not been ideal preparation. I slowly slipped back through the field up the first climb and then slipped and slid across the greasy roots of the first wooded section. The next climb saw me struggling again and I lost sight of my team mate Ian as the group I had been riding with spun away. My cycling was laboured, but this was a rare chance to get out on two wheels so I was determined to make the most of the day.

 

The second lap was a bit better as the course had dried and I was just starting to enjoy myself when I had a flat in my rear tyre. Just before the event I had splashed out on a Zefal foam filled inflation cartridge. The idea is that the foam plugs the puncture while the CO2 inflates the tyre. In my case the foam covered my hands and face while the CO2 escaped happily into the atmosphere. I limped around to the end of the lap where I used the pit area to slip in an inner tube and re-inflate the tyre.

 

Only a few minutes into the next lap and the tyre was going soft again. Yet another puncture and I decided it was time to head home!

 

Big Dog was a disappointment and showed me how far my fitness has already dropped. Looking at the result I should have been up there challenging in the top 10 but I was nowhere near that pace even without the punctures. I have done even less cycling since, but have decided to treat August as a month off! Hopefully I can get back to commuting to work in September and then target a return to racing later in the year.

July Monthly Summary

Miles: 479.8
Riding Time: 30hrs 41 min

Highlight: Following the Olympic Road Race

Low Point: Snapped chain while 2 at the Chichester Challenge

The first two weeks of July were dedicated to my fatherly duties, with one exception – the Chichester Challenge. Unfortunately poor preparation, awful weather and a bit of bad luck meant it wasn’t much of a treat! The second two weeks were the exact opposite of the previous two. I rode the bike almost every day, commuting to work and back. In the end the mileage and riding time isn’t far short of what I would normally do in a month. The difference being that those miles are made up of almost entirely flat 1 hour bursts between Chichester and Portsmouth.

On Sunday I did spend over 5 hours in the saddle riding up to the Olympic Road Race in Surrey. It was a fantastic day out, one that will live long in the memory! Just being part of the atmosphere was incredible, it was inspiring to see so many people out to watch a cycle race. However, the highlight was undoubtedly riding on the closed roads to the cheers of and shouts of the crowded pavements. Possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least it is certainly unlikely that I’ll get to casually ride the wrong way up a dual carriageway on a sunny Saturday afternoon again!

Truth be told however, I was exhausted by the time we neared Petworth. If there had been one more hill I’d probably have been off the bike walking. So looking ahead to this weekend and the 6 hour Brighton Big Dog race, I have no idea how I’m going to go. On previous form I would be targeting a top 10 finish, but with limited riding over the last 6 weeks I don’t know how my stamina will hold out. So I go with limited expectations but the intention to enjoy myself and savour the chance to ride my mountain bike for a change.

Olympic Road Race

On Saturday Ian, Jon and myself met up at Petworth to cycle the remaining miles up to the route of the Olympic road race. After a scenic ride (with a slight detour due to my dodgy GPS download) we arrived at Gomshall. The street through the village was lined with people, Union Jacks fluttering in the sunshine.

A small break away went through first and then the cruising Peloton approached. For some reason Gomshall was the spot the pack decided to take a communal comfort break! Riders stopped all around us to answer the call of nature. Wiggo himself drifted past gaining speed after his own pit stop.

Surprisingly, although the race had passed, the highlight of the day was still to come. We decided to get back on the bikes and follow the race route to Box Hill to catch a second glimpse. As we rode along the crowd lined streets we were joined by other riders with a similar plan. Before long we found ourselves in a large peloton of our own. As we raced down a closed A25 the people lining the streets started to cheer and wave! Cameras flashed, people clapped and waved, certainly some convinced we were part of the race. It was as if we had qualified for the Olympics, an unexpected experience never to be forgotten!

Getting Back To Work

Having a baby is a life changing experience, your time is no longer your own. Everything revolves around Ferris and very irregular eating and sleeping (if we’re lucky) routine - not to mention the nappies! Gone are the days when I could roll home from work, pull on the cycle shorts and breeze out the door for an hour or two on a training ride before dinner. So to keep up the fitness and maintain my sanity I’ve been cycling to work every day. It is a 35 mile round trip taking about an hour each way. The first week was fairly torrid with a fierce headwind in the mornings and a couple of soggy rides home. However, this week couldn’t have been better, spinning along the coast road looking out at  the sun sparkling across the harbour.

I am slightly concerned that I’m becoming tuned to 1 hour rides. Although mile munching on the road bike does mean I’m racking up 175 miles a week backwards and forwards to the office. Time will tell how I cope with the 6 hour Brighton Big Dog Enduro on the 4^th August.

Why a photo of a pig? My route home takes me through the pig farms around Funtington and this chap (I don’t actually know it’s the same one) oinks at me everyday as I ride past. I’ve started replying with a cheery “Hello!”. Is this the first signs of commuter madness?

Congratulations Fay!

Huge congratulations to Fay on winning the Nationals at Wasing on Sunday. Awesome result! Nice to see the national colours in the South Downs Bikes team!


Race Report:
As the women’s master’s race unfolded, it soon became clear that there was an almighty battle being played out with Jo Munden, Fay Cripps and defending champion Caroline Goward the main players. In a ding-dong battle the lead constantly changed hands with little to choose between the 3. By lap 3 it seemed that Munden had made her move opening up a 13 sec lead going into the last lap. However just 23 minutes later the title went to Cripps, with Goward just 19secs adrift, while Munden failed to finish, after falling victim to the hot humid temperatures, Munden had collapsed trackside suffering from heatstroke. Luckily reports are that there are no long-term effects and she’s fine, a little disappointed maybe, but fine