Having a bit of a clearout of used and no longer needed parts:
Deda Elementi Newton 26 stem, 100mm - perfect for fans of classic handlebars of 26mm standard diameter.
Tetkro 992AG Oryx Cantilever Brakes with pads and straddle cable
Tetkro 992AG Oryx Cantilever Brakes with straddle cable, pads not included
(Photo by Lucy @ Imperial RT who organises the Winter Series)
See that rain? I've not ridden in anything quite so torrential in ages. Or so cold.
On the plus side my white Mavic Razors are not as muddy as they were and look almost white. It's not that I'm too lazy to clean them at home, it's just I've not found a way of doing it without making the sort of mess that gets small children sent to bed without their supper.
The conditions presented an attire question: Wear a rain jacket, gilet or no waterproof? In the end I went with none of the above and stuck with a baselayer and midweight jersey.
I've come to the conclusion that I'm the sort of rider who heats up a lot and sweats it out so when racing in winter I need to find a balance so I don't end up soggy and cold. But mainly the issue is ending up cold.
The baselayer is one of the best I have found anywhere. It's by Falke and has been good enough to keep me feeling comfortable down to -20 in at Kicking Horse. I think it's their Athletic Warm long sleeve.
Men, ask your most trusted female friends and they'll probably roll their eyes in despair that you've only just discovered Falke. I got mine in TK Maxx (Hammersmith and High Street Kensington) ridiculously cheap. Good fortune as I've found them harder to track down elsewhere.
I've never felt damp or overheated in the baselayer and the fit is such that I barely notice it. Not feeling the garment when you're wearing it is always a hallmark of good quality gear for me.
Back to the race.
On the right day I quite like racing in the rain. I can handle my bike pretty well by my reckoning and so cornering in the wet doesn't terrify me. Plus there's a bit more respite when it's wet.
The key tip for riding well in the wet is tyre pressure. I ran my Vittoria Open Pav´e; s at between 85 and 95 PSI which sounds low but gives a very smooth and predictable ride, the latter being key in the wet. The Open Pav´e; just looks right on a bike in the wet which is equally important.
I've been riding my Ridley Crossbow all winter and I've been using it for everything. It copes pretty well with racing as it does cyclocross and commuting. I like that in a winter bike. Biggest gear is 46/12 and at no point at Hillingdon did I feel undergeared for the level.
I spent most of the race trying to sit in the middle of the bunch and I think I did so better than my previous race. Still need to concentrate on not drifting backwards too easily.
There were a few digs but nothing that ever looked like sticking, so it was more a case of staying out of trouble and avoiding the splits that occur in the wet when riders aren't confident through corners.
I stayed up near the front when it started to get a bit lively in the final few laps. Still a few places too far back to be useful and wasted too much energy trying to move up for the sprint.
When it came I was about 15 back but already on my limit so sat up down the back straight. There's no point in burying yourself when you're badly positioned and in no danger of getting a point.
For a different perspective on the race try James Curry or The Cycling Lawyer, Martin Porter, both of whom I race with fairly regularly at the moment and who were in the bunch as well.
He's known round our house as "Wee Bert Contador" on account of someone once describing him as "that wee lad who rides with Armstrong" last year.
2010 is going to be a bugger of a year for him if you believe some of the more partisan pieces of criticism of him, such as these two beauties from Versus:
Armstrong vs Contador - Wisdom vs Knowledge - Joe Parkin
Mass Exodus Leaves Team Astana in Shambles - Bob Roll
I can see where Joe is going with his piece, not that I entirely agree. Bob's I've gone long on salt with. Cyclocosm has done a great analysis, thus saving me the typing: Versus' War on Contador.
Which leaves me more time to marvel at the wheels on Wee Bert's new ride in Specialized's promo reel (neat use of CC subtitling btw) which I clocked over on Bianchista
De-badged Zipp 1080s is my guess. An utterly preposterous wheel to be be out on a training ride on. But he's Wee Bert, so he can get away with it.
I really hope he gets to this year's TDF in full form and without all the ball-ache of 2009. Not easy when co-habiting with Vino in a Kazakh team, but it can't be any worse than last year is supposed to have been, can it?
It's a difficult time if you are looking for gifts for your cycling-obsessed, loved one. Thankfully, the subject is covered in some detail (and a jolly good job they do too) by the Two Johns podcast. A little American-centric but neatly divided into price points, it's a great little listen:
The Two Johns Podcast - Christmas buying guide
This all helps to cover for the fact that I've yet to get any training done. I've managed to catch two or three of the many colds going round London in a row wiping out the last fortnight to three weeks.
I've managed not to balloon up the scales and I'm still holding tight to the 75kg mark which is a good place to be. Previous years I've done cyclocross or taken it easy for most of November and December so I'm not panicking as yet about my fitness, just concentrating on getting healthy again.
Even if you start in January you've got a good few months before you have to seriously think about your racing. I don't usually get into the road racing stuff until late February when you start to get beginners' races in the calendar and the Winter Series start drawing to a close.
I had planned to get some winter series action in before Christmas but after all this illness, I don't feel much like wearing myself out chasing wheels in the freezing cold. Especially as I'm currently looking forward to my snowboarding holiday in Banff over Christmas and will get killed if I break/injure myself before then. It's just tempting fate to go racing isn't it?
As the season draws to a close, the big shows also get underway as manufacturers show off what they think we will want to buy next year. I've got a few items on my wishlist, most of which aren't brand-spanking new.
Bont cycling shoes (350 USD)
As worn by the GB cycling team at the Olympics. Jamie Staff had a pair I think and possibly Victoria Pendleton too. I fancy a pair in black, maybe white, that patent leather look is slick and suitably futurist. I'm apparently a size 40, according to their sizing chart.
Zipp 404 clincher wheelset (1500 GBP)
The daddy of the deep section. I've seen enough people riding them and heard them whooshing past me often enough to know I would like a pair. They may not be the lightest wheel or whatever but there's something about the shape and look of them on a bike that says business. I've marked myself down for Shimano drivetrain clinchers because I can't face the prospect of tubulars and getting glue all over the kitchen.
Hed Jet 50 wheelset (663 GBP)
I'll settle for these in lieu of the Zipp wheels. My friend Robin has a pair and they look very swishy indeed. He says they roll well and give that proper aero feel once you get up to speed.
Bianchi B4P 928 T-Cube Frameset (1300 GBP)
Call me heathen if you must but don't tell me it doesn't look sexy in monochrome, even more so that the classic celeste. I've been wanting one for quite a while now and it's nothing to do with it being what the Barloworld team ride. It's a Bianchi, they are always sexy. The 53 size seems to be exactly the same geometry as my current Merckx frame, something which sways me further.
Rapha Cap (25 GBP)
My current one, which I've had since sometime in late 2005, has given up the ghost - the peak cracked and caved in. So I'm in the market for a new one as it's one of those items which I get far too much use out of to go without. The depth is right, the material is comfortable and unlike other caps I've tried, it does the job in the rain and sun alike. The medium size fits me fine.
I'm sure there's more stuff I'd love to try or buy but these are the top items. If you would like to buy them for me don't let the current financial climate stand in the way of an impecunious purchase for me.
I've been dreaming for a while now of a new frame to replace the Merckx. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore the Merckx as a basic racing bike but part of me desires a really expensive flashy bike.
I was reading a tech article on cyclingnews.com about New road goodies from SRAM which has got me thinking about it again.
The upgrades to Rival detailed make me think that I should consider saving up over the winter for a new groupset. I've got the current version on both the Merckx and my Dolan cyclocross bike and really love it but adjustable reach and trim and so on just make it that bit more appealing.
I've been thinking about the Cervelo R3 as a frame or really saving up and getting a Serotta Legend made up for me in London Dynamo colours like Paul Callinan's. There's always the uber-flash Ottrott option as seen on the Cyclefit site:
However, I have a few criteria in my head that keep on coming before issues such as cost and fit and whether I even have space for such things:
Bunch of 105 brakes, rear derailleur and two pairs of Look Keo classic pedals (one pair with new cleats):
Auctions finish on Monday around lunchtime, so you'll need to be quick
There's a Dolan cyclocross frame in the post, some Empella FrogLeg cantilever brakes and Continental Twister tyres. I've stripped down the Trek 1000 for a Sora triple groupset, bar and stem. Yes, it looks like cyclocross is on.
I've ended up buying tools to free cranks and get bottom brackets out as well as cables. In fact the only thing I've forgotten to get is bar tape and a front cable hanger for the brake. Those I can hopefully pick up before the weekend. I also might need some new shoes and pedals.
If I'm all set I'll be taking on a course which I think has a rather terrifying descent on it. Which is all relatively nothing compared to my profligate spending in the last week. Still I'm shifting a bunch of stuff on Ebay, mostly Shimano 105 parts to make space for the SRAM Rival groupset I've got in a corner. I'm rather tempted to use the SRAM on the cyclocross bike and then shift it onto the Giant frame once the season is over.
It seems a bit of a waste though to stick a good groupset on a bike that's going to get filthy. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. After all, groupsets can be swapped fairly easily and I have been concerned that I don't have space for four bikes fully built up in the flat. It would also mean I could stick the same wheels on all my road/cross bikes as and when I like. It's only an extra bottom bracket I'd need to ease the task and it means I can sell a few more bits to cover the costs.
Looks like I've just talked myself into a revised plan.
Argh, it's an itch I can't scratch - I've been caught up in the rush to try cyclocross and I'm trying to resist buying another bike. I can't afford it (I've just impulse bought a new SRAM Rival groupset for my other road bike) but I really fancy having a crack at the wintery fun.
An hour thrashing around an offroad course on a road bike sounds like an ideal way to keep the enthusiasm and fitness going over the winter. Quite a few people I've ridden with this season are giving it a try and they're all raving about it. The getting a bit filthy, improving your bike handling, falling off and having fun are just the sort of thing I enjoy.
I missed out on a frame on Ebay by 15 quid at the weekend which would have persuaded me into it. Now I can't find one anywhere. Ideally it's a hack job - spend as little as possible to get up and running - so I'm now tihnking of looking for a 700c hybrid frame with V-brakes that I can cannabalise. The V-brake bosses should allow me to get cantilever brakes on if I need to and the 700c spacing should allow me to swap on a pair of road wheels. With a bit of luck it will have an 8-speed block and I can thrown my Sora shifters at it and an old bar.
It's going to be a disaster isn't it?
Sunday's training ride was an enjoyable 126km in sunny weather round the Surrey Hills. It took a bit longer than planned due to an unseasonal outbreak of punctures for Simon - 6 in total and we couldn't figure out why. He gave up trying to fix them at Dorking and took the train home.
So it reminded me that there's a checklist of kit you should always carry when going out for a ride that will take you beyond walking distance of home. Some people carry everything they might need to rebuild their bike, others carry so little it's a wonder they survive.
. It fits on your frame, it may not look sexy but it does the job fast and well. Which is what you want when you are standing by the roadside on a wet, freezing winter's morning.
which are fairly standard ones. Make sure they have the right length of valve for your rims as there's nothing worse than getting ones that are too short.
- These little babies are transparent and easy to apply. Plus they take up about as much space as a bottletop.
You will of course need something to put these things in. So get a saddle bag rather than shoving them in your pockets which should be full of food (I'm coming to that in a moment). This one should do nicely: dhb Saddle Bag (Black/Red)
Food and water are essential. If you are going to ride for two to four hours you will need both. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a dolt and the wrong person to take advice from.
You should always have at the minimum a litre of fluids with you. That's two standard size water bottles of 500ml. Most people, quite sensibly carry two larger 800ml bottles on a training ride. They should be full when you start the ride and topped up whenever possible. There's no excuse for not carrying enough water and you will feel like an arse if you run out miles from anywhere. Some people like to use energy drinks but water will do just fine. Primarily it's about keeping hydrated, not keeping your energy levels up even if that is an easy way to do so.
Food should be small enough to fit in your jersey pockets. Bananas are a classic staple of the cyclists diet, as are flapjacks. Solid food is better than energy gels which should be a food of last resort for an instant hit when things are tough. Solids will fill you up so you feel fed rather than continually empty in the belly. I carry cereals bars rather than flapjacks because I'm too lazy to make them at the moment. Also a bag of jelly babies for a treat now and again doesn't go amiss.
Always carry enough loose change to buy a mug of tea and a permit to travel. The former is a regular feature of most club runs as there'll be a stop for tea and cake about halfway round. The latter is an infrequent emergency but, occasionally, you'll find there's a need to catch the train home from some remote station due to injury, accident or irreparable damage to bike. Some people carry a bank card as well for covering such incidents.
Carry a mobile phone if you are going out on your own. You may need to call for help one of these days and that's usually the one when you forget your phone. I've only been out twice when we've needed a phone and both times it was to call an ambulance.
Right that's the essentials covered. I'll be doing some more of these guides if people like them.
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