tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60583189354004644522024-02-18T17:32:51.070-08:00 theraceforthecafe.com .a journal - cycling, sociology, social mediaTonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-41871759934178537532021-12-05T10:08:00.000-08:002021-12-05T10:08:23.040-08:00Have I really ridden for 700 consecutive days ?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU61JauRjgjH0cVNnkDFS0EQNK25mViEMSY2NYRNo1DCzlbxXIe8VxP6UnbTwQjW4BEnQ4M6HDzloE7Fg5FAyB_TY54YnF1h390Xgys7UeQAoPMGLB5GOXMmkJvVgVZWpK6zxiy7hmXIc/s1303/SevenH14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="1225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU61JauRjgjH0cVNnkDFS0EQNK25mViEMSY2NYRNo1DCzlbxXIe8VxP6UnbTwQjW4BEnQ4M6HDzloE7Fg5FAyB_TY54YnF1h390Xgys7UeQAoPMGLB5GOXMmkJvVgVZWpK6zxiy7hmXIc/w376-h400/SevenH14.jpg" width="376" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-large;">On November 24th I posted my 700th consecutive outside ride on <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311">Strava</a> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's been a long couple of years for us all that's for sure and we have all had to find our way through the pandemic the best way that we could, for me that was to keep riding my bike ... everyday. I have just passed the milestone of 700 consecutive days riding outside, not something that I particularly set out to do, it just sort of happened, gradually and fairly slowly for a lot of the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">When Covid arrived in March 2019 my race season had just got underway, I had made the decision to start early that year so I had managed six races before everything else was cancelled and that was it, season over for me and everyone else. It was fairly obvious to me that the year was a write off in terms of racing so I made a conscious decision to let my 'top end' race fitness go guessing that it wouldn't be needed for a year or more and that I couldn't hold it for that long, even if I wanted to. But I also knew that if I stopped riding consistently that there was a good chance that my fitness would go completely and at my age it would be really difficult to get it back and could mean that I wouldn't race again. So my solution was to ride every day, mostly low intensity and mostly fairly short rides but all outside and with some regular doses of quality thrown in.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32MUVXy1vdybkq981MrLbHn-Zg9wFnKUWGK7l4iYrD8KpDQDp-6gsefaIYo08wVMUdpD2xNoUd1N4aV6-adX2uyD2-o81GbKWUqixuN5Wy9ppQtPO-k5oEgrqiZBUC2ltR-n-xBK07IQ/s1547/SevenH11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32MUVXy1vdybkq981MrLbHn-Zg9wFnKUWGK7l4iYrD8KpDQDp-6gsefaIYo08wVMUdpD2xNoUd1N4aV6-adX2uyD2-o81GbKWUqixuN5Wy9ppQtPO-k5oEgrqiZBUC2ltR-n-xBK07IQ/w514-h640/SevenH11.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">By the end of 2020 (a leap year) I had ridden every day including Christmas Day which went down well (not) with Mrs R - A.K.A. 'The Team Principle'. By this time it was starting to look like we would have some sort of race season in 2021 so it wasn't the time to stop the 'streak' in fact it was time to ramp it.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DnJOR09ALuVIxBJAQqrp2BTlE9sS4PeZ1n6KxIfym4YSPLOoUd4uZPdgqfbiPLUIEDv48YCPRizha4B-rFUpAVpXKUuULNXLwCrWI2u4uL6obh9slaabjhSajU6xEUhsBOEfnqzgvBs/s1233/SevenH12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1233" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DnJOR09ALuVIxBJAQqrp2BTlE9sS4PeZ1n6KxIfym4YSPLOoUd4uZPdgqfbiPLUIEDv48YCPRizha4B-rFUpAVpXKUuULNXLwCrWI2u4uL6obh9slaabjhSajU6xEUhsBOEfnqzgvBs/w400-h356/SevenH12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div> <span style="font-size: x-large;">By May the 8th another milestone was reached when I hit 500 and it was a wet one ! </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6yjEQy81de4yHrUcdAQgI43bwks7Wa4ljhDRfPUJcw_EirQrcSMUz60dyu0kdJ7UeKhrSq0ERz-nDhEEIM5PzG7LSSqdHk3Gy8pD4JvbkgFHyAzlppFtGYRPHbZEiJdAM7I8-pw51L0/s1242/SevenH9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1242" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6yjEQy81de4yHrUcdAQgI43bwks7Wa4ljhDRfPUJcw_EirQrcSMUz60dyu0kdJ7UeKhrSq0ERz-nDhEEIM5PzG7LSSqdHk3Gy8pD4JvbkgFHyAzlppFtGYRPHbZEiJdAM7I8-pw51L0/w400-h359/SevenH9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I might have ridden every day but I definitely didn't train everyday. The majority of my rides are really easy (more on this below) and involve pedalling gently to my favourite cafe at a very leisurely pace, stopping regularly to create Instagram content. The other thing about my ride streak is that a lot of the rides were off-road on my gravel or mountain bikes, again nothing too strenuous mostly bridleways and cycle tracks away from the traffic but always carefully planned to include coffee at some point.</span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai7x_LzUtyONNGLx3zPp7l5-PfaAw0n5HfRDXp59LfLqbgzWR6PHe4FfYbzktdw0NSaRmM1BVJ_c8Qj-To8kpuFBofKueg2Kp9OanG9jxYY-5Gbb6qI4QTITmkNcn2FrnFqPGuLAeWaM/s1295/SevenH2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai7x_LzUtyONNGLx3zPp7l5-PfaAw0n5HfRDXp59LfLqbgzWR6PHe4FfYbzktdw0NSaRmM1BVJ_c8Qj-To8kpuFBofKueg2Kp9OanG9jxYY-5Gbb6qI4QTITmkNcn2FrnFqPGuLAeWaM/w348-h400/SevenH2.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">My season finally got underway at the end of May and I must have been feeling enthusiastic and keen to get started as I did a round trip of 240 miles for an hour of crit racing at the UCLAN Sports Arena in Preston, Lancashire. Despite there being no rain whatsoever on the weather forecast it rained - torrentially throughout. Although I 'got round' OK and managed to stay upright unfortunately my brand new packet fresh white socks didn't survive. </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4W2i8T1-AtSctDsgeYlNFkz0D_1FVX6gUo8zN9aFJ5ZNB2Gnae6SQMKAv9BIcYFla5ZnEhmXzL9yUd6UX4L0eSBQO9_BLPQD_YaFv57qj9qg7_9h6SWXXd8Lupe3RRNmThTvtRgUnMI/s1223/SevenH3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1223" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4W2i8T1-AtSctDsgeYlNFkz0D_1FVX6gUo8zN9aFJ5ZNB2Gnae6SQMKAv9BIcYFla5ZnEhmXzL9yUd6UX4L0eSBQO9_BLPQD_YaFv57qj9qg7_9h6SWXXd8Lupe3RRNmThTvtRgUnMI/w400-h374/SevenH3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fortunately better weather for one of my four visits of the season to the Darley Moor circuit in Derbyshire another long trip for me but in year when the race calender was a bit on the sparse side it was a case of if I wanted to race I had to be prepared to travel.</span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">For the record a summary of my 2021 race season looked like this:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">10 races</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">2500 miles driven</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">5 overnight stays</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">0 punctures</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">0 mechanical issues </span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">1 crash (cut finger no bike damage)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">0 Results !</span></li></ul></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNb8eEWEqvWK923IULKekDHbqw3-B181jNX-GwV06w_C8V2A2atyJXh-yhDxyzl52bI44sSj2axtbMy-UXxw-evqaaA4JHxMN2H2xneqz4mScNu7pmyks7uc-wymQaoyskYAZkeJALsi4/s1242/SevenH8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1242" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNb8eEWEqvWK923IULKekDHbqw3-B181jNX-GwV06w_C8V2A2atyJXh-yhDxyzl52bI44sSj2axtbMy-UXxw-evqaaA4JHxMN2H2xneqz4mScNu7pmyks7uc-wymQaoyskYAZkeJALsi4/w400-h393/SevenH8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Above race action from Darley Moor captured by my friend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mysoigneurlife/?utm_source=ig_embed&hl=en">Cheryl Owens</a> and all I can say is there are some fit old fellas in Derbyshire that's for sure. You can read more on how my shortened 2020 season went here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2021/08/oh-ye-i-remember-bike-racing.html">Back to it.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Something that this 700 streak has confirmed to me is that to be of any benefit training needs to be hard a significant proportion of the time is actually false ... it doesn't, although to qualify that statement I am a 66 year old with several decades of very consistent training in the 'bank'.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span> I've posted a</span> more detailed account of my recent approach to training here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2021/01/training-without-training-what-i.html">Training without training.</a> </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuX3PT0T1ATO4EQyzKKlBC7rthqSzf69KFNB-kPxFNaMz5nZ-DgmmMvCKEkN4i_IQ3xbFgyTAUbdZh5GSnU4dhUQdH2DM6_8isCwZRBHtJJ4nK0kEu8DghQyhurWD5WF5v1Edag2SCAQ/s1187/SevenH1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1187" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuX3PT0T1ATO4EQyzKKlBC7rthqSzf69KFNB-kPxFNaMz5nZ-DgmmMvCKEkN4i_IQ3xbFgyTAUbdZh5GSnU4dhUQdH2DM6_8isCwZRBHtJJ4nK0kEu8DghQyhurWD5WF5v1Edag2SCAQ/w400-h380/SevenH1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Ready to roll out from raceforthecafe HQ for another coffee spin.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">These days the biggest proportion of my riding, probably over 80% is done at an easy pace, my breathing isn't laboured and if the ride is only around an hour or so to the cafe the physiological demands are on a par with going for a brisk walk, nothing more, I'm rolling along pedalling and my heart rate is up slightly but the pace is very comfortable.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIEErhsiCfUSQU-Bk-ogzNkPMHSiYrZierZuyb0mXoP8KFGTtSWoiFhmrgNAkwCYCi9Gpu69Sls7g190-T4q49gH5K6JoylnDxJkvpUFfb711Gl-dNLGd0hqkiZ5ZJUtQTklARlQG6Wo/s1235/SevenCafe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="1171" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIEErhsiCfUSQU-Bk-ogzNkPMHSiYrZierZuyb0mXoP8KFGTtSWoiFhmrgNAkwCYCi9Gpu69Sls7g190-T4q49gH5K6JoylnDxJkvpUFfb711Gl-dNLGd0hqkiZ5ZJUtQTklARlQG6Wo/w379-h400/SevenCafe.jpg" width="379" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-large;">My type of - ride direct to the cafe.</span><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4dtdleUNbwCyKiIy2t8C7a2L4nTiDc4Dm03DZlFGOnYA_Z6fcJo7Fkf7Yof-OEPMRiX0PKyQWkVE-7aGVF9xkUKWLo0ymlo0jzoJFos1MOIz-wQE2Dv2fVBMWbtH0OhkAsAawJONbok/s1583/SevenCafe2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4dtdleUNbwCyKiIy2t8C7a2L4nTiDc4Dm03DZlFGOnYA_Z6fcJo7Fkf7Yof-OEPMRiX0PKyQWkVE-7aGVF9xkUKWLo0ymlo0jzoJFos1MOIz-wQE2Dv2fVBMWbtH0OhkAsAawJONbok/w314-h400/SevenCafe2.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div> <span style="font-size: x-large;"> <span>With a nice 'sit in' on the way home.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">As I mentioned earlier I have been training for endurance sport for a long time, in what now seems like a former life I was (a fairly average) Ironman triathlete for many years </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">but this is not to say that this approach is not relevant for everyone. I have previously posted about Ironman triathlon here: <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2016/12/changing-sports-changing-worlds.html">Changing Sports</a> here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/08/origins-of-ironman.html">Origins of Ironman</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/tough-place-for-bicycle-practice-post.html">Ironman Lanzarote</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">These days thanks to the work of scientists and researchers like <a href="https://www.fasttalklabs.com/?utm_source=google-search&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=2021q4_fast-talk-labs&utm_content=best-affiliated-keywords&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-qGNBhD3ARIsAO_o7yn_O59IxnkBRzR0vmeY8oFxIwkkPp961CTPgevIzbpzup8MCLke1wYaAoMiEALw_wcB">Stephen Seiller</a> we now know that some of the world's very best endurance athletes spend around 80% to 85% of their training time going easy. Of course the other 15-20% is no doubt brutally hard but they know that even they don't have the physical or mental capability to train at that level all the time without burning out - nobody has.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So how I train now is to make sure I am pedalling consistently and most of the time </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">at a moderate pace so that I can be sure to get out every day. Some of the time I go hard for different periods of time, 3 mins, 5 mins, 10 mins 20 minutes, I just mix it up and at some point every week, without fail I go really really hard, absolutely all in, maximal effort just for a few seconds a few times and that's it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The relevance and benefit of this approach is that it engages all three of the bodies </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.suunto.com/en-gb/sports/News-Articles-container-page/know-your-power-source-the-bodys-three-energy-systems/">Energy Systems</a> <span>,</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> aerobic (5 min +) anaerobic (30 sec - 3 min) and anaerobic alactic (8 -12 seconds) which also means it's an approach that's event specific for me. All of my races (<a href="https://bmcr.org.uk/">BMCR</a>) </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>are pretty hard from the start</span><span> </span><span>but usually not hard all the time, especially when sheltered in the wheels which is where I like to be, but they do get very hard at different points often for several minutes at a time when the pace is high, the terrain is tough or when as often is the case attacks are coming one after another. Inevitably at some point the racing gets very, very hard, just for a few seconds when closing a gap getting on to a wheel or sprinting at the finish</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-large;">.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD0yTiBIM8-FsqBQuOQCDJk2BELSZ40IaSHxDUfcqt-kqAyY-Opq2gPpAxKNq1Aj5bF_Hkz87LxZRjx582M70oKz0nwWngZq-xWDonRzc7eXgwzW1hQqBvQI6euYU3ZIPSugM769RU-Y/s1002/Zwift1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="878" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD0yTiBIM8-FsqBQuOQCDJk2BELSZ40IaSHxDUfcqt-kqAyY-Opq2gPpAxKNq1Aj5bF_Hkz87LxZRjx582M70oKz0nwWngZq-xWDonRzc7eXgwzW1hQqBvQI6euYU3ZIPSugM769RU-Y/s320/Zwift1.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So you may (or may not) be thinking how long can I keep this un-broken all rides done outside streak going ? Well there is a clue in the picture above, I have a bike set up and ready for my first excursion to the enchanted land of Watopia that I have been hearing so much about for the last couple of years. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">To be honest it's been ready but unused since the start of the pandemic but I have now decided that some serious Zwifting is in order in the new year just in time to avoid the worst of the winter weather. The last day that I didnt ride outside was the 25th December 2019 so it feels like Christmas Day 2021 might be a good day to have my next rest day. I'm just hoping that having days off doesn't turn in to a habit, give me a follow on <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311">Strava</a> to find out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading.<br /></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-54203944378880240612021-08-01T11:00:00.000-07:002021-08-01T11:00:44.254-07:00Oh ye I remember - bike racing !<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Finally ! it's back and on May 31st I raced for the first time in over 14 months, a BMCR (British Masters Cycle Racing) Covid Test Event, just over an hour of racing on a closed circuit at Darley Moor Sports Centre in Derbyshire. Even though it was only a test event there was a big field of sixty age 60+ riders.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemrOe7Iqui477-NR-buky-tWI2vZQduILeJkWl7q-SJRXn7lwgyMNF3CcCsM_Qg0iyFQqPf46gYPOFUQ8Sl2KpbeV4INy40WOUUK2rJGho76svkUEJDUm0nQO03o_-Bsb74tolZdooK0/s960/AF15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="960" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemrOe7Iqui477-NR-buky-tWI2vZQduILeJkWl7q-SJRXn7lwgyMNF3CcCsM_Qg0iyFQqPf46gYPOFUQ8Sl2KpbeV4INy40WOUUK2rJGho76svkUEJDUm0nQO03o_-Bsb74tolZdooK0/w400-h368/AF15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Some of these fellas can't be over sixty surely ?</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uv1VCl-qlCZ5nkf4kdkt3upZ8LJwwR4z0hp4vvJpvEUqfxQrwi9-eSPKiQWdg6fZtmw7GYWF_mb196VCltbMLBQoC4RVgT9eK6FbacCDhTvr2jT43daDGqk7B5f7lNVcuRPGMA_ORQc/s781/AF12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="781" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uv1VCl-qlCZ5nkf4kdkt3upZ8LJwwR4z0hp4vvJpvEUqfxQrwi9-eSPKiQWdg6fZtmw7GYWF_mb196VCltbMLBQoC4RVgT9eK6FbacCDhTvr2jT43daDGqk7B5f7lNVcuRPGMA_ORQc/w400-h393/AF12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">It was great to be back racing at Darley Moor as by coincidence my last race pre-pandemic was here on March 6th 2020. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>I have previously posted of my of age group racing exploits here </span><a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/10/too-old-for-racing-age-is-just-letter.html">Too Old For Racing ?</a><span> here </span><a href=" Learning a lesson: From the Cavern Club to the Pain Cave">In the Pain Cave</a><span> and here </span><a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/09/in-memory-of-johnny-p_29.html">In Memory of Johnny P</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>BMCR races are always very competitive with a lot of attacks especially in the early part of the race and the first one of my 2021 season was no exception. I was comfortable in the bunch from the start and very happy with my fitness and it was good to confirm that the quality structured training I had done in the last couple of months had got me to the right level after such a long break from competition. </span><span>It was also good to know that my approach to riding during the pandemic that I wrote about here <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6058318935400464452/5107884752265953395">Pedalling Through The Pandemic</a> had maintained my base fitness well</span><span>. So my fitness wasn't an issue but the race did remind me of something fairly obvious, positioning is key ! especially on the last lap and at Darley Moor the position that you enter the final corner is likely to be the position that you finish the race and it was ... 20th. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDDlI3UdraBtM8JeDtbrHQ0j1mAUhoU0p2UhU3vSHv5_VuAmtRj3AUf1LHt8ao6rm3wdpvzNeCg3QdWUYQCkomsY2fV9z4UtAuQ_ACJFyNmlQMm2U3CIP-P1KYR1gkYQDbOL6Nd4wPk4/s960/AF10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDDlI3UdraBtM8JeDtbrHQ0j1mAUhoU0p2UhU3vSHv5_VuAmtRj3AUf1LHt8ao6rm3wdpvzNeCg3QdWUYQCkomsY2fV9z4UtAuQ_ACJFyNmlQMm2U3CIP-P1KYR1gkYQDbOL6Nd4wPk4/w376-h400/AF10.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had to wait until 24th June for race two at the UCLAN circuit in Preston, Lancashire, a long trip of 115 miles each way for me for an hour of racing which under normal circumstances would be a bit too far but with the race calendar still looking a little sparse and the British Cycling Masters National Circuit Championships on the 3rd July this was an opportunity to get a quality work out in a warm up race.</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK39Vx9vRPGPPc5FptCI471ytnmSBXAKyTtntP1Osfs__8oyElOAwKwcB4SDrRsYEFzIzx-r-vqtnPNXrKQqPz5dn_FWHR23_6omXbcgyf0ap9a5wnZ4AkYbPQalxc3ctwBKD0BcKh7eA/s960/AF8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK39Vx9vRPGPPc5FptCI471ytnmSBXAKyTtntP1Osfs__8oyElOAwKwcB4SDrRsYEFzIzx-r-vqtnPNXrKQqPz5dn_FWHR23_6omXbcgyf0ap9a5wnZ4AkYbPQalxc3ctwBKD0BcKh7eA/w300-h400/AF8.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unfortunately despite there being no rain whatsoever in the forecast it rained, a lot, but at least it was warm rain and the track was grippy even in a downpour so I managed to stay upright but unfortunately my brand new white socks didn't survive, bike racing it's certainly not for everyone that's for sure.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next up was a trip down to Leicester and my first time racing at the New College Circuit, which was flat and fast and a little bit dull to be honest. No wind at all meant that nothing was going to get away despite attacks coming what felt like every lap and the race finished in the inevitable bunch sprint.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDcN4eS8RRxyshF_tcSLnVKnbV3WBM60K6cUyXgYwMH89TKGh057p2UsY4hZrkmx7hmlYjoDYjh5sQ_sF4TLbqVcoOCZt2WOifZjDyDFr6cJ_Y7f1gjC-oFZd2ROP0xJMW5Xy5qO4vlQ/s960/AF4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="682" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDcN4eS8RRxyshF_tcSLnVKnbV3WBM60K6cUyXgYwMH89TKGh057p2UsY4hZrkmx7hmlYjoDYjh5sQ_sF4TLbqVcoOCZt2WOifZjDyDFr6cJ_Y7f1gjC-oFZd2ROP0xJMW5Xy5qO4vlQ/w285-h400/AF4.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPLK_0doVWcGjGqXUOsyC6jhMqTIWDlbuDKwK4kSSDezRlLzcFpn76hlYZQMk6kwc7q2ltf0UvGkXbEUKZu-w1Cjyucgkq6ScZiHAUw9qboUGOmWn5AbjxgKwKMtHXrtHn0VxoBZS28M/s960/AF5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="694" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPLK_0doVWcGjGqXUOsyC6jhMqTIWDlbuDKwK4kSSDezRlLzcFpn76hlYZQMk6kwc7q2ltf0UvGkXbEUKZu-w1Cjyucgkq6ScZiHAUw9qboUGOmWn5AbjxgKwKMtHXrtHn0VxoBZS28M/w289-h400/AF5.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Link to my <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311">Strava</a></span></div>When the race is going to be decided in a sprint and you are not a sprinter the chances of a result are slim, especially with some of the best guys in the country present. So I knew that I needed to spend a lot of my remaining pennies getting to the front on the last lap to have any chance of getting anything from the race. Despite knowing what I needed to do and having the legs to do it I left it too late to move up and entered the last corner about 6th and finished 6th. Fitness is there it seems like it's the execution that needs work !<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Race four was back at UCLAN the following Thursday and another long drive to find that I didn't take any legs with me and as a result had an absolute shocker ! I won't bore you with the details but I did eventually understand why, I was seriously dehydrated and had been since the previous weekend in Leicester. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOz6qgeFf9uqS305qEhjp1Io-CfkRacQH0tA6T0sy9jCBvpsCZXRwWaDzdUZodHaVZKTeNP5En2A_GFaSMAa_nO2IExCarE53Y6A2_dOKfPoURnO8IXm0rSQjn2UmanM9uOf3ghgMmLk/s960/AF18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="754" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOz6qgeFf9uqS305qEhjp1Io-CfkRacQH0tA6T0sy9jCBvpsCZXRwWaDzdUZodHaVZKTeNP5En2A_GFaSMAa_nO2IExCarE53Y6A2_dOKfPoURnO8IXm0rSQjn2UmanM9uOf3ghgMmLk/w314-h400/AF18.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">A warm night at UCLAN a strong field and I suffered like a dog. The experience has prompted me to make big changes to my hydration strategy before during and after training and racing. This is a topic for a blog post in itself as to be honest I can't believe how badly I have neglected my hydration, especially since the weather has got warmer. My only defence is that as you get older thirst sensitivity is significantly reduced but I knew that so it's no excuse really - more on this another time. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWudYOiWQzli2NCzeeDWgBALvbScm0p0heZXwRK0l28-3k3WrB9BRVMyKtneJqSFMXv29LQaOtAf2Kaf2xC5kWBMrnXWWi35YZS3SfngHUaxRQIH65fDLYOQfQ10_uOnGK98peNLrbrwU/s960/AF3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWudYOiWQzli2NCzeeDWgBALvbScm0p0heZXwRK0l28-3k3WrB9BRVMyKtneJqSFMXv29LQaOtAf2Kaf2xC5kWBMrnXWWi35YZS3SfngHUaxRQIH65fDLYOQfQ10_uOnGK98peNLrbrwU/w300-h400/AF3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Something else that I have been paying a lot more attention to which has a big potential impact on performance is sleep and rest more generally, another element of recovery that I haven't paid enough attention to. I have been using some wearable technology in the form of this smart watch from <a href="https://www.amazfit.com/en/watch-classify.html">Amazfit</a> so that I can better understand health markers such as my resting heart rate, and sleep patterns which should/could (along with my new hydration regime) help me to improve my performance and more importantly maintain good health. The <a href="https://www.amazfit.com/en/watch-classify.html">Amazfit</a> watch uses <a href="https://www.paihealth.com/what-is-pai">PAI</a> (Personal Activity Intelligence) that measures the impact of any physical activity on heart health and provides a rolling seven day average.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Gotham; margin: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: break-spaces;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQGmbQyq3tkz8gT-Rq2zsoF_pwpUBTiiUFK14rLjMAnuFQ754u5Bq9EjrFFrbARnlTa02QbXY45pA-K_0X9TKKFqRt2jHYEtbF5fc-9GXBFZ6jhZyGJ_mlGmoiO9ms3BRiNh7CkPuK-o/s960/AF2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="960" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQGmbQyq3tkz8gT-Rq2zsoF_pwpUBTiiUFK14rLjMAnuFQ754u5Bq9EjrFFrbARnlTa02QbXY45pA-K_0X9TKKFqRt2jHYEtbF5fc-9GXBFZ6jhZyGJ_mlGmoiO9ms3BRiNh7CkPuK-o/w400-h324/AF2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I have also been using these <a href="https://www.amazfit.com/en/zenbuds">ZenBuds</a> ear pod from <a href="https://www.amazfit.com/en/watch-classify.html">Amazfit</a> they mask distracting noises and can play soothing sounds to block out the outside world to help you to fall asleep more easily and by monitoring sleep patterns allow analysis of sleep quality. I haven't used them much yet but I have been sleeping a lot better although that might be because Mrs Rees has put the summer duvet on the bed ... who knows ? </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Finally: I now have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">YouTube channel</a> that you might want to take a peek at (it's just like the sort of stuff you find on here but in video form) It's early days and I am very much starting from scratch and on a very steep learning curve with video but you have to start somewhere. I have lots of ideas for YouTube content so check it out and maybe hit the subscribe button <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">TERACEFORTHECAFE</a> as there is some good stuff coming up. Here's a link to the story so far <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2021/04/from-sheets-of-mdf-and-rolls-of.html">How I started my YouTube channel</a></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading.</span></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-88146805545290395592021-04-11T12:44:00.000-07:002021-04-11T12:44:50.035-07:00 From sheets of MDF and rolls of wallpaper to a YouTube Channel in 3 months.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa_5GorNN6fIBM-y9SNXAd6xU1PKB0OeZ_keJwTYYg0S1Q3oTyKWgkjZRWCwBh_sySreE1I0bzWeWL-IwLcy6xdFJhjwcK0-JoMocS8mEbvllp7VGskav6-2PL3PkMCfeVV7skPsTTaU/s2560/Race4Banner+-+Copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="2560" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa_5GorNN6fIBM-y9SNXAd6xU1PKB0OeZ_keJwTYYg0S1Q3oTyKWgkjZRWCwBh_sySreE1I0bzWeWL-IwLcy6xdFJhjwcK0-JoMocS8mEbvllp7VGskav6-2PL3PkMCfeVV7skPsTTaU/w640-h114/Race4Banner+-+Copy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">In January on a bit of a whim I decided that a good lockdown project would be to start a YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">theraceforthecafe cycling</a> so I ordered five sheets of MDF a few rolls of wallpaper and I got to work. I have always enjoyed the luxury of having a double garage for my bikes and stuff but any decent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">YouTube channel</a> has a studio so some changes had to be made. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEL76aQe-uoSQfGnbIK6Jlx6Kp64tLnuF4qVOXd15bxZinF8w65p6VfQU-p0nbu-XMShfphQNF5rg3d43T7sX9yFzr-W628SsZ7NS0tCYIj8c4MAA9KCiEFf3Vcdz0ei9hEh5ynRMcKo/s960/YTBlog8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="960" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEL76aQe-uoSQfGnbIK6Jlx6Kp64tLnuF4qVOXd15bxZinF8w65p6VfQU-p0nbu-XMShfphQNF5rg3d43T7sX9yFzr-W628SsZ7NS0tCYIj8c4MAA9KCiEFf3Vcdz0ei9hEh5ynRMcKo/w400-h389/YTBlog8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I had convinced myself that sacrificing half of my bike storage space to build a YouTube studio was a good idea and that it would be worth it in the long run ... hopefully.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoKVYFhVaFineRlUTa73FuEaZ13EUfH__dX2nzlXmM8tGy_SnWoVmCCXT5l0m37zBzupmbdEHz6jN_rpwzn8AG9ghPPQhyAv7s0eQCzRLlqeX1IdESsV7nAP0WobkV6qlo8yEj2ERmHo/s960/YTblog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="960" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoKVYFhVaFineRlUTa73FuEaZ13EUfH__dX2nzlXmM8tGy_SnWoVmCCXT5l0m37zBzupmbdEHz6jN_rpwzn8AG9ghPPQhyAv7s0eQCzRLlqeX1IdESsV7nAP0WobkV6qlo8yEj2ERmHo/w400-h351/YTblog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Video is definitely the future and although you could reasonably argue that there are already too many cycling YouTuber's around it's also true that YouTube viewing has grown hugely during the last year and that the viewing habits of millions if not billions of people around the world have probably changed for ever. So the audience is definitely there, the challenge of course is producing the content that they actually want to watch, while at the same time building an audience from scratch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchXqZT0qsNlu7-2ciIQ6CCgVYv6sDiH8MZJdw12Mqeu5PuthaTFzGS36JKRUtSdcGq6WfMDM4phIfbd4a-FljYrx10fSVY00k0y9s6jpt7TKgAtZNQFMVmwaebr8_qiXp7ZtvQR50J4Q/s960/YTBlog4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="762" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchXqZT0qsNlu7-2ciIQ6CCgVYv6sDiH8MZJdw12Mqeu5PuthaTFzGS36JKRUtSdcGq6WfMDM4phIfbd4a-FljYrx10fSVY00k0y9s6jpt7TKgAtZNQFMVmwaebr8_qiXp7ZtvQR50J4Q/w318-h400/YTBlog4.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">This has definitely been a project that has evolved significantly since I had the original idea which is another way of saying that I have been making it up as I've gone along. Sometimes it's best just to crack on and see what happens which is what I've done, but I did do quiet a bit of research before I started (watching YouTube videos) so I managed to convince myself that I had a handle on what would work and what I needed to do to create it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOedJONIX0yt3AFs_6PtnTmD5-BTAQAJDcrexDPzoT7T-e_9fTGmd7XT_bcCDNAkiLywmb48xGT6fsZ62lp0x76p25jzJEiKyC8I6pR6TVkLeO7V8Y-iUhyphenhyphenNyRkG8GmoQxdP3kzfbWys/s960/YTBlog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOedJONIX0yt3AFs_6PtnTmD5-BTAQAJDcrexDPzoT7T-e_9fTGmd7XT_bcCDNAkiLywmb48xGT6fsZ62lp0x76p25jzJEiKyC8I6pR6TVkLeO7V8Y-iUhyphenhyphenNyRkG8GmoQxdP3kzfbWys/w300-h400/YTBlog1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">I have never been a big YouTube viewer and I have deliberately not spent any time watching other YouTube cycling channels because I wanted to try to do something original. The videos that I have watched during my 'research' have all been instructional videos on setting up a channel, and on video making and editing. If you think of YouTube as a huge search engine you really can find out how to do almost anything on there.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNcfnMVk724-kNdAnwxpFigKDsYTqP2sFdt25y711XtZndUBRd6Iqj5J5Gs4vGRhjlbJGmpKTrkfnbcedxSYJ_MUIAS4fYmBdLfa_KTIZnDEcRrJKc2A0h5m_224ugXPtMM0VbqjL1Nc/s960/YTBlog11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNcfnMVk724-kNdAnwxpFigKDsYTqP2sFdt25y711XtZndUBRd6Iqj5J5Gs4vGRhjlbJGmpKTrkfnbcedxSYJ_MUIAS4fYmBdLfa_KTIZnDEcRrJKc2A0h5m_224ugXPtMM0VbqjL1Nc/w300-h400/YTBlog11.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It has been a really steep learning curve and I have learned a ton of stuff but I will be the first to admit that there is still a huge amount that I am bluffing my way through. Although I have spent some money on building the studio I decided not to throw too much cash at the project by investing in a lot of new equipment. A good quality video camera is something that I will need in the future but to start with I decided to do everything with my phone. I use the Iphone 11 Pro Max so the camera quality is really good, add a tripod, an external microphone and ring light from <a href="https://www.fovitec.co.uk/collections/all">Fovitec</a> and a cheap soft box studio light and that's basically all the equipment I have. To edit the videos and add any text or music I have just used a free app on my phone called <a href="https://inshot.com/">inshot</a> which is excellent and can do everything that I need for the moment, although I have needed a bit of practice. </span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cHUAmrM7nGju-pFjC0tmLZpjRnzSIpqPw_LI3P_VVBa91MlibhJOolJAX3S-THhP5gX0blIC5jmgWfPnDCrqPJfY3FDCp-v2LmfVDMELZg0tce0F3g8rz94RC3HmHYQkiV4iOIrWUEg/s960/TrainingV1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cHUAmrM7nGju-pFjC0tmLZpjRnzSIpqPw_LI3P_VVBa91MlibhJOolJAX3S-THhP5gX0blIC5jmgWfPnDCrqPJfY3FDCp-v2LmfVDMELZg0tce0F3g8rz94RC3HmHYQkiV4iOIrWUEg/w400-h225/TrainingV1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The plan was to launch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">theraceforthecafe YouTube</a> channel with eight videos to give viewers a range of topics so that hopefully they would find something that interested them, I decided to start with videos that are all around the five minute mark in duration just as a way of encouraging people to watch them all the way through. </span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aPnxHzxiNWIkkzLDrIxDG_SSZW0hkwZOF4O-BZGoHWU8uo-75_7LKG-8fMi2qdZftWCdWC-cFp2gcRzXqc7RvwmeYKn-DMUXz-BMRjJtnaseJNmUU0KsWsGLUgcSHovHRvPsg4FyR-A/s800/race+for+the+cafe+logo+with+background.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aPnxHzxiNWIkkzLDrIxDG_SSZW0hkwZOF4O-BZGoHWU8uo-75_7LKG-8fMi2qdZftWCdWC-cFp2gcRzXqc7RvwmeYKn-DMUXz-BMRjJtnaseJNmUU0KsWsGLUgcSHovHRvPsg4FyR-A/w400-h400/race+for+the+cafe+logo+with+background.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">I wanted the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">channel</a> to look the part from the start so I got a channel banner and some graphics made on the website <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/search/gigs?query=YouTube&source=main_banner&search_in=everywhere&search-autocomplete-original-term=youtube">fiverr</a>. I've never used Fiverr before but what an excellent site it is, just like Ebay but for creative projects, all turned around in just 24 hours - brilliant. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What's the channel going to be about ?... cycling obviously, the content will be really varied so hopefully there will be something for everyone. Try to imagine the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">YouTube channel</a> as a combination of this blog and my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theraceforthecafe/">theraceforthecafe</a> Instagram content, combined in video form and you are on the right track.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdMhspnPcRwAhjyvySn3GTWQopqhXYSYCL1peiwJYHXVvyEnyDPC_WZw-M_9k_0pLqrsf7nBsFNpnGOhxD5WsNt_5zZh_1Ngy5IFYzPjo33dVTJAViSmAQD5A41_YgODABuCn4qo0xOA/s960/WhyV2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdMhspnPcRwAhjyvySn3GTWQopqhXYSYCL1peiwJYHXVvyEnyDPC_WZw-M_9k_0pLqrsf7nBsFNpnGOhxD5WsNt_5zZh_1Ngy5IFYzPjo33dVTJAViSmAQD5A41_YgODABuCn4qo0xOA/w400-h225/WhyV2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">I soon realised that making eight videos (even five minute ones) in the time that I had available was going to be too much work so the plan evolved again. I reached out to some of my Instagram friends for help and sure enough they stepped up and the Cafe Collective was born.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The new launch plan became five videos from me and one each from my three Instagram friends. Who are Julian a photography expert and mental health advocate from over in Berlin on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pedallingthroughlife/">pedallingthroughlife</a> Gus a charismatic 'California Boy' Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gusgoescycling/">gusgoescycling</a> who does his riding in London and Rahul from Newcastle Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/projectsunrisecycling/">projectsunrisecycling</a> who is a super keen cyclist and bike builder, if you hit the links to their IG accounts you will see the sort of stuff that they do. All three guys came up with their own ideas and although they have a mix of relevant experience from their day jobs we were all learning together and each of them brought something different to the party. Also coming up on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">channel</a> are some mountain bike/off-road videos from someone else I know from Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/calvin.berger/">calvin.berger</a> from North Carolina who is only fourteen but a cycling star in the making ... I'm certain of it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbrBP-uK6KvT9nNr-zwXKmwTGiZ2oxKge11qcGOzsFEYoT7n_J40OhgIrSXpQvxmcCeo9DEb8W3IUlXBLuHfsrh-b2mHz_HpFaKQ8uWP_mPw6xpTJaxuTZ_kloN81dC1HjtGvEbGJ12Q/s960/YTBlog3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbrBP-uK6KvT9nNr-zwXKmwTGiZ2oxKge11qcGOzsFEYoT7n_J40OhgIrSXpQvxmcCeo9DEb8W3IUlXBLuHfsrh-b2mHz_HpFaKQ8uWP_mPw6xpTJaxuTZ_kloN81dC1HjtGvEbGJ12Q/w300-h400/YTBlog3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The priority at the start has been content over production quality and we have been learning by doing which was another reason to start with short videos, as our skills improve we plan to move on to longer more challenging projects and we have loads of ideas. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YbIsOWoBHABjaY-9qWbBZC1TqFZS1sfdwO5L_tfFdT8PKN0Y__6qZWNEg5Wv9MGSVgDBDOSeor18VEFsr5vI_xR_wlWlsyybjeJIojzh7KFK6tx2Yqruntb6JCssNj2zqP3qZUGtKyA/s960/YTBlog6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YbIsOWoBHABjaY-9qWbBZC1TqFZS1sfdwO5L_tfFdT8PKN0Y__6qZWNEg5Wv9MGSVgDBDOSeor18VEFsr5vI_xR_wlWlsyybjeJIojzh7KFK6tx2Yqruntb6JCssNj2zqP3qZUGtKyA/w300-h400/YTBlog6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once I had the new logo and branding it made sense to organise some <b>raceforthecafe</b> merchandise, caps hoodies and tee shirts for when the channel really takes off, he said optimistically. I have a few of of these items left so if you are interested just drop me an E mail or a direct message on Instagram. It's been a bit of a whirlwind few months but I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading and it would be great if you would check it out, it will get better ... I promise !</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nOCte00gVpOKnBkqejPDg">theraceforthecafe cycling - YouTube Channel</a></span></p><p><br /></p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-51078847522659533952021-01-17T11:06:00.001-08:002021-11-30T06:28:34.624-08:00Training without training - what I learned during the pandemic.<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Here are a couple of questions for our times: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. What is the best way to train when there's nothing to train for ? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. How much fitness do you loose if you don't any any 'proper' training for nine months ? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7HHEkgMPcovWptcqAVV_Gr6YzPYSc0WtLmeDn0xZ9yW6byzHwpEMNbkrwgvHakR3pUOeJ04rz5DB-eG4NWkmwfYkxwYUsb9Lfy1XVrN8nsvXbDPI4OSfAPdjCMa9gTbz-_glSyR1o_Q/s960/Twenty18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="726" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7HHEkgMPcovWptcqAVV_Gr6YzPYSc0WtLmeDn0xZ9yW6byzHwpEMNbkrwgvHakR3pUOeJ04rz5DB-eG4NWkmwfYkxwYUsb9Lfy1XVrN8nsvXbDPI4OSfAPdjCMa9gTbz-_glSyR1o_Q/w303-h400/Twenty18.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the 18th of January last year I was in an optimistic mood and super motivated so I had decided to get my season underway early at the <a href="http://www.croftcircuit.co.uk/">Croft Motor Racing</a> circuit and I was pinning a number on for the first round of the <a href="https://velo29events.com/races/">Velo 29</a> Winter Series. After four months of well structured training, including a lot of race specific high intensity efforts I was feeling good and 2020 felt like it had the potential to be a great season. </span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">On top of having trained well I was moving in to a new age group and was going to be racing as an over 65 in the E category. Not that the 'E' age group is any less competitive than 'D' but because of a rule change I was moving into the category a year earlier and effectively a year younger than I otherwise would have. <a href="https://bmcr.org.uk/">British Masters Cycle Racing</a> had decided on a rule change to align with other organisations and effectively class every ones birthday as the 1st of January and as my birthday is at the end of November I would be one of those to potentially benefit most from the change. So this was definitely going to be the best chance I would ever have to get some good results in age group races something that I haven't really managed to do so far. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbkDUp2r8hXAq409X0pmYxOXs_OX2MUas1kP7jMA6yUI-TmUraYIF8Z8xIwd16k2qyLtItQT1day2Xj1IYfKP5zwD2xz9oKgCYf0v-0eKFf7b0bTNEJ_sCUq8YHC2Nm1eYT-K4zU_p7Y/s960/Twenty17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbkDUp2r8hXAq409X0pmYxOXs_OX2MUas1kP7jMA6yUI-TmUraYIF8Z8xIwd16k2qyLtItQT1day2Xj1IYfKP5zwD2xz9oKgCYf0v-0eKFf7b0bTNEJ_sCUq8YHC2Nm1eYT-K4zU_p7Y/w498-h640/Twenty17.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">There isn't any sort of training that you can do that's as hard as racing, especially when you're a 3rd Cat racing in an E/1/2/3/4 on a wide open circuit and the wind is gusting at 50 mph - you know what they say about what doesn't kill you ?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzq18U9pMoYRi5-v82TvVf9pMPi0piEvUPd43-k85Yqi2Xb0p3hSYRb0TQUXc1Xb0XKhiPO1r-U4dVX4H62cw1gD211dn2OKHqFIStHusluKuxGghuM2P4ZO-3trZ1pYcq0ryBBooJjw/s960/Twenty3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="960" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzq18U9pMoYRi5-v82TvVf9pMPi0piEvUPd43-k85Yqi2Xb0p3hSYRb0TQUXc1Xb0XKhiPO1r-U4dVX4H62cw1gD211dn2OKHqFIStHusluKuxGghuM2P4ZO-3trZ1pYcq0ryBBooJjw/w400-h255/Twenty3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the wheel of one of my best mates and former regular training partner Darren Moody. As we waited on the start line Darren and I (combined age 115 years) were speculating on the average age of the field, we decided it was about 23 and resigned ourselves to a tough day out.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs1JabzO7sDLLG6ywewclEn2IC6aai4E9CXLvV5l88U3PSNzRuP8Uu_7l32BjakSpQYtqH6VjnJnJXglsZibYVBwtbS5u6BiLKRoOm6xHfdD9yfQlGfAGm5VJnobFCMDEr2KRHK6p27U/s960/Twenty6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="960" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs1JabzO7sDLLG6ywewclEn2IC6aai4E9CXLvV5l88U3PSNzRuP8Uu_7l32BjakSpQYtqH6VjnJnJXglsZibYVBwtbS5u6BiLKRoOm6xHfdD9yfQlGfAGm5VJnobFCMDEr2KRHK6p27U/w400-h349/Twenty6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">January 25th and another hard day at Croft but thankfully when the going gets tough you can absolutely rely on the British Army.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhqsCwwNoUsS6rrKm9pjXmM2GZ__waIHmsy98eWlPyNAJUD_QTRtJPDokZUn34P8zbMP8F_eJ56eiVCfghqrDd5bn48NWj6XH7DTVweLddCE6vpuTfGOjtPln0db1RHNg2Cf4siObw-I/s960/Twenty16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="948" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhqsCwwNoUsS6rrKm9pjXmM2GZ__waIHmsy98eWlPyNAJUD_QTRtJPDokZUn34P8zbMP8F_eJ56eiVCfghqrDd5bn48NWj6XH7DTVweLddCE6vpuTfGOjtPln0db1RHNg2Cf4siObw-I/w395-h400/Twenty16.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">After five 'training races' at Croft on March 8th my season proper started at a different motor racing circuit, this time it was Darley Moor in Derbyshire the first round of the <a href="https://bmcr.org.uk/">BMCR</a> National Series for over 60's and what turned out to be my final race of 2020. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4FbgMYqVe_d1mc5xEuFZLbdAOm4J2nCUbL9osCB8egltF7WIMRzK96iQTztmZbyGMImt9H8WXadXBalyrEb7xs2rlu7kJ0RCxOSCdzN257cGAmryk8xRdKiRH7vjXqgy3stA4YZSb0o/s960/Twenty20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4FbgMYqVe_d1mc5xEuFZLbdAOm4J2nCUbL9osCB8egltF7WIMRzK96iQTztmZbyGMImt9H8WXadXBalyrEb7xs2rlu7kJ0RCxOSCdzN257cGAmryk8xRdKiRH7vjXqgy3stA4YZSb0o/w400-h400/Twenty20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite missing the race winning move and not picking up any series points I came away from Darley Moor thinking that I was definitely going to be competitive and feeling pretty positive for the rest of the season ... you know the rest, by the end of March it was pretty clear that their wasn't going be a 2020 season for me or anyone else. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So what next ? racing is important to me and I definitely wanted to race in 2021 but I didn't think it was possible for me to maintain my race fitness for a full year without a race season. The reality of 2020 soon became clear and riding solo almost exclusively, which I rarely did before Covid, quickly became the norm. I decided to keep it simple, no plan, no structure, just ride every day and sprinkle a bit of quality/intensity into the mix every now and again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>Although I have a power meter I don't generally train to power, partly because I ride a few different bikes and I only have a power meter on one of them, but also after getting a power meter I quickly came to the conclusion that at my age (65) training with it is really just a way of monitoring my inevitable decline, which I don't find particularly motivating. So I train to heart rate but the power meter is still very useful for fitness testing. </span>My riding since March has been approximately 80% low intensity and 20% of mixed duration high intensity intervals done on a very irregular basis without any sort of structure. <a href="https://www.8020endurance.com/seilers-hierarchy-of-endurance-training-needs/">The 80/20 Principle</a> So how much fitness do you loose if you don't do any 'proper' training for nine months ? The answer to the question in my case is surprisingly not very much at all, in fact I got a little bit faster which came as something of a surprise.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">When I got the power meter in 2018 I did some baseline testing to establish my power zones and FTP and I hadn't repeated the tests since then. I wrote a series of three blog posts on training and racing with power at the time (you can read them here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/11/training-with-power-no-soft-tapping.html">Power #1</a> <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html">Power #2</a> <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/06/racing-with-power-but-is-beard-costing.html">Power #3</a> ) So two years older and after nine months of very little training but plenty of low intensity riding I decided to repeat the tests, on the same bike at the same time of the year, in exactly the same location and in very similar weather conditions. The tests were done on three consecutive days, the same as in 2018 and each time after a thorough warm up. Day one was 3 x 5 minute efforts with 30 minutes recovery in between. Day two was 1 x 20 minute and day three was 3 x 1 minute. </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgPbzy53DQ-vTVCc6PqsDkOu9pWnlXW71sdhGTYb-SO-PEJiSZYCFwh99IyxsRJmN6pvPzfDjafySCCiGMBl7ft86YPoTeXEwBPMEoH3b_TPoNWg_5p3A_YOQ-HhgfbKmuN-MBb3zb6E/s692/Twenty22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgPbzy53DQ-vTVCc6PqsDkOu9pWnlXW71sdhGTYb-SO-PEJiSZYCFwh99IyxsRJmN6pvPzfDjafySCCiGMBl7ft86YPoTeXEwBPMEoH3b_TPoNWg_5p3A_YOQ-HhgfbKmuN-MBb3zb6E/w304-h400/Twenty22.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This stretch of road I use for testing is close to home and is ideal as there's not too much traffic, it has a decent surface and an even incline with a roundabout at the end, all good reasons for using it but mainly it's because it's only five minutes from one of my favourite cafes - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/caffe.italissimo/">Caffe Italissimo</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVYGBapaGFIV7GU_3leUse_95qd4r-aALpngSzT_Ju9dJOcpsM0iw058keXa0VxgWQG_X-cOpJuAwi2-ORrCfdQzrlDt1p1dbTwV0P6NKmVf2YnJvNNEO1xn2P1NnF7g0ShuaXdbf78U/s600/Twenty23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVYGBapaGFIV7GU_3leUse_95qd4r-aALpngSzT_Ju9dJOcpsM0iw058keXa0VxgWQG_X-cOpJuAwi2-ORrCfdQzrlDt1p1dbTwV0P6NKmVf2YnJvNNEO1xn2P1NnF7g0ShuaXdbf78U/w343-h400/Twenty23.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">So how did the results compare ? how much less fit was I ? and had my race form completely disappeared ? Well no, actually it hadn't, in fact on two of three tests I found that I had actually improved. To be more accurate I had lost a bit of power but I was quicker, on the five minute efforts my average power for the three tests was down by 3% BUT and it's a fairly significant but, I was quicker over each of the efforts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the twenty minute effort I was down by 2.8% on power compared to 2018 but again I was quicker. In November 2018 I covered a distance of 6.66 miles in the twenty minutes in November 2020 I achieved a distance of 6.83 miles in the time (2.5% further) in the same neutral wind conditions on an out and back course on the same stretch of road.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvWpXeDjlz_iXhX2s1x172cJIpXJIRccEL5jJaDTD427bqI5tp2rSxBg7nphtfZYXOMEN1eq8gx_yVF_pYpnuU-m3UTPaoLJXI3jQG96ItmPQXqcbXd2RH-0BMcxUW1jnZgiC6RQxAZM/s526/Twenty21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvWpXeDjlz_iXhX2s1x172cJIpXJIRccEL5jJaDTD427bqI5tp2rSxBg7nphtfZYXOMEN1eq8gx_yVF_pYpnuU-m3UTPaoLJXI3jQG96ItmPQXqcbXd2RH-0BMcxUW1jnZgiC6RQxAZM/w400-h400/Twenty21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Same bike, same road, same weather ...same pain.</span><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The one minute efforts however told a slightly different story, overall I was 8% down on power from 2018, initially I wasn't sure if this just because of poor test technique (gear selection and pacing) so a few days later I repeated the tests and the results were virtually the same. After thinking about it the loss of 8% was probably about right and was most likely explained by the fact that for several months most of my efforts had been no longer than a minute and not at maximum. The ability to do these short efforts well has a lot to do with pain tolerance, which is trainable at any age, I decided that the most likely reason was that I was just not used to doing them, psychologically as well as physically so I decided to do a training experiment. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">For the next four weeks during my daily rides I did two or three sessions a week of max effort one minute intervals, starting with 5 x 1 min and building up to 10 x 1 min. Then I re-tested, well rested, in similar conditions, same road etc. After four weeks of structured one minute intervals I had re-gained 7% of the 8% I had lost. This came as another surprise as optimistically I was hoping to get about half of the loss back, so to get to within 1% of what I consider to be good form was a nice bonus. So it turns out very short, very high intensity interval training works ... who would have guessed ?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2EgnB3_5Yhynl1fv8pTpqerrQ8tVceorYJ6XOwKkTNLA1JmW75DIe3pfddK127sChAkSsImFhsmEvfE6lyy4vYUJKGsjBxo5YYAiKnuXEG22H2DWdugfSURYbzDtGlHCKQVsnIFn4YM/s960/Twenty24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="796" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2EgnB3_5Yhynl1fv8pTpqerrQ8tVceorYJ6XOwKkTNLA1JmW75DIe3pfddK127sChAkSsImFhsmEvfE6lyy4vYUJKGsjBxo5YYAiKnuXEG22H2DWdugfSURYbzDtGlHCKQVsnIFn4YM/w331-h400/Twenty24.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><p> <span style="font-size: x-large;"> In need of caffeine after 10 x 1 min max efforts on a gravel bike.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The test dates were: 2018: November 2nd, 3rd and 4th and in 2020: November 5th, 6th and 7th. They are all on <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311">My Strava</a> and some extra analysis was done from the data available on Training Peaks. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">A few things to note:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">The 2018 tests were done after a full season, I may have been fatigued ? but on the other hand I may have had really good form from regular racing.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">These results may be personal to me and not valid for everyone, I have 37 consecutive years of training and racing behind me so my fitness base is solid, but even so they may not be sustainable in the longer term. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">I am 65 and recent research points to a small amount of high intensity training being the best approach for those of my advancing years. The loss of power may have just been due to being two years older, I refer you back to my reason for not using the power meter. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">I also made some dietary changes during 2020. I have not been eating breakfast and I have had no alcohol at all, both have without doubt helped me to maintain my 'racing weight' and the latter has probably helped with motivation too. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-large;">The other thing worth noting is that I did a lot of riding off road on gravel bikes and probably about a third of the 10,000+ miles I did last year were on surfaces other than smooth tarmac. As someone who knows about these things once said to me "you get nothing for free on a gravel bike" which is very true, particularly on the type of trails and bridleways that I ride, not much in the way of hills but not much descending either, so always pressing on the pedals albeit at low intensity.</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsub404dC9QYLnxwWMXlvD3XcjBF1kQ4n7e4eiIZtLO3mLbD0CYsxIaV58tWuSOxj6E6TDKTRNah9nQbB_SsL-smyPmM9ywq5_efmaoUOmZmUJvD6oveOlYH61CdVwpURi_AJshyGCDF8/s960/Twenty28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsub404dC9QYLnxwWMXlvD3XcjBF1kQ4n7e4eiIZtLO3mLbD0CYsxIaV58tWuSOxj6E6TDKTRNah9nQbB_SsL-smyPmM9ywq5_efmaoUOmZmUJvD6oveOlYH61CdVwpURi_AJshyGCDF8/w354-h400/Twenty28.jpg" width="354" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-large;"> There seems to be a training benefit for me just from rolling on fat tyres</span> <p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall and based on the one minute training experiment and re-test I would say that I am currently 4-6 weeks away from being ready to race. So if we get the nod to start again this year, which unfortunately at the time of writing is sadly starting to look doubtful again, I will definitely be ready. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>The final take home message has to be that consistency is key and it absolutely trumps everything else. The most beneficial thing that you can do to maintain fitness is a lot of low intensity riding,</span><span> which is why I rode every single day of last year 366/366. Obviously not many people are lucky enough to do this but consistency can be just three rides a week if that's all you can fit in, as long as it's EVERY week. Most days I was just riding and not training but I went hard some of the time, probably around 20% of my ride time. I have learned that this percentage seems to be about right for me at the moment, but it will probably reduce as I get older, you may need more ... or less? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading - stay safe. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-28509634970498479252020-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:002020-12-13T10:52:19.482-08:00Cadex: Ultra Performance - with heritage<p>I got an unexpected E mail a couple of weeks ago, one those that I had to read two or three times because not being the sharpest I thought I'd misunderstood it. It was from the marketing department at <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb">Giant UK</a> asking if it would be OK if they sent me some of their brand new <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb">Cadex</a> ultra performance components to try, wheels and tyres and a saddle that would go really well on my <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/bikes-propel-advanced-disc-2021">Giant Propel</a> ... oh go on then. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD7fQrcMwjV2OlPFXSrPaESu6vWDm_-VYlWYb0kZB58LIPr5_1ZOHkPPaghlt3COGdA5gSQibLh6O-mb-uKDqu_k8htWKYyXB72QpgRJBBqej6JstvYNBJJhtb2htgBwnvWdrcWoxSUA/s960/Cadex8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="842" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD7fQrcMwjV2OlPFXSrPaESu6vWDm_-VYlWYb0kZB58LIPr5_1ZOHkPPaghlt3COGdA5gSQibLh6O-mb-uKDqu_k8htWKYyXB72QpgRJBBqej6JstvYNBJJhtb2htgBwnvWdrcWoxSUA/w351-h400/Cadex8.jpg" width="351" /></a></div> The cafe whip now looks whippier than ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXKna0B4TeL7BJhMRUIS_Swv429IRV_UwkwQxdMhalGPRbRfe_63l0sNvPIwlRLPwVGkVIcrqXFPze3z_Ls2WQrgQhTxMF9smXy0silApEjLgiy0fGCApGz_CcY8h371W0QfM7VgDaGI/s960/Cadex11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="876" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXKna0B4TeL7BJhMRUIS_Swv429IRV_UwkwQxdMhalGPRbRfe_63l0sNvPIwlRLPwVGkVIcrqXFPze3z_Ls2WQrgQhTxMF9smXy0silApEjLgiy0fGCApGz_CcY8h371W0QfM7VgDaGI/w365-h400/Cadex11.jpg" width="365" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> You know when you get a new IPhone or any Apple product for that matter and your blown away by the quality and precision of the packaging, every time, well I was like that a few days later when the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb">Cadex</a> stuff arrived, even the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb/tires-range">tyres</a> were impressively presented and the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb/showcase/cadex-saddle">Boost </a> saddle was in a beautifully constructed box.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLfcBvv5cCWFpymHCpMw_XhPktJTzHE02P0LOWwdIDlDs6MQqVBhMoPTnnYhlTz0wuUc_I8hhqJi6eXOOmB_eRJ-CmThgV3EDdQqSvZaDAHVreRjjb_e591nlEdsE1rZvi4eNbQLB3WI/s960/Cadex15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLfcBvv5cCWFpymHCpMw_XhPktJTzHE02P0LOWwdIDlDs6MQqVBhMoPTnnYhlTz0wuUc_I8hhqJi6eXOOmB_eRJ-CmThgV3EDdQqSvZaDAHVreRjjb_e591nlEdsE1rZvi4eNbQLB3WI/w300-h400/Cadex15.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>The instruction manuals for the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb/showcase/cadex-road-wheelsystems">wheels</a> came in Cadex branded wallets and in case you're wondering what was in the cylindrical package on the right of the picture above, it contained a very carefully packed Cadex <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb/cadex-wind-vest-2020">wind stopper vest</a> ... obviously. I was well impressed straight away, even before I had paid much attention to the actual products.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vWTLquYUKE3an08rKmIxY5PeVJ2YZlgaRkuIec0L_mKR9uGbe1fpzM7xDm9ZkIhbp5MoVnw_r9oI1hRJRuJgfgr2x4j3Fzk3SOhyXILKXEzXfa2XYyk5KXMDdMAgnmRjZxvocXefk5Y/s2048/CADEX165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vWTLquYUKE3an08rKmIxY5PeVJ2YZlgaRkuIec0L_mKR9uGbe1fpzM7xDm9ZkIhbp5MoVnw_r9oI1hRJRuJgfgr2x4j3Fzk3SOhyXILKXEzXfa2XYyk5KXMDdMAgnmRjZxvocXefk5Y/w400-h266/CADEX165.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The Cadex brand was launched or maybe it should be re-launched (see below) during the 2019 Tour De France, above Greg Van Avermaet on his Gold Giant TCR Advanced SL giving it full gas over the cobbles of the Mur De Grammont on Cadex 65's. The CCC team and Van Avermaet in particular played a key role in the development of the Cadex wheel system, the brand launch at the Tour was covered by <a href="https://shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA8dH-BRD_ARIsAC24umYFdLkwrVGLPWgETCuSpUZpg1YqL1IcliGDXeSL2wlU6bpRSLHcKeYaAuO1EALw_wcB">GCN</a> and you can see their video on the Cadex wheels and components here <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DbiA9eYLXE">GCN - CADEX - TDF</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>The Cadex brand although part of Giant is a completely separate company which makes sense because naturally they don't want Cadex products just to appeal to Giant owners. Cadex has its own engineers and designers and as it's backed by the company that first developed carbon bikes their intention is to build on Giant's existing knowledge and expertise to produce the very best in cutting edge cycling components.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB5-_ooy90-w2UfLL6NSBwiCOzFKNR8vaio3rJVT2DeattwFUek1MObr34DPS7i-dDIhlivCfN82MSnAkFexLgBRzV4X6ePfuzVgWNqqJNOMGzNCPJ9M8i9_n6tX8K_SuBj4SHXQ15so/s1478/scan0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1134" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB5-_ooy90-w2UfLL6NSBwiCOzFKNR8vaio3rJVT2DeattwFUek1MObr34DPS7i-dDIhlivCfN82MSnAkFexLgBRzV4X6ePfuzVgWNqqJNOMGzNCPJ9M8i9_n6tX8K_SuBj4SHXQ15so/w308-h400/scan0001.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>I have been a big fan of Giant bikes since way back, I got my first carbon TCR for my 50th birthday, here I am suffering on it at the 2007 European Age Group Duathlon Championships. I loved that bike, I really did and I also loved those little stubby clip on aero bars too, in fact, I'm still using them on my <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/bikes-revolt">Giant Revolt</a> gravel bike. During my multi-sport racing years I was really lucky in that I can remember very few race days when the weather was really bad. I remember this day though for sure, going all in up Arthur's Seat in the centre of Edinburgh five times, with a run before and a run after, all in torrential rain, a painful memory that one. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRQtn5VI71_ABgc74UkLQejR5CLIyYhoSHpOsrQ2qI3QJIw3Ju5W0KdDyHzxoTQHTlsVrYSGMle9IAPRVVdygK8HKBOH6-ZYGYm1NgRb0_lq5dNyyu3is3_bz0WrbgY9saIDq832THQ/s960/Cadex26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="960" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRQtn5VI71_ABgc74UkLQejR5CLIyYhoSHpOsrQ2qI3QJIw3Ju5W0KdDyHzxoTQHTlsVrYSGMle9IAPRVVdygK8HKBOH6-ZYGYm1NgRb0_lq5dNyyu3is3_bz0WrbgY9saIDq832THQ/w400-h364/Cadex26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Even on the gravel I'll take every aero advantage I can get these days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz39P6PqmYKO08AvHF_Hxe9HP2_RPzoqmhidgEOyt56yVBVEXAly08C3F-cYVePslOQi-kDI-b7mDBtlHMq47vzuwZk_zHni5qte6xq1Z-KM7lykvzjFQgiuxD0YNIyu5JKSQLrUIfKHY/s1944/Cadex25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1944" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz39P6PqmYKO08AvHF_Hxe9HP2_RPzoqmhidgEOyt56yVBVEXAly08C3F-cYVePslOQi-kDI-b7mDBtlHMq47vzuwZk_zHni5qte6xq1Z-KM7lykvzjFQgiuxD0YNIyu5JKSQLrUIfKHY/w400-h300/Cadex25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>While I am being nostalgic here's another of my TCRs I loved this one too, at the time without a shadow of a doubt the best bike that I had ever owned, a fantastic machine, I wish I'd kept it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclmKdOWgJrzQMpoEOKyNxdTG9EkMf2YDEw0Tc97ofmf4cyihNHM-HF7FgivqgN9eguYmrMpkYrqATF9w30DP8Qd63nX5gsVrLkJqio6wC6UECB7sP0J3PdY8J_oSNA1YTqvWqoZ3j8EQ/s2048/Cadex2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclmKdOWgJrzQMpoEOKyNxdTG9EkMf2YDEw0Tc97ofmf4cyihNHM-HF7FgivqgN9eguYmrMpkYrqATF9w30DP8Qd63nX5gsVrLkJqio6wC6UECB7sP0J3PdY8J_oSNA1YTqvWqoZ3j8EQ/w400-h256/Cadex2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Cadex brand name is by no means new and readers of a certain age may remember back to 1987 when Giant introduced the CADEX 980 which was arguably the world's first mass produced carbon road bike. These first carbon bikes were constructed with carbon tubes bonded in to aluminium lugs which now sounds a bit crude but it was revolutionary back then. Giant used the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb">Cadex</a> brand as a 'moonshot' a hugely ambitious project that took the Giant brand way beyond what was available at the time, which is exactly what they are doing this time around with the new Cadex components.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKY7zjL7EYJhaEFsXQ4ktPaLFuJcMhYg5PfCmGNDyD-PO6vu_hxUPif437zZHYXLqTJfuumUvMatkEQy0zqszYGWm3tHnB17-DrGvCQzyGkbz1lVdVCPavdmJNx_0zxcpbInFDEhinmI/s2048/DSCN0899.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKY7zjL7EYJhaEFsXQ4ktPaLFuJcMhYg5PfCmGNDyD-PO6vu_hxUPif437zZHYXLqTJfuumUvMatkEQy0zqszYGWm3tHnB17-DrGvCQzyGkbz1lVdVCPavdmJNx_0zxcpbInFDEhinmI/w400-h300/DSCN0899.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Above - what ultra performance looked like in 2006, not one of mine this time but my son Jack's TCR the first with a moulded monocoque frame. I remember when he got it, we both thought it was the best looking bike we had ever seen, another one that I wish we had held on to. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bonding carbon tubes into lugs didn't really take full advantage of the qualities of carbon fibre so after some pioneering work by legendary bike designer <a href="https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/icons-of-cycling-giant-tcr-206346">Mike Burrows</a> Giant developed moulded monocoque construction frames. In manufacturing terms this method was extremely efficient and used far less material but it's limitation was that the moulds were extremely expensive. Giant got around this problem by introducing the Burrows designed TCR (total compact road) frame which had a downward sloping top tube and was produced in just four sizes. By changing the seat post and stem you could, for the first time, create the perfect fit for any height rider which was a ground breaking development at the time. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLcgC9_u9IShyphenhyphen3PQXM8_WQQFyjFMCXQwuJpSlHjyxAOMRggI5UiXzOV6fDcjaYE1yFf5mgA4vawwfsPbcDoQWmI6AjeCk2-yG8Wp6uv0P4QsVtoaMxTD_9bA0dh_U38reM9fiezU6klk/s960/Cadex18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="938" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLcgC9_u9IShyphenhyphen3PQXM8_WQQFyjFMCXQwuJpSlHjyxAOMRggI5UiXzOV6fDcjaYE1yFf5mgA4vawwfsPbcDoQWmI6AjeCk2-yG8Wp6uv0P4QsVtoaMxTD_9bA0dh_U38reM9fiezU6klk/w390-h400/Cadex18.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>Before the Cadex wheels went on to my <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/bikes-propel-advanced-disc-2021">Propel</a> I first tried them on the dining room table (as you do) for Instagram purposes only obviously and it was bit of a risky shot to pull off to be honest but I got away with it, only because Mrs Rees or to use her official title 'The Team Principle' wasn't home at the time. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiE0yizSFvVEjWYOz7t4xrXtHzZChDlm8riL2q4mJKOd_0qCIVaVxe51DFf-scL_lejKA1Tvh5dKrWRzXVsR5YttdC3nLUxU15k0xAE7vSC6gdGW83x4HoHHm2Ux76_dla6zsfv1EalY/s960/Cadex14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="960" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiE0yizSFvVEjWYOz7t4xrXtHzZChDlm8riL2q4mJKOd_0qCIVaVxe51DFf-scL_lejKA1Tvh5dKrWRzXVsR5YttdC3nLUxU15k0xAE7vSC6gdGW83x4HoHHm2Ux76_dla6zsfv1EalY/w400-h368/Cadex14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After getting the initial E mail and even after the Cadex stuff arrived, I'm not sure why, but it hadn't actually dawned on me how high end the Cadex products were. My Giant Propel Advanced was already a great bike equipped with Giant's own excellent SLR deep rim carbon wheels but it was instantly transformed by the Cadex components, I couldn't believe how different it felt - in a really good way.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ2kfkYRgexGDZmHJis-8gprkU-DKRgjFRppX2s5zSdgXTvXworgUfvHdJNviFFcfaRzHiHC2TwI5YitzJvuJxwKLdHhW5rNuMiXrrAawSRh9yR0jXElKAzhyFvWwONuLdnmPSQePlD4/s712/Cadex22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="712" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ2kfkYRgexGDZmHJis-8gprkU-DKRgjFRppX2s5zSdgXTvXworgUfvHdJNviFFcfaRzHiHC2TwI5YitzJvuJxwKLdHhW5rNuMiXrrAawSRh9yR0jXElKAzhyFvWwONuLdnmPSQePlD4/w400-h385/Cadex22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Final shot of the <a href="https://www.cadex-cycling.com/gb">Cadex</a> equipped <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/bikes-propel-advanced-disc-2021">Giant Propel</a> at one of my regular Instagram locations. I've only done a couple of hundred miles on it since the Cadex upgrades but each time I've ridden it I've been a bit more impressed and noticed some other improved sensation. I've started writing them down so I don't forget. In the new year when I've done a few more miles I'll post a detailed review on what I have already realised are components that are of a much higher standard than anything I've ever used before.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGY2SOe5fp98C7GJzQv_c96NB1GrU7w3Rp4QN0wsp9cjF5MYfbTODad6LUDNJ7FlBZUyOXEsZTPCQ8gYJbedrg76cgKictdItSYPP9JMEJi5EpC8nEDwjyrLGqX-kOJvRFFlrnpGjSKQ/s1242/Cadex10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="1242" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGY2SOe5fp98C7GJzQv_c96NB1GrU7w3Rp4QN0wsp9cjF5MYfbTODad6LUDNJ7FlBZUyOXEsZTPCQ8gYJbedrg76cgKictdItSYPP9JMEJi5EpC8nEDwjyrLGqX-kOJvRFFlrnpGjSKQ/w640-h242/Cadex10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-84462283602808999142020-11-29T10:48:00.001-08:002020-11-29T10:49:20.594-08:00Tri Trilogy - Episode 3: - 'Big Ticket' items that make the difference.<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is the final part of a three episode Tri series, you don't have to read the others: <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2020/10/swim-first-then-ride-then-run-how-hard.html">Episode 1</a> <u>How Hard Can It Be ?</u> <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2020/10/the-tri-trilogy-episode-2-training.html">Episode 2</a> <u>The Training,</u> but this post will probably make a bit more sense if you do (no pressure) and as promised we are going to look at some of the things that really made a difference in the rapid transition that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jackrees1989/?hl=en">@jackrees1989</a> made from high level racing cyclist to competitive triathlete. I say final episode but we've decided to devote another post sometime in the new year to bike set up and aerodynamics which we were going to include here but it was going to get a bit too long. All three topics today are relevant for anyone who is serious about improving their performance in endurance events, from Park Runs to Ironman triathlons. So todays three key pillars of successful race performance are: specificity, heart rate variability/health and wellbeing and running shoe technology. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtHcrSPiOp4b_F60lmMHrGjURz8R_V2ZyAJ26QOYtNWOfNVTNOGxhPCiJDaMMu7NYyRn21ntpzVB3-yxEfvvygPoItTl04kC-Ai-3GLnNbCj531x1zOQIJ_fWtD2FtMMzanl-nnQV18w/s960/Episode3-Diaries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtHcrSPiOp4b_F60lmMHrGjURz8R_V2ZyAJ26QOYtNWOfNVTNOGxhPCiJDaMMu7NYyRn21ntpzVB3-yxEfvvygPoItTl04kC-Ai-3GLnNbCj531x1zOQIJ_fWtD2FtMMzanl-nnQV18w/w300-h400/Episode3-Diaries.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">While we were working on this post I decided to dig out some of my old training diaries just to see how Jack does things now compared to how I (we) used to do things just a few years ago. I have always thought that I had recorded my training data quite well as I religiously kept 'page a day' training diaries for over 20 years however, a quick look through some of them doesn't reveal much other than distance, time and overall volume, there is very little in the way of detail at all, especially in relation to what I was trying to focus on and even more crucially on how I was feeling and if I was recovering. This has confirmed what I have come to realise with the benefit of hindsight, that basically I didn't know what I was doing ... to myself.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYi808zn6lAtk3LFvQGW0_UXUfKfRozXSXHOZn0RA5WNLAKIYhvUn4U5ngodxq4vYZlvf0TFl2z6qEj6s9WKwuoWGYTe5mf9LO41PDd0xu2AbKnuEk6aUscXWUXRCJs6v0XMthxBCD1k/s960/Episode3Principles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="960" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYi808zn6lAtk3LFvQGW0_UXUfKfRozXSXHOZn0RA5WNLAKIYhvUn4U5ngodxq4vYZlvf0TFl2z6qEj6s9WKwuoWGYTe5mf9LO41PDd0xu2AbKnuEk6aUscXWUXRCJs6v0XMthxBCD1k/w400-h275/Episode3Principles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">To say I didn't know what I was doing may be being a little harsh because from one the diaries, not sure which one, dropped this piece of paper. My only 'plan' in those days was pretty basic and amounted to just doing as much training as I possibly could, not very scientific, but it would appear from this that I was for at least some of the time following some solid training principles, that are actually just as relevant today as they were then. Having said that, in my case the<b> R</b> for recovery should probably have been in much bigger letters and in <b>BOLD</b> - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">highlighted</span> and <u>underlined</u> ! A bit of a coincidence though ... or is it ? that at the top of the list is specificity, over to Jack to bring things right up to date.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Specificity and P</span></b><b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">eriodisation</span></b></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-91633d75-7fff-6bc9-dffd-36b4ddd42b44" style="font-size: x-large;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">It's a given that training needs to be tailored
to the demands of the event (any event) and in triathlon that should include sessions that replicate race intensity and
above across all three disciplines. The swim is a little more complex with technical guidance and
practice being arguably, as, if not more important than volume and intensity. With workouts becoming
more specific as the event gets closer, what do we mean by specificity ? In part it means having a plan and sticking to it, without deviation and one of the most important aspects of this is maintaining intensity discipline. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">With performance at middle to long distance triathlon, the 'north star metric' across the bike and run disciplines is performance at <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/#:~:text=The%20first%20lactate%20threshold%2C%20also,concentration%20above%20resting%20values%201.">Aerobic Threshold/LT1</a>. For this reason if you’re able to devote 15hrs+ to training, following the <a href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/using-the-80-20-rule-to-balance-triathlon-training-intensity/">80-20</a> polarised model is the most effective method, 80% of training volume at moderate intensity 20% at high intensity. For more on this follow this link </span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #0563c1;"><a href="https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts177/">Polarized Training, a conversation with Stephen Seil</a> </span> <b>JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Intensity discipline particularly on the bike is key but it must be complimented with a focus on the specific demands of an effective race day performance such as pedalling technique and pace focus and crucially maintaining the aero position whilst at the same time keeping the training stress constant. But this emphasis on the specifics will only result in peak race day performance with a taper of training volume in the lead up to the event. <b>JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Because competition frequency in cycling is so much higher I hadn’t really used a tapering model before,
normally just reducing load and “freshening up” in the lead up to and event. However there is now</span> a significant evidence base around the effectiveness of tapering. In triathlon, at middle to long distance, my approach will be to adopt a linear tapering model, reducing
training load in advance of the competition, with a reduction in overall
training volume of 40-60%, whilst maintaining intensity. Taper length will be dependant on event priority, from seven, increasing to ten days. <b>JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><u>HRV / Health and Wellbeing </u></span></b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I have used a <a href="https://www.whoop.com/experience/">Whoop</a> strap for about
18months well before I embarked on the multisport journey. I paid some attention to it but didn't really follow it closely but I liked that it synced my sleep duration with <a href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com/">Training Peaks</a>. Once I began incorporating running into my training I wanted
to try to gauge the additional stress and impact it was having on me. There hasn't been much academic research done yet relating to the reliability of devices like <a href="https://www.whoop.com/experience/">Whoop</a> and Oura
rings and the evidence on their reliability is a bit mixed, but for me the metrics it provides particularly the “recovery score” is very reflective of how I feel day to day. <b>JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVKl516SQ72YD81h2JGuB4JHpkKzmMJxCOANUSeoRBf7iiX6uy19WHcJVflj2nSyrFNlRoZNM-c1CeHsYBiWjFZibiRcyz2utWpx4bYHJzHqWMF79fO93hYgsJ70JTKe1sl8403NRrlc/s937/Episode3HRV3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="937" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVKl516SQ72YD81h2JGuB4JHpkKzmMJxCOANUSeoRBf7iiX6uy19WHcJVflj2nSyrFNlRoZNM-c1CeHsYBiWjFZibiRcyz2utWpx4bYHJzHqWMF79fO93hYgsJ70JTKe1sl8403NRrlc/w400-h370/Episode3HRV3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Because of the increased demands of multisport
training, particularly combined with a busy life, it is very easy to over do
it. Using Whoop and HRV (heart rate variability) as a guide has enabled me to create a better platform
for performance. For those not familiar with <a href="https://www.whoop.com/experience/">Whoop</a> it tracks HR 24/7 and
provides a recovery score upon waking. The score can be split into colours, red
– under recovered, yellow – adequately recovered, green primed and fully
recovered. Using this as a guide I adopt a flexible training schedule, doing my
hardest and most demanding days when I wake to a green score, and scaling right
back if I wake to a red score.<b> JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtSlAU0T4VgayNUxIc-Hccw4a-450Zc75vurb3TxiEM5qPeiUfK-uk02Q2eWl-tYFZ_VEZ2ZM92mNQJtB1S1BzFDKnyHp379CJaoFXHD_fJjt1d75CRWv3iY1BWQdMR3GyXPkCoeDZR4/s960/Episode3HRV2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="646" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtSlAU0T4VgayNUxIc-Hccw4a-450Zc75vurb3TxiEM5qPeiUfK-uk02Q2eWl-tYFZ_VEZ2ZM92mNQJtB1S1BzFDKnyHp379CJaoFXHD_fJjt1d75CRWv3iY1BWQdMR3GyXPkCoeDZR4/w270-h400/Episode3HRV2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">A one week example of of Whoop daily recovery data. I tailor my training based on the recovery score for the day. During the week above I moved the training that I had planned for the Wednesday back to Friday and made Wednesday a complete rest day and during the day I focussed more than usual on hydration and made sure that I went to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal. <b>JR</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingkYhnkqgZys1X5FdJOhs1QBO7fYkpQmp6Gei-_hliZW1g-QZbFxa4HtlgLRD0Qi1KHowmTnxa2WqVQOJkzR8_nw0CRo0RVSxW3r-LTCPglZy-bAqEBcb7xAkRO_BaVy6tQHadidV1ng/s960/Episode3HRV1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingkYhnkqgZys1X5FdJOhs1QBO7fYkpQmp6Gei-_hliZW1g-QZbFxa4HtlgLRD0Qi1KHowmTnxa2WqVQOJkzR8_nw0CRo0RVSxW3r-LTCPglZy-bAqEBcb7xAkRO_BaVy6tQHadidV1ng/w226-h400/Episode3HRV1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: center;">A sleep data page from the Whoop App, one of the key findings for me from using Whoop was that I had assumed, wrongly, that time in bed equated well to time asleep and rest, it doesn't. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The focus on the metrics Whoop provides
has also encouraged me to implement strategies in my day to day life to improve
recovery, these include, reduced alcohol consumption and pre-sleep stretching. Whoop asks for tracking of different factors as part of its journal, for me my
sleep and recovery score shows a pattern of being better following a period of
pre-sleep stretching, improved night time routine, waking and sleeping at
consistent times, darker sleeping environment and lower bedroom air temperature along with better hydration during the day. </span><b style="font-family: arial;">JR</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3KNejQEiO8UmcFjIsNNC2fyQVHtBcdQ-1ciGHpvBA5ybNAUVc5jP1I13unCVbYM6l1aYgwpXPrl7LTug-GlqNF6_uWYk7yJmYZoOMayrnjEZWMI8Oyd4OBPryKpEBHRcVCkyw8llsww/s934/Episode3HRV4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="934" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3KNejQEiO8UmcFjIsNNC2fyQVHtBcdQ-1ciGHpvBA5ybNAUVc5jP1I13unCVbYM6l1aYgwpXPrl7LTug-GlqNF6_uWYk7yJmYZoOMayrnjEZWMI8Oyd4OBPryKpEBHRcVCkyw8llsww/w400-h199/Episode3HRV4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Using the Whoop has definitely helped and I have found that there is a clear alignment
between doing the above and a higher recovery score. This not only translates into better performance in a training, but also in a work capacity, with noticeably improved productivity, clarity of thought
and focus each day. <b>JR</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Whoop as a company have seen tremendous growth, and they recently announced a sponsorship of EF Education First Pro Cycling and reported some interesting patterns and trends from their riders competing at the Tour de France </span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #0563c1;"><a href="https://www.whoop.com/thelocker/tour-de-france-cycling-strain-rhr-hrv/">Whoop: How strenuous is the Tour de France</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>JR</b></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="color: #2b2b2b;"><u>What is HRV?</u></span></strong><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 6pt 0cm 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">HRV is a
measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. This variation is
controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is subdivided into
two large components, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system,
also known as the fight-or-flight mechanism and the relaxation response.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 6pt 0cm 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Our brains are
constantly processing information in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
Through the ANS, the hypothalamus sends messages around the body, either to
stimulate or to relax different functions to maintain balance. It responds not
only to quality of sleep but every stimulus that we encounter and too much
stimulus causes an imbalance and the fight-or-flight response is activated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">
</span></p><p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 6pt 0cm 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">HRV is a convenient
way of identifying ANS imbalances. If a person’s system is in more of a
fight-or-flight mode, the variation between subsequent heartbeats is low. If in a more relaxed state, the variation between beats is high. In other
words, the healthier the ANS the faster you are able to switch gears and be more resilliant and flexible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">If you want to learn more about the benefits of HRV monitoring hit this link here <a href="https://www.whoop.com/thelocker/">Whoop Locker</a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Shoe Technology </u></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">In the past two years running shoe
technology has increased exponentially. Without going into too much detail (</span><a href="https://www.freerunspeed.com/the-history-of-carbon-fiber-in-running-shoes/"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #0563c1;">Developments in carbon
plate running shoes</span></a></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">)
the advent of carbon plated running shoes, which provide stability on top and increase the shoe's stiffness, creating a smooth transition and adding a
sensation of propulsion, run performances have seen a marked improvement. These shoes take some adapting to,
for me it took 5 months of consistent running to adapt to the demands but on all my road runs I now train in carbon plated shoes. From an injury prevention
and adaptation stand point I think this is important as there is a marked
difference between carbon plated and none carbon plated shoes. Although Nike are the market leaders</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> every major brand now has a carbon plated offering and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">the majority offer a race version and a training version with heavier weight and more cushioning. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>JR</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79hPi3A8ZemCVHzE0kkwRV3jdGRq7YBztWAj_qLORad3B48v4vkwMV7l1C7v6YLJUywF6w8ZaH6c9mQM6YdngH0Frhj3W9GKvJbdjkfKnP3HK5ZdFh6dGXrAFTVosxDPW_yJQk6sDj-A/s960/Episode3shoes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79hPi3A8ZemCVHzE0kkwRV3jdGRq7YBztWAj_qLORad3B48v4vkwMV7l1C7v6YLJUywF6w8ZaH6c9mQM6YdngH0Frhj3W9GKvJbdjkfKnP3HK5ZdFh6dGXrAFTVosxDPW_yJQk6sDj-A/w384-h400/Episode3shoes.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There is a reason why many of the worlds elite runners race in these shoes and it's energy return that makes these shoes so ground breaking, sandwiched between the foam is a lightweight carbon plate and the two elements work in tandem to deliver propulsion, equating to extra distance with every stride, simply put, more speed ! </span>JR </span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Research has shown that these shoes can improve running economy by 4%. One of the first studies completed in 2017 by the Journal of Sports Medicine at the University of Colorado Boulder 'Locomotion Lab' every one of the 18 runners tested had better running economy (the energy needed to run at a given pace) in the Nike Vaporflys. Some of the runners improved by 1.59% while others by 6.26% which is where the shoe name came from, yes, the average improvement was 4%. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The bottom line is that if two runners of equal ability were to race each other the runner in the Vaporflys would have a 4% advantage. <b>JR</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">That's all for this week and thanks for reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">You can find Jack here: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Enso Human Performance <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ensohp/?hl=en">@ensohp</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hoao Multisport <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hoaomultisport/?hl=en">@hoaomultisport</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-15136391101629178242020-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:002020-10-18T10:58:02.778-07:00The tri trilogy - Episode 2: Training<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>A couple of things about this post before you start reading: It's Episode 2 of 3 of the story of a top level cyclists switching to triathlon and racing over the 70.3 distance in the space of just 3 months. So if you missed the first one you might want to hit this link <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2020/10/swim-first-then-ride-then-run-how-hard.html">The Outlaw</a> before carrying on, also this post is a bit longer than normal, that's because there is a lot of detail included, so take your time or read it twice or both. </span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyVlStc7V9Qlbh0Q0R_NZ4NMKxp9s1Ijk-JGH8_Xn4dE4tDgZxe5i-DMb6cCC1ZyELxFB94tFr26tcfLB3tiCuKf0iNhmN5F0DbpQl86m7gBS2Y3zVKuI6CnrUPPTHBep6N1YEmd9i6I/s960/JROutlaw41.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="960" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyVlStc7V9Qlbh0Q0R_NZ4NMKxp9s1Ijk-JGH8_Xn4dE4tDgZxe5i-DMb6cCC1ZyELxFB94tFr26tcfLB3tiCuKf0iNhmN5F0DbpQl86m7gBS2Y3zVKuI6CnrUPPTHBep6N1YEmd9i6I/w400-h396/JROutlaw41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jackrees1989/?hl=en">Jack Rees</a> getting really aero with help from <a href="https://www.shopforwatts.co.uk/collections/">Wattshop</a> and the IPhone skills of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hannah_farran/?hl=bn">Hannah Farran</a>, you can see an action shot of Han taking this picture if you make to the end.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH96jxYSV-O-C-tvZB_ZtdjygXWTCdAEYSUMo-TODnwC-173tGrin6F3UQMa_pNGIUG4PDnb1C50ynfnwnXPGNcAqtGeeTaDvZtb5kwtOwvGAtTWGiLlU2ix5nJtpPX2YxDX2hXCWJ4l0/s638/JROutlaw44.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH96jxYSV-O-C-tvZB_ZtdjygXWTCdAEYSUMo-TODnwC-173tGrin6F3UQMa_pNGIUG4PDnb1C50ynfnwnXPGNcAqtGeeTaDvZtb5kwtOwvGAtTWGiLlU2ix5nJtpPX2YxDX2hXCWJ4l0/w330-h400/JROutlaw44.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The idea for the post came out of a number of conversations over coffee at <a href="http://www.thedevonport.com/">The Devenport, Middleton One Row</a> during the last few weeks at the which the main topic, apart from Covid of course has been triathlon training. So to keep the cafe theme<span style="font-family: times;"> </span><span>going I came up with the brilliant idea of using pictures on the blog that were taken either at the cafe (above) or on the way back from the cafe, although the real reason is that I just didn't have any suitable swim or run pictures to use.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Be aware that this is not intended as a training plan or an approach suitable for everyone, that's because most people don't have the volume and consistency of training that Jack has accumulated over a long period, hit this link to see what one of his typical weeks looks like <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/12/7-winter-days-what-elite-rider-did-and.html">7 Days training</a>. For at least the last ten years his training on the bike has been between 550 and 700 hours a year which would include around 75 race days on average, so he starts his triathlon training already an extremely well conditioned endurance athlete. So over to Jack to fill you in on the details.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Following on from the last episode where I
explained a bit of the background leading up to my first triathlon, here I touch on
some of the ideas, sessions and structure, that I used to prepare for the race. In June when I started to think about incorporating swimming and running in to my schedule, I had completed around 400hrs of training in the first half of 2020 but it had all been done on the bike. <b>JR</b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ssk9gO00_go932eyAs4ZQaG3jGjRaRV9_Ao6iT0razgJHT_6m3e6dT2hsTddXVJaGOXrgHYJaC8ylDFyAb1yt3NJn2p0GIo4rzpRRhVnIBHnvoQ9zleW22jzEzKiI__G4jFYYVglOYI/s960/JROutlaw33.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="730" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ssk9gO00_go932eyAs4ZQaG3jGjRaRV9_Ao6iT0razgJHT_6m3e6dT2hsTddXVJaGOXrgHYJaC8ylDFyAb1yt3NJn2p0GIo4rzpRRhVnIBHnvoQ9zleW22jzEzKiI__G4jFYYVglOYI/w304-h400/JROutlaw33.jpg" width="304" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">Leisurely Monday morning cafe rides became a thing of the past as things started to get serious. Jack's TT rig and my aero 'Cafe bike' with </span><a href="https://scribecycling.co.uk/" style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">Scribe</a><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"> 60D wheels parked at the <a href="http://www.thedevonport.com/">The Devenport</a> </span></span></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span><span><i><b>Swim -</b> </i></span><span><i><b>Phase 1:</b> </i></span><i>Although I swam competitively for two years
in my early teens, since then, apart from holidays, I haven't swum at all and I have never done any structured run training. During t</i></span><span><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">he first three weeks I was training to train, I just focused on getting a feel for the water, building up the length of the sessions</span></i><span> </span><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">from 800m up to around 2000m. I had some shoulder fatigue during the first phase but it only took</span></i><span> </span><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">three or four sessions before I started to feel OK in the water again. As a cyclist my upper body is not particularly strong so I did a lot of work with paddles to get the most from my fairly low swim volume and build specific swim strength. Drills were also important, and I paid a lot of attention to swimming with good technique, single arm drills, breathing to both sides, working with a pull buoy to isolate the arms and a kick board to isolate and improve the kick. <b>JR</b></span></i></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span><b>Swim - Phase 2: </b></span></i><i><span>In terms of swim
development things progressed quite quickly. I used <b>CSS</b> (critical swim speed) to track my progress, basically my time for 100m. At the start of phase 2 I was around 1min 45sec CSS and by
the last week pre-race that time had gone down down to around 1.33. I swam three times a week, </span></i></span><i style="font-family: arial;">focussing on speed, strength and endurance, swimming</i><i style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span></i></span><i style="font-family: arial;">between 5000m and 6000m </i><i style="font-family: arial;"><span>which is very low swim volume compared to serious 70.3 athletes. <b>JR</b></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEnjb8QJvxQeQdeGFcMPplU9zttYMSPHihczXdX9HU5yLtsC_gma87yMhmSMGjgnkes3e7bkBhSmL5uCQr7rqFEFz3JFUSuRXVVCLEVvVn_3dpm9vafbCgKz2NfRKBmuwR0wxvboUZ_c/s526/JROutlaw40.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEnjb8QJvxQeQdeGFcMPplU9zttYMSPHihczXdX9HU5yLtsC_gma87yMhmSMGjgnkes3e7bkBhSmL5uCQr7rqFEFz3JFUSuRXVVCLEVvVn_3dpm9vafbCgKz2NfRKBmuwR0wxvboUZ_c/s320/JROutlaw40.jpg" /></a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i>This swim session was 400m warm up, 40 x 25m off 45sec, 600m warm down</i></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Future: </b>Through October and November which I am defining as the transition phase (<a href="https://gcperformancetraining.com/gc-blog/periodization101">Periodisation</a>) I will continue to swim around 6,000 mtrs a week over six sessions before building to 10-15,000 mtrs over four sessions from the end of November. If you read the first episode of this trilogy you may remember that my lack of open water practice and cold water acclimatisation was a major failing in my build up and resulted in a sub par swim on race day, this is a key issue that I will definitely be addressing in the spring. <b>JR</b></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8WJWfCW1uTqW0M7vqURlM3GdtlbwIan4EDEW5yBDRpERR3g8J54vnp7TmHEI5snIIhe7fDUdAuofTK6rGh8lCrV4kPZ4VogGyZCulaB_IhXWTNsly3aZ57bSGjO_g9Me5zv9wap5xoY/s960/JROutlaw37.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8WJWfCW1uTqW0M7vqURlM3GdtlbwIan4EDEW5yBDRpERR3g8J54vnp7TmHEI5snIIhe7fDUdAuofTK6rGh8lCrV4kPZ4VogGyZCulaB_IhXWTNsly3aZ57bSGjO_g9Me5zv9wap5xoY/w298-h400/JROutlaw37.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Talking triathlon over alfresco coffees at the <a href="http://www.thedevonport.com/">The Devenport</a> Jack, yours truly and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hannah_farran/?hl=bn">@hannah_farran</a> rider and Team Manager at elite women's cycling team <a href="https://www.boompods.com/boompods-elite-womens-cycling-team/">Boompods</a> ... and former GB triathlete.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bike - Phase 1:</b> For
me the approach to triathlon bike training can obviously be slightly different than
for most people. My plan was to reduce my weekly volume from 14-16 hours a week
to around 10 hours a week once I began
incorporating running and swimming in to my programme, to allow time for the
other two disciplines but also for more recovery time. One change I did make right
away was to ride the TT for 75% of the overall bike training time. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">During the first phase of my new bike regime I underwent some aero testing with <a href="https://www.shopforwatts.co.uk/collections/anemoi/products/anemoi-extensions">Wattshop</a> to optimise
my position and reduce my CdA to get more aero. CdA </i><i style="font-family: arial;">is the coefficient of drag multiplied by frontal area and </i><i style="font-family: arial;">is a representation of how
aerodynamically efficient the
rider is, simply put the lower the CdA the more aero you are and the faster you
will go for a given power output. Following some positional changes my result was a CdA of 0.192 which represented a significant improvement. To put this number in to context an
average road cycling position would be around 0.4. <b>JR</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5hP9IZL8XRO71ZzDmytap7kaUeT510SI9iXd1CogEfnfUbzCU8RzWnvuT3AeA7MrFEN-I0NBXV0_OO8EMVEkRVfAaXrqyWjFK6cfBE2POLniLbOeTHAvMqTahiBroZk1RnjAVi94baQ/s960/JRoutlaw28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5hP9IZL8XRO71ZzDmytap7kaUeT510SI9iXd1CogEfnfUbzCU8RzWnvuT3AeA7MrFEN-I0NBXV0_OO8EMVEkRVfAaXrqyWjFK6cfBE2POLniLbOeTHAvMqTahiBroZk1RnjAVi94baQ/w355-h400/JRoutlaw28.jpg" width="355" /></a> </div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">As I mentioned earlier a lot of this post is based on conversations in the cafe which Jack rode to on his TT bike. Inevitably these chats reminded me of my own approach to triathlon bike training back in the day. One of the fundamental and most obvious mistakes I made was to not ride my triathlon race bike enough, nowhere near enough. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgA4LC0LvbnlfI6WxjprwUFC0fN6M5LzPmEletf7cIbrmA5RmClg7HMuVWgh0hZHjROpjZxCxOIhPs1CvtpgplfBERaa6CeNNK187RdVkV-ctnVSNYWInO87_jlRcSG61DldjS7R0jBU/s1944/JROutlaw48.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1944" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgA4LC0LvbnlfI6WxjprwUFC0fN6M5LzPmEletf7cIbrmA5RmClg7HMuVWgh0hZHjROpjZxCxOIhPs1CvtpgplfBERaa6CeNNK187RdVkV-ctnVSNYWInO87_jlRcSG61DldjS7R0jBU/w400-h300/JROutlaw48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUfuqgzYU2cH42yi3aHB_C9GoTcVk0iw1IDa1_OCV8gx5N9RpKn9X53rq4gcbaBXPMgjlEsFA8tw8ZfiShbP04DmwWzbed1mDwH8APO8LIlScREJcl9_E_Ua77yszJcXoYsGPKUnxieU/s600/JROutlaw46.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUfuqgzYU2cH42yi3aHB_C9GoTcVk0iw1IDa1_OCV8gx5N9RpKn9X53rq4gcbaBXPMgjlEsFA8tw8ZfiShbP04DmwWzbed1mDwH8APO8LIlScREJcl9_E_Ua77yszJcXoYsGPKUnxieU/w400-h300/JROutlaw46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> Two of my tri bikes from back then looking good, probably because they didn't get much use. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">When I thought about it I didn't ride them at all in the winter and only once a week or so in the summer. I had several decent triathlon bikes over the years but I never really felt great riding any of them and probably didn't run that well off them either, especially at Ironman ... hindsight - a wonderful thing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowg9QwJjOsS0D7rmelPPd3vrtqot6PfqraEh9Av6vC6TqWhxq5Z4WpvMyxm0KKLclsYUE7l68QdZSGlLPj-6lpY8Mhnmq6qKaNVwBOb9iN7E-qUz34iLoB9I4NrCy1evupCJdhj5Zy3A/s960/JROutlaw27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="872" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowg9QwJjOsS0D7rmelPPd3vrtqot6PfqraEh9Av6vC6TqWhxq5Z4WpvMyxm0KKLclsYUE7l68QdZSGlLPj-6lpY8Mhnmq6qKaNVwBOb9iN7E-qUz34iLoB9I4NrCy1evupCJdhj5Zy3A/w364-h400/JROutlaw27.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Fortunately for me half way back from the cafe we have to cross a busy dual carriage way, which gives me a chance to catch up, get my breath back and snap a picture for Instagram. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Bike - Phase 2: </b>Once the
other disciplines were embedded I focused specifically on training for the
demands of the event. This involved spending a lot of my training time right at my <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/#:~:text=The%20first%20lactate%20threshold%2C%20also,concentration%20above%20resting%20values%201.">aerobic threshold</a>, the intensity I intended to ride the bike section of the
race at, this roughly translated as 150-155bpm, 250-258w. Alongside that
I completed a weekly session focused on short intervals above <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/#:~:text=The%20first%20lactate%20threshold%2C%20also,concentration%20above%20resting%20values%201.">lactic thrshold/LT2</a>. I continued to spend 75% of the weeks training on the time trial
bike. The only times that I didn’t ride theTT bike were for the sessions that required efforts above <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/#:~:text=The%20first%20lactate%20threshold%2C%20also,concentration%20above%20resting%20values%201.">LT2</a> as the nature of the position on the time trial bike can be a barrier to producing power at the higher zones. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uwx3OUkoUwG2cNnWfOs26PTRT-AUU1ry4xElpRWSOy8iOfV5-QGq4ZMsb_soksC9xhLDSLKhNTU-A5E2aJ2dEjdFactPKleT-4v7KkgHtcmsjtRhapXcYiEmNGCGyUB_FVMAmHaAL9Y/s1376/JROutlaw20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1376" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uwx3OUkoUwG2cNnWfOs26PTRT-AUU1ry4xElpRWSOy8iOfV5-QGq4ZMsb_soksC9xhLDSLKhNTU-A5E2aJ2dEjdFactPKleT-4v7KkgHtcmsjtRhapXcYiEmNGCGyUB_FVMAmHaAL9Y/w640-h261/JROutlaw20.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i>(above) <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/">Aerobic threshold/LT1</a> development cycling session. 3 x 30 minutes at LT1 during a 2hour 20minute ride. <b>JR</b></i></span></span><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;">For those readers who like me prefer imperial, that's 56 miles at an average speed of 24.4 mph - solo !</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Future:</b> My main cycling objective is to improve
power and function at my aerobic threshold, </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">whilst maintaining my cycling strength and</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> at the same time maintain my training volume and intensity distribution to compliment the other disciplines. As well as racing triathlons I also want to remain competitive at
a national level within cycling, which I have had to factor into my approach. My plan is to balance a season of 70.3 races with 15-25 bike races, which hopefully with
careful planning should be achievable. <b>JR</b></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uvbPBqI7rXDeodC4MLbsU_HbxhGZ0qIdsym8_PMDzj04Ua4w66MDqaWudlu8YAkjjubHV_Nw_N5xYaXekk8BvkJOv7prYR5Yx1qxz7a4sl-LW74D2RzoVDMMY8sMF7QfT-9qEa4-jrs/s960/JROutlaw36.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="766" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uvbPBqI7rXDeodC4MLbsU_HbxhGZ0qIdsym8_PMDzj04Ua4w66MDqaWudlu8YAkjjubHV_Nw_N5xYaXekk8BvkJOv7prYR5Yx1qxz7a4sl-LW74D2RzoVDMMY8sMF7QfT-9qEa4-jrs/w319-h400/JROutlaw36.jpg" width="319" /></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Above Jack's bike at the cafe and even on the easy days it's still all about getting as aero as possible. Apart from the very obvious there are some details in this picture that you might not notice at first glance, like the aero nutrition box on the top tube, the aero brake calipers, the aero cover on the valve stem and aero skewers, details are important in the aero game that's for sure. I featured aerodynamics on the blog a couple of times back in 2017 (although things have moved on significantly since then) so if you are interested in reading a bit more here is a link to an <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/03/interview-with-triple-national-track.html">interview</a> I did with the man behind <a href="https://www.shopforwatts.co.uk/collections/">Wattshop</a> 'Mr Aero' himself Dan Bigham and also here a post <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/06/on-getting-aero-breaking-records-and.html">On getting aero</a> based on a day of testing at Derby velodrome.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Run</b> <b>Phase 1:</b> As well as the mistake of not doing enough open water swimming my other major mistake was in my initial run training. Fairly
predictably my enthusiasm to get stuck in prevailed over patience and I
increased the load and intensity far too quickly (30km, WK 2).This led to an
injury that forced me to take a two week break from running in July. On reflection one thing that I did well in this period (pre-injury) was to include short runs directly
off the bike to embed this from the start. <b>JR</b></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmMHCR561-PrFvv2heGVopXMj8c8oLN7ErnmFMTB8GVLpgqeUC9tJ3TUKi7vORwdU9spfFiEIB8DDPeiJlwyqrugioMVMP3xlbh3xWGS0an_KyCbfSpzj3SxaYrlmKo3vTiwWZInI1b0/s1377/JROutlaw21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1377" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmMHCR561-PrFvv2heGVopXMj8c8oLN7ErnmFMTB8GVLpgqeUC9tJ3TUKi7vORwdU9spfFiEIB8DDPeiJlwyqrugioMVMP3xlbh3xWGS0an_KyCbfSpzj3SxaYrlmKo3vTiwWZInI1b0/w640-h192/JROutlaw21.png" width="640" /></a></i></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Above a run workout from Phase 1 – too fast and too far for my ability at the time. </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The average heart rate for this run was 168bpm, After two months of consistent run training I could run this distance at this pace at around 150bpm. <b>JR</b></span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jjx3TwgcONmxPvOiHx60YW4AAFirUQLUQAAvYmXkhl90tI9N4AxvPOrfwRa1NMNm8rnb_QubUFl4tcOl1reSU6TSc0iQmfWGK8s4hEeQG0f0mdq7rm3RZ7xUFdUxxyTHtxvj8m8e3U8/s1379/JROutlaw22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1379" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jjx3TwgcONmxPvOiHx60YW4AAFirUQLUQAAvYmXkhl90tI9N4AxvPOrfwRa1NMNm8rnb_QubUFl4tcOl1reSU6TSc0iQmfWGK8s4hEeQG0f0mdq7rm3RZ7xUFdUxxyTHtxvj8m8e3U8/w640-h192/JROutlaw22.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i>Run progress - slower speed but controlled HR 151bpm
average. <b>JR</b></i></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXttyc_8irCWMGf3W_QuCM8-flZlKtDXSvDipiWznN_d4cQxLth_UJJ2p0i3mM15K-8OYLujGi9hOMlbAnVa3qJ3-uBu8YIiWdYpAPqxicOPTUNYJuhpA0EhQJEF1RwNe8H_R4mJqCyQY/s1377/JROutlaw23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="1377" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXttyc_8irCWMGf3W_QuCM8-flZlKtDXSvDipiWznN_d4cQxLth_UJJ2p0i3mM15K-8OYLujGi9hOMlbAnVa3qJ3-uBu8YIiWdYpAPqxicOPTUNYJuhpA0EhQJEF1RwNe8H_R4mJqCyQY/w640-h194/JROutlaw23.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i>A Phase 2 brick run combined with a key bike session that was ridden above <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/news/2020/april/training-zones/">Aerobic threshold/LT1</a> intensity.<b>JR</b></i></span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><i><b>Run Phase 2:</b> After recovering from injury I built volume and intensity gradually. Starting at 50 minutes per week over three sessions, and increasing that by 10% each week. I scheduled the run workouts into the weekly plan with a minimum of one day between workouts and spent 80% of the overall run duration under my LT1/aerobic threshold, regardless of pace. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Over the five weeks of structured work my running developed well, peaking at a maximum of 34km per week. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i><b>Future: </b>Running consistently all winter is going to be really important, following the transition period I intend to build up to consistent weeks of 50-60km. I want to be able to run fast, whilst working to build running economy and develop a solid aerobic run foundation. <b>JR</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgETDhGdg2QdHWqr2uChydGiZexmMM_tmqvBbEz5iWwSBjnwv0y3XaKyA_dFqN5HHqeZYxOmMmPJiknyzw77b2O2HyL_Fn37g7yTxH9JWTn6Zepst1EBrY9JojfCWkSbgEzrO06_T7PMM/s960/JROutlaw30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgETDhGdg2QdHWqr2uChydGiZexmMM_tmqvBbEz5iWwSBjnwv0y3XaKyA_dFqN5HHqeZYxOmMmPJiknyzw77b2O2HyL_Fn37g7yTxH9JWTn6Zepst1EBrY9JojfCWkSbgEzrO06_T7PMM/w373-h400/JROutlaw30.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the way home from the cafe and another opportunity for me to catch up as Hannah takes the 'position analysis' picture that's at the top of the post.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Thanks for sticking with it and reading to the end, in the the final episode coming in a couple of weeks Jack takes a detailed look at some 'big ticket items' the crucial things that make the difference, the stuff that any cyclist or multi-sport athlete who wants to optimise their performance really should be thinking about.</span></div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-family: arial;"><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; overflow: hidden; width: 601px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> </span></span></b></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-12715785439960140622020-10-04T10:57:00.001-07:002020-10-04T10:57:59.610-07:00Swim first, then ride, then run - how hard can it be ? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO9DdGmpuV0f7HcK7GT3BqfIJmisGQDgClXRNRrZ7QGNC-SJ-jLuE9nfawUPLjwNaWMojyY70sHXnD1-cHwYruRVnTCYi0YDat3vk0gar8qULdylfFKYdhzH_M7Ux3v2PzHbYmGtLSCQ/s1000/JROutlaw3.jpe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO9DdGmpuV0f7HcK7GT3BqfIJmisGQDgClXRNRrZ7QGNC-SJ-jLuE9nfawUPLjwNaWMojyY70sHXnD1-cHwYruRVnTCYi0YDat3vk0gar8qULdylfFKYdhzH_M7Ux3v2PzHbYmGtLSCQ/w400-h266/JROutlaw3.jpe" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jack Rees p<span style="text-align: left;">edalling in the desert for <a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/">Ribble Weldite</a> at the Saudi Tour in February</span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">You may have guessed from the title that despite the opening picture the sport of triathlon is the topic of this one. This is the first episode of a series of three posts and this one will answer the question: Can a full time cyclist, my son Jack, transition (pun intended) into the sport of triathlon in just three months and compete successfully over the very demanding 70.3 distance at the Outlaw X Triathlon ? a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike concluding with a 13.1 mile run. More accurately can two top level racing cyclists do it ? Jack and <a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/">Ribble/Weldite</a> team mate Jacob Tipper. Episode two will be a closer look at training and equipment and the final episode is going to be on the 'big ticket items' the crucial things that make the difference, the stuff that any cyclist or multi-sport athlete who wants to optimise their performance should know about.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have written posts on triathlon and Ironman in the past here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/08/origins-of-ironman.html">Origins of Ironman</a> and <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/tough-place-for-bicycle-practice-post.html">A postcard from Lanza</a> a place where I had my toughest ever race day and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/08/in-conversation-with-craig-stevenson.html">Conversation with an Ironman</a> . I have a lot of great memories of my own time in the sport, although I competed for twenty eight consecutive seasons I was never much better than average to be honest, but I definitely had a passion (read obsession) for the sport. One thing that I was pretty decent at though was grinding out a finish and my 100% completion record was probably my best achievement. Looking back now at my training diaries, as research for this post has had me shaking my head in disbelief at the stuff I used to do and the mistakes that I made which I will share you in episode two.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iKPo39wB0kbtdhpbLp6Md_E2hWS-qvmzdE8drPJy_17touMf25rDh97vWF5gvHYIQOf7vMzQcf1uhUhqVfWLo5YbJN-YbU6C3wZxdoAbFuasTy1tgRYE-Jp9oYbQbFReW4i15HrRgLg/s2048/DSCN0388.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iKPo39wB0kbtdhpbLp6Md_E2hWS-qvmzdE8drPJy_17touMf25rDh97vWF5gvHYIQOf7vMzQcf1uhUhqVfWLo5YbJN-YbU6C3wZxdoAbFuasTy1tgRYE-Jp9oYbQbFReW4i15HrRgLg/w400-h300/DSCN0388.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Lake Zurich 07.00 hours 17th July 2005 the start of Ironman Switzerland, yes that's me in the centre of the picture in black wetsuit and yellow swim cap. Not what I would describe as one of my 'Glory Days' I made the classic mistake of starting too near the front and as a result IM athletes from every country in Europe promptly swam straight over the top of me, not a great start to the day but I survived (just) and got round for a finish. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GvVo5ovh4iQ-nTa5NIzT-L45VcgxzCIZnsrr72LCEGRmfa752-18BQurtKxEIk3T0lfFV4YLL8foF8tqNEX1DKYWDSRy9dZo8gO8BUc897FMnopmnKmRGh6aUNfuLVMiNCZqKjcvid4/s954/JROutlaw8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="954" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GvVo5ovh4iQ-nTa5NIzT-L45VcgxzCIZnsrr72LCEGRmfa752-18BQurtKxEIk3T0lfFV4YLL8foF8tqNEX1DKYWDSRy9dZo8gO8BUc897FMnopmnKmRGh6aUNfuLVMiNCZqKjcvid4/w400-h285/JROutlaw8.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> The Ribble Weldite Team at the opening of the Saudi Tour in February Jack centre and Jacob second from the left.</span></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqJa0Nsmpc7SL4s3NkJeR8dfX5rEYVPrEcm9vCRX_Af8nhMPnGR0pDRs6VJXdx8DtFFz1E6BsnkVsUA0KHumb17cKEvA6kcdeokqspQDsjZJPykBFtRV1Vz7mqU4m6xMltFJOiuOWHdY/s552/JROutlaw15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="552" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqJa0Nsmpc7SL4s3NkJeR8dfX5rEYVPrEcm9vCRX_Af8nhMPnGR0pDRs6VJXdx8DtFFz1E6BsnkVsUA0KHumb17cKEvA6kcdeokqspQDsjZJPykBFtRV1Vz7mqU4m6xMltFJOiuOWHdY/w400-h379/JROutlaw15.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; white-space: normal;">After an impressive showing in Saudi followed by a warm weather training camp, the team were soon back in action at the Eddy Soens Memorial, a classic early season race held at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool and with five riders in the top twenty it was a great result and the 2020 season was shaping up to be their best ever. For more on the team hit this link to my post on last years <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/05/tdy-teesside-team-teesside-artist.html">Tour de Yorkshire</a></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lEZuF8OEroayvO8UnYDEUJZ4YWLmSU29UnqFoQJd_niuy02yB-6AXnB8vqc4g6xc1XO1bAiuQWhjcNdV0y8DFfGrBawA9MqIQmB8oz9QR30EbpesKVaviSmjyGwTzCLyrJbrniasDIE/s960/JROutlaw14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="960" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lEZuF8OEroayvO8UnYDEUJZ4YWLmSU29UnqFoQJd_niuy02yB-6AXnB8vqc4g6xc1XO1bAiuQWhjcNdV0y8DFfGrBawA9MqIQmB8oz9QR30EbpesKVaviSmjyGwTzCLyrJbrniasDIE/w400-h279/JROutlaw14.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p> <span style="font-size: large;">Jacob Tipper taking the win at the Soens for <a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/">Ribble Weldite</a> (pictures courtesy of <a href="https://www.velouk.net/">VeloUK</a>)</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoscNuX0F2oHhW6KWioFDrD2IaonFOWABTO-SomAt-2synqYO6lXsuL4zIjiY-0pAVev0u_CTq6iIujeQGTUKlOXSDV6yzmPyDgAfT_KNa78tHBJ5OC5iihqvbjCmUNmMzkBqTR4jO6Q/s620/JROutlaw5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoscNuX0F2oHhW6KWioFDrD2IaonFOWABTO-SomAt-2synqYO6lXsuL4zIjiY-0pAVev0u_CTq6iIujeQGTUKlOXSDV6yzmPyDgAfT_KNa78tHBJ5OC5iihqvbjCmUNmMzkBqTR4jO6Q/w310-h400/JROutlaw5.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Jack at the Soens</span></div>Competing consistently at the highest level in one sport is difficult enough but is it possible to add two more disciplines in a very short time and compete in one of the biggest UK triathlons of the (depleted) 2020 season ? I'll let Jack take over from here:</span><br /><div><br /></div><div><i><span><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span><span style="color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been competing nationally and internationally as a cyclist for nearly ten years with the now UCI Continental team, </span><a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This year was shaping up to be our biggest yet </span></span></i><span style="font-style: italic;"><i><span style="color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">starting in February with the </span><a href="https://www.thesauditour.com/en" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saudi Tour</span></a><span style="color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a five day stage race with World Tour teams. I followed this up with an intensive two-week training camp in Calpe Spain with the team to prepare for the big races to come<span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span>Then everything changed. </span></span><i style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The uncertainty around COVID slowed things down massively and provided what felt initially like an almost infinite amount of time, the framework, competition and structure of a typical year gone. It felt like an chance to set some new challenges and fresh objectives, initially just as something different to focus on, a distraction as much as anything else. <b>JR</b> </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My interest in triathlon no doubt stems from early memories of great family holidays to exotic destinations while 'guess who' pursued his quest for M dots. My own endurance sport journey actually started with swimming which led me to dabbling in multisport for a while in my early teens before developing a real love of cycling, which has been my singular focus for the last fifteen years. <b>JR</b></i></span><b> </b></p></span></span></i></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY_Hm-rWqy3SSis2KqVqTII1tKe7cH5iRLhPp5MaqCHxCVrM_FuWiK4a9rbJLcNesa1CSlM9PrRoMoWaAipQgzdxiOc_76i4kg3NoiXYUFs6ZZtaDSdhe9PwrbVxexH7NN6cDWSbMwws/s960/JROutlaw2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY_Hm-rWqy3SSis2KqVqTII1tKe7cH5iRLhPp5MaqCHxCVrM_FuWiK4a9rbJLcNesa1CSlM9PrRoMoWaAipQgzdxiOc_76i4kg3NoiXYUFs6ZZtaDSdhe9PwrbVxexH7NN6cDWSbMwws/w400-h400/JROutlaw2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> The Outlaw start - not the way I remember triathlon starts but we now live and race in very different times.</span><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The swim was the most challenging part of the day without a shadow of doubt, despite having a bit of a background in swimming as a teenager. In the lead up to the event my pool swim training had gone better than expected, but anyone who has swam in open water vs in a pool can attest to the stark contrast between the two environments. Prior to race day I managed to experience open water swimming for the first time, just once, in hindsight this was a bit of a mistake (lol) and it certainly didn't prepare me well for the big day. <b>JR</b></i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span>The night before the race </span></i></span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span>the decision was made to shorten the swim</span></i><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span> due to the low air and water temperatures. Because of the current restrictions the swim was an individual start with 6 secondss between each competitor, this was brilliantly managed by the organisers, but meant no time to acclimatises to the water on what was already a pretty cold day (6 degrees at the start time of 7.25). I didn't really race in the lake, it turned out to be a matter of survival and completion. I never really adapted to the water temperature and just got through with of a mix of head up freestyle and panting like an animal. It was an understatement to say I was quite relived to exit the water, and quickly made a mental note to self 'need much more open water practice going forward' <b>JR</b></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwPScNfW6sC8iY69jQuEU2VbyRzR_TdLRt8B1-3W6QAy5UEY_OR0FWwSFwIgHHwuNzTjQV62sCZ9yIMke7ZHbcDXbmB87e_CwObSJYid1ZUskvTD_mQrSEeLPFBsbRLapt98SYmpGC0I/s1949/Wetherbycrop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1949" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwPScNfW6sC8iY69jQuEU2VbyRzR_TdLRt8B1-3W6QAy5UEY_OR0FWwSFwIgHHwuNzTjQV62sCZ9yIMke7ZHbcDXbmB87e_CwObSJYid1ZUskvTD_mQrSEeLPFBsbRLapt98SYmpGC0I/w400-h244/Wetherbycrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I can definitely relate to Jack's <i>'head up freestyle panting like an animal'</i> comment. In the picture above from 2004 I am at the Wetherby triathlon doing the same thing in the very cold River Wharfe that had been swollen by several weeks of heavy rain ... another day out that didn't start well.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_IBi-Dafg6hK8QsPl2_9ybkJEX70mA9tcp7YfP2pVtwXVuAkJqv7erQXoIcS7sgi22PKeKszau6CWivZcLE-_xW5mfAmNqLt7waisL9HxwGxuRjhbQsQelyG6CpRpX8BZkQm28BQwsw/s2048/JROutlaw1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1731" data-original-width="2048" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_IBi-Dafg6hK8QsPl2_9ybkJEX70mA9tcp7YfP2pVtwXVuAkJqv7erQXoIcS7sgi22PKeKszau6CWivZcLE-_xW5mfAmNqLt7waisL9HxwGxuRjhbQsQelyG6CpRpX8BZkQm28BQwsw/w400-h338/JROutlaw1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Above Jack on the bike leg at Outlaw he looked fast and he was fast - aerodynamics, one of the 'big ticket items' we will take a close look at in Episode 3</span></div><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Outlaw bike leg was one big lap, a mix of undulating country roads and A-road sections. The bike went really well, I focused on riding to speed whilst watching the power on the course. It was really challenging to have no one to race with on the bike, instead I focussed on making my way through the field as best I could. The bike was always going to be my strongest discipline. I finished the bike with the 30</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fastest bike split in a field of well over a 1200, which I was pleased with considering my relative inexperience of pacing a 56 mile bike to leave enough energy to run a half marathon after. <b>JR</b></span></span></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyAUvccEy-5Z5-6qs0y8-rsuTjwUhCk0V-NZX7FeivUHay_BYdnL-G6mMgZfJEWiO6d-n1iKhG9bBT93Hgs_sQ8t-1s6v1xOB9X0OChY66f94oQEyUMf6u7JzahoCmW3cTXqPPfvWX10/s960/JROutlaw6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="726" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyAUvccEy-5Z5-6qs0y8-rsuTjwUhCk0V-NZX7FeivUHay_BYdnL-G6mMgZfJEWiO6d-n1iKhG9bBT93Hgs_sQ8t-1s6v1xOB9X0OChY66f94oQEyUMf6u7JzahoCmW3cTXqPPfvWX10/w303-h400/JROutlaw6.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The run was three laps of the Thoresby Park Estate, a mix of cement roads, grass and trails and was quite undulating. I held together reasonably well running pretty much evenly across the three laps and coming in within 3-4 minutes of what I had hoped for. That makes it sound like it was a formality ... it wasn't ! The run is by far the most demanding of the three disciplines - especially for a bike rider and with the added difficulty of mixed terrain, something else that I hadn't really prepared for. It was not only the furthest that I had ever run off the bike it was the furthest I had run - ever. I was digging pretty deep by the second lap with the off-road sections really taking a toll on my legs. D</i></span><i style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">uring the third lap</i><i style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> there were definitely some dark moments, I just tried to focus on the simple advice "just keep putting one foot in front of the other" <b>JR</b></i></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyZd0YUtoWjHi1XVzLrfmeAd4uz9Xvxa8puGLaLR50vsjzrbHEkubSKNvdB84ZQ47GRa_YMNy1KQiv-PVTtn4L2XXh_0t8JxZuucj4hMs7Dwh-lHlpFnhB3bDUsTgDcP4_l_hXqAE_Bs/s526/JROutlaw13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyZd0YUtoWjHi1XVzLrfmeAd4uz9Xvxa8puGLaLR50vsjzrbHEkubSKNvdB84ZQ47GRa_YMNy1KQiv-PVTtn4L2XXh_0t8JxZuucj4hMs7Dwh-lHlpFnhB3bDUsTgDcP4_l_hXqAE_Bs/w400-h400/JROutlaw13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So the answer to the question posed at the top of the post is YES and they can do it and pretty well too ! 46th place for Jacob Tipper with a 4 hour 20 minutes and 4 hours 34 minutes for Jack for 102nd from a field of over 1200 finishers is impressive. As you would expect some important lessons learned that we will look at in the next two episodes. Thanks for reading.</span></div><div><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-44887728857048173582020-09-13T11:37:00.001-07:002020-10-03T11:30:25.291-07:00The 'Game Changer' ? ... with changes.<div><br /></div>I don't normally do product reviews on the blog as other people can do them a lot better than I can, but because it is a little bit different I've decided to do one on my new gravel bike the Topstone Carbon Black 105 from Cannondale. When I say a review I've made a few changes to the bike since I got it so this post is also about the bits I've changed as much as what I think of the bike. Before I continue I should make it clear that I bought the bike, I got a good deal on the bike, from <a href="https://epic-cycles.co.uk/cannondale" target="_blank">EPIC CYCLES</a> who I don't have any association with and it's the first time that I have ever bought anything from them, they were great to deal with though and I would happily buy from them again. It's also my first <a href="https://epic-cycles.co.uk/cannondale" target="_blank">Cannondale</a> and I bought it on a bit of whim just because I liked the idea of a bit of rear suspension on a gravel bike (and because it was black) so my 'review' is independent and just my impressions. Also bear in mind that I am definitely not a 'tech head' when it comes to bikes, basically I like riding them and I like my bikes to look good for Instagram pictures ... obviously. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCa5g_9Y1YGfTBNIvcKk2ecNi679-C9bJxF_jGvTYnm0DuHr7QdJVUO8uk1AqV0n_L8jBh9DxLu02gzIRS5_VwAdJ32fKF14NI7-IbsZ61ie8qzOHE2jY4WM3asychOUO86CmeVnQgs4/s960/TS1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCa5g_9Y1YGfTBNIvcKk2ecNi679-C9bJxF_jGvTYnm0DuHr7QdJVUO8uk1AqV0n_L8jBh9DxLu02gzIRS5_VwAdJ32fKF14NI7-IbsZ61ie8qzOHE2jY4WM3asychOUO86CmeVnQgs4/w375-h500/TS1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div><div>I'm not new to gravel bikes, I've been riding an aluminium Giant Revolt since 2015 and its been a great bike which I still use. My off-road riding is pretty tame stuff really, mostly on a combination of cycle paths, gravel trails and bridleways so with a lot of changes in surface which for me is the perfect environment for a carbon gravel bike with rear suspension, hence my impulsive decision to click the mouse button on the Topstone</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1BRQQywzuv84kK6hblXRplw5OvsRI1QUCFLPv_f16WXfLa28-ooWxnI3I1Cr2QOHj5GQcasadQnPaSPqD4vC3NUahYrVjJW1LSVqfLZeorfJCw9FgANQY3JD2YDmXL3yoRDOjan4z18/s960/TS22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="960" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1BRQQywzuv84kK6hblXRplw5OvsRI1QUCFLPv_f16WXfLa28-ooWxnI3I1Cr2QOHj5GQcasadQnPaSPqD4vC3NUahYrVjJW1LSVqfLZeorfJCw9FgANQY3JD2YDmXL3yoRDOjan4z18/w400-h296/TS22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The Cannondale King Pin suspension system is basically a pivot point where the specially shaped chain stay meets the seat tube giving 30 mm of rear travel. It doesn't really feel like a suspension system when you are riding and there is definitely no 'bounce'. If you were to ride it for the first time with a blindfold on (not sure why you would ?) I'm pretty sure the majority of people wouldn't identify it as having any rear suspension at all as it's a very subtle set up. Even when you get out of the saddle or press hard on the pedals on the road it actually feels stiff and really fast, with smooth tyres I would think it's performance would be comparable to the average mid range carbon road bike. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovLRpmtLeWVX8xVsx4KfuJ4fIHgxAFeUjm1xXxGQwuu3k6k5J3J7aup028TG5od07TMRlshvDtyOdVB80vg4qzpTodKPjacwlVTdbVtWBWW1TBHgTAEJhf89yp5AxfyuL8Tfg-9N0BnI/s960/TS25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovLRpmtLeWVX8xVsx4KfuJ4fIHgxAFeUjm1xXxGQwuu3k6k5J3J7aup028TG5od07TMRlshvDtyOdVB80vg4qzpTodKPjacwlVTdbVtWBWW1TBHgTAEJhf89yp5AxfyuL8Tfg-9N0BnI/w400-h300/TS25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The Topstone has been described as a 'Game Changer' by some cycling journalists, I'm not sure about that, to be honest, but who am I to argue ? In my experience the performance of the rear end is definitely a bit special and it copes with changes in surface unbelievably well. There is rarely any loss of traction at the back wheel so you can maintain your hard earned speed more easily and that perfectly suits the style of riding that I do, which is great. The only slight problem with having a superbly performing rear end is that it makes the front end performance feel just a bit ... well, ordinary to be honest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy-93nfLZNMG_XhR7gmCxQCxIFY8YzWLh6WMGX6ePJdPapHPsT4pz0Px8sgJZjNtM3S_1MpeEGB_lWOshOsltzSWntETuqx1WEqyoFLsLFbwEwRo8Xe2dBSJVElaU3nwelUAkhCFJeCs/s960/TS27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="844" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy-93nfLZNMG_XhR7gmCxQCxIFY8YzWLh6WMGX6ePJdPapHPsT4pz0Px8sgJZjNtM3S_1MpeEGB_lWOshOsltzSWntETuqx1WEqyoFLsLFbwEwRo8Xe2dBSJVElaU3nwelUAkhCFJeCs/w351-h400/TS27.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><div>After a few weeks of riding and a bit of trial and error with tyre pressures I decided to upgrade the tyres on the Topstone mainly to try and even out the ride sensations but also because I wanted a tubeless set up. <a href="https://www.hutchinsontires.com/en/home" target="_blank">Hutchinson</a> have been making bike tyres since 1890 and are the leaders in tubeless tyres so were the obvious choice and I am now rolling on their excellent Touareg's and I've gone up in size from 37- 40 mm. I now run the front tyre at a slightly lower pressure than the rear and what a difference this set up has made. With the bigger Hutchinson tubeless tyres straight away the front end sensations felt smoother and overall the ride was more even in terms of quality and more comfortable. Not only that but I think I gained more grip too and felt like I was able to carry even more speed over whatever surfaces I was on. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0_oMUefTSt-04giizQbNtzIWQ46l9d9SltuHc7Mez37JqxxJEnkqnUMbMDyNs-_bAlyHtJq-9VDAaewbnAOENq2fID4sqhBjTP_3Qfu-a9NYKQoo3V2i8uOxBZqu5VrQyyHLtoiSOks/s960/TS30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="960" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0_oMUefTSt-04giizQbNtzIWQ46l9d9SltuHc7Mez37JqxxJEnkqnUMbMDyNs-_bAlyHtJq-9VDAaewbnAOENq2fID4sqhBjTP_3Qfu-a9NYKQoo3V2i8uOxBZqu5VrQyyHLtoiSOks/w400-h339/TS30.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div>The tan revolution continues. I have been really impressed with the <a href="https://www.hutchinsontires.com/en/home" target="_blank">Hutchinsontires</a> tyres so much so that I now have them on my #2 gravel bike the Giant Revolt and on both my road bikes ... and my MTB. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz0QVxP7oqAU9epvtrVbqdDdXHiYwTV-6MWIzFK3zMKFWpWT4Q3iP7RWRpOXAWDtVYQcJ9-A2KDMETzCOK8tqXgOv1sH-LwCqWN_ATuYH2gVz0j0YySnBUzuzBXxobyVzd3Uv4-mAMow/s789/TS4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="709" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz0QVxP7oqAU9epvtrVbqdDdXHiYwTV-6MWIzFK3zMKFWpWT4Q3iP7RWRpOXAWDtVYQcJ9-A2KDMETzCOK8tqXgOv1sH-LwCqWN_ATuYH2gVz0j0YySnBUzuzBXxobyVzd3Uv4-mAMow/w360-h400/TS4.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">There is nothing ordinary about the way the front end feels or looks now that I have it fully equipped for endurance riding. The bar bag and bolt-on aero bars are both from Australian company </span><a href="https://ridefarr.com/int/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">RideFarr.com</a><span style="text-align: left;"> who specialise in endurance inspired bike solutions and who have a great range of well designed innovate products. This bag is just the right size and and secures with a couple of velcro straps. I now use it on my road bikes too, so that my rain jacket, multi-tool and a couple of emergency gels are there if I need them.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY9yWDls7WRjn_r7SyuFibvFzF8sZXObK52NN9VNS2WObP2LvMwzNBb6vTH0_FnqKUSSduR1ElmiUhfFPmTRQ145dtC_t0TOBq45i78ZQnJnzQRtV6X9GlPlOEvpZPQlR71RlhGDUTcY/s719/TS13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="719" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY9yWDls7WRjn_r7SyuFibvFzF8sZXObK52NN9VNS2WObP2LvMwzNBb6vTH0_FnqKUSSduR1ElmiUhfFPmTRQ145dtC_t0TOBq45i78ZQnJnzQRtV6X9GlPlOEvpZPQlR71RlhGDUTcY/w400-h346/TS13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>A closer look at the <a href="https://ridefarr.com/int/" target="_blank">Farr</a> aero bolt-on bars that weigh in at only 98 grams and are a superb bit of kit. I have been asked a few times about the aero benefit of these bars on a gravel bike and is there any point? Well in my opinion 100% yes there is, especially if you assume an aero postion. The bars offer multiple hand positions which allow me to drop my forearms and tuck my elbows in, with shrugged shoulders and head low I can go quicker on any surface thanks to the aero bars, no doubt about it. On days when I am not really pushing the pace the range of hand positions available means that I can always always get into a relaxed position and I ride on them a lot of the time, especially on tarmac. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkco59AaOBAJF2BDOVmYxnpUqXx41Jbcu2h-xRCmTrGy21BcNYK6WOM_VIwwwzAX5qXL7FL_rkoRiPq6qhgwGH-R1RGREr_gjB0Bas3-AKICWzCeQE-l6ZHcljuek6j4GvivNZi3MhHYQ/s960/TS2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkco59AaOBAJF2BDOVmYxnpUqXx41Jbcu2h-xRCmTrGy21BcNYK6WOM_VIwwwzAX5qXL7FL_rkoRiPq6qhgwGH-R1RGREr_gjB0Bas3-AKICWzCeQE-l6ZHcljuek6j4GvivNZi3MhHYQ/w300-h400/TS2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hutchinsontires.com/en/gravel-cyclocross/tire/touareg-bike-standard" target="_blank">Touareg</a> tan walls from Hutchinson meant that brown bar tape was a must, I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea but I really like it, this is from Californian brand <a href="https://supacaz.com/" target="_blank">Supacaz</a> which I have never used before and is apparently Peter Sagan's favourite. It's got that really grippy feel and it also comes with bar end plugs that are secured with an expansion bolt which is always a sign of quality tape. The top tube box was from <a href="https://www.wiggle.co.uk/prime-top-tube-nutrition-pouch" target="_blank">Wiggle/Prime</a> and I bought simply because the Topstone has the bolts in the top tube to fit it but it has turned out to be really useful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVsS6gXofFbSJlnpffUHAUd4ZXw1ADKXaXjLG4NSO8kj1jXbkDyViuqsPvISAHcyaWoKQQDsGjyJ4_wrpZwaYZcpun9ZA-JlmLRyIq9XZ4SSOFjN00ZA6Pq5DDMj_nXC2Q3rWLd7PGck/s526/TS15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVsS6gXofFbSJlnpffUHAUd4ZXw1ADKXaXjLG4NSO8kj1jXbkDyViuqsPvISAHcyaWoKQQDsGjyJ4_wrpZwaYZcpun9ZA-JlmLRyIq9XZ4SSOFjN00ZA6Pq5DDMj_nXC2Q3rWLd7PGck/w400-h400/TS15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As you might expect I take my mid-ride nutrition requirements really seriously ... and my Jelly Babies have never travelled in such style.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>No bike is perfect so you are probably thinking that there must be something that I don't like about the Topstone well there isn't really. The only slight issue I had when I first got it was that on some coarse tarmac there was a slight hum/buzz from the front fork which turned out to be from the internally routed hydraulic line. On smooth roads it wasn't there and off road I couldn't hear it due to the additional tyre noise, any way it irritated me for a while but a bit of 'gaffer tape' on the inside of the fork where the line exited, along with the tyre upgrade solved it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVxY-QUZ8h9iKq0jWiTM3qu2fmc2yik_jeiS4O-gBlh9yj3j8aaSyFaVi2oMKJWwnDLsy1dW413QkZ3XEf3SmreSYZTtC320XjpNki3jQHe5XVay8eDqKm9zgU1S6HmA0xDWGUWwX0M4/s960/TS24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="780" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVxY-QUZ8h9iKq0jWiTM3qu2fmc2yik_jeiS4O-gBlh9yj3j8aaSyFaVi2oMKJWwnDLsy1dW413QkZ3XEf3SmreSYZTtC320XjpNki3jQHe5XVay8eDqKm9zgU1S6HmA0xDWGUWwX0M4/w325-h400/TS24.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><div>To say that's the only issue I've had is not strictly true because on my very first ride and only three miles from home I managed to snap the rear derailleur hanger clean in two. No fault could be attributed to the bike for this unfortunate mechanical mishap however, I hold my hands up and confess that I was completely to blame (I still don't like to talk about it to be honest) but if you are that way inclined you can read the full tragic tale here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2020/06/secrets-of-balancing-bike-trick-revealed.html" target="_blank">Secrets of the balancing bike trick.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM66J4eyQjxKUcIP8uBiY7pusoagZGNN0f1DjdIzs92Md2UIUitpNnKylFKGfHPdu6XHfvGUJjBU_x7MiIE67lWjerjHu9I0xVRfDVg2IDT0usSsZ_uOcJFvailNCVqTkF1nnKoLunF88/s960/TS9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM66J4eyQjxKUcIP8uBiY7pusoagZGNN0f1DjdIzs92Md2UIUitpNnKylFKGfHPdu6XHfvGUJjBU_x7MiIE67lWjerjHu9I0xVRfDVg2IDT0usSsZ_uOcJFvailNCVqTkF1nnKoLunF88/s320/TS9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've told you about the front end improvement so I had include a picture of the Topstone's artistically enhanced rear end, a personalised <a href="https://ass-savers.com/products/ass-saver-regular-kaleido" target="_blank">Asssaver Kaliedo</a> probably a love it or hate it addition but I think I might stick with it. I also have a little Asssaver at the front which is more for looks than function although it probably stops a bit of spray and stops the some off-road gunge from getting to the headset.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOifMUWlTRc0J6tXvLjqPWGLs0k1tzX_OKXWjdzDaDR_h99TaygGEE7EXtnchzO2KiaFi4oHLnxIGo5_xGpGNxB1ssLiKR_sqqAGc3TWjxgNdITtE6qb0Tibt8lnEpDp4n7kOFydHcCXg/s960/TS25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOifMUWlTRc0J6tXvLjqPWGLs0k1tzX_OKXWjdzDaDR_h99TaygGEE7EXtnchzO2KiaFi4oHLnxIGo5_xGpGNxB1ssLiKR_sqqAGc3TWjxgNdITtE6qb0Tibt8lnEpDp4n7kOFydHcCXg/w400-h300/TS25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Suspension on a gravel bike is something relatively new so the jury is probably still out on whether it's actually necessary or not. The more I ride the Topstone the more highly I rate it and after three months and a fair few miles my final comment on the Topstone, I absolutely love it !</div><div><br /></div></div>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-37801467305193697322020-06-21T10:57:00.001-07:002020-06-21T10:57:17.426-07:00 Secrets of the balancing bike trick - revealed.You may have seen pictures in cycling magazines of bikes mysteriously standing up on their own and if you are an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tony_rees123/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> user you will definitely have seen seen lots of pictures of balancing bikes. I don't know how professional photographers do it for their pictures in the glossy bike mags but I've developed my own method that works pretty well all be it with a bit of risk ... to the bike, not to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagsn6yp1PnGtraMPZuS7MinNxuIk-mmjcKj1ULaWJwF-D9m91POBLVPlUZut-fTUKGtkbObvJFSW4l6tY3zmf5quvDgRZPKhPZSJqXH54rSBH3xXDDwTpQfC4HARZ-1uHjDiKC320waw/s1600/BB9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="875" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagsn6yp1PnGtraMPZuS7MinNxuIk-mmjcKj1ULaWJwF-D9m91POBLVPlUZut-fTUKGtkbObvJFSW4l6tY3zmf5quvDgRZPKhPZSJqXH54rSBH3xXDDwTpQfC4HARZ-1uHjDiKC320waw/s400/BB9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is one of my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tony_rees123/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram: tony_rees123</a> shots of my trusty Giant 29er seemingly balanced on its own, strategically positioned in front of a puddle with a cloudy sky in the background to get the maximum reflection effect - but how is it done ?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jDb1bOKrU5zz7fl09LsAXRIrB-zIsKF8lrOAPX0gEgqCxGxqQyiuzDuDnLdzEI0ioz4SExA_9SB1GT8fFOOFS63_7H0Tyhtv8bbfdRxuuaxgoSdBzho0G3mtWox1PsSh_v5v9YnDC_I/s1600/BB36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="832" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jDb1bOKrU5zz7fl09LsAXRIrB-zIsKF8lrOAPX0gEgqCxGxqQyiuzDuDnLdzEI0ioz4SExA_9SB1GT8fFOOFS63_7H0Tyhtv8bbfdRxuuaxgoSdBzho0G3mtWox1PsSh_v5v9YnDC_I/s400/BB36.jpg" width="346" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Sometimes people just balance their bikes by putting something under a pedal, a water bottle (tricky) or their helmet (not ideal) or on whatever is to hand when they are taking the picture, something like a half inflated football, although you're probably not going to come across one of those very often. Of course none these are strictly speaking balance bike shots because we can see how its done.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaNqpu1SbdVI3kCUVW4n6e7RkMSuozLoVDjGMDX-Hb4VPYvkC0j9yzdXJTE4KU_pFDE_2yohgj5m2r_5iUEZecYcBGLVXdyMeumLknU8MfqEyuG-t_hQP0w5XDBdyIEVeGDY-Bfbjo3M/s1600/BB37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="790" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaNqpu1SbdVI3kCUVW4n6e7RkMSuozLoVDjGMDX-Hb4VPYvkC0j9yzdXJTE4KU_pFDE_2yohgj5m2r_5iUEZecYcBGLVXdyMeumLknU8MfqEyuG-t_hQP0w5XDBdyIEVeGDY-Bfbjo3M/s400/BB37.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
But in the very unlikely event that you do come across an abandoned football you can get a much better picture if you know the balancing bike trick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLq7_iDiFm-C3-koUwX5Ki9gJ54A_sjoDPwbuwKnxJVO25_YQeM_gXkPsPZ8mSwIw-T9OFyzzLBZt8JYdXjPiTW_Swm7wpk-hNx48o3S7zlRyKxmGygb6rvOArRz9BrbdfD438E0jWyPQ/s1600/BB15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="822" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLq7_iDiFm-C3-koUwX5Ki9gJ54A_sjoDPwbuwKnxJVO25_YQeM_gXkPsPZ8mSwIw-T9OFyzzLBZt8JYdXjPiTW_Swm7wpk-hNx48o3S7zlRyKxmGygb6rvOArRz9BrbdfD438E0jWyPQ/s400/BB15.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
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There are a couple of key elements to a good balancing bike picture and number one is a good location, bridges are good, as are subways and nice empty roads work well, but anywhere will do as long as you have the second most important thing - a windless day ! don't try this in anything other than the stillest conditions, it will end in tears, trust me I know.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuImV9aaFNN98V11_3iwFIxZeKHSxOEFuonwev64jQ3bD8xt9HMxhoMqCaOh6r1A2RUFTbdhFJzl6nKxDpXVirbwzIMrQXiIejfqwLcs3YPFtcQZBQ4uEhxtDUB2Ve0AEJsibzpM2yuU/s1600/BB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="784" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuImV9aaFNN98V11_3iwFIxZeKHSxOEFuonwev64jQ3bD8xt9HMxhoMqCaOh6r1A2RUFTbdhFJzl6nKxDpXVirbwzIMrQXiIejfqwLcs3YPFtcQZBQ4uEhxtDUB2Ve0AEJsibzpM2yuU/s400/BB2.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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When I said at the start of this post that this trick is not without risk I was speaking from my own recent painful experience. Above is picture of my brand new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike pictured (balancing) at one of my favourite <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tony_rees123/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> locations, a graffiti covered subway which is only a few minutes ride from where I live. I took this picture on my very first ride on the new bike and I was so keen to take some pictures of it that I decided to go for a balance bike shot ... in less than optimal conditions, you can probably guess what happened - yes a split second after taking this shot my shiny new and expensive gravel bike that I had ridden all of three miles fell over, worst of all it fell towards me but I wasn't quick enough to catch it and it hit the concrete hard and snapped the rear derailleur hanger clean off, I kid you not ! </div>
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Multiple expletives followed and then a call to Mrs Rees to come and pick me up, but first I had a fifteen minute walk across fields to the nearest road carrying my brand new (broken) gravel bike, muttering away to myself the whole way, not how I expected my first ride on the new machine to end. Fortunately the only other damage was a bit of a scuff on the bar tape and I had a new hanger fitted within a couple of days and the Topstone was sorted. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KciGfCMdz_OVt3ISLKA5KPehzAsxfpX4uIKAh61sOxvKfX59FmdmjDgxF8-7EkciVvfHtGlUpTkPFVfj3z0Vm4SP7oWXEuTJtmXd9JKvbke2403NUJeExd5bBYfjgSGbllxukxoMe0A/s1600/BB32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KciGfCMdz_OVt3ISLKA5KPehzAsxfpX4uIKAh61sOxvKfX59FmdmjDgxF8-7EkciVvfHtGlUpTkPFVfj3z0Vm4SP7oWXEuTJtmXd9JKvbke2403NUJeExd5bBYfjgSGbllxukxoMe0A/s400/BB32.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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I will be doing a full review on the Cannondale (a gravel bike with suspension) on the blog as soon as I have done a few more rides on it and taken a few more pictures obviously. Although after my upsetting maiden ride episode I decided not to take any chances and ordered another replacement hanger for it and one for each of my other bikes too ... just in case.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQZAUDVBzDPWHsJIcrL67RE3CcuktsiGOsune3SBvq-smqq1inmVjCyVtcY5o2VDaVRRJjdh8L3xKqlahGcZStlu2U1LUkS-Qz97cDJpYbFKZ7seKrLOQamJTE0oZ7lGVvGDtuCeZtys/s1600/BB6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQZAUDVBzDPWHsJIcrL67RE3CcuktsiGOsune3SBvq-smqq1inmVjCyVtcY5o2VDaVRRJjdh8L3xKqlahGcZStlu2U1LUkS-Qz97cDJpYbFKZ7seKrLOQamJTE0oZ7lGVvGDtuCeZtys/s400/BB6.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
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OK so I have kept you waiting long enough, hands up if you want to know how to do your own balancing bike pictures.<br />
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You will probably not be too surprised if I tell you that bikes won't stand up on their own, well not for more than a second anyway, something to do with gravity apparently, so you will need some way of supporting the bike in a vertical position. I use a custom made device designed and manufactured to the most exacting specification specifically for the job - a bit of metal tube with the end bent over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhWrdPF4LBH-QLbaUNMMoK9N0PVK9C7AD6CLTodk_0wDq0YPpXFny7oqPrjJYJktyyUD_9TLGd906IjbunIqCsaPyekbTnWQD3EswCT5RkqaoRLMxbFS7QwzLV3QrrmoOjCxtCheGHqk/s1600/BBC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhWrdPF4LBH-QLbaUNMMoK9N0PVK9C7AD6CLTodk_0wDq0YPpXFny7oqPrjJYJktyyUD_9TLGd906IjbunIqCsaPyekbTnWQD3EswCT5RkqaoRLMxbFS7QwzLV3QrrmoOjCxtCheGHqk/s400/BBC5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In this picture I have supported the bike where the chain stay joins the seat tube but I also have a shorter tube that does the job, cut to length to fit underneath the rear bottle cage. The shorter support is useful as it fits inside my pack pack which is handy, with the long tube getting it to the my chosen location is a bit trickier, I generally tape it to the top tube wrapped it in some pipe insulation, can't be too careful, there is enough potential for damage taking the pics without scratching the bike on the way to take them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VnrErWGbw64FGmrcdbczfthu8f46N7ZLLoFGGo47w7551851-sFKgmY1CHPrbkfkgg7sUQEHNXL2J7IbKH_AMaa9XNYZLC4V9d7up19IndJgGAaHISTCw_AcXbKCC_g9CKPpu6R4ARY/s1600/BBC8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VnrErWGbw64FGmrcdbczfthu8f46N7ZLLoFGGo47w7551851-sFKgmY1CHPrbkfkgg7sUQEHNXL2J7IbKH_AMaa9XNYZLC4V9d7up19IndJgGAaHISTCw_AcXbKCC_g9CKPpu6R4ARY/s400/BBC8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once you have taken your picture, hopefully without the bike hitting the deck all you have to do is remove the support from the picture and as with most things in life these days you can get an app for that. The one I use is called RETOUCH which is free to download for the Iphone and is fairly simple, you just use the 'quick brush' feature to get rid of your support. What the app actually does is move parts of the image around to cover up what you want to disappear, so there is a bit of a knack to and it does take a little bit of practice. When you take your picture if you position your support so that it will be against a plain background (as above) you can make it disappear in a way that is almost impossible to detect.<br />
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So that's it, I have let you in on all of my balancing bike picture taking secrets, well ... almost all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RnLOQZDEqwvVCqwRrHKjN-a4FHudcJ2SI9F-wqxMPluPmNf3-tCAGGntoG-ItCx0GzBQ8WplTmmfnelejD3LR4qYHKj7p0cflZ8vYylpkTZ99gyMchUrUceYdzmviRV89vC9i5VgNC8/s1600/BBC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="898" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RnLOQZDEqwvVCqwRrHKjN-a4FHudcJ2SI9F-wqxMPluPmNf3-tCAGGntoG-ItCx0GzBQ8WplTmmfnelejD3LR4qYHKj7p0cflZ8vYylpkTZ99gyMchUrUceYdzmviRV89vC9i5VgNC8/s640/BBC3.jpg" width="596" /></a></div>
Probably best not to attempt this one until you've had a bit of practice as you could easily end up breaking a lot more than just a derailleur hanger. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-25892946910113387472020-05-24T11:02:00.002-07:002020-12-09T07:49:35.020-08:00 Lock down life: Cycling in search of the 'Teesside Banksy'<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Anyone who has visited my Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tony_rees123/?hl=en" target="_blank">@tony_rees123</a> (eyes right) will know that I regularly take photographs of bikes leaning against various structures, some of these images also feature graffiti, just as a way to add another element to the pictures in a desperate attempt to make them look a bit more interesting. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm-ptagl0_xXhVAmT660ua2e7et3VOEa9QyN67ELDrMnxXn2aVA8w7X0qXiE7wI88dJ9oYvwDT_-1CdCxgSL6qxCPKkt7C0HP7GeptX2CFQ4HiIKfxtE2EBinAYqcTFYH1SCmBjDtqMY/s1600/KS17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="726" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm-ptagl0_xXhVAmT660ua2e7et3VOEa9QyN67ELDrMnxXn2aVA8w7X0qXiE7wI88dJ9oYvwDT_-1CdCxgSL6qxCPKkt7C0HP7GeptX2CFQ4HiIKfxtE2EBinAYqcTFYH1SCmBjDtqMY/s640/KS17.jpg" width="483" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Looks like Snoopy has decided that Woodstock's been locked down for long enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">When the pandemic arrived and lock down followed one of the the first things I did was get my Zwift set up sorted, happily our weather has been great and I haven't needed to use it yet. Although I have managed to ride outside everyday I found, that not too surprisingly, my motivation had taken a bit of a dip. The race season had vanished at a stroke so nothing to train for, no group rides with the boys and not even able to do the mainstay of my training, those leisurely rides to the cafe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I still wanted to ride every day though not just to try to maintain the decent level of fitness I had built up over the winter but also as an escape from the tedium of lock down but, there were a couple of problems. I wanted to comply with the guidance and stay fairly close to home and I have also been a bit time constrained due to lock down related responsibilities, meaning a maximum ride time of around two hours which is a bit limiting and had the potential to get fairly boring fairly quickly</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Well before Covid-19 was even a thing I would sometimes pick training routes with good locations to do my BAAW (bike against a wall) Instagram thing, so I decided to do more of that and to use these difficult times as an opportunity to be a bit more creative with my Instagram content. Unfortunately so far my creativity has only extended as far as me leaning my bike against someone else's creativity, that someone being Teesside street artist <a href="http://www.karlstriker.com/" target="_blank">Karl Striker</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxL-_tfUILAM4tZjEq3uIHxeka2MEz0exNGkT2Yp9LfVI09Qc2mlLi1NGTi27P3YbMgbmGq2ldaGtfk4-nVM5VxIUVbMHfPe95KPisrvzRXJtnYsRqlD1ec9zyBQhHTFq20llvhWQKb0/s1600/KS20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxL-_tfUILAM4tZjEq3uIHxeka2MEz0exNGkT2Yp9LfVI09Qc2mlLi1NGTi27P3YbMgbmGq2ldaGtfk4-nVM5VxIUVbMHfPe95KPisrvzRXJtnYsRqlD1ec9zyBQhHTFq20llvhWQKb0/s640/KS20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I already knew of the work of Karl Striker as this piece of his stencil art is only five minutes from where I live and the theme very appropriately is escape, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">just like Snoopy and Woodstock above</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">. Originally there was an angry dog painted on the wall, just about where the front wheel of my bike is and the boy in blue was escaping from it. The dog was painted over long ago but I think the fence which is there to stop people trespassing on the railway has probably helped protect the boy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I refer to Karl Striker's work as art but is it ? really ? when does graffiti (vandalism) become art ? a very basic distinction is that graffiti created with permission becomes art. I am pretty sure that all of the pieces on today's blog have been done without permission but they are still, in my opinion art, you may not agree. Both graffiti and urban art are forms of expression that come in many styles, from very simple name tagging to more sophisticated work which may also have a social or political message. Aside from the issue of permission appreciation of any art form is obviously subjective, beauty as someone in ancient Greece famously said 'is in the eye of the beholder'.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyTQcp7_1GNCnD01gHR67klZrqdgapfofws-Q6OIN2Y3koOY-VYAaOcXrjkwK4XSvhdWgla225hxjC_eTE9iOnYt_CRgFESEFX3zToCAybBt0NL4Q5MpgjeJO_x4WYsQI8JWm1JxREUk/s1600/KS1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="928" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyTQcp7_1GNCnD01gHR67klZrqdgapfofws-Q6OIN2Y3koOY-VYAaOcXrjkwK4XSvhdWgla225hxjC_eTE9iOnYt_CRgFESEFX3zToCAybBt0NL4Q5MpgjeJO_x4WYsQI8JWm1JxREUk/s640/KS1.jpg" width="617" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Another one from my neighbourhood just a couple of miles away from home. This one is on a busy access for both cars and pedestrians and has survived for several years, an indication to me that people like the work and respect it for what it is, urban art. </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A lot of Striker's stencil pieces are now more than five years old, some have been painted over either with graffiti or by the authorities and some have disappeared because the locations have been demolished or refurbished, although many of them have remained untouched for years. I have also heard rumours that there are still some out there that have yet to be discovered ... I've no idea where to start looking but I'm on it for sure ! </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgK05HJ6Z_RoCiWozajI4SZj60I89D27q4P9luiqt6pgthaoamvu7EF5jeFecczejJpW988b3LvEWf35N67VrvLytVF236j1Ej7GMD5ggYlmYUuKl9xAxSgcaWv4HkspwzYipltI0bvQ/s1600/KS15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="662" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgK05HJ6Z_RoCiWozajI4SZj60I89D27q4P9luiqt6pgthaoamvu7EF5jeFecczejJpW988b3LvEWf35N67VrvLytVF236j1Ej7GMD5ggYlmYUuKl9xAxSgcaWv4HkspwzYipltI0bvQ/s640/KS15.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Surveillance is the theme in this one (could this post be any more topical ?) I must have had my motivated head on this particular day as I am on a race bike, clearly not motivated enough to resist those Instagram urges though. In this one, by cleverly choosing a location underneath a surveillance camera Striker conveys the message that we live in a surveillance society and are all being watched but that we too are also the watchers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkv1SshnObsJPjZfvKo2FQPnzWwEEMTMCAIcdXh33LCC48ESbA27UGNtEUDZr7OGRgP6cFN8Fnkc3iDYxdLROGWBMhHfkk4snaSnq05Jxwkd72Zyx3eKbHO36Mg8F7JzCUtyO24mMmk8/s1600/KS24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="858" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkv1SshnObsJPjZfvKo2FQPnzWwEEMTMCAIcdXh33LCC48ESbA27UGNtEUDZr7OGRgP6cFN8Fnkc3iDYxdLROGWBMhHfkk4snaSnq05Jxwkd72Zyx3eKbHO36Mg8F7JzCUtyO24mMmk8/s640/KS24.jpg" width="571" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Classic behind the scenes BAAW shot of one of my favourite Karl Stiker pieces 'Grey Pigeon Down'. The thing that intrigues me about this one is that it's hidden in plain sight. The stencil is painted in an open area that has loads of traffic passing through it, I must have driven by it, within a few meters, literally dozens of times over several years without ever noticing it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwngrjy3rTJFm2XDzf_lE9al6ql5RQ33JAqsoR-O4bVRR5wLzh3DaD0YpuSLRY11OsTZSjHGPXrxFeIkmGotvfABB5Iq-X9ztaUh_vfmM-QQQjiPdqhzd-kOyE78AxxXXasckWewG5HxQ/s1600/KS4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="744" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwngrjy3rTJFm2XDzf_lE9al6ql5RQ33JAqsoR-O4bVRR5wLzh3DaD0YpuSLRY11OsTZSjHGPXrxFeIkmGotvfABB5Iq-X9ztaUh_vfmM-QQQjiPdqhzd-kOyE78AxxXXasckWewG5HxQ/s640/KS4.jpg" width="496" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Called 'A toy with a chequered pattern' this one took some finding even though it's located in the centre of town, not sure what the message is here but I really like it. Karl Striker is an artist who over the years has managed to rigorously maintain his anonymity. Street artworks like these are basically illegal, which explains his desire for anonymity but concealing his identity also allows him to blend in to his surroundings while creating his work, many of which were apparently created in daylight.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiun9W5N8XxJSgbfu2GHEaYJA5ovsLW-BDQgFixm3Ow3y5IkgfOP-QbUqmDhx0BFVANdyspEYfexBKhKfylonWsCrdl8rAH73ynPaxmrltd1OcQGOLGakBHpSdNPje5c8XbMTIjI9BhEU4/s1600/KS9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiun9W5N8XxJSgbfu2GHEaYJA5ovsLW-BDQgFixm3Ow3y5IkgfOP-QbUqmDhx0BFVANdyspEYfexBKhKfylonWsCrdl8rAH73ynPaxmrltd1OcQGOLGakBHpSdNPje5c8XbMTIjI9BhEU4/s640/KS9.jpg" width="579" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: start;">Returning to the theme of escape, I had to escape from Teesside to find this one. This full size image of a cinema usherette carrying a tray of spray cans appeared overnight on a shop door way in Darlington back in 2014. The stencil appeared on what was at that time a picture framing business, whether this was intentional I don't know but it did lead to a collaboration with the shop owner for Striker who started selling framed prints of his work.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9vvCPKOadfDNOPTtLe7hi4TxR93vy2t9wb5mExGeJjgtUjE0X8o4tF3Ave6lNh0F769jQegt3_Q2mk2lEs1ouJvullLs1Sx1YKHHydqnKKJF03WJ65LXfu7BCXHG6sodEXK50nUvmCQ/s1600/KS2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9vvCPKOadfDNOPTtLe7hi4TxR93vy2t9wb5mExGeJjgtUjE0X8o4tF3Ave6lNh0F769jQegt3_Q2mk2lEs1ouJvullLs1Sx1YKHHydqnKKJF03WJ65LXfu7BCXHG6sodEXK50nUvmCQ/s640/KS2.jpg" width="579" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: start;">Unfortunately I really can't relate to this last one, I don't know why, I think it's probably this self-promotion thing that I don't get. Anyway, if you want to see more of my BAAW pictures be sure to visit <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tony_rees123/?hl=en" target="_blank">@tony_rees123</a> on Instagram.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: start;">For me the distinction between art and graffiti is quite clear, much of the stuff I see and lean</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="text-align: start;"> my bike against for Instagram are tags or names and their creation has as much to do with ego as it has with self expression, </span>people just spraying things up to leave their 'mark'. S<span style="text-align: start;">treet</span> art is something different, something that has meaning, is more thoughtful and creative and in the work of <a href="http://www.karlstriker.com/" target="_blank">Karl Striker</a> also has an element of social commentary, but that's just the way I see it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading (and appreciating the art) </span><br />
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-60433790638782801532020-05-10T11:48:00.000-07:002020-05-10T11:48:02.832-07:00Rolling back the years ... with electric assistance.<span style="font-size: x-large;">My most popular blog post ever is one from 2017 and it's called <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/12/7-winter-days-what-elite-rider-did-and.html" target="_blank">7 Winter Days: What an elite rider did and why he did it.</a> The post details the training undertaken by my son Jack in a typical winter week in December. I did part of that week's training with him, I say part because even back then holding his wheel had become a bit of an issue. As I have got older training at the level of someone who races at the highest level has, not too surprisingly become increasingly challenging. Our approach now is for me to only train with Jack when the prescribed efforts are deemed suitable (by Jack) and even then I usually end up doing a somewhat diluted version of the plan, although it still hurts ... a lot. Getting old is definitely not for the faint hearted that's for sure. However, on a more positive note I can still do the cafe rides and a solution to the training problem (or at least a partial one) is thankfully now available. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GYd7nzw2nAExd2mawhdYSpJpgEz__vk95GiXbw2LyYuEEmYDWDXHa9sp9FNOLQi5lu1T47xBQYxM1JXZ-IyjPVlaUXvbr1J2DMYB0-OBUlGkzJw2yr6eUPanWsG7LipcwgrIibH8TTE/s1600/SL17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="729" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GYd7nzw2nAExd2mawhdYSpJpgEz__vk95GiXbw2LyYuEEmYDWDXHa9sp9FNOLQi5lu1T47xBQYxM1JXZ-IyjPVlaUXvbr1J2DMYB0-OBUlGkzJw2yr6eUPanWsG7LipcwgrIibH8TTE/s400/SL17.jpg" width="351" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">On one of the last rides that Jack and I did together before lock down I was riding a <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-e/" target="_blank">Ribble SL E</a> and what a difference it made. It was like going back in time while at the same time seeing in to the future - and the future looks very encouraging. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Before the bike riding could commence we had to have coffee, obviously and we met Joe and Jackson from <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribble</a> at our usual cafe the Mockingbird Deli in Yarm. The plan was to shoot some video (that you can see here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxppmljg3E" target="_blank">youtube</a>) of the new bike in action side by side with the Jack's <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-r-series-disc-shimano-ultegra-di2-pro-team/" target="_blank">Ribble SL Team Edition</a> Jack had proposed a tough route that would take us up on to the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. This is a loop that we have ridden together many times but not really one that I would consider training on with Jack these days, it's way too hard.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pkOYzhsfcSBv6eEgLok1J_B1c3CeaAFDS2oXdch4xd3p4Dl1VSNNxMhyphenhyphenk5-xpE_LY7glNgoL19ba3deE1NlM6tzAhk9rbPbtJ_Sqof2a_5Frpu8skNqlPB6PY5qupPI7VIXDIlCMs7o/s1600/SL14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pkOYzhsfcSBv6eEgLok1J_B1c3CeaAFDS2oXdch4xd3p4Dl1VSNNxMhyphenhyphenk5-xpE_LY7glNgoL19ba3deE1NlM6tzAhk9rbPbtJ_Sqof2a_5Frpu8skNqlPB6PY5qupPI7VIXDIlCMs7o/s320/SL14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">We rolled out from the Bird fully caffeinated and with some some strategic shoot locations on the way to the hills agreed. As we headed towards the moors I couldn't help thinking about the last time I had ridden this route with with some of the <a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribble Weldite</a> lads. On that day I was unceremoniously off-loaded half way up the first climb and the next time I saw the boys it was back at the 'Bird' ... they were just leaving ! (you can read the full story HERE <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">Power2</a>)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAoG8TKFWvHjtCL8KvquqFUWlG9f-QRVyPnVnMKo6IPLLM5Ozfd5snZ-r7qllxST6D3lede7119lsanF6RKh5lrYbI2uu6AJP9ToQj2fkIXybA5hMLt2IQqZEZiRW83iT2OeJYPvg_AI/s1600/SL15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="766" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAoG8TKFWvHjtCL8KvquqFUWlG9f-QRVyPnVnMKo6IPLLM5Ozfd5snZ-r7qllxST6D3lede7119lsanF6RKh5lrYbI2uu6AJP9ToQj2fkIXybA5hMLt2IQqZEZiRW83iT2OeJYPvg_AI/s400/SL15.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Press the button for three levels of power assistance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My first impression of the <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-e/" target="_blank">SL E</a> was that it didn't look or feel like an 'E' bike and apart from the discreet button on the top tube (above) there was nothing to suggest that it was anything other than a high end lightweight race bike. I have ridden an 'E' bike once before and I enjoyed it, it was a mountain bike with a pedal assist system where the motor delivers the extra power straight to the cranks, effectively doing the pedalling for you. The <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-e/" target="_blank">SL E</a> adopts a very different approach and consequently provides a completely different riding experience. The extra watts on the SL E are delivered through a power hub at the back wheel, precisely where you want them. For those with an interest in the techy details it's a Mahle ebikemotion X35 250W hub ... apparently.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbAJClXLNbw66VG6nFrrpY-4qkodU0smd6txko8t3oHfAGvHPx7oX4GhJmkuWJOBtT0_c1jeeCph5b9sBzktfcmOMFnipMmlm2nmNNSuLlItqeVHUOZutM3rDMkG5xi9JDaPdRZ5z2-0/s1600/SL7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="746" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbAJClXLNbw66VG6nFrrpY-4qkodU0smd6txko8t3oHfAGvHPx7oX4GhJmkuWJOBtT0_c1jeeCph5b9sBzktfcmOMFnipMmlm2nmNNSuLlItqeVHUOZutM3rDMkG5xi9JDaPdRZ5z2-0/s400/SL7.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's so easy to forget the the SL E is actually an electric bike as the power delivery is really smooth and for want of a better word, sophisticated which makes the riding experience feel really authentic. The power produced at the pedals and transferred to the back wheel by the chain is supplemented by the power hub at the press of a button, so you get the extra watts exactly where you need them, when you need them.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7PFhJvPqF04ykO1jleYWe6CLdfudyT24-FsnRz7qQWk5iaEYWeRXpBv5Haee-UIMQe1eqAOKa7XOEcxa2GxTYeOFeWWZk3gUUuuPdYPim2j6GxCVIDe8nkwMX7cZmCZFWQk7vBbyqgQ/s1600/SL3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="814" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7PFhJvPqF04ykO1jleYWe6CLdfudyT24-FsnRz7qQWk5iaEYWeRXpBv5Haee-UIMQe1eqAOKa7XOEcxa2GxTYeOFeWWZk3gUUuuPdYPim2j6GxCVIDe8nkwMX7cZmCZFWQk7vBbyqgQ/s400/SL3.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">After taking the shots on the flat roads, the plan was to then do the drone content before getting some action stuff from the back of the van. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The top of the Clay Bank climb and Jackson is getting down to the serious business of Jack's profile shot. How did the effort up the the climb go ? well, one of us pressed a button and made a devastating acceleration just as we got near the top, causing the other one to loose the wheel and be left for dead. I'm not going to name the looser as that wouldn't be fair so to find out you are going to have to watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxppmljg3E" target="_blank">video</a> ... it was Jack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the most advanced and lightest E road bikes available the stealth look of <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-e/" target="_blank">SL E</a> is helped by having a fully integrated battery (I haven't got a clue where it is) and further emphasised by the all new Anthracite colour scheme incorporating some subtle silver accents, this really is a nice looking bike, I want one. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrqvHkdh0aex7qnyV9K5popKUzRkOq3A0jieIfa6fg71Ju8ftrhX9AOTge9yj5UW461SpoR6nnUcNrLaE7mpIdljlNgmh8oXV8oHisPsBZwl_8PM9qyrvR4vfYJaiqnDdUbSiO0vZ4Jg/s1600/SL1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="675" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrqvHkdh0aex7qnyV9K5popKUzRkOq3A0jieIfa6fg71Ju8ftrhX9AOTge9yj5UW461SpoR6nnUcNrLaE7mpIdljlNgmh8oXV8oHisPsBZwl_8PM9qyrvR4vfYJaiqnDdUbSiO0vZ4Jg/s400/SL1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final task of the day was to record the voice over in the warmth of the van. You will hear my dulcet tones if you view the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxppmljg3E" target="_blank">video</a>, described, very accurately by someone who's judgement on these matters I trust implicitly as, sounding like a 'Boro Morgan Freeman' ... I'll settle for that !</span>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-77670593931710618302020-05-03T10:59:00.000-07:002020-05-10T11:47:42.323-07:00theraceforthecafe: Friends like these.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm going to introduce you to two friends of mine in today's post, Richard Jones and Lauren Watson, a proper authentic cycling couple. One of the perks of blogging is that you can feature your cycling mates and I have done a few times in the past, but there has to be a reason (or two) and in the case of Rich and Lauren it's because they both made important contributions when first I started the blog</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I am often asked where the name of the blog came from, slight exaggeration it's only actually happened twice but I'm sure people sometimes wonder ... anyway, the name came from the title of my PhD thesis, keep reading though, I'm not going to start rambling on about it (not much anyway). So the next obvious question has to be where did the name of my thesis come from ? Let me explain.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I am pretty sure Richard </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">who incidentally is the man behind the hugely successful <a href="https://www.tyrekey.com/" target="_blank">Tyrekey</a></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> doesn't realise it but he is responsible for the blog name. My PhD research focused on a group of local racing cyclists called the Teesside Train Gang and at the time Richard, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">was one of the members of the group who would often organise the training rides. Rich is also one of the 148 racing cyclists, who I interviewed for my PhD. The title of my thesis (and the blog) came directly from a comment made by Richard on a Facebook status in 2015, which read.</span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"9.45 Blue Bell tomorrow, bank holiday bash! All welcome for a 3-4hr brisk ride including some hills and concluding with the inevitable <u>race for the cafe"</u></span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A light bulb moment for me and my thesis had a title. As part of my research I made 'field notes' and took loads of pictures of the group because photographs capture details that even the most comprehensive notes would miss. The process of taking the pictures became such a habit that it eventually led me into the Instagram addiction from which I still suffer (you can monitor the current state my addiction on the top right of the page). Above - One of my research pictures of some of the Teesside Train Gang boys meeting at the Blue Bell winter 2014, back when group rides were still a regular thing. (Rich, 4th from the right in shorts with his back to the camera).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The front cover of my thesis, 350 pages and 98,000 words of sociological waffle ... with pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My PhD was mostly concerned with the impact of technology on this group of racing cyclists, Strava and social media primarily. Sadly group rides don't seem to happen on as regular a basis as they once did (in Teesside anyway) and that in part is due to the fact that it was around this time that another technological development started to have an influence as power meters became increasingly popular. Members of the TTG soon realised that riding in a group spending a lot of time sitting in the wheels had a big effect on their normalised power numbers and wasn't necessarily the best way to train. It was this development along with the loss of a few key members that eventually led to the decline of group riding in the area.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Anyway I digress - below is Rich in February this year racing at the Tour of Saudi Arabia for <a href="https://ribbleweldtite.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribble Weldite</a> fulfilling a dream and doing it in some style.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Stage 5 of the <a href="https://www.thesauditour.com/en" target="_blank">Saudi Tour</a> and Rich made it in to break of four who were unlucky not to stay away getting caught with just 5K to go. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">While resting between stages at the tour Rich did an interview for </span><a href="https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/its-a-job-for-a-lot-of-these-guys-for-us-its-a-passion-britains-david-vs-goliath-story-in-saudi-arabia-448717" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank">Cycling Weekly - Ribble Weldite in Saudi</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> in which he described how his career has developed.</span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"I realised quite a long time ago that I'm probably never going to be in the World Tour tearing up the Tour de France but my career has been a gradual progression" </span></b></i><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i><i>"I came to racing quite late compared to a lot of guys, but it's just kind of every year you find yourself stepping up and it's only when you look back at where you were 10 years ago that doing races like this feels insane. Sort of without realising you've ended up at a point where you're in the mix with guys you watch on TV"</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-style: inherit;">Rich certainly '</span><i>stepped up'</i><span style="font-style: inherit;"> in Saudi and although it was the Asia Tour rather than the World Tour he was still </span><i>'tearing it up'</i><span style="font-style: inherit;"> with some of the best riders in the world. In the pic above</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: inherit;"> is Rich a lot closer to home winning the <a href="https://velo29events.com/sportives/" target="_blank">Velo 29</a> Redcar Beach Race in December last year. Clearly with good form he dominated the field on the sand that day, probably shouldn't have been too much of a surprise that he went so well in the desert. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">In the summer of 2016 and as I was finally getting to the end of the PhD process I started the blog to share some of my findings with the people who had helped with my research. I wanted to write in a lighter style than the dull academic writing required for a sociology PhD. I had a name for the blog thanks to Rich but I needed an identity for it. I contacted a Teesside University colleague to see if any of his graphic design students needed a project and he did - enter Lauren. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">We had a couple of chats over coffee in the Uni library before I realised Lauren and Rich were a couple, cycling really is a small world. Lauren did a lot of work on the project and came up with some great design ideas including one for kit (above) which I had made up. I still use Lauren's logo both on the blog and and on the current version of the kit, generously supplied for me this season by Yorkshire based <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">Raceskin</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">Racing in January at the <a href="https://velo29events.com/" target="_blank">Velo29</a> Croft Winter series wearing this year's <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">Raceskin</a> raceforthecafe kit which still carries Laurens logo. The weather was 'challenging' at every round of the series but I'm so glad I started my season early, little did we know then that it was going to be all over in March !</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">Same corner at Croft circuit </span>Lauren also wearing new kit for the 2020 season after being signed up by Team <a href="https://www.boompods.com/" target="_blank">Boompods.com</a>. Both pictures captured by great supporter of north east cycling and friend of the blog <a href="https://darranmoorephotography.pixieset.com/" target="_blank">Darran Moore</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">If Richard's career has been a slow progression Lauren's has been the complete opposite, in fact it's been nothing short of meteoric. Remember earlier when I said I first met Lauren at Teesside University ? at our first meeting I remember her telling me that she knew </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">nothing at all about cycling,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"> that she didn't ride and had no desire to and that she was totally unfit. Well things have changed a bit since then that's for sure ! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">In just over three years Lauren has gone from unfit, disinterested non-cyclist to clocking up big training miles in the harsh environment of the North Yorkshire Moors, attending training camps in Majorca and Calpe and winning races riding for one of the best teams in the country, truly remarkable progress and hugely impressive.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6ginfGGuqLTjeqgfnb3jhXextrCPR2j1M2g0-SG0oa55g3VX6WwDft4XCsgPTgsT8FJYcZ01qqvqsnZnDK2rNK6fFzMdGzFdoUtP2uEhPiD8OwDxK6XsNyKd31_74NrCEUFQflV-T6c/s1600/R%2526L11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="960" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6ginfGGuqLTjeqgfnb3jhXextrCPR2j1M2g0-SG0oa55g3VX6WwDft4XCsgPTgsT8FJYcZ01qqvqsnZnDK2rNK6fFzMdGzFdoUtP2uEhPiD8OwDxK6XsNyKd31_74NrCEUFQflV-T6c/s400/R%2526L11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">Above Lauren getting her debut <a href="https://www.boompods.com/" target="_blank">Boompods</a> season under way in the best way possible by taking the top step and winners cheque at round two of the Croft Winter Series. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYLh5zNMV1xeHO7Fb4Gotf4aXXYgQXsx3-TiefaAVVRb2ki1YaVXKCvvW5Ti6c-laymbFRyBQUjAdK3_C5xJ0QjgadkN09iXxsKoxkGlpaysJAUgIO48Yqr1yvA7XXYO0fc3RCvaWSJI/s1600/R%2526L15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="960" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYLh5zNMV1xeHO7Fb4Gotf4aXXYgQXsx3-TiefaAVVRb2ki1YaVXKCvvW5Ti6c-laymbFRyBQUjAdK3_C5xJ0QjgadkN09iXxsKoxkGlpaysJAUgIO48Yqr1yvA7XXYO0fc3RCvaWSJI/s400/R%2526L15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">Due to our current circumstances I may have to settle for wearing my new <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">Raceskin</a> skin-suit for my daily bout of exercise as it looks like the race season could be over for all of us, but I'm absolutely certain that Rich and Lauren will be back and raring to go in 2021. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Note:</b> If you are interested in training with power but not sure if it's for you I have previously posted on my experience of using a power meter here: <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/11/training-with-power-no-soft-tapping.html" target="_blank">No soft tapping</a>, here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">A Peek at Training Peaks</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/06/racing-with-power-but-is-beard-costing.html" target="_blank">Racing with power</a> and for anybody</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"> who has difficulty sleeping at the moment you can read some bits of my PhD research here: - <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/the-technological-fetishism-of-strava.html" target="_blank">Strava</a> - here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2016/12/strava-kudos-explained-is-it-gift-or.html" target="_blank">Kudos explained</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2016/11/who-has-power-in-social-world-of-racing.html" target="_blank">Who has the (social) power ?</a> .</span><br />
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-22919772100160676132020-01-26T11:04:00.001-08:002020-01-26T11:04:33.397-08:00 DIY custom ... it's a W.R.A.P.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdExyOWJcXfs3plLQprmBAlIqmh_SIbw8bYIhyXsRuWfPdA8YhyphenhyphenhPPrL3bkWGgFGwsxiBSRrQ4Q2r3DcHUrhTvZOKFd6jze7LlLDwmkwyULWxAE9bmrv-4wm9g7nfJtkENSc-FX_3gAGU/s1600/RW4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdExyOWJcXfs3plLQprmBAlIqmh_SIbw8bYIhyXsRuWfPdA8YhyphenhyphenhPPrL3bkWGgFGwsxiBSRrQ4Q2r3DcHUrhTvZOKFd6jze7LlLDwmkwyULWxAE9bmrv-4wm9g7nfJtkENSc-FX_3gAGU/s400/RW4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I am going to be racing on a disc road bike this year which is a first for me, a Giant Propel Advanced Disc to be precise, not my first Propel though and definitely not my first <a href="http://www.giant-sheffield.co.uk/gb" target="_blank">GIANT</a>. I have had quite a few over the years including three TCR's and a Defy and I currently have a Giant Revolt gravel bike and a Giant XTC 29er MTB. As much as I really like <a href="http://www.giant-sheffield.co.uk/gb" target="_blank">GIANT</a> bikes for this year I wanted to pimp my ride up a bit to promote the blog without too much hassle and without spending too much doing it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A custom paint job is obviously the optimum way to customise and I had a look around at a few custom painters and soon realised that it can be quite expensive depending on the design and the best painters tend to have long waiting lists (several months for some) plus the bike needs to be stripped down to the frame and re-built which if you are mechanically challenged like me is a further cost. Another option is wrapping which is a little less expensive, with no restrictions on design but again to do a proper job the wrap would have to be done on the frame only. So, as I only really wanted to put the blog name on the down tube I decided to have a go myself, I mean, how difficult can it be ?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilotAyMlCoRqUFeE4UZi9vGpXMV2kY9kwuqa-MJ59A_FB2IgH9swDHw_pztdr6IdLBpKFOZJkWir9J-t3ijL0AmVjGUEqX-kFC8Gxsq6HLLkGH_p60M-A63MOBFGO1w5I15DEJkRr4dTk/s1600/RW10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilotAyMlCoRqUFeE4UZi9vGpXMV2kY9kwuqa-MJ59A_FB2IgH9swDHw_pztdr6IdLBpKFOZJkWir9J-t3ijL0AmVjGUEqX-kFC8Gxsq6HLLkGH_p60M-A63MOBFGO1w5I15DEJkRr4dTk/s400/RW10.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I actually really like the existing Giant branding on the Propel frame so it's a bit of a shame to cover it up but at least by doing a wrap if I don't like it or want to revert to the original I can easily peel it off.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIp97ilVG73yFBpWn_Sw7B964bV5OzdvpIB7Usw0s-1iW7Vy2JeVLUGEJ9MjHGV-NMsS9iTRjlOa8g6gyetgyRqhvCg4aGl34Gc2TA_9Oa_OyIy4elOiQ5tZRqcgCqA7umcDrxoayCwk/s1600/RW12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIp97ilVG73yFBpWn_Sw7B964bV5OzdvpIB7Usw0s-1iW7Vy2JeVLUGEJ9MjHGV-NMsS9iTRjlOa8g6gyetgyRqhvCg4aGl34Gc2TA_9Oa_OyIy4elOiQ5tZRqcgCqA7umcDrxoayCwk/s400/RW12.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">STEP 1</u> - I took some accurate measurements of the frame and the existing colour scheme and transferred the size and shape to some trusty brown paper.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQObZlIoGQAai7zk2_gytj_l0KD7V1mYkA0WT10W2RSCbPpZT0Xw7dAsucU2GvKJWIduGZ1BQi6OOON7M_qgUpOQijb-Z6OtV59Dfa4OGuH8iOmaI_skzfhrCUlwWw_GW0mFhKUFHqtsM/s1600/Fontscafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQObZlIoGQAai7zk2_gytj_l0KD7V1mYkA0WT10W2RSCbPpZT0Xw7dAsucU2GvKJWIduGZ1BQi6OOON7M_qgUpOQijb-Z6OtV59Dfa4OGuH8iOmaI_skzfhrCUlwWw_GW0mFhKUFHqtsM/s400/Fontscafe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">STEP 2</u> - I then decided on a suitable font from the <a href="https://www.dafont.com/" target="_blank">dafont.com</a> website. The one I chose is called 'He's dead Jim' - ? bit of a weird name, Star Trek inspired I guess, but it was the font that best matched the existing Giant lettering some of which was still going to be visible.</span><br />
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<b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKdKVI_XwPOCXRJ69YzI7h9Ew8ogdDW-4_dP6qq5fi5RzapRi-HaP-KoyrsQxWfACZNR-xe0r0DgvSZ9GWIq5-O7WnvYxQad2aaCC-RDrMccwYu1QkxQYsdJYSjHf3OJ6m2QDREes1_0/s1600/RW11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="948" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKdKVI_XwPOCXRJ69YzI7h9Ew8ogdDW-4_dP6qq5fi5RzapRi-HaP-KoyrsQxWfACZNR-xe0r0DgvSZ9GWIq5-O7WnvYxQad2aaCC-RDrMccwYu1QkxQYsdJYSjHf3OJ6m2QDREes1_0/s400/RW11.jpg" width="395" /></a></b></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>STEP 3</u></b> - After deciding on the font I roughly marked the template to make sure the spacing of 'He's dead Jim' worked OK for <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">theraceforthecafe</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">just to make sure I didn't have a 'beam me up Scotty' moment (see what I did there ?) Please note the Allen key in the above picture just to prove that I managed to remove the bottle cage myself !</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07GP9dG-24J1-MTdmyqNId8eD5IJqfLWfllYsSc0hDg2K3s3eou0SR8GNO87ggFF2S-F8JvsS2KZkj8bx1utGqqhyphenhyphen0zbTRBzoXjVvGFlXvNm3glh7_CcpVqxbI3KDO_DNWbNqBNaCmZw/s1600/RW9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07GP9dG-24J1-MTdmyqNId8eD5IJqfLWfllYsSc0hDg2K3s3eou0SR8GNO87ggFF2S-F8JvsS2KZkj8bx1utGqqhyphenhyphen0zbTRBzoXjVvGFlXvNm3glh7_CcpVqxbI3KDO_DNWbNqBNaCmZw/s400/RW9.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>STEP 4</u></b> - Next I checked and double checked and trimmed the template for size and fit. I tried to mimic the existing paint job on the frame so that the wrapping would blend in as much as possible and not look too much like it was just stuck on ... which it's going to be obviously !</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9KDJ7wVk2sHA3uY9cMTHW-rVZ9eO0wmf98p1wPLtpFCqa9-n0lFyJ4rtLyyNhhku4mD16m_rGD9-2cB72CUvjNRnEJRnW4aG7chEuXGKAVYWQfJXlrMcpXtmGN8LFXF3QHxuX0c2Rmw/s1600/Colour+Screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="782" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9KDJ7wVk2sHA3uY9cMTHW-rVZ9eO0wmf98p1wPLtpFCqa9-n0lFyJ4rtLyyNhhku4mD16m_rGD9-2cB72CUvjNRnEJRnW4aG7chEuXGKAVYWQfJXlrMcpXtmGN8LFXF3QHxuX0c2Rmw/s400/Colour+Screen.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">STEP 5</u> - A quick google of vehicle graphics/signage companies and I found several locally so just went with the nearest to me, a company called <a href="https://www.colourscreenteesside.co.uk/" target="_blank">Colour Screen</a> This turned out to be a good move as a couple of the guys who work there are cyclists and were keen to help, order placed Wednesday collected Friday, happy days.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjdEA-jqIb1GtiGJ5cribk4ejDFhQzH876u78NLZM45yZnpteKnHwO648p0SS_B0WMYQf9CTCFDhPP1Z2zFLDml5oLW_RBrZroDI50QrvGZ741R0D2ZicCOEu4j_1WdXZQy2JmNJmPHU/s1600/RW17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="721" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjdEA-jqIb1GtiGJ5cribk4ejDFhQzH876u78NLZM45yZnpteKnHwO648p0SS_B0WMYQf9CTCFDhPP1Z2zFLDml5oLW_RBrZroDI50QrvGZ741R0D2ZicCOEu4j_1WdXZQy2JmNJmPHU/s400/RW17.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">STEP 6</u> - This is the slightly tricky bit. There is not much margin for error in terms of positioning the wrap even when applying it to mostly flat and straight areas. It's worth having a hair dryer handy for this stage just to warm the wrap slightly on any curved areas or corners. The wrap went on remarkably easily with just a couple of tiny blemishes but no air bubbles, so no issues really.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEgUJ1lkllZGAtbn5-1ALWmedPsKcDXCawWon-dfSMNNwHD-FkG5nV18ZjBB4vt5yH55G0ZLAbk_Bel10DP2zhTI1YtPlFGQUh0lGiCHZcc1_f8_64HHh-MuCDJCvPKv16kJ92huIbG0/s1600/RW6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="960" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEgUJ1lkllZGAtbn5-1ALWmedPsKcDXCawWon-dfSMNNwHD-FkG5nV18ZjBB4vt5yH55G0ZLAbk_Bel10DP2zhTI1YtPlFGQUh0lGiCHZcc1_f8_64HHh-MuCDJCvPKv16kJ92huIbG0/s400/RW6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">FINAL STEP</u> - Position bike strategically in the kitchen to take pics for Instagram. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqLnNhGWOJqjWHaReAx6HO0LGrwJjTN2rTsatxG_y8Mkcl9ehAI4cKejBllBfmzfqCl-TBulu4yusQwHhddjWs7ZhGbjUJcrvU5c9dMvzmBDss0yGzqpu5QGZx75zBIaNJQ58_Cj4Zs4/s1600/CAFEW4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="748" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqLnNhGWOJqjWHaReAx6HO0LGrwJjTN2rTsatxG_y8Mkcl9ehAI4cKejBllBfmzfqCl-TBulu4yusQwHhddjWs7ZhGbjUJcrvU5c9dMvzmBDss0yGzqpu5QGZx75zBIaNJQ58_Cj4Zs4/s400/CAFEW4.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>NOTE:</u></b> Obviously I was home alone at this point, wouldn't have tried to get these shots if </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Mrs <b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">theraceforthecafe</span></b> had been in, that would have been madness !</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A quick thank you to Andy at <a href="http://www.giant-sheffield.co.uk/gb" target="_blank">GIANT SHEFFIELD</a> who supplied the bike. Not my local bike shop by any means but as I specifically wanted this colour and as it's a 2019 model there were very few left in the UK so I was happy to make the 200 mile round trip to Sheffield to pick it up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85TKLrW53DQCtpL89pscpA_Xg-DDyyzdJIk7jSVDAR3178lyEjguy6W3zutFRnQAchgQWRI9obXQcmWTCO6_npNQmHWApjbzFEevl5cSMcD84A_OmbztWajRCn9ra4rsHVKIp7lXN-8I/s1600/Rw13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85TKLrW53DQCtpL89pscpA_Xg-DDyyzdJIk7jSVDAR3178lyEjguy6W3zutFRnQAchgQWRI9obXQcmWTCO6_npNQmHWApjbzFEevl5cSMcD84A_OmbztWajRCn9ra4rsHVKIp7lXN-8I/s400/Rw13.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It was an absolute pleasure to meet Andy and his team and the customer service really was first class. I was introduced to everyone, made to feel very welcome and treated as though I was in there buying stuff every week rather than just paying them a one off visit, I wish Sheffield was a bit closer to be honest, I'm pretty sure I would be in there every week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the reasons why I wanted this specific colour was that I will be racing in matching kit this season designed and supplied by the nice folks over at <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">RACESKIN</a> in Huddersfield. Colin and his crew have sorted me out with enough top quality kit to last the whole season which I am extremely grateful for. If you are after custom kit for your team or club check <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">RACESKIN</a> out. My 2020 kit is exactly what I had in mind, I am delighted with the fit and quality and it matches the new race whip perfectly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNxLxg0x1NklZjYFtxkSQIfrfC1_zaGAa6FjYdh8rI7Uhu9PM8TGpGQ1GBp4w3EGGfQ4bgwovbzaybyEe_Ifnt8TRV7P4gQKzB24Z7bPoAeonJSu02GUVciDUyosqS-7XTxEpZbBrzY8/s1600/RW5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="774" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNxLxg0x1NklZjYFtxkSQIfrfC1_zaGAa6FjYdh8rI7Uhu9PM8TGpGQ1GBp4w3EGGfQ4bgwovbzaybyEe_Ifnt8TRV7P4gQKzB24Z7bPoAeonJSu02GUVciDUyosqS-7XTxEpZbBrzY8/s400/RW5.jpg" width="322" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Pimped -</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Total cost £30.00 !</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Finally, another thank you, this time to everyone for reading. This week the blog hit the significant milestone of <b>500,000</b> page views which I am 'over the moon' about. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I distinctly remember a few months after starting the blog being delighted when it hit 25K page views, so to be now at at the dizzy heights of over half a million is absolutely incredible - thanks for your support, I really appreciate it. </span><br />
<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-30730034898597908592019-11-24T11:24:00.000-08:002019-11-24T11:24:31.002-08:00A revelation: E bikes give you really great legs ... FACT ! In collaboration with The Bike Rack, Yarm.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBi-MTzvJQAgZX_DGrchCVbnt8TPis0kyWYp9l6FEHkIB_uEYuzw3x32ydoparJPxCud458PGMft57qdf5QOLYW61yPymvPPEW_nNqBIbK5EBr8bSlAEbZ-kBW9pZwSFL_-3YH031uOPk/s1600/EB14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="681" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBi-MTzvJQAgZX_DGrchCVbnt8TPis0kyWYp9l6FEHkIB_uEYuzw3x32ydoparJPxCud458PGMft57qdf5QOLYW61yPymvPPEW_nNqBIbK5EBr8bSlAEbZ-kBW9pZwSFL_-3YH031uOPk/s400/EB14.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have wanted to write something on E bikes for a while but the fact that I had never actually ridden one presented a bit of a snag. Problem solved during a casual chat about the current cycling market with my good friends at my favourite local bike shop <a href="https://www.thebikerackyarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Bike Rack, Yarm</a> and an offer to take one of their <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fathom-eplus-3-electric-bike" target="_blank">Giant</a> E bikes on loan ... I couldn't say yes quickly enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My original plan was to do a simple comparison between a pedal assisted E MTB and my own MTB over the same circuit including a favourite gravel climb that I have tackled many times, simply to find out how much easier and quicker I could get up it on an E Bike. I will come clean at this point and confess that I also chose this segment to see if I could take the Strava KOM currently held by my son and coach Jack (<b>@ensocycling</b> on Instagram) and as an added bonus the second and third fastest times were owned by two old friends and training partners Shaun and Chris, so just a bit of fun that I thought the lads would enjoy ... or maybe not ?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">That was my original plan and I did the comparison (results later in the blog) but riding the E bike was such a brilliant, eye-opening experience that it caused me to think a lot more broadly about the implications for cycling in the not too distant future. So please bare with me while I share a few thoughts that came to me during and after my first E bike experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Although I only rode the <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fathom-eplus-3-electric-bike" target="_blank">Giant Fathom E+ 3</a> for a couple of hours I realised almost immediately that the fun in E bike riding is off the scale, especially if you consider some of the best things about cycling, freedom, escape, exploration ... the cafe ! On an E bike you don't have to be concerned abut hills which means you can ride for longer without getting fatigued and it also means you can go where you want, when you want and work as hard as you want and as a result you can cover the miles without noticing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Regular blog readers will know that I like to race and to be able to do that I train quite hard <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311" target="_blank">(My Strava)</a> but I have also come to realise that not every ride can be or has to be about PRs and accumulating maximum TSS </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">no matter what age you are.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> (<b><span style="color: red;">T</span></b>raining <b><span style="color: red;">S</span></b>tress <b><span style="color: red;">S</span></b>core - explained in a blog post HERE </span><a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank">Training Peaks</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">) Have a ride on an E bike and you will smile I guarantee it, that's because they are absolutely brilliant fun and even if you are a 'serious cyclists' as I consider myself to be not every ride has to be a pure athletic performance.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSac1md6Q4rMoGB7abIHeZ6XOEBEEmq5k9JiazHFnfQ8cQz06aBRosc6LllUUzX1cvLQnFCpAzph-NE46hYemMPI6eO1uF2v6ZSzZD9JdctL09kte9AeVXRAhrrApZh2jMQitHOq1CvI/s1600/EB40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSac1md6Q4rMoGB7abIHeZ6XOEBEEmq5k9JiazHFnfQ8cQz06aBRosc6LllUUzX1cvLQnFCpAzph-NE46hYemMPI6eO1uF2v6ZSzZD9JdctL09kte9AeVXRAhrrApZh2jMQitHOq1CvI/s400/EB40.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Above (top) my Giant TCX carbon twentyniner, not new by any means but still a great ride. Below the <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fathom-eplus-3-electric-bike" target="_blank">Giant Fathom E+ 3</a> from <a href="https://www.thebikerackyarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Bike Rack, Yarm</a> lightweight AlUXX SL frame with a SyncDrive Sport motor. The Fathom is currently priced at £1899 which when you consider that you can easily pay three or even four times that for a conventional MTB is a real bargain. I did the 'test' on a Strava segment that I have ridden over ninety times and although the rides were two days apart conditions were almost identical, very little wind, very wet and very cold. The climb is about half an hours ride from <a href="https://www.thebikerackyarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Bike Rack</a> in Yarm and by the time I got there I felt like I was already used to the E bike.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBgorMfUENmfKaNdTDrxyaJ_2yUD8jBDRrFB6Wh-DEtMTk8Mfub66Ewl4MjXVNr6FOqpomsl8rVXn9gk4BcPAptinI3h82ZPB_dq78yxPK8vjXlw9ZYuMlJBM5eNl0fw6ZIZodC7ETT0/s1600/EB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBgorMfUENmfKaNdTDrxyaJ_2yUD8jBDRrFB6Wh-DEtMTk8Mfub66Ewl4MjXVNr6FOqpomsl8rVXn9gk4BcPAptinI3h82ZPB_dq78yxPK8vjXlw9ZYuMlJBM5eNl0fw6ZIZodC7ETT0/s400/EB3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Fulthorpe/Grindon climb is 1.2 miles long with an average gradient of 2.3% although the first third is considerably steeper with the middle third (above) probably around 4% and the final third flat/undulating, the surface is loose gravel throughout. During the <a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fathom-eplus-3-electric-bike" target="_blank">Giant Fathom</a> E bike effort I didn't have any rear wheel slip on the climb and I always felt in control of the front end, on the short descending bits it felt really planted and stable, probably because of the extra weight. I have virtually zero experience of motorbikes or mopeds so I came to the E bike with an open mind as to what riding it compared to and I was delighted to find that rather than feeling like you are hanging on to a self propelled machine it just feels like you have suddenly developed really good legs which is an awesome sensation !</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg-eytC6K9CY-x6LszpnibUTmwdZMmejZE16MMwInQp4AvosqOALg1v3D15f_OquZoua4P3EuElJwI_uByQksM3VmdEWs0MEU6IbodsL_bHYLZnHtBAQK1VjAnaakr1IHC_QywV98jzc/s1600/EB10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="879" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg-eytC6K9CY-x6LszpnibUTmwdZMmejZE16MMwInQp4AvosqOALg1v3D15f_OquZoua4P3EuElJwI_uByQksM3VmdEWs0MEU6IbodsL_bHYLZnHtBAQK1VjAnaakr1IHC_QywV98jzc/s320/EB10.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">While I was washing the Fathom before returning it to <a href="https://www.thebikerackyarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Bike Rack</a> I was wondering why E bikes are frowned upon in certain quarters. It may be because E bikes have been around in Europe for a lot longer than they have been available here and have been primarily used by older people who were dependant on bikes as a form of transport (think the Netherlands) As a result E bikes extended cycling participation for many more years for a lot of people so this is perhaps why E bikes picked up the unfortunate reputation of being for the older generation, thankfully this is now changing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML8pym3Y8ExqZVzpJ0S6lTcIcvHylXxR_p0x8u2TQxIpCC3K5X33v-bOXqKPZS7zjCp8TTbIHeFvl6ERxA0BS8S3W47FcbjfWwO09cslypD5taJQQ46hwWpVr6xCmKTBrUscTT3wOyvg/s1600/EB9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="699" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML8pym3Y8ExqZVzpJ0S6lTcIcvHylXxR_p0x8u2TQxIpCC3K5X33v-bOXqKPZS7zjCp8TTbIHeFvl6ERxA0BS8S3W47FcbjfWwO09cslypD5taJQQ46hwWpVr6xCmKTBrUscTT3wOyvg/s320/EB9.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Looking to the future the impact of E bikes will be huge as they are increasingly adopted as energy efficient, emission free transport transport with health and physical well being benefits thrown in. E bikes in the future will replace a lot of short car journeys and they have the potential to transform transport more generally as they are likely to be the first major shift towards electrically powered low cost mass transportation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The weight of E bikes will come down rapidly as motor and battery technology advances and bike design will be revolutionised. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The E bikes of the not too distant future will be packed with technology which will be totally integrated, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bluetooth connectivity, GPS and mapping will all be standard features and the motors will be automatically linked to both the riders heart rate and the bikes suspension inputs to ensure a super smooth ride experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So much for the future but now the bit you really want to know, did I get the KOM and by how much ? well the answer is YES ... and NO !</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My Strava PB for the FULL climb was 5 min 30 secs - set in <b><u>August 2016</u></b>, probably on a CX bike, probably with a tail wind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Friday 1st Nov 2019</b></u> - My Strava effort on the Fathom E + 3 was 4 min 25 secs a PB by over a minute and just 15 secs short of Jack's KOM</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Monday 4th Nov 2019</b></u> - My Strava effort on my carbon Giant XTC 29er was a 'slow' 7 min 41 secs although I was definitely trying hard but I had also done two decent rides over the weekend that I could feel in my legs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So over the full climb in virtually identical conditions just two days apart I was over three minutes quicker on the Fathom which really surprised me, especially when you take in to account that the pedal assist probably only helped for half the climb. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>However</u></b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Up the steep first section of the climb I posted 2 min 08 secs on the Fathom setting a new KOM by a whopping 2 seconds - RESULT ! and a 56 sec improvement on my PR set way back in <b>December 2014</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">As I said earlier the climb has three distinct sections of varying gradient and taking the KOM from Jack by 2 secs for the first short but steep section may not sound much of an improvement but bear in mind he set the KOM on a feather light carbon gravel bike, probably in dry conditions and he is an Elite rider after all. The pedal assist on the Fathom (and all UK E bikes) only operates below 15 mph so the steeper the incline the greater the benefit. Unfortunately as the climb got flatter toward the top up to date technology ceased to be a benefit and of date legs held me back and Jack retained his KOM for the full climb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Just to clarify and in case anybody from the 'Strava Police' is reading this I know I could and should have uploaded my Strava ride on the Fathom as an E Bike ride but where's the fun in that ! I have however now made the ride private so it no longer appears on any leader boards and I am back in my rightful place a little bit further down the local 'pecking order'. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">If you use Strava and are interested in some of the sociology behind it's use here are some links to some of my previous posts based on the research I did for my PhD on the <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/the-technological-fetishism-of-strava.html" target="_blank">Technological Fetishism</a> of Strava that affects us all, <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/01/are-you-prisoner-of-strava.html" target="_blank">Strava Prison</a> is all about surveillance and <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2016/12/strava-kudos-explained-is-it-gift-or.html" target="_blank">KUDOS Explained</a> answers the question is it a gift or a bribe?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks to Simon at the <a href="https://www.thebikerackyarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Bike Rack</a> for the loan of the Fathom and Mark <b>@thebikerackyarm</b> the man I rely on to look after all of my bikes and who knows everything there is to know about E bikes ... and the future of cycling. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As for me, an E bike is definitely in my future 100% !</span><br />
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<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-9710749803927585832019-11-10T11:30:00.001-08:002019-11-10T11:30:05.989-08:00 Cycling sea to sea and other epic endeavours with @tompkyschallenges <br />
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So if you decided that you wanted to do some sort of physical challenge to raise money for a really good cause like <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">Great Ormond Street Hospital</a>, what would you do ? Maybe a sponsored walk ? a half or even a full marathon ? something on two wheels ? what about a sportive ride ? they can be quite tough. All good ideas and worthy of sponsorship but not quite enough for James Tompkinson (below) James decided that a one off challenge was not going to be any where near tough enough for him ... not even close, so he decided to embark on a year of physical challenges, one each month for the whole of 2019 and so far he has a completion rate of 100% yes it's 10/10 so far for <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">@tompkyschallenges</a> (<b><u>Note:</u></b> you can make a donation to <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">Great Ormond Street</a> by following any of the links in today's blog)<br />
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James dressed for the weather (2 deg C and raining) and looking slightly apprehensive at the start of challenge 10/12 a 130 mile, two day ride from Whitehaven in the west to Sunderland in the east, with 9000 feet of climbing en-route including crossing the inhospitable North Pennines. You may know some one who has ridden the coast to coast, most likely with a group, most likely during the summer months, but not many none cyclists do it solo, at the end of October, on a 35 year old bike, having only done one 20 mile training ride in the previous 6 months. Loves a challenge does James Tompkinson. <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve</a><br />
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Even map reading can be a bit of a challenge on top of the North Pennines in October<br />
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Back to January and its challenge No 1 of 12 - The 'Fan Dance'. If potential SAS recruits find the Fan Dance particularly challenging in the winter then it was bound to appeal to Tompky. <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve</a><br />
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For 5/12 it was a case of not one but three physical challenges in 24 hours but not a solo effort this time as James enlisted six 'willing' volunteers to take it on with him. The Three Peaks is also a testing logistical challenge and Mum Anne (centre) and Dad Gerard (right) were on hand to support, transport and feed the team.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Planning twelve significant challenges in a year is actually quite a challenge in itself, especially when you work full time and have other sporting and family commitments. So when James realised he had a cousin's wedding to attend in Greece in June his only option was to find a Greek challenge - running from Athens to Sparta it was then for 6/12, just a small matter of 150 miles in 30 deg plus temperatures.</span></div>
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James above exhausted and maybe just a little emotional at 1.40 AM at the statue of Leonidas a warrior king of Sparta, having completed his Greek odyssey in 68.5 hours with 34.5 hours 'moving time'<br />
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Challenge 9/12 - Medal and finisher tee shirt at the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin marathon is regarded as a really fast/flat course so James was hoping for a good time. Unusually James doesn't wear a watch for his runs as he prefers to go on 'feel'. His strategy must suit him because despite some nutrition issues in the second half of the race he ran a 6 min PB to finish in 3 hours 32 mins and posted 10k, 10 mile, 15k and 20 K PBs too. <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve</a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>2019 <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">@tompkyschallenges</a> completed so far</u></span></b><br />
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<b><u>January</u></b> - The Fan Dance a 15 mile SAS selection test in the Brecon Beacons. finishing 12th despite his boots falling apart after 2 miles.<br />
<b><u>February</u></b> - The Isle of Wight run, a 75 mile full lap of the island, nice weather expected, he got sub zero temps and a covering of snow.<br />
<b><u>March</u></b> - London to Paris - 240 miles in 3 days with his best friend of 25 years, James actually did a bit of cycling before this one.<br />
<b><u>April</u></b> - London Marathon - an 'easy' weekend in the big city a guest at the <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">Great Ormond Street</a> after party and a 3hrs 39min finish.<br />
<b><u>May</u></b> - The Three Peaks: Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis in 24 hours (23.32) with six lunatic friends and Mam and Dad support crew.<br />
<b><u>June</u></b> - Athens to Sparta run, 35 degrees, and huge blisters, again with family support and @elliereess feet up for James at the wedding.<br />
<b><u>July</u></b> - Cleveland Way run, closer to home, but equally tough, 110 miles of North Yorkshire coast over a scorching holiday weekend.<br />
<b><u>August</u></b> - Race to the Stones - 62 mile run along the Ridgeway, England's oldest path in 12hrs 9mins finishing 86th out of 3000.<br />
<b><u>September</u> </b>- Berlin marathon, another family affair running with brother Chris and brother in law Sam, James claiming the honours.<br />
<u><b>October</b></u> - C to C cycling, I witnessed this one, was impressed, even amazed, but also slightly peeved that he made it look so easy.<br />
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And this month's challenge your probably wondering ? well James has found a nice steep hill and worked out that if he runs up it 31 times it will be the same altitude gain as an ascent of Everest ... so that's what he is going to do !<br />
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Surprisingly James is not really an endurance athlete, although he is obviously extremely fit and physically very robust, but he is primarily a field sport athlete, hockey, football and cricket are his favoured sports and although he trains really hard it's probably not in a way that is ideally suited to any of the challenges that he has undertaken.<br />
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So how does he do it ? The answer is simple, he is incredibly motivated to help a fantastic cause and has an iron will to succeed. Strength of mind is not something that is necessarily linked with athleticism, nor is it a function of natural ability or physical fitness. In the end it comes down to sheer determination and stubbornness, manifested in an absolute refusal to ever give up. This is an extremely rare attribute and if you are not born with it you can never acquire it ... ever.<br />
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Chapeau James Tompkinson.<br />
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You can read more about James and his challenging year and also donate over at his blog: <a href="https://www.tompkyschallenges.com/2019/10/the-berlin-marathon.html" target="_blank">www.tompkyschallenges.com</a><br />
<a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve" target="_blank">justgiving.com/fundraising/tompkystwelve</a><br />
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<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-12025888190248575202019-10-27T13:06:00.000-07:002019-10-27T13:06:35.075-07:00End of season silliness with Muckle CC <br />
Last Sunday I spent the morning at a hill climb in Northumberland, I didn't ride it obviously, I am in all honesty fairly stupid but no not that stupid. I was there to support my friend, training partner and talented hill climber Hannah Farran of <a href="https://www.boompods.com/" target="_blank">Team Boompods</a> at the final race of her season ... and to get some blog content obviously.<br />
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Hill climbing for those who are not familiar with the event is a niche activity in a niche sport and is a cycling event unique to the UK and is quite simply a time trial up a hill. Chris Boardman sums up the hill climb well in the introduction to the excellent book: <b>A Corinthian Endeavour: The story of the National Hill Climb Championship</b> by Paul Jones.<br />
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<i>'The hill climb is a wonderfully social, spectator-friendly event providing a seasonal focal point and transition in to the off season. I think they will always be enjoyed primarily by a passionate minority, but they are part of our cycling heritage and I hope they continue to be so for years to come. Not everything has to be about winning and beating the rest of the world; some things can and simply should be enjoyed for their own sake and perhaps the hill climb should be cherished in this category, something more or less unique to us.' </i><br />
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Hanna going through her structured warm up on the turbo, Prospect Hill near Corbridge in Northumberland is approximately a mile long and very steep and with a series of corners, the road is narrow and as a good proportion of the hill is under tree cover is covered in leaves in places. With the road surface getting rougher the nearer you get to the top it's a tough challenge for sure, one that Hannah expected to complete in just over 5 minutes.<br />
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Hannah on the line on her HC prepared Cervelo and ready for the pain to begin, she was bang on target with a 5.12 but had to settle for second place on the day after a flying Grace Inglis of the host club rode a suberb 5.08 to take the win, while top spot in the men's category went to David Huck of Barrow Central Wheelers.<br />
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First competitor to take to the start line looked like he had travelled down to Northumberland from north of the border, I didn't catch his name but someone thought it was Wallace ... William I think ? brave though, lot of heart.</div>
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What particularly impressed me about this competitor was his meticulous attention to colour co-ordination from his head band right down to his Velotoze !<br />
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In the Fixie/MTB/Fancy Dress category where anything goes as long as its not a road, cyclo-cross or gravel bike the guy above was seriously quick. Up to the first corner (visible in the picture below) he looked to be as fast as any of the previous starters, really impressive, not sure what happened after he went out of sight, but if there had been a prize for the fastest first 300 metres the Fat Bike Guy would have definitely been in with a shout.<br />
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Comparing painful moments afterwards, above is Hannah chatting to Alex Ingham of the AIMS Cycling team, by his own admission Alex is not a hill climb specialist by any means, so why bother ? Well Alex is also the MD of <a href="https://www.misupplies.co.uk/" target="_blank">MI Supplies</a> and <a href="https://www.muckle.cc/" target="_blank">Muckle CC</a> had recently ordered their club leisure wear from his company so he thought the right thing to do was to turn up and support their hill climb, even though it meant 120 mile round trip, for a 5 minute event, nice gesture that I thought.<br />
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Someone else who travelled a fair distance to be at the hill climb was top cycling shooter and great friend of north east cycling Darran Moore, if you want too see some great action pictures from the day check him out on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/darranmoorephotography/" target="_blank">Darran Moore Photography</a> or on Instagarm <b>@darran_moore_photography</b>. Darran is an ever present at races in the north east all through the season and the time and effort he puts in along with the quality images he gives away without charge is hugely appreciated by everyone in the region and rightly so.<br />
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There was great atmosphere in the HQ as the results were calculated and it seemed like everyone and their supporters had stayed around for the prize giving, although the fantastic free buffet may have also had something to do with that. Muckle CC are a club that have only been around since 2015 but they are an enthusiastic bunch who have quickly established a reputation for putting on great events that are a little bit different from the norm. The club regularly have a strong presence in the regions road races and criteriums and are a great an example of what a cycling club with good ideas and an up to date outlook can achieve.<br />
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Winner of the over 82kg category above Lewis Wake of <a href="http://www.kirkleycycles.com/" target="_blank">Team Kirkley Cycles</a> looking very happy with his prize ... a meat pie obviously, did I mention that the boys and girls at Muckle CC like to things a bit differently ?<br />
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Final pic of today and an acknowledgement and a thanks to some new partners who will be supporting both the blog and my racing next season. I will be training and racing in custom kit designed and supplied by Yorkshire based <a href="https://www.raceskin.co.uk/" target="_blank">Raceskin</a> and wearing helmets and eye wear from <a href="http://www.r2.cz/en/" target="_blank">R2 - Ride your race</a> I am also looking forward to a productive collaboration using wheels from <a href="https://www.ces-sport.co.uk/" target="_blank">CES Sport</a>. I feel really fortunate to be working with these enthusiastic partners in 2020, exciting times ahead.Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-32221239187095085332019-09-29T10:53:00.000-07:002019-09-29T10:54:09.930-07:00In memory of Johnny P<br />
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<span style="color: #565658; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My final race of 2019 was going to be the <a href="http://www.tlicycling.org.uk/" target="_blank">TLI </a> John Parkinson Memorial Road Race held on one of my favourite circuits at Siddington in Cheshire. I say 'was going to be' because unfortunately the weather intervened very quickly and fairly emphatically on the morning of the race causing it be cancelled just an hour or so before it was due to start, which was a bit of a shame. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">During</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"> the ten minute drive from my hotel to</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"> race HQ at Goosetry Village Hall I had to negotiate several sections of flooded road, so even before I got there I wasn't very confident that the race would go ahead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I was particularly disappointed not to finish my season with the John Parkinson Memorial because it was an event that had really appealed to me after reading about it's history and significance. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">To their credit </span><a href="https://www.macclesfieldwheelers.org.uk/" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank">Macclesfield Wheelers</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> have been running this memorial event since 1957, although there were a couple of missed years (2003 and 2005) this year was to be the 60th edition. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorial races are a common feature of the UK cycling calendar often held in memory of a long standing club stalwart in recognition of a significant contribution to the sport, or perhaps a successful and well known local competitor and they are an important tradition in British racing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What is unusual and significant about the John Parkinson Memorial, aside from the fact that this was to be its 60th running is that it was in memory of a rider and Macclesfield Wheeler who was tragically killed aged just twenty. <span style="background-color: white;">Here is a short extract from one of the tributes paid to John at the time of his death. </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"John was devoted to cycling, especially the bunched game. Although never quite reaching the elusive grade that seems to bless the selective minority of racing men. What he lacked in speed he made up for with enthusiasm. He derived a big kick out of competing alongside any notabilities gracing the various local classics and although as inevitably happened in the majority of cases he came in alone at the tale-end of the event, he would vigorously enthuse upon what had taken place and never appeared despondent or dispirited at his lowly placing."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I am pretty sure that I would have liked John Parkinson and reading about his attitude to the sport all these years later I can definitely relate to his approach to racing and the enjoyment he got from taking part ... it's not the winning it's the taking part that matters, a crucial point that is so easy to forget.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Something else struck me about this extract and it's some of the language and phrases used, such as<i> </i>the<i> 'the bunched game' </i>the<i> 'local classics' </i>and <i>'any notabilities'</i>. These comments and choice of words have to be read in the context of the sport at the time.<i> </i>In 1957<i> </i>when this tribute was written massed start<i> </i>road racing on public roads <i>'the bunched game'</i> was still a relatively new format, having only been re-introduced in the early 1940's after an absence of over fifty years. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite being written just over a decade after road racing was re-introduced it would seem that that it had become popular enough for star riders to emerge '</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>notabilities'</i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> and for some of the races to be already regarded as </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>'local classics</i>'.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Racing on the roads had been banned in 1890 by the cycling governing body of the time the National Cyclists Union out of a fear that the unpopularity of road racing due to the perceived inconvenience and disruption it caused would lead to a ban on all forms of cycling. The growing popularity of bicycles had provided the working class with the physical means of escape from the confines of early industrial life and bike races which attracted large crowds had quickly become working class gatherings in the countryside. The NCU fearing that all cycling on public roads could be banned introduced the ban as they regarded cycling as a gentleman's leisure pursuit that had to be protected. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Everyone was trying to remain optimistic and signing on went ahead but the rain was still hammering down so I didn't go as far as actually pinning my number on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I have probably raced over in the north west a dozen times this season and the <a href="https://www.bikemarshals.org/" target="_blank">Bike Marshalls</a> have been at every event I have done. They are a smashing bunch of fellas who do a superb job and their presence always makes racing on roads that are still open to traffic feel that much safer. The thirty rider strong group was established in 2006 and since then they have assisted at over a 1000 events covering 133K event miles. The primary role of the Bike Marshalls is to be a visible presence on the race course to provide reassurance to participants, spectators and the wider public. The Marshalls are the eyes of the event organiser and are the first responders if any thing unexpected happens. Their strength is in not only what they do but in the capabilities they have and what they can do when needed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The bike Marshall's reporting back to race organiser David Higham of the promoting club that the race circuit had several areas of standing water across both sides of the road. No race organiser wants to cancel a race less than an hour before it's due to start, particularly when a lot of the riders have travelled long distances to take part. A huge amount of work by a big team of people goes in to preparing for and running these races so it was obviously a tough call but it was absolutely the correct one.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ironically, a couple of days after the John Parkinson was cancelled due to standing water on the course we got some stark reminders at the U23 time trial at UCI World Championships in Harrogate of what happens when tough decisions on rapidly changing course conditions are not made. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe the UCI should have simply asked someone they trusted and could rely on like the Bike Marshall's to drive round the course to check. Although to be fair they did appear to be a bit more organised for the men's road race and shortened the course before the start due to flooding. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If you want to read a bit more on the very early history of the UK cycling scene see my post here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/01/scorching-and-pretending-not-to-race.html" target="_blank">Pretending not to race</a> and on the age related racing organised by the <a href="http://www.tlicycling.org.uk/" target="_blank">TLI</a> and <a href="http://www.lvrc.org.uk/" target="_blank">LVRC</a> there are a couple of post here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/search?updated-max=2017-10-15T10:51:00-07:00&max-results=7&start=21&by-date=false" target="_blank">Age is just a letter</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/05/two-tours-big-one-in-worcestershire-and.html" target="_blank">Tour of the Abberleys</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading.</span><br />
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-19641464073673514052019-08-18T11:25:00.000-07:002019-08-18T11:25:38.739-07:00 Pedalling underwater on Route One<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">This week I did a bit of off road riding on the gravel bike and enjoyed a day out that I have been wanting to have for a couple of years now, I will explain the reason for the delay a little later. I am pretty lucky where I live in that our house is only a few a few hundred metres from a really good cycle path. What I hadn't realised until I started planning my day out was that our local cycle path forms part of the <a href="https://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">SUSTRANS</a> National Cycle Network and the section of cycle path closest to me is actually part of Sustrans <a href="https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-1/" target="_blank">Route 1</a> a cycle route that stretches all the way up the east coast from Dover right up to the Shetland Isles, an incredible 1,695 miles.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLVVox47uoIZWppZ4q7LKnDszn3c7L5jA6UzbSE0LdODjubGvkzZRAuJVfaC5JwZ1fjYHQg739etHIGntLzYJ5iT2kuYwFqmeeoB6FZGAbPKwLMghpEBLgwwMBMsjW_J6q7q82ZZzHmQ/s1600/Tunnel13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLVVox47uoIZWppZ4q7LKnDszn3c7L5jA6UzbSE0LdODjubGvkzZRAuJVfaC5JwZ1fjYHQg739etHIGntLzYJ5iT2kuYwFqmeeoB6FZGAbPKwLMghpEBLgwwMBMsjW_J6q7q82ZZzHmQ/s640/Tunnel13.jpg" width="497" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The recently re-opened and beautifully restored 900 metre long Tyne Cycle Tunnel. It looks like it's a dead end in this picture but it's left at the end for the stairs or right for the lift.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">The ride that I had planned wasn't quite so epic, just a one day excursion up to the Quayside at Newcastle, the reason for the delay in doing this ride was that I have been waiting for the re-opening of the Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel (<a href="http://www.tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tunnel Hub</a>) The tunnels, one for pedestrians and one for cyclists have been closed for six years for refurbishment a project which was delayed numerous times and went hugely over budget in part due to the discovery of significant amounts of asbestos but also due to issues with various contractors. There have been a few promised opening dates which have passed for various reasons but the tunnels finally re-opened on August 6th.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibid0Bnpj4U3e8qvo6CkQpeo0m0i8tHIAPdv3LuLI97VRzPYXN1C_nfWY_y4bxNBcqS4WNmZB8i_h6bdETkb54SYSXASC5X4lfTJ0ktfRAzjQcqQi-L1HtWL3F2s5JY7bNEnAK0qv_LzQ/s1600/Tunnel16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="862" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibid0Bnpj4U3e8qvo6CkQpeo0m0i8tHIAPdv3LuLI97VRzPYXN1C_nfWY_y4bxNBcqS4WNmZB8i_h6bdETkb54SYSXASC5X4lfTJ0ktfRAzjQcqQi-L1HtWL3F2s5JY7bNEnAK0qv_LzQ/s640/Tunnel16.jpg" width="574" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The pedestrian and cycle tunnels first opened in 1951 to provide access to the north side of the Tyne for the large numbers of people who worked at the shipyards, lead and chemical works that lined the banks of the river at that time. At peak usage up 20,000 people used the tunnels daily to get to work until local industries particularly ship building began to steadily decline from the late sixties. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Yv_XVDifayYVsf-sSQKwWVe9z4r6Za4J-FAuThTUR9Kc3CblI4gdzxKf5TJrbb9AM_sKEWXKdYFo6yKut4hsnugTVGBTKLZ5vsIASM5Gw8ZQX9sQsG0Do3o0f0CiVQKcFnGsxONCI5c/s1600/Tunnel20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Yv_XVDifayYVsf-sSQKwWVe9z4r6Za4J-FAuThTUR9Kc3CblI4gdzxKf5TJrbb9AM_sKEWXKdYFo6yKut4hsnugTVGBTKLZ5vsIASM5Gw8ZQX9sQsG0Do3o0f0CiVQKcFnGsxONCI5c/s640/Tunnel20.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">The tunnel entrances - Jarrow on the south side and Heddon on the north.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Originally my plan was to ride from home up Route One through the tunnel and along the north side of the Tyne to the Cycle Hub on the Newcastle Quayside and then return the same way. After considering it in a bit more detail I realised that the distance was going to be around a hundred miles which at my gravel bike riding pace was going to be a very long day out. So I came up with plan B, let the train take the strain or a bit of it anyway. Travelling by train with a bike was also something new to me and I wasn't sure if it was going to be a bit of a hassle, it wasn't at all, in fact it was really easy. I rode to Thornaby station about 20 minutes on the cycle path, bought a ticket to Sunderland and the fifty minute journey knocked twenty eight miles of my cycling distance, I even had a seat.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">I quite enjoyed my little train trip and I am definitely going to do it again, either a one way ride and a train home or the other way round. From Sunderland station I was only few minutes pedal away from the Wearmouth bridge across the Wear and back on Route One heading for the coast and ready for a coffee.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0v7dAzDcXutOtYlt_R5tc35aZeATvLINOFLbunAiYsgeCW4qtiZg65KIOXJOgU-uqLiBi7lbyAY0eSmSjjCYJBVc8jJlqEgI-IHXStdYU70DdtUpNx9vv7JC0Xj_HedqKCN1ldgliqSU/s1600/Tunnel25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="894" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0v7dAzDcXutOtYlt_R5tc35aZeATvLINOFLbunAiYsgeCW4qtiZg65KIOXJOgU-uqLiBi7lbyAY0eSmSjjCYJBVc8jJlqEgI-IHXStdYU70DdtUpNx9vv7JC0Xj_HedqKCN1ldgliqSU/s640/Tunnel25.jpg" width="596" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">First stop was at Fausto Coffee a great cycling themed cafe at Roker, super location with good food and right on the beach, definitely worth popping in if you are in the area. From Fausto its cycle paths all the way up to South Shields, a really nice ride with loads to see on route and plenty of places to take a break ... or a picture.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQz1y8isZZ_tguewb9Lfnhf1CJGZlTUeSx7UFUYWjgA8lHYelrfne8-9mdt3Yl7td_fTeF_vUROAxtFkIUFXa7GWSgaCrLsX7bPP2eiWwqMGdpBDL4InQ33-28y1FLxTfmNlqNYGR-VA/s1600/Tunnel5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQz1y8isZZ_tguewb9Lfnhf1CJGZlTUeSx7UFUYWjgA8lHYelrfne8-9mdt3Yl7td_fTeF_vUROAxtFkIUFXa7GWSgaCrLsX7bPP2eiWwqMGdpBDL4InQ33-28y1FLxTfmNlqNYGR-VA/s1600/Tunnel5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Gravel bike and the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/souter-lighthouse-and-the-leas/trails/the-souter-saunter" target="_blank">Souter Lighthouse</a> at the Whitburn Coastal Park ... plus a dog.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctIi9g2oWhQQOPd1wO0duCdbWIGZcavKm6IinGRqitlhIWVYc-pKfGOM8YhjBurdp8vXdBA55GHgxLDf9s3nWKpOEdygS0m0gpO3KtXvH-qQ0Al5IVf_NgxDxWc2484hr9dmP68aTcqo/s1600/Tunnel28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="822" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctIi9g2oWhQQOPd1wO0duCdbWIGZcavKm6IinGRqitlhIWVYc-pKfGOM8YhjBurdp8vXdBA55GHgxLDf9s3nWKpOEdygS0m0gpO3KtXvH-qQ0Al5IVf_NgxDxWc2484hr9dmP68aTcqo/s640/Tunnel28.jpg" width="547" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I had forgotten how nice the beach at South Shields is.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KBggTiDT-XWObqCsI8s6FP2FI91TcclezxHNmhsPt42OMBALyJ4Tni-Cxh-6saSuzZB8R2VZsnDOGDaoTE3R1GGcxskhkRx-73K5CJRce8jsN6C_uecAZ4BMpmhejLq5_QZr21cJe8s/s1600/Tunnels29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KBggTiDT-XWObqCsI8s6FP2FI91TcclezxHNmhsPt42OMBALyJ4Tni-Cxh-6saSuzZB8R2VZsnDOGDaoTE3R1GGcxskhkRx-73K5CJRce8jsN6C_uecAZ4BMpmhejLq5_QZr21cJe8s/s640/Tunnels29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">When the tunnels opened in 1951 the access was provided by two escalators and a lift at either end. At the time they were installed the escalators were the longest single span vertical rise wooden escalators in the world. Access to the tunnels now is intended to be only by the lifts as presumably the cost of restoring or replacing the nearly 70 year old escalators was too high but one of the escalators has been left at each end to be used as a stairway in an emergency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Good plan so far, but unfortunately when I arrived at the Jarrow entrance there was something of a hold up because the lift on the south side wasn't working. As I waited at the top to descend there was a group of cyclists trying to come up and it was obviously a massive struggle for them. The six cyclists (3 male and 3 female) all looked to be in their seventies and were carrying/dragging their far from lightweight bikes up the 140 steps. Such was the effort required they were having to stop every few steps to recover. Eventually after about twenty minutes four of the group had made it up but one of the ladies was still only half way being assisted by a friend and the two ladies were lifting her bike up one step at time with a long queue of people behind. The elderly gents in the party were in no condition to help so at this point, feeling a bit sorry for them and also to speed things up bit, I did my good deed for the day and went down and carried the heavy hybrid bike up, for her for which she was extremely grateful. There is probably a case for closing the tunnel if either of the lifts is out of order as climbing up with a bike is really quite challenging for anyone - might be worth checking if you are planning ride up there.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOqBWrs2f0QPuqtGsyVg8M_AFhBET5YdlBtxxg30OBNtvpIv3PWxcSYRbCdUXU4GLDX7ZTqWBjC6r1Ru8VriYz64HeUsic8lPltP78_CsgK9wrJCYh1GremLdhuUPmbPbiX6UmiwRTGA/s1600/Tunnel8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOqBWrs2f0QPuqtGsyVg8M_AFhBET5YdlBtxxg30OBNtvpIv3PWxcSYRbCdUXU4GLDX7ZTqWBjC6r1Ru8VriYz64HeUsic8lPltP78_CsgK9wrJCYh1GremLdhuUPmbPbiX6UmiwRTGA/s640/Tunnel8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"> Pedal pushing and coffee drinking on Tyneside with <a href="http://www.velojunkie.nl/" target="_blank">VelojunkieCC</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">On the north side of the river it's a very easy pedal of about four miles to the </span><a href="http://for/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Cycle Hub</a><span style="background-color: white;"> This section of the ride is along </span><a href="https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/hadrians-cycleway/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Hadrians Cycle Route</a><span style="background-color: white;"> a 170 mile trail that goes all the way across the country from South Shields to Ravenglass in Cumbria. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Cycle Hub is a really well used facility with a great cafe, a workshop and hire bikes available and only a few minutes ride from Newcastle quayside and the city centre. With almost a 50 miles home I didn't stay too long before re-tracing my route back to the tunnel on the way passing the </span><a href="https://segedunumromanfort.org.uk/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Segedunum Roman Fort</a><span style="background-color: white;"> at Wallsend, somewhere that looks worth a visit next time.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSDMNIoPVHDU7YIAisPDfgGmDyUcoHfUWhGMAXkjPKrwvu4SEoSiKh8nUlPuQ8K3UiXMawewehgI6YT-ewOKqyZlv-REi3NrNa7HuN0vis9KfVsz7k5UuaXwd70Zd79TWZk_bJFNs22w/s1600/Tunnel31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSDMNIoPVHDU7YIAisPDfgGmDyUcoHfUWhGMAXkjPKrwvu4SEoSiKh8nUlPuQ8K3UiXMawewehgI6YT-ewOKqyZlv-REi3NrNa7HuN0vis9KfVsz7k5UuaXwd70Zd79TWZk_bJFNs22w/s640/Tunnel31.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">After my cafe stop I knew I had the challenge of the dreaded escalator to look forward to, although it turned out not to be as tough for me as it was for the poor I guy I was chatting to at the bottom. He was about to go up for the fourth time carrying his own hefty looking MTB after already carrying up his wife's bike and both his kids bikes, nice chap, if I had got there a little earlier I could have helped ... or maybe not. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3jZC8Mxb4t1CAlnBjxc7KcIAH4d9gnDpdE3MSPXv7arWZ8TA7KVhBnPrkmkY4sCRKlVPgkQC_HJA3fGi9bKvlCsTYl0hd1HxAY-dhtP9Y2JGmZDsvCBeOVqu-dscyp_ZeT-6jMi3ipw/s1600/Tunnel30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3jZC8Mxb4t1CAlnBjxc7KcIAH4d9gnDpdE3MSPXv7arWZ8TA7KVhBnPrkmkY4sCRKlVPgkQC_HJA3fGi9bKvlCsTYl0hd1HxAY-dhtP9Y2JGmZDsvCBeOVqu-dscyp_ZeT-6jMi3ipw/s640/Tunnel30.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">After a few road miles through South Shields and across the river Wear to Sunderland the last 35 miles were all off road mostly on gravel trails along the route of disused railway tracks. Final distance for the day was 72 miles with 6 hours of pedalling, you can check out the route here on my <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2621862788" target="_blank">STRAVA</a> </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiOLW_IjDI4i88K1ZN7LrbQRAjjMnwVv6IprwSSqfl_-JJzXn9IgzEUfyVLnT7rrVSvd_uAne-HPpZXXzlJxmtw3I3eZac4b4z5eUY0LTMQv18sCX16IAoDHcHOyLmyCPvaGahKbpDoQ/s1600/Tunnel3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiOLW_IjDI4i88K1ZN7LrbQRAjjMnwVv6IprwSSqfl_-JJzXn9IgzEUfyVLnT7rrVSvd_uAne-HPpZXXzlJxmtw3I3eZac4b4z5eUY0LTMQv18sCX16IAoDHcHOyLmyCPvaGahKbpDoQ/s640/Tunnel3.jpg" width="556" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">I took a a bit of a diversion as I passed through the port of Seaham on the way home to take the final picture of the day of the <a href="https://www.tworedrubberthings.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tommy World War One Soldier</a> sculpture - absolutely beautiful.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-81786994217421099122019-06-16T11:02:00.000-07:002019-06-16T11:02:10.824-07:00Racing with power: But is the beard costing me watts ?<span style="font-size: x-large;">At this point in June I am half way through my race season and I have had a mid-season break. To summarise how the racing has gone so far, just OK. I have really enjoyed it, managed a couple of decent rides but without getting any results, so it's definitely a case of could do better.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBBbDK0v8ykqK3pdfVhzHnn8IoZt__YKwvOFcQlnP_1YbcDGDyqn0OilOi5xJzjqnnIdymliRrJuIzIdT6MvaeTofjUDN2kOgVOdkCCRTvnBVj2Z9Sgs4nV8CLJRBGKVCfx1MrPiQ0X4/s1600/Beard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="950" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBBbDK0v8ykqK3pdfVhzHnn8IoZt__YKwvOFcQlnP_1YbcDGDyqn0OilOi5xJzjqnnIdymliRrJuIzIdT6MvaeTofjUDN2kOgVOdkCCRTvnBVj2Z9Sgs4nV8CLJRBGKVCfx1MrPiQ0X4/s640/Beard1.jpg" width="632" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The beard is in the wind ! Picture courtesy of Larry Hickmott of the <a href="https://www.velouk.net/" target="_blank">VeloUK</a> website</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have been using a Precision power meter supplied to me by </span><a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank">www.4iiiiuk.com</a> <span style="font-size: x-large;">for training and racing and it</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> has worked flawlessly since I got it in November. The the only attention it's required has been two new batteries. The little CR2032 battery is dead easy to change and lasts about three months which isn't bad when you consider that I ride almost everyday.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEmEtxlGSd3t17abM-Lb-uluVlZg9i42wX8jx8PD5EC8twMfgnoJSJZ7hmsfLK-WkKzOM3eybiDjggXcRZf22jEx6jswXhphdvCrEHNotUHnadACJjoeEdpj-1Pxu0FG9LQA73dVUo1w/s1600/P2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="960" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEmEtxlGSd3t17abM-Lb-uluVlZg9i42wX8jx8PD5EC8twMfgnoJSJZ7hmsfLK-WkKzOM3eybiDjggXcRZf22jEx6jswXhphdvCrEHNotUHnadACJjoeEdpj-1Pxu0FG9LQA73dVUo1w/s640/P2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You can read about my initial experiences with the <a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" target="_blank">4iiii</a> power meter HERE <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/search?updated-max=2018-12-02T10:43:00-08:00&max-results=7" target="_blank">Training with power #1</a> and <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">Training with power #2</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have learned a lot from using the power meter and one of the most important things that has been confirmed to me is that racing is way harder than training. I know that's stating the flaming obvious ! but it's true, and from using the power meter for the first time I now know how much harder. This startling revelation has serious implications as to how I will be approaching my races for the rest of the season. Let me explain.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClUnxFRZc4NPGjW-y9ZX01GVprWwb2b04acUjNgeVWLof-K5T2r9cpwjAvCkEU2jZSpYakvlBqUwaZs0DBnuCpGfZGgMTIwZYIcdumQfeGfkE8aWCgDwhTcY7n7YMCCQOwLzrfow9zD4/s1600/Beard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="960" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClUnxFRZc4NPGjW-y9ZX01GVprWwb2b04acUjNgeVWLof-K5T2r9cpwjAvCkEU2jZSpYakvlBqUwaZs0DBnuCpGfZGgMTIwZYIcdumQfeGfkE8aWCgDwhTcY7n7YMCCQOwLzrfow9zD4/s640/Beard2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Racing is hard ... FACT</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Normalised power (NP) is used to quantify the physiological cost of a ride or race. When there is a lot of variation in efforts (as in a road race) the NP value is much higher than for example an even paced endurance ride. During a hard winter of training (<a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311" target="_blank">MyStrava</a>) and bearing in mind I almost exclusively train with much younger and much fitter riders, the highest NP I recorded for a tough structured two hour training ride was 186 watts and the average NP for my hardest two hour training rides over the winter was 175 watts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">When I have compared this to my NP for races of around two hours, which most <a href="http://www.lvrc.org.uk/" target="_blank">LVRC</a>/<a href="http://www.tlicycling.org.uk/" target="_blank">TLI</a> events are the highest NP I have done this year was 236 watts and the average NP has been 228 watts, in other words my two hour races have been 30% harder than my hardest two hour training rides.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> November test effort<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Best training effort<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Best race effort<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1 minute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 370 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 362 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 416 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 5 minute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 235 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 177.2pt;" valign="top" width="236"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 251 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 272 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 20 minute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 212 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 230 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"> 237 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A comparison of my best testing, training and racing efforts: have I got fitter ? or do I just need to be in a race to get the best out of myself ? (remember <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">social facilitation</a> ?) I think the answer is probably yes to both questions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In my first post on training with power (<a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/search?updated-max=2018-12-02T10:43:00-08:00&max-results=7" target="_blank">Training with power #1)</a> I came to the conclusion that I needed to improve my 5 minute effort as I felt that it was when this sort of effort was required towards the end of races that I would sometimes start to struggle. I now believe that these difficult race moments were not due to the nature of the effort, the terrain or my lack of power, but more likely due to the fact that I have simply been running out of gas towards the end of a race, partly due to being under-fuelled at the start and in part due to not conserving my energy during the race. The serious mistake that I have been making has been to assume that because I can get through a hard two hour training ride without eating much, that I can do the same in very hard a two hour race, preceded by a high intensity warm up - BIG MISTAKE ! I now know thanks to the power meter that in a race I am working 30% harder and as a result I am getting through my available energy and 'emptying the tank' much more quickly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOtj5uE_cNSWUjzaiODVE_vK3k-JEMcyHdA0gK8LDNLg0X3m4mqYe_qtlb5JytLl1x9CsvlNFs2i-FpM9hsXZ1z45roFJodRwBXzV9uQMYj_sOynCsw1N8ia7p3WIvSFrwSl3AiI-Y-k/s1600/Beard6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="782" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOtj5uE_cNSWUjzaiODVE_vK3k-JEMcyHdA0gK8LDNLg0X3m4mqYe_qtlb5JytLl1x9CsvlNFs2i-FpM9hsXZ1z45roFJodRwBXzV9uQMYj_sOynCsw1N8ia7p3WIvSFrwSl3AiI-Y-k/s640/Beard6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Trying to stay near the front at the <a href="http://www.tlicycling.org.uk/" target="_blank">TLI</a> National Circuit Championships at Oulton Park. I felt strong all race and definitely didn't run out of energy, mind you it was only an hour ! I am in good company in this picture with multiple national champion Alan Forrester on the front in green, to my left in white </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">current national champion</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Steve Wilkinson and E category (60-65) winner on the day and on my wheel in blue Andy Donaldson winner of the F category (65-70). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Under fuelling </u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><br /></u></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the drawbacks of doing a full season of age group racing for me is that most of the racing is in the north west and living in the north east means that I often have to drive two hours on the morning of a race. After having a basic breakfast I normally eat nothing in the car on the way there and then just eat a banana or an energy bar after doing my 30 - 40 minute warm up. I may have a gel or a handful of Jelly Babies during the race or I may not. I now realise that I have been seriously under fuelling for the demands of race days and that I have most likely just been running out of energy when it really matters ... in the last 15 - 20 minutes of the race !</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So I will be making three significant changes in the second half of my season:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">1. A radically different approach to race day nutrition, with a detailed plan of what I will be eating for breakfast, on the way to races and before and after. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Making sure that I consume calories every 20 minutes during races.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3. A much more measured approach to the way I use my energy during races, paying much more attention to conserving it where possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>The Beard question</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So now on to the serious issue of this weeks blog and time to address the obvious question that has been raised several times already this season: Is the beard costing me watts ? lets look at the evidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Pretty sure my <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-aero-883/" target="_blank">Ribble Aero 883</a> race whip isn't costing me watts but what about the hairy face ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I haven't been able to track down any academic studies on the topic but there have been a couple of what you might call 'experiments'. In 2014 bike manufacturers Specialized carried out some wind tunnel testing led by the companies aerodynamicist's Chris Yu and Mark Cote to try and establish what happens to a riders drag coefficient with a full beard and after shaving the beard off, Youtube video here - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkmCLOjk2h8" target="_blank">Beard no Beard</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46glV5aYsVhZa2M6JRnxJpOs5n_TlLo1DubrQh9_6Tb9V2ymUsVOvxROCGLulMgqv_0SH8MgYwdirzJLWh9b4FToDVupqkcLjRTxcLJx1Ssln-BfPz3__5ep8P8pgWXjqmKvXT2IzS8g/s1600/Beard14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="960" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46glV5aYsVhZa2M6JRnxJpOs5n_TlLo1DubrQh9_6Tb9V2ymUsVOvxROCGLulMgqv_0SH8MgYwdirzJLWh9b4FToDVupqkcLjRTxcLJx1Ssln-BfPz3__5ep8P8pgWXjqmKvXT2IzS8g/s640/Beard14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">According to Yu there was a detectable difference between the before and after shaving results, but it was very marginal, with the beard was one second slower over 40 km, which I can live with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">A slightly less serious experiment was done by the guys over at GCN <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2557195417642307" target="_blank">Aerobeard</a> again using a wind tunnel, these tests were done with or without what they described as a 'luscious' beard. The only problem with this test was they used a clean shaven subject who then put on a false beard for the second test, not very scientific, presumably because they didn't have a volunteer with a beard ... who was prepared to sacrifice it for the sake of their video !</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">GCN also concluded that the difference was marginal and was also position dependant, but when riding on the hoods a luscious (false) beard was faster. An encouraging outcome for me because if you check the racing pics on today's blog I am on the hoods in all of them. Bit of an issue with the term 'luscious' though as I think that mine has gone a bit beyond the luscious stage to be honest, not so much a neatly trimmed goatee but more a full on Gandalf !</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">So Specialized say slower but GCN say quicker who do I believe ? For the final word who else would I consult other than my friend and <a href="https://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us" target="_blank">Ribble Pro Cycling</a> team mate 'Mr Aero' himself Dan Bigham who I have featured previously on the blog <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/06/on-getting-aero-breaking-records-and.html" target="_blank">On getting aero</a> and <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/03/interview-with-triple-national-track.html" target="_blank">Interview with Dan</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Dan's verdict: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>'It's a well established fact that a substantial beard costs between 7-10 watts but the morale benefits may significantly outweigh this'</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So there we have it, as mine definitely qualifies as substantial it looks like the beard is costing me watts, but nevertheless it's staying ! and I will happily take the significant morale benefit in to the second half of my season.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am going to try and keep it out of the wind though ... obviously !</span></span></div>
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-80001314703273963252019-05-12T12:17:00.004-07:002019-05-12T12:17:53.740-07:00TdY: Teesside team, Teesside artist, Teesside icon.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Last week I was at stage one of the Tour de Yorkshire and what a grand day out it was, and the day gave me an obvious topic for a blog post. I didn't want to just write a race report with pictures though, other people, such as my friend Larry Hickmott over at <a href="https://www.velouk.net/" target="_blank">Velo UK</a> can do that stuff way better than I can. So as there are several local and family links with the the race I have used my usual approach of starting with some decent pics but then taking it in a slightly different direction. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Regular readers will know of my association with Teesside based <a href="https://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us" target="_blank">Ribble Pro Cycling</a> as I have previously posted on how the team began here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/not-just-racing-for-cafe-evolution-of.html" target="_blank">Evolution of a team</a>. My son Jack established the team back in 2012 and it has grown year on year since then culminating in making the step up to UCI level this year and participation in the TdY.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD1cc9JKyej9MejWRUsgdaBd4N7udaKRp2PMlEhiBnsJOKYilJOnu2CYdfFXw7LdCvzSJvsvypUfpDxDOSHOIwrnboW99WtegnZ3g0uskfbJg_WYiIv0o6I5GR60x7jzY5uWRZdSZrcM/s1600/TdY5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD1cc9JKyej9MejWRUsgdaBd4N7udaKRp2PMlEhiBnsJOKYilJOnu2CYdfFXw7LdCvzSJvsvypUfpDxDOSHOIwrnboW99WtegnZ3g0uskfbJg_WYiIv0o6I5GR60x7jzY5uWRZdSZrcM/s640/TdY5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Team Ribble <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl/" target="_blank">Endurance SL</a> race bikes with their stunning 'glitter' paint job attracted a lot of attention at the Doncaster start, and also really stood out during the TV coverage in what were often wet and dark conditions. The rider's spare bikes, the Ribble Aero 883s can be seen behind on the brand new team cars which also looked really impressive in the race convoy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFd4_p562q0AQXYLBLER3jsqNK60SDchDc-0VyUopOVQbdOe5NfuS-1Ry2DCJnZzGD24NUyjI6YvnRYDlvruJCMGPArJPYG8OeuxGm5JyvS2vqrY3zINbiFoqSrsfs5-Hc6DFQOsxBp0/s1600/TdY6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFd4_p562q0AQXYLBLER3jsqNK60SDchDc-0VyUopOVQbdOe5NfuS-1Ry2DCJnZzGD24NUyjI6YvnRYDlvruJCMGPArJPYG8OeuxGm5JyvS2vqrY3zINbiFoqSrsfs5-Hc6DFQOsxBp0/s640/TdY6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Hyundi team cars and a VW Transporter van were provided by <a href="https://www.intack.co.uk/" target="_blank">Intak</a> self drive and were custom wrapped and had their roof racks fitted only a few days before the tour. The team are also fortunate to have this mini hybrid from <a href="https://www.cooperdurhammini.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cooper Mini Durham</a>. With six riders, nine helpers and four vehicles the four day race was a complicated logistical challenge and a huge amount of work was done prior to the race. Credit must go to Tom Timothy Team Principle at Ribble Pro Cycling who produced an extremely detailed plan of the four days that worked perfectly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The riders before the start of stage one and a final briefing from Team Manager Matt Cronshaw (centre) and L-R riders Zeb Kyffin, John Archibald, Jacob Tipper, Scott Auld, Alex Luhrs and Dan Bigham. Instructions from Matt and the team's objective for the stage and the following days was pretty simple - get riders in the break.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpk-PGtwTDeg3l4GKxH100UvnODD4ApKZsyR620D_j_PkWl5oOA9LrapTOL5914GGpO-YaGLCbEB2-kiTohNr2ouZfHG7ailjtQHVRUHeGldU94cbNyg-Svw9Fp17clWhDha2k0Ex_YA/s1600/TdY+warm+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="739" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpk-PGtwTDeg3l4GKxH100UvnODD4ApKZsyR620D_j_PkWl5oOA9LrapTOL5914GGpO-YaGLCbEB2-kiTohNr2ouZfHG7ailjtQHVRUHeGldU94cbNyg-Svw9Fp17clWhDha2k0Ex_YA/s640/TdY+warm+up.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Matt overseeing the final warm up</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Yours truly with a big Team Ribble personality, our man from the valleys Gruff Lewis.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVo4nMeiZwTsJKDIfF_Sad8GzsQpRzOFpzP9wA1q3Bdkw9D3DLxmC9wzJSS4vQvW5eV8NfDTuTuV4hycv_xbNg0PxxMNIUnB-6s2eEkuXrpYaEQbBM_nw1BwyNFnZhvqxr4xUn5CKvsA/s1600/TdY10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="833" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVo4nMeiZwTsJKDIfF_Sad8GzsQpRzOFpzP9wA1q3Bdkw9D3DLxmC9wzJSS4vQvW5eV8NfDTuTuV4hycv_xbNg0PxxMNIUnB-6s2eEkuXrpYaEQbBM_nw1BwyNFnZhvqxr4xUn5CKvsA/s640/TdY10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The posters for this years Tour de Yorkshire produced by the artist Mackenzie Thorpe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">This year the TdY appointed Mackenzie Thorpe as the official artist for the race which delighted my wife Sue who is an avid collector of Mackenzie's work. Teesside born and bred Mackenzie Thorpe is an enthusiastic ambassador for our region and he recently donated an artwork called 'Waiting For Me Dad' as a gift to his home town of Middlesbrough which is now located in its permanent position at the world famous Tees Transporter Bridge in the town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The 'Waiting for Me Dad' sculpture at the iconic Tees Transporter Bridge, nicely colour co-ordinated with my Ribble Aero 883 Custom race bike.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbQK8Zo1YVz525Mwmh1doN9G0pz-slFqry1VlMovNLg2gABhkXv7IwMrQWLAPkX4M7_ZbuxY4Sj3bjNf8XuQPxXYV4BcaqAUVIPZq15Xz3x5Mmjy7A4_IVA9VBRd6qBE4PEaA1Y5oS5g/s1600/TdY17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbQK8Zo1YVz525Mwmh1doN9G0pz-slFqry1VlMovNLg2gABhkXv7IwMrQWLAPkX4M7_ZbuxY4Sj3bjNf8XuQPxXYV4BcaqAUVIPZq15Xz3x5Mmjy7A4_IVA9VBRd6qBE4PEaA1Y5oS5g/s640/TdY17.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Part of Sue's collection of Mackenzie's work featuring the 'Transporter' is this limited edition print, also called 'Waiting For Me Dad'. No need to worry about the risks I took when producing the content for this post, Sue was out when this picture was taken ... obviously.</span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Not only do we have art in this week's blog but poetry too as the Transporter Bridge is featured by north east poet Ian Horn in his poem Ironopolis, the nickname given to the industrial Middlesbrough of a bygone age.</span><br />
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></strong>
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> </strong><strong style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: georgia, arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </strong><strong style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: georgia, arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><u>Ironopolis - The Town That Built The World</u></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b> Where alchemists were born.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Below Cleveland's hills</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>a giant blue dragonfly</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>across the Tees</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>reminds us every night</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We built the world.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Every Metropolis</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>came from Ironopolis.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "georgia" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"></span>'The Fastest' by <a href="https://www.mackenziethorpe.net/" target="_blank">Mackenzie Thorpe</a> part of the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire collection captured in this picture at Mackenzies's gallery in Richmond, appropriately for the purposes of today's blog with a Mackenzie sculpture of the Transporter in the background.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Remember that old saying 'Chicks dig scars' ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Local connections continue with Sue at the TdY depart alongside one of Ribble Pro Cycling's Teesside riders and someone I have known since he was a junior, Scott Auld. New to the team this season and although only twenty two Scott brings considerable experience to the squad having spent the last few seasons racing in Italy, France and Belgium. Given the significant responsibility of Road Captain for the TdY Scott went on to have a great tour, made a big contribution and finished only a few minutes down on the winner. A brilliant performance but all the more remarkable as only thirteen weeks ago he was involved in a very serious accident while training in Spain in which he suffered multiple lacerations, a broken arm and serious facial injuries which required plastic surgery - tough as they come this lad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sharing a joke and a pre-race bag of chips with with long serving team member DS John Reeve </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">This post wouldn't be complete without pictures of these two heroes, Dan Bigham and John Archibald who did Ribble Pro Cycling proud by taking to the podium on stage one and stage three, having won the Dimension Data Most Combative Rider Awards. Dan who has featured previously on the blog here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/06/on-getting-aero-breaking-records-and.html" target="_blank">On Getting Aero</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/03/interview-with-triple-national-track.html" target="_blank">Interview with Dan</a> was the dominant rider in the break on the first day, in a move that was only swallowed up by the peloton metres from the line. John was equally aggressive on stage three making huge efforts to be in the break which eventually succeeded in escaping after numerous attempts. Objective achieved and exceeded fellas - congratulations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this weeks rambling account, next time on the blog: 'Racing with Power'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Now that my race season is well under way this will be the final post in a series of three focusing on my now eight months experience of using a power meter, you can read the first two here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/11/training-with-power-no-soft-tapping.html" target="_blank">#Power1</a> and here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">#Power2</a> - am I now producing a lot more watts, and hitting huge numbers ? maybe ... or maybe not.</span></div>
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<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-19753315343421781752019-03-17T11:54:00.000-07:002019-03-17T11:54:07.831-07:00Racing in Leeds and recovering in Lanza<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy to get my 2019 race season underway last month in Leeds at the Bodington cycle circuit which is part of the excellent <a href="https://sport.leeds.ac.uk/facilities/bodington-playing-fields/" target="_blank">Brownlee Centre</a>. The complex was created by a partnership of British Triathlon, British Cycling, Sport England, UK Sport and Leeds University and the facility is named after the well know Brownlee brothers, two of the UKs leading triathletes who both attended Leeds University.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">It was my first time racing at the Brownlee and although I had heard good reports about it I wasn't really sure what to expect. Turns out the Bodington is a great circuit and I really enjoyed myself. From the pictures and a video that I had seen it looked like the circuit might be a bit dull with two parallel straights only a few metres apart but its actually great fun to race on. From the start it drags up for a couple of hundred metres before swinging left around a small loop, you then descend down to a similar sized left hand loop at the bottom of the circuit, it's quite long, its quite fast and after a few times up the drag its quite tough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Leeds was my first chance to try some of the kit I am using this year, in the picture above my custom Team Ribble <a href="https://limar.com/en/" target="_blank">Limar</a> Airmaster helmet which is excellent. I am wearing Giro shoes again but this pair have been custom painted for me with the blog name and the logo of my favourite cafe The Mockingbird Deli (seemed appropriate) by my friend Charlotte Jarpz, (@jarpz_ on Instagram) If you have an idea for a custom design get in touch with Charlotte HERE <a href="https://jarpz.com/" target="_blank">jarpz.com</a> - she can literally paint anything ! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">On the start line ready to kick of my 2019 campaign, I had decided to do this race just to see how my fitness was as it sounded like a fairly low key affair. My race season 'proper' doesn't start until April but it's good get a race in as the first one of the year is always a bit of an unknown and usually a bit of a shock to the system. The race was a League of Veteran Cyclists (<a href="http://www.lvrc.org.uk/" target="_blank">LVRC</a>) event promoted by Ilkley Cycling Club and faultlessly organised by Ged Millward and was appropriately named ' The see how fit you are circuit race''</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Photographic proof from my mate @darrenmoody of me doing a turn !</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The race was run as handicap with three groups starting separately Cs and Ds (50-60 year old's) first followed by As and Bs (40 to 50 year old's) with the Es and Fs (my group) of the oldest 60 + riders starting last but as the leaders on the circuit, a good formula which resulted in a cracking race. Turns out my legs were decent on the day and I was even tempted to put my beard in the wind once or twice, some of us old codgers did most of the race with a group of very strong C and D riders which made it a pretty hard workout. I was happy to get my first race of 2019 done and to be competitive in the old boys group, a promising start to the season after a difficult few weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Next stop Lanzarote and after three fifteen hour training weeks with a fair bit more intensity than I would normally do my plan was for a recovery week of about nine hours over six days. I had a hire bike booked from the <a href="https://www.free-motion.com/" target="_blank">Free-Motion</a> bike centre in Puerto del Carmen, definitely not the cheapest hire option in the resort but I have used them before the bikes are spot on and their customer service is excellent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">First ride from the hire shop was a gentle pedal along the cycle path between Puerto del Carmen and the Lanzarote capital Arecife. The path runs alongside the airport runway and I was lucky as I passed that I was in the right place at the right time for a good Instagram picture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I usually hire a fairly basic BH bike when in Lanza but when I went to pick it up it was fitted with FSA cranks so my Shimano crank arm with my <a href="https://4iiii.com/" target="_blank">4iiii.com</a> power meter fitted wasn't compatible. Upgrade it was then to a disc brake equipped Pinarello Prince with Ultegra mechanical groupset and Mavic wheels and I have to say it was it was absolutely terrific. I have never been a particular fan of Italian race bikes but this was a fabulous ride although I know that purists will disapprove that it was Shimano equipped rather than Campagnolo - didn't bother me at all as it was set up perfectly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">One of my usual rides when I am in Lanzarote is the climb up to the Timanfaya volcano through the lava fields, then back down towards the small town of Tiaz (above in the distance) This is a fast descent and I picked up a lot of speed on the Pinarello and despite a fairly strong and gusty crosswind the Prince was super stable and gave even a fairly cautious descender like me a lot of confidence, see my post on a previous visit to Lanzarote here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/03/carnival-day-race-day-new-bike-day.html" target="_blank">Lanza bicycle practice.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Its 10.30 AM in Lanza and I promise that's a diet coke - not a pint of Guinness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Even though I was on a rest week surprisingly I only did one 'cafe' ride while I was in Lanza which is a record for me and is what happens when you take your power meter on holiday. I did some race specific efforts on three of the days and in the process picked up a few Strava PRs on segments that I have ridden fifteen or more times (<a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/1324311" target="_blank">My Strava</a>) I either go quite well on San Miguel and sangria or the Pinarello made a difference, might be a bit of both. My 2019 <a href="https://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/" target="_blank">Team Ribble</a> kit from <a href="https://lecol.cc/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq_ztguiJ4QIVNDPTCh2Zww_XEAAYASAAEgLtw_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Le Col</a> (above) arrived just in time for Lanzarote and very nice it is too ... and everything fits perfectly - result !</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Last image from Lanzarote and its Mrs R and I all ready for the Arecife Carnival, a fantastic day out if you ever get a chance to go (fancy dress optional) Hopefully from the above pic its pretty obvious who I went as ? but if your not sure here's a clue 'I just felt like running'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Back home now for a few more weeks of training as my next race isn't until 21st April. Following a spell of illness in January which set me back a bit (see my post here <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2019/02/training-with-power-2-with-peek-at.html" target="_blank">Training with Power #2</a>) I decided to start my season a little bit later this year. I have a full campaign of thirty races planned and the late start makes sense because the TLI and LVRC road race championships are in late August and early September. I am racing on my <a href="https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribble</a> Aero 883 again but with a wheel upgrade, I've only done a few rides on these Zipp 404's and apart from looking great I can already tell they are fast. Thanks for reading, enjoy your riding this summer and good luck if your racing in 2019.</span></div>
Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-51616967414199066362019-02-10T10:43:00.001-08:002019-02-10T14:56:51.861-08:00 Training with power #2 with a peek at Training Peaks<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have been using the <a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" target="_blank">4iiii</a> power meter now since the beginning of November so with three months worth of data and a bit of training with power experience now is probably a good time time for a bit of a review of how it has gone and what I have learned. When I say three months training with the power meter it's actually a bit less as I was forced to take an unplanned break at the beginning of January due to illness, but returning to fitness afterwards turned in to a learning experience in itself, so there is always positive - more on that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Probably the biggest benefit for me so far is that having the power meter has provided me with access to accurate, detailed and reliable training data that has not been available to me in the past. I have been using the <a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" target="_blank">4iiii</a> power meter paired with a <a href="https://uk.wahoofitness.com/" target="_blank">Wahoo</a> <a href="https://uk.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-computers/gps-elemnt-bolt" target="_blank">Elemnt Bolt</a> head unit which is synced to upload automatically to Training Peaks <a href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com/" target="_blank">TP</a> and the information that this combination has given me access to has been a bit of a revelation to be honest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So what has changed ? Well perhaps surprisingly I haven't really become obsessed with the watts that I am producing at any given time, or with my training zones, although I do have them taped to my stem (above) as I'm afraid my memories not what it was ... er where was I ? - oh yes I remember, what has become a key focus is my TSS (Training Stress Score) this is a really useful metric that makes planning and reviewing training much more precise and less a matter of guess work. I now know exactly how much training stress a particular effort, training session or ride induces and as a result I can make sure that my big training weeks are in fact big in terms of TSS but conversely and of equal importance that my recovery days or recovery weeks are what I think they are with the TSS quantified to ensure that I am getting the intended benefit.</span><br />
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<b><u>NOTE:</u></b> Training Stress Score is a composite number calculated by taking in to account the duration and intensity of the training undertaken and is an estimate of of the overall training load and subsequent physiological stress created. To quantify that, one hour at functional threshold power (FTP) which is 95% of your best power output for 20 minutes is equal to 100 TSS points.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9p23OLNG2ZAsSNwzqaACnKJqu_43e7RwUjwvf46K1nIYh2aMt-E9ISZN962kx2U8S89yatEzr-qMreMG09pjGwic7IHGKpCnc2WkpXsStcetMM6iiYHSOxhmyAl90tKd6f5j_o9uKy0/s1600/WahooBolt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1200" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9p23OLNG2ZAsSNwzqaACnKJqu_43e7RwUjwvf46K1nIYh2aMt-E9ISZN962kx2U8S89yatEzr-qMreMG09pjGwic7IHGKpCnc2WkpXsStcetMM6iiYHSOxhmyAl90tKd6f5j_o9uKy0/s640/WahooBolt2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the things I like most about the <a href="https://uk.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-computers/gps-elemnt-bolt" target="_blank">Elemnt Bolt</a> is that it is really easy to use, in part because it's set it up using a smart phone app so there is no scrolling up and down endlessly with the little buttons on the side as with some other computers, not mentioning any particular brand ... Garmin. As with a lot a of devices these days you don't receive an instruction manual with the <a href="https://uk.wahoofitness.com/" target="_blank">Wahoo</a> but with this bit of kit even I didn't need a manual, which is a first. The app enables you to customise the pages just as you want them and enter your training zones etc, very very easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">As I mentioned at the top of this post I picked up a virus in January which completely knocked me out and resulted in me not touching the bike for fourteen days (another first) and even when I started riding again it was a further 10 days before I was training 'properly'. This was less than ideal in terms of preparation for the new season but I had trained really well in the final three months of 2018 so I felt as if I was probably slightly ahead of where I needed to be. That said taking a fortnight off the bike at anytime results in a significant drop in fitness and just how much difference it makes can be seen on the chart below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The is my Performance Management Chart on <a href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com/" target="_blank">Training Peaks </a> one of the features that I pay a lot of attention to especially in this post illness period. This chart shows my training from the beginning of November to today.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAl6kb-XGuloNyEDqs3howrNufyEYtC28OmpYp7vMUp7EbyPSSx1XwCmhmwW_BMwVKUHa-mjnzq5I778xfkeALUZAkcju-EVln8nvqKmCHr1aEuqUknVjWW-feoB6uipKdF-900hSwG0/s1600/Power+Sun+10th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAl6kb-XGuloNyEDqs3howrNufyEYtC28OmpYp7vMUp7EbyPSSx1XwCmhmwW_BMwVKUHa-mjnzq5I778xfkeALUZAkcju-EVln8nvqKmCHr1aEuqUknVjWW-feoB6uipKdF-900hSwG0/s640/Power+Sun+10th.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The first significant thing to notice is the series of red dots at the bottom of the chart right of centre, these are the fourteen consecutive days off the bike I was forced to take at the beginning of January. What is also pretty obvious is the sharp drop in the <span style="background-color: #ea9999;">PINK</span> line which represents my Acute Training Load (ATL) or simply put my level of <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">FATIGUE</span></b>. The <span style="background-color: #3d85c6;">BLUE</span> line which also declines fairly rapidly is Chronic Training Load (CTL) essentially this is my <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">FITNESS.</span></b> The final and rapidly rising <span style="background-color: #f6b26b;">ORANGE </span>line is Training Stress Balance (TSB) or my <b><span style="color: orange;">FORM</span></b> which is best thought of as my race readiness and is calculated by subtracting yesterdays fatigue from yesterdays fitness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">If TSB is a negative number the bigger it is the more fatigue I have so as the TSB line rises sharply I shed all of the fatigue (because I am not training) but unfortunately any form I had goes with it. On the graph my TSB goes to +54 which is a big number and this is not good, to put that figure in perspective when I had good form just before Christmas my TSB was in the range -5 to +5. Take home message from the chart for me is that having being unable to ride for two weeks it will take me five to six weeks of structured training to get back to where I was before my illness, further confirmation, if any were needed that consistency is key ! I have found that in the last few weeks monitoring a rising TSS line has been a really good motivator to get out and train properly and not just mince about riding to the cafe. Having race specific structured efforts to do during a ride has a big impact on TSS and on fitness ... not too surprisingly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Two other metrics that Training Peaks provides that I have found myself looking at after almost every ride are my normalised power (NP) and the intensity factor (IF) for the ride. NP is calculated using a fairly complex algorithm but in essence it accounts for the variation in effort for a particular ride. If a ride contains a lot of climbing or high intensity efforts the NP will be higher than on a more evenly paced ride when the normalised power will be fairly close to the average power, NP is then another way of quantifying training stress. Related to NP is the intensity factor (IF) of the ride which is used to calculate TSS and is the ratio between NP and FTP and provides a number which represents a relative intensity based on my threshold power. There ... simple ? if at this point if you are suffering from abbreviation overload, my apologies, pause, take a deep breath and try to read those three paragraphs again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe0HsVt7PJKIXrmljAl5255Hvx6FyM9IIxJ1LIiGrEDFuobAV2tV3nM8MgxN3yhdCbZGqb7UT2hAINjsZeYllr7YEUI2RiRSdAjgf_iy_wT_k1QIgubrg32Fh4goKObAH2kHOVw6mecY/s1600/P2-WB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="807" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe0HsVt7PJKIXrmljAl5255Hvx6FyM9IIxJ1LIiGrEDFuobAV2tV3nM8MgxN3yhdCbZGqb7UT2hAINjsZeYllr7YEUI2RiRSdAjgf_iy_wT_k1QIgubrg32Fh4goKObAH2kHOVw6mecY/s640/P2-WB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">A great feature that is available by combining 4iiii with Wahoo and Training Peaks is the Work Out Builder. It's not too often that I have to train alone, I am pretty lucky in that I have good people to train with who are usually doing structured sessions with specific efforts tailored towards road races and crits. This gives me the luxury of not having to think too much about what to do on any given day I just turn up at the allotted time and do whatever they are doing, or at least a version of it. On the odd occasion when I know I will be training solo Jack (son/coach) who has access to my Training Peaks adds a session which I can download to my Wahoo (above) and I can follow the specifics of the session on the head unit display ... whatever will they think of next ?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95oLL1l6mK6HtiQSMjLOp8Cs9uHZ8fK79CUCo6amMMmOUJoqqarXFNXAGOpXk4lOvmBk55jrZgaTC_C0P3yjicLMmNl_WnuPtgLTq49-quY7i7ivhdt9S_bkIQ7OyKdtLKpoDN8S6zgU/s1600/Powerdirty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="622" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95oLL1l6mK6HtiQSMjLOp8Cs9uHZ8fK79CUCo6amMMmOUJoqqarXFNXAGOpXk4lOvmBk55jrZgaTC_C0P3yjicLMmNl_WnuPtgLTq49-quY7i7ivhdt9S_bkIQ7OyKdtLKpoDN8S6zgU/s640/Powerdirty.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">In over three months of hard winter riding up to now my 4iiii power meter has proved to be completely reliable. I fitted a new battery last week but that was after 136 hours of use, a lot better than the 100 hours <a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" target="_blank">4iiii</a> predict. The power meter has to be calibrated before every ride which is quick and dead simple. Just switch the head unit on and allow it to power up, turn the cranks backwards a couple of revolutions and leave them at 90 deg, press calibrate, wait a few seconds and you get a calibration complete message on the head unit. I could almost write a whole blog post on the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt because it really is good and the best bike computer I have ever used. To be clear at this point and for the sake of transparency I didn't get it for free I and I also pay for my <a href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com/" target="_blank">Training Peaks</a> subscripton although as I mentioned in my previous post on this topic my power meter was provided gratis by the nice folks over at <a href="http://www.4iiiiuk.com/" target="_blank">4iiiiUK</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Testing HARD - Training HARDER</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">If you read my first post on <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/11/training-with-power-no-soft-tapping.html" target="_blank">Training with Power</a> you might just remember that I did a series of tests over three consecutive days of 1 minute, 5 minutes and 20 minutes to establish my functional threshold power (FTP) and to set my power training zones. I did these tests at the beginning of November when I was feeling good and I was happy with how the testing went, my 5 min power came out at <b>235</b> watts which I felt was about right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I took the picture below on 25th November, just over three weeks after my initial testing. This was a training ride with some of the boys from <a href="https://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/" target="_blank">Team Ribble</a> who were planning a hilly four hours over the North Yorkshire Moors. Although I was going quite well at the time it was not really a ride for me so my plan was to stick with them for as long as I could, hoping to hang on at the back until the top of the first significant climb Clay Bank.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl9ViUBGi68zUcSX3pF8YtnGfXHkWN44znsuKI2UYuLrxAwkBf4zCPYBaqOewSepnvlpIwMTM7Jms4kz490Oj-5Bu8c5gzD1n8GRHYJbvQK0AegNlrQR1St2ym5vhqrisWxk4UT4Qzck/s1600/P2-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl9ViUBGi68zUcSX3pF8YtnGfXHkWN44znsuKI2UYuLrxAwkBf4zCPYBaqOewSepnvlpIwMTM7Jms4kz490Oj-5Bu8c5gzD1n8GRHYJbvQK0AegNlrQR1St2ym5vhqrisWxk4UT4Qzck/s640/P2-4.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">We are heading for the hills and looking at the rain clouds in the distance I was quite relieved that I didn't have four hours to do like the boys. Pictured on the right having just put his rain jacket on Ben Hetherington full time rider with <a href="http://www.memilprocycling.com/2017/12/10/memilbikes/" target="_blank">Memil Pro Cycling</a> who I featured on the blog in December <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/12/ben-h-racing-from-front-in-far-east.html" target="_blank">BenH</a> in front of Ben is Richard Jones (<a href="https://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/" target="_blank">Team Ribble</a>) another good friend who also happens to be the man behind the innovative <a href="https://www.tyrekey.com/" target="_blank">Tyrekey</a>, on his left Joe Wilson a super strong Team Ribble junior and on Joe's left Jack, Team Ribble founder. I have previously posted on Jack's approach to training HERE <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/12/7-winter-days-what-elite-rider-did-and.html" target="_blank">How Elites Train</a> and HERE <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/02/polarised-training-avoiding-grey-days.html" target="_blank">Polarised Training</a>. Also present and at the front of the group but not visible in this pic Scott Auld a talented local rider who I have known for years who joins the team this year having spent the last few seasons racing in Europe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtWlN4N8os_kztgOvU-9jRj_YGkyJq30sFXLlIECBdkTj2crlPfyz1OVO8SmqpBxPcIl4MLZVWExq30YhjY2F9h0QpIyLLtJ3kqA_akpRsQQJT_D4npVKF-owN8aqYTBEvWg_q9m_lLo/s1600/Power+Strava.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1043" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtWlN4N8os_kztgOvU-9jRj_YGkyJq30sFXLlIECBdkTj2crlPfyz1OVO8SmqpBxPcIl4MLZVWExq30YhjY2F9h0QpIyLLtJ3kqA_akpRsQQJT_D4npVKF-owN8aqYTBEvWg_q9m_lLo/s640/Power+Strava.png" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yep the chain was tight going up Clay Bank for sure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">As we hit the bottom of the climb the pace started to pick up as one of the nice young men at the front (knob head) decided that a little bit of half wheeling was in order. The speed went up rapidly but not as rapidly as my heart rate, I wasn't really paying much attention to my watts as I was too focused on the fact that well before the halfway point I was on <b>98%</b> of my max HR. The inevitable happened soon after, I popped and watched the boys ride away in to the distance, at least it meant I could stop at the car park at the top to recover and take a picture for Instagram - silver lining.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhUDcnrpn7cX3G8IDXZIsu09Fs4Qcd0OvhZ_2l62EKF4-ISZXpgWYUjBt4Wai4nNc2DrnoC9yWcXwRfJfqDdEEtAPUQHqZTo_Txadv4Awzh2qSrSDeyj6HZuDIb15VPY3zhxOhCf5n-Y/s1600/Power+Clay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="752" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhUDcnrpn7cX3G8IDXZIsu09Fs4Qcd0OvhZ_2l62EKF4-ISZXpgWYUjBt4Wai4nNc2DrnoC9yWcXwRfJfqDdEEtAPUQHqZTo_Txadv4Awzh2qSrSDeyj6HZuDIb15VPY3zhxOhCf5n-Y/s640/Power+Clay.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Can't remember what happened to my bottle ? maybe I threw it a someone ?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So what's this little tale leading to ? well on the climb up Clay Bank trying desperately to hold on to the group I actually produced <b>251</b> watts for five minutes which is <b>16</b> watts more than I did when I tested three weeks earlier a <b>7%</b> improvement in my power output in just three weeks, absolutely brilliant ! and without really changing my training - result ! ... or was it ? well unfortunately, probably not. I already had those extra watts I just hadn't managed to access them when I did my testing. A more likely explanation for my improved five minute performance that day was a due to something called social facilitation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">It was way back in 1898 that an American psychologist at the University of Indiana called Norman Triplett noticed that cyclists who achieved the fastest times (according to the world records of the day) did so when they were in the company of others and the slowest times were achieved by those riding alone, against the clock. Triplett went on to conduct a series of experiments to define the effects of what is now called social facilitation. Further research since Triplett's early discovery has established that its not just the presence of others that is important for social facilitation to occur but the apprehension about being evaluated by them, it basically means that when you are racing against someone else or in front of an audience you are able to tap in to energy that would otherwise not be available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">This is useful and it partly explains why I can generally do reasonably OK in road races but why I have always been absolutely rubbish at time trials, obviously the fact that there is nowhere to hide in a TT might be a factor too ? That said any race in which I can't get my hairy face out of the wind and have 'sit in' is in my humble opinion an ill conceived format ... just saying. In all seriousness though, this is a really valuable bit of knowledge that I wouldn't have had without training with the power meter. It means that this season when a really hard five minute effort is required at a crucial moment in a race and I am on the limit I will be using my Clay Bank watts as a guide and not the watts that I did in my initial test, that is of course unless I test higher before the race season starts !</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading and please pop back as I have some good stuff coming up in the next few weeks, including a post on my first experience of the cycling phenomenon that is <a href="https://zwift.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shift_uk_search_zwift_performance&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9PHQ7_ms4AIVqp3tCh0zTAx5EAAYASAAEgJ2dPD_BwE" target="_blank">Zwift</a> ... admit it, you know you want to try it too !</span><br />
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-21012325034380732532018-12-16T10:51:00.000-08:002018-12-16T10:51:13.440-08:00Ben H: Racing from the front in the far eastCast your mind back to the summer, remember those glorious months when we hardly ever needed to wear our arm warmers or wash our bikes. Up here in the north east one of the highlights of our cycling summer was the National Road Race Championships in July held on a circuit around Stamfordham in Northumberland and what an event it was. Brilliant weather, a great circuit, big crowds and a well deserved win for Connor Swift of Madison Genesis. For north east fans though the highlight of the day was seeing one of our own, Ben Hetherington finishing an incredible 6th after being in the break all day with some of the best riders in the country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8kRbTQDElkJcyIiQjvdZTXgIbjgC2-G__1ekgvND0imp_5wZPXqtyFA7elGoj7VnvXsBHqgo1kaUSw241PhtTgcQwZ5bzARqijRyy2vddzVopuNCqJIximR0XC1-CMaDwGz0sV0cW58/s1600/Ben38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="802" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8kRbTQDElkJcyIiQjvdZTXgIbjgC2-G__1ekgvND0imp_5wZPXqtyFA7elGoj7VnvXsBHqgo1kaUSw241PhtTgcQwZ5bzARqijRyy2vddzVopuNCqJIximR0XC1-CMaDwGz0sV0cW58/s400/Ben38.jpg" width="334" /></a></div>
Above Ben in the break and on the front at the Nationals climbing the infamous Ryals. At this point the lead group contained sixteen riders including eventual runner up Adam Blythe (Aqua Blue) and third place finisher Owain Doull (Team Sky) and had established a three minute lead over the peleton<br />
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The manner of Ben's ride and his result at the nationals may have came as a bit of a surprise to some UK cycling fans and it certainly seemed to surprise the commentators as he is not particularly well known on the UK pro scene. North east fans were less surprised though as Ben is a very popular rider in the region who has twice won the north east Divisional Road Race Championships (2015 and 2016) and has been a prolific winner of regional road races, circuit races, and time trials for a number of seasons. The reason that Ben's UK profile is relatively low is because he races for a Finnish team <a href="https://www.facebook.com/memilccnprocycling/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank">Memil/CCN Pro Cycling</a> and does almost all of his racing abroad, in Scandinavia, eastern Europe and particularly the far east, especially in China<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSXPaF9yfop0f6CJRO5OSSGKA4Fy3leON9ZqBMRYhzK0zapi8QBrC-Z_jaOcivTRHfMYd8s_2legePZViUJYHT-Ntmjy_YrvkNwYnBj6KjBypSYgQR0FbOClq3xhJkA6aHClVvXKN1c4/s1600/Ben37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="960" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSXPaF9yfop0f6CJRO5OSSGKA4Fy3leON9ZqBMRYhzK0zapi8QBrC-Z_jaOcivTRHfMYd8s_2legePZViUJYHT-Ntmjy_YrvkNwYnBj6KjBypSYgQR0FbOClq3xhJkA6aHClVvXKN1c4/s400/Ben37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the Tuesday evening after his epic ride at the nationals Ben had recovered sufficiently to race in our local <a href="http://www.tlicycling.org.uk/" target="_blank">TLI </a> summer series at the Croft motor racing circuit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/croftcycleracing/" target="_blank">Croftcycleracing</a>. Above warming up with a another good friend, training partner and team mate in the Ribble Development Squad Jason Hurt enjoying first hand Ben's account of over 100 miles in the break with some of the UK's top professionals and valiant attack during the run in to the finish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZGa-ObafZKZDHQUOVx2LKFY5YcWP2_AQw__vtCz24xlNl9pLDw3fbNHq4YRY_qIwp4sHCal7JnUaczL18nK-KKKtL1mLVfoLoMi5j-mRfexaqKL5381A2MJaVn91ECuIhztESymiJIY/s1600/Ben+Croft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="960" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZGa-ObafZKZDHQUOVx2LKFY5YcWP2_AQw__vtCz24xlNl9pLDw3fbNHq4YRY_qIwp4sHCal7JnUaczL18nK-KKKtL1mLVfoLoMi5j-mRfexaqKL5381A2MJaVn91ECuIhztESymiJIY/s400/Ben+Croft.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Professional-Service/Dean-Reeve-Photography-156450934375430/" target="_blank">Dean Reeve Photography</a></div>
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Above another picture of Ben at the Croft circuit, (taken by another mate Dean Reeve) this time with his hands in the air taking a solo victory riding for our team before we became <a href="http://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us/" target="_blank"> Ribble Pro Cycling</a>. I have previously posted here on the <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/02/not-just-racing-for-cafe-evolution-of.html" target="_blank">evolution of the team</a> and its development over the last six years, a process which continues into 2019 with the step up to UCI level. Ben flourished during his three seasons with the team and won a lot of bike races during that time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkQbun-hayw1QUiu5WB-c3YIlBeL7NPzqsVVb3ACyqS2qSGjUA-IBT3UYLEDcvCE8Xk2fOBd5BE4-nQ1zkcWH1lbDmh-P_v8NskkQpKiWEkzZ2Wvstm8MsegNCyJ8mD-6WxF86FoDh6g/s1600/Ben42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="870" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkQbun-hayw1QUiu5WB-c3YIlBeL7NPzqsVVb3ACyqS2qSGjUA-IBT3UYLEDcvCE8Xk2fOBd5BE4-nQ1zkcWH1lbDmh-P_v8NskkQpKiWEkzZ2Wvstm8MsegNCyJ8mD-6WxF86FoDh6g/s400/Ben42.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>
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I usually catch up with Ben a couple of times during his fleeting visits back to the UK, above enjoying the sun at one of our favourite cafes. I think on this occasion Ben had just returned from the ten day Tour de Maroc where the team had an excellent tour and took a stage win.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKAYjcYXt5-TwtB7DvvDQ9BlequE_965W-kiTBpEw7wxIhWEXDGPXTwOc6OCJST4lVX6wM6XL9cHPhLPn5gFgGFyKDlJdjX7gMAq7UZMoPwTKgLCzdehbvtUPNaFd3icvKiWb3y2sxtI/s1600/Ben30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="539" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKAYjcYXt5-TwtB7DvvDQ9BlequE_965W-kiTBpEw7wxIhWEXDGPXTwOc6OCJST4lVX6wM6XL9cHPhLPn5gFgGFyKDlJdjX7gMAq7UZMoPwTKgLCzdehbvtUPNaFd3icvKiWb3y2sxtI/s400/Ben30.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/memilccnprocycling/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank">Memil/CCN Pro Cycling</a> squad with Ben centre and on his right two other UK pro's who I know, next to Ben is Rob Orr who rode with our team a couple of seasons ago and on Rob's right sprinter Jacob Tipper who rode for <a href="http://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">Ribble Pro Cycling</a> in 2017. To Ben's left is Finnish rider Hiski Kanerva and completing the line up from the Netherlands Roy Eefting</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3CDFcKQtQxXbyDj4ZpIGahM-Lcx-3UI692QmdaeVhJC0DNsqpF1WEk1Sqi5GoXWESxH2ZS4dc2WaTK-BHtUeCCIyC2WnktprCYuArnG_2-swsVj6DcAyaAv3dDfsfn7SVr6dtIsEaTc/s1600/Ben22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="540" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3CDFcKQtQxXbyDj4ZpIGahM-Lcx-3UI692QmdaeVhJC0DNsqpF1WEk1Sqi5GoXWESxH2ZS4dc2WaTK-BHtUeCCIyC2WnktprCYuArnG_2-swsVj6DcAyaAv3dDfsfn7SVr6dtIsEaTc/s400/Ben22.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Above - The Memil/CCN boys are presented to the crowd (below) at the opening ceremony of the eleven stage Tour of Poyang Lake in China. Memil/CCN Pro Cycling are a UCI Asia Continental team whose title sponsors are Swedish cycling brand <a href="http://www.memilbike.com/" target="_blank">Memil</a> and <a href="http://www.ccnsport.com/" target="_blank">CCN</a> a Hong Kong based sports clothing manufacturer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYkVUvcog78G-wKu406ufYaYgiJZ9KiFv4JlkvseDqDju-vSqghTdOBUhn0Tw1oE2O4Mb0hSz7HFyTaeHc7FyQ15p4g7oIgkdIEKI6-_Toxycmfzl-IKl1qG6Np8FtMFUyGJIzIG1yo8/s1600/Bene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="960" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYkVUvcog78G-wKu406ufYaYgiJZ9KiFv4JlkvseDqDju-vSqghTdOBUhn0Tw1oE2O4Mb0hSz7HFyTaeHc7FyQ15p4g7oIgkdIEKI6-_Toxycmfzl-IKl1qG6Np8FtMFUyGJIzIG1yo8/s400/Bene.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Through conversations with Ben and from following him on Instagram (<b>@ben.h95</b>) I realised how incredibly popular bike racing is in China and the far east generally. Tens of thousands of spectators attend the opening ceremonies, hundreds of thousands of spectators watch every stage by the roadside and local TV audiences are regularly in the tens of millions</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7BwvcqxTMXiOojdUwnsDt4-tI3PaDbRpVB1OWvjNLfr8Fi-W8EkaPMrkVD7Ue5LHzdCXBeGVV1gGJ0_hf7yaxhYSRrkiV9nlubgrK-b3oEuPM9Yj12UlamYw9yVJa6pFRsxBME6DDmM/s1600/Bena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="960" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7BwvcqxTMXiOojdUwnsDt4-tI3PaDbRpVB1OWvjNLfr8Fi-W8EkaPMrkVD7Ue5LHzdCXBeGVV1gGJ0_hf7yaxhYSRrkiV9nlubgrK-b3oEuPM9Yj12UlamYw9yVJa6pFRsxBME6DDmM/s400/Bena.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Equally huge crowds watched the opening ceremony prior to the prestigious Tour of Qinghai Lake above Ben gives the fans a wave as he is introduced.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut52ddXD0FRNLu49AjY3dAAkPZSbkezX7qjTpiOTa_KAHX33VIw8m6uOtZW58_97_mzrpBUtf34yMZz9aiU0pl6G8cYwyF2ORcOvuRx2TdiYY9xaKl84FxnS5x8IxWEFvDzPIzU6GyLY/s1600/Ben13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut52ddXD0FRNLu49AjY3dAAkPZSbkezX7qjTpiOTa_KAHX33VIw8m6uOtZW58_97_mzrpBUtf34yMZz9aiU0pl6G8cYwyF2ORcOvuRx2TdiYY9xaKl84FxnS5x8IxWEFvDzPIzU6GyLY/s400/Ben13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also waving at Qinghai Lake Jacob Tipper as he sprints to victory on stage eleven. After a very successful season experiencing international competition with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/memilccnprocycling/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank">Memil/CCN</a> Jacob is returning to race a predominantly European programme with <a href="http://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">Ribble Pro Cycling</a> in 2019.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWAKF3g8Atxyn7DLUgRRtr40foagEb_eGAgSwWLUNr9hCGf0soPkmUQcWRymY1BK-zo41iMBoYsSHB-hKgPEZC3wZfFkZk9Br8YAFcpwhMDemiTA9YZl58d5jibRdUMk7XHS2wLn8NW8/s1600/Ben5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="643" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWAKF3g8Atxyn7DLUgRRtr40foagEb_eGAgSwWLUNr9hCGf0soPkmUQcWRymY1BK-zo41iMBoYsSHB-hKgPEZC3wZfFkZk9Br8YAFcpwhMDemiTA9YZl58d5jibRdUMk7XHS2wLn8NW8/s400/Ben5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Ben on the front working for the team at the Tour of Qinghai Lake. This year was the 17th edition of the 2.HC race which is part of the UCI Asia Tour, click here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tourofqinghailake/" target="_blank">ToQL-FB</a> for some great images and videos from this year including one with the highlights of Stage 11 which the team won <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAgDCkp7coM&feature=share" target="_blank">ToQLStge11</a> watching these video gives you a real sense of how massive these races are.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN6NZdNp7U2o1ZhxbYPq8ZUVHIxrk-68AQINzMFDTcdGHY8XKSUU2pKtuRCnMBnCSH0c_FWM1JSyDeGBMOhKKZQQuPDz7_gEnEP_r0Fh0vkWm_GCfogliFmioh9jsCkucZ5nJeCdpgP4/s1600/Ben2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="720" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN6NZdNp7U2o1ZhxbYPq8ZUVHIxrk-68AQINzMFDTcdGHY8XKSUU2pKtuRCnMBnCSH0c_FWM1JSyDeGBMOhKKZQQuPDz7_gEnEP_r0Fh0vkWm_GCfogliFmioh9jsCkucZ5nJeCdpgP4/s400/Ben2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This time off the front and a typically aggressive move animating the race. Ben is a rider who is always keen to get in a break but he is also a bit of a specialist at the lone attack and if he gets away his time trialling strength makes him extremely difficult to bring back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVzoMg-1jxp7LSLTGLnT3iXIRtXFfs-ZW2qVM61FY4ukchmv0HxFOy7sxaqptbvgu8VcVR91xSS7Y6NpqP9wdOFtL-qRFSkK9BIJyz-2bguTk5B0R7kVJ5HoUTErR9ex1QyU_4Ij_ttE/s1600/Ben40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="960" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVzoMg-1jxp7LSLTGLnT3iXIRtXFfs-ZW2qVM61FY4ukchmv0HxFOy7sxaqptbvgu8VcVR91xSS7Y6NpqP9wdOFtL-qRFSkK9BIJyz-2bguTk5B0R7kVJ5HoUTErR9ex1QyU_4Ij_ttE/s400/Ben40.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Yes I am pretty sure the Memil boys enjoy racing in China.The team's race calendar for 2019 has yet to be fully finalised but it is likely to start with the tours of the Phillipines, Taiwan and Langkawi along with another trip to the Tour de Moroc. Following the Tour of Norway in May Memil/CCN will be returning to China for a series of major stage races likely to include the Tour of Hainan.<br />
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<b><u>LATEST</u></b><br />
Ben is currently in Spain preparing for the 2019 season but unfortunately his training block has not got off to a great start as earlier this week he was struck by a car during a training ride.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFGu418oX0xvN28Jxaoow_pMR47Gpopmdk4OMrzh39IrYuW_YAlKsyFsg8UIu51FOYCpZaUl0MHyTvTXF6MxdnWl1Ayz_J3D51ISFDLe1wRzD3mSLHX6paojoxCFFzmOiIZkg6Obce_E/s1600/Ben+crash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="811" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFGu418oX0xvN28Jxaoow_pMR47Gpopmdk4OMrzh39IrYuW_YAlKsyFsg8UIu51FOYCpZaUl0MHyTvTXF6MxdnWl1Ayz_J3D51ISFDLe1wRzD3mSLHX6paojoxCFFzmOiIZkg6Obce_E/s320/Ben+crash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Tues 11th December - just before impact<br />
As you can see from this video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO55LP4qf1s&fbclid=IwAR29ZjgHB1sBfa80LnqdeRGaGpy33g1E170O0eGIBOWjdwyENNgMhI2Bpkg" target="_blank">collision</a> in which Ben is at the front of the line (obviously) it was a nasty accident and although his bike was completely destroyed Ben suffered relatively minor injuries. A bit of a setback for sure, but thanks to tremendous support from friends at <a href="https://blancabikes.com/" target="_blank">Blanca Bikes</a> Ben is already back training, although feeling a bit sore. You can keep up to date with Ben's training and 2019 racing season on his blog <a href="http://benhetherington95.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Trying To Make My Dream Reality</a> - looks to me like he already has!<br />
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Next post will be in 2019 have a great Christmas and thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058318935400464452.post-21723770281613252282018-12-02T10:43:00.000-08:002018-12-02T10:43:31.141-08:00Behind the scenes at the worlds best bike fit.<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As regular blog readers will know I do my bike racing with <a href="http://www.ribbleprocycling.co.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">RibbleProCycling</a> and while I now only compete in <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2018/05/two-tours-big-one-in-worcestershire-and.html" target="_blank">LVRC</a> and <a href="http://www.theraceforthecafe.com/2017/10/too-old-for-racing-age-is-just-letter.html" target="_blank">TLI</a> age related events what Ribble Pro Cycling is really about is racing at the very highest level both domestically and internationally. The team have been top of the UK points rankings for the last two seasons and are stepping up to UCI level in 2019. To ensure their continued success the team are continually searching for innovative companies to work with and a number of new partners have already been announced for 2019, one of them being <a href="http://www.physiohaus.co.uk/" target="_blank">Physiohaus</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">So when Jack (team rider/coach/training partner/son) mentioned that he had an appointment for a bike fit I decided to tag along as knew it would be an interesting day out and maybe make a decent blog post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The fit was at Physiohaus HQ in
Jesmond, Newcastle and was to be done by John Dennis who is a genuine expert in
this field and arguably one of the best bike fitters in the world. The whole
process was scheduled to take approx two and half hours and the first stage was
a pre-fit physical examination. John's expert physiotherapists eye
assessed Jack's physical limitations, imbalances, previous injuries and aches
and pains, as well as discussing current position and aims and goals for the
coming season.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">John has twenty seven years experience as a Chartered
Physiotherapist and he has done at lot of work with elite athletes, having
previously been Lead Physio for both Badminton England and British Triathlon.
He has also plied his trade as part of Team GB at World Championships, the
Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. Recognised as being an expert on
bio-mechanics John has trained bike fitters all over the world and if someone is using the Retul system there is a good chance that they will have done a
course with John or a member of his team, so this is a guy who knows his
stuff for sure. </span></span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Above yours truly in
action capturing the all important blog content ... not really I am just
pretending. I have literally no idea how to use that camera, not a clue I just
use my phone, for this shot on a tripod with a remote control clicker thingy, I
bought on Ebay. </span></span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">You might think that describing
John as arguably the worlds best bike fitter is a bit of bold statement but if you watched him work and heard his experience I'm pretty sure you would agree.
He has been using Retul technology since 2009 and he has fitted riders from,
Team Sky, Orica, MTN Qhubeka, Europe Car and Radioshack as well as pro
triathletes from the ITU and Ironman circuits.</span></span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Above on the saddle and
hanging from it is something called the Gebiomized saddle pressure
mapping system, bit of a mouthful but a really clever bit of kit. It's used to
accurately assess how and where the rider sits on his saddle. This was the
first stage of the fit and seemed like a sensible place to start, not only as
an important element of the bike fit process but also in relation to
saddle comfort issues and choice of the most suitable saddle.</span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The system is comprised of a thin flexible film with sixty four sensors embedded in it. The data is wirelessly transmitted to the screen and a pressure map is displayed showing weight distribution across the saddle in a colour scale, both static and while pedalling under load. Jack has noticed that he sometimes gets more wear on one side of his cycling shorts than the other and the reason for this was pretty clear from the pressure map.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Physiohaus use the Retul 3D motion
capture system to assess the riders biomechanical profile, </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">eight LED markers are positioned at key points
and the motion capture system uses them to collect real time, three dimensional
data from every pedal stroke. This facility to stream data in real time while
the rider is actually pedalling under load is a big advantage as the riders
strengths weakness and areas for improvement can not only be identified very
quickly but can be viewed on the screen in real time - pretty impressive.</span></span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">All of the measurements were taken from
both sides to ensure that every degree of movement and millimeter of
distance was captured, providing solid data to compliment the other stages of
the fit process and to support the fit recommendations. The human body
is rarely perfectly symmetrical and when you are perched on something that is symmetrical ... like a bike, these differences become more evident. The ability
to </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">expertly
interpret the data is crucial to achieving the aim of the bike fit which is
to arrive at an optimal position and a balance between left and right
sides. </span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">This real time data is
converted by the Retul software in to numbers that John then used to dial in
Jack's perfect position. This was then converted in to a digital map of the
final bike set up and riding position. All the information from the session
then goes in to a final fit report to have for reference later.</span></span><span style="font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Jack getting a summary
of the results and some recommendations from John, which boiled down to moving
his saddle up and forward and due to having a long back changing his stem to
get longer and lower. Cyclists in general are often meticulous in their
attention to detail particularly when it comes to equipment choices and
training programmes but can sometimes be guilty of overlooking the fundamentals
in other areas, a bike fit by an expert like John can optimise riding position
not only to maximise performance but also to help you get more comfortable and
prevent aches and pains and potential injuries.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "titillium web" , "geneva" , "tahoma" , sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmkgm3S-5AE0bdQDxHW2KLmBcl9oBzBk-Nb28wbogbeEV_wDKWJ_A-nsVqEAlz202rXMBQOpgs5PQeKUbiubwtnv4h690gLmdNPTX46iNN5tiO9HnYnQH8SBcM1Q_Hyk64rauNu8GY7A/s1600/Physio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmkgm3S-5AE0bdQDxHW2KLmBcl9oBzBk-Nb28wbogbeEV_wDKWJ_A-nsVqEAlz202rXMBQOpgs5PQeKUbiubwtnv4h690gLmdNPTX46iNN5tiO9HnYnQH8SBcM1Q_Hyk64rauNu8GY7A/s640/Physio.jpg" width="574" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">As the name suggests
Physiohaus are not just about bike fitting and they have a highly qualified
team of five physiotherapists and two sports therapists in Jesmond </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.physiohaus.co.uk/physiotherapy-team" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">PhysioTeam</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> although I'm not sure even they could do much for this
fella who was hanging about all morning and starting to freak me out to be
honest. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Next time a feature on my mate Ben a pro for UCI Continental team <a href="https://www.facebook.com/memilccnprocycling/" target="_blank">MemilCCNProcycling</a> with race pics from all over the world ... and various other places :-) its going to be a good one ! </span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447498008446388378noreply@blogger.com0