Herneweb Cycling Blog and Photos

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noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sat, 01 May 2010 12:41:00 +0000

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Freewheelin'

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:44:00 +0000

Due to other commitments I will not be posting on the blog for an extended period, although the cycling will continue.

I hope visitors will still enjoy browsing the photos.

First evening outing

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:34:00 +0000

"Come out to play,
Now the light nights are here..."
Light Nights, Paul Weller

I finally got the first weekday evening ride of the year in today; an excellent two hour spin to Box Hill under clear sunny skies. If things stay like this it's going to be a cracking summer.

Spot the difference

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:27:00 +0000

The good thing about a titanium frame is that it will last for year after year. The bad thing about a titanium frame is that it will last for year after year. UCI officials excluded, not many cyclists can deny they get a buzz from a new piece of technology or gadgetry. So, as the proud owner of a titanium Airborne (now Van Nicholas) Komet for the last few years (and some time to come I'm hope) I am contenting myself with slowly upgrading components and dialling in the position rather than forking out for the thrill of a new steed.

The top image is from 2006 and the bottom one was taken recently. So what's changed?

Gradual replacements of the groupset components from Campag Daytona to Centaur. Carbon shifters :-), new style brakes etc.
Replaced the Easton EA70 Fork with a Ritchey Carbon version after a badly fitted FSA headset damaged the steerer on the Easton.
Move to FSA compact chainset. I am very disappointed with this, the FSA bottom brackets have very poor durability and are a pain to set-up. I will be upgrading to Ultra Torque very shortly.
Replaced gimmicky slimline Elite bottle cages with normal diameter alloy cages.
General wear and tear meant a move from the test Flash-Point FP60's to Mavic Ksyrium Elites which have been, and still are, an excellent all-round pair of wheels.
I have found the most comfortable saddle I have ever used in the form of a Fizik Arione and will stick with this as long as they are still around.
Finally, the yellow and white US Air Force style decals were looking pretty hideous, so I set upon the frame with a bottle of nail polish remover (purer acetone is best for anyone else thinking of trying this at home). It took a lot of soaking and elbow grease but I managed to completely remove the offending stickers and with a bit of a polish the frame has come up a treat. You'd never know the decals were there, all that is left is a tasteful white Airborne logo on the downtube.

What cyclists do in the winter?

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:18:00 +0000

from Yahoo answers ;-)

The UK cyclist begins hibernation in early October and rouses himself in April or May. He's usually not holed up for the entire time (it's probably more appropriate to think of winter as a series of very long naps), but the cyclist can go 100 days without really waking up.

The cyclist hibernates in order to evade the deprivations of winter. Traditional windows for ride opportunities dry up, and much-needed shelter can be hard to find. While settling in for his long winter's rest, the cyclist gain pounds of fat a week.

Cruel torture devices have been used to trap the cyclist in his cave, causing pain and suffering. They should be declared illegal but have yet to be outlawed, prolonging the cyclist's suffering throughout the winter months.

It is only in late March as the days get longer that the cyclist (if lucky enough to have escaped the grasp of the "turbo-trainer") finally emerges from the cave.

And so with pale skin and unsteady legs he begins the slow, arduous return to activity and the challenges of life OUTSIDE!

Cavendish is king!

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:21:00 +0000

I am so glad I caught the last 30 minutes of Milan-Sanremo yesterday, a little bit more British cycling history. I couldn't believe Cavendish was looking so comfortable and smooth on the Poggio and then to chase down Haussler like that was outrageous!

Burgess Hill Springtime Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Last weekend saw me taking a trip down to West Sussex to ride the Burgess Hill Springtime Classic, a 71 mile up and down sportive with what I measured to be around 1700 metres of climbing. This was the first "event" of the season for me and chance to see if the winter nights in the turbo-dungeon have helped.

The early morning clear blue skies set the day up nicely, after an hour's drive I was setting the bike up in the car park opposite the school which would be the HQ for the day. Registration was straightforward and well organised, where participants were issued with their timing chips and vouchers for a post-ride bowl of pasta and cup of tea (something to look forward to!).

The start was phased to avoid big crowds of cyclists scaring the locals who were out early on Sunday morning and although we were sent away in bunches of around ten, larger groups formed very quickly on the roads. In hindsight our enthusiasm got the better of us and we started way too fast; a real schoolboy error, and one which I paid for in the latter parts of the ride. We had heard rumours of some nasty hills along the route, anything the locals have nicknamed "The Wall" sounded omninous in my book, and pretty soon we were hitting some consistent undulations in the course. The ups and downs and narrow roads soon broke the field into smaller groups. By around 30km we were on the bigger hills and I was feeling pretty good, although I was constantly expecting to round a corner only to be hit by "The Wall!". The hills weren't that nasty but they were regular and consistent and by the first checkpoint at around halfway I was glad for the chance to stretch and re-fuel. The course was very well signposted and the feedstations were well stocked.

The remaining feed stations seemed very close together to me, but that might just have been me drifting into autopilot as the ride progressed. By just over 90km the last time checkpoint was ticked off and we were on the run home. Then, rounding a tame bend in the trees we were brought to an abrupt halt by a slab of tarmac rising up at 20%. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing this to an Alpine climb, but towards the end of the race this gradient, even only for a short distance, was enough to knock the wind out of a lot of riders and as I eeked my legs over in my smallest gear I swear I counted more people walking up than riding. As is customary at these events they put the steepest climb at the end of the race and plonk the official photographer half-way up to catch everyone at their worst! Thankfully I stayed upright and moving forwards long enough for a snap of the evidence. I was thinking this must be the infamous "Wall" but learnt afterwards that in fact that was around the 30km mark and not nearly an tough as the rumour implied. The last 20km were a mix of flat runs and short climbs. The over-eager start was taking it's toll on me by this point and I was suffering with really nasty cramps in my quads, something I am desperate to avoid for events later in the year so I'll be looking at ways of doing this.

The final few kms were spent starting and stopping through traffic lights and roundabouts so there was no chance of a sprint flourish to finish, but this didn't detract from the satisfaction of arriving at the finish in the Spring sunshine. Once we had checked back in and collected our goodie bags we headed to the canteen for our free pasta and tea. The pasta went down nicely but the grey water served up in cup, although looking like it may at some point have had a teabag waved in it's direction, tasted like it had been strained through the devil's own cycling shorts. However, this didn't tarnish what was a very well organised event and a great early season tester.

Clocks go forward next weekend, so evening rides will start soon. Can't wait, bring on the summertime!

Vote: Who should be the Astana team leader for the Tour de France?

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:56:00 +0000

I reckon Contador should be given the support of team, he's proved his talent in the three grand tour wins, he's the future! Vote now here!

Snow no go!

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:06:00 +0000

After a very productive few weeks of riding the weather has thwarted my efforts to get in a consistent run of long (+4hrs) weekend rides. Although most of this snow has cleared we are due for a few nights of sub-zero temparatures; in the ever-prepared UK that'll mean sheet ice on all but the busiest roads.

I may find myself trying to test the limit of my turbo endurance/tolerance this weekend!!

Winter-proofed and winter-proven

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:47:00 +0000

My friend and regular training buddy is due to take some time-off and a few weeks recovery for a minor op; so today was going to be the last chance for a Sunday tea run for a while.

Well, the weather did it's best to stop us but armed with some new winter proofing there was no way we were backing out. I've recently invested in some SKS Raceblades, some new Northwave overshoes and a new jacket to protect me from the elements; all of which worked excellently in 3 hours of constant rain.

I was wet and tired when we got home, but not cold or uncomfortable. It's good to have done a ride like this heading into the winter, it'll give me the motivation to get out and ride even if the weather and my body is telling me to crawl back under the duvet.

Riding at the moment consists of two or three 40 minute turbo sessions during the week, followed by one long recreational ride at the weekend. This routine is fitting in nicely around the priorities of family and work, I'll be looking to keep it up over the winter until the days get longer.

Falling leaves

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:47:00 +0000

I was out on my own today due to a late withdrawal on account of injury. Luckily I got the message after I was already out of bed and in my kit, so managed to resist the temptation of a lie-in. Haha! As if that is possible with 15 month old!

The route for today was over Newlands Corner to Abinger then Farley Green and then out into Sussex and back via Box Hill, the nasty way. I say nasty, not becasue of the 15% gradient, although it is tougher than the 'Zig-zag' approach, but because it's a much busier road and the cars really scrape past on the steepest section at the top. After the tea stop the run home was via Ranmoor Common Road up to Denbies Farm and across the hills before dropping off via Staple Lane. Around 50 miles in the end.

All through the ride today the lanes were sheltered by trees turning colour and dropping their leaves. I was thinking about yesterday's Giro di Lombardia and the wonderful alternate name "race of the falling leaves". You couldn't have picked a better phrase to describe the mood of the weekend's riding.

Over the weekend I heard the Giro di Lombardia described as a 'Monument' and did a little investigation. The 'Monuments' seems to be generally defined as the 5 major classics:

Milan-San Remo - "La Primavera";
Ronde van Vlaanderen;
Paris-Roubaix - "l'Enfer du Nord";
Li�ge-Bastogne-Li�ge - "La Doyenne";
Giro di Lombardia - "la classica delle foglie morte".

Reading a little more I found this post (The Monuments) that gives very interesting explanation of their history and significance.

So, it's been a while!

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:39:00 +0000

I'll not bother with an update on the missing months, suffice to say I have kept riding regulary, if not frequently. I'm slowly finding more time to spend in the saddle and hopefully enough to post more often. More soon...

Guildford Town Centre Race 9th July

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:34:00 +0000

Top cycle racing action comes to Guildford Town Centre on the evening of Wednesday 9th July when the 25th Anniversary edition of the Guildford Town Centre Races will take place.

Download the press release. Click on the image to download the poster.

Evening in the saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:02:00 +0000

These days, it's not often I get the chance to ride on weekday evenings so when I do I try to make the best of it. Didn't have to try too hard today though, the weather was great and my goal to remain in the saddle on all the climbs was acheived very satisfactorily. The loop was over to and up Staple Lane (max 11%), descending down Green Deane then onto the nasty climb under the railway bridge on the Crocknorth Road (max 15%) to Ranmoor, right down White Down and then back via Abinger Hammer and Gomshall to climb back over Coombe Bottom (max 15%). The descent back down Staple Lane was made all the better by the great sunset. Not a marathon, but great to get out in the summer evening sunshine.

Italian riders for an Italian race?

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:46:00 +0000

64% of you thought that the plans for a British Tour de France victory in 2012 were realistic. I would love to see this happen but I think pro cycling will have to undergo a massive change for a fully national team, especially one from Britain, to challenge for the victory.

Talking of national teams and Tour victories, the next vote is about a slightly more imminent result. Bearing in mind Astana's inclusion the Giro, will we see a non-Italian rider win the Giro d'Italia for the first time in 12 years?

Giro 2008 - Stage 5 - No Millar time

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:33:00 +0000

I love the small breakaway finishes like the one in yesterday's Giro stage. The cat and mouse in the final kilometers is great to watch. Rotten luck for Millar, another mechanical failure ruined his, what looked like good, chances of a stage victory.

This is a great slo-mo replay of the moment and Millar's frustrated tantrum, reminds me of Riis in the Tour de France time trial. That's a whole lot of nice kit (chain excepted) to be chucking about.

Giro 2008 - Stage 4 - Mark Cavendish

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

So good to see Mark Cavendish win a stage today. He really is proving himself to be one of the very best sprinters in the peloton at the moment. The helicopter view showed how fast he was at the finish line and Zabel and McEwen were way off. Check out the video highlights at Eurosport here

Giro 2008 - Stage 2 - Go Ricc�

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:00 +0000

Having read about Ricardo Ricc�, his attitude and his relationship with other riders in the cycling magazines and online I hadn't particularly warmed to him. However, anyone who can talk about winning a stage and then go and deliver on the promise deserves recognition. I'll be watching out for him during the rest of the race.

Giro d'Italia 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Sadly, this year's Giro will again be a TV spectacle for me. It's been few years since I have been down to Italy to watch the race live, but that hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for the most exciting of the Grand Tours. It's good to see that Astana have been allowed back into race, they have some riders who could really liven things up a bit. I will be following the action on Eurosport and online at...

...and looking out for the Brits on team High Road and Slipstream and for Simoni in the commentator's favourite team name "Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli"; I'd like to see Duffers try to say that after a glass of Chianti.

The usual Box Hill loop

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:15:00 +0000

We were out on a rare afternoon ride just short of 60 miles today; me having been on babysitting duties this morning. Luckily the gloomy skies remained just that, without releasing the summer storm they were threatening. I was riding with a friend and who is training for the Forestman Triathlon in July; I am training to train with him :-). Last week's Whitehorse Challenge did wonders for my legs, we did the usual route up to Ranmoor Common, over Box Hill and into Sussex in a much better time than the last effort round this loop in the Surrey Hills, although in the last 20k we paid the price for the slightly over enthusiastic out leg.

The only disappointment on a otherwise great day of riding was the puncture which I got in the Vittoria Open Corsa tyre which I used for the sportif last week. The tyres feel great on the road, really fast and supple, but the number of punctures I have got since fitting them has been a real disappointment. I will return to the tried and trusted Schwalbe Stelvios for the next ride. One piece of kit I will not be changing any time soon is the Planet X saddle I have been using. It's essentially an affordable version of the Fizik Arione and it's sooo comfy. For years I have been swearing by the Selle Italia Flite and the ProLink but with the Planet X I have found myself happily sitting and spinning up the climbs in the saddle when previously I might have been beginning to feel the pressure. Along with my trusty 8 year old Oakley M Frames the saddle is definitely earning its place in my top 5 kit list. Speaking of which:

Oakley M Frames - I wear contacts and these are simply the best eye protection I have found for the bike. After 8 years they are still crystal clear.
Schwalbe Stelvio Tyres - lasted longer and punctured less than most I have tried.
Campagnolo Neutron/Nucleon wheels - light, strong and true for years, unlike their owner ;-)
Planet X Superlight saddle.
Windstopper gloves - never returned home with cold fingers.

White Horse Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:06:00 +0000

We rode the White Horse Challenge today, almost exactly a year after my last cycling event, the Granfondo. It was a 150km ride in and around the hills of Wiltshire, taking in a number of the white horses and some of the trickier climbs in the area, as close as the UK gets to a Granfondo I suppose.

A 6 am start made me thankful that I had prepared everything in advance so there was no last minute rush when I got picked up for the drive down. 150km later we were unpacking the car to do the same distance on the bikes.

Sign-on was straightforward and we were out on the course very quickly having scanned our timing chips at the start. The first 40km were mostly flat which gave us the chance to put some easy miles behind us and save the legs for the middle section. Gradually the undulations became steeper and I was beginning to feel the lack of early season miles in my legs. Up to about 90km I was doing pretty well but beyond that I had to ride more and more conservatively. Thankfully there were two organised feed stations on the route to refuel, both well stocked with food and drinks. Annoying not long after the second at 105km, I had a puncture but the tyres were easy to remove and a CO2 canister did a cracking job of getting me back on the route.

Not long after we were warned of a crash at the bottom of a descent, by the time the group I was with got there the air ambulance had arrived on the scene. I hope the rider was ok, it looked very nasty.

The final 20km were ok on the flats but I was suffering with terrible cramps on the climbs; I was glad to drop out of the hills for the final 10km into the finish and a "Silver" placing and a ride time of 05:45:00.

All in all it was a really enjoyable day, very well organised, good atmosphere and a great way to mark a return to longer rides. Now I just have to find another event to concentrate on later in the year.

Glorious Mud

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Clandon 10k run today. It's been raining all week so we were expecting the mud bath the course had become. It was just over 1k on the road and then 8k on a mix of gritted farm roads and muddy field paths. It was deep, wet, slippery mud and there were a fair few falls and slides. Thankfully I managed to stay on my feet. This was the first running event I had done in few years so I was a bit nervous how I was going to get on. The decision to start steady was a good one because the mud really sucked the strength out of my legs. My clean, light shoes turned black and heavy within a few seconds of getting off the road. I had no illusions for a fast time; I simply haven't run enough in preparation; so it was mostly a case of plodding away and making sure I didn't do a face plant in the mud.

The route through the park had lakes, ditches, stiles and bridges to distract me and running by our house towards the end gave the family a chance to shout their support, a great boost just when I needed it. I enjoyed this run, much more than I have done previous running events and it has left me wanting to keep it up throughout the year instead of stopping as soon as the evening bike rides become a possibility in the Spring. I doubt I'll be a particularly fast runner but I that won't stop me enjoying it.

Synchronicity

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:45:00 +0000

The first event of the year for me is looming in the form of a local 10k run this weekend. My preparation has not been ideal but events in the last few weeks have worked in my favour and I am feeling more comfortable than earlier this year. The major "planets" in my life have aligned pretty well giving me a boost of energy and motivation. It is Spring time, cycling has been on the TV loads recently, our baby daughter is sleeping through the night (at last!) and I am finding the time away from work to play and rest properly.

Talking of motivation, you can't go wrong watching Great Britain at the World Track Championships, As I write this I am watching the re-run of the men's pursuit team breaking the world record on their way to one of Britain's 3 gold medals from today. Another highlight was watching Chris Hoy beat Theo Bos in the sprint quarterfinals. Apparently Bos hadn't been beaten for years. The timing for Rob Hayles' failed blood test could not have been worse but I think the success of the GB team should help shift attention to the action on the track. Saying that, cynics will undoubtedly question the success in light of the bad news. Given Wiggin's outspoken attitude to doping, his support for Hayles gives him the benefit of the doubt in my book.

Too tyred to turbo

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:21:00 +0000

I have just lost the the best part of the evening, two inner tubes and the most of the skin on my knuckles fitting a new trainer tyre to a old Campg Vento rim.

In the end it took me, my wife, four tyre levers and an uninterrupted monologue of expletives to complete the operation. As a result the planned turbo session was rescheduled for tomorrow.

I don't usually have this much hassle fitting tyres but I remember this wheel always being a pain to fit tyres to, and this combined with the material of the turbo tyre made it a Sisyphean task. If anyone knows a quick knuckle-safe trade secret on fitting a tyre I would love to hear about it.

The Green miles

noreply@blogger.com (Iain) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:48:00 +0000

A late start left the main weekend ride shorter than originally planned but what we lost in time we made up for in effort. A faster paced loop in the Surrey Hills passing down through Forest Green onto Ellens Green and back via Shamley Green! I rediscovered a great breakfast combination this morning, baby rusks (a tip I picked before the Granfondo) and yoghurt, washed down with a short strong coffee. I can never eat much early in the morning before a ride but this went down a treat.

I finally bit the bullet lask week and purchased a new turbo trainer to keep the legs moving during the dark evenings. I went for a Tacx Satori in the end. I had read very good things about it and I can't justify spending a great deal on a torture device only to have it torture me again by telling me how little power I am generating. With any luck the evenings will be lighter before I have run out of cycling videos for motivation.

Talking of motivation, it's great to see that Cipollini is planning to return to racing at the age of 40. He doesn't seem to have that long to prepare for the Tour of California so I can only guess that he has been keeping in good shape during his "retirement". Vai Mario!!