A Year Comes To An End

Well I've just witnessed Mark Cavendish winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.  A big deal really for him but an even bigger one for cycling as it is often over shadowed by the bigger media sports.  It perhaps shows how much his success as well as others has brought cycling...

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Want It Wednesday #3 - DT Swiss XCR 1150

I like light things. I like light bike things.  I love these!!  Dear very rich santa please could you get me some....pleasey cheese......no.....aw well it'll just have to remain a dream item.  This Wheelset is a DT Swiss XCR 1150.  The number denotes its weight.  Thats a ridiulous...

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Want It Wednesday #10 - Assos Chamois Cream

Hello bloggers.  Sorry I seem to have been neglecting my blog of late but I've got my head in the clouds and with Christmas coming I've just been very busy.  I've got quite a few topics in my head that I want to cover too but just haven't had the time or truthfully the will to do so. As...

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It's Training Time!!!!!

Well that's it.  I went ahead and have entered my first 24 hour solo mtb race.  My finger twitched on the button to apply long enough but now I've made the commitment and in exactly 4 months time I will be readying myself for the challenge of my life. I'm feeling really excited about this...

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Planning, Planning, Planning........24 hours Solo!

I have 24 hour race fever.  I am sick.  I can't think about anything else right now.  Am I ill or just mad?  I had planned on doing the Nutcracker race series this year and although I've not written this off, I have now decided to complete my ambition of riding a 24 hour race solo. ...

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Want It Wednesday #9 - Hope R4 Lights

This week I have been doing a bit of research into what decent off road lights there are on the market.  My first reaction is that there are some awesomely powerful, over 2000 lumen's, light sets that you could get.  My second reaction is to the prices of them.  Seriously, I've...

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Do You Actually Have A Driving Licence?!?!?!

On my blog I write a great deal on my mountain bike rides, equipment and professional road racing.  Yet what I spend most of my actual riding time doing is commuting on my road bike.  I have commuted for many years in various places, including the busy city of Birmingham, congested roads...

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Want It Wednesday #8 - Niner Jet RDO

Want It Wednesday Party Time!!! Firstly, although this maybe a 29 inch bike it doesn't mean I'm sold on the concept of 29ers just yet.  But when I was looking through the Niner website, I have to admit falling in love with this beautiful bike. A Niner Jet RDO. Well I say beautiful, its...

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Fox Racing Shox - Smart Pump Concept

Image from www.bikeradar.com I like new technology when it comes to bikes.  Granted I've grumbled at certain things (my latest being 29 inch wheels). I truthfully never really liked full suspension when it first came out, but then it was totally pants at the time and as designs became...

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Look Forward To Racing

I enjoy racing.  I'm regrettably rubbish at it, but still find myself enjoying it.  Its always the same on the start line, butterflies in my stomach, the knowledge that I won't do well, the hope that I will. My biggest problem when it comes to racing has often been limited by many factors.  It used to be that I didn't drive, then it was more there just weren't any local races nearby.  Then I have a family and my time is even more...

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Want It Wednesday #7 - Look 920iCR

Well this caught my eye and I feel for it instantly.  Its probably not every ones cup of tea, but I have no doubts that it will turn heads. This is french company Looks', new mountain bike. The 920i CR.  It forms part of a small range of their bikes including both hardtail and full suspension...

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29 Inch Wheels a MTB Necessity?

I'm going to be blunt here and put my opinion out there.  I don't like odd new trends. And the influx of 29 inch wheel mountain bikes is just that, an odd trend.  I notice with interest many of the blogs I follow (particularly) in the US that 29ers are on the rise.  In fact it was...

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Want It Wednesday #6 - Coffee Cake

Cake!!! Yep this week I've gone none tech and moved onto the desires of most bikers.  Well amongst my friends anyway, who all seem to live for the stuff.  Yep the good ol' cake.  I love it.  I know you all have your likes and dislikes with cakes and I'd love to hear your favourites. ...

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Mark Cavendish Finally Signs For New Team!!!!

So after far too long speculating I can give you an up date on the final decision.  A few hours ago Mark put on his Twitter Page 'It's............Team Sky!' So there you go.  What most people thought and probably only made complicated by journalists over speculating.  Good move, I shall...

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Bit of catch up and Danny Macaskill

Pat Mcquaid - image http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Sorry folks its going to be a short one from me tonight.  Not got much done in the way of riding as I've been busy with the family. Just a few round ups to some previous posts.  Firstly, my fear of the UCI governing itself and doing its own...

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Overcoming Turbo Training Boredom?

  I once read that a rider, in order to train for a 24 hour solo race, sat on his turbo trainer for five hours looking at a blank wall. Which can only have been mind numbingly dull to say the least.  But it got me thinking (can you tell I've got training on my mind?!). How do you go about...

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Micro Intervals

I often wonder how many people out there suffer lack-of-time-to-train issues? I know I do.  I have a family, a job, like many of you out there.  Fitting in the hours to get me fit is almost as hard as the work out sessions themselves!!  I could on average do about 6 hours a week maybe...

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Mark Cavendish, Will He Won't He?

OR ? So appears that Mark Cavendishes move to Sky isn't as clear cut as we might have suspected.  It was pretty much assumed that this would be his new home but since becoming world champion no confirmation of his signing has been confirmed.  It would now seem another complication has come...

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Lacking Motivation

  Ah its no good.  My body appears to be shutting down ready for hibernation already.  Winter is coming.  I'm not a seasonal rider by any means but I do ride less when the bad weather comes.  The cold is bearable but the last few years we've had heavy snowfall in November and...

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Want It Wednesday #5 - Poshbikes Titanium Cassette

Holy Cow is it two weeks already?!  Blimey.  Well this time I have been actually looking for something more practical than the usual dribbly and desirable bits of kit.  This week I want a..........chain.  Yes the humble old chain and I suppose for that matter a new cassette too as...

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Cavendish World Road Race Champion

Caaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv!!!!!!!!  What a weekend for road racing.......well if you are British anyway!  By now you probably all know that Mark Cavendish (my favourite rider) won the very prized Rainbow Jersey, and is now the new World Road Race Champion.  Its...

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Why Take Drugs?

I can make no apologies for writing on the topic of drugs within our sport of cycling but it is ever present, poking, looming gloomily like a dark rain cloud, hiding like an unwanted child.  My stand on drugs in the sport is no doubt felt by many others.  My voice isn't the only...

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Race Against The light

"Lazy Jez" I told myself this morning.  "Go out and run".  "Noooooo" my legs and I said, "let me lie on the sofa and play on the PlayStation and eat junk food "  Its been nearly a month now since I got out and did a good trail run, too long to go without and I knew I'd suffer...

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Want It Wednesday #4 - Glentress

Its Want It Wednesday Time!!!!  Yes I was perhaps a little premature in posting my want last week as I think my original plan was to do one on the second and fourth week of the month.  Never mind.  So after last weekends mud splattered ride I already find myself wishing back to those dry dusty trails and wishing that I'd been able to go to my favourite place for riding, Glentress.  It seems rather apt then that this week, rather than wanting...

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No Aslan Or Fairies

Well it has to be said that the weekend just gone was a good one. Family, shopping, friends and bike all rolled into my two days off.  If most weekends were like this then I'd always be a happy man. My ride out was a mixed bag of fun and frustration as well as a bit of fungi interest but more...

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