XC Mountainbiking

XC Mountainbiking

Spring Time On The Home Trail

Birdsong, Sun breaking through the trees, and the leaves growing again. Spring. My favourtie time of year.

Singlespeed racing

Breathing hard. My face hides how much I love racing even on one gear!

Downhill Mountainbiking

Downhill Mountainbiking

Tour de France

Sunflowers on the Tour

XC Racing

World Cup Racing where the best fight it out over some of the most demanding terrain

Freeride

Taking the sport to extremes

No matter what or how you ride, enjoy the trails out there.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Sh*t Cyclists Say

This is doing the rounds at the moment but is funny none the less.


Wow we are dull!!.............and before you think this kinda crap comes from just roadies then think again!



Wednesday 25 January 2012

Want It Wednesday #12 - Kurt Kinetic Rock & Roll

I've been spending a smaller portion of my training this year on my turbo trainer than I've had to in previous years.  This is probably thanks to the milder weather and the as yet lack of snow (thankfully!).  However, my indoor trainer is still a crucial tool and has over the years seen some fair abuse.  It's over ten years old now and still working well, the only real give away to its years of use comes from the grove shape that has formed in the metal roller.

It'll probably keep on working for a good few more years but thats not stopped me looking at some new turbo trainers.  I'd like a new torture machine please!

So you know what I want?  This.



This is a Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll. It retails for around £450.  Its not a new invention as its been available to buy for a few years now, but remains one of the most unique trainers on the market.  What make it so different is it mimics the movements that you make when riding your bike.  No longer is your bike held in a static upright position but can be swung from side to side, just like when you are giving some effort during a climb.

Reviews on the product on the whole are very positive, with many saying that its a sturdy and well crafted piece of kit.  For a better look and overall review see this little video below.



So there you go.  That is my Want for this fortnight.  What is yours?  To join in, go to the tab labelled Want It Wednesday and follow the instructions and see who else takes part in the party!

This week I am enjoyed by Paul and Neil whos great blogs and 'Wants' you can see by clicking on their names.  Cheers fo joining guys! We are also joined by a another new member Lindsay. Thanks for taking part :)

Saturday 21 January 2012

Must Think Positive Thoughts

"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories"

or so Plato says.  Just recently that has become my swan song whilst training, embracing the hurt and tiredness that only riding my bike nearly every day can bring.  I seem to be getting more used to it now, the first few weeks where the hardest. 

I never really wanted to turn my blog into a training dairy, there are plenty of those out there, but I thought I'd let you know how things have been going.

As you can see, I don't hold to stats and figures.  I don't have a mile counter on what I've conquered so far, or how many hours I've spent in my saddle.  I know roughly in my head but I try not to become a slave to it.  I've tried this kind of training before, writing down my morning heart rate how I feel, what training time I've done etc.  Only to become a slave to facts and figures then getting demoralised when I don't get those exact planned minutes on the bike.  For me training diaries are like trying to keep a new years resolution.  It all starts well but a couple of months in falls by the way side.

I still have my set short term goals and they are going well, that is all the motivation I need.  I like to see where I'm going not leave an analysis trail for later reading.  I'd only laugh at my efforts.  The only goals I seem to be failing on is my weight.  How hard is it to loose weight?  I've been so good during the weeks and have all but eliminated eating junk food such as crisps, cake and biscuits.  Sorry but chocolate remains on my diet but then I don't think the wife could cope with my moods without!

The weather hasn't stopped my training at all which is good.  Even the mornings that its gone below minus five degrees.  That was one cold ride.  I wasn't that bad with all my layers on but I had nothing to drink for a few hours as my camelbak froze up ( manged a bite of ice) and the front of my bars, overshoes gloves had a nice layer of frost on them by the time I'd finished!  Epic stuff.

One thing though is that doubt has started to creep its way into my head.  Can I really do a 24 hour race.  Am I just being a fool here.  After only three hours of road and my elbow and wrists were aching.  It made me wonder if they could cope with the pounding over a longer duration.  I'm hoping that its just the cold weather playing havoc. 

Must think positive thoughts.  Must think positive thoughts........

Anyway I'm sorry for the not too thrilling training entry but I'll be back next week with more stuff to cover.  Happy riding to then folks!

Coming up

Want It Wednesday
Scwalbe Nobby Nic tyre review
Exposure Maxx D light review
Racing Nutrition for 24 hour racing
Glentress


Wednesday 11 January 2012

Want It Wednesday #11 - Sufferfest

Hi folks!!  Its Want It Wednesday linky time!! 

Well as my followers will be aware I am currently training for a 24 hour Solo Mtb race.  The UK and European Championships to make it sound more posh.  As such I've been spending more time on my bike but that's also meant more time on my Turbo Trainer.  Ah the dreaded indoor torture machine, god love it. 

Some may remember that I had found some way of getting over the boredom by watching You Tube videos of mtb races from a first person perspective. But now I've been introduced to something even better.  In a word.  Sufferfest.  For those not in the know this is a company who make usually hour long videos that take on various strains of effort.  You take part in a race and the screen prompts you on what you need to be doing.  They are supposed to be hard.  Sounds perfect.  They are around £10 per video and vary in intensity but all will give you a good work out.  In fact I was so taken by this I've bought one and intend to use it from tonight. I went for The Hunted which is more suitable for my training at the moment.  Wish me luck and if no one from hears from me, they my find me flopped over my handle bars.
If you would like to look at these for yourself then follow the link here.


You too could join in with the Want It Wednesday Linky all you have to do is go to the page tab marked Want It Wednesday and follow the instructions.

Other Bloggers taking part this week include Neil whos Want you can see here

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Cycle & Blog Etiquette - Grumpy Bastard


Well I'm late back to this but Happy New Year to my wonderful reader(s).  Hope you've had a great festive or holiday period.  I know mines been great and the kids have really loved it but now the decorations are down and some normality and routine to my life has returned.
So its back to the blogging and I'm going to have to apologise but I'm going to start this year on a bit of a grumble.  (actually I've been grumbling about this since before the holidays but have only just got around to it!)

Let me say first that the one thing I love about our cycling world is its diversity.  The sport is a mish mash of all manner of styles of bikes from road to mountain bikes, downhill bikes, commuting, bmx, childrens bikes etc.  We all have something in common though, and that is getting out from the entrapment's of our lives and enjoying the freedom on two wheels.  The riders I have had the pleasure of meeting of been equally diverse but whose love and passion has always made them so endearing.  They are often so warm and welcoming.

Yet there is one person in my cycle world that has started to grate on me.  Most mornings I cycle to work I pass cyclists on the opposite side of the rode who I'll politely wave too or give a generous nod if I'm using my brakes.  On the whole I will get some kind of response.......but not from this one person.  The one person who I see regularly on his road commuting bike plodding away.  I'm not sure what it is but he will not acknowledge that I am there.  I have began to nick name him 'Grumpy Bastard'  It's amazing to think that we are both out there doing the same thing so whats his problem?

I have come across some weird predigious before amongst cyclists.  The big one being between roadies and mtbers.  Its like a racial disliking, I've been on my mountain bike and been blanked by steely 1000 yard stared roadies yet go out on my own road bike and they will acknowledge me.  That's happened the other way around too.  Its petty and stupid.  Are you petty and stupid Grumpy Bastard ?

The worse are what I shall call the non enthusiasts.  You know the ones.  Baggy top, jeans or tracksuits, no helmet, cheap bike.  Now I'm not going to be snobby about them as they make up a large percentage of cyclists out there.  They aren't though aware of this cycle etiquette that we show fellow cyclists and I always try some so sort of greeting in the hope that they too will learn and pass on the cycle love.  There is certainly no love with Grumpy Bastard. 

You know what.  I've come across this same problem with blogging.  We are all out there writing about our bikes and love of what we do and our adventures.  Its a bit egocentric but on the whole its also communal.  Or its supposed to be.  We read each others blogs and may even comment on each others blogs, and even better follow each other to maintain friendships.  Yet time and time again this kind of etiquette is not followed.  I don't expect someone to look at my blog and instantly want to follow it.  But it grates when you constantly comment on others and get nothing back from them.  Are they my equivalent of Grumpy Bastard? 

Sadly the people that will be (hopefully) reading this are already regular readers and followers but I bet you have found similar problems with these issues.  If you look into the world of bloggers who knit and sew and create things its so different.  There are loads of linky parties and advice sites, competitions, give aways and generally it is more friendly.  Is it because it the writers of these blogs are primarily women and that they can create a more communal blogashpere?

Ive tried with my own linky party to join the world of cyclists in a similar way but there is something lacking in the cyclists blogasphere.  Its the equivalent of that wave or greeting when out on your bike.  Please don't be like Grumpy Bastard.