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Wednesday 22 May 2013

Etape du Dales 2013 - review

Well, I managed to get 'round. That's my assessment of my ride in this year's Etape Du Dales sportive which took place under glorious skies last Sunday 19th May. I could ride this event every year for the next 20 and the weather will not be as clement ever again. Barely a breath of wind, literally a couple of spots of rain but mainly bright clear sunshine.
Starting in the Dales town of Grassington - at a rugby club with Glasto standard toilets - the 114 mile route takes in some stunning countryside, severe climbs walks, the UK's highest pub and the magnificent Ribblehaed viaduct.
Green line: anti-clockwise
I was rather hamstrung on the ride by a series of mechanical issues which left me with manual only selection of my chainrings and the inability to climb out of the saddle. I also gave myself a right fright on the first major descent with a mahoosive speed wobble which left me descending like a Wiggins. So doing my best Jan Ulrich impression I managed to nurse myself round in under ten hours.
It's very different from the Fred Whitton in that the climbs are shorter but steeper and you're basically at it all day - up hill and down dale.
Abiding memories include: dry stone walls, gravel, loads of road kill, motorbikes, flapjacks, sunshine and pain.
Lovely day out really.

Friday 10 May 2013

@chorltonvelo - good luck at the Whitton chaps

It's almost the middle of May and that means it's Fred Whitton time. Around a thousand souls will set off early on Sunday to tackle one of the toughest sportives around - 114 miles around the lake district taking in: Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hard Knott and Wrynose passes to name but a few.
Go left, up, left, up again, down, up, down, up, down, left, up, down, left, up, up, down, up then finish
I'm not riding this year - and didn't last - but did in 2011 and got lashed on for most of the day. I recall the hail making the ascent of Honister particularly tasty.
It's a bloody tough course - especially if you're not riding in somebody's wheel. The toughest part for me was turning south toward Calder Bridge into a head wind up Cold Fell. Not the biggest or steepest by any means but I was starting to see spots in front of my eyes and had to get off. Got the knock pretty bad and freewheeled down to the feed stop at Calder and tried to rid the site of cheese and cake - did a pretty good job too!
It looks like the weather will be similar to 2011 for this year's event so good luck and ride safe to all involved.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Time gentlemen please

May has been a great month for riding so far: dry and spring like. Of course, it's supposed to lash down later on for what seems like the first time in ages - what a difference a year makes.
This year's Giro is warming up nicely too - apart form the weather which has been pants - with a few early skirmishes from last year's winner Ryder Hesjedal and Nibali. 


Long way to go though and its a cert that Wiggo will nail the time trial. The use of time bonuses adds an extra dimension to the racing too - they were removed from le tour a couple of year back. There's no time bonus in le tour again this year but stage winners can console themselves with 4,000 euros and a place in history!

Wednesday 1 May 2013

April blog record - thanks!

I've been doing this blog since late July last year and last month set the record for most visits. Just under 1000 real people [not me or my mum] read some of the stuff I thought about then wrote about. It can be difficult fitting it into the working day and I do want to post something each and everyday. There's lots happening in cycling and specifically in Manchester to write about.
So, thanks for reading, appreciate it :)
Quiet time from May 2007 - August 2012

Winter? Pah!

It's May and it's beautiful outside. Still a bit chilly first thing in the morning with that weird cold air / warm sun arrangement. Makes it difficult to know exactly what to wear.
One thing's for sue is that the overshoes, snood, thermal tights have been abandoned to the bottom of the 'drobe for another year. Yes, spring is finally here.
As it turns out, winter wasn't as bad for cycling as you'd expect. According to this piece on BikeBiz from the cycle to work alliance [whoever they are] cycling commuter numbers were actually up year on year to 'unprecedented' levels.
They reckon they have the evidence for it but, call me a cynical old fool, sounds like a bit of PR puffery for the alliance members to me - most of whom are bike retailers.


I mean, how would they know, really know, that 20 per cent more people cycled to work this winter over last? And this is on top of a 9 per cent growth reported the previous year.
Logistically, it's just impossible to understand behavior in that detail in my humble view. 
Ah, but its based on statistics, probabilities extrapolated to provide an answer within a margin of error either way. Well, maybe, but I'd like to see a bit of the data behind the headline before I start believing everything I read.