Laura Trott helps me round the Welwyn Velodrome!

This was my first attempt on a track bike and I go and get double World Champion and World Record holder Laura Trott for company! She seemed to think it was hilarious (can't imagine why).
I had just filmed Mark Austin's interview with Laura for an ITN Olympics special report and I didn't expect her to follow me round. She frightened the life out of me! Imagine crashing and taking out the favourite for two gold medals at the 2012 games.


Laura Trott will be one of our '5 to follow' for the Olympics. 


By the way, my second lap was a bit faster...

 And this is how it's really done!

 

Trotty's road bike

Mark thinking up the next question

Notoriously cheap & nasty Montana track bike. I thought it was great!

FIRST SPORTIVE DISASTER!

Took part in the May Flyer sportive (my first) on Sunday (13th May 2012).

It was going well, averaging 18mph up to the feed station at 33 miles. 

After a banana and cake we (my mate Mike and I) got to a steep climb, the one before Coombe Hill at about 42 miles. Half way up I got massive cramp in the back of my thigh (hamstring I think). Excruciating. Have never had cramp during or after a ride before (and it would be great not to get it again!)

Tried to continue but got cramp again near the start of Coombe Hill, but this time in both hamstrings/quads. Had to wait 20 minutes this time for the cramps to go away. For the remainder of the ride I had to push the bike up the hills and cycle gingerly on the flat or downhill bits. In the end I finished 123rd out of 154 which could have been worse. Big thanks to Mike for sticking with me all the way.

What caused the cramp?

A cyclist riding past me on a hill asked if I was ok and when I said I had cramp he asked if I had an isotonic drink. It then dawned on me that I had replaced my usual isotonic Nuun tablets with carb drinks. I'm never as hydrated as I should be so the concensus seems to be that this is what caused the cramp. Have never had to push the bike up a hill since I started 'proper' cycling a couple of years back (although Coombe Hill is a beast and I'm not sure I could have made it even without the cramp after 40 odd miiles!)

Since then I've seen a physio about my back (post an MRI scan) and he's told me my pelvis/hips are out of alignment and he's begun the process of getting it all sorted. He also explained that the alignment problem would hamper my cycling, especially on the hills, and believes the cramp could partly be caused by that. With correct hydration I'd probably have got away with it, but it may have been the combination that got me.

I was initially thinking that sportives might not be for me, but on reflection I reckon the sooner I do another one the better!

[Latest: Saw Scarponi massaging away his cramps while competing in the Giro d'Italia. Chapeau.]

Ribble in Weight Loss Shock!

I've splashed out on a Pro Vibe carbon monocoque seatpost and the wight of the Sportive Bianco is now down to 7.9Kgs (after replacing my Campag Khamsin wheels with Campag Zondas).
The scales we're using were thought to be reliable but they said 7.62Kgs last time we weighed it (see below). Not sure what that's all about.

Is This The Perfect Second Bike?

My plans to buy a 'winter' road bike, and possibly a touring bike, have had to be shelved.

As the kids are getting bigger I've had to agree that we don't have room for them at home, so I've been looking out for an all rounder second bike that isn't too heavy but has flat bars for commuting, and I've discovered this:



Wilier Weekend Bassano

9.4Kgs, 105/Tiagra groupset, Shimano RS10 wheels, mudguard/rack mounts.

Commuting? Yes

Touring? Yes

Winter road bike? Yes

Sportives or Audax? Yes

Shopping? Yes

Pub? No

There are a few rivals around but most seem to be heavier.

The only problem is that there aren't any Bassanos in the UK :(





Holiday Rides in Gran Canaria

LATEST: Took a minute off my best commute time (28:03 from 29:13) this morning on the Surly without really meaning to, which must be because of all the Gran Canaria hill climbing. And yesterday I did my Wimbledon hills route, and the hills where I used to struggle felt a bit easier. Maybe training does work?

I hired a very light Cannondale Super Six with an Ultegra groupset from Free-Motion bike hire while in Gran Canaria earlier this month. Got to climb the local mountain four times and you can see the ride profile here. To say I'm not the world's greatest climber would be an understatement, so I was pleased enough to make it to the top. The ride starts with a very gentle uphill alongside the valley's river-bed and then you come to this sign:



Breathe in!



From there on it's a bit of a challenge for those of us who aren't Jon Tiernan-Locke, but it's worth it for the views along the way and the feeling of achievement when you reach the top. I'm sure some of the slopes are steeper than 12% as they seemed more severe than that steep one in Richmond Park. The climb up Ditchling Beacon outside Brighton is about 700ft whereas this is around 1300ft so I wasn't surprised when the guy at Free-Motion said quite a few people had returned the bike and asked for a different cassette to help with the climb. I would have as well if I'd realised it was 11-25 (I have a loser's 12-29 on my Ribble).

NEW WHEELS REDUCES WEIGHT BY NEARLY A KILO!

 ***LATEST*** ***LATEST*** ***LATEST*** ***LATEST***

The guys at The London Cycle Workshop  expertly fitted the new Zonda wheels and Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres this morning. A bit of a discount and free fitting make it well worth using your local bike shop.
Before the wheels swap the bike (Ribble Sportive Bianco, Athena groupset, Khamsin wheels with Gatorskin Hardshell tyres) weighed in at 8.88Kgs but after the swap to Zondas/Ultremos the weight was 8.04Kgs, a far bigger saving than I expected. The 0.84Kgs difference is really noticeable, although I'm still not 'flying up the hills', a favourite comment in wheel reviews.

This is my bike with the Zondas

DOWNGRADED UPGRADE TIME

A recent run of frankly mediocre 'performances' has lead to a rethink. Basically I'm not ready for £600 ($950) wheels. So the Mavic SLs will have to wait.

In the meantime I've ordered a set of Campagnolo Zonda wheels which I was able to buy for £340.00. These also have the advantage of looking similar to the Khamsins that they're replacing. Some of you will know why this is an advantage.

It'll be interesting to see the effect on the weight of the bike. My current 'winter' bike set up with Khamsins and Gatorskin Hardshells weighs in at around 8.9Kgs. The Zondas will have the highly regarded Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres which were a birthday present last September. I'll weigh the bike before and after new wheels.

It'll be interesting to see if they make me go any faster. I went flat out for a lap of Richmond Park today and managed 23:50 (with a slight headwind for the last mile and a half). My record on a still day is (a slow) 23:30. Once the new wheels and tyres are on I'll have another go. A goal for 2012 was to break 22 mins so I really hope they help!

Zondas

BIKE WITH ZONDAS:

PS This isn't my bike



Ksyrium Elite

 TOP OPTIONS IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1 Campagnolo Zonda - around £340-£400 1555g
2 Mavic Ksyrium Elite - around £410-£480 1550g
3 Fulcrum Racing 3 - around £310-£450 1555g
4 Shimano RS80 - around £340-£470 1521g

It's amazing how the prices vary. But remember, your local bike shop will be able to supply them and will probably make a better job of fitting them on your bike than you will. And they probably won't charge you for doing it if you bought them from them.They may even give you a little discount if you're a regular customer.