Beyond Mountain Bikes

What was I thinking......

2010-09-20T22:06:00.003+01:00

Get me out of here! Why am I doing this? I can’t breathe, it is bloody freezing and lots of people are trying to drown me. I’m less than 5 minutes in to a 2km swim and I really don’t want to be here. It is definitely not true what they say, it is not ‘over before you know it’, every single minute out here is miserable. Forty something minutes pass eventually, thank god, there’s the exit ramp. Find the bike, ahhhh relief, it is all quiet and peaceful and I’m back in my comfort zone.

Rewind 2.5 hours. Getting up at 4.30am is not my idea of fun at the best of times. Somehow managed to find someone I knew and borrow a set of goggles (school boy error #1). Get on the bus at 5.30 to get to the swim start, made sure everything ready for the bike and got the wetsuit on just in time for the briefing. Briefing over, jump into the water, sharp intake of breath, man this water is cold. No time given for a warm up, 30 seconds later the claxon goes off.

This was my 2nd ever triathlon. The swim on my first one seemed to go without a hitch. Not that I was particularly fast, but I didn’t feel like I might not make it. For some reason, this time I panicked, couldn’t breathe and ended up taking on more water than air.

Back on the bike, and the scenery is stunning, this is why I signed up for the race. I was following the advice of not giving it full gas, hence relaxing a little more and taking in the surroundings. I was struggling to take on much nutrition, as I was still feeling sick from the swim, but nonetheless, I was still in my happy place.

Bike leg over, and it was time for the run. Now, I’d been told to expect a hard run, and it was exactly that. Again, it was great scenery and running through the forest was really pleasant. Unfortunately, the paths turned upwards a few times. Unusually for me, the first 8 miles seemed to tick by pretty quickly. The last few miles felt like harder terrain, and I could see my mile splits slowing quite dramatically. By this point I didn’t mind, I just wanted to see the finish line, which was precisely 0.6 miles further than it should have been, not that I was counting!

So, overall did I enjoy it? Well, the swim was never going to be fun or fast for me, but I loved the bike leg. I had hoped for a slightly quicker run, but that probably reflected the level of training I’d done. It was an absolutely stunning location for a race, and I can’t wait to get back to do more training there.…..cycling that is!

Would I do another one? The stupid thing is, I probably will…..

For anyone who really cares, I finished the New Forest Middle Distance in 5:29:04 (Swim: 00:42:58, Bike: 02:49:05.45, Run: 01:57:01.20). 67th overall, 15th in age group.

Mat & Paul's Jogle 2010

2010-07-02T20:27:00.002+01:00

Day 1

We arrived in JOG at 8am Sunday after an unexpectedly good journey (700 miles in 9 1/2 hrs).
Spent the rest of the day killing time in JOG which I wouldn't recommend to anyone - or the "Seaview Hotel" come to that! Thankfully we were in great company and managed to keep ourselves amused, mostly by watching the soap opera of locals at the bar - many of who had been there since before 9am drinking pints with whisky chasers! . After a much needed 10 hrs sleep we were down at the JOG sign for a leaving photo at 08:45.
Weather was grey and drizzly, which continued on and off for most of the day. Much of the first half of the ride was spent in low cloud which affected visibility for both us and the approaching traffic.
When the weather did clear we were treated to some stunning views of the dramatic and beautiful coastline.
We conquered the huge climb out of Berriedale with relative ease, (albeit in our granny gears) which was nice as we knew it was coming at some point and were glad to get it out of the way.
On the downhills we were pleased to see how much our heavy baggage improved our downhill speeds, reaching over 40mph in places.
After 53 miles we stopped in Helmsdale, and the best/only option was the lovely "La Mirage" restaurant (as seen on TV the sign told us - not sure where but the waitress looked suspiciously like Alan Carr?).

The jacket potatoes were great and powered us on into the afternoon drizzle and spirits were still high.
After a few more stops to change in and out of wet weather gear and stretch various aching muscles we arrived at our B+B in Invergordon after 91 miles.
Overall a great day's riding, and feeling in pretty good shape so far.
I'd like to end by thanking Ed, our wonderful friend who drove us up to JOG with our help. He is still driving back solo as I write this - a truly heroic effort.

Day 2

Weather - sunbathing hot ; Scenery - fantastic; High point - seeing seals in Cromarty Firth (try and spot them in the photo). Low point- half way up a monster hill after Loch Ness; Best aroma of the day - the White & Mackay Distillery in Invergordon; Number of near death overtaking incidents - lost count; Least friendly drivers - Fort William; Most welcome meal of the day - huge thanks to the Evans seniors.

All in all an exhausting day because of the strong headwind for the last 50 miles. A big reality check.

Finally, thanks to the 5 additional sponsors who have donated since yesterday.

Day 3

After yesterday's wake up call we decided to press on nice and early today and left the B&B by 08:30.

First passing point was 1 mile down the loch past Mr+Mrs E senior's B&B, where they were stood ready to cheer us on - including the B&B owners!
That was a nice start.

Another very grey morning and in and out of waterproofs until around 18 miles at which point we started to ascend Glencoe. We knew that from here on the next 30 odd miles were going to be mostly climbing.
We found a steady rhythm and reached the summit at over 1,000ft in pretty good shape, even passing a few other cyclists without luggage - unlike us.

As we continued through the glens the headwind increased again and Paul and I had to work closely together to make any progress.
The wind was so strong that we even had to pedal downhill in places!

By midday we reached the pub at Bridge of Orchy, where we had a cup of tea and slice of cake to shelter from the now relentless wind.
Following this we eventually we wound our way down
To Loch Lomond where the wind was much more kind and we followed the bonny A82 beside the loch.

At around 2pm we took the now regulation "Jacket Potato" break at the Tarbet tea rooms.

After a couple more hours of hard slog we arrived in Dumbarton at 5pm and found the Dumbuck Hotel. Total distance today: 91 miles.

Overall we're bearing up ok, and learning how to best cope with the various aches and pains through distraction techniques. As most of you know, thankfully Paul and I share the same atrocious sense of humour so that generally gets us through.

The pink Barbie hooter that I snuck on his bike when he wasn't looking is still on, and is used most frequently by Paul at local school pick up time to scare the kids.

Tomorrow = Dumbarton to Thornhill.

Day 4

Weather - good, then wet, then dry, then wet etc. Followed by perfect with tailwind after 60 miles. Low point - bumpy uphill road saddlesore and no energy. High point - 10 miles on a singletrack road from Carsphairn to Moniaive.

Scariest moment - Erskine Bridge if you suffer from vertigo (Mat) Most traffic lights - 12 sets through Paisley - all on red!
Lucky mascot of the day - Midge the lucky bear, who arrived at the Dumbuck Hotel from Mat's family and now lives on his handlebars .

91 miles covered today. Tomorrow's destination; Patterdale.

Thanks for all your comments and texts that really motivate us when the going gets tough. We're in a bit of discomfort but CHASE, Headway and Frenchay will all benefit and that is the whole purpose of the ride.

Day 5

We're halfway!!!!

Crossed the border into England today at around midday, after a hefty 4 1/2 days through beautiful Scotland.

Arrived in Patterdale, Cumbria at 5pm: another 91 miles clocked up, in good shape but very, very sore behinds now!

It was a fairly uneventful day, but still very enjoyable and the familiar and beautiful scenery of the lake district didn't let us down one bit.

We got a bit caught up in the local rush hour at Greystoke:

Stumbled across a cyclists cafe which provided the best flapjack I've ever tasted. So I had 2 slabs of it, 'cos I could :-).

Presently sitting outside the Patterdale Hotel, enjoying a drink and a bit of late sunshine. The place is packed with Triumph motorcycles and their riders, as the Durham Rats are in town.
As you can imagine, we're enjoying a bit of mingling...

Our friends Darren and Pete join us later this evening, and are riding with us tomorrow which will be great - and Paul and I are secretly hoping that they've fitted their pannier racks to carry our luggage for us!
Somehow, I doubt it though.......

Tomorrow: Patterdale to Frodsham (Cheshire) where we will stay with the Dibb seniors for the night.

Day 6

I know we make out that each day is more epic than the last but today was just that - 108.5 miles!! And on the hottest day so far.

The morning started with the feared climb up Kirkstone Pass and ended with Mat’s parent’s feeding us a fantastic meal as a reward.
The difference today was that we had company – Darren and Pete came up from sunny Bedfordshire to join us as a human shield against the headwinds.

The descent from Kirkstone was a blast but we paid for it with 2 steep climbs before stopping for a leg stretch after an hour or so. Once the banter and mickey-taking with and about Darren and Pete had settled into an abusive rhythm we moved through Windermere, Brigsteer and took on the one way system of Lancaster. Managing to miss a major road junction added couple of scenic miles as we got back on track. Once the sun came out the GPS was almost impossible to read (a good excuse and I’m sticking to it).

Next came Garstang with 56 miles on the clock. Here we got Darren and Pete into the Jacket Spud diet. The temperature seemed to climb again as we got back on the bikes to ride along the A6 to Preston, and the navigation on dual carriageways across to minor roads, despite months of careful preparation, didn’t go to plan. But every cloud has a silver lining, which in our case was a pub called the Star Inn in Roby Mill that came after an evil and unexpected climb. We have to mention the landlord who gladly filled 8 water bottles and even added ice! Top bloke.

At this point Mat & I were really suffering; knees aching, saddlesoreness, and the effects of the heat. Darren & Pete kept us motivated – even though they were flagging, and we eventually got into St Helens and hit the 100 miles mark. I didn’t trust the battery life in the GPS so instead of following the minor roads we enjoyed(?) a quick direct route along the A58 for the 8 miles into Widnes West Bank.

We were greeted by the welcome site of Mat’s mum and Dad, ready to load up the bikes and take us home for food, TLC and defumigating our cycling gear. Thanks Nigel and Heather. Thanks also to Jayne for sending through her artful fabric signs so passing drivers can spot what we are doing. Don’t know why didn’t we think about that earlier.

Another 95 miles to go to Tenbury Wells tomorrow – with no mountain passes and the straight A49, maybe we’ll get an early finish…… sauna …. Massage …… jacuzzi. Dream on!

Day 7

Another hot day in the office, but only 91 miles today!

Mr and Mrs Dibb snr dropped us back at Widnes, at exactly the same point at which we finished yesterday. We were rolling again by 08:30.

First challenge was the Widnes bridge so time to face my vertigo once again.

After that we made steady progress along the A49 for 50 miles or so, stopping only to collect a couple of England flags from the roadside and attach to the bikes in support of our great national team. Some good that did....

Lunch (jacket pots again of course) was at a garden centre where our new Jogle badges on the back of our jerseys sparked a whole bunch of questions from our fellow diners. We ended up coming away with £30 in donations towards our charities!

We had a brief but most enjoyable rendezvous with Peter Hesham (Mark Lambert's father-in-law) who had kindly driven to meet us and pass on his support.

By the afternoon the tarmac was so hot that it was bubbling up beneath our tyres, which gave the impression of riding on bubble-wrap and we were just about as hot too.

We arrived in Tenbury Wells at about 5:15 and checked into our B+B.
Pretty soon after, we were joined by Jonny (Paul's brother) and Janet, my old buddy Simon Fox and his lovely family, and the delicious Jaynie: Paul's wife.
A much needed meal in a beer garden followed, and a good old catch up with everyone.

Overall another tough, sore day, but with a fantastic and sociable ending.

Thanks once again to Mum and Dad for their tremendous support, and to everyone who made the effort to join us this evening.

Tomorrow: Tenbury to Churchill, via Frenchay visiting Tina and Alison.

Day 8

Knowing we were spending some time at Frenchay this afternoon, we made a 7.45 morning start and enjoyed the cooler air and shady lanes from Tenbury to Bromyard and on to Newent - 31 miles by 10am - where we had a great breakfast at 3 Shires Garden Centre on a deck above a pool full of carp. Bliss.
By now the temperature was in the high 20's and we were emptying the drink bottles at an alarming rate.
Newent to Gloucester was pleasant rolling countryside and we soon arrived in Gloucester's road system ready for battle. Thankfully, it didn't come, the streets were strangely quiet. Good news. But the headwind was bad news because we would be heading in the same direction for 22 miles down the A38. This was another epic stretch of high speed traffic coming past and we were struggling to keep the pain at bay. And then we needed more water (and nurofen for Mat's knees.)
Finally we turned off the A38 at Falfield and hit a 1 in 10 hill. More ouch. But the road was quiet and the horizon was flat so no hills for a while. After some great place names like Iron Acton, we were so close to the next memorable stage - our Frenchay stop.
And what a Warm welcome! Balloons, bunting, fruit juice, fruit platter and best surprise of all Mark & Lisa Lambert, plus Jane and Sophie, Mark's little sisters! Brought a lump to my throat.

We met all the fantastic people at Frenchay and were blown away by the enthusiasm. We were glad to see the blogs were printed out daily for the patients to read.
We wanted to stay forever. We were even tempted by offers of the hydro-pool but declined reluctantly.
Then another surprise ; Mark was escorting us to Churchill. Fantastic!
That was a hard last 20 miles especially for the jogleboy with vertigo who was made to cross the
Clifton Suspension Bridge, but all worthwhile when we found the Clumber Lodge and the amazing sunken bath.
Off over the hill to Launceston tomorrow, for a Top Gear challenge....

Day 9

We left Churchill at 08:00 this morning in a steady drizzle, still smiling after yesterday's lovely surprises and surprise visitors.
It was super mild still so the rain was actually quite refreshing especially given that we were off straight up a big hill.

We made great progress, and covered 36 miles in 2.5 hrs before we stopped for our first tea break at a cider farm/cafe where Mark and Lisa met up with us, prior to them heading down to Lands End ahead of the "grand finish".
Father Mark considered it apt to read us some extracts from the new testament in preparation for our day ahead whilst we troughed our millionaires shortbread and tea.

We then pressed on for a few hours and stopped at the Thorverton Inn for lunch, where we recieved a very warm welcome.

56 miles done and looking ok so far, although we are both taking pain killers frequently now due to constant knee pain.

After a mile or so up the road, Paul slowed ahead of me and as I caught him I saw he'd slowed for a 4ft Adder making his way across the hot tarmac!

As we worked our way through Devon, the hills became more and more frequent as we'd expected, and as a result the average speed dropped and pain levels increased!
which meant a few more brief but unscheduled breaks

When we eventually crossed the Cornish border, our mileage had gone into triple figures again - and time was getting on.

We arrived at our B&B in Launceston after a total of 105 miles and 9 hours in the saddle, at 7pm.
As you can imagine, we're both pretty fired up and excited about our last day tomorrow.
There's no feeling of sadness as we're pretty chuffed with our achievement so far - and equally we're ready to finish now and start the recovery process!

We're really looking forward to seeing the growing crowd who will be waiting for us whenever we get to Lands End tomorrow. We're expecting the toughest day yet as repuatation leads us to believe.......

Finally, as it's my last blog....
I'd like to pass on my thanks to my best mate, Paul.
Incredibly, we're still great friends after our epic adventure! (and clearly it's given us a taste for more...)
We've shared laughter, tears, and lots of pain but every bit of it has been thoroughly worthwhile :-)

"Pain is temporary, pride is forever"

"That which does not kill me makes me stronger"

"Pain is only weakness leaving the body"

"Tough times don't last. Tough people do."

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win"

Day 10 - The Finish Line

More to follow...

Day 10 - Continued

We did it. Full stop.
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Only joking - yes, another 86 miles on the clock, to the most significant stage of the journey. WE DID IT!
We got an 8 am start in cool cloudy weather up a 2 mile hill in to the lanes to Trevoskelly, where it flattened out a bit. On local advice again we stayed off the A30 until Camelford which meant great lanes. No snakes today, but we did disturb a buzzard and see a variety of roadkill. Our average climbed to 12.5 mph and we made a stop after a big hill outside Nantstallon to break out the chocolate peanuts. Needing a seat, Mat found a convenient wheeltrim to sit on, which cracked the moment he sat on it. Still, it made a brilliant frisbee afterwards!

At this point we decided we were going to reach Lands End as quick as poss. Popped a couple of Nurofen for the knee pain and off we went, passing a sleepy village called Retire. Once we got on the A30, things got busier but faster - until the Redruth junction. There was a sign saying 'Cyclists please find alternative route' which we thought about for exactly 5 seconds. And carried on. In the single lane section, our 15mph seemed to be annoying folks behind so we pulled over to the right hand lane. This really annoyed the banksman, who threw us out of 'his' lane! He was not a happy chappy which made 3 of us. Then we needed a tea stop with 40 miles to go. And our determination increased as we checked emails for inspiration. For a main road it was pretty hilly but the miles ticked down 17 - 15 - 13 - and it was really hilly after Penzance AND windy.

But we didn't care. And then Mat & I were at Lands End ! A heroes welcome - bunting, banners and cheers even from non-family members. As with all good soaps, we made an alternative ending for your amusement (see photo 3 to follow). No punctures, no getting off for hills, and thankfully no accidents.
After his gushing comment yesterday I suppose I should thank Mat for putting up with my feet for 10 days and waiting for me to finish meals. Cheers pal.

JOGLE continued.....

2010-06-22T15:34:00.001+01:00

04/18/2010
4 Comment(s)

Not a lot of training outside of my shed this weekend, however I completed a street collection in Godalming High Street with my 3 little helpers - and we raised a whopping £840 for CHASE!

We worked our audience really hard, and steadily improved our sales pitch from 09:30 until 16:30 by which time we were just dead on our feet, and our arms were considerably longer than when we started as the collection buckets became so heavy.
Ice-cream and visits to the pick 'n mix sweet shop proved successful bribes for my under-age workforce.

I'd like to say a really BIG Thank You to the wonderful, and generous folk of Godalming who donated so generously, helped along by some amazing weather all day long. Also to Ella, Katie and Toby who worked their socks off helping Dad.

Clearly the sun DOES shine on the righteous!

Mat.

JOGLE continued.....

2010-06-22T15:32:00.000+01:00

04/04/2010

0 Comment(s)

Good Friday? My wife disagrees. We’re on the road at 8 am instead of sleeping in, en route for Mat’s. An hour later we’re in Godalming getting kitted up for a planned 75 mile trek to the New Forest, GPS on and ready to go. The weather forecast was horrendous!

We enjoyed the first 90 minutes in the dry Hampshire lanes between Brook and Bordon but I was struggling with the GPS thanks to the almost sunny conditions because I couldn’t read the screen. I soon realised that tapping the touchscreen to bring up the map whilst holding both brakes on and steering into a junction was going to be tricky. Then it rained. Hard. For more than two hours between Alton and NewArlesford. Spirits were low and our fingers and toes were getting painfully cold and wet. The minor roads were awash and water was soaking down inside all of our many layers.

After a rest stop, bananas, malt loaf, change of gloves, belated addition of waterproof leggings, and repeated use of a hot air hand dryer we picked up where we left off. Starting off again is always difficult, like getting into a cold swimming pool, but mercifully the rain had blown over and we made another 15 miles to Hedge End in relative comfort and looking for food. Right on cue and at 50.01 miles exactly, the Burger King sign was not a mirage. Time to try dry out!

This is where we got too comfortable. Until we started off into the shopper traffic around the Retail Park, which was full of dopey idiots – sorry, impatient dopey idiots – we were glad to move on. We crossed the Woolston toll bridge towards Southampton and this was where the wind really strengthened.

The Hythe Ferry had just left when we arrived at the Red Funnel terminal at five past four. So we didn’t get to Hythe until quarter to five. This felt like tedious progress, so we were keen to get a move on through the New Forest. Trouble was, the GPS led us astray in Hythe, then the battery gave up after seven hours, which was inconvenient - and left us unsure how far we had left.

Beaulieu was a very welcome sight after a real struggle into the wind, but time was getting on and Brockenhurst was still five miles further. We caught up with a guy on a unicycle doing a 200 mile ride, which made us appreciate our two wheels all the more! After slip streaming a Winnebago campervan for as far as possible, Mat survived a cramp attack at Sway, and we eventually got to our heroes welcome from Mat’s very extended family in Barton on Sea. Job done and over 80 miles in total!

Thanks to the whole De-Gruchy clan for a cheering reception and lots of chocolate.

- Porks.

Beyond Mountain Bikes sponsor John O'Groats to Lands End riders 2010

2010-06-22T15:21:00.002+01:00

On June 21st 2010, Mat Dibb and Paul Evans embarked upon their most physical challenge to-date in order to raise as much money as possible for Chase Hospice.
They aim to cycle 962 miles, from John O Groats to Lands End - in only 10 days.

Beyond Mountain Bikes have provided them with advice on kit, training and nutrition, as well as giving them financial assistance in equipping themselves for the ride.

Here is the story of how they have trained for this test of endurance.

02/01/2010

0 Comment(s)

Training ride no 1 Sunday Jan 24, 2010.
Working on the principle of 'in at the deep end' we planned a 60 mile ride to see how much chafing a grown man could stand without stopping and pushing.
Being the one without a turbo trainer and currently borrowing a hybrid bike rather than drag a heavy mountain bike round, I was expecting to be the weaker of the two.
Mat duly arrived from Godalming at 9 am on a dry cloudy, and cold morning, right on time for bacon butties and a large mug of coffee.
After pumping a few more psi into the tyres to allow for the bacon, we pedalled away from Westoning. For me it took a while to get used to riding a very upright but beautifully light hybrid bike again.
The saddle was mercifully plush.
My route was mostly in my head, with a map for the complicated bits that I forgot and as a nod to our mutual fetish for motorsport, the first destination was the Red Bull Racing factory in the Tilbrook area of Milton Keynes.
The traffic was light and we could chat away as we pedalled through Ridgmont, Woburn and into the wooded roads to Aspley Heath.
We hit maximum speed dropping down into Little Brickhill but 27 mph was more down to the 1:5 gradient rather than powerful legs.
Apart from the paintjob, the F1 team's building was all quiet this dull Sunday morning, but we were not disappointed.
Chatting about the prospects for F1 and rallying in 2010 we were both agreed it has the makings of a great year.
That distracted me from the navigation briefly but the rest stop at the Daytona kart track convinced Mat we were back on the right track. Was there a headwind regardless of our direction? The sky was brightning so it didn't matter.
Next town on the route was Stony Stratford where I celebrated my stag night nearly 12 years ago. That was a Cock and Bull story.
Passenham looked peaceful as we crossed the River Ouse and headed for the backroads out to Deanshanger and on to Whittlebury. The sign posts in Deanshanger could be bad for morale; we cycled half a mile through the village and saw 'Whittlebury 4 miles' more than once. Still we'd reached the 30 mile halfway point without much discomfort, the sun was coming through and we ticked off another petrolhead venue when we could just see the Silverstone grandstands through the trees.
The A5 is a busy road, but it is straight and quick, even on a bike. Cars have plenty of road to pass wide and for me it was head down and keep thinking of the imminent lunch stop I had planned. Trouble was, I couldn't build up the Super Sausage Cafe too much because it could have been closed. It's legendary. We couldn't help a daft smile as we lent the bikes up and went inside to sit in the sunlight and drink huge mugs of tea. Mat's steak kept him smiling and my modest sausage beans and chips were perfect.
Restarting is always difficult, but we soon got back into a 15mph rhythm down to the major roundabout at Stoney Stratford and back through the town centre. Were my boxer shorts still stuffed above the speakers in the Cock Inn after 12 years. We didn't stop to find out.
40 miles. At this point the tops of my legs were burning on the inclines. I decided to revert to the route plan B and leave the Aston Martin factory in Newport Pagnell for another day. I had to stop to stretch off the cramps in Bletchley, but that, and a tailwind through a set of fast roundabouts helped for a while. At 50 miles there was a long incline out of Woburn Sands past the mountain bike tracks in Aspley Heath and Woburn woods.
Mat did the decent thing and held back as I was struggling to keep up until the downhill. I wasn't looking forward to the last steep slope through the park at Woburn as my legs were on the verge of cramping and the saddle had lost its plush setting in the last 10 miles.
In the end I crested the hill and from there it was a cruise back to the house along very familiar roads to Westoning. The attached photo was not enhanced - the true mileage was 60.24, in 5 hours, and the endorphines were kicking in before the kettle had boiled.
The end of a successful first outing in the winter sunshine.
Oh for the same still sunny weather for 10 days in June.
Porks

Beyond at the Tour of Wessex - 29-31 May 2010

2010-06-01T13:05:00.007+01:00

Judging by the 1000+ people signed up for the Tour of Wessex and chat on various cycle forums, this event was central to many people's cycling calendar. Stephen (see previous blog for details of his new Trek Madone) and I in our infinite wisdom, however, had earmarked this three day 'tour' as a kind of masochistic training programme. We had big events on the horizon and need big mileage fast. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Right?

The weather forecast for day one had hinted on broken showers. In typical fashion this was completely wrong and it rained on us during every one of the 108 miles of the first day. Despite the inclement weather, a broken seat post clamp and a torn tub, we finished in a respectable time and around the 50th riders back (of over 1000). Had we been able to see through the water coming off the person in front's wheel we would have admired Glastonbury Tor, Cheddar Gorge and the 1:5 Alfred's Tower.

With over 100 miles in our legs already, day two served up 120 miles with around 2000m of climbing. The weather had improved markedly and it was an opportunity to work on our cycling hard men sun tans - read: burn and go red. We pretty quickly got into a rhythm and in an effort to get a quick group going worked a little too hard on the front. However, around 30 miles in we were joined by five or six riders from Henley CC (or some such) who were blisteringly quick. In no time we had a group of 15 hammering out 45-50km/h down to the Dorset coast. Road race stylee. After 20 miles in the 'hurt locker' I could see a blow up in my imminent future and decided to ease off. Stephen, who is rapidly acquiring hero hard man status, pushed on with the group which soon became, six then five then four and finally three before he also succumbed to the pace. The return from the Dorset coast was in to a vicious headwind and in our respective groups we did what we could to suffer home. In the end Stephen came in around 30 mins ahead of me. Chapeaux!

The third and final day took place in warm sunshine. By this point we had tired legs and we were not looking forward to the three mile, 25%, climb up Dunkery Beacon. The pace was obviously slower as we rolled out of Somerton and despite my attempts to lift the pace (160km solo breakaway anyone?) it took some time before we were up and cruising. Once again we managed to get in a decent group and before long we were knocking on the door of the Beacon. I can only describe this as one of the toughest climbs I have ever ridden. It really is relentless and, if my Garmin is to be believed, was as steep as 1:3 for a short section. Stephen (again!) rode strongly and at the top of this horrific climb he was just ahead of me. However, by this stage my legs were in pieces and I decided that I needed a 10 minute rest at the feed station. That was the last I saw of him and he managed to get in a good group for the remaining 50 miles. I also found a strong group but it was a little small and by this point people were dropping like flies. However, in a perverse twist, my legs found renewed strength and I rode (Cancellara style) the last 25 miles in a little over an hour and 10mins. I was suitably rewarded with a bacon roll by the sole rider who had clung to my wheel.

All in all, an excellent three big days in the saddle. Good signage, challenging routes and slabs of cake like you have never seen. BUT also very tough and I'm nursing sore legs. Friday we leave for southern France for a training week in the Southern Alps - another chance for Stephen to break me no doubt!

Mmmmmm carbon

2010-04-16T15:38:00.009+01:00

It has finally arrived!!!!

For those of you who know me, I’ve been waiting for over 4 months for this beauty. Thanks to Jackie at Beyond Bikes for her patience and help. At 2kg lighter than my current Trek 1.2, with alloy frame and the somewhat budget Sora groupset, I’m expecting great things and proof that improved performance can be bought (rather than the more traditional way of actually going training…). Still to be taken on its maiden voyage, I’ll report back with a view from the road.

For those spec geeks out there – it is Madone 5.2, SRAM Force Groupset and Bontrager RXL wheels.

The Trek Madone 5s and 6s range are now custom specced through the Trek ProjectOne site and then ordered through official dealers. The good thing is it allows you to choose groupset, gear ratios, wheels and the entire colour detailing for bars, stem, tape, tyres and cables all for the same price. You can then upgrade or downgrade components as you wish. It is a dangerous website for your wallet although well worth checking out!

What's going on with the weather?

2010-04-14T17:26:00.001+01:00

Stephen Tebbett writes about the return of the winter weather and the switch to Plan B - whatever that is?

Over curry on Thursday night in one of our favourite old university haunts in Nottingham the decision was made; we were too soft to brave the forecasted Scottish weather conditions and would go with plan B.

Not that we knew what plan B was, but it sounded good. In our defence the pictures and reports from the 7 Stanes suggested that some of the trail centres were unrideable and most likely closed.

On Friday morning we decided to head for Llandegla, which normally holds up well regardless of the weather, and worst case was only a 2 hour drive back to Nottingham. A phone call on the way secured us 1 night accommodation at Boulder Adventures in Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon, so we now had a plan. We were somewhat surprised to see snow at road level once we got within the final few miles of Llandegla and the exposed sections of trails had a solid couple of inches coating in snow. ‘MTFU, let’s get on with it’. After many profanities were voiced we set off up the first hill, setting a high pace just to keep warm. Under the cover of trees the trail the trail was in its usual good condition with some great sections of fast flowing singletrack and a chance for a few jumps.

The first section of singletrack after the first climb was unrideable in the snow so James and I skirted round this to the top of the next section. After that, the rain started and it was a case of head down for an hour to just finish the trail and get back to the cars. The toughest part of the day without doubt was getting changed in the car park in near freezing conditions with strong winds and pouring rain, with vows never to ride again in such stupid conditions (I bet these won’t last past next winter)

By Saturday, there were now 8 of us to ride The Beast at Coed-y-Brenin. Weather varied between warm sunshine and pouring rain, making clothing choice somewhat difficult and stopping for too long was just too cold. The trail holds up well whatever the condition, and it was great to get out on some quality trails. The Beast has a great mix of rocky, technical sections and some smooth, super fast, ‘tarmaced’ sections. Oh, and of course plenty of climbing to be done! Half way around James’ mech hanger broke, and he was forced to walk his way back to the centre. Pete and Emma stopped for a picnic (don’t ask), Nia and other Pete stopped for cake, leaving Dave, Olly and I to finish together. I think that is a record for me – starting in 1 group, finishing in 4. Back to Llanberis for a well earned ‘Pizza and a Pint’ (Exactly what it says on the tin - about £8 in an awesome local pub and highly recommended if you are in Llanberris) and then crash on Pete and Emma’s sofa.

On Sunday, despite a strong wind, we finally had a dry day to go riding. We rode the 35km long route at Nant-y-Arian, which is a little different to the usual trail centre riding, more like back country riding with sign posts and some great scenery. It takes you off along some double tracks over some rolling hills before coming back to do the 15km singletrack section, which has one of the best descents of the trail centres in Wales. A good reminder of what I was in for next weekend at the CRC marathon at Builth Wells. Afterwards, we headed south to Cardiff for an awesome roast dinner provided by Nia’s Mum.

With plans of a big final day, we were down to the last 3. Olly, James and I headed to Afan to ride 60km including Penhydd, the Wall and Whites Level. Afan is always a great place to ride with some fantastic singletrack. Penhydd is going to be closed for a year so we wanted to get a last ride in. James was on fine form, ripping up some of the singletrack sections, as I did my best to try and hold his wheel. Sadly an achilles injury shortened his ride again. As I finished the last 20km by myself, I was reminded that a 60km day in Wales is a tough day out! Still, big grins all round as we piled in the carbs and caffeine in the Drop-off café ready for the drive back home.

Somehow the weekend became a battle of attrition of both bikes and people and we all suffered. 1 broken mech hanger, 1 bent front mech, a lost skewer bolt, a puncture, a dented car roof (don’t ask), a bruised shoulder, a pulled achilles and 14 very tired legs. In 4 days we covered 900 miles of driving, 160km of superb riding and countless bottles of red wine. Cheers all for great company and a great trip.

P.s. Incidentally, the roads covering the length of Wales were in immaculate condition – end to end road ride anyone?

2010-03-22T12:02:00.004Z

Beyond Black Park XC 10 – VFTP

James Poole

Along with most of the population of England, the weather has really got me down over the last couple of months. The turbo trainer, long my best friend over the winter months had become my shunned lover. The two hour rides that took two more hours to clean up had become my enemy. The taste of salt and diesel from miserably cold and wet road rides had become my nemesis. I was close to breaking point.

So it was with some excitement that I woke up last Sunday to blue skies and the thought of racing in the Singlespeed category at the Beyond Black Park race. Spring had sprung and with it had returned my enthusiasm for all things bike related. This is what I had been waiting for.

The week running up to the event had been far from the text book taper period. I’d been at a conference in Edinburgh and my training had been a Molotov cocktail of late nights, early mornings and far (far) too much alcohol. I was not, you would say, in peak condition. I arrived early that morning feeling guilty that I had not helped with the previous day’s preparations. I was soon given duties but also managed to ride the course several times. It was typical Black Park. Twisty. Start. Stop. Start again. The faster you rode it the more technical it became. Awesome.

Before long it was time to line up with my fellow racers. I had some previous form from this race having finished third in 2009 so I made my way to the front. However, this was also my first race of the year and I was unsure how much top end I would have. Up at the pointy end, I lined up alongside Lee Gollop of Progression Fitness. I knew Lee was a capable rider having raced against him at the Southern Series. I also knew that on a good day a couple of people from WDMBC could give me a run for my money. I looked down at my new Garmin 500 and my heart rate showed 125 – and we hadn’t even started yet.

I made a good start from the gun. The 32/17 gearing on my 29er singlespeed allowed me to accelerate quickly from the line and I took the lead. I could hear the wheels of a rider behind and on my left. Desperate to get into the singletrack first I edged across slightly just blocking his line. No one was going to beat me to the first corner. Not easily anyway. I actually felt pretty good at this stage. The burning heat from lactic acid was there but it hadn’t built up massively. I pushed on and held my leading position for about 2/3rds of the lap. But the pace was brutal and I could hear riders on my wheel. I looked down at the Garmin again. 201bpm. Pretty close to max.

As we came out of a section of single-track, Lee came past me followed by Rob Holbeche of Pyschleworks. They were clearly running bigger gears than me because I was spinning out and they were pulling away. There was nothing I could do but watch and pedal as fast as I could. I’d got my gearing wrong last year too and despite going taller for 2010 it wasn’t tall enough. School boy error.

By the end of the first lap I was in a group of five riders chasing Lee and Rob. They were still in sight but seemed to be slowly slipping away. We continued to push on and my lack of race preparation was hampering my performance. While my legs felt strong, I just didn’t have the speed and I was gradually drifting backwards.

The last two laps seemed to take forever. By this time the drop-off into the water had been removed as it had become horribly treacherous. I’d been following another rider from my category and he was visibly showing signs of slowing. I knew I was in seventh but I wanted better than that. I needed to attack, it was just a matter of when.

There was a narrow section of muddy off camber singletrack that turned left into a row of pine trees just before the finish. I’d decided this would be the place to attack. Get in front of him before the singletrack and once in front it would be nearly impossible to get past. That was the plan. I timed my attack to perfection and took my enemy unawares. I was into the singletrack maybe 20 metres ahead with the finish in sight. I waited for the counter but it never came. After the race we shook hands and I asked why he didn’t push me for the finish. As it turns out the missing water feature had disorientated him and he thought there was one more lap to go. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

So, sixth place for my first race of the year. Plenty to improve on but some positives to take away too. My Garmin showed an average heart rate of 186bpm for the 1hr 17mins. Pretty scary! Next up, the British Mountain Bike Series at Sherwood Pines. Better kiss and make up with the turbo!

Thanks as ever to the generous sponsorship from Beyond Mountain Bikes and Rapid Racer Products.

Welcome

2010-03-22T11:57:00.001Z

Welcome to the Beyond Mountain Bikes blog.

Over the coming days, weeks and months we will use this blog to tell tales of our regular shop rides, racing results and overseas exploits.

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