Being used to riding carbon I wasn’t sure about moving to what is generally considered a step backward to aluminium. However, whilst carbon has it’s merits, lower-end frame sets do not necessarily possess all the structural and behavioural features that a high-end carbon setup demonstrates. For this reason I was interested to explore the Cervelo S1, an aluminium frame with a winning history and phenomenal reputation for speed, made by Canadian bike designer and manufacturer, Cervelo.

Many of the favourable write-ups talk of the stiffness, aero-dynamic properties and sheer power offered by the frame. All very appealing qualities for my specific purpose. The brand philosophy also seemed to focus very much on a combination of ideas to create faster bikes. The brand has successful presence within major pro riding teams and quite frankly there’s something very desirable about the brand. I was bought in and began hunting down a suitable used model.

I managed to find a great 2009 example in fantastic condition, so bought it and built it using the components from my Planet X. The results can be seen below.

I was keen to build it up ahead of the Barcelona Triathlon (October 2011), which I did. However, I didn’t have the opportunity to take the bike out for a full test ride ahead of the event, but instead needed to disassemble it, pack it and fly it to Spain then reassemble it, again. The first time I would ride it in anger would be during the race itself, so I made sure she was setup appropriately ahead of racking.

When it eventually came to the bike leg the first thing I noticed was the fit, the main reason for changing the setup in the first place. The bike felt immediately comfortable and the geometry and riding position suited to speed. I was surprised at how easily I was able to accelerate and maintain a fast pace right from the go. One of the unique features of the Barcelona Triathlon bike leg is that drafting is allowed, making for an interesting, if not slightly edgy race.

Riding through the field in search of suitably paced riders to work with was tricky. I was tagging onto the back of trains and finding the ride easy with plenty of speed to give. Leading out I would find myself riding ahead away from the train I had just joined. On lap 3 of 4 I found a group who I could work with. Taking turns to lead out we were able to maintain an average 40 kph on a course full of 90 and 180 turns. The straights were phenomenally fast and felt rock steady.

I was particularly impressed with the performance of the bike tracking around corners and more so on hills. One of the few sweeping gentle inclines on the course felt effortless as if an extra gear had been applied. The stiffness and sheer power transmission was felt on every pedal stroke, every bit of effort rewarded with more speed.

Final time on the 40 Km bike leg was 01:02:39, which by my standards is a PB by a long way and well up there with the elite field on the same race. I can’t recommend this frame set enough.

Looking forward to my next race.

I have for sale a Planet X Superlight Pro Carbon frame set with seat post, cranks and front mech. Selling to due recent purchase of time trial specific bike. This is a reluctant sale as this frame set has served me well. Ridden in the dry it has been well looked after and never crashed or dropped.

The sale includes:

• Planet X Superlight Pro Carbon frameset (size small)
• Planet X Superlight seat post
• planet X integrated headset
• Planet X seat clamp
• FSA Crankset
• FSA Bottom bracket
• Shimano 105 from mech
• Water bottle cage (lightweight Specialized alloy)

The new On One website

Whilst visiting the On One website to find out more about the upcoming 456 Carbon frame-set, I was pleasantly surprised to find a striking and significantly improved website redesign at www.on-one.co.uk.

The first thing to notice was the new approach to the organisation of content, which on the old site was clunky and muddled making content difficult to find and often left valuable items hidden beneath layers of unrelated content. The new site on the other hand provides very clear signposting in the horizontal navigation, defining channels of content, bikes, frames, news, shop, contact us. There’s no mistaking where on the site you are reinforced by the breadcrumb trail at the top and bottom of the site which allows you to easily reverse back or jump to a previous point in your journey.

On the left is a highly organised category tree of products which then drill down in a very logical and usable way. Having clicked onto one of the main category items on the left, a secondary navigation list appears to guide you through the next available options.

The layout of products is much improved with higher quality images and a decent description of the item where appropriate. Pricing and “Buy” call to actions are very clear and the shopping basket is evident throughout the site in the top right. When looking at complete bikes, you’re also able to view the entire specification and further detail on individual components quickly and easily.

All subsidiary navigation items such as price policy, frame sizing, and refunds can be clearly found in the footer.

The design itself is fresh and airy with attractive graphics in the header and footer reflecting quite aptly the nature of business on the site. The Orange and grey work well as key colours whilst the content speaks for itself. All in all a really nice implementation of a site restructure and redesign.

On One’s sister company, Planet X, also appear to have undergone a similar treatment with the same principles applied. Have a look at www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk

The Bad Boy adorned with 3M reflective Scotchlite

To be honest I haven’t taken this subject as serious as I should have done in the past, thinking it was OK just to have a light on the front and one on the back. It then occured to me that I habitually wear black/dark clothes, and now I even ride a stealthy black commuting machine, my Cannondale Bad Boy 8. I’m not giving myself much chance here am I.

Lighting up in public

Since then I’ve been conscious about making myself seen on the roads. I’m now doubling up on lights, using two 3 LED lights at the back, one static, the other flashing. One has been replaced by a super bright Smart Superflash 1/2 watt light, which is incredibly bright and can apparently be seen up to a mile away. The Fizik saddle also has a small integrated light, which isn’t very effective at all but OK as a backup.

On the front I’ve now got two Smart LED lights, one has 3 LEDs the other 5. These are complimented by a Knog Beetle 2 LED light which is set to flashing mode. Conscious not to dazzle oncoming traffic, I dip the two brighter beams to avoid being ploughed down by dazed and dazzled drivers.

Another hi-viz addition includes the application of 3M reflective Scotchlite stickers (as seen in the picture above). This stuff is absolutely great as in the daylight it appears black and is invisible on my black framed bike. Once in the headlights of a car it lights up like a Christmas tree, bright and reflective. Even better is that it comes in the form of an A4 sheet which can be cut and shaped as required. It’s very easy to apply and stays put. Another stealth weapon for night riding.

The Rapha large Fixed Backpack with reflective detailing

Finally, I decided to treat myself to a new cycle specific rucksack that could comfortably accommodate a change of work clothes, shower gear and a laptop as well as a few bits and bobs for work. Another criteria was style, I wanted the bag to also look good as I travelled in on the tube. Several bags met the criteria but the one that stood out by far was the Rapha Fixed Backpack (Large). It’s completely waterproof, has plenty of compartments and is finished with a sleek and slim design. It’s also very expensive though.

This is a very well thought out bag with every feature considered to the highest degree. The reason I mention this particular piece of kit is that it features reflective pin-dots beautifully integrated into it’s design on the top, back and side panels as well as on the front of the harness straps. Beautiful!

Anyway, with all this added illumination and reflective material I’m hoping now to be seen a little sooner that I would normally if I wasn’t adorned in such brightness. I’ll let you know if I notice a difference. In the meantime it still amazes me that some people think they’ll be alright riding in the dark without lights and any kind of protection.

Be safe. Keep riding.

IslaBike CNOC 16

Following the success of my eldest son’s first bike, a LikeAbike Mountain Classic purchased for his second birthday, the time came to consider a successor as his size and skill approaching the age of four, meant he had graduated to the next stage, a real bike with pedals.

After a reasonable amount of research and having gathered a consensus of opinion on various forums I came to the conclusion the next steed my eldest would use to develop his skills and allow me to start riding with him in a more meaningful way would be an IslaBike CNOC 16.

I ordered the bike over the phone with the help of a friendly and helpful member of theIslaBike’s team who guided me through the options. I decided on upgrading the tyres to off-road knobbly’s and didn’t bother with stabilisers or the mudguards as it was unlikely I’d take my son riding in the rain. When the bike arrived a week later it was delivered in a suitably protected cardboard housing. All I needed to do to get the bike up and running was turn the stem and tighten a bolt, and attach the pedals.

You get what you pay for…

At £149 plus extras this is certainly not a cheap first bike. In the flesh though, the first thing that struck me about the bike was the quality of the components as well as the metallic paintwork. It felt like a miniaturised quality adult bike. The 9″ frame is constructed from 7005 T6 heat treated aluminium, complimented by lightweight cro-moly blade forks, Ahead aluminium stem, Tektro aluminium ‘V’ brakes, which incidentally are nice and powerful comparable to adult equivalent brakes, and 16″ Alloy wheels with Continental tyres. Nice specification (Full spec available here).

On the quality front, despite being a kids bike there are no short-cuts. All the rotating parts run very smoothly thanks to ball bearings most of which are sealed. The scaling and geometry is also very well considered, for example the brake lever reach is adjustable and built to fit the smaller hands of a 4+ year old. The same detailing on the pedals, saddle etc make it a comfortable and easy to use ride.

Build quality is superb, so much so that it can easily take my 90 kilos on the several occasions I’ve had a go. It feels solid and positive. The brakes stopped me surprisingly quickly, amazing brakes! No rattling or need to keep tightening nuts and bolts up, it’s solid and reliable.

Despite the plentiful aluminium and the claims of being lightweight I was actually a little surprised at how heavy it is for it’s size and spec, listed as “approx weight 7.7kgs (16.9 lbs)” that makes it around the same weight as my Planet X carbon road bike. Still on the light side I was expecting it to be lighter. Despite this, from picking up similarly sized bikes in my local bike shop, it is comparably lighter. I do however notice my son struggling to lift the front when walking up to and over a kerb for example, but then technique and strength do play a factor which I as an adult probably take for granted.

Having ridden a balance bike for two years, my son almost instantly was able to ride this bike unaided, a real proud dad moment. As a keen cyclist on and off-road I can’t recommend this bike enough.

Here are a load of pictures…

LIKEaBIKE Mountain Classic

When the time came to buy my eldest son his first bike – at the grand age of two – it wasn’t a decision I could take lightly. Well, his entire future as an Olympic track rider/Triathlete/or Tour de France legend could hinge on this very fundamental choice.

I needed to make sure that this first bike was usable right from the start and able to provide a platform for my littl’un to develop his riding skills, well his balance at least, and not be outgrown too quickly. I wanted the transition from this first bike to his next to be seamless, ideally avoiding the need for stabilisers on his second bike. Following a little research I decided on a LIKEaBIKE Mountain Classic. I bought it for his second birthday and it’s lasted him beyond two years, and he still likes to ride it from time to time despite his new steed which I upgraded to an IslaBike Cnoc 16 for his fourth birthday.

Being a keen cyclist in multiple disciplines I was naturally eager for my son to eventually come out and ride with me on a Sunday morning, whether in the forest on off-road bikes, or through the Essex countryside on road bikes. So to see him take to riding the LIKEaBIKE like a fish to water was a real joy not to mention a relief, and I could start imagining the reality of future bike outings.

Out of the box, the bike simply needs the handlebars to be fitted as well as the grips and seat cover, a ten minute job. Once on the bike the riding position is very natural and the new riders seem to know exactly what to do as soon as they get on and start pushing themselves along the ground with their feet, eventually building up a pretty good pace and momentum. Before long they’re zooming off and riding with feet in the air, balancing and controlling the bike as they ride. Great to watch.

Because there are no brakes, stopping is carried out using feet, which at first is a little disconcerting, but as they get used to slowing down and stopping, any worries quickly disappear.

When my eldest moved on to his second bike, the beauty was he didn’t need to use stabilisers at all, and despite not having used a pedal bike with brakes, he instinctively new what to do and began pedalling off unassisted straight away, as hoped. Quite impressive. Take a look at a quick video clip of my son riding his first pedal bike on the first day.

Build quality

The build quality is second to none as you’d imagine from German engineering. The wood is birch marine plywood, which is incredibly strong and won’t warp. The LIKEaBIKE is held together with high-grade steel, felt, textiles and rubber. To date the bike hasn’t required any mechanical servicing besides adjusting the height of the seat. The pneumatic tyres provide great ride comfort and added bumper like protection.

These bikes are not cheap, far from it infact, but the quality is unmatched. From my point of view, worth every penny. And now that my youngest son is showing an interest in riding, the LIKEaBIKE which is still in mint condition will be passed on to him so that he can start learning to ride.

Here are some close-up pictures of the LIKEaBIKE Mountain Classic…

Meet my off-road full suspension pride and joy, the Specialized Enduro SL Expert, 2007 model.

From reviews I’d read at the time it was clear the engineering and ride-ability of the bike wasn’t in question, having evolved from a trusted and proven design. On the looks front however, it was very much a Marmite experience, you either loved it, or hated it. When I first clapped eyes on one of these back in 2006 I fell in love with the lines and the burly yet light-footed appearance of this updated classic.

The first thing you notice about the bike is the Future Shock E150 fork, a dual crown affair typically seen on downhill rigs, or motorbikes. This was complimented by the AFR Shock at the rear. The second more unusual aspect was the origin of the suspension setups, each Specialized own brand designs for both front and back. Specialized invested in the expertise of Mike McAndrews, who served six years as head of R&D at SockShox, later moving on to Fox Racing then Maverick. His vision was to create a completely integrated system designed from the ground up.

The idea was to create a suspension ride that allowed a balanced and controlled experience for the rider, and in my opionion it all works very nicely thank you very much.

What surprises me most about this bike is it’s ability to climb. Despite the slack angles and long fork, once the E150 altitude adjustment (the black dial) is turned on the fork compresses 40mm to lower the front and change the geometry for easier climbing. The difference is noticeable and the result is a bike capable of fast, comfortable ascending.

The machine descends just as convincingly and confidently as it climbs. With 2.3 inch tyres and wide riser bars the feel is one of full control and positive feedback when descending trails at speed. The suspension carries out it’s duties effortlessly leaving you to focus on the steering.

I’ll be updating this post with a more indepth review over time. For now enjoy some of the close-up images of the Specialized Enduro SL Expert below.

This video, one of a series is the first explaining how the Cervélo Team started.

Right blade of fork

I’ve owned my Planet X SL Pro Carbon road bike for two years now. Originally purchased directly from Planet X via the Halfords cycle to work scheme I can honestly say that I’m very happy with this purchase, one of my best bike buys to date.

Value and service?

In terms of value, it can’t really be knocked. There are (or at least were) several comparative deals on other brands which I considered at the time, including Focus, Wilier, Ribble, and Orbea bikes. I paid £999 for my Planet X back in the summer of 2007, at the time specified with Shimano 105 brakes and transmission, and a Full Speed Ahead chainset. Since then, the bike has been offered at different price points between £999 and £1,600 plus, in a variety of flavours including Ultegra, Dura Ace and and now SRAM Red. Every now and then I see it available for under the £1K mark with Ultegra, a great deal!

When I first bought it, I spec’d the bike over the phone during an in-depth conversation with the guys at Planet X, who incidentally are very helpful. Great service!

They asked what style of riding I do, the typical terrain I ride, my weight, body measurements etc. On that basis they built the appropriate bike for me (frame size (Small), crank lengths (170 mm), stem lengths (100 mm), number of front chainrings (2), etc). As a result the bike is perfectly fitted and rides beautifully. It’s geometry is not at all aggressive, so provides a comfortable ride experience without having to be to far over the front of the bike with your arse in the air.

The combination of geometry and materials makes for a positive ride experience allowing quick and powerful acceleration. The bike climbs well and is very stable under pedal.

How does it ride?

I’ve ridden it mostly on a range of undulating Essex and Hertfordshire country roads. It’s also gone multi-purpose and served as my weapon of choice in several triathlons, hence the aero bars in the image gallery below.

In no uncertain terms I’m extremely surprised at how comfortable it is. I’ve never experienced back ache after riding the bike, and have always felt it to be setup in a very natural position for riding, so comfortable on longer rides, perfect for sportive.

Thinking about when I first picked it up and took her out for a spin I was shocked at the power transfer to the rear wheel from the pedal, blistering. It felt really twitchy and I was genuinely scared when taking it for a full speed straight road blast. The speed pick-up was quick, great acceleration throughout and the responsiveness, tracking and feedback was incredible. Bear in mind back then I hadn’t ridden a road bike for 16 years and was only used to comparatively bouncy MTBs, so the difference was immense.

When I ride the bike now I love the precision of it as well as the highly engineered feel. I adore the clean, snappy gear changes, and having picked up speed I’m really liking the noise of the whirring wheels and efficiently sharp transmission.

Having upgraded my old SPD pedals to Ultegra SPD SLs I can feel even more positivity through the drive.

I love it to bits.

What does it look like?

Check out the images below. Click on the first image to view a gallery of larger images.

The frame set you see in the pictures below is now FOR SALE. Click here for details

Do you own/ride a carbon road bike, or want to ride one. What are your experiences? Let us know below…

In addition to the lights I was considering what else I needed to do to make myself stand out as much as possible, especially in the rain, when I’m convinced cyclists are the last thing on a car driver’s mind as they turn into a junction. As well as developing that special sixth sense you need to be able to read other road users minds, being seen is of course the most important thing to gear up for, something I’ve been guilty of under preparing for in the past.

Here’s a useful video highlighting (excuse the pun) some points to consider when riding in the dark. Be safe.

Bicycle Safety: How To Cycle Safely In The Dark

Front side view

It’s been over a week now since I’ve had the pleasure of owning a Cannondale Bad Boy 8 in which time I’ve managed four in/out commutes to work, so 120 miles so far. I’d like to offer this brief short term review of the bike and follow it up with a longer term review, maybe in four months time once the bike has fully bedded in.

Compared to my previous commuter hack bike, a Kona Cinder Cone with skinny tyres, the Cannondale Bad Boy 8 was certainly a pleasant although not entirely unexpected change for the better.

First off the riding position is less slack than a traditional mountain bike yet a little more so than a road bike, so at first felt much more aggressive than I thought it would. I’m totally used to the new riding position now and find it very comfortable. The initial lack of any suspension made the Bad Boy feel a little twitchy at first, however it very quickly became evident just how stiff it is, all round. The power transfer to the rear wheel is phenomenal, allowing me to accelerate from traffic lights fast.

I still haven’t worked out how to remove the back wheel and disconnect the hub gear cable in case of rear p*. I’ll have to play with this a little. The front wheel is also a little awkward to remove as the front disk brake need to be partially removed to allow the unbolted wheel to slide off the Lefty spindle. This isn’t really a problem unless you need to regularly remove the wheel to transport the bike. In the case of punctures the wheel can stay on as is due to the lack of right fork blade.

The Shimano Alfine rear hub containing the gearing has worked without fail so far. It really does shift quickly, much more so than traditional gearing, almost instantaneously. The grinding and clanking noises coming from the hub are a little different and I think just need a little getting used to. From what I understand this eases off as the hub becomes ridden in. So far so good.

The only other comment I have at this point is about the handlebar grips, which look good but have already fallen apart. Despite being lock-on grips the grippy part is made from a tape, a little like tennis racket grip and has effectively come unravelled. I remedied this with a little glue, but we’ll see how long that lasts.

Finally, the tyres, Schwalbe Kojak Bad Boy Edition 622 x 28, are nice and fast with low rolling resistance. Awesome in the dry, OK in the wet, despite being completely slick. I’m still a little apprehensive about them in the wet.

I’ll follow up with a more detailed review at a later point. In the meantime here are a load of pictures of my Cannondale Bad Boy 8, 2009 model. Click the image for a larger version.

Do you ride a hub geared bike? If so I’d be interested in your thoughts on the pros and cons. Feedback below…

From BikesR4riding

Garmin Forerunner 405

OK, Christmas has come and gone and we’re now suffering the repercussions of the New Year celebrations as well as adjusting to the thought of returning to work. One of many things that I’m taking away from it all is my latest toy, the Garmin Forerunner 405, a personal training watch. A mere week into ownership it’s too soon to tell how effective it will be in changing my training habits to improve performance, but I’m impressed with it.

In the short time I’ve had to play with it I’ve been on 4 runs (2 x 5km, 2 x 10km) and 1 bike ride, on each occasion it accurately recorded an extensive range of information from speed, heart rate, calories, distance, HR range, in fact something like 35 different measurements some of which I’m yet to understand.

It’s a nice toy to accompany me on a run, in fact it has a built in “virtual partner” that you can use to pace your run. Once the GPS has been acquired, which doesn’t take long, it accurately tracks and records the training event automatically, storing the huge range of data mentioned above.

Over the next few weeks I’ll provide a more extensive review, but in the meantime, it’s a bit of a winner. I only hope it contributes to improving my chances of becoming one, not that I expect it any time soon. More soon.

This Christmas:

• Oregon Scientific ATC 5K Waterproof Action Cam
• Endura FS260 Jetstream Pro Jersey
• Oakley Fives 3.0
• SealSkinz Hi-Vis Waterproof Sock
• Endura Venturi eVENT Waterproof Jacket

The money list:

• Trek Remedy 9 Full Suspension MTB
• Cervelo R3 SL Road Bike
• Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS with Heart Rate Monitor
• Shimano XTR M970 Hollowtech II Chainset
• Gore Fusion Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket

What’s on your list?

The going was cold, and eventually quite wet. Although this evening’s journey started off crisp and dry, it soon turned into a hail storming shower from hell. All I can really say is that I was thankful for the additional set of lights that I recently appended to the bike. Every time it rained the rear light that I was relying on simply stopped working, which is not your friend in the darkness of night.

So the additional lights certainly provided that little extra bit of failsafe confidence, but what made it all tolerable was the new set of leg warmers, worn for the first time today.

The last time I wore leg warmers was back in my old roadie days when I was a mere youth. Back then leg warmers were long thick woollen thigh length affairs that just kept falling down every five minutes, completely useless in the wet and did nothing for the look. These new knee huggers, although not catwalk worthy, did their job admirably. With their soft fleece lining and lycra fit, they were nicely secured by the silicone thigh grippers, and I have to say, despite the cold I was comfortable all the way home.

It’s all about the equipment at the end of the day. Get the right equipment for job and you’ll be fine come rain, shine, cold or warm conditions.

Time for some cold remedy now…

When I’m not concentrating too hard on the traffic and other obstacles that might prevent me from reaching my destination in the shortest, quickest time possible, I’m diverting myself by either by observing the changing landscape of east London, as I buzz through the Lee Valley on the Lee Bridge Road, through to Hackney and into the city, all the way from Epping Forest.

Admittedly, most of the journey isn’t actually all that interesting made up of mostly main A-roads, bus lanes etc, so the computer was a nice toy to play with when the dull part of the ride kicks in.

It does allow you to challenge yourself by maintaining or setting a faster pace, but mainly it’s about attempting to set new land speed records on those particularly fast sections of the journey, for example, I have a nice long hill that takes me down into my hometown. To date I’ve topped out at 41.7 mph going down this, which although fast could be done much quicker on a road bike. I ride a converted MTB hack bike with a 48 toothed large front ring, so I imagine the 53 toothed chain set on my road stead will give me considerable more to play with. Hmmm, I’ll have to give that a go one day.

A recent landmark event for me was reaching 1,000 miles on my commute. Not a big deal, but good to know anyway. It got me thinking about the mileage I would achieve over a whole year. 2-3 rides a week in and out of work, averages out to around 3,600 miles, probably not much less than I do in the car over the same period.

I also use a heart rate monitor from time to time for training, but not for commuting. At the moment I’m thinking about getting an all singing all dancing gadget that incorporated GPS, heart rate, cadence, and pedometer monitoring, oh what fun!

If you know of any gadgets that meet these criteria, please do let me know, I have to add this to my Xmas list…

There’s no doubt that the senses need to be on high alert when hacking through the London streets, literally scanning, analysing and assessing every single movement, or lack of movement on the road. Concentration levels are high and fingers twitchy on the brake lever.

The two occasions that I rode home this week, at least twice each night I was confronted by a car driver who didn’t see me coming and would have broad-sided me if it hadn’t been for those DEFCON 1 status senses. The mind is constantly calculating distances, looking out for each conceivable different scenario whilst also establishing the best emergency exit for each permutation, just in case, in addition to watching for the man hole covers that can send you of course, glass, drains, parked cars, pedestrians etc etc.

Can they see me? Can they see me? Please see me?

I recently invested in a pair of high viz arrows that attach to the back of my pack and helmet. Hopefully that provides some indication of my presence from behind at least in addition to the main red tale light and emergency red flasher attached to the backpack. My main concern however is being seen from the front.

On the whole the newer style LED lights provide a decent, powerful white beam that can be seen from a fair distance, much improved on the older style halogen bulbs that were good for an hour then burnt out once the battery power dropped below 80%. The newer variety last for many many hours on a single set of batteries and burn brighter. When conditions are bad, a few LED based lights are preferable in addition to high viz clothing and reflective bits and bobs.

Of course, you never know what the other road users are concentrating on themselves, so whilst they’re looking after their own interests, just make sure your second guessing them as well as looking out for No. 1.

It’s DEFCON 1 out there. So eyes open…

The merino wool base layer arrived this morning and the Gore Windstopper leg warmers are next on the list. It really is getting cold out there, bit is it really worth it?

For the first time this year I was happy to be wearing my fully loaded thermal/waterproof sealskinz socks, which meant my feet were nice a toasty all the way into work.

For the time being my main worry is the cold ride home, but I manage to cope admirably, despite the freezing wind hammering my bare legs. OK, so I'm only wearing shorts but the old knees are feeling the bitter cold and are creaking under the strain. Fortunately, my little legs work hard enough to keep them warm throughout, however, if the weather continues towards sub-zero, things will have to change.

Those skinny tyres are starting to slip on the cold, wet road surface, especially over the metal drain covers, but momentum keeps me upright, for now.

Three things urging me to keep commuting on the bike

1. My annual travel card has expired, so now's the time to start saving on those travel expenses.
2. The more I ride, the less weight I put on
3. The prospect of buying another bike on the company's ride2work scheme. a nice winter hardtail MTB is on the cards…

It all came back to me as myself and three other tri buddies attended the pre event open water training session. Despite not having trained for the swim part of the race – and I still haven’t with only two weeks remaining – it was all worse than I actually remember.

There was one little gem that came out of it for me, and that was “flush the wetsuit”. I only wish I’d attended this session last year instead of wearing the wetsuit for the first time at the event without prior training or advice. When we dived in and took the first few strokes it was as if someone had taken my breath from me and I didn’t know how to move my arms, not fun I assure you.

After one lap we were asked to get out and “flush” the wetsuit. This involves flooding the wetsuit with water through the neck opening whilst in the water, then once out of the water, releasing it through the wetsuit until all water is effectively squeezed out. The difference was amazing, I could swim again.

You live and learn, only this time I wish I’d had more opportunity to do some swim training. Maybe next year…

• Jeans? Check
• Shirt? Check
• Cufflinks for shirt? Check
• Pants and socks? Check
• Showering stuff? Check
• Towel? Check
• Lock? Check

Well, I think I'm pretty much ready for the go. My riding gear is laid out at the end of the bed ready for when I get up, no doubt sleep deprived as my newborn will have woken the household up for the third time in the middle of the night. All I need to do now is get some good sleep and hope it doesn't rain.

I also need to hope that the bike will perform adequately. I'm well aware that the single 44 chainring that I've forced myself to rely on may not be large enough for road use, but we'll see how it goes.

My trusty mate, Steve will be knocking on my door at 8:00 am to guide me through the best route into work. He's a bit of a veteran at this, so I'm hoping any shortcuts he can offer will ease the pain of riding into work during full on commuter hour.

I used to commute to work on my bike about 5 or 6 years ago now and remember really enjoying it. I'm sure it'll be fine. I only hope I live to tell the tale…

…tune in for more.

A typical ride tends to start off something like this. Get out of bed, glance out the of window, notice the rain, have a shower, get the wet weather gear on, quick slurp of coffee, into the garage, briskly admire your beautifully shiny mountain bike [toothbrush cleaned from the previous ride], make a few minor adjustments here and there, squirt some oil onto those vulnerable areas, and off to meet the crew for a Sunday morning hack in some nearby forest trails.

Up to that point everything seems nice and simple. You’re steadily making your way to the rendezvous point trying to ignore the wet stuff falling from the sky, hoping it’ll disappear by the time you start riding proper. The short ride to meet the others is only a ten minute slog up a long hill and through the forest, there’s plenty of time so no need to rush. Taking a steady pace the legs are slowly spinning and warming-up nicely. Despite pre-ride checks, you happen to notice a subtle noise resonating from the back-end of the bike, but it doesn’t affect performance in any way so is ignored in order to make the last push to where the posse is meeting.

Arriving at the meeting point you notice two of the others are already there and for once you’re not the last [in reality I'm always the last]. Another two more yet to come, they won’t be long. The ritual greetings takes place consisting of firm hand shakes and obligatory “how are yous”. One of the guys starts talking about a problem he’s having with his headset, something’s either loose or stuck. Inevitably the ride can’t go on until the problem is solved and we gather around to offer out “expert” advice on the issue. With the problem diagnosed, corrective action is needed, so out come the micro tools from the Camelbak and away we go. Fettle, fettle.

Something in your mind starts to bother you, wasn’t there something wrong with my bike too? Didn’t I hear a noise? The seed is planted. Anyway, rather than get too involved in the headset problem [too many cooks, and all that], you decide to venture into your own crusade to perfect the union of man and machine and rid the world of that alien sound resonating from your stead. Besides, we’re still waiting for the others, so upside-down goes the bike, more mini tools are debagged and away you go. That’s now two of the original three fettling away at their bikes.

There you are furiously poking and prodding a mini screwdriver around the nether regions of your bike trying to determine the cause of this sound, which incidentally can barely be heard by the human ear. Fifteen minutes pass and you’re still working on the problem so intensely that you failed to notice the other two had arrived ten minutes ago. You realise the posse are gathering to commence the ride and you start to get twitchy about not being able to resolve the problem. Forget about it! you tell yourself, it isn’t affecting the performance and won’t make a difference. Tools packed away and ready to set off, the ride begins.

You take the normal route through some nice sweeping warm-up trails, a good introduction to the trails ahead, and increase the pace to avoid the looming rain storm. A couple of the guys are chatting to each other, the rest are concentrating on their technique by bouncing around of the side of the trail hopping and dropping off obstacles. These are things you would normally be doing if it wasn’t for the unbelievable noise screeching and squealing inside your head. The only thing you can focus on is that noise coming from somewhere on your bike. It’s like standing on the platform of London’s Bank underground station as an angry train pulls in yelling its discomfort at being forced round the tight bend of track that strains the wheels to the point of warping.

Of course the reality of the situation is that the noise is practically inaudible, but it’s been built up over the duration to the point of obsession. Naturally, the ride was not an enjoyable experience, despite the fact it didn’t end up raining and some fantastic trails were ridden.

The point is that we can spend too much time thinking about how to improve things, when really, nothing’s broken. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, as they say.

What are your thoughts on annoying obsessive behaviour like this?

Click here to view the word “Fettle” in Wikipedia

The riding, of course, plays a fundamental part in the whole getting on your bike and peddling around the countryside experience, but the fun really comes into it when you start obsessing about the components, gadgets, technical clothing, bike transport and cleaning agents etc used before, during and after the bit when you’re actually sitting on the bike.

The area where most effort tends to be prioritised is in the components, the stuff that makes the bike work. More specifically though, it’s not just about how bling the shiny bits on your bike are, it’s about how little they weigh.

Of course, it makes complete sense that the lighter and more expensive your bike is, the faster you become and the better you are at riding. Well, of course, that’s what we’d – I’d – like to think. The reality is as a developing rider, which I am, instead of blaming my lack of fitness for not making it up the hill before the rest of my mates, I blame my equipment. Despite the carbon seat post and handlebars that adorn my stead, the obvious lack of titanium in my cassette is clearly hindering my prospects at becoming the next cross country champion.

[Note for later: remember to order new titanium cassette]

Yes, like most mountain bike and roadie enthusiasts, I too like to indulge in the competitive sideline of one-upmanship when it comes to buying the latest and lightest components, when I can afford to. I do, every now and then sit back and think about what I’m doing when spending huge sums of money in a vain attempt to shave ounces of weight off my bike.

Now, I’m no whippet when it comes to riding, in fact quite the opposite, so when I think about the time, effort and money I’ve invested to date transforming my bike into an anorexic thoroughbred, I do also spare a thought for the 18 pounds fo weight I should be shedding my overfed carcass.

I wonder though, which is more effective? Losing miniscule amounts of weight from the bike, or handfuls of fat from my body? Hmmm. It’s the bike every time. How else will I get to spend my time and money?

What are your thoughts?