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 One has been replaced by a super bright Smart Superflash 1/2 watt light, which is incredibly bright and can apparently be seen up to a mile away.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.

Taken on my Oregon Scientific ATC5K, handlebar mounted.

See video of the “Black Run” at Afan’s Whites Level trail.

Arriving a little later than planned due mainly to an unfortunate alarm malfunction, we decided to start off at the old Argoed trail centre starting off with the Penhydd trail, a 17 km Red graded trail (difficult) combining forest road climbs with tight, technical, switchback trails through mixed woodland, a great trail in the dry. We dusted it off in a reasonably swift 1 hour 26 minutes, video of this to follow.

Thankfully, the lack of mechanicals meant we made good time, enough to ride the 7 km picturesque pathway to the new trail centre in Glyncorrwg which hosts the Whites Level trail head. Whites Level is my favourite trail featuring a huge range of absolutely awesome man-made technical riding. Another 17 km, red grade trail featuring some very technical climbing, board walk, slabbed rocky descents, and a Black graded (severe) descent, the relatively new addition named the “Black Run”. I love it. The 7 hour round trip car journey was definitely worth it for the amazing 4 hours in the saddle!

The short video below shows the black run from a helmet camera mounted onto my handlebars. Forgive the shaky picture. Although it doesn’t do the Black Run justice it should give you an idea of it’s challenging technical riding. Hope you like it.

Taken on my Oregon Scientific ATC5K, handlebar mounted.

Look at video from “The Hidden Valley” at Afan’s Penhydd trail.

Edvald Boasson Hagen comfortably sealed overall victory in The Tour of Britain, as Italian Michele Merlo sprinted to victory in an action packed stage in front of thousands of spectators in central London.  Boasson Hagen crossed the line safely in the peloton to confirm victory; only his second overall win in a stage race.

Tour of Britain, www.tourofbritain.co.uk

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.

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

As a cyclist of over 30 years and a seasoned commuter I consider myself relatively experienced, but never take it for granted and am nearly always aware and conscious of the activity happening around me and always second guessing other road users in my riding zone, always leaving myself a safety bailout option whenever possible.

I thought it would be useful to share the video below, which although a little stiff in presentation does a good job of highlighting good advice for those riding in cities and also provides some great tips to keep safe in some of the more precarious road situations a typical commuter faces on a daily basis.

Use eye contact, use plenty of road, be very careful around lorries and buses who can’t always see you. Enjoy…

Bicycle Safety: How To Cycle Safely In A City

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

If you didn’t catch the on-board video, have a look at Video: Building’s track day at Herne Hill Velodrome

Although I was attending on official work business, I felt privileged to be doing so at the legendary Herne Hill Velodrome for this quite excellent event in the construction industry event calendar. In my capacity as on-board cameraman, supporting photographer and general assistant host it was an absolute pleasure to meet the cycling aficionado’s of the construction industry.

For the second time since it’s inauguration last year, a 40 strong contingent turned out to thrash it out on the legendary concrete track in south London. As the more seasoned swapped out pedals and fine tuned their machines, the less acquainted familiarised themselves with their gear-less, brake-less steeds.

The order of events consisted of:

Event 1: 8 Lap Scratch Race (3 heats)
Event 2: Keirin Heats
Event 3: Keirin Final
Event 4: 10 Lap Points Race
Event 5: Team sprint

The day was a roaring success. In the 30 degree heat we battled it out. Below is the rider’s perspective of the 8 lap scratch race heat, a little bumpy but I hope you enjoy.

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…

Enjoy…

Rather than talk about what I haven’t done I’ll tell you about what I have done. Despite my promises to start training in a more serious way eight weeks back, I’ve been fair weather training and eating to my heart’s content. My first triathlon on the season is in less than three weeks and today feels like the first day of real training.

Having not cycled into work for the past two weeks, not gone for a serious run of any kind for a least three, and not gone for a swim since last year at some point I can’t even remember, today I worked it.

Cycled into work, head wind was strong but I battled through. The ride home was fast so either I had a tail wind helping me along, or all that energy I was storing up burst into my ride home, probably the best time I’ve achieved since riding to/from work. Then, in the evening I managed an unexpected and rather stonking 70 laps of my local pool.

Damn, I’ve never seen so many plasters and hair bands in my life, all on the floor of the pool, minging! Anyway, I must’ve burnt a few thousand calories and don’t even feel I was compensating for anything I ate today.

So the question is, can I keep this up, or is it going to be a flash in the pan training session? It’s hardly as if I’ve committed myself to a hard core training regime of any sort. Anyway, yet again I’ll keep you informed.

Hoping to do a quick 5 km at lunchtime tomorrow. Will let you know…

Following last year’s London Triathlon where I attained a personal best under the 3 hour mark, I vowed to strengthen the two disciplines that let me down the most, the swim and the run. You simply can’t rely on the one stronger discipline, cycling in my case to achieve a significantly better time.

Training for last year’s London event consisted of 4 months of cycle commuting, 2-3 times a week, a couple of 5km runs each week and a single swim at the local pool to make sure I could last the distance. Pretty pathetic, however, it got me through and quite clearly the more you put in the more you get out.

Since the beginning of this year I’ve managed one swim and was hoping to go for another today, however that’s not going to happen due to family commitments, or is it just Sunday laziness, or is it because I’m writing this instead of hammering out some lengths at the local pool? I will swim more; I must swim more this year. Surely a bit of effort at least once a week and I could shave five minutes off last year’s swim time. Surely?

On the bike front, I’m happy that I will have done enough. Ramping the commute up to a constant three times a week, 6 x 15 miles will certainly help along with the weekend roadie and MTB outings. Sorted, although I could do without the head wind this year.

When it comes to the run, I’m hoping to shave another 5 minutes off my PB. Optimistic? I’m unsure at this point. Lunchtime runs are slowly becoming routine calendar events for Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, each a 5km blast along the north and south side of the River Thames. The weekend 10km runs will add a little stamina to the training, although I suspect I need to make these a more regular feature of my weekends.

Besides the three main activities, there’s another major part of my training regime that simply isn’t coming together as effectively, my diet. I love food, I love eating, I don’t want to have to not eat as much, but will have to try. I’ll let you know how that goes from now as I attempt to curb my calorie intake.

As part of the physical aspect of the training, I’m also recording it using my Garmin Forerunner 405. You can see training progress on the Garmin Connect site, as well as my regular updates on my Twitter. What I also hope to do soon is put together a rolling graph of my progress over the next few months.

Let’s see how it goes in the lead up to the Blenheim tri, which is eleven weeks away. Panic!

Thought I’d have a go at filming a road ride with the intention of presenting a film with a time lapsed effect, rather than bore you with the full hour and a half of fantastic road riding – you had to be there to appreciate it. Having filmed most of the 1.5 hour ride, I say most because the camera ran out of memory onto which to record the remainder (Note: Remember to clear down the SD card before filming next time), the ride has been condensed down to just over a more managable 8 minutes of viewing, 10 times realtime speed.

The map above shows the route we took through the Essex countryside. Click for a larger version

During these past three weeks I’ve slowly felt my body turn soft and sag around the mid region. The past weekend of over indulgent fast food, boozing, and Valentine’s meals has more than taken its toll on the body tipping it to wobbly status, again. So today for the first time in around three weeks I finally summoned the motivation to don my Lycra and baggies and brave the ride into work.

It took longer than usual to get ready this morning and needed to check the bike over, all OK. Despite my initial concerns over fitness drain, once on the road, it didn’t feel as bad as I expected, saved by lunchtime and weekend runs which evidently maintained fitness levels. Only now as I write this can I feel the over tightness of my calves. Note to self: Must remember to stretch before and after ride.

The training runs by the way would appear to be having a positive effect on general fitness as average heart rate is dropping and speed is increasing. Good stats.

Talking of stats, I need to provide a short-term review of the Garmin Forerunner 405 training watch that I’ve been using since Christmas. I like it. Today I cycled 45.21 km and burnt 2,522 calories, average heart rate over the ride in/out was 139, which isn’t too bad, I think.

Anyway, glad I rode in today. Will run tomorrow lunchtime and ride in again on Friday, weather permitting.

Later.

Monday morning, as anticipated the snow fell. A full six inches of the white stuff in my neighbourhood as promised by all the weather reports. Even before I got out of bed I was on the mobile internet checking the transport reports to gauge the likelihood of making it into work one way or another. The verdict, no buses, no tube, certainly no cycle, so no chance.

Having resigned myself to a day working from home I was very conscious that my usual cycle commute into the office was again disrupted, this time by circumstances out of my control. How long would these adverse weather conditions keep me off the roads? The reality was, all week.

No lunchtime runs, no cycle commuting, Let’s see if next week brings an unexpected heat wave that somehow brings the country to its knees for one reason or another. At least I’ll be able to ride in, unless my tyres melt into the road.

Did you manage to ride your bike into work this week? How did that go?

Leanachan Forest also has plenty of unwaymarked forest road for you to explore. All the forest roads are indicated on the trail map.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

Whether you’re totally new to off-road mountain biking, or a seriously expert rider looking for big thrills, there’s a trail here that’s just right for you, from an easy green-graded track to severe black-grade trails and orange-graded downhill and Northshore sections.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

The trails
The 0.4km Green skills trail – all on singletrack – is reached via a road climb from the trail head and is worth a quick blast whatever your riding level.

For those looking to stretch their legs a little more, the recently-upgraded 6km Caddrouns Blue trail is just the ticket. With 50% of the route on singletrack (built with less experienced riders firmly in mind), it’s a fun introduction to real mountain biking. The slightly longer Linns trail (8km) is a scenic route which sticks to forest roads.

For more thrills, a 10.5km red route whizzes through the trees on fast, narrow singletrack for nearly 3km near the start, crossing bridges and boardwalks, and the final exhilarating descent from Swarf Hill will have you going round for a second lap.

If that’s not enough, the orange-graded (bike park) North Shore trail should hit the spot. You’ll find This challenge for advanced riders is to the south of the skills trail.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

With a skills area, café, bike hire and shop on site, it is definitely not to missed.

The trails
The green-graded Big Views and the blue-graded Woodhead loops are a great introduction to mountain biking and Mabie’s striking surroundings. Mostly on forest roads, with a few sections of easy singletrack, there are plenty of ups and downs, but the gradients are not too steep.

The 23km Purple Trail – Lochbank Loop is a mixture forest road and some b-class public road (hence its forest road and similar grading). Making the most of the hills, the route has its fair share of climbing, but just like the Big Views Loop the rewards are there. Enjoy the peaceful roads through the forest and revel in the views that you come across.

The skills area lies a short distance from the cafe near the trail head. If you are a new or intermediate rider, its blue- and red-graded features are ideal for practising your skills before riding the trails or prior to moving up a trail grade. The area includes a fantastic 300m freeride line with plenty of sections for you to practise your jumping technique.

The red-graded Phoenix Trail is a classic mountain bike route – great riding through mixed woodland and wonderful scenery. This 17km ride has testing climbs, fast descents, berms and water splashes. If you like fast, flowing, twisty trails with a few rocky, rooty sections and some jumps, this is your mountain bike heaven.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

There are green, blue, and black graded trails, with a bike park and a dirt jump area (both graded orange). Even our green grade singletrack is not ‘billiard table’ smooth – it gives a sufficient challenge for those wanting more than just forest road-type mountain biking.

For full details,visit www.forestry.gov.uk

Set in the outstanding natural highland beauty of Strathmashie Forest, Wolftrax provides a green-graded beginners’ trail, the thrills of a big-and-bermy Bike Park, a fast red-graded route packed with features and a black-graded trail that’s possibly the most technical of its type in Scotland.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

There are blue, red and black graded trails combining in-forest riding, technical features and forest roads.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

The Trails
The green-graded Bargaly Wood trail uses a mix of minor public roads, wide tracks and one short section of easy singletrack to take you around the scenic Bargaly Glen.

When you’re ready for the next step up the trail riding ladder, try the 2 km blue-graded Taster Loop. You can also practice your technique in the skills area, which has blue, red and black- graded options.

More challenges await on the Larg Hill blue route, with long sections of narrow, flowing singletrack ending in a superb plunge through magnificent woodland. The optional Doon Hill extension adds 4km and some great views.

After a moderate start, The red-graded Twister trail gets more demanding, with rock step-ups, drops, berms and jumpable sections, all on the tight and twisting trail that’s typical of Kirroughtree.

To top it all, the black-grade Black Craigs route ups the ante, adding 14km of challenging riding on to the red route. For many the highlight is ‘McMoab’ – huge slabs and ridges of exposed granite, linked by boulder causeways. Skill and bags of nerve required…

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

For full details, visit www.scottishmountainbike.com

For full details, visit www.scottishmountainbike.com

The Glen is a short (6km) trail which shares the easy singletrack of the first half of the blue route, takes you around the Palnagashel Glen and descends on forest roads back to the visitor centre.

The Palgowan is longer. Starting on the same singletrack as The Glen route, it takes you north on forest roads and a farm track to Palgowan before returning via a climb and long descent around Glencaird Hill. A short cut along the minor public road back to Glentrool Village is available if you want to miss out the climb.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

For full details, visit www.scottishmountainbike.com

Glentress is probably the best biking centre in Britain, winning several awards. It has brilliant trails of all grades, a top-notch café, a bike shop with bike hire, changing and showering facilities, and a great atmosphere.

Innerleithen, situated just a few miles south east of Glentress, is home to some of the UK’s finest downhill and freeride trails, as well as a cracking red-graded XC route.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

For full details, visit www.scottishmountainbike.com

For full details, visit www.scottishmountainbike.com

On the red-graded Hardrock trail things go up a gear, and the surface becomes both rougher and rockier, with several notably challenging stretches. It’s the black-graded sections, however – The Slab, the Terrible Twins and Volunteer Ridge – that get people talking and the heart racing.

Recent trail building has increased the amount of singletrack in the routes and, at the trail head, a skills area with differently-graded loops gives a taste of Dalbeattie riding for those new to the area or to mountain biking. The skills trails total 1.5km in length and are on 100% singletrack.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

The natural beauty of the area, combined with panoramic views, offers “big country” biking in the heart of Scotland within easy reach of the major cities.

The 10.5km of red-graded trails have something for everyone. Linked trail sections provide the option of a short, fun route, or something longer and more challenging on singletrack and forest road.

For full details, visit www.forestry.gov.uk

Runs and jumps, North Shore, singletrack, skinnies, the fun box, aerial structures such as the seesaw that rotates as you pass over it: use them to the limit for a real adrenaline rush!

The park also has a skills development area. It’s a great way to try out some of the manoeuvres you’ll need before putting them to the test.

Aside from the skills development area, the park is for experienced mountain bikers and is graded double black. See the trail grades page for a full description of this grade.

For full details, visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/

An entry level mountain bike trail, the Green Route is aimed mainly at families with young children. It’s a 9km loop which runs up the Ae valley to a lovely viewpoint overlooking the Water of Ae. A beautiful place to stop and picnic with lots of rocks around the river.

The Blue Route shares much of its route with the Green trail – the difference is a 4.5km section on forest road, giving a trail length of 13.5km in all. It’s suitable for those families looking to take in a little bit more of the forest than just the short green-graded valley route.

The red-graded Ae Line – Scottish Power Renewables Trail is a challenging, high quality ride through quiet coniferous forest. This route has an aggressive freeride style to it with some large and sometimes intimidating trail features in addition to very steep climbs and descents.

Ridden at speed, things get very exciting, but if you are more cautious you can keep your wheels on the ground all the way round. For many, the highlight of the route is the final descent of Omega Man, with its multiplicity of jumps.

The 1.6km Ae Downhill route provides a bigger challenge. Graded ‘Bike Park/ Extreme’, its seriously gnarly rocky sections, slippery roots and huge drops will satisfy the most demanding of riders. If that’s not enough, try The Shredder, similarly graded, which starts next to the DH track.

For full details, visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry

The descents are awesome – but what comes down must first go up, so there are some challenging climbs as well. Fortunately the climbs give you an excuse to sit down and take in the stunning views before enjoying 7.4km of singletrack.

The routes available are graded blue, red and black. See the trail grades page for full descriptions of these grades.

Riding distances depend on where you start from, but the main loop beginning at Achnabreac is 19km long.

For full details, visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/

The open, flowing singletrack also crosses young plantations opening up fantastic views.

Big climbs followed by technical descents mean that this trail can be difficult and is exposed to bad weather on high ground.

Trail name: Penhydd
Centre: Afan
Distance: 17km
Climbing: 550m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Yr Afon
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 10.8km (short cut 7km)
Climbing: 100m
Time: 1 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

A 6km sheep-track climb gives fantastic views of the Afan Valley, extreme exposure on tight singletrack means ultimate thrills and long, demanding descents with rocky steps to negotiate, all leading to one outrageous trail.

If you are up for it try out the optional new Black Run, graded black/severe!

Trail name: Whites Level
Centre: Afan
Distance: 17km
Climbing: 550m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Great views of the valley and coastline open out at different points, and in places the steep-sided slopes can feel exposed.

The approach to the singletrack shares a section of the low level family cycleway and the disused railway line, so please ride with consideration for the many other forest users.

Trail name: The Wall
Centre: Afan
Distance: 23km
Climbing: 450m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: Temtiwr
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 8.7km
Climbing: 170m
Time: 0.5–1hr

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: Tarw
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 20.2km
Climbing: 460m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

This trail takes in all of the existing summit trail with its fantastic swooping, flowing singletrack, and adds to it by leading you out onto the high open hills with stunning views. It is a long and challenging ride in exposed and remote countryside, so go equipped for any eventuality, including plenty to eat and drink, spares, tools and clothing. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to be back. It is safer riding with others. Much of the route is on technical doubletrack, which is used by vehicles, walkers and horse riders. Some of it is used as a waymarked horse riding route.

Trail name: Syfydrin Trail
Centre: Nant yr Arian
Distance: 35km
Climbing: 670m
Time: 3 – 5hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

This is a demanding route with some technical singletrack descents and long climbs. Parts are open and exposed, watch out for the weather.

The ‘Summit’ Trail is a roller coaster ride of fantastic purpose built single track that weaves its way through conifer plantations, down steep side slopes and along deep river valleys.

Trail name: Summit Trail
Centre:Nant yr Arian
Distance:16km
Climbing:310m
Time:1.5 – 3.5hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Sharing the same sheep-track ascent as White’s Level and continuing on long, forest road climbs with sweet, flowing technical singletrack descents you will be treated to stunning, skyline views of the Brecon Beacons, the Preselis, the Black Mountains and the South Wales coast.

This route will test your stamina and your nerve, with technical singletrack such as sections ‘On The Edge’ and ‘Excalibur’. Your reward will be out-stretched views and a nerve-tingling, rocky, 6 km singletrack descent back into Glyncorrwg. There are also 2 short-cut loops built into the trail.

You will experience exposure at altitudes up to 600 metres, and possible extreme weather changes. Again, be prepared.

Any regular mountain bike will be fine for these trails. Just make sure the gears are working and there’s plenty of life left in your brake blocks. As the trails are largely cut into stable base geology, there are only a few mud patches even in deepest winter but a Crud Catcher or similar will keep your face filth free.

Trail name: Skyline
Centre: Afan
Distance: 46km
Climbing: 2000m
Time: 4-7hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Suitable only for proficient bikers, the trail effortlessly mixes up the more traditional narrow woodland singletracks with Brechfa’s signature brash descents: fast, undulating trail that sweeps between trees and flows sinuously into berms and over jumps.

This trail takes you out into the more interesting corners of the forest and creates a ride that involves the forest’s unique environment, from spooky mossy overhangs to the magnificent Douglas fir Northshore Bridge.

Trail name: Raven Trail
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 18.5km
Climbing: 725m
Time: 1.5 – 2hr

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

With the help of the excellent Rough Rides website you can unlock the secret singletrack of mile after mile of deserted moorlands before heading back for a well earned pint in the real ale renowned town of Kington.

Not the worn rubble roads of the English parks, this patch just escaped being designated a welsh national park back in the sixties, and some say it’s better for it, certainly quieter.

To escape the stresses of the modern world, albeit for the briefest of times, this is the place.

There are twenty three downloadable routes from four different starting points, for GPs users also downloadable as tracklogs files.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Penmachno
Centre: Betws y Coed
Distance: 22km
Climbing: 600m
Time: 2 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Pendam Trail
Centre: Nant yr Arian
Distance: 9km
Climbing: 220m
Time: 1 – 2hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: MBR
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 18.4km
Climbing: 410m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Marin Trail
Centre: Betws y Coed
Distance: 25km
Climbing: 450m
Time: 2 – 4hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The original Mach 1-3 trails take you as far out into the wilderness as you want to go on natural, but no less challenging trails. Meanwhile the more recent cli-machx trail winds you high into Dyfi forest before firing you down superbly technical singletrack descents that seem to go on forever.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The Ride Hiraethog website means you can hit the best trails right from your first visit, though we guarantee it won’t be your last once you’ve found what’s there.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Taking design and construction to new levels, the trail is a hard, fast, all weather surface which becomes more and more exciting as your skill level and speed progresses.

Soon you’ll be railing the perfectly sculpted berms and huge switchbacks, jumping the step up jumps and tabletops and grinning all the way to the bottom of the exhilarating final descent.

The Gorlech red route firmly puts Brechfa on the MTB Wales map as another top destination.

Trail name: Gorlech
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 19km
Climbing: 1071m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Clinging low to the valley sides, the trail eases you in with steady climbs and fun descents. Weaving through the forest you will encounter some lovely scenery and flowing terrain in what has until now been one of Wales’s best kept secrets.

Trail name: Derwen – Green
Centre:Brechfa
Distance:9.2km
Climbing:506m
Time:1.5 – 2hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Derwen – Blue
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 4.7km
Climbing: 307m
Time: 0.5 – 1hrs

For map and full details, visit MTBWales.com

The wild contouring singletrack of Whyte bikes sponsored Twrch trail, rolling in and out of forests will keep you focused on the trail, but stop and you’ll be looking out over the Bristol Channel.

Cwmcarn is also the ultimate park and play centre for serious gravity slaves.

The Y Mynydd Downhill track is unique in the UK for offering a year round uplift service (details at www.cwmdown.co.uk). [Private Uplifts are not Permitted]

There’s also a purpose built freeride park, full of jump packs, berms, wall rides and a complete corkscrew for getting your eye in before hitting the full descent.

For maps and full details, visitn MTBWales.com

Now the superb natural trail network of the area surrounding the tiny but dynamic town of Llanwrytyd Wells is joined by the small but perfectly formed centre at Coed Trallwm. A superb area to explore for a weekend or more.

Llanwrytyd Wells might be tiny, but it’s a massive presence in mountain biking. Home to super experienced trail guide and event organiser Clive Powell, the legendary bike friendly Neuadd arms, the World MTB Bog Snorkelling championships and the Real Ale Wobble you won’t find a town more geared to knobbly tyres.

Further up the valley Coed Trallwm – with it’s warmly welcoming visitor centre – provides an ideal starting point for exploring both their own trail network and the miles and miles of wild bridleway riding in this stunningly scenic area.

For more information on Coed Trallwm including local accommodation go to: http://www.coedtrallwm.co.uk

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The forest has mountain biking trails suitable for beginners and family groups, more challenging routes for experienced bikers including a new black run, and a choice of picturesque walking trails. All tracks are completely enclosed within the forest, with no main roads to cross. Within the Visitor Centre there is a café and a variety of facilities for bikers such as a jet wash, and all this just 7 miles from Wrexham and 14 miles from Chester.

For maps and full details, visit MTBWales.com

For maps and full details, visit MBWales.com

Trail name: Beast of Brenin
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 38.2km
Climbing: 1015m
Time: 3 – 6hrs

For maps and full details visit MountainbikingWales

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.

Up at 6:30, shower, riding gear on, pre-packed bags and bike into the car, M25, M1, Hemel, transfer gear onto mate’s car, M1, M25, M4, Fog and traffic, arrive 11:30, later than planned, but the skies were blue and despite the cold, the thermals keep me warm.

I love Whites Level, I’ve said it before, but it’s the best climb I’ve ever ridden. If you’re relatively fit it’s an interesting and technical climb with stunning views. A real good lung buster that can be taken at speed still leaving plenty left over for the excitement that follows.

It takes us a leisurely 45 minutes to reach the top where we stop to take in the views and make adjustments to our shock pressures. Before long we’re hitting the black run, a fast and furious section that tests the skills on the many berms and switchbacks, until you hit the final lip and find yourself being launched down a very steep, very technical decent that takes you to the bottom. A nice touch I always like to finish on is riding the narrow slab formation which sits towards the bottom of the steepest part of the decent. A real sense of achievement once complete, cleaned it nicely, what a buzz.

Once we make the fire road climb back to the top we continue to the next section, a lovely undulating decent taking us to the new “Energy” section, starting with a range of tabletops and jumps eventually flowing onto boards that take us through some open forestry, then onto the original boardwalk that gradually throw us out onto the final decent. A long and narrow trail with a wall of Welsh mountain to the left and a sheer drop to the right, concentration is an absolute must. Hit any of the numerous slabs or lips at the wrong angle or at the wron gspeed and it’s either wall to the left, or drop to the right.

Once we’re eventually ejected at the end of the trail you can’t help but feel exhilarated at what is such an interesting and exciting trail to ride. Always something different to keep you on your toes and it’s not too long that you’re completely exhausted by the end of it.

To cap it off we stop by at the “Dropoff” café at the foot of the trail where a well earned and very generously served up homemade chilli con carne on baked potato was quickly devoured.

My only question is, how soon can we go back?

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…

As sick as it might sound, I always look forward to riding the Whites Level climb. Despite being a relatively long 9 km climb, it has to be the most pleasurable climb I’ve ever ridden. It’s technical, keeping the mind occupied, which therefore makes it challenging, and when completed at a good steady pace, it’s very rewarding. Not only that, but when you reach the top, the next section is the black run, which is a fast and furious decline ending in a very steep descent.

After this, it continues onto the boardwalk section, which has been revised more recently to include more boards through open countryside. Fun, but brutal in high winds.

The final descent takes in a breathtaking range of big stepped drops, switchbacks and fast narrow off-camber adrenalin rushed fun. I’ll tell you more of this experience later on my return.

In the meantime, tell us what your favourite all-time trail is…

… we stopped off at the tea cabin for our obligatory coffee, cheese ham and pickle roll and cake that I really have something to say.

It was fairly busy and the queue must have been 6 people long by the time I joined the end of it. The lady who usually took the orders was not there and I think her parents were looking after business in her absence. They were slower to serve people than usual, although it may have been my impatience to get stuck into my snack that made me think this. Anyway, the queue had grown behind me as a gent on his road rig and three lads on their Marin off-roaders stopped by for some refreshments.

From nowhere, I noticed an older guy in a leather jacket decided the end of the queue was not at the back, but two people in front of me. No one mentioned anything until the queue moved on and everyone shuffled along. The gent before me suddenly piped up and commented, informing him of his misunderstanding. The leather clad man didn’t move. However at this point another man in front of him interjected. He was a pretty big an tall guy wearing a high viz motorbike jacket, who was evidently in a pretty good mood. Although at this point there was no situation to speak of, the high viz guy tried to alleviate the awkwardness with a little banter, he was definitely in highly spirited and actually offered to buy the man and his partner the cup of tea that he had queue jumped to get.

High viz man saw this as a good deed done and when it came to his turn to order, off they went until eventually I got served and was able to refuel.

It was only when we were sitting on a bench tucking into our cheese, ham and pickle sarnies that we couldn’t help but notice high viz man on the phone. He was quite loudly talking to someone about an incident that happened earlier in the day where a motorist was evidently driving a little closer to him than he would have liked. It transpired that at the following junction where both he on his moped and the car stopped, he dismounted and proceeded to kick the car’s wing mirror clean off and followed up by attempting to smash his way through the driver’s window. At this point the began to quote his piece to the driver, which went something along the lines of “if I get you I’m going to rip your head off and piss down your throat”. He claimed to have caused around £850 worth of damage to the car and said that it was probably the last time he’ll drive that close to a motorcycle.

What a nutter. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde. The guy was so pleasant one minute, yet so destructive the next. Just goes to show that you really never know who your standing next to in a queue.

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 delay in posting, having thought about it may be due to the mental block suffered as part of my participation. Scarred by the experience, I’ve only just recovered enough to write about it. In honesty, it wasn’t that bad, but it was no walk in the park either.

Having completed the London triathlon back in the summer, myself and a few close buddies that took part thought it a good idea to enter an event that would keep the fitness levels up and provide a challenge before the year end. After a bit of Googling, we came across the GRIM Duathlon, a new event that entails 5 km run, 20 km off-road bike, then another 5 km run, all cross-country based terrain, on an army training facility in Aldershot, Surrey.

Not knowing what to expect we turned up to what was a very well organised and run event. There were plenty of fairly serious competitors mixed in with the more have-a-go types, like myself, all of which contributed to a fun vibe throughout. Before the starting gun fired I took advantage of the portaloo facilities, which considering the location were well kept, providing a surprisingly sanitised experience. Having flushed my system of the morning coffee and nervousness, I set off towards the starting line where my two mates were.

Final stretches (not enough), event briefing done, BANG! We’re off, to what is a relatively slow start, building up pace the field begin to spread out. Looking ahead I noticed a pinch point as we entered the forest section, not quite sure what was going on I just followed the crowd, then oh oh, we have to drop into a mud filled river bed, wading waist deep through water. Great! As I scrambled up the river bank on the other side the squelching of my soaked trainers turned into my pacemaker. What I thought would give me an advantage turned out to do opposite, unfortunately, when drenched, Gore-Tex shoes hold water, rather than keep it out. Oh well.

Completing the first run section, I eventually climbed onto my bike and pretty quickly found a speedy pace. The bike section, not surprisingly, is my stronger discipline, which became clearer when I realised that throughout the entire bike section, not a single person overtook me. Granted, the majority of the 300 strong field were already ahead of me (well, half of them anyway), but I must’ve passed at least 120 fellow competitors. I was blasting the bike course which consisted mainly of fire road mixed in with some off-road, mud moguls, and boggy hill climbs. Trying to gain any advantage I could on the bike, I was motoring along up until the point I felt my calves ceasing up. They got worse to the point of agonising pain at which point I had to get off the bike, walk and stretch it out until I could bare the pain whilst riding.

Fortunately, I was close to the end of the bike section when it got bad, but I made it to the next transition where I stretched, changed back into my drenched running shoes from my SPDs, then made it out again on the final leg. This I knew was not going to be fun and was more to do with stamina, patience and endurance than anything else. Stopping regularly to stretch, I made sure that I was able to keep running, or hobbling until finally reaching the finish line 5 km later, 167th of 300, taking 2 hours 18 minutes. Despite the pain I was gained a sense of satisfaction and on the whole it was actually a fun event.

On reflection, If I’d known about the terrain I would have used different tyres to cope with the soft, sandy ground. This could’ve given me at least a couple of minutes on the bike section. The run (or hobbling jog) on the other hand, could’ve been improved with some basic preparation, or training come to that. Now at least I’ll know for next time.

Keep checking back for the next event…

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…

Oh dear. Will they never learn…

Update: Manuel Beltran positive for EPO – Confirmation from French anti-doping agency [Bikeradar - Roadie News]

Despite the improvement in strength and general fitness, it became very evident that more had to be done, especially following a 10 Km forest run, which seemed to drain every remaining ounce of energy I had left in my exhausted body.

In a vain effort to make up for lost ground, I sense I may have overdone it on the riding in to work front, when after the fourth ride during my second week I attempted a brick session consisting of a run directly after the 16 mile ride home. This truly did me in, and for the remaining weekend completely wiped me out, so much so that I didn’t feel up to the scheduled Monday morning ride into work. I must say that I was grateful of the rest and as a result felt stronger for it.

This week has been a bit of a write of due to the horrendous rainy conditions. I know what you’re thinking, but I really couldn’t face riding to work in those abysmal conditions. Only today did I muster up the energy to commute in, and even managed a 5 Km lunchtime run, which wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The ride home was strong, so there’s hope yet.

The Tour de France has started, which always makes for good inspiring watching. You’ve got to love Wikipedia for the excellent info on Le Tour. Check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France

One thing that surprised me was the relative ease at which I've got accustomed to the ride into work. I remember first time around that it took me a good two to three weeks to get into it and get to the point where I didn't feel my lungs were going to explode. Mind you, I did used to smoke back then.

As a non smoker for at least a good year and a half, that in itself has contributed to easier exercising and faster reintegration into an exercise regime. I suppose my occasional rides over the past few months have also helped, but it really does feel easier.

Getting into it so much that I’ve already invested in a nice little Cateye computer. I decided to go for a wired version of the Strada. Works nicely and gives me something to compare each day I ride in and out of work. Best time so far is 55 minutes on the way home. It seems a little faster on the way home, despite the home destination being at a higher altitude.

Riding into work tomorrow morning and more than likely riding home again. Hopefully this will provide a good warm-up for the planned Saturday afternoon ride around the Essex loop on the ride bikes.

More soon…

The hack bike performed better than anticipated and stood up to the task admirably. My trusty stead took me the 15 miles without so much as a complaint and I have to say it was a real buzz to be back in the saddle on my way into work after such a long time.

Speeding through the traffic and picking up speed on those long straight sections is a real thrill, as is the excitement of swerving in and out of the queuing lines of cars and vans as they slowly but surely shunt their way towards their destination.

Although the traffic levels were not too bad for a Friday, I wasn't used to so many cyclists on the road, especially around the Angel Islington area where they just appeared from every street corner and filtered into the main arterial cycle paths.

My only grievance was the position of the saddle which I hadn’t got quite right when setting the bike up. As I kept sliding down it to the sharper end it became very clear that I needed to micro adjust in order to save my crown jewels from permanent damage.

The ride home was joyous, and helped by the glorious sunshine and the knowledge that the weekend had come round so soon.

Looking forward to the next ride in…

• 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.

Got to High Beach to meet the others and headed off to begin a spin on the upper trails. Unusual amount of surface water for the time of year, the foliage has sucked up as much of the rainwater as it can leaving a mass of water all over the trails. Normally, heavy rain means heavy mud, but today it was all about the wet mud.

Having teared it up in sliding fashion on the upper side it was time to give the normally wetter lower side a deserved going over. Heading down to the brook where we normally hop into and across the river bed, we were greeted with a torrent of a river about 8 feet wide and flowing fast where there would normally be a trickle a couple of feet wide. In we popped with an almighty splash. (see the attached video clip).

At this point we could quite easily have been swimming as the depth of the water was up to 18 inches at the deepest point. Fun, fun, fun.

Having ridden for two and a half hours in tough going boggy trails it was time to head back to the High Beach tea hut for a well earned ham and chees roll followed by a piece of cake and coffee.

At home I recycle, I use energy saving light bulbs, I turn the tap off whilst brushing my teeth, and the usual guilt induced actions that a typically adult will carry out in a vain attempt to save the planet, or their bank balance (whichever is priority at the time).

There’s no doubt I could be doing so much more to avoid unnecessary energy waste and reduce my carbon footprint at the same time, but I’ve not really considered doing so within the area of my life I thought wasn’t contributing to the destruction of the planet, mountain biking.

I love mountain biking and am lucky enough to live on the edge of a forest where I can freely ride the trails and indulge in the countryside. However, I do like to spread my wings and ride more challenging trails, as those found in Wales or Scotland, for example. I’d also like to experience trails further a field, maybe in Spain, USA, and other known legendary riding zones.

The sustainability drive my employer has just completed along with all the recent media hype surrounding temperature changes and global warming got me thinking about this a little more. It occurred to me that whilst my riding opportunities close to home were not necessarily impacting on my carbon footprint, my jaunts to Wales were seeing my carbon footprint swell.

All the paraphernalia needed to go mountain biking is significant, so going to Wales by train is not practical, meaning the car is essential for getting from A to B. This in itself is a 500 mile round trip during which the car is spewing ozone killing gases into the environment. The thought of going to international destinations to ride is appealing, but the budget flight will inevitably bulge the carbon count to substantial levels.

Thinking about it even more, my local rides as well as the distant ones aren’t without their sacrifices to the planet. After all, what chemicals do I use when cleaning my bike? How much wasted water am I using to jet spray the gunk off my chain set? I use a separate wash to clean my mud-sodden clothes. More energy waste!?. Do the chemicals I use to waterproof my jacket potentially damage to environment? Do the oils and sprays I apply to my stead pre and post ride have any detrimental affects to the land I ride on?

These are some of the questions that I’ve recently asked myself.

I love mountain biking, so while I’m on the trails I do what I can to enjoy them, safe in the knowledge that man and machine are at one, in harmony with my surroundings. It’s only when I get off my bike that the damage begins, assuming I haven’t already spent a BBQ’s worth of carbon getting there.

There’s always a bi-product to the good things in life, however hard you try.