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)

• Singletrack session in Epping Forest this morning. Wet, muddy and more wet. Good fun riding though, as always. #mtb #
• Lots of fun for everyone, in Llandegla. All about different kinds of fun on trails http://j.mp/9Av8fs via @thisismusic #

When I first read the news that Royal Mail bosses were actively encouraging their posties to use vans in a move to replace their trusty Pashley bikes, I was less than happy, but more saddened. It’ll be a sad day when the postal service are exclusively dependent on big red vans chucking out copious amounts of extra emission.

Bizarrely, a Cambridge delivery representative said, ”A briefing came into our possession saying that Royal Mail wanted to save money and that one of the ways they are thinking of doing so is to switch deliveries from bikes to vans.”

Now I realise some bikes have a hefty price tag on them, but do the traditional postie Pahley’s really cost anywhere near as much as a van. Hmmm. In any case, local authority figureheads were quite adamantly against the idea, due mainly to the obvious traffic problems that already exist in the City centre.

Read the source of this story at Bikeradar, Royal Mail ‘trying to replace posties’ bikes with vans’

• The bicycle that's faster than an electric car
  http://shar.es/mcDYx #

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

• RT @Wiles84: just seen hundreds of cyclists along the southbank being led by guy blasting techno out of speakers rigged to his bike #weird #
• RT @PaulDominguez: Was this the world's first-ever cycle? | Metro.co.uk: http://bit.ly/aC1bIs #

Crossing the line at the Roding Valley Half Marathon

Almost an entire month after completing my first ever official half marathon event I’ve summoned the energy to write about the painful memories of the 2 hours and 9 minutes it took me to complete the Roding Valley Half Marathon.

The preparation for this event was fairly limited, a handful of weekend 10 km runs, numerous weekday lunchtime 6 km runs, and the one full distance “see if I can last the distance” run home a couple of weeks before the actual event. Thankfully I made the distance in both the practice and the real thing.

The day itself came around pretty quickly. I felt unprepared yet ready to just run. Conditions on the day were completely atrocious having rained for the entirety of the previous night and failing to subside. On arrival at the venue, The Ashton Playing Fields in Chingford, I was driving the last car allowed into the car park, which by this point was full apart from the water-logged section which was under a foot and a half of water. I managed to squeeze into a more sensible space thankfully.

Having already registered for the event all I needed to do was turn up at the starting line and wait for the starting gun. Despite this I was not alone and fortunate enough to have a running buddy, Sharon, to accompany me. Whilst Sharon went off to register I thought I’d take the time to prepare and visit the little boys room only to find a queue of approximately 60 men winding its way around an entire changing room and through a corridor. Suffice to say with 8 minutes remaining to the off I casually walked to the back of the building and watered a tree instead.

Having prepared and reunited myself with running buddy we made our way to the starting point. Realising I hadn’t yet stretched I quickly and completely inadequately performed a series of lunges and stretch-like movements to convince myself I was ready. The gun fired and we were off in what could only be described as a shambolic display of disorganised chaos. One lap of the track and then the pack of 800 or so runners splintered into about 6 separate streams towards the exit and the rest of the course.

We were on our way. The rain was relentless, insisting on keeping us company throughout. Glad of my decision to wear a lightweight running waterproof I continues in the knowledge I would in theory be more comfortable than if I’d not worn it, as well as the GoreTex running shoes. Well, that was until half way through I realised I was soaked through to the skin, everywhere. The driving rain and wind on the exposed parts of the course were particularly interesting, or should I say painful.

The run took place on public pavements requiring us to cross the road from time to time. Whilst the course was fully marshaled (thanks marshalls – great job) we had to be mindful of the traffic which in some cases were not overly appreciative of the runners, some deciding we were not wet enough already, so took the initiative to quite deliberately drive at speed through large roadside puddles consequently sending a tsunami of muddy water over the unfortunate Lycra-clad victim. I believe the organisers are taking action to prosecute some of those car drivers.

I’m quite deliberately avoiding talk of the run itself because it was just a painful memory, especially past the 9 mile marker. Thighs, knees and ankles hurting, not to mention the onset of nipple rub. I recall at the 10 mile mark ramping up the pace to get myself motivated which was tough in those conditions. The pace lasted about 200 meters before realising what a mistake that had been. From there I just slowed further and the pain worsened. Struggling on the final mile in particular I was so glad to be on the final home straight, a long stretch of road on Snakes Lane from Woodford tube station. Whilst happy to be nearing the end I remember being conscious of attempting to attain a certain time, originally aiming for what I considered to be an ambitious 2 hours flat. At this point I had already exceeded that time and was aiming for under 2 hours 10 minutes. It was going to be close, very close. Mustering up every last atom of energy I possibly could, I approached the finish line with a burst of adrenalin induced energy, 3 seconds under the revised target time.

Retrieving my medal and goody bag I stopped running after 2 hours 9 minutes and 57 seconds. My knees buckled and I wasn’t far off collapsing. Whilst I kept thinking it was enjoyable experience in retrospect, I’m not yet convinced I’ll do another such event. I’m not particularly suited to distance running and feel much more comfortable with a mere 10 km.

A full marathon, forget about it.

If you can bear to watch it, here’s some video of the finishers in my time bracket, I’m right at the very end.

• First ride on new hardtail I built 2 months ago. On One 456 rides nicely taking sting out of the tail. Needs longer fork, Pike perhaps. #mtb #
• RT @hurns: Great piece on wiggo RT@TeamSkyNews: Bradley Wiggins: 'It's time for me to step up a gear' http://bit.ly/cdPjC5 #

Two weeks and counting until the I “compete” in the Roding Valley Half Marathon. Nervous about never before having covered the full distance for this event (21km or 13 and a bit miles) I took it upon myself to give it a go in advance. My worst fear on the day is not being able to complete the distance, a similar feeling I’ve experienced in the past prior to participating in the 1,500 meter swim on my first olympic distance triathlon. On this occasion a visit to the local pool to kick out the 64 lengths required soon reignited the confidence in my abilities to achieve the task in hand.

Like the swim I felt it necessary to boost my confidence pre-event in an attempt to help me deal with the psychology of it all during the half marathon itself. Rather than constantly wondering during the event whether or not I’ll actually be able to complete it, I thought it best to dispel this so my mind can focus on a specific goal. So, all I needed to do was set a date and time to get the job done.

As it would happen, quite coincidentally, my cycle commute to work is approx 22 km, a little over the half marathon distance. The route starts at Loughton, Essex and finishes on Blackfriars Bridge. Perfect I thought, I’ll run home one evening. With the distance sorted I extended the “home run” invite to my running/commuting buddy, Steve. His reasons for accepting the challenging were identical to mine, so we were on. The date was set and we decided to go for it on Friday 12 Feb.

I didn’t think about it too much apart from the practicalities of what to wear to work and what I’d be carrying back. I wore my running shoes in and jettisoned what I could from my bag for the home journey, carrying only jeans, shirt and jumper, the only other addition was a 3 litre Camelbak bladder that I planned to use to fuel me up for the run.

End of the working day arrived and it was time to set off to meet Steve at the rendezvous point 3 km from work. I tanked up with water, got dressed, packed the back, acquired my GPS signal on the Garmin and off I went. The route we decided to take didn’t deviate at all from our normal cycle commute so all familiar ground.

Keen to get to the rendezvous point I realised I hadn’t stretched prior to setting off, so I took it fairly easy. Thankfully I was first to arrive so took the opportunity to stretch at that point. With the first three km in the bag, only 19 km to go, Steve arrived shortly after and we set off. Between us we had slightly different ideas of the pace we should adopt, Steve thinking 12 km/h whereas I was thinking more along the lines of 10.5, maybe 11 km/h. We agreed that as neither of us had covered the distance before we’d try for a slightly slower consistent pace throughout, as long as we could sustain it.

By the time 8 km had been covered we were both surprised at how quickly we appeared to have done it, still feeling completely comfortable. At this distance we certainly weren’t  anticipating any problems having been used to running 12km at weekends on a regular basis. We soon established a very consistent pace at which the legs were just working automatically.

Approaching the halfway mark on the Lee Bridge Road we both started to tighten up a little and began to feel the effects. Whilst I took the opportunity to water a tree, Steve stretched out a little easing the tightness that had come on especially since the temperature dropped. We continued and whilst chatting comfortably decided to set some landmarks for us to aim which we hoped would keep us motivated. The first big one was the North Circular junction about 4km away. Running through the busiest section in the Walthamstow area, we were weaving in and out of pedestrians and stopping and starting for the many traffic junctions in the area. Glad to pass the bustle we were that much closer to our first checkpoint.

Arriving at our first landmark we’d covered around 14km, more than either of us had run in a single session previously. I needed to stretch as the calves were feeling tight and the knees a little sore. Continuing, the next landmark was only another few kilometres away, Woodford Green. From here we knew there was one more major difficulty to overcome, a long 2.5km steady incline towards Buckhurst Hill. On the bike this was a quick section and despite the steady slope it wasn’t too slow whilst running either. However, I could really start to feel the joints when hopping up and down the kerbs to cross roads, it was all starting to hurt, but so far in a manageable way.

Reaching the top at Buckhurst Hill we were well on our way with only the home stretch to complete. We had another 2 or 3 km left to run before we arrived in Loughton and whilst Steve tried to keep to the grass verge to minimise the impact of the pavement, I had found my stride on the tarmac and continued there rather than feel the slight resistance of softer ground.

By the time we started our decline down the steep High Road through the forest we were very much feeling the pain, and to the casual observer no doubt looked like a pair of geriatric hobbling our way down the hill at a pace we attempted as much as possible to keep constant to avoid the variance and accompanying pain. By this point the knees were taking the brunt of the impact. We could also feel the cold much more now that we were in the sticks and despite the merino wool base layers, were feeling the cold sweat on our backs. My back was being constantly battered by the loosely fitted backpack which was slowly put persistently bouncing off the same part of my lower back for the entire journey. It was only now that I started to feel the tenderness it was causing.

By this time we were both constantly looking at our watches to gauge distance. Surely that was it? but no, metre by metre we closed it down each time thinking it couldn’t be much further. Arriving in the high street my watch beeped to indicate 21km completed so we decided to call it. The moment we stopped running and slowed to a walk I experienced a sensation I’d never before encountered, my legs suddenly felt weightless as if they were levitating with every step I walked. Very strange.

Relieved, we congratulated each other and despite the fairly slow time were happy we’d achieved the half marathon distance. Then we began making our excuses for the time, traffic lights, running after a full day’s work, carrying backpacks, etc. All good reason why we might not have gone faster, but in reality we were both pretty content and also confident we couldn’t have gone much faster even if we’d tried. I’m just glad we went off at the pace we did instead of the more ambitious speed suggested at the start.

Overall we managed to run 22.03km in a time of 2 hours 21 minutes, averaging a slower than expected 9.4 km/h. You can see the entire route play out with split stats for each kilometre at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24519443

If this has helped me in any way, it’ll be in the knowledge that I have achieved the distance, something I won’t necessarily have to worry about whilst competing in the real thing in two weeks time. Hope fully I can focus on a pace that is constant whilst aiming for around the two hour mark. If I hit that I’ll be very happy indeed.

The London Triathlon

Having already entered this year’s London Triathlon I’m now used to receiving a fair few emails from IMG, organisers of the event, inviting me to sign up to some of their other events which I’m tempted to do and no doubt will at some point in the future. IMG’s latest communication however took be aback a little, this part in particular:

“… As someone who has entered the Olympic Distance we wanted to let you know about some exciting options available:

1. Olympic Plus
We have created a new distance at the London Triathlon. This year for the first time you will be able to take part in the Olympic Plus category. This distance is 1.5km swim, 80km bike (usually 40km), 10km run and you are guaranteed to be going to Westminster and back three times! It will start at 6:30am on Sunday morning and will be £40 on top of your existing entry to take part. Initially we have a limit of 150 places available, limited to those who have already entered the London Triathlon…”

Wow, they’ve created a new distance for the already very over-subscribed London event. More like, they’ve created a new way of screwing £40 out of 150 suckers. Now I’m not sure if this new distance is in any way official, but the reason I enter this event year after year is amongst other things to see if I can better my previous time to achieve a PB. I racked my brain to think of a single reason why I would want to part with another 40 quid so that I can be one of the privileged minority who can double the distance of an already testing bike leg. I couldn’t think of a single reason.

Of all the ways to generate a little extra revenue, this really starts to compromise the sport. The Olympic distance is already a well proportioned event, and at London even more so because it’s a fast, flat course. To then have to ride an additional 40 km would surely compromise the run leg in some way or another. The event becomes neither Olympic or half Ironman, it’s some random hybrid in the middle designed to cream that little extra off the top. At £1/km it’s also somewhat steep for an event you’ve already paid to participate in.

I’ve nothing against IMG increasing their revenue streams, but not at the cost of the sport. The London event in particular is already busting at the seems, please don’t make it worse. Unless of course you’re consciously designing ways to reduce the number of participants through ideas like this. As nan from the Catherine Tate Show would say, “…what a fucking liberty.”

I don’t know what you other participants think, but I’d be interested to know…

• Now that's what I call a triathlon. Run from Alaska to New York, swim the Atlantic, bike across Asia. Madness, surely > http://bit.ly/9J8CbR #

• RT @wigglebikeshop: 3 hours left for the voucher codes! #

Roding Valley Half Marathon course map

The Roding Valley Half Marathon, my first “competitive” event of 2010 looms closer taking place on 28 February. I’ve never run further than 10km previously, and to this day still haven’t run past the 12.5km mark, so yet to know if I’m able to last the extra 9.5km that I’ve not run previously.

I do keep asking myself why? Why? Why am I doing this? A discipline which I’m least equipped to participate in yet entering distance events. Apart from the usual peer pressure, I honestly think it will go some way to improving fitness for the tri season ahead. A bit of early year stimulus can’t hurt, can it?

Whilst I’m reasonably confident I can complete the distance, I’m not sure my knees will feel the same level of elation as the rest of me having crossed the line. Currently, both require the added comfort and support of elasticised Tubigrip style knee supports, which whilst running feel OK, but without them the vulnerability kicks in.

On the occasion that the pain kicks in, it feels like the knee follows through so to speak and continues to bend against the joint. In fact that’s what may be happening. It happens most when I’m swimming and I realise that I’ve kicked too hard at the knee joint, a bad sign in itself because good technique suggests the leg should be straight from the thigh down to the ankle, I’ll have to work on that. It also happened when I’m running. Nonetheless, the thought of it alone makes me cringe. If anyone knows the technical name for that condition, let me know…

In any case, I’ll press on with the training. Aiming for a sub 2 hour time, which according to my calculations should be attainable if I manage a constant slow pace of around 10.5km/h. Training currently consists of a couple of lunchtime runs each at around 7.5km and averaging 12km/h and a longer weekend run where I’m looking to increase the distance each week until the event, current distance 12.5 km at a steady pace.

If anyone has any good tips for quickly building up to half marathon distance in 4-5 weeks, feel free to comment below and share the advice. Gawd knows I could do with it.

For now, happy training…

• RT @londoncyclenews: Lazer bike helmets – awesome ad! http://www.flickr.com/photos/duvalguillaume/2360107161/sizes/o/ #
• RT @engadget: Cannondale's mind-blowing Simon electronic suspension system hands-on http://bit.ly/7zlgTP #
• Signed up for the Blenheim tri this year as well as Windsor the following week and London in August. Bring it on. http://ow.ly/UBvW #

Blenheim Tri Sprint course map

Quite unexpectedly I recently signed myself up for this year’s Blenheim Triathlon. It wasn’t an event I was planning to participate in as I’d already signed up for the Windsor Triathlon olympic distance taking place the following weekend on 13 June, but I caved under the peer pressure not wanting to miss out on an event that all my mates were going to be talking about.

Now, I’m not entirely sure what this is going to do to the training regime as I certainly hadn’t planned on two triathlons on two consecutive weekends. The other guys are treating this as a “training” tri, which is fine for them as long as they realise what they’ve let themselves in for. I suppose the Blenheim is a sprint distance event, although I don’t for one minute think that because it’s a shorter event it should be regarded or treated with any less respect or importance as a longer distance event.

Saying that I believe that I am more suited to the standard distance (olympic) as I typically take a fair while to get into the swing of an event, normally taking half the swim distance to effectively warm up. By then I find my breathing is a little more under control (I can actually breath) and I’m thinking about the next leg, the cycle where I am more capable of making up some time.

One thing about Blenheim however is the bike route is quite technical in that it’s fairly undulating to say the least. My riding style is suited to terrain where I can gradually build up a steady and fast pace and maintain for as long as I can bare to, not too dissimilar to a big heavy steam train. I find Blenheim way too disruptive, too many ups and downs, although last years’ wet course didn’t help the cornering which was lethal, and interesting over cattle grids. Another reason I wasn’t intending to sign-up.

The London olympic distance I have to say is one I am very comfortable with. The course is flat and fast despite the strong head wind that tends to beat you down on the bike leg heading towards central London.

Windsor Triathlon on the other hand is making me a little nervous. It’s completely new to me and from what I understand is reasonably technical. Participating in the olympic distance, the swim sounds horrendous, having to fight against the current of the River Thames one way, but hopefully being pushed along a little the other way, I’m hoping. And the run is another of those “undulating” course. sounds pretty knackering to me.

Anyway, this year is a tri of tri’s for me. I’m kicking off with a half marathon towards the end of February, again an event or distance that is new to me. My training hasn’t even really started and I’m still carrying the joys of Christmas on my belly.

I’m thinking I better get cracking with both training and diet. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2010. More later.

• Here's a pic of the fully built On-One 456 in chocolate brown. Nice? http://bit.ly/6JVr01 #

• Tomorrow, surely the exercise has to kick in having not done any for an entire fortnight. A gentle #
• Happy Christmas to all and a happy and healthy 2010 to you also. Enjoy… #

• Want to finish building my nice new On-One 456. Need to find decent bike shop to buy seat clamp, saddle and appropriately sized front mech #

• RT @Steve_Palmer: Commuting: How to save time without going faster? Just like triathlon, you work on your tranistions http://bit.ly/7Xl9R8 #

• Worthy commuter? > RT @londoncyclenews: Jeesh, check this $120K Gold Bicycle http://bit.ly/7CWA4m #

• Stolen: Specialised Langster, 2010 model, black with panier rack. Seen a scumbag riding this steed. Stolen this afternoon, Tottenham Ct Rd? #
• Too many cars on the road! #
• @Steve_Palmer Now you're talking. In your face motorist! in reply to Steve_Palmer #

• Holy Moly!! Can't believe the amazing value of the Planet-X SL Pro Carbon @ £899 with Ultegra 6700. Amazing! – http://ow.ly/BJmy #
• RT @PaulDominguez: RT @Steve_Palmer: cycling advice! Take your pick – the police (93 page manual) or Bicycle Boris http://bit.ly/26Qifr #
• RT @PaulDominguez: That's just how it should be in London, don't you think? – RT @RichMyles: Everyone, everyone in Cambridge has a bicycle. #

• Holy Moly!! Can't believe the amazing value of the Planet-X SL Pro Carbon @ £899 with Ultegra 6700. Amazing! – http://ow.ly/BJmy #
• RT @PaulDominguez: RT @Steve_Palmer: cycling advice! Take your pick – the police (93 page manual) or Bicycle Boris http://bit.ly/26Qifr #
• RT @PaulDominguez: That's just how it should be in London, don't you think? – RT @RichMyles: Everyone, everyone in Cambridge has a bicycle. #

• RT @PaulDominguez: All cyclists take note – RT @Steve_Palmer: Excellent idea! Sort of name+shame bad drivers http://bit.ly/2gqE4w #

• Entered – The Roding Valley Half Marathon, 28 Feb 2010. Better start training for distance AND speed. Yikes! http://ow.ly/ykuh #fb #

• RT @Zerochamp: RT @guardianeco: Caught on camera: Britain's crap cycle lanes http://bit.ly/4tQ2KD #
• The GRIM Duathlon. But, was it? http://bit.ly/3aprIm #

• RT @mashable: Tweeting to #BeatCancer: 200,000+ Tweets So Far – http://bit.ly/4cs3NV #
• Thinking of getting a 2nd job as Google Trike rider – RT @mashable: Google Street View Gets a New Vehicle: The Trike – http://bit.ly/1zM1k3 #

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…

• Whites Leve trail, Afan: Great sunny dry conditions. Cleaned it! Loved black run. 16.04 km, 01h 47m, Ave 9.0 km/h, Ave 139 bpm, Cals 1,922 #
• Penhydd trail, Afan: Beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, great trail conditions. 16.69 km, 01h 26m, Ave 11.5 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,551 #
• RT @PaulDominguez: Confirmed, heading to Wales this w/e for Afan action. Penhydd and Whites Level, or just go for the W2? What do you reckon #
• RT @PaulDominguez: Amazed how oblivious some cyclists are to lorries. Witnessed a near miss this morning Assume THEY CAN'T SEE YOU, be aware #
• … I now wondering how I'm going to attach the front Crud Roadracer mudguard to my rigid Lefty fork!? I'm sure I'll work something out!?! #
• Just ordered set of Crud Roadracer mudguards, http://ow.ly/qAqH. Believe it or not they look good despite being mudguards. Review to follow #
• Ride home: Speedy ride home, partly courtesy of Sainsbury's articulated lorry. 22.30 km, 51m 56s, Ave 25.8 km/h, Ave 132 bpm, Cals 1,141 #
• Sunday off-road. Thankfully not the hideous quagmire I expected. Great singletrack 19.81 km, 2h 08m, Ave 9.2 km/h, Ave 116 bpm, Cals 1,708 #
• Epping Forest was relatively dry for tomorrow's ride, until it started raining over 2 hours ago. Hope it stops soon to avoid mud bath mayhem #
• Images: Tour of Britain final stage, London http://bit.ly/1aDKgS #
• Great deal on the Planet X SL Pro Carbon, with full 2010 Ultegra 6700 groupset. Get 'em while you can. http://ow.ly/q3rd #
• RT @PaulDominguez: Ride home: Naaaaasty NNE headwind. Slowed my tired legs. Getting dark sooner, boo. #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #london_united_kingdom #mountainbiking #roadcycling #internet #family #

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

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.

• Update Blog post containing more detailed review: Images and review: Planet X SL Pro Carbon http://bit.ly/XRlAv #
• Blog update: Images and review: Planet X SL Pro Carbon http://bit.ly/XRlAv #
• How does one easily & quickly remove the rear wheel on a Cannondale Bad Boy 8 with Shimano Alfine geared hub? How does the cable disengage? #
• Blog update: Video: How to cycle safely in a city http://bit.ly/MLwdn #
• Playing around to decide which social plugin does the best job. What do you think of these, http://www.bikesr4riding.com #
• All posts from http://www.bikesr4riding.com will be coming through on this shiny new Twitter account, @bikesr4rising. Follow for bike related reads #
• http://twitpic.com/fq2e8 – Avid Juicy7 front caliper taken apart. Decided to service it myself. Need to order new pistons #

• Servicing my full susser. Stripped and greased rear wheel, replaced rear shock bushings and replaced fork. Front brake needs pro service. #
• Ride home: Missed downpour, just. Nice easy ride. Hate that it’s getting dark sooner 19.16 km, 46m 03s, Ave 24.9 km/h, Ave 128 bpm, Cals 960 #
• Ride to work: Brutal headwind, tired legs, mild hangover = slow, hard ride in. 22.47 km, 58m 40s, Ave 23.0 km/h, Ave 132 bpm, Cals 1,096 #
• Now that’s what I’m talking about! RT @mashable Dual-Screen Laptops?! Yes, They’re Real (and Coming Soon) http://bit.ly/6v9st #
• this is a test http://tinyurl.com/b2bedge #
• Ride home: Wet-ish, windy, slow and tiring, but still good fun. 22.27 km, 56m 31s, Ave 23.6 km/h, Ave 127 bpm, Cals 1,264 #
• RT @YokeDigital at last! Today is the official launch of Yoke Shopper http://www.yokeshopper.com – join the hands free revolution! #
• Ride to work: Ahhhhh! Huge spider in my bike shoes this morning 22.79 km, 55m 00s, Ave 24.9 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,132 #
• Just yelped at discovery of massive spider in my cycling shoe. Put shoe on, felt a lump, explored and saw the creepy crawly. It was big! #fb #
• Ride home: Another sub 50 minutes. Stunning and fun ride home. 22.19 km, 49m 44s, Ave 26.8 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,264 #
• RT @MrBrainz Just had a play with some Augmented Reality. I have Tower Bridge in the palm of my hand! Mwah ha ha ha ha http://bit.ly/Bl2B9 #
• Ride to work: Great ride in with @Steve_Palmer. 22.07 km, 53m 11s, Ave 24.9 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,143 #
• Ride home: Steady apart from crazy lady who didn’t indicate left, saw her coming. 21.87 km, 50m 56s, Ave 25.8 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,250 #
• Ride to work: Feeling energetic after w/end sans much excercise. Stats ‘cos I can. 22.83 km, 53m 10s, Ave 25.8 km/h, Ave 140 bpm, Cals 1,213 #

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…

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

“…one of those sports where there are so many rewards…” Couldn’t agree with you more, Tim.

• Began a mission to sort garage out with hope of turning it into a bike workshop. One car load to tip and it's not even dented the chaos #fb #
• Just polished off a lovely roast dinner in the garden accompanied by a large glass of sangria, of course #
• Ride home: Gentle ride back to the ranch which still felt hard going. 22.26 km, 54m 05s, Ave 24.7 km/h, Ave 130 bpm, Cals 1,574 #
• Ride to work: Despite the fierce headwind myself and @Steve_Palmer did good. 23.07 km, 54m 16s, Ave 25.5 km/h, Ave 138 bpm, Cals 1,188 #
• Lunchtime run: First run since the London Triathlon. It was tough going & windy. 4.69 km, 24m 39s, Ave 11.4 km/h, Ave 145 bpm, Cals 418 #
• Ride home: Longer ride from Herne Hill this evening in fading light. Knackered 28.50 km, 01h 16m 20s, Ave 22.4 km/h, Ave 131 bpm, Cals 1,575 #
• http://twitpic.com/eh9gj – Another lap down at Herne Hill #
• http://twitpic.com/eh95s – 2 wave lap of a 10 lap race #
• http://twitpic.com/eh3sg – Preparing for the Building track day at Herne Hill #
• Off to Herne Hill Velodrome this afternoon to help out with Building's track day. Will be shooting video, taking pics and participating #fb #
• Ride to work: Lovely morning. 21.95 km, 54m 08s, Ave 24.3 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,188 #
• I should've gone for a run at lunchtime. Opted out in favour of work, must go on Thursday! What a beautiful evening in London by the way #fb #
• Ride home: Stunning evening. Could've been a PB, but wasn't to be. Another day. 22.34 km, 49m 26s, Ave 27.1 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,387 #
• Ride to work: Felt a little harder than normal following off-road ride yesterday. 22.45 km, 54m 39s, Ave 24.6 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,188 #

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.

My splits went like this:

On the whole the experience was one of mostly positive mixed emotions, excitement, nervousness, tension, and at times panic. I felt much more at ease this year than I remember feeling about the last two years at the London Triathlon. In each discipline I undoubtedly felt more comfortable, especially on the bike and run legs. The swim was still very tough especially during those first few hundred metres, but this event was the first I can recall actually enjoying the swim, once I was past the half way point.

It felt larger than ever before, and indeed it was, evident throughout by the longer times to get around the transition area pre and post race. A symptom of both the event and the sport’s success, which is good news by all accounts.

Hoping to maybe fit in another one, possibly two more triathlons this season to keep the momentum going and avoid slowing down too much for the winter, something I’ve been guilty of in the past. Hopefully by maintaining decent fitness throughout the winter and keeping the pounds off and ideally shedding more I can launch into next year’s events with renewed fitness rather than having to focus on weight reduction first.

To keep motivated I’m glad to say that myself and my compadres (known as Team Ting Tong – don’t ask why) have already stumped up and entered into the 2010 event securing ourselves another bout with the Victoria Dock. I’m looking forward to it already.

On the whole another thoroughly enjoyable event, made even more pleasurable by the presence and support of my family and friends. Thanks!

“Try get in a lake, it is different. In a swimming pool try swimming a length with your eyes closed and you’ll be bashing off the lane rope, because that’s what happens in triathlon…”

Courtesy of the latest ads from Oakley

• Sunday off-road forest road: Sweet Epping Forest singletrack, dry and fast fun. 29.16 km, 2h 21m 22s, Ave 12.4 km/h, Ave 122 bpm, Cals 1,757 #
• Watching the London Triathlon 2009 on TV, channel 4. Bringing back the memories #
• Updated post with loads of larger pictures and a mini review of the Cannondale Bad Boy 8 http://bit.ly/1LWyqM #
• http://twitpic.com/e00t0 – Pre dinner ride to Connought Water with Daniel. Halfway ice cream treat for hydration purposes #
• Why oh why does every single bottle of milk delivered to the house have bird poo on the foil lid. Aaaargggh. #
• Good fun! RT: @hurns RT @lancearmstrong: It's all about performance. http://bit.ly/s3XnP So True! #
• Ride home: An absolute pleasure on the new steed. Speedy, smooth and stealth. 22.37 km, 50m 57s, Ave 26.3 km/h, Ave 140 bpm, Cals 1,242 #
• testing #testcoverit #
• Ride to work: Loving the new bike, we're getting along very nicely thanks. 22.73 km, 54m 35s, Ave 25.0 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,159 #
• RT @londoncyclenews' Cycle Friday' for London tomorrow 8.00am: Brixton, Finsbury Park, Mile End, Ravenscourt & Greenwich http://bit.ly/31u6 #
• RT: @londoncyclenews London Mayor, Boris Johnson says London will operate cycle hire scheme similiar to that in Canada (Bixi) by next summer #
• Ride home: Despite the earlier downpour managed to ride home without getting wet. 22.50 km, 52m 19s, Ave 25.8 km/h, Ave 138 bpm, Cals 1,449 #
• Ride to work: Another fast ride, the new bike is paying off. Bedding in nicely. 21.87 km, 49m 22s, Ave 26.6 km/h, Ave 146 bpm, Cals 1,212 #
• I like this. Get your plant to tweet you when they're thirsty. RT @Zerochamp This is cool http://www.botanicalls.com/... #
• Looking out the window it appears the sky is going to literally fall upon us, and I'm hoping to ride home in the dry… #
• Crossair's Chetan in the limelight with their release of augmented reality for the iPhone. Looks awesome! Check out BBC http://bit.ly/19m2kI #
• Watching the Matrix Reloaded. What a load of pants compared to the first… ITV1 on until 00:55 (2 hours and 20 minutes!) No no #
• Ride home: 26 seconds off a new personal best. Pesky lights, next time damn it!. 21.64 km, 47m 38s, Ave 27.3 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,201 #
• Just got me a Rapha Fixed Backpack (large). Feels a bit decadent. No, it actually is quite decadent. A self Birthday present. Justified! #fb #
• Ride to work: Stopped the watch a little early as I had to stop off. 20.57 km, 52m 18s, Ave 23.6 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,185 #

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…

That's me heading back towards the Excel to complete the first lap

Now onto the third and final leg of the London Triathlon 2009 the swim feels like a distant memory.

The run section has always been my nemesis to a certain extent. My physique hasn’t typically been suited to running and still isn’t, I can’t imagine it ever will be but it’s something I’ve been working on over the past six months or so. Nonetheless, I’ve always tended to struggle with the run either through dehydration or general tiredness.

My run out from T2 lasted a total of 4 minutes and 2 seconds (including running the bike back in) which although could’ve been quicker was respectable enough. I needed the breather to be honest.

Anyway, the run out was surprisingly more comfortable than anticipated. Usually I’m hobbling along with jelly legs, holding my cramp pained stomach in my hands. This was a far more pleasant experience where thankfully none of those symptoms were present. Instead, I was suffering from a full bladder, a side effect of over-hydrating I guess. My mind was wondering what to do, should I continue for the entire run with the uncomfortable sensation, or should I do a Paula Radcliffe and do something about it without bothering to stop. I opted for a halfway house, not being as dedicated as Paula I actually took the opportunity to relieve myself in a corner around the back of the Excel. Perfect!

Relieved of some extra weight I confidently headed away from the main building and around the first turn where runners were handed gels one of which I grabbed and consciously decided to consume no more than a quick sip of the Raspberry flavoured gloop and leave the rest, tossing the remainder towards one of the bins provided. Not sure I could stomach too much of that stuff, it does no favours for your guts.

Running away from the exhibition centre and over the newly installed temporary ramp that crosses the car park entrance I spot my family at the bottom of the ramp, a great boost at a well timed point in the race. Surprisingly I was was feeling strong despite having pushed hard on the bike leg, a welcome feeling. As a result I thought about how fast I could push the run and decided to push harder at that point where I maintained a pace beyond my usual. This was a little unusual, but I went with it.

Feeling comfortable as I pounded the dock side where last year I remember slowing to deal with stomach cramps, I noticed Gavin coming towards me in the opposite direction heading back to the Excel to complete his first of two laps. Following twenty or so seconds behind him was Simon who I acknowledged as we passed each other. OK, that only leaves Steve who I suspected wouldn’t be too far behind. Indeed, another kilometre down the course and several minutes later I spied Steve’s tall frame bounding towards me.

As I passed Steve I began making some calculations in my head about the remaining distances and current time frames. I couldn’t have been more than ten minutes behind Steve, which filled me with confidence. I pushed a little harder.

As I approached the turning point for the first lap (2.5 km) I was keen to find out my time, interested to know what I had to do to beat last years time to attain a PB. I knew my swim time was awful, like last year, but I knew the bike leg was strong, in fact particularly fast, and my running fitness had improved, however I had no idea about the time I could achieve. I was hoping for a sub 2 hours 50 minutes.

To keep the pace moving I was chasing down runners ahead of me, picking them off one by one, a useful technique by the way. Feeling good and keeping myself hydrated I made sure to take a sip of water from each water station.

Heading past my fan base (thanks yet again) I was on my way to completing the first lap. The 5km point was in or around the Excel building where the large digital clock hanging over the finish line was visible to the left. As I ran past the turning point I glanced over to see the time, which having worked it out a couple of times suggested that I’d been on the go for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Whoa, it then occurred to me that if I completed the next 5km in 25 minutes I’d smash my goal by five minutes. The thought drove me to go harder, or as hard as I could.

I promised myself that this year I would be more focused on the job in hand and less concerned about distracting myself by those around me. It was working and on that final lap I was determined to catch that PB. By the time I hit the 7.5 km mark I knew the end was near and the extra effort would be worth the pain. Mild stomach cramp started to set in, but I kept focusing on the pace and tracking the man in front down. Still feeling strong despite the mild cramp I persevered.

Not far now as I approach the twists and turns as the coarse nears the Excel along the dock side. The temporary ramp is in sight and at this point I know it’s the final push. Keep going, keep running, I pushed it up the final ramp and around the corner into the building where the cheers become more evident and the crowds thicker. Where last time round I was turning right to do another lap I had to bear left to the finish line. As I turned onto the wide red carpeted final straight I was focused purely on the space beneath the large digital clock. In my peripheral vision I could spot my family cheering me through. What a buzz rush as I crossed that line.

Over the line with my goodies and pride intact

As soon as I ran through the finish I’m quickly adorned with my finishers medal, a nice square bronze looking thing with a thick blue ribbon. I’m also handed bottles of water and energy drink as well as a nice towel courtesy of Virgin Media. A little disorientated I join a queue to what appears to be the exit into the main expo area where the crowds of supporters have been patiently waiting for their athletes to cross the line. It turns out we’re queuing to get our photo taken. Just then it occurred to me that I hadn’t taken note of my finishing time, which must’ve happened a couple of minutes prior. By the time I made some rough calculations the realisation hit me, I completed in approx. 2 hours 45 minutes making me a very happy person indeed, significantly improving on last year’s time and giving me a respectable PB.

When the final official timings came through I was pleasantly surprised to learn I had completed in 2 hours 43 minutes and 41 seconds, beating my previous PB by a whole 15 minutes. Impressed by my own performance I met up with my fellow athletes who had each also gained new personal best times two of whom, Gavin and Simon, cracked their ambition to break the 2:30 mark, an impressive feat by anyone’s standards.

On top of this it was a great feeling to be met by close friends and family and their very supportive congratulations. Awesome, I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Coming soon, a summary of the London Triathlon 2009…

Read Part 1 all about the swim leg and

Read Part 2 all about the bike leg

• Trying out my new Vodafone mobile broadband usb stick. Works a treat, evidently! #
• http://twitpic.com/d6561 – Canary Wharf from the river. Nice! Just ws couple more stops until Greenwich #
• http://twitpic.com/d644y – On Clipper river bus on route to Greenwich for more relaxing times. Coffee, dinner and drinks #fb #
• Woken up by natural causes, not crying babies or baby feet in face. Kids at grandparents, Lovely! Run of the house #fb #
• BT recently amended their accounting systems and overcharged in July by almost double. Check your statements for over billing! #
• RT @StantonWarriors During lunch today, the time and date will be 12.34:56 7/8/9 Spooky hey…… #
• Ride home: Drizzly wet ride, a little slippy with those Bad Boy slicks. 21.98 km, 52m 34s, Ave 25.1 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,118 #
• Ride to work: Virgin ride for new steed, Cannondale Bad Boy 8, effortlessly fast. 21.94 km, 49m 08s, Ave 26.8 km/h, Ave 143 bpm, Cals 1,297 #
• http://twitpic.com/cusg4 – Lots of momentary police action outside the office. Some armed police as well #
• Took delivery today of a Cannondale Bad Boy 8. Whoa she's a lovely stealth commuting machine http://bit.ly/7ggS9. Can't wait to ride her #fb #

L-R: Steve (holding Lottie), Paul (Me), Gav, Simon

A full two days have passed since completing this years Olympic distance course of the Mazda London Triathlon based at the massive Excel in London’s Docklands.

Having dropped the bike off at transition the day before the big event, I eventually arrived at the venue on the Sunday and quickly tracked down and met up with my race buddies Gav, Simon and Steve. Gladly it wasn’t just me who was feeling hyper nervous, we all felt the same way with churning stomachs and the shakes.

Having attended the pre-recorded race briefing we anxiously made our way to transition where we (wet) suited up, applied timing chips, readied our bike and running gear for (hopefully) speedy transitions and then slowly headed to the swim meeting point where it all begins. Here we are given a secondary briefing by the race organiser and encouraged to support each other to the chants of Oggy oggy oggy, then we make our way into the water.

Having tread water for 5 minutes in the Albert Dock we have a final chant of
Oggy oggy oggy followed by the long anticipated starting klaxon. Slowly, the 405 participants of this 14:10 wave begin the 1,500 metre swim out to a blue
buoy sitting somewhere beyond the horizon and then back to Excel for T1.

Well that’s how it all started. Then it continued…

My plan was to approach the swim in a relaxed way, hoping for a consistent pace and relying on the  buoyancy of the wetsuit to keep me afloat whilst I propelled myself with a good stroke, the reality however was somewhat different. Despite feeling comfortable during the build up as well as the first 10 strokes, the melee began and like a shoal of fish chasing a single piece of bread we headed off towards the first turning point, hands brushing feet, feet kicking faces, splash, breathe, splash, breathe breathe. Slowing to breast stroke to avoid swimming over the guy in front whilst avoiding being swam over.

Finally some clear water. OK, now concentrate on breathing and establishing some sort of rhythm to carry me through. It must have been when approaching the 650 meter mark that I finally got into a sustainable rhythm and managed a consistent pace. The midway turning point proved to be just that. Once the home stretch was in sight and the waters cleared it became easier to focus on just the swimming and not the other bodies, breathing, the cold, and the constant noise of jet planes taking off overhead from nearby City Airport.

I found myself pacing with two other competitors who kept me on a straight line to the exit point apart from the couple of times I bounced off the swimming lane marker rope, bear in mind visibility in this water is no more than 20 inches. I can even remember thinking how much I was enjoying the swim at one point, something I never would’ve imagined.

Exiting the swim stage removing wetsuit, cap and goggles whilst completely disorientated

Final push to the exit ramp keeping my head down and and pushing the front crawl until I could touch the floating pontoon at which point I was thankfully helped up by one of the many fantastic event marshalls and proceeded up the ramp and onto dry land. Adjusting to the solid ground under foot and recovering from the dizziness whilst hearing muffled cheers of support another marshall was thrusting a large clear bag at me into which I had to put my wetsuit, cap and goggles. It felt like an eternity taking that wetsuit off whilst still coming to terms with being out of the water. I eventually scraped the suit off at which point I spotted my support team (family and friends – thanks so much for your support and encouragement) who spurred me on to the next phase, T1, the first of two transitions, this being the bike transition.

Swim completed in a fairly disappointing 40 minutes and 19 seconds, it took me another 4 minutes 58 seconds to complete T1, which involved running up an extremely slippery set of stairs plus approx. another 200 meters to my racking point where I dumped my swim gear and donned my helmet, glasses and cleated bike shoes, then grabbed my bike and ran a further – what seemed like – 800 meters on a treacherously slippery surface to the bike mounting point where I could finally start the ride proper.

Read Part 2 all about the bike leg and

Read Part 3 all about the run leg

• London Triathlon – results in 02:43:41 which I'm happy with despite awful swim time. Maybe start gunning for a sub 2:30 next time?!? #fb #
• Whoa, Jenson Button (F1) completes London Triathlon in a time of two hours seven minutes and 20 seconds. Nice work Jenson. #
• The morning of my London Triathlon start. Starting to feel nervous already. 2:10 pm start time, so plenty of time to hydrate and carb load #
• Lunchtime run: Somewhat unscheduled lunchtime run, which is fine. Dist 5.50 km, about 28 minutes, pace was 5.07mins/km. So not far off pace. #
• Ride home: Fast ride when it meant to be slow and tranquilm, oh well. 21.83 km, 49m 29s, Ave 26.5 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,120 #
• RT Loving this: Matt_ParsonsIncredible – free scrolling video (via @tara_jackson) http://tr.im/und2 #
• Ride to work: Meant to go nice and easy today for tapering, but couldn't resist. 22.02 km, 55m 08s, Ave 24.0 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,118 #

• Need to think about what/how much activity to do this week to taper down for the London Triathlon next weekend. Not looking forward to swim #
• Nice end to the tour. Great work Cavendish for the stage win, and nice one Wiggins (what a top guy!) #
• Managed a 10km run earlier this morning, felt like hard work, it always does when running on your own. London triathlon next weekend, yay! #
• Ride home: All good apart from the verbal abuse by fascist cycle commuter. Stats: 22.27 km, 54m 05s, Ave 24.7 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,255 #
• … left the fooking twat choking on my fart fumes as I left him for dust as I sprinted off letting him know he was a complete amateur. TWAT #
• Just got abuse from fellow cycle commuter, called me a fat c**t cos I was 15 ft behind him "Get off my wheel" he yelled. What a fooking TWAT #
• Ride to work: Again, hard work keeping up with @Steve_Palmer who kept pace high. 22.63 km, 55m 37s, Ave 24.4 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,179 #
• Ride home: Took it nice and easy and still made a respectable time, lovely. Stats: 22.26 km, 55m 32s, Ave 24.0 km/h, Ave 130 bpm, Cals 1,214 #
• Ride to work: EVIL head wind. Despite this and my attempts to go slow, all good. 23.3 km, 56m 14s, Ave 23.3 km/h, Ave 140 bpm, Cals 1,124 #
• Lunchtime run: Relluctantly went for run. Started well, ended short of breath Stats: 5.01 km, 25m 27s, Ave 11.8 km/h, Ave 148 bpm, Cals 408 #
• Ride home: New record! Fastest ride home with @Steve_Palmer pushing the pace. 22.37 km, 47m 12s, Ave 28.4 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,328 #fb #
• Ride to work: Monday! Dragged myself to work, fast to start, then slowed. Stats: 23.08 km, 57m 34s, Ave 24.1 km/h, Ave 133 bpm, Cals 1,118 #
• Went for a swim this morning. 60 laps… #

With less than two weeks to go until the starting horn blows and the melee that is the swim start kicks off, literally, I’m feeling OK about it all, now. As always, I wish I could be leaner, meaner and fitter, but for now I’m confident that I can improve on last years time of 2 hours 57 mins, aiming this year for a somewhat ambitious 2 hours 45 minutes, let’s see how it goes.

I’m not feeling particularly good about the dreaded swim, but I’ll just have to battle through that and try to keep plugging away whilst acclimatising as quickly as I possibly can. With respect to the road ride, as I’m starting in one of the many afternoon waves, we unfortunately don’t get to ride all the way to Westminster, instead turning at Tower Bridge for a slightly less windy ride (the river bank does encourage a head wind). The run is something I hope I can improve on very slightly.

In truth I’m hoping I can trim some time in transition. This year for T1, no socks, no gloves and I intend to already be wearing my tri top in the swim, saving even more time. Again in T2, no socks for the run so just a quick change of shoes, no gloves to peel off either. Oooh, that should save at least 20 valuable seconds. Anything to beat last years time.

Another first for me is the use of tri bars. Hoping they’ll allow me to shave a few more seconds off the bike leg, although I suspect by usingthem I’ll just be pushing harder and perhaps using more energy.

Anyway, I’m in my last week of training before tapering down and carb loading, so wish me luck.

More soon, honest.

• RT Liking this. @robenslin Email unsubscribe best practice: "Sorry to see you go.Thank you for your loyalty and stay… http://bit.ly/hQoDG #
• Can't get my Twitterberry to work properly. Can send update but can't se timelines. Boo #
• Ride home: Another flooking puncture! in the wet, ARSE. Loving CO2 instead of pumps. 21.37 km, 58m 17s, Ave 22 km/h, Ave 126 bpm, Cals 1,239 #
• Ride to work: Rain held off thankfully, hoping for the same on return trip. Stats: 22.87 km, 55m 48s, Ave 24.6 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,144 #
• Went to dentist for check up and found broken tooth. Got it fixed but now feel like a mong as a result of anaesthetic. #
• Ride home: Would've been a new PB if not for the police diversion in Hackney. 22.59 km, 52m 15s, Ave 25.9 km/h, Ave 146 bpm, Cals 1,280 #
• Ride to work: Head wind made hard work of it, fun nontheless. Stats: 21.98 km, 57m 35s, Ave 22.9 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,058 #
• Lunchtime run: Speedy especially 1st split, & with a new running partner, @Mileage01. 5.52 km, 27m 20s, Ave 12.1 km/h, Ave 153 bpm, Cals 425 #
• Ride home: Where's Norris whatsisname for my PB record breaking moment. 21.83 km, 49m 37s, Ave 26.4 km/h, Ave 138 bpm, Cals 1,145 #
• A record breaking sub 50 minutes ride home despite the hold up at the numerous lights. Worthy of a Tweet in it's own right. #
• Ride to work: Felt faster than it was and felt good to be riding in. Stats: 22.95 km, 58m 09s, Ave 23.7 km/h, Ave 134 bpm, Cals 1,154 #

• Heading to Columbia Road for Sunday lunch. Yummy yummy roast beef in my tummy #
• Afternoon run: Nice gentle run with a little fartlek thrown in at the end. Stats: 10.01 km, 56m 53s, Ave 10.6 km/h, Ave 148 bpm, Cals 761 #
• Ordered my new commuter machine today, my first ever Cannondale. It's a Bad Boy 8, http://bit.ly/4jAn5u. Looking forward to riding her #
• Ride home: Reasonably gentle ride home wih tired legs. Speedy: 21.84 km, 55m 57s, Ave 23.4 km/h, Ave 132 bpm, Cals 1,207 #
• Ride to work: Doh, got a puncture! Damn air canisters are the wrong size. Stats: 22.52 km, 58m 44s, Ave 23.0 km/h, Ave 135 bpm, Cals 1,123 #
• Very fast ride home. Unfortunately the GPS watch ran out of juice so you'll no doubt be gutted to hear there are no stats #
• http://twitpic.com/9s4eg – Some important dudes in Range Rovers being given police escort #
• Ride to work: Windy, but fast. Feeling it in the legs right now. Stats: 21.74 km, 51m 21s, Ave 25.4 km/h, Ave 148 bpm, Cals 1,170 #
• Evening run: OK but running is easier when not alone. Stats: 5.01 km, 26m 37s, Ave 11.3 km/h, Ave 146 bpm, Cals 431 #
• RT @zerochamp Preparing for the start of the Education Now virtual event. Still not too late to register http://snipurl.com/l5za9. #edunow #
• Oh crap. Hope that big rain doesn't come my way or I'll soon be strategically placing pots and pans around my kitchen floor.#hellonearth #
• Talk of the end of the world by 3 separate work tweeters back at the office in Blackfriars. Glad I left earlier to collect son from nursery #
• Ride home: Speedy: 17.21 km, 51m 43s, Ave 19.3 km/h, Ave 132 bpm, Cals 801 #
• Ride to work: Windy, so hard work, but a good ride nonetheless. Stats: 21.66 km, 1h 00m 14s, Ave 21.6 km/h, Ave 136 bpm, Cals 1,253 #
• Wanting to get myself a Cannodale Bad Boy 8 via the company ride2work scheme. It's a great looking and nicely built bike, any critisisms? #

• Go Cavendish! Sweet sprint to win the second stage. #tdf #
• Watching the 2009 Windsor Triathlon, looks awesome! Will enter next year possibly rather than Blenheim #
• Evening road ride: Awesome ride in the beautiful Essex countryside, fast. Stats: 37.64 km, 1h 19m, Ave 28.3 km/h, Ave 149 bpm, Cals 1,910 #
• Filling out my first ever speeding offence form. 41 mph in a 30 zone… #
• Ride home: Nice ride. Stunning weather. Felt fast but dragged towards end. Stats: 22.49 km, 58m 06s, Ave 23.2 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,268 #
• Ride to work: The lights were mostly on my side, so a fast ride in the sun. Stats: 21.86 km, 55m 11s, Ave 23.8 km/h, Ave 149 bpm, Cals 1,194 #
• Ride home: Battery died part way through. Stats: 14.38 km, 44m 43s, Ave 19.3 km/h, Ave 134 bpm, Cals 816 #
• http://twitpic.com/8v77d – Lots of modern ballet going on infront of St Paul's Cathedral. Lovely #
• Hot hot hot and I'm loving it. Shame to be stuck in the office on such a stunning day #fb #
• Ride to work: Beautiful day! Lovely ride. Stats: 20.99 km, 58m 18s, Ave 21.6 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,088 #

• Question is, did @MrBrainz invest in a Fanboy Air??? #
• Back in the land of rain. From 26 C at Gatwick to 16 C half an hour later. #
• Whilst wondering around the resort on last night of hols the karaoke bars are resonating tributes to Michael Jacko Jackson. RIP freak #
• Evening run: Nice hot 5km around the marina. Nice boat mate. Dist: 5.0 km, Time: 28:06, Ave Spd: 10.7 km/h, Ave HR:141 bpm, Cals burnt: 354 #
• Concerned about my fitness regime ahead of upcoming London Triathlon I'm doing. A week of fry up breakfasts and 3 course meals can't be good #
• http://twitpic.com/8gdgh – It's a tough life. I'll be doing this all day long. How repetitive! #fb #
• http://twitpic.com/8gbb7 – If I get bored d the pool I'll hit the beach. #fb #
• http://twitpic.com/8emik – Flamenco dancers, although its practically imposible to tell… Rubbish camera on the blackberry pearl #
• For tonights entertainment, flamenco dancing. At least its not the house entertainment team doing it, instead a team of pros. Pic to follow #
• http://twitpic.com/8eaqd – View from dining room. Bar leading to pools than to the beached cove. Lovely #
• What a stunning day of boatrips, beach, pool, waterpolo, more pool. Getting ready for evening eats, then a nice stroll to a nearby cove. #fb #
• Getting ready for a boat trip which has stop off at nature park with swimming in turquoise waters. I love a good boat trip on holiday. #fb #
• WiFi on the sun lounger, pool side! Checking out the scores at Wimbledon. Not sure yet if Murray got through or got knocked out in 1st round #
• Just did 12 laps of the cove. To my reckoning that's got to be around 1,600 meters (1 mile) of swimming in crystal clear warm med water #fb #
• Just about to partake in a round of mini golf with the family. There are only 17 holes, that's either 8 too many or 1 adrift. #fb #

• Just been watching the tail end of hotel entertainment re-enacting Sister Act. It was as bad as you're imagining. The large G&T helped. #fb #
• What a great flight! Relatively stress free and only 1 hour and 40 minutes. Now waiting ages for baggage. #
• Boarding a key to sunny Mallorca #
• Had to wait a whole 9 minutes for a Loughton tube earlier. Outrageous #
• Ride home: Not a bad ride home, slogged it out and got tired towards end. Stats: 22.54 km, 54m 57s, Ave 24.6 km/h, Ave 134 bpm, Cals 1,327 #
• Ride to work: Twat in a gold Merc ran a red and nearly caused chaos, TWAT!. Stats: 21.98 km, 57m 39s, Ave 22.9 km/h, Ave 144 bpm, Cals 1,184 #
• Where did all that water go? Some of it came through my kitchen extension roof, freaking cowboys. #
• Ride home: Torrential rain, riding through rivers at speed. Great fun. Stats: 22.03 km, 55m 06s, Ave 24.0 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 1,395 #
• U-N-B-E-L-E-I-V-A-B-L-E R-A-I-N. Never have I seen let alone ridden through torrential rain like that in my entire life. Amazing fun though #
• Lots of lightning as I about to leave the office to cycle home. Wish me luck … #fb #
• Ride to work: Felt like a fast ride mainly because of the fresh legs. Stats: 22.72 km, 58m 15s, Ave 23.4 km/h, Ave 138 bpm, Cals 1,200 #

• Mum and Dad's Ruby (40th) wedding anniversary today. Congratulations! to them both. #
• Weekend run: Easing back into it. Not bad going, no aches and pains so good. Stats: 9.02 km, 55m 51s, Ave 9.7 km/h, Ave 142 bpm, Cals 751 #
• First. Run after the blenheim triathlon. 9 km. It went better than expected. Stats to follow. #fb #
• Ride home: Tiring. Got that pain back in my achilles heel, strange. Stats: 21.80 km, 54m 01s, Ave 24.2 km/h, Ave 137 bpm, Cals 1,177 #
• Ride to work: Mad school run mothers zig-zagging all over the road. Stats: 23.04 km, 59m 43s, Ave 23.1 km/h, Ave 141 bpm, Cals 1,189 #
• Ride home: Pretty average ride. Quite uneventful, thankfully. Stats: 20.67 km, 53m 55s, Ave 23.0 km/h, Ave 135 bpm, Cals 1,057 #
• Cycle cops out in force today, what a liberty! I was under the impression authorities were going to help commuters today, not arrest them… #
• Ride to work: Never seen so many cyclists on the road. Dist: 23.01 km, Time: 01:03:20, Ave Spd: 21.8 km/h, Ave HR:140 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,129 #
• Unless these #lazyfookingtubedrivers get real and realise we're in the middle of a recession, I'm riding my bike into work tomorrow #
• Managed to catch a tube home ahead of the this evening's tube strike. Wasn't too painful either. #lazyfookingtubedrivers #fb #
• Getting onto one of the last tubes on the central line before the tube strike kicks in #

• Must get some good and serious training in for the London Triathlon (#lontri). Only 8 weeks to go. The diet starts tomorrow. #
• Results in: Should’ve been better, hills are my excuse. Swim 20:14/750m, Bike 41:35/20km, Run 30:38/5km, Total 01:39:58. Damn those hills #
• Took decision not to wear socks or gloves on ride and run, only the necessary. It should pay off for faster transition times. We’ll see… #
• Blenheim Tri: Took a while to aclimatise to swim, bike leg was much hillier than expected, thankfully the run was OK. Results to follow soon #
• Blenheim Triathlon conquered! bike cleaned, wetsuit washed down, at home relaxing. Waiting for the times to be sent to me via SMS #
• It’s the morning of the triathlon and the skys have well and truely opened up. Should be interesting. #
• Need to ramp up the carb loading in the run up to the Blenheim Triathlon this Sunday. Must remember to get some more SIS drink #
• Evening Road Ride: Testing new shoes/pedals/tri bars on the Essex Loop. All good. 38.35 km, 1 h 23 m, ave 27.7 km/h, ave 153 bpm, 1,811 cals #

• Didn’t manage to ride this morning, was hoping to do Essex loop. Maybe tomorrow morning. I love the feeling of carbon fibre in the morning #
• Starbucks Frapaccino are without doubt better than Costa’s version, but Starbuck’s Loughton stinks and is in desperate need of a refurb #fb #

• 90 lengths at an outdoor west end swimming pool. Beer in hand rehydrating as I type. Nice! #

• Hoping baby won’t be sick in his sleep, not on my watch. #fb #
• Ride home: Ouch ouch, not sure what happened to right acilles, but it hurt. Stats: 21.63 km, 53m 09s, Ave 24.4 km/h, Ave 138 bpm, Cals 1,186 #
• Fed baby Luca milk for the first time this morning. 10 minutes later it was ejected in the form of cottage cheese. Fascinating to watch. #fb #
• Ride to work: Fast and flowy, still half term. Dist: 23.13 km, Time: 54:10, Ave Spd: 25.6 km/h, Ave HR:146 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,217 #

• Evening off-road run: Painfully difficult. Many leg cramps. Dist: 5.00 km, Time: 37:23, Ave Spd: 8.0 km/h, Ave HR: 137 bpm, Cals burnt: 362 #
• Ride home: Pretty good going despite heavy traffic. Dist: 21.63 km, Time: 53:09, Ave Spd: 24.4 km/h, Ave HR: 138 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,186 #
• Ride to work: Drizzly and windy. Less traffic than usual. Dist: 21.94 km, Time: 56:27, Ave Spd: 23.3 km/h, Ave HR:144 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,119 #
• Mate, you riding in today? I am #

• Cameron you muppet, it’ll take you a whole term to think about how to reform government. We just don’t want you to steel from us anymore #

• http://twitpic.com/5x50i – Nice stroll around Connaught Water. The sun is shining and its getting warmer. Lovely. #fb #
• BH Monday Ride: Hard going following boozy BBQ. Dist: 37.56 km, Time: 01:25:07, Ave Spd: 26.5 km/h, Ave HR: 144 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,794 #
• Built the garden step last night. Didn’t get the garden furniture, it wouldn’t fit in the car. Celebrated my youngest son’s 1st birthday #fb #

• Treated the decking now need to build step for the back of the garden, then shop for BBQ food, maybe a new garden seating set, we’ll see #fb #
• First Frescato of the year, from Costa. V dissappointed, badly made by rude server. Avoid Loughton branch if you want decent Frescato. #fb #

• Whoa, another 70 lengths knocked out at the local pool. Can’t quite believe it, two swims in the same week. Training is hotting up. #fb #
• Ride home: Good going. Dist: 22.19 km, Time: 57:47, Ave Spd: 23.0 km/h, Ave HR: 140 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,157 #
• Will I go for a swim tonight? The plan is to go, but time will tell the reality. Feel energised by the swim earlier in the week. #fb #
• Ride to work: Liek a giant obstacle course of roadworks. Dist: 22.3 km, Time: 57:43, Ave Spd: 23.2 km/h, Ave HR:143 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,164 #

Receiving the pack makes it all that much more real and closer, only 17 days to go. Now need to start thinking about the logistics of getting there with all my gear and the family for moral support, followed hopefully by a post event picnic with family and friends.

Really need to have a look at the wetsuit to make sure it still fits, that it’s clean, hasn’t rotted away, and to check that animals haven’t decided to take residence within it. I’ll have a look at that tomorrow. Gels, energy drink, recovery drink, kit, lotions and potions all need to be organised. Will write my list in the morning.

More of that later. Until tomorrow.

• No time for lunchtime run today, had to leave office early today. Damn, the local pool isn’t available tonight either, training will suffer #

With 18 days to go, training is finally gathering pace, somewhat late you might say, but hey, hoping that the Blenheim Tri will be more of a training event for the upcoming London Tri at the beginning of August. It starts here and now.

This week has been fairly physical. So far, 4 x 22 km rides (commutes), 1 x 1,750 m swim, and 1 x 5 km run. At least it’s something every day. The only trouble is that soon I’ll have to begin tapering down for the main event. Feeling confident that I’m almost ready for the sprint event, which should be a good prelude to the longer Olympic distance of the London Tri.

Another good piece of news is that my 3 other Tri buddies are competing in the same wave, so at least we’ll be starting together, and hopefully finishing not too far apart from each other.

Hoping to fit another run in tomorrow lunchtime, which to be honest I’m finding the hardest discipline to get motivated about. I’m simply not built for running, cycling yes, but running, no. I’ll maintain my steady pace of around 11.5 km/hour hopefully and complete the run in approx 27 minutes, slowly but surely.

More later…

• Ride home: Good going, the lights were on my side. Dist: 21.71 km, Time: 53:21, Ave Spd: 24.4 km/h, Ave HR: 149 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,083 #
• Ride to work: Tough at first easing into a steady pace. Dist: 22.1 km, Time: 01:00:03, Ave Spd: 22.1 km/h, Ave HR:148 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,090 #

• http://twitpic.com/5i0g8 – Nice work Mr Wren. She’s looking better than ever #
• Beautiful sunny evening walking slowly on the Millennium Bridge on my way home from work. A bit windy though, but I can live with that. #fb #
• Lunchtime Run: Fast off slowing somewhat. Dist: 5.12 km, Time: 26:51, Ave Spd: 11.4 km/h, Ave HR: 154 bpm, Cals burnt: 391 #

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…

• Swim: 70 laps x 25m. Second since August 08, felt relatively OK. Hope it doesn’t F me up for the rest of the week. #fb #
• Ride home: Fast !!! Must’ve been a tail wind. Dist: 22.38 km, Time: 50:55, Ave Spd: 26.4 km/h, Ave HR: 154 bpm, Cals burnt: 1,125 #
• Ride to work: Very windy, first ride in for two 3 weeks. Dist: 22.2 km, Time: 01:04:09, Ave Spd: 21.2km/h, Ave HR:146bpm, Cals burnt: 1,109 #

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