Can you get fitter by being a spectator?

I spent Saturday evening eating doughnuts and cookies whilst watching the Revolution 36 at Manchester velodrome.  The racing was exhilarating, particularly the men's sprints with Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny.

I cheered on the Team Sky endurance racers especially Ian Stannard (who came through the youth development of my local club, Team MK) and Alex Dowsett.

The highlight of the evening was the Durney race with eight pacers and 8 cyclists on the track.

The trip to Manchester didn't leave much time for any decent training myself and I only managed to get out on my bicycle to do my 17 mile Long lane route.  I chose the titanium bike to see how the Q-rings would compare.  The outcome - faster than previous and 1.7 mph off my personal best, so spectating (and doughnuts) makes you fitter ;-)

Patina

44 miles on the commuting bike this week with a new wheel, tyre and sprockets fitted.

I try to look after my bicycles and keep them well maintained and looking new, unless of course they look better when showing signs of use...like my Brooks honey coloured saddle

The Brooks Flyer Special was the best modification to the bike as my journey takes me over the Docklands' cobbled streets and the extra height of the saddle combined with the optional longer seatpost fit me perfectly. I think the saddle can be described as broken-in and the honey coloured leather is now showing a bit of wear or patina.

The rest of the bike is beginning to reflect its' hard use over the last 19 months.  The new rear tyre is the third, it is on the second chain (a Wipperman), the original pedals have been replaced and the mudguards are cracked.  It also needs the pivot bushes replaced and probably a new headset and bottom bracket.

2012 target

Last year I completed the 133km Time Megeve Mont Blanc cycle sportive.  This year I plan to ride l'Ardechoise.

My target is to complete the 268km Velo Marathon route, the furthest I've ever cycled in one day.

Target weight 90kg.

21 weeks to go!

I predict pain and hunger





Windy!

Only 50 miles today taking my total for the week to 72 miles with the reduced 2 days commute on the Brompton.

My route today was over Pulloxhill to Barton le Clay and then Hexton climbing the long hill which hits 10%. Then through Lilley and to Whitwell.  I paused briefly in Whitwell to take a photograph of the water cress farm...

I rode my Van Nicholas Chinook today to try out the newly fitted Rotor 3D crankset with compact Q-rings.











Whitwell is a beautiful village and has a great cyclists tea stop but I didn't stop there today and continued following the path of the river Mimram on to Codicote and Old Welwyn.  I passed many cyclists on the way including someone on a recumbent and old Harry from Verulum cycling club.  I have ridden with Harry a few times and he tells great stories, like when he was younger he rode the Paris-Roubaix sportive and gave it full beans because someone told him that if you finished fast enough then you might get to share the famous Roubaix velodrome showers with the women cyclists who had a shorter route.

In Welwyn, I passed my old junior school at the top of the hill and continued towards the Ayots, passing George Bernard Shaw's house and on to Wheathampstead.  From there I went up to Blackmore and across to Kimpton over the short climb to descend back to Whitwell.  I followed my same route back to Lilley but instead of going over Hexton hill again I turned left to the top of the Barton cutting and descended the Sharpenhoe road next to the Clappers. From there I climbed up to Harlington (13%) and then home.

Average speed was a low 16mph, but it was a hilly circuit and did I mention it was Windy!

Classic bicycles

I was given my first road race bike when I was 7 years old.  It was my uncle's bike but he wasn't interested in it and so my grandparents gave it to me.  It was a gold coloured R.J.Quinn bought new from the Quinn cycle shop in Liverpool.  I rode that bicycle everywhere, initially only by sitting on the top tube as it was far too big for me and I couldn't touch the floor when perched on the black Brooks saddle.  I wish I still owned it.

At 15 I bought a new road bike with my own savings.  It was a Raleigh bought from Halfords for £98.  With renewed interest in cycling I joined the local CTC and headed off on Sunday club runs exploring the lanes of Hertfordshire.

My CTC friends had some beautiful bicycles and it wasn't long before I wanted something as good.  On my 18th birthday my parents bought me a new 25" Holdsworth Special frameset. I worked that summer at Lone Star toys and used the money to build up the bike.

I have had my Holdsworth now for nearly 30 years and still ride it regularly.

Tour Climbs?

Tour Climbs - The complete guide to every Tour de France mountain climb, by Chris Sidwells

A must-have cycling book for those who like to tick off the historic climbs they've completed.  My ticked off list consists of:

1. Col d'Izoard
2. Col de Joux-Plane
3. Col de la Croix Fry
4. Col des Aravis
5. Col du Galibier
6. Col du Telegraphe
7. Col du Tourmalet
8. Mont Ventoux
9. Courchevel
10. Alpe d'Huez
11. Hautacam
12. Cime de la Bonette
13. Col de la Madone
14. Col de la Colombiere
15. Col des Saisies
16. Col de Braus
17. Col de Glandon

And a few other climbs, not listed as traversed by the Tour de France, including this one on Mont Sainte Victoire that I rode on my Wilier race bike:

X = N + 1

In reference to the superb Howies T-shirt where X is the number of bikes needed and N is bikes owned
In my case N = 10 + M.  M is the other 9 bikes owned by my wife and kids.

N = A Brompton, 4 road bikes, 2 mountain bikes, a trike, a tandem and a recumbent!

The road bike currently getting the most use is my Basso Viper. I built it up last Autumn using a NOS frameset and an assortment of new and spare components:

59cm Viper Racing Light
FSA finishing kit
Jagwire Racer yellow cables
Shimano 6603 groupset
Fizik Arione saddle and matching bar tape
Shimano (de-stickered) RS80 wheelset
Vittoria Open Corsa evo CX tyres
Chinese imported carbon bottle cages
Planet-X CNC brake calipers

The frame was handmade in Italy in 2000, with silver fillet brazed lugwork and 7 layers of paint. The carbon fork has been part painted to match the frame and has a 1" steel steerer to which I fitted a shim to use a more modern 130mm reach FSA K-Force bar stem.  The seat tube is an unusual 30mm and also has a shim fitted to be able to use an FSA 27.2mm seatpost.

It is a beautiful frameset deserving of a much better groupset, like the black Campagnolo Record, but my intention was to build it up using as many spare parts that I currently had.

I have only ridden it a few hundred kilometres and it is firmer than I expected from steel and not as comfortable on long distance rides as my titanium road bike.