I Get Cross

Nancy I have both been riding Surly Trolls, hardy little bikes I’d have no hesitation in recommending for unbeaten path travel. I’m planning a rundown on kit and setup at some point. In the meantime, California has provided some colourful backdrops to show off our faithful steeds.

I saw this video ages ago and its a good race.Then I saw @crossjunkie’s had written on his blog about womens raceing and reposted the video on his blog ( http://crossjunkie.blogspot.com/). So I’ve been watching it, over and over and over again. Firstly I like how Vos in the first lap sprints super hard from the front. Now that’s how you [...]

Done my first proper cross race. It was muddy and then the sun shone. I was hot and the mud went to sticky heavy gloop. Made mistakes on laps 1-3 by running the short sharp climbs when I could have ridden them. I was riding them in the second half of the race but that was too late. The [...]

But I couldn’t be bothered to faff about with finding a new stem mount. The answer is celotape. It works ok until its rains and it kind of miss figures the display. I thought I’d ridden for 33 minutes but it was actually 13.

I went on a 2-3hr ride because I like cycling and I also later in the day was going to BBQ/house warming. It could not be missed, my life wouldn’t be fun! The other thing is – me knowing me, I must eat everything and pour 35ml-40ml measures of rum with my coca cola. I just don’t have control. But I’m not sorry [...]

Ride: 29 miles with 3x3min above LT, 5 min recovery. Mid session 3x20sec power climb accelerations, 3 min recovery. Jersey: something from Rapha Contents (L-R): Helmet peak – for bright sun or rain Spoon – in case I meet Eddy Merckxx on a road made of porridge Micro Pump Analogue Stopwatch – techincally I wear this around my neck for accurate [...]

This session is designed to keep your LT & AT & VO2max sharp. It also helps the cyclist break away quickly and settle into a fast rhythm. I’ve based this on something I read in Simon Burneys CX book, I need to make sure I have a solid base. Otherwise top end work and performance will [...]

and I found a water fountain, made from stone built in memory of Margaret. Dated 1937. Don’t see that very often.

Read this in Elle Decor – which is such non sense “These tea light holders have a gritty industrial edge, but are tailored enough for an elegant table.”Recycled Tea Light Holder, $13; Elsewares.com

A review of those moments I predicted/wanted to happen / always happen at the Tour. 1. An angry Cadel rant. (Check Bianchista’s blog ) CHECK!2. Cav in green. CHECK!  3. An incident of fighting. CHECK!  Cav and Thor in an early stage 4. Lance style killer look back Not yet 5. John Herety talking on Eurosport Not yet 6. Millar in lone break away CHECK!  Well, there [...]

I went to the Tour de France. Here are some of the phots I took during stage 15, Limoux to Montpellier. I travelled by helicopter and during the race in a Skoda Octavia. My driver Tim Harris got me here there and everywhere. Thank-you.  Big George. He made a face because I shouted ‘It’s big George’ then [...]

Beastway MTB event. Inner city off road racing. Its every Wednesday. The event allows both singlespeeds and cyclo cross bikes to enter. Timing chips, lots of nice lovely fun time people. Hilly and relentless. I rode there and back it was a 3hour 36 minute round trip inlcuding the 1 hour race. I had a good time, despite leading from [...]

Don’t know why but I always forget about that new lycra feeling. Once again it happened. Slapped on a newly delivered pair of Vicious shorts and there I was, sort of sliding around on the saddle. Not in a slippy way just that feeling. The brain goes, hmmm this feels different. Then the cogs go, oh yeh [...]

At the start of this month I began the training programme that will hopefully lead me to a place on the podium at cyclo cross National series. Better still prepare me for some cross racing in the homeland, Belgium. I’ve chosen to use the theory of ‘cycles’ to plan and monitor training. This is a marcocycle lasting 7 [...]

My around town mash up bike was stolen, no thanks to my sister. It was green and had Ultegra hubs built on Open Sport rims, cut down black flat bar, mudguards and 8 speed gears. It was known as ‘The Sticker Bike’ owing to the high percentage of bicycle brand stickers I littered all over the [...]

Daylight until 9pm. Warm.Dry ish trails. Perfect reason for evening cross riding. Ride 30 minutes out and back on the road. A 1 hour loop off road. 2 climbs with a sharp stinger at the end (that I ran). 2 descents that felt slightly alien and some across the fields and flat trails for aerobic in between. 1 puncture. 1 slightly overgrown trail [...]

1. An angry Cadel rant Extra star points If his dog is anywhere near. He uses a dog to hit the cameraman. 2. Cav in green. I met the chap, nice. I massively enjoy his tweets. Smiley, not rude, very long eyelashes.

3.An incident of slapping, fighting or headbutting on a bike while the peleton rides past French school children [...]

Baby wipes are a staple and always in my race bag. Especially in the cross season. They are handy to for  wiping your face post race, pre podium. Sprucing up your bike pre race when you don’t have time to splash a load of water all over it. The number one rule of pro euro cycling – [...]

Today this man sat next to me on the DLR. The dinky monorail broke so I looked over his shoulder for a full 30 minutes.That’s right I was within 30cm of a Kindle being used.