Category: Cycling

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Sleepless in the Saddle 2011 – Midnight hour

Its midnight and I am sat in my tent, perusing some arty photos I’ve just taken of head torches flashing past and carefully stretching tired limbs (and we are not even half way through yet).

I went off second rider in our 4 man Cycle Shack team and put in a fairly solid lap without too much traffic, my second lap was really dusty and dry. Early on I took a fairly big fall after the front wheel washed out beneath me. At the time I had no idea what at happened but picked myself and my water bottle up off the floor and just got going again.

My bike needed a hoover rather than a wash after lap 2 with so much dust. However soon after I finished & got back to team HQ, the sky darken ominously, and then it chucked it down for about 20 minutes, leaving the course a mudbath. Riders were coming in covered in mud with stories of bikes with wheels that simply would not turn.

Luckily for me the course quickly dried and by the time of my third lap it was starting to get faster again. I saw the reason for my crash on lap 2, a root whitch must have been hidden in the dust. I caught it again but luckily this time recovered it. The forest sections required some light by now and the sun set beautifully as I came in to hand over.

The team is currently lying in 13th position and 3rd vets team, but the other Cycle Shack team is flying, leading vets and 5th overall in ‘enthusiast’. Now it is dark we are doubling up, so my next outing will be for two laps. Hopefully this means we’ll get chance to grab some sleep.

   

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Preview – Sleepless in the Saddle.

Saturday afternoon will see me lining up with the Vets Cycleshack team to compete as a team of 4 at Sleepless in the Saddle 2011. Sponsored by Singletrack Magazine, Sleepless is branded the most chilled of the UK’s 24 hour races.

Held at Catton Park, the same venue I raced earlier this year for the Wiggle 6, the course should be fast with lots of singletrack to keep everyone on the toes as the light fades into dusk.

If I can Ill try and blog during the race and perhaps put up a few photos.

More info at http://www.provelosupport.co.uk/?page_id=315

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Thanks SRAM / AVID / RockShox

After having issues with my Avid Elixir CRs for a while the UKs SRAM service centre agreed to have a look at them even though they were nearly 18 months old. On the phone to a very helpful service administrator I also mentioned I was having issues with the lockout on my REBA SL fork. ‘Bung that one in the post too and we will have a look at it’ was her answer!

Yesterday I got a neatly boxed package back with some fixed Elixirs and a full service on my REBA’s free of charge.

Fantastic service and turned around in just a couple of days, ready for getting the Bow back in fine fettle ready for the European Championships in September.

Thanks SRAM Technical Centre www.sram.com

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Injured but busy!

I pulled a muscle in my groin the other day so have been having treatment at Stafford Chiropractic clinic and not riding. So time on my hands. Always looking positive I took the opportunity to get my race bike up to speed ready for the rest of the season, sorting out various problems I have been nursing for a month or so.

Cycle Shack have had the rear wheel in for what looks like its final service, the Roval Controle is looking very tired after nearly 3 years but should be OK to last out the season, its loose spokes now tight and true. I also gave the freewheel a service.

I’ve had my brakes and fork looked at (more of that in another post) and last on the list is a headset service and some new cables.

I’ve also got some new shorts, thanks CycleShack. They are Italian rh+ from http://www.zerorh.com I initially got a medium as normal but those Italians are a little on the small side so I’ve exchanged them for a large now. They should be good for next weekend Sleepless in the Saddle if I can be fit in time and CycleShack can juggle a team together.

In the mean time Ill carry on with the Visa application for Russia which is turning into a administration nightmare !

So one more treatment on Friday, a weekend of recreational rides and then back to the training….

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World Championships 2011 – 1 month to go!

Its now just one month to the 2011 World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships to be held in Northern Italy. This years MTBO WOC is being heavily publicised and is still bringing on board sponsors. It promises to be a great event in a supurb location.

Unfortunately this year I had to choose between putting myself forward for the World and European Championships (not enough holiday or cash to do both). In the end I chose the Europeans in Russia as the terrain will suit my skill sets better so I will not be in Italy this year 🙁

The 2011  GB MTBO WOC and Junior WOC team are

Emily Benham W21
Helen Clayton W21
Lucy Harris W21
Ifor Powell M21
Chris Brand-Barker M20

Keep up to date at  www.mtbo2011.org

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Cadence Sport and Steam Rollers

I needed a fast road ride today so though I would pay a quick visit to Adrian Timmis’s new shop in Barton under Needwood. Specializing in higher end road bikes and particularly bike fit, CadenceSport’s new premises are very swish being an ex kitchen showroom. Ada has added some tour memorabilia and of course the de rigor 42 inch plasma on the wall for watching the action unfold.
The journey there was quite amusing, I came up to a couple of fairly long slow moving traffic jams. I edged to the front twice to find a steam roller, complete with caravan in tow, Fred Dibnah style. The smell was fantastic and looked so right chugging through the old villages of Kings Bromley  and Yoxall. I later noticed a sign for a steam rally near Barton, they had a long way still to go!
http://www.bartonsteam.co.uk/
Lots of photos of the new shop on Ada’s Blog – http://cadencesport.blogspot.com/2011/07/shop-tour-2.html

www.cadencesport.co.uk