Ride Stats: August

Not a bad month by any means. Considering I was on a boat for the majority of the first three weeks. The mileage this month has been kept high by commuting and the Coast Road Epic 130 mile ride. However, for those reasons and the relatively small number of races that I've done this month, the average speed and HR are somewhat lower than previous months.

However, the few races that I have done in August have been a success, most importantly my win on Wednesday, which takes me up to Second Cat. for the remainder of the season and next year.

Probably the last Road Race of the season on Sunday, then it's time to bring out the mountain bike and start the hill climb season on the road.

Weekend Watch: Film Bond

FILM BOND from Mcipollini on Vimeo.
Go to http://www.mcipollini.com/en/biciclette/bond for more details.
Mario guards the project of the new BOND-ATOMLINK innovative construction system,
original patent BO2012A000253, and protects it from the industrial imitators.
The chasers, the false craftsmen, will use any means possible to obtain the Bond secret,
but the true innovative Italian craftsmanship will always be one step ahead.

“The number one secret:
original ideas, which we patent
(we don’t copy anyone).
The second secret is the maniacal Italian craftsmanship (unlike the Asian industrial assembly line).
The third secret is my endless pursuit of perfection. I guard these three secrets closely, but will grant them
to you, enthusiasts like me”.
Mario Cipollini

Race Report: Portsmouth CTL Circuits 29th August - Victory! With A Lot of 'Shut Up Legs!'

It's been a long time coming, but last night saw me take another top podium spot at Portsmouth Track during a hard but rewarding race.

It had dried out nicely by the evening, after the day's torrential downpours, and whilst a strong wind promised to make for an interesting race, there was a full field of 40 riders present on the start line of what was to be my last 3.4 Category race.

Several breaks went in the first part of the race; a few of them I was in, the rest the team and myself did a good job of chasing down and controlling. When a break I was in got reeled back in about 25 minutes into the 40 mins + 3 laps race I was just about ready to sit up and coast along in the pack for a bit. Fat chance! As the break was absorbed, I saw we had left one rider just off the front with a few metres gap. It was the same rider that had gone with me in the race a few months back when we had a successful two man break, and I had won and then been disqualified for celebrating (Report here). As a result I knew he would work with me so I  made a small sprint to get across and round him; he obviously clicked onto my idea as he latched onto my wheel and we were off!

Once the adrenaline of that first gap-making sprint had worn off though, my legs began to argue; something along the lines of, "Are you f**king kidding me?! You can't hold off the main pack for 15 mins on the track with two riders". In true Jens Voigt fashion it was then a case of "Shut Up Legs" and get on with it.

Gradually the clock began to fall, but every time I was on the front my heart rate would rocket and the lactic started to flow, especially on the brutal head wind section. However we were managing it! 5 minutes to go, 3 minutes to go, then the lap board went up for the final 3 laps and despite the chasing peleton closing the gap to just quarter of a track from the half that we had at some points, it looked like we had it in the bag! They slowed up, we sped up, and the gap widened.

In almost deja-vu of the race a few months back, I made sure I was sat second wheel going into the final lap. I let him lead me round through the headwind section, then launched my sprint on the final 200 to go and took the line by a good five bike lengths!

A great race, that made up for the disqualification a few months back and more importantly gives me easily enough points to move up into second cat. for the remainder of this year and next.
One of the 2012 Objectives ticked off! Result!

The Brooks Swift

When I was first getting into cycling I read Robert Penn's 'It's All About The Bike'. One of the most interesting and historical additions to his dream custom build bike was his Brooks saddle. Since reading about the intricate, careful and unique process that creates every Brooks saddle by hand in the Birmingham factory, I really began to see the beauty of them.
Subsequently they have caught my eye adorning so many great bikes, from the Rapha film steeds to B17s on famous round-the-world bikes.

As a result, in the back of my mind I developed a deep desire to own a Brooks at some point in my life, a desire that was amplified as I started doing longer miles and in particular when I saw how few saddle problems my touring companion Francis had with his Brooks compared to my standard saddle on our 1400 mile trip to France and Spain last year.

So it was, that when my 21st Birthday approached this spring and my parents wanted to get me something "memorable and special, that will last a lifetime"; instead of a watch, wallet or cufflinks which might normally come to mind, I opted for a Brooks Swift.

I've had the saddle on my touring/winter bike for two months now and clocked up a fair few miles, including the 130 miles epic that I did from the Isle of Wight to Exeter. When I got back from this most recent trip a friend asked me "how was the Brooks" only then did I realise that I hadn't even noticed it. Potentially that's the biggest praise that you can give a saddle; for a 130 mile ride I hadn't even had the slightest saddle sore or discomfort!

In fact despite the claims that it takes hundreds of miles to 'bed in a Brooks' I found that straight from the intricate box, the Brooks was very comfortable. There have been subtle changes in the saddle, the colour has changed a bit with the heat on the saddle and the shape has changed as it moulds to my derrière, but the comfort of the Swift comes from it's shape and its suspended leather design, which offers a surprising amount of suspension to your behind.

I chose the Swift because it has more of a race bike geometry and lends itself better to a drop-bar bike than the famous B17. I'm very glad I did, not only is it fantastic on my steel training bike, it is a real craftsman's art; the chamfered sides, bashed copped rivets and chrome rails really look special and should last a long long time.

So there it is, an answer to my friend's question, "How was the Brooks?". It's so comfortable that I didn't even notice it on a 130 mile ride, it's beautiful, and it's built to last. I'm converted, I now realise why Brooks has such a history as a company and I'm glad that I've got a little bit of that history on one of my bikes and a saddle that will undoubtedly grace many more bikes in the future. So if you're looking for a comfortable, unique saddle and a little bit of cycling history, invest in a Brooks.
Available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Review: Shimano SLX Disk Brakes

When I bought my Whippet frame about 18 months ago, the intention was always to upgrade the components that I transferred from my original Gary Fisher, and with that build up a commuter bike. As you probably saw in one of my last photo blogs the commuter bike is all built now. One of the key components to upgrade was the brakes.

The previous bike had Deore M535 brakes on it, which largely I had always been very impressed by; due to their value, reliability, lack of maintenance and robustness. As a result when I started looking for upgrades, my mind was slightly in favour of a Shimano set up again. I was happy then when I put the question to the best forum in the world: 'Twitter', that Shimano brakes came up often as a recommendation for their easy maintenance and good performance.

As is often the way it seems, the SLX version of this year's brakeset was almost identical to the XT version, just with a slightly different lever body design and a very slightly (just a few grams) heavier total weight. As a result I went for the SLX version, which also blends in well with the other SLX components that I've used throughout the rest of the bike. I ordered the complete brakeset from Rose Bikes in Germany for a total of £110 (without disk rotors). A bargain by any standards. After using the brakeset for the past month or so, here are my thoughts on it:

• The first thing that makes the brakes stand out is their compact lever design. With a good quality hydraulic disk, single finger braking is more than adequate and leaves the other fingers on the bar, ready for gear changes and additional control. By playing to this advantage and using levers that are just long enough the SLX brakes have a far neater and easier to use design, whilst also helping to reduce the weight of the lever body.
• The levers also have a reach adjustment using a small knob on the lever body. This neat little feature is actually very useful, as you can alter the adjustment so easily that it encourages you to do so more often. Improving the feel of the lever for technical downhill sections when 'lever grab' could be too tempting, and even allows you to increase the reach when you are wearing chunkier gloves for example. 
• The lack of rotors may initially seem like you are getting short-changed, but in reality it can be a bit of a blessing. I had a good XT rotor that I had recently bought, which I have used on the front and works very well. I then bought a discounted Ashima Air Rotor (one of the lightest rotors out there) for the back. I could get away with this as I only use the bike for XC and there is no risk of over-heating the rotor, although if you look at tests on the Ashima, the metal alloy that they have used means it is incredibly heat resistant and similar to the Icetech Shimano Rotors. 
• The caliper design is compact and neat, with a set of decent resin pads provided. The adjustable hose angle means that it can fit neatly into the 'Inbound' caliper mounting on the Whippet frame.
• The brakes have plenty of power, easily enough for an XC bike and I expect enough for a downhill bike as well, especially if you coupled it with some larger rotors.
• Like all Shimano disk brakes the system uses mineral oil, rather than dot brake fluid. It is far nicer to work with as it's less corrosive, so it won't burn through your hands when you are bleeding the brakes!
• Pads are easily removed with a split-pin holding them in and a top or bottom removal option. One of the differences with the XT model caliper is that is has a threaded bar that replaces the split pin. However, the threaded holes for the bar are still present in the SLX version of the caliper, and a bar is provided in some replacement disk brake pad packs, so there is the option of making that upgrade very easily!

Overall a great brake-set and fantastic value. It looks set to last a good few years and provide more than adequate power for my usage. A worthy upgrade!
Available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Coast Road Epic

This time last week I was sat at the train station in Exeter having completed 128.1 miles in 8hrs 8mins of cycling from Sandown (Isle of Wight) to Exeter (Devon).

Why?! I'm not quite sure, and my legs were asking the same question when I was going up and down the last few of the coastal villages along the Lyme Bay Coast Road, which is potentially one of the hilliest sections of road in the country; sporting back-to-back 15%+ inclines and declines for almost its whole duration.

Having said that, I loved every minute of it; from the early wake up call and the first twenty miles across the Isle of Wight to catch the ferry, I was enjoying the unusual feeling that I was actually using my bike to get somewhere far away. Not just a training ride or a commute, but a marathon. Whilst there was mist and fog for the first few hours of riding around Poole and Bournemouth, by the time I had passed Weymouth the sun was shining and the coast road looking its beautiful self.

When I arrived in Exeter I got on a train to Falmouth and then joined the family for a sailing holiday across to the Channel Islands where I did some more great riding. But the Coast Road ride will be in my memory for a while, the longest trip that I have done in one day, and probably one of the hilliest as well.
Bring on a bit more A-to-B riding in the future!

Weekend Watch: Chris Akrigg 'Through The Mill'

Through the mill from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

Well that was hard work!