Archive for January 2013

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Review: PocPac Waterproof Cases

Put something in your jersey pocket on a bike ride and it is quite likely to come out damp. Sweat, rain, snow and sleet, or if you are really unlucky a burst energy gel; there are plenty of reasons to try and protect your valuables, tools and spares from the elements and yourself!

One simple, but innovative solution, designed specifically for the bike, comes from the new British firm PocPac. Offering both a tool pouch and a mobile pouch, their products promise to keep all your pocket's contents dry. I recently received one of each to review, and have been putting them both to the test in the inclement English weather that we have recently encountered.

The PocPac Road Pac:
The Road Pac is designed to take a tube, levers, a gas canister and its head, as well as a few slim objects like a card, cash or a few adhesive patches. The tools can be separated from the card etc. by an internal slip; which helps to avoid damage.

From my personal perspective I don't use a gas canister, preferring to opt for the more economical pump option instead. However the space for the gas canister was ideal for my LifeLine multitool (which I have yet to review on the blog). The fit is tight; but I don't take these objects out of my pocket very often, fortunately, so once they are in there it doesn't matter too much, and it is far better than having excess material.

Out on the road, the pouch does what it says on the tin; it keeps its contents dry and safe from the elements. The curved edges mean it is comfortable to have in your pocket, and the seams are holding up well. The zip closure at the top of the pouch inevitably does not "fully" close, leaving a tiny gap. However unless you're going to jump into a big puddle, it will keep your vitals dry; it certainly has in all the weather I've taken it through.

For me, protecting my multitool is far more important than levers or a tube, which won't corrode with water ingress; but that is a personal preference, and fortunately there is room for it instead of the gas canister in this pouch. The PocPac also provides a good way of ensuring that all your vitals are in one easy-to-grab package before you head out on a ride; which is always a good thing at first dawn, when many of us head out on our rides.

Personally, I use a saddle bag for all my bikes except my mountain bike; I also have an Off-Road Pac on its way to me to review, which I am excited to try. The Off-Road Pac is the bigger brother of the Road Pac, and is designed to take more equipment (including a multi-tool), a mountain bike tube and even a mobile .
At present my "similar" solution when heading off-road is an old school plastic pencil case! I am sure the Off-Road Pac will be a significant improvement over this; more waterproof, more comfortable in your pocket, and certainly a lot trendier.

Overall the tool pouches present a good value, well designed investment in the current British weather; both for trail and tarmac riders.

The PocPac iPac
This smaller, rectangular PocPac is designed to take an iPhone, Blackberry or most android phones that size or smaller. The iPac promises to keep your communication life-line safe from the elements.

I don't have an iPhone, but this is a picture of one of my team-mate's iPhone 5 in his PocPac. As you can see, it's a nice snug fit; with no excess material. The good news is that you can also use the phone through the clear front casing as well; handy when you need to call the 'broom-wagon' when you've had a fatal mechanical!

The one qualm about the iPac case over similar phone cases such as an AquaPak (which I previously used for my phone), is that is is not fully waterproof; again the zip will not fully seal, so you wouldn't want to drop this in a river. It's also not as sturdy as an AquaPak. However, for keeping sweat and drizzle off it is ideal, and has the benefit of not having a fiddly and cumbersome closing device like the AquaPak, which can be quite uncomfortable in your pocket. Also noteworthy it that the PocPac is also a lot cheaper, coming in at just £6.99; money well spent to protect your valuable electronics.

Overall the PocPacs seem to be a well thought-out, innovative idea. They are relatively cheap, and do what you want them to do; keep your vital equipment and phone dry in the British weather. If there is one downside, it is that they are not fully waterproof; but they are more compact, more comfortable in your pocket, and more practical than the alternatives that are. Well worth a few pounds to protect your kit.

Guest Blog: The Wightlink-LCM Systems Race Team

Thanks to Jack Elton-Walters, one of my team mates from the Isle of Wight, who has put together this fantastic post to mark the launch of the new Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team; which I unfortunately was not able to attend as I am mid-term at university at present.

The team is a group of young, enthusiastic riders, who are looking forward to an exciting 2013 with some fantastic local support...

What is now the Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team has had several names and quite a few personnel changes, but with the founders and key members remaining throughout. Started in 1995 and believed to be the single longest continuous sponsorship deal with Wightlink, the team was at its previous prime in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but is undergoing a rejuvenation with new riders, new sponsors, new kit and renewed big ambitions.

The 2013 Season

Targets and events are varied this year depending on each team member’s race category and personal goals, but all will be done with the greater good of the team in mind. Early in the season will see Kev Foster and myself – the team’s only remaining 4^th category riders – visiting Pompey Track on a regular basis to get more race experience and capture those all important points.

Beyond this, we have Matt Tibbutt entering the ever-gruelling PERFS and the rest of the team gearing up for an assault on the higher category races at Pompey Track and beyond. The key medium term aim for many of our riders – notably Sam, Jimmer and Team Captain James – is to get established in the Surrey League road races, in particular the Easter Three Day.

The team has a breadth of experience and there are wide ranging strengths to our riders. To give an idea, here’s a run down of some key members:

Simon Ambrosini – Ambro – a long-term member is an excellent time triallist and great super domestique: he’ll be putting these skills to good use for himself and the team. Jimmer is a very strong rider and will look to carry James to the finish of the Surrey League races, where James can unleash his powerful sprint. Another great sprinter is Sam, who this year will ride as key lead-out man for James, and look to collect results of his own along the way. Tim – this blog’s host – is a strong and canny climber, thanks in no small part to his years of mountain biking, and he’ll no doubt favour the hillier road races, and of course those day long breakaways. He will also make a great pace setter for other riders, a skill the team will use to gain results.

The Sponsors

LCM Systems are a Newport, Isle of Wight, based firm specialising in load cell technologies. Serving markets from yachting to aerospace to oil and gas, providing lifting and loading solutions, they are growing well despite doom and gloom elsewhere in the economy. Wanting to better publicise their brand and get involved with something that offered dynamic advertising, LCM Systems jumped at the chance to be the team’s new headline sponsor.

Wightlink are an integral part of Island life and we are very pleased to welcome them on board as a key sponsor for the eighteenth year in a row. They provide the team with a transport lifeline, without which we wouldn't be able to get over to England to race.

JA Dempsey Civil Engineering is a well known company that carries out essential works all across the Island. Whether that’s the smallest pothole or a huge infrastructure project, they've got it covered. They got involved with the team by funding the off-the-bike clothing, a move that allows them to have their logo seen all round the South of England as we travel to and from races.

Rapanui, Isle of Wight based eco fashion brand and Isle of Wight Business of the Year, delivered the off-the-bike clothing that JA Dempsey kindly funded. Bringing ethically produced jackets and organic cotton polo shirts – all custom branded for the team – Rapanui were glad to get involved with the team’s renewed ambitions.

The Team Launch

The most exciting part of the new launch was undoubtedly the new kit, which was supplied to us by Primal, who are experts in top quality performance cycle wear. Thanks to the funding from LCM Systems, we were able to get a full set of jerseys, bib shorts, a winter jacket and a skinsuit for every team rider; all of which is made by cyclists for cyclists meaning the kit is race fit and made from material that wicks moisture away. I myself took care of the aesthetic appearance of the kit. As is evident, I took inspiration from some of the pro teams we all strive to emulate but also worked to best use the brand colours of our sponsors and incorporate the bold yellow block colour that has always been present in the team’s kit, whilst modernising the look. I was very pleased with the end results, and so far have only heard positive feedback on the design… fingers crossed it continues that way!

All in all the team is set for a great year and some great results, I just can’t wait to get racing.

Please show your support for the team and give them a follow on Twitter: @WightlinkRT and on Facebook: WightlinkRT.

The Bike Boom: Following The Trend-line...

As an economist, most of my time is spent looking at graphs, models, trend-lines and equations. I didn't think I could bring this to the blog in any way, not without boring you readers stiff. However, in one of my recent lectures we were talking about the "R-word" trend; the number of times that the word "Recession" comes up in news headlines; and how it correlates to economic performance, all related in depth to rational and adaptive expectations and a whole other load of jargon...yada yada yada.

Anyway, it turns out that it is very easy to run an "R-word" type regression using Google Trends, so I started playing around with some cycling words on there, and thought the results were quite interesting; so here's what I found:

"Cycling" Worldwide

Talk about peaks and troughs! Guess which month the Tour de France is in?!
The Olympic effect seems to be quite evident - with this summer's peak lasting for a lot longer than normal, as both July and August became a cycling frenzy.
Unfortunately there actually seems to be a downward trend in the word "cycling" in global news since 2005. However I attribute that mostly to the increase in the "R-word", which has displaced a lot of other news in recent years. There is hope though, as since 2011 the peaks are rising again; the cycling boom could just be about to restart!

"Cycling" in the United Kingdom - Wiggo!

WOW! That's the best way to theoretically describe that peak! The Wiggo effect is undeniable when you look at this data; since 2004 we have never seen "cycling" in the news as much as it was this summer, in fact I would dare to suggest that we have never seen levels like this in the UK before.
Unfortunately the boom didn't retain its dizzy heights of the summer, however it is clear that in the winter, "cycling" does drop off in the headlines. The good news is that this winter it is actually as high as it was in the summer of 2010! That's progress!
I think we can attribute a fair amount of this continued interest to successful newspaper campaigns such as The Times 'Cities fit for Cycling' campaign, as well as perhaps less fortunate events such as the Lance Armstrong debate. These have helped to keep the buzz word in the press even on the grey days of winter.
Overall though, a very positive story for cycling in the UK - lets hope it continues to grow.

So, there you go... a bit of data analysis on the blog! Never thought I would see that.

Weekend Watch: Cut Media Showreel 2013

Cut Media Showreel 2013 from Cut Media on Vimeo.

Hints and Tips: Saddle Sore - Prevention and Cure

Saddle sores are an unfortunate result of riding for some people, from novices to experienced professionals. At best they are uncomfortable, at worst they are unbearable, and may even stop you from riding your bike. The sores are effectively caused by friction between your under-carriage and the saddle; the result is pimples and sometimes open blisters, which untreated can develop into infections.

A fellow cyclist recently asked me what can be done to cure the problem; so I have compiled these few tips and tricks that can often improve or eliminate the issue.

"Are you sitting comfortably?"

Getting the right saddle is the first thing that you should consider if you are prone to saddle sores. The sores are caused by pressure, often on very small areas; as a result selecting a saddle that reduces the number of small pressure points, and ensures that you're sat correctly can make a huge difference.

Visit a good quality bike store and they will be able to show you a variety of saddles in different shapes and sizes, and recommend one that is likely to suit you. Some companies have now got ways of measuring your seat bone pattern to ensure that you get the best fit saddle for your body geometry.

For my 21st birthday last year I got the Brooks Swift, and since then I have been lucky enough not to encounter saddle sores once. For me, this was undoubtedly a good saddle choice: the long nose and relatively narrow style suits me well, and the Brooks design of suspended leather helps to add some suspension to the saddle, which reduces those pressure points. I have the Brooks on my winter training/long mile bike, and it is certainly performing well. Take some time looking for the right saddle for you, and it will ensure that you are sat comfortably on the bike and reduce the chance of abrasion on your behind.

Reduce The Friction...
Saddle sores are caused by friction, and there are various ways to reduce that. Many manufacturers of cycling shorts such as Assos produce their own chamois cream, which acts as a lubrication on the seat pad of your shorts; these work well and help to reduce a lot of the irritation caused to the skin.
However, if you want a cheaper and equally effective alternative, Boots Aqueous cream can be bought for around £5 in a 500 gram tub, a mere fraction of the price of specific chamois cream. As a result you can use a decent amount of the stuff and it does the job just as well.

A Quality Chamois
If you are planning on doing a fair few miles on the bike, a good pair of padded bib shorts is something that you should not skimp on. There is a notable difference in the pads used in high end shorts such as Assos and Castelli, and often they are actually worth the extra money as the pads last a lot longer even with numerous washes. However, in my experience a pair of £50-60 shorts will do the job almost as well, and will be easier on the wallet.
A good pair of shorts will ensure that the chamois is of good quality and doesn't compress too much under your weight, consequently they do their job of cushioning your behind, and reducing the pressure on select parts of your undercarriage.

Keep it clean!
Saddle sores are normally irritating when they are essentially just a friction burn; however if you allow bacteria to get to them they will soon become infected and a far more severe and painful problem.
As a result make sure you don't use a pair of shorts two days in a row...it really isn't a good idea, even if it might make your chamois pad last a little longer.
Even on long tours such as the France and Spain trip, we made sure that we washed our shorts with travel wash every night in a stream or public toilet; getting bad saddle sores on a 1500 mile trip doesn't bear thinking about.

Treating The Problem...
Finally, when the inevitable does happen what can you do to treat it?

As I mentioned above saddle sores are likely to be severe when they have become infected. To ensure this doesn't happen, as soon as you start to get some discomfort, keep the area very clean and use some antiseptic cream to stop it developing.
It may pay to take a day off the bike if it is really bad, or if that is not an option, sometimes two pairs of shorts can help.
If the problem persists, it is possible that you might need a course of antibiotics from the doctor to clear up the infection; hopefully if you follow the tips above though, you will never get to this stage.

Saddle sores are one of the nasty side-effects of cycling that many of us encounter at some point. I hope that these tips and advice will help to prevent it, and that you can enjoy more miles on the bike in comfort as a result.

Please Help Support Me For 2013

I don't usually use the blog to promote myself, but I thought I could make one exception.

I came across a recent campaign by SportPursuit at the weekend, which pledges to provide financial support to athletes trying to accomplish a goal or objectives in 2013. Many of you may well have read my Objectives for 2013 post, which detailed my hopes for this year, but if not this is my pledge for 2013:

"My pledge is to make 2013 my best year on the bike to date...

Last year I moved from 4th cat. road racing up to 2nd cat. in one season and completed 10,000+ miles on the bike. This year I want to make the big step up to category 1 racing, and get a few more race wins whilst doing so. I'm also hoping to complete another epic mountain tour; in 2011 I did a 1480 mile unsupported bike tour through France and Spain, taking in the Alps and the Pyrenees. It was an enormous challenge, but incredibly rewarding, and a fantastic way to see the country. I am hoping to do something similar, perhaps in Scandinavia this year. Off-road I am aiming to complete the South Downs Way (100 miles) in one day; it should be around 10 hours of solid riding time, and I'm sure my legs are going to really feel the strain.

It's going to be a challenge: This year I graduate from university and need to find a job, hopefully in the bike industry. As a student, finding the backing for my racing can sometimes be a struggle. It would be amazing if SportPursuit could help me to achieve my goals for 2013."

To support my pledge, and try to make it happen through SportPursuit's support in 2013, all you have to do is click the 'Vote' button on this Facebook page: 'http://bit.ly/VSUa2x'. Please take a few seconds to do it, it could make all the difference to how my year on the bike develops in 2013.

Thanks
Tim

Weekend Watch: Lance Armstrong on Oprah Part 1

Link To The Oprah Interview (All YouTube Videos Removed)

I have resisted blogging about the Lance Armstrong case up to this point.

I will openly admit that he was one of my heroes when I was getting into cycling, one of my role models...what I viewed as the icon of the sport. I had photos of him on my bedroom wall, I had the full library of his books and other books on his success; his example was the one to follow....or so I thought.
Since then those idolisations have been crushed, in a slow and painful way.

This interview is the first of the "confessions" with Oprah Winfrey, revealing the full extent of the drugs programme that Lance Armstrong took part in, and largely conducted. I have only posted it on here because I hope that this will now end the whole ordeal.

Let us move on, to a cleaner world of cycling...I myself have found many new idols, especially with last year's Tour de France and Olympics. I hope that you have all done the same.

Weekend Watch: Behind The Barriers

Behind THE Barriers Season 3 Episode 9 from Behind THE Barriers on Vimeo.

Nutrition: Advice for Base Mile Training

This time of year most people's training focus is on base miles; with the objective of building a good aerobic base that will stand you in good stead for the racing or sportive season.

The focus of base miles is to do long steady rides at a moderate aerobic level; with exertion coming from the duration of the activity, not from explosive efforts. Nutrition for base mile training therefore has a intrinsic part to play; you need the energy to sustain the required level of exertion; but also the right intake of nutrients after exercise, to aid in the all important recovery whilst you carry out back-to-back long rides.

This blog looks at the base mile nutrition strategy in detail; reflecting on my personal experience, having both got the strategy right and wrong in the past. Get it right, and base miles work well. Get it wrong and you are likely to feel the dreaded effects of over-training and often illness.

Pre-Ride Nutrition
After the festive indulgences it is often tempting to skip or skimp on breakfast before a ride, in a bid to shed a few of those mince pie pounds. Don't! Skipping breakfast has three negative effects: Firstly eating something when you wake up kick-starts your metabolism, letting you burn more fat throughout the day. Secondly, a bowl of porridge or cereal contains much needed protein that your body needs to repair itself, especially if you have done a long hard ride the day before. Thirdly, in order to get the most out of your training and to work at the required level to see results, you need that slow burning goodness that you get from a bowl of oat cereal or whole-grain bread.

Fuel up before your ride; you will ride better and probably further.

Active Nutrition

What you eat and drink when you are out riding makes a huge difference to the efficacy of base mile training. I will quite happily hold my hands up, and say that in the past I've got it wrong more than once; I frequently used to train with just bottles of water and often just a small banana mid-ride to "keep me going". Looking back I now realise that was exactly what my nutrition was doing; just "keeping me going", not improving, not developing... just "keeping going".

The effects of eating little were predictable I guess: I shed weight quickly, but my speed and strength failed to improve in that early part of season. My base mile training this year has been far better, a large part of that I put down to proper nutritional intake. I've been using Maxifuel products to provide me with the extra kick I need for longer miles. For a typical three and a half hour ride I'll take two bottles of ViperBoost energy drink, a ViperBoost energy bar and a banana. I normally take a gel with me too, just in case I bonk far from home, but I try to keep to the slower burning oats and cereal found in the ViperBoost bars when I can.

The difference from fuelling properly has been notable; I've had more energy to do small power building sprints mid-ride, and I've been able to ride faster and further than I did last year. OK, part of this may be down to improved fitness, but I'm sure that a lot of it is also the result of eating enough during the ride. I've also found that by doing this you stop the intense hunger pains that you get when your have been under-nourished on a ride, and as a result you avoid the binge-eating when you return home.

Boost your riding by keeping your energy levels high - you will likely find that you ride better and often actually lose more weight as a result.

Post-Ride Nutrition

The real one to nail: Intense training without proper recovery is wasted training.

Last year and before, I often left it too long before getting the vital protein hit that your body needs to start the repair process after a long ride. I was fine if I was just about to have lunch, when I used to have a lot of the dishes listed in my Eating for Recovery blog. However, when I got pre-occupied by other things such as cleaning the bike, having a long bath to warm up, or even just having a chat, I used to notice it the next day and my training would suffer.

As a result protein shakes are increasingly becoming part of my routine, whether it is a home-made shake, or a convenient RecoverMax shake. Both are incredibly effective at giving you the necessary protein when you most need it, and will help to keep you sustained until you can have a proper meal an hour or so later.

If the effort of making a shake after a long ride is too much, then make one before hand and put it in the fridge; this also acts as an effective incentive to make sure you have it, so that you don't waste it!

As an additional note: I also know some people that put protein powder in their porridge the day after a big ride as well, to give them an added recovery boost. This can be a great idea if you don't like other alternatives such as eggs, and it is a quick and convenient way of getting the protein in your system first thing in the morning to keep your body repairing itself for as long as possible; ready for the next onslaught of miles.

So there you go, three basic nutritional tactics that could really improve the effectiveness of your training. Base mile training is a key part of your preparation for the season, but there is no point if you are wearing your body away to nothing by doing it.
Fuel up, stay fuelled up and recover well. You'll notice the difference.