Back when I was in the bike shop, the workshop was my domain. It was a narrow dog-legged room with a door at each end: one led to the shop floor, and the other to the attic come bike store come dumping ground for 100-years of shop history. From the ceiling, wheels in various states of construction or deconstruction hung, and along the walls there were countless tools and storage bins filled with parts old and new. Besides this, there was the timber bulk of a pre-war workbench, two workstands plastered with past mechanics’ names; and a cylindrical black bin: the kind they used for street collections when I was a kid. This bin is where my story starts.
The other day I was talking to my brother, and he was telling me that he wanted to up the size of the Big Dog (outer chainring) on his TT bike. He asked if there was anything he needed to consider. This got me thinking, and I realised there are several considerations, so I’ve written this piece in case you have the same question.
You’ve got a couple of grand burning a hole in your pocket, and you decide now is as good as a time as any to invest it in a new bike. So let’s go. No, stop! Knowing when to buy may save you a substantial amount of change, which you could splash on other shiny new toys. In this post, I offer you an insider’s view of when is the best time to grab a bargain.
One particular morning, the alarm went off at stupid o’clock. It was dark outside; the air was crisp; and the house was quiet. It was a day that neither of us were relishing: Em on account of his lack of pre-pre-season training, and myself because I have a near allergic reaction to early mornings and early rides…
When I was down south at the bike shop, I’d commute on my single-speed every day. And every day I would pass Roadie labouring his way up the hill; we would lift a finger from our bars to acknowledge one another. Then one morning, Roadie came into the bike shop…
Back in April last year, I wrote A Travesty Unfolds, which took a tongue-in-cheek look at older cyclists who pass their winters on the Costa Blanca. The upshot was that Brexit might curtail their winter sorties, and they would, once again, clog up the UK’s winter roads. Now that we’re on the eve of the end of the transition period, I unravel what the new year will bring for all of us who enjoy stretching our legs under the European sun.
Back when I was in the bike shop, there was always a steady stream of people gingerly carrying mangled bikes in for repair—or for last rites before I sent their bikes off to the great bike shop in the sky—as the result of the owner unsuccessfully wrestling with a car. None of us likes the idea of head-butting bonnets or eating gravel…
It’s the weekend and you’re out on the club ride when one of the old boys asks something like, “When I was your age, I’d climb that in a 91 inch gear; what you pushing?” Or, maybe, it’s the mid-week time-trial and one of the skinsuit clad wannabes boasts, “Yeh, anything less than 130 inches and I spin out!”.
There’s no point denying that the days are drawing in, and successive lockdowns are screwing up our weekend riding plans. Yes, it’s that time of year when we have to face the inevitability of indoor cycling: hours of mind-numbing, backside-crippling, sweat fests.
This morning, I spent an hour being examined from head to toe by a dermatologist, but the story starts a couple of months ago. Through my pre-coffee morning haze, I was brushing my teeth when I noticed a small brown mark on the lefthand-side of my face around where my helmet straps cross…
Cycling friends, Mallorca is close to our hearts and it has been shattered by COVID-19. Today, I share with you some realities and thoughts for our Mallorcan neighbours.
When I was a kid, I had a Raleigh spanner. I loved that spanner with its collection of indents and holes that allowed me to play with every bolt on my bike. In fact, it fitted everything other than the headset and bottom bracket - I thought it was ace…
Henri Desgrange once said, “I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five.” Did he have a point? Have we all gone soft in this age of compacts, wide-range cassettes, and electronic shifting? Let’s take a magical step back in time and explore how we got to where we are today.
We cyclists share an unwritten code of conduct. Knowing this code enriches our riding experience and ensures that we don’t inadvertently madden our fellow riders. The following list, although not exhaustive, will help you avoid unintentional gaffes.
Last week, I had the chance to ride with a new group. I had been getting a little bored solo road riding, so I jumped at the chance. What I didn’t realise was that most of them had no idea about group riding. This became abundantly clear when the wheel in front of me swerved to the left, and I plunged into the depths of some craterlike pothole…
Earlier this year, I wrote about triathlon pedal choice and so it’s only natural that we now explore shoe choice. In this post, we explore your shoe choices and consider some of the benefits of each.
Your pouring with sweat, your bike is filthy, and there are a million and one urgent tasks vying for your attention. So, what do you do? Upload your ride to Strava and check your favourite segments, of course. If you’re like me, you see a list of segments with accompanying times together with the odd bronze, silver, or gold medal. Wouldn’t it be nice to bask in the glow of cups or even that elusive KOM or QOM…
My hands are up - some might accuse me of French bashing, but let me tell you a story before you jump to any conclusions.
Yesterday, I took a stroll from the old city of Basel to the French frontier town of St Louis. A side road that coasts alongside…
Early this year, I wrote a series of posts for new triathletes. Some of the posts, such as Starting Triathlon - Inspiration and Motivation, really connected with readers. So, now that triathlon season is well under way, I’ve brought all of these articles together, along with some other gems for any triathlete interested in the bike, in one place. I hope you enjoy them.
Last Wednesday a 61-year-old woman, innocently cycling to work, was repeatedly punched in an unprovoked, vicious attack. After the attack, she was admitted to hospital for head injuries…
There’s a commonly held belief that, as a triathlete, you should focus your training on the bike if you want to achieve the fastest possible time. At the end of the day, the bike does form the longest leg of any triathlon, so surely the notion of ‘bike first’ makes sense. Of course, not every piece of conventional wisdom is true, take the Earth being flat or that eggs are bad for you. This week, we lift the lid on the issue and get to grips with where you should focus your training efforts.
I remember when 29ers became mainstream and a debate raged on whether 29 inches was just too much. There were plenty of people arguing that the 29er was only suitable for taller riders (six-foot plus) and the inertia caused by those big hoops meant these lanky steeds would only ever be suitable for cross-country. Fast forward a decade and we’ve got 29ers for five-foot riders and big wheeled downhill monsters shredding descents. Oh, how attitudes change.
Airport parking, check-in, security, over-priced drinks, and your off – a sunny cycling destination is just around the corner. Fight to get off the plane, rush for passport control, wait for an age for your bike box to appear, queue forever to get a hire car then explain why you don’t need additional insurance for extra-terrestrial activity, and finally, you’re on your way. There’s only one job left – build your bike. Unfortunately, your bike’s headset decides not to play ball, and you end up with something like…
When I was in my twenties, I was a self-confessed rock hugger. Every morning and every evening, I’d head to the local crags and pass hour after hour lost in the mental and physical challenges of bouldering. Work was chosen on proximity to climbing locations, girlfriends on their ability to spot and dyno, and holidays meant sleeping in caves and forests to make the most of Stanage Edge or Fontainebleau. Then one day, I stopped hugging rocks. I didn’t know why, and I didn’t know how; it just happened.
The other day I was out on a ‘social’ ride with some class riders, to say the least. Whilst trying to hold the wheel in a crosswind (tornado, if it adds to the drama), I got to thinking that maybe it was my bike and not me that was making it such a slog – I’m sure you know the feeling. Fortunately, the gods were kind, we soon made a sharp turn, and were swept up by a delicious tailwind.
The world is full of people that inspire and motivate us, and each of us has a list of personal heroes. Specifically, in the world of cycling, there are legends that have inspired us to start cycling and individuals that have motivated us to keep those pedals turning. This week, I’d like to share with you some of the people that have inspired me and whom I respect for what they have done for me and my cycling journey.
Last week, whilst strolling around Port de Pollenca in search of some lunch, I bumped into some old friends. After exclaiming our surprise at happening upon each other, which wasn’t the greatest shock really considering we were in this cycling Mecca at Easter, they dropped the bombshell, “you’re looking good.” As cyclists, these little words always strike at our very core. Good? Looking good? We all know this is code for overweight.
It’s that time of year when lots of us make our annual pilgrimage to Mallorca. Sometimes, especially during Easter, everywhere seems so busy with every climb seeming like a sportive. Maybe you’re looking for something a little different, maybe something off the beaten track. This week I’d like to share four of my favourite climbs that are far from the madding crowds and are fantastic climbs in their own right.
Twenty years ago, P.J.O’Rourke, in Holidays From Hell, shared his tips on third-world driving, namely, don’t. Continuing in this spirit, this week I’ll share some hard-earned lessons on cycling and surviving the roads of Mallorca.
Now, this might, or might not, come as a bit of a shock to you: in 361 days, I’ll turn 50. That’s almost eighteen thousand days I’ve been living, breathing, and learning here on this planet. So the big question is: what have I learned over these thousands of days. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, which I hope you have, you’ll know that I’ve learned that you can never lose those illusive seven pounds, that you should always wear sunscreen, and that you should never underestimate a wiry old rider. But there’s more.