Tag Archives: Cycling

The Simple Pursuit of Cycling

On the face of it, cycling is a simple pursuit; man and machine in harmony. Technology has enhanced the experience, providing us with feedback every inch of the way, but in doing so it’s introduced complexity. Have we lost the connection by staying connected?

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”
John F Kennedy

Cycling outside…

When I ride I use a Garmin Cycling Computer to capture some basic information; GPS tracks my journey, recording undulations and forward motion. It also records each turn of the wheel, and every turn of the pedals; a magnet on the rear wheel beats out a rhythm reflecting distance and speed, while a similar magnet on the pedal indicates cadence. A monitor on the frame “listens” for movement, broadcasting every action.

I also wear a Heart Rate Monitor to make sure I exercise within reasonable limits. This, too, broadcasts to the Garmin, allowing it to record my exertion.

Of course, when I’m on the road I take my smartphone with me, “just in case”, but it’s generally double-bagged to keep it dry and kept safely tucked away.

When I finish a ride I connect my Garmin to my laptop to upload details of the ride to Strava, where I record all my activity and share what I’ve been up to with the outside world.

You would think that riding in the garage, protected from the elements, without any physical movement would simplify things, but instead things have got a lot more complicated…

In the garage…

The Turbo Trainer introduces another set of gadgets. It is controlled by a display unit that sits neatly on the handlebars. It provides me with feedback on my ride, cadence, speed, heart rate, etc. but I only really use it to control resistance.

In order to give my rides some structure and make them a bit more interesting I have subscribed to Zwift. It provides a virtual cycling environment, as well as lots of fellow cyclists to “ride” with. As well as tracking my ride, it also provides me with feedback on my performance. An Ant+ dongle connects the Garmin to my laptop, transferring all the details, so I can view speed, cadence, heart rate and estimated power on the screen.

Zwift uses an App to turn my smartphone into a control unit so I can control elements of my ride, choose when to turn and interact with other riders (not that I generally do either as I find it a huge distraction when I’m trying to focus on riding).

When I finish my rides Zwift automatically syncs with Strava, safely recording my efforts.

My Cycling Connections

Just in case I don’t have enough feedback, I was given a FitBit for Christmas. This records all sorts of interesting information about me throughout the day; physical activity, sleep, heart rate, etc. Handy!

So, this simple pursuit is now supported by a spaghetti of cables, 5 display units, and an array of recording devices. A failed connection, or the briefest of power outages can result in chaos… and often does.

Perhaps it’s time to de-clutter and get back to basics?

T minus 100 days and counting…

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This weekend I trained alone.

I decided to give my imaginary training partner, Major Tim Peake, the weekend off following the excitement of Friday. For him, running on a treadmill must be a bit of a come-down having just returned from a walk in outer space, but I don’t imagine there’s much that could follow the experience without falling a bit flat.

As imaginary training partners go, Major Tim is in relatively good shape and doesn’t need a huge amount of rest, but I thought he might appreciate a weekend with his feet up.

Major Tim’s last outing… a short walk in outer space (Copyright NASA)

Tim’s attention can now return to the serious matter of preparing for the London Marathon. It’s now less than 100 days until the big event, which also means it’s only 14 weeks until my first big challenge of the year, the Etape Loch Ness.

Like thousands of others, the challenges of the 24^th April have kept me motivated through the dark winter months. Many will be dreaming of running up The Mall to the adulation of an adoring crowd; I’m just thinking about hitting the bottom of the climb out of Fort Augustus, and fighting my way to the summit.

The end of the Etape Loch Ness was inspired by the end of the London Marathon

I’ve set myself the goal of completing the event in under 4 hours; beating last years’ time by about 30 minutes.

I’ve also got half an eye on beating Major Tim’s London Marathon time, but there are a couple of major variables to consider: (1) How does 6 months in orbit, and being strapped to a treadmill on the International Space Station, affect your marathon performance? and, probably more importantly, (2) What will the weather be like in Inverness? It’s the North of Scotland… after all!

So, it’s time to knuckle down and get on with the preparation. I hope Major Tim has enjoyed his weekend off, but it’s back to work tomorrow.

Learning to ride again… an introduction to rollers

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When I re-discovered cycling in the summer of 2013 my journey started in the garage on a Turbo Trainer. Given my low level of fitness and the number of years it’d been since I’d been on a bike, the Turbo Trainer seemed like a safe way to get back into the saddle.

(Here’s a link to the original post: http://wp.me/p3EYll-6F)

It’s easy to forget, but another major reason I started on the Turbo Trainer was because we live at the top of a relatively steep hill – I just wasn’t able to safely make it home safely. Even today the hill is a sting in the tail for every ride but it’s become part of the “fun”.

Having “put my feet up” after Ride the North 2014 and spent months trying to regain my fitness, I was keen to keep fit throughout the winter this year. Recognising the Turbo Trainer offers a limited cycling experience I decided to mix things up a bit by introducing a set of Rollers into the regime…

As soon as you’re able to ride a bike I guess you must forget the feelings of insecurity and fear that accompany learning to ride a bike. As far as I can tell, getting on a bike on a set of Rollers for the first time opens a wormhole back to those long repressed feelings! It really is like learning to ride again! The guy in the following video looks how I felt… decidedly wobbly!

Fortunately it didn’t take too long to get rolling, but I’ve still got a long way to go. To start with, changing hand positions was a big deal, and it’s taken me about a month to get “comfortable” removing a hand to take a drink.

Standing up is still beyond me. My first attempt, which in retrospect was attempted way too soon, resulted in a “video moment” and a slightly tweaked hamstring. It still seems to make the front wheel bounce wildly out of control, with disastrous consequences.

My inability to stand creates the biggest limitation of the Rollers as I’m unable to adopt a position that gives my “seat” a rest… I currently reach my discomfort threshold after about 60 minutes, resulting in enforced (literal) comfort breaks.

One of the reasons for introducing the Rollers into the routine was to make the indoor cycling experience a bit more realistic, and better preparation for returning to the great outdoors. As well as working my legs, it gives my core a better work-out than on the Turbo Trainer. In theory my form should also improve on the Rollers, but I’ve got no idea how I’d know whether it is or not!

Having had a look around, there is some evidence that spending some time on the Rollers can increase one’s repertoire of skills. Take a look at this…

But it’ll be a little while before I try this…

Overall, I’d say the introduction of the Rollers has been positive move. Sometimes it’s nice just to go for a spin and to feel like you’re moving. They certainly offer some variety from the Turbo Trainer and, like cycling outside, there’s always an element of danger, particularly if you lose concentration. That said, there’s plenty of advice out there on how to minimise the risk. Personally, I’d suggest you look at the following video to see how not to do it!

Happy Rolling!

Starfish on a beach

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Although postings to the Blog might suggest otherwise, Ride the North 2014 didn’t finish me off. It wasn’t even the end of a blossoming cycling career However, in retrospect, it did mark the end of a phase of my life.

Ride the North

The year after my Heart Attack was one of significant change. Fortunately it concluded with everything in much better shape than when it started. Although I tried to look forward and “fight”, I think there was a considerable amount of “flight” in the mix.

I think I proved something to myself by successfully concluding my first summer of cycling. The fear slowly dissipated over time.

… and so I gave myself a break.

Despite taking things a little easier, I have continued to be active and keep fit I have also managed to maintain some of the better habits I developed. I’ve started 2016 in better shape than I was a year ago, and I’m excited about taking on some more physical challenges (some familiar and some new).

Starfish on a beach

Occasionally I receive emails from people who have stumbled across the Blog, have recognised some similarities or warning signs, and decided to do something about it. I’m really happy to be able to make a difference, even a small one. As a result, I’ve decided to start posting a bit more regularly, even if it’s just to let people know that I’m still here.

Ride the North: Day 2

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Fortunately it wasn’t raining when we got up. Having had torrential rain for most of the night it was a relief to be able to get up and pack up before it started again.

The night had provided a few hours’ sleep. A combination of the strange bedding, makeshift pillow and sounds of nature had interrupted what should have been a great sleep. On the positive side, the sound of the rain had masked the sound of snoring being generated by my fellow campers.

Breakfast day 2. The high spirits of Friday evening had been replaced by tiredness and nervous anticipation of what lies in store

As we made our way to breakfast, the exertions of the previous day were still fresh in our minds and our bodies. It promised to be a slow start to the day. The rain resumed as we prepared to leave. It was an almost constant companion for the day. Clothing was a tough selection; the weather was wet and warm.

Although on paper the route was easier than the previous day, it featured two challenging climbs; Cabrach and the Suie. I was keen to operate well within myself during the morning session. I wasn’t feeling particularly special, and I was keen to make sure I had some gas in the tank for the challenges of the afternoon.

There were many forms of motivation along the way

The Cabrach however didn’t offer anywhere to hide. For me, it was a long, hard slog of almost an hour in total. I just had to keep my head down and keep plodding away. Fortunately motivation was high, partly generated by personal pride and partly by the presence of other participants. Lunch was a welcome break!

Lunch on day 2 was a slightly squelchy affair

The Suie was a different beast altogether. There was a lot of hype about the climb; it is relatively short but the sharpest we would have to contend with. I haven’t had to walk up a hill in a long time, but the thought certainly entered my mind as I trudged my way up. The fatigue of the previous 140 miles certainly made itself known.

For me, one of the satisfying aspects of Ride the North is the fact that my heart health wasn’t really a factor. Over the past year I’ve got myself fit enough that the cycling 170 miles over two days was well within my capability. The only exception to this the ascent of the Suie; my heart rate monitor was certainly a factor during the climb.

During the ascent my heart rate got high enough for me to want to reduce it a little. Walking was obviously an option, and one that my legs would have appreciated too, but it wasn’t what the ride was all about for me. Instead I dropped in behind someone who seemed to be struggling more than I was, and kept tapping away on the pedals. I was slowly able to bring my heart rate down. The climb was very slow, but I made it to the top.

The Suie on a finer day… fortunately we did have the sun on our backs as we reached the summit

With the Suie behind us, the sun came out (very briefly) and we made our way home.

I thought one of the remarkable aspects of the event was the general level of preparedness of the participants. Although the field was made up of men and women of a wide range of ages and physiques, everyone seemed to be fit and thoroughly prepared. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of such a strong, good natured field!

Particular thanks must go to the two ladies that towed us the last few miles home. Having flirted with an over-taking move, we quietly tucked in behind and took their lead to the line. After 12 hours in the saddle it was a relief to be able to sit in behind two such strong riders.

We politely dropped off to allow them to take the adulation of the crowd at the finishing line as the heavens opened once again and we rolled over the finishing line… Ride the North, done!

Before the final leg, and the final downpour… almost there!

***

The wet weather on day 2 meant my phone stayed safely in its waterproof bag for most of the day. The good news is that it still works but unfortunately I hardly took any photos!

Ride the North: Day 1

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As we relaxed after the “all you can eat” barbeque, it was amusing to watch people gingerly rising from their seats and meandering, cowboy-style around the room. A hard day in the saddle had taken its toll and weary limbs were making their presence known. Bed was calling.

Day 1 of Ride the North had been successfully negotiated, 89.8 miles down, 81.5 miles to go.

Evening barbeque and live music at The Loft, Forres (The disco ball was a little optimistic!)

The day had begun with a clumsy walk across Inverness to the starting point at Eden Court Theatre. The decision to make the trip on foot rather than in a taxi turned out to be environmentally friendly, and cost efficient but naïve. Concerns of traffic congestion proved to be unfounded. The large volume of luggage, including a bike bag and two bicycles, was unwieldy resulting in slow progress. The walk was however mercifully short and dry.

Nerves at the start line were compounded by a late bike delivery from Aberdeen. Fortunately for us, the rogue trucks arrived around 15 minutes before our allotted start time and we were able to get away on schedule.

Supporting the British Heart Foundation… ready to roll!

Logistics and luggage concerns quickly left our minds as we meandered out of Inverness, climbing out of town towards Culloden. In fact, we should have paid more attention to thoughts of logistics and luggage as we failed to think ahead sufficiently…

A local pack of Cub Scouts had kindly agreed to erect our tents on behalf of the Ride the North participants in advance of our arrival in Elgin. Unfortunately, our tents were safely hidden in our bags, where they’d be when we arrived at the finish, adding a further minor challenge to our day; tent erection… Joy!

Refreshment Break #1: Dulshie Bridge

The ride had a tough start. It was a relief to reach the first refreshment stop. We had only done 27 miles, but they were tough miles and the variety of tasty snacks, energy boosters and drinks were extremely well received. It definitely wasn’t a time to be watching the waistline!

The route was fantastic; taking us through some of the best scenery Scotland has to offer. It was matched only by the warmness of the welcomes from the communities we visited during the trip. The applause from the small crowd in Boat of Garten as we rolled in for lunch was enough to warm the heart before the “fine” soup warmed our bellies.

By lunchtime, anyone who had underestimated the scale of the challenge they’d taken on may well have been regretting it. A cheeky headwind across the moor had ensured we earned our food.

The Coffee Man proved to be one of the more popular guys on the event (this time in Ballindalloch)

The afternoon drifted by. We were in a rhythm. I was starting to become accustomed to switching my mind off and following the wheel in front, or tracking cyclists further down the road. When separated from our group, the ride was broken up by brief conversations as people drifted passed… a major part of the experience. Variable paces meant it was common to pass / be passed by the same people on multiple occasions during the day.

We eventually arrived at the Glen Moray Distillery to, again, be greeted by a warm welcome both for ourselves and our bikes. Weary and hungry, all that stood between us and the barbeque was the small matter of pitching the tents.

Overnight accommodation… for one of us at least!

As it turned out, tents are a lot simpler than they used to be. Fortunately! The biggest threat to our wellbeing wasn’t a lack of shelter, but the bane of many a Scottish tourists existence… midges!

Tip: Insect repellent, then tent. Not the other way around!

Still dressed in my cycling kit, I have a line just above my knee where the bites start and continue to the ground.

It’s not much, but we like to call it home… for one night only!

Things could have been a lot worse… we’d safely completed the ride, we had somewhere to sleep, food was being cooked and we’d managed to stay dry all day. Definitely time for a beer!

Ride the North: The Prologue

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I arrived in Inverness with a distinct sense of anticipation, the excitement was palpable, Ride the North weekend has finally arrived (and as an added bonus, it’s not even the weekend yet!).

The train from Aberdeen was filled with people rather like us; small groups of slightly dishevelled looking middle aged men (mostly). We were the latest in a steady stream of people to make this pilgrimage.

Having placed our precious bikes into the care of the Ride the North support team, we travelled north independently. All being well, we will be re-united tomorrow morning to start our journey back home, but for the time being each of us will carry a feint sensation that something’s missing.

Final preparations, bikes wrapped for transit

Not everyone has travelled to Inverness by the same mode of transport. A hardy few had cycled up from Aberdeen, a 120 mile prologue to the main event. I have to admit to a slight tinge of envy.

For some people, myself included, Ride the North represents a major challenge. We will push ourselves to new levels of endeavour. How I’d love to be able to do a hard days cycling in advance to prepare myself for the nice sociable cycle ahead. Next year perhaps?!

***

I suspect it’s going to be a couple days of extremes:

The weather has already been changeable: a miserable, wet morning in Aberdeen was replaced by a beautiful, warm evening in Inverness.
Tonight’s accommodation in the relative luxury of the Royal Highland Hotel will be replaced tomorrow evening with a tent in a field.
The cycle will quite literally be a series of ups and downs as we take on the undulations of the Scottish Highlands. I’m sure our ride will be accompanied by a roller coaster of emotions.
We’ll be amongst over 600 fellow cyclists, but I’m sure there will be moments when we’ll feel very alone.
We’ll all be doing something with which we’re very familiar, but at the same time heading into the unknown.

The grandeur of the Royal Highland Hotel, Inverness

***

As subsequent waves of people arrived in Inverness this evening, the city continued to fill with anticipation. The pubs are resonating to the stories of hills conquered, and those that lie ahead.

In a lot of ways, the extremes will make the event; I just hope everyone ends up in one piece and with a smile on their faces! Good Luck!

A few last minute concerns

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It’s less than seven days until we head to Inverness for the start of Ride the North. Fort me, this is the culmination of a year of cycling; it started with a tentative 17 mile flat outing (one eye on the road and one eye on the Heart Rate monitor) and will end with a challenging 2 day, 170 mile cycle through the rolling Aberdeenshire countryside.

Overall, I’m surprisingly relaxed about the trip. I’m relatively confident that I’ve done enough preparation so the miles don’t really worry me. I’ve done a lot of solo miles recently so I’m very much looking forward to cycling in a group, and I’m excited about taking on the challenge with friends.

That said, with a week to go I have three main concerns:

Concern 1: The first hill

I’ve become increasingly comfortable on hills over the past few weeks. Given that I consciously avoided them until March I feel like I’ve come a long way. I could do with more power in my legs but I’ve learned some tricks to help me along the way:

Glasses off (to increase air flow and reduce the chances of sweat in the eyes)
Open cycling jersey / top a little (to aid cooling)
Sit up (take pressure off my chest)
Select a low gear early (don’t start by trying to fight it as there will only be one winner!)
Tap out a comfortable rhythm (I’ve found “Twisting by the pool” by Dire Straits works for me, I’ve no idea why because it annoys me, but it works. I have to save it until I hit the hills because if it gets into my mind for more than 10 mins it could drive me insane!)

So, I’m generally OK with the hills, in fact I look forward to them, but the first one out of Inverness is a concern for me.

The profile of Ride the North Day 1… and “that” hill!

If you’ve been to Inverness you’ll know there are lots of hills around. Loch Ness was carved by glaciers, and they didn’t stop with the loch. As a result, after about 5 miles we have to take on a hill. It’s difficult to really tell on a route profile, but it looks significant, not the most challenging hill of the event, but it’s so close to the start it’ll be right on us. It doesn’t really give us much time to warm up… it’ll be interesting.

I guess the good thing with being concerned about the first hill is that I’ll get it out of the way quickly. If I was concerned about the last hill I’d have the best part of 2 days to worry about it.

Concern 2: The weather

We’ll spend more than 12 hours in the saddle over the course of the event. That’s a fair amount of time in the best of circumstances. Given we’re in the North East of Scotland, it would be naïve to assume we’ll experience the best of circumstances.

This weeks weather in Inverness

Irrespective of how much you enjoy cycling, or who you’re cycling with, cycling in torrential rain when the wind is blowing a hoolie is not very much fun.

Having studied a number of different sources, I’ll predict that the weather will be “mixed”. It will inevitably have a major impact on the enjoyment factor of the overall event, so we’ll all have to keep our fingers crossed!

The BBC Weather Centre is also predicting mixed weather! (Genuinely!)

Concern 3: Sleeping in a tent

Looking for further adventure (and an easy, late accommodation option) we’ve “opted” to camp overnight while en route (just 1 night fortunately). Unfortunately glamping options were booked early so we’re in good old fashioned, on the ground, “at one with nature”, tents.

As far as I can remember this will be my second experience sleeping under “canvass”. My previous camping trip was while I was at school, in Snowdonia. On that occasion the weather was glorious and we spent the week outside. My abiding memories are of beautiful weather, swimming in rivers and lakes and a famous (if you were there) “hands on the A-Poles” wind-up by the teacher in charge.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

I’m concerned that for this trip the tent may be one step too far. It’s a bit of a “double-down” on concern #2: the camping experience will be heavily influenced by the weather.

I suspect sleeping won’t be an issue as we’ll be tired from our day’s exertions, but the recovery from Day 1 and preparation for Day 2 could be challenging!

***

All in all, it’s going to be an short, exciting week for me and the other 600+ people participating in the ride… wish us all luck!

Life is an endurance sport

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Endurance events look easy when you watch them on from the comfort of your Living Room. We get used to watching professional athletes performing amazing feats, it becomes the norm. We tend to overlook the hours of training that go into the preparation and the effort of the event itself. They make it all look too easy.

Last weekend I watched my first “real” triathlon. It was a bit different to watching the Brownlee brothers! It looked much more like the kind of activity I might be able to participate in!

Historically there were lots of reasons why doing a triathlon was a crazy idea, not least the fact that I was a physical wreck. Having got myself into some sort of shape it seems a lot less crazy now, and given my exercise regime includes both swimming and cycling, I’m almost there as far as the training is concerned. My most compelling arguments for not doing one would largely come down to my ignorance, so I decided to educate myself.

It all looks a bit brutal to me!

The swim held the biggest fear for me (and still does to be honest). I have never been much of a swimmer. When I’m in the pool, much of my effort is invested in the avoidance of drowning; little energy is left over for propulsion. The thought of having to battle with hundreds of other participants for space was a scary one (although this was perhaps naïve, and based on watching too many open water events on TV).

As it turned out, it all seemed rather civilised, down to the staggered start, the coloured hats (to tell the athletes apart), and the polite overtaking (requested by a tap on the foot and offered willingly). I found the range of swimming strokes, techniques and speeds reassuring too. You don’t have to be an ex-Olympian to participate (although I’m sure it would help if you were!).

I was particularly heartened by the over-exuberance of some of the participants that resulted in them going out a bit too quickly on the swim. Some were even kind enough to give us a running commentary on their level of fatigue at the end of each length as they struggled to catch their breath and summon the energy for the next 25 metres. I’m sure some people were caught out by false confidence gained from watching too much TV!

Having selected a triathlon as the target “goal” for this winter’s training, I plan to balance armchair reconnaissance with some solid physical effort, building on the base I’ve built over the past year or so.

With just 10 days to go until the final big event of the summer, Ride the North, it’s exciting to look to the future again and identify some challenging goals. However, first things first…

Ride Like A Pro… in my dreams!

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Today I had an opportunity to “Ride like a Pro”, a cycling event sponsored by Jaguar UK and Team Sky. I was one of about 40 fellow MAMILs that assembled at our local Jaguar Garage. To be honest it was an intimidating group. As everyone casually milled around waiting for the “Grand Depart” you could tell they were sizing each other up and assessing each other’s equipment. It was all very light-hearted as we finally set off, formed a peloton and headed into the countryside.

Initially we all stayed together. It was great to cycle as part of a large group; it’s something I don’t get the chance to do very often. I managed to stay in the pack for the first 18 miles or so. I had to work hard to keep up as we were occasionally strung out, negotiating roundabouts and other traffic furniture, but I stayed in the group.

However, it all changed rather quickly when we hit the start of the first climb of the day…

Although I hadn’t cycled it before I was very familiar with the road we were on; it forms part of one of my regular routes but I have always ridden it in the opposite direction. As a result, I knew the hill was the first of several climbs that would come in quick succession. From the other direction it’s a fantastic descent (in fact, it’s the one that featured in my Foul Mouthed Cyclist post) but I knew that any attempts to keep up would be short-lived, and could potentially wipe me out for the rest of the day.

It appeared that many of the other members of the peloton had been cycling well within themselves. They were being polite, cycling in formation, biding their time. The first stiff hill was what they’d been waiting for! I drifted back through the pack very quickly; officially dropped!

I wasn’t the only one. Four or five of us negotiated the hills independently; oblivious to what was occurring ahead or behind. It was a bit of a reality check for me.

A drinks stop provided a bit of respite and allowed us to momentarily re-form a group (technically “re-join” as I think most people had managed to stay together). It was a brief moment. The gloves were off. At the first opportunity, the group took off again. I had managed to keep up for a few miles. Many hadn’t.

I found myself on the road alone. There were people up ahead and people behind, but I didn’t see another cyclist for over 10 miles. To be honest, I thought I’d taken the wrong route but I was on a familiar road with a fair wind behind me so I just kept plugging away.

An impromptu stop about 10 miles from home saw the whole thing repeat itself. However, it did confirm (1) that I was on the right route and (2) that I would pass my house to complete the ride before turning around and heading home again (while cycling along on my own, thinking I had taken a wrong turn the thought of heading directly home had briefly entered my mind).

We didn’t see much of the Team Sky support car during the ride. It led us out of the garage and for the first mile or so, but having let us pass so it could bring up the rear it must have dropped a long way behind to deal with some stragglers or mechanical issues.

Apparently it then had to set off in search of a couple of riders that had taken a wrong turning, last seen heading in the wrong direction, into deepest, darkest Aberdeenshire. I would have loved to have been able to raise my hand and be “attended to” but I guess it’ll have to wait for another time.

Overall, the ride was a different level of intensity than I’ve been used to. I was very tired when I got home, but I’m sure it’ll do me a lot of good. It was the type of experience that I wouldn’t want to repeat tomorrow, but next week would be just fine.

***

Despite today’s reality check, I’m keen to keep building on the foundation I’ve established. I have to remind myself that it was just under a year ago that I did my first post-Heart Attack ride: On 18^th August 2013 I managed to cycle 20km in 50 minutes along the railway line from Duthie Park to Milltimber and back. Perhaps in a couple of years I’ll be able to put the pressure on when we hit a hill!