Pyrenees 2013

Shots from my recent family holiday that also included regular riding partner Mark and his family and a conveniently chosen Pyrenean location in the Departement de L'Aude nr Ax-les-Thermes.

Cue plenty of beautiful hill and mountain riding including the HC Col du Pradel and the Port de Pailheres that featured in the recent 100th edition of the Tour. And a guest appearance from rock climbing partner of old, Richard who serendipitously was holidaying in the same location...

Early morning ride toward Limoux

Chateau de Puivert - base for our rides

The beautiful and quiet Plateau de Sault above Ax-les-Thermes

Defiles de Joucou - amazing limestone gorge

Summiting Col du Pradel and below, the top section of Port de Pailheres

Col de Montsegur

In the footsteps of the Tour - Port de Pailheres from Axat

Down the Pailheres after climbing from the Ax-les-Thermes side and the Col du Pradel

A 3 Peaks Cyclocross survival guide

After the flurry of excitement in early June that is the lottery of how to obtain a Three Peaks Cyclocross entry, my Inbox has been reasonably inundated with anxious newcomers to the race asking how best they might prepare.

So without giving away too many trade secrets, and with all the hard work still to be done by the individual, here is my potted guide to getting round, or hopefully fully racing the hardest cyclocross race on the planet.

Into worsening weather up Simon Fell during the 2012 race

Training:

For me there are 3 main elements of specific fitness for the Peaks which distinguish it from fitness for a long hilly road sportive, for example, where threshold stuff is important and endurance essential.

Firstly, condition your body for the battering it is going to get - core fitness, upper body strength and endurance are all important as you are on and off your bike, picking it up for stiles/carrying/rocks etc on a fairly constant basis. If you have good overall conditioning, great but as most don't naturally have this, long off road rides help in this respect. Core work or visits to the gym will also pay dividends in the later stages of the race as your body really takes a good all-over battering from carrying, on and off stuff as well as the ubiquitous rough descents with a vaguely unsuitable bike.

Secondly, there is the running thing. Except for mortal folks like you and I, as distinct from Jebby/Craig et al, it is not running. It's trudging. If you like running, then run as it won't hurt your performance. More importantly though, make sure you are also trudging around carrying your bike as much as possible. Your shoulder will take a beating in the race, but it can be conditioned over time to withstand it. Hill reps carrying the bike, running or fast walking and a good deal of long carries on those long rides will all pay dividends over pure running training. Every time.

Lastly, many people struggle on the transition from riding (often after the road sections) to trudging climb. And back again to riding. I'm convinced that that was behind many of the cramp issues I used to have but have largely solved now. Think triathlete brick session - go for a ride and finish it running or walking up a steep hill. Better still, find a circuit which involves riding then running/walking then riding. Like mine and Dave Haygarth's Bull Hill sessions (below). Practice that on and off and on again stuff and it will pay dividends too.

I also do rides with off-road bits then hammer out a road section then more off-road. Gets you used to the rhythm of the race. But in the race, be careful you don't go mad on the road sections (see below).

Equipment:

Long cage rear mechs and dinner plate cassette are a definite advantage - think SRAM wifli or a mountainbike mech. A one-to-one gearing ratio is good only on Penyghent (nowhere else) but how good it is! I run 34 front and 32/34 rear. It's heaven up the Penyghent track when you are simply wasted. Elsewhere it is not much use as it's quicker jogging or you are walking. If you are on a 2 bike strategy, you can run 34 x 28 on the bike for the first 2 peaks and then swap to the crawler bike at Ribblehead.

Often people like to pad the top tube for comfortable carrying, sometimes using their orange survival bag. Personally I don't like it as for me it makes the bike harder to carry and I would argue that good carrying technique and some long rides will sort out the inevitable aches. Your call...

With tyre choice, punctures and sidewall rips are the big risk. You can reduce the puncture risk somewhat by using tubulars, 34mm ones at that. Artisan products from Dugast and FMB are risky unless they are the latex walled ones - instead use Grifo, Gommitalia, Tufo which are cheaper and often suitably general in tread performance. With tubulars you have the option to ride a bit on a puncture - it will probably trash the tub but can keep you moving till you pick up a spare wheel or bike. I have used clinchers too - only thick sidewalled ones (Schwalbe Landcruisers, Kenda Cross, Maxxis Locust) - but never tubeless. Some top riders are using tubeless with success, but I am not really qualified to comment on how good that set up is.

Pressure wise, go for 65psi in your tubs (or a little more) but check they will stand that sort of pressure. For clinchers look toward 70psi or even a little higher. Carry gas cannisters for easy inflation of a new tube but best of all don't puncture. The number of times I have had riders shouting to blast through on rocky sections only to hear the inevitable 'psssst' a few moments later.... Get down smoothly and with flow, not in a tearing hurry, and you and your machine will be in one piece, and not broken.

Tread wise, Ingleborough is usually greasy in the morning but after that the route is pretty dry, or at least gravelly and definitely only muddy in a very few places. Unless we have the 'off-the-hook' weather of last year.....  I have run file tread too before now, but braking can be hard on gravel or dust with file tread. On balance, tread is not really important for the Peaks, puncture resistance definitely is so choose accordingly.

Bike swap at Cold Cotes after horrendous weather on Ingleborough during 2013

Nutrition:

I have half a bottle of carb-type drink over Ingleborough - you don't have time to drink more as it is either 'too steep' or 'too busy' with other riders around you jockeying for position.

If you have support, get a fresh big bottle and gel at Cold Cotes going onto road. Don't smash it on the road and neglect eating and drinking. Also your road legs can buckle when you hit the long walk up W'side. That said, watch out for a group to get in on the road as you can pick up time compared to riding solo. There is a fine balance between the two to be had, which comes with experience. You can get a cup of water at base of the Whernside climb where you have to off your bike anyway for the bridleway section.

Make sure you drink and eat something quick at Ribblehead when the descending calms down, grab a fresh big bottle and caffeine gel to drink and take on the road section before Penyghent You will need it...

Sometimes there is water high up on Penyghent, carried up to the turn by a kind man whose name I have never learned.

Overall, just be well hydrated before, carry something easy to eat and digest if you begin to struggle and try to drink on the road to Whernside as much as possible. Save a bit of drink for climbs up Whernside and Penyghent but there isn't too much you can do to drink if you are really going for it.

Unsupported is obviously harder and you will have to Camelback it. Same rules apply though about using the road for nutrition.

Recce:

Simon Fell is off limits except race day, and the rest can mostly only be recced on foot, NOT bike. The main exception is Penyghent track till half way where you will still have to ditch the bike and run/walk to remain legal. Recce can either frighten you or reassure you - it's an odd one. Some knowledge of the terrain is useful and I now know every inch of the route, quite literally. But I'm not really any faster for it. Well, maybe a little.

There's plenty more to the Peaks than all that lot, but if you get hooked as I have done, you'll come back again and again and discover the nuances for yourself.

Have a good race!

And so it begins... #cx13/14

Now we've got this out the way.....

We can get on with this.....

Pic: Joolze Dymond

And the questions I hope to have answered by February are:

Which of the big Euro pros will be on discs? And if so, which hydraulic system (if any) will they be on?

Will Sven be able to boss it still, despite advancing years? Or will Niels Albert finally stop throwing strops and get some consistency together?

Will we get full coverage of Women's racing from Europe, particularly World Cups?

Will the Americans make inroads into Euro racing or merely continue to head up the biggest domestic scene on the planet?

Will FMB tubs start to threaten Dugast in terms of volume, or will the artisan tubular producers suffer at the hands of quality mass produced products from the bigger tyre manufacturers.

Will we have a mudbath in NW England from September onwards like last year or actually get some fast races as well? Where I get to use more than full-on mud treads?

Can I get close to 3:45 hrs for the 3 Peaks Cyclocross?

Will my teammate Dave Haygarth get his shoulder operation out the way quick enough to make a come back at the end of the season? Fingers crossed. Missing you already Dave.

Check back here later....

Choosing your tread for cyclocross tubulars

The most common question I get asked about 'cross tubs, at races, in emails and on twitter is....

What's a good all-rounder tread to get?

Or a derivative thereof.

It's a good question - most people asking it are just starting off with tubulars, or only wanting to invest a modest amount and are therefore looking for one wheelset, on one bike to cover all conditions.

Unfortunately, it's a bit like the question 'how long is a piece of string?'. There are so many variables to take into account - rider style, weather, soil type, frequency of use and so on. However, I've tried to put together a handy guide to get you thinking about how to choose your first or sole pair of tubulars, with a few recommendations to start you off. You will doubtless pick holes in my reasoning, find exceptions, struggle in snow and want a clincher alternative to boot. You're probably right on all counts but life is too short to cover it all.... unless you want to buy me a pint and make your pitch.

Rider style:

Mountainbike background? Roadie? BMXer? The higher your confidence in your bike handling skills, the less critical the choice is in many ways. I'm not the best bike handler so make up for it by getting tread choice and tire pressure absolutely right for the conditions. In really slick conditions, I've been outridden by better bike handlers on a less than optimal tread choice ie their only choice, but at least stacking the odds in my favour keeps me moving forward. If you are not blessed with ninja skills then err on the side of a more mud oriented tread as you will struggle less in the mud than you will lose in the dry.

Climate:

I always laugh at London-based 'crossers. No, not because they are in London (well a little bit) but because they seem to be using general tread choices long after we North-West riders have switched to mud treads. Last year, in the NW of England, we started on muds and that's how it stayed all season. Most of the recent seasons have been like that too. Even in Summer Cross, us Northerners are using muds most of the time. If where you live is not the rainfall capital of the country then perhaps a more general tread is the best one-shot choice. If you live in NW England, then just get muds and be done with it, for all year use.

Soil type:

I have a twitter acquaintance (@philipglowinski) that studies geological maps of new race venues to get clues about the likely soil type. Most people would probably scoff but I'm a bit geeky too and thought that was brilliant. Either way, the point is soil type can make a big difference even given the same rainfall as on a differing type elsewhere. Case in point, Sutton Park, much loved as a classic venue for National Champs, was usually pretty fast and dry given the sandy soil. Heavy rain rarely turned it into a complete mudbath, unlike Peel Park, Bradford which only requires a light sprinkling to become pretty tasty for the mud lovers. South East soil types tend to be different to NW soil types to South West soil types etc etc Check yours out - is it essentially a faster drying soil type, or more loamy, or clay based. It'll give a starting point at least.

How often are you racing?

Most treads wear reasonably well these days, but more aggressive treads do by definition wear more when used on frequently on harder surfaces. Thus your mud tread specials might look a bit worse for wear if you blast around on hardpack surfaces a lot in between the odd mud race. Worth thinking about as tubs of any description are not cheap these days.

So what do I rate?

Predominantly muddy races/NW England/Yorks - FMB SuperMud or Dugast Rhino

You won't go far wrong with a mud tread like FMB SuperMud. Designed as a direct competitor to the imperious Dugast Rhino, I've written about them here, and rate them as better all round than the Rhino which is still pretty damn good. They work well in drier conditions too as they are not quite as aggressive. Comprehensively pre-sealed and double stitched by Francois at FMB, they will last you a few seasons too if looked after.

FMB SuperMud

Dugast Rhino

Recently a lot of folks have been impressed with the Challenge Limus - it has a great tread, a good supple casing and seems to shed well. Perhaps struggles a bit in quicker conditions due to the aggressive tractor style tread but nonetheless a good choice and more available than exotica from FMB or Dugast.

Challenge Limus

Alternatives worth looking for - Clement PDX (super aggressive tread). Vittoria XM (robust, reasonably agressive tread)

Intermediate conditions - not too many mudbaths, drier soil types

The benchmark for years has been between Dugast Typhoon and Challenge Grifo. Both great, both proven. But... there are new interlopers in the scrap.

FMBs SSC is similarly styled to the above, in terms of tread but the knobs are a little taller and a little more aggressive - like a Rhino on the edges. Therefore, it handles muddier conditions just that little better whilst still rolling fast in the dry. I've used them and really rated them.

FMB SSC

The new kid on the block is the Dugast Small Bird - my test pair are about to arrive so I can't yet say what they are like, but the idea is sound with them being essentially a revamped Rhino style tread, busier like a 'small block 8' type mtb tread for the dry, lower central knobs with a harder compound in the centre and softer more aggressive side knobs. Best of both worlds job hopefully and they could maybe be the ultimate one-job tread.

Dugast Small Bird

Alternatives worth looking for - Schwalbe Racing Ralph (light, supple casing, bit low on volume in the casing), Gommitalia Magnum (see Grifo), Vittoria Evo XG (robust, bit sketchy in mud), Challenge Fango

Summer Cross

If you live in the North West or Yorkshire - see mud tires.

For those elsewhere, FMB Sprints are pretty awesome in the dry, AND pretty awesome in light mud too. With a surprising amount of grip from the stipples, the really aggressive side knobs keep you upright in most light mud conditions, and even on greasy, rain-slick, previously sun-baked grass. Just.

FMB Sprint

Alternatives - Challenge Grifo XS (more an out and out dry tire than the Sprints)

Everybody has their own favourite, their own opinion. Feel free to take me to task in the comments below and add your bit. I have ridden most of the treads outlined above but not all and there are some out there that I haven't mentioned that are worth a look too.

Gruff but friendly Nottingham importer John Holmes does great prices on Dugast tubulars as well as FMB - mention my name when you call him on 07946 461972.

Fangoso should soon also be able to hook you up with some FMBs.

Going Dutch - an immersion in cycling culture

A family holiday to the north of the Netherlands, to a city where the per capita use of bikes is allegedly the highest in the world, seemed like a good excuse to load the car with the full compliment of family bikes and go Dutch style..

Our base, at friends, was in Groningen, not too far from the German border and in a traditional part of the Netherlands. Got a stereotype image for Holland? We ticked them all, apart from tulips.

It is flat, eye openingly flat. It is windy, constantly so. The people are tall, the girls often blond. Everywhere is neat, straight, criss-crossed with canals and there are definitely windmills.

And then there are the bikes. They are simply everywhere and used by everybody. Riding out early on a Monday morning into the countryside from our hosts, I came to the first major bike path on the local A road and ran into what can only be described as multiple 'flotillas' of cyclists. Mostly college/school students with some commuters, they rode in groups, 4 or 5 long and two abreast. Chatting, laughing, texting, one handed. Like a clubrun of experienced riders, but with bags, panniers, casual clothes and a complete mastery of their mode of transport. For someone used to riding into work and seeing the odd grizzled fluoro-jacketed factory worker returning from a night-shift or dragging himself into work, it truly was an eye opener indeed.

Later in the trip I participated in the two-wheeled school run for our host's kids - to find that the rest of the (primary) school arrived on bikes too, leading to the largest collection of two-wheeled transport I have ever seen in one place. For one school.

Shopping, as well as the school run was accomplished on the 'bakfiets' - a two wheeled box big enough for 4 kids bolted to a normal Dutch bike. Heavy but surprisingly manoueverable, I had fun loading up with a selection of mine and borrowed kids and going beer, I mean essentials, shopping with ease.

I asked our hosts if the numbers and usage diminished in winter or in bad weather, and I got a slightly quizzical look which answered my question. People have well-suited bikes, clothing to match and an attitude of stoicism when it comes to the weather.

This was in evidence on the 2 family Sunday ride we did to a local village and cafe where 15km into a brisk headwind didn't phase the Dutch half, even if it presented problems with cold hands for my littlest. They just got on with it, warmed up with hot chocolate and blasted back home after.

My own training rides were unique in flavour - headwinds there are steady but not depressing and assuming you plan well, the returning tailwind is a thing of pure animal satisfaction. I hadn't ridden that fast on the flat since the last group crit race I had done. The wind is ever present and during winter I am sure can become nearly untenable, but it is constant rather than gusting and therefore allied with the flat terrain, allows you to chose a gear and effort to suit, and just get into the groove. More pleasingly, I rode for mile after mile, or rather km after km, on purpose built bike paths, usually on BOTH sides of a road, often with 2 lanes on the path itself and with utter deference and respect from the motorists whom I came into contact with. I hadn't realised how relaxing riding at speed could be, without traffic and surface hazards to sharpen the senses. The roads in that region, and the rest of the country I believe, are in incredibly good condition. In the Groningen region at least, revenue from natural gas reserves are used to keep them in such good condition. I saw one pothole in the whole trip, on the motorway near Amsterdam.

I expect that flatness would grate after a while, and certainly it was a pleasant surprise to come back to East Lancashire's vertiginous terrain but it is truly a wonderful place to immerse yourself in cycling culture in the widest sense. They don't do proper cobbles though, which was a shame...

Playing out in Lee Quarry

Me and Mark, our 2 boys and a pump track...

Anatomy of a 'cross race

I once tried riding a cyclocross race 'easy'. It was a lesson in abject failure. Lulled into a false sense of security of how it would be a pleasant training ride, by the time I found myself on the deck for the third time, I realised that there was no such thing as an 'easy' 'cross race. An easy 'cross ride perhaps, but when you throw a hundred or so fellow riders, a slick muddy course and a way too casual attitude together, you get a mix that guarantees incompetence and ineptitude. 'Cross requires focus and commitment and makes very specific physical and mental demands, regardless of your ability or experience

And so to the musing I was doing recently as the new (summer) 'cross season started. That's the thing - nowadays you can race 'cross for pretty much 9 months of the year, morphing from (usually) fast and dry summer 'crosses into biblically wet and muddy winter races with only the deranged 3 Peaks Cyclocross in September to confuse the issue.

Some have written about the physical demands of cross, but what does it actually feel like to race, and what does it tell you about yourself?

Whilst I don't buy into that whole 'pain cave' thing where people try to outdo superlatives about how hard it is, there is no doubting that 'cross is hard, physical and to be honest slightly unsettling to take part in. The start is not necessarily always the hardest bit physically but is always demanding in some way - get a clean start off the line and you will be riding close to your maximum physical and technical ability anyway as you try and capitalise on your position. Get a rubbish start and things get harder. You'll still be riding pretty much full gas but mentally things just got a whole lot more difficult. Some of the fiercest battles in 'cross races occur back from the front end of the field, in the mid pack as, in the growing fields we've seen over the last few years, legions of grizzled competitors fight for every corner, every scrap of rideable line.

A bad start can finish you if you're not careful. In your effort to claw back places you try too hard, go into a sketchy corner too fast or over-accelerate on a straight and overshoot when the course turns and before you know it you've lost another 5 places. Let your mind wander or panic and things can go from bad to worse. Calmness whilst all about you are losing their heads is the key to the game. Easier said than done.

Survive the melee of the start and you try and settle in a bit. I say settle in, as far as maintaining a lung bursting effort, staying upright round the course and avoiding marauding fellow competitors conveys a notion of 'comfort'... Either move up if you can, usually by being smoother and more efficient, or hold your station. If you start sliding back, once again things can get more difficult as panic can set in. Panic usually means mistakes which, like casualness means an encounter with flora and fauna around the course (including course tape) or intimate contact with the ground.

And so to the finale. Hopefully a triumphant gallop around the last couple of laps, in control and looking imperious. Alternatively, it may well be an undignified fight against dwindling physical resources, increasing technical ineptitude as fatigue fogs your reactions and sometimes a fight against a madly clogging bike that threatens to give up working at any moment. As I have been blessed with riding a pair of 'anti-clog' Planet X disc bikes, I can no longer use this excuse and am left with my own ineptitude as the likely cause of backwards progress at this point.

The end of a 'cross race is always a bitter sweet affair - the relief that the physical pain you've just been though is no longer there is strong, but tempered with the knowledge that somehow you've got to get your (almost guaranteed) filthy body and bike(s) back into or onto the car and home again in a vaguely presentable state to greet loved ones who doubtless will be waiting with bated breathe to see how you got on.

Pic: Joolze Dymond

But that's where we come back to summer 'cross - all the trials and tribulations of winter 'cross but without the muck. Mostly.