Beljum Budder

Photo: Bettina Bhandari

A few weeks back I posted here on the subject of chafing. Although I've been cycling and running for many years I had only tried using Assos chamois cream a few times for bike rides but usually applied good old vaseline for long rides and runs in a bid to keep chafing at bay.

A couple of people commented on the article recommending Butt Butter and Dave Zabriskie's DZNuts. Although, I'm sure both brands work very well I have to admit I haven't yet tried either of them. However, the comments did inspire me to do a little more research into good chafing protection. One brand name that kept appearing on my screen again and again was Beljum Budder. I got in touch with the folks over at BB in California and they were kind enough to ship a few samples over to me that I've been using over the past few weeks.

I haven't yet tried BB for running mainly because I haven't been doing distances that warrant the use of an anti-chafing cream. All of my use of BB has been during long rides and I have to say I've been very pleased with it. It achieved 3 key things that I consider most important. Firstly, I didn't experience any chafing. Secondly, it felt comfortable, meaning I could hardly feel it which personally I prefer to the menthol heat from creams like the one from Assos produce. Finally, the cream leaves no trace on the tights or the chamois after they have been washed. For these reasons I can recommend the cream to anyone who puts in long distances on the bike and is in need of anti-chafing protection.

There are other major reasons to buy BB. One of the most important is the cream is made without the use of potentially hazardous chemicals such as parabens. Parabins are preservatives widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries that may be the cause of illnesses such as prostate cancer although evidence for this isn't conclusive. The cream is made without any kind of animal testing and all the ingredients are natural. All in all it's a high quality product I'll certainly continue using.

You can find out more about Beljum Budder by visiting their website here.

The Best Ever Time Trialist?

Fabian Cancellara rides to victory in yesterday's elite men's time trial world road race championships at Mendrisio, Switzerland. Photo: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images

The now 3 time TT world champion, Fabian Cancellara is the best time trialist in history. Or at least that is what many people are saying and I would have to agree. Yesterday Cancellara of Switzerland rocketed to victory against the back drop of a cheering home crowd and in doing so destroyed all competition finishing a massive 1:27.13 ahead of Gustav Larsson of Sweden and 2:30.18 ahead of the young German hope Tony Martin. Cancellara even had time to sit up 100 metres from the finish line to savour the crowd applause.

Who else in the pro peloton is good enough to beat Cancellara in a TT? Well of course there is Alberto Contador. He beat Cancellara in the Tour de France TT but arguably doesn't possess the consistency to be considered better than Cancellara at the discipline.

Looking back in history who could have beaten Cancellara? It is difficult to say maybe Miguel Indurain or indeed Lance Armstrong could have come close to an on form Cancellara but again it is difficult to imagine either of them being able to consistently win TT's in the way Switzerland's favourite sportsman can.

Cancellara is putting celebrations on hold until after Sunday when he hopes to achieve the double by winning the world championship road race.

"I dream of doing the double," he said. "I said during the Vuelta that I think I can do it. I have the motivation, the determination, and the confidence. I always achieve what I say is a target, but of course the World Championship [road race] has its own rules. We have a six-man team. Others have nine, and the race will be very hard. But I have set the bar high, and I have the belief. If I didn't, I would stay at home."

The crowds will be out again this coming Sunday to see if Spartacus can achieve his dream. It will certainly be another popular victory if he does. However, it won't be easy with the likes of Italy's Damiano Cunego and the powerful Spanish duo of Alejandro Valverde and Samuel Sanchez looking to take gold.

Millar Times It Right

David Millar (Garmin-Slipstream) grits his teeth on his way to victory in Toledo. Photo: Sirotti

I've been away on long weekend trip to Cornwall for the past few days hence the lack of postings. Since I was away David Millar won stage 20 of the Vuelta a España. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Millar on a fine victory that saw him ride the lumpy 26km time trial in Spain's historic city of Toledo in a time of 35:53. It was the 5th time Millar has secured victory in Spain's grand tour.

There was more good news for Millar with him being accounced as captain of the British squad for the road World Championships in Mendrisio Switzerland on Sunday. The British team looks to be the strongest it has been for many years with Millar being supported by eight riders drawn from Mark Cavendish, Ben Swift, Roger Hammond, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard, Russell Downing, Geraint Thomas, Dan Lloyd and Steve Cummings. British Cycling named Jeremy Hunt as a reserve.

With support like that I think Millar has a great opportunity to put in high quality performance in Switzerland. Good luck to him.

Olympic Stadium Berlin

My wife Betty recently visited Berlin. During her stay she took some excellent photos of the Olympic Stadium, a few of which you can see below.

It's a sporting arena so full of history. It's the venue where Jessie Owens participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics achieving sporting immortality by winning 4 gold medals. It is also the area where this year Usain Bolt broke 2 world records (his own) for the 100 metres and 200 metres.

It's a beautiful arena in one of my favourite cities.

You can see more images taken by Betty, here and here.

Bikes Crushing Cars

As seen in Milan.

The Greatest Show On Earth

Remember Richard Mitchelson and his animated Eddy? Well Rouleur must have liked the look of his work because they asked him to created a very cool comic strip style illustration of the 1974 classic film, The Greatest Show On Earth for the latest issue of Rouleur magazine. You can see some of his illustrations below or visit Michelson's blog here for more.

Wilms On Wheels

Here at Velorunner I try to bring to peoples attention all the books I read on the subjects of cycling and running. Although I have reviewed a fair few books since starting up the blog a year or so ago I have to admit the scope of books I've covered is limited.

Fans of cycling literature should take a look at Wilms on Wheels. The website is a comprehensive database covering English, French, German, Dutch and Italian books on the world of professional cycle racing.

You can search the database by language, by theme such as history, biographies, Tour de France etc and finally by books reviewed. It certainly is an extensive database. I spent just a few minutes searching through the database and came across many titles I'd never heard of before.

The man behind Wilms on Wheels, Wilfried Wilms, is an enthusiast who's created this non commercial web database out of his passion for cycling literature and I think he's doing a fine job.

Check out his website at www.wilmsonwheels.be.

Fake Victory Celebration

Imagine your cycling along minding your business, immersed in thought, battling your way up a hill, when all of a sudden your drawn into what appears to be the end of a race and your crossing the finish line as victor with lots of people cheering and mobbing you. The glory! It would be great wouldn't it, well wouldn't it?

Please check out this video, it had me laughing out loud the whole way through, it's absolutely hilarious. Three unsuspecting riders are caught out, one at a time, and they all react differently to the ensuing chaos. It's the funniest thing I've seen in ages.

Quote For The Day

"Training is an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body" - Usain Bolt

For Sale: Fulcrum Racing 5 Clincher Wheel Set

Due to a wheel upgrade, more of which I'll tell you later, I'm selling a Fulcrum Racing 5 clincher wheel set with Shimano free hub body (fitted).

For further details and to place a bid please visit Ebay.

See what Fulcrum have to say about the wheels here.

2 Out Of 2 For Cavendish

Mark Cavendish (Columbia HTC) won both Monday's and Tuesday's stages of the Tour of Missouri. On Monday he beat J.J. Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) with Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) finishing 3rd. Yesterday it was Hushovd finishing 2nd with Haedo 3rd.

On both occasions George Hincapie was at the forefront of Cavendish's lead out although it didn't quite work for him on Monday.

It will be interesting to see if Cavendish can maintain the same high win conversion rate next season. Although he can scrap with the best of them Robbie McEwen style, Cavendish does benefit heavily from having the best lead out train in the business. With many of Colombia HTC's star riders leaving the team ( Kim Kirchen, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Greg Henderson, Michael Barry, Thomas Lovkvist, and George Hincapie) at the end of this season have replacements of the same quality be found? Time will tell. Having said that looking at the teams 2010 roster, and to coin an over used football phrase, they have such strength in depth Columbia HTC should be able to cope.

I'll stick my neck out and predict Cavendish will continue winning as frequently next season, however, Columbia HTC will come away with fewer classics victories since they will have lost some major one day specialist talent.

Anima D'acciaio (Soul Of Steel)

Anima D'acciaio is a portrait of the legendary Italian frame builder Giovanni Pelizzoli aka "Ciocc" . Ciocc shares his wisdom and life story while handbuilding a revolutionary new frame for urban fixed gear cycling. Ciocc demonstrates that the tradition and craft of framebuilding's golden age can be re-born and push the technical frontier of cycling's future.

Below is a trailer to the 11 minute documentary. You can see it in its entirety as part of the Bicycle Film Festival at the Barbican here in London on Saturday 26th September.

Anima D'Acciaio Trailer Ver5.1 from Cinecycle on Vimeo.

Drafting Etiquette

I did head out this morning for a 3 hour training ride. I have probably mentioned in the past that Regents Park has a perimeter road around the outside of it that is perfect for training on as long as it isn't hill training that needs to be done. If the few traffic lights are kind one can train interrupted, without having to stop.

So it was Regents Park that I cycled round, many times this morning/early afternoon in a bid to redeem myself from yesterdays poor effort. I mixed it up with some tempo work, some thigh busting sprint work and then some recovery work. Not highly scientific by any stretch of the imagination but a good work out none the less.

On a typical training ride down at the perimeter road it is very common to see other like minded cyclists of varying abilities and speeds taking advantage of the benefits this relatively quiet loop road in central London has to offer.

As often happens I end up falling in behind other riders from time to time to draft them for differing lengths of time. As do other riders with me. Today was no exception. At one point I realised as I applied the brakes in anticipation for a left hand turn there was a rider very close to my back wheel drafting me. I don't have problem with riders drafting me as long as I know they are there but I wish they would give me a little shout to let me know out of courtesy and as a matter of safety. Having said that I know I have been guilty of doing the same.

It got me thinking about the question of drafting. What is an acceptable distance to draft another rider without informing them? Half a metre? One Metre? More? Personally I do draft people without telling them at a distance of around 1.5 metres. Although the drafting benefit is reduced there still is a benefit and I think it's a distance that allows me enough time to react to any changes they may make. What do you think?

Yesterdays Training Ride

I felt rubbish on yesterdays training ride, so much so that I ended up cutting the ride short half way and heading home.

At 9am Simon and I headed out on what was supposed to be a 150km training ride in anticipation of La Ronde Picarde, masters class, that we will both be riding next Saturday. The sun was shinning and all looked well as we headed off. However, after a very short time I realised I didn't feel so good. It wasn't that I felt unwell more that I was lacking energy in my legs.

Simon on the other hand was on form, and good for him. He zipped off at a rapid speed leaving me in his wake on numerous occasions. After just over 2 hours I had to call time on our training ride and head home leaving Simon to complete the remainder of the ride by himself.

I know why I'm lacking energy. It's because of the big effort I made in last Sundays Burgess Hill Classic. I haven't fully recovered even though I took it easy during the week by reducing my run distances.

I've decided I'll head out again tomorrow (today, it's 12.16am as I write this) on a solid 3 hour ride. Then no more training for me for the remainder of the week. I'll rest as much as possible and hopefully turn up in France with fresher legs.

Indurain: A Tempered Passion

Indurain: Tempered Passion is a Miguel Indurain biography written by Javier Garcia Sanchez. First published in Spanish, the English edition was published back in 2002.

It's taken me a while to read this book, probably around a year. I would pick it up, read a few chapters then put it down again whenever another book came along that I could read instead. Why? Because the author, an obvious Indurain fanatic provides a completely subjective and biased view point to Indurain's life.

Don't get me wrong, Indurain had a big impact on me. I remember watching him racing back in the early Nineties when I first started watching the Tour de France on Channel 4. He was the main guy, a champion and in his heyday seemed almost unbeatable. Legend has it he had the same lung capacity as a horse. In a pre Lance Armstrong era he really was the main man and I liked him alot.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Reliving all those faded memories of his many victories and looking forward to learning about the mild mannered champion. What I got was many long winded, over exaggerated and over dramatic, glorification's of Indurain's victories along with multiple paranoid, everyones out to get Miguel, explanations for his sporting failures. Many of Sanchez's ramblings border on the fictitious to say the least.

In short Sanchez's portrayal of Indurain is entirely one sided. The only positive thing I can say is that Sanchez, on occasion, possesses a poetic and imaginative writing style that does conjure up some wonderful images to the reader.

However, I really cannot recommend this book to anyone other than Indurain fans who simply must read anything they can lay there hands on without a care for the books content. I really hope somebody comes along and rises to the challenge of putting together an Indurain biography deserved of the great man because this biography misses by a very long way!

Indurain: A Tempered Passion, written by Javier Garcia Sanchez, is published by Mousehold Press.

Quote For The Day

"I love the bicycle because it has given me a soul capable of understanding it. In the history of humanity isn't the first achievement of an intelligent being to free itself from the laws of gravity? Look, I have wings!" - Henri Desgrange 1911

Bicycles Kill More People Than Terrorism

An article in today's Telegraph.co.uk claims their has been a second wave of casualties in London since the 7/7 London bombings that may be of concern to the Capitals cyclists.

Prof Peter Ayton, from City University, who led the study, said: “People avoided things in which large numbers of people were killed at one time and switched to what looked like more innocent methods of travel like bicycling.

“But if you asked which killed more people in the last 10 years in London, international terrorism, or bicycles, the answer would definitely be bicycles.

I think the professor may be mistaken. Surely it is the drivers in their vehicles that kill or injure cyclists. I doubt many people, if any, have been killed by a bicycle.

Bicycle Film Festival

The Bicycle Film Festival visits London between 23rd and 27th September.