weekend viewing

i have come across some videos of note over the last few days. this little collection is the majority of the bits i have actually all watched twice over, kind of like a vetting process.  it is a fairly random selection relating to various aspects of cycling.  all good stuff though, inventive in parts and certainly worthy of some weekend viewing.

Rise Above: Robert Gesink's Climb to Victory from Chris Milliman on Vimeo.

ROCKVILLE | Trailer from e r t z u i ° film on Vimeo.

LUXExMILLIMAN from Chris Milliman on Vimeo.

The American Way: Part 2 V2 from MovePress, LLC on Vimeo.

speed demon

a few months back i featured bike thrones saddles here on velorunner.  it planted a seed in my mind to get myself one of their saddles to put on my de rosa neo primato.  after some contemplation mainly around whether or not i should spend more money on bike related stuff i eventually justified the need and treated myself to one of troy mckinna's original designs, called the speed demon, replacing the ageing but trusty fizik arione.

first impressions, well very quick delivery from australia, just a few days, australia is a long way away! i am liking the the overall attention to detail on the packaging too.  it is clear troy has spent time thinking about design and branding and in my opinion has got it right.  in terms of the product itself namely the saddle, it is light, at least it is lighter than my old fizik.  the print is crisp and with the slick double red lines running straight down the middle of the saddle, it reminds me of the ford gt go faster stripes. i feel like i have pimped my de rosa with the addition of my new bike throne.  white bar tape would really set it off but gets dirty too quick, hence i went for the practical black this time.


time will tell as to how the saddle wears and whether it can match the old fizik in terms of comfort factor.  in the meantime though this saddle represents the final part of a minor overhaul i have given my beloved de rosa.  out has gone extremely comfortable zipp handlebars and a nice zipp stem that was unfortunately 10mm to long.  thought best to sell the zipp stuff as a pair, would have been a shame to part them.  this then lead me on to replacing it with deda finishing kit and shorter stem (easier reach now, should be more comfortable), and all alloy too, no carbon anywhere on the bike, not that i have anything against carbon.  every thing is italian now except for the lovely 7700 dura ace group, chris king headset and slightly unorthodox crank brothers quattro sl pedals.  wheels are by fulcrum and tyres vittoria.

www.bikethrones.com

the london nocturne 2012 - behind the scenes

every june for the past few years the historic area of smithfields, in the city of london, has played host to one of the uk's most exiting criterium events of the year, the smithfield nocturne.  i have been fortunate enough, when i lived in london, to go to two of these events although unfortunately i have missed the last couple, something i plan to remedy in time for next year.  the event is made up of a number of races starting with the amateurs, including a brompton race, and climax's with some the the uk's best pro's plus the occasional international star too.  previous winners have included the likes of welshman geraint thomas and australia's matt goss so as you can imagine the racing is highly competitive at pro level.

what i think makes this event particularly special is the location and course layout.  the course is tight and compact and loops around smithfields market, the uk's largest wholesale meat market in the uk.  surrounding the market are many fine eateries and drinking establishments which makes for the perfect party atmosphere from which to host bike racing.  i mean what could be better entertainment than watching racing whilst supping a pint or two on a saturday evening?

since it's inception in 2007 the nocturne concept has spread it's wings to other parts of the uk and has seen events held in manchester, blackpool and edinburgh.  i reckon the people behind the nocturne series at the face partnership should think about heading west for an event next year.  i am sure exciting courses could be developed in both bath and bristol...

optimal cadence films have produced a beautifully filmed and edited behind the scenes look at this year's nocturne in smithfields, check it out below for a flavour of the event.

The London Nocturne 2012 - Behind The Scenes from Optimal Cadence Films on Vimeo.

highlights from the london nocturne series will be broadcast in the uk this sunday at 07:10 on channel 4, 4+1 at 08:10, and on 4OD. 

my first cyclo-cross race experience

it has been a goal of mine to start cyclo-cross racing for a couple of years.  my interest gradually intensified in the sport as i started to watch the occasional race from belgium as well as watching jeremy powers on his ever so entertaining behind the barriers videos which humorously documents the professional life of one the north america's very best cross racers.  added to the mix were a couple of friends who purchased their own cross bikes and told me how much fun they are to ride either in races or otherwise.  my only barrier to getting involved in this exciting aspect of bicycle sport and culture was the purchase of my own cross bike which i was finally able to buy a few months back.

now i had the bike i could race, only trouble was i bought my beloved stevens prestige at the end of the cross season so would have to wait a while to start riding competitively.  unlike many who have no alternative but to wait until late summer / early autumn comes around, the traditional time for racing cross, i have been able to dip my sidi clad toe into the world of mud and cowbells early by taking part in my very first cross race, round 3 of the western league summer series.  the western league has a summer and winter series with the summer season comprising a series of ten races.  although i shall only be taking part in a handful of these races i thought it would be an ideal opportunity to get to grips with the pace and technical details of the sport before hopefully becoming a more frequent racer in the winter season.

summer series races happen on a wednesday evening so i rushed home from work, grabbed all my stuff, fixed the bike to the roof of my car and drove over to the course, a short drive from where i live.  the summer series is certainly a low key affair comprising a juniors race followed by an everyone else race.  no racing license is required either making it super accessible for anyone who wants to just roll up and enter.  although it was a beautiful sunny and warm evening there was literally just a handful of spectators and officials to witness 25 or so guys, yes all men, fight it out for the ultimate prize.

i arrived with plenty of time so had chance to weigh up the opposition who were gradually arriving into the car park.  i have to admit i was ever so slightly intimidated at first since i knew nobody and had never raced before.  i guess it is the same with most things first time around.  with my cycling kit on and bike ready for action i started my reconnaissance of the course which turned out to be quite technical in places with single track passing through shaded rutted twisty wooded sections before passing through a number of small hills comprised of dirt, gravel and grass plus a flat tarmaced straight and a set of steps.  all in all the course must have been in the region of 2 kilometres long.  i took rich mich's advice, thanks rich, and rode my test lap with 40 psi in the tyres, decided it was a tad too much and took a little more out taking the pressure to somewhere around 35 psi.  perfect for somebody of my 72kg weight and riding and hard fast course.  fingers were crossed for no pinch flats, i was riding clinchers.

race start time was 7pm and as we lined up on the long tarmaced straight i made sure to position myself somewhere close to the third line.  being completely inexperienced it would have been stupid to shuffle up any further.  fellow vc walcot team member michael joined me at the start, it was a big comfort to have a familiar face racing with me.  so now there were two of us representing our club colours.  the chequered flag dropped and we were off.  i had lost all my pre race nerves by this time.  the lack of energy i had experienced during my working day disappeared and i felt reasonably good.  although i have never raced cross before i knew all too well how to pace myself and not go out too hard from the running races i have experienced, same principle.  i slotted in mid pack and so it was time to get my head down and focus on maintaining my position and get used to the nuances of the course.

on my very first lap i had somebody riding up close behind me and as i headed through a turn in a section of woods i took succumbed to the pressure and took a wrong line coming to an undignified halt in front of a tree.  no big drama but it lost me my place and a few seconds of time.  i vowed i would not make the same mistake again and in fact i did not.  after that i concentrated and made an effort to try as best as i could to foresee all the lines i was taking and although in hindsight i could have ridden faster through some sections i am content that i managed to race all the way through until the end, 45 minutes plus one lap.  it was an intense experience to say the least.  my effort level was at the point where i did not have the chance to wipe the snot that ran from my nose and across my face and i was absolutely wet through with sweat.  i was close to maximum threshold although i reckon i will be able to squeeze another 5% next time with all things remaining equal.

yes there will be a next time.  although cross involves a very hard effort it is loads of fun and now i understand why people say it is so addictive.  at the age of 41 my cyclo cross racing career has begun...

western league cyclo-cross summer series 2012

(additional note 03/06/12: i forgot to mention in the above post that following the race i experienced stomach ache for the remainder of the evening.  i put this down as potentially a nutritional  issue and was wondering if anyone else has had the same experience after an intense effort.  if so i would be grateful if anyone has any ideas how to combat this problem.)