Well it has finally happened i guess, after years both as an individual and as part of a group last Sunday i finally witnessed my first serious 'non racing' accident.
Unfortunately whilst on a group ride, in extremely cold conditions we hit a patch of ice, with one of the lads going down, taking everyone behind him down with him. As everyone bounced back up and was checking their bikes it soon became apparent we had a 'man down' situation. Steve had gone down hard on his back and was struggling to get up, luckily a local lady witnessed the accident and offered her help to which the quick witted response soon came of '5 teas please,' how ignorant we were. Steve was soon slipping into shock due to the cold conditions and it was decided an Ambulance was required as well as gettin him into the warmth asap, as this was called 2 of the bigger lads, at 58kg i'm not lifting anyone anywhere, managed to get Steve into the warmth of this kind womans house.
We soon continued our ride vowing to stay on main roads only, Steve however had a more interesting afternoon, with a trip to Chester hostpital and the diagnosis of a cracked vertebrae he is now in a back brace for 8 weeks!
Now although after the accident we all agreed it was no ones fault, in reality it was all our fault for being ignorant cyclists who weren't prepared to alter the route according to the conditions, probably due to the fact we had got away with it for years before. It was a hard lesson learned, especially for myself as it would have been a season destroying crash at a minimum. Needless to say i have spent the majority of this week on the turbo and am planning on a quick spin on the mtb tomorrow if the conditions improve.
So please don't be ignorant and play it safe out there, oh and get well soon Steve!
Sunday 20 December 2009
Thursday 10 December 2009
'Shall we go for a long one?'
Well seen as this blog is supposed to be about bike riding or at least being a bike rider, i thought i would fill you in on a 'little ride' me and my training buddy Mikey Cumings went on a couple of weeks ago.
When i say little i really mean big, hard and angry. As i left my house to meet Mikey at our usual meeting place, which shall remain secret to all but a chosen few, i thought i would be home within 4hrs, maybe 4.5 if we got a cheeky cafe stop in, it being winter and all that, but when we met and Mikey uttered those memorable words 'shall we go for a long one' i stupidly agreed.
What followed can only be described as an epic 6hrs of pain and in some instances, and one in particular, amusement. Now for the un-educated riders amongst you, going on a long one generally means a big ride for which the golden rule is to ride out into the wind and back with it on your back, which for us normally means a jolly into North Wales due to the prevailing winds, which were in effect on this fine day. Me and Mike being 'men', well we decided to hit the hills, not West of us like Wales, but East.
To begin with, i think both of us were enjoying ourselves as we climbed out of Macclesfield across to Wailey Bridge in the sun i remebered how much i liked riding in the hills, with a following wind we were soon at the top of the Snake and much to my amusement as i stopped to take a photo Mike almost got blown off, but little did i know he would have the last laugh a few climbs latter!
Mike at the top of the Snake
Wind ah yes the unecessary evil of all bike riders and this day it was STRONG! We soon dropped down off the Snake across to Curbar through Castleton and began climbing Winnats pass. Initally the climb went well for the first 150m after the cattle grid (for those in the know) the steep sides protected us from the wind and we could actually hold a conversation for the first time since the Snake, however as the road curved to the right we hit it, the steep sides acting as a funnel. Mike decided to get out of the saddle and power up the climb whilst i decided to stay seated and try and do some leg strength work, this approach was to be my downfall, with one sudden gust of wind from the side the bars were blown out of my hand and i was on my arse! If this wasn't bad enough, for those that have ridden up Winnats it is dam steep and getting started again in that wind was not easy at all, luckily i pulled the manouever off first time, only to get to the top to see Mike laughing at me, at least he didn't drop me hey!
After Winnats it just became a slog fest into the wind down to Buxton, where we saw Ian Stannard, looking just as pissed off with the wind as us, a quick 'cafe stop' in a petrol station back over the Cat and through the lanes home, 6hrs in and deaf from the wind. As you can imagine in the sick way only bike riders do after such a hard effort i arrived home with a massive grin on my face.
When i say little i really mean big, hard and angry. As i left my house to meet Mikey at our usual meeting place, which shall remain secret to all but a chosen few, i thought i would be home within 4hrs, maybe 4.5 if we got a cheeky cafe stop in, it being winter and all that, but when we met and Mikey uttered those memorable words 'shall we go for a long one' i stupidly agreed.
What followed can only be described as an epic 6hrs of pain and in some instances, and one in particular, amusement. Now for the un-educated riders amongst you, going on a long one generally means a big ride for which the golden rule is to ride out into the wind and back with it on your back, which for us normally means a jolly into North Wales due to the prevailing winds, which were in effect on this fine day. Me and Mike being 'men', well we decided to hit the hills, not West of us like Wales, but East.
To begin with, i think both of us were enjoying ourselves as we climbed out of Macclesfield across to Wailey Bridge in the sun i remebered how much i liked riding in the hills, with a following wind we were soon at the top of the Snake and much to my amusement as i stopped to take a photo Mike almost got blown off, but little did i know he would have the last laugh a few climbs latter!
Mike at the top of the Snake
Wind ah yes the unecessary evil of all bike riders and this day it was STRONG! We soon dropped down off the Snake across to Curbar through Castleton and began climbing Winnats pass. Initally the climb went well for the first 150m after the cattle grid (for those in the know) the steep sides protected us from the wind and we could actually hold a conversation for the first time since the Snake, however as the road curved to the right we hit it, the steep sides acting as a funnel. Mike decided to get out of the saddle and power up the climb whilst i decided to stay seated and try and do some leg strength work, this approach was to be my downfall, with one sudden gust of wind from the side the bars were blown out of my hand and i was on my arse! If this wasn't bad enough, for those that have ridden up Winnats it is dam steep and getting started again in that wind was not easy at all, luckily i pulled the manouever off first time, only to get to the top to see Mike laughing at me, at least he didn't drop me hey!
After Winnats it just became a slog fest into the wind down to Buxton, where we saw Ian Stannard, looking just as pissed off with the wind as us, a quick 'cafe stop' in a petrol station back over the Cat and through the lanes home, 6hrs in and deaf from the wind. As you can imagine in the sick way only bike riders do after such a hard effort i arrived home with a massive grin on my face.
Wednesday 11 November 2009
What a Cafufal
So there i was on Sunday night, relaxing after a 5hr ride with the lads, when i got a phone call from Steven, the night before UCB had released a press report stating i was riding for them, i was totally oblivious to this and needless to say i had all sorts of people enquiring about what was going on. Eventually i managed to sort everything out and i can re-confirm my old post that i am indeed riding for Hennebont and not UCB!
On a totally different note i had my yearly asthma review, a condition which i have suffered from since childhood, on Tuesday which i obviously passed with flying colours...i mean how unfit do you have to be to get breathless walking up a set of stairs!
Oh and i am still in need of a bike for next season, so if anyone out there can either do me a deal, or lend me one for the season which i will obviously return upon pain of death in September then please let me know.
Ciao
On a totally different note i had my yearly asthma review, a condition which i have suffered from since childhood, on Tuesday which i obviously passed with flying colours...i mean how unfit do you have to be to get breathless walking up a set of stairs!
Oh and i am still in need of a bike for next season, so if anyone out there can either do me a deal, or lend me one for the season which i will obviously return upon pain of death in September then please let me know.
Ciao
Saturday 7 November 2009
The Start of Winter
Ok ok, I admit I am rubbish at keeping this blog updated, but in reality I doubt many people are reading it and for those that are I have been very busy…honest!
So in the past 2 months since I last posted I have found a job, had 2 weeks off the bike, followed by another enforced week off due to illness, got back on the bike, and signed for a different team in France.
On the team point I had only been back on my bike for a week when I got a phone call from the guy who sorted me out in France the first time I went out there asking me who I was riding for next year. I said UCB but things had gone a bit quiet, he then said he might be able to get me a place on a team called Hennebont who are a DN1 team, a level up from UCB although this doesn’t really matter too much, but more importantly are more used to having foreign riders meaning I could free myself from the hassle of finding an apartment and taking my car over to France along with having a fellow Brit on the team in Phil Gale who I met when I was last over in France it was really a no brainer decision for me. The only question I do have to ask is how good I am likely to look in pink kit…yes pink!
With the team sorted and confirmed and bringing money in from my part time job at Waitrose, who incidentally have been brilliant and extremely loyal to me having been a former ‘Partner’ gave me an old job back and are fairly flexible with my hours to allow me to ride, I am now fully looking forward to next season and without the external pressure that University brings I am able to train with a calmness and dedication I have never had before, although due to the manual nature of my work I do have to really listen to my body.
Oh and I am selling my old team bike a Sabbath Mondays Child if anyone is interested.
Ciao for now.
So in the past 2 months since I last posted I have found a job, had 2 weeks off the bike, followed by another enforced week off due to illness, got back on the bike, and signed for a different team in France.
On the team point I had only been back on my bike for a week when I got a phone call from the guy who sorted me out in France the first time I went out there asking me who I was riding for next year. I said UCB but things had gone a bit quiet, he then said he might be able to get me a place on a team called Hennebont who are a DN1 team, a level up from UCB although this doesn’t really matter too much, but more importantly are more used to having foreign riders meaning I could free myself from the hassle of finding an apartment and taking my car over to France along with having a fellow Brit on the team in Phil Gale who I met when I was last over in France it was really a no brainer decision for me. The only question I do have to ask is how good I am likely to look in pink kit…yes pink!
With the team sorted and confirmed and bringing money in from my part time job at Waitrose, who incidentally have been brilliant and extremely loyal to me having been a former ‘Partner’ gave me an old job back and are fairly flexible with my hours to allow me to ride, I am now fully looking forward to next season and without the external pressure that University brings I am able to train with a calmness and dedication I have never had before, although due to the manual nature of my work I do have to really listen to my body.
Oh and I am selling my old team bike a Sabbath Mondays Child if anyone is interested.
Ciao for now.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
A short introduction
Well as my first post on here i suppose i had better introduce myself a little. I am a final year espoir rider in the UK currently riding as a 1st category rider for Team Sabbath Claytan. Having recently finished my degree at Loughborough Uni, 4 years there is 3 years and 11 months too long, and in reality all i really learnt was Civil Engineering and bike riding don't really mix, i feel it is my time to live my dream and spend at least one season as a full time rider on the continent. Unlike many riders in my position i am fortunate enough to have already raced for 3 months in Brittany during the summer of 2008 with UC Briochine (UCB) and it is to this team i will return at the end of Feb 2010, i say this as i know how hard it seems to be able to get a ride over there, the first time i rode for UCB i had a phone number and a promise of a meeting with the team manager at a car park in Saint Brieuc (where the team is based)-talk about being nervous!
I'll try and update the blog as regularly as possible in the run up to the season and during it to give you an insite into the life of a normal 22 year old lad, who has a bike riding problem!
Oh and if anyone wants to help me out in anyway im sure i can give you a shameless plug in a blog update and link to your website. Ciao
I'll try and update the blog as regularly as possible in the run up to the season and during it to give you an insite into the life of a normal 22 year old lad, who has a bike riding problem!
Oh and if anyone wants to help me out in anyway im sure i can give you a shameless plug in a blog update and link to your website. Ciao
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