Progress

Here’s a quick blog written to fill a spare ten minutes. Last week I spent a couple of days away enjoying the fantastic trails at Afan Forest in Wales, the trails were in a fantastic condition particularly on Monday before some light rainfall Tuesday night. Monday I ripped up the trails with an old college mate enjoying railing the descents. Then Tuesday I rode for five and a half hours around the Skyline and W2 trails. Skyline had a few diversions in place but the singletrack was fantastic and there was a great sense wilderness and peace from being out there alone.



Training over the last two weeks has gone really well and the legs are already feeling an improvement, hopefully then at this weekends Brass Monkey round one I can finish one place higher that last year where I finished second. A pre ride of the course presents a surprisingly dry trail which if the weather stays fine will create a fun and testing circuit for a race where entries have sold out.

I’ve been pretty excited about this winter series all year and now can’t wait to get on that start line at Porridge Pot Hill on Sunday morning. Will bring you an update post race.

Products

The off season gave me an opportunity to analyse what went right and wrong this year. It also gave me a chance to look back at the equipment the team used.

The TORQ Performance team were lucky enough to be riding lightweight carbon fibre frames from Kona with Ritchey components, Fizik saddles, Schwalbe tyres, Alex rims, Sapin Spokes, Superstar hubs and headsets, Crank Brothers pedals, RockShox forks, and Sram XX brakes and gears.



The XX groupset broke all the rules when Sram introduced the first 10spd mountain bike groupset earlier this year. The combination of 2 x 10 instantly became a market leader as cyclists realised the huge benefits of this revolutionary product. Rival companies scrambled out an alternative product but the XX groupset remains the best available. The carbon chainset is one of the lightest on sale whilst remaining strong and robust unlike others I’ve used in the past. The cassette which takes 9 hours to produce paired with fantastic derailleur systems helps produce perfectly accurate gear changes. The shifters with their carbon fibre levers paired with the matchmaker system for a minimalist handlebar setup creates a precise and instant change. Any previous negative thoughts about the brakes quickly disappeared with setup proving easy and the product staying reliable all year. The SID fork remained plush and included the first hydraulic lockout lever.

Another favourite product was the Schwalbe tyres. The Racing Ralph, Rocket Ron, and Nobby Nic provided a fantastic trio of tyres to cope with all conditions. The Ralph’s and the Nic have been around for many years but the Ron is a relatively new product. I found the Rocket Ron perfect for soft loamy soil as the tread could dig into the soil and provide great traction for railing corners or climbing steep loose ascents.

I’ve been using the Crank Brothers pedals for a number of years and was thrilled at the prospect of using them again in 2010. The Egg Beater’s are super light and have an open wing design that offers loads of mud clearance meaning the pedals don’t clog up when conditions turn nasty.

All of the products this year were fantastic but these 3 were my personal favourites. Thanks again to all the sponsors who supported me and the team this year.

Sadly this year’s race bike has been returned to team HQ and is now for sale. You can find details of how to purchase a TORQ Performance team bike here www.torqfitness.co.uk/news/team-bike-sale

Ready to start

The off season seems to have flown past and now I’m just days away from starting preparations for the 2011 season. I got back in the gym last week which caused all kind of aches and pains, hopefully the winter gym plan will help build back up the strength to withstand the tough race schedule I’ve already started planning. It’s nearly time to begin building the legs with miles but I’m eager to get going and feel like its time to get riding again.

Base training for me is the most enjoyable training I get to do all year, no specific zones, no lung bursting efforts; just long days on the bike enjoying great trails or roads and the countryside with friends. 5 months of training lay ahead of me before the first major date on the calendar.

Last year at this point after signing for TORQ Performance I was eager for success. At the moment I’m still talking to teams but the level of interest has been fantastic from both teams and individual sponsors. Im looking forward to putting behind me the team negotiations and the contast emails and phone call.

For 2011 ive planned things a little differeant with less cross country races and more marathon races. Many new and exciting adventures lay ahead next year and this is a huge motivation.

The next race is already on the horizon, the start of the fantastic Brass Monkey Series is just 4 weeks away and once again I hope to compete in all 3 rounds. For me these 4 hour races act as fantastic training, a bonus however is that the events are held on some quality trails which are great fun to ride.

After the final Brass Monkey I’ll conclude my base training and will start building up intensity in preparing for the cross country races that start in March.


Racing at the Brass Monkey Series last winter

Off Season

There's not much to write about but here's a short blog to keep you updated.

The off season is going pretty well, I’m eating lots of nasty food which I don’t normally get to eat once I’m training, and the bicycle wheels have been pretty stationary since Newnham. Pizza and banoffee pie have been the highlights of the meals so far! I’ve put back on a few pounds but as normal this will only help keep me warm during those winter base miles.

Yesterday evening I rode the bike for the second time since Newnham. The Mountain Trax Wednesday night shop rides are great interval sessions especially when riding a heavy big travel freeride bike and the rides always create large amounts of amusement. The Exposure Maxx D and Diablo did a fantastic job giving me 2000 lumens to light up the trail. I’ll be excited to try the new 1800 lumen Six Pack when it’s available in a few weeks.

Last week I attended trade day at the Cycle Show in London with the aim of gathering potential contacts for sponsorship. So far the hunt for 2011 teams seems to be going well, hopefully everything will be finalised by November so I can forget all the negotiations and concentrate on riding my bike. Will post more news when I can!

Season Complete

So the year’s season is over, the last 2 races didn’t go the way I’d have liked crashing out of marathon championships and crashing in track practise for the British XC final. A small slip of wheels at speed on a greasy descent sent my flying along the rocky ground tearing a cut just below my elbow requiring stitches from an ambulance crew. After an evening taking a cocktail of painkillers I still didn’t get much sleep and by Saturday morning I was feeling pretty knackered. Still undecided I went to the venue but after riding the bike it was obvious that it wouldn’t be wise for me to race.

A sad end to what’s been a fantastic year. I must remember all the magical moments from the last 7 months including the world cups in Dalby, Houffalize, and Offenburg, the 6th and 11th place in the national series, my silver medal in the national cross country championships, my trip to the Alps with GPM10, the hard fought race between 3 TORQ teammates at the Big Welsh Enduro, chasing down the lead quad bike at Twentyfour12, and the amazing fun I had at the Gorrick 12hr. I’ve made many new friends along the way and gained lots of happy memories.

Saturday’s end of season party was pretty epic aswell! I think we proved that not all xc racers are lightweight drinkers and that we can have a good night out returning back to base at 5am. Huge respect to Phil Lenney, George Budd and Carla Haines who then after very little sleep raced the Newnham 60km enduro later that morning!

Racing for the biggest and best cross country team in the UK this year has been a huge privilege. TORQ team management did a fantastic job to create such a huge list of sponsors and gather such a great group of riders. It’s been great getting to know a new bunch of people.

Here are a few pictures of this year’s best moments.


Magnificat '6hr team timetrial' sportive


Dalby WC Pro Sprint Eliminator


That silver medal

Im excited thinking about next years possibilities already but plans are still undecided, the training has now finished and I’m resting but the team negotiations are just beginning. Hopefully I’ll have some more news next time I blog.

Final training

Over the last week I’ve been training hard in the French Alps completing 5 days of mountainous riding with a total of roughly 23 hours in the saddle. Hopefully with a little rest the season will finish with a high this weekend at the final national series round. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy from my little trip to southern France.


Room with a view on Alp d'Huez


Village at base of Alp d'Huez


A small village half way up Alp d'Huez


On the Tour de France finishing straight at the top of Alp d'Huez


Top of the Col du Lautaret


Outlook from the Col du Galibier climb


Peaks above the road up onto the Col D'Izoard


Climbing through the Mercantour National Park to the top of the Col de la Cayolle

Fantastic video from this July's Twentyfour12 at Newnham Park with some good shots of me leading out the first lap !!