Happy New Year! Thanks for joining me over the past year and following my journey which has included many highs and several lows.
2010’s biggest highlight was that Cross Country National Championship silver medal, I went into that race with only one aim which was to win the gold medal so to come away with second was a small disappoint, I was happy though in the knowledge that every bit of energy was left out on the Pippingford race track. The season’s low point came as I crashed out of the Marathon National Champs where my eye was set firmly on another shiny medal, torn shoulder ligaments were the only thing I took away from that race. The injury still plagued me 2 weeks later at the final British XC round in Plymouth and with just a small slip of the front wheel during practise by season ended with another scar added to my torn body.
I took away from the year many happy memories and learnt many lessons. Without the help of TORQ and the team’s hugely generous sponsors my journey could not have taken place, thank you! Once again in 2011 I’ll be riding in the black and orange colours of TORQ, news on the team’s sponsors and rider changes will be released over the next couple of weeks.
My schedule for 2011 is already pretty full and I’m excited about the year ahead especially the opportunity of racing more regional based events. World Cup’s and European marathon events will also feature in this years travels.
Next week I fly to Gran Canaria for training camp before returning to defend my lead at the final round of the Brass Monkey Winter Series. Following this the team will gather for a weekend of performance testing at TORQ HQ in Shropshire. My full schedule can be found here
http://benthomas88.blogspot.com/p/2011-schedule.html
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Brass Monkey 4 Hour Round 2
As round 2 of the Brass Monkey Winter Series approached I was pretty excited and highly motivated about racing at Ash Ranges a year on from where I won my first race for TORQ. Multiple pre rides of the course revealed some fantastic new singletrack sections, and only a small amount of ice and snow remained after the freezing conditions we’d been exposed too over the last few weeks. Any possibility of riding a dry course disappeared though the night before the race as heavy showers hit the venue turning the trails into a muddy wet mess.
500 riders lined up Tuesday morning to take part in the 4, 2 or 1 hour events. After a warm up I squeezed my way onto the front row of the starting grid and focused upon the manic 4 hours that lay ahead. The siren signalled the start, I led the race up the long tarmac road to the right hand turn spreading the field out behind. After this I let Phil Gale take the lead and set the pace, after the first lap Phil and myself had already pulled out a minutes gap over the chasers.
Shortly into the second lap I was left riding alone out in the lead, not the most fun scenario with 3 hours remaining! Eventually the conditions began to take effect on the bike wearing away brake pads until after 2 hours I was left with no more than the back plate of the brake pads to stop me.
Approaching the final hour of the race the course emptied as the 2 hour and 1 hour races finished, this left the course open and easier to ride with no backmarkers left to overtake. I was struggling for motivation though by this point as the conditions seemed to worsen as fog covered the venue. Unsure on the gap back to my rivals I was forced to head out on a seventh lap which eventually proved unnecessary as I rolled in to take the victory 1 lap ahead.
Dropping down the final descent into the arena field safely I felt a massive sense of relief, and once I crossed the finish line to take the victory it made the last 4 hours of pain and suffering worthwhile.
500 riders lined up Tuesday morning to take part in the 4, 2 or 1 hour events. After a warm up I squeezed my way onto the front row of the starting grid and focused upon the manic 4 hours that lay ahead. The siren signalled the start, I led the race up the long tarmac road to the right hand turn spreading the field out behind. After this I let Phil Gale take the lead and set the pace, after the first lap Phil and myself had already pulled out a minutes gap over the chasers.
Shortly into the second lap I was left riding alone out in the lead, not the most fun scenario with 3 hours remaining! Eventually the conditions began to take effect on the bike wearing away brake pads until after 2 hours I was left with no more than the back plate of the brake pads to stop me.
Approaching the final hour of the race the course emptied as the 2 hour and 1 hour races finished, this left the course open and easier to ride with no backmarkers left to overtake. I was struggling for motivation though by this point as the conditions seemed to worsen as fog covered the venue. Unsure on the gap back to my rivals I was forced to head out on a seventh lap which eventually proved unnecessary as I rolled in to take the victory 1 lap ahead.
Dropping down the final descent into the arena field safely I felt a massive sense of relief, and once I crossed the finish line to take the victory it made the last 4 hours of pain and suffering worthwhile.
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Happy Christmas!
2010 is coming to a close and preparations for 2011 are well underway. I’ve made an effort to not let the weekly training hours go too mad just yet, it’s important to stay fresh and motivation for the big months of January, February, and March where training makes a real impact on the season.
The poor weather you’d think would put a huge downer on motivation but I’m loving the cold snowy conditions these last few weeks, getting home in the middle of the winter and not having to clean the bike is pretty darn fantastic! I’ve been logging in regular 4 to 5 hours base rides these last few weeks. Riding in the snow has been great power training and should help my technical ability in muddy races.
Hopefully all this training will give me the edge over my rivals this Tuesday at round 2 of the Brass Monkey Winter Series. Having pre ridden the course I’m pretty excited about the race. They’ve made a load of changes from last year’s power course which I won on. Numerous new singletrack sections and a few additional short sharp climbs will further increase the high intensity the track demands.
Thanks for reading the blog this year, following my travels, and providing me with some fantastic support. Happy Christmas!
The poor weather you’d think would put a huge downer on motivation but I’m loving the cold snowy conditions these last few weeks, getting home in the middle of the winter and not having to clean the bike is pretty darn fantastic! I’ve been logging in regular 4 to 5 hours base rides these last few weeks. Riding in the snow has been great power training and should help my technical ability in muddy races.
Hopefully all this training will give me the edge over my rivals this Tuesday at round 2 of the Brass Monkey Winter Series. Having pre ridden the course I’m pretty excited about the race. They’ve made a load of changes from last year’s power course which I won on. Numerous new singletrack sections and a few additional short sharp climbs will further increase the high intensity the track demands.
Thanks for reading the blog this year, following my travels, and providing me with some fantastic support. Happy Christmas!
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Snowy Times
The snow has arrived to southern England again for the second time this month. Whilst it seems that many people just can’t cope in these “extreme” weather conditions with maybe 4 inches of snow on the ground us mountain bikers are rubbing our hands with glee and hoping for more snowfall (or at least I am!).
The local trails this morning were covered with a fresh coating of snow which glistened brightly, only animal footprints had previously disturbed the perfect blanket.
Our bicycle tyres made a crunching noise as the snow compacted and the wheels searched for traction. The covering of snow hid the trails features; we rode almost blind trying to remember where the rocks, roots, holes, and stumps lay. It was only a matter of time before someone was rolling around on the floor in the snow having hit an object or skidded out of control.
Passing car drivers or walkers gave a curious glance wondering why we would even consider riding our bikes. We would smile back and laugh a little more as the fun continued.
After numerous accidents and much laughter the ride was complete, 4 hours 30 added to the training tally. More tomorrow please.
The local trails this morning were covered with a fresh coating of snow which glistened brightly, only animal footprints had previously disturbed the perfect blanket.
Our bicycle tyres made a crunching noise as the snow compacted and the wheels searched for traction. The covering of snow hid the trails features; we rode almost blind trying to remember where the rocks, roots, holes, and stumps lay. It was only a matter of time before someone was rolling around on the floor in the snow having hit an object or skidded out of control.
Passing car drivers or walkers gave a curious glance wondering why we would even consider riding our bikes. We would smile back and laugh a little more as the fun continued.
After numerous accidents and much laughter the ride was complete, 4 hours 30 added to the training tally. More tomorrow please.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Brass Monkey 4 Hour Round 1
Just back from a tough day on the mountain bike, 110 km’s in all including the 90km Brass Monkey 4 hour enduro event. As explained in my previous blog I’ve been excited about this series since the final round last winter. After a venue change to the fantastic trails at Porridge Pot Hill I was even more motivated to collect a decent result. The organisers had constructed a fun flowing circuit which proved extremely demanding and rewarding.
Teammate Tim Dunford and myself led the race from the very first corner emptying the tank perhaps a little too much over the first 2 laps with low 30 minute laps. On the 3rd lap we caught the back of the 2 hour race which had just started and were slowed by backmarkers who were difficult to pass in the tight twisty singletrack. This combined with legs that needed a little recovery time meant that our chasers started to claw back time.
Tim and me had some good banter out on the course and were sure that the gap was large enough for one of us to secure the win. On the penultimate lap I realised it would be touch and go whether we’d have to go out on an 8th lap. Our slower pace meant that on the last lap to our surprise we were caught by the 3rd place rider. Tim shrieked “we’ve been caught” and like chickens running from a fox we attacked. We pulled out a safe gap once again but we kept the pace high, Tim’s chicken legs proved too fast on one of the climbs and the elastic snapped.
Eventually Tim pulled out a minute’s gap to take the win arriving shortly after the 4 hour mark. This left me to take 2nd and Matt Page of Wiggle to take the final podium step. Having only started training again 4 weeks ago I’m satisfied with the result and happy to have lost to a teammate.
Teammate Tim Dunford and myself led the race from the very first corner emptying the tank perhaps a little too much over the first 2 laps with low 30 minute laps. On the 3rd lap we caught the back of the 2 hour race which had just started and were slowed by backmarkers who were difficult to pass in the tight twisty singletrack. This combined with legs that needed a little recovery time meant that our chasers started to claw back time.
Tim and me had some good banter out on the course and were sure that the gap was large enough for one of us to secure the win. On the penultimate lap I realised it would be touch and go whether we’d have to go out on an 8th lap. Our slower pace meant that on the last lap to our surprise we were caught by the 3rd place rider. Tim shrieked “we’ve been caught” and like chickens running from a fox we attacked. We pulled out a safe gap once again but we kept the pace high, Tim’s chicken legs proved too fast on one of the climbs and the elastic snapped.
Eventually Tim pulled out a minute’s gap to take the win arriving shortly after the 4 hour mark. This left me to take 2nd and Matt Page of Wiggle to take the final podium step. Having only started training again 4 weeks ago I’m satisfied with the result and happy to have lost to a teammate.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
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
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
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