The Number On My Back

Posted May 02, 2012 in Hill Climb, I Cyclist, Jack Havana, racing, sportive, training

Number 8744. Four digits printed on a square of shiny card sum up my station in life. Nowhere near the top. Quite close to the bottom.  Eight thousand, seven hundred and forty-fourth. It feels like a slap in the face. My entry was accepted within hours of the registration opening. That was eight months ago. I booked a cheap bed and breakfast near the start and return Eurotunnel on the same day. Since then, I’ve done 6,000 km in training&n... read more...

Cycling in the Highlands

Posted February 17, 2012 in Hill Climb, I Cyclist, LEJOG, Simon Dalgarno, training

A bright blue sky, the low winter sun casting shadows on all the evergreen trees, and a light dusting of snow on the hills looking like icing sugar on the top of a sponge cake. Sounds like a picture that one of the pro teams who are training in Spain or the South of France would have on their Twitter over the past few weeks. But no, this is the scene that I awoke to last Monday, and also the week before on my day off.  Living in Inverness, in the North of Scotland, I hear you all sa... read more...

Mountain Biking - A Dark Art

Posted February 14, 2012 in Hill Climb, mountain biking, training, winter

The following is a guest post from Mountain Biking skills instructor Steve Owen. Catch up with him on his website - Sacred Rider Running your own business is a tricky thing to do these days, but something many of us do dream about during those ‘mundane days in the office’ or those cold damp mornings when you just don’t want to get up, or those times when you didn’t get that promotion and Barney ‘what’s his name’ got it instead.  The reasons are endless and I can feel my blood pres... read more...

The Psychology of Hills

Posted February 05, 2012 in autumn barlow, female cyclists, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, inspiration, training

I live halfway up a 12% hill. This is an excuse I always like to get in early to a conversation. Hills, you see. I would be faster, but…well, you know. Hills. My average speed around these parts (Rossendale, an entirely vertical part of Lancashire) is 12 mph. Why do I need to make excuses for myself? I can slog away at that speed for hours. When I “got into” cycling, I went on an obsessive binge to read everything, everywhere, about it. However I lacked the expe... read more...

Fixed up for the Winter

Posted January 26, 2012 in andy ward, Cycling Gear, fixed wheel, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, training

In 2009, I was lucky enough to be a member of Team Cycling Plus. As part of the deal, I had the use of a Verenti Millook. It was a great bike and I logged up thousands of miles on it. Unfortunately, it was only on loan and in December last year, they finally asked for it back. With my best bike mothballed until the good weather returns, I've had to look elsewhere for a bike to ride through the winter. Last year, with the hill climb season approaching, I picked up a bargain... read more...

“Impossible is Nothing” – an interview with Germain Burton

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy ward, Hill Climb, racing

Sixteen year old Germain Burton is a true rising star of British cycling. Son of three times British track champion Maurice Burton, he already has won the famous Bec hill climb twice - in the latest edition he obliterated a strong field, winning by an amazing 8 seconds. Racing in the colours of Team De Ver, the future really is bright for Germain, a future that one day could see him wearing the most famous yellow jersey of all…   How did you get into cycling? Really I've been in ... read more...

The X Factor

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy ward, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, racing, training

I missed the X Factor on Sunday. Not that ITV programme where singing out of tune demonstrates apparent superstar potential (my kids make sure I don’t miss that), but that X factor described by Simon Warren as “the natural athletic ability coupled with the extraordinary pain threshold” that marks out the very best. The National Hill Climb was full of riders with plenty of that special talent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. Finding My Level It wasn’t for la... read more...

A Tough Job – The National Hill Climb Approaches

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy ward, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, racing, training

It’s a tough job writing about cycling, but someone has to do it. This week has been particularly difficult, riding as I have been on the superbike that is a Scott Foil R1. I’m testing it at the moment, courtesy of bikesoup. It’s a truly fantastic bit of kit: light, responsive and fast – completely living up to all expectations. I will be riding it in the National Hill Climb on Sunday – hoping it will give me a bit of an edge. There’s a hill near my home that has a gradient similar to Long H... read more...

National Hill Climb – Simon Warren’s Preview

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy ward, Hill Climb, racing

Simon Warren is a bit of a hill climbing expert. Author of the excellent 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, he has ridden in the National Hill Climb seven times, finishing 37th in 2009. His next book - Another 100 Greatest Hill Climbs will be released in May 2012. Who better to give us an insight into this year’s race? What follows is a guest post from the man himself… Long Hill This year the National Championship is being held on Long Hill near Buxton in Derbyshire. To call it a hill though is a... read more...

Hill Climb Season Reaches a Peak

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy ward, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, racing, training

by Andy Ward October is always a busy month as the Hill Climb season really gets into its stride. This is the business end of the season for me, the part I look forward to the most. It might seem a bit strange to focus so much of my preparation and energies on events that usually take no more than 2 or 3 minutes to complete, but there’s just something about them… Alpe d’Huez I rode my first hill climb last year. It was a short course, not that steep and I surprised myself ... read more...

Hill Climber–the latest free ebook from Daily Cycle

Posted December 20, 2011 in andy brodziak, andy ward, books, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, inspiration, racing, Tim Bland, training

Well, it’s Sunday night, I’ve run a half marathon today so I’m completely knackered, but I just couldn’t resist releasing the latest ebook – Hill Climber. It’s the latest ebook delivered to you completely free of charge. No money, no sign up for something, no nothing required, just download, share and enjoy. Feel free to print it out too if you wish. It’s fast approaching the Hill Climb season so this free ebook should hopefully inspire you to get out there and give it a go. The ebook conta... read more...

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The Number On My Back

Number 8744. Four digits printed on a square of shiny card sum up my station in life. Nowhere near the top. Quite close to the bottom.  Eight thousand, seven hundred...

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