Here's Sean The Sadist With The Weather

Posted May 08, 2012 in I Cyclist, Jack Havana, rain, spring, training, winter

Where I live, on the east coast of Scotland, it’s been winter since November 2010. That’s when it started snowing.  Apart from a brief respite in the January, it continued until early March. Then it started raining.  For most of April we were smothered by the haar (think John Carpenter’s The Fog).  A couple of times I managed to outpace it, cycling 10 or 15 miles away from the coast to find patches of sunshine and warmth. (First I had to ope... read more...

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...

Cycle touring basics: Youth Hostels

Posted April 27, 2012 in autumn barlow, I Cyclist, touring

So you decided wildcamping wasn’t for you. Good. More space for me. So what are the other options? Bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, attended campsites… and the wonderful, wonderful Youth Hostel Association. We’re back in ginger-beer-and-baggy-shorts territory. I will declare my partiality here. I finished my art degree in 1998 with no direction. I made some random and unsuccessful job applications (MI5, Guardian newspaper, tax inspector, IT manager at Trebor-Bassett). I ended up at... read more...

Do you break the rules?

Posted April 25, 2012 in andy ward, I Cyclist, inspiration, racing, training

Road cycling as a sport is littered with rituals and etiquette. You might think that there is only one way to wear your helmet, or that the length of your socks is unimportant. If so, you are probably not one of the Velominati. The Keepers of the Cog are responsible for The Rules, the sacred text that governs the behaviour of the true road cyclist. I decided to compare my own behaviour against all 91 of The Rules. Whilst I’m too ashamed to share all my answers, here are my favou... read more...

What makes cycling great?

Posted April 18, 2012 in Amy O Halloran, I Cyclist, inspiration, Pro riding, Pro Tour

Everyone on here knows I love cycling. Obviously I do, otherwise I wouldn’t write for a cycling website. But I often wonder exactly why I love it. What is it that makes it so great? I like riding my bike for different reasons than I like watching bike racing. The two are quite separate in my mind; there are two sides to my cycling personality...  Firstly, the crap amateur cyclist Amy who tries to ride fast and does the occasional sufferfest, who goes on the bike when I can and a... read more...

Cycle touring basics: Wildcamping

Posted April 18, 2012 in autumn barlow, I Cyclist, touring

Big scary legal disclaimer: technically, wildcamping is illegal. Do not do it. In Scotland you can camp above a certain altitude, but generally it is not encouraged. In practice? If you pitch at nightfall, are gone by dawn, leave no trace and make no disturbance, you will be fine. Stay out of sight, away from roads and out of the way of livestock. Damage nothing. If you see a farmer, ask. You are more likely to be seen and ignored, to be honest. Don’t roam in gangs, either. On... read more...

Rest and Recuperation - Road Race Crash Recovery

Posted April 13, 2012 in andy ward, criterium, health, I Cyclist, racing

It almost seems a lifetime ago, but in my last article I talked about an upcoming "rite of passage" – my first road race. Well it certainly was a rite of passage, although not exactly what I had in mind... Fight Club Facebook and twitter followers will be aware that I was involved in a nasty crash on the final bend of the 25 lap criterium at Victoria Park in Leamington Spa.  The full gory details can be read here. Suffice to say, I made my children cry with ... read more...

Rain in Spain

Posted April 11, 2012 in I Cyclist, inspiration, training

A guest post from David Gange... As I'm writing the rain is lashing down outside here in sunny Spain!! My brand new bike, a B'Twin Triban 3 is waiting to be taken out for it's first spin. I've greased where grease goes. I've lubricated the bits that need lubricating. I've checked the bits that need checking, and now this! The frustration!  I'm a 51 year old teacher living to the north of Madrid in the mountains with my wife, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I've always been indirectly inv... read more...

Mark Beaumont Interview

Posted April 05, 2012 in books, I Cyclist, inspiration, LEJOG, Simon Dalgarno

My inspiration to cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats this year was initiated by reading Mark Beaumont’s excellent book on his Record Breaking Round the World Cycle, when he broke the solo record of cycling 18,296 miles in 194 days and 17 hours. So I decided to ask him a few questions about his cycling and other expeditions, which have seen him climb the two highest peaks in North and South America and cycle between them. Also, his non cycling adventures of rowing over the Arctic and his... read more...

Cycle touring basics: Trains

Posted April 04, 2012 in autumn barlow, I Cyclist, touring, training

It’s the ideal scenario – train and bike, a glorious combination of public transport and self-propelled non-polluting green smugness. It’s all 1930’s Britain with friendly conductors, steel bicycles, scrubbed young men with baggy shorts, and probably lashings of ginger beer. In reality? Well, I scoff at Ironman triathletes. I’ve endured far, far worse. I’ve endured the modern British railway system. There are two types of train. The local lines, which seem to stop every t... read more...

30 Days of Biking

Posted April 03, 2012 in female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, Lauren Jenkins

30 Days of Biking originally started in Minneapolis. The idea was born in March 2010 when friends, Patrick Stephenson and Zachariah Schaa created the idea using social media. The friends promoted the idea throughout March to encourage cyclists to take the pledge in April. The word spread like wildfire on social networks. The initiative aims to connect cyclists through their shared love of cycling using social networks(@30daysofbiking, http://www.facebook.com/30daysofbiking). The... read more...

Cycle touring basics: Packing and Panniers

Posted March 30, 2012 in autumn barlow, Cycling Gear, female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, LEJOG, touring

Cycle touring is basically going on holiday by bike. For some, this might mean trains and cycling – others just cycle. You might take a tent, or you might stop in B&Bs or youth hostels. You might have a plan, or you might wish to horrify your family by having no fixed itinerary at all. But whatever you’re doing, you will need to carry your stuff. “Credit Card Touring” – going from place to place with no more than your Visa card, socks stiff with sweat, and a banana in your pocket – i... read more...

2 up Team Time Trial Racing

Posted March 09, 2012 in I Cyclist, racing, rob ellis, Time Trialling, training

The team time trial (TTT) has to be one of my favourite cycling disciplines, not only to watch, but also to race. TTTs have really been making a comeback to professional cycling, with the Tour recently re-introducing the event, as well as the Vuelta and Giro. Watching the pro’s seemless teamwork and technique, they make it look effortless; this weekend was my third attempt at a team time trial, like my previous two attempts, one in the New Forest and the Duo Normand, this was also a 2-Up ... read more...

My Facebook log of how I got into cycling

Posted March 06, 2012 in autumn barlow, female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, training

How I got into cycling…as told through the medium of my facebook updates.... 7 Oct 09: aarghhhh car is expensively poorly 7 Oct 09, later: who wants to buy a crappy Matiz with broken alternator, a zillion miles on the clock, and an arse-dent in the boot? Bidding starts at £1.70. 8 Oct 09: now have no car...  9 Oct 09: am sweating in places I didn't know I could, and now understand the wrath of a cyclist finding a car parked in the cycle lane. And I'm really hungry. 10 Oct ... read more...

Mountain Bike Time Trial - Jumps, Berms and Disqualification

Posted February 28, 2012 in andy ward, I Cyclist, mountain biking, racing, Time Trialling

Last season I focussed most of my energies on time trialling. Whilst riding yourself to the point of nausea doesn’t sound like fun, the elation of setting a new personal best always makes the suffering worthwhile. This weekend I took part in my first time trial of the season. I might still have suffered that familiar feeling of imminent collapse when I crossed the line, but that was where all similarities ended. It wasn’t the most successful race I’ve ever taken part in - I ended up disqu... read more...

A new online cycling magazine is launched

Posted February 28, 2012 in bikesoup, Cycling Gear, I Cyclist, Nutrition, reviews, Tim Bland

This morning I'm very pleased and excited to announce the launch of a new site that I am the Content Manager for. It's a brand spanking new magazine style website - bikesoup.cc.  If you've been a reader of Daily Cycle for a while, you will know that I have been a strong advocate of the Bikesoup brand for some time now.  In fact, I have been working with Antony Auty (Chief Officer of Bikesoup) for around 18 months or so. He is a strong believer in Daily Cycle and has been instr... read more...

Can you justify a new bike? The answer is - you must!

Posted February 24, 2012 in Cycling Gear, I Cyclist, racing, training

The following is a guest post from Mountain Biking skills instructor Steve Owen. Catch up with him on his website - Sacred Rider Doing what I do for a living enables me to buy another brick and a piece of mortar for my house. I already own all the windows and one of the internal doors, but I digress. I often hear the same comments being made when I mention my occupation: It must be great doing what you love for a living and being paid to do it. Which is usually and quickly followed by... read more...

The World of Downhill Bike Riding

Posted February 23, 2012 in downhill, female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, Lauren Jenkins, mountain biking

I stepped out of my tiny red Ford KA into a packed car park full of estate cars and big vans. I was surrounded by men. Everybody took one look at me and went back to what they were doing, then I suddenly remembered to breathe. Sometimes I wonder what I’ve let myself in for. It was only a few weeks ago that I picked up my new bike. After suffering yet another theft, I decided to upgrade my bike and get; as it’s been called ‘my first big girl bike’. I am now the proud owner of a Norco... read more...

Swrve Jeans Review

Posted February 20, 2012 in andy ward, City Cycling, Cycling Gear, fixed wheel, I Cyclist, reviews

Whilst wearing lycra to the pub might get you some funny looks, cycling in jeans is not always the most comfortable experience. Denim, whilst hardwearing, is not the most forgiving of fabrics and seams placed in what might be termed “sensitive” areas, can dig in after a surprisingly short time in the saddle. Fortunately Los Angeles-based swrve have tackled this with some very bike-friendly features on their latest jeans. Form and Function Founded in 2005, swrve have always been at the f... 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...

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