November 20 2008

21 DAYS

Sunday marks the 21st day of training for the 2009 season and so far it's going well. After getting ill there have been no further problems and the last three weeks have been spent almost exclusively on the bike, or resting up on the sofa. That would also hint that while I am getting a chance to train, there is considerably less work available over winter if you're a freelancer.

The biggest job of late was the creation of the XCRacer calendar and hopefully tomorrow the first batch will be printed and dispatched for delivery next week. While on the subject of XCRacer, it winds up that none of my photos were good enough to win shot of the year. I suppose that's what you get when letting the public decide on something; generally not a desirable result in favour of quality. Just look at the whole John Sergant situation...or even Bush. It took Americans eight years to realise they got it wrong - hopefully it won't be the same case with my works!

That aside while the work isn't rolling in, it is rolling out - the afforementioned calendars, issues 90 and 91 of What Mountain Bike magazine (out now and in two weeks respectively) and The Bicycle Buyer all present late catchups in terms of work completed actually making it into the real world. An interview with Jakob Fuglsang on his move from XC to road also appears soon on CyclingNews/BikeRadar.

So, a week or so of mixed fortunes. Hopefully next week brings some better news as I will hear of some definitive answers on my direction in 2009 (work-wise). Right now though it's time to hit it for a night ride and another 2 hours in the bank.

November 14 2008

WHAT MTB - ISSUE 90

Check out the new What Mountain Bike this month, in stores now, for my rideguide around the North Downs. Fourteen pages and alot of words! Issue 91 will have a similar article, albeit based in the Brecon Beacons.

November 11 2008

NEW RIDES

With the 2009 season becoming a reality very quickly it is time to think about things like bikes and what bits will form the core of my 2009 campaign. I've talked before about why I think it is important to be on the right bike - confidence is king when racing and if you know the bike will take the punishment and is the best on the start line, then it's only your legs that can let you down.

So for the third season I will be on a Yeti ASR alloy (2008 model, provided kindly by Bromley Bike), a great frame and starting point for an XC race or fun trail bike. I have matured in a few departments over the past 18 months though, so the setup will see some changes.

With the inclusion of the Kona Mash Up and Enduro Avalanche style of racing to my calendar the bike has to be more capable of high speed descending at trail centres. That means a change from narrow flat bars (Easton EC70 flat, 23") and long skinny stem (Syntace F99, 105mm) that weighed in at 230grams, to a wider low riser (RaceFace Next SL) and shorter stem (RaceFace Deus SL, 90mm) both in 31.8 oversized flavours. So not only do I gain control but also alot of stiffness, oh plus around 100grams. That Syntace stem was light, but boy did it flex. You can't steer in a straight line with that one.

The other significant change could be with forks. Depending on geometry (yet to be checked with the new 2008/9 ASR) I may step up to 120mm travel and use the new 15mm bolt through, with the Fox F120RLC. Of course, this detail is to be confirmed - the bike isn't even built yet!

What will remain are the Hope Mono Mini Pro brakes, Stan's/Tune wheels, Shimano XT M950 shifters, Shadow rear mech and XTR front mech. The final very special addition comes in form of some super pimp gear cables...Gore in white no less! Thanks to Alex for the hookup on that one.

Reviews and musings on the new kit will be posted when I have logged some serious riding time on each bit of kit. Recently there were some big moaning noises over on Singletrack when it comes to reviewing kit and bias. Let's just say that until a couple of weeks back I have been getting my bike kit from local bike shops or online retailers. Paying in cash. Let's just say I know how it feels to throw down £600 for a set of forks and then be less than enamoured by their performance, or get the now reknowned 'scratched stanchion bill.'

November 5 2008

FIRST RIDES

They say the first time back is the hardest and tonight was testament to that. Arriving home cut and bruised is standard fare for the Lordswood night ride - deep mud is a given. That's why we all invest in the winter shitter - a minimum maintainence bike that consists of a few key points. Fully rigid, v-brakes, minimal gears, crud catchers and tubless mud tyres are the minimum requirements. Some sort of winter boots, a jacket and thermal gloves also come highly recommended.

The winter routine is an acquired taste. Rides that would take one hour in summer double in duration and then there's the preparation. A wardrobe packed with kit for every weather; base layers, tights, wool socks, gore tex boots, overshoes, windproof, waterproof, wool socks the list is neverending. After the ride the work starts again; hose down the bike, hose off shoes (that's the cool thing with waterproof shoes), tiptoe the bike in trying to make no drips on the carpet, strip down trying to make no muddy mess on the carpet, eat, bath, recovery drink (while in the bath)...err, I reckon that'll cover it.

This goes on until around March when the trails dry up enough to bring out the best bike which can turn into quite a momentus occasion. Yep - the winter bike actually feels faster without all that squish from suspension which invariably gets locked out, before gradually becoming softer and softer through spring as the ground gets harder and harder.

Until you come full circle into winter once more and face that first ride on the fully rigid. Inevitalby it results in a period of hatred as arms pump, muscles ache and bodies bruise, but that soon passes and evolves into a 1000 mile stare through the pain. You'll recognise it in any mountain biker that rides off road through winter!

November 3 2008

NO RIDING, JUST HIDING

Zero saddle time since October 15 is proof that just because your job is to write about bikes, sometimes everything will conspire against you when it comes to riding the thing. Since putting the XCRacer calendars together, which was an epic task in itself, the work has kept rolling in. Or should I say deadlines. A 4500 word Brecon Beacons RideGuide for What Mountain Bike, another 1200 words and photos of the National Mountain Bike Conference for CTC's Cycle magazine. There was also a day of assiting Wig in the studio at Hotwheels, a couple of biketest shoots in the New Forest and two cyclocross races with a mountain bike race thrown in for good measure.

Then I got ill, which meant when I could be riding a bike, I was infact Lemsip lovin' on the sofa. Maybe this week I will get to ride around in the mud...

And on the note of the calendar, thanks for all the orders so far. I have recieved the test print and all that remains is for the first copy to be printed, checked, final dates added adn then finally the first copies will make it into the post. All this by the mid November deadline!

October 23 2008

WE'RE LIVE

Two lots of big news to announce. Firstly the limited edition XCRacer.com calendar, designed and photographed by me (yes, that's ME) is now online to preorder along with a few samples. Get yourself a copy before they are all gone as only 100 will be produced!

And secondly, if you liked the coverage of the 2008 World Cup Series in pictures then you've got to vote in the photo contest over on XCRacer as well. The rules are here so play nice...

October 18 2008

IF A PICTURE IS A THOUSAND WORDS...

...Then I really should consider quitting writing and just do the photography thing. Seriously, taking ten good quality photos takes way less time than filling ten thousand words! All you need are the same opportunites as a grade A felon - means, movtive and opportunity. But as I found out in the Brecons the last one can be hard to come by.

When you're up on a mountain with endless layers of cloud rolling through you can be the best shooter in the world but you're never going to get that vista shot. Hopefully tomorrow at the Wessex Cross will bring me good weather conditions.

Talking of cross, great job Ian Field on chasing more races. He's out in the Belg right now racing those Euro freaks and putting on a good show. More detailed info can be found on the VC Deal site.

In other news next months' What Mountain Bike will feature a 14 page North Downs rideguide, followed in January by a Brecon's guide. There should be a Marie Helene Premont and Jakob Fuglsang Probike on CyclingNews soon and in most exciting news there will be an XCRacer.com 2009 calendar for sale. Expect some images to keep you motivated as the winter sets in.

Unfortunately what I didn't bargain for was the competition...Daniel Geiger and his CyclePassion calendar is too good to be true. Which leaves me wondering...how does this guy pull it off and when will it be my turn?!

October 10 2008

SEVEN DAYS

Alot can happen in a week and it seems a long time since D2D. Good news was that the rain held off until around 8pm. Bad news was that it didn't stop after that. It was a wet race without doubt - I started in the best conditions, somehow avoiding all the crashes in the opening lap before starting to race. The legs felt really bad but I kept going, finally catching Jenn O'Connor and making it into the top twenty. This was the aim at the start, with a hope that after 12 hours maybe we'd hit top ten at best.

As Andrew Yetifan took over we were in fourth position, but by midnight slipped to fifth - not exactly surprising considering the competition and our team was totally unsupported. Just a few guys from the local woods. Big Al and Rob managed to keep the flame going through the night and after a 40 minute nap I rolled out to see that we were still fifth overall!

A great team effort and all those risky drifting overtakes were worth it.

What followed was a scary drive home, fueled by a coke and then some fast washing before a trip to the Brecon Beacons and finally Cycle 2008. This weekend I will be very glad of a little rest before bashing out 500 words.

October 3 2008

HOW MUCH?

I can't be the only one asking that question. Along with the 700 other riders on the eve of the dusk til dawn race packing every bit of bike kit I own into a massive bag. I mean, how much kit do you really need for a 12 hour race in a team of four?

Weathermen say it is going to be brutal, gale force eight winds, torrential rain and the potential of temps below five celcius. That means I have even put the earwarmers in the bag along with tights, legwarmers, winter gloves...I have even thought about throwing Mud-X tyres and discs on the Yeti ARC and riding that instead of the ASR. I'm thinking a midnight bedtime won't make for a great race though and am just gonna take the mud pluggers for any 911 moments on the fully.

Hopefully I get to keep the Crossmark on the rear, even if I have to roll at sub 20psi. One thing is for sure, the rain cape will come out and alot of people will end up sleeping in cars. That's because tents will go a blowin'!

Full report here on Sunday if I actually survive.

October 1 2008

HERE SHE BLOWS

With Dusk til Dawn just a few days away you know it is that time of year again. The end of a season, the final ride on dusty trails and time to get those tights re-chamoised (you did remember that detail, right?)

D2D, the Roc and the XCRacer end of season awards all signal it is time to go hibernate. Ironically, the front page pic which I thought was perfect for October is actually taken from the first round of the Southern XC way back in April. Yes, that is snow you can see, too.

And talking of XCRacer and the awards there is another category which will soon be added - that of best racing photo of 2008. Three entries each and hopefully you will enjoy mine enough to vote for it.

Finally, if you are after a cool calendar for 2009 hold fire and don't buy that one with dogs, cats or flowers. Instead save yourself for something very, very special.

September 24 2008

CS, NOT BS

Great customer service costs next to nothing but goes a long way in establishing the reputation of a company. Lumicycle is just one example - after four years of service my HID finally died and it was time to get it fixed. At the time I wasn't sure if it was the charger or battery but took it along to the Gorrick 12:12 to have it checked out. Unfortunately the damage looked terminal - water ingress, several broken links and damaged cells. I was expecting and would have shelled out £90 for a whole new unit.

What followed however was the battery being taken away, fully repaired with new cells and returned to my door. All for the sum of £13! At every stage communication was brilliant and I am now left to go and ride my bike. A few much bigger companies in the bike biz could learn a thing or two from these guys...

September 22 2008

ONE LAP WONDER

Bordon is one of my favourite places to race so when I heard this could be the last ever event at the venue I was across there on the fully rigid beater like a shot. Of course, owing to my zero fitness policy over the summer I entered open category and even wore baggy shorts for the occasion. The course was fun as always with 90% singletrack in the big ring and I was putting in a storming performance moving into 8th place!

It would not last though as approaching the finish for lap three a tape was down, our group of five missed the turn and the race was over. Determined to finish two of us turned back, put the tape in place and continued some five minutes down only for my tyre to get cut on an errant kerbstone. I wanted to finish the race so much I went to the car and tried to air up the tyre. It was race over though as Stan's goo would not seal the hole, more bad luck!

Oh well at least the sun was shining and the trails were dry, having to clean the bike as I got home would have been the icing on the cake.

September 17 2008

BACK ON TRACK

So, finally made it back after a long day in Salzburg. We got kicked from the room at 2pm which was a good effort, then spent an afternoon wandering about Salzburg in the freezing cold. I didn't think it could get worse than the UK but it just did.

Getting used to the cold is something I'm definately going to work on as the next time I am on the bike it will be winter. The next four weeks will be spent doing stuff away from two wheels, having a bit of a life and getting motivated to go out and ride again, while coming strong in April for the 2009 NPS. Should be on an all new team as well which is motivation.

As far as jobs go there is no word on what I will be doing in 09 so if anyone out there is up for getting some cool photos or has a masterplan let me know. Oh, and if the email ends 'will you do it for some stale bread and mouldy cheese' then the answer is no!

Some guys who already have jobs sorted for 09 are Burry Stander and Todd Wells - they go to Specialized and ride alongside Sauser. Liam is probably off to the new Trek superteam to ride for Martin Whitely while rumours are circulating about who's gonna join him. Some say it will be Hill and Minnaar, others say Hill and Fairclough are on Monster/Specialized in 09 while Minnaar is going nowhere. Keeping it XC, there will be a smaller Focus-Vredestein squad and a factory all-in-one Cannondale team.

That makes for some big setups in 09 - Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Monster, Santa Cruz, Animal Commencal, Yeti Fox, oh and one more. Think along the lines of a big road name that was new this year and you won't be far off.

That's all you're getting for now, I have a few thousand words to write.

September 16 2008

STRANDED

After the final World Cup weekend I am now stranded in Salzburg with a who's who of mountain bike stars (well, almost). A cancelled flight last night care of RyanwedontcareAir, means it was a last minute panic (along with the other 150 passengers).

Between myself, Paul from Fisher (Ffion Griffiths' mechanic), Hannah (Brendan Fairclough's gf), Steve Jones from Dirt, Alex Rankin off of Earthed, Jaymie Mart and Brian Buckle (Trek Europe Manager) we managed to run to the front of the queue and shotgun some of the last remaining tickets back home 24 hours on.

Lucky for us as there are another 100+ travellers with some tough choices.

Double B was a champ and by the time all the bags were collected and flights booked we were already hooked up with a hotel for the night and a taxi in the rank.

A few beers later and we are now laying about in a hotel room, watching BBC World Service and hoping we don't get kicked out by Phillipino cleaners. Nice.

I was really hoping to get back home fast and no hassles after partying every night and hanging out a bit by the end of the weekend, no chance of that though. Races and reports all done which is a bonus now and who knows maybe I will hit the UK tonight?

Seems bad luck is following me round at the moment, after three crashes in a week and the cuts just washing off I get hit by a rider getting squirrly on the downhill. Drew blood and all, what a classic. Something good has to happen sometime soon!

September 8 2008

EXCITE YOURSELF

I'd recommend it. This year having nearly completed the European World Cup circuit (only Schladming to go this week) I have been writing race reports and only one magazine feature, which may have appeared this year but was actually written late 2007. So when the opportunity came up to do a ride feature on the North Downs it was refreshing and exciting to write about something other than racing.

Race reporting is all good, but today it is so instant there is little to write about other than the facts - the conditions, the course, the product and the winners. With a feature you can use a little more imagination and maybe write about something totally different than the subject in hand and bring it full circle. That's why I enjoyed the pro ride series two years back - variation was good.

The best example is not to look at my work though - check out any one of Jeremy Clarkson's car reviews. Essentially he is given carte blanche to go anywhere and that's the sign of a good writer/journalist/presenter. Maybe one day I too will hit those heady heights, but for this weekend the World Cup will have to do...

September 5 2008

POWER WITHOUT RESPONSIBILTY?

That was the name of a big fat book I was told to buy at Uni, and only in the last couple of years have I began to realise fully what those three words mean. Pretty strong stuff but worth thinking about and today I realised there was another scenario where they ring true.

Of course I am referring to the latest debarcle concerning the cancellation of the final round of the NPS XC. I can't ever remember a race being cancelled outright - least of all a National.

Alot of people have been making some bad points on the XCRacer forum, alot of them ill informed - I guess right now there is alot of anger about and rightly so in some cases.

There have been some big mistakes made in the running of this series and I am sure Paul and Frank will be the first to admit that - some of them were preventable, some out of their control entirely. It still doesn't change the position we are in now though and we are here because unfortunately Frank and Paul fell on their own sword. They tried to run before they could walk, they tried to save an event that was beyond reprieve because of their desire to please and ultimately they were handed power without responsibility.

Hopefully someone will recognise that this was the biggest mistake of all and the next time such a big event is put out to tender applications will be examined closely and the right person for the job found, or the means to get the event running in the first place implemented.

September 4 2008

MEGA MILES

When does a ride turn into an epic? I reckon it is when you push your body harder than ever before and go through that 'I'm gonna stop right now' barrier several times. That's just what happened earlier this week as I took on the challenge of riding to the Lizard in Cornwall over two days. 137 miles on day one and another 105 on day two killed me alot, my advice would be to never do this sort of thing, especially when across Bodmin there is a gale blowing in your face and to keep a solid 8mph on road, on road bikes is a big challenge. Ouch. Oh well, home now and the pain is over!

September 3 2008

KONA MASH UP

Or Kona mess up, however you want to see it. The event concept itself was cool, but it didn't quite go off with the bang expected. Personally, it never felt like a race because other than some random beeps (or lack of if your timing chip failed) there was no start or finish. Of course, this meant you could take it easy with your mates but it missed that spark. That said the stages were cool, I like the Afan trails and the food at the Dropoff is always the greatest.

We decided one lap wasn't enough and post-race went out and rode The Wall before coming back for the results...except there weren't any. This was not good, when you pay 30 notes for an entry you expect nothing short of perfection, expecially as I suspect riding on the trails didn't cost a dime - they were still open to the public as per usual and there were no restrictions in place.

Eventually the results did come out, I was happy with a top ten and 2nd in the hill climb but the real reason I went was not to race just to have fun with some mates without any pressure and thankfully it worked a treat.*

*Apart from Big Al beat me by 11 seconds. That bit was not so good!

September 1 2008

THIS TIME LAST YEAR...

That's the theme of the front page this month, as this time last year I got a very unexpected call from Ian Warby inviting me out to Cyprus for a bit of riding. Sounded like fun and this shot on the edge of a mountain was just one of the results from that week. It was not simple to make and involved scrambling up some rocks where I had reliably been informed snakes like to hide. Yum.

If the snakes didn't get me, the 1000ft drop to the bottom of the mountain would but fortunately I was able to hang tight for enough one more times to get it right. Oh, it helped that Ian was patient and kept from falling off the ledge, too!

August 28 2008

BOX OF TRICKS

After finally getting back on the bike after a week of being ill now it seems all my body wants is to get off of it. Rolling through some singletrack on Monday my pedal got caught by a big log a rambler had kindly laid on the track and I fly over the bars and into the bush. No major damage, a graze and aching shoulder means the ride can continue. The last two days have been spent riding some cool trails on the North Downs (all in the name of work) and on day two I went down. The most embarrassing bit about the crash was for nearly two days I was taking a few risks and riding fast, but I went down when trying to go slow so the photographer could get a good shot. One bumpy descent, one unclipped pedal and a leg looking less pretty than it should. Oh and a thumb that feels weird, and a bruised shoulder.

On Saturday I get the chance to go for a hat trick at the Kona Mashup at Afan - an event where you ride the climbs and race the XC descents. Sounds like fun and a blatent ripoff of the Avalanche Enduro, so I'm well up for it.

August 20 2008

KO'd

Ten days on from being struck down and it has become really clear that I won't be in any state to race at my final National MTB race of 2008. It is a real shame because the way my training was going I was on superb form and in the position to take my performance to the next level.

To put into perspective where I am at right now, yesterday I did a road ride. Two hours, 15mph average (don't laugh!) and then 16 hours sleep when I got home.

The hole is very deep right now and my next possible peak would be sometime in October, or right about the time I head into the off season.

And as if that wasn't enough it's been raining really hard over the past few weeks. So much so I have built up the rigid winter beater. In August. Yep, I reckon that's a record and another reason not to be cheerful...

August 14 2008

STRUCK DOWN

In the final week of my preparations for the NPS mountain bike race in Shropshire taking place next Saturday, I have been struck down. Rewind seven days and everything was going to plan, fitness was improving, speed coming on - I even went away for a week of road race training. On the final race of that week my luck began to turn.

Just as I started to feel good I got rained on in a road race, to make matters worse my pedal decided to fall apart mid-race (one I believed I would win) and mentally that angered me.

After taking it easy for a further two days I was all ready to enter my final three day block of racing before the big taper when I got ill. A nasty cold/flu type thing hit me when I least expected it. It was never a killer, I could still do boring stuff but there was no way I would be touching a bike.

Now it is Thursday evening, a time when I should be exhausted from the final set of road races (time trial tonight) but instead I am tired from being ill. There is no way I will be able to ride before Monday, the cold has moved from my throat to my muscles, head, nose and now back to my throat again.

This could be the end of my competitve race seasion - it hardly got started...one result at the opening round looks like being the only score in 2008 and instead of racing at the national I will be stuck at home watching the Olympic MTB race instead.

August 1st 2008

MOMENTS TO GO

August 1st marks a big change - and it is not just the front page. That shot was taken earlier this year on my local pump track singletrack - just another reason why I reckon the local woods here have some of the best riding anywhere.

But the biggest marker is regarding racing. Five weeks back I flew into the UK and the aim was to get fit enough to compete at the fourth round of the NPS XC. A pretty tall order when you consider for three months I had done no training and of those three months two had been spent without touching a two wheeler.

Coming back from the World Champs I was certainly motivated to train but I was tired from work and travel, too. It was not the ideal way to go into an 18 hour week but with classic over-enthusiasm I battled on. After three weeks I was very, very dead. No power, no motivation and at the end of week four close to giving up on any hope of being competitive in an Expert race.

Last Friday though I turned a corner and the power started coming good. Last nights time trial was a success, 25.20 on a road bike, but there are still some weaknesses that have to be addressed. Hopefully two weeks are enough to get back on form but it will be a close call. Anything less than top ten would be a shame, but not exactly surprising. For once I can wait for Eastridge!

July 27th 2008

UPDATES GALORE

Well not exactly but two for two isn't all that bad. Updated the design page today with more stuff to browse and also the foto page where you can check out everything from the mountain bike world cup adventure so far.

July 26th 2008

THREE DOWN...

Three weeks back in the UK and alot of work done as well, not least of all on the bike. First two weeks went well getting fit and a 3rd cat road licence but then came the psychological mess-up. Turns out riding road makes you slow on the mtb but after two weeks of trying I can finally push the big ring again.

Last weekend was the Nat Champs just 20 minutes down the road from me in Ringwood. It was a cool event where I got some shots and was happy to see Henry and Jonsey finally get some luck with the weather.

Also this month I have been busy creating a website for my new road sponsor DHCyclesport. Everything on the race site has been designed, written and photographed by yours truely and I even did the brochure! Alot of work right there but it was worth it.

Next step is to enjoy this sunny weather with a long road ride this afternoon.

July 2nd 2008

JULY 2008

New month and another new frontpage, this time of Christoph Sauser on his way to becoming World Champ. Thought it was pretty appropriate given the timing, but I promise next month will be a non-race one! July is all about getting back to fitness, with no World Cups and just a heap of admin to do (like making sure people actually pay up, current count is -£3k!)

That means I can get some hours in, then rest pretty good at home while sitting infront of a screen. Leg is heeled up good as well now. Next mountain bike race is the National Champs. I'm not racing but it's 20 minutes up the road and if the sun is shining some good photo ops. Even better if it is bad weather.

I wonder how many more hours I can bank this week...

June 25th 2008

Fort William, Cwmcarn, Val di Sole, Livigno

That pretty much rounds out the travel schedule of late. After I got home from Andorra I was straight out the door with my car as a portable clothes drier, heading north to Fort William, via Torq HQ to get me some much needed juice. Usually I replenish the bike cupboard regular but being away has meant big disorganisation. Even the bike hadn't been cleaned since the last outing. I spent a couple day on the way up with Sue Clarke in the Lakes where we managed to check out the Grizedale NPS lap before heading for a weekend with the BC team in the Fort.

Four days of graft followed with little rest because this was another triple header event. When I drove back I was left wondering when I was gonna get past five hours sleep in one night. For sure it was not now - I eventually arrived at a midway stopoff (otherwise known as Julie C's) where I got a ride in before heading back to Sue's to train her up for Nationals!!

That weekend I got a bit more riding in at Cwmcarn as part of the Yeti Tribemeet. It was cool to get to hang out with all the guys who come year in year out, oh and some newcomers in the form of Clay Porter and the international race team comprising of Ross Milan, Jared Graves, Sam Blenkinsop and Justin Leov. Touch.

Rush hour came back around Sunday night, driving home before an early flight to Milan saw two firsts - hiring a car and driving on the wrong side of the road. Made sure the hire company didn't know that though and arrived at Val di Sole with no dents and only one moment. Not sure how I esacped so easy though because I decided to take the scenic route over some big Giro climb for cool scenery which ended up being a dicey move what with all the low mist. At some points I couldn't see more than 20 metres in front.

During the week it brightened up and I could for once enjoy the racing a bit with a different job on. This time I just had to get a few words from all the winners about their bikes for a future article in What MTB, opposed to reporting on every move for everyone. That wears pretty thin at times when I just want to watch a cool race and not have the pressure of one lap to go and three out of focus shots of Absalon.

After worlds I made my way to Livigno for the GT press camp along with Todd, Burry, Wardell, Bryn and Scarlett. We drove more Giro passes to get here with coffee on the mountain top and pizza in town. I only got to do two runs yesterday though and spoiled my chances of much more with a retarted crash in the bikepark. This week I was supposed to be getting quick but there is no hope of that any more. I managed to snap a Saint shifter clean off with my leg and now one quad is twice the size of the other. All I get to do is send emails, catch up on work and apply ice every few hours. At least two of those three are actually useful.

I fly home Friday by which time I have eight weeks to get fit for my second National of the year. I could lose one or two of those weeks though if this swelling doesn't subside. Ouch.

June 3rd 2008

AWESOME ANDORRA

Just a quick update after Andorra as the new front page really deserves it. Burry nearly busted out a win in the mountains this weekend - what a champ! And this shot was from my week with GT, just the other month in Madrid. Unreal to think that I was rollin' with the best just moments ago.

Todd Wells also got his best ever finishing sixth overall while Atherton's domination is unreal...three wins in one!

OK, it's now June 4th and I have to be up mega early tomorrow to drive to the Fort for another world cup. I wonder when I am gonna get some good sleep next....

May 28th 2008

MILES IN THE BANK

Unfortunately zero on the Bank Holiday though. That was a real washout with strong winds and heavy rain. It was no biggie though as I had managed to get 17 hours in the saddle in the seven preceeding days. With Monday off I needed a bit of a workout and got it in the form of the Tuesday night chaingang. Really needed a Torq recovery after that one, the quads were still stinging and I was a good bit away from top form. Tonight I went and did another local road crit. Was pretty sure I was gonna duck out but a call from someone in the team convinced me to drive down then race. Turned out to be a good choice as I was the strongest rider in the five man/one girl break and I was set for my first points.

In retrospect I should have gone sooner for the finish...probably like three laps sooner because the stick legs can't sprint. As it turned out I was stupid, I waited and surprise surprise even the girl went by! Fifth overall isn't all bad though, some good training in the legs and points were a bonus. Biggest thanks go to the DHC team though because I couldn't have stayed away unless they held up the bunch into the headwind!

This weekend I head to Andorra for another World Cup, next weekend is Fort William, then the Yeti meet and finally the World Champs rounds out the World tour.

May 22nd 2008

THREE RACES, FOUR DAYS

Probably not the best plan in terms of performance but definately the best way to get back on form. Sunday's race at Crow the legs were only fast for five minutes, Tuesday at the Heath the legs only needed to be fast for five minutes and last night at the Portsmouth Crit the legs were not fast at all! Somehow I managed to hang on but I was so nailed I could not even stomach a gel. A couple days easy though and I know in a week or so I will be feeling a whole lot faster. Just seven days ago I had a novel experience - as I hit a pothole in the road I felt some fat jiggle just above my hips! That was very much a first, but now it has nearly vanished and my quads are coming back too. All that rambling seemed to improve my road power by a gear or so, meaning when I hit form it will be possible to sprint. This weekend is the Midlands XC but I think I will drop out on that one, get some miles in and do an epic 100+ miles on Monday. It's Bank Holiday time so everyone from the club will be out making for a bumper ride. Next race comes in seven days.

May 20th 2008

HEATH RR

Only in the New Forest is it possible for your sole attack of the race to be halted by two wild horses bucking their riders! Yes, last nights Heath Road Race was another step back on the way to Expert level fitness and every day the legs feel better. For a local race this is a pretty amazing event with rolling road closures and at least 50 riders battling around a rolling 8 mile lap - just another reason why I think the Southampton riding scene is one of the best.

Following the neutralised start we did five of these. I nearly got dropped on lap three after an overenthusiastic attack and chase. There were some good riders there and I was happy enough to hold through the sprint against names like Rob Hurd, Pete Dibben and Tim Dunford. Stu Bowers was unlucky to get a flat on lap one.

Tonight I race again, this time in the Portsmouth crits. Should be a bit easier because it is only 3/4 cat riders.

May 19th 2008

NEW PHOTO ACTION

Wow, two updates in two days, things must be getting quiet. Not exactly. Today I managed to archive all my World Cup photos so far and even went as far as adding the coolest stuff to my site, right here actually. Check out what it is like to spend a week chilling out with GT or Merida, some cool product and wonder how much time you can take looking at bikes and not actually riding before going nuts.

Went riding on the local trails tonight and got another couple hours in the bank. Singletrack is riding smooth and Al even mnaged to kick up a dust storm in my face. Yum. Met up with crazy Nick and blast from the past Fraser, too. Come a long way since way back then!

Tonight I made the choice that next time I get paid I will be getting a 31.8 bar and stem. Now it is dusty I am hitting the roots really fast and the Syntace F99 does not cut it. Flex heaven.

May 18th 2008

RELIVING A CLASSIC

A mountain bike race just 20 minutes from my door in the sun was just too good to turn down today, despite my very poor form. The journey there and back itself is an absolute classic. When I was starting out mountain biking every weekend Rob and I would head out to the New Forest looking for new singletrack. This particular week we took a road and had no clue where it would go...eventually after 20 miles we ended up in Ringwood just as it was getting dark, with no lights and the only way back home to Southampton via the motorway. What followed was the making of a classic freeride route through the New Forest - our only guide we were headed in the right direction the lights from cars on the motorway. Puddles over hub deep, river crossings and expanses of heathland were all in the mix and this 80 mile route would form the heart of our winter 'training' for the coming years. The journey from home to the race followed the exact roads we navigated by back then so just the drive was reliving a classic.

Today's race was a good reminder of days gone by, riding just for the hell of it rather than the result. With just four days on the bike in the last month (all in the last week) I was never expecting to race, just to do some mountain biking and as it happens that's exactly as it happened. Start went OK apart from a rogue move by Gerald, stayed with Nick, Warren, Nick Coley and some RAF guy for 2/3rds of lap one then the hills started coming and I was in trouble. Even my singletrack skills were non existent.

Lap two all the Masters came by, then I stopped for five minutes to take it easy in the pits before heading back out to complete the second half of my race. It was more of a marathon than a sprint for me but just great to be back riding having fun. I think that's the first ever time I have stopped in an XC race and then rejoined!

The rest of the coming week will be spent on the bike trying to salvage some speed. Tuesday is the Heath Road Race in the New Forest, Wednesday the Mountbatten Crits in Portsmouth then headed up north later in the week for some more work.

May 6th 2008

HOME TURF

This week, after 20 days on mainland Europe I am at home for a few days. The last three weeks have been pretty good, staying in with Merida and GT are highlights, articles to follow on XCR. You will have all read the reports across the web so I won't bore you with details on how each race went but I will say stay tuned to BikeRadar for a very cool tech piece with some info you will not want to miss. Especially if you are waiting on a new Spesh Epic, or want a remote lockout for your Fox fork.

Right now it is all about emails, computer clearing and clothes cleaning before a weekend in Maribor. Oh, and bike riding, I have missed that too. Three weeks without turning a pedal. I am starting out tonight with an easy road ride, then tomorrow is a Road Crit and by Thursday the woods will be dry and good for some mtb action. I can't risk going in the wet because I don't even have time to clean my bike before I fly to Maribor on Friday morning.

OK, time to put the SIDIs on...

April 24th 2008

Finally I get to put an update here, as you can guess following the world cups round in your rookie year on a low budget is no fun but I am learning fast. So far the pro image is staying strong so Seb Rogers can rest easy knowing that I am not selling my shots to teams for unrestricted use at stupid prices. Every little helps and it is hard to resist but I know if I sell out now it will be impossible to be respected in the long term.

You may have noticed the new front page, that is my first classic shot from the world cups taken at the mens start in Houff. I will settle for one classic per race!

OK, I am toast for the night. It's now 11pm and I have another early start tomorrow before Offenburg. Hopefully you are enjoying the coverage back home and are packing the miles and racing in. I cannot wait to get back on the bike and start smashing some miles....

April 16th 2008

LAST MINUTE DOT COM

That's how I've been feeling the last week preparing for my latest adventure. But before I could focus on work I had to get some racing down at the first National XC of the year. Like I said a couple months ago I have been training well for my Expert upgrade in 2008 and expected good results not only due to the hours I put in but also becuase the Expert category is a bit of a soft touch this year, with not as many big hitters as in 2005-7.

After a little over two hours of pain around a dry and fun Thetford course I got a result that reflected my extra hours over winter, if not my ability. First error was starting at the back of the grid, although I had little choice on that one. The start was fast and I could not work my way past 30th for the first half lap out of five. Everyone was just too closely matched when it came to fireroad sprinting.

Eventually I could make my way through catching riders in the 20's with ease and flying past. This was annoying as I knew the top ten guys were up the road and making good an unassailable lead.

Just as I predicted I hit top 15 and tried to move up to the next group, but 30 seconds to a minute is impossible to bridge at Thetford. Annoyed, I dropped back to a group containing 12-18th placed riders. I stayed with these guys for lap four easily and conserved my energy confident I would win the sprint and lead the group home. Not only was I getting gaps in the singletrack but I was also feeling good on the climbs.

Disaster struck though as I outthought myself coming into the feed for the final time. I was sitting fifth wheel and one rider dropped their bottle. I had no choice but to take evasive action and miss my crucial feed. Although I felt strong on the last lap I lost the spark that final gel brings. The group did whittle down to three riders but I was left to take 16/40 overall. Not bad but considering I would have been top ten, scraping top five on the perfect day it was a let down.

Unfortunately I have no time to redeem myself now because I am off for a month following the Euro world cup circuit. You'll be able to keep up with my work on BikeMagic, CyclingNews, BikeRadar and XCRacer and I will try to update the blog, too. Working 18-20 hour days on the bounce can get tough though.

Finally I'd like to thank Ian Warby who has been helping out with coaching since September. Without him I would not be setting such high standards and training as intelligently.

April 7th 2008

WHEN'S A BIKE RACE NOT A BIKE RACE?

That’s the question I asked myself alot at the first ‘all new’ Southern XC this weekend.

A morning of snow was almost enough to discourage me but following calls to racers in the locale I finally decided to make the hour drive to Mapledurham. Unfortunately the hardest part of the journey came turning into the race village. A bit of rallye was required to get the car up a muddy farmers track before the worst part of all – sliding across the field at a 45 degree angle and ‘parking’.

I was one of the lucky drivers that didn’t get bogged down and over the next hour a band of racers were seen pushing out those who didn’t spend their youth on Colin McRae.

Despite the field I thought the course would be rideable thanks to the following statement from the course designers:

“We've been working hard on the course, which we're confident is one of the best all weather courses in the country."

That is a massive claim and proved to be very wrong. With that sort of soil no matter how high the hill was nothing could have stayed dry.

The start to my Expert race was fine – I was on the back of the tail into the first and second singletrack, but then the running started and I very quickly concluded this was not a bike race.

This was a running race! More than half of my time was going to be spent running rather than riding. I had enough of running when I used to race back at school so why would I want to do it now. I’ve seen less rambler points scored in cyclocross!

The routine became really tiresome after about a minute; ride a bit, slide a bit, figure out it’s faster to run by which time the bike has filled with mud and you have to stop and clear the crap just so the wheels turn. Oh dear.

So, a totally wasted exercise then? Not exactly. The sun was out and produced some great backlit photo action through the trees. Check it out here.

My thoughts now turn to another start line, that of the National Series. My guess - there will be more than a few regrets come the start on Saturday.

April 3rd 2008

APRIL...WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN

Quite! A lack of focus on the site over the last seven days has been due to two things happening at once, and everyone knows that men can only handle one task at a time. I am exceptional so could handle three - those being racing mountain bikes, doing some work and learning how to ride a proper road bike. Of course the dot com has fallen by the wayside. Whoops.

After riding with the local roadies for the past four years on my slicked up MTB I finally got forced into getting a proper road bike. I had never been on one before so it was a bit of a steep learning curve. Friday night I built it and Saturday I raced it. Looking back the race went really bad, but what do you expect having never been on a bike like that?

Sunday was Gorrick time and I pulled after four laps. There was little point killing myself for lap five other than to say I got another two positions. The race was good though and despite it being the hardest Gorrick in a long while I enjoyed the lap and the tech aspect of it. There really was potential to make time in the singletrack and even a couple sections caught me out just when I thought I had seen it all. The legs were good, all I was lacking was the top end from the previous days' racing.

Off the back of getting this road bike it transpires that the shop - DHCyclesport wants some shots doing and a bit of a brochure so that has been work the last 7 days. I will put some examples up in a special gallery soon.

That all means the site has been neglected. This Sunday is the Southern XC so maybe I will be able to post a proper report on that. Depends how time goes!

The new front page pic is there to get your fire burning as it is race time again. The season is now in full swing with National number one two weeks away and the first world cup less than 20 days. Who would've thought I could have got that shot in the bag back in November?

March 28th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART NINE: GEARING

Choosing gears is a pretty easy task when you’ve only got one decision to make. I’m an anti-SRAM person when it comes to shifters because X0 is clunky, fragile, unserviceable and poor ergonomically. But then again I’m not one to go for the new style Shimano Multi-Release! I like my gears to be one-way traffic so 2002 XT shifters with indicators removed are the way to go. That simplicity means they can be stripped down and serviced quickly, too.

The front mech is also a golden oldie, 2001 XT this time. Anything post-2005 has more than one way to route a cable which doesn’t aid mud clearance. The only new bits are cassette, rear mech and cables.

Cassette is XT 11-32 (it’s hard to justify another £50 on XTR), the same reason for the superb new medium cage shadow XT mech and cabling is XTR. For now the cranks are XT hollowtec II with 32/42 TA rings but sometime this year a set of RaceFace Next Carbons could land.

After all that SRAM bashing I do use a PC991 cross step chain – the ultimate in shifting. Hollow link and pin versions are prone to ghost shifting and just fill with mud while I’m sure mud itself is stronger than Shimano’s offering.

March 26th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART EIGHT: CONTACT POINTS

Bike feel is a personal thing and comes down to seatpost, saddle, pedals (shoes and gloves which I’ll cover later) and grips. A lot of this kit gets chosen through trial and error – such as the seatpost. For a hardtail carbon gives great cushioning but on my fully that’s the job of suspension. Factor in that I’m spending a lot more time sat down and the post will be getting more abuse means durability is worth a lot of consideration. A Thomson may not be the lightest but my Elite model has lasted over five years and shows no sign of crumpling. The Masterpiece is next on my list.

Saddles represent possibly the most important component choice – you’re going to spend a lot of time perched on it through winter in wet road conditions. Maybe you can compromise when it comes to race day because there’s only going to be a couple hours spent in discomfort. I can put up with a Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio but if that’s not comfortable don’t force the issue.

Pedals are XTR, simply because while they are heavy they are also reliable, last OK and have simple operation and good mud shedding. Eggbeaters wear out too quickly (bearings, cleats) and have a poor platform when it comes to getting the power down. Xpedo break periodically. XTR bearings last a couple years, the same goes for the retaining plates.

Finally come grips. I try to go as skinny as possible here because a fatter grip means I have to reach further to the brake lever. The past couple months I have experimented with road handlebar tape – Cinelli Carbon Effect to be precise – the same stuff I use to protect my chainstay. A single roll is enough to cover both ‘grips’ but be careful to apply it evenly. I have made it a little thicker on each end to stop my hands flying off and secured it with electrical tape. Even in the rain this tape seems grippy (with gloves). In the past I have used DMR zipgrips, ODI ruffian, RaceFace, Bontrager and ODI Hardcore.

March 21st 2008

BIKE BUILD PART SEVEN: TYRES

Tyres are one of the biggest concerns when it comes to getting it right on race day. Fit the wrong rubber and you’ll be all over the floor. Yet it still surprises me how little people know about treads, why they work and what they are for.

First thing to get out the way; go tubeless. With Stan’s rims you don’t even have to use UST tyres so there is no excuse. So why tubeless? Number one, ride feel is far superior. Without another layer of rubber (the tube) the tyre conforms better to the ground underneath and that is essential in mountain biking when the surface is unpredictable. Two, rolling resistance is reduced because there is no friction between the tube and tyre. Three, less punctures if you use sealant. If you rim out there is no tube to pinch, if you hit thorns the sealant has it covered. You only flat when you rip the tyre.

You’ll notice nowhere in there did I mention weight saving. That’s because weight saving is negligible. Use a Stan’s rim with standard tyre (500gram) and tube (100gram) and there’s little saving by the time you add on valve and sealant weight (from 50-100gram).

So now you’ve got the tubeless rims, sealant, tape/strip and valve what tyre do you use?

First it depends on how you like the bike to move. Do you prefer a solid constant grip tyre that loses traction instantly (square profile) or a tyre that slides predictably but provides a little less constant grip (rounded profile)? This is crucial to decide because it is directly linked to your riding style – I even like a different tyre in different conditions!

For extreme dry races with a smooth and hard surface, like Thetford (but not Sherwood or Gorrick races; the soil is too sandy or loamy here) I may consider the risk of using a very slick but square edged tyre. Something like an old (pre 2008), worn Racing Ralph (the casing may be rounded but the side knobs are square). Generally there will not be much sliding on this surface because it is so hard and predictable and sliding here would be inefficient.

But most races are not like this! Take a Gorrick course, they are typically dry and fast but a little too rooty, loamy or bumpy to use a slicker tyre. Here I would try a worn out mid-tread tyre like the Michelin XCR Dry 2 2.0”, but I would pump it up hard, about 30-40psi depending on exact conditions. This tyre is rounded, has lots of knobs making sliding easy and is low profile making for a fast ride. But most importantly hard the Michelin is OK on a Gorrick course but lots softer (around 20psi) the tyre is perfect for trailcentres where the surface is always hard even in torrential rain. This was demonstrated in the Coed-y-Brenin NPS last year. All the water was surface spray and underneath the trail was like tarmac.

The Bontrager Mud X 1.8 is the next pairing. Great for mucky races in woodland with exposed roots and rocks. While the tread pattern is very blocky the rounded profile helps massively with sliding and soft compound rubber means it can handle roots and rocks. The only downside is that this soft rubber slides in extreme mud so this is not a true mud tyre.

Thankfully there are few races held around muddy fields today but if there was one then the Panaracer Trailraker would come out. The square edges can blow spectacularly but the grip these tyres give in pure mud of any kind is unreal. Only attempting the most moto manoeuvres can you get these to spit out. Unfortunately they are bad on anything hard though, making this choice dangerous on rocks and roots.

The final wildcard selection is the Bontrager Jones XR 2.25 front specific. This is a complimentary tyre to the collection as I can pair it with either a Michelin for more rooty and natural races (like Drumlanrig in the wet), or a Mud X. The latter is a dangerous combo, as you build up loads of speed in the mud only to have little front end bite in the turns but thankfully the tyre slides well and gives great cushioning thanks to the width.

The final point is on tyre pressures. It takes a lot of experimentation to find out what is right for where, my minimum is around 17psi. Below that and I’m rolling off the rim.

March 19th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART SIX: HUBS

After choosing the right rim next stop were the spinners. My attitude was to get the best and thankfully weight is not too much of an issue with hubs, you can go light while still maintaining durability. Hope XC are great if you want the ultimate reliability and don’t mind paying the price in grams – I run a set on the winter training bike. Similarly, DT240s are fine and XTR provide the fastest rolling at the expense of pickup speed. Chris King are at the other end of the spectrum, the snappiest pickup, super sealed but heavy and drag noticeably when freewheeling.

The eventual choice was the Tune King Kong combo (not the superscharf that has reliability issues), some of the lightest hubs, good rolling and pickup and from my research reliable. Unfortunately I had teething problems with the freehub – it started slipping after a few races. However all credit to Tune, they stripped it down and replaced everything for free under warrantee and I was rolling within seven days.

To mate the hubs I got a set of Tune skewers which have been faultless and holding all that to the rim are DT Revolution spokes. No problems with excessive flex there.

The only possible upgrade I’d consider is ceramic bearings, they are getting rave reviews everywhere but I’m outta cash and those babies don’t come cheap.

Coming soon: tyres.

March 16th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART FIVE: HOOPS

Wheels are what make a bike – they control acceleration, stopping and turning and are the first (and hopefully last) thing that touches the ground. Five years ago wheel choice was simple, you were either riding a Mavic X517, Crossmax or Spinergy. Times have changed radically since then.

Tubeless now dominates the startline with the choice limited to factory wheels like Shimano XTR, Mavic Crossmax and DT1450. If you like to custom build prepare for a shock; Mavic’s 819 is far too heavy (450g) so you’re left with only one option: Stan’s.

Most World Cup riders have made the jump – even those who aren’t supposed to will be found on de-stickered stealth setups. Total builds smash the competition by 150-300 grams or more and because it is rotating weight, that’s the equivalent of a pound. No wonder most overlook the flexy and sometimes unreliable nature of these rims!

Last year it took me just two months to total my front ZTR and a further three for the rear to die but I’m coming back for more. The only potential temptation was Reynold’s deep section carbon Topo T but I do have financial restraint.

So what makes the ZTR Olympic and friends such a popular rim? First up is the weight. Just 330g for the standard model saves 160g over the traditional 517 and most pros are on 290g or even 250/60g versions. Next up comes tubeless compatibility. With Stan’s normal tyres present no problem, saving weight over heavy UST alternatives. A UST rim is 450g, UST tyres 650g and chances are sealant adds that extra 120g.

Recently DT have released their new carbon 330g rims, but as yet there is no confirmation on their weight and they are not good value at four figures.

That’s pretty much line and verse on XC hoops and why, even though I totalled two rims in six months I am going back to ZTR hoops. In an ideal world I would have tried some ZTR Race 7000 but the money river was not running deep and I did not have confidence in a 284 gram rim when a 347 gram one hit the crematorium so soon.

March 13th 2008

HOT OFF THE PRESS

You won't find these babies anywhere else but here, so lap it up! The official preview to the Midlands XC at Hanchurch is on the design page. Click 'em to see the zoomable, readable PDFs for your viewing pleasure.

Normal bike build build updates will resume shortly.

March 10th 2008

FAIL TO PREPARE? PREPARE TO FAIL.

Failure? Yep, that's what happened at the first XC race of the year. Everything in training was going to plan until Tuesday when work started kicking in. A stressful last minute bike build culminated in a late night and early morning before a trip up north to interview Adrian Timmis followed by some trailbuilding and photography at Hanchurch, the first Midlands XC venue.

Missed meals, a lack of sleep and several long car journeys do not make the legs go round and when I finally did get to the line I felt a severe lack of confidence - I knew I was in for a kicking!

From the gun signs were surprisingly promising - I was actually getting held up, going backward through the singletrack. Had the confidence been high I would have had no problem taking to the front row with Paton, Crawforth, Minter and co, therefore gaining around 10-30 seconds. After a little overtaking I was moving along with GB, only to feel the nail as we hit the last bog mud trail. Zero power, zero motivation summarised the situation best.

Lap two started OK, at least I was still fast in the hardpack, but soon enough 3 sport riders had gone by (even though I had a minute headstart) and it was time to pull the pin before I got too deep into the fatigue bank.

A bit of training in store before the last chance saloon in three weeks.

March 6th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART FOUR: BRAKES

Stopping power is crucial in a race situation, but unfortunately the best brakes are very heavy (around 500-600 grams per end) and this does not sit well when you’re pedalling 75-80% of the time. Therefore brakes are another big compromise component. In an ideal world every set of Avid Juicy 7’s would be perfect from the box and easy to bleed but that’s just not true. Even their racier Juicy Ultimate is far from lightweight (365 grams per brake) and not very powerful.

The only sensible brake out there is the lightest – the Hope Mono Mini Pro Carbon. But even at just 300 grams per brake and £165 each the product still has problems.

Some would say there is a big lack in power, but this is mainly due to the organic pads that come with the brake. A pair of Goodridge G Stars massively increase power and confidence, making the brake a viable option. The other drawback is lever wobble – traditional Hope trait – but with a little patience and some very thin washers easily fixed.

Despite these quirks I would not use a different brake – Hope are at a lot of major races and on the road servicing is easy with parts readily available. It is even an easy job to cut the brakelines and route them through the frame, although some may find the hoses a little wimpy.

March 4th 2008

BIKE BUILD PART THREE: FORKS

Suspension forks are a bone of contention in XC racing. Just a few years back everyone was on rigid and even now you’ll see forks locked out or pumped up solid with enough rebound to have your eye out. I don’t subscribe to this setup and like my forks to help me along and that is why I choose custom Fox F100RLC.

My journey of recent fork technology starts with discounting a few contenders. A SID (pre 2008) does not have enough travel. Although light (1300 grams) a Pace RC39 is not reliable enough, Manitou’s spring rate does not ramp up in the final stages of the stroke, a Marzocchi is too heavy (1650 grams) and Magura’s Durin was not widely available at the time.

That left me with two choices – a RockShox Reba World Cup or a Fox F100RLC (2007). After looking around I took the Reba even though I thought nothing could better my 2006 Fox F100RL. Swayed by the white paint, carbon uppers, critical acclaim and remote lockout £600 went on the table. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The biggest problem with the Reba is the Dual Air damper and there’s a big hint RockShox themselves have little confidence in this system – they do not use it in their flagship BoXXer lineup. With Dual Air It is impossible to achieve a setup as smooth as a pre-2008 Fox without getting masses of fork dive in the corners and excessive sag. A ‘correctly’ set fork is unresponsive to small bumps and average every where else. So I decided to switch back to Fox.

In theory spring rate was easy to set (a single air chamber, similar to RockShox Solo Air system) but again I was disappointed! My old perfect fork, the 2006 Float had morphed into something unrecognisable for 2008. While the improvements in stiffness, weight (now 1500 grams) and aesthetics were real there were flaws in the spring rate. Set correctly the initial sag and small bump sensitivity was good, but mid-travel the forks were a little soggy. The final 20mm of travel ramped up so hard it was impossible to gain, unless you set too much sag – resulting in a true 100mm fork – the tradeoff being low ride height and dive in corners.

My final solution was to get a set of 2007 internals that I knew had a good spring rate and install them on the new improved 2008 chassis. This was completed at the Worlds in Fort William and the forks have been perfect.

In a later instalment I will talk more about fork setup and how an active fork that works is beneficial for an XC race – even somewhere flat like Thetford. The next part on the bike build list is the brakeset.

March 3rd 2008

BIKE BUILD PART TWO: HEADSET, BAR, STEM

This is part two of my custom race bike build for the 2008 British XC National Points Series, in which I explain why I use certain parts. Hopefully I’ll be able to clear up some myths as well along the way about how important a role bike setup plays when it comes to racing XC.

The first myth I will dispel is that despite being a ‘media mogul’ (as I am known at one of the local bike stores) I have received no component of this build for free. I got a good deal on the frame thanks to Mark at Evolution Imports, the Yeti UK importer, and I get good service from my local bike shops who in the main are GA Cycles and The Hub Cycleworks so thanks to those guys. Back to the product!

The first addition to the frame is the headset and I am concerned with just one attribute here; reliability. Even at over £100 the Chris King Nothreadset represents great value. I have had it over five years and in that time only once has it been touched. It was a simple task of removing the metal shield and spraying through with GT85. It is great to use a product with such disregard for upkeep, all I need concentrate on is riding.

Spinning atop three black alu spacers is a 25.4mm Syntace F99 stem, 105mm, 6 degree rise with a titanium bolt kit, bringing the package down to 100 grams. Undoubtedly there are stiffer stems out there but in my experience it is only worth using oversize 31.8mm equipment if you're concerned about rigidity. Anything else feels floppy in comparison, even Thomson! Of course in XC racing the 25.4 weight advantage is too much to ignore, the stem even comes with a special headset topcap and bolt.

Finally for this instalment is a bit on bars. I’ve chosen the Easton EC70. Ideally I’d have 24 inch wide but these are 23, low weight at 125g and have a proven track record. Of course the EC90 is 25 grams lighter but another inch skinnier is something even my stick arms can’t deal with. As I said above, this kit is there mainly for the low weight – a Thomson stem and Easton riser would add on close to 150 grams and the only gain is stiffness, not essential when you’re a chimp rather than a gorilla.

March 1st 2008

RACE BIKE BUILD PART ONE: THE FRAME

The frame is the most important component of any bike build and that is why I have chosen the Yeti ASR SLc for 2008. Since 2003 I have raced Yeti frames but 2008 will be the first year I use a full suspension bike exclusively. With the National Series as my primary aim, all races around two hours and four out of five courses rocky, full suspension was the obvious choice. Even though the frame is large (20.5 inch) it is lightweight at five pounds - a 1.2 pound defecit against my Yeti ARC hardtail.

But there is alot of work to do before it is race ready! The first touch was to add some protection to stop cable rub, chain slap and brake rotor cuts. Patches were added around the headtube and because of the cable routing some electrical tape on the shock and dogbone linkage. More black insulation tape was put under where the brake hoses ran and most importantly on the back of the non-driveside chainstay. This protects the carbon from the disc rotor as the rear wheel is removed and replaced countless times in a season.

Next comes protection for the driveside chainstay which is most at risk from chain slap. There are several options here - most obviously to use the provided neoprene protector. This is a poor option for the UK though, where mud and rain prevail and the protector would simply soak up debris, lose velcro strength and could (and has in my experience) fray; dragging the chain and rear mech into a horrible mess. So what's the option, given that Pace Carbon Armour is not sticky enough and an old strip of tyre or tube is ugly?

I came up with something light, strong, reliable and attractive; carbon effect road handlebar tape. Wrapping it around is simple and secure - with a little electric tape on either end it has stayed put for nine months and shows no sign of wear. To top it all the carbon effect sheds mud, repels water and matches the frame a treat.

No frame is complete without a bottle cage, my choice is the 8 gram Tune Wassertrager. Again, light strong and tested for three years with no lost bottles.

The final step is to spray the frame down with GT85 which acts as a non-stick agent. This is a priceless trick when it comes to mucky races, reducing clagging.

So, just to prep a frame could take a couple of hours and that's without taking into account facing the headtube and bottom bracket, or setting up the shock (something I will talk about in the final stages). Tomorrow sees the first stage of adding to the frame; headset, stem, bar and fork choice.

February 29th 2008

PREP FOR THE NEW SEASON

Just five updates in February has kick started me into making regular contributions here! And what better content than my race preparations for the forthcoming season. I'm not talking about training because that is the easy part, I'm looking at the boring stuff like logistics, organisation and product testing.

Step one was taken a few weeks back when I arranged my BC Expert racing licence - essential for anyone wanting to compete in the 2008 National XC series. Next was looking at logistics. This year I am fortunate in that I do not have a full time sponsor who wants me to race all over the place, mixing short course with 24 hour. That means I can be entirely selfish and choose where I want to compete for the maximum performance benefit. This year that is especially important because the Nationals (my main aim) are truely nationwide.

With this in hand the final step is to drag out the race bike. While a 2008 Yeti ASR carbon was the plan that has not yet arrived and could be as late as May. I do not like to chop and change with unknown product mid season so I will have to make do with my old 2007 ASR SLc. But surely only changing to a carbon frame is a small change to make?

Not in my opinion. Swapping product mid way is often a bad idea - at least not if you are an obsessive like me when it comes to bike setup. Everything has to be just so and this usually takes a month of planning, followed by a month of product testing.

Why so long? I believe that knowing your equipment really well is just as essential as fitness training. Most mechanicals in races are down to bad maintainence, not bad luck and if you know product inside out that makes race day alot less stressful. For example, how would you like to know what tyres work best in every condition? And what pressures you can get away with for tyres, forks and shocks? That information is priceless and confidence inspiring but does not come for free.

What I will do over the next month is go through each component on my race bike build as I make my choices and explain how i came to the conclusion that certain product is better than others. Stay tuned!

February 23rd 2008

FUNNIEST MAN IN TOWN

A couple months back Dirt ran a photo special. Although I thought some of the content was not up to scratch (namely the pics) what I did enjoy were the bits of editorial written by the pro snappers, the funniest of which was by Gordo Fonseca.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the interweb you too can see this great insight into what it is like to be a race photographer living on the road. I'm still not sure weather he's being serious, sarcastic or just seriously dry. Whatever it is, I love it. Hit the link.

February 17th 2008

ICE ROAD TRUCKIN'

Those readers who have paid attention to the above series will know exactly what I'm on about! Driving on thin ice is no great thrill as Al and I discovered in the pickup at todays Gorrick. Despite sunshine, blue skies and a dusty course there was still enough to put a slight dampner on the day. First the drive took double the time, second Al had a mechanical in the race and finally photos were a no go zone for me. While the track was great fun it was the worst kind for photos - either entirely open on easy terrain not befitting of mountain bike action shots or totally in the trees weaving through ultra-tight singletrack. My choice was limited to a small section of trail out in the open, something that would have been fine. The area was well lit, singletrack and good colours, but challenging me was a fast moving sun sitting on my back playing havoc with exposure. Usually this would be no problem if I was shooting one rider over ten minutes, but in race conditions with autofocus? Forget it.

I was so desperate I even rode the remainder of the course, missing the masters and open races in the process only to find it was more of the same. I could have whipped out the PW'sand fish but that takes time and adds yet another lighting variable I could well do without at a busy race.

I almost got something good, but it was not the greatest ever day for photos. I did however get to ride a fun course, stand around in the sun and watch lots of riders hit 'that' tree. Not all bad then.

Next month I take the easy option - I'm racing!

February 11th 2008

BADBOY BIKE TRAINING

Nine days and no updates can only mean one thing - training is really taking off! Over the past days I have logged a total of 26 hours in the saddle justifying the Expert licence that will hit the doormat sometime soon. After what has been a long winter I could not wait to get back on the start line to test the legs against some tough opposition. Even though Thetford Winter Series R4 was set to be a four hour suffer fest prep was far from perfect - a total of 16 hours training seven days before and a three hour journey, capped by rolling out of the sack at 5am all add up - but that was all part of the plan. If I could still perform well in the middle of a monster block training through the pain essentially I am ready for the Expert crowd, maybe even the podium.

Finally we hit the venue at 9am and there was a bit of a scare. For this race I was running my winter training bike, the 2003 Yeti ARC. It's a great frame, but being the winter hack has a load of old battered parts on with many miles in the bank. One such part are the cranks, maybe six or seven years old and they have definately done in excess of 10,000 miles. Not usually a problem, but factor in that they're Shimano XT Hollowtech (the originals) and they've had more than a little crank rub and suddenly you'll get the picture. Yep, the non-driveside had worn through to the hollow interior. Ever determined though I believed (hoped!) they'd hold up with some electric tape wrapped around to save splintering.

One hour later, front row of the grid and it's time to get the holeshot. Unfortunately Billy Whenman had other plans, pulling a power holeshot. I tried to hit the smoother outside line but in the process tangled with someone - maybe Paul Ashby? Thankfully nobody hit the dirt and I got my head together into the singletrack. Unfortunately someone was riding like a chump as soon as we got off fireroad and only after much abuse from Andy Cockburn did we get some clear air. Of course by this time the lead group containing Billy, Ashby, George Budd, Paul Beals and Adi Scott had long gone. Why some people can't ride their bike for toffee perplexes me somewhat, but thankfully I would have a further four hours to ponder such things.

By lap three I made the decision to slow down rather than do intervals through 400 two hour riders. When they left the track I would up the tempo and take back some positions. Eventually this tactic paid off, the Torq gels did their business and I could take 8/64. Not a bad result considering but the hard work did not end there - another 3.5 hours on the road today just another step on the way to getting a little faster.

Next race is either Gorrick R3 or Southern XC R1, depends on training and aims but by then I would hope to have all the endurance training done plus a little speed on top.

February 2nd 2008

WEB ACTION

It's all going off on the interweb. Check out some questions with Liam Killeen on his site. Also got word that Burry Stander is racing the Cape Epic with Christoph Sauser and all for charidee, mate. Should be a killer combo and another unreal race to watch if it turns into another first day back at school contest...

February 1st 2008

FEBRUARY AT LUKEWEBBER.COM

Deciding on the front page shot for January was easy as nothing quite hit the spot like the chosen image. Taken on day one of the TransScotland in conditions far closer to winter than early summer, riders struggled on this mammoth stage through rain, wind and boggy moors. Only upon finishing did they realise that a further seven days of hardship were to follow. I suppose the first month of the year is alot like that, there are 101 things to get done and in the panic you miss the bigger picture. But with February comes new light.

I had one day to get the defining shot and thankfully the first round of the Gorrick Spring Series gave me means, opportunity and motive. Within seconds of hitting the course there was a killer downhill that got me inspired but it was not until two hours later that I found the right spot.

There was only one alternative, but I would have needed a big ladder/lens for that. Maybe one day I will make it back...

For now though enjoy February and the latest shot. For those gear nerds out there it was taken with a Nikon D200, Nikon Fisheye lens and processed in Capture One.

January 29th 2008

FIELDY EXCLUSIVE

Well I made the promise and here it is, Ian Field's take on the CX World Champs.

"Hi everyone,
 
The cross season is over... a sad time of year if you ask me!!
 
Final race on the calendar for me was the world championships in Treviso Italy. As it was my final race as an U23 rider I really wanted a good result and it was my last chance to show what I could do on the international stage. Having competed in the world cup on almost the same course last year I knew what to expect and had prepared well for the race (rock hard sessions sat on the bumper of a car). All week I had been feeling pretty good and had got to grips with the different sections of the course.
 
Finally race day came and I was nervous, always a good sign for me when I am going to have a good ride. I was gridded on the 4th row but got a really good start and after 200m was up into 23rd position! Trying to stay out of trouble round the first few twists and turns I managed to hold my position then just as the course went uphill and I could finally put some power down a German rider decided he wanted to go through me as opposed to around me. This resulted in us both losing a number of positions and more importantly vital momentum on the uphill gradient.
 
This incident left me in the late 30's and a lot of work to do if I was going to salvage a good result. Thankfully my legs were good and I was able to get my head down and work throughout the race picking off riders as I caught them, going into the last lap I managed to latch onto the back of a group riding for 16th position. At this point the group decided to attack each other, having caught them I could do nothing about it as they raced each other round the final lap leaving me to try and hang on to 20th place.
 
Not a poor result but looking at lap times it left me with a feeling of what might have been given a different 1st lap, that's racing though!!
 
Now I have got a few days of laying in a darkened room before getting back on the bike and preparing for the up and coming mtb season!!!
 
Ian
 
A special thanks to all the members of the GB cyclocross team who prepared my bikes all week and got me to the start line with good legs ready to race!!
 
As my final race of the season a big thankyou to Pete Hargroves of Hargroves Cycles who sponsored me this year.

January 28th 2008

THIRD WEEKENDER

Just four weeks into 2008 and I have already spent three weekends on the road - testament to the good weather that continues to serve us. The innaugural Gorrick of 2008 was no different despite that last minute venue change; blue skies, great course and even some dusty bits. The lap was so exceptional that I was tempted to go and race rather than shoot. Eventually I was happy I decided on the latter; the February front page will be living proof of that. If the quality is there I may even produce a calendar with the monthly images...

For those interested in Gorrick photos, I will edit them in the next few hours then bang 'em online. Today was spent at Leon House which has pushed back the schedule somewhat!

And finally, to all the people who asked why I was not racing - I saw little point in rolling round several minutes off of the lead Expert pace. Remember, there will be many more opportunities to suffer later in the year and more than likely that suffering will give much more reward than 15th at the local league.

January 26th 2008

MORE WEB FEATURES

Thursdays trip to Cwmcarn for a bit of downhilling was action packed - even if you are a lycra bandit I'd recommend it. Without doubt starting out with the black run, cutting in to the hidden black woodsy bit before some off the brakes action on the Twrch final descent is the way to go.

Oh, and those wondering about the added web features will be happy to know that some of my shots are available for purchase on my new PhotoBox site. Over there you will be able to buy small and mid sized prints and get them delivered to your door. Of course, if you are after a monster canvas print and would prefer to buy a file I am still happy to advise. The first gallery will be taken from this weekends RELOCATED Gorrick and could be out as early as Wednesday. If you do buy anything it would be great to get some feedback on how the service is with the PhotoBox guys.

While you are riding this weekend give a thought to our guys and girls representing in the World CycloCross champs, Treviso. I will tap up Fieldy for a report and the first ever Webber's Week guest blog!

Maybe some more big news on Monday...

January 22nd 2008

UPGRADE MONTHLY

Got the news last week that asking was all it takes to acquire an Expert licence. That means alot of training is on the cards so I don't look like a total chump when I line up for my first big boys race. What does that mean in real terms?

First there is the speed difference - a good estimate is based on a thirty minute lap. In Expert you'd better cut two minutes from that time. With round one of the NPS at Thetford the course dictates the racing and I'd bet anyone off of the pace line on lap one will have a lonely race. So tactically a fast start gives you a good chance, but the second aspect is endurance. Typically there are two types of riders; those who can hold the pace and those that can't. The latter will round out the top five while the former will take a step down (top ten finishers only blow on the last lap, top twenty on the penultimate lap etc).

Those comments should give you a pretty good idea of what I am doing right now for training. My guess is that Expert in 2008 will be relatively easy because most of the big hitters from the past two years are now in Elite (Luke Smith, Ant O'Boyle, Nick Jones, Mart Brookes etc) and more importantly some of the slower Experts have made it too (Phil Morris, Oli Holmes, Andrew Cockburn, Paul Beales). What that does is take away the strength in depth.

Predictions for 2008 indicate one or two dominant racers, while the rest are effectively good Sport riders. Not saying it is going to be easy, but it will be a good opportunity for those that have prepared right.

So how am I going to make the most of a soft year? Thursday I'm headed to CwmCarn for a bit of uplift action and Sunday I'll roll around in the grass at the Gorrick.

January 16th 2008

NEW LIVE CONTENT

Added some cool new features today, including the shots I got at the National Champs and Wessex cyclo-cross events. Also it is now possible to read my take on the Champs because the Design page is PDF linked. Just click the page you want to view and it will upload. Sizes are less than a meg, but if you are on a real slow connection you can still 'right click and save target as' go make a cuppa and then enjoy the content.

January 15th, 2008

WORKING WEEKEND

Sometimes on the road events do not work out exactly the way you planned - this weekend was one such example. But the secret is to be flexible and make the unforseen turn in your favour. Saturday was the only time for riding and thankfully the sun shone around Cannock. Sunday's National Trophy Cyclo-Cross didn't go 100% right, the plan was to get a load of photos and try another different report and design. However, I was drafted in to help out Paul Rowney as pit crew for this especially muddy race. To compound the matter Paul was having a nightmare in the mud, got caught up in stray race tape and was dead last by a stretch on lap one. Thankfully Monday was a new dawn, I hit the phone hard and managed to secure Ian Field and Phil Spencer for a little photo action in a turd filled subway. Layouts and articles to follow just as soon as I can think straight because after dropping Ian back in the Peaks I didn't hit the south coast 'til 3am. But I sure made the most of my day at work.

January 10th, 2008

ABOUT CYCLOCROSS

Some of you may have noticed me at a couple of Wessex League and National events over the holiday period. Those photos will be going in a dedicated gallery after the final round of the National Trophy this weekend where I hope to get the final set. They will then be available for purchase as files. Prices will vary depending on time spent in Photoshop, but expect to pay around a tenner each for A4 files, personal use only. If you want commercial work that will attract additional fees. And please remember, don't take my images. Not only is it like going down your local bike shop and swiping from the shlef, but you're getting a low quality file that will not print to a decent size anyhow. Remember, I am always happy to offer advice on how and where to get your stuff printed to any size if that's your thing. If you're wanting a shot, hit the contact button, mail me the file names and we'll go from there.

CROSS LAYOUTS

January 9th, 2008

WMB 79

The latest issue of WMB is out today, with some Luke Webber content inside. Number one is Will Bjergfelt's Pro Ride which rocks. Secondly is the final Track Day, ladies only with some cool riding tips. Check it out at your local stores. The real magic happens in February's MBR, however with a bit of Wig Worland Gold in the gallery.

January 8th, 2008

BY POPULAR DEMAND

For those regular visitors, yes you are right - 'the week' vanished! But, due to endless protest I can now confirm that it is back. Why? Well, several commented it was the only reason to visit the site! I know, rude but probably true. There will be updates to this section when I can which is pretty regular right now. I also imagine you'll be visiting the Foto pages a bit more regularly now I have finally figured out how the software works. If there are any bugs just fire me a mail. Until then, I'll see you out on the trail.

January 7th, 2008

A NEW DAWN

Hello, and welcome to V2.0 of LukeWebber.com. It has taken a while but finally I have updated the site to something a little fresher.

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