London to Paris - Spring Training Ride
Today was the second London to Paris spring ride. Apart from being a good opportunity to ride in a big group, it is also the opportunity meet fellow London to Paris riders, ride captains and race organisers.
I’d unfortunately missed the first spring ride due to a planned ‘big night out’ on the Saturday before. In case that sounds a little undedicated, let me explain. After training for two marathons, I swore that never again would training get in the way of the social life. At the end of the day, when you’re training for a big event you have one night each weekend to let go - either a Friday (ride Sunday) or Saturday (ride Saturday). The social life doesn’t ground to a halt because you need to burn a few calories on a ‘big’ training event over the weekend.
One of the things you find yourself doing whilst training for any event, is developing an obsession for the weather. From Tuesday onwards, you agonise as to what the weather will be like over the weekend as this will affect what gear you wear, what distance you cycle and on some weekends, even what day you cycle.
This week was no different. I had tickets to see Hot Chip at the Brixton Academy on the Friday, and it had been planned for donkeys. Sunday’s weather was looking horrendous, but even so, I was going out on the Friday, so a Saturday ride was out of the question. The London to Paris ‘spring’ ride was going to be the weekend ride, and I really wanted to meet other L2P-ers. I knew even if I turned up and due to the weather the cycle ride was made short, I’d have a 30 mile round trip to the start at Walton on Thames, so even if I got 60 out of the day that was ok.
After the horrible conditions on the #ldntwitterride last weekend, I’d spent the week improving my wet weather cycling wardrobe. More about that in a bit.
As it turns out, the met office for once was spot on. When I pulled back the curtains at 6 a.m. this morning, it was chucking it down. My view is that I won’t be able to choose what day I eventually do the London to Paris, so bailing isn’t an option. I’ll go out what ever.
Turning up at Carluccio’s in Walton on Thames was a slight mission in itself. In planning my route to Walton on Thames, I took the view that as I would be riding at around 7.30-8 am it would be ok to fly down the A3 on the bike. Apart from a one foot deep by 50-meter puddle I had to go through all was well, and then I missed a turning and found myself going in the wrong direction. Back on track I arrived to my destination and found around 30 riders there. After I offered a debrief as to riding conditions as many had arrived by car (very wet, lots of standing water but ok) we were split into a slow group who would do around 50km and a fast group who would do 100km.
I went in the 50km slow group. It wasn’t that slow, but I was pleased I kept up. We were took a very scenic route that took us through Windsor Great Park past the ‘other’ end of the Royal Mile and back. Great ride, although *whispers-cough-I punctured-cough* Ahem. However the joys of riding with lots of other male riders, is that before I knew it the new inner tube was on, a CO2 canister had been produced, and my tyre was all pumped up and new and all I’d done is get a tyre lever out. Lovely, lovely people. All finished off with a delicious brunch in Carluccios before I cycled back home. So all in all I managed a 70 mile ride in frankly hideous conditions.
My life was made much more pleasant on the ride by the wet weather gear I had bought, so I thought it would be useful to offer a quick run through what it was I used, and whether they were any good or not.
1. Craft Performance Bike Rain Jacket
Available discounted on sale at many retailers at the moment. Performed well, is light, and has the most useful HUGE big zippable back pocket. I personally don’t like wearing cycling jerseys with pockets if I know I’m going to have to keep my jacket on, so I wore this with my Under Armour Cold Gear Compression top underneath. Worked a treat. The only gripe I have about it, is that it does have rubber grip round the bottom, which I find really annoying, as it doesn’t help keep the back down, it actually makes the jacket ride up. Reading round I know that this is a complaint by many female riders not just about jackets, but about jerseys as well – we don’t like rubber grips. But hey if you’re dry, we shouldn’t complain.
2. Madison Protec Waterproof Trousers
Bearing in mind I buy products for certain weather conditions with the view that I don’t care what I look like, so long as I’m warm and comfortable, I originally bought these to keep in my bag as an emergency if the commute turned rainier than expected. On last weeks very wet #ldntwitterride I discovered that the cold didn’t bother me bar my legs, where the wet and cold affected me through to my bones. Without stating the obvious, when cycling, your legs need to work.
So for today’s ride I headed out wearing cycle shorts over my full length Nike running tights with these waterproof trousers on the top. The bottoms of these trousers have a zip down the side that flares them so you can faff with your overshoes whilst wearing them. Once the zip is done up, you can tighten using Velcro fasteners so there’s no chance of the trousers getting caught up in the chain, and also means there’s less likelihood of water dribbling inside your overshoes.
Despite the inside looking as plastic as a summer picnic cloth, I find them very breathable. So long as you do the bottoms up round the tops of your ankles (almost at the bottom of your calves) movement whilst wearing them is very fluid and you don’t really notice you’ve got plastic over lycra.
Fantastic product, even if you only use them for commuting.
3. Sealskinz waterproof road gloves
Advertised as being resistant to the ‘cold British winter’, the fact they said they were waterproof appealed, and my god, did they deliver. Only in the last 30 mins or so of a 4 hours plus ride, of constant beating heavy rain, did I start to feel moisture on my hands.
Marvellous.
4. Other
I was also wearing overshoes and waterproof socks, and have duct tape covering the holes in the front of my shoes, so my feet were nice and toastie. But you all know about that don’t you?!
There was another trick passed on to me as well…if you know it is going to be cold, put some embrocation on your feet before putting your socks on. They’ll be lovely and warm for hours. [it works - I do it! Bike Tart]
PS: Yes I know. I’ve ordered the CO2 equipment now…
I’d unfortunately missed the first spring ride due to a planned ‘big night out’ on the Saturday before. In case that sounds a little undedicated, let me explain. After training for two marathons, I swore that never again would training get in the way of the social life. At the end of the day, when you’re training for a big event you have one night each weekend to let go - either a Friday (ride Sunday) or Saturday (ride Saturday). The social life doesn’t ground to a halt because you need to burn a few calories on a ‘big’ training event over the weekend.
One of the things you find yourself doing whilst training for any event, is developing an obsession for the weather. From Tuesday onwards, you agonise as to what the weather will be like over the weekend as this will affect what gear you wear, what distance you cycle and on some weekends, even what day you cycle.
This week was no different. I had tickets to see Hot Chip at the Brixton Academy on the Friday, and it had been planned for donkeys. Sunday’s weather was looking horrendous, but even so, I was going out on the Friday, so a Saturday ride was out of the question. The London to Paris ‘spring’ ride was going to be the weekend ride, and I really wanted to meet other L2P-ers. I knew even if I turned up and due to the weather the cycle ride was made short, I’d have a 30 mile round trip to the start at Walton on Thames, so even if I got 60 out of the day that was ok.
After the horrible conditions on the #ldntwitterride last weekend, I’d spent the week improving my wet weather cycling wardrobe. More about that in a bit.
As it turns out, the met office for once was spot on. When I pulled back the curtains at 6 a.m. this morning, it was chucking it down. My view is that I won’t be able to choose what day I eventually do the London to Paris, so bailing isn’t an option. I’ll go out what ever.
Turning up at Carluccio’s in Walton on Thames was a slight mission in itself. In planning my route to Walton on Thames, I took the view that as I would be riding at around 7.30-8 am it would be ok to fly down the A3 on the bike. Apart from a one foot deep by 50-meter puddle I had to go through all was well, and then I missed a turning and found myself going in the wrong direction. Back on track I arrived to my destination and found around 30 riders there. After I offered a debrief as to riding conditions as many had arrived by car (very wet, lots of standing water but ok) we were split into a slow group who would do around 50km and a fast group who would do 100km.
I went in the 50km slow group. It wasn’t that slow, but I was pleased I kept up. We were took a very scenic route that took us through Windsor Great Park past the ‘other’ end of the Royal Mile and back. Great ride, although *whispers-cough-I punctured-cough* Ahem. However the joys of riding with lots of other male riders, is that before I knew it the new inner tube was on, a CO2 canister had been produced, and my tyre was all pumped up and new and all I’d done is get a tyre lever out. Lovely, lovely people. All finished off with a delicious brunch in Carluccios before I cycled back home. So all in all I managed a 70 mile ride in frankly hideous conditions.
My life was made much more pleasant on the ride by the wet weather gear I had bought, so I thought it would be useful to offer a quick run through what it was I used, and whether they were any good or not.
1. Craft Performance Bike Rain Jacket
Available discounted on sale at many retailers at the moment. Performed well, is light, and has the most useful HUGE big zippable back pocket. I personally don’t like wearing cycling jerseys with pockets if I know I’m going to have to keep my jacket on, so I wore this with my Under Armour Cold Gear Compression top underneath. Worked a treat. The only gripe I have about it, is that it does have rubber grip round the bottom, which I find really annoying, as it doesn’t help keep the back down, it actually makes the jacket ride up. Reading round I know that this is a complaint by many female riders not just about jackets, but about jerseys as well – we don’t like rubber grips. But hey if you’re dry, we shouldn’t complain.
2. Madison Protec Waterproof Trousers
Bearing in mind I buy products for certain weather conditions with the view that I don’t care what I look like, so long as I’m warm and comfortable, I originally bought these to keep in my bag as an emergency if the commute turned rainier than expected. On last weeks very wet #ldntwitterride I discovered that the cold didn’t bother me bar my legs, where the wet and cold affected me through to my bones. Without stating the obvious, when cycling, your legs need to work.
So for today’s ride I headed out wearing cycle shorts over my full length Nike running tights with these waterproof trousers on the top. The bottoms of these trousers have a zip down the side that flares them so you can faff with your overshoes whilst wearing them. Once the zip is done up, you can tighten using Velcro fasteners so there’s no chance of the trousers getting caught up in the chain, and also means there’s less likelihood of water dribbling inside your overshoes.
Despite the inside looking as plastic as a summer picnic cloth, I find them very breathable. So long as you do the bottoms up round the tops of your ankles (almost at the bottom of your calves) movement whilst wearing them is very fluid and you don’t really notice you’ve got plastic over lycra.
Fantastic product, even if you only use them for commuting.
3. Sealskinz waterproof road gloves
Advertised as being resistant to the ‘cold British winter’, the fact they said they were waterproof appealed, and my god, did they deliver. Only in the last 30 mins or so of a 4 hours plus ride, of constant beating heavy rain, did I start to feel moisture on my hands.
Marvellous.
4. Other
I was also wearing overshoes and waterproof socks, and have duct tape covering the holes in the front of my shoes, so my feet were nice and toastie. But you all know about that don’t you?!
There was another trick passed on to me as well…if you know it is going to be cold, put some embrocation on your feet before putting your socks on. They’ll be lovely and warm for hours. [it works - I do it! Bike Tart]
PS: Yes I know. I’ve ordered the CO2 equipment now…
0 Comments
#ldntwitterride
22/02/10 21:50 Filed in: Girlie Gas | Just Gassin'
So yesterday I ventured out with Bike Tart for the first time on a bike – the plan (for me anyway) was to ride from London to Worthing, stop for cake, and then carry on to Brighton and put myself and the bike on a train back to SW London, whilst everyone else was going to ride back to London.
I had been crapping myself about it, as I wasn’t sure whether a) I’d be able to keep up b) whether I’d annoy everyone by not being able to keep up c) whether the hills were going to be a problem (it’s never for want of trying) and d) whether it really was going to rain like the powers at be were telling me it was going to.
Let’s put all this worry and concern into context: I only started riding anything over 15 miles in one go regularly, barely two months ago. This wasn’t going to be the longest ride I’ve been on, having endured a very muddy and hilly 85 miles the weekend before. I was just totally s**t scared about cycling with experienced riders worrying whether I was going to keep up with them.
I needn’t have worried. I really enjoyed it. I only had one major ‘on no’ moment which isn’t bad going for a 4 hours or so ride.
[I'd even go for dryer and warmer and leave the sun as a 'nice-to-have'! Great ride regardless though, and the thanks are echoed - Bike Tart]
I had been crapping myself about it, as I wasn’t sure whether a) I’d be able to keep up b) whether I’d annoy everyone by not being able to keep up c) whether the hills were going to be a problem (it’s never for want of trying) and d) whether it really was going to rain like the powers at be were telling me it was going to.
Let’s put all this worry and concern into context: I only started riding anything over 15 miles in one go regularly, barely two months ago. This wasn’t going to be the longest ride I’ve been on, having endured a very muddy and hilly 85 miles the weekend before. I was just totally s**t scared about cycling with experienced riders worrying whether I was going to keep up with them.
I needn’t have worried. I really enjoyed it. I only had one major ‘on no’ moment which isn’t bad going for a 4 hours or so ride.
The problem was the rain. Not just a little drizzle. This was a rainstorm. What initially was a cheerful and amusing ‘it’s raining we can do it’ soon turned into ‘oh bugger off water’. Had it been a few degrees warmer it would have been more doable, however at barely over zero degrees my legs were soaked to the bone and absolutely freezing.
What about pace? Well, I thought it was fine. Maybe a tiny-weenie bit fast for me on one or two occasions but I can’t complain as catching up was good training.
Hills? Bar the ‘oh no’ hill they were fine. In hindsight I’ll even say I actually enjoyed the long climb to the top of Pitch Hill. As always I enjoyed the fast descent even more, but doesn’t everyone! Ok, that might just be me.
However 4.5 hours into the ride, the heavens opened again. A quick team meeting and it was decided that we were all feeling pretty fed up. Everyone was wet, cold and in need of coffee, and so it was agreed we’d bail and go to Horsham to catch a train back.
So what did I learn?
- A bit of self-belief goes a long way. I’m not as crap as I thought.
- Make sure you delete all your previous workouts off your Garmin. The bleeping noise it makes to tell you it is full and that you must delete previous laps will not only annoy you, but will also annoy other riders.
- Keep some food in a pocket in case someone punctures - you’ll have time to eat it then. Food is a problem for me - gels make me feel almost violently ill, and I’ve only just mastered fishing around for my bottle on the bike. So I went on the ride with a stomach full of porridge, 750ml of Hi5 4:1 and a packet of glucose tablets. This worked fine and I’m confident I’d have made it to Brighton with energy to spare, but a chocolate brownie on the odd break wouldn’t have hurt. Ok, maybe not chocolate brownies, but the emergency Torq Banana Energy Bars are on order.
- If you know it is going rain, waterproof socks will make world a far nicer place to be. Overshoes do not necessarily mean you’ll always have dry feet.
- It is ok to use the smaller cog. One of the quotes of the day (for me) came from fellow rider Mr. S - I’d mentioned to him that I felt better for using the smaller cog having seen that he was using it. “There will be no awards today for being on the big cog”. Amen to that. [I also liked his "it's not a day for heroes" - ace! Bike Tart]
- Be as aggressive as you like. Towards the end of the ride, I was slightly fed up by the spray in my face and so decided to put my foot down (it was flat so I felt able), not only get out front and avoid said spray, but in a desperate attempt to warm up a little. After a while Bike Tart caught up and exclaimed "where did that burst of energy come from?!" The thought of a coffee and a clean toilet does wonders to make a girl go fast, and if you want to go fast then you should. The opposite is also true, if you can’t keep up don’t worry, soldier on and you’ll eventually catch everyone else up.
- Having seen that punctures happen to the best of us even with the best equipment in the world, we should always be prepared. Currently researching CO2 canisters as frankly I just get bored trying to pump up tyres with my bike mini pump.
[I'd even go for dryer and warmer and leave the sun as a 'nice-to-have'! Great ride regardless though, and the thanks are echoed - Bike Tart]
Rapha Womenswear Overview
18/02/10 18:53 Filed in: Girls Kit | Bike Tart Page Theft
Hello ladies, just sneaking in to TBag's page to post a link to Bianchista who has taken a trip to Rapha HQ to have a peek at their new womens range - hopefully some of you will find this sneak peek useful (and hopefully TBag won't mind me stealing her page briefly?!).
Oi!
In recent weeks, whilst out cycling out to Surrey or Windsor, I’ve had a good chance to observe other cyclists, whether they are cycling by themselves, in pairs or sprinting as part of a peleton. What I’ve also noticed is that groups of cyclists are nearly always in club strip.
In any scenario, work, sport, social club, brownies, cubs, boys brigade, make up artist at the Dior desk in John Lewis… if you wear a uniform of some sort, you are representing the club and what it stands for.
Now, I don’t for one minute doubt the concentration needed to cycle as fast as you can as part of training, whilst in a group. I’m thinking in particular of those groups of cyclists who over take me in Richmond Park, where space can be critical, time of the essence, and cars and suicidal deer to contend with. However out in country lanes this isn’t such a problem.
Frankly, I’ve been staggered by the lack of mutual recognition there is out on the roads. Whether you are pootling along (as I do) or racing, a “hello”, “morning” or “have a good one” or even a quick flick of the hand to wave ‘hi’ wouldn’t go amiss.
And yes. Some clubs are more friendly than others. Well not more friendly. Friendly full stop.
As a girl who has more often than not been by herself on these long rides, I’ve welcomed those riders who have either been travelling in the opposite direction or have overtaken and have waved or said hello, and as such I say hello (start of ride) or nod (more towards the end) at anyone passing. It is the mere acknowledgment that we’re all out with the same common interests of the love of the bike, cycling and the great outdoors.
Last October I ended up having a random day off, and somewhat spontaneously decided to cycle to Brighton. On the way down I had to stop. Something was rattling and I needed to sort it out (I’ve since accepted that things rattle, and have got over it). Whist off the bike armed with my multitool a cyclist past and checked that I was ok. I saw his jersey said Tooting Cycle club. Tooting? Near me… I caught up with him for a chat. Whilst chatting I said I didn’t realise Tooting had a cycle club… He informed me a) Tooting cycle club was in Haywards Heath (I think) and b) he’d been a member of the cycle club for 60 years. 60!! An absolute inspiration of a man, who told me how ‘back in the day’ when he’d do a loop to Eastbourne and back. The point is I wouldn’t have bothered to catch him up for a chat had he not said hello.
So next time you’re out and you pass a lone cyclist, say hello. Without naming cycling club names, don’t take yourselves too seriously, it doesn’t take much to smile. We’re all out for the same reason and should be looking out for each other.
In any scenario, work, sport, social club, brownies, cubs, boys brigade, make up artist at the Dior desk in John Lewis… if you wear a uniform of some sort, you are representing the club and what it stands for.
Now, I don’t for one minute doubt the concentration needed to cycle as fast as you can as part of training, whilst in a group. I’m thinking in particular of those groups of cyclists who over take me in Richmond Park, where space can be critical, time of the essence, and cars and suicidal deer to contend with. However out in country lanes this isn’t such a problem.
Frankly, I’ve been staggered by the lack of mutual recognition there is out on the roads. Whether you are pootling along (as I do) or racing, a “hello”, “morning” or “have a good one” or even a quick flick of the hand to wave ‘hi’ wouldn’t go amiss.
And yes. Some clubs are more friendly than others. Well not more friendly. Friendly full stop.
As a girl who has more often than not been by herself on these long rides, I’ve welcomed those riders who have either been travelling in the opposite direction or have overtaken and have waved or said hello, and as such I say hello (start of ride) or nod (more towards the end) at anyone passing. It is the mere acknowledgment that we’re all out with the same common interests of the love of the bike, cycling and the great outdoors.
Last October I ended up having a random day off, and somewhat spontaneously decided to cycle to Brighton. On the way down I had to stop. Something was rattling and I needed to sort it out (I’ve since accepted that things rattle, and have got over it). Whist off the bike armed with my multitool a cyclist past and checked that I was ok. I saw his jersey said Tooting Cycle club. Tooting? Near me… I caught up with him for a chat. Whilst chatting I said I didn’t realise Tooting had a cycle club… He informed me a) Tooting cycle club was in Haywards Heath (I think) and b) he’d been a member of the cycle club for 60 years. 60!! An absolute inspiration of a man, who told me how ‘back in the day’ when he’d do a loop to Eastbourne and back. The point is I wouldn’t have bothered to catch him up for a chat had he not said hello.
So next time you’re out and you pass a lone cyclist, say hello. Without naming cycling club names, don’t take yourselves too seriously, it doesn’t take much to smile. We’re all out for the same reason and should be looking out for each other.
Sitting Comfortably?
06/02/10 22:19 Filed in: Girlie Gas | Girls Kit
A couple of weeks ago I attended a London-Paris ‘do’ at Specialized HQ in Chessington. Was a really great opportunity to meet fellow riders and race organisers and everyone was so friendly. I’m really, really looking forward to the race now.
Apart from meeting fellow riders Magnus Backstedt (lovely bloke) and Rebecca Romero (I held her Olympic gold medal in my hand. It is beautiful), I was also able to meet other riders/veterans such as Geoff Thomas and John Salako.
Whilst munching on some fine French cheese and quaffing some lovely French wine we were able to wander round the Specialized showroom – amazing place. Much to my relief, we weren’t able to buy anything from there.
Part of the presentation was for Specialized’s BG Fit system. Team Saxo Bank use this system to fit all their riders, and the main selling point of this fit system is that it fits the bike to the rider, rather than the rider to the bike. This appealed to me, as I can’t justify the cost of a £350 fit that some fitting centres charge or to go out and buy a custom frame built to the millimetre to fit me.
At the end of the day, what I wanted was for someone who knew what they were doing to look at me, look at the bike, look at us both together and put me into an optimum position on the bike that would prevent any RSI’s from being in the wrong position.
In a previous entry I’ve talked about how misleading size charts can be. Whilst researching around the BG F.I.T. system (was it worth the money and the half day holiday to go and do it), I discovered a whole discussion thread debating why Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck , who is 6’1” rides a 56cm frame, and he’s been BG Fitted… Well they must be doing something right…
So this week I pootled over to my nearest BG fit centre, to have myself looked at.
The session started off with a few questions about how long I spend each week in the saddle, aspirations riding wise, what I’ll be doing in the future etc. Any health problems, aches and pains etc. He then conducted a physical assessment of foot structure, knee position, pelvic position, foot angle, scapular position, shoulder extension and spinal curves.
Next, a few flexibility tests. I’m really (weirdly) flexible. I am apparently more flexible than is needed for cycling so he didn’t need to take any leg bone measurements, but they may take femur measurements if needed for example. Then he looked at the cleats on the bottom of my shoes to check that they were in the best position possible given the structure of my feet.
Then, I got on the bike using a turbo. A lot of time then was spent getting the saddle height right, which affects the hip/knee/foot angles to make sure they were as close to the recommended cycling degree tolerances as possible. Once that was sorted he looked at my reach and handlebars etc. He then used a contraption that meant he could vary the length and height of the stem until it was in a very comfy position. This for me means that I can keep my arms bent without wanting to lock them for a rest. It meant changing the shifter position so I wasn’t straining the outside of my forearms.
So the only extra damage was the purchase (on order) of a new stem and handlebars. Once they’re on the bike I’ll be in a super comfy position.
Since my saddle height was changed, the difference in my ability to get up hills (well those there are on the way to work!) has been amazing. I’m also faster! I guess the crux will be when I have the new handlebars and stem, and then I’m sure the back ache and shoulder discomfort I’ve been experiencing at the end of 70 mile + rides will all disappear.
So, was it worth it? Absolutely, yes. If you think that 2 sports massages, or two physio sessions, will at cheapest cost you £100, then the £120 for this session makes it well worth it in the long run. You’ll cycle much more comfier for longer, and faster…
Apart from meeting fellow riders Magnus Backstedt (lovely bloke) and Rebecca Romero (I held her Olympic gold medal in my hand. It is beautiful), I was also able to meet other riders/veterans such as Geoff Thomas and John Salako.
Whilst munching on some fine French cheese and quaffing some lovely French wine we were able to wander round the Specialized showroom – amazing place. Much to my relief, we weren’t able to buy anything from there.
Part of the presentation was for Specialized’s BG Fit system. Team Saxo Bank use this system to fit all their riders, and the main selling point of this fit system is that it fits the bike to the rider, rather than the rider to the bike. This appealed to me, as I can’t justify the cost of a £350 fit that some fitting centres charge or to go out and buy a custom frame built to the millimetre to fit me.
At the end of the day, what I wanted was for someone who knew what they were doing to look at me, look at the bike, look at us both together and put me into an optimum position on the bike that would prevent any RSI’s from being in the wrong position.
In a previous entry I’ve talked about how misleading size charts can be. Whilst researching around the BG F.I.T. system (was it worth the money and the half day holiday to go and do it), I discovered a whole discussion thread debating why Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck , who is 6’1” rides a 56cm frame, and he’s been BG Fitted… Well they must be doing something right…
So this week I pootled over to my nearest BG fit centre, to have myself looked at.
The session started off with a few questions about how long I spend each week in the saddle, aspirations riding wise, what I’ll be doing in the future etc. Any health problems, aches and pains etc. He then conducted a physical assessment of foot structure, knee position, pelvic position, foot angle, scapular position, shoulder extension and spinal curves.
Next, a few flexibility tests. I’m really (weirdly) flexible. I am apparently more flexible than is needed for cycling so he didn’t need to take any leg bone measurements, but they may take femur measurements if needed for example. Then he looked at the cleats on the bottom of my shoes to check that they were in the best position possible given the structure of my feet.
Then, I got on the bike using a turbo. A lot of time then was spent getting the saddle height right, which affects the hip/knee/foot angles to make sure they were as close to the recommended cycling degree tolerances as possible. Once that was sorted he looked at my reach and handlebars etc. He then used a contraption that meant he could vary the length and height of the stem until it was in a very comfy position. This for me means that I can keep my arms bent without wanting to lock them for a rest. It meant changing the shifter position so I wasn’t straining the outside of my forearms.
So the only extra damage was the purchase (on order) of a new stem and handlebars. Once they’re on the bike I’ll be in a super comfy position.
Since my saddle height was changed, the difference in my ability to get up hills (well those there are on the way to work!) has been amazing. I’m also faster! I guess the crux will be when I have the new handlebars and stem, and then I’m sure the back ache and shoulder discomfort I’ve been experiencing at the end of 70 mile + rides will all disappear.
So, was it worth it? Absolutely, yes. If you think that 2 sports massages, or two physio sessions, will at cheapest cost you £100, then the £120 for this session makes it well worth it in the long run. You’ll cycle much more comfier for longer, and faster…
Pink & Shrink?
The subject of the perfect bike fitting seems to be doing the rounds at the moment. As women are being actively encouraged to get on their bikes there seems to be very little accompanying information about how to achieve that best fit on the bike.
All I have to do is think back to when I set about buying my current bike – a Cannondale CAAD9, as it was potentially a great example of what could go wrong if you follow the charts. Bike Tart and I are exactly the same height – we’re both 5’10” and at one point Bike Tart also had a CAAD9. If you were to look at the sizing charts, we should be on either a 56 or a 58 cm frame. Bike Tart tried out and consequently bought a 58 cm frame. However when I tried the bikes for size, I actually ended up on a 54 cm frame. I could barely reach the handlebars on the 56!
We know that us girlies have longer legs, so if we follow many of the sizing charts we end up with a seat that is too high and the top tube of the bike will be too long. Other than the obvious differences between men and women (narrower shoulders and overall, generally being a bit smaller) we also have boobs which, which if significant means more weight on the upper body.
There has been a lot of talk about the ‘Pink and Shrink’ strategies of many bike manufacturers, and whether it is actually doing anyone any favours. Surely it would be far more beneficial if the manufacturers and retailers spent more time actually manufacturing/stocking women specific components and thinking about how women may fit on ‘male’ bikes.
Maybe I’m being slightly controversial here, but how many bike shops have knowledgeable female employees? They are a rarity. On entering most bike shops you are faced with employees who often look like they’re yearning to ride their BMX, and the majority of kit on display is male orientated. Just thinking about my local bike shop at work, as you enter the door and the first thing you see is a case of Oakley shades, next to a display of roadie helmets, next to a display of male cycling tops, next to a display of £150+ cycling shoes. As such many women may enter a shop thinking about buying a bike and just feel like any question they may have may be a totally stupid one.
The point I’m making here, is that many women may rather choose bikes according to the size charts than go into a shop and ask for advice. On the journey to work I see so many ladies on badly fitting bikes! I was lucky in that I hunted out a cycle store that would fit me onto my bike using a turbo.
Since then I’ve made other changes to the bike: lady saddle, lady handlebars, shorter stem (stem turned upside down to raise it a little [grrrr... Bike Tart]), and as such have a very comfortable ride. However I’ve had to source many of these lady components online. Thank you Wiggle, Chain Reaction Cycles etc! None of the things that I’ve changed on my ‘man’s bike’ are particularly revolutionary, and arguably all of these components should be available in bike stores.
But they’re not.
Maybe bike stores need to realise that not all women want to ride bikes with baskets on the front and that it would be beneficial to stock at least the minimum in terms of women’s bike components so that bikes can be adapted to the female rider. In terms of road bikes, handlebars that are more compact easing reach to the drops for example, being one of the more obvious things that many women will have to change. For now, all we can do is research for ourselves the options available.
In up and coming entries I’ll talk about various components based on my experience trying to find and choose them. But wouldn’t it be helpful if the shops just stocked them so that we could actually ‘touch the cloth’ and make accurate choices, leaving less need for guesswork?
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All I have to do is think back to when I set about buying my current bike – a Cannondale CAAD9, as it was potentially a great example of what could go wrong if you follow the charts. Bike Tart and I are exactly the same height – we’re both 5’10” and at one point Bike Tart also had a CAAD9. If you were to look at the sizing charts, we should be on either a 56 or a 58 cm frame. Bike Tart tried out and consequently bought a 58 cm frame. However when I tried the bikes for size, I actually ended up on a 54 cm frame. I could barely reach the handlebars on the 56!
We know that us girlies have longer legs, so if we follow many of the sizing charts we end up with a seat that is too high and the top tube of the bike will be too long. Other than the obvious differences between men and women (narrower shoulders and overall, generally being a bit smaller) we also have boobs which, which if significant means more weight on the upper body.
There has been a lot of talk about the ‘Pink and Shrink’ strategies of many bike manufacturers, and whether it is actually doing anyone any favours. Surely it would be far more beneficial if the manufacturers and retailers spent more time actually manufacturing/stocking women specific components and thinking about how women may fit on ‘male’ bikes.
Maybe I’m being slightly controversial here, but how many bike shops have knowledgeable female employees? They are a rarity. On entering most bike shops you are faced with employees who often look like they’re yearning to ride their BMX, and the majority of kit on display is male orientated. Just thinking about my local bike shop at work, as you enter the door and the first thing you see is a case of Oakley shades, next to a display of roadie helmets, next to a display of male cycling tops, next to a display of £150+ cycling shoes. As such many women may enter a shop thinking about buying a bike and just feel like any question they may have may be a totally stupid one.
The point I’m making here, is that many women may rather choose bikes according to the size charts than go into a shop and ask for advice. On the journey to work I see so many ladies on badly fitting bikes! I was lucky in that I hunted out a cycle store that would fit me onto my bike using a turbo.
Since then I’ve made other changes to the bike: lady saddle, lady handlebars, shorter stem (stem turned upside down to raise it a little [grrrr... Bike Tart]), and as such have a very comfortable ride. However I’ve had to source many of these lady components online. Thank you Wiggle, Chain Reaction Cycles etc! None of the things that I’ve changed on my ‘man’s bike’ are particularly revolutionary, and arguably all of these components should be available in bike stores.
But they’re not.
Maybe bike stores need to realise that not all women want to ride bikes with baskets on the front and that it would be beneficial to stock at least the minimum in terms of women’s bike components so that bikes can be adapted to the female rider. In terms of road bikes, handlebars that are more compact easing reach to the drops for example, being one of the more obvious things that many women will have to change. For now, all we can do is research for ourselves the options available.
In up and coming entries I’ll talk about various components based on my experience trying to find and choose them. But wouldn’t it be helpful if the shops just stocked them so that we could actually ‘touch the cloth’ and make accurate choices, leaving less need for guesswork?
Share
Scared of the snow?
14/01/10 18:01 Filed in: Girlie Gas | Just Gassin'
With 5 and a half months to go to the London to Paris cycle race, last weekend was my worst nightmare come true. Just as the extent of the sheer size and scale of the race dawned on me, I was unable to go out even for a little pootle on the bike because of the inch or so of ice outside on the road. The fact that even if I tried to go for a careful wander to Richmond Park for a quick ride, much of it was inaccessible because of snow and ice and so circular circuits were out of the question.
This got me thinking. What happens if I find myself unable to do the odd long weekend run between now and June? My daily hour spin sessions before work and the 14 mile daily commute on the bike would never be enough. What if I don’t lose the weight in time? What if during the race I have to be towed uphill by a Mavic support vehicle and then disqualified from the race? What if, what if, what if….?!
Clearly the snow has meant too much time indoors to think about it…
But in the process of this paranoid thinking out loud debate (which many of you will have read on Twitter), I discovered how easy it was to just hire certain ‘expensive’ training devices for a few weeks, and also had time to debate the pro’s and con’s of other indoor training tools. So I thought I would share my thoughts on the various methods I scrutinised over the weekend whilst welded to the sofa.
The caveat to this mini review of methods, is that this is from the perspective of being a very last resort to training outside – and I dearly hope there are no more ice-rink-like conditions between now and the end of June.
Turbo
Advantages: I won’t fall off into the glass coffee table.
Disadvantages: Will probably ruin a back tyre; I may need a spare back wheel for training on. Conclusion: I can’t be arsed with the whole second-back-wheel-for-turbo-training scenario…. Cheapest turbo available – c. £80
Rollers
Advantages: Will really help my cycling style and technique. It will force me to ride as smoothly as possible, I’d be in control of both wheels, I’d be developing my balance due a necessity to remain upright, and I’d be improving my bike handling skills as a result of pedalling on a very limited surface area. Being forced to ride in a straight line will mean better riding in a straight line outside, and would mean not pissing anyone off when it comes to riding in a group on the L2P.
Disadvantages: I could fall off into the glass coffee table, damaging myself and the coffee table. Cheapest rollers available – c. £100
Hire a spin bike
I discovered that it would be relatively cheap (£9/week) to hire a spin bike from www.rowhire.co.uk
Advantages: there would be no need to have a dirty, oily road bike in the living room, the ability to simulate really big hills on the bike and really fast flat roads. There are plenty of spinning work outs available as podcasts. I know how to use it.
Disadvantages: well, it just isn’t a proper bike. It would take a while to adjust all the settings so that they exactly replicate my bike, and even then they may not be exactly right. Lastly, I love spinning classes. I’m addicted to them. But what are the chances of enjoying it when there is no one shouting at me in my front living room… Hmmm.
Hire a WattBike
As used by Bradley Wiggins in his kitchen at home over Christmas. If it is good enough for him, it must be good enough for me, and more to the point it is the only indoor bike endorsed by British Cycling.
Advantages: accurate performance data (it will tell me how bad I’m doing and maybe occasionally just how well I’m doing). It monitors your heart rate and gives feedback (although given that my resting HR is c.50 and when out on the road it averages 135 and hits a max of 185 going up hills, I’m not sure what use it will be to me, I know I have good levels being the ripe old age of, well, 30 something). It will give me lots of scientific information about how powerful or unpowerful I am being and whether I’m pedalling properly. No oily, dirty road bike in the living room.
Disadvantage: it costs £75/month to hire and they require £100 deposit, and £100 ‘set-up’ fee. Meh.
So the conclusion after much internal (and external debate)? Bugger it. One weekend off cycling won’t hurt… But if I could…it would be a hard choice between the spin and wattbike.
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This got me thinking. What happens if I find myself unable to do the odd long weekend run between now and June? My daily hour spin sessions before work and the 14 mile daily commute on the bike would never be enough. What if I don’t lose the weight in time? What if during the race I have to be towed uphill by a Mavic support vehicle and then disqualified from the race? What if, what if, what if….?!
Clearly the snow has meant too much time indoors to think about it…
But in the process of this paranoid thinking out loud debate (which many of you will have read on Twitter), I discovered how easy it was to just hire certain ‘expensive’ training devices for a few weeks, and also had time to debate the pro’s and con’s of other indoor training tools. So I thought I would share my thoughts on the various methods I scrutinised over the weekend whilst welded to the sofa.
The caveat to this mini review of methods, is that this is from the perspective of being a very last resort to training outside – and I dearly hope there are no more ice-rink-like conditions between now and the end of June.
Turbo
Advantages: I won’t fall off into the glass coffee table.
Disadvantages: Will probably ruin a back tyre; I may need a spare back wheel for training on. Conclusion: I can’t be arsed with the whole second-back-wheel-for-turbo-training scenario…. Cheapest turbo available – c. £80
Rollers
Advantages: Will really help my cycling style and technique. It will force me to ride as smoothly as possible, I’d be in control of both wheels, I’d be developing my balance due a necessity to remain upright, and I’d be improving my bike handling skills as a result of pedalling on a very limited surface area. Being forced to ride in a straight line will mean better riding in a straight line outside, and would mean not pissing anyone off when it comes to riding in a group on the L2P.
Disadvantages: I could fall off into the glass coffee table, damaging myself and the coffee table. Cheapest rollers available – c. £100
Hire a spin bike
I discovered that it would be relatively cheap (£9/week) to hire a spin bike from www.rowhire.co.uk
Advantages: there would be no need to have a dirty, oily road bike in the living room, the ability to simulate really big hills on the bike and really fast flat roads. There are plenty of spinning work outs available as podcasts. I know how to use it.
Disadvantages: well, it just isn’t a proper bike. It would take a while to adjust all the settings so that they exactly replicate my bike, and even then they may not be exactly right. Lastly, I love spinning classes. I’m addicted to them. But what are the chances of enjoying it when there is no one shouting at me in my front living room… Hmmm.
Hire a WattBike
As used by Bradley Wiggins in his kitchen at home over Christmas. If it is good enough for him, it must be good enough for me, and more to the point it is the only indoor bike endorsed by British Cycling.
Advantages: accurate performance data (it will tell me how bad I’m doing and maybe occasionally just how well I’m doing). It monitors your heart rate and gives feedback (although given that my resting HR is c.50 and when out on the road it averages 135 and hits a max of 185 going up hills, I’m not sure what use it will be to me, I know I have good levels being the ripe old age of, well, 30 something). It will give me lots of scientific information about how powerful or unpowerful I am being and whether I’m pedalling properly. No oily, dirty road bike in the living room.
Disadvantage: it costs £75/month to hire and they require £100 deposit, and £100 ‘set-up’ fee. Meh.
So the conclusion after much internal (and external debate)? Bugger it. One weekend off cycling won’t hurt… But if I could…it would be a hard choice between the spin and wattbike.
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TBag In Da House!
Tbag is here!
Bike Tart thought it would be an excellent idea to get a girl to write a little girlie section on BFOABT, and I’ve been given the honour / privilege / challenge (delete as appropriate) of having an occasional Girlie Gas (™ pending) with you all.
I’m actually quite a recent cyclist. In fact, I’m actually quite a recent ‘marginally sporty person’. If anyone had told my parents 5 years ago that I would have run the London marathon twice, have bought a racing bike and entered a (big) cycle race, they would have laughed. As it is, I watched the 2006 London marathon, pint in one hand, ciggie in the other and I thought ‘I want to do that’. A week later I had completed my first very wheezy, heart attack inducing 1km jog/walk round the block and haven’t looked back since.
More importantly, as for the cycling, I took someone’s place on a charity bike ride, on a borrowed bike. I loved it so much I then bought a bike for myself, but then said bike sat in the cupboard for a few months whilst I trained for a marathon. Some time later, to please an old boyfriend, I agreed to a cycling holiday, cycling the Reivers route in one direction from Newcastle to Carlisle, and returning along Hadrian’s Wall over a few days.
I was hooked.
Fast forward a year and a bit, and I found myself addicted to spinning, and on the hunt for a ‘better and faster bike’. On occasions when Bike Tart would tweet that he was bored at work, I’d set him the challenge of finding me a bike. In the end I ignored all his suggestions and set on a Cannondale CAAD9 (Bike Tart later copied me, for the record), and after one very shaky maiden ride from the bike shop home (in clips for the first time), I couldn’t understand how I’d put up with my heavy old bike all that time.
So what kind of cyclist am I? Well, I think I’m pretty regular one. I commute to London on my bike, I spin, I go on long bike rides at the weekend. When it comes to bikes, most of all, I like things that work. Bling is secondary to requirements (frequently much to the despair of Bike Tart), although, I am getting better on the aesthetic side of things.
I know very little about the technical side of bikes. The last time I changed one set of brake pads, it took me an hour to change them and even then I discovered they were on the wrong way round (it didn’t say anything about left and right in the Haynes Bike maintenance manual!). Not very long ago I took the bike to my local bike shop for a service, complaining that the chain and gears didn’t feel right. The bolt on the sprocket was loose. The list of my technical bike challenges is endless!
As for bike parts, the first port of call for advice is generally Bike Tart (believe it or not he is capable of coming up with some cheap unblingy options) and then a bit of Internet research of my own.
It is on these bike parts that I may be of use. The market is getting better in terms of women specific parts, but they are still hard to come by and find any information about them. There is very little information about female bike fit… our body proportions are totally different, and not everyone will have the luxury of being able to go to a bike fit specialist. This is a problem for us girlies – there aren’t many women specific bikes out there, and as such all fitting tables and charts for men’s bikes have to be used with a slight pinch of salt.
You may have read on this site about my London to Paris challenge. With TBag there’s none of this one day, or short race nonsense! If I’m going to do something it has to be a real challenge, not just in terms of the event, but also in terms of the lifestyle and commitment associated with it. So I’ll blog a little bit about how the training for that progresses. For a start there is 15kg to lose…
Lastly, if there’s any girlie bike related farts you need information or an option on, do drop a line [use the biketart email address at the bottom of the page and I'll forward it on - Bike Tart]. If I don’t know, I’ll certainly be able to find out…
Share
Bike Tart thought it would be an excellent idea to get a girl to write a little girlie section on BFOABT, and I’ve been given the honour / privilege / challenge (delete as appropriate) of having an occasional Girlie Gas (™ pending) with you all.
I’m actually quite a recent cyclist. In fact, I’m actually quite a recent ‘marginally sporty person’. If anyone had told my parents 5 years ago that I would have run the London marathon twice, have bought a racing bike and entered a (big) cycle race, they would have laughed. As it is, I watched the 2006 London marathon, pint in one hand, ciggie in the other and I thought ‘I want to do that’. A week later I had completed my first very wheezy, heart attack inducing 1km jog/walk round the block and haven’t looked back since.
More importantly, as for the cycling, I took someone’s place on a charity bike ride, on a borrowed bike. I loved it so much I then bought a bike for myself, but then said bike sat in the cupboard for a few months whilst I trained for a marathon. Some time later, to please an old boyfriend, I agreed to a cycling holiday, cycling the Reivers route in one direction from Newcastle to Carlisle, and returning along Hadrian’s Wall over a few days.
I was hooked.
Fast forward a year and a bit, and I found myself addicted to spinning, and on the hunt for a ‘better and faster bike’. On occasions when Bike Tart would tweet that he was bored at work, I’d set him the challenge of finding me a bike. In the end I ignored all his suggestions and set on a Cannondale CAAD9 (Bike Tart later copied me, for the record), and after one very shaky maiden ride from the bike shop home (in clips for the first time), I couldn’t understand how I’d put up with my heavy old bike all that time.
So what kind of cyclist am I? Well, I think I’m pretty regular one. I commute to London on my bike, I spin, I go on long bike rides at the weekend. When it comes to bikes, most of all, I like things that work. Bling is secondary to requirements (frequently much to the despair of Bike Tart), although, I am getting better on the aesthetic side of things.
I know very little about the technical side of bikes. The last time I changed one set of brake pads, it took me an hour to change them and even then I discovered they were on the wrong way round (it didn’t say anything about left and right in the Haynes Bike maintenance manual!). Not very long ago I took the bike to my local bike shop for a service, complaining that the chain and gears didn’t feel right. The bolt on the sprocket was loose. The list of my technical bike challenges is endless!
As for bike parts, the first port of call for advice is generally Bike Tart (believe it or not he is capable of coming up with some cheap unblingy options) and then a bit of Internet research of my own.
It is on these bike parts that I may be of use. The market is getting better in terms of women specific parts, but they are still hard to come by and find any information about them. There is very little information about female bike fit… our body proportions are totally different, and not everyone will have the luxury of being able to go to a bike fit specialist. This is a problem for us girlies – there aren’t many women specific bikes out there, and as such all fitting tables and charts for men’s bikes have to be used with a slight pinch of salt.
You may have read on this site about my London to Paris challenge. With TBag there’s none of this one day, or short race nonsense! If I’m going to do something it has to be a real challenge, not just in terms of the event, but also in terms of the lifestyle and commitment associated with it. So I’ll blog a little bit about how the training for that progresses. For a start there is 15kg to lose…
Lastly, if there’s any girlie bike related farts you need information or an option on, do drop a line [use the biketart email address at the bottom of the page and I'll forward it on - Bike Tart]. If I don’t know, I’ll certainly be able to find out…
Share