A few days after the event, but well done Team Sky and Wiggo!! I read a comment on some newpaper article or other, where lots of people were saying what a great day for cycling: indeed, but for me it has been a revelation, because until about Thursday last week I never really cared about watching sport and never really new the names of any pros. Now I've read up on road racing, know a whole bunch of cycle pro names, and have actually rushed back from a ride (on Sunday) to get the result and settle down with a brew to watch the highlights show. What is happening!? My OH thinks it's a little strange, and I agree with him. But you'd have to be a real reason-free zone to not be amazed by the achievement of those guys over that time period. Anyone who rides a bike anywhere at all or for whatever reason will know just how far and how hard that kind of riding is. I mean if anyone could do it, there would have been no need to invent cars and we'd all be thinking nothing of 50+ mile commutes over the Pennines each day. But that kind of riding is in another league and we are in awe.
With all that going on, there is one thing missing though. Any ideas?? Well, the only coverage given to women was the boring Twitter spat between two cycle WAGS, apparently bitching about their husband's prowess (oh, grow up girls), but this -- as usual -- represent women as whining, bitching, blobs of over-styled pointlessness and detracts from the many strong, talented, and dedicated sportswomen who also ride hard, push their own boundaries, and achieve great things. The recent documentary about Victoria Pendelton shows just what we can achieve when we work hard and dedicate ourselves to things other than celebrity babies and hair extensions, but also reveals what a mountain we have to climb to feel accepted into areas of life that still feel very much like a mans' world.
And what about women's races? I have Googled about a bit and found evidence of.. well, just one so far. I'll keep searching, and will report my findings shortly. For now though, forget all my sniping about gender balance, and repeat after me... Allez Wiggo!!!
Showing posts with label road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road. Show all posts
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Monday, 2 May 2011
Back on the road bike
So I've been out on the MTB a fair bit lately, but having signed up for
Mayhem (in a moment of madness, way to close to the deadline to have fully considered what saying yes really entailed), I'm kinda in training and want to clock up some miles so my little legs have a fighting chance
of getting me round the course at least twice! So, time to get on the
road bike.
Since the Manchester 100K last year one of my post-study missions for this year was to build up the road miles, so it was a real treat to get out on Friday (sorry Wills and Kate) and enjoy the quiet roads. To make
my life a little easier, I took the rack (and basket) off the back, and boy, what a different bike it is without that monster rack on it. Because of the disc brakes, I had to get a "special" rack, which cost more than a regular rack and weighs about four times more, so taking it off means I actually have quite a light road bike. Who'd have thought it? I was thinking I needed a lighter bike, but all along I just needed to remove the rack off the back. Genius.
The wind made it tough going, and my first ever climb of Monks Road out of Charlesworth gave my lungs a run for their money, but that was the worst of it. The road bike is such a joy to ride; a totally different day out to a day on the MTB. Not that MTBing isn't joyous -- just that it's a different buzz. Anyway, 28 miles, one ice-cream, two cups of tea, and a cheese sandwich later I was back home with a big grin on my face and some v.tired leggies. A hot bath later and all was well. Not a bad start, and now I'm really looking forward to my next ride.
Since the Manchester 100K last year one of my post-study missions for this year was to build up the road miles, so it was a real treat to get out on Friday (sorry Wills and Kate) and enjoy the quiet roads. To make
my life a little easier, I took the rack (and basket) off the back, and boy, what a different bike it is without that monster rack on it. Because of the disc brakes, I had to get a "special" rack, which cost more than a regular rack and weighs about four times more, so taking it off means I actually have quite a light road bike. Who'd have thought it? I was thinking I needed a lighter bike, but all along I just needed to remove the rack off the back. Genius.
The wind made it tough going, and my first ever climb of Monks Road out of Charlesworth gave my lungs a run for their money, but that was the worst of it. The road bike is such a joy to ride; a totally different day out to a day on the MTB. Not that MTBing isn't joyous -- just that it's a different buzz. Anyway, 28 miles, one ice-cream, two cups of tea, and a cheese sandwich later I was back home with a big grin on my face and some v.tired leggies. A hot bath later and all was well. Not a bad start, and now I'm really looking forward to my next ride.
Friday, 25 February 2011
A women-only sportive? What's not to like?
The internet is buzzing with the news that Victoria Pendleton, the heroine of British Cycling, has launched the Cycletta series of women-only rides. The write up on road.cc sent me racing to the website to see what all the fuss was about, since "Cycletta North" is only down the road from me, so it seems silly to miss it.
The idea is a good one, and I wholeheartedly support the sentiment behind the rides. I guess they're supposed to be like the Race for Life running series minus the charity element, which is no bad thing because it means you just pay your entry fee and turn up to ride, without having to spend weeks before nagging friends and family for sponsorship and weeks after feeling crap about only raising a tenner. Saying that, you can ride for charity if you want (it's optional, thankfully).
So here's what I think about the whole thing:
The good things: 40km of traffic free riding. Whoo-hoo!! And no blokes -- hopefully that means fewer club riders and more space when they overtake (which was a bit stressful in traffic on the Manchester 100k)
Oh, and Miranda is one of the ambassadors and Davina McCall isn't. Miranda was a real asset to the Comic Relief team, and I really enjoyed watching her; plus she's hilarious. Davina, on the other hand, is just a bit too loud and naggy for my liking. She has her own series of rides to promote anyway, as she's fronting the women-only Action for Medical Research series of rides -- Davina's Divas (ugggh to the name, yay to the idea though.)
The bad things: It's £45 to enter, yes you read that right, which seems a bit steep. Okay, so it will be traffic free, so on the day you'll probably feel like you're getting your money's worth. I could grumble about the fact that for your £45 there's only the one route length - 40k - ("only 40k") - and no mention of cake stops. Free Gatorade doesn't haven't the same effecct on my saliva glands as an offer of free tea and cake, sorry.
The wierd things: A free copy of Grazia? Well, I suppose they had to get sponsorship from somewhere, but Grazia!? I'll happily trade my free copy for a discount on the entry fee, and to be honest am not too fussed about Cycling Active magazine. I wonder whether they'll take £40? At least the hair clinic is an optional extra, It's easy too look on and make sarky remarks about that, but I'm sure I'll be tempted along on the day -- sometimes I get quite freaky helmet hair and, frankly, need all the help I can get.
And now a quick grumble..
Charity entry: I just had a quick look on Just Giving, and it doesn't appear to be in their events listing. Maybe I'm too quick off the mark. Either way, it would be good if they could add it, because I'd be happy to pay £45 for the event if I thought I could raise my usual tenner on top for the MS Society (my charity of choice owing to fact that I seem to know so many MS sufferers).
Sign up: Well, it would help boost the numbers if the sign up page actually worked, but again, maybe the site's a bit too new and somewhere in a room without natural light a web developer is burning the midnight oil to get it working.
Follow up: It's hard to tell from the write up whether there'll be anything like this at the event or not, but at the Sky Rides one of the great things was access to the various stalls with info about campaigns, rides, etc. so that people could channel their enthusiasm from the day into future events. Maybe we could have a SheCycles stall, or maybe there'll be some independent retailers there, like Minx or BeOutdoors -- both great online stores supplying quality clothes for women. I'm sure there are other great women-specific sites/groups that would benefit from being represented on the day. It would a shame for just the usual suspects (i.e., the Big Boys, like Evans and British Cycling, to have a spot and for there not to be any representation from smaller clubs and companies run by women for women.
Only three things to whinge about? Not bad then. Will I be going? Possibly not for £45. But hopefully some true novices out there will be tempted. In cycling terms 40k really isn't far, so it's within the range of most new riders, and the traffic free aspect does sound appealing. I did miss out on my VP signature at the Sky Ride ven in Manchester, so maybe I'll ride over to soak up the atmosphere? If I can swap my magazines for a massage, Gatorade for tea and cake, and do a second loop for free, I'm in :-)
The idea is a good one, and I wholeheartedly support the sentiment behind the rides. I guess they're supposed to be like the Race for Life running series minus the charity element, which is no bad thing because it means you just pay your entry fee and turn up to ride, without having to spend weeks before nagging friends and family for sponsorship and weeks after feeling crap about only raising a tenner. Saying that, you can ride for charity if you want (it's optional, thankfully).
So here's what I think about the whole thing:
The good things: 40km of traffic free riding. Whoo-hoo!! And no blokes -- hopefully that means fewer club riders and more space when they overtake (which was a bit stressful in traffic on the Manchester 100k)
Oh, and Miranda is one of the ambassadors and Davina McCall isn't. Miranda was a real asset to the Comic Relief team, and I really enjoyed watching her; plus she's hilarious. Davina, on the other hand, is just a bit too loud and naggy for my liking. She has her own series of rides to promote anyway, as she's fronting the women-only Action for Medical Research series of rides -- Davina's Divas (ugggh to the name, yay to the idea though.)
The bad things: It's £45 to enter, yes you read that right, which seems a bit steep. Okay, so it will be traffic free, so on the day you'll probably feel like you're getting your money's worth. I could grumble about the fact that for your £45 there's only the one route length - 40k - ("only 40k") - and no mention of cake stops. Free Gatorade doesn't haven't the same effecct on my saliva glands as an offer of free tea and cake, sorry.
The wierd things: A free copy of Grazia? Well, I suppose they had to get sponsorship from somewhere, but Grazia!? I'll happily trade my free copy for a discount on the entry fee, and to be honest am not too fussed about Cycling Active magazine. I wonder whether they'll take £40? At least the hair clinic is an optional extra, It's easy too look on and make sarky remarks about that, but I'm sure I'll be tempted along on the day -- sometimes I get quite freaky helmet hair and, frankly, need all the help I can get.
And now a quick grumble..
Charity entry: I just had a quick look on Just Giving, and it doesn't appear to be in their events listing. Maybe I'm too quick off the mark. Either way, it would be good if they could add it, because I'd be happy to pay £45 for the event if I thought I could raise my usual tenner on top for the MS Society (my charity of choice owing to fact that I seem to know so many MS sufferers).
Sign up: Well, it would help boost the numbers if the sign up page actually worked, but again, maybe the site's a bit too new and somewhere in a room without natural light a web developer is burning the midnight oil to get it working.
Follow up: It's hard to tell from the write up whether there'll be anything like this at the event or not, but at the Sky Rides one of the great things was access to the various stalls with info about campaigns, rides, etc. so that people could channel their enthusiasm from the day into future events. Maybe we could have a SheCycles stall, or maybe there'll be some independent retailers there, like Minx or BeOutdoors -- both great online stores supplying quality clothes for women. I'm sure there are other great women-specific sites/groups that would benefit from being represented on the day. It would a shame for just the usual suspects (i.e., the Big Boys, like Evans and British Cycling, to have a spot and for there not to be any representation from smaller clubs and companies run by women for women.
Only three things to whinge about? Not bad then. Will I be going? Possibly not for £45. But hopefully some true novices out there will be tempted. In cycling terms 40k really isn't far, so it's within the range of most new riders, and the traffic free aspect does sound appealing. I did miss out on my VP signature at the Sky Ride ven in Manchester, so maybe I'll ride over to soak up the atmosphere? If I can swap my magazines for a massage, Gatorade for tea and cake, and do a second loop for free, I'm in :-)
Monday, 6 September 2010
Manchester 100K - one day on
Yesterday I took to the road on my trusty Kona dew drop to attempt my longest ever ride: the Manchester 100K. Some of my pals had opted for the 100-mile route, and good on them! but as I'd not covered anything over 40 miles in a day before (and even then with some rests in between) I decided to settle for 62 miles for my first organised roady ride. And what a great event it was! There were welcome food stops at great locations, serving hot tea, at roughly the 20 and 40-mile points, the weather (minus the head wind for pretty much the last half of the ride) was perfect for cycling, and lots of lovely people were out on all different bikes, demonstrating varying levels of committment to lycra, and everyone enjoying themselves, even when it was hurting.
The first 20 miles went relatively quickly. I was getting into a rhythm, finding a pace I was comfortable with, trying to drop back from the girl with a pink top who'd overtaken me on the hill in the first 5 miles (did I really need to be chasing another rider with a full 55 miles to go!), and enjoying the weather/scenery/vibe. At about 19 miles, we came to the first pit stop. A very welcome hot cup of coffee and a slice of malt loaf later (though their cakes were very tempting, I managed to resist) it was onto the next 20. This section of the route passed through some very pretty villages. I was starting to feel it in my shoulders more than my legs, so trying to keep my back moving, and keeping a nice steady pace up while having a nosey round me and watching out for the racers who would occassionally whoosh past on my right. The 40-mile stop was very welcome. After a good long rest (The Kings Lock, Middlewich), including a nice cup of hot tea, my homemade sandwiches, and a packet of crisp, I felt ready for the final 20 and was glad to have bothered with the pannier and packed lunch, even if it meant a slower ride dragging more weight around. The last 20 miles showed me it's more about mind than matter, as it would have been easy to lose all enjoyment in the final miles by thinking about how far I'd come, rather than focussing on just how few miles there were to go. With the latter mentality, I was able to ride fast into the park at the end, to cheers from the small crowd of strangers who lined the finish.
Along the way I exchanged a few texts with the others: one friend racing in a pack with her club, maintaining between 18-20 mph! and another whose plan was to plod away around the full 100 miles riding with the attitude "we'll get there in the end - as long as it's before they pack up the certificates." For me, being on the road with all those cyclist was an experience. Hanging back with a few other riders, then bolting on ahead every now and again, trying to take the lead, but occasionally getting the bit between my teeth and bolting off after another fast group who had overtaken me and given me a spurt of energy as they passed! In the end, I made it round in 6 hours (with 1 1/2 hours rest time), so 4 1/2 hours. My average speed was 13.5 mph, which isn't bad considering the head wind, panniers etc. The only downside is that I have now added a fast, race-ready road bike onto the bike wish list. What is it with bikes!?
The first 20 miles went relatively quickly. I was getting into a rhythm, finding a pace I was comfortable with, trying to drop back from the girl with a pink top who'd overtaken me on the hill in the first 5 miles (did I really need to be chasing another rider with a full 55 miles to go!), and enjoying the weather/scenery/vibe. At about 19 miles, we came to the first pit stop. A very welcome hot cup of coffee and a slice of malt loaf later (though their cakes were very tempting, I managed to resist) it was onto the next 20. This section of the route passed through some very pretty villages. I was starting to feel it in my shoulders more than my legs, so trying to keep my back moving, and keeping a nice steady pace up while having a nosey round me and watching out for the racers who would occassionally whoosh past on my right. The 40-mile stop was very welcome. After a good long rest (The Kings Lock, Middlewich), including a nice cup of hot tea, my homemade sandwiches, and a packet of crisp, I felt ready for the final 20 and was glad to have bothered with the pannier and packed lunch, even if it meant a slower ride dragging more weight around. The last 20 miles showed me it's more about mind than matter, as it would have been easy to lose all enjoyment in the final miles by thinking about how far I'd come, rather than focussing on just how few miles there were to go. With the latter mentality, I was able to ride fast into the park at the end, to cheers from the small crowd of strangers who lined the finish.
Along the way I exchanged a few texts with the others: one friend racing in a pack with her club, maintaining between 18-20 mph! and another whose plan was to plod away around the full 100 miles riding with the attitude "we'll get there in the end - as long as it's before they pack up the certificates." For me, being on the road with all those cyclist was an experience. Hanging back with a few other riders, then bolting on ahead every now and again, trying to take the lead, but occasionally getting the bit between my teeth and bolting off after another fast group who had overtaken me and given me a spurt of energy as they passed! In the end, I made it round in 6 hours (with 1 1/2 hours rest time), so 4 1/2 hours. My average speed was 13.5 mph, which isn't bad considering the head wind, panniers etc. The only downside is that I have now added a fast, race-ready road bike onto the bike wish list. What is it with bikes!?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)