Go By Bike

I know it doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but I rode into work today. "Ha, easy", I hear you say, "I do that everyday." No, it probably doesn't impress you that much and quite rightly.

But think about this: getting up at 6am to get all my kit ready, get washed and dressed, make breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Get my 20 month old son up, get him washed, dressed, fed, teeth cleaned, helmet and shoes on. Sort out my bike and the kiddy trailer. Load it and me up with his kit for the day and mine in a huge backpack. Then cycle the 8 mile journey to nursery. Drop my son off, then cycle the remaining 2 miles to work - all by 8:30am.

Now, it's impressive. Well, it is to me.

There are several reasons why I'm happy I made the effort this morning:

1) I didn't contribute to the huge amount of traffic on the roads or the nasty emissions                        2) I didn't sit in any traffic jams and was completely in control of my journey                                       3) I saved petrol and money (increasing amounts daily, it seems)                                                        4) My son got fresh air and fun - and a sleep in the latter stages of the journey                                   5) I got even more fresh air and a strenuous workout                                                                         6) I burnt 600 calories and will burn another 600 more on the way home                                              7) I feel great, energized and ready for a day of work

Now my journey by bike is really worth it and I hope to be making the effort more on the days I work. You could benefit too.

Go by bike.

Great Expectations

Saturday saw the beginning of my 2008 mountain bike race season: it was the first race of the British National Points Series held in Thetford Forest, Suffolk. And, ouch, it was a hard welcome back.

However, I owe a lot to my coach who had not only prepared my legs for this but, more importantly, had encouraged me to see a tense and nervous situation positively and with more calmness.

I love mountain biking; I really do. I love being on my bike and enjoying the freedom it brings. I needed to apply this love to my racing too. And, I did. Thetford should have been my most challenging course – it demands a lot of continuous power - but when it hurt, which was from lap one onwards (there were five), I consciously reminded myself why I enjoy this sport so much. The quick, flowing Thetford single track did help.

This isn’t just true for racing. There are days when the weather is grey, grim and ghastly. There are times when my legs don’t want to turn the pedals anymore. There are moments when effort is needed to even leave the house! However, what I have learned this weekend is that can’t won’t.

From now on, when I’m on my bike and it’s starting to hurt, I’m going to think about happy things: hot summers’ days; blue skies; my lovely bicycle; my garden; my cats; my husband (sometimes!) – not necessarily in this order. I need to remember what it is that mountain biking gives to me: I’m not stuck in a classroom teaching 11.4 or sat at my desk marking papers, I’m outside pushing my body … and now my mind.

Down and Out

Not me - my bike. It's down from the rafters and out the door. (But it might be going back up again if it snows!) I have already bagged two rides on my two wheeled road friend and boy, it feels fast - especially after a winter season on the mountain bike.

I have a 2005 Trek Madone 5.9, which I've modified a little to make it faster - well, it does when I go above 20mph! I've got some slick Bonty aero wheels and carbon aerobars, as I had planned on doing a couple of triathlons this year - it looks the business. I love the aerobars - it's the first time I've ever used them and it's great to have another position on the bike; I love the tuck. I don't have enough confidence to use them all the time yet though and they can get a bit hairy when I go over bumps! My plan is to train with the heavier componentry until June, when I'll ditch the aerobars and get some lighter wheels to make climbing easier. Hopefully this should make me faster and lighter up the hills of the dreaded 'Dragon Ride'.

With only 9 weeks to go, I've got to step up my training quite a bit in the next few weeks. I'm up to rides of about 1hour30mins but I know the ride will take me well over 5 hours. Got to put in the miles or there will be no smiles :) (Strangely, I don't think I'll be smiling at the end of the Dragon Ride....)

The Time Machine

Who says ‘it’s not about the bike’? After a weekend’s riding my Trek 9 Series at a favourite trail centre in South Wales, I have to disagree.

My husband and I were mountain-biking in Afan Forest last weekend. I wanted to try my carbon fibre race machine on more challenging off-road trails than offered by the Kentish countryside; and, because it was my birthday, I chose where we went.

Saturday’s ride was a wash-out; literally. It rained and rained and rained. But the weather could not dampen my enthusiasm to test my bike. Our first ride was Cwm Carn’s Twrch Trail and within a few minutes of riding … wow! I realised how fantastic a carbon fibre bike was going to be at climbing. It made me feel awesome: it was nimble, quick and light. Riding this bike was no effort at all, despite the horrendous weather and the loss of brake pads (my fault). And, I completed one lap faster than I have ridden that course before. This bike was fast!

We rode my all time favourite trail on Sunday: Skyline. This course begins with a long and gruelling climb from the trail centre. However, this bike took the ‘gruelling’ and the ‘long’ out of the climb and we were climbing comfortably and enthusiastically.

It wasn’t just the climbs where I knew time was being saved but technically too. This bike did as I told it.

I never thought the material of a bike would affect me. However, I can fully empathise with carbon converts: what fantastic bikes they ride. I really can’t wait to see how well this bike performs on the race scene which is all about quick times; I’m so excited and if it wasn’t snowing right now … !

Track Attack

I'm at a loss as to what do in the evenings now. I shouldn't really be saying that seeing at we're now officially into British Summer Time and that means more time on the bike. I'm referring however to the end of the UCI World Track Cycling Championships. What a fantastic way to spend each evening - I loved every minute of it. We have some pretty fantastic riders now, thanks to the British Cycling Performance Plan and how they nurture the upcoming and promising talent. Roll on Beijing! Watching people cycle round a track has never been so interesting and fantastic!