I were right about that saddle though

Its the time of year to roll out the yellow pages ad from the early 80s and keep my fingers crossed for the unlikely gift of a new bike  tomorrow.

How many miles cycled in the last year?

I think I've ridden more miles this year than any other. My trusty Strava app tells me I've clocked over 3,500 miles which aint bad.

I reckon I've done over 4,000 adding in all the little pootles to the shops and that. Happy days.

Ride safe

Hardknott pass descent...on front wheel only...backwards...

This is really impressive and fun stuff. I think its Hardknott at 3mins 44 - but then the lake in the distance doesn't look quite right... 

Whatever, it is mental really. If I was from the America, I'd probably say 'Awsome' (aarrrr-somme) then whoop a bit...

@gmcycling goes for membership growth in 2014

The lovely people over at Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign have just issued the winter edition of its member's newsletter - your truly has even delivered a few - by bike of course.
As part of the ramping up of activity for next year, the campaign wants you - want's you to become a member that is.
And, being the generous souls, new members are being offered the first year's membership for nowt.
The campaign exists to champion the cause of cyclists in Greater Manchester and act as an independent voice on matters effecting the two-wheeled brethren.

The more members GMCC has, the greater weight the voice carries - so if you care one jot about riding, infrastructure, safety, traffic etc in Greater Manchester, you should join.
It costs a tenner to be a member - the cost of a couple of inner tubes - so, what ya waiting for?
Click here for deets.

Posties on Pashleys

If you, like me, keep your eyes peeled for cycling related stuff going on around you, you'll have noticed some new additions to the streets of suburban Manchester in recent months.
TNT, the Dutch based courier service, has rolled out a fleet - not sure how many you actually need to constitute a fleet but they have more than two so a fleet it is - of postal delivery bikes as they continue to undercut Royal Mail.
This is the first time - to my knowledge - that a company other than Royal Mail has delivered to the door in the UK - the 'final mile' as it's known.
You may recall that Royal Mail dropped its own bike fleet a few years ago which was very bad news for Brompton which was its exclusive supplier. I seem to recall than heath & safety was spuriously trotted out as the reason to ditch the bikes in favour of those idiotic red chariot things the posties push around these days.
Anyhoo, the TNT bikes are orange - as you would expect - Pashley Pronto cargo bikes and very nice they are too.

Is that a 7 or a 9?

If there is a more suitable vehicle for the delivery of those 'sorry it wouldn't fit through your letterbox' notices than the bicycle, then I'll eat one of the 300 punctured tubes I have knocking around.
Good to see.

The best cycling film ever is...

Ive just watched A Sunday in Hell again and it is superb.
The full film used to be on youtube but it's now been removed - there are a few tantalising bits there though like the opening credits.

As well as being a great insight into the world of Merckx at the top of his powers, it reveals the pain and commitment required to take on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
I first saw this film about 30 years ago as a young whipper-snapper and certain images have stayed with me for all these years: Merckx, the cobbles and - as a premonition of my future riding capability - the broom wagon.
If you've never had a look at this then do so - it's well worth it.

Which are the best cycling books?

As is often my want, I'm starting with a caveat: I haven't read every single book on cycling so you can read this guide with a pinch of salt.
I have however, knocked off a good few of the books on cycling and have a hit list of others.

I'm not really a fan of the 'authorised biography' genre documenting the highs and dramatic lows of [insert name]'s career.

I always feel they're a bit self-serving and I just shy away from them. That said, I do have the Obree Flying Scotsman on my 'to read' list and thought Tyler Hamilton's The Secret Race was insightful enough to elevate it over the usual standards.

If you can find a copy of Paul Kimmage's Rough Ride, it provides an excellent warts and all view from inside the Peleton in the 80s and 90s which, coincided when I first took an interest in the sport so is especially vivid.

Perhaps less well known is the rather bitter polemic from the likeable former Festina soigneur, Willy Voet Breaking the Chain. Although short - you can knock this off in an afternoon - it shares the first hand realism of Rough Ride and is stark and uncomfortable as a result.

Of course, three of these books are essentially about the recent doping era a category which is not complete without reading David Walsh's From Lance to Landis. 

As I understand it this is pretty much the USADA case against Lance minus the testimony of peers. It all the stuff you've read about in the media: the back-dated scripts, make up over needle marks, shady meetings in car parks - all that stuff. If you've read this one don't bother with Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins as it's the same material.

A Dog in a Hat by former US pro Joe Parkin shares much of the same feelings as Kimmage's Rough Ride but has a much better title. Parkin comes across as a wholesome American kid struggling on in a blue collar Springsteen way. But its more than the cliche suggests. What really comes through is that the excitement and hope drawn from being part of a pro cycling team quickly evaporates into the drudgery of doing a job. A job which happens to involve riding a bike for much of the time.

Rather than the doping culture, this is the really sad theme that comes through for my as my romantic notions are cut off at the knees. Well worth a read.
At the opposite end of the scale is the Death of Marco Pantani by Matt Rendell. I whet my lips when i first picked a copy up in a second hand book shop in town for about 50p. However, trying to read it is as difficult as it would be for me to hold Pantani's wheel up Alpe d'Huez in his pomp. I just found it to be impenetrable and gave up after about four goes and 50 pages. I will try again one day.

William Fotheringham's biog of Merckx Half Man Half Bike is a very nice holiday type book with loads of great stories.  

Other than assorted histories of Le Tour and a few other bits and bobs, that's pretty much my library covered - I know there are many gaps - but as i said earlier, much of the output doesn't really interest me.

But anyway, here's my 'to read' list:

Tomorrow we ride - Louison Bobet
European Cycling - the 20 greatest races
Fallen Angel - Coppi (Fotheringham)
The Hour - Michael Hutchinson
Flying Scotsman - Obree
Escape Artist - Matt Seaton

What Sunday is for

Stolen bike alert

Given everything that's happened in London over the last two weeks, it seems  in rather poor taste that I say the worst thing that can happen to a cyclist is to have your bike nicked.

But when it happens, it's grim. Scrotes! In the words of Alan Partridge: scum, sub-human scum. 

So, keep your eyes peeled for this machine stolen yesterday from a Chorlton Velo member - it's only a week old too...

How to build bike wheels

Wheel building has always been a mystery to me. In fact, one of the most dangerous sights for any bike wheel is me with a spoke key in my hand.
However, I've recently become obsessed with the art of building wheels to the extent where I think i'm going to buy myself a jig, some lovely Hope hubs, Mavic rims and some spokes; put the kettle on and see what happens.

There's something quite cathartic about building and truing wheels - at least watching other people do it - something calming about the fact that putting the spokes in is called lacing and making it straight is called truing - it's just nice!

Of course, there is only one place to start with this challenge - youtube. The series of films from this chap from the US of A is really good and makes it look dead easy.

There are loads of others out there too, so spoke key in hand, I'm going to give it a whirl. It can't be that difficult can it?

How to ruin a lithium ion battery

My trusty Moon 500 XP lamp has given up the ghost following three years of faultless service and the worst thing is, I'm entirely to blame for its demise - allow me to explain and it may save you suffering the same fate.
The Moon lamp relies on a lithium ion battery to kick out its 500 lumens and these batteries require a few specific handling techniques to keep them in top order.
Lithium Ion batteries apparently begin degrading from the moment they are manufactured. They are good for a few thousand charges but they, like us all, have the terrible certainty of terminal demise looming on the horizon.
Unlike Nikel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries, lithum ion batteries don't suffer from the phenomenon of battery memory where if a battery is continually recharged when it's at 50% power, the battery will end up with only 50% of its run time. To combat this, it's wise to run the battery flat and then fully recharge it to maintain it's 100% capacity. Easy.
So, when I thought: 'I think I'll run the battery completely flat and give it a full charge' little did I know that it was an unnecessary exercise.
Not only was it unnecessary, running a lithium ion battery completely flat can result in the cells being damaged rendering the battery un-chargeable. And that's the situation I'm now in.
So, with new battery on order and £20 lighter, heed the warning!

Would a celebrity endorsed bike be your first pick?

A few years ago I met a bloke from Halfords who was involved in the marketing of their bike range. We were chatting away and got on to the subject of their offer. He asked me what my view was of Halfords and what they should do to improve their lot. They'd clearly seen the growth in Bike sales happening but were lumbered with the association of being a car accessories store which sold bikes on the side. At the time I think I muttered something about 'improve the product cos people think it's shit'.
It's interesting to look back at that time and see what they did do: got celeb endorsement to drive sales.
And so was born the Boardman bike range.
Now I'm sure Halfords and Chris Boardman would stress that Chris had a huge hand in the design and development of these bikes and he probably had some to the extent of saying 'I'm not putting my name to any old rubbish'.
It's clearly worked for them both: the bikes are very nice indeed and they sell like hot cakes. 

More recently, Evans Cycles has taken the same approach and reeled in Chris Hoy to back up their range. Looking a bit further back, Greg's Trek-made Lemond range came a cropper when he slagged off Lance and there are of course the Merckx bikes which have been doing the rounds for a good few years.
So, do the moves by Halfords and Evans signal a significant change in the approach of big retail?
Well, yeah, but as the two other examples show it's nothing new. 
There's something about celeb endorsement which just fails to excite me. I guess the idea is that, if Chris Boardman is willing to put his name to something then it must be OK for me to buy and ride.
And, for me, that's at the heart of everything that's wrong with the approach. If you are unwilling to spend a bit of time looking around two or three bike shops, asking a few questions or using the web for research, then you're probably not really that interested in bikes and cycling. So, in my view, the celeb approach puts off as many as it attracts. But I'm probably wrong, it probably puts off far fewer.
There probably is a bit of snobbery on my part here and I would undoubtedly ride any of the bikes mentioned above, they just wouldn't be my first pick.

Strava killed the bike computer

In 1979 Buggles told the world that video had killed the radio star. In fact, they were wrong as they'd failed to consider the fact that it wasn't then, and still isn't now, possible to drive a car and watch telly at the same time. So the radio survives to this day mainly in cars and kitchens.
Technological advancement is not lost on the average cyclist of course: the excitement when you first switched to clipless pedals the game-changing STI gearing and LED lights. Huge steps forward that many riders can't now do without.
It seems to me that bike computers will soon go the same way as the pre-hyperglide pressed steel sprockets and be sacrificed at the alter of advancement by the most powerful cycling superhero: Strava.
Just consider this: if you had the option of spending £500+ on a GPS for your bike today, would you bother? Or would you just think: well, my phone does that so I'll do without and buy those wheels instead.
I think we know the answer.

Yes, I used to have one of those on my bike in 2010

I've been searching online for some details of the sales figures for GPS systems but cant find much data out there. Last year Bryton were predicting strong growth on Bike Biz but there's been little follow up.
While the cheaper end of bike speedos might survive, I reckon the expensive end has been sewn up by the Stravas of this world. How they change the free users into paid for subscribers is another matter for another time.

Are very bright LED lights dividing cyclists?

With the night's drawing in, lights are being dusted off and re-strapped to bikes around the country. It's funny but bike lights can and are causing issues between cyclists - as I discovered yesterday.

While riding home in the pissing rain some guy riding the opposite direction shouted something like 'disco bike' at me. He seemed pretty hostile and was a bit flustered that I had my front lamp set to flash - I wasn't bothered by his light at all. Apart from what the fu*k it had to do with him, I've noticed a few times lately that riders are having a go at one another due to the brightness of lamps.

The new Cateye Hiroshima

I've only had this one I hasten to add but I've heard people complaining that others are riding with lights. No matter how good bike lights have become since the development of LEDs, they are not as bright as car headlamps and cyclists never, usually, complain about car's lamps. Bike lights are admittedly higher and are not dipped but you'd think a cyclists having a go at another cyclist for using lights would be a rare thing - apparently not.

Later on the same ride I had to have an argument with some car knob who, after pulling out on me, had his fat wife tell me I didn't have my lights on! Cant win! I've reported him to plod anyway - yes I can remember a number plate the length of time it takes me to get my phone out of my pocket to make a note of it.

Anyway, cyclists, what do you think? Are uber bright LED lights a problem?

Cycle? Live in Greater Manchester? Want to win £100?

Faced with questions like these there's only really one answer isn't there? Yes.

So when the offer to take part in a survey about cycling and by doing so I could trouser 100 of your earth pounds, I was hooked immediately.

Something called the Salford Housing and Urban Studies Unit in association with BikeRight, is entering all the people who take the survey into a draw to win the hundred notes. I'd imagine the usual data protection rules apply.

Who's in? *not really

The study 'aims to improve understanding of the barriers to utility cycling and to find ways to improve the uptake of cycle training by adults' and 'should take you between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. At the end of the questionnaire, you are given the opportunity to volunteer to take part in a focus group to discuss adult cycle training further, but this is entirely optional.'

Here's the link to the questionnaire  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cyclesurvey2013 

you have until October 27th to enter. Good luck*

.

23mm or 25mm tyres?

I've just ordered another pair of Continental 4 Seasons - to get me through the winter. Having punctured twice in three days - on different tyres mind - I thought it was about time I got some new boots.
I was chatting to the Continental guys at the bike show the other week who confirmed that the pros all now prefer 25mm tyres over 23mm or smaller. 
I'm old enough to remember having 18mm tyres the thought of which at 120 PSI just fill me with dread now!

So 25mm are the tyres of choice for 'a better roll' apparently.
These things tend to go around - no pun intended - and I'm sure a few years from now we'll all be told that 24mm is the optimum tyre gauge. For now its 25mm unless you, like me, refuse to conform and it's 23mm! How much difference can 2mm really make?

Head, set and match

There's a certain level of commodity fetishism in cycling isn't there? There are few better feelings than receiving some piece of finely honed and crafted steel / titanium combination which will soon adorn your trusty steed.
I managed to get this frisson of excitement this morning when an absurdly large box appeared in work containing a perfectly formed 1" threaded headset by Ritchey.

Check the shine on those balls!

I'm not really happy with the one which is on at the moment since the bottom race of bearings were changed - there's a bit of play in it which manifests as serious 'chatter' under braking at speed - when descending! 
So, I've very hopeful that this littler belter will sort out my issues and provide years of trouble free riding.
Now, where are my headset spanners?
Ride safe.

Connect to poetry - on your bike this weekend

There's something very romantic about swanning around on a bike, probably wearing a voluminous white shirt while noticing the beauty of nature. 

Depending on the time of year you might say 'Isn't the blossom splendid' or, 'Don't the autumn leaves look magnificent this year'.

Of course, travelling by bike means that you can take time to appreciate what's around you while covering enough distance for it to remain interesting.
And its for these very reasons that the connect2poetry project is taking to two wheels tomorrow to get creative juices flowing.

Two groups of cyclists will start out on two separate two-hour rides guided by a poet to discover inspiration. Details of start points and times are below or follow the link above. 

Sounds good!

10 mins with @peterwalker99

Guardian cycling blogger and all round good egg, Peter Walker was kind enough to answer a few questions I posed to him recently. All about cycling obviously. Here's what he had to say.

Do you get out on your bike much?

Most days to and from work. Sometime longer rides at weekend, but not as often as I'd like

What was your first and current bike(s)?

First bike - can't remember. Some kids' bike. 

Currently:

• a very practical Gazelle with basket & child seat
• a much less practical Planet X carbon-frame bike with flat bars for commuting
• a Klein road bike
• a Klein mountain bike

The greatest cyclist of all time is…

Graeme Obree

Do you think we've passed the tipping point for greater acceptance / participation in cycling in the UK?

Not yet, but we're getting there

What would your cycling utopia look like?

A bit like Vauban in Germany 

Do sportives encourage greater participation?

I think so. They give people something to train for, and thus gets them out on their bikes.

Bella in sella with @chorltonvelo

As you might well know, vain Italian cyclists have a saying - bella in sella - which literally translates to 'looking good in the saddle'. Looking good as in striking an attractive figure as opposed to looking comfortable or accomplished as a rider. 

I guess if you said it about somebody else then it wouldn't be so bad - if not a bit weird - but saying it about yourself would leave you open to the criticisms of vanity which I indulged in in the opening line of this blog.


So, with all that in mind, check out the new Chorlton Velo cycling kit which has just arrived from Swedish manufacturer Craft.

If you spend any time noticing cyclists around Manchester, then these colours will become very familiar to you
over the coming months and years. It think you'll agree, it looks superb although I'll look like a bag of spanners in it obviously.

It's been designed by two club members to take the best bits of the original kit and 'jzzuge' it up a bit for the modern rider. It retains a family resemblance to the original but looks a whole lot better.

Maybe one day it'll be as recognisable as the classic Manchester Wheelers colours.

Bella in sella indeed.

@gmcycling demands space4cycling in Manchester

The name of this blog was always intended to be partly tongue in cheek. Don't get me wrong, Manchester is a great city to cycle in: lots of people interested in cycling at all sorts of levels and we're blessed with some superb terrain within striking distance of the M60. But it's not a cycling utopia; far from it.
So, what do you do about it? Well, the lovely people at Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign would like you to get out on your bike and make your feelings known. 
To coincide with the Tory party conference which started at GMEX today, GMCC is organising a awareness ride around the roads which are closed due to the conference. Starting at 6.30pm tomorrow evening (30 September) at St Peter's the space for cycling ride is not a protest and is apolitical.
It is taking place to raise awareness of the barriers to everyday cycling and to keep the issue of safer cycling on the political agenda.

If you can't make it  - because for example you'll be riding home from work in Uppermill - you can sign the petition here. The petition will be presented to members of the APPCG, Manchester City Council and TfGM.
If you have even the faintest interest in cycling in Greater Manchester, then you should sign the petition and go along for the ride if you can.
Good luck to all those taking part.

The 2013 Cycle Show - my review

I managed to blag my way in to the trade day of the NEC cycle show on Thursday and it was an interesting visit. 
Without wanting to sound like a complete old fart, you do have to say that there's very little to choose between the current crop of bikes - particularly the £1,000 - £3,000 road machines. So while most visitors where checking out the 2014 models from Pinarello, Trek, Specialized, Raleigh, Bianchi, CUBE, Ribble et al, I decided to try and find some different machines. Fortunately, I wasn't too disappointed.  

My search for difference was initially quenched at the KTM stand. OK these bikes aren't radically different from the market leaders but they do have a different DNA to most bike companies. Most famous for its trials motorbikes, the Austrian company branched out into cycle making, in, well, 1964 as it happens. The road bike models - the Strada and Revalator - are both nice looking bikes and haven't gone down the bent and oversized tubes favoured by others.
UK distribution is looked after by FLI Distribution based in Delph - so they must be a good bunch!

The next thing to catch my eye was this very nice looking Cinelli Zydeco frameset. Apart from it being at eye-level, it just looked lovely hanging there. It's a cross frame and will set you back £750.








The real stars of the show was the beautiful bikes on the Spin stand. Had a nice chat the the owner who enthuses about his bikes which he manufactures as a bit of a labour of love on the side of his aerospace components business.
Titanium bikes have always looked the business and even more so when you're surrounded by aluminium and carbon frames which are practically indistinguishable from one another. There's care and passion in these bikes and only about 100 of them made every year. Get one while you can.

Away from the road bikes, I was drawn to an importer of Dutch town bikes. The remarkably enthusiastic guy on the stand was 100 per cent convinced that his bikes were 'the future of cycling in the UK'. His view, shared by many, is that cycling should be undertaken in everyday clothes and for most short journeys. So while covered chains, mudguards, racks and baskets are not new, some of the configurations of belt drives and hub gears look like a real leap forward. Lovely looking bike too.

Speaking of lovely looking things, Hope Tech never manage to make things look bad. It was interesting to chat to the sales chap and discover that 80 per cent of their product is made for export, principally to the far east. All the superlatives have been used up about Hope and their demonstration of UK manufacturing excellence. The company has a sense of the plucky underdog about it - probably being based in Barnoldswick - but their product is, as you know, excellent quality and excellent value.

The final thing which caught my eye was this simple iphone bar clamp from BBB. Dead easy to use and operate. I reckon these'll sell like hot cakes.

A great day out and well worth a visit - closes tomorrow (Sunday). Sadly the coffee at the NEC leaves a lot to be desired.

Breaking news

Cookson wins! 

Voting is open

Interesting to hear the lead sport piece on Radio 4's Today programme today was the vote for the next UCI president.
As you'll be aware, the cycling world is baying for change following Pat McQuaid's tenure which has seen the meteoric rise of our sport in the UK coincide with its greatest scandal.

Awkward handshake awards 2013

There's a sense that the UCI has become a hubristic untouchable clique with jobs for the boys. The white knight challenger is a straight-talking Lancastrian called Brian and he hates Pat, a lot.
Anyway, it won't be long until we know who's the next grande fromage and who's the croque monsieur.

Oldham pot hole festival

Among all the excitement of the Tour of Britain and the pending world champs I missed this story which broke last Friday. 
One of the 'bosses' at Team Sky - Fran Millar - trousered undisclosed damages from Oldham Council after injuring herself by falling off her bike. Nasty injuries too.
The circumstances will be familiar to many. As described by the BBC, Fran '...swerved to avoid one pothole in Oldham's High Street but then injured herself on another.'
Now, I do have some sympathy for the council's view that there is a 'national pothole funding crisis'  but it seems to me that the further east you travel in Greater Manchester, the more threadbare the cycling infrastructure gets.
My regular commute takes me through, Manchester, Stockport, Tameside and Oldham. 

Potholes can be creative too

Using the Fallowfield Loop, I barely notice Manchester and Stockport despite the loop's inadequacies. 
On my route, both Tameside and Oldham have zero bike infrastructure which is pretty poor. Actually, tell a lie, there is 400m a shared bus lane and one advanced stop box.
As cyclists we get to know the road surface intimately and often have to pick our way along rutted and damaged roads - roads that we all pay for.
We have a long long way to go.

Keep going keeping going

It's happened to all of us at one time or another and its difficult to shake. I'm talking about those times when for whatever reason - weather, relatives, family, circumstance, injury - you can't get out on your bike. One minute you feel like you're going OK then the next, you've missed three weeks of riding and  you feel further away from any sort of strength than you have for months.

This week's Strava report. Athlete?

I'm in the middle of an up-turn in activity which I'm, once again, determined to build on. In fact, for the first time since I started working in Uppermill last December, I've ridden in everyday this week. It's a bit of a surprise that I've not previously managed it but a clear work diary has finally allowed me to do ten 18 mile rides - presuming I get home in one piece later on.
There's nothing quite like keeping going to make you keep going is there? Long may it continue!
Ride safe

Dutchman clocks 83 mph on his bike!

Check out this guy - Sebastiaan Bowier - who is soon to be known around the globe as the flying Dutchman. He claims to have hit 83 mph on his bike which he's ensconced within a whale egg for aero reasons.
Rather makes Greame Obree's 56 mph record seem rather trivial.

Click on the egg

The anatomy of a British cycling crowd

The picture above was selected entirely at random from TV coverage of the Tour of Britain stage on Monday when the route tackled the Honister Pass (from the easy side) in Cumbria. Selected entirely at random by me, it serendipitously captures the full, rich spectrum of cycling enthusiasts who bless this sceptred isle.
You could take any still from the media coverage and find the following people represented. Interesting stuff.

1. Wet cyclists wishing they were in Spain
2. Chorlton Velo member (IvdB) complete with old skool trainers
3. The bloke off The Crystal Maze
4. A woman
5. Numb-faced enthusiast
6. Man dressed as chicken
7. Hatless hardman
8. Lost souls
9. Bewildered mountaineers
10. Tier four broadcaster
11. Lollipop man
12. Accountant
13. Future Olympic champion
14. Annoying iphone user
15. 4x4 owner
16. Aldi shopper
17. Rain

10 mins with... @BritishCycling

It can be difficult to develop new content on a daily basis for a blog. Especially when its of such high quality and chock full of devastating insight. Frankly, I don't know how some of those blogger do it! 
I, on the other hand, write any old rubbish which springs to mind: the rain, falling off, puncturing, the rain etc.
So, in a bid to bring some new dynamism to these virtual pages, I offer to you the first Outstanding Natural Cycling interview.
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Scott Dougal who is the Grande Fromage at British Cycling's communications department. He kindly agreed to answer a few questions.
I know this isn't critical interviewing but this blog is supposed to be a celebration of being on two wheels rather than a misery fest. Enjoy.

What was your first and what is your current bike(s)?

First bike was a Grifter, although I think I’d have rather had a Chopper. I've got a Trek mountain bike which is perfect for trails near where I live.

What’s the biggest challenge facing cycling in the UK?

Sustainability. Cycling has come a very long way in the last 10 years – a good indicator of which is the membership of British Cycling. Having rattled around 15-20,000 for much of our history, we shot past the 80,000 mark recently and we've seen 50% year on year growth since Brad won the Tour  last year. But the challenge is to make the gains sustainable – both in terms of popular interest in cycling as a sport as well as people using their bikes for fun or to get around.

Will cycling ever become as mainstream here in Britain as it is in the Netherlands or Denmark?

It’s certainly possible. I've been professionally involved in the sport for just over 10 years and where we are now is extraordinary compared to where we were then. And at British Cycling we remain very ambitious and I think the key thing will be to create a better environment for people on bikes out there on the roads.

We've been consistently successful in meeting our targets for elite success and increasing participation – what will make both of those sustainable is that once we've done our job of getting people on bikes, the habit sticks because using a bike is as easy as possible. British Cycling has significantly stepped up its campaigning work in the last two years and we’re seeing real dividends already, particularly because the growth in our membership means we have real clout.

Should we expect Britain to produce more star Olympic and pro cyclists in the coming years or are we living through a golden age?

The talent pathways are there and just this year we've seen significant success for Becky James, Simon Yates and Liam Phillips among others. But, again, key to sustainability of elite success is having as many people on bikes as possible, whatever their ability.

2014 should be spectacular for UK cycling with le Tour and Giro both visiting our shores. How much of an opportunity for the sport is this in your view?

Next year will be huge but this year, which you might have expected to be quiet compared to 2012 and 2014, has been pretty lively too. In 2014, we've got an international stage race for women, the Tour de France in England, Glasgow 2014 and the Tour of Britain. In amongst that, there is the national road race championships which broke new ground this year in terms of the spectators it attracted. So taken as a whole, there is a four-month period when cycling will really capture mainstream attention again. Can’t wait.

...and, in the red, Horner

Once again the Vuelta has trumped the other two - more prestigious - world tours for excitement, drama and superb racing.
While this years Tour was excellent and much better than last year's, the Giro was essentially a bit of a very cold and wet damp squib.
The drama played out in the mountains of the Pyrenees eventually saw the 42 year old Chris Horner eventually break Nibali to ride into the leader's red jersey with just two stages remaining. Leading by just three second with two stages to go, the final mountain stage was bike dueling at its very best. 

At 42, it shows there is hope for us all. Right, I have three years to get a ride at a pro team then ride myself into contention for a world tour.

The greatest ever cyclist is...

Everyone like a good poll don't they? I know this has been done a million times before but prompted by a reply to the post from earlier today, I've set up a poll to determine - once and for all - who is the greatest ever cyclist. See left.
The shortlist is of my doing so includes some names which don't appear on other lists - not just the usual suspects.
I'm probably missing some obvious candidates too.
So, have a plump for your fave - the poll runs for two years (optimistic blog lifespan alert) and all those who vote for the winner will go into a prize draw for an all expenses paid trip to the Alps to watch the tour in 2018*.

Quick, the poll's open. *= not really

Cycling quote No4 - Jacques Anquetil

"It was eleven more than necessary."

Jacques Anquetil after winning a cycle race by 12 seconds

Autumn - getting the difficult cycling clothing choice right

Summer is most certainly leaving us with a bang rather than a whimper this year. 6.45 this morning was bloody cold in Manchester - I was glad to have opted for the warming values of a semi-fleece as I rode to work. 
There was brilliant sunshine though too - low in the sky so I had to shield my eyes. It looked very moody as I rode through the hanging mist with dew dropping off the trees - very picture postcard it was too.

So, while I was congratulating myself at my choice of attire, I was met with a vision of insanity coming toward me. Bloke, mountain bike, trainers (trainees), running shorts circa 1983 and vest. Not a running vest mind, a cotton vest. Pale blue ribbed for extra discomfort.
This unusually clad guy cut a bizarre and red raw figure as he pushed himself along. Unless this chap was mentally infirm, then you do wonder how on earth he managed to make those sartorial decisions. And if he is mentally infirm, then who's looking after him?
Poor sod, I thought as I rode on.
Ride safe

@cycletowork day encourages two-wheeled commuting

If you need an excuse to get on your bike then next Thursday [12 September] offers one: it is national cycle to work day.
It is hoped that thousands of additional people will leave their cars at home and take to two wheels for their daily commute.
Just one day cant hurt can it?
They have Dame Sarah Story to front the campaign and you can pledge the distance you will ride on the day. Rather neatly, it calculates the cost and carbon savings you'll make and the calories you'll burn - see image.

What is 1,694 calories in pasties?

Anything that encourages people to ride is a good thing in my view - just hope it doesn't rain :)
The cost is just about bob on for public transport but a little bit over the top for petrol cost - unless I was driving an AC Cobra bouncing off the rev limiter in second gear all the way. 
Ride safe.

Hello September, it's been a while

I love the autumn and there was a distinct autumnal feel in the air this morning. It wont be long until lights are put back on bikes, thermal gloves and hats are being dug out of drawers and riding becomes a little bit less enjoyable.
But before then, there is autumn. From now until the middle of November we have ten weeks of the potential for the most pleasant riding conditions of the year - in my view.

Those halcyon days of crisp blue skies and falling leaves are a thing of wonder which just make me want to ride all day.
If chilly mornings put you off then you can always follow this year's Vuelta which is beginning to come to a head, check out the world championships later in September in Italy or look out for the Giro de Lombardia October - the race of falling leaves.
Just get out there...

My @vmcyclone review in @cyclingweekly

It's always pleasing when you get a bit of coverage in the media. Even more so when your words are attributed to you! From this week's Cycling Weekly.

Bike quote No 3 - HG Wells

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the human race." HG Wells

Politics? On yer bike!

Next Monday a group of (mainly) upper-middle class white men in their late 60s will haul their well fed bulks into a room and try shape the future of cycling policy in the UK. Yes, Monday 2nd September Parliament will debate whether it will support the content of the APPCG's 'Get Britain Cycling' report.
The report - as previously blogged about here - sets target of getting 25 per cent of all journeys undertaken in the UK completed on bikes by 2050 - the year rather than ten to nine.
So what happens when the debate receives resounding backing of Parliament? Are we then freewheeling toward a cycling utopia in the next 35 years?
Well, my prediction is that we're not, no.

There debate will happen and people will say things about cycling and how its great. Patrick McLoughlin will then explain how much funding the government is putting into cycling and how that'll deliver a step change in cycling provision in the country for generations to come. If he actually uses these words I win £5.
In reality, there wont be any more money and the battle is still very much on to reach this conservative target.
So, keep fighting comrades, the roads are ours to shape!

Knock, knock, knockin'...

It's been about a decade since it last happened but last night on my relatively innocuous ride home I managed to get the knock and it was a pretty awful experience let me tell you.
The knock - aka the bonk or hitting the wall if you're a joggist - is caused when you use up your stores of glycogen in your muscles and liver and begin the process of burning sugar in your blood to fuel your ride. This depletes pretty quickly leaving you in a semi-hallucinatory jellified state dreaming of home.

Froome mid-knock dans le tour

My ride started in good style climbing up out of Uppermill and to the summit of Huddersfield Road. It was here that it both literally and metaphorically went down hill.
Weak doesn't event come into it as I freewheeled down to the shop in Middlebrook and re-fueled with a can of pop and a double-decker. I eventually came round enough to get back on and struggle the final 16 miles home.
It was slow going and even managed to get dropped by some hipster guy on a sit-up-and-beg pushing the pedals with the arches of his feet - grim.
I arrived home white as a sheet and quivering.
The moral of the story? Eat breakfast and don't try a fuel your ride on grapes alone.
Ride safe.