@chorltonvelo - good luck at the Whitton chaps

It's almost the middle of May and that means it's Fred Whitton time. Around a thousand souls will set off early on Sunday to tackle one of the toughest sportives around - 114 miles around the lake district taking in: Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hard Knott and Wrynose passes to name but a few.

Go left, up, left, up again, down, up, down, up, down, left, up, down, left, up, up, down, up then finish

I'm not riding this year - and didn't last - but did in 2011 and got lashed on for most of the day. I recall the hail making the ascent of Honister particularly tasty.
It's a bloody tough course - especially if you're not riding in somebody's wheel. The toughest part for me was turning south toward Calder Bridge into a head wind up Cold Fell. Not the biggest or steepest by any means but I was starting to see spots in front of my eyes and had to get off. Got the knock pretty bad and freewheeled down to the feed stop at Calder and tried to rid the site of cheese and cake - did a pretty good job too!
It looks like the weather will be similar to 2011 for this year's event so good luck and ride safe to all involved.

Time gentlemen please

May has been a great month for riding so far: dry and spring like. Of course, it's supposed to lash down later on for what seems like the first time in ages - what a difference a year makes.
This year's Giro is warming up nicely too - apart form the weather which has been pants - with a few early skirmishes from last year's winner Ryder Hesjedal and Nibali. 

Long way to go though and its a cert that Wiggo will nail the time trial. The use of time bonuses adds an extra dimension to the racing too - they were removed from le tour a couple of year back. There's no time bonus in le tour again this year but stage winners can console themselves with 4,000 euros and a place in history!

April blog record - thanks!

I've been doing this blog since late July last year and last month set the record for most visits. Just under 1000 real people [not me or my mum] read some of the stuff I thought about then wrote about. It can be difficult fitting it into the working day and I do want to post something each and everyday. There's lots happening in cycling and specifically in Manchester to write about.
So, thanks for reading, appreciate it :)

Quiet time from May 2007 - August 2012

Winter? Pah!

It's May and it's beautiful outside. Still a bit chilly first thing in the morning with that weird cold air / warm sun arrangement. Makes it difficult to know exactly what to wear.
One thing's for sue is that the overshoes, snood, thermal tights have been abandoned to the bottom of the 'drobe for another year. Yes, spring is finally here.
As it turns out, winter wasn't as bad for cycling as you'd expect. According to this piece on BikeBiz from the cycle to work alliance [whoever they are] cycling commuter numbers were actually up year on year to 'unprecedented' levels.
They reckon they have the evidence for it but, call me a cynical old fool, sounds like a bit of PR puffery for the alliance members to me - most of whom are bike retailers.

I mean, how would they know, really know, that 20 per cent more people cycled to work this winter over last? And this is on top of a 9 per cent growth reported the previous year.
Logistically, it's just impossible to understand behavior in that detail in my humble view. 
Ah, but its based on statistics, probabilities extrapolated to provide an answer within a margin of error either way. Well, maybe, but I'd like to see a bit of the data behind the headline before I start believing everything I read. 

Nice things to lock your bike to #9 Northampton

Away fixture

Couldn't resist this one

@officialTfGM wants £20m to deliver cycling revolution in Manchester

TfGM is bidding to trouser £20m of central government money to spend on cycling infrastructure over a two year period. The funding would also help attract other funding from the private and public sector apparently. 

And they need our help to make it happen.

Despite the fact that they have annoyingly attached a meaningless branding – Velocity 2025 which will inevitably increase in irritation when somebody decides V25 is ‘a bit snappier’ – it obviously deserves support.

You can support the bid by clicking here and then clicking the box which says ‘I back the bid’ and then clicking the other box which says ‘Back the bid’.

The bid backing boxes

Happy clicking.