Sean Kellys Winter Training advice'

you might need to watch it a couple of times to get your ear around it.

Posted via email from Sprinting for Signs's posterous

The Ride, or how we remain inspired

Today I've been out on the bike. That in itself is nothing special, except for the fact that this was my first ride for pleasure since I got Swine Flu. The Flu itself was grim at times, but I think the after effects where probably worse. Lacking energy and any hunger to enter the pain cave the weeks rolled by and six weeks came since the dreaded virus.

The downside is that the 3th of April is looming and I have massive gaps to make up on the fitness level. The exercises I posted come from my Coach, Yes Coach. Why, well I'm crap (desperate to be better) and any help makes me a better rider and I love having something to focus towards. Otherwise all of my rides on my own would end up being a pootle (or bimble) round the lanes and I wouldn't progress.

Progression as a cyclist is what we crave, even if the process of getting better is just small steps. To see the progress is easy if you keep a log of rides/training. It doesn't have to be a bind and reduce you to a mess of noting how many times you've been to loo or weighing food for instance.

So the uphill challenge is on, my route to Flanders has been tougher than I was planning. I'll be in contact with my coach to see what he suggests on geting me ride fit by time end of March. I guess it maybe be even more painful than my comeback sessions in November. But the perverse thing is that I know come the Sportive all the suffering, pain and sweat will be worth it when I beat my own targets, and that is surely the great attraction of any Sportive.

Vredestein, V for Victory - Part Two

Vredestein for many people is a tyre brand that doesn't come into the equation when making a choice for some new rubber. In my world of tyre snobbery I don't take manufacturers seriously unless they make tubs. That statement may seem crazy in the light that I choose not to ride tubs, well it's a bit overkill unless your racing these days. But the reason this is a good measure is that if they make good tubs, generally they will make excellent clinchers. Adding weight to this argument just look at the two big players Continental and Vittoria. Both make fantastic clinchers because of what they know about tubs, although the process is different. I have ridden two recently the first being the Fortezza TriComp Slick and most recently the Fiammante DuoComp.

This winter I decided to take a break from the trusty winter tyres of the last few years. Namely these have been the Vittoria Open Pave and the Continetal GP 4Season. Both of these are expensive crap weather options but both have proved incredibly reliable, which is what you need when going to work or riding in the cold of Winter. Lets face it none of us like changing tubes at the best of times and frankly its a pain in the arse when our hands are cold (and its normally raining), its not my idea of fun. So I decided to go cheaper this year and opt for the Fiammante.

First thing I noticed taking the tyres out of the box was that they were more supple than I was expecting. Fitting the tyres to the wheel you could feel that there was some extra rubber on the sidewalls which should improve protection against flints and small stones which is a problem in this area. Getting the last part of the bead of the tyre over the rim was a pain to say the least and some choice words were used. I put this in part down to the tyre and the wheel, which was a Fulcrum. Being from the Campagnolo family I am not surprised that they were tough as the tolerances are very tight on the rim.

So to the riding. I have been impressed with suppleness of the tyre, considering its price. It doesn't feel like completely like a Race tyre, but it does share some traits. Cornering was inspiring even in the wet, much better than the FTCS previously tested. I was curious to see how the tread would hold up as I went for the red/black option and was hoping that it would wear okay. I've had them on since November with no real issues until recently. Since the snow, ice and frost it has left many a road in a pretty bad state. This pushed the tyres to the limit and yes I have had a couple of punctures.

Would a more expensive tyre been able to withstand the shoddy roads we are left with, well in this case I have to answer a resounding YES. I have been out on my 'Best Bike' and they are currently shod with Fortezza TriComps. Even when I went through areas that I have previously punctured on I had nothing, but that is another review. I put it in part down to the two things that make a better tyre, higher tpi and better quality compound, these enable a tyre to hold out against those determined bits of flint/stone that seem determined to ruin your ride.

Are they a good Winter tyre, well Yes and No. I think in normal weather I probably could have used them all winter long and only taken them off when Spring arrived. The harsh conditions of January expose any weakness in a tyre and the Fiammantes is that it needs better protection. In truth the FTCS offered simple stunning protection as I used them right up till the end of October. Bizarrely I had only one puncture on those tyres and arguably those tyres are completely wrong for me. Okay I appreciate that those tyres cost a heap more than the Fiammantes, but I would expect that puncture protection SHOULD be at the top of the list when selecting features.

So the search goes on for a cheap bombproof Winter Tyre. Until I find one I will still be investing in the expensive options that deliver time and time again. I am sure that if Vredestein really concentrated they could make a kick arse tyre, they can do it at the high end both on clinchers and tubs. Maybe they need to drop a tyre and make one at this price point that would totally wow me, now that would be exciting.

Winter Training starts here!

What the . . . you must be thinking, we are in the middle of Summer. But bear with me as I explain my crazy thoughts. The PRO's normally start training for the Classics around the beginning of October, which frankly is great if you are paid to ride a bike and have no time constraints. I like many of you have a normal job, family and other commitments on my time.



So August is going to be base miles with a couple of long rides thrown in to lay down a solid foundation. September is a little crazy as I loose a week to Eurobike, which is a pretty cool and will provide a decent recovery block. The week before I intend to have a hard week, hitting the 320 km marker.

So once I have made my way through September it nicely leads onto October where the painful sessions begin. These will be focussed on bringing out power and some top end speed. Last time I used this through winter my speed increased by 7 km/ph which was great. Obtaining that magic number again will be the goal plus one other magic number, loosing 10 kg.



Bradley Wiggin's general Tour performance and Thor's mountain stage breakaway has inspired me to shed some pounds. It's going to mean being a little more strict with my diet and some things are just going to have to go until I can reach my goal (like the Harribos). Slow and steady will be my method and knocking a 1/2 a kilo a week is the plan. I am sure to plateau and fall off the wagon but that's the goal I'm going for. I'll keep you posted from time to time on how I am getting on. The big benefit will be when I hit the bergs at the Tour of Flanders, they might not seem so big if I am a bit smaller.