Yellow Card

Like so many good ideas they appear simple, but it usuaully requires somebody else to do it. I stumbled along this post via the The Blue and The Red as he's moved to a new site. I really like the site as they (the Americans) bring the Punk to Road Cycling. Where Europe brings history, drama and passion. Being in the UK we tend to embody both parts and absorb all cultures while not forgetting the wealth of our own. But I digress as that is not the point of the post.

I lived in London for a long time, in many ways it feels like a lifetime. Commuting through London on a daily business I would have so loved one of these to throw at a car.

 

Pete Miller, is the artist who produced it

So often I used to get angry at the near misses thinking that they where trying to kill me. Near death experiences can envoke the 'Red Mist' and I have chased after cars and given them a mouth full. Age is a great mellower and you realise, it is much like the idiots who cross the road while looking at their phone, i-pod or whatever, that people get wrapped up in whatever they are doing. It's just with a car it's pretty scary at times as you can feel very vunerabal.

So living in West Sussex, is it a bunch of roses. No, but in general there is a different mood. In the week I commute much as I did in London except that the sounds of the city have been replaced on half of my journey by sounds of the countryside. The other half is urban sprawl and has many of the same issues as London, just in a micro version. Modern life can be stressful with people rushing here and there, so the same issues arise. Many drivers have no concept of how quick a cyclist can go, and if they are a quick fit person they can easierly keep pace with the traffic.

Some drivers love it, and I can remember on many occasions car drivers coming along and saying of you where doing X miles an hour. Of course you get those who think that you are the roadways version of a rat or a pigeon and so it is there job to rid you off the road.

Weekend riding around the lanes of West Sussex and Hampshire has been on the whole very respectful to cyclists. Maybe there are more drivers who consider themselves a cyclist, or is it that outdoor pursuits here are common place and for everyone?

Radical as it may seem but I think that the major cycling organizations in the UK should get these made, to spread the message that beyond the lycra there is a person, a father, mother, brother, sister or friend and that we all have to care for another. Pipe dreams maybe, but change doesn't come by doing nothing.

Fleche Wallonne _Video Hi-Lights

These are some video hi-lights of Wednesday's race. On the co-commentary is Eddy Merckx, how cool is that.




The Muur de Hoy is crazy, such a monster of a climb compared to Amstel.

Amstel Gold Pro Race

I watched a bit of this while cooking lunch, from roughly 80km to go. I was keeping up with it until around 30km to go and then we decided that we'd have some frisby and kite time. This proved to be a great time. I got a text from Belgian saying 'I told you so'. A couple of texts more and I had found out that Gilbert had won.
 


I like the bit at 6:43 where Ivanov goes. He looks pretty cool in his national jersey and matching bike. Gilbert, climbing out of the saddle, responds at 7:22, the chase is on. On the second clip we rejoin the race with 7km to go. Klobnev is off the front with an Elite small chasing group of Gilbert, Cunego, Schleck (F) and Ivanov.



I am so pleased for Phillipe Gilbert. So often he has been the strongest in the race but a lack of paitence has betrayed his chances of the win. Today he didn't panic and waited and finally made the decisive attack. This takes a bit of pressure in the Lotto camp.

1. Phillippe Gilbert
2. Ryder Hesjedal
3. Enrico Gasparotto

The Question that is always asked

I've worked in the bike industry for a long time and there is one question you are always asked, whether it comes from a colleauge, a supplier or a friend, 'have you been riding much'. The answer can change depending on your level of honesty, but I always think people never truly believe you. The pursuit of being fit is as widely sought after as hitting sales targets, making sure the customer is happy and making sure that the deadlines are met. The problem is, working in the Trade fitness can be a hard thing to keep on top of.

You'd think because you work with bicycles you'd have bags of time to ride. In reality this is never the case. Working in the shop  meant long days, in for 8:30 and leaving at 6:30 meant that by time you were home it left little time to train, as I've worked in all parts of the industry it's the same from all sides. I have employed the services of a coach, mainly to give some focus and to make sure that I'm not hanging out of my arse come time to ride a Sportive.

So my answer to the eternal cycling question 'have you been riding much', well my normal reply is 'No not enough, but is it ever enough' there are of course times when this isn't the case, but usually the person knows that answer before is given, as you actually look like you've been on the bike.

Paris Roubaix - Spartacus enters the arena

Cancellara was stunning today, truly in a class of his own. I have been thinking since the finish, which was the most impressive, de Ronde or Roubaix. The move on the Muur was stunning and showed how much power he can deliver for such long periods. It proves what many people say in that long distance Time Trailing can be a benefit to Road Racing. But thinking about it Roubaix was the more stunning of the two, and for two clear reasons. In Flanders Cancellara was protected from the wind until about 80km to go, this left him bags of energy for the final bergs, in Roubaix the Team where spent well before this period as the action looked way hotter. He basically did more work. Again Fabian had another slick bike change, maybe he'll be doing some Cyclocross in the off season. The second reason was from how far out he attacked, nearly 50km is a long way. Boonen again was left isolated much earlier on than Cancellara, Flecha and Hushovd, again this meant just like in Flanders he had to do too much work. If I was a Quick-Step DS I'd be pretty pissed off today.

Specialized, Zipp and Sram will no doubt be using the victories over the last seven days heavily in the advertizing in the next few months. For Specialized they are 3/3, which for a bike manufacturer is a great piece of kudos. Sram are adding Monument wins like olives to a pizza, this is a great testiment to the quality of the product and how it's designed. I bet they are super pleased that the bikes didn't have the brake issues of last week. Zipp may well be the most pleased of all three. The cobbled wheel project was started some years ago, at least three, maybe four. The goal was to make a wheelset that could withstand the impact that driving a wheel into a cobble at 50kmph could yeald. They proved last year with Hushovd that they could last the course, this year they where used to win (and to grab second and fourth).

So the question on my lips is 'what else can he win', Fabian has talked about winning all five monuments. Liege-Bastogne-Liege may be difficult for Cancellara as it normally favours a rider who is more of a pure climber, but I never underestimate self belief and desire. Giro di Lombardia is well within his reach, although no walk in the park, he should be able to bag it. The question is how soon will he manage it. He's only 29 so he has some time to add them to his list and become only the fourth person to do so.

Paris Roubaix and SAXO Bank

The race is on as I write this and I can't wait for the live pictures to kick in. I've spent the morning looking at pictures of the riders kit and I think the best prepared (equipment wise) Teams are Cervelo, SKY and SAXO Bank. All of these Teams have Special bikes, but the prototype SL3 Roubaix along with the new Pinarello KOBH have caught my eye.

From what I can see of the Specialized bike only Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady have one. The rest of the Team will be on a SL2 Roubaix, but these are not stock geometry, but are much closer to a Tarmac, particularly in the head tube length. The Pro bikes look smart, sensible and well balanced. The consumer is sold the dream 'ride the bike Fabian rides', but you can't as it isn't available. The good news is if that the UCI clamps down on bikes being rode in the peloton being available for sale to the general public may force Specialized (and other manufacturers) to actually make it available.

I've always wanted a 'Roubaix/Vlaanderen Style' bike, as I love the cobbles and the extra comfort that could be achieved by good bike design and a bit more tyre room would be welcome. What has put me off is that the commercial version is stacked up at the front like a chopper. I know for many this is the Holy Grail in comfort for some, for me it is a bridge too far (and for the record I'm not super flexible).

Some photos:

As you can see from Fabian's position on the bike it replicates his Tarmac shape, with maybe only a slightly longer headtube. Comfort will come from the frames added length, Zertz and the different lay-up of the carbon.

You can see Hoj aboard the Roubaix SL2 and Cancellara on the proto SL3. Interesting to note that Fabian is happy to run the Zipp 303 wheel whereas Frank is using an Ambriso/DT setup. Both riders are using the much favoured FMB tyres. These look like to be the same ones they used last year in Roubaix.

Although Breschel has been touted by some areas of the Cycling Press as being a contendor, I'd only rate him on a three star chance. His build looks better suited to Flanders than the pounding of Roubaix. But I could be wrong. Maybe Specialized think so as it's only the previous winners of Roubaix on the Team that have recieved the new bike.

So a few final tweeks and the riders where off. Good luck to all riders today.

Michael Barry, the Pro's PRO

Michael Barry is described by many as the 'Pro's PRO', and rightly so. Being part of USPS, T-Mobile, Columbia and now SKY his services are rightly in high demand. The hard work and commitment to the cause is for all to see. We know he is tough, the work he did at the Ronde van Vlaanderen last week was there for the whole world to see. If you looked up on Wiki the definition of  'Super Domestique', Barry's name should be there.

If you have never had chance to take a look at Michael's blog you should do so. He has a new book coming out with photographs by Camille J McMillan. It's been two years in the making so I reckon it'll be a pretty special book. The words of Barry and the images of Camille should provide an amazing book. I feel it'll be more a bottle of red book, rather than a coffee table one as you may want to spend a lot longer looking at it than a mug of coffee lasts (and if you don't drink, maybe two coffees).

I was first really switched on to Mike by a friend of his Dad's called Bob Zeller. Bob was a bit of a journalist in his day and has written articles for many Cycling magazines both in the UK, USA and his native Canada (google Bob Zeller, cycling and a few things come up). He can tell a great story and those that he has told me about his experiences of interviewing some of the World's Greatest Cyclists are like nectar to a bee for me. He was also very gracious and encouraging when I first started to write/blog. I was (and in many ways still am) an over enthusiastic amateur in this arena, but spending moments with him where very precious.

As well as turning me on to Mike Barry Jnr, he also switched me onto Mike Barry Snr. Although I am not into retro bikes, I do love a well executed functional bike which has been created for a purpose. Mike (Snr) had a massive part to play in setting up .randonneurs ontario. Long distance French style cycling, while not racing par se, was every bit as tough and gruelling as some of the big one day Classics or shorter Tours. Mike (Snr) was also a framebuilder of some note, building bicycles for this and many disciplines. Unfortunately I became aware as he was winding down his business and is no longer making bikes. His work thankfully can be seen online here and I think that amongst the over macho names that fill the cycling world he chose one of the most beautiful, Mariposa.

The Mariposa (in English Butterfly) captures so much about the cyclist. At first we are all none cyclists, caterpillars who feed on both information and strange bars and drinks to encourage us to grow. One day it happens and we go into a cocoon and come out transformed into a Butterfly, or the Cyclist. This experience of the coccon isn't sleep driven, but it is driven by the experience of the ride, of the journey. That is the thing that changes the person. It can be one event or many events, and unlike the Butterfly whose experience is a once in a lifetime journey, as a Cyclist it is something we are continually on.

Thanks to Mike Barry for sharing some of his life, a life well lived and well written.
http://michaelbarry.ca/