Author Archives: spandelles

20 years on (part 1)

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Last year I rode for 3 hours in January, having been ill after Christmas, but also because life is, well… busy. 2014 is special though. Amongst many changes I have found the time and motivation to ride, partly driven by the probably foolish intention of completing my first Super Randonneur series: my longest completed brevet thus far is 400km, and only twice, with a ten year gap between rides. Last year I only rode a 200 and a 400, and I did not really prepare sufficiently. A long ride with Emma and Rich in April went some way towards preparation for these but I suffered in both, unhelped by some poor navigation and ridiculous weather.

This year is indeed special. It’s a special anniversary for me and @accidentobizaro and fortuitously linked to the Yorkshire hosting of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. I also need to prepare myself mentally for next year’s big challenge, the 2015 Paris Brest Paris randonnée, all 1200km of it. Forcing myself to ride more, and to finally risk a 600km ride (weather and health permitting), is all part of something bigger, quite what time will tell. Part of this has been riding more with others, although I still favour solitude. 23 hours and 500km into 2014 feels a good place to be, a base to build on, and I hope the next weeks will be as kind to me. For those of you that have read my other more personal posts on this blog, you will know that cycling is an integral and yet somewhat problematic part of my life, and I hope I may have succeeded in laying to rest some demons in the last few weeks.

I’ll write more on this special year…

Performance for 25 Passing Vehicles – John Reid

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A naked body lies beside the side of a desolate highway, close to a road sign, next to the carcass of a kangaroo. 25 cars pass…

I met John Reid, the Australian artist, at a conference in Bavaria in 2001. His ‘paper’ turned from an account of his early work into a live performance of The fishman of SE Australia. The transition between the two halves was disturbingly subtle, and left me, how shall I put it, freaked out.

Just a man talking, and a slide projector showing some photographs of the wilderness, with something in it…

The earlier work (Performance for 25 Passing Vehicles) of his came to mind when I was considering the effect getting into a car has on our relationship with the environment, with people, with wildlife.

Time to get off…

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image

So, here it comes: I may need to take a break from cycling for a bit. I have been feeling physically and mentally out of sorts for the last few weeks, and despite some very enjoyable rides the signs are there that I need to change focus: there will certainly be no Festive 500 for me, and I may even eschew the rollers over Christmas. I’ve been here before, and it always amazes me how little riding I did when I was off work with depression – and how little it directly helps my low mood now I am generally better. Cycling has a more background and indirect effect on my health and well-being: prophylactic rather than topical, and like any treatment, dosage needs careful and constant management. There is a constant temptation to increase volume or intensity to fill gaps in life, yet that can lead into a spiral of worsening mood and physical state. It is entirely possible that I’ll feel differently tomorrow or next week, but that’s exactly the point: riding on feel is a reliable way of managing both fitness and psyche once one has learnt to listen to the signs. I am still learning, and it’s a skill I need to remember and practice.

4822 km so far this year, 2539 last year, so a good point to rest!

Review: Café du Cycliste Josette Waterproof Jersey

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WP_20131201_005 (1)WP_20131201_003WP_20131201_007 (1)I recently purchased a waterproof short-sleeved jersey. Rather than go for the ubiquitous Castelli Gabba, I tried a Café du Cycliste Josette: it was reasonably priced and I had the option of trying before buying (thanks to personal service from Victor and Liberty). The jersey has full, waterproof zip, three back pockets covered by a storm flap, longish close-fitting sleeves, and a reflective stripe. It is very light, and has a good cut: the small fits me both with and without a standard jersey underneath. The styling is reservedly ‘fancy’ and the zip an unusual brown, but the ensemble works well together. The jersey isn’t fully waterproof (it’s a good balance between breathability and impermeability), but keeps one warm when wet, is windproof, and if worn with armwarmers and a short-sleeve jersey underneath and vest, toasty enough to keep me happy on rides as cold as 2-3 degrees celsius.

I have only worn the jersey on cold rides so far, but it regulates temperature well, so I am expecting it to function pretty well on wet spring rides. Thumbs up to Côte d’Azur for a versatile and well-designed product.

Cycling and depression: two years on

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In 2011 I wrote about my experiences of depression, how they interacted with changes in the volume and intensity of my cycling, and introduced some academic literature on exercise and mental health. I concluded that although cycling can play a role in moderating negative mood, and possibly even treating depressive illnesses, it can also contribute to depressive symptoms. A recent paper on exercise and mental health provides a detailed overview of the literature in this area (many thanks to Simon Lamb for the tip).

I have had my ups and down over the last few years, but, partly due to a change in my work role, and some growing up from my children, I have maintained a fairly positive outlook. Another thing that has changed is the amount of time I have spent cycling. Throughout 2012 I rode more often and tackled some longer rides, but managed to talk myself out of entering a number of brevets and sportives, and more irritatingly, entered two 200km brevets that I failed to start. Fortunately, I convinced myself that I was capable of completing the long on-road version of the Mills Hills Sportive, which was a breakthrough in my conversion from self-sabotage to gung-ho risk-taker (a brief ride report for Mills Hills Sportive)!

I am currently riding about 120km per week, three times my 2011 average. All of a sudden, having completed three challenging longer rides (including my second 400km, only 10 years after the first), I can see myself completing Super Randonneur series in 2014 and 2015, and even Paris Brest Paris…

The causality here is tangled. Am I riding more, and more confidently, because I am happier, or vice-versa? I think this is the wrong question…

Almost all my riding is solo, but I have had some fun in the hills with some lovely people: thanks Emma and Tiffany, and the riders and organisers of the events I have ridden. My partner in crime @accidentobizaro has been incredibly supportive and encouraging, and when we get the chance, our velodates are always worth waiting for, whether on the track or in the Pennine hills we call home.

Beyond truth and falsehood

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Last night I watched Chris Horner win back the leader’s jersey in the Vuelta. I already knew it had happened, and there wasn’t much to see related to his performance, unlike his quite miraculous climbing the day before. Much has been written on Horner in the last few weeks. I won’t add to that. Instead, listen to A. L. Kennedy talking about lies and truth, in a short radio programme broadcast just after I watched Horner pulling on his red jersey:

Great Pretenders

I don’t care about the truth any more for itself. But I do want people to stop lying, cheating and manipulating. In sport there is a space within which artifice falls away. This space is now corrupted, as is its surrounding context. This situation is not new, but it has become heightened by our realisation that we are being lied to and yet do not really want the truth, or have any confidence that we can recognise it. Only the athlete knows the truth of their preparation, and even there self-deceit can blur reality. This is why anti-doping is always about ethics, and if based solely on detection and punishment will fail. I care about Warren Barguil, not Horner. If Barguil tested positive I would be saddened: another false dawn. If Horner tested positive I would just shrug: he’s a product of a different age.

Quick jaunt to the Humber Estuary

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Kilnsea bendWhat could possibly go wrong? A week of intense work stress and very little sleep followed by my first 400km Audax (randonnée, brevet) in 10 years. Actually, quite a lot, as it turned out, but little of it to do with my physical condition… after all, I know I can cope without sleep and I have more kms in my legs thus far this year than I have achieved since my 20s.

After finishing the ride (I won’t keep you in suspense) I have quite a lot to think about: some good, some bad, and even some very, very ugly!

Continue reading →

Peaks and troughs: a bipolar 200km

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMy last randonneur event was over five years ago, before other priorities took over. It travelled out to the Lancashire coast and returned via the Trough of Bowland. On Sunday I completed the Red Rose Ride, a 200km brevet randonneur organised flawlessly by Dave Dodwell as part of the West Yorkshire SR series. Starting in Halifax, it traces a moderately hilly route out via that same Trough of Bowland, returning via flatter roads. In recognition of my adopted county I wore a lovely limited edition Milltag jersey with a white rose design.

I set out after riding to the start on my sonically-challenged steed (rattling mudguard issue) with a fairly optimistic air, and found myself able to ride in groups and even contribute to some pacemaking, having benefited from my highest quality and volume of training in years. Continue reading →

Bob Jackson rides again…

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After Friday’s epic today needed to be more sedate, so after a little reconstruction I decided to ride my oldest bike. Bob Jackson are located in Bramley, just outside Leeds, and their frames are still good value. This example is probably due a respray, but I haven’t yet managed to decide whether to retain its unusual finish or go for something new. The silver ‘transfers’ are actually stencils, and the dents and scratches are now almost too familiar to lose, tracing past infelicities and insults.

It rides pretty well, and its fork crown is a thing of beauty; lovely vented bottom-bracket shell too. The current build is a but mixed-up, but that’s just me all over, and what I had in the parts bin.

Polocini coffee-shop ride

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Having failed to contribute my efforts to 30 days of biking due to other commitments it seemed apt for me to accept my punishment in the form of a ride to the wonderful Polocini coffee shop in Romily (and back). Over 2700 metres of climbing and about 140 kilometres of chilly riding later I can truly say I have been punished. And I liked it.

Thanks to @waterrat77 for the wheel and the sense of direction.