Buchaille Beag Sportive

The Start

The alarm clock went off at 4:15. A bit early even for me. Up and onward including the bowl of cold porridge prepared the night before. It wasn't pleasant but in the end I think it did the trick. Then out and put the bike on the top of the car. All set and off I go.
This was the start to the day of my first sportive. I had entered the Buchaille Mhor/Beag Sportive after my friend Vic was persuaded to do the same by two of his commuting pals. Neither of us had got the training miles we would have liked but unfortunately events don't wait for you to be ready. I picked up Vic and his other friend Mike and then we really were off. The drive across to Glencoe was uneventful and very pleasant as we drove through the southern Highlands.
By the time we got to the Glencoe mountain ski centre there were already a number of cyclists getting rready for the event. We signed in and got our numbers. Here's mine;

Sportive number

This was an auspicious number as we had decided to do the short version of the sportive which is 86 miles. Of course it doesn't work if you calculate everything in km, where I'd have needed number 140!

The Event

After a little bit of faffing about (changing, bike prep and pocket stuffing) we were ready to go. Mike had been met by a mate of his (Stewart) and they were looking for a faster time than we were so although we left together we knew we wouldn't be with them for long. The organisers were letting riders off in small groups to minimise the impact on the main road through Glencoe. That being said we soon caught up the group in front and we were still with Mike and his mate when Vic's commuting pals (Ally and Steve) also caught us up. At this point I was thinking we might be able to hook up for a while at least and get a tow for the first few miles. Sadly it wasn't to be as Vic's chain popped off when we went over the top of our first hill. And this set the day's format.

Back on the road again we had a lovely descent into Glencoe. A little bit of wind meant that the speeds never got stupid but we soon caught up and overtook the stragglers of the larger group we had been in. Mike, Stewart, Ally and Steve were nowhere to be seen. My main worry about this event had been about riding with other cyclists. I needn't have worried, we didn't see many riders for the rest of the day. Those we did were either going very much more slowly or just hammered past us. Luckily for out egos there weren't so many of the latter.

Having dropped into Glencoe the ride for the next 50 odd miles rolled along without any big hills, just the occasional short sharp incline and some longer drags. The highlight of this section was the applause and encouragement we got from a family beside the road. That was great; it made me feel like a real cyclist.

Vic was suffering with a sore back so we were containing the pace and taking it easy during this middle part of the ride. This gave rise to my day's main entertainment. At around 20 miles I saw a rider in the distance with a bright yellow top on. We dragged him in ever so slowly catching him just before the first feed stop. However, he was faster in and out of the station and it took us a long time for us to spot him again. And even  longer to get past. Where? Just before the 2nd feed stop where the same pattern played out.

We took a longer stop at this feed stop because I knew that from here it was mostly uphill and I wanted Vic to get a decent respite for his back. Back on the road we turned off the main road onto a small Highland B road. Granted the surface wasn't as good but it was virtually traffic free which made a nice change. This road works its way up Glen Orchy and steadily gains height in small steps, none too steep but a few steeper than I would have liked. We passed a rider who we'd met at the feed station who had instructed us to give him some encouragement. We did our duty.

For most of this beautiful glen we rode behind two girls, catching them up ever slow slowly. They had plenty of puff left to chat all the way whereas we just rode on in comparative silence. The occasional "are you ok?" or "isn't the scenery nice?". Eventually the girls went single file and we slipped by. I found it interesting to see how long it took to get past people and also then how fast they seem to drop behind. I think it is a perception thing as later in the glen we could still hear the girls despite feeling that they should be miles behind.

Rejoining the main road at Bridge of Orchy brought us to the last section of the day. A drag from the hotel, a fast descent from there and I was at Loch Tulla right beside the bottom of only true climb of the day. You may have noticed that I said I. Vic had given me clear instructions that I was to ride at my pace for this bit. While I had been keeping my eye out for him, I wasn't aware that his chain had popped off the chainring again as we came off the long drag. Otherwise I think he would have been right there with me.

The climb itself wasn't exactly hard but it wasn't easy either. Definitely a case of popping the bike in the granny gear and finding a rhythm. I managed that and worked my way up the hill. The worst thing about this part of the ride was the traffic; especially the motorbikes. I've written about this before but they really do need to give cyclists more respect. I know that I now have very little sympathy for motorcyclists who complain about their treatment by car drivers.

One more small descent to the last ramp gave me a chance to stop and look back to check on Vic. I could see him not far behind and he had some company. That gave me enough confidence to ride on. The last drag gave me the opportunity to overtake my man in the yellow jacket one more time. We'd passed him near the end of the Glen Orchy but he'd re-passed me as I looked back. It was here that I finally gave my inner chimp  a little bit of free reign. There was couple out in front of me but I wasn't able to catch them on the climb. That left me working hard on the downhill to the turn off for the mountain centre. The wind was back here and not helping. A little way before the turn off I managed to overtake them.

However, we still had some work to do and I hadn't realised how much. The last 0.7 mile into the car park is still part of the course and it is uphill. It's also one of these little single track roads that looks like it was laid on the ground without any smoothing of the terrain. And closer to car park it gets very steep. This was definitely the hardest part of the day. The couple passed me on the lower slopes but I found my rhythm again  and managed to get by once more. Getting to the finish I unclipped and stood astride my bike, done in for a few seconds.

By the time I'd found the car and popped the bike beside it Vic was pulling his way up to the finish himself. A great ride considering the pain he was riding through.

Afters

I'd finished in 5:37 which was well within my 6 hour goal. With 5:15 of actual cycling in that it is proabably one of my fastest long rides ever. A great result. We met the others who'd been finished for about 45 minutes by the time we got there. That was a really impressive effort. I don't think we could have got close to that even without the chain difficulties.

Coffee, chat, then some more faffing about before the journey back to our part of the country. Thanks go to Vic and Mike for keeping me awake on the way home and also keeping me fed with wine gums and savoury flapjacks. Big thanks also go to Mike for popping the bikes onto the bike racks before we left Glencoe. I'm not sure I could have managed that.

I should also say that the organisation of the ride with signage, marshals and feed stations was superb. All the people involved made us feel welcome which was great. The feed stops were superb with lots of choice of fluids and food. Very welcome in any case. The other cyclists were all friendly, even those blazing past.

A great day out and I'm sure I'll do it again. Maybe the long one next time. And as a training ride for the planned 200 it was perfect. Although slightly worrying.

The ride

Is Spring here?

New Tech

Given the lack of road miles during March April has positively boomed with opportunities. It really started on the last day of March with the chance to go out and do a few more miles than I've been getting in recently. It was also a chance to try out my new purchase. With the plan to ride 200 miles in one day this year I decided to buy a proper saddle bag. After much deliberation I picked the Carradice Super C Audax Saddlebag along with the SQR Quick Release clamp  from the same company. Installation was relatively smooth, the only bug bear being the requirement to remove the seat post every time you want to put the clamp on and off. This may seem a minor point but my small saddle bag doesn't fit onto the bike with the clamp fitted. However, the small bag is almost at the end of its life (holes everywhere) so maybe I can find one that will fit with the clamp.
The quick release part is ingenious meaning that the bag just clips on and off. It does, of course, add a little weight to the bike which is noticeable at first but I got used to it. I'll just need to get fitter! For my test ride I popped my small bag in along with my waterproof and my small camera. For a day trip it will be just fine. Jersey pockets will still be used for food etc with the bag being used for the extras. Here's a couple of pictures of it attached to the bike.

From the back. See how it sits away from the saddle.

And from the side. Mudguards and bag - audax anyone?

When riding I felt no interference from the bag at all or any feeling of it swinging around. All very pleasing. Given I have a beard does this make me a typical audax'er?

Rides

The throes of winter are still not over and we have been plagued with easterly winds despite the weather being generally better. Living on the east coast that means that most of my rides recently have finished with me battling against the elements to varying degrees. The ride with the bag mentioned above had me in full tuck for a lot of the ride home from Newburgh trying to keep the speed up against the breeze. Hard work for me and my less than supple back.



The next ride was a bit of a departure for me. Straight from work with my colleague Vic, with whom I am doing a Sportive this month. 86 miles in and around Glencoe. With the weather not conducive to training, I have done little while Vic has only been doing his normal commute. By normal I have to say that 100 miles a week is pretty impressive, especially given the recent conditions. To give him some extra miles and hills we went out work. Good fun, especially the fast start. Of course, into the wind on the way home was not so nice.



Making the most of the weather I got in a mid week ride, again with a difference. I had the afternoon off, so left work, came home and went out. I got back to St. Andrews in time to pick Vic up again and repeat some of our earlier route before I came home once again and, of course, into the wind once again. My first 100km ride of the year and one that had an almost apline feel to it as the banks of snow were piled up high on the higher roads.



Sadly winter reared its ugly head for the next training ride. A flat spin around the Howe of Fife again with Vic; just trying to get some longer rides into his legs but this time wit nothing strenuous. The cold, the wind and the rain made it plenty tough enough, thanks. It beat being stuck at home and it is always good to have those kind of experiences tucked away for later. Into the wind on the way home again has to be hardening me up for something!



One way and another it was another 5 days before I got back on the bike. And this time it felt almost spring-like. I was still dressed for winter, the one concession being a short-sleeved shirt sandwiched between my windproof and base layers. It made a change from the long sleeved ones I have been wearing. A beautiful day with mostly dry roads apart from the the Hazelton walls to Newburgh stretch which was soaking wet. It's funny how road conditions can change so suddenly.
The one notable part of the ride was a new hill. I've come down this stretch of road plenty of times and always wondered what it would be like to go up. Now I know. It will definitely be attempted again. Now I know what it is like I'm sure it will be fine to do again. But it wasn't easy. No sir! For those of you interested it is the hill on the way from Freuchie to Kennoway via the back road, just after the A911. Try it if you want but you have been warned; it's not easy.
The customary wind had risen while I was out to make the ride home from Kennoway "interesting" (or slow as I like to call it).



I think Spring may be on its way. All I need now is for the wind to blow from the west to make my ride(s) home easier....

Observation

I've been trying quite hard recently to make sure my heart rate stays within reasonable bounds as much as possible. This should have the benefit of keeping me fresh for the latter stages of the ride as well as keeping my legs in good shape. Obviously, when your a bit more of a Clydesdale than a waif, hills are never going to be easy places to achieve this but I've been trying to set a good slow tempo (speed) before I need it in the hope that my heart rate will rise more slowly. The results are interesting. I am slower, especially on the hills, but I feel better for it. And it does appear to give me more for when I really need it. Like the hill described above.
And surely it's better to be able to cycle along and enjoy the view, the environment and the exercise than feeling like your insides are about to explode. Not that this will stop me pushing it on the turbo, or at spin class. But I suspect that's the place for it.

Safer in the garage

It was great to be back out on the road today. Having not been out since February I have been going slightly crazy looking at the back of garage door if I'm on the turbo or at the gym walls if I decide to go and train there. The weather was just warm enough and with no snow since yesterday the roads were nicely dry thanks to the March sun.

I needed my long-sleeved thermal, long sleeved shirt and long-sleeved windproof on today with bib shorts, longs and full fingered gloves. I was only just cosy, only needing to un-zip the windproof a little on the biggest climb of the day.
An easterly breeze kept me honest down to Crail and provided help on the way across to Anstruther where a traffic jam made me change my route and head up to Arncroach. On this road I had the kind of excitement I can do well without.

Approaching a little chicane type feature in the road I was aware of car right on my back wheel. The second bend sits in a little dip with a rise beyond and it's just a little narrower there than before or afterwards. So I went right, left and made sure I was riding well out from the gutter to go up the rise. And as I came out of the second corner "BEEEP" from the car behind. He overtook after the rise on the clear straight but as he went passed he made it plain he was unhappy that he couldn't overtake in the dip. I tried to make it plain that I decide where I ride my bike on the road, not him. I don't enjoy the conflict but I refuse to be intimidated. I'm always keen to let people past, if I think it is safe; not otherwise.

View Larger Map
Would you overtake on the outside of this left hand bend?

The rest of the ride was uneventful and I thoroughly enjoyed working against the breeze using a higher gear than normal and a lower cadence. It seems my gym work over the winter has given my legs a little more deployable strength.

The Ride

Idiot Road User of the Day

No prizes for guessing who. See above.

Road User of the Day

As the absolute opposite of the driver above great praise goes to the tractor driver, trimming the hedgerow from the road, who stopped all activity to make it safer for me to overtake him. Two very different experiences all within a mile of each other. He restored my faith in humanity a little.

Wind and route planning

With the terrible weather we've been having recently I've been reading about cycling more than actually turning the pedals over. And one of my favourite subjects is training and ways of making sure it's correct. One tip I have seen many times is to plan your circular routes so that you ride into any wind in the beginning hoping that when you come to ride for home you get a little assistance.

On the whole I think this is a great idea. There are many benefits in terms of energy saving, temperature control and, most importantly I feel, the psychological advantage of an easier ride home. But it is exactly this dimension that should be challenged. Every now and again plan your ride the other way around. Ride with the wind on the way out and work against the elements on the way back.

If you do this, and make it home under your own steam, then you gain the mental preparation for cycling against the wind when tired. This will be a benefit when you have to do it because the elements are against you when you can't choose your route. It's similar to going out in the rain. Once you get over the fear or feeling of injustice it becomes easier to deal with. It might not be ideal but sometimes we don't get what we wish for.

Living in a place where one direction faces the sea makes you realise that finishing a ride into the wind can have its benefits. I'd like to have the choice though! If you are lucky enough to have the choice try this out and put the experience in the bank.

The art of being injured

It's been quite on the cycling front recently. As much as anything that has to do with the weather but then, just short of two weeks ago, I got injured. Correctly speaking I injured myself which really is the height of stupidity. For me that stupidity was caused by attempting DIY. I really, really should know better. Hopefully, by committing this to the world out there, I will finally put that lesson into my brain.

The short story is that I was trying to repair a couple of areas in our kitchen with missing tiles. And I was cutting a tile to fit a particularly awkward space when the tile slipped and neatly sliced a relatively deep cut into my the back of my hand. I dressed it by slapping a plaster on it and walked round to our local minor injuries department. Having peered in and seen something white I wasn't taking any chances. The nurses concurred. By the time I got home it looked like this.

Not as bad as it looks.

Most of the dressing was there to stop me moving my fingers and doing more damage. And that's where the trouble really starts. Because, you see, I also wasn't allowed to get the dressing wet. Apparently the steri-strips wouldn't have liked that. And that would have been bad for the "laceration". Of course, getting it wet, also included getting it sweaty. And that meant time away from training. Any form of training! This did not make me happy. This condition lasted a week which resulted in missing the best weekend we've had this year for getting out. I was gutted!

However, I had learnt my lesson from the last time I was forced off the bike. And this time I kept my cool, rested up and waited. Three days after the injury was done it was redressed and, despite it being much better, the strips were to stay in place until they'd been there a week. Then they could come off naturally but I wasn't allowed to pull them.

I had also realised that although there was no pain from the cut, trying to use the hand wasn't so pain-free. Which isn't great as a left-hander. Writing is still sore and occasionally I pull up short and go "Ow!".
But he good thing is that it's been all right this week for turbo training. I'm not convinced about being out on the road but the weather has put paid to that anyway. We appear to have descended into winter.
For those interested the cut now looks like this.

Healing nicely

I was lucky to miss the knuckle, the nerves, the tendons and any veins. Phew!

So the art of being injured is definitely one of patience. I'm just glad I wasn't out of action for long. So was the Significant Other! Now I just have to remember to stay away from that deadly DIY.

Double G

Before any readers get excited (or incensed) the title of this post has salacious about it. In my case "double G" indicates that most of my riding this year has been done in the gym or in the garage. On spin bikes or the turbo trainer respectively. Whilst this kind of riding is great for training it's no substitute for being out on the road.

If you are stuck indoors and struggle to keep motivated I'd like to share something with you. The first thing is to have a definite plan of what you are going to do. I find it much easier if I know the plan, goals, work out type etc before I get on the bike. Otherwise you risk just floating along for a while and not really working out. Indoor training is an excellent chance to define the structure of you ride.

There a numerous turbo trainer workouts on the web but I've found success from two very different sources. First is the excellent turbo trainer guide from Rebecca Ramsay which you can get here. If you need more motivation then I've had great success using the training videos from Sufferfest. I find them very engaging even after multiple plays. I made the Significant Other laugh when I described crossing the line, arms aloft all in the comfort of my garage!

One other thing I've tried is to take one of your regular rides and make it into a turbo training session. You need to work out intervals, resistances and nominal cadences but it is worth it to create a bespoke workout. I found this useful when I hadn't been on the road for a couple of weeks and was missing it.

As I've said I use the turbo in the garage. This is not ideal as it tends to be cold. If you are stuck in the garage (or similar) I would like to suggest two things. First make sure you warm up for long enough. There's nothing worse than trying to train with cold muscles. It doesn't work and you may harm yourself. The second is make sure you have enough clothes on to keep you warm. I actually find it more comfortable to wear longs on my legs and a long sleeved top. I find this way keeps the sweat more under control and keeps things like the forearms and knees warm on longer sessions. Try it if you get cold sometimes; you may also find it works for you!

One last thing on my indoor work. I have engineered a solution for the spin bikes at my gym so I can at least get a cadence reading. It involves a second cadence sensor for my Garmin, and a reflective strap. Going to the gym is a nice change and there is always stuff going on to to keep you from getting bored. If I want to workout to one of the videos above I can play them on my phone, otherwise I can just listen to some music. But the cadence reading is key. Perhaps your gym will have more technological spin bikes.

Getting out

The last two weekends have seen the weather just about ok for cycling. Both days were windy, last weekend particularly so and this weekend's ride was also rather cold. I had a bit of a disaster recording last week's ride so won't actually post it here. All I can say is that if you use a Garmin on multiple bikes remember to set it back to the correct bike. And if you manually stop it recording when you pause to sort it out, remember to restart it! I was a muppet....

I didn't think I would get out this weekend and was preparing to pop on the turbo tyre and also preparing to enjoy the view of my garage again. But the outside beckoned and the temperature was right on my cut-off so I went out to see what was what. It was surprisingly pleasant and I really felt that my indoor training is beginning to show results. Not that I was especially quick or anything, but I felt like my body was under less stress for the same sort of result. That's always got to be good.

The ride

Just a couple of other cyclists today. Another roadie coming up from Cupar to Pitscottie looking like it was hard work. It probably was, he'd have been cycling into the wind and uphill. An unpleasant combination. Then the mountain bike user who was also having trouble getting speed up on the downhill from Largoward towards Elie. This is a road where I usually have to watch that I don't get too fast. Today it was hard work to get up to 20mph. We shared a word as I went past. I hope he enjoyed the rest of his ride.

Road users of the day

A lot of great driving today. Plenty of space being given, overtaking at appropriate places etc. Thanks to all of you who drive like this. It is very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the friendly thank you waves I often make.

Idiot road user of the day

Of course there is always the flip side of the coin. And today it was the very few cars who seem to think that I only need a little space even if there is nothing coming the other way. I can see why I get squeezed sometimes; not that I can condone overtaking me when something is coming the other way but I do understand it. But I fail to get the squeeze when there's nothing coming on the other side of the road. Just get on the other side of the white lines please!

I especially enjoyed the overtaking manoeuvre from the Vauxhall Astra who overtook me with other traffic coming the other way. Cheers....

2013 - A year of challenges

Let me say a slightly late Happy New Year!

Here we are already into the 3rd week in January 2013. I can't quite believe how time has flown by. It only seems a very short time ago since I was planning a 2 day ride across Scotland. Given that went well and didn't put me off cycling forever, what have I got planned for this year? So far two voyages into the unknown.

1-Day, 200 miles

The eagle eyed among you will notice there's a link to a new page on the blog at the moment. My major focus this year for cycling will be an attempt at 200 miles in one day. And being me, not any 200 miles. Either click the links elsewhere on this page or alternatively use this link; 200 miles.

A Sportive

As odd as it may sound I'm more worried about this than the 200 mile challenge above. The thought of cycling along with many more cyclists doing the same route on the same day fills me with a little apprehension. I think it will be tough going from a solo-rambler to being on a route where people may consider themselves to be racing. I won't. Speed, at least in comparison to the speed of others, is not really my bag.

But it's all set up and I have entered this event; the Buchaille Mhor/Beag Sportive

The other things that worry me slightly about this event are the roads it's being run on. They are all pretty much busy trunk roads. So we'll see how that goes.

I'm not alone this time; one of my colleagues is riding it too and another pair of cyclists he knows. So we may team up and blast away at it.

The year so far

Training is well under-way again although the main brunt of it has been either on spin bikes in the gym or on the turbo trainer in the garage. I have discovered the wonder of Sufferfest videos as an addition to the training regime. They are insanely motivational and surprisingly fun. Check them out if you have trouble with getting going on a turbo or spin bike. I'm also going to try one from 3 legs cycling who have Mark Cavendish in some of their videos. I'll let you know how those go.

The other thing I have done this year is give my bike a service. Pretty much all of it got taken apart and put back together again which resulted in me missing a lovely weekend for cycling. But it needed done and I thought is was easier to do it while I was replacing the chain.

Hence the only road ride I've done this year is this one; a lovely night ride to give the bike a shakedown and the opportunity to find out if I'd put it back together properly. So far so good!