Issue 05 by Sportif Magazine

ISSUE

HARDKNOTT HELL

The 2002 Fred Whitton Revisited T R A D VA L U E S

The Harp Hilly 100 ON TEST

Beacon BF_ 22, Condor Fratello Disc R E T RO

Hutchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Autumn Epic

FREE

C OV E R H A R D K N O T T PA S S F R E D W H I T TO N PH OTO G R A PH E R STEVE FLEMING

E D I TO R I A L I SSU E 0 5

Rising To The Challenge E D I TO R RICHARD HALLETT

04 THE SCENE

richard@sportifmagazine.com

1 0 H A R P H I L LY H U N D R E D

DEPUTY EDITOR D AV I D H A R M O N

1 2 S E L L E I TA L I A T U R B O 1980

david@sportifmagazine.com O P E R AT I O N S D I R E C TO R JOSEPHINE MARSH

josephine@sportifmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS ALEX BERESFORD STEPHEN BAKER GUY LITESPEED SIMON SMYTHE RO H A N D U B A S H R E A N N E A T H E RT O N MICHAEL HUTCHINSON T I M L AW S O N B E N C H A D D E RT O N STEVE FLEMING A N DY J O N E S L U C Y M O N RO JIMI THOMSON H E N RY I D D O N S T R AVA

1 4 M E M O RY B L A N C 18 BEHIND BARS 24 GENETIC FENDER 2 6 C O N D O R F R AT E L L O DISC 27 BEACON BF_22 28 AUTUMN EPIC 2008 32 FRED WHITTON 2002 3 6 T R A I N I N G P E DA L L I N G CADENCE 3 8 I S S T R AVA RU I N I N G YO U R C YC L I N G ( A N D YO U R L I F E ) ?

AD SALES PAT R I C K T R A I N O R

4 2 V I R G I N T E R R I T O RY

sales@sportifmagazine.com

44 PEDDLERS IN THE MIST

DESIGN PA R E N T

47 NEWS

www.madebyparent.com PUBLISHER P RO J E C T 7 R A C I N G LT D @ S P O RT I F M A G U K S P O RT I F M A G A Z I N E S P O RT I F M A G A Z I N E . C O M

• • • • • •

THE SCENE RIDES KIT PREP R E T RO REGIONAL

The recent London Bike Show attracted thousands of eager riders through the doors of ExCel to check out the latest on offer to the UK sportiviste. The vast majority of the visitors who undertook our Sportif Magazine reader’s survey were, maybe not surprisingly, men but what was surprising was the effect that the Ride To Work scheme seems to have had on the marketplace, with the greatest number of machines owned being from the sub £1000 bracket. Interesting too was the clear maturing of the sportive market. Punters aren’t willing to put their hard earned pounds on the table for the ‘number, energy gel and goody bag’ option anymore. Riders want something with ‘added value’, and they want a challenge. Whether the market can rise to the challenge remains to be seen but with Grand Fondo NI, The Moser Sportif and the rumoured ‘Mighty Corinthian’ retro it doesn’t look like it’ll be through lack of effort on the part of the organisers. Ride Safe D AV I D H A R M O N DEPUTY EDITOR

•

THE SCENE

Tour of Cambridgeshire ‘disappointed’ with British Cycling The inaugural Tour of Cambridgeshire, which will take place on closed roads this June, has expressed its disappointment at having so far not secured the backing of British Cycling in trying to make the event a qualifying round for the UCI Amateur World Championships. “We want to work with British Cycling to make this happen and we can’t quite understand the logic of withholding that support from the event,” says Graham Temple, organiser of the 10,000 place event, “they are quite happy to back Velothon in Wales and Ride London, we have all the relevant closures and insurance providers in place and, while we won’t fall out with them, it’s very disappointing.” The UCI has expressed

a strong interest in having a qualifying round within the United Kingdom, which it views as very important to the development of the sport, and the Tour of Cambridgeshire already has a 3 year contract with the world’s governing body in the hope of hosting the World Championships in 2017. However, according to the UCI criteria the event must have the backing of the National Federation to do so. “We want to make this a world class event. Britain did the Olympics well, we did the Tour de France well and all we want to do is to do the Tour of Cambridgeshire well” says Temple. WWW.TOUROFCAMBRIDGESHIRE.COM

One cyclist and his 75,065 mile target As Sportivistes most of us have our cycling goals, but it’s doubtful our targets are quite as ambitious as the one that Steve Abraham set out to conquer on 1st January of this year; a quite staggering and scarcely comprehensible 75,065 miles, the equivalent of riding

around the world three times in a single year. That fantastic and unimaginable distance is the year record set by Tommy Godwin in 1939, a time before exotic carbon ﬁbre frame materials, electronic gears, aero wheels

and high tech synthetic cycling clothing. Godwin’s bike weighed more than 30lb (14kg), more than most people’s bikes. 40-year-old Abraham is doing his attempt on a Raleigh Sojourn, a steel-framed mudguard and disc-equipped touring bike not that dissimilar to the sort of bike Godwin cycled. The year record is without doubt the pinnacle of all distance records, and it’s testament to Tommy Godwin’s deep reserves of physical endurance that the record has stood unchallenged for such a long time. Steve Abraham has boldly set his sights on this record, haven taken a year oﬀ work and enlisted an army of volunteers to support him. He’s no professional, but a vastly experienced Audax cyclist who knows what it takes to ride a very long way. How is he getting on? As we write this, he has completed an unbelievable 5,743 miles in January. How many miles have you ridden in January? That’s despite the bitterly cold weather and treacherous icy roads and a temperature rarely rising above zero - yet Steve is starting every day at 5am and clocking over 200 miles because to break Godwin’s record, he needs to average at least 205 miles a day… for the rest of the year. So next time you’re umming and ahhing about a ride because it’s a bit cold out, just think of Steve, who will be out there slowly pounding out the miles with his sights set on the 31st December, when he might just be a record breaker. Sportif Magazine wishes him the best of luck. WWW.ONEYEARTIMETRIAL.ORG.UK

•

THE SCENE

FROM WARM UP TO CLEAN UP. @SECRETRAININGCC @SECRETRAININGCC

Designed to be with you every step, stroke or pedal Designed be with you every step, stroke or pedal of-the-way.toFrom warm-up to clean-up the STRIP of-the-way. From warm-up to clean-up the STRIP product range carries, invigorates, protects, sanitises, product range carries, invigorates, sanitises, calms, cools, moisturises, nourishes,protects, soothes and cleans. calms, cools, moisturises, nourishes, soothes and cleans.

/SECRETTRAININGCC /SECRETTRAININGCC

SHOP ONLINE NOW SHOP ONLINE NOW SECRET-TRAINING.COM SECRET-TRAINING.COM

Cycling legend Francesco Moser is to make a rare visit to the UK in September 2015, when he will be present at an event new to the UK calendar to be known as the Francesco Moser Sportive Great Britain. ‘Il Cecco’, as Moser is widely known in his native Italy, has been persuaded to visit and ride in the UK by his friend and tandem riding partner Vic Haines, a noted ﬁgure on the British racing scene for many years. Best-known for his two 1984 hour records and for winning the Paris-Roubaix classic three times on the trot, Moser was a strong sprinter and great rouleur with a powerful build that limited his performance in the mountains. World road race champion in

1977, he enjoyed a long career that included a controversial win over Laurent Fignon in the Giro d’Italia, ﬁve wins in the two-up Baracchi Trophy time trial, two Tours of Lombardy and one Milan-San Remo as well as numerous stage wins in the Giro and two in the Tour de France. The Francesco Moser Sportive Great Britain will take place on Sunday 20th September 2015 and will be preceded by a gala dinner on the Saturday night where diners will have a chance to meet Moser himself. The next day, the great man will take to the start line of a route that is slated to cover some 65 miles/100km, starting from Southend and threading

through scenic Essex countryside via Hockley, Battlesbridge, Woodham, Fambridge, Southminster and Maldon before heading back to Southend from the Haningﬁelds. Full details of the event including a website with online entry have yet to be ﬁnalised and will be published in Sportif Issue 6. In the meantime, anyone interested in taking part can visit the Moser sportive’s Facebook page: FACEBOOK.COM/THEMOSERSPORTIVE

Corrach – 28 milltir, Diafol – 41 milltir, Mynach – 71 milltir, Cawr – 114 milltir. Ceredigion, Cymru.

Ride with Il Cecco

Welsh Wild West Sportive 24/5/2015 Entries now open – Cofrestru ar agor

www.abercyclefest.com

•

THE SCENE

Forest of Dean Spring Classic goes 2 Day

Etape Caledonia Pledges to top 2014 Figure of £350,000 The Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia is aiming to push forwards towards the half million mark by raising just shy of £400,000 on this years event. As the ﬁrst major sportive to be held on fully closed roads in the UK, it suﬀered attacks from saboteurs in both 2009 and 2011 but has enjoyed 3 years of increasing acceptance and growing popularity on the UK sportive circuit. Its ambitious fund raising target could be raised by just 5000 entrants, a remarkable achievement. The event pulled in £350,000 in 2014 and with the charity sector increasingly becoming aware of the potential of sportives as vehicles for fund raising (see Virgin Territory page 42), the Etape Caledonia appears to be setting the pace.

The 11th edition of the Forest of Dean Spring Classic sportive sees the event return to its usual early May Bank holiday weekend slot as well as Monmouth town centre for 2015 now as a 2 day event, with the Monmouthshire Challenge on Sunday 3rd May and the popular Forest of Dean Spring Classic on Monday 4th May. The new Monmouthshire Challenge event on Sunday 3rd is a testing 100km route through the county taking in some of the 2014 British Road Race Championship route on the way and whilst fully supported by

Shimano, at £15 must be one of the cheapest sportives in the UK. Monday 4th May is the traditional Forest of Dean event with two challenging courses through the stunning Monmouthshire countryside. The Classic 145km route through the tough and beautiful Forest of Dean with 20 individual climbs. The shorter 100km route takes in most of the traditional route but with a much more forgiving eight climbs instead of 20 but still includes the iconic Symonds Yat. With over 6000ft of climbing on this route it’s still a tough day. Entries are limited to 500. For more details and to enter on the new date please visit the Wheels in Wheels Events website. WWW.WHEELSINWHEELS.COM

Legro does Majorca Signing up for a springtime training camp is a great way to boost morale in the depths of winter and an effective incentive to get fit in order to make the most of it. The camp itself, of course, should be enjoyable, tough and, ideally, tailored to the participant’s riding goals, which is the aim of Legro’s Sportive Camp. Now in its second year, it offers coaching with a sportive slant in Majorca in May and finishes with a tough challenge ride. Legro, as world masters track champion and British Cycling Level 2 coach Dave LeGrys is widely known, has been running his regular training camps in Majorca for over 25 years and has built a highly experienced

PH OTO G R A PH Y B E RT H O L D W E R N E R

team of ride leaders and support staff. His sportive camp, which takes place over two weeks from 4th to 18th May, offers rides and coaching tailored to the needs of riders looking to acquire the skills and fitness needed to get the best out of riding long distance events. Majorca itself is, of course, well-known to generations of cyclists and is widely hailed as a cycling paradise thanks to its warm climate, its extensive network of quiet roads and its varied terrain. Legro’s camp is held in Porto de Pollensa on the eastern edge of the island, within easy reach of its mountains and plains. It makes a great start to what promises to be the highlight of the camp, which is to ride a

lap of the island in a day in the company of multiple long-distance UK national time trial champion and current Land’s End to John O’Groats record holder Andy Wilkinson. The date has yet to be ﬁnalised as the weather may have a say, but it should prove perfect preparation for the hardest of UK and continental events. LEGROSSPORTIVETRAININGCAMP.COM

•

RIDES

HARP HILLY HUNDRED WORDS ALEX BERESFORD

‘Run every year since 1954’ proclaims the Harp Hilly Hundred’s strapline. For a ride that takes place in mid January that’s some going, but in the olden days when frames were steel and so were nerves, a bit of snow and ice was all part of the fun – indeed part of the reliability aspect of the event. In addition, ‘Hundred’ used to mean 100 miles. Fortunately, the Harp Road Club, named after the Welsh Harp, an expanse of water in Hendon, North London now known as Brent Reservoir, has relented and downscaled the distance to 100 kilometres, but there’s not a lot they can do about the weather conditions or the unrelenting terrain of the Chilterns, where the ‘HHH’ takes place. The dawn broke with evillooking smooth, grey cloud, later

releasing freezing drizzle, so it was reasonably impressive that only 40 out of the 200 entrants chose their warm beds over 62 miles of undulating Chilterns at 0°C. But for those who did turn up shivering at the Hemel Hempstead CC club hut in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, which the Harp RC borrow as HQ for the Hilly Hundred, there was the usual jovial ‘you don’t have to be mad to ride this event but it helps if you are’ atmosphere to warm them up. Just inside the doorway of the unlovely but functional two-storey brick building that the Hemel built themselves behind a railway bridge, organiser Richard Hutt and his helper David Le Fevre sat at a table clad in their warmest jackets, sipping hot tea and operating the Harp’s unique timing system. If there was a cycling event in Cormac McCarthy’s post-

apocalyptic novel The Road, it would look like this. The hardware might have been salvaged from an abandoned Sainsbury’s; there are two battered computer monitors back to back and Hutt wields a barcode gun, with which he zaps the codes on plastic cards that riders present as they file past on their way to their bikes outside. Once bleeped, the rider’s name appears on the screen and the clock is running. A hundred kilometres later another zap with the barcode scanner stops the clock as the finisher hands back the card. The time appears on the screen and the organisers write it down for the rider to take away. It works a treat. Hutt himself, who is “a bit of a whizz on computers” according to his clubmates, designed it himself and wrote the program. After the initial outlay for the computer equipment and the cards, it costs nothing to run. There are no numbers to zip-tie to bars or chips to fasten to ankles. It’s wonderfully simple and it’s lowtech homebrewing at its best. So it was quite ironic that the route itself, which is available as a gpx file via various mapping websites, seemed to be completely indecipherable by a modern cycle computer. From the very first hill out of Kings Langley there were Garmins doing demented R2D2 impressions as they tried to convince their owners to ride off down some adjacent lane that led to some distant part of the course that was supposed to be tackled much later. Fortunately there were plenty of old-fashioned, analogue cardboard ‘HHH’ signs thoughtfully placed at every turn so the plaintive bleeps of the Garmins could be ignored. Rucklers Lane, a scenic drag out of Kings Langley on a

narrow, stony lane, was the first leg-loosener, where adrenalin and early enthusiasm ensured the talking stopped and the field gritted its teeth, no one wanting for the sake of their morale more than their finishing time to be dropped so early on. But the first real climb was Bison Hill at 18 miles, a beast of a road that leads up to Whipsnade Zoo. The average 8.2 per cent gradient doesn’t sound too ferocious but there’s a short 25 per cent section that had some people off their bikes and plodding up to the amusement of carloads of zoogoers. By now a pale pink sun had started to peek between the clouds, but like quite a few legs after the ascent of Bison Hill, it lacked power, and blood supply to the extremities continued to dwindle as the course hit its most northerly

point at Dunstable and turned south west, heading along the Chilterns ridge towards Tring. On this exposed section the big, strong rouleurs resigned themselves to towing smaller riders along, and as the road headed into the gloom of Wendover woods at about 30 miles and simultaneously began to rise, the lighter types cheekily shot off towards the summit of Aston Hill, the longest and most sustained climb of the day and the Cima Coppi – the event’s highest point – at just over 900 feet. Now all that remained to be ticked off was the long but not ridiculously steep Ivinghoe Beacon, then there was the short but ridiculously steep Durrants Lane out of Berkhamsted at 52 miles that caught heavy-legged non-locals by surprise. The finale was the swoop back down Rucklers Lane, this time a

much chattier, more relaxed aﬀair than four hours earlier. And a feast of cakes and pastries waited upstairs in the fug of the Hemel club hut. WWW.HARPHILLYHUNDRED.ORG.UK

H A R P H I L LY H U N D R E D

KINGS LANGLEY, HERTS 100KM OR 55KM

•

KIT

S E L L E I TA L I A

TURBO 1980 £39.99

Retro tech that still works WORDS RICHARD HALLETT

Launched in 1980, barely a decade after Cinelli introduced the ﬁrst mass-manufactured ‘modern’ saddle, Selle Italia’s Turbo established a new standard for comfort and, perhaps surprisingly to modern eyes, style. Constructed the same way as Cinelli’s UnicaNitor, with thin foam and

SELLE ITALIA’S TURBO ESTABLISHED A NEW STANDARD FOR COMFORT leather covering a plastic shell, the Turbo found favour with ﬁve-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault – which did its reputation no harm – and with almost every racing cyclist of the day who tried one. It is currently available new, a beneﬁciary of the Italian

firm’s recent enthusiasm for remanufacturing classic designs and the good news is that it still stacks up well against current models. The Turbo’s shape is pleasing if unremarkable in the sense that it does not look to have been ‘styled’ in any way. There are no decorative lips or curves, but nor has material been removed to save weight or look fast. Instead, its proportions are beautifully balanced; it somehow looks ‘right’ without drawing attention when on the bike. There’s no denying that it is a little heavy-set compared to the pared-down slivers that adorn many of today’s road bikes, but there’s nothing superfluous; the deep flanks avoid edges that might chafe the thighs, while the sturdy nose and well-padded aft section provide plenty of support. Indeed, the Turbo is decently comfortable, provided it is angled to suit the rider. In the reviewer’s case this means slightly nose-up; set level, there’s a tendency to slide forward and let the sit bones rest on too narrow a part of the top. Set up correctly, it proved comfortable right to the end of the inaugural Eroica Britannia, which was as

good an event as any in which to ride it. The Turbo is, after all, a classic design that long predates the cut-off date of 1987 used to determine machine qualification for such events, making the Turbo a valid vintage choice if full-grain butt leather is not the rider’s preference. Construction is basic but effective; a moulded Nylon upper sits on chrome steel rails and is covered by leather over foam padding of thickness varied according to need. It is thickest over the aft section but not excessively so even there and the saddle relies for comfort as much on shape as softness. At 290g, its weight is acceptable even by modern standards. Two versions are available: the Turbo 1980 has a suede leather upper in either black or tan and costs £49.99, while the basic Turbo has a smooth finish, is offered in black or white and is yours for a wallet-friendly £39.99. Well, the development costs were re-couped decades ago… WWW.SELLEITALIA.COM WWW.CHICKENCYCLES.CO.UK

The Full Service.

Professional advice

All the kit you need

Warranty

After-sales support

Expert service

Fast delivery

Service & support from the cycle experts - chainreactioncycles.com CRC Best Price Guarantee - Free UK delivery on all orders over £9 - Free 365 day returns Join our community for the latest updates, news, giveaways and cycle chat...

•

RIDES

TWO TYRED TOURS

MONT BLANC 340KM 11,000M Climbing

MEMORY BLANC A loop around Europe’s highest peak – Mont Blanc WORDS GUY LITESPEED

PH OTO G R A P H Y L U C Y M O N RO JIMI THOMSON

The plan was simple. Two friends; Kev and DA, and I were going to ride around Europe’s tallest mountain, Mont Blanc: a trip of 340km with 11,000m of climbing. There are numerous four, or five day commercial tours that do this, but we opted for a bespoke two day version with Two Tyred Tours (TTT). In the preceding weeks, we collaborated closely with them planning routes, stops, food and accommodation thus making it truly bespoke. Knowing that we would be under time pressure to do this in two days, the quality of the support team was essential so we were putting them to the test. Also with us were my sister Lucy and her partner Allan, both journalists/photographers based in Dubai and avid new cyclists, having taken up the sport a year earlier. They were to photograph the trip and ride a few of the climbs. The first night’s sleep was a nervous one and I woke fretting. It was raining outside heavily and my spirits sank, confident looks across the breakfast table belied the fact that secretly, we were all dreading the day ahead.

The TTT team showed us a satellite forecast that suggested the storm would soon pass giving a largely dry day. An hour later, I was delighted to discover that they were right, the roads were still wet and our first mountain shrouded in clouds, but it was no longer raining. The Col de la Colombiere is a regular climb of the Tour de France and the Dauphine and especially hard from the north side, nudging HC territory. As a warm-up, it was tough and it took me five kilometres to settle in. Kev and DA seemed to have the legs on me, but we were never more than a minute apart. We all took it easy on the descent into Le Grand Bornand, reacquainting ourselves with braking points, apexes and the rush of Alpine corners. The town hosted our first food stop and we were delighted to discover we had exactly what we’d requested: not only croissants, fruit, nuts and honey sandwiches but also homemade lemon drizzle cake, not peloton food but a fine sportivistes repast for the upcoming Col des Aravis. It felt easier than the Colombiere, the sun had made an appearance and

we were in a relaxed mood as we descended to the small town of Flumet. However, by that point it was now 2.00 pm and we weren’t yet halfway. Lucy joined us and we dispensed with the next climb, the 15km Col des Saisies easily, but got caught in a sudden downpour on the descent with a repeat performance on the penultimate climb of the day, the Cormet de Roselend. The Roseland is a hugely tough Tour climb and the first 15 km is hell. I was glad to have DA’s company to take my mind off the grind. Lucy was a little way behind, climbing at her own pace, doing great, with support from Allan who was driving a second vehicle. Kev meanwhile, had dropped the hammer and disappeared into the upper reaches of the climb. With 6km to go, DA and I finally emerged from the forest and the character of the climb changed completely, with open stunning mountain scenery, lakes, waterfalls and a huge rock wall, towering above the road. It’s extraordinary that anyone fit enough to ride a bike can experience first-hand the beauty we so often see in the Tour de France.

•

RIDES

TTT met us at the Col and we quickly refuelled and layered warmer clothing. The skies had darkened and thunder rumbled in the distance but there was sunshine ahead and we decided to descend as quickly as possible, thinking that we might be able to outpace the rain.

WE ALL AGREED WE WOULD SUCCEED, OR FAIL, TOGETHER What happened in the next 15 minutes will be etched into my memory forever. As we started the descent, it turned out that there was another storm below us and the road took us straight into it, perfectly framed by a rainbow as the rain intensified, and we dropped into the famous hairpin bends that formed the middle part of the 23km descent. The road finally flattened and we regrouped in Bourg St. Maurice for another food stop, senses heightened by the demands of a soaking 85kmh alpine descent. Happy and loaded with adrenaline I caught Jimi’s eye and we connected silently: we were running late. It’s at moments like these that you need a wise head on experienced shoulders and Jimi is just that - he’s been guiding trips like ours for 15 years. It was 6pm and we had a 32km climb ahead, followed by a 15km descent to our finish in La Thuile. That could

have taken up to three hours, by which time it would have been dark. The key was to get moving: the Col du Petit St. Bernard beckoned. We all agreed we would succeed, or fail, together. I was watching my Garmin like a hawk and realised, thankfully, that we were crunching through the climb faster than expected: average speed suggested two hours rather than three and although rain was an ever present threat, it seemed to be holding oﬀ. It is usually around this time on a long ride that I start to wish I’d planned a shorter day,

but, like a lot of sportivistes, I never seem to learn and when I plan the next ride, it’s always a mountain too far, or 50km too long. But moments like that one are why we came: heading upwards when everyone else would be saying “enough.” Kev and DA felt the same sense of ‘moment’ and TTT were clearly caught up in it too. In six months, it would be this climb that we remembered. We picked up a tailwind for the ﬁnal 7km to the Col and as the temperature dropped to six degrees we rolled straight over into Italy. The border guards had long

since gone home and the roads were deserted, providing us with yet another ‘all out’, adrenaline filled drop into the valley below and finally into La Tuile, our hotel and a well-earned dinner. The total distance of 173km is nothing remarkable, nor is the nine hours in the saddle but 90km of cumulative climbing is extraordinary. To put this into perspective, an Etape du Tour rarely gets above 70km of climbing and a previous 3 x Ventoux day was still only 67km of cumulative ‘up’. Prior to setting off, MapMyRide had suggested the day would have 6,200m of climbing but Strava’s Corrected Elevation was even more extreme, at 7,336m. Whatever the truth might be, it was an epic day. In stark contrast to the previous day, we left the hotel on day 2 and the road headed downhill for the first 50km, into the Aosta Valley. Initially the road was steep and we were slicing through hairpins again, but then it flattened out and for the only time on the whole ride we enjoyed about 30km of chaingang. The first climb of the day was the highest, longest and by far the hardest of the entire circuit: welcome to the Col du Grand St. Bernard. It was simply mammoth and just kept coming, with every major section revealing yet another one above. The climb rose into a series of natural amphitheatres and the rock scenery and overall scale just got bigger and bigger: It’s a genuine ‘high mountain’ climb. To think that Napoleon led an army over this 200 years ago is staggering. Lucy and Allan were getting some amazing shots as we climbed towards the summit and pressed on over the Col. It was a huge drop to the valley floor and Switzerland, and it took us over 30 minutes to

reach Orsieres and our rendezvous with TTT for lunch. Next up is the Champex. Lucy joined us again for a lovely climb on a small, quiet road. Allan swapped with Lucy at the summit and as a fast descender, he was delighted when the north side of the Champex turned out to be one of the best descents any of us have ever done: steep, twisty and technical but we all made it to the bottom intact, where we re-joined the main road to Martigny and rolled to the start of the Col de la Forclaz. This is a major traffic route, so we had to ride in line and hug the wall to our right. Come 8.00pm, the light was beginning to fail, so we headed straight down the brief descent and back into France, our third country for the day with just the Col des Montets remaining (8.2km, 377m gain, 4.7% av) and we crunched through it quickly, with just the final descent into Chamonix. And then, suddenly, it was all over and we were back where we started: in the centre of Chamonix, shaking hands with each other, with Lucy and Allan and the hosts, Two Tyred Tours. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear. It was a remarkable weekend, with perfect company and ingrained in my memory forever. TTT were an ideal partner, we put them to the test and they passed with flying colours; so much so that I, with four other riders, are planning another trip with them later this year: a bespoke Tour of the Swiss Alps and Dolomites, culminating in the three sides of Stelvio in one day. More to come on that one… WWW.TWOTYREDTOURS.COM

The Climbs COL DE LA COLOMBIERE KM GAIN AV MAX 16.3 1128M 6.8% 11% COL DES ARAVIS KM GAIN AV 7.5 436M 4.6%

MAX 8%

COL DES SAISES KM GAIN AV 15 747M 5.1%

MAX 10%

COURMET DE ROSELAND KM GAIN AV MAX 21 1227M 6% 8% COL DU PETIT ST. BERNARD KM GAIN AV MAX 32 1375M 4.4% 6% COL DU GRAND ST. BERNARD KM GAIN AV MAX 32 1878M 5.9% 12% COL DU CHAMPEX KM GAIN AV 9.5 569M 6.1%

MAX 10%

COL DE LA FORCLAZ KM GAIN AV 16 1050M 6.6%

MAX 10%

COL DES MONTETS KM GAIN AV 8.2 377M 3.3%

MAX 8%

Sadly, photographer and cyclist, Lucy Monro was tragically killed on Friday 13th February 2015, whilst taking part in the Dubai Roadster’s Coast to Coast Challenge, a biannual cycling event in the UAE. This article and the accompanying photos are dedicated to her memory. Rest in peace Lucy.

•

KIT

as an exercise in scaremongering but I can’t emphasise strongly enough that great care does need to be taken with exceptionally light components. If you are lucky to own a bike adorned with such parts, you need to consider a few things to keep you safe and your machine in tip-top condition. Each component will most certainly have information printed

BEHIND BARS WORDS RO H A N D U B A S H

Lighter components need more care and attention Cycling’s collective (some of us are more guilty of this than others) obsession with weight, or rather the lack of it, has encouraged manufacturers to react to market forces and give us lighter and lighter components. The downside is that we have be more vigilant during assembly and servicing and accept that, just because that pair of carbon-ﬁbre handlebars one just splashed out on cost the best part of 300 quid, it would be wrong to assume they will last indeﬁnitely or be indestructible when quite the opposite may be true. In my day job as a cycle mechanic, (www.doctord.co.uk) I see a lot of exotic machinery and can think of several cases where

I’ve had to condemn and consign to the bin carbon-fibre components that have failed, either due to crashes that an alloy counterpart may have shrugged off with merely a scuff or two, or simply because they have been over-tightened at some point. Super-light carbon-fibre components like handlebars, stems and seat posts need careful handling to avoid compromising their structural make-up. They will in all cases either, be shipped with very specific assembly instructions or, there will be a comprehensive list of do’s and dont’s on the manufacturer’s website. Ignore these at your peril! I am not trying to use this piece

on it advising you of the maximum torque that can be applied during assembly. This fact alone means that every budding home mechanic, or anyone travelling with their bike where partial disassembly is required, will need to seriously consider purchasing a torque wrench of some sort. Most modern stems, bars and seat posts require torque settings ranging

from around 4Nm to 8Nm, so the tool you choose needs to cover these ratings. The cheapest and simplest torque key that can be a useful addition to anyone’s tool kit comes from Ritchey and compliments Tom Ritchey’s comprehensive range of stems and bars. The Ritchey tool can be purchased in 4Nm or 5Nm variants and the latter

models feature interchangeable bits making them more versatile. It takes a little bit of practice to get the feel just right but it’s a step in the right direction. That said, I’ve known instances where the Ritchey tool hasn’t gone oﬀ, or indicated correct torque, as expected, so the user has to still have a feel for how tight is too tight and stop before overdoing it.

•

KIT

Recent assembly instructions I’ve seen from a couple of the big bike manufacturers advise against using carbon assembly paste on the steerer tube-to-stem interface, in which case it’s good practice to make sure the surfaces that meet each other are completely greasefree. Another area of concern is brake lever placement on carbon

If you want to up the ante, seek out an adjustable tool such as the lovely offerings from Wera and Effetto Mariposa. Pricey, yes, but really nice tools to use and money well spent if it means avoiding wrecking an expensive component, a hospital visit...or worse! There are many quality torque wrenches out there to suit differing budgets and types of end user but they all need some dexterity to use properly. You can’t just blindly swing off them and hope they trip at the right moment. Hand position has a big influence over the accuracy of the operation and the wrenches I own and specialist company Norbar even have a target marking on the handle

denoting the correct hand position. I use all my torque wrenches with caution and pay attention to the feel as I tighten each bolt, closely following the manufacturer’s chosen assembly method. These days, torque wrenches are talked about as if they are infallible tools you just tighten until there’s a click, but the variable position of hand hold and the issue of wet or dry ratings immediately confuses things and means that you still need mechanical aptitude to assemble a bike correctly. A respected colleague of mine once said “I’ve seen more kit broken by people using a torque wrench than without” and I must confess I’ve had a few clients who’ve broken

bars, or any handlebar for that matter. Tight radius bends on modern compact-style bars can be a little restrictive and in some cases getting levers to stop moving even when you have reached the maximum manufacturer’s recommended torque can be a real problem. Carbon assembly paste can help here too but whatever you do, don’t just tighten more and

seat clamps and blown the head off titanium bolts because their torque wrench didn’t click at the right moment, so take note... Good assembly practices need to be implemented too, such as ensuring all mating surfaces are free from burrs or sharp edges that can cut into the carbon fibres. Special assembly pastes have also been formulated recently that are carbon-friendly and increase the amount of friction created between two surfaces, thus avoiding the need to apply excessive force to fragile components to get them to tighten up sufficiently to avoid slippage. When ‘nipping up’ that four bolt faceplate on your handlebar stem, don’t forget to treat it like the cylinder head of a car and alternate diagonally when tightening the

I CAN’T EMPHASISE STRONGLY ENOUGH THAT GREAT CARE DOES NEED TO BE TAKEN WITH EXCEPTIONALLY LIGHT COMPONENTS bolts adding a fraction of a turn to each one in turn to ensure even pressure is applied to the handlebar. Note: The gap between stem and face-plate should be equidistant once you’re done.

more. Again, if in doubt, ask an expert... All this kid-gloves treatment does call into question just how good an idea it is to run carbon handlebars on a bike that does a lot of travelling and subsequently will require regular disassembly of the front end for packing into a flight case, for example. If yours falls into this category, you might be better choosing a quality aluminium alloy alternative that will be a bit more tolerant to repeated loosening and retightening. That’s not to say you do not need to exercise caution when working with alloy bars but they are a bit more tolerant to an extra Nm than their carbon-fibre brethren, as excessive clamping force will crush the composite matrix, significantly weakening the component. I’m not for one minute saying rush out and ditch that exotic pair of bars, stem or indeed your carbon-fibre seat post, but I do want to highlight the need for care during assembly and the need to regularly inspect the condition of clamping areas on all carbon-fibre components and to treat them with respect. If you are ever unsure about the integrity of a part on your bike or just whether you have understood the instructions correctly seek advice from an experienced mechanic and if you are unfortunate enough to hit the deck at any point or collide with an immoveable object, don’t just assume that everything’s OK. Damage to any carbon component can be invisible to the human eye, so if in doubt discard and consider all your replacement options when you do but above all... ride safe!

•

KIT

IT ALL STEMS FROM HERE WORDS RICHARD HALLETT

Handlebars and stems have evolved dramatically over the past 20 years Two of the most safety-critical components on a bicycle, the handlebars and stem are subject to high loadings especially when sprinting and climbing while, with a few exceptions such as Cinelli’s Ram, offering provision for the adjustments so important to fine-tuning riding position. The evolution of the bar and stem combo to its current state has been a long and occasionally painful process in which advances in both materials and structural design have contributed their share. The most significant advance in stem design reached road bikes barely 15 years ago. Invented by mountain bikers much earlier to get around the problem of the loosening headset, or more particularly the problem of tightening it on the trail once it had become loose, the ‘threadless’ stem clamps to the outside of the

steerer tube, which extends above the headset upper bearing. Prior to this, racing cycles employed a ‘quill’ stem, with a long tube, or quill, that fits inside the steerer tube and can be slid up or down to find the preferred bar height. The classic quill road stem, Cinelli’s 1A design, was introduced in 1963. Currently manufactured anew to satisfy demand for retro components, the 1A was the choice of professional and leading amateur racing cyclists alike for much of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Similar stems by 3TTT, ITM and Nitto follow the same one-piece forged light alloy construction method and are strong but comparatively heavy. They are also practically immune to ham-fisted spannering thanks to their robust build and heavy-duty threaded parts, which allowed the mechanic to apply hefty tightening torque to the

handlebar clamp with little risk of damage. Before being superseded, quill stems were being made in tubular steel and titanium; designs such as the ITM Calypso are impressively light but, thanks to that long quill, heavier and less rigid than a modern threadless stem. Uptake of the threadless concept was initially slow, partly because the layout makes bar height adjustment more diﬃcult. Setting bar height requires spacers of the required thicknesses, while the steerer should be cut to length, limiting later revisions to bar height. Despite this, the system is inherently stiﬀer and lighter than the quill and is now near-universal on lightweight machinery. Various manufacturing methods were tried in early threadless road stems with greater or lesser degrees of success.

Perhaps the least successful was the Cinelli Sesamo, which comprised two CNC-machined halves split horizontally and screwed together to form a structure notably lacking in torsional stiffness. Stems made in aluminium by welding the handlebar and steerer clamps to a tubular extension could break if a weld was defective and gave way to the more reliable one-piece forged construction widely used today. The typical arrangement of a one-piece tubular aluminium extension using two hex bolts at the rear to clamp the steerer tube and four to pull a face plate against the handlebar. The stem can be either ‘net forged’ or CNCmachined from billet aluminium to create thin walls with precisely controlled internal and external dimensions. The aluminium extension can be clad in carbonfibre to add visual appeal but the most advanced composites stems only place aluminium where it is needed to form a thread. Of the two major advances in handlebar construction over recent years, the adoption of carbon-fibre has proven of less obvious benefit than the move to an ‘oversized’ central bulge, usually 31.8mm, in place of the old road competition standards of 26.0mm or 25.8mm depending on manufacturer. The fatter bulge significantly increases the stiffness of the bars and provides a greater clamping surface for the stem. While the weight of carbonfibre drop handlebars is close to that of top-end aluminium alloy ‘bars, they are less resistant to damage and rough handling (see below) and therefore arguably a less than ideal choice for most sportive riding. The main attraction of carbon-fibre for handlebar manufacture is the ease

with which it can be formed into complex shapes to ergonomic and aerodynamic eﬀect. Often overlooked, the design of the handlebar and stem clamping arrangements is an important factor in system performance and critical to ease of assembly. Whereas old-school forged aluminium quill stems generally had a single M8 screw to tighten the ‘bar clamp and older stems with removable face plates two M6 screws, current practice is to use a face plate with four M5 screws, allowing the ‘bars to be removed without disturbing the handlebar tape. While the maximum

clamping force available is slightly increased, the smaller screws are far easier to over-tighten and strip the thread in the stem. It is also easy, if clamping carbonﬁbre parts, to crush the matrix, although most carbon-ﬁbre steerer tubes have some sort of internal plug to prevent crushing. Thanks mainly to the use of small threaded fasteners, today’s high-performance road bike components, as Rohan explains, need careful assembly, preferably using a torque wrench, in order to avoid the risk of over-tightening and subsequent failure. Happy spannering!

•

KIT

GENETIC

CARBON STAY MICRO FENDER £47.50

Neat and unobtrusive protection WORDS RICHARD HALLETT

‘Surely’, one is entitled to think on first catching sight of Genetic’s Carbon Stay Micro Fender, ‘that can’t do much.’ Unashamedly minimalist, it is clearly not designed to offer the same protection from road spray as a full-length mudguard. On the other hand, it is marketed as a ‘fender’ and might therefore be expected to have some level of effectiveness. As it happens, it is pared down to the minimum needed to keep spray off the saddle and rider’s back. It works because, as the wheel rotates, muck and water is thrown off the tyre at a tangent. The Micro Fender blade covers about one tenth of the tyre’s circumference and catches the spray flung off over that arc; extend the ‘spray shadow’ as far as the cycle and rider and it encompasses a substantial area. Where coverage falls depends on dropout slot angle; the fender mount has a locating peg designed to sit in a vertical dropout. The level of protection on offer is about the same as that given by other minimalist rear ‘guards; if keeping muck off your back and backside is all you ask, then the Micro Fender will do the job. It

is primarily intended to cover the rear wheel but can be fitted at the front. Simple in concept and neatlyexecuted, it weighs just 75g and comprises a forged aluminium bracket clamped to the right-hand rear dropout by a threaded part that replaces the q/r skewer nut, a carbon-fibre strut clamped to the bracket and a blade attached to the top of the strut via a balljoint to allow precise alignment. The strut can be moved within its clamp to fine-tune tyre clearance and the device will work with 700x25c tyres. Moulded chevrons on the underside of the blade are designed to direct water to the edge of the tyre. The one notable problem we found is that the dropout attachment bracket is not designed for a recessed rear dropout. It can be made to work using the threearm spacer provided for front wheel mounting, but this in turn requires a longer q/r skewer and means the bracket locating peg does nothing. It’s worth checking dropout compatibility before purchase. Overall finish is impressive,

with black clamp parts nicely complementing the carbonﬁbre strut. This looks vulnerable to a knock, which might prove expensive since, at £47.50 per wheel, the Fender is undeniably a half_page_WiW_FOD_2015_v1.indd 1

SIMPLE IN CONCEPT AND NEATLYEXECUTED, IT WEIGHS JUST 75G

17/02/2015 12:41:36

Cycling Italy and UK

GRAN FONDO GIRO d’ITALIA

5034 EVENTS

pricy piece of kit. It is, however, one that, in this reviewer’s opinion, wouldn’t look out of place on even the highest-end of high-end road bikes. Its looks alone make it worthy of consideration by the sportive rider and superbike-riding commuter alike. WWW.ISON-DISTRIBUTION.COM

Book your all inclusive package now to ride the newest most exciting sportif on the 2015 calendar. Forza!

www.5034events.co.uk e 5034events@gmail.com t 0203 651 6645

•

KIT

BEACON

CONDOR

FRATELLO DISC FROM £1,390

London-based Condor Cycles have been producing bicycles since 1948 and despite the incredible rise of carbon ﬁbre in the last decade, its best-selling model remains a steel bike. The Fratello is a classic touring style bike and for 2015 it gets a new tubeset and is available with that most modern of accessories, disc brakes.

IT HAS A WONDERFUL SMOOTHNESS AND LIGHTNESS WHEN STEERING

The new Fratello Disc will be available in a choice of builds, starting from £1,390 and including this £1,700 bike with SRAM Rival, TRP Hy/Rd disc

brakes, Mavic Aksium Disc wheels with 28mm Continental Gatorskin tyres, topped oﬀ with a nice Brooks Cambium saddle and Deda bars and stem and a set of full-length mudguards. The frameset can be bought on its own for £699. At 10.6kg it’s a robust build. It’s not going to win any prizes in a hill climbing competition, but the weight all but disappears when up to a steady cruising speed, and it zips along with an energetic pace. The ride is surefooted and stable, reassuringly comfortable and surprisingly sprightly and agile. The Hy/Rd brakes are a self-contained hydraulic caliper operated by a regular mechanical brake lever, providing arguably better braking than a rim brake with more predictable and reliable retardation without degradation of grip in all weathers. Disc brakes divide opinion, but I feel they are superior. I’m not trying to convert you to disc brakes, simply that having ridden the Fratello Disc, they are very compelling on a bike designed to be ridden through all sorts of weathers on all sorts of roads with no worn rims to worry about, and

BF_22 FROM £999

The Flight of the Condor

Shining the light for aluminium

WORDS STEPHEN BAKER

WORDS B E N C H A D D E RT O N

longer brake pad life to boot. The disc brakes aren’t the only change to the 2015 Fratello. The Italian made frame now uses Columbus Spirit tubing (it used to be Dedacciai) with a very aesthetically pleasing ovalized top tube, and is about 125g lighter than the previous Fratello - a 55cm frame weighs 1,900g. The biggest beneﬁt from the tubing change is an improved ride. It has a wonderful smoothness and lightness when steering through country lanes, with a predictable nature that really makes it an easy bike to ride. The tyres and frame soak up the bumps and the new carbon ﬁbre fork keeps the steering lively and engaging. Purposeful looks, relaxed geometry, with mudguards and space for 28mm tyres and plenty of versatility, making it ideal for tackling a series of sportives, an Audax or multi day adventure, the Fratello is an ideal do-everything UK bike. If you don’t subscribe to N+1 and want one bike to do everything on, the Fratello ticks most boxes. WWW.CONDORCYCLES.COM

Somewhere amidst the allconquering march of carbon into bicycle manufacture, steel bikes largely capitulated under the onslaught as did dreams of massproduced titanium, but gamely aluminium hung on in there, and no manufacturer worth their salt offers a line up without at least one alloy model. The spec tested here weighs in at £1,369. The BF_22 from Beacon Fell based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, shows just how well aluminium has done in fighting the rear guard action. Alloy bikes were historically harsh and vibey but not so this machine. Beacon suggest; “it has everything you need from a bike”. This of course depends on what you desire from a bike. If you are looking for a comfortable, upgradable, benign-handling machine as a first buy, the BF_22 would be worth considering. I’ll get to the alloy bit in a minute, but for me undoubtedly the star of the show is the Dedacciai RS2 fork. It’s a beautiful example of the carbon builder’s art; smooth, extremely comfortable and neutral, it almost feels as if Beacon chose the fork and then built the

bike around it. Getting the balance right between front and rear end is an area where this frameset excels. As for the frame itself, it’s a solid, comfortable performer built to Beacon’s specifications in 6061 double butted teardrop shaped tubing, this frame easily justifies the full Shimano 105 groupset and Fulcrum Racing 7 LG wheels, although personally I always find Fulcrums a little stiff. There aren’t too many alloy bikes I’d be happy to ride all day, but the BF_22 is one that I would. In addition to a terrifically balanced frame and fork package the riding position is exceptionally good. Riding the BF_22 over familiar yet testing Yorkshire roads, its levels of comfort were impressive. Each bike is finished with top quality Deda kit and what a pleasure to see a quality saddle on a budget-conscious machine. The Prologo Kappa Evo is a nice touch and shows that Beacon have thought carefully about the spec of the bike. So, are there any downsides? Well, apart from the aforementioned Fulcrum wheels,

my other personal view is that it’s not an exceptionally beautiful bike but don’t let that put you oﬀ the riding experience. The only real downside for all year riding is a lack of mudguard eyelets and clearance if you’re running 25mm tyres. Beacon suggest using rubber tie mudguards but I’d like to see better clearance if you’re using it in the winter. A minor point, but if you don’t like cleaning your bike much, remember it is white! Beacon have made much of the input of ex-professional Rob Hayles into their range of machines and it’s good to see this experience ﬁltering down into the less expensive models. A solid, comfortable, performer with excellent riding position and all day riding ability you could do worse than this bike if you are looking at an alloy purchase in 2015. WWW.BEACONFELL.COM

•

R E T RO

THE AUTUMN EPIC In which our hero attempts to deal with a triﬂing injustice without resorting to feelings of bitterness and revenge, and fails WORDS MICHAEL HUTCHINSON

PH OTO G R A PH Y A N DY J O N E S

I’m not a very committed rider of sportives, and I’ll admit that from the start. I don’t think I’ve ever done more than about halfa-dozen, and even then they’ve varied wildly, from a 120-mile climbing festival to a thirty-mile potter round a ‘family’ loop with Chris Boardman. I just don’t seem to have had the time to get to very many of them. What I do know is that the ﬁrst one I did was by some distance the most entertaining. That was the Autumn Epic, in mid Wales. It went through Radnorshire and the Elan Valley – places I admit I’d barely even heard of. The roads were quiet, the views were spectacular, and the weather was apocalyptic. The rain was both

torrential and horizontal. The base of the dark grey clouds was about a foot above your head, and the roads were littered with twigs, branches and even, sometimes, whole trees. My motives for riding it were not especially pure – I was only there because I was writing a piece for a magazine. Which meant that I was actually delighted by the weather, because it was going to make it much easier to avoid writing things like; ‘At the bottom of the descent we turned left and then immediately right up a narrow road that went through the sleepy village of Rectal Prolapse.’ Otherwise known as the Tom-Tom approach to sportive reporting.

THE ROADS WERE QUIET, THE VIEWS WERE SPECTACULAR, AND THE WEATHER WAS APOCALYPTIC.

•

R E T RO

I met with the photographer at the headquarters. He too was cheerful, since it was a chance to drive around the course in his car with the heater on, eating Dairy Milk, and only occasionally winding the window down to poke out a lens and take pictures of people being miserable. So off we set, me on my bicycle, him in his Toyota. Now, at this point I’m going to skip forward several weeks, to a winter evening in London when I was preparing to write up the piece. I Googled the event so I could check some details of the route, and ensure before I started cracking jokes that there were no news reports about anyone being hospitalized with hypothermia or something. I had trouble finding the official site, and tried clicking on a different one, for an English local newspaper. The page turned out to be a report, clearly written from a cycling club press release, about a local rider who had come within a few minutes of winning the Autumn Epic. It had some quotes from the man concerned, and it

I ATE MANY, MANY JAFFA CAKES AND HAD A NICE CUP OF TEA. IT WAS INSIDE A WARM CHURCH HALL, AND WAS BY SOME DISTANCE THE NICEST PART OF THE DAY.

gleefully noted that one of the people he’d beaten was me, since my time of 5’20” had been good enough only for 9th place. The author of the press release hoped that this would mean that I had ‘perhaps gained some respect for sportive riding.’ Now, I don’t want to come across as picky and small minded and possibly even a little bitter, but on the whole it’s probably too late to worry about that. The time has come to put the record straight on this. So, to skip back again, here is my day out in Radnorshire. The first hour or so was fine, in a miserable sort of a way. There was a constant stream of riders coming back the other way who’d got to the first climb and changed their minds, but it didn’t seem too bad. It was very wet, very cold, and very windy, but I had enough layers that it was going to take a long time to soak through. We came to a dark, gothic tunnel of trees that the photographer took a liking to. It seemed to encapsulate the day rather well. So we stopped and I rode back and forth two or three times till he got the shot he wanted. Not long after that I stopped again, this time to help someone with a broken chain. I’d got a chain tool and it seemed the very least I ought to do. A mile or two further on I stopped again to give someone an inner tube. (Given the conditions I’d brought as many as I could – I was getting them for nothing from a sponsor at the time.) I did the same for a rider a few miles later, and even fitted it for him since his hands were so cold he hadn’t been able to change gear for the previous half-an-hour. At the feed stop I ate many, many Jaffa Cakes and had a nice cup of tea. It was inside a warm

church hall, and was by some distance the nicest part of the day. Not long after the stop there was a flood across the road that came up to about water-bottle height. Some riders just turned for a shortcut home. I ploughed on through it along with the majority; we were so wet by then that we didn’t care. The photographer loved it, and made me do it five times – bear in mind I had to ride back through it each time too. After ten soakings he still didn’t get a shot he was happy with, but it didn’t dent his air of warm, dry, chocolatescented contentment. That was about half way round the 103 miles. At that point I decided I was wet enough and cold enough to write an authentic piece about my day out, and upped the tempo a bit so I could get to the finish while I was still sort of enjoying myself. Which I did. The rain stopped with about 25 miles to go, and by the time I got back to the finish I’d actually dried out. So that was my day out. I enjoyed the ride, and I wrote a piece about it that I was fairly pleased with. I even had the warm glow of having helped a couple of people out. And at no point at all did I feel I was in a race. That’s the best thing about sportives – they can be whatever you want them to be. A challenge, a day out, a chance to ride somewhere new. Or, yes, a race if that’s what you want. Which brings us back to the newspaper report. If you want to crow about someone getting beaten, it’s only polite to check they were actually in the race. Otherwise you’re very close to jumping off the wheel of an elderly woman on a shopper and claiming the sprint. And by the way, I have every respect for sportive riders. I always have done.

•

R E T RO

WORDS RICHARD HALLETT PH OTO G R A P H Y H E N RY I D D O N

THE FRED

Ask any bunch of hardened British sportive riders to name the toughest event in the UK calendar and the answer will be the Fred Whitton. It may not be the longest, and it is certainly not the biggest, but its 112 miles pack more climbing into fewer miles than any competitor to date; it is the reference point for sportive challenges, the one to ride; the Fred… When Whitton, who was secretary of the Lakes Road Club, died in 1998 at 50, his clubmates decided to hold a memorial ride around a route that would incorporate every main road pass in the Lake District. The first edition was such a success that the club decided to keep it going, over a route since hallowed by time. The only change since its inception has been to move the start and finish point from Coniston to Grasmere. The first edition in 1999 saw 52 finish from 70 starters and to date the ride has raised over £625,000 for the event’s preferred charities , including Macmillan Cancer Support. By 2002, with the Fred wellestablished in the area but little known beyond, rumour of its existence reached Cycling Weekly

a matter of weeks before the event date. Instead of turning up for the ride, I had a better idea; carry out a recce of the route a couple of weeks in advance, let any unsuspecting first timers know what they were in for and, possibly, encourage a few more to have a crack. A few choice words soon persuaded my colleagues Huw Williams and Ed Pickering of the wisdom of the idea and we contacted the organising Lakes Road Club, outlining our plan and asking them for a precise description of the route. From this point and unbeknown to us, the recce gained a momentum of its own. As might be expected of cycling journos, we planned to do the ride midweek to avoid both busy road traffic and impinging on our weekends and chose to start and finish at Ambleside because it was easier to reach from the motorway... Riding around in a group of three didn’t sound like much fun, so I rang Sportif contributor Tim Lawson, then director of SiS sports nutrition and sponsor of his own racing team, suggesting he join us. Word must have got out, for when Huw, Ed and I descended from a sumptuous breakfast at the Ambleside Salutation Hotel in expection of a gentle bimble with Tim and a couple of his team mates, we got a bit of a shock. We weren’t prepared for the welcome laid on by the Lakes Road Club; there was a proper bunch waiting for us. Huw took it worst; a keen mountain biker, he quickly spotted MTB legend Barrie Clarke even as I noted the presence of fomer continental pro and national road race champion Deno Davie. The Lakes members could hear muttering about giving

‘soft southern journalists’ a taste of northern cycling, or something along those lines, while the various members of the SiS racing team looked like they had a few issues to sort out amongst themselves. Oh dear… A talented climber, Ed remained unperturbed as we left Ambleside for the super-steep slopes of Holbeck Lane. Almost immediately, Deno turned round and went home, sensing that it was not to be his day. In truth, if there was to be a ‘softening up’ process, it didn’t seem to have started as we stayed together over Kirkstone Pass, the ﬁrst big climb of the day, and headed through Dockray and then Keswick en route for Honister Pass.

THE TOUGHEST EVENT IN THE UK CALENDAR

The smiling faces of a few miles earlier soon evaporated on this horribly steep climb, which at least came early in the ride. The fast SiS riders, including Stuart Wearmouth and Keith Murray, on the leash until now, took oﬀ, leaving those of us without wings to grovel our way to the top. Somehow, my road cap went askew. Ed crashed heavily at the humpback bridge on the exceedingly tricky descent, escaping without serious injury but damaging his Dura-Ace front STI lever. We stopped in Buttermere for a food stop and enjoyed the glorious view of the lake itself.

R E T RO

Taggisar ICE Stickers ®

Stickers that can save lives

4 th-18th May 2015 - Majorca Structured training Rides Training camp environment Beautiful scenic roads Qualified coaches Group leaders/guides Legro’s L’ètape du Majorca – A fully supported 190 mile lap of the island in one day (optional) Train like a pro and live the dream 7,10,14 day options www.legrossportivetrainingcamp.com 07930 648 469

one go, Keith – a man with a very impressive palmares – was obliged to put foot to floor for a breather and the rest of us, er, took the honest option and walked. Much the same happened on the second leg of the Fred’s climbing double whammy, Wrynose Pass, which is less severe than Hardknott but comes when you have Hardknott in the legs. Or not, if you walked. It’s a proper hard effort and a fine final climb before the relief of the descent through Langdale, where I began to feel the benefit of that lunch. Too little, too late, of course; the aim, surely, is to ride the final two climbs and I, along with most of that morning’s bunch, had to give best to the Fred’s wonderful route

Taggisar ICE Stickers are simple to use, easy to update and the ICE symbol makes them easily recognisable to the emergency services. Taggisar ICE Stickers are available in packs of either two (£4.99) or five (£9.99) unique stickers which can be registered individually or easily linked.

www.taggisar.co.uk

EDEN

and supreme sequence of ascents. Barrie, riding with superaccurate SRM Powercranks, was able to report that he had burnt more than 8,000 kCals while Ed and I were able to report in Cycling Weekly that, yes, the Fred was as hard as we had been told. And it still is. Entry to the event opens in December the previous year and demand is so great for the limited number of places that successful entries are drawn from a hat. The alternative, of course, is to download the route from the website and ride on another day; not quite the Fred, for sure, but every bit as challenging. FREDWHITTONCHALLENGE.CO.UK

Attach this simple sticker to your cycle helmet and in the case of an emergency the QR code can be read within seconds to give access to essential personal information like: • who should be contacted in an emergency • any medical conditions, allergies and medications Time is of the essence in an emergency and gaining access to this information quickly can make all the difference.

O ff Sp ec ia lO ffe r

Sportive Training Camp

Q 20 uo % te : Va off SP lid an OR un y o TI til nl F a 30 ine nd Ju p re ne urc ce 20 ha ive 15 se .

Competitive urges sated for the moment, Murray and Wearmouth eased off and we enjoyed a relatively sedate ascent of Newlands Pass and then Loweswater. It was all going surprisingly well – until we approached Cold Fell. Now, I have no idea what might have been happening up ahead – it sounded epic - as I suddenly found myself nailed to the road. Thankfully, Huw had cracked at much the same time and was with me for company as we crept at around 8mph into the teeth of a headwind coming off the Irish Sea. Cold Fell Hell went on for what felt like forever, but eventually we broke free and arrived at a café in Gosforth to find our companions halfway through their coffee and cakes. Huw and I had other ideas and, ignoring the prospect of the two climbs yet to come, I tucked into a three-course meal of soup, pie and chips and then rhubard crumble and ice cream. It was just what I needed, giving me the perfect excuse to get off and walk when we reached the end of Eskdale and the start of the real fun. Ask any of those hardened British sportive riders who have ridden the Fred to name its toughest climb and there’s only one candidate. It’s the climb every rider dreads and the one every rider dreams of riding without a dismount. Snaking its way up the fells at the end of the dale, Hardknott Pass reaches a scarcely credible 30% gradient and is marked as unsuitable for any number of vehicle types in good weather and for all in wintry conditions. Barrie, who had been keeping his powder nice and dry throughout the day, danced and powered his way up with little apparent effort; several riders reached the top in

20 %

•

CLASSIC

2015

SUN 10 MAY MAY

35 | 62 | 100 MILE Spectacular coast. Stunning countryside. Iconic landmarks. The first-ever sportive from the Eden Project. Are you up for the challenge?

Beyond your personal best www.twotyredtours.com

www.edenproject.com/edenclassic

•

PREP

TRAINING PEDALLING CADENCE Fast and slow are both good WORDS T I M L AW S O N

In Sportif 04, we looked at optimal pedalling cadence and gear selection for sportive performance, and concluded that a bottom gear ratio enabling a minimum cadence of 60rpm on the steepest climb of the ride would be a good rule of thumb for the rider producing perhaps 140W. Highly-trained professional riders will have higher optimal cadences because they produce a lot more power and the increased internal workload is a smaller percentage of the external work applied to the pedals. However, choosing a higherthan-minimum cadence may help the experienced rider produce more power for extended periods. A higher cadence means lower muscle ‘torque’ at the same power output and so facilitates blood ﬂow and the supply of oxygen etc. to the working muscles. It is easy to

demonstrate the tiring effect of high torque by trying to ride up a climb pedalling very slowly in a big gear and comparing the burning sensation with riding up the same climb at the same speed with a much lower gear. Whilst low cadences may not be optimal for performance, low cadence climbs are often used as an important training exercise- it is a mistake to think that because you see the pros using a high cadence that this is what they employ at all times. Low cadence, high torque pedalling is thought to help recruit more muscle fibres used during the cycling action. This may improve cycling performance in a similar way to the observed improvements in strength at the beginning of a weight-training program. It is probably easiest to think about a simple exercise like a bicep curl; at the start of a training program, perhaps only 60% of the fibres in that muscle will activate during the exercise. Strength increases rapidly during the first few weeks, not because more muscle is built but because more fibres in the muscle are activated and contribute to the load. If more muscle fibres can be recruited into the cycling action, either more force can be created or the same load is spread across more fibres, so less lactic acid is produced. Low cadence drills also result in the accumulation of lactate and other metabolites that drive testosterone production and other beneficial compounds important for the adaptation process. Structured training to improve climbing performance is therefore likely to benefit from the inclusion of low cadence drills. Typical low cadence drills in a structured training session might mean several hill repeats

of 5-10 minute duration using the maximum gear that the rider can cope with whilst maintaining good posture and avoiding undue wrenching on the handle bars. In a less structured format, it is possible to employ such exercises to improve the training benefits of riding with a group of riders with lower fitness without destroying them or getting cold waiting at the top of a climb. Pedalling slowly makes it easier to think about feeling the entire pedal circle, in order to become proficient at pedalling, but high cadence training should not be ignored. Riders may combine low and high-cadence drills; the exercise or drill might comprise two minutes at 50rpm followed by one minute at 100 rpm, all conducted below threshold power, with typical sets lasting from six to 12 minutes. Another way to introduce the contrast is to follow five-minute hill reps in a big gear with a similar number in the lowest possible gear, sometimes even done standing for maximum effect. Other drills used to help improve pedalling include maintaining a training intensity whilst shifting up or down the cassette, typically keeping the same gear for one minute, always thinking about maintaining good form in order to improve co-ordination. Coordination and stability maybe increased by alternating extended sitting and standing periods in a structured way, for example between one and three minutes in each position while maintaining a cadence of around 75rpm seated and 70rpm standing. Track sprinters will often employ the practice of ‘rev-outs’, where a low gear is selected and the rider aims to pedal as fast

as possible. The idea is to train the neural pathways to become eﬃcient at coordinating muscle activation; if you can pedal at 200rpm then maintaining 100rpm becomes less stressful. These and similar drills can be done without any resistance at all either on an exercise bike or turbo trainer. Eastern bloc riders have long been fans of including riding on old-school rollers into training programs, typically including 2030 minutes each morning before breakfast. Regular roller riding in combination with road miles may help improve cadence and core stability. Of course, regular ‘fasted’ – unfed - training may also help to reduce fat stores, so including even a couple of roller rides each week before breakfast may represent a win-win even if lifestyle or willpower rule out a ritual daily ‘fasted’ roller ride. So, in order to improve your climbing skills, pedal fast and pedal slow in a structured way and consider investing in a set of rollers. The added training may help reduce your body mass in addition to improving skills that further reduce energy lost to stabilising wobbling masses and internal friction.

•

RIDES

IS STRAVA RUINING YOUR CYCLING (AND YOUR LIFE)? Isn’t it wonderful that UK Strava members rode over half a billion kilometres last year, that 100,000 people all over the planet are signing up to Strava each week and that Strava membership is now in its “millions”? Strava won’t say exactly how many millions though. Strava is inspiring increasing numbers of cyclists to ride further, faster and more frequently. So far so laudable, but does anyone miss simpler, more fun, perhaps even more honest cycling?

Before Californians Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey launched Strava in 2009, club-level cycling was arguably a friendlier – but no less competitive – place. Or would those who dared say so get shouted down by the modern, tech-savvy cyclist and branded a Luddite? I am a Strava addict myself, now in my fourth year of using, and I do miss those innocent, preGPS days. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Now when I come

in from a ride I don’t take my cycling shoes oﬀ and go through to the kitchen to make a cup of tea or a recovery drink, instead I clack right in and sit down at the dining room table fully clothed in damp cycling gear squinting through rivulets of sweat at a small screen to ﬁnd out how many little gold, silver and bronze trophies I’ve won. Did I ‘PR’ on that long drag, or perhaps the tailwind was strong enough to blow me to a ‘KOM’? Is my Strava average speed

WORDS SIMON SMYTHE PH OTO G R A P H Y S T R AVA

infuriatingly 0.2mph slower than what the Garmin says it is? Bah! Have I been bumped further down the leaderboard since I last rode this segment? While I’m here I’ll see what everyone else has been up to this morning and dish out some ‘kudos’ to my Strava rivals – we all follow each other – simultaneously patronising them and showing them I’m not scared by their 80mile ride at 19.5mph. Not only is all this behaviour incredibly undignified, but it also leaves a wet patch on the dining room chair. Has my cycling really been reduced to this? Perhaps even sadder is the pointlessness of comparing oneself against other Strava users when they could have drafted lorries or cars, been given a leadout, gone out in a 70mph gale or even cheated by uploading their data to Digital EPO and ‘juiced’ their ride. Or perhaps they didn’t cycle at all – they drove the segment in their car. I ought to be satisfied with doing a few time trials and comparing my times to other people’s in official events that are held under the national governing body’s rules and regulations. But with them the result sheet arrives in the post and that’s the end of it, whereas with Strava you’re competing in what might be hundreds of rolling outlaw time trials that are taking place 24/7. And Strava keeps egging you on. If someone steals your KOM you get a ‘uh-oh’ notification email from Strava. A few years ago the next line of the email ran something like “so get out there and show them what you can do”, but Strava toned it down after a Californian man was killed in 2012 when he collided with a car while trying to recapture a KOM

on a dangerous descent. His family tried to sue the San Franciscobased organisation, but the judge dismissed the case. Yes, Strava can lead you to take risks on public roads but it’s your own fault. Strava simply brought out the idiot in you. If KOMs don’t fire you up, there’s the insidious dangling of challenges in front of you. Can you man up enough to climb 28,000 feet, the height of Everest, in February and get a little shield for doing it? And it’s not just the egging on – it’s the social media aspect of Strava too. You can suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you aren’t scrolling down your feed every couple of hours, giving kudos, commenting and bantering. What’s more, it is acknowledged that to go cold turkey from Twitter or Facebook is not healthy. If you want to engage with your community, group of friends or society in general, you can’t cut yourself off from it. It won’t come to you. The irony is that social media exists to allow people to share information, feelings, experiences and pictures, and while Strava users share every second of their ride data a new breed of cyclist is emerging who is more competitive, more egotistical, more likely to go out riding alone in order to attack Strava segments and therefore less likely to share his cycling in the traditional way with a group of riders such as on a club run. Technology can’t be uninvented and Strava is here to stay, but non Strava users or recovering Strava addicts can take heart from one thing: the average speed for all Strava rides in the UK last year was less than 15mph, which is not very fast…

•

RIDES

VIEW FROM THE DEPUTY EDITOR’S SADDLE I once shepherded a top Sky News executive around on one of the country’s hardest sportives on a ﬁne summer’s day. The man was undoubtedly ﬁt, one of the legion of new wave cyclists who have embraced not only riding a bike but all the measurables that go with it. He was utterly beside himself with fury as he had forgotten his GPS device, it ruined the ride for him and at the end of the day he could hardly tell me a thing about where we had been or what we

UPS AND DOWNS UK Strava users rode a total of 521,189,000km in 2014, including 96,000 centuries (100 miles). The average ride distance was 41km and the average time in the saddle per ride 1h 46min. These are just some of the statistics told by the ‘Strava Story’, published by the phenomenally popular GPS app-cum-social network at the beginning of the year. According to Strava, the data uploaded by its users in 2014 gives a “neverbefore-seen outlook on cycling and running in the UK”. The most popular day to ride in the UK was Sunday June 8 – certainly a day to remember if you were one of the 4,032 who

took part in the Dragon Ride, one of the UK’s top sportives, which included a 300km ‘Devil’ distance. The Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire the following month inspired Strava users to hit the tough climbs of the Dales. Buttertubs saw a 280% increase in activity in July compared to the previous month, while 90% more rides took place on Holme Moss in the Peak District. In Britain’s towns, where the average commuter rode 10 miles at a speed of 16mph, the most popular day was Tuesday July 22. However, Strava may have rumbled a good few fair-weather cyclists: it recorded a 54% drop in

WORDS ALEX BERESFORD

had seen, so addicted was he to the acquisition of data and not the experience of freedom a bike can give. I don’t use Strava, I don’t use a Garmin, I don’t even look at my watch. I’d rather just enjoy the passing of the time through the landscape. Maybe there should be a Strava ‘enjoyometer’ function and then it might be truly all embracing.

UK STRAVA STORY 2014 The average distance per ride was 41km (25.4 miles) for men and 34km (21.1 miles) for women Men spent an average time in the saddle per ride of 1h 46m; women 1h 39m The average speed of a ride was 23kph (14.3mph) for men and 20kph (12.4mph) for women Average total distance cycled was 809km (502 miles) for men; 407km (252 miles) for women Average total time in the saddle for the year was 35h 13m for men; 20h 12m for women

commuter rides between summer and winter. London recorded 114,000 cycle commutes per week in 2014 – unsurprisingly more than any other county in the UK. Simon Klima, Strava’s UK manager, said: We launched the Strava Story to showcase personal achievements as a key element of Strava’s ethos, but it has been equally interesting for us to gather the achievements of the UK Strava community as a whole and share an insight into their active lives.” WWW.STRAVA.COM

*Sunday June 8 was the most popular day for cycling with 3,579,000km (2,223,887.5 miles) ridden. Fastest county per average ride was Cambridgeshire with 26kph (16.1mph) Hilliest county with 591m (1,939 feet) per average ride was Merthyr Tydﬁl Total distance ridden by Strava users in 2014 was 521,189,000km (323,851,830 miles)

•

RIDES

VIRGIN TERRITORY WORDS D AV I D H A R M O N PH OTO G R A P H Y A N TO N Y SI M M V I RG I N M O N E Y V I RG I N M A R AT H O N

Back in November 2011, when Richard Branson’s Virgin Money was handed the reins of the collapsed Northern Rock organisation they also acquired one of the UK’s most diverse and well loved sportives, the Cyclone. It would have been easy, in the light of the economic pressures upon the new owners to cut their losses and sever ties with the event but instead they rolled up their sleeves and have begun a process of gradual change which they hope will point the way for mass participation rides for the next decade. The man at the helm of Virgin Money’s vision is the company’s head of sponsorship, Andrew Nicholson; “When we inherited the Cyclone we were 2 years into our partnership with the London Marathon and the amazing

success of fundraising with that event and the Virgin Money Just Giving programme seemed a natural fit for the Cyclone,” states Nicholson, a man who puts his money where his mouth is. It was at the 2014 event, welcoming riders back over the finish line, where we first caught up with him. The Virgin Money London Marathon raises a staggering £50 million pounds a year for charity. It has become a part of the fabric of the UK’s generous fundraising mentality and Nicholson believes that as the market in cycling events matures the next 2 years could see a tipping point in why people ride events and what they hope to achieve by riding them. “We very much approached the Cyclone through the prism of the London Marathon. You can see the potential for charity fundraising through cycling with the huge numbers that take part in Ride London. The Cyclone has a unique feel, a very broad spectrum of riders that you just don’t have in many other events. We thought, ‘why hasn’t cycling followed the London Marathon pattern?’ Maybe it just needs one event to take the lead and that’s what we hope we can do” But cycling has constraints upon it that simply don’t occur in running. A decent pair of running shoes will cost you £50£100 and if necessary you can train almost anywhere in a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt. In addition running is far more time efficient than cycling, so does the very nature of the sport itself hamper the Virgin Money Cyclone and events like it becoming vehicles for significant charity revenue raising by choking off potential participants? Nicholson thinks not. “That may have been the case

10 or 15 years ago but I don’t think it’s a signiﬁcant factor now. We have become a cycling nation, families don’t have to go out and buy a bike to take part, they already have them in their sheds and it’s an

WHY HASN’T CYCLING FOLLOWED THE LONDON MARATHON PATTERN? activity that they do as a family. I think cycling in this country is now at the stage where a bicycle doesn’t just provide liberation to individuals but it’s really part of the fabric of the nation.” We are all used to seeing thousands of London Marathon runners waving at the cameras dressed as a giant banana or struggling manfully along in the guise of a 6 foot chicken but there

is no denying that at the sharp end of the event there is considerable public awareness generated by the presence of star athletes competing in one of the world’s most prestigious races, and Nicholson is hopeful that recent changes in the way cycle races are sanctioned on UK roads is an opportunity not to be missed. “We live in a world driven by images and having a closed roads event with a race at the front of a sportive could really help, especially with world class riders taking part. We can bring our experience to bear on that and on to potential TV coverage. It will take time but I’m conﬁdent it will happen sooner rather than later. We have a huge opportunity with the Cyclone to change the way events are perceived, it’s thrilling!” If Virgin is on the money, what has established itself as one of the friendliest and most family orientated rides in the country could be about to go global. The Virgin Money Cyclone Festival takes place from the 19th to the 21st June. WWW.VIRGINMONEYCYCLONE.CO.UK

•

RIDES

PEDDLERS IN THE MIST WO R D S A N D PH OTO G R A PH Y R E A N N E A T H E RT O N

I’m always seeking new ways to push my limits and step out of the comfort zone. Give me a challenge and I will embrace it with open arms. You would think the harder the challenge, the less appealing, but for some bizarre reason it attracts my attention more. I knew that being located in the up and down (mainly up) dale of Rochdale that I wouldn’t expect anything less than a leg burning ride. Pulling up to the event, I expected to see a bustling headquarters ﬁlled with a mass of eager lycra clad cyclists busying around having a laugh with their riding buddies. Instead the

weather matched the serious atmosphere that I was now a part of. The heated indoor area for signing on was where everybody was, cyclists all huddled close, mentally preparing to face the cold conditions. Trying to stay upbeat and positive I dressed up in my winter riding kit. Bib fleece leggings, overshoes and layers that even an onion would be proud of. I came into this sportive very naïve. What was awaiting me was going to be a shock to my out of tuned sportive mind and body. The briefing at the start was a relief as I was raring to go but with no clue of the important intricate details such as what signs to look out for and where the feedstations were. I have done some hilly rides in my time taking in severely graded climbs but this one was relentless with what felt like never ending climbs and never clearing fog. The harsh haze limited my vision leaving me oblivious to the surprises the route had to offer. For a moment the fog shifted and I was stunned by the outstanding scenery. It was as if I had rolled out of the wardrobe into a winter wonderland, surrounded by

E VA N S R I D E I T

ROCHDALE, LANCASHIRE 112KM, 80KM OR 40KM

rippling hills sprinkled with snow. Totally absorbed in the moment, suddenly I saw writing on the road emerging from the fog. Cav and Froome and a mass of other names penetrated the tarmac that oozed memories of the world’s greatest cyclists that graced the roads during stage 2 of the 2014 Tour De France. I was aware that somewhere en route I would be faced with this little 5 mile encounter, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. You would think the markers counting me down kilometre by kilometre would deflate me. Quite the opposite, it made me push harder. Reaching the top, it felt a very desolate place. I was only a little disappointed there was a lack of cheerleaders or even a fanfare with a gathering of spectators to welcome me over the crest. Conquering England’s longest continuous hill-climb known as Alp d’Cragg is one I can now tick off the bucket list. Climbing hills can be very satisfying and one good aspect is that at some point it’s inevitable that you will have the pleasure of going down the other side. These slopes certainly reflected the hills in terms of severity. Being a fan of descending I found myself smiling at the long flowing traffic free road awaiting me. I noticed this is where I gained on the riders who had effortlessly gobbled me up on the climbs. Picking off cyclists one by one, I started to wonder if there was something I should know as they made their way down cautiously. I vaguely overheard a chap shout to his buddy about many falling off last year due to the icy conditions. With a moment contemplating slowing down, I thought it would be a waste of a good reward. Coming from the

extreme sport of downhilling of the off-road variety, I would say I’m pretty confident handling my two wheeled machines. The ice and pot holes were my equivalent to boulders and drop-offs that I used to attack with passion. Every now and then a solo rider would slowly crawl past, muttering a quick hello through gritted teeth. The majority of the way round there was an eerie silence and I missed the usual camaraderie I tend to get during a sportive as this can take your mind off plodding up a hill, and always helps when you can give encouragement to each other.

ANYONE WHO DIDN’T KNOW THE ROUTE WOULD THINK THOSE CLIMBS WERE NEVER GOING TO END All in all the Evans RideIt staff were very helpful and organised. The signage was excellent for newbies to the area. With my mood being a mixture of grumpiness, exhaustion and happiness; I rolled into the finish pit. It made my day to have the staff welcoming me with an enormous very well done. The locals were saying at the finish ‘anyone who didn’t know the route would think those climbs were never going to end’ and indeed it is a ride that will stay in my catalogue of memories for many years to come.

Building brands that build businesses since 2003. We help clients communicate with a strategic thoughtful approach to branding, print and digital design.

NEWS News and events from around the UK

SOUTH

THE EXMOOR BEAUTY 19TH APRIL There’s beauty in the Exmoor hills, and the Exmoor Beauty provides a challenging 100 or 160km route, starting from Tiverton and heading north to the seaside resort of Minehead, looping around the National Park taking in some of the biggest and baddest climbs on its way back to Tiverton again. There will be regular feed stations and electronic timing for all entrants, with a broom wagon following, just in case. WWW.EXMOORBEAUTY.ORG

madebyparent.com

SOUTH

EDEN CLASSIC 10TH MAY

SOUTH

LONDON CYCLE SPORTIVE 10TH MAY

This mass-participation event provides three routes, ranging from 35 to 100 miles, with a 62 middle distance, accommodating all fitness levels. As its name suggests, it starts and finishes at the stunning Eden Project in Cornwall, nestled in a formed china clay quarry. Cornwall is a hilly old place and the longest route stacks up an impressive 2,433 metres of climbing. Bring your climbing legs! Police will escort cyclists from the Eden Project and then it’s out onto some of the finest roads in the area, with coastal roads and picturesque villages and beauty spots certain to make it a memorable ride for all finishers.

Starting from the famous Herne Hill velodrome in south London, the London Cycle Sportive takes cyclists out into the Surrey hills towards Box Hill, as used in the London 2012 Olympics, and ﬁnishes with a lap of the velodrome, which was used for the 1948 Olympics. You can’t get more history in a sportive than this. It’ll be a ride to remember in the legs too, with three routes including a mighty 166km long route which will all be fully signposted, also with electronic chip timing, loaded feedstations, a ﬁnisher’s medal, broom wagon and medical and mechanical support, just in case.

WWW.EDENPROJECT.COM/VISIT-US/ WHATS-ON/OTHER-ACTIVITIES/EDENCLASSIC-SPORTIVE-CYCLING-EVENT

WWW.HUMANRACE.CO.UK/EVENTS/ CYCLING/LONDON-CYCLE-SPORTIVE

•

REGIONAL NEWS

SOUTH

LORD WHISKY CYCLO SPORTIVE 25TH MAY

SOUTH

DAVINA’S BIG SUSSEX BIKE RIDE 7TH JUNE

For the BBC’s Sport Relief last year, presenter Davina McCall embarked on a 500-mile triathlon from Edinburgh to London, starting with a 130-mile cycle ride to the Lake District. This Big Sussex Bike Ride will be your chance to join her on a bike ride intended to raise funds for sick babies and children. You’ll be able to select a distance to suit your fitness or determination, including a 21, 40 or 68 mile route. The routes will be signposted and there’ll be electronic chip timing, feed stations to keep your legs spinning and event massage and medals for all finishers. The event starts at the East Sussex National Golf Club in Uckfield, and heads through the idyllic Sussex countryside, with quiet roads and rolling hills, and a few steeper ones to test the legs, with a steepest ascent of about 10%. Davina McCall will be waving off every single cyclist and then cycling the longer route herself. WWW.ACTION.ORG.UK/DAVINAS-BIGSUSSEX-BIKE-RIDE

SOUTH

CHILTERN 100 SPORTIVE 31ST MAY This is billed as one of the toughest sportives within a short distance of London. This year the organisers offer the choice of 76 and 110 mile routes that promise to take in some of the best roads in the Chilterns, as well as some of the best, and most infamous, climbs such as Whiteleaf Hill and Wardrobes. The event has been running for 8-years and has become a very popular event, in fact it sold out completely last year. The 76 mile route packs in 1,900m of climbing, while the 110 mile route finds a staggering 2,700m of ascending. There are all the usual extras such as frequent feed stations, route marking and electronic timing, medical and mechanical support and a broom wagon. There’ll be a finisher’s medals and results will be texted to your phone as you cross the finish line. WWW.HUMANRACE.CO.UK/EVENTS/ CYCLING/CHILTERN-100-SPORTIVE

Taking place in the garden of England, this intriguingly titled event offers participants a choice of 50 or 72 miles, depending on how fit you’re feeling, with fully signed routes on quiet roads promised by the organisers. Wondering about the name? It’s actually named after the Lord Whisky Sanctuary Fund which provides a lifeline for animals of all kinds, giving sanctuary to homeless, hurt and abused pets. All proceeds from the sportive will go to helping unfortunate animals that need caring for, and rehoming. The sportive starts and finishes at the Park House Animal Sanctuary with free parking, feed stations, a broom wagon and tea, coffee and cake for all finishers. It costs £15 to enter in advance or £20 on the day. WWW.LORDWHISKY.CO.UK

SOUTH

CHAVENAGE CHALLENGES SPORTIVE 24TH MAY The Chavenage Challenge sportive returns for the second year after a successful and popular debut in 2014. Starting in front of the majestic Chavenage House, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, the event offers two rides, a 40 mile Cromwell Stroller or the full 80 mile Chavenage Challenge. Expect quiet country lanes through picturesque villages, and plenty of challenging climbs to test your legs. Fear not, there’ll be feed stations to keep your energy stores topped up and upon finishing a full buffet lunch will be ample reward. CHAVENAGECHALLENGES.CO.UK

CENTRAL

WIGGLE DRAGON RIDE 7TH JUNE This event really needs no introduction, it’s one of the longestrunning and most demanding sportives on the sportive calendar. This year there are three distances to choose from, 43, 153, 226 and a mighty 302 kilometres. Whatever you do, don’t bite off more than you can chew. The event has made household names of climbs like the Rhigos and Devil’s Elbow, two of the most fearsome, among many, climbs on the route. There is a stack of climbing on each route, as you’d expect of a sportive taking in the Black Mountains, the longest Dragon Devil route packs a scarcely believable 3,864m into the 302km route, with a max gradient on one climb of 23%. Make sure to pack your smallest gears. If that didn’t sound hard enough, a new addition this year is the Dragon Tour. This is a three-day tour that will invite 500 cyclists to ride a sportive every day, culminating with the Dragon Ride itself on the final day. There is also a Macmillan Cycletta route, with a distance of 42km it’s the same route as the challenging Corto route, but is solely for women and provides a non-competitive and friendly atmosphere. There’s no obligation to fundraise if you want to take part, but Macmillan are hoping to raise as much money as possible. Along with the stunning landscape and spectacular climbs on the menu, there will be well-stocked regular feed stops, motorcycle marshalling, a pasta party, electronic timing, a finisher’s medal and free car parking. WWW.HUMANRACE.CO.UK/EVENTS/ CYCLING/DRAGON-RIDE

CENTRAL

DARE 2B RUTLAND CICLE TOUR 25TH APRIL One of eight events running from April through to September, the Dare 2b Rutland CiCle Tour provides a choice of four distances (34, 50, 77 and 89 miles) all starting and ﬁnishing at the historic Thoresby Hall in North Nottinghamshire. There will be regular feed stations along the route at village halls, so no popup feed stations on the side of the road, and post-event food is included in the price. Also included in the price is mechanical support

with backup vehicles, electronic timing and event photography. The day after the sportive is the Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic professional road race, so why not make a weekend of it and spectate the pro race after completing the sportive the day before. WWW.ITPEVENTS.CO.UK

CENTRAL

GRAN FONDO CONWY 26TH APRIL

Set in the heart of North Wales, the Gran Fondo Conwy sets oﬀ from Conwy Castle and all three routes will pick some of the best roads and climbs in the Conwy and Denbighshire counties, along with some beautiful views too. The organisers will take you on a tour of the most famous landmarks in North Wales including the iconic Llanwrst Bridge and the historical town of Denbigh. The route also picks up some of the same roads used in the 2013 Tour of Britain, and cycled by the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish. There are three routes,

42, 70 and 104 miles depending on how much climbing you fancy. The longest route packs in nearly 2,200 metres of climbing, so it’s pretty certain there will be lots of sore legs at the ﬁnish, but likely lots of smiles too. An interesting addition for the event is the Storm the Orme Challenge. This is a timed stage within the sportive route that test the legs of anyone with a competitive streak. WWW.GRANFONDOCONWY.COM

PH OTO G R A PH Y D AV I D D I X O N

•

REGIONAL NEWS

N O RT H

THE TAYSIDE CHALLENGE 2ND MAY A new event for 2015 The Tayside Challenge is organised by Perth Kinnoull Rotary Club. The ride has been created to help support local Perthshire charities as well as two international charities. The ride oﬀers participants a choice of 46 or 81 miles, neither of which are considered easy but both promise fantastic views. In the middle of the long route is a seriously steep ascent above Loch Tay, on the short route there are no nasty surprises, just a nice long steady climb instead. CAIRNOMOUNTCHALLENGE.ORG.UK

N O RT H

GREAT DUN FELL CYCLE SPORTIVE 3RD MAY

N O RT H

VELO29-ALTURA BUTTERTUBS 16TH MAY One of ﬁve events in the Velo29-Altura series, this is the second one and takes its name from the now iconic climb used in the 2014 Tour de France. Choose from three distances 40, 98 or 153km, depending on how ambitious you’re feeling, and expect some amazing scenery as you spin along great roads. The roads in question will head along the ﬂat to begin with before taking in Swaledale and, after the route split, the infamous ascent of Buttertubs. Afterwards it’s mostly downhill through Aysgarth,

Leyburn, Masham, Bedale, and then back to the ﬁnish. Whichever route you pick, especially if you’re brave enough to choose the long one, it’s sure to be a memorable ride. WWW.VELO29EVENTS.COM/ SPORTIVES/BUTTERTUBS-SPORTIVE

Back for another year, the Great Dunn Fell Cycle Sportive oﬀers just one route option, 63 miles, and is one that packs in lots of climbing as it skirts the edge of the Lake District and weaves through the beautiful Eden Valley. The sting in the tail is the Great Dun Fell, described by Simon Warren, author of 100 Climbs, as the “greatest climb in England”. This event sold out in 2014 so this year the organisers have opened up more places to accommodate 300 cyclists, but it’s advisable to enter early if you want to tick this one oﬀ your list. WWW.SPORTINACTION.CO.UK/GREATDUN-FELL-CYCLE-SPORTIVE

ZENIUM ZENIUM SL PR O SUP ER L I G HT A L LOY F R A M E & H M - UD CA R B O N F O R K - S HI M A N O ULTE G R A G R O UP S E T F ULCR U M R ACIN G 7 W H E E LS E T

R R P £ 12 9 9 . 9 9 E X C L U S I V E LY AVAILAB LE FR OM

W W W . V ITUSB IK ES . COM

94%