thewashingmachinepost




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more cowbell

more cowbell

generally i am not in favour of forums of any description, because, and i mean no disrespect to those of you who frequent such online establishments, they appear to be populated by heavily opinionated individuals who seem free of the need to justify their opinions. a certain well known forum last year played host to many who debated the career of robert millar, and when robert appeared in (thinly disguised) person, the debate changed to whether it was or wasn't robert who was posting. let's try to put all this in perspective: cycling is about riding your bicycle and having a great time doing so, and whether robert millar is populating the pixels or not, has little bearing on how much fun today's headwind was. i am not, at this point, drivelling on about this specific instance, but merely using such as an example of why forums are not for me.

however, removing my casquette and climbing off that very high horse i was just on, i must confess to being a member of a drumming forum, one which belongs to a friend of mine in new york, the sublimely brilliant and incredibly down to earth, billy ward. someone you may not recognise by name, but will almost certainly have heard recordings featuring his drumming. this, it has to be said, is less of a forum and much more of a self-help group (and heaven knows, drummers need all the help they can get) populated by some very nice people who generally have everyone's best interests at heart, some incredibly well honed humourists, and billy himself who is not averse to either criticism or helping out those of considerably less percussive talent than himself.

as you would expect on a forum concerning itself with people who hit things for a living or hobby, topics almost always contain mention of the sort of things that we hit, and there has long been a train of laughter and ridicule regarding the humble cowbell and its rightful place in the drumming firmament. it seems generally agreed by all, whether they believe it implicitly or not, that there really ought to be more cowbell. a phrase and sentiment such as this has the eccentricity of purpose that makes it almost equally pertinent to both the percussion fraternity as well as those on two wheels and a derailleur. there can be few cyclocross races these days that do not fulfil the criteria of 'more cowbell', a cry and perhaps objectionable sound that has even made its way to this rock on the atlantic's edge.

for after a couple of month's break, we re-started port mor wheelers this morning at the port charlotte centre of the same name, whereby mr hastings and myself are hell bent on teaching islay's kids to have fun on their bikes. since the centre doubles as a campsite and football area with a sliver of unused grassiness in between the two, we have been making judicious use of bright orange marker cones to create a mini-cyclocross circuit on which the kids can test their bicycle skills without being necessarily aware of such a subliminal purpose. and in order to maintain the degree of required ambiance, mr hastings very cleverly produced two mini-cowbells that he and i could flaunt at the junior efforts of mud and grass plugging. masterfully, these had the desired effect both for riders and flaunters.

just what we need in cycling today - more cowbell.

and on an almost unbelievably coincidental note, i received advance notice from our friend on the more northerly island of mull, davie graham, that the bbc2 television series 'the adventure show' ventured to the island for the final event in the scottish cyclocross series. held in the shadows of glengorm castle the programme asks whether the sport can become as big in scotland as it is in north america and europe. davie also has a rather fine article in the current issue of singletrack regarding the very same cyclocross event. this episode of the adventure show will be shown on sunday 22 february starting at 18:05, though it will likely also be available on bbc iplayer.

twmp

posted on saturday 14 february 2009

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tour of california

rapha rides the tour of california

the proper race starts tomorrow on the far side of that other continent across the water, unless of course you are reading this in the usa then you'll have to figure out your own geographical metaphor. however, as stated not so very long ago, the rapha continental guys got there first by quite a number of weeks, and though there weren't endless crowds lining the streets and hillsides, the experience was real enough, and starting tomorrow on the continental site, you can read a verisimilitude of the event on a similar day by day basis. it might not transform your daily cycle commute, but it will instil you with a sense of worthiness as you pedal past the sheep or taxis (this article is nothing if not all encompassing).for those who would like a quick burst of enthusiasm by way of a preview, i have broken my own resolution yet again not to quote others' videos in the post timeline. one of these days i'll do what i say and not what i do.

photo courtesy daniel wakefield pasley

if you're in the uk, you can watch the tour live on eurosport with david harmon, while in the usa, live coverage is being provided by cycling.tv commentary by martin mccrossan and magnus backstedt.




music is 'the marionette' by tristeza from the album 'spine and sensory'

twmp

posted on friday 13 february 2009

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weight training for cyclists - ken doyle & eric schmitz (2nd ed.) velopress £14 ($18.95) softback 212pp illus.

weight training for cyclists

i view much of the training literature available in a somewhat detached manner; while i find it necessary to train in order to keep mind and body in some semblance of order, i really have no need of powermeters, heart rate monitors and fartlek for any serious reason. however, i have always been quite fascinated by the number of interviews read where the cyclist concerned lists weight training and hours in the gym as part of at least the winter training regime. isn't weight training just the sort of exercise that's likely to lead to emulation of schworlnold arzenegger? for those who have diligently watched the high life, you cannot fail to recollect seeing a decidedly skin and bone robert millar sitting in the back of a team car after a particularly heavy day in the french mountains. one tends to think that robert, perhaps, did not subscribe to a weight training regime.

however, if we assume that i wish to become more of a well rounded athlete than my mirror already hopes i am, is weight training something i should be seriously considering? it's a question that should perhaps be viewed in a similar light to the training undertaken by many a triathlete. i'm sure if there are any of such reading at present, you can exclude yourselves from the following indictment, but my casual observations lead me to believe that many a triathlete excels at swimming or maybe running, while the weak link in their aspiration is cycling. but rather than work conscientiously at improving in said discipline, where improvement could conceivably be measured in minutes, they prefer to slog away at the other two where mere seconds are on offer.

and similar criticism may be levelled at cyclists who ignore the benefits of weight training: if i have any spare time, i'd far rather be off out on the bike than trapped inside a small room atop our local leisure centre, pushing weighted bits up and down with my shaven legs and lifting rods of steel that get heavier at each end. that, however, is confusing recreation with real training; as i said, i have rather excluded myself from this argument, but this is all hypothetically true.

the velopress release, now in its second edition is the very book for me. granted, i find the first four or five chapters a tad on the explanatory side: the basics; the weight room; program information; program design - all this before we even get to stretching for flexibility. this is akin to buying a new digital camera and being eager to take pictures rather than reading the 432 page manual that will only make you feel inadequate to take photos at all. such is the content of these initial chapters: i wanted to see the exercises that would turn me into sir chris, not to discuss the pros and cons of periodization

however, i am being monstrously unkind to the authors here: if i was serious about including weight training into my overall regime, much of the information provided in chapters 1 - 5 is there to make sure that i know what i'm doing, and why i'm doing it.

there is always the concern that your local gym may not be able to provide the necessary equipment or weights that the progressive cyclist requires, and it would have been nice if the authors had included a basic list of weights that could be purchased for home use should that be the case. granted, flying solo with weights may not be the ideal situation, considering how much damage it is possible to do through ignorance, but unlike the united states, from whence this book originated, there is many a rural enclave that is a considerable distance from the nearest fitness centre. however, in this case, all is not lost.

the volume is superbly illustrated with many line drawings showing a remarkable number of exercises in which it would seem that weights are unrequired. many of said exercises pertain to stretching, core strength (which has its very own chapter) and general body strength. the few that i have had the temerity to try in the safety of my own living room seemed destined to tone and strengthen this vegetarian powerhouse if continued for a modest length of time. in fact, despite my earler protestations that i have no need of such assistance with my physique (i may be the only one who believes that), i am suitably encouraged to continue with one or two hand picked line drawings when my busy schedule allows.

chapter eleven concerns itself entirely with a sample training plan - maybe it's such rigorous organisation that pushes me away - which it seems would easily lend itself to a bit of jiggery pokery on behalf of whomsoever deemed it necessary. weight training cannot be all things to all cyclists. if you are in the situation where your cycling is competitively involved, it makes a great deal of sense (now that i've read the book) to attempt to incorporate weight training into the methods you already employ. if you're just starting out on the lengthy path of pain and suffering, this really is a very good tome with which to start: the authors are not preachy, though initially they may be a mite long-winded, the exercises are very easy to follow, and the text is as laid-back as such subject matter is keen to allow.

weight training for cyclists is available in the uk through cordee books at a cost of £14, and can be ordered online in the usa from velopress for $18.95

twmp

posted on friday 13 february 2009

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definitely suits you sir

rapha bespoke suit

i make no apology for following a rapha article with yet another rapha article, because this is so out there that to ignore would be tantamount to criminal negligence. rapha usa have invited their best customers to be party to an exclusive collaboration between themselves and renowned savile row tailor, timothy everest. between them they have developed a suit that is as at home on the bicycle as it is in the boardroom - now you can cycle straight up to that large oak table and lean the bike up against the tea trolley, confident in your sartorial elegance throughout.

comprising jacket, waistcoat and trousers or fixed short length plus fours, 'the finished suit offers elegance, thoughtful touches and luxury finishing.' perhaps obviously enough, this suit will not be for widespread distribution; rapha are offering a total of five custom fittings with timothy everest in the manhattan showroom of signature cycles on the appointed date (private invitation only). each fitting will last approximately ninety minutes. while you're waiting, you can preview the full rapha spring/summer range for 2009.

in the words of an advertisement the object of which i have forgotten, the rapha bespoke cycling suit will be reassuringly expensive with a deposit required at the time of fitting. prospective purchasers should inform their bank manager that the sum of $3500 will be leaving their accounts shortly afterwards. this may seem like a special degree of craziness during the current financial climate, but i'm willing to stick my hand up for a bit of craziness at any time. seems like rather a smart move to me.

is it worth it? only you can answer that one, but having never owned a suit in my entire life, rapha or otherwise, i'm not about to start now.

rapha.cc

twmp

posted on thursday 12 february 2009

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all dressed up and nowhere to go

rapha gentlemens race

on september 6th 2008, the rapha continental held a gentleman's race from hood river, oregon to roots organic brewery in portland. the race was sold on the basis of it being unsupported, unsanctioned and unmarshalled: each team of riders was to make it from start to finish, with the entire team intact, and taking whichever route they thought appropriate to their ultimate survival and finishing ranking. a total of eleven teams took the start, with only nine teams finishing the course at the brewery.

slate olson's closing comment at the end of his brief reporton the race (there's a less brief and entertaining video of the event here) was on an optimistic note: 'now that i know what to expect, i have even greater expectations for the second-annual rapha gentlemen's race'. it seems fair to say, therefore, that we should expect another burst of pain, suffering and entertainment later this year. (i have it on good authority that there might be more than one race in more than one region of the usa in 2009). and it is plain that some are looking forward to this possibility more than others.

i received an e-mail yesterday from an oklahoman (i assume that's how a resident of oklahoma should be described) who wished to draw my attention to a website he had created for the benefit of himself and cohorts, in a concerted attempt to find a place in the 2009 rapha gentlemen's race. perhaps, like me, you are wondering why he didn't just ask? well, if i understand the nature of the beast correctly this is one of those invitation only events, so a degree of blatant subterfuge perhaps seemed like just the very pattern required to persuade the black and pink powers that be.

it is notable that the team spirit spilling from the oklahoman pixels seems remarkably close to that espoused by velo club d'ardbeg. close rather than exact because we'd probably spend more time discussing possible strategies over coffee, than time spent on real and concrete training kilometres. and if we're scrupulously realistic, oregon is rather a long way from bowmore.

a very clever (and humorous) way to go about it,a nd one that seems to have achieved its very aim. following a flurry of transatlantic e-mails, it now seems very likely that the as yet un-named team may have achieved the desired invite, if not in fact, at least in principal. however, if this is indeed true, they may have to re-word the website address: - www.unmarshalledunsanctioneduninvited.com

twmp

posted on wednesday 11 february 2009

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scotsmen can't jump

white men can't jump

does anyone else remember the harlem globetrotters? for some reason one part of my childhood that i recall includes sitting in front of the telly watching the harlem globetrotters, an exhibition basketball team who (seemingly) always managed to win every game they played, take the mick out the referee, and use their undoubted skill to make people laugh - perhaps with the exclusion of the opposition. apparently originally a genuinely competitive basketball team, they would only start the clowning around when they had achieved what they considered to be a safe points advantage in the match. players like meadowlark lemon and curly neal were extremely entertaining to watch, making the game seem waay cooler than those involved in the likes of the rather anaesthetised european championship matches.so when, in 1992, ron shelton produced white men can't jump starring wesley snipes and former cheers barman, woody harrelson, in a movie about hustling on the public basketball courts that seem to be a recurring feature of west coast america, who could resist? and while both snipes and harrelson have made countless other movies not even close to the same genre, this one sticks. and it sticks in the memory almost entirely because mr snipes wore a cycle cap throughout pretty much the entire length of the film. in the early scenes it was emblazoned with large time logos on each side, but the residing iconic image from 'white men can't jump' is the orange, brown, blue and pink colnago cap worn by snipes' character sidney deane.

that was the defining moment when i subliminally realised that i just had to own a colnago (and you know pretty much the rest of that story). i, and seemingly many others, have trawled magazines, catalogues and more recently, websites such as e-bay desperate to find a colnago cap of verisimilitude. all completely without success until today. because the uk saviours to many a cyclist beholden to the iconic past, prendas ciclismo, bought their own copy of the film, watched it into the wee small hours then scribbled mightily with coloured crayons. and as i type this, i am proudly no nearer emulating wesley snipes than i am the harlem globetrotters, but i do have one of the finest cycle caps ever to grace my scraggly barnet. at only £7.50 each, this must be the steal of the century.

if you own a colnago, or have a small savings account that is heading in that direction, buy at least one right this minute. and you should probably nab a copy of white men can't jump from amazon while you're at it. meanwhile i'm having word with those in power to have mick and andy placed on the queen's birthday honours list.

if colnago or basketball isn't your flavour, so to speak, prendas have also resurrected the la vie claire, mondrian style cap, along with a salvarani logo'd casquette.

prendas.co.uk

twmp

posted on tuesday 10 february 2009

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reasons to be cheerful

sabbath cycles team launch

we lead a sheltered life in velo club d'ardbeg: not for us the constant concern as to the forthcoming season; which races to send which rider to; how long to sit by the letterbox waiting for that training plan to drop on the welcome mat; whether we can squeeze just another one sponsor's logo on the front of that jersey, and just how incongruous a morris minor team car will look if we draw number one in the peloton at the girvan three day. and i dare say there is many a team manager who would cheer for a team such as ours. of course, come the end of our season (around the first week in may) the trophy cabinet is likely still to be pretty vacant, and that morris will be having isopon surgery in the nearest mot station. no matter; the last three seasons have successfully followed this pattern - by the time we all get to august's ride of the falling rain there's a good chance we'll be overtrained, overfed and joining the dominoes league at the lochindaal hotel.

pity, then, the newly formed sabbath-claytan cycles team, whose eight riders will be targetting the the premier calendar races and the recently launched tour criterium series. created primarily to develop espoir riders in an academy style format, the sabbath-claytan phoenix has risen from the disbanded kfs special vehicles squad of which sabbath bicycles was second sponsor during its last two seasons of existence. greg roche of sabbath explained that, while he initially wanted to support a few riders through the bike company, he realised that he had the makings of something special, so scouted about for additional sponsorship to keep body, soul and team together.

completely unlike the velo club format of buying bikes, clothing, some spares and then seeing what happens (in our case, not very much), sabbath wanted to offer increased technical support while nurturing the younger athletes' sense of resonsibility to themselves, sponsors and team. roche has also been careful in choosing who the team works with by way of additional sponsors, since he's keen to engender a long-term relationship in this respect: he'd naturally enough, like to win races, but also to develop a suitably tried and tested infrastructure for the future.

the team was announced at the triathlon cycling and running show at sandown park at the weekend, an event which also saw the unveiling of sabbath bicycle's latest piece of kit, the time piece time trial bike. the team will ride a special edition sabbath monday's child bike. it is testament to the foresight and faith shown by those in the british cycle industry that we have yet another home-grown team to shout for over local roads in 2009.

the velo club d'ardbeg team was launched over espresso and carrot cake in debbie's on sunday lunchtime. sadly, the only other folk there, at the table by the window, left their money on the saucers, and a half-eaten double choc-chip muffin, before making their excuses and walking very quickly towards the door.

sabbathbicycles

twmp

posted on monday 9 february 2009

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concealed entrance, congealed effort

concealed entrance

if you approach bowmore village from the north, you'll pass ionad chaluim chille ile (icci) on your right, just as the road ventures upward - not incredibly steeply, but steep enough to present a minor challenge at the end of a long sunday ride. icci is locally known as either the gaelic college or the columba centre. built in the early part of the last century, it was originally a fever hospital, when such things were a necessity of rural life, and latterly had been relegated to a store for argyll and bute council's services department. with scotland's resurgence in gaelic promotion, decisions somewhere or other were made to relieve the council of their burden and have the building completely remodelled into the fine establishment it is today.

i have read many a training article that promises the tenacity and speed owned by tom boonen and/or mark cavendish, ways of sustaining the energy and power to go hell for leather at the end of (in their case) often a very long ride. of course, neither tom nor mark split their day with a double espresso and soya cappuccino at deb's (oh, and i had some dried dates too), though we have no benefit of a following team car. i'm sure we can agree a trade off. i have fartleked with the best of them, improved my souplesse by riding fixed, and observed my heart-rate and cadence till i wore out the rudy projects.

yet still that concealed entrance sign eludes me.

i've been trying this for months. the previous owner of the harbour inn built a house at the end of the farm track on the left at the top of the hill, a track that cannot be seen due to ascending the gradient. by the time motor vehicles reach the top and prepare to roll over and down the other side, anything exiting said track would be in the middle of the road, hence the need to erect the sign. in an effort to improve my sustained speed and climbing prowess, i have been assuming a pantani position on the drops just as the college entrance passes my left elbow, lifting bum out of saddle and clobbering it for all i'm worth towards the top.

the early attempts were without expectation; it was enough that i approached the red and white sign without prolonging such superhuman effort as i sailed past its stentorian message. but i had generally figured that, as such exertions were contained and focussed, the main objective would be added to my derisory repertoire. however, you can probably realise from the tone of this diatribe, that success has continued to elude me. c'est la vie, you may say (cycling is an international language), but this has been going on for longer than i truly wish to relate, and fall-shortedness has not seemingly decreased one whit. granted, the sign is not positioned on the apex of the climb, but a few metres along the horizontal section that separates the latter from the consequent gravitational pull, and this would appear to be the fly in the ointment.

were this billboard of information to be still on the climb, or the road happy to retain its slope until the sign be reached, you'd be reading about some other triviality at this point, but frustration is beginning to get the better of me.

maybe i need a new and faster colnago.

twmp

posted on sunday 8 february 2009

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sole brothers

lance's sole train

when we were young there were things our mothers told us not to do: don't touch the cooker; don't talk to strangers; don't run across the street; don't gulp your food - i'm sure you have your own list for reference. unfortunately, it seems that lance armstrong's mum didn't provide such a list, at least not one that stretched to saying don't do this to the soles of your shoes (see left). aside from the seeming pointlessness of decorating the bit of the shoe that no-one else sees, unless you're several hairpin bends down the stelvio when mr a is on a good day, it looks as if banksy was let loose in the astana truck, but left the instruction manual at home.

granted, the rest of the team kit is bright enough to distract attention from lance's carbon soles, but a bit of decorum from the patron of the peloton wouldn't go amiss; aren't they supposed to lead by example? however, i'm sure if i could find the list my mum left me, it would stringently warn against emulating come-back-kids from texas. mellow johnny indeed.

but all is not lost: there is no need for our cleated soles to look as if they have made it anywhere near the 21st century; moves are afoot (sorry) to ensure that those ten little digits can ignore big tex and embrace fausto with luxurious italian leather. dromarti, based in putney, london, is intent on re-educating our style factor to include the feet, by providing access to some of the most beautiful footwear i have ever seen. made by marresi in monte san giusto, italy, these sumptuous leather uppers are combined with either carbon soles (race model) or proper leather (storica), completely eschewing either boa or velcro fastening systems, and instead relying on good old fashioned laces. as i hope to have a pair of these on test within the next month or so, i'll let you know how easy it is to keep the laces well away from that ever-eager outer chainring.

all in all, dromarti are bringing three different models into the uk: those that require the standard three point cleat, regular sole for pedals and toeclips, and a semi-offroad version for two point spd cleats. style on the cross circuit. completely at odds with expectation, the shoes are remarkably affordable, extending from the race model at only dromart shoes £139 ($206), the sportivo at £149 ($221) and that leather sole contributing to the storica's £169 ($250).

while the above three products are the sum total of dromarti's offering at present, the indication is that there will be clothing to follow, and negotiations are already underway with a small cycle firm near torino to offer bespoke italian hand-made frames.

now, will you tell lance, or will i?

dromarti.com

twmp

posted on saturday 7 february 2009

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