glasgow, like many a town and city these days, offers the coffee connoisseur an often less than impressive set of options for the supping of froth or, perchance, something a tad stronger. though the number of city-centre coffee outlets has increased almost exponentially in the last decade or so, quantity sadly doesn't always equate with quality.
to a greater or lesser extent, the coffee catering has captured the middle ground, predominantly through the proliferation of the usual subjects: starbucks and costa. it is a sad reflection in the defamation of the word barista, that there are still those nominated as such who believe that a double-espresso equates to twice as much coffee and water as would be served in a 'single' espresso and that it ought best be served in a cappuccino cup. the problem has almost reached similar proportions as that of inappropriate and unnecessary apostrophes.
having suffered such coffee bean iniquities on my way to london for this year's rouleur classic, it was of great joy to meet once more with andrew meo, the man behind (quite literally) those highly desirable rocket espresso machines. as at last year's event, andrew had set up shop in conjunction with mick and andy at prendas, bordering a couple of comfy looking leather sofas being gainfully employed by ian parkinson for the next instalment of the rouleur podcast. as if this were insufficient cycling culture in such a compact and bijou space, doctor d (rohan dubash) had set up shop opposite rocket, intent on assembling a steel moser frame with an appropriate and period correct selection of campagnolo componentry.
i should point out that, equally as garrulous as yours truly, the last time i visited the stand on thursday eve, rohan had managed to get as far as fitting the bottom bracket, headset and a couple of polystyrene wraps on the main tubes. still, the show was on for a total of three days.
from my own, narcissistic point of view, i can but congratulate the folks at rouleur towers for their choice of venue. having arrived at euston station from glasgow central about an hour in advance of the doors opening at victoria house, it was but a straight line from euston along upper woburn place, past tavistock square and russell square. meaning at evening's end, 'twas but a simple matter of retracing my straight-line steps to the evening's accommodation.
along with yours truly, you may well be questioning the logic in undertaking a four-day trip by way of ferry, bus and train for a mere five hours in the big city. but we all know that's not quite how the whole thing works. i know of a few individuals who flew from islay to new york, via glasgow airport, for a bruce springsteen concert. in my case, those five busy hours were filled to overflowing with earnest conversations that would have bored the earrings off mrs washingmachinepost, had she been daft enough to accompany me south.
as i'm sure i bored everyone within earshot, i've been writing this stuff for just over 21 years; it would take a committed hermit to do so without having made the acquaintance of many others plying their own furrow within the same milieu. thus, having been kindly invited to attend the 2017 rouleur classic by publisher, bruce sandell, i had a ready-made set of victims on whom to impose my scarcely revelatory observations. i like to think i have never been one to indulge in name-dropping, a laudable quality to be admired in anyone within the cycle industry, and one i aim to continue in these black and yellow pixels during this present conversation.
famous people who were in attendance, but with whom i did not necessarily 'shoot-the-breeze' included johan museeuw, fabian cancellara, david millar, philippa york, brad wiggins, brian smith and several others who doubtless conversed with the aforementioned ian parkinson on those leather sofas after the excellent matt barbet had interviewed them on stage.
i did say hello to matt.
for those who have not attended a rouleur classic in any of its incarnations, it has demonstrated an uncanny ability to reflect the quality and diversity of the magazine in three-dimensions specifically by eschewing the extremely large format espoused by the national cycle show inhabiting birmingham's exhibition centre each september (with the possible exception of the mavic stand with its two motorbikes).
this is arguaby the more select and quality end of the cycling world, populated by such as s-works, lightweight, focus, assos, velobici, colnago, endura, cervelo, campagnolo, continental, giro, poc and many others that would probably take too many pixels to list. each stand was manned and woman'd by the very folks you'd need to talk to in order to satiate all those questions that have been nagging for months.
business is thus conducted in comfortable and mostly salubrious surroundings, interspersed by frequent visits to the bar (not by me, i might add) on the way to or from the auditorium in which the great and good were spilling their innermost secrets to mr barbet. most of us, yours truly in particular, are mostly inured from these industrial goings on, aware only of the turning of the velocipedinal cogs (if you'll pardon the pun) via regular perusing of the cycling media. that, most likely, ought to be the point at which the post enters the fray, but we can't all be perfect.
with luck and a following wind, there will be another rouleur classic at the same time in 2018, an event that i would respectfully suggest you make the effort to attend. let's face it; if i can do it, so can you.
monday 6 november 2017
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................i have just returned from an admirably brief visit to the nation's capital city, mainly for the perusal of fairly exotic bicycles and their associated componentry, along with occupying more time than should be admitted, attempting to win a gold medal for talking. the journey from here and back was accomplished by means of ferries, buses and trains, partly because, as i have paid more than lip service to on prior occasions, it's a lot of faff to travel with bicycle and secondly, because there was really no need in this case. and, very much in favour of my enforced pedestrian activities, the venue for the rouleur classic could be accessed in a straight line direct from euston station.
however, though i have a rudimentary working knowledge of the bits of central london that get me to where i need to go, everything changes when it's dark. streets that feature recognisable landmarks in daylight, dissolve into anonymous buildings apparently randomly illuminated after the hours of darkness. for this, i must offer my hearty congratulations to the folks at rouleur towers in favour of their choice of hebridean friendly venue. however, even bearing this in mind, i tend to figure i'd be a tad less sure of my trajectory were i to ride my bike.
the traffic on islay is a smidgeon more sparse by comparison.
as you would expect, however, there is a solution for this velocipedinal unsurety, one that comfortably fits under the heading of 'there's an app for that', brought to you by the clever people at smartcycle. via an app currently available on apple's app store, smartcycle london would appear to be the solution to more than just my own potential problems, though i can't resist the opportunity to point out that my lack of an iphone might just present an insurmountable hurdle.
but, my own idiosyncracies aside, the smartcycle is, happily, more than just a one trick pony. having noted on many occasions, stretches of iron railings bordering the pavements and properties in london, bearing signs advising that padlocked bicycles may be unceremoniously removed, i would be somewhat concerned that my choice of bicycle parking place might not meet with universal or even council approval. the smartcycle app is able to advise of the nearest cycle parking, inform you where an unfortunate mechanical failure might be repaired nearby and, with the installation of an appropriate tracking device, it can follow your bicycle if some swine nicks it from the parking area you found earlier.
as with many such smartphone apps, smartcycle can only get better and better the more people that adopt its use. for those who choose not to employ the services of a tracking device, the app will allow you to report a bike as stolen to other users who will hopefully keep an eagle eye open for it. the more of them there are, the better your chances of retrieval. the development of such a like-minded community should, in theory, help make the app better and better. if you found that the indicated bike parking wasn't what you expected, then tell smartcycle. if you'd like to recommend a bike shop for their service, tell smartcycle. and if you happen to find a neat parking area that's not indicated on the app, tell smartcycle.
if i ever get myself an iphone, i'll be able to pedal around london village with a smug, yet confident, grin on my face.
sunday 4 november 2017
thousands, if not millions of years ago, islay was apparently two separate islands. the oft mentioned uiskentuie strand borders a line of raised beaches where, at one time, according to experts, loch indaal and loch gruinart were merged into one body of water. thankfully this is not the case today, otherwise the velo club would have a harder than usual, not to say wetter time, visiting debbie's for some ritual froth supping. however, things being as they are, on reaching uiskentuie farm at the top of the strand, taking a right turn takes the intrepid cyclist in the direction of gruinart flats, one of two reserves owned by the royal society for the protection of birds (the other is on the oa).
this forms a part of not only my regular saturday ride, but is quite frequently included as a part of the sunday morning perambulations. the flats are a favoured grazing spot for the thousands of overwintering geese, often flooded due partly to their slightly-below-sea-level existence, but recently most likely due to one heck of a lot of rain.
the singletrack road leading to the reserve visitor centre is pretty straight, peppered on one side by plenty of passing places, hoping to offer a safe and unobstructive means for birdwatchers to stop their cars and grab the binoculars or cameras. disappointingly, either through ignorance or arrogance, many still stop on the road wherever they feel the need. that'll be why the rspb drive about in enormous tractors. those are rarely argued with.
there's a short, sharp, steep climb leading up past aoradh farm and ending at grainel, a few hundred metres up the road. the initial ascent, probably due to the aforementioned tractors, is pock-marked with potholes that seem to move location whenever it suits and more gravel than you'd find at the bottom of a large fish tank. this road, heading inexorably towards loch gorm, flattens once more for a while before rising once again, then descending to the loch.
described in this insouciant manner, it likely sounds quite idyllic, but loch gorm is but a few metres from the north atlantic and the wind is already inveigling itself into the crevices in the peloton long before starting the descent. but just before downwards becomes gravitationally necessitous, a pause of a minute or two would allow the eager cyclist to look several kilometres out to sea. on a bright sunny day, i certainly would not dispute use of the word idyllic on any grounds, but on a day like last saturday, all that view offered was portent of an incoming weatherfront. in this case, fuelled by a galeforce wind.
i like to think i have the measure of strong winds. thirty years in the hebrides means that familiarity breeds content and i have, on occasion, offered my wind consultancy to the folks at imperial works. i should make it perfectly plain that i am referring to the meteorological instance and not that engendered by over-indulgence of cruciferous vegetables or beans on toast. however, it seems that my ministrations on their behalf are wholly unnecessary; it would appear they have the subject well under control.
saturday, as i may have implied, was windy; a lot windier than the forecast had indicated. however, the ambient temperature was marginally into double-figures, too cold to dress only in a jersey, but just a tad too warm to feature a full-blown waterproof jacket. the air was damp, but tangible precipitation was conspicuous by its regular presence. the ideal conditions, i might profess, for rapha's latest brevet flyweight jacket; not actually waterproof, but a highly proficient windblock with an all-up weight of 74g (in old money, that's not even three ounces).
to emphasise the compactitude of this marvellous garment (i have thicker toilet paper in the croft), rapha sent out the press sample neatly contained in a tin the size of those employed for their shaving cream. yes, that small (see image above). inside the jacket's diaphanous constitution is a small pocket into which the jacket can be scrunched, resulting in a size that resembles that of their packable emergency backpack or an essentials case. the only fly in the ointment i can foresee would be attempting to put the jacket on in the face of an incoming galeforce wind. i'd suggest finding a modest level of shelter prior to attempting this in the wild.
it's hard to judge whether the flyweight jacket ought to be favoured for its incredible lightness of being or its more than impressive windblocking properties. i'm happy to appreciate it for both those features. and in common with its brevet peer group, there are two reflective and fluorescent hoops to make sure you're seen while being cavalier in the wind.
the full-length zip is simplicity itself to fasten or unfasten while in the saddle, and the rapha emblazoned droptail makes a decent job of keeping agricultural crap off your backside. the sleeves are, dare i say it, a perfect length (medium version reviewed).
whether you indulge in the sort of bikepacking that the brevet range encourages, or, like me, simply have to go out in strong winds that vary their temperature at will, this is the ideal garment to have minimally ensconced in a jersey rear pocket. you really do need one of these.
rapha's brevet flyweight jacket is available in black, chartreuse or burgundy (as reviewed). sizing begins at xs and wneds its way upwards to xxl at a retail cost of £120.
rapha brevet flyweight wind jacket
tuesday 31 october 2017
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................despite what mrs washingmachinepost says, twitter is mostly of more use than the dreaded facebook. aside from the fact that the former can be used without handing out quite so much personal information to an all but anonymous corporation, instead of an apparently endless stream of bizarre videos, twitter frequently offers up links to intriguingly interesting web pages. only this past week, i followed one of these links to an article explaining how human ability with numbers is probably not innate, but a learned skill provided by society.
under normal circumstances, learning such as this would frequently leave me with feelings of inadequacy, but in this case, my lack of numerical ability can obviously be blamed on society. it's a self-fulfilling prophecy; the more i think i'm crap with numbers, the worse i appear to get. give me words or pictures and everything's just ginger peachy, but sadly, life's not always like that.
there's probably a comparable situation that exists when it comes to specific-use apparel. our ancestors rarely had access to large factories filled with small asian children who earned a few shillings knitting thick woollen garments to keep them cosy as they tracked herds of itinerant wildebeest. however, though we've now reached the point of glorious excess when it comes to adventure apparel, things would not always have been so. history has enlightened us to the necessitous nature of our predecessors' day to day. there was no real point in acquiring itchy wool undergarments emblazoned with the university of the day when wild animals were likely to be less than impressed with the quality of screenprinting available at the time.
but, so far as i'm aware, acrylic and polyester do not grow on trees; nor, indeed can they be fabricated from the fleece or hides of wild animals. yet despite decades of invention, providing humanity with crinkly fabrics that need no ironing, natural fabrics are often still the best available. it has only taken a soupcon of marketing ingenuity to point this out. for instance, synthetic baselayers often have silver thread or antibacterial treatments to prevent the peloton stinking en masse at the end of a few heavy hours in the saddle. merino wool, however, is naturally anti-bacterial due to the shape of its fibres which offer no crevices in which smelly bacteria might reside.
it appears the the same may be said of yak wool. i have previously reviewed a baselayer fashioned by peak to plateau from surely the hardiest wool in the world; yaks tend not to live on malibu beach in the summer. yet while we go all naturelle about our armpits, we have perhaps been too quick to forget about smelly feet. indeed, many pairs of contemporary cycling shoes feature thousands of little holes to keep them pleasantly aerated, but as winter approaches, those holes will often be blocked by a pair of neoprene overshoes, encouraging a pair of sweaty feet once again.
in an effort to remedy the situation and as a result of persistent requests from customers, peak to plateau have been encouraged to bring sturdy yak wool socks to thousands of eager feet. as is the way of the modern world, funding so to do is being raised through a kickstarter campaign, the link to which is listed below. granted, the p to p people have these earmarked as hiking or skiing socks, but their professed thickness and softness surely make them every bit as appropriate for our very own velocipedinal needs?
either way, i leave you to make up your own mind about such matters and whether you wish to contribute to the already almost full coffers. as ever, with kickstarter pledges, there are incentives, all of which concern yak wool socks. perhaps, if you're quick, you could be the first kid on your block to sport a pair in the sunday peloton.
peak to plateau yak wool socks
monday 30 october 2017
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