..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

interviews & features | dvds | equipment | clothing | books | videos

what a drag

following the release of drum workshop's dw-e electronic drumsets, the folks at zildjian, formerly only interested in expanding their impressive range of cymbals, also released an electronic drumset, but this time with relatively silent cymbals that look and sound better than many of those produced by their competitors. the jury is still out on why the latest of these developments have seen real drums outfitted with mesh playing surfaces and electronic sensors. they do look exactly like an acoustic drumset, but for what reason, i cannot fathom, given that electronics have no need of wood ply shells to provide sound. the only advantage i can see is a pretence that real drums are being played, while removing the need for microphones to amplify the sound.

i have played one or two electronic drumsets, but, in common with almost every electric version of anything you care to mention, i truly cannot be bothered to acquaint myself with the unlimited number of parameters included in the brain responsible for controlling the generated sounds. currently, i need only sit behind my drumset, play the drums, and if the sound irks my sensibilities, 'tis but a simple matter to tighten or loosen the tuning bolts. electronics possibly offer a greater degree of audio control, but i really don't have the temperament to spend the time learning the various ins and outs of a pixelated display. for exactly the same reasons that i do not own a mobile phone.

however, i am well aware that there are many up-and-coming drummers who revel in such gadgetry, possibly more than just a few who see it as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. and i don't doubt there are every bit as many cyclists who welcome similar processes when applied to the velocipedinal realm. though i still affix a garmin 805 to my handlebars prior to each ride, i use only a smattering of which it is capable. i have not deliberately altered the information it presents since i received the device many years past. but, as we have previously discussed, my day to day cycling habits require nothing more. i do not ever store the recorded details, nothing every gets as far as strava, and the most looked at information is simply the time of day.

but i am not a modern cyclist.

this salient fact was brought home only yesterday on learning that the crowdfunding campaign initiated by 'body rocket' has achieved a 32% overfunding, allowing them to proceed to the next stage of release to an eager, bike-riding public. you may recall that the specific aim of body rocket was (in their words) to "...take the wind tunnel outdoors", allowing riders at all levels to measure their co-efficient of drag depending on their on-the-bike positioning, type of helmet, or even the differences in drag between various items of apparel. and one glaringly obvious factor affecting all of the above, is learning of your own specific cda in real weather conditions and when riding in a group.

perhaps in today's data-driven society, young, up and coming riders are likely more au fait with understanding the data being transmitted to the garmin device in real-time. perhaps there are those far happier to spend the time learning what all those numbers, graphs and statistics actually mean, and what action to take based on the knowledge conferred by "taking the wind tunnel outdoors."

i know not of the cost of outfitting your bicycle with the body rocket kit; i doubt it will be cheap, and it is, in effect only of use to those who intend to compete at the highest level, locally, nationally or professionally. i do rather hope that end product won't look quite so much like it originated in an episode of the jetsons, but as my mother was always fond of advising 'pride bears no pain'. at present, the aero button is the only one that hasn't been pushed at an individual level, entirely due to the exorbitant cost of hiring a wind-tunnel and an aerodynamics specialist to interpret the generated data. granted, you now have to become your own specialist, at the risk of detracting from any original interest in cycling. but in all honesty, the pedalling part seems often to be the least important of all the factors surrounding success nowadays.

i do wonder just how many riders now opt for power-meter cranks, with no idea as to how the resulting data might be interpreted to their advantage? i have ridden two different power measurement systems; on both occasions, uploading the data to my apple mac was simplicity itself, but i'm still none the wiser what might be the solution to my notable dips in power output on certain sections of the parcours.

i have a sneaking suspicion that i'm not alone.

body rocket

saturday 27 july 2024

the dog ate my homework

a former editor of islay's local newspaper, who sadly passed away recently, was also a farmer, and there were occasional farming duties to be accounted for during a normal working week. however, rather than call the office to inform that he was running slightly late, he was more inclined to concoct a convoluted excuse, usually designed to elicit a degree of sympathy from the hapless staff member who answered the phone.

"there's a cow stuck in the bottom field, which i can only reach by means of the quad bike. however, that's parked behind the tractor which is refusing to start, so i'll have to wait until the mechanic arrives to repair the tractor before i can deal with the cow."

i'd be fibbing if i said i could confirm whether any of the above was actually true, but it would have simplified matters greatly if he'd simply called the office and said "i'll be a bit late." we often wondered if, on becoming a bona-fide member of the farming community, the national farmers' union issued their members with a book of excuses that might assist with situations such as that outlined above.

believe me, that was not an isolated case, and several of the other excuses were a deal more complex in their premise.

of course, it's not particularly unusual for individuals to issue excuses for lateness or errors, whether deliberate or otherwise. on discovering that british airways offered flights from prestwick airport to aberdeen via edinburgh, with a substantial student discount, i took advantage of an extra day at home if returning from art college for the weekend, by turning up at college at 11am on monday morning, with an exaggerated yawn, claiming that i had slept in. i've no idea if anyone believed me, but what was perhaps of greater concern was the worry that nobody actually cared.

however, the phrase 'a bad workman always blames his tools' has probably gained greater use than most. it would surely take only a brief glance over car insurance claims to verify that. it's beyond credibility just how many trees jumped out unexpectedly in front of a moving vehicle. i'm sure i used one or two in the days when i fixed bicycles for part of my living, but thankfully, none spring easily to mind.

but it seems that the bicycle, or at least one particular marque, was the subject of disparagement during the recent tour de france, and at the behest of one of the sport's more experienced riders. general classification leader for the french cofidis team, guillaume martin, blamed his look cycles 795 blade rs for effectively preventing him from maintaining parity with the best of the best on the tour's 'queen stage'. with the uci demanding a minimum weight of 6.8kg, martin's bicycle, he claimed, exceeded that legal minimum by almost 1kg, weighing in at 7.7kg. those extra 900 grams allegedly held him back from the summit of the cime la bonette by 45 seconds. ultimately martin lost a total of ten minutes due to his 'heavy' bike.

there's no doubt that weight can be a deciding factor when the road ascends at eye-watering gradients (unless you're tadej pogacar), but it's likely that several other factors come into play, not least of which might be martin's 31 years (given that pogacar, vingegaard are a tad younger), though it should also be pointed out that king of the mountains winner, richard carapaz is also 31.

though guillaume claims that he rode without a power meter on the climbs in order not to add even more weight to his bicycle, cofidis expressed continued confidence in their bike supplier, no doubt bolstered by the knowledge that martin's contract ends this year. he is rumoured to be moving to groupama-fdj for the 2025 season. if true, i can but assume wilier triestina are currently checking the bathroom scales.

friday 26 july 2024

vowels

as a long-time vegetarian, the onset of the vegan fad made it considerably easier to purchase a wider variety of foodstuffs from the local averagemarket, than had been the case during the past thirty-something years. and though, if i too were a vegan, i'd likely berate my choice of words, while many vegans are comfortable in their own choice, it seems that the averagemarket was actually only playing at it. having loudly trumpeted their commitment only but twelve months past, to providing plant-based products for all, the vast majority, at least as far as islay's locale is concerned, have now been consigned to history.

makers of a variety of dairy-free milks and yogurts, alpro once populated the shelves of the refrigerated section with a welcome variety of the latter, only for these to sweepingly disappear, following their summary removal from the plan. it's a fate that is seemingly unavoidable for any product that actually sells in impressive numbers. on enquiring of the store's centrally-based (in manchester) customer service why they continued to stock well over two dozen dairy-based yogurts, yet had removed all those which might appeal to vegetarians and vegans alike, they claimed it was to make shelf-space for alternative products.

none of which excluded dairy.

the english language, it seems, is equally fair game when time comes to consider removal of what were once considered to be essential parts of the language, both spoken and written. there are, as we patiently learned at primary school, twenty-six letters in the alphabet, of which 21 are defined as consonants and the remaining five as vowels. yet with twenty-one from which to choose, why is it that today's purported trendsetters are inclined to dispense with the services of the minority five? even the recipient of the most recent of sporting knighthoods, according to his one-time apparel branding, ought best be referred to as sir cvndsh and standard life investments rebranded themselves as abrdn - not the way it was spelled when attending art college in the city.

however, apparently more ubiquitous of late, is employment of the vowel-less xplr as a not quite acronymic substitute for explore, an association with the world of grvl (a contraction of the original word i once saw applied to a range of appropriately styled bicycles, though i know not if they ever made it to the mainstream). in truth, i'm sure i should be less than surprised, as these four letters have previously been used by the might sr(a)m corporation, purveyors of rd, frc and rvl groupsets as well as zpp wheels and, for the springy farm-gate brigade, rck shx suspension products.

i'm fervently hoping that, unlike, the discontinued plant-based yogurts, removing the vowels from the branding of cycling products, is simply a fad, and that one day (sooner, rather than later), the perpetrators will realise the error of their ways, and restore those five important letters to their rightful places. the english language is having a hard enough time without that nonsense.

and yet, even as i moan, the vowel-less meme continues to grow.

launched today, and the source of my grammatical ire (and yes, i'm well aware that i do not employ capital letters; it's a feature, not a bug; deal with it) is sram's latest version of their red xplr axs wireless groupset, now featuring a thirteenth sprocket (just like campagnolo's ekar), and destined to appear on an expensive grvl bicycle on a shop floor near you. however, thematically, sram have logically extended the metaphor to include an xplr 303 wheelset from zipp, but appear to have contaminated the goodyear tyre company, which, in a moment of commercially based altruism, have opted to reveal two new grvl tyres: the xplr inter and xplr slick, reputedly a part of the gravel-game-changing system, though i'd be fairly confident that both sets of rubber will fit any appropriately sized wheelset.

unsurprisingly, a combination of all the above is being sold as the fastest setup on the market. we, however, are way too clever to fall for that old chestnut, well aware that speed is more a product of the rider's abilities, than any combination of gears, wheels and tyres.

should you choose to xplr further, a zipp xplr 303 wheelset is priced at £1500, while a combination of xplr rear derailleur, chainset (w/o power meter) and 13-speed cassette would appear to cost a shade under £2,000. no mention of levers to cope with that extra sprocket, so i can but assume that the electronics can already cope (or perhaps require a firmware update - the two words with which no cyclist should be assailed).

thursday 25 july 2024

maybe there is hope after all

based in port ellen village and currently operating from a storage container in the grounds behind a local hotel, islay e-wheels has managed to repeat a success first recognised in 2023, when travel site, tripadvisor presented them with a travellers' choice award. run by a husband and wife team, they began with only a few e-bikes, soon expanding to cope with demand, and offering delivery and collection to any location (within reason) on islay and jura. when the new sports pavilion is completed next year, they'll move into a building offering more space in which to practice (and fettle) their trade.

branding of the bicycles is confined to decals on the mudguards advising from whence the rider has sourced their island transport. but more often than not, they are easier to recognise by an apparent unfamiliarity with either riding a bicycle of any form, coupled with a similar lack of awareness concerning just how to ride in traffic. even the relatively sparse amount to be experienced on the islands. it would, of course, be iniquitous to apportion this seemingly cavalier attitude towards common road-sense solely at the pedals of the e-brigade; in past years, those hiring 'acoustic' bikes have often demonstrated a similar level of ineptitude, but the need to expend energy in the quest for forward propulsion, often concentrated the mind more than battery power seems to achieve.

many of the cycle magazines that used to grace the small table adjacent to my armchair, are now but distant memories, both for me and those who formerly worked there. currently, the only cycling media to which i subscribe, is that of pete muir's cyclist magazine, a publication that strives to be most things to all road cyclists and generally manages remarkably well. however, no matter how well it caters to this hypothetical market, it has perhaps inadvertently created a little bubble, in which we are all co-habitants, that shields us from the encroaching reality that e-bikes might be about to take over as the principal mode of transport on two wheels. if that hasn't actually already happened.

perhaps more out of habit than interest, i tend to regularly peruse the online trade publications, most of which seem generally less interested in the bicycles themselves, than the industry that produces them. by and large, there is no qualitative assessment of that with which we are being presented on a frighteningly regular basis, simply acknowledgment of its existence. in essence, that's precisely the raison de etre of this corner of the media, un-ironically listing all the items and services with which the industry is prepared to saddle us (pun intended).

and during those frequent perusals of mine, it has become all but impossible to mentally count the perpetual references to the now ubiquitous e-bike. though i once considered myself to be sufficiently well-informed to act as some sort of cycling consultant, in truth my abilities in that respect were well wide of the mark. in the early foothills of the e-bike phenomenon, i struggled to think at whom such technology was aimed? surely, i reasoned, rather than market battery power to the average and perhaps not-so-average cyclist, would such vehicular strategy not be better pointed in the direction of those considering purchase of a moped or low-power motorbike?

as confirmed velocipedinists, with eyes set on the health benefits to be gained, or perhaps the honing of a competitive edge, what need had we of lithium ions? but, either a consolidated marketing campaign has uncovered a hitherto unrecognised strata of humankind that finds itself stuck choosing between two wheels or four, or it has inadvertently created a strain of individuals for whom batteries and motors are like manna from heaven.

either way, the e-bike has all but subsumed the 'acoustic' genre, caring not one whit for the fact that it has already created e-gravel bikes, even while the rest of us still attempt to come to terms with the motor-less version. i'm almost scared to mention it, in case industry spies find themselves with nothing better to do than to read my daily monologues, but the only genre of bicycle that seems to have escaped the infiltration of electrons, is that of cyclocross.

mind you, with wout van aert and mathieu van der poel, who needs batteries?

wednesday 24 july 2024

consolidation

manufacturers making extravagant claims about their latest product is nothing new, predominantly based on the possibility that, as consumers, we have become less discriminating, or as testament to corporate marketing departments, which may have chanced upon the holy grail of persuasion tactics. not that i've undertaken the research, but it must surely be possible to tabulate a lengthy list of cycle manufacturers who have claimed, at some point in their history, to have produced the 'fastest bike in the peloton'. the only believable conclusion would surely be stating which is the 'fastest cyclist in the peloton'. no points for guessing who that might be at present.

for those who actually believe such marketing hyperbole, canyon would appear to be the latest to join the party, supplier of bicycles to team alpecin deceunink and aboard whose products jasper philipsen may be held up as the poster boy for speed. however, green jersey winner, biniam girmay successfully challenged canyon's claims of superiority. in which case, fellow german brand, cube, might wish to amend their own advertising copy. it's presumably the very reasons that cycle manufacturers involve themselves in the highly expensive sponsorship stakes in the first place.

but while canyon have only just made the latest version of the aeroad available to all the usual reviewing suspects, it would be a confirmed idealist who would bet against them releasing another 'fastest bike in the peloton' this time next year. regular readers will by now be more than aware that there's a wide stripe of cynicism running right through the centre of these black and yellow pixels, and that cynicism has me perpetually questioning whether there is a sizeable consumer base with both the financial wherewithal and the eagerness to acquire each and every subsequent version of whichever bicycle you care to mention?

it is but a matter of only a few months since we were being constantly informed that the bicycle industry was in deep financial do-dos, having ordered far more stock than it transpired, was pragmatically necessary, and suffering from noticeably diminished demand. of course, it would be unfair to isolate the cycle industry as the only example where this has occurred. a bit closer to home, the malt whisky industry suffered similar slings and arrows, having placed too much of the amber nectar in the pipeline ahead of expected demand which then failed to materialise.

but what the whisky industry doesn't suffer from is producing expressions designed to supplant any notional predecessor. few if any whisky distilleries are likely to suggest that their latest expression effectively wipes the floor with its predecessor. all the whiskies on the shelves from a single distillery, can happily co-exist with each other. with reference to canyon's aeroad, if, for whatever reason, you felt that last year's model was more deserving of your hard-earned, there is little consolation to be gained on learning that it is now yesterday's news (maybe phone mathieu van der poel, who's bound to have a few lying about in the bikeshed).

the logical assumption for diminishing sales, repeated by many, including the manufacturers themselves, is that fewer people are cycling these days. that the bradley bubble from 2012 has well and truly burst, leaving cycling so much the poorer. however, research carried out by america's national sporting goods association and peopleforbikes has shown that a reduction in bike sales is scarcely representative of a reduction in the numbers to be seen on their bicycles on a daily basis. and though the research is from across the pond, there's every indication that the results are similar on this side of the atlantic.

glaringly obvious though it may appear, the reason that lowered bike sales do not necessarily indicate fewer cyclists, is because those who bought bicycles several years ago, are still riding them, and feel no compulsion to be the 'fastest rider in the peloton' aboard the 'fastest bicycle in the peloton'. my specialized crux is eight years old, as is my ritchey logic; both are functioning as near perfectly as this particular mechanic can achieve, and i have no great desire to replace either of them in my affections. i seriously doubt i am alone in such matters.

which presumably explains why canyon and its peers, spend so much time developing the next fastest thing, hoping to entice you and i to make use of our paypal accounts in their favour. meanwhile, as a corollary, they're providing gainful employment for the folks in the marketing department, to persuade us that they're right, we're wrong.

meanwhile, quite oblivious to all the above, most are quite happily continuing to ride their bicycles.

tuesday 23 july 2024

reticence

a friend of mine, who moved away from the centre of the universe around thirty years ago, joined us for the sunday ride, reminding me, by the speed at which he dragged us along en-route to saligo, just how fast he was and, unfortunately, still is. however, prior to setting off, he mentioned that a good many of those whom he had known prior to departing the isle, seemed to have acquired extra ballast in the intervening years. though there could be many reasons for this state of affairs, we both agreed that a lack of judicious use of the motor car was probably at the root of the problem.

i have nothing with which to compare, so it may be that mainland locations are every bit as guilty of following suit, but there does seem to be a preponderance of local residents who find it all too easy to get in the car and drive a matter of metres to wherever it is they need to go.

as i have bored you all to tears in the past, bowmore village is but 1.6km end to end, a distance that any healthy individual could cover on foot with relative ease. the gaelic centre is around 2km from the centre of the village, and i have frequently walked there for a variety of events and meetings. on days when i don't have the time to walk, i have employed the services of my bicycle to get me there and back. in this i am all but alone, with everyone else arriving by car. i understand why that is the case for those who stay in more remote parts of the island, since the local bus service is particularly poor, but the majority of village residents could do as i do.

but they don't.

saturday past was the appointed date for the annual village sports in port ellen, some 16km distant from bowmore, and which i had opted to attend to acquire photos for the newspaper. unfortunately, unlike bowmore sports a few weeks ago, the weather refused to play ball, and it had been raining since early morning. on the weekend that the met office had been issuing weather warnings to southern england for dangerously high temperatures, the rain persisted all the way to port ellen, throughout the time i was present at port ellen playing fields, and all the way home; a 32km round trip.

yet, as i rode along the road leading into port ellen village, there was a veritable plethora of vehicles parked opposite the ramsay hall and on the grassy strip overlooking the bay, the majority of which belonged to port ellen village residents. i should point out that port ellen is a tad more compact and bijou than is bowmore. reaching the playing fields would be pretty much a hop, skip and a jump for the majority.

and despite the continuous precipitation, at least some of those in attendance had presumably intended participation in one or two of the races scheduled for the afternoon. let's face it, if an old fart such as yours truly could pedal 32km in the rain, surely it was well within the capabilities of the majority of village residents to walk or cycle a few hundred metres to the playing fields. and though several would doubtless point out the inclement nature of the weather, they were all stood about clad in waterproofs the whole time i was present. and it will surprise you not at all that, despite the scottish government having passed legislation in december last year, forbidding parking on pavements, those outside the ramsay hall were completely obscured with parked cars.

because on islay, as elsewhere, folks just park wherever they want to, whether it proves an inconvenience for others or not.

there have been many recent initiatives purporting to lower the level of obesity amongst the uk population, but if those who could easily have walked to their intended destination, insist on climbing in the car, there will probably not be any noticeable difference. government policies often centre on reducing the waiting times for nhs services; few, if any, appear to take an interest in prevention by improving the health of the nation.

i doubt that islay is a great deal different than anywhere else; but over here a great many people can be recognised by the cars they drive. or more correctly, by the cars they've parked, frequently in disappointingly close proximity to their homes. disappointingly, i have no solution to what i see as an increasing problem. when i point this out to the guilty parties, most of them think i'm merely being humorous.

as private frazer of dad's army was wont to exclaim, "we're all doomed."

monday 22 july 2024

aged to perfection

within the world of music, there is an intriguing disconnect when it comes to respect for and interest in, vintage instruments. before i head towards my area of expertise, even taking a brief look at guitars, there are those from the 1950s that are held in high regard as can be seen from the price tags appended to the headstocks. drums are no different; ask any professional you care to mention, and there's a better than evens chance that they will possess a slingerland radio king, a solid shell drum that gained much of its reputation at the hands and sticks of gene krupa, the drum company's poster boy during the 30s and 40s.

there's no doubt that these drums, and the guitars briefly mentioned above, often provide a sound that's effectively missing from modern-days instruments, partly due to improvements in manufacturing, and possibly every bit as much at the behest of the materials involved. i am certainly no expert in the field, but aged wood has a reputation of having acquired sonic properties yet to be realised by brand new stuff. and then there's the fact that many vintage drums were constructed from a single plank of wood, steam bent into a cylindrical shape, while the modern method is to glue several thin plies of wood and heat press into a similar shape.

it would be hard to argue that a mixture of wood and glue sounds as good as wood-only.

but at least part of the attraction for vintage products such as guitars and drums, is that they hail from the era in which les paul, gene krupa, charlie christian and sam woodyard entertained the audiences of the day. acquiring a gretsch jazz festival snare drum reputedly evokes the halcyon days of max roach, art blakey and mel lewis, hopefully conferring similar abilities upon the purchaser. in essence, it's the same notion that owning and riding a colnago v4rs will turn any of us into tadej pogacar. but the vintage meme possesses one glaring flaw that seems not to have entered into the psyche of many who own, or wish they owned, vintage instruments, and that's the fact that when max, buddy, mel and the other boys in the band played those instruments, they were brand new. much the same as the snare drums that are currently in my ownership, fulfil today.

perhaps in 50 or 60 years time, those snare drums sitting upstairs will be in great demand. the same goes for vintage k zildjian cymbals, played nowadays to evoke the 1950s, despite the fact that they were brand new in those years and possibly sounded entirely different.

and it's not a situation solely applicable to musical instruments. however, i'm unaware whether those who purchase vintage cars or bicycles are vainly attempting to recall the glory years, or whether, like yours truly, they simply yearn for a period when road bicycles were considerably less complex and arguably demonstrated more 'soul', an indefinable quality also lovingly apportioned to vintage drums, cymbals and guitars. from the professionals' point of view, there's a huge difference in appreciation; their bicycles are, to be frank, simply tools of the trade, employed as a means of either winning races, or helping their respective team leaders do so.

bicycle manufacturers are not oblivious to this state of affairs. if evidence were required, look at the marco pantani replicas that have been issued in limited numbers by bianchi, despite the italian company seemingly less in thrall nowadays to their trademark celeste paintwork, than they are to straightforward black.

but a manufacturer that could be said to have embodied the vintage look throughout its 98 years of existence is britain's pashley cycles. whether their bicycles have ever featured at the pointy end of professional cycle racing i know not, but i cannot deny that i am much enthused by their latest release, the guv'nor gt a bicycle that deliberately evokes the bicycles ridden by the heroes of the grand tours of 1926. this reynolds 531, lugged steel framed machine, harbours a level of modernity with its use of a shimano nexus eight-speed hub gear, complemented with shimano 6000 series roller brakes, but still offers more traditional features.

apart from the swept back moustache handlebars and bar-mounted bottle cages, the guv'nor gt seats the rider upon a brooks b17 leather saddle, augmented with a genuine leather pashley lunchbox saddle bag.

and considering the eyewatering price tags appended to modern carbon-fibre, the £1785 cost of the guv'nor gt is considerably more affordable for a highly desirable bicycle that will likely prove a great deal more practical than tadej's colnago or the cervelo of jonas vingegaard. but i can't help wondering if it sounds as good?

pashley guv'nor gt

sunday 21 july 2024

the definition of definition

it probably does me no favours whatsoever to admit that, while each and every bike ride is augmented with a lion of flanders water bottle on the downtube, ten times out of ten, i will return to the croft having consumed none of the water contained within. in the process of reviewing a training manual many years ago and intent on following the instructions in order that i might test the veracity of its contents, i observed the directive to begin drinking within ten minutes into the ride. after that, i was encouraged to sip from the bottle every five minutes. probably indicating that i have the attention span of a gnat, after only a few of those five minute sips, i forgot all about it and simply rode my bicycle.

it has frequently been pointed out to me that my liquid intake on a daily basis seems particularly low, but in fact, it has ever been thus; i drink only when i'm thirsty. and that, as i recall, was the countermanding advice from a nutritionist quoted in (i think), an issue of the comic. according to her, that was precisely what thirst was for. failing to eat properly on a lengthy ride can easily be defined as an error; by the time the mistake has been recognised, it's effectively too late, given the period over which your body can absorb the carbohydrates that would put you back on your feet (so to speak). liquid, however, is apparently far more easily assimilated, so drink when you're thirsty and don't bother if you're not.

the velo club's sunday morning ride is divided into three distinct stages: pedal for around 50km, stop at debbie's for coffee and a toastie, then ride about 15km homeward. unlike several of my compatriots, i never carry any food with me, such as energy bars or gels, and as pointed out above, i rarely drink any of the water in my lion of flanders water bottle. there is no doubt that i am getting slower by the year, but i tend to think that has far more to do with age than with my irrational drinking habits. however, that undoubtedly says more about me than the practice of consuming solids and liquids while riding a bicycle.

that could very well be because i don't think of any of my rides as training in the accepted sense of that word. maddie dixon, sports nutrition expert at coastal sports nutrition would surely be keen to point out the error of my ways. according to her, "Underfuelling in the short term won't do lasting damage, but it will probably have you being left behind and exhausted by the end of the day." over longer distances than practised by the velo club, i have no doubt that she's probably correct. however, she goes on to point out that "...chronically under-fuelling your training will have mid to longer-term consequences." not only to my cycling, but my health. this has brought me to call into question the rather subjective term (in this case) implied by the word training.

for instance, just because i don't consider my 70km or so on the bicycle each sunday morning to be training, could it be that it actually is? or are we playing with semantics here? does it only become training when i say it is? what's the difference between training and a fast bike ride? i can usually average between 23-25kph, and i have a notion that would scarcely differ if i decided to actually train. however, for a bloke in his late sixties, i'm quite content with that speed; sure, i get dropped from time to time, but my fellow pelotoneers are all more than 16 years my juniors. if i'm dropping them, does that mean they need to start training?

reading further through the proffered expert advice, reveals that rides of less than 121km fall into the category of short rides, meaning that the sunday ride is not considered to be long. however, i am told that even over such distances, i ought best concentrate on a balanced meal with the emphasis on carbohydrates (does porridge count?). but it gets worse (or better, depending on your point of view).

ms. dixon reckons that i ought to eat about two to four hours before going for a ride, which would entail arising between 5:30 - 6am. i will definitely not be doing that on a sunday morning. my meal ought to be "something with a little protein and low in fibre and fat." she suggests something like a turkey and avocado sandwich (i'm a vegetarian) on whole grain bread, or perhaps oats with honey/jam, banana and peanut butter. but the clincher, seen from my vantage point is "Water is crucial. Ensure you stay hydrated no matter the length of your journey."

but following the pre-ride eating advice as outlined above, ms dixon proceeds to advise that during my bike ride of less than 120km, i might want to snack on a banana or a small energy bar. she makes no mention of a cheese and tomato toastie at debbie's. the part that bothers me and one that probably will not be cleared up, brings me back round to the definition of training. for instance, let's take that sunday morning bike ride. if it's just a bike ride, then there's probably no need to arise at stupid o'clock, consume a hearty and healthy meal before clambering aboard my bicycle, replete with gels, energy bars and bananas in my back pockets and a full water bottle on the downtube. however, if the plan is to train to get faster, even if that's only advanced by 1kph, then perhaps i ought to heed ms. dixon's expert advice?

do not misunderstand me, i am not casting doubt on maddie dixon's expert advice - far from it. but i do need someone to clear up just what is and what is not regarded as training, because it appears that my diet (and liquid intake) might depend upon it.

coastal sports nutrition

saturday 20 july 2024

the paradigm redefined

a good friend of mine, now sadly departed, once earnestly informed me that, in the 1960s, a european manufacturer of luxury cars produced a vehicle that possessed, not by design, abominable handling. the only feasible remedy would have been to completely redesign the chassis, a commercially untenable solution, so instead they turned to the marketing department. the latter's means of defraying any possible concern from customers was to turn the problem on its head, by asserting that drive-ability of said vehicle was achievable solely on behalf of those with the skill to master its idiosyncracies. the subsequent belief system turned the vehicle's owners into an elite class; anyone who said otherwise was plainly a less capable driver.

similarly, i'm led to believe, the makers of a popular dishwashing liquid, the strength of which demonstrated a proclivity to cause mild skin rashes on a percentage of regular users. once again, the solution lay with the company's marketing department, who successfully encouraged customers to believe in a hitherto unrecognised propensity to be an avowed kindness to hands that washed dishes. in the world of commercial endeavour, such circumstances are hardly unknown. let's face it, the sole purpose of marketing is to encourage the great unwashed to purchase products of which they were scarcely aware they needed.

and still, the meme continues.

just past midweek, i was in receipt of a press release from a well-known uk purveyor of quality bicycles. one of the reasons they're well-known is through sponsorship of a uk-based professional cycle team, as well as the more common magazine advertisement and a slew of highly commendable press reviews. apparently unsatisfied with their present-day reputation, they have not stinted on their use of hyperbole to position themselves at the forefront of the velocipedinal avant-garde.

with the persistent infiltration of the gravel bicycle in our collective psyche, has arrived the dawning realisation that the reputed joys of riding the road less travelled can be easily transferred to the road bike that we all know and love. the principal thrust of this innovation has been seen on many bicycles over the past few years, in the shape and form of increased tyre clearance to accommodate an ever-widening of said tyres. where once the badge of a pure road bike was seen as a pair of treadless 25mm tyres revelling in ultra-close clearances between fork legs and chainstays, modernity has taught us that 30mm rolls more easily and sufficient clearance is the new black.

however, effectively ignoring a preponderance of all of the above, the bicycle company which shall remain nameless now claims to have 'redefined road', which, by the tone of the press release, i'm assuming is being positioned as a 'good thing'. and it appears that said range of bicycles can be all things to all people, delightfully free from any compromise or deficiencies. we are advised that the frames possess 'world-class aerodynamic performance' with 'road-focused, horizon-expanding capabilities.'

over the years, i have deliberately curated a highly cynical attitude which, by and large, has served me well so far, at the expense of unintentionally irritating one or two people, but there are statements within this marketing-driven missive that, to me at least, seem somewhat contradictory. for instance they claim that aero-optimised technology has been combined with the endurance properties provided by a less taut geometry, offering the reputed benefit of being able to ride all day, but across a variety of differing terrain. combining each of the foregoing apparently results in an 'enhanced ride experience' yet with little or no diminution in performance.

of course, such terms are entirely subjective and relative; it is left to our own apprehension as to what the ride experience is being compared, in order for it to be described as 'enhanced'.

obviously there has been a redefining of definitions, and not necessarily by the company residing at the top of the marketing ploy. for instance, uci cyclocross regulations demand a minimum tyre width of 33mm. from experience, i am well-aware that my cyclocross bicycle, when thus shod, is scarcely competitive with the speeds attainable on my ritchey logic, featuring 28mm tyres, yet these three new 'allroad' bicycles (one is an e-bike) feature tyre clearances between 35mm and 38mm. though we have been enlightened by the knowledge that wider rolls better, there is a statute of limitations resulting from the law of diminishing returns. in other words, 38mm is unlikely to roll faster than 28mm.

which doesn't really match up with claims of maximum performance.

in point of fact, i tend to think that the development of so-called all road bicycles is a rather spiffing idea. very few of us need the sort of machinery ridden by tadej, jonas and biniam, but instead, something capable of coping with britain's disintegrating roads, all manner of road furniture, and perchance the odd gravel track where tarmac just won't do. and many can appreciate the advantages of just such a genre of bicycle, intelligent enough, when invited, to appraise the veracity of that with which we are presented. the press-release seems to lean rather heavily on overkill to frame the bicycles under discussion as being revolutionary and reputedly "...redefining what's possible on a road bike."

as it transpires, these particular machines seem rather nicely priced, beginning at £1699 to £2,999. as with almost everything velocipedinal, the opportunity to spend considerably more has also been catered for by the top of the range model. but please, please, please just tell us the specifications, prices alongside a few photos, but dump the marketing hyperbole.

we're not stupid.

friday 19 july 2024

proper recycling

i, and several others, have droned on incessantly regarding the apparently endless level of so-called innovation that afflicts the bicycle industry. only a matter of days past, i received a missive from a good friend of mine, about the suntour/pedersen self-energising cantilever brakes that were once the darling of the mountain bike world. their reputedly startling efficiency in the face of adverse deceleration was subsequently overturned by the relative simplicity of the v-brake, but even that has effectively been consigned to history by the hydraulic disc brake, a means of stopping that has even inveigled its way onto the hapless road bike.

but rather than discussing the pros and cons of deceleration, we perhaps ought to be looking a smidgeon more closely at the acceleration of development by both cycle and component manufacturers, assured as we are by their marketing departments of the overwhelming necessity of ownership, but in reality, simply an unsubtle means of maintaining or increasing the sales figures. though you may think me naive in such matters, i am well aware that any business requires to turn a profit in order to remain solvent, but i still maintain that this does not need to be an endless and perpetual quest. there surely has to be a point at which any business is making sufficient return on investment to pay the bills?

but then, of course, there is the ever-present notion of relevance. once you've sold everyone double-glazing, then what do you do? in the case of double-glazing, you add one or two more panes of glass and hope that everyone falls for the subterfuge. in the case of the bicycle, if a different type of carbon fibre or method of layup fails to attract, there's always aero tubing, the addition of the previously mentioned disc-brake, or perhaps the wizard wheeze of stuffing all the cables and hoses inside the frame. surely that ought to work?

but instead of having products from a single manufacturer (yes, i'm looking at you, campagnolo) that fail to be interchangeable, perhaps the bottom line could not only be kept healthy, but in the process, gain the unfailing approbation of those who may have bought a previous model? such happenstances, however, are hardly the preserve of the bicycle industry, but in the light of how self-congratulatory we can often be regarding our professed environmental credentials, bicycles tend to be every bit as much a part of the built-in obsolescence that afflicts many other facets of modern life.

could the industry as a whole, perhaps take after isla rowntree, former and again, current owner of islabikes? prior to retiring as owner of the latter, islabikes had been making quality bicycles for children for eighteen years, with an over-arching philosophy that each bike be robust and sturdy enough to not only serve the child for which it was purchased, but younger siblings or relations to whom it may be handed down. additionally, their construction eschewed any technology that was deemed superfluous for the average child, such as suspension, oversized tubing, or an incredible heavyness of being.

as i can attest from personal experience, children tend to be far less attentive to their bicycles' wellbeing than those of us who demand the latest in pointless doohickies, bringing an inevitable need for regular maintenance. let's face it, if you'd owned an islabike for eighteen years, there's a better than evens chance it will require one or more spare parts. which is where we join isla rowntree in july 2024. though she continues to state that no more new bikes will be produced, she and a colleague are now operating an online repository for spare parts.

"We sold nearly 250,000 Islabikes - some may need a little love and care by now, but most can be rejuvenated with a few parts."

the ability for that to happen was one of the principal design parameters of the islabikes range, augmented by the bonus of backwards compatibility, meaning newer components were always designed to fit older models. so is that a possible forward route for the rest of the industry? take development to a practical limit, then stop and concentrate on maintaining all existing frames and components, rather than bringing out the latest must have item on which nothing from the previous range will fit?

it has often been promoted that it's not that humankind needs to build more environmentally sensitive products, but that it needs to stop making more unnecessary stuff altogether, thus reducing our impact on a dying planet. i'd prefer not to come across as a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist, because i really don't see myself that way, but do we really need close on nine bottom bracket 'standards' and differing chainring bolt circle diameters that prevent interchangeability between products from the same manufacturer? are four-point crank arms a major improvement over the previous five?

now, about the vehicle convoy in the tour de france...

thursday 18 july 2024

share the pain

i cannot deny, i had forgotten it existed, perhaps due to a drop-off in actual interest from members of the velo club. seemingly gone are the days when the three riders up ahead would suddenly take off in an unwarranted direction, leaving me to wonder what it was i might have said to cause this sudden departure. it was only following a brief passage of time that i would learn of a hitherto unknown or un-created nearby strava section that had been calling to them from their garmins.

lest you think my luddite tendencies extend that far, let me just confirm the existence of just such a gps device upon my own handlebars, but that which it may or may not record, remains between me, myself and i; strava hasn't a clue where i've been, what i've done, and just how slowly that may or may not have been accomplished.

as the years have rolled by, my personal use of the social media formerly known as twitter has considerably diminished. in common with my refusal to acquire cymbals that highlight the sixth decade of the 20th century with an apostrophe (ie 60's - it's a plural, not a possessive), i find myself less and less in favour of a platform that insists on being recognised solely by the 24th letter of the alphabet. whether that is the reason others have fallen away from x.com or not, i'm unaware, but it certainly no longer fulfils the original reasons that encouraged me to sign up.

in a different way i think the same may be true of strava.

no longer is strava a topic of conversation in the sunday morning peloton; its place has been taken by zwift and discussions concerning the correct functioning and calibration of wattbikes. these, to be honest, are every bit as tedious as when strava was first and foremost; i'm eternally grateful that we have some decent scenery around these here parts, or i may have cause to reconsider just who my friends are.

but this lack of concentrated conversation concerning strava might have spread even as far as strava towers in san francisco, as their most recent development seems ominously like a means of bolstering the coffers. despite turning in a decent profit (revenue of $275 in 2023), word on the velodrome would indicate that, while the company's installed number of users continues to grow, the number of active users is in decline. this has proved to be the case with many indoor training activities following the reputed end of the covid pandemic. already, peloton has instigated a rental service in the face of declining sales, and the departure of its ceo.

strava's latest strategy, (and i could be well wide of the mark by touting this as a hedge against further decline of regular use), has been to offer a shared annual subscription, comfortingly entitled the family plan. cheerfully continuing to describe their subscribers as athletes, this extended plan allows those athletes to share with anyone they'd like, such as friends, family or training partners, as long as those who fit the latter descriptions all live in the same country and are not already strava subscribers. though i get the family angle, i'm afraid my stingie-ness would be inclined to advise my training partners/friends to pay for their own subscriptions (£8.99/month or £54.99/year in the uk).

however, should your financial largesse be several levels more generous than my own, a family plan will cost you £99.99 per year, with no apparent monthly payment option. according to strava's reseaerch, over half their athletes (notice how tired that gets very quickly?) say that they're motivated by friends and family members who work out, and 77% feel more connected when they see friends' and families' activities on strava. that, i would contend, ought surely to be of concern to society?

however, the colourfully named zipporah allen, chief business officer at strava, offered by justification that "the magic of strava lies in the motivation that's found in our global community." all of a sudden, that apostrophe in 60's seems far more benign.

strava

wednesday 17 july 2024

happy days are here again

a matter of a week ago, as i headed down bowmore main street for a ristretto at a nearby coffee and book emporium, i espied two bicycles atop a parked car. in a moment of arrogant disparagement, i failed to note the branding on that furthest from my deliberate path, but i did note that the other bore the unmistakeable lettering attributed to mercian cycles on the downtube. it would not be unfair to say that the bicycle had seen better days; the paintwork lacked any sheen whatsoever, and what may once have been an attractive red and cream colour scheme, now looked a tad dowdy, with the red veering close to light brown and the cream almost entirely comprising a shade of off-white.

nonetheless, it still bore attractive qualities personified by two downtube gear levers of indeterminate branding, what was once undoubtedly a polished alloy chainset, and brake cables that exited the top of the brake levers. all the above was festooned about a lugged steel frame, the fabric of which offered great appeal to the retro part of my velocipedinal appreciation. lord carlos would indeed, have been similarly impressed.

however, what lessened that impressiveness to a substantial degree was the fitment of a black plastic rear derailleur that truly had no business being attached to such a stately bicycle. what on earth had the owner been thinking to append such an unsavoury gear-changing device to steel tubing with the word mercian about its person? though halfords or evans cycles would hardly feature a suitable replacement for what had originally graced the rear dropout, there are plenty of alternative sources that would have been only too happy to comply, had they ever been asked in the first place.

standards, dear boy, standards.

that said, this bicycle's presence before me was a salient reminder that the company responsible for producing said marque had recently decided that the current market, obsessed with integrated cables and disc brakes along with gravel and aero, was not predisposed towards their more traditional, steel offerings, and had thus opted to wind up the business for good. i'd imagine that, apart from a few die-hards and luddites such as yours truly, we're possibly the only individuals troubled by such a despondent set of circumstances. as it turns out, a select few derby-based cycling enthusiasts deemed it to presage an unpalatable future, and opted to acquire the business, lock, stock and barrel.

there will, of course, be those who view this as akin to reviving blockbuster video, tower records, or even woolworths, but some things are just worth saving, and i'd like to point out that i think mercian cycles to be of far greater importance to civilisation, than any of the aforementioned. just like vinyl records, cassettes, and real books as opposed to the 'e' variety, i'm ever hopeful that cycling society will regain its love for steel bicycles, particularly those joined by cast lugs. i doubt there's any real harm in harbouring ambition, even if its achievement is essentially outwith my direct control.

according to those who are now the brand's new owners, they will "...continue to hand-build our frames in the heart of England, maintaining the heritage and spirit of Mercian Cycles while fostering innovation and growth." rather obviously, the continuation of the marque is something that will require external support; the new owners need sales to survive. keeping mercian cycles alive needs to be more than an intangible ideal. fortunately, there will be some continuation in the manner in which mercian bicycles are built, for as part of the transition, the business has retained many of the 'talented craftsmen' who build each bike by hand.

much to the dismay of many, i'm sure, a mercian vincitore with chater-lea chainset and grand tour pedals, handbuilt wheels on polished alloy campagnolo record hubs, new-old-stock campagnolo record groupset and a honey coloured brooks b17 saddle would be very much the 'bees-knees'.

that's christmas sorted.

tuesday 16 july 2024