Saturday 28 November 2009

dundee and all that...


Life in the Trench


Sunday saw me riding my first cross race in Wiggle colours.


Although i had my belgians shirt on as well underneath for warming up !!!!


Dundee, famous for it's cake, cold weather and outside velodrome hosted the event. Over 100 people took place and battle was fierce. The velodrome, being tarmac, took centre stage with both start and finishing straights leading to some epic battles every lap.


It has, you may have noticed, been raining biblically over the past week and the ground was not going to let us forget it - despite a sun kissed departure of the gladiatorial throng. The mud was harrowingly sticky and deep - more suited to marine commando adverts than silth like honed athletes. By lap two all were well spread.


Having got caught out in the 'Tunnel of Mud' at the top end - bitten by a submerged root that had me doing the first bog snorkelling of the day - I then spent quite a time chasing the lead group and getting back on. In fact, by the time I had made contact the field was so spread out that lapping was taking place. Pushing on, pushing- sometimes literally, was the only solution and at times it was a lonely slurp of brown sticky goo that was my only companion sitting between me and the bid for victory.




It was never going to happen.

The boys at the front were storming and chasing was the order of the day.It is about training - we have bigger fish to fry - but it was good and it was testing and most of all it was great fun!


Wednesday 11 November 2009

no news is supposed to be good news and indeed it is save for the disasteous let' s go ride the across on the mainland only to find that the weather has put a stop to calmacs 'not so much pleasure' boat.

so we ran coaching sessions ad races for local kids instead. even a senior coach from the glasgow eventually got across and had a great 24hrs too...in true islay fashion!

i have also been busy as part the nearly famous wiggle brothers

http://www.thewashingmachinepost.net/team_wiggle/

the training for which is keeping on the road and building solid miles.

not for long though for in a a couple of weeks i will be racing at dundee...yipee!

Monday 5 October 2009

at the weekend

thanks to bazzargh for the film.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpP8xpUODxQ
back again in two weeks

Thursday 1 October 2009

seen on a chainstay in portland

a cross mantra......



'trample the weak and hurdle the dead'


thanks to bp at TWMP














Tuesday 22 September 2009

bute cross







whilst most are already racing cross, here in scottishland we still have to wait. some are still training and some are just straining at the leash. last weekend the juniors had their first shot at racing on a neighbouring island. Bute is only 54 miles away as the tub flies but it is two ferry journeys (amounting to 3 hours on the sea away and 3 hours of driving!) we had thought of riding. unfortunately time was against us although my 10year old son has asked to do so next year. this will take an extra day each end and camping enroute. hopefully we will next year . we only took our cross bikes and Bute put on a terrific festival in a typical low key island way where eating scones and jam were as important as racing the serpentine hill.


we all joined in setting up the course. course building by democracy is an interesting experience! and was eventually achieved so that the kids could start on time. it was testing and fast at the same time. lots of kids entered with a big contingent from the johnstone jets gunning for the top places - sorry that the wee guy from islay stole your thunder!




the afternoon soon arrived with the invitation to race the two up. how could i refuse? i was trying to get a dads cross race but nobody would have it...damn! so i rode the two up - swapped my ss for a fixed cog (thank you phil wood) for kiss off hubs and donned my team shirt and off we went my steed was as unsuitable for a team trial as was my partner tom hunter from falkirk - who shall we say is generous in proportions and more suited to touring than anything else! the end note was that we were not last - by some measure!


in a couple of weeks the season starts for real - bring it on!

Wednesday 9 September 2009

have you seen

this????

http://vimeo.com/5923730

just incase

...you did not know ;-0

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/SCU/scu/sc_calendar.asp?evt_cp=1&evt_mode=0&evt_id=&evt_seriesid=&evt_myevents=No&RefID=&RefType=&evt_month=All&evt_kw=&evt_regions=Scotland&evt_disc=Cyclo-Cross&evt_class=&evt_cat=&evt_series=&evt_resultspp=20

scottish CX

scottish CX is up and running. the latest movie is on there to show how to make training barriers - i'm off out to our 'not so local' building suppliers!

http://scottishcx.blogspot.com/

davie teaches

our mate davie the snake from mull has a cracking youtube video out teaching dag otto lauritzen some rad mounting and dismounting - watch how he avoids the canines with a nifty mount!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541kmoQ2xYA

Thursday 27 August 2009

running jumping and riding

all three have been achieved to date and i now have hurty legs. the running is going well and it is interesting as to how one is so much more aware of different muscle groups. i have been practicing my running dismounts and the jumping back on - much to the amusement of wee boys who play football in the 'park' not really as such because here on the outer edge - being islay there is a football field surrounded by sheep. must make a mental note to practice during school hours!
i have been in touch with davie graham who has pointed out the new scx blog site - just click on the scx website logo and it will take you there.(still nae twitter from him though!). have fun and keep the mud churning!

Monday 20 July 2009

if you have not.....

...looked at this ...you MUST!

http://www.cyclotube.com/

met up and rode with the endura boys at the weekend chris from vc moulin was riding - he is REALLY involved with the scottish cyclocross..see you there!

Sunday 19 July 2009

geoff waugh

on a trip to the worlds in holland last feb Geoff made this....cool

http://vimeo.com/5509103

Monday 13 July 2009

riding and testing


so i have been riding the burls as a regular thing now. leading a lightweight wilderness living trip awheel it was superb. had to use fixed as the white industries freewheel had not arrived. even so i was the empitome of a happy cyclist - flies in his teeth. see this amazing images by esther - who was on the course...

www.esthertacke.f2s.com/IslayArty/

then it was off to the mainland and as well as doing my Sky Led ride Award - am now a Sky/BC ride leader - i was also talked into doing a 25TT - crazy I know - but the burls was furnished with a pair of tri bars from my pal Matt Ball of West Lothian Clarion and off we went. 63inch fixed was never going to produce a hugely competitive time but i did a 35 to the turn and .09 to finish with a handicap included i was under the hour by 2 minutes!



Thursday 2 July 2009

thinking about...


...new season - having finished L2P  www.londres-paris.com 
on fixed...... the cross season choice will be a single speed  burls titanium 
 it seems to be the canine ghoadies
-  i hope i will be able to do it justice and give it full gas..... sometimes!