Its all Downhill from Here

Recent Cycling News and Articles

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:53:21

I started my winter cycling training recently.

I cycled 30 miles on Christmas eve, 30 miles on Boxing day and 35 miles today. Very slow average speed - 15-16 mph. But, it is good to get back out on bike after 3 week lay off in the Dominican Republic.

Some Recent Blog entries from cycling Info:

The Future of Cycling - some reasons to be optimistic.

Best Heart Rate Monitors

Best Waterproof Jackets

Best Mudguards for a Bike

Cycling info in UK

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:15:23

I have started a new blog dedicated to just cycling.

Cycling info

I will be writing articles on training, equipment, the UK racing scene and possibly the continental racing scene.

First blog entry was on Winter Cycling Training

Recent Cycling Training

Tejvan Pettinger — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:34:50

This blog is updated very irregularly.

I have not been racing much this year. But,I have been enjoying training. My favourite route at the moment is through 3 big hills in the chilterns.

Most improved rider of the year award goes to andy sherwood, who astonished the massed spectators at Weston at the Green, with a 22.15.

Surely a sub 20 is on the cards next year. His 2up partner is certainly looking forward to a good result next year.

Here it is.

1      17       Steve Golla            00:19   05:09   05:21   05:31   05:27   21:47
2      15       Andrew Sherwood        00:20   05:16   05:37   05:32   05:30   22:15

Didcot Pheonix 25 TT

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 13 May 2007 08:36:06

Today I won the Didcot Phoenix 25 mile TT in a time of 56.25. Ed Silverton, also of Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team came in the middle of the field with a time of 1.05.??

Two week ago I did 56.00 and came 11th.

I haven't raced that much this season, I'm hoping to peak in October....

Next weekend is the CTT National 10 mile TT Championship in Sawtry on old A1.

I have done one 10 mile TT this year 21.36 on the old H10/1 course in Aldermaston.

The Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree Movie

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:14:34

Based on the true story of Graeme Obree

Graeme Obree broke the prestigious world hour record, in an unconventional style. He built his own innovative bike - including bits from an old bmx and a washing machine. He came up against opposition from the UCI, who wanted to ban his unorthodox position. The real life of Obree (in his own autobiography) is a harrowing tale of a fight between depression and sporting glory. But, his breaking of the world hour record is one of the great moments in cycling history. - Remarkable for a rank amateur reaching the pinnacle of the sport. Movie Site for The Flying scotsman http://www.mgm.com/sites/theflyingscotsman/

A5 Rangers 31 mile Hilly TT

Tejvan Pettinger — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:59:26

Finished 3rd in A5 Rangers 31 mile hilly Time Trial.

My time was 1.17.00

1 Matthew Bottrill De Rosa Road Team 01:13:16 36.14 2 Stuart Wright API Metrow 01:16:24 37.56 3 Richard Pettinger Sri Chinmoy CT 01:17:12 37.24 4 Michael Broadwith Arctic Shorter Rochford 01:18:03 38.47

Cold day

Training this week has been light due to having to work full time. 2 interval sessions on Tues and Thursday

First 10 mileTT on Sat

Live 2 Bike

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:53:49

Live 2 Bike is a cycling website helping people to find the right bike for their needs.

The main principles of the website are:

1 – Helping new/returning cyclists find the perfect bike for their needs, from the many hundreds out there in the market.

2 – Allowing them to find their local independent bike dealers to purchase it from.

3 – Putting them in contact with their local cycling clubs to ride their new bike with.

Oxonian CC 31 Mile hilly TT

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:49:30

Second Race of the season. I came 1st in a time of 1.15.07 average speed about 25 mph. Quite a hilly course.

I was quite pleased because last year I did 1.21.00

It was quite windy and on some descents the bike got blown about a bit. I may have been better of using a deep section Zipp 404 rather than a disc wheel. However there was about 8 miles of flat on a crosswind. People say in a crosswind a disc wheel can act as a sail.

Next week is another hilly TT 31 mile.

Brill Hilly Time Trial

Tejvan Pettinger — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:01:17

Sunday 4th March. Brill Hilly 16 mile TT.

First race of the season. I came 1st out of 20.

My time was 43.08 I think.

One thing I noticed is that riding a Time Trial bike you use slightly different muscles to your road bike. I shall need to spend more time training on my time trial bike to get used to the position

David Miller Wins Paris Nice Prologue TT

Tejvan Pettinger — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 02:40:48

There was very little to separate the top 6. David Miller said these were "the most important 3 miles" since coming back from his doping ban. He now feels he is "Getting back to his old level"

His victory bodes well for his chances in the Tour de France prologue to be held in London this year. David Miller says for this year

"My main goal is to regain my spot atop the heap in time trials. The ideal scenario is to win the prologue at the Tour this year in London and then win the world's."

Paris-Nice

Prologue top 10

David Millar (GB), Saunier Duval, 4.7km in 6:01 (46.869 km/h)
Roman Kreuzinger (Cz), Liquigas, at 0:01
Sébastien Joly (F), Francaise des Jeux, at 0:02
Luis Sanchez (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne, same time
Alberto Contador (Sp), Discovery Channel, s.t.
Levi Leipheimer (USA), Discovery Channel, at 0:03

Beryl Burton

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:36:07

Beryl Burton Memorial Garden

Beryl Burton was an extraordinary cyclist who dominated Women's British Cycling for over 30 years.

Beryl Burton won the BBAR title for an unprecedented 25 consecutive years!

In 1968 Beryl was invited to take part in the prestigious Grand Prix De Nations, which for many years was the unofficial World Time Trial Championship. Although not officially part of the race Beryl was set off first and completed the 73 Km course in an average speed of 41Kmph

UK Cyclo Sportives

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:03:57

In recent years cyclo sportives have been one of the fastest growing branches of cycling. They are not races but provide a challenge for all different kinds of cyclists. Generally they involve covering a set distance in a certain time period. There is usually a recommended time limit which is fairly generous. It is then upto the individual cyclists how fast they would like to ride. It can be ridden in a semi - competitive spirit if you wish; often the leading group will be quite fast. But equally cyclo sportives can be enjoyed as a leisure ride. Cyclo sportives have done more than anything else to combine the racing fraternity with the leisure rider.

The length of cyclo Sportives can vary tremendously from short 40 mile to a full length of a tour de france stage (120miles +) the Etape du Tour. It is advisable to not bite off more than you can manage. If you want to do a 120 mile sportive it is advisable to have ridden at least a 70 or 80 mile ride before stepping upto 120 miles.

For more information on UK cyclo Sportives visit: Cyclo Sport - home of UK Cyclo Sportives

Should Cycle Helmets be Made compulsory in the UK?

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:06:30

Arguments against making helmets a legal requirement.

The benefits of cycle helmets are often overrated. Helmets are designed for impact at low speed. They would reduce the impact of some head injuries but unfortunately in many accidents they wouldn’t be able to stop serious injury.
Compulsory Helmets would deter people from cycling. The health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks associated with cycling. In an age of an ever increasing obesity related illnesses it is more important to get people cycling and improve people’s fitness.
On average, 1 child per year is killed from head injuries whilst cycling. In most cases a cycle helmet would have been insufficient to prevent injury. However the number of children who are unfit and will die early from obesity related illnesses such as heart disease numbers in the 1000s. Cyclists live on average 2 years longer than non cyclists.

Tips for Buying a bike

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:02:22

What is Purpose. The purpose of the bike will determine to a large extent how much you buy. If you are new to racing I would advise not spending large sums. You can get a good starter bike for £500, the benefits of spending £3,000 are quite marginal and are only really felt when you are really fit and have experience racing.
See what you are buying. If you do not have much experience buying a bike it is highly advisable to buy from a local shop. True it may be a little more expensive than buying online, but if things go wrong it can be quite difficult to start sending a bike back and forth mail order. A local shop should be able to give practical advice.
Try riding the bike before buying, it should feel comfortable and be of the right size. Don’t be tempted to get the wrong sized bike just because it is on special offer. The right saddle height and size of frame is one thing that cannot be compromised.

Best Cycling accessories

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:58:39

Best cycling accessories

A Bell. Some cyclists are a bit disdainful of a bell but if you are a commuter you will find a bell invaluable. Generally pedestrians do not look at traffic, often they rely only on hearing. A bell is invaluable for making your presence know. A bell will bring greater cooperation than shouting at people in anger. I can’t say I have a bell on my racing bikes but on my commuter bike it is very useful when cycling around Oxford.
Lights. If you drive around Oxford at night, you notice 1) how many cyclist ride without lights and 2) how difficult it is to see them. It is really dangerous. Because even at the best of times cars often don’t see cyclists. It makes me laugh when people ride with a helmet but without lights. A helmet is of little benefit when a car knocks you off. Lights may prevent countless accidents.
Fluorescent strips. Fluorescent strips are nearly as effective as lights in increasing visibility. They may not win you style awards but safety is my highest priority. Needless to say I haven’t got round to putting them on my racing bike though.

How to Deter Cycle Theft

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:03:24

Deter Cycle Thieves

Make sure you lock the bike. It may sound like stating the obvious but often we may be tempted to leave the bike for 5 mins or leave it unlocked whilst visting a café in the countryside.
Cycle Thieves operate everywhere. It always amazes me how cyclists leave their very expensive bikes unlocked when visiting countryside cafes. Just because you are not in the inner city doesn’t mean that your bike is safe. Unfortunately many good bikes have gone missing from countryside cafes.
Consider 2 locks. If the bike is of high value and you lock it in the centre of town use 2 locks. It is unlikely the thief will want to start tackling 2 locks. They will always look for the easy option.

Cycling Insurance UK

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:06:11

Cycling Insurance in UK.

The statistics for cycle theft make for grim reading. On average a bike gets stolen every 45 seconds in the UK. If you buy a bike getting suitable insurance should definitely be a high priority. If you have a relatively cheap bike (less than £300) you can probably cover it under your home content insurance. However you may have to pay a premium to have the bike insured away from the home. If you bike is expensive over a £1000 it is worth looking into a specialist bike insurer. Unfortunately bike insurance doesn’t come cheap, especially if the bike is used in competitions like road racing. If a standard insurance company offers a very expensive deal, don’t be put off but look around for a better deal. In the UK it may be worth contacting specialist cycling bodies like the BCF and CTC to check whether they have any suitable products.

Best Aero Cycle Helmets

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:10:18

Aero helmets can be a big factor in saving aerodynamic drag.

"In 2005, wind tunnel tests at MIT showed that a well designed aero helmet versus a conventional vented road helmet decreased drag 2 to 4 times more that an aero wheel versus a standard 32 spoke wheel!" [1]

Under CTT rules you don't have to legally wear a UCI approved safety helmet. However the BCF national TT championship will this year have safety helmets as a legal requirement (which is a good idea I think).

"In 2005, wind tunnel tests at MIT showed that a well designed aero helmet versus a conventional vented road helmet decreased drag 2 to 4 times more that an aero wheel versus a standard 32 spoke wheel!"

Recommendations of Good Cycling Aero Helmets

Bell Meteor II Aero TT As per the label, weight is 356 grams, making it one of the lightest legally racing helmets on the market. It is also very well ventilated, much better than the 1st generation aero helmets
Rudy Project Syton Open Aero TT
Rudy Project Syton Open Aero Cycle Helmet 2007 £99.99 Weight 348gm
MDT Aero Headfairings

To get most from wearing an aero helmet, make sure the tail is touching the back it should not be sticking up into the air.

Cycling in Oxford

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:04:53

"About 20,000 cycle commuters steam into Oxford city centre each day, negotiating more than 36,000 cars, lorries and kamikaze buses, potholes, cobble stones and disoriented tourists en route. Oxford is one of the three top cycling cities in the UK, home to a dynamic bunch of biking enthusiasts and a network of quiet cycle routes, riverside paths and scenic short cuts."

Cycle Paths Oxford

Barracks Lane is an amazing inner-city nature ride that runs from Horspath Road emerging at Bartlemas Road in east Oxford. Once here, cut to St Mary's Road to avoid the snarled Cowley Road almost to the Plain.

TO avoid the Plain cut down Union Street, across St Clements Street to Marston Road and Ferry Road, and on to the gorgeous parks cycle route through a water meadow with cows, birds and flowers, to emerge at the university science area, allegedly adding only two minutes to his daily commute.

Thames Towpath

The newly resurfaced Thames towpath (via Meadow Lane) from Donnington Bridge to Folly Bridge is a bafflingly underused, speedy and scenic route from east Oxford.

The canal towpath from Wolvercote to Hythe Bridge Street is a great way to avoid Banbury or Woodstock Roads, though don't do it at dangerous flood times. Thorns and bumps mean that you may need to hobble off at Walton Well Road for a repair at friendly Walton Street Cycles.

Cycling in London: Survival Guide

Tejvan Pettinger — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:49:49

Zoe Williams offers her alternative survival guide for cycling through London.

I agree the highway code is often inadequate. When I am cycling the thing I always bear in mind is "Is this safe?" "Am I putting myself at risk?" "Do I put others at risk?"

Some motorists get on their moral high horse and complain about cyclists on pavements and going through pedestrian lights when they are red. But these motorists are probably the ones who break speed limit, drive with mobile phone and generally put other lives in dangers.

An average of 10 people per day die on British roads. They are not caused by cyclists on pavements or cyclists going through red lights. They are caused by bad drivers.

If 10 people a day died on the railways, do you not think the government would make train drivers stick to the speed limit?

"London Cycling Campaign lessons specify that you should cycle a car door's distance from parked cars or a stride's distance from the pavement, whichever is applicable (in case a walker steps out or a door opens) and this generally puts you in the middle of the road. My first worry was about road-conflict, but it causes much less conflict than someone driving too close to you and having you off your bike, and it doesn't do drivers any harm to have to exercise some patience and wait till they can pass you safely. They don't, after all, do any other exercise."

At Guardian

Graeme Obree - The Flying Scotsman

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:18:49

The Flying Scotsman tells the compelling account of the career and life of unique cyclist Graeme Obree. The book starts with a sobering account of his early childhood life, which is dominated by experiences of bullying. These early experiences of bullying were to adversely affect him throughout the rest of his life. After a failed cycling shop adventure at one stage Graeme is declared bankrupt. However he then tells the remarkable rags to riches story where he overcomes all odds to break the ultimate prize of cycling the world hour record. The story is fascinating account of how an unemployed and unfashionable Scottish cyclist is able to rise to the top of professional cycling. The account of the world record in Norway is well told and genuinely riveting, even to a non-cyclist. Along the way Graeme doesn’t spare the UCI any embarrassment, but one can understand the sense of injustice he felt at being unfairly disqualified from a track world championship in the 1990s.

As well as being a great cycling book Graeme’s autobiography gives a telling insight into the mindset of a depressive. At times it can make difficult reading as you get a glimpse of the mental torment he went through at certain times. Yet you admire his honesty and courage in telling of his inner demons. In fact the overriding feeling you get from reading the book is that Graham is a sincerely honest guy. He turned down a professional contract partly because he wanted nothing to do with the doping scene that was prevalent at the time. You can’t help rooting for a guy who rose from anonymity to beat the multi million pound superstars; using a bike made from a washing machine and old BMX.

If you have any interest in cycling this a must read. Even if you don’t like cycling you may find this a stimulating book, if not always offering a rose tinted view of life.

Graeme Obree - The Flying Scotsman

National Hill Climb Championship 2006

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:29:05

This years national hill climb championship was held on Peak Hill in Sidmouth, Devon. It was well organised by Sidmouth CC. It is particularly good to be able to race on closed roads.

Peak Hill from 1/3 of the way up. At this point the gradient is quite gentel.

The course starts on the sea front and the first 2 minutes of racing is on quite a shallow gradient. I was relatively slow on this part the split times are here: national hill climb results

After this section the hill starts to get steeper with the gradient reaching 20% near the end. All the way along the route there was a good sized crowd with people cheering your name. Going slow at the beginning meant I had more at the end and so finished quite strongly. My time was 5.18.2 this was very temporarily a new course record. But 6 other people went faster, leaving me 7th.

The clear winner was James Dobbin of Arctic Shorter RT with a time of 4.44. A really tremendous ride.

Cycling Links and Websites

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:21:33

UCI - International cyclist Union
BCF British Cycling
CTT Cycling Time Trials
Cycling Weekly
Pro Cycling
Cycling Weekly

First Interval Training of the Year

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:17:02

Tues: 1 hour ride, including some intervals up Boars Hill. Not as intense as last October when training for hill climb championships.
Wed: 40 miles. Steady pace Av heart rate 75%
Sat 47 miles. Steady pace.
Sun 40 miles. Fast 1 hour of just below race pace, preparing for hilly time trials in March. Intermittent showers, saw many rainbows though

Weekly total about 170 with riding to works

Bontrager XXX-Lite Carbon Aero Bar

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:09:07

I bought these mail order, because I liked the look of the sleak carbon. The low weight is another advantage. At £300 I thought they must be pretty good.

To be honest I was quite disappointed with these time trial bars. The design suffers from a fundamental flaw. It leaves your position too high. The arm rests are positioned quite high above the bars and there is no option to change the height of the bars. To be able to get a position resembling my old tri bar height I needed to lower the stem (which fortunately I was able to do) However this wasn't enough and I need to be a stem with a 60 degree angle. This wasn't too easy to come buy and added another £50 to the cost.

They are OK now and I will continue to use them, mainly because I can't justify another outlay. However I am rather surprised that a major manufacture would make such a fundamental design flaw. I know other people have suffered from this same problem. If the arm rests were close to the tri bars it would also avoid an air pocked between your arms and the bar.

Improving Aerodynamics Whilst Cycling

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:20:44

The biggest aerodynamic drag is created from the body. If you can lower the torso you reduce aerodynamic drag significantly. It is worth spending time on trying to alter your position so that you can comfortably keep the back horizontal. Note this is not possible for everyone it depends to some extent on the natural shape of your bike. For example if look at Lance Armstrong time trialling is back is not perfectly flat. For a very good example of this position look out for pictures of Chris Boardman, especially when breaking the world hour record. To get a low back you will want to start off with a low pro frame and if necessary get an adjustable stem.
Aero helmet. An aero helmet will make a big difference. In recent years there has been a new range of aero helmets that have also met UCI safety standards. The aerodynamic quality of these helmets has increased significantly. The important thing to look for is a suitable tail of the helmet. It is the way the air flows after the helmet that determines its aerodynamic usefulness.

Horse joins the Tour De France

Tejvan Pettinger — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:36:32

Or as they say in French Tour De France Cheval Cyclism

Via J walk

Tour de France Video 1986

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:45:05

Many attack the yellow jersey leader, Bernard Hinault. The stage is eventually won by Greg LeMond.

UK Tour de France Cyclosportive 2007

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:10:49

"The Sportive: The premier event of the cyclosportive season, following the route of stage 1 of the Tour de France on its historic UK Grand Depart, the event will take up to 5000 riders on an epic 117 mile journey from beautiful and historic Greenwich out of London and through the Kent countryside to finish in Canterbury, in the shadow of the city’s ancient cathedral. A must-do, once-in-a-lifetime chance for any serious cyclosportive rider to blaze the trail of Le Tour itself."

The event in brief

Event Date: 1st July 2007

Ride Length: 117 miles

Starting at: Greenwich

Ending at: Canterbury

The Route

Greenwich - Woolwich - Dartford - Gravesend - Rochester - Aylsford - Tonbridge - Royal Tunbridge Wells - Horsmonden - Sissinghurst - Tenterden – Stubb’s Cross - Port Lympne - Farthing Common - Canterbury

Cost = £40

Advice for Riding Time Trials.

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 05:35:32

Advice for Riding Time Trials.

Good Mental Attitude. A good cycling friend of mine, spends most of time road racing. His attitude to time trials is that it helps “if you can have your brain removed.” I think this is a little harsh, but you do need a strong will to keep pushing yourself. Don’t let negative thoughts take hold when racing.
Don’t go too hard at the start. It is a common mistake that beginners to time trialling start too hard. It is easy to be over enthusiastic at the start of a race. However what happens is that if you sprint from the start you will build up lactic acid in your legs right from the beginning. This initial burst of speed will then slow you down for the rest of the race.
Steady Pace. The real trick to time trialling is to be able to keep a constant effort. This constant power output may lead to quite different speeds, but it becomes the most effective mechanism to get a quicker time. However there are exceptions. If you are going very fast downhill, you will probably find your power output goes down a little. This is OK because to increase your speed going downhill will have a correspondingly larger effect on aerodynamic drag. However the basic principle is to maintain a constant effort throughout the race.
Don’t lose Concentration. This is one of the more difficult things. The concentration required involves keeping yourself within a threshold of pain. The problem is that in time trials you have nothing to chase or follow. You have to be your own motivator.

Cost Of Bike Theft in the UK

Tejvan Pettinger — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:22:41

The cost of bike theft in the UK continues to grow. A staggering 1,200 bikes were stolen every day - according to research by Direct Line insurance. This is nearly 440,000 every year. The value of this theft is estimated at £65m.

The majority of these thefts occur outside the home and so often people are not insured. It can be quite expensive to get comprehensive insurance, but it might be worth it.

Direct Line commissioned a study where 10 bikes were locked up in various city centres across the UK, apparently the majority were stolen within 24 hours (- maybe the locks were feeble?)

Personally I have had 2 bikes stolen in Oxford. The first was when I lent a bike to my sister, she lent it to a friend who "forgot" to lock it up.

The second time was when the bike was locked to itself at the back of the house. Somebody must have come and put it in a van.

It always feels terrible to have a bike stolen... :(

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