Life In The Saddle

Another year comes to a close. Another season of rides concluded. They say that variety is the spice of life, and 2016 has certainly been a flavoursome one... There was a significant change in focus for me at the start of the 2016 season: I moved away from short course racing, and turned my attention to endurance challenges. The season began with the H12 Mountain Bike Race in Denmark , as part of the GripGrab team. 12 hours of dust, roots and laughs. From Denmark, to the Dolomites: June's X-Bionic MTB Cup , and the legendary HERO Dolomites  were next on the agenda. Both these mountain bike races proved to be fantastically challenging events, but I came away with podium finishes against fields of amateur and elite Italian racers. On the road, my events of the year were RideLondon100, and the Rapha West Country Prestige . My final major challenge for 2016 came in September, with my long distance ' Coasts and Cols ' tour: a 1,900 kilometre bikepacking expedition th...

After looking at my 2015 Ride Numbers , I've had a fair few people question "w hy do you ride so much? " It got me thinking. Having done close to 1000 hours in the saddle last year, what are the real motivating forces, which keep me turning the pedals, day after day. After much thought, I'm going to try and put them into words... The Great Outdoors That feeling of fresh air, flowing through your lungs and filling your blood with new life, it is unparalleled in how refreshing it is. The feeling of looking out over a vista, at the top of a hard climb, is unique in how it takes your breath away. Headspace Quiet is a rarity in our everyday lives; too often our ears and minds are filled with chatter, questions, advertising and unnecessary anxiety. A bike ride is an escape. A time to flick through a portfolio of thoughts, and dismiss those unworthy of our attention. It is a time to let your mind wander, to be creative and allow fresh thinking. It is space, ...

2015 Totals 950hrs 57mins --- ( I rode a bike on 333 days in 2015) 22,911 kilometres (14,236 miles) --- ( Like riding from London to Shanghai, and back!) 282,793 metres ascent --- ( Like climbing Everest 32 times!) 312 km longest ride --- ( Mallorca 312 ) 1215 km biggest week of riding --- ( Mallorca1127 week ) Notable Numbers Approx. Pedal Rotations:  4.4 million Approx. Calories Burnt: 541,000 Kcal's Bikes used: Touring Bike: c. 10,000 km Road Bikes: c. 9,000 km Mountain Bike: c. 3,000 km Cyclocross Bike: c. 900 km  Average Weight: 69.6 kg Average Speed: 25 kph Bring on 2016!

2014 Totals Hours Riding: 815 hrs 39 mins --- ( The equivalent of riding non-stop for 34 days) Distance: 20,044 Kilometers (12,454 Miles) --- ( Halfway round the world at the Equator) Elevation Gain:  223,498 Metres --- ( Like climbing Everest 25.3 times!) Biggest Ride:  483 Kilometers (300 Miles) --- ( Falmouth to London non-stop ) Notable Numbers Approximate Number of Pedal Rotations:  3,916,880 ! Approximate Number of Calories Burnt: 473,108 Kcal's Bikes used: Touring Bike: c. 10,000 Km Road Bikes: c. 7,000 Km Mountain Bike: c. 3,000 Km Average Weight: 70.1 Kgs Average Speed: 25 Kph Bring on 2015!

Not a bad month considering I had 3 days off with a stitched up jaw and a week off in Italy.

Just over 1000 miles, that's still a bit down on the norm, but then February is a short month right?! Average speed kept low by a lot of commuting, but things are starting to accelerate on the training front Things are gradually coming together for the 2014 season, which starts next weekend! Boom! Just in time! 

Not a bad month, but not great Lower mileage and average speed than in most months due to: One weekend missed for a trip to visit family and friends in London A long week of recovery at the start of the month (following the Festive 500 ) Feeling a bit under the weather for a few weeks The focus from now until the racing season starts will be on increasing high end power, with shorter and faster efforts Can't wait to get racing again...

2013 Totals Total Hours Riding Time:  733 Total Miles: 11,802 Total Kilometres: 18,993 Average Heart Rate: 140bpm Average Speed: 17mph Average Weight: 71.5Kgs Race Statistics Total Races Completed: 13 Criteriums: 5 Road Races:  5 Time Trials: 3 Races Won: 1 Podium Places: 3 Notable Statistics: Favourite Race: Surrey League Milland Hill Longest Ride Distance: 217 Kilometres - New Forest Epic Longest Ride Time: 10:50 hrs riding time - South Downs Way Worst Conditions: April Mountbatten Circuit Race Best Riding Week: The Festive 500 Most Punctures in One Ride: 3 Total Number of Crashes: 2 Worst Race Performance: Mountbatten DNF Favourite Photo Shoot: Solo Arm and Knee Warmers

Biggest month to date EVER in terms of mileage and hours 10 hours more than last month (that previously was the hours record) 28 more miles than August '13 (that previously was the mileage record) Relatively slow, low power base miles for the most part Bring on more of the same in December!

Biggest month on the bike to date in terms of hours Not bad considering I had two weeks with minimal slow riding due to a cold Base miles mostly - hence slow average speed and low HR Lower cadence than ideal, but probably due to lots of commuting (free-wheeling and stopping affects average) Weight is stable at off-season 73 Kilograms

September has been a fairly good month; nothing spectacular, nothing too bad Mileage up above 1000 again High hour count in part due to lots of commuting Speed down a bit compared to normal due primarily to a lack of racing Lots of BIG rides coming up in October, more news soon...

August 2013... Yet again beats my record for the number of miles I have done on the bike in a month (I did last month too) Has included a real mix of riding; from the Channel Island, to France, to commuting to my new job at Wiggle A fair bit of off-road riding in there as well, when I've had the chance. I'm hoping to do more in September. Suprisingly, despite including my holiday and a fair few BBQs, my weight has remained steady Overall a very good month both on and off the bike

July 2013 was my biggest month to date in terms of miles on the bike. Which was hard going, as I was out of the country for two weeks on a sailing holiday. I took my bike with me, but the rides were slightly lower paced than in other months due to the lack of racing and team mates to ride with. Now I'm back, the focus will be on re-gaining some of the lost power, in hope of some good results in the later part of the season.

More hours this month on the bike than in any other that I have recorded; helped in no small part by the South Downs Way Challenge I am sure. Mileage is just slightly below my all time record that I set last December (with the help of the Festive 500 ). However, a significant number of my rides this month have been off-road, which obviously reduces the number of miles compared to on-road; considering this fact I reckon this has probably been my biggest month on the bike to date. Racing results have been rather mixed; all my races have been at an E.1.2. level in June, and I have had two top ten results, this is satisfying in itself. I also managed to race competitively in an 86 mile E.1.2 road race this week, though I didn't produce a commendable result from the event. Average speed is fairly high, especially considering the off-road rides Average heart rate is fairly similar to most months, although it should be noted that this average derives from a mix of normal rides, s...

May has been a fairly good month for me, better than April anyway. My rides have been confined to short 1.5hr to 2hr blasts and interval sets because of the need to do revision for my finals. Just one more week of exams to go and then I'm free... free of work, free of commitments and ready to spend a good few months just riding my bike and doing a bit of sailing. Expect a fair bit more activity on the blog as well; some exciting stuff coming up...

April hasn't been a great month for me; I was off the bike for two and a half weeks at the start with a persistent throat infection and sickness.  Just two races in April, and two race results that I wasn't overly satisfied with (probably related to the lack of miles and proper training that I've been able to do due to illness). Hoping that May and June will be better months. Next race is on the 9th June, got to get my Finals done first before I can start concentrating on racing again.

Pretty happy with the numbers for March, worth explaining a few things: The number of hours is lower than January and February as I have now started to move away from base mile training, towards shorter more specific sessions working on power and hill climbing. This also means that the number of miles is lower than January or February Because I'm back on the Isle of Wight I've also been doing several off-road rides a week, which are lower mileage and have a lower average speed. This brings the average speed down compared to previous months when I have been using the mountain bike less. The thing that has made March a satisfying month more than these stats however, is the race results which can be seen in the tab at the top of the blog. I've got 31 points on my BC licence in the three races that I have done so far this year. This secures my second category licence and bodes well for a good summer of racing. Looking forward to it. 

Fairly happy with February's Stats: More hours and more miles that February last year A good average speed Higher numbers than January despite the shorter month March will see the first race of the season, and hopefully some higher intensity training as well. Also a bit of mountain biking on the Isle of Wight, can't wait! 

January's miles and hours are significantly down on last year, when my totals reach 963 miles and 58 hours in the saddle. I've got a fair few excuses for that though... After the Festive 500 I came down with a chest infection, that put me off the bike for around two weeks. Then mid-January the weather gods decided to dump a load of that white stuff, and I ended up on the rollers for almost a week. Then this week, I was in a hit and run accident, when a driver pulled out on me; fortunately I wasn't too badly hurt, but the bike didn't come off so lightly, so the later part of this week has been a write-off as well. In summary, I'll be glad to put January behind me to be honest; it's never a great month of the year for me, and I hope that as we edge closer to the racing season things will start to improve. *Note: For those that follow me on Strava and wonder why these numbers don't link up with my records on there, it is because I don't record my 95 ...

2012 Totals Total Hours Riding Time:  632 Total Miles: 10,568 Average Heart Rate: 144bpm Average Speed (On-Road): 19mph Average Cadence: 85rpm Average Weight: 70.9kgs Race Statistics Total Races Completed: 15 Criteriums: 9 Road Races:  4 Mountain Bike: 2 Races Won: 4 Podium Places: 6 Races Finished in Top 10%: 9 Notable Statistics: Best Finish:  Seven Hills Killer Mtb Event :   1st  out of 171 starters Longest Ride: 130 Miles, 8.2hrs Riding Time ( Isle of Wight to Exeter ) Worst Conditions: Rapha Festive 500  (Floods, Rain and Gales) Highest Heart Rate:  196 bpm  Cricklade Kermesse (2nd KOM) Best Riding Weekend: Mtb Marathon Weekend Ruthin Most Punctures in One Ride: 3 Total Number of Crashes: 2 Worst Race Performance: BUCS Hill Climb Total Commuting Bike Hours: 49 Most Expensive Purchase:   Custom Built Wheelset Best Race Winnings: Mio Cyclo 305HC Computer