Life In The Saddle

I do not own a turbo trainer. It is a decision not based on principle, but on a preference—for riding outdoors, even when the weather is abysmal. Turbo trainers have a valuable place in many cyclists' world though; allowing safe and time-efficient training, especially through the winter months. These three turbo workouts will help you to train efficiently and get the most from your time during a turbo trainer workout. 20 Second Power Output Warm up for 20 minutes Select the big chainring at the front and a gear halfway down the block at the rear Ride for 20 seconds at the highest cadence you can maintain Spin easy for three minutes to recover Select one gear harder and try to match the cadence of the first interval for 20 seconds. If you can match the cadence of the first interval, move onto the next hardest gear and try again Make six attempts at matching the cadence, then take a 10-minute easy spin recovery and make another six attempts Speed Cadence Pyramids War...

For road cyclists, road rash is unfortunately something you are likely to suffer at least a few times during your riding career. Icy lanes, bad drivers, greasy roundabouts, and tyre blow-outs; they are just a few of the potential hazards that could leave you with the painful red abrasion to your hips, elbows, and knees. I have had my fair share of road rash. The worst was the 2014 season—plagued by crashes. During that season, I learnt a few tips to help the healing process of tarmac abrasions. 1. Get it Clean. Straight Away Tarmac is not a hygienic or sterile surface and getting bits of grit in your road rash and cuts will prolong the healing process, and potentially lead to infection. It hurts like hell but wash your cut out thoroughly in the shower after the accident, and use antiseptic wipes to really get it clean, before you do anything else. 2. Apply Antiseptic Salve Road rash unfortunately takes a long time to heal and can often leave a scar. The best remedy is to...

Cycling rollers are a superb training tool that will help both beginner and experienced cyclists improve technique and fitness. I reviewed the Tacx Antares Rollers and Feedback Sports Omnium Rollers on Life In The Saddle; in this post I follow up with three simple training sessions that are easy to follow when using cycle rollers. Rollers are particularly useful for working on pedalling technique, cadence training, and active recovery. The low resistance means they allow you to easily spin at a high RPM—working on elements of your cycling technique such as balance and efficiency that can be hard to target out on the road. Recovery Spin Session – 30 minutes This session is designed to be done post-race, or on a rest day. The objective is to get blood flowing to your muscles to flush out lactic acid that has built up during hard efforts. The "intervals" are very low intensity, but are added to bring variety and interest to what could otherwise be a monotonous spin se...

Sleep quality and sleep hygiene are widely recognised as key factors in athletic performance. The Lumie Bodyclock Alarm Clock series is designed to improve and regulate sleep patterns, which could provide a significant boost to the recovery of cyclists and other endurance sportspeople. Sleep is a crucial part of recovery. It is during the deep sleep period that our bodies begin to fully repair and rejuvenate themselves, readying themselves for the next effort. Key growth hormones are only released when you are in undisturbed sleep, so it makes it a fundamental part of performance improvement. The Lumie Bodyclock range is designed to regulate your sleep cycle, by using a natural lighting sequence to soothe you into the sleep cycle, and then to wake you up in the morning. The light emitted from the Lumie clock progressively dims in 'sunset' phase, and brightens for the 'sunrise' alarm. The gentle wake up call is designed to mimic a natural waking pattern, which is...

There is a lot you can tell about your body, from the outside. Dark sunken eyes suggest fatigue; cramps suggest dehydration; yellow skin suggests anaemia. Yet, there is a huge amount that cannot be identified or seen without looking deeper within: underlying health problems, weaknesses and illness; these are far more likely to show up in your blood, even if you look and feel okay superficially. ForthEdge offers a unique service: blood profiling, by post. Blood accounts for about seven percent of human bodyweight, but it is critical to every bodily function we perform. It is also an incredible resource to learn about our bodies. The bio-markers contained within our blood cells can provide valuable information on everything from vitamin balance to hormone levels. For a bike rider, the health of your inner bodily system is fundamental, and profiling your blood is the most effective way to monitor and understand it. I was recently contacted by the UK based blood profiling company...

Last year, I wrote a post on Cross Country Ride: 'My Every Ride Carry' ; featuring all the kit that comes with me on a weekend trail outing. In this post, I turn to the tarmac, and what I would take with me on a weekend endurance road ride, or middle-distance event. Wearable kit: Kask Infinity Helmet POC Do Blade AVIP Sunglasses GripGrab Cycling Cap GripGrab Windster Gloves GripGrab HiVis HeadGlove GripGrab HiVis Thermo Overshoes These products have fast become my favourite kit accessories for autumn/springtime rides. The Kask Infinity helmet does a fantastic job of providing an enhanced shield from the cold. The POC Do Blade AVIP sunglasses, are perfect for giving added wind protection for your eyes, whilst their lenses are suitable for bright sunshine and dull days (Review of the POC Do Blade AVIP Glasses ). Then, the GripGrab Windster Gloves, Hammerhead Overshoes , HiVis HeadGlove and GripGrab Cycling Cap , are ideal for shielding your vulnerable extremit...

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!

I used to not really get 'cross. As a mountain biker, I didn't understand why you would want to reduce your off-road stability with narrow tyres and bars. As a road cyclist, I couldn't grasp why you would want to make autumn and winter even wetter, muddier and plagued with mechanicals, than it was already. Things have changed... Back in the summer, I test rode the Verenti Substance CX ( review link ). For a month, I switched out my usual commuting steed, a 1997 steel touring bike, for this knobbly tyre machine. It was a whole load of fun! No longer was I confined to the lanes and cycle tracks on my commute. Before long, I had added dozens of new routes home; linking up bridleways, farm tracks and unmade roads. At every opportunity, I was jumping off curbs, tearing down tracks and thoroughly enjoying kicking up some dust and dirt. The Verenti went back, all too soon; but it left me yearning for a bit more excitement on my daily rides to and from work. I tried ridin...

Blood. It accounts for about seven percent of human body weight, but it is critical to every bodily function we perform. It is also an incredible resource to learn about our bodies. The bio-markers contained within our blood cells can provide valuable information on everything from vitamin balance, to hormone levels. For a bike rider, the health of your 'Inner Athlete' is fundamental, and profiling your blood is the most effective and simple way to monitor and understand it. A few months ago, I was contacted by the UK based blood profiling company InDurance. The InDurance team is composed of world-class athletes, top medics, sports scientists and top-level coaches. Their service is designed to bring to amateur athletes, a science that has long been used by professionals; the ability to measure and track your blood bio-markers, to improve your performance. Through simple self-administered blood sampling, forwarded to the InDurance team by post, the group of experts is able...

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all." Helen Keller Last year, I rode a number of "endurance rides"; including a 200 mile ' New Forest 200 ', the 303km Dragon Ride , and a non-stop 483km (300 miles) from Falmouth to London along the Trafalgar Way. Some would call it masochism, some madness; but in all honesty, I just enjoy riding my bike. I enjoy riding my bike, and seeing how far I can push my boundaries; there's no greater feeling than breaking them down and setting a new horizon. Earlier this year, I heard about the Mallorca312 challenge; a 193 mile sportive around the perimeter of Mallorca. Perhaps it's because I'm an Islander, perhaps it's because I've spent my life-to-date doing laps of an island either in a boat or on a bike; whatever it is, I felt a real urge to take part in this sell-out sportive. 312 kilometers is a challenge in itself, a big challenge; especially when the route features 4000+ metr...

MaxiNutrition asked me a few weeks back, what is #MyGoal for the 2015 season? It got me thinking. What do I really want to achieve in 2015 on the bike? In order to try and make it a reasonably succinct reply, I came up with: "Ride Further and Ride Faster in 2015"  That could mean a whole host of things though, so here's what I mean in depth: Ride Further In 2015, I hoping to do more ultra challenges; that is, more long distance non-stop rides. In 2014, I completed the Trafalgar Way from Falmouth to London in under 24 hours. The 300 miles route was a real challenge, but I enjoyed every minute of it (even the hours of rain between Salisbury and London). This year, I'm hoping to go one further, and do an even longer ultra endurance ride , perhaps in the Alps or the Pyrenees. Ride Faster Everyone always wants to ride faster, but what I really mean is I would like to race better than I did in  2014. I'd like to regain my 2nd category licence , wh...

Once the clouds had cleared, today's ride provided some stunning winter sunshine and landscapes. After several weeks of wind and constant rain, it was so good to feel a bit of warm sunshine. Here's a few photos...