The Ying and Yang of N+1

It has been three months since I complete the 150 mile Coast to Coast and I'm still bimbling around in bicycle land. I follow the blogs, join the rides and, most importantly of all, I continue the quest for N+1.

N+1 is the mythical state for any serious cyclist's stable of rides. N is the number of bikes you currently own and there is always room for one more. I am addicted with the idea of adding a steel framed bike to my small stable of rides and this is giving me some interesting challenges.

Ying: The Desire for the New

I'm not really sure what it is about new bikes and components that ticks a box for so many people. I am constantly on eBay, Facebook, Gumtree, Wiggle and any other source of tempting delights I can find. My plans have moved from new wheels through to a full 11 speed upgrade and even onto multiple new bikes.

At the moment I have my eye on a really nice steel framed Genesis Equilibrium, which means the 11 speed upgrade plan might get shelved. If that goes out of the window I might revive the cyclocross plan, revert to a 10 speed plan or just stick with what I've got (oh who am I kidding, I'm never going to stick with what I've got).

I think the magic of the bike upgrade is two-fold. Firstly, it is really easy to get hooked. From a simple gateway drug like new tyres it is easy to quickly move on to harder upgrades like wheels or chainsets. Before you know it you are begging your dealer for one more custom frame. The upgrades start cheap and are easy to justify, "these tyres won't puncture so easily" or "I need 32 teeth to get up Hardknott". But then they become more ephemeral and more expensive, "surely a stiffer chainset will look a bit nicer and shift a bit cleaner".

Secondly, there is the promise of more performance. If only I could spend more money on my wheels I would get faster, go further and be more attractive to the opposite sex. This is part of my desire for a steel frame, to increase the long distance comfort of my bike and upgrade to more gears. The fact it will look beautiful is also a consideration. I've turned down several frames as they were not a nice colour. What have I become!

Yang: Irrational Attachment to the Old

Trying to work out how to fund my new ride has also opened the door to the other driver of N+1. I have never really liked the paint scheme on my Genesis Aether. The 9-speed setup has too many large gaps in the gear range, the Sora chainset sounds tinny and looks cheap. There are lots of things which could be so much better about my bike.

But I love it!

I might seriously have to consider selling "Jenny" but I can't bring myself to think about it. How could I after all we have been through together? She might only be worth £300 but I will never be able to replace her if she goes. She is unique and she is mine. I almost feel guilty... towards a bike... that I don't really like.

This is the flip side of N+1. Never being able to let go of something. Why we form such close attachments to bikes, beyond even the strange act of naming, is something of a mystery to me. Perhaps it is the physical closeness of a bike, the care and attention we give them, the shared adventures. Maybe it is the way they are awesome mechanical devices which fulfil the purpose for which they are designed so well.

So for me N+1 isn't just about acquisition. It is a complicated relationship between logic and emotion, between aspiration and reality. It is a wonderful statement of a love for cycling and a damning indictment of our obsession with the new and exciting. I'm not sure how I am going to defeat this addiction, and I'm not really sure if I even want to.

Coast to Coast in a Day 2015

There was no alarm, just the reality of waking up at 3:58 am. Turning over and trying to go back to sleep didn't work, my brain was off and running. This was the day I had been working towards for a year now.

Friday had been a strange day. It was my birthday but there was very little time for that. Tim arrived and we quickly loaded bikes and set off for Coventry to collect Ben. Another quick load and we were off for the Lakes. Sadly the M6 had different ideas and we were 3 hours late when we arrived in Seascale, the start point of tomorrow's ride.

Registration was organised and efficient, a theme for the whole sportive, as was the tent pitching before we headed out for dinner. A last chance to load up before an early start to the ride. With bikes stored and legs loaded with pudding we settled down for what turned out to be about 5 hours of sleep.

The campsite, before dawn, already awake

At 4am it appeared the other campers were up and going so we joined them. The merits of butter, vaseline or natural were discussed. The merits of porridge, bananas and Cliff bars were discussed. We each went our own way depending on what we could stomach at this early hour. The sun was rising over the mountains that lay in our path and it was time to get moving.

Bikes were loaded, bottles filled and it was time to hit the start line. Even at 6am quite a crowd was forming, photos were being taken, meetings made. It seemed a lot of riders had already departed, either very keen or giving themselves as much time as possible. We tottered down onto the beach and onto the start ramp. Timing chips were blipped and we were off.

A perfect start to the day

Leg 1 - The Lake District

The route started gently through quiet roads, the mist rising from the fields and streams catching the early sun. The fells were grey and distant but coming closer all of the time. Out there somewhere was Hardknott Pass but the cool air and sunshine allowed us to enjoy the first 20km. Eventually we reached the phone box and cattle grid at the base of the climb and there it was before us, already a snake of riders shining and shifting all the way to the top.

Gears were crunching, tops were unzipped and expletives muttered as the first ramp kicked in. Already some were walking, either prepared with trainers in the bag or clip clopping away. The first hairpin claimed some more as people started to settle into a rhythm, turn after turn, stand a little and sit a little. The first steepness eases off but it comes back again and again. A flat section gives you a breather but you fight the urge to grab a couple of gears as ahead are the upper slopes.

Riders work their way up Hardknott Pass

A sharp left and right took an impossible line up the hill. A car was approaching behind so I took a wide line on the right hander to let them go, almost track standing as I waited. Suddenly, the sound of spinning wheels suggested that the car wasn't going to be moving soon. A look over the shoulder confirmed the car was stuck. "He should have brought a bike instead" I said between breaths.

Onwards and upwards, the angle easing. Ben was up ahead, Tim not far behind, we had passed the first test and I was feeling strong. All those hours churning up and down the Chilterns paid off here, and not for the last time.

Tim descends the eastern side of Hardknott

A cautious descent dropped us down into Cockley Beck, all of the riders taking care not to ruin their day this early. Now came Wrynose, from this side a much kinder neighbour to Hardknott than the eastern ascent. Again, a few walkers but far fewer than before and the hill was quickly done.

With the two biggest spikes out of the way we could now start to enjoy the rest of the ride. Swooping up and down through the Lakes in the early morning sun, little groups and conversation making the miles fly. A quick drop down to Far Sawrey put us in the queue for the Ferry and a first chance for a breather. Several riders fell on this descent but we were cautious and riding well within ourselves at this early stage.

The timer was stopped and we could refuel, take on drinks and check out the bike showroom growing around us. A quick ferry trip and a mass start saw about a hundred bikes heading out to Kendal. The next couple of hills spread the group bit by bit until our little group of three was riding alone again.

Now a fast sweep into Kendal and the first food stop at 62km. This is where this event really shone, lots of sandwiches, lots of snacks, lots of volunteers running everything. The whole thing was very efficient and a real bonus of doing an event like this.

Legs 2 to 4 - Kendal to Ingleby

Recharged we headed out of Kendal, tackling The Greyhound and the A684 climb to reach the M6, a mental milestone for me to tick off, leaving the Lakes behind.Now we could see the Pennines ahead of us, dropping down rapidly to Sedbergh before starting the long and steady climb to Garsdale Head. Tim started to flag here, the first to go into his own little world of pain (probably the final protest of the Pork and Venison burger from the night before). We eased off a little, spinning our legs to gain the height over 12 miles. Then another swoop down to Hardraw for the next stop at 101km.

Enjoying the soup and a longer rest at Hardraw

The rhythm was now set. The food stops were perfectly placed every couple of hours along the route so our next target was close at hand. With a good wind behind us we flew along the River Ure, enjoying the sunshine and the perfect countryside. Scarth Nick tried to stop us but we rolled up this and then hit more long downhill, arriving at Tunstall an easy two hours later for another 40km ticked off.

Taking the last of the hill from Tunstall lead us down towards Catterick. Now a group formed around us and we jumped onto it. About ten riders picked up the pace and we started flying along the flats at a steady 35kph. The lead rotated, Ben taking his turn looking like he was hardly trying, as normal. I started to flag and had to dig in to ride the last wheel. Then Tim hit the front, his earlier troubles forgotten. Now started the Pain Train. Tim upped the pace and we started to drop riders, me first. Eventually the group was blown by Tim's speed and we all eased off. It was a great rush to ride in such a group and it had eaten up some flat and boring miles.

Now the hills raised above us again, Osmotherley signalling another long climb, a cruise and then a steep and twisty descent. We closed in on Ingleby, the last stop at 195km at the foot of the climb onto the North York Moors. At all of the other food stops the mood had been upbeat and excited. Now it was darker. There were tired bodies and minds here, some taking a while to find the strength to get this ride finished. A quick check of the route card showed there was plenty left in the ride with two climbs of over 10% to come.

Leg 5 - North York Moors

We saddled up for one last time. Only 55km to the finish. As we climbed on to the moors I had my turn in the dark place. Tim and Ben headed off up the road, I got dropped and it was a lonely place to be alone. I fought to keep up for a while, passing several other riders clearly running out of steam. In the end I had to let them go, I knew what was coming.

Crag Bank was first, 500m at an average of 11%. Not normally the end of the world but with 205km in the legs it was enough. I overtook Tim pretty early, hills being more to my style and having found the way out of the dark place. The legs were still working, with enough to stand on the really steep stuff. Over the top and then a drop down to Sandhill Bank for more of the same. Only two more climbs to go...

Of course, spotting hills on Strava is no guarantee of accuracy, and North Yorkshire has many lovely surprises hidden in its dales. Up and down we went, every steep section coming with a churn of gears. Next at 219 km was Lealholm Lane, long and steady and a chance to pass more walkers. So close to the end now.

Limber Hill, short and steep. Photo: Cleveland Wheelers

Finally, the sting in the tail was close. 5km up the road we reached Limber Hill, only 300 meters long but with an average over that distance of 16%. Final reserves were called, riders all around pushing themselves, urging themselves on, urging each other on. Standing on the pedals you can only tell the angle has eased as your thighs are burning less. Then you can sit down. Then you can steal a gear. The sign at the top says 33%. At 224km into the day it could well have been a wall but we were over.

Now the finish line fever started to set in. With 10km to go I caught the first glimpse of the sea. We were going to do it, We were going to cycle clear across the country in a day. A little group formed, strung out along shady lanes as we swooped up and down again, up and down in the endless sunshine. A huge grin spread across my face. Signs for Whitby, a short climb and then the descent started. The pace picked up as we rolled into Whitby at 30mph.

Me and Ben (Right) happy to be in Whitby

A couple of turns and there we were, swinging right onto the sea front, Whitby's famous abbey on the hill ahead. The crowd started to build and we slowed into the finish. A blur of smiling faces and clapping hands. Our friends and family had found a perfect spot and had their banners out to greet us. We crossed the line and checked in our timing chips. 12 hours 40 minutes! We had nailed our target.

Hugs and cheers, popping corks, excited half explained stories, smiles and sighs. A little emotional and thick voiced, squinting in the bright evening sun. Almost exactly one year after first getting on any kind of road bike I had completed my hardest ever ride. We had done something which none of us were sure we could do when we signed up and we had completed it with no dramas and in excellent time.

So What Followed...?

It is now a couple of days after the ride and I can look back on things a bit more clearly. I am absolutely covered in midge bites from the climb up Hardknott and my tan lines are wonderfully sharp after not wearing sun cream. Both my own fault but suitable badges of honour.

I can't help but feel a little deflated after all this time focussed on this one day. I found the 150 mile Cyclist Fighting Cancer ride at Stratford-upon-Avon harder as that was a big step up in distance and although not as steep as the C2C it was certainly more painful. I'll just have to take away the dozens of happy memories of the day, the jokes, the views, the pies, and use them whenever I need a lift.

As you can see in the pictures, Ben and I were riding for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, and specifically in memory of William Crook who died last year. His parents and family were amongst our greatest supporters and it was an honour to raise over £2000 pounds for the William Crook's Brighter Future Fund. If you have enjoyed reading this, maybe consider putting a couple of pounds towards this great cause on the Just Giving page.

So what next... something bigger, something badder, but certainly something. I am a Freshly Minted Roadie and proud.

12 hours and 40 minutes, almost
exactly where we hoped to be.

Out of Time

With only 36 hours to go until the start of the Coast to Coast in a Day ride I have now officially run out of time for training. I figured this would be a good time to review all of the activity that has gone into getting me to this point, and to sum up what I have learned from the experience.

The Training

Do I think I have done enough training? I think I have done almost as much training as I could have hoped to have done. I'm not sure my marriage could have taken much more. Here are the totals since I started on this challenge last July.

I have to admit that I lost a few sessions to apathy and bad weather, and some were taken by illness. However, I did manage to get in some quality long rides, including 150 miles on the CFC 150 Sportive. I never got anywhere near the climbing target for the Coast to Coast, around 13,000ft, so that is still an unknown challenge. Here is a summary of the distance, climb and duration of all of my training rides.

I would certainly advise trying to weave your training rides into your other commitments, like riding to family events instead of driving. Either that or be prepared for some very early starts.

Of all the drills and exercises I have tried I think hill repeats are my favourite, followed by low cadence work to build leg strength. I am most certainly not a fan of rollers, no matter how I tried to alleviate the boredom. Cycling is about getting out and exploring and I am not looking forward to trying to maintain fitness through the winter.

The Equipment

So what happened to my £1000 budget. A quick summation shows that I have actual done quite well.

Item	Cost
Bike	£350
Upgrades	£312.29
Clothing	£236.46
Equipment	£61.47
Total	£960

There were several items I received as gifts, for birthday's and Christmas, and these came to around £200 in addition to the above. I'm not counting these in the total though. I'm also not counting consumables like food, transport or degreaser as these would exist in my life anyway.

So can you go on big cycling adventures on the cheap. Well, if you consider £960 over 12 months to be cheap then yes. I had to make some compromises and avoid obvious upgrades like new wheels but I have a bike I am happy with and which I am going to hopefully ride across the country, and on many more adventures.

The Body

What impact has this had on me physically? Well, I started off from quite a good place as I've always been fairly fit and active, but dragging myself over Wrynose Pass, mostly on foot, showed that I was nowhere near being a good cyclist. My first ascent of Kingston Hill (0.7m, 355ft) involved three submissions and a fall, but I now use it for hill repeats and will happily do it 4 times in a session.

I'm 1.81m tall and weighed around 82kg when I started the challenge. I am now just under my target of 75kg and I have in no way been eating to train. At most I have been sticking to just one chocolate bar on rest days instead of my usual two. Putting in long miles is a great way to burn calories and I have certainly altered my body shape in a noticeable way.

At the finish of the CFC 150. An impossible distance when I started

My only regret is that I now have pathetic upper body strength and I didn't do enough work on my core. This would probably be a great target for me to work on over the winter to come back even stronger next spring. I could probably eat more healthily as well but life is too short for that.

One thing I have certainly learned is how much you have to look after yourself as the mileage increases. I have been lucky to avoid any serious injury but I have been caught out by some horrible colds when I started to push over 100 miles. Before rides I have learned to take things easy and a post ride stretch and good eating is a habit I am really trying to catch.

Was It Worth It?

Even if I don't finish the Coast to Coast this has been an excellent adventure. I've met some great people (online and for real), learned a lot about cycle maintenance, got myself into great shape and had some wonderful trips out in the English countryside. Yes, there have been dark nights on the rollers and long painful hours in the saddle (shoulder pain is my constant companion it seems) but it has been brilliant.

Hopefully with my arrival in Whitby I can relax more and start to enjoy cycling with my family, or with friends, without an eye on this weekend's challenge. Plans are already being whispered for a week long adventure (maybe a ride to Barcelona!) and even my cycling widow wife seems keen on some cycle touring. I'm certainly keen to keep things going and will be out on the bike as soon as possible.

Finally, I'm taking the chance to use the Coast to Coast ride to raise money for Great Ormond Street. I've never really done the charity ride thing before but seeing how generous people can be based on a crazy adventure has got to inspire future plans for something even bigger. This, and a growing interest in Audax riding is certainly going to keep my legs turning for a long time yet.

Actual Training

There has been something of a break in the blog which I know is not really the idea but it has been for a very good reason. I have actually been riding the bike on a regular basis which is leaving little time for writing, what with family life and work as well.

Here are my weekly mileages for this year:

As you can see, things are beginning to ramp up quite nicely. This has been down to a couple of useful lessons.

1. Just get on the bike! It is all too easy to wimp out and say "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I'm not really in the mood" but once I get going I tend to enjoy the rides so I have to focus on the outcome and not the preparation.
2. Rollers aren't (too) evil. I'm getting used to riding on them now and I can put in an hour session quite easily. This has been after everybody else has gone to bed so it is a little lonely but I have had The Infinite Monkey Cage to keep me company.
3. Don't get too focussed on training, go out for a ride occasionally just because it is lovely out there.
4. The C2C is a very hilly ride and I had better get my backside up some hills or I am toast

In support of number four, I was looking at the stats from the training so far and I realised that I was doing nowhere near enough hills. As I live in a relatively flat part of the world with only the Chilterns to gain altitude this is going to be a continuing struggle. This chart shows my distance and elevation, with the blue line being the target for the C2C. All of my rides have been too flat.

So, I took the chance over the weekend to try out hill repeats. This is the idea of finding a good length hill and going up and down it multiple times to improve your hill climbing ability and recovery. One of the hills near me is Aston Hill which is a great steady hill. If you look at the Strava segment you can see it is quite long but at a good steady 5% so it is spinning instead of stomping. My four loops were completed in around nine minutes each, which is a little bit long for this type of training but I enjoyed the climbs.

Did this session improve my climbing? Well I'll have to keep trying them and see but I can certainly feel the benefit of hitting four sessions a week. I'm keeping the average around 15mph and the distances are creeping up. Yesterday was hard as I was rushing against the sunset but it sure beats being in a gym when you get views like this.

The windmill at Brill, Oxfordshire at the end of  a bright spring day

Time to Get Going

Let us just take a minute to recap what is going on here. Following a day on a hired bike in the Lake District I somehow agreed to cycle the Coast to Coast in a day event in June 2015. Never having been a road cyclist before (I'm a very casual mountain biker) I set myself a budget of £1000, found a road bike and started getting out there.

Here is a summary of all of my recorded riding in 2015:

I'm not starting this year completely from scratch but it has been a very lazy winter, the only exception being a 33 mile ride at the end of January. Having taken some time out for a family holiday It is now time to get on it.

With an eye on the target of doing the 150 miles of the Coast to Coast in 12 hours I am aiming for an average moving speed of 15mph. Looking at this chart showing Elevation vs Distance vs Duration you can see that I have hit this average a few times but not on anything over 40 miles so there is plenty of work to do.

I'm now in week 4 of the plan and I'm already having to be a bit flexible. With all of the wind in the last few days I skipped a couple of rides so instead of resting today I completed a two hour ride. It was really good to get out again and I am setting a decent pace I reckon. I even managed to reel in a very serious looking rider on Aston Hill, though they were probably on a recovery ride.

I've also had a chance to try out my new (second hand) rollers  The rollers were certainly a challenge to start with but once I got the confidence to let go of the wall I quickly got the hang of it. I can see why they scare people but if you try to keep a solid core and don't faff around they seem to be OK. The worst thing is the tedium, so I'm hoping the weather improves and I don't have to rely on them.

Things I have learned this week

It's been quite an educational cycling week, here are some highlights

1. When experts say you usually need to replace a chain and a rear cassette together they aren't joking. I thought I could get away with just the chain but as soon as I put any serious pressure on the pedals the gears started hopping all over the place. 
2. Local Bike Shops are really handy. I took my mountain bike into the LBS for a new rear cassette and bottom bracket to be fitted and came away with both of those, a re-trued rear wheel, some other minor fixes and a promise to look at the fit on my road bike. Props to Two Wheels Thame, I'm sure I'll be back in again.
3. Mudguards are really handy too. They are a monster faff to fit, look a bit rubbish and can be divisive in online communities but after getting caught in rain and hail today I came back looking mostly clean. I'll remove them as soon as the roads dry out but for now they are staying on.
4. Skipping rides is very easy, especially at this time of year, and takes a real effort to avoid. However, getting out there is very rewarding and the benefits of regular riding are worth it in the end. 
5. Malt Loaf is edible... who knew?!

Right, that's your lot. I'm changing now to a weekly format so you don't get fed up with me but hopefully there should be some interesting learnings as the distances and frequency ramp up.

Training by Numbers

As I sit here getting ready for the first training session in my plan the thought enters my mind that I should try and track the improvements I make. As mentioned before, I love a good chart and that means collecting data. I also believe that heart rate training zones are an important part of any plan and that means heart rate data.

First up is to calculate my minimum and maximum heart rate. The minimum is a fairly simple task, taking my heart rate before I get out of bed in the morning. I can keep doing this and keep a rolling average. At the moment it sits at around 52 bpm. Calculating the max heart rate is a little more complex though.

There are lots of formulae floating around the Internet, from the very simple 220 - Age through to the more complex 210 - (Age/2) - (0.05 * Weight (lb)). Here is a quick summary of my scores:

Calculation	MHR
Simple Age Based	184.0
BikeRadar	187.2
Miller	186.4
Londeree	180.7
Jackson	182.8
Whyte	182.2
Combined	181.4

This gives me an average of around 183, so lets use this number. Knowing the max and the min I can now start to work out the training zones, and again it gets complex. A fairly rough guide is to use 10% wide zones, so 60% to 70% is the weight loss and endurance zone. 70% to 80% is the cardio zone. However, British Cycling use a more complex zone setup (from Bike Radar):

Zone 1 (60-65% of maximum heart rate): For long, easy rides, to improve the combustion and storage of fats.
Zone 2 (65-75% of MHR): The basic base training zone. Longish rides of medium stress.
Zone 3 (75-82% of MHR): For development of aerobic capacity and endurance with moderate volume at very controlled intensity.
Zone 4 (82-89% of MHR): For simulating pace when tapering for a race.
Zone 5 (89-94% of MHR): For raising anaerobic threshold. Good sessions for 10- and 25-mile time-trials.
Zone 6 (94-100% of MHR): For high-intensity interval training to increase maximum power and speed 

Plugging in all of the numbers then gives me a very rough guide to my training zones

Zone	HR min	HR max
Z1	110	119
Z2	119	138
Z3	138	150
Z4	150	163
Z5	163	173
Z6	173	184

I know from experience that keeping it below 120 bpm on the bike is a pretty easy ride so this feels about right. With these zones in place I can now think about applying them to my training, at least in the early days while I get a feel for them, and for that I need a heart rate monitor.

I already own an ANT+ HRM so this would be the obvious choice, except Strava doesn't support ANT+ on Android ( I know, how stupid, but check the forums and feel the anger of the ANT fans). I also have an Endomondo Pro license, but as this is different to the subscription based Premium license I don't get so many nice features. I also find Endomondo tends to wander off track leading to inaccurate results.

I've looked at various Garmin devices but they would all put a serious dent in the £1000 budget so I'm going to have to come up with some combination of monitoring. If you see somebody rolling past with two phones, a cycle computer and a calculator it is probably me. Don't try to stop me, I'll be in the zone.

The Training Plan

Any fan of Red Dwarf will remember the scene where Rimmer makes a revision timetable that takes so long to create that he loses revision time. He then has to re-write the plan, taking up more time, leading to another re-write and so on and so on. Eventually he is left with no time to revise and a very pretty revision chart.

This is me when it comes to cycle training.

I love all of the conflicting information around training approaches. Do you get a power meter or go on feel? How do you calculate your maximum heart rate? How do you best gain endurance, speed, climbing ability? I could spend hours researching all of this and walk away without a single decision being made; but with a warm feeling of having done "something".

Then add on my recent addiction to GCN and their YouTube Channel where I can spend hours "learning" really useful information like the Top 10 Things Not To Wear When Cycling and it is a miracle that I came up with any plan at all. But here it is in all of it's glory.

The mighty training plan v1.0

This was created from a mixture of a Brevet Sportive Training Plan, my experience from going from couch to 10km runner, a lot of fingers in the air and fitting in with existing commitments. It has three main themes:

1. Periodicity - The plan features four week blocks where the effort increases and then reduces in the last week, This allows your body to recover
2. Escalation/Recovery - The times and distances slowly build with each four week block before winding down before the event to preserve energy
3. Variation - The plan mixes endurance, technical and easy rides and is supplemented with cross training (football) and core/flexibility sessions

Of course, just like Rimmer, I'm almost certain parts of this plan are going to go out of the window when reality hits. The second week is interrupted with a holiday and there is snow in the forecast. But, with only 20 weeks until the Coast 2 Coast there is nothing for it now but to get on my bike and start riding.

Pushing Too Hard

One of the many rules around training is the idea that you should only increase your mileage by 10% each session. The idea is that you give your body a small challenge, it adapts during recovery and then at the next session you push it a little bit more. I applied this quite happily when building up to my first 10km running race so I knew it would work again on the bike.

I was putting in plenty of 20 mile rides to get used to the bike and iron out any problems with the equipment. These included some hills, some training in Zone 2, some social rides, it was all going rather well. When Ben popped up with an 80 mile ride in the Cotswolds in 18 days time I quickly started to work out how I could ramp up to that distance.

Sticking to the 10% rule it would take 15 rides to increase my distance from 20 to 80 miles. There was no way I was going to achieve that as a casual cyclist so I wimped out, found a shortcut, and agreed to come along for 60 miles instead. This should still take 11 rides, but with only two weekends spare I would have to push it a little.

So the next weekend I headed out with another friend, Tim (also taking part in the C2C) for a bit of a training run. I should have known I was in trouble when I arrived at Tim's garage to see it full of bikes, including a Time Trial bike. Turns out Tim was quite a keen cyclist and the following 37 miles were a great exercise in how to sit on somebody's wheel. An average of 16.3mph had me gasping.

Hoping to do things at my own pace I headed out again the next weekend for my first 50 mile ride solo. With no wheel to hang on to and several punctures this turned into four and a half hours of grind, more than double the previous weekends time. I finished exhausted, barely able to turn the pedals, though I did overtake somebody pushing a shopper up a steep hill.

Now I was out of time and the big weekend had arrived. Having already done 50+ miles solo I was happy with doing 60 miles in company. The pace was a little slow as we set off but soon the miles were rolling by. You can read a full description here. We reached the pub in good time and this was where I was due to split off after lunch to take my shortcut. But we all know what happened after a beer and a bit of bravado.

I ended up completing the full 87 miles (yes, 7 miles longer than planned), again crawling into the finish in a complete state. Did I complete my challenge? Yes, and I am pleased I did, but I cannot recommend escalating your distance this quickly. At the time it wasn't a fun experience and I am probably quite lucky that I didn't injure myself.

Next time: The training plan

Early Learnings

One of the joys of cycling is the huge amount of equipment that goes with it, and the many unwritten rules and conventions that create the culture. Obviously the first thing I did was take a trip to my a local bike shop to break some of the rules.

I bought myself some proper clipless shoes, a new cycling jersey and a saddle bag (Rule #29). I had some baggy MTB shorts (Rule #18), a helmet (with visor Rule#35), gloves, lights and tools already.

My first few rides were pretty simple affairs, under 20 miles,  but they certainly ironed out a few kinks. I was getting a puncture on every single ride which I originally put down to old inner tubes perishing while being sat deflated for 3 years. Replacing the tubes didn't really help though and I was getting fed up getting super greasy changing tyres at the side of the road.

A quick chat with the hugely useful Cycling UK community on Google+ directed me towards some excellent Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tyres which have been brilliant, no punctures or slips. I also purchased a proper track pump and realised I had been seriously under inflating my tyres which might also have been contributing to the punctures.

Looked clean but the filth kept returning

Next up was some proper bike cleaning. The chain lube had dried out and become a paste with the dust that had settled. I tried hot soapy water and that didn't work. Next I bought some proper degreaser and that made things a lot better, but there was still a lot of muck coming out of the chain. In the end I went old school and put the whole chain into a jar of white spirits. This worked really well and is going to be my first choice from now on. This was made far easier with the addition of a slip link into my chain.

Perhaps the biggest fear of new cyclists is around clipless pedals and the risk of falling over at every single junction. I was quite used to having baskets on my pedals and not putting my feet down while riding so I actually found this quite easy at first. I went for a very forgiving setup on the Keo Look pedals and I never had much of a problem unclipping... until I stopped on a steep hill, tried to get started again and missed the pedal, ending up sprawled across a country road.

From that experience (and the twisted ankle that went with it) I learned to not stop on hills and also how to change the rear cassette on a bike. Quite a simple job with the right tools and the new 12-27t 9 speed cassette has made the hills a bit easier than the original 12-25t. I was originally tempted to go larger but this would have required a new derailleur and also would have broken Rule #5.

Having 27 teeth on the rear cassette (blue) gave an extra bit of
leverage for the hills compared to the 25 (orange) but widened
the gap between gears.

With the new gear ratios in place I started to find hills a little easier, and increasing fitness made 15-20 mile rides pretty easy. Now it was time to start cranking up the distance. Ben had a plan for an 80 mile ride and I had very little time to train.

Finding a Bike

One of the conditions I set myself on this adventure was a very strict budget. I figured I could complete the entire challenge with an outlay of no more than £1000. That was for everything, registration on the event, clothing, bike, travel, equipment. Some experienced riders might scoff at such a small budget and could probably spend that on wheels alone but I had no idea if this was going to be a successful project or not and couldn't justify any more.

A quick bit of research suggested that a more relaxed geometry bike might be more suitable, something called a Sportive bike. A quick Google brought up some interesting info, including this useful sportive buyers guide but it quickly became clear that my budget would have some consequences. Full carbon was certainly out, as was anything beyond bottom of the line bikes. Even working through eBay came up with various well used examples from Trek, Cannondale and Giant which would stretch the budget.

And then, in one of those rare but beautiful eBay moments when an item nobody else has discovered meets your budget and desires, I found my bike. With no bids at all was a Genesis Aether 20. A quick review showed it to be a solid entry level sportive style bike from a British manufacturer probably worth around £1000 new and ridden less than 100 miles in 3 years. A cheeky last minute minimum offer and it was mine for £350.

Collection arranged I headed around to pick up my new bike. The owner wasn't in but his wife seemed all too happy to get the bike out of the hallway. The tires were flat and dust had settled all over the chain but it was otherwise in perfect condition. I carefully drove it home, stripped off the rack and mudguards, pumped up the tires and took it for a ride.

I didn't have the proper shoes so I just balanced on the clipless pedals, wobbling along with the all too narrow handlebars and impossibly thin tires. I hit a straight stretch, cautiously lowered myself down onto the drops and there it was again... that amazing feeling of riding on the wind. The image of my old orange racing bike came flooding back and I cranked through the gears, thighs burning, eyes streaming. I can't remember when I named my bike Jenny, but I was certain from that point on that we were going to be friends.

We're Doing What?!

So, I had agreed to complete the coast to coast in a day. How hard could it be? My record distance in a single day was 90 miles on my trusty GT hybrid with panniers and wearing jeans. Yes, I had only been 21 and we had ended up sleeping by the side of a canal but we had done it.

Time to check out the scale of the challenge... and oh boy, what a challenge. A quick peek at the official site started to make the whole thing seem like a bad idea. This version of the coast to coast starts at Seascale and takes you through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and across the Northern valleys of the North York Moors. It is 150 miles of finest English countryside with 4500 metres of ascent. I got exhausted just watching the official route video below.



Looking at the results from 2014 the average finish time for a 37 year old male was 12 hours 31 minutes. The maximum was 16 hours but I don't even want to consider that amount of time in the saddle. Here are some results (you'll learn that I love a good chart) and it is interesting how consistent this is across over 700 riders.

Was I really going to sign up for this? I had quite a few moments of doubt, it was going to be a large commitment of time and energy and also money. However, I am a complete sucker for a challenge and a good story and this looked like a great chance to push myself and get super fit. I signed up, told enough people so that I couldn't pull out and then checked the requirements.

Parking, registration, camping, suggested equipment., No MTBs.... No Hybrids?!

Time to go bike shopping.

A Freshly Minted Roadie

I've been riding bikes all my life, I suppose like many children it was the best way to get around. It was mostly mountain bikes and hybrids, except for a brief run in with a bright orange racer which felt like riding the wind until it dumped me on the road. To this day I haven't worked out how I grazed my belly button but that was enough for me to give up on dropped handlebars and skinny tires.

Me (right) and my best friend, ready to depart for France

The closest I came after that was a very sensible GT hybrid for riding to college which got promoted to grand tourer while cycling through France. Three weeks on a bike with a tent and my best friend, so many happy memories, until the bike was stolen in Paris. I didn't mind though, three spokes had been replaced with string and if I never saw that saddle again I would be happy.

So how did I come to being a new roadie? I am trying to start a new tradition that involves me going on an adventure every year for my birthday in late June. 2014 saw me lined up on the final day of a gentleman's weekend in the Lake District with a hired hybrid bike and a foolish opinion of my own fitness. My friend Ben (who will be a regular in this blog) had found us a route and off we went. I should have figured there would be a problem when his very flash carbon road bike floated out of the boot to land next to my very heavy workhorse.

Ben disappears into the distance

The early pace was fast (e.g. mostly downhill) and then we arrived at the first challenge of the day. Wrynose Pass! This looked long and steep but I had many gears and could put my foot down whenever I liked. Ben shot off all shimmering Lycra and rock solid calves while I settled in for the long haul. In the end it was a lovely walk.

When we met up at the top we quickly shot down the other side racing the cars and thought ourselves the victors. It was a beautiful sunny day, far from traffic, desks, families and the big hill was behind us. Anybody who has ridden in The Lakes knows what came next. 35 miles of constant uphill and down dale, never in  a straight line. Only Jelly Babies and sheer bloody mindedness kept me going. But we made it.

Hire bike returned we jumped in the car for the journey home, pasty and chocolate milk in hand. "How do you fancy doing the coast to coast next year?" asks Ben. "Sounds alright." I reply, and that is where it all began...