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New Bike, New Fit Much as everyone talks about the cyclists' need for n+1 bikes (with n being the number currently owned),  I'd gone a very long time without a new bike til the autumn of 2017. My Giant TCR , my 'go-to' bike, had seen me through 90% of my riding in the past …

Continue reading "A Bike Fit (For a King) With Vankru: The Hows and Whys of a Retül Bike Fit"

Having written a thing or two about the recently released Haute Route Pyrenees parcours here, it would be rude for me to not follow up with a piece on the Alps. I don't know the Alps quite as well as the Pyrenees, but well enough to make some comments that I feel are worthwhile and …

Continue reading "A Little Look at the Haute Route Alps 2018 Parcours"

With the recent announcement of the parcours for Haute Route Pyrenees and Alps, I thought I'd share some quick (and throwaway) observations, highlights, and things to look out for on these routes. Whilst I'm far from an expert when it comes to the geography and topography of the Pyrenees and French Alps, I do know …

Continue reading "A Little Look at the Haute Route Pyrenees 2018 Parcours"

I decided to contact Phil Gaimon to ask for an interview on a bit of a whim. I'd recently listened to the latest edition of his podcast, 'The Real Talent', and had just placed an order for his then-upcoming book, 'Draft Animals'. I'd read his previous books and had listened to his podcasts for a …

Continue reading "A chat with Phil Gaimon: being cold, eating cookies, and racing Cadel (…or not)."

Cometh the winter, cometh the weights With the onset of winter, all the magazines, websites and chit chat at the cake stop turns to discussion of cross-training, base miles, and sometimes, but not always, lifting weights. Not weightlifting of the bicep-curl in the mirror type (coz we all do that all year around, right?), but …

Continue reading "To lift, or not to lift…."

I was lucky enough to be offered a last minute offer to ride Haute Route Ventoux, a new 3-day event run by the Haute Route, the brand that have gained fame through their ‘highest and toughest’ 7 day sportives through the Pyrenees, French Alps, and Italian Alps and Dolomites. Having  spent a lot of time …

Continue reading "Life on the Edge: Topical Edge and Haute Route Ventoux"

Having ridden numerous Haute Routes before, I took the plunge and entered into the Iron race for 2017. The Iron challenge is that for those stupid enough to do two events, and I chose the Pyrenees and Alps. Why these two? I’d have loved to have ridden the Dolomites, but having ridden the Maratona (and a …

Continue reading "Inside an Iron Ride: Haute Route Pyrenees and Alps 2017 – Part Two – Alps"

Having ridden numerous Haute Routes before, I took the plunge and entered into the Iron race for 2017. The Iron challenge is that for those stupid enough to do two events, and I chose the Pyrenees and Alps. Why these two? I'd have loved to have ridden the Dolomites, but having ridden the Maratona (and a …

Continue reading "Inside an Iron Ride: Haute Route Pyrenees and Alps 2017 – Part One – Pyrenees"