I’ve never been overly good with rest and recovery. My obsessive tendencies mean that I want to do the things I enjoy, every day. This means that I often end up overtraining and not making the improvements I am capable of, or those I want.
This and the fact I have remembered that I am capable of pushing myself further than I have been, because I allow myself to be defeated, by myself. Mentally, a lot of us do and I have been looking at this recently.
I find that I follow obligations and commitments well, rules and plans as well as structure help a neurodiverse mind. With this in mind, I am starting to work with a coach, Natalie Creswick teamheadset. I will put a link on the links page. This will help with structure and routine as well as ensuring that I am training in a beneficial manner, rather than just ‘banging out junk miles’.
Plus, a lot more yoga… daily sessions of a minimum of 15 minutes, again I will put a link to the course I am doing on the links page
Further to this, a couple of sponsors, in the form of Torq Energy and Sundried clothing and a new team, Team JMC. So, let’s hope for some actual races this year.
I’ve not posted a review in a little while, so thought that I would do a review in two parts: a trail and a piece of kit, I attempted to use trailside.
First of all, the trail: –
Yes. I rode this bit…
Haleigh Park, Befleet, Essex. Home of the 2012 London Olympic MTB course.
I hadn’t ridden this trail since 2015, when I was visiting friends and family in the U.K. whilst I was still living in Switzerland. Then I was riding on a hire bike and I had zero experience of UK trail centres.
From a spectator’s perspective, it is an amazing course; it’s possible to watch so much of the action without changing vantage point. From a riding perspective, it’s tough. I’ve ridden and raced on international world cup courses whilst in Switzerland and those were easy in comparison.
I currently live in West Yorkshire. So a four hour or so drive each way. So, is the payoff worth the investment?
It’s worth stating that the course is free, parking is inexpensive and the facilities, i.e. The Hub are very good. Obviously seating indoors and access to the bike shop on site are very restricted due to Covid-19. However, it’s possible to gain technical assistance and refreshment and the toilets are clean, well serviced and more than adequate for anyone not wishing to use a changing robe in the carpark (as I did).
I travelled down with my partner, who doesn’t ride, but supports me in doing so and is more than tolerant in regards to my obsessive behaviour and tendencies towards all things mountain bike related, also in the car was a friend, Ian. Bikes in question: my regular Cube Reaction C:62 SLT and his Cannonade Habit (e-bike).
The carpark allowed ample space and we parked next to a rather ratty Aston Martin (still an Aston Martin, but the paintwork had certainly seen better days).
There is an excellent skills loop, offering a preview of the type of trail features on the course itself. This, I must add, is rather better than other trail centres I have encountered a skills area on. It’s also a rather fun area just to have a quick spin around.
The course itself? It’s an Olympic course, designed to challenge the best athletes in the world. So how did two guys in their middle ages find it? The climbs are fairly brutal (this being stated by a guy who actually enjoys climbing!) the drops are steep and the chutes are terrifying. Rock gardens are unforgiving as everything is set into place in cement. Therefore, it is challenging. I certainly opted away from the black lines, riding reds and occasional blue sections.
We did find that in places the trail is rather in need of TLC; sections we bare and trail lining material was visible in many places. Additionally, on most berms, grip just wasn’t there for me in the rear, riding Schwalbe Racing Ralph Addix Speed Compound. Discussing this with my riding buddy, we were both of the opinion (opinion, we are not experts), that the berms would benefit from being ridden more and that lockdown a lot of wet weather had caused an ‘all season surface’ to deteriorate. He also stated that the weight and centre of gravity on the e-bike helped with traction; indeed I did loose traction in some places where he retained it.
It seemed a shame that a venue as prestigious as Haleigh was just let down by what appears to be maintenance. I also realise that trails require volunteers and that requires time, sweat and having the freedom to give both and I praise those who do the job, not just here, but at every trail and trail centre.
In summation of this section was the ride worth a 9 hour round trip?
If I lived within an hour or even a hour and a half, each way of Benfleet. Yes, undoubtably. In fact, I would probably look at coaching, which is available to help me in skills and confidence to do the sections which frankly terrify me. However, I live in West Yorkshire and there’s excellent riding within an hour or so, including the Peak district, the Lake district, Cannock Chase and Dalby Forest is calling me to ride and that’s a couple of hours each way. Plus, I’m about an equal distance to parts of Tweed Valley in Scotland. So, I’m not convinced that I would undertake the drive solely to ride the course again. When I’m in the area, visiting friends, it will be a place to go and ride, but otherwise, I have things which appeal more, closer.
Kit review: Stans Dart Tool
Small, light but does it work?
I’ve had this is small item in my emergency kit for a few months now. It’s basically a tyre plug for those of use who ride tubeless, in order to repair holes in the tube that are too large for sealant to seal. Basically, unless you’re cycling press, most people can’t afford to put holes in £50+ tyres in order to test a product. Therefore, this kind of item remains in your ‘get out of shit kit’ until actually required. Cue, approaching the end of Saturday’s ride and I hear that awful hissing sound…
..Confidently I yell ‘$*IT FLAT!’ and pull off the trail, root around in my jersey and produce the Stan’s DART tool, locate the source of the puncture, spin the wheel a few times to see if it seals. Nope. OK, I say, ‘Let’s try this’ The plug breaks off and becomes litter. (I pick up the litter). ‘Never mind, there’s two of them in a plastic tube for twenty quid!’ Attempts to use the second DART, which also becomes trail litter and also gets picked up…
So the tool designed to get you out of trouble in race situation, is effectively rubbish. Two darts, both of which failed to insert. Maybe the puncture wasn’t large enough, but it’s rare to get anything larger than two or three mm in my experience.
I am trying a new sealant with larger particles, which should arrive tomorrow. Let’s see if that avoids me buying a new tyre before the end of the month…
As I’ve stated previously, amongst the traits which people on the autistic spectrum have, reliance on a routine or plan is one of them. Myself included; that said, I have full comprehension of the fact that the current situation vis a vis Covid-19 has meant that things are rather different to a pre-civid world. I’m conscious of the need to maintain social distancing and limit travel, not really see friends or family etc. All fine, I can cope with this, whilst I like some people, I don’t want or need to be around the vast majority of them, I would much rather be in a small group than a large one, probably why house parties are my personal idea of hell, whilst a dinner party seems like a jolly good idea (plus, I like food!)
Now, I’m really good with plans, I build one for most things, I can build one very quickly. Without it, I admit that things either don’t get done, I get a lot less pleasure from them or they cause me huge amounts of anxiety. I am also reasonably good at what my employers refer to as a ‘dynamic risk assessment’, which means that I am able to assess risk as it might occur and plan around it to limit or reduce harm or incident: this is a vital skill when supporting people on the spectrum. It has on occasion meant that ‘I have seen the ‘stupid’ before I did it’ (not always, but hey, everyone one of us is a work in progress!) .
Anyway, Cv-19 has changed the world, at least for the moment; for how long, we have yet to determine and on this forum, I will refrain from comment on the political handling, or mishandling of a crisis. For me, I personally find queuing incredibly stressful, and now, we have to queue for everything. Apparently all shops are due to open in the coming fortnight and the public are being encouraged, or rather pressured to spend money in order to “kickstart the economy”. My thoughts on this are, ‘Great, more queues to buy shit I can get online without the queues.’ Ergo, I will simply shop online; we won’t be able to browse in the way we could before lockdown; nor for those of us who are sensory, will we be able to touch fabrics. We won’t be able try on items of clothing in store and I can’t be appeased with the promise of a pint or lunch somewhere for enduring the queues and crowds of people all waiting two hours to buy something awful from Primark.
The mountain biking bit: –
So, moving onto my own plans and training. As I have previously stated, I had Covid and frankly it kicked the crap out of me. I’m not fully recovered; I have occasional inexplicable breathless bouts on occasion. I am, however, doing well. My Vo2Max is pretty much back to where it was, my heart rate is good and I’m training and working hard. I had planned three races for this season: all endurance races, Hammers8, Exposure Twenty-four:12, and Torqinyoursleep. All of these were planned on the basis that I had fairly decent endurance and stamina and that I think that I can do at least reasonably well in these multi-hour races.
Outdoors but still indoors. At least I’m not scared of people coughing.
My training has largely been using a turbo trainer at home, my race bike has been having some repairs done (coinciding with me being sick) and is not being serviced and rebuilt. The turbo trainer seems to be producing decent results, although it’s generally hot and uncomfortable. It does mean, that living in a one bedroom flat without a tumble dryer, there seems to a constant cycle of bib shorts either in the wash or drying.
I had managed to arrange shifts to allow for me to do the Hammers8, an 8 hour race up in Hamsterly Forest, in County Durham. However, the event was postponed until the end of October and I’m not quite sure if I want to camp in the North East of England in practically November, it’s also a little too far for me to drive there and back in a day with racing for 8 hours, pre-rides, warm ups and all of the usual preparation and what is commonly referred to as ‘fannying about’.
Sadly cancelled
I have arranged annual leave for a week at the end of July for the Twenty-four:12. This was going to be my first 12 hour race. Yes, 12 hours (ish) of racing a mountain bike. It was also a chance to see family who live in Devon and Cornwall and for my partner and I we were very much treating it as our main holiday this year; we’d brought a new tent, various camping equipment was being replaced etc., I have also invested in a new and very shiny new bar light (I may do a review in a few weeks, once I’ve had chance to try it out).
As such we were both very much looking forward to a few days and a change of scenery. For her, it would allow her a chance to escape from the working from home ritual, meet some of my family (who I don’t see often, if they still speak to me, but all of which live at least a hundred miles away) whilst for me, a change and chance to do what I enjoy, hang around with other mountain bikers, see some family members, go camping and race. Which is pretty much as good as it gets in my mind, at least whilst staying in the U.K.
As we both have the leave booked and the hire car and cat-sitter, new tent etc., we may still try and find a campsite and go and visit, but it’s uncertain whether any will be open or not and whilst I am happy riding on my own, it’s less fun when you don’t have a clue where you’re going or having to stop every five minutes in order to navigate.
*Yes, I realise that staying home and staying safe is crucial, but the reality is that my partner and I haven’t left the house other than as sanctioned by the government since lockdown started, which frankly is showing more respect for the rules than the Government and it’s own advisers have done.
The unknown variable…
The third race, The Torqinyoursleep, is in Hampshire, near Guildford, which is not an insurmountable distance away, but still warranting a hire car and a Saturday – Monday. It’s on a Sunday and whilst the initial plan had been to do the 6 hour race, if there’s nothing else on for the foreseeable, I might as well put my neck on the line and do the 12 hour.
However, here’s the but, the event clashes with someone else on my team being on annual leave. Therefore, I can’t get leave. I have requested that my shifts are based so as to allow me to still get the Saturday, Sunday and Monday, but rotas aren’t arranged this far in advance and I’ve yet to receive any word on whether it is possible. Therefore, I am unsure whether I can race or not. I think that I will simply have to explain this all to my line manager and see if something can be arranged; obviously things such a hire car, cat sitter and such all need to be factored into the equation.
Of course, all of this assumes that any event happens and there isn’t a second spike in the transmission and mortality rate.
I’ve been curious about these for a little while. I’ve ran tubeless for about 4 years now and I must confess that living and riding in Yorkshire can mean that ‘sometimes’ running a tubeless system alone just isn’t enough.
So, what is tubeless, in case people don’t know?
Basically, it’s removing the inner tube from inside of the tyre and using a latex sealant which seals most holes in the tyre as they occur. This isn’t quite as simple as that, but it’s the basic premise. You do need to make sure that the tyres are tubeless ready (i.e. non-porous) and that the spoke holes in the wheel are sealed. Plus, a tubeless specific valve as you’re still going to need air in the tyre.
If it’s a first time job and you want to avoid mess, be kind and give the job to your LBS: it supports them and it will only cost you a few pounds and it really does avoid a lot of mess: blowing a tyre off a rim will leave your workspace and everything in it looking like a Jackson Pollock!
So, why use inserts? Surely they add rotational weight?
From my experience on average when I change a tyre I can usually identify at least twenty small thorns and other detritus in the tyre; I’m just not aware of them before changing the tyre. Small punctures seal quickly and you’ll only occasionally notice the loss of tyre pressure.
In the world of mountain biking, the risk of splitting a tyre or tyre wall is far greater. Rocks can be sharp and also hitting rock ledges at speed and such can cause the tyre to break the airtight seal with the bead of the wheel, which means instant loss of pressure and sealant all of the place.
Put simply, tubeless is fantastic in reducing punctures, but it’s remiss, possibly even to the level of negligent to think that you’re never going to flat again. It has happened to me, usually when I’m in the arse end of no-where and with several miles to walk and no tube to put into the tyre.
So tubeless inserts are essentially a protective insert to keep the tyre from fully deforming away from the rim and seem to be a way to reduce this sudden loss of pressure which occurs with things like rock strikes.
The bike industry is well known for never standing still when it can make some money out of the punters. With this said, the tubeless insert market has been burgeoning within the last year or so.
Barbieri Anaconda Tubeless Protection System:
My choice for this first trial
This is essentially my choice, they are cheap, lightweight and if they fail to do the job; I’ve actually lost very little. Purchased through Planet – X for the sum of £14.99
Essentially they are a foam noodle which sits inside the tyre and stops the tyre deforming on impact. The tubeless solution will swirl around in the tyre and seal smaller punctures. They will, at a push, get you home in an emergency but will be worthless at the end and I wouldn’t risk the wheel rims myself.
In the pack, two inserts and two carbon tubeless valves. Which I found to be completely useless, the valve core is not removable and even using a compressor, I struggled to get sufficient airflow to seat the rear tyre on the bead.
The front tyre: Not so easy, quite simply, getting the tyre installed over the insert was a mission and a half, let alone getting the tyre seated on the bead. Cue much swearing, yelling and coffee consumed and a full autistic meltdown was had within the space of over an hour. In the end, I opted that my time sanity and I did the sensible thing; took it to my LBS, All Terrain Cycles in Saltaire who solved the problem but with a different class of swearing.
I’ve been running the system about 4 from and can say that in general I find it excellent. I have a tear in the rear tyre which I gained at a local race and frankly funds have dictated that I plugged the tyre rather than immediately replacing it. The plug is currently wearing slightly and I have a slow leak, but on a ride the other day I notice the drop in pressure and was able to re-inflate the tyre with a hand pump and continue with my ride. The tyre didn’t deform or lose all pressure. The insert has also encouraged me to have a little more confidence in riding sharper rock gardens. So this is all good.
Are they worth money? For this value, hell yes. Some of the other options on the market retail at £150.00 that’s getting to the point of becoming an economical factor for some people and I certainly wouldn’t got that high. There are other, cheaper options on the market, but I’ve not tried them at this point. Certainly for the time being and going into next year and race season, I will keep with this option.
At the moment, training has been challenging; not because of fitness although I doubt that anyone is either not as fit or fast as they would like. In reality, despite having been injured and requiring surgery, my fitness is returning.
The problem has been the weather, we’re under the third flood warning inside a month now in West Yorkshire and frankly the trails are waterlogged. I am also reasonably considerate of my environment and realise that riding washed out trails and even fire roads is simply destructive to the trails, causing far more erosion than I am happy with. Therefore, it’s that time of year when ‘turbo training’ becomes sensible.
Basically, this indoor cycling with a twist. Personally, my budget meant sticking with a more basic ‘Smart Trainer’, a TACX Satori, which is ANT+ and Bluetooth compatible and links to various apps.
Now, personally, I like metrics: I like facts, figures, graphics and being able to assess progress or weakness. My autistic brain works well with being able to look over these metrics and compare one week with another and one ride with that performed by another rider. This is possibly less important if you’re not intending to compete, but for me, in preparation to compete, it’s invaluable information.
Indoor cycling is, by and large, a hot, sweaty and highly uncomfortable task; many referring to their sessions as ‘a pain cave’. It hurts, it’s also incredibly boring. Hence, the industry has created various apps, linking to these Smart Trainers to make it less dull.
In interests of getting the best deal, all of these are essentially a premium product, i.e. you have to pay for any real functionality. All of them offer a limited free trial, some a week and others up to a month, or a limited mileage. Make no mistakes, this is now big business with apps such as Swift having a massive share of the market and sponsoring large scale corporate events and competitions as well as having close sponsorship links with events including the UCI Road Racing World Cup.
So I thought that I would give some of these a short review; the benefits and the pitfalls as well as my personal opinions. I will state that I do not receive any endorsements, sponsorships or inducements at all from any of the companies mentioned here.
Zwift:
As I said, big business: According to Wikipedia, as of January 2018, there were over 550,000 accounts. According to Forbes, the company is estimated to be worth $180 million.
This particular app blends training with the world of computer gaming. Allowing riders (and runners with a compatible treadmill) to compete on various courses, including UCI World Championship stages and one which is purely fictitious, called Wattopia.
It’s rather social, you can join friends on rides, compete in events and there are a limited number of training plans: although, these are all very specific to road racing. The app is compatible to Apple TV and, as I am an Apple fanboy, this appealed to me. However, I found constant glitches with the system between my trainer and the app itself. The avatar representing myself only seemed to pedal on rare occasions, the app rarely recognised my cadence (speed of pedal rotation) and this eventually bugged me.
Add to that, it was rather buggy in recognising my heart rate monitor. I also tried both a Bluetooth and ANT+ heart rate sensor.
For the most expensive product, it simply didn’t work for me.
I am aware, although I haven’t tried it, that there is now a mountain bike trail in Beta stages but this requires another sensor and to be honest, I’m not going to spend the money on something that isn’t perfect.
£12.99/month
Sufferfest
Appropriately named, this is a serious training app for serious people. It’s not at all game-like. Again, it’s orientated towards road cycling, but I feel that it’s something I just have to tolerate; road cycling attracts far more money in most of the world and many roadies still think of mountain bikers as neanderthals or stoners (not that MTB attracts anywhere near the drug cheating, but that’s an aside.)
Graphics on this app are simply footage taken from various stage races; the content is actually secondary to the training programme itself. It also offers a rather holistic training programme; incorporating motivational training and yoga.
In short, for me, there is some real positive benefits to this app for my purposes. What let’s it down is that watching race footage from road stage races, is, in my opinion as a mountain biker, rather boring.
£7/month
Rouvy
I installed this two days ago. I uninstalled it today. Ride information doesn’t seem to be able to synch to social media, or to Garmin Connect or Strava; both of which I use to record my rides.
The video footage is also rather limited and a lot of rides seem to be simply following a trail on a map. The video footage is nice when it’s available, although strangely the developers felt the need to incorporate a dog taking a crap in the video footage; not sure why, but I rather suspect that the childish joke would get rather tired after the one time.
£9/Month
TACX
I’m currently still on my free trial, but so far this seems reasonably good. However, it’s still not ticking all of the boxes.
Footage is very clear, there plenty of routes to ride, you can ride GPX tracks if you wish and upload your own route maps. It’s early days on this app, so I’m going to hold off on a lengthy review at this stage. However, Tacx has been acquired by Garmin, yet, there is not an obvious way to upload virtual rides to Garmin Connect: I feel that as a company, this is missing a trick.
£9.99/Month
As I’ve said, I don’t think that any one product is perfect, nothing actually beats being able to simply get out and ride, enjoy being in the outdoors and feeling the wind on your face and fresh air feeling your lungs. However, under the current lousy weather conditions, indoor training has it’s place.
Diary of an Autistic Mountain Biker 