What's your top 5 items for a cycling tour

The day is almost here and I'm busy packing !  The sun has decided to shine today, which makes everything look different, but we still need to be mindful of the changeable weather and the difficulties that can bring to road cycling.

The great thing about packing for this trip is that we are being supported by Steve and the van.  It means we have a little flexibility over space, rather than having to carry everything ourselves, however, it is not limitless ! Speaking of the van, we have received a humbling amount of support from the local community and our van has been donated for the whole trip by M&G Motors of Carshalton (020 8647 5478) - many thanks for your support.

Here's my top 5 list that I couldn't do without on this trip

Foz's top 5 list of must have items

1. My bike - I guess this had to be top of the list - my trusty steed, my Cannondale Synapse SL - what else is going to get me there !

2. Assos shorts - if I am travelling 1600 miles on a bike, my experience from 2010 LEJOG is that I need to keep my bum comfy.

3. Assos cream - enough said about this but I will refer you back to 2

4. Riemann sunscreen - my original reason for this was to keep me from roasting - but the weather looks more like I need an umbrella !  I am still hopeful that the weather will change for the better, for the impact on the cycling conditions really - but with sun comes sunburn, especially when some of the altitudes are so high.  Of course we wouldn't notice the heat due to the speed we are going ;-}

5. Lastly, but certainly not least, in fact I think the most important one - Steve, Pete and Matt without whom this would never have got off the ground and who are all diamond geezers !!

What would be your top 5 list of items ?

Please help us support Great Ormond Street

Peter's training is over, now the main event !

Training for this cycle has proved difficult for all of us - the weather has been terrible.  Matt and Foz have both been sensible and opted for rollers.  Unfortunately, I wasn't as sensible and my bad weather training has been spent riding on a very old and creaky exercise bike !  It has got its benefits though - I don't have to worry about my balance, I can concentrate on something else at the same time - even have a cup of tea ;-}  Sometimes the old fashioned ways have benefits.  It does, however, mean that that I haven't been training on MY bike - you don't see many exercise bikes able to ascend mountains do you - or the flat for that matter !  Other things concerned me too, like not being able to practise gear changes etc, however, simulating gradients is slightly easier with the simple addition of some books - you can't do that on a rolling road.  At least I could get the exercise and the miles in.

When I was able to get out in the open air, most of my training was divided between two areas.  I live in Twickenham and so could be seen cycling anywhere and everywhere in the Twickenham, Richmond, and Hammersmith locations.  A particular favourite of mine, is cycling in Richmond Park.  It is so beautiful in there, enjoying the scenery, the deer, feeling like you're not cycling alone, exchanging respectful glances with other cyclists.  If you are ever in the Richmond area take some time to check it out.  Even cycling around it umpteen times as I have in training, it never loses its appeal.

My other location of choice is the amazing cycling destination of the Isle of Wight.  For any cyclists out there who haven't yet ventured over there, take a weekend out and go and explore.  It is easily accessible from Yarmouth, Cowes an Ryde as a foot/cycle passenger and then off you go - explore !  The round the island route is sign posted so you shouldn't get lost.  We were lucky a couple of weekends with the weather and  Team Fozball were able to cycle together - great fun.  See our Isle of Wight blogs for ideas of routes etc.

Isle of Wight Weekend
Isle of Wight Revisited

So excited about the start now, 1 sleep to go !

Where are your training locations when preparing for a cycling tour ?

Rolling, rolling, rolling

Matt Ball

Training for  a 1600 mile cycle tour can seem quite daunting, when you have to fit it around your work, your families, friends and of course, the dreaded weather.

The three of us do not live locally and so, other than a few training weekends, our training has been done alone – this is good preparation for the trip though, it can only be easier together.

During my training, I have travelled just under 2000 miles – sounds a long way, except this has taken place over months and the tour is 21 days covering 1600 miles in one go.  The winter has been awful for training so I have braved the weather, mostly training travelling to and around Windsor Great Park from my home in Camberley, and then when the weather got too bad, I resorted to a ‘rolling road’ in my dining room . 

The ‘rolling road’ became a bit of a party piece – providing hilarity for all who watched and even for the brave who tried.  For those of you who haven’t tried it, it is definitely a piece of equipment where practise makes perfect – or rather saves lives !  I started my practise by positioning the ‘rolling road’ in the doorframe – that way, at least if I fell off it wasn’t too far to the doorframe, as opposed to the floor.

Initially I had visions of being able to while away the miles on the ‘rolling road’, listening to music, watching TV but it very quickly became apparent that 100% concentration was required.  I’m pleased to say I am now much more practised and I have loved being able to train regardless of the weather or light – the only issue now is to ensure I can remember how to deal with wind and gradients.

I’m very grateful to my wife and family for allowing our dining room to become my training ground through this awful weather – it won’t be long before our friends can come over for dinner again.

Have  you tried a ‘rolling road’ ?  How did you get on ?

Please join us in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital

Last minute service for Matt

It’s the last few days before we set off for Gibraltar.  We need to make sure we have everything we need – when we leave we only have Steve to look after us ;-}

The most important part of our kit of course is the bike – or is that the map – or even the Vaseline ! No, it is the bike, we wouldn’t be going anywhere without that.  Going, yes going is important but stopping can sometimes be more important – especially when freewheeling down a mountain side. 

I decided that this weekend, I absolutely needed to change my brake cable.  Well, I say ‘I’ – what I really mean is I really need to get Foz to change my brake cable– risky I know, but I think I made his tea right and was polite to him (first for everything !).

Not very happy with my gears so also made some last minute adjustments there – an ascent of 4 times Everest is going to need some serious gear work, they need to be in top condition.

The last vital thing to change for my weekends ‘service’ is the handle bar tape – doesn’t sound very important does it but boy what a difference that can make.  On a bike for 21 days, 1600 miles can make your hands very sore and even quite bruised.  It is definitely worth spending the time beforehand making sure you have as much padding on the handlebars as possible – although the rest of the team just say I’m a big girl.

What’s your last minute ‘service’ before a cycling tour ?

Please join our support of Great Ormond Street.

GOSH 2 the ROCK (aka Clock to the Rock!)

20 days touring from London to Gibraltar, 1600 miles needing to scale an ascent 4 times the height of Everest !!!  How to prepare ?  Our planning has required us to consider many different aspects of the journey.  You start by thinking all it takes is a bike, comfy shorts and a drink but you soon realise that there is more planning off the bike than on the bike.

Which route to take along the way – staring at a map trying to decide can be daunting !  Take in the scenery, keep it flat as possible, stay in hotels or camp or go for it and pack in as much action and adventure??

We decided to try and incorporate all of the above and spend some time doing it all.  The one aspect we were all agreed on from the start was that we could only do it together – like the Musketeers – all for one and one for all !!  After spending many miles together cycling Lands End to John O’Groats in 2010 raising £25,000 for Help for Heroes, we knew that with the support of each we could do it !

Being men, the phrase ‘know your limits’ tends to invoke a challenge response rather than provide a warning so having cycled LEJOG we were up for an adventure.  We’d read about the ‘Clock to the Rock’ route and decided that it posed a suitable challenge for fundraising for Great Ormond Street.  A lot of the children treated there have long, hard, journeys with many ups and downs, crossing difficult personal boundaries, needing the support of their families and friends – if they could do it with smiles on their faces so could we.

Having settled on the ‘Clock to the Rock’, we deviated slightly to be the ‘GOSH to the Rock’ – not so catchy but we wanted to start at Great Ormond. 

Our itinerary planning was left to the more organised in the group.  We have tried to remain conservative about the distances travelled each day – but we will be keeping an eye on each other, that a sneaky glass of wine doesn’t slip in at lunch to slow us down – we don’t want to arrive in the dark.  Huge thanks to Steve – our ‘man with a van’ to accompany us so that we don’t need to carry the luggage, spares and much needed snacks and drinks. 

We hope we have allowed time to enjoy the scenery on the way and built in some flexibility.  We plan to take lots of photos on the way and to share the journey with the children at Great Ormond Street on our return.  The big risk for us is that we haven’t allowed any days off the bike, let’s hope we can keep to that.

Argh – just realised, cycling on the right, roundabouts on the right…and breathe… and breathe.  Steve – give us a ‘honk’ if we go wrong !

Please join us in our support of this great charity and donate – all the pennies add up:

Max

This is Max, aged 7, who is a friend of the cycling team. Max is currently undergoing treatment for leukaemia in Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is a 3 year treatment process in total. Max is one of the hundreds of reasons why we are cycling from London to Gibraltar to raise money for the hospital. Please give by clicking on the link......

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/fozballrally


Many thanks......

Isle of Wight revisited

Isle of Wight weekend, 18^th May 2013

Another great weekend on the Isle of Wight. Matt and I decided to ride a bit further this time and we were joined by Steve and Denise to give us moral support. Unfortunately y Foz couldn’t be with us as he was having to work, keeping London safe.

Upon arrival, the first job was to visit Rosemary Vineyard to purchase the necessary liquid moral support!

 We managed to ride 80 miles on Saturday and it was fantastic!  The weather forecast wasn’t looking very good  for the weekend  but unusually it was completely  wrong...  We had glorious sunshine with a mostly light Westerly wind.

We set off from Ryde and took the usual route through Bembridge, avoiding the designated  round the island cycle route that takes you along a residential road with speed humps. This proves the route was designed by a non cyclist. We then passed  Bembridge International Airport  and through Sandown then along the sunny sea front promenade to Shanklin. We then had the long climb of about a mile into Ventnor, up Cowleaze Hill, which is quite a cheeky rise in elevation. As a result of our training, this testing hill appears to be getting easier, which bodes well  for the 15,000 feet  total  climb over the Pyrenees (we hope).

We continued round and got to our favourite car park at Blackgang Chine where the Ice Cream van sells amazing homemade ice-cream from nearby Chale Farm.  When Matt ordered  I said ‘I’ll get these’ to which Matt said ‘ OK, if your paying, I’ll have a large one - and a Flake’.

Matt and I after his ‘large’ Ice Cream

Whilst sitting looking at the amazing view over West Wight, a couple, Wayne and Stephanie,  came over and we started talking bikes and about the Lejog.  Wayne had completed the Lejog in 2008 and his 15 year old son was one of the riders, a brilliant achievement.

Suitably refreshed, we set off along the Military Road, still with the words ‘We won’t go mad and keep the ride steady’, ringing in my ears, we averaged about 24 mph for the next 5 miles with a slight headwind – it was fantastic!

We eventually slowed down to a ‘steady’ pace and stopped at Gossips Cafe in Yarmouth for a big pot of tea and a bit of grub. I recommend this place as the food is great and you won’t have to re-mortgage your home to pay for it. 

We set off again and we were amazed how cold it felt and it took a couple of steepish hills to get warm again and by the time we got to Gurnard we were boiling hot!

On into Cowes and  we  took  a sharp right just before the Chain Link Ferry and joined the designated cycle track, which old railway track bed without the sleepers and rails, to Newport . We then stayed with the cycle path all the way to Sandown. It was great to ride for 10 miles without traffic but it would be even better if they put tarmac down for the whole length. 

From Sandown, we returned to Ryde via Bembridge along the quiet roads, bathed in sunshine all the way . Sitting in the garden with a large cup of tea and dark chocolate digestives (2 each only)  had the desired medicinal effect and we were ready to ride another 80 miles...

 Peter 19th May 2013