Far beyond the evening's early glow and the late commuter traffic is damping down, there is a cool breeze as I glide down the hill to Corkscrew. I see Mike mad miling from Selsdon past the dog walkers and ipod runners as he eases past the roundabout changing down for the early rise to Layhams. … Continue reading Ultegrysses

Films about sports are seldom successful; actors aren’t great sports people and sports people don’t make great actors. ‘Escape to Victory’ was a film set in a prisoner of war camp where the inmates started a football team; I seem to remember Bobby Moore and Pele were in it (they couldn’t act) and also Michael … Continue reading A Farewell to Armstrong

Jeff turned left and soon the road started rising. It had been warm, almost hot in the valley with the strong sun and little cloud but as he climbed higher the sun slipped behind the trees and the temperature fell. Jeff didn’t mind; he wore a base layer beneath his top and the exertion of … Continue reading Tangfastic

'I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm.' Graham Greene - The Third Man.

Before the coming of Starbucks, coffee was sold in cafes (greasy spoons) or in tea shops where it was tolerated but not encouraged. Starbucks’ greatest trick was to get people to believe that paying £3 for a cup of coffee with a silly name in a ‘coffee shop’ was better than paying £1 in a … Continue reading Sportives – toll roads for cyclists

A week in Mallorca Day One December was cold with gusts of snow and biting winds and even though I got out on my bike I needed some warmth. Steve and Sally, Mig and Father Jack had all been to Mallorca and recommended it and the Sky team and others used it as a training … Continue reading A week in Mallorca

Try everything once, said Lord Beeching, except incest and folk dancing. To which I would add – the Roubaix sportive. It was cold and drizzling as the Old Ports headed out of our hotel in Tourcoing to the Roubaix Velodrome and the start point. Once there we delayed as first one, then another Old Port … Continue reading Roubaix Sportive

Breaking Away is a 1979 film, written by Steve Tesich (who won the Oscar for best screenplay) and directed by Peter Yates, the British director best known for Bullitt – iconic, San Francisco set crime thriller with the second best car chase sequence ever. (The best? The French Connection). Breaking Away is sent in Bloomington, … Continue reading Breaking Away is the best film about cycling – ever

Rapha is (arguably) one of the most hated brands on the planet – up there with Islamic State, the Daily Mail and McDonalds. Why? For those who don’t know, Rapha makes cycle clothes and accessories, sold mainly through an achingly hip website. The clothes are usually modelled by older people, often with beards and invariably … Continue reading Rapha – pretentious, moi?

Zwift is an online game designed for turbo trainers. Download the (currently) free software to your computer and use an ANT+ dongle to transfer heart rate, cadence and power data (depending on your devices) to the game. Currently it requires a desk-top or lap-top running either Windows or Mac but an ipad version is planned. … Continue reading Zwift