Friday 30 November 2007

November Riding

No proper rides, but a full month-worth of commuting. Just 11 miles short of last November's total. I need to do 115 miles in December to match last year's guestimated mileage which should be doable.

Commuting: 126 miles (riding to work and back, plus various jotting about)
Business: 31 miles

Total: 157 miles

(Total so far for 2007: 1585 miles (144 miles per month - on course for 1728 miles for the year))

Monday 26 November 2007

John Stamstad

1996 Outside magazine profile of John Stamstad: That Which Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stranger.

"High intensity--pain--makes you think twice about what you're doing," says Stamstad. "It takes an enormous amount of strength to win a two-hour mountain bike race, but no matter how hard you ride, you never get to the point where you say, 'God, I don't know if I can make it.' In longer races you always reach the point where it's easy to stop." Stamstad's secret seems to be that he eliminates the quit-or-not-to-quit argument altogether. "I just make the decision before the race that I'm going to finish, no matter what," he says. "That way, I never have to decide whether to quit, because it's just not an option. If you go into a race saying, 'If I get really tired, I'll just drop out,' no matter how mentally strong you are, you'll take the easy way out."


He's currently a Patagonia Company Ambassador for trail running.

I am a normal guy who thinks that doing ‘extreme’ things is actually a normal human activity to do. If you look at the last few thousand years, going for an all day trail run is more normal than say, drinking beer and watching football (though I do that too). Deep down I think we all feel the need to explore and generally when I explore the physical word it leads to an emotional adventure as well.

Monday 19 November 2007

Bloody students

Get back to work!

;)

Friday 16 November 2007

The preliminary preparation which must precede training

I'm somewhat lacking in the "sufficient sleep to throughtly recuperate mind and body" department...

Though training in its full sense requires a certain amount of time and attention, as well as the observance of some definite rules, the preliminary preparation which must precede it is a simple affair, and in fact is just what everyone desiring to have a sound body, capable of performing all its functions properly, ought to undertake. It involves little more than regular hours; sufficient sleep to throughtly recuperate mind and body; good, wholesome food; great moderation in the use of stimulants; and regular, daily, brisk, outdoor exercise. Such a system as this is so extremely modest that it is hardly worth the dignity of a name, and probably would not receive one were not the conditions of modern life so complex and harassing that simple and natural ways of living are almost unknown.


From: Cycling For Health and Pleasure: An Indispensible Guide to the Sucessful Use of the Wheel, by Luther H. Porter, Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1896

This week's Wisdom of the past from Matt Chester.

Mileage update

Improving, but could do better.

On the way to work today, I passed 1500 miles for the year. On the way home from work tonight, I'll pass October's mileage total.

Saturday 10 November 2007

Singlespeed Definition

SS is all about being under prepared and drinking beer. The less technology and effort the better. I don't remember Vikings having Thrust and Blow Meters on their battle axes.
SS'ing is pain, regret, poor gear choice, hangover-laden excuses, facial hair, negligence, piss-poor maintenance, death, and mad skilz that most certainly pay the bilz.


Rich of Team Dicky posts a comment, after Dave Harris fits a Power Tap on a singlespeed.

[via Cellar Rat]

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Great Milk Stout Ride 2007 - Official Report

I've already written about my Darlington - Great Milk Stout Ride - Darlington ride, but I get a special mention in the official report so I'm posting about it again: 5th Great Milk Stout Ride – 30 September 2007 (pics).

How do online bike shops make any money?

I just bought a few things from Wiggle: a new bike light, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioche and a reflective rucsac cover.

* The lights were cheaper than buying the separately as they were in a combi pack.
* All three items were listed for lower than the RRP.
* There's an extra 20% off lights in November.
* There's an extra 10% off all orders over £50 in November.
* P&P was free.
* I got a fiver off my order with an e-voucher that they'd sent me because I'd not bought from them for a while.
* Hamsterley Trailblazers get 10% of the order, because I used their affiliates link to go to the shop.

How the hell do Wiggle make any money?

Update: Everything arrived this morning, with a free pack of Haribo jelly sweets. The lights are bloody bright!