cyclesguff at the cheshire cat

15 March 2012
In unusually warm weather for the time of year 4 guffers took to the roads to test their legs in the first event of the year. 3 for the long 103m route and one for the shorter 72m route set off from Crewe into the Cheshire countryside. The ride is front loaded with climbing and both medium and long routes reach the mighty Mow Cop after only 15 miles. There was much excitement about the beast in the massed hoards at the start and it did not disappoint. Slightly delayed in our approach after a puncture, Mow Cop starts as you cross a railway line and then wriggles through some bends before it straightens out and you are faced with a wall of road. There are houses here and a pub that provide viewing platforms for the sdaistically inclined spectators to watch riders grind, puff, scrape and chew up the 25% gradient. The descent isn't bad either and after a bit of cramp for Peter we were reunited at the feed station. Early in the day Sam proved the sprightliest and it was his wheel that we had to follow as his efforts quickly reduced the size of the group.

The majority of the climbing over the ride then takes in some fine scenery with glimpses of Jodrel Bank and ancient ruins and a Tour of Britain favourite Gunn Hill. Though we all must confess to have ridden over without really taking much note. The run in proved trickier. On relatively flat roads large groups formed but they were ill disciplined with what felt like three large groups all fighting for the same places. It made for a nervous return and a few dicey moments since hand signals and shouts were too few and far between. Back in Crewe we enjoyed the sunshine, temperatures in the high 20s and some reflections on what we can do in the rest of the season.

Good stuff; organisation, easy access to town
Bad stuff; last 20 miles of the route was a bit dull and the groups didn't work well there.

Lucky number 7

What an evening to be out on a bike. The roads where quiet, the temp was in the low 20's and the setting sun was making the most of a wonderful landscape. All was bliss, until, bang, wobble, ohhh!! My favourite wheels, the underated and overlooked Dura Ace 7850 C24 had spat the dummy. A front spoke had decided to sheer at the hub, not the best thing to happen when braking from 35+mph into a 90º left hander. 

To make matters worse, there was no signal on the mobile and what was an enjoyable experience of quiet roads, quickly became a concern. Thankfully, a fellow cyclist who knows a thing or two about trail etiquette offered me the use of his phone. A quick call and Dr Dawson - the shining knight in white VeeDub camper came to the rescue.

Stay upright, I'm amazed that I did after a major wobble.

Strength in numbers

If the stats below are anything to go by, it would be worth pulling up a chair to watch the live showing of Strength in Numbers this Thursday at 12noon PST, 8pm GMT, 9pm CET

26.7…The average number of days of work required to produce each minute of the film.

726…The amount of days that the crew spent in the field during the production of Strength in Numbers.

395…It took the post-production team 395 days to complete the editing of the movie.

427…The number of days that local volunteers gave up of their time to help with the shooting of Strength in Numbers.

Stay upright

etapé déjà vu

cyclesguff are recovering from a pretty wild and windy Etapé Caledonia, so this post will be brief. Last years write up finished with:

'Good stuff; stunning scenery, great course, organisation and support from local people out lining the route.

Not so good; group riding on the road not very organised and lack of shared workload frustrating. Some riders used all of the road instead of staying to the left and moving out to overtake.'

The frustration of riders not willing to share the workload was even worse this year, ho hum...

Here's a few pics that don't show 3000+ plus riders on a start line

The owner didn't want to speak, he was more interested in buying a nice malt from Robertson's

A Honda RC30 always deserves a pic, this one just happened to be taking a breather in Pitlochry

 Stay upright

do stickers make you go faster?

Of late, Guffbike has been neglected. The poor wee soul has been slowly oxidizing and loosing precious pressure from the cracked tyres. Not to fear, and as you can see in the pics, a few go faster tweaks have arrived. The decision over which tyres to fit is still ongoing. Does team cyclesguff go for Animal ASM, Primo Comet, Maxxis Miracles, Hookworms or Schwable Kojaks? A recent discussion with none other than Graeme Obree suggests that Kojaks are the best for reducing rolling resistance. Plenty of tea will have been consumed by the time the decision is made. Once the new rubber is fitted to the hoops, a few more runs will have to be logged in order to make the most of an invite to ride a major event this July in the Cairngorms.

The kind invite come from Andy Donald, an old friend and former work colleague from back in the day. Andy will no doubt remember the days when the Aberdonian youth popped into Alpine bikes and asked 'got ony stuckurs?'

Andy and his crew have been running a media collective filming and documenting extreme and gravity sports in the UK. He's also the man behind the newly formed British Isles Gravity Bike Association - BIGBA 

The aims:

Supporting & Promoting Gravity Bike Racing/Riding in the British Isles.

Raising Awareness of Gravity Bikes as a Sport.

Advance the Sport by Establishing and Organising Gravity Racing Events.

Give Help and Advice to Individuals, Groups and Organisations on all aspects of Construction, Racing/Riding & Safety Equipment in Order to Enjoy Gravity Biking in a Safe and Controlled Environment. 

Stay upright and if you have suggestions for tyres, please drop me a line.....

Just because...

It would be rude not to. Queen's view through the Oakleys