Origins of the Condors (2011-12)

Five years old, you say?!

Of course it’s a cliché, but in life I do try and take the “If you’re going to do something, you may as well do it properly” approach, and this was certainly the case with the Cowley Road Condors.

The growth and evolution of the Condors, whilst natural, belied a steely determination to make it a success; hard work that was often tricky to balance against our own cycling goals, careers and personal lives. But we never imagined the Condors would grow into the club it’s become today.  The Cowley Road Condors is the club it is due to an amazing combination of work ethic, trial and error, learning on the fly, and the passion and dedication displayed by its members.  I’ve always said how the club wouldn’t be what it is without the wonderful input of its membership base.

I hope this snapshot of its very early days builds a picture of how Jonny and I started the club and tried to put it on the right path.

Right, back to 2011…..                       

We have a name!

The origins of the Cowley Road Condors can be traced back to a pretty specific point in time. Not long after acquiring road bikes, four local Cowley residents (Jonny Revis, Ollie Jaques, Nick Hughes and Jock Poole) found themselves in The Library pub on the Cowley Road discussing the possibility of creating a local, friendly cycling club with an ethos of being welcoming and inclusive.  Basically, a cycling club we’d actually like to ride in ourselves, and one which would hopefully provide opportunity for meeting likeminded people.  I remember we couldn’t believe East Oxford, a catchment area of young professionals, families and a large student body didn’t have a cycling club!  

The exact reason we found ourselves in the pub that night at that time was because one of us had just been unceremoniously dumped. It happened a lot back then.  As we all know riding a bike is therapeutic; creating and running a club at the time of any emotional trauma is a revelation – it gives you no time to stew!  So, as the beer flowed, the ideas came thick and fast.  A “this could work you know” mentality took over and before we knew it Jock was scribbling out the design of a bird onto the back of a beer mat.  When questioned, Jock emphatically stated it was a Condor. Not being totally clued up on what Condors looked like we agreed, and declared that it, combined with our famous street’s name, had a certain ring to it.  And there you have it, the name was born:  The Cowley Road Condors.

Getting the show on the road…

Rick’s Café, a favourite of Jonny’s from the moment it opened, became our Saturday morning office and was where the essential, though admittedly boring, initial admin took place. I remember we asked ourselves the question – what would you need to do to run a cycling club effectively?  Basically we needed to ensure we could actually start a club and obtain a good grounding of some of the rules. 

I remember it being immensely satisfying when we officially registered our club with British Cycling and saw our name appear within the “find your local club” searches. Here we were… Oxford’s newest cycling club… this was real!

The process of getting the news out there then began.

The First Ride

Honestly, Jonny and I had at that time had no real experience of riding bike, let alone running a cycling club, so you can imagine the apprehension when the knocking on the front door of our East Avenue HQ began.

The ride occurred on a balmy Tuesday evening. News of the ride had spread mainly via word of mouth and through some local advertising at Rick’s and at the John Radcliffe hospital. We were about to embark on a ride with new people… how novel!

Many of you have probably seen this snap of our rag-tag brigade shortly before we departed for Brill on 14th June 2011.  It was a 35 miler which I remember was tackled enthusiastically – especially by the chap in jeans and a t-shirt (I later found out his bike was nicked; we never saw him again!) – and actually went along very smoothly.  It was back to Rick’s for a post-ride natter.  Excellent.

Ride, repeat

Tuesday and Thursday, week in week out, became the riding mindset. We wanted to ensure people knew the days and times we rode so Jonny and I were there religiously as the club got off the ground.  This included turning out in some pretty hard-core winter weather with freezing temperatures whilst the weekly rides became established.  I vividly remember the contents of my water bottle freezing in -7C conditions, a ride in which Jonny also punctured two miles into proceedings!

The above sounds like hard work – which it was – however, it was also immensely enjoyable and fun to see the club to grow in popularity with new faces out riding each week. Original club hard man, Don Ramage, joined at this time – a landmark event in Condors’ history! There from the start were:  Hamish Baxter, Jo Kitley, Ben Sanders, Matt Coulter, Lucy Bruzzone, Tom Nee, Ben Jack, Steph Arnold and Andy Ford. Classic Condors including Tom Lamb, Rob Mawdsley, Cathy Naylor, Jamie Kirby and Jack Wilcox joined soon after.

I think we were about a month old when this was taken (2011).

Andy Ford fixing a flat illuminated by our bike lights.

I Heart Vence

A little cycling club based in the hills near Nice is to thank for a big part of the Condors’ success. During our first cycling trip abroad in Apr 2011, we were lucky enough to encounter Vence cycling club.  What was most striking, other than the speed they over took us on climbs, was their striking pink and black kit. The colours just seem to work.  Pink and black was officially adopted by the Condors and its popularity, even to this day, seemingly holds no bounds.  It has become synonymous with the club.

Jonny must however take all credit for the flames. I remember the call of ‘Jaquesy, check this out’ as he proudly presented me with his design.  We were so cool back in those days we even had our initial and surname printed on the front.

Rick’s

A move to Rick’s café took place fairly soon after our formation. As nice as it was to have cyclists turn up to East Ave, it soon became necessary to move our meeting point when we started blocking the road and annoying the neighbours.

Rick’s proudly became the club’s first sponsor shortly before the first kit order with supplier, Owayo, was placed. Other than it being totally cool to have a local business logo on our jersey we also secured a 20% discount for members (yes, ensuring membership cards existed even then was a top priority).  Rick’s unfortunately never did get around to fulfilling their promise of naming a sandwich after us.

Ben Jack and Jack Wilcox living it up in Rick’s.

Inclusivity and growth

Inclusivity was a byword of the club from the beginning.  Anyone was welcome to join, male or female, young or old, fledging rider or seasoned racer; I think this attitude, as well as the welcoming nature of our members, is a huge reason why the club flourished – something which continues to this day.

Growth occurred at a pretty speedy rate and it wasn’t long until the club began running its popular Newbie rides, a chance for those thinking of joining a cycling club to come for a spin. There were new faces each week; something that was always lovely to see was people returning for repeat rides, or bringing along a friend, partner or colleague to try us out.

The Beeline trio of Mark, Matt and Kurt took a shine to the club and must be thanked for pushing those purchasing bikes or looking to join a cycling club our way. Advertising was also stepped up, as was the use of social media.  It was always a hope the appeal of our club would shine through on our Facebook pages.  I actually believe it would have been hard to grow our club so quickly without social media – with Facebook and our newly created WordPress website we felt like world beaters!

The Condors has always adapted to the wants of its members. When it came to club spins the early days saw only one or two groups heading out each ride night.  Tuesday was the night for the social paced club spins whilst Thursday’s soon became the home of the Screamer ride. In its very early iteration the Screamer ride saw a group set off approximately 20 minutes after a steady paced ride group on the same course in a bid to chase them down – I think this may have actually been Cathy and Jamie’s first ride and introduction to the Condors!  As the number of members grew we tried to tailor ride groups accordingly and began introducing more people to ride leading.

Our first AGM took place on 26th April 2012 at the Dil Dunia curry house on Cowley Rd.  Official roles were established at this stage including Jonny Revis being named our inaugural President.  Original aims were to keep increasing our membership count, including the number of women riders; to establish more ride-leaders (a common theme to this day, hey?); raise some money for the MS Trust, our chosen charity at the time, and to explore the possibility of doing some racing.

Some serious decision making at our first AGM (2012)

Hi-Lo can you go

How better to cement recently discovered cycling friendships than regular nights out? The Condors has always been a very sociable club – anyone who has ended up in Hi-Lo during the small hours will tell you that. The Christmas do and post-Silverstone TTT nights out have been solid fixtures in the club calendar from the off (always ensuring the following day is a write-off, I should add). The club’s annual weekend away was founded in 2012; a trip where we visit the one and only Baskerville Hall in Brecon – a tough, yet rewarding area for riding, which really puts to test your fitness gained over the summer.  Jonny and I had both had the pleasure of attending separate stag dos at Baskerville Hall prior to the formation of the club; it’s a slightly creepy but absolutely spot on place for a cycling weekend away and situated on the door step of some beautiful climbs.

The condors riding in Brecon for the first time (2012).

Tom and Amy Lamb’s wedding cake back in 2012.

Onwards and very much upwards

There is so much more that could be written and, at some stage, should be documented… the formation of the Women’s Committee; the creation of the ORRL; amazing charity work and competitive successes to name but a few topics. It’d be fun to pull everything together in a reflective piece to mark our 10th birthday!

It’s so exciting to see the club continue to grow and develop and is in a brilliant set of hands with Cheryl Reid and the current Condors’ board. Cheryl and her board recognise the history of the club as well as its needs in its current iteration.  The Cowley Road Condors continue to move onwards and upwards.

Ollie Jaques – July 2016  

Matt Coulter – an absolute whippet on the hills. He sadly left us to start a band and travel the world.  I maintain he’ll be back.

Coulter, Revis and Jaques at Hillingdon 17th June 2012.  We all got in the points and Jonny brilliantly won!

Jonny ripping it up in some early races (2012).

Today is a very special day for the Cowley Road Condors.

For the first time in the club’s history, we have reached the incredible milestone of 200 current members.

This comes only weeks after celebrating our 5th Anniversary, which really puts a big cherry on the cake.

The membership base is made up of 121 men and 79 (yes 79!) women who all share a passion for riding bicycles. Between us all we love club rides, commuting, sportives, touring, cyclo-cross, MTB, crits, road racing, time trials, track and just pootling around in the great outdoors.

We are eternally grateful to the club’s founding members, who had an amazing idea one day, and just went with it. Jonny Revis and Ollie Jaques in particular have been the driving force behind the club’s spectacular rise. We salute their vision, drive, tenacity and dedication in making this happen.

We are also extremely thankful to everyone who has been involved since then, helping to shape and grow the club into the success you see today. There are far too many names to mention but we all appreciate all your contributions, from ride leading to running training, organising events to managing the club.

Chapeau to the brilliant, inspiring and fun loving Condors!

Cheryl Reid
Club President

June’s ride leader of the month – Nick Green

After joining the club last summer, Nick’s really made the pink and black his own. After a hard day licking RAF pilots into shape at Benson, he’s pedaled back to Oxford to lead many a social ride over the last couple of months.

While many regular leaders were diverted by Silverstone training, Nick’s helped keep the social side ticking over, and despite being keen to stretch himself with some faster rides, has been content to keep the pace steady til the ranks were replenished once again.

Having seen a couple of pre-ride briefings, I’m bringing a notebook next time too. Could learn a thing or two from this chap.

Chapeau Nick!

And an honourable mention goes to Ella Kaye…

club and ride leading stalwart who, until she was attacked by a tree while out riding, was challenging Nick for this month’s glory. Chapeau Ella!

Cowley Road Condors are delighted to announce a new partnership with the Broken Spoke Bike Co-op. This brings together Oxford’s friendliest cycling club with it’s only do-it-yourself (DIY) bicycle workshop and cycle training organisation. We are both passionate about riding bikes, developing skills and being inclusive, particularly for women. With our aim to reach 50:50 membership and the Broken Spoke reaching out to women and trans folk via Team Beryl it makes complete sense to work more closely together and drive real changes in the local community.

Why are the Broken Spoke so fantastic?

Broken Spoke are based in the city centre and teach people of all ages and backgrounds how to ride and repair bicycles. From drop-in DIY workshops, to mechanics courses, to Beryl’s night for women and trans people, to cycle training, they support the whole spectrum from learning to ride to building a wheel. You might have used their services already, or heard about them supporting the Condor Spring/Summer sessions for ladies. In fact several of our members volunteer their free time there!

What does this mean for me?

We are extremely pleased to announce that Condor members will benefit from a 15% discount on all mechanics courses, and enjoy the concessionary rate for the drop-in DIY workshops. Broken Spoke will continue to offer their brilliant bike check and roadside repair training as part of the Spring and Summer Sessions for ladies. We will be keeping you up to date with all the latest Broken Spoke news and adventures, and invite them along to events to help explain more about the amazing work they do.
We’re also keen to hear if members have ideas for other training sessions they would like to see, please get in touch!

How can I help?

If you are interested in supporting the Broken Spoke you can volunteer, become an annual supporter like the Condors or donate any spare cash you have. Check out all the options here!

We’re really excited to support and work closely with this extraordinary social movement.

In the words of both groups: Keep the Friendly Up, and Ride On! 🙂

We have our ride leaders to thank for introducing new members to the club and enabling them to get a feel for group riding.

When the sun’s shining (or not) on a summer evening, it’s our ride leaders who make sure we can offer a range of rides to suit different appetites and paces.

And at the weekends, it’s ride leaders who take the time to plot a route, load up a Garmin, and take fellow Condors spinning into the Cotswolds or the Chilterns. 

So to recognise this vital role that some very special Condors play, every month we’ll be bringing you the Condor Ride Leader of the Month!

May’s ride leader of the month – James Neuhaus

Taking the accolade first is James Neuhaus. If you’ve been riding recently, there’s a good chance you’ve been on one of his rides. He’s led plenty of weekday socials, and when we had a flood of social riders the other week James helped to organise more leaders to take additional groups. After a hilly social to Burford on a roasting Sunday, the following weekend he took a bunch of eager climbers deep into the Cotswolds by train to take on some of the regions fiercest hills. Chapeau James!

Our club is getting bigger and better, which means there are plenty of great opportunities to get involved and help our fantastic teams.

Check out the list below and please get in touch if you’d like to lend a hand or just find out more!

Marshal Training and the Enstone crit

Jonny Revis has organised marshall training for the Oxfordshire Road Race League on Sunday 1st May at Enstone. We know its a bank holiday weekend BUT if you’re in Oxford and you’d like to help out at a couple of races this year, please do consider putting your name down. It’s a great chance to learn about what goes on behind the scenes and you’ll be directly contributing to keeping your club members and other riders safe during the races.
Following the training there will be afternoon crit races for women plus Cat 4 and Cat 2/3 men! This course is fast and furious with lots of corners to get your teeth into. If you’re in Oxford please come and race or put your newly learned marshalling skills into practice!
When: Sunday 1st May plus hopefully one or two ORRL dates
Speak to: Jonny Revis

Ride Leading

Ride leading is the backbone of our club and if people didn’t step up to lead rides we simply wouldn’t exist! It’s been great to see new and old faces at the recent ride leader training sessions. Now is the time to put your skills to good use! With lots more people joining we’ll need more ride leaders and helpers going out, particularly at the social end of the spectrum. We’d love to encourage all members to get more involved and if you’d like an ‘old hand’ present for your first few in charge please just let us know, we’re happy to help!
When: as soon as you can! 🙂
Speak to: Cheryl Reid or Jon Harle

Time Trials

We all love a time trial pain cave. But sometimes its nice just to watch other people suffering instead! We always need helpers to do sign on, stand at roundabouts, act as stopwatch time lords or take pictures of us gurning. If you’d like to help out then speak to one of the awesome TT committee! Choose your dates tactically and you can avoid riding the 25 mile TT 😉
When: 10th May, 16th June, 16th July, 18th August, 19th September (hill climb)
Speak to: Cathy Naylor, Brett Kamino, Rob Freshwater or Tyra Rivkin

Racing

You might be aware that sometime we host our own races! (see Enstone crit above). We’re also running an ORRL race on 10 July and may even have a cyclo-cross race later in the year to play with! Similar to the time trials, we need help with sign on, marshalling and photo bombing. You can even help scope out the best place for cheerleading – aka Condor’s corner!
When: Sunday 10th July ORRL
Speak to: Stephen Tearne

Bike Oxford

Sunday 11th September is the day for the calendar! We’re extremely lucky to have our own sportive and it takes a good bit of manpower over the weekend. From putting up signs the day before, taking them down afterwards, manning the feed stations, helping with sign on or handing out finisher medals, there are lots of jobs that need doing. If you’re not riding this year please consider volunteering and you’ll get free entry in 2017!
When: Sunday 11th September
Speak to: Jonny Revis

Website Officer

Tom Woodforde did a fantastic job with our lovely website and since he stepped down, Cheryl and Jon have been covering this role. While they’ve managed not to break it (yet!) it would be great to have someone who really knows what they are doing. Uploading and managing content are the key requirements, but if you’re a technical wizard then we might find more exciting jobs for you! This role sits on the board and it means you get hang out with all the other cool board members plus have a say in what goes on in the club!
When: as soon as you like! 🙂
Speak to: Cheryl Reid

Treasurer

We are very sad to say that Hari will be moving away during the summer which means we’ll be looking for a new treasurer before long. It’s a really important role which also sits on the board – you have to be confident with accounts, budgeting and online banking. It’s a lot of fun too, as you get to veto some of our crazier ideas! (pink and black balloon tunnels, flag pyrotechnics etc).
When: around July time
Speak to: Cheryl Reid or Hari Lehal

As you can see there are lots of ways to give back. If you have any questions about these, or any other opportunities within the club please do get in touch at [email protected] or catch Cheryl Reid or Jon Harle during the next ride.

Keep the volunteering up!

Owned by top condor and Kit Officer Mark Glendinning, Green Oak specialise in all types of construction, design, carpentry and joinery. Ask nicely and they might even make you a house in the shape of a bicycle! Green Oak were instrumental in supporting us with the Helen & Douglas House charity event in March and we look forward to wearing their green leaves on our kit.

Four of our lovely condors work at this amazing digital design company, located off the Cowley Road. You might remember seeing some of Jo Lankester’s fantastic design work at the hill climb championship, on the membership card or the flyers in Beeline. But that barely scratches the surface of what they really do! From web design to mobile apps, White October have the whole spectrum covered. 

If you’re looking for the best sports nutrition delivered to your front door, look no further. Our favourite nutrition team, led by keen cyclists Jonathan Beckett and Huw Williams will sort you out a fantastic selection of gels, bars and drinks. They even offer a 10% discount for Condor members! The variety box is proving to be a popular favourite among club members, check out the full range here

You’ll be seeing all three represented on the kit in the next order. We are extremely pleased to that they are supporting the Condors and the club’s continued success.

We may be a cycling club, but we know how to have fun off the bike, as last night proved! Rounding off a year of great socials was an epic 10 hour party, expertly organised by social secretary Dave Dyer who led us from Cafe Baba, to a great curry at Aziz – topped by the presentation of this year’s Christmas awards – before heading on to Joe Perks for more drinking and dancing. And when Joe Perks closed at 1am, a strong contingent headed down the road to keep on dancing.

Of course, as the club constitution officially records, no social may be deemed a proper social if it doesn’t end in HiLo. And at exactly 3.56 am the end of the party was officially pronounced by Dave, and the final few headed for home. 

To celebrate a great year there were awards in four categories.

Individual sporting achievements

First we honoured some of this year’s great individual achievements. Cathy Naylor and Matt Thomas took Queen and King of the Mountain respectively, having triumphed in the September hill climb competition. They’ll now be proudly wearing their exclusive Condors polka dot jerseys.

We also celebrated the racing achievements of Mike Devaney and Laura Cubiss – Mike who won the Oxfordshire Road Race League, and climbed two cats this season, and Laura who was runner up in the ORRL, and won her age category in the South East Women’s Time Trial Series.

Aimee Fenwick and Dan Bradley both got a mention for great individual achievements, reaching Cat 3 this year, and Thomas Peutz, Adrian Sell and Dave Dyer who qualified for the Grand Masters World Championships in Denmark – Dave going on to ride in Team GB colours! 

This year’s award for Most Improved Rider went to Liz King, who went from zero to completing the 100 mile Ride London in August, and learnt how to use cleats and gears!

Just for fun…

Of course, we don’t like to take ourselves too seriously. This year’s Best Crash award went to Thomas Peutz. Happily he’s back riding again, but two broken ribs and a punctured lung earnt him the prize. The award for Most Euro Rider went to Matt Thomas, the owner of some pretty luminous lycra. Worst Kept Bike was won by Peter Smith for handle bar tape flapping in the wind and some pretty haunting noises from his drivetrain. Mike Devaney was back to the podium again as Social Media Hound, Tracy Best earned the title of Biggest Chopper, and the effortlessly beau Brett Kamino was clearly touched to win Most Photogenic.

Honourable mentions

Many people make this club great, so we also paid tribute to Andy Haines for encouraging several Condors to take the muddy plunge into cyclo-cross, and Arran Curran for leading the new converts with great enthusiasm, and for ride leading all year. James Neuhaus stepped up in the latter half of the season to lead many excellent rides, Hari Lehal made sure we were all superbly kitted out in the best jerseys in the land, Richard Quayle put many hours into making the ORRL and time trials happen, and Jon Harle was noted for keeping the friendly and supportive ethos of the club going. A final chapeau went to Joby Mullens and David Whitaker for keeping riding through the dark. 

Contributions to the Club

Matt Thomas and Dan Bradley have done much to support men’s racing this year, and Aimee Fenwick and Tyra Rivkin have encouraged so many women to spin their wheels into competitive cycling. 

Mike Devaney has run fantastic spinning sessions, which continue into the new year.

If you’re reading this you’ll also be enjoying our amazing website, for which huge credit goes to Tom Woodforde.

Time trials and the hill climb have been a highlight this year, with dozens of members having their first go against the clock, and we have Brett Kamino and Cathy Naylor to thank for that.

Stephen Tearne organised the Condors round of the ORRL in Kirtlington, and generally helped keep the league running. And Jonny Revis not only put together a brilliantly successful series of races as ORRL President, but also took the club to new heights with our second Bike Oxford, and carried on club duties as Race Secretary and kept on leading rides all year.

The evening’s final awards were to three riders who have made incredible contributions to the club this year. Jo Lankester was named Best Newcomer – buying a bike just a few months ago, and going on to co-lead the women’s summer sessions, running introductory rides for new members, and delivering some fantastic design work on posters that have profiled the club around Oxford.

One award is very deliberately a people’s choice – the Golden Condor, awarded this year to Chery Reid for so much effort and enthusiasm this year, helping us grow our women’s membership at an incredible rate, conceiving and leading the women’s summer sessions, encouraging so many new riders, and getting involved in racing, time trialing and cyclo-crossing. 

And last but certainly not least, a huge shout for Ollie Jaques who as President this year has done so much to grow the club, welcome new members, and enable so many of us to get so much out of cycling.

We’re delighted to bring you the following advice and guidance from respected coach and Condor friend Tom Kirk of Custom Cycle Coaching.

Read on to find out his answers to our burning questions!

Firstly, is it a good idea to take a rest from cycling for a while over the winter/off season?

In general yes, although many of us have some ‘enforced rest’ through other life commitments with work, family holidays etc so a strict end of season rest might not be needed by all. It’s often more a mental than a physical thing so if you feel mentally drained from a long season’s racing then a longer period will be needed off. In general I recommend 2 weeks off the bike completely then another couple riding as and when you feel like it socially etc. If however you’ve had an extended period off earlier in the season this might not be necessary. In a related question it’s often good to plan in a short break mid-season too as it can be a very long competitive season otherwise!

Is it beneficial to look at other activities such as running or gym work to be better prepared for the start of the competitive season, if so what do you recommend?

Again, this depends a bit on your schedule and goals, if you have limited training time it’s generally best to be as specific as possible to your goals i.e. cycling! However some weights/core work/yoga etc can work well to help strengthen your other muscles that are neglected from cycling. Running is a tricky one as it’s a very time effective way to get in a training session so if you’re time limited it can help to make the most of your time. However it’s also easy to get injured so if you want to include running in your training it’s very important to build it up slowly!

Are base miles a myth? Is it good to just go and ride or should I be focusing my time on shorter sessions of intervals or such?

Again, it’s all about your time availability and being able to train consistently over a long period of time to see the benefits. A long base ride can be great for your fitness when it fits in a balanced overall programme but if it leaves you too tired to train for 2-3 days after then it’s too hard! The best cyclists tend to develop a big base, whether that’s over a winter period or what they’ve accumulated from years of riding so no, I don’t think base miles are a myth. A mixture of controlled intensity (i.e. not a screamer every ride) endurance work and harder strength and speed work is best.

Is braving the cold, wet and dark really necessary or can you replicate all outside training from a turbo or rollers inside? How disciplined and frequent should the sessions be and what do you recommend to fuel yourself for inside sessions, pre and post?

Getting in some outside work is important as it’s very hard to get the endurance work done indoors (some people can cope with a lot of turbo work better than others, I hate it but others love it!). Obviously that requires weather conditions that are safe, when it’s bad out MTBing is a great safer alternative to consider too… Generally, indoor sessions are shorter but intense so require a bit less fuelling before and during. Hydration and keeping cool with a big fan and riding in a cool room is more important to keep the quality of your training up as you will sweat a lot! After any intense session it’s important to refuel to restore your body’s carbohydrate stores which deplete quickly when you’re riding hard! If you’re not training the next day the timing is a bit less important but generally try to get in a small snack containing a bit of carbohydrate and protein like a peanut butter sandwich or a specific ‘recovery’ food or drink ASAP when you finish then a proper meal within an hour or so. And don’t forget to drink!

Rollers or Turbo, and why…

Rollers for interest as they’re a bit more challenging but turbo for harder work as it’s hard to get enough resistance on the rollers and you can end up spinning top gear at 120rpm and it still not being hard enough. I’ve not used them but the rollers with resistance are supposed to be a good alternative…

What advice to you have on prepping your bike for winter, clothing or kit to take out on rides?

If you’re not great mechanically it’s wise to get a good mechanic to check your bike over. New tyres that are made for winter riding (not going to open the can of worms about which to choose!) can make for fewer punctures and standing round freezing with numb fingers for you and your mates! In the winter brake blocks wear out much quicker too so worth keeping an eye on them. Mudguards make wet riding much more pleasant too! In terms of kit, a good comfortable pair of warm bibshorts and a winter jacket with windstopper or similar material can make winter riding much more manageable. After September it’s very rare to see me in shorts in the UK until I race in March. I hate seeing people out in the middle of winter in shorts and short sleeves – for me it has to be about 18 degrees first! It’s always good to rep your club kit but I’ve also got a really warm jacket I got from Aldi years ago, I only ever use it on really cold days and it was cheap!

When should I really start picking my training up with a view of being ready competitively for the late spring/early summer?

If it’s late spring/early summer then you can get away with a fairly light workload until the New Year then pick it up. You’ll thank yourself if you have been at least ticking over before then though as it can be a big hill to climb. Cycling is a sport that rewards consistent training over the years so if you take 3 months off every winter you’re losing a lot of potential development over the years! You can get away with a bit of ‘crash training’ but in terms of reaching peak fitness and importantly holding it for more than a few weeks a solid base is important.

Finally, one golden rule of winter training…

As with any time of the year consistency of training is key. Bashing out a big ride or a big week is great but consistency over weeks and months is best!

What next?

If this has inspired you to keep pedaling over the winter, but you’d rather do some work in sunnier climes with an excellent coach, check out Tom’s training camps here:

http://www.customcyclecoaching.co.uk/training-camps.php

They can be customised for different groups so even those who consider themselves social riders can get involved. If you’re interested please fill out this survey so we can get organising!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N36PRF2

Keep the training up x

So, the last of the autumnal weather is starting to dissipate (after an unseasonably warm October/November) and the bad weather seems to be settling in. Your season goals may be way past and your road bike either tucked up in mothballs or attached to a horrible contraption that allows you to ride in the company of your family/housemates as well as a haze of your own sweat.

Lovely stuff.

Through just a few small steps, you can get your bike “winterproofed”, get your mojo back and enjoy that camaraderie that just isn’t possible unless you spend a few hours out in the elements with a band of brothers/sisters, tackling whatever is thrown at you.

I’ve compiled a few top tips to get you back on the road.

The Bike

Your bike is incredibly adaptable. Most frames will take either clip on or fixed mudguards, which give the benefit of you not getting water splashed up from the road, your groupset doesn’t get as much flicked onto it and the person behind you doesn’t get a face full of “Belgian toothpaste”. A win all round. At a minimum, an “ass saver” (google it…..) is a good purchase.

You want to stay rubber down, and comfortable for those long, low level rides so get bigger tyres. Most frames will take at least a 25mm tyre, some up to 28mm. This gives you increased traction and more of a cushion. Check your tyres regularly for cuts and bits of grit in the rubber as this will save you much pain in the long run……

And finally keeping it clean….. It will get dirty. There is an emphasis on less is more, as you run the risk of sluicing out the essential grease from the bottom bracket bearing, wheel bearings and headsets (speak to J.Kirby for horror stories!). Wiping down the groupset (chainrings, chain, cassette, jockey wheels) with baby wipes is quick and easy, remembering to re-oil the chain afterwards. Dry the bike down when washed to reduce rusting.

You

Weather

Once you’ve decided to go out for a ride, or join another ride, be clear about one thing – the weather. This will guide your clothing options and fuelling. The other point is go out with an aim. This will keep your motivation to step out of the door.

If its cold and dry – FABULOUS! These are great days to get out, layer up (extremities need special attention – shoe covers and wind proof gloves help) but don’t go too over the top, as you may over heat. An extra layer in the pocket (gilet etc) can help if the temp drops. I love these days.

If its wet, don’t assume you will need every layer in your wardrobe – quite often this just means you will carry more water. Wetter days are often a little warmer than you think. And remember, you will get wet, that’s just part of the fun!

Fuelling

This isn’t rocket science, but you still require fluids in the cold and wet. So consider the intensity of your ride and plan accordingly. Are you planning to stop? What have you got in your pocket? Throw a gel in either way as a back up.

Routes

If going out alone, consider safety as paramount. You don’t have the luxury of endless hours of warmth and daylight if you have a problem. Let someone know you are going and charge your phone.

As to what route to plan, road surfaces are rarely good at this time of year, with mud from farms on smaller tracks and grit from the council on larger roads. If there is a risk of ice, stick to bigger roads where there is a likelihood of more vehicles having warmed up the surface, and being gritted. Maybe go out a little later, depending on forecast.

The Club

We ride all year. It can be a little more ad-hoc in the winter, but there is usually at least 1 ride out on the weekend and often on tues and thurs eves.

If you are planning to come to someone else’s ride, consider a few points

• Can I deal with that speed and distance. IS it going to push me too much or perhaps not enough (both can be frustrating!).
• Is my bike going to be able to deal with this? As much as your legs might be willing to do 60 miles at 20mph, having mudguards and fat tyres will probably mean this isn’t going to happen!
• Are they stopping for coffee (important for fuelling considerations)
• Does this fit with what I want to do?

The key thing is that you may need to be adaptable. If a ride isn’t exactly what you wanted, but close, then go for it. If the weather has been saying all week its rain, you’ve said you are coming to the ride, then ride. No one likes a flaky Fred!

If you don’t see a ride you want to do – then set one up!

Think of a safe route you would like to do, advertise where to meet, what time and the plan for the ride and, voila! You are away.

Club no-no’s;

• If its going to be windy, don’t turn up with ridiculous deep section wheels. No one will want to ride with you!
• Put the hammer down with a tailwind and have nothing left for the return leg into a block headwind. We all have to do this at least 10 times to learn it 😉 Learn from the more experienced riders.
• Don’t spend all your time on the front half wheeling (google it, or watch Anthony) and remember safety outweighs a 0.001mph average speed improvement from risking a junction, wet corner etc.
• Bring your own food! No one minds that one time you forgot to pick up a bar on the way out, but they will if you are a repeat offender. Same goes for puncture repair kit and a way home if you have a serious mechanical.

Club dos;

• Schedule a coffee stop on your ride. It’s the best thing about going out!
• Enjoy some downtime from hard training. Enjoy being on the bike.
• Be brave and offer to lead a ride. There is less “performance” pressure in the winter, start with something small and build up your confidence.
• Wave at other clubs, KTFU!

Jonny

EDIT p.s. for any Condors looking for an alternative to Jonny’s ‘ride or die’ outside mantra, check out the British cycling article detailing how to get the most from training on your turbo or rollers here (shhh don’t tell him)