News, comment & blog

A sort of riding log. For more regular updates become a fan on face book Unfortunately, this page will only hold 10 pictures

6th June 2010 Nothing but the best

Last week I rode and raved over the Titus X Carbon. Yesterday I rode A Whyte 19 C - tricked out and as over the top as the aforementioned Titus. We all know that it only takes about £500 to get you up onto the trails and £1,500 will get you a basic full suspension rig. We also know that to get something a bit lighter costs a bit more and the there is not a great deal of difference from one brand to another. But for the lucky few there are the super bikes. Whilst the difference between a £2,500 high end bike and a five grand mega machine might not seem worth the extra money to you. There is a difference. We worked out last year that, weight wise, a customer that bought a Spark RC paid £10 a gram to save 50 grams on the model below. Weight is the most important thing but isn't the only thing.

I have been lucky enough to ride two mega machines back to back a they are both amazing. Sure I might not be able to justify buying one myself but that does not mean that I cannot appreciate that they are way, way better than a top line bike. Here is a good analogy. A Ford focus will get you to work for £13,000, A DB9 will get you there quickly for £70,00. A race prepped DB9 may cost £3 to 500,000 but it could speed you to victory at Le Mans.

The Whyte 19C that I tested is the most comfortable hard tail that I have ridden, so if you like hard tails it is the ultimate race bike. It is so light at 21lbs that it climbs faster than most bikes. The Titus has the edge as you can pedal more smoothly and so can climb quicker despite more than a a pound weight penalty. However, if you are on a budget, which seems and odd thing to say bearing in mind the cost of these two bikes, the Whyte will save you £750.

The owner of the Whyte tried out demo Titus and decided that he had to have one. So if any one wants one of the fastest, lightest and definitley the most comfortable 100mm hard tail on the planet, come and see us as we have one for sale.

1st June 2010 Louisiana may have its problems but what about Sussex and canine feces pollution

We in Sussex are drowning in dog poo. It is so bad that I wish it would rain. How would those dog owners feel it I took a dump in their back yard? The worse offenders are those that open the car/van door and let their pooch run off, dump and then come back, walked and in time for the footie back home.

30th May 2010 Titus X Carbon dream machine

The nice guys at Axel dropped of a Titus X Carbon for us (and you) to try. The bike is built up with Rock Shox 100mm SID, X0, Rotor 40/29 oval cranks and i9 wheels. Not bad! It weighs 22lbs 13oz, hefty? I better lose some weight as I don't see how we can get this baby much lighter.

Never judge a book by its cover! The geometry would lead you to believe that this is real old school with a worryingly steep head angle. Not the sort of bike that we Brits are used to riding these days. However, you don't ride a brochure. Sure the head angle is steep and the steering quick but as I rode it I could see the front axle nicely in front of the forks and the bike was superbly balanced taking me down the steepest and slippiest slopes safely despite the saddle being high and me treating each descent as if I was racing. Joy! Before I rode it I though that I'd prefer it with a 120mm fork. Now, I'm not sure that that is necessary but I'll try it if I can.

So with my fear of the geometry a non issue how else did it perform? Climbing was remakable. In fact so good that it may be a better climber than the new 100mm Marin (oops, that bike was still supposed to be a secret). I'll arrange a back to back test if I can. I started off with 17% sag, about 12mm. This was pretty harsh so I kept letting more and more air out, the softer it got the faster it climbed. I ended up with 20mm of sag, this may seem a lot for an XC race machine but it uses a 190mm shock. This is a great idea as the shock hardly has to work to deliver a beautifully smooth ride.

Rotor 40/29 oval chainset looks tech and I never noticed the oval at all. The bike just seemed very easy to pedal fast up hill. I was sure that I'd feel the ovel chain rings but I didn't. I think that I'd prefer a 42 but the 29, for me, is perfect as a bail out gear on our halowed South Downs steep climbs.

i9 wheels are light and stiff and with a 120 point pick they deliver instant power, better than Chris King and light years ahead of Hope.

I was on a mission today. (Sorry guys but I clouldn't help myself - I was not very sociable today, but hey, this is a race bike)

28th May 2010 There's lots going on

Jimbo started this week. Great to have him in the team. I've started riding again and off road too. I know that the trails are perfect but I hate inefficiency and I have felt that my super light Medusa tyres have been holding me up. Today we got our delivery of Maxxis in and I got the last of the Crossmark LUST. I whacked on a pair and went for a ride. Summer tyres and hard trails is such a great combination. These semi slick tyres are just so fast. The bike that I am riding is beyond perfect (thanks for fixing the forks Darren), add the condition of the trails and I could be in heaven. And like all men in the town tonight I was free and as all the women watched Sex in the City I rode....

25th May 2010 Riding again!

I hit the trails again on Sunday after a month off. Head down, tounge out hammering for 21/2 hours - I had a lot of stress to burn up. This was real old school riding. On my own, in my own world, two stops, one to check my rear QR and once for a pee. I even took a gel to help keep the effort up. I've still got the legs although yesterday and this morning I feel wrecked. Its a nice feeling.

Jimbo started yesterday and it was his imminent arrival that let me enjoy the ride.Roll on the next one!.

21st May 2010 Best news for cycling in Worthing ever!

Worthing Borough Councillors have unanimously approved the 20s Plenty program for Worthing.

I was informed at the Worthing Cycle Forum this week that the local authority have approved the plan for 20mph speed limits on all residential roads. Last month the Councillors were given an updated version of the 20sPlenty presentation by its author Duncan Kay. Apparently there was unanimous approval. The matter will be voted on in July and then all we have to do is wait for West Sussex approval and then, the elusive FUNDING.

Those of you with children can live, with the now, a realistic hope that your kids will be able to grow up like you did, playing and riding in the streets. They could even ride to primary school.

I hope the BMW, Land Rover & Mercedes have a contigency plan for the fall off in X5, Range Rover and M320 sales - the prefered vehicules for child delivery in Worthing!

The Worthing Cycle Forum is open to all. The next meeting is 11th August a reminder will be posted here and on Face Book.

Finally, a big thank you to John Rogers for being such an active Cycling Champion for Worthing and a warm welcome to Mary Lermitte who is taking over from John.

17th May 2010 Cycle paths may not be that bad after all

I've always thought that cycle routes in the UK are a waste of time because they never do it properly. This especially true of the ne route through Findon Valley along the A24. They've done it all wrong as there is no cycle priority. I beleive that any money in Worthing should be saved until they have enough to link Findon and Washington.

However, I have been using the aforementioned cycle route and, you know what, it is a plesant experiece. I have been commting for so long that I have got used to the war zone sensation that riding on the road often is. Has this one got ny name on it? You know the feeling - I'm too young to die like this....

Riding on this cycle route is so relaxing, sure you need to be covering the brakes as you fly past the petrol station but there is no fear of death. The surface is so smooth that cruising at 20 plus is a breeze. I'm not sure that the planners quite expected me to be hammerimg down the path like that but they never consulted any cyclist so how could they know. It is easy to switch from path top road when approaching pedestrians.

So whilst I think that reducing driving speed is the ulltimate answer to making towns places for people and not for cars, it has to be said that the Findon Valley cycle route is nice. It is a shame that it finishes with no where to go when heading North.

The Pelican crossing at the southern end has a time delay so after pressing the button and waiting, and waiting you will inevitably get a break in the traffic and cross only for the traffic lights to come on when there is no one there to cross, who's idea at the Highways Agency was that? Drivers must get annoyed.

Whilst this report might seem a bit tame for me, I am very busy working, but atleast I'm still commuting.

15th May 2010 Not much blogging means not much riding

I'm a bit busy at present and whilst my enthusiasm is still there and I wish every one luck in their respective events I'm at the grind stone. I even cancelled the Wilier trip to ride and see the Giro. Enjoy your bikes!

9th May 2010 Working not riding

Busy times for us here so all I can do is ride to work. How sad it is if you can't at least commute to wotk each day?

At least it stayed dry for those riding the Southern 100 and the Duncton Sunday Sportive. The trails are perfect so enjoy them while you can.

2nd May 2010 Road or off road, I don't cate so long as I'm riding

The forecast was for heavy rain followed by showers. I didn't fancy the mud so rode the road. Good choice as it started dry and poured at 10 as we were finishing. Secretly, I really wanted the ride the road bike as I want to be stronger. Whilst the race on Tuesday seemed easy enough I know that I have no power. Today was a step towards increasing my strength.

The Steyning Triathlon was on today. It was nice to cheer on the riders especially as all the ones that we saw looked like first timers - Well done! One advantage of the constant stream of triathletes ridng the opposite direction to us was that the A283 became nigh on impassable for cars, great for bikes. We could enjoy riding this pretty road without worrying about some loony Brit driver knocking us off .

28th April 2010 No basking in glory

Yesterday evening was the first of the Goodwood Gallops, the wonderful evening race series organised by the Surrey League. Most of us can claim not to be fit enough but we all turned up for the race anyway. The first race of the year is usually a scratch race, that means, the low lifes like me riding round with the Elites and 1st Cats. As usual, the completely still evening turned into a windfest at Goodwood (it has its own climate) so riding would be tough.

The 4th Cats were set of a sort time ahead of the rest who caught us quickly. the bunch then proceded to ride the 13 laps at an average of just over 26mph. Whilst cynics will say the it is easy to cruise in the slipstream we were still averaging 26mph, which means periods around 30 and the groupd often split because of the wind so at times drafting was impossible. It was a very hectic race.

The finish was a bunch sprint and I was pleased to be just behind the leaders as we exited the chicane. Obviously I was dropped by them but did stay ahead of the main bunch. I was chuffed with my finish and couldn't wait to see my position - top 20 for sure.

Imagine my horror to see my name last as a DNF - 82nd!

I know that I was a few places behind Glyn from Blazing Saddles 11th and ahead of the main bunch all given 19th so I can dream of being 15th or realistically 18th,( but that spot is held by Toby Neave - Elite and regular winner) who cares I am a 4th Vet and an old vet at that and if my name was up there I'd be the only 4th in amongst the Elites, 1st, 2nd & 3rd cats all in the top 20. I've appealed but who cares, I wasn't in the top ten and I beat all my mates knew I was ahead. Still trying to see myself on the race video

Roll on the next one.

26th April 2010 What's wrong with drivers?

We had a great ride up until we hit Houghton Hill. Why is it that drivers have to get their engines screaming as they carve you up just to get stuck behind the car a hundred metres ahead? The ride into Arundel down from Whiteways was even worse as these drivers were definitely out for the kill.

Please help by education your friends and loved ones and try to spread the word that cyclist are human albeit vunerable and need to be treated as such.

Prior to these two roads our ride had been great despite the light showers: Littlehampton, Yapton, Oving, Goodwood, Eastdean, Duncton, Sutton, Bignor, Houghton, Arundel & home.

19th April 2010 Green shoots of recovery

I hit the dirt again this Sunday (first time in over 3 weeks). The plan was to ride to see the Brighton Marathon so I had to get up really early for my fast ride. I headed straight for our best single track descent and rode flat out. I take back what I said about mountain biking being too easy because you stop so often. Not so if you are a loner. I rode for less than an hour and a half but did just shy of 2000 feet of climbing at nearly 9 miles per hour. I was a bit disgusted with the speed but I'll still claim that it is early season and I had a tough winter.

Warm sunshine, even early, and green shoots everywhere are a welcome change. Later I rode from Truleigh Hill to West Hove, one long down hill, and obviously one long climb back. Is this the longest climb that you can do round here? The ride back was sweltering. Could summer be here already? We were at Truleigh because we had planned a walk with a non riding friend so the day finnished with a couple of hours trudging the steep hills around there. A good days excercise. Not as tough as those courageous enough to take on the marathon but tough nevertheless.

14th April 2010 Spoilt for choice

I have always felt that demo bikes are essential. Many of you will know of my love affair with my Wilier Cento Uno but now I am spoilt for choice. Caroline, our Scott rep, dropped off all of her road bike demos so we now have 5 CR1 and 1 Addict to lend out. I want to try the Addict but today clocked up a few easy but windy miles on the CR1 - it is such a smooth ride.

Why not get together with a few mates and do a group Scott ride

11th April 2010 Racing!

I woke this morning an hour before the alarm was due to go off. I felt terrible. Had two dumps before I'd finished breakfast. What was going on? Racing. You either love it or you hate it. If you love it, then, basically, the worse you feel the better you go. PRT pre race tension. Its only 4th Cats at Goodwood but it is still racing and I love it.

I have hardly ridden in the last couple of months so my first thought was to ride over, take a look, and ride back but that would have been a waste of time. That is not the way to get fitter and faster, racing is a sure fire way to improve your speed. Anyway, I could easily sit in the bunch and just cruise round.

It was a crowded field so started of slipping the the back for my own safety. As the ride unfolded I slowly worked my way up through the bunch. Around lap six there was a break that I missed and try as I may I couldn't catch it. Either I am unfit (most likely) or the standard has risen, I've never not be able to catch a break before. Fortunately the break slowed and the rest of the field passed me and drew me back into the fold. I knew then that I was not fit enough to get into any break in the last few laps.

Being weak has its benefits, I took it easy. So by the last lap I was nicely positioned near the front. All set! But one lapse of concentration and I suddenly found myself on the edge and in the wind so I started the sprint about 10 riders further down than planned. I made up as many places as I could and hopefully finished in the top 20.

This might sound lame to some, inspirational to others, I don't care. I love racing and am now hyped up about the Tuesday Goodwood Gallops and any other races that I can get into. (16th out of 93 by the way)

Why not give it a go: Surrey League

You can do it on a mountain bike too but beware of the fast, lung ripping starts.

8th April 2010 Who tried to kill me this morning?

Does any one know the driver of a Champagne coloured Picasso (or something like that) with a Baby on board sticker in the window who was driving down Titnore Lane at approximately 7:15am this morning? If so let me know as I'd like to ask them why, when the road was so clear and wide, that they chose to risk killing me in a close pass.

I am sorry but incidents like this underline the fact that British drivers are the problem in this country, not the roads, the volume of traffic or the cycle routes or lack of them, just the drivers. Where does it say in our unwritten constitution that even dorks should have absolute rights when sat behind a wheel?

I chased as far as I could but gave up, exhausted, on the Goring Rd. Drivers should be aware that the reaction of one human being to another when ones very life is being threatened can be quite volitile, ask anyone in combat.

7th April 2010 Back from a week in the Alps

After checking the weather and the state of the roads, it was a no brainer, take my cherished Cento Uno out with me to the Alps. The least that I planned to do was to ride the Col de la Colombiere up to the point where previously we had started our ski randonee. You can't traverse any Grand Cols much before the end of May.

How do you guarantee plentiful snow in the mountains? Take a bike. The bike never came out of the car but I did have a great time. More weeks off the road. Where am I going to get those missing miles from?

21st March 2010 Too tired to enjoy the ride

Bearing in mid the weather I should have ridden the road but I could not fit, nor did I have the strength to put all 16lbs of it in the van. The van was loaded with the gear from the demo - all very wet. The demo went well despite the weather but was not as busy as usual. Poor PR on my part. For the locals it was a good day and Titus was veritably swamped with riders wondering where they were going to get a spare four grand.

I must have been tired and despite owning a bike shop I could not get my duo chainset to work, I got to the top of Steyning still stuck in the 42. At the top of the downhill I stopped for a rest and actually sat down. Can't remember ever doing that. I was so tired after the last week. At least it was warm and could enjoy a long break without getting cold. Down into Steyning and then back home - hardly worth going out. It was a bit slippery but many places were firm underneath (even the sheep track) so with the wind and sun to come today the trails will be getting back to the great condition that they were in before the rain.

A big THANK YOU to all that helped on the demo day: Jimbo, Deadly, Clare, Andy, Mike, Stu, Darren, Paul, Pete, Chris & Rob, Cazza & Arnie, Anja, Andy, Mark and everyone else for taking part.

14th March 2010 Spring has finally Sprung - the only problem, what do I ride?

As I've written many times recently I need miles. Mountain biking is great and hard but often you feel you can hardly ride more than a few minutes before the next downhill, gate, crash, puncture.... sometimes there just isn't enough riding off road.

I wished my buddies well and hit the road. Three hours, 90km and only two non pedaling down hills. Great. And to make it better it was warm and dry. Bliss. I hardly saw a car the whole ride. At last a ride to improve my endurance. Like most people my riding has really suffered this winter. The route was great: Littlehampton, Oving, Eastdean, Duncton, Sutton, Bignor, Houghton, Lyminster and home. If anyone wants the ride I have saved it as a course for your Garmin. I was out for an easy cruise, averaged 135 bpm but this is a route to race against. Next time I'll do it with company and we'll no doubt put the hammer down. One more stastistic: 680m of up.

12th March 2010 How good was that?

After an abissmal winter with muddy trails today was classic. Trail conditions: PERFECT. I had arranged a meeting with Jimbo, he suggested riding, why not? I used the Mount Vision as I knew that I'd be following Jimbo (to use the follow my leader way of improving my airtime). I needed a bike that would get me out of trouble. I did get into trouble and the Mout Vision got me out of it. Landing in the front wheel, how far can you ride with the back wheel pointing to the sky?

The bikes came back cleaner than they left, always a nice.

Next up, I took the mud guards of the Cento Uno and celebrated by riding into town on some errands. What a bike and what a nice day to be riding. It felt pretty damn quick after the Mount Vision.

I then had to run (ride) another errand this time carrying some forks so I used my trusty commuter. This was turning out to be a good day on the bike(s).

The final run of the day was going to be my test of the Genesis Alptitude. Unfortunately the promised rain arrived. I'll just ride home on it and then ride tomorrow before work. Four different bikes in a day is not a record as I've done it before but it is a nice thing to do.

The rain is not enough and the ground too hard for the weather to ruin tomorrows shop ride. See you all then.

10th March 2010 Am I no better than those drivers that I am so keen to criticise?

I was out for an easy, short ride this morning but the wind was so strong that the ride up Coombes was really tough, my knees hurt. The ride back whilst warm with the early morning sun on my back was nearly as tough.

My return journey was through Sompting. By careful management of the on street parking, a series of speed humps and now some strategicly placed pot holes this bit of road is so obviously not design for heavy car use. It has, however, become the Sompting Bypass, Bypass. Despite all obsticales drivers, in their wisdom, see it as an altenative to the main road.

This makes me mad. Whether on an easy ride or not by the time that I get to the Marquis of Granby my heart beat is in the high 160s. I'll pass every car in my site. Today the bottle neck was stretching east before the mini roundabaout. Flying past the stationary cars I hit the mini round about at speed and met a convertible Saab, perhaps feeling guilty for pulling off the main road the nice lady let me through and then as she realised what was happening her look of shock became indignat. He should he doing that. Apologies Ma'm I was then on a mission. Congratulations to the Fiesta driver that managed to pass me - I had to stop at the mini roundabout at the end.

Hypocrit! I'd like to apologise to all the drivers that drive through there avaoiding the main road. You should not be there but nor should I treat you like shit. Its the cyclist that is suppoosed to be treated like that.

7th March 2010 Dry as a bone, blue sky and sunshine!

Where were we? Riding the local trails. Spring is definitely in the air so any trail exposed to the sun was melting by 9am. There's no excuse for rising late now that the sun is up so early. I rode the Spark because the review in What Mountain Bike made it sound so good. They were right about it being much more than a racer. I nailed the off the track descent from the top to Mouse lane better than ever, the firm frozen trail helped. I even climbed Jimbo's Torment - the steep trail up from Steyning. After the gate it was: deep breath, head down, elbows bent to maximum and with the nose of the saddle pushed firmly up my anus the climb was a breeze. Don't know what all the fuss is about, although I wouldn't want to hit any rough stuff with the saddle up there.

We later headed West and crossing the A24 hung about to take some pictures of the TT boys (rather, oldmen). We were hoping to see Jes and sure enough, third rider to pass he bridged the top of the A24 and passed us in a blur. What luck, we must have been destined to see his race winning ride. 10 hilly miles in 23.07. Well done he won by over a minute.

After so many wet and miserable rides even the splattering of melted clay on the last descent could put a downer on the ride. Oh for the joys of Spring.

2nd March 2010, Spring - its official!

We rode my Devil's Dyke/Bostal circuit to day and whilst it was not hot it was nice and not too cold. I wore my Spring jersey (Endura FS260 Jetstream) but all Joe wore were shorts, knee warmers and a long sleeve Swobo jersey! Regardless of temperature he was riding as if it was Spring.

At last, the riding and weather are getting better. Roll on the summer, roll on the miles.

28th February 2010 Brotherly love

As you know we were expecting armageddon this morning which meant that I could have a day off but for one thing, my brother was coming down to ride. We hardly ever ride together. The rest of the crew were sensible and rode Saturday so in the rain we, me and my two brothers, set off into the driving wind. I really did not want to be out there. Three brothers and a lot of hills meant one thing, a hard ride. I made the mistake of telling the youngun, the Gorrick racer, that he lost time in the single track. There is a race coming up soon so he treated the ride as practice. The competition and the challenge of trying to make it up the streams that were once single track made for a good ride after all.

I was glad to get home.

27th February 2010 Make hay while the sun (moon) shines

Yesterday was a beautiful day, warm (relatively), dry and sunny. No point in wasting it so I went for a road ride. By the time that I left the shop it was dark and the wind was dropping so I headed east hoping that the wind would drop altogether. It did. Modern lights open up a whole new world for the cyclist. For the roadie you don't need to spend that much to light up dark country lanes and rear lights cost virtually nothing and can blind any following driver. Chuck in some tunes , my beautiful Wiler Cento Uno and the only thing holding me back was................ nothing. No traffic and music bliss, I could have ridden all night.

That was a nice ride report, a very pleasant way of clocking up some road miles. Tomorrow will be hell for all of Europe - there will be no escape.

23rd February 2010 Looking and touching is no substitute for riding

I went to the Madison Ice Bike show today. They supply, Shimano, Park, DT, Cervelo, Commencal, Garmin, Ridgeback, Genesis, Garmin, Giro, Bell, Perlizumi......... and a lot more. Looking at gear is not my strong point, riding it is what I like so I was pleased when James Olsen the Genesis designer said that he had a new Alptitude to try, I put it in the van before he had a second thought. This is available for anyone to use until he asks for it back. It is an 18" and has a more relaxed head angle than last years. The high point for me though were the DT forks. Amazing. They all looked perfect for our riding, they are light and had just enough adjustment to make riding easier. Watch this space.

I found out that Dura Ace and XTR have a 3 year warranty and Ultegra and XT have a two year warranty. I don't know why they keep that a secret. Caught up with some old friends from the industry and press and got an interesting view from the inside of one of the Tour series teams. All in all a good day despite the motorway drive to and from Milton Keynes - we are so lucky to live down here.

21st February 2010 Billy No Mates goes it alone

The WECC ride to Salisbury, being ill, half term and getting up late all conspired to rob me of company. The worse was the text arriving at 7:30 to say "go on your own" not normally a problem but the skies opened as I closed the garage door. This was grim. 2009 was the best year that I have known for off road riding. Are we paying for it now?

I chose a route to avoid mud, at least the places where it would be deep. The only thing that kept me going was the ipod. Then a puncture. Usuallly punctures are a source of amusement and rest as I watch on, This time it was me on my own in the rain. I was never good at this even in races but today I probably broke the record. It must have taken nearly twenty minutes as three long songs palyed on the ipod. I'd had enough, I was going home but worse was to come. With the wind behind you are often unawre of how bad the weather is. As I started the downhill back I struggled to pedal against the gale and the freezing rain stung my face. I was on the Whyte 19 Trail - awesome though it is I still had a crap ride.

I got home to see my wife and daughter heading out to run over the hills (the whole family is barmy!). Cleaning the bike only took a few minutes - the only good thing about these conditions. Feeling less sorry for myself I peeled the layers off in order to hose off the mud and I suddenly thought about the WECC Salisbury ride. They all had to ride the 70mile return leg in this wind and rain. I had had it easy!

Its not all bad: crocuses and daffodils are pushing through the mud.

18th February 2010 It never rains but it pours

You may be aware that I am desperate for some road miles so last night I did a quick spin around Worthing. Flat, windless and with less than 16lbs of bike I was flying...... at least it felt like that.

This morning, 7am, it was pouring, windy and my ride was hilly (Devil's Dyke, Bostal). Way back in the summer this was a once a week trip, but boy was it tough today. I was definitely not flying. Hills, wind and rain, let's hope that I can look back on this later in the year to draw strength as I struggle up a Pyrenean climb.

At least I got out.

14th February Valentine's Day so out with an old flame

I took out an old flame on this romantic day. It may have been freezing, coldest so far, and muddy (it warmed up and melted really quick today) but we had a great ride. We were just early enough to enjoy. By 10 some places were getting unrideable. I used my old Kona as I was too drained last night to sort out a demo bike. I hope that Jimbo is enjoying the Whyte 19. That is definitley my favourite bike at the moment, sorry King Kahuna.

That's two weekends on the trot that I have ridden in mud. Its not so bad! Howver, I can't wait for it to warm up and get some road miles into my training log.

12th February 2010 Whyte 19 Trail on trails white with a dusting of snow.....

I've been tying to test this beauty for a week now but it has been in such demand that I had had to watch go it out to everyone else. A couple of days ago my ride was cut short by helping a rider with a puncture and, more so, my late departure. No late start this morning I was up and away by 7am determined to get to the trails above Steyning. On the way I did the East gate DH off Cissbury exited the chicane in the 44/13, that was quick? Monarch's Way next and that I did without a touch of the brake levers until the final bend. This bike was inspiring more and more confidence. It was a blast through the rooty semi-flat climb round the Steyning Horseshoe. Finally to the descent through the woods. I dropped the saddle by 150mm, haven't done that in months. I wasn't going to waste a berm or jump. It ripped. There is a little drop off which is intimidating becuase the track is steep and there is a root running parrallel to the lip and about 100m above it. The thought is that you'll trip up (odd as you're on a bike!). The trick is to let fly and the Whyte 19 just took over and I flew down. The climb back up was a pleasure and I had the Steyning Horse singletrack to look farward to, this time the other way: downhill.

Bikes have many atributes: light weight, long travel, bling, punchy Sram, slick Shimano but the one thing that you want out of your bike is CONFIDENCE. No point in haveing the blingest bike on the planet it you're too much of a whimp to ride it. The Whyte 19 Trail is not priced in the stratosphere, it is light, it has a frame geometry and fork set up that lets you ride just about anything but its main benefit is that the ride is so balanced that your confidence increases with each pedal stroke. Probably the best thing about it is that it has a family of cheaper options, right down to £1099. It is availabe to test whenever you want.

Why do I think that it is so good? The 120mm fork and relaxed head angle are the key features here. It is just about as good as the Rocky Ridge downhill (140mm fork) but is super fast on the climbs and technical single track. It is as comfortable as light and better than my Ti & bling King Kahuna!!!!

100% British designed in the UK for British riders and trails and the local theme continues with the use of Hope hoops and Tech 2 brakes. More detail here

10th February 2010 I know its tough but some ones got to do it

It was a perfect morning for riding but I was dreading the cold. Valuable riding minutes passed as I faffed about sorting my kit which is the usual way of putting of leaving. My task was to demo the Whyte 19 Trail.

Once out of the house I was surprised that it was not that cold. I can ride single track virtually all the way to the north Cissbury car park. As I toiled up the first climb to the sheep track I started to think about my effort to leave the house. What helped me was a responsibility to get up and ride. I have always felt motivated and so don't understand why so many can't make the effort. However, when I'm struggling I suddenly start to think about everyone else. If I can't get out then how the hell is everyone else going to? So with that thought I ought to thank all of you reading this for forcing me out on this cold morning.

It was magnificent. Even the sun was shining. The trails are in really good condition (at last). The wind has done a great job of drying them. In fact the only problems that we have on the Downs now are the trees and bushes that have collapsed under the weight of the winter snow.

I was riding the Whyte 19 Trail. This bike has the light weight and climbing ability of my racing steed combined the comfort and do-anything-downhill feel of a long travel trail hard tail. It is the perfect bike for me and here. More detailed comment to follow.

8th February 2010 Nice kit and Mr Nice guy

I drove up to the Fishers show today to see the latest Sram bits (Red, XX, Roxk Shox, Avid and Truvativ). XX is truly amazing and at £1300 for the trasmission it is a lot but not much compared with, say, a TV and a its a lot more useful. The cassette really amazed me: milled from a block of 4130 chromoly steel, weighing only 208 grams and costing a mere £299! Check it out. Sram seems to be everywhere from the Tour de France podium to just about every high end bike in the shop. Look out for the custom coloured XO.

I also bumped into Steve Peat again. Got to wish him good luck for the coming season. He starts the year with an event in South Africa then is off to the States for the Sea Otter. The first UCI WC DH is 15th May Maribor, Slovenia, one of Steve's favourite courses. The XC WC kicks of in Blighty on 24th April Dalby Forest, North Yorks.

Lastly, I got back early enough to watch the Tour of Qatar. Road racing on the TV is a sure sign that Spring is on the way. I've got to get back to 100mpw.

7th February 2010 I'd forgotten what mud is like.............hard work

What a change in the weather? Still cold but less layers, no ear covering and thin gloves. Still riding off road as those fast road miles are still too cold when a hot hard mountain bike ride is the alternative.

Mud was the problem today. I choose my rides and routes to avoid the stuff and over the last few months I've ridden in just about every condition there is except for sticky, clinging mud. Big ring climbs were done in the middle and I even used the granny ring. It was hard. What I did enjoy though was the struggle for control and the unexpetced sliding just at the most inopportune moment. Staying cool, staying on and keeping the speed up is a great feeling. Making the most of the conditions is what I enjoy about our gentle South Downs. Next week is the first Gorrick. There is no way that I am up for that. Enjoy your riding.

5th February 2010 Is Worthing too flat?

I know that Worthing is unique in the UK. The only other town that can compare with the out of the front door access to so much mountain biking is Cheltenham. We are blessed and most riders are unaware, blissful in their ignorance. Try moving and see how much riding time you have to waste to get to the trails.

However, this idyllic town has another blessing. It only has one hill in the conurbation - Salvington. Whilst this had lead to a proliferation of commuter cyclists (3 times the national average) it does create problems for your local bike shop. Short of riding through mud up to Cissbury, how do we test customers bikes under load. Big ring climbs don't even put the lower gears under any strain at all. But if Worthing is too flat why don't we sell more single speeds?

Leave the town on or offroad and there are plenty hill options to play on.

4th February 2010 ...............another rainy ride

Most of the time I am lucky enough to ride light bikes. I am a bit of a weight fanatic (cheat) as I don't want to make climbing any more difficult than it is. However, today, in the interest of mileage over preparation I used my commuter bike on an over the downs hilly circuit. Although the bike is light the pannier bags are heavy and always loaded with water proofs and locks and tools and any thing else that you'd expect to find in the boot of your car.
Labouring up the longest and hardest climb of the ride I passed a celeriac in the road (I like this French root delicacy). Should I pick it up? Should I leave it? As I debated I was gradually climbing further and approaching the false flat at the top. Should I go back? What will it be like to do the climb again?
I went back and the climb was not that bad despite the extra weight of the vegetable.
The more I rode the more it rained so the big wide mudguards were a bonus. This is definitely a winter for the hardy.
I'll eat the celeriac tonight unless it turns out to be a sugar beet. I have a sneaking feeling that this is animal food not the tasty veggie that I first thought it was.

31st January 2010 There is a heaven.......

Dry, frosty, sunny, perfect trails................... It doesn't get much better than this. Words cannot describe how good the ride was today. So I won't try but I now know that there is a heaven.

29th January 2010 Mud and rain but the weather seemed to be better

I knocked of a few miles today in the pouring rain. Titch Hill was literally a river of mud and I was on my Cento Uno - no mountain bike. It rained for the whole ride but I had the satisfaction of knowing that at least I had made the effort. The moment that I finished cleaning the bike the sun came out! I know that it rained again during the day but a 5pm there was still a hint of blue in the evening sky. Ever the optomist: where these early April showers and is Spring around the next few bends?

28th January 2010 Winter blues! But at least I commute.

What is it with the winter that knawes away at your enthusiasm? I could blame work and home but really these are not excuses. My ride in France was THE big come back but what have I done since then? A few miles here and there! I even put yesterdays commuting into Bike Route Toaster to see how far I had gone running a few errands: 9 miles! Pathetic, but just imagine what it would be like if I didn't use a bike for getting around. I may be whinging and will do 30miles tomorrow before work but if I did not use the bike to get around I would have done 40 miles less in the last 9 days. Commuter mileage is free mileage and adds to the proper rides.

Bike Route Toaster can be used to plan road rides any where in the world - see new places and never get lost again!

25th January 2010 World class hopefulls.... Well, that was what I thought many years ago.

I bumped into Steve Peat and Scott Beaumont yesterday. It was good to catch up with them both, especially Steve as he has finally got that World Champion title to his name. Steve and I discussed his early career and how I had to insist that he use suspension even though he was winning without it. He even said that he still had the Kona Hei Hei that we had given him. When he left us for the big time I did not have the heart to ask for the Hei Hei back. He even said that he still had the Explosif that he used in the '94 World Champs. One thing about Steve that really impresses me is that he always makes time to have a chat whenever I see him. I know that we gave him his first break but, at the time, money was scarce in those days so couldn't give him much. When he called to say that he had been offered a big pro contract what should he do, I had to say go for it! The rest they say is history.

Scott Beaumont also got his first MTB break with us joining Kona a bit later on and that was the period building up the the Ford Focus sponsorship. Clinching that deal was one of the highlights of my career. Thanks to Scott and Russ Carty Kona became the most highly rated team on the circuit from a sponsors point of view. Tracy Mosely was riding for us then... another World Champion!. Scott has gone on and on getting better and better like Steve and is now consistently in the top five in the world at 4cross. He is 2009 National Champ!

I was pretty chuffed to be back in their company. Good luck to you both for next season.

23rd January 2010 I had a LAF

Yesterday I was at a South Downs National Park meeting to discuss the remit for the National Park Authority and for the Natioal Park Local Access Forum. Aside from the presenter and the organising team I was by far the youngest and still not retired. These oldies though are an inteligent and competent bunch with time, skills and experience that is impressive.

I don't have much to report but can at least let you know what a National Park is for.

• To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
• To Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.
• It has a duty to seek to foster the social and economic well being of the local community.

In the short term and long term the greater concern for you will be the rain and the mud. As and when more specific access issues come up I'll report back.

Put 1st April in your diary as that is the first day that you'll be riding in the South Downs National Park.

19th January 2010 Misty ride in France

I was in Calais for a couple of days and had arranged a ride with the husband of one of Janet's work colleagues. The e-mail asked "can your husband ride at 27kph for 3 hours". My reply, of course, was yes. However, other than Saturday's quick and wet spin, I had not been on the road bike since the beginning of November. Whilst 27kph would not be a problem in the summer this was January and I have hardly ridden for a month.

My companion was Geoffroy. He usually drives a Euro Tunnel train and so has the advantage of working shifts, great for any cyclist. He had ridden the previous 3 days so that that meant one of 2 things. He was either a riding superstar over 20 years younger than me or he would be exhausted.

We set off in the gloom. It was drizzling and the cloud was very low. The first part of the ride was flat. So flat that I didn't change gear once. I had fitted mudguards (sacrilege on a bike like mine) just in case I should ever find myself up front - that was a vain thought! There was so much snow along the road side that the mudguards were soon rubbing with the salt and grit: not very motivating on the climbs.

Geoffroy informed me that this easy bit would be short lived and that the ride was going to be quite hilly. Hills can be a problem when you don't know how long they are. The moment that we started climbing we were in the cloud so it was difficult to gauge what effort to put in unable to see the top.

Before we started the return leg Geoffroy was pleased to announce that we were averaging 28kph. When we got to the coast the low cloud cleared and we could see the sea, old Blighty and the roller coaster, up and down of the road back to Calais. This road was a part of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque with the final climb up le Cap gris nez. The run into town was a hoot and quick. I love that final hammer knowing that blowing up is not a problem as the finish is in sight.

I had planned to change in the street and head for the ferry but Geoffry insisted that I shower at his place. I actually had a hot bath! It was wonderful. What a great host? It was a real risk for him to come out on such a gloomy day and ride with a complete stranger. As it turned out we rode together quite happily. He was a great and caring riding buddy.

Thank you, Geoffroy and Servine for such kindness and a great ride. I look forward to drinking the beer and making a return trip in better weather.

Stats: 75km, 800m ascent, 28kph average. My Garmin played up so I can't down load the route.

16th January 2010 Le col de Sompting est bien ouvert.

For some the opening of cols is a joy and for others it is greeted with in trepidation with the thought of longer rides and climbs. As I celebrated riding my road bike (first time since November) I headed up Titch Hill. By the time that I got into the climb I was lost in my imagination. As I approached the top I was already in a lone break on the first mountain stage of the Giro (first stage as in my current form I would not make the last).

It was fascinating to ride along a road still stacked with the remains of the recent snow drifts, reminiscent of those cols in the Giro. The road was very wet and at the top flooded. I was spotted by a driver at the top of the Bostal and he duly waited whilst I rode the whole length of the top section and was watched as I virtually swam the last flooded bit. Nice to see that there is some goodwill on the road.

I know that was only a short ride but I was in my element as I struggled against the wind and pouring rain down past Botolphs and Coombes. Some may think that I am mad. I am not. I am living!

14th January 2010 Is steeringwheelitis really incurable? And how my excitment that ridig was back to normal was cut short.

The weather is changing! Last night I washed the salt off my hardtail confident that the water would not freeze in the drive. I was planning to ride my commuter in this morning. Joy of joys the roads were back to normal. I was so happy that I rode on past the shop and planned a trip - I didn't know where.

Riding down the A24 approaching the speed camera I past a fellow cyclist to a fanfare of hooting and flashing lights. A car past and I followed. A few seconds later the car stopped as cars do in Worthing at 8am, I photographed it and the approached the driver.

She is probably a very nice person but had a serious case of steeringwheelitis. She began to inform me that I should not over take cyclists and that I was a danger. I could not discuss the issue with her as the disease caused an uncontrollable need to speak (a common symptom).

I wanted to explain to her that the Highway Code states that a car, when passing a cyclist, should leave a cyclist as much room as it would when passing a car. I also wanted to remind her that I did not pull out as, on a busy road like that, I was already out - wide to be seen and wide enough to past the slower rider. I was probably doing 25mph so hardly slowing the flow of Worthing commuter traffic.

Do you have a colleague or loved one that becomes a megalomaniac believing that that have godly rights once they grab hold of the evil wheel: the steering wheel? If so try to help them. The times are a changing and, not the next generation (this woman's daughter had already been corrupted), but the one after that may well be more tolerant of others when holding a steering wheel.

My exhilaration and happiness at being able to ride again was cut short by this incident. I always feel upset by these shouting matches.

Check out Twenty's Plenty for a better Worthing.

13th January 2010 Riding is still the best way to get around

Riding in snow is usually a relatively dry experience so I kitted myself out in regular clothes today and head off. The snow was wet and the stuff underneath was melting ice so even with my super soft tubless tyres I was sliding all over the place. I decided to join the cars passing them all I got soaked, the sludge seems to fly up worse than rain water.

Still, I am glad that I rode in not to be beaten merely by the weather. However, the weather is taking a toll on my fitness. Despite extending my commute as much as possible I haven't had a hard ride for 2 1/2 weeks now. Should I crack and take the turbo home? I've got a ride in France on Monday which is looking like being tough given my current state of fitness.

Let's hope for a good freeze to make the trails rideable again or some dry weather so that we can get back out on the roads.

10th January 2010 Finally gave up trying to ride...... a bike that is.

I've been riding my bike every day and have pushed and carried it through knee, even thigh high drifts. All this to get a work out of sorts. Today we gave up and my hard riding crew took to the hills in a different way. We climbed approximately 500m over the morning so we had a great work out and cut some nice steep lines on the downs. My best snowboarding ever in the UK.

You tube

6th January 2010 I couldn't ride..... but I still had a great commute.

I am one of the greatest advocates of winter riding and today I assumed that it would be an easy ride over Cissbury to work. However, I could not even make it along my road so, not to be outdone by the weather, I opted for another mode. I dragged out my 35 year old XC skis. I got a work out and some fun whilst the rest of Worthing were making fools of themselves on the roads. I also came across another set of tracks?

Most modern cars have sat navs so drivers will be aware that top to bottom Worthimng is only 3 mile - nice walk!

Who says that you don't need an Endura Stealth jacket round here?

4th January 2010 A winter of extremes, get up early or you'll regret it! Ice is good off road.

This is now the 4th day of the new year and what a start? Not much fun for the roadie in you but off road it could not get much better. Is it time for the summer race tyres? Frozen trails and sunshine are nearly as good as it gets. Traction is so good in these conditions that you can climb and descend places impossible even in the dry of summer.

Be warned that if you are a late riser and you hit the trails once they melt you could be in for a shock. Riders that do this obviously lack experience and that lack of experience will be good news for the work shop as you are very likely to rip your rear deraileur off. Thawing melts to top 2cm which peals off each wheel revolution, you'll be clogged up in 10m, force it and damaged will happen. You have been warned. Ride early and you never have to clean the bike. It is easy to stay warm mountainbiking, not so for the road riders - for the road this weather is hell and dangerous (everyone needs at least two bikes)

Enjoy it while it lasts.

By the way I have been away in the snow so please accept my apologies for not keeping you uptodate. It is colder here than in Chamonix!

14th December 2009 Try a differnt route you might be surprised

We had a hard ride yesterday, not one where I was at the top waiting but hanging on and gasping on every climb. We had the whole group out yesterday and everyone seemed cable of driving the pace except for poor Matt who suffers from young children and driving to work.

In the woods above Steyning I have got into the habit of always going the same way as there is a do-able jump and a sketchy steep downhill, all very XC. Yesterday I followed the path that we used to take but it went on further. It snaked down twisting and turning all the way, berm after tight berm. I was dreading finding myself on a North Shore drop on my XC machine with the saddle all the way up but I eventually I hit the bridle path, no problems and fun on my very XC Scott Spark. In fact is was a very easy ride with no surprises. I'll be up here again very soon with some longer forks, Rocky Ridge or Attack trail.... The Scott Genius would be great here. I need speed next time. The chances are though, that my next run here will be on my Ti King Kahuna in full on XC race set up, makes any descent memorable.

I must do more exploring. Never assume that you know all the trails. After 25 years of riding up here I am still surprised by a new line or a different track.

How good was the weather yesterday? Sunny, warm rays and, this is the amazing bit, good trails.

11th December 2009 Cycling in the main TV news

I woke this morning and switched in the ITN news and was shock to see a news feature including Tour de France footage and an interview with Bradley Wiggins. Is cycling going mainstream? Was I dreaming? Sky has made the Premier League the biggest and wealthiest in the world. Could this be about to happen to cycling?

What happens this Sunday? The BBC Sports Personality of the year and Mark Cavendish is up for the award. He should win as on an internatioanl level his acheivements out shine all the others put together and he is only 25 hence his fame all over the world. It is a shame that he does not get the recognition here but times are a changing and cycling WILL happen in the UK sooner rather than later.

If we are to be a cycling nation we need riders, that means kids and every parent says that the roads are to dangerous. Well in a BBC news item this morning they annouced the results of a survey of towns with 20mph speed limits: driving at 20mph reduces deaths and accidents Dooohh!

9th December 2009 slippery when wet and getting the right bike set up.

I have been testing a new bike that I really like hence my current enthusiasm for riding despite the conditions. I have been experimenting with stems and bar width and it is amazing how you can make a bike either more trail friendly or more race oriented. I have already written about the adaptability of the 2010 Marin Mount Vision and how you can have two bikes for the price of one stem. I love the Scott Spark but put a flat bar on for Dusk 2 Dawn. It is worth experimenting or at least asking us what effect changes have on a bike.

If you read these blogs you will be aware that I have been saying that the conditions are no where near a difficult as they seem. Well this morning I was struggling. I was slipping all over the place but put it down to me adding more air to the rear shock. As the ride went on it go worse but I never like to let the conditions effect me so I carried on. You can imagine my releif as I completed the steep drop down from the resevoir onto the flat and safe path running down to Hill Barn. Time to relax. That was mistake. I went down hard and cracked my helmet it two places bruising my forehead. Helments are worth every penny.

Take a look at the photo, click on it to see how I found the visor and glasses, this is not a set up but how I actually found them.

7th December 2009 Quest Adventure Annual Christmas Go-Karting Tournament

We all went go-karting again this Christmas. We meant everyone that helps at Quest ADventure except for Janet and Hannah who were both away. Daz, Disco, JP, Jimbo, Deadly, Clare, Paulo and Crash Test Dummy. The racing was good but the banter was better. Jimbo knock JP off third spot on the podium this year with Disco second and Dazza numero uno again. On the way back we dropped by the Village House in Findon for a drink and humerous debrief, nice dog but what a miserable barman.

6th December 2009 Biblical weather is not anywhere near as bad as it looks and why light wheels work

Today was to be the test of my new wheels and what a day to try them. The weather was horrific until about 9:30. We rode from Salvington to the SDW with the wind behind, my wheels below and Lucozade Caffiene Boost inside. I flew, big ring the whole way. That was the last time that the wind helped us.

We rode to the Southdowns Way, along to Amberly and back up to Kithurst via North Stoke (a 4.72k climb of 185m - not bad for the gentle South Downs) then back home via Lee Farm, Patching and Highdown. Atop Amberly Mount the weather unleashed its full force and staying on the bike became the main issue. The horizontal rain meant the we could hardly see the trail ahead. I finally dropped into the 32 to make the climb into Patching wood.

The rain may have put a few of you off but it made the trails easy to ride as the mud was so soft, virtually liquid or it was completely washed away. So how was it the I did a 40k ride, fast and in the big ring most of the way. Was it the wheels?

• Ride 40K
• 19,139 wheel revolutions
• 100 grams per wheel saving with my new wheels
• Saved turning 3,287kilos over 40k with 689m of climbing

Weight saving where it counts most. Correct me if my calculations are floored.

4th December 2009 Another great off road ride and I still don't need to clean the bike!

Clear skies, good trails and a great bike. What else could I possibly want? We all knew that today was going to be classic, I even put in the trail conditions on the header. So I woke up early, did some work waiting for it to get light enough and then I hit the trails. I can't believe it but I have now done two good off road rides this week and I don't need to cklean the bike, sure it is splattered a bit but the transmission and tyres are clean and ready for the next ride. Who's complaining about the weather?

1st December 2009 Rejoice its winter and our second frost of the year

Clear skies, frost and firm mud free trails...... Where? Here on our patch of Downland. After the last couple of weeks I found myself saying " It doesn't get much better than this" and I didn't even need to clean the bike. It is not just about where you ride but when and early mornings in the winter are the best. All you need is the right gear and the whole experience is comfortable, warm and dry. A joy to be out on the trails again.

24th November 2009 Naughty in the wind.

I did something naughty today. I won't tell you where but the wind had a lot to do with it. Let's just say that I had a good view of the sea and could look down on the cars as I passed them all the way into town. I had no speedo but I was quicker than the traffic.

It's not as radical as Pier jumping but it was fast and fun.

And for those with a responsible approach, it was deserted and very early.

22nd November 2009 Wet 'n windy but who cares?

Friday I left home at 6.45am for and off road blast before work. It was pouring and, stupidly, I forgot that it would be dark, I couldn't see any of the roots so I had to give up the single track under Cissbury and stay away from the woods until the the sun rose behind the thick clouds. It was wet and slippery but warm. I got back wet but only lightly splattered even after 2 hours - perhaps the only advantage of the rain: water is cleansing. Today, Sunday, was windy and the trails treacherously wet. Riding was a real challenge but a lot of fun. Exposed singletrack was almost impossible as the wind blew us of line. Despite the conditions it was beautiful and memorable.

I may have spent the last six months describing how this has been the best (driest) year of my 25 years of mountain biking but, amazingly, I am riding more off road now in the wet and mud than at any time in the rest of this incredible year. Why? The right gear helps but a passion for singletrack, the Downs and the Autumn help too. Maybe I was missing it. Perhaps mountainbiking had got too easy and now the challege of holding a line without crashing is adding to the risk/fun factor of our gentle Downs.

19th November 2009 Windy can be good

Today it is windy, SSW 27mph according to Weather cams. Usually I'd ride into wind to return with the wind behind but today I headed off on the Devil's Dyke run with the wind behind all the way to Portslade and then up over the Dyke. The return leg was breezey but I must be getting used to it as it never seemed that bad. I got back only having dropped 0.3mph average on my last run which was still.

Wind is a fact of life round here and it is great for forcing you to adopt a low position in the drops.

Although it is November the temperature is insane I was too hot, no need for overshoes and only a light weight Endura Jet stream jersey. The temperature is a benefit of the wind. Another benefit is the speed at which the off road trails dry. So wind may be OK as is warm but I think that the other thing associated with those two things: rain is not.

18th November 2009 At last something to make us proud and Worthing famous!

We live in a "nice" town, very quiet and pleasant. We have a lot of riding and riders on our doorstep. I even passed 5 seperate roadie groups on a drive from Washington to Steyning on Sunday. We have a lot to be proud of but nothing truly extreme or remarkable. That was until Monday. I windsurfed for years and even in the wildest of storms the waves weren't ever monster, nor are the hills. So how do you get extreme in Worthing?Jump the pier! All hail our super heros: Lewis Crathern and Jake Scrace. Check out this video

The council should give them the freedom of the town for getting it noticed and their exploits should be in all town promotional material. The film was on the BBC on Monday and ITN on Tuesday - great coverage for Worthing.

Of course, some nutter will try to copy them and may well get killed. There may be campaigns to ban kite surfing but why? If death and danger were reasons to ban something then we would have banned cars from the town years ago.

Well done guys! In my own way, away from the crowds, I'll be taking extra risks on my bike next time out. I'll write up the falls, promise.

For more information about Kite and Windsurfing and the best local weather forecast visit the Webcams site

13th November 2009 I rode in today!

Yesterday morning was one of those classic Autumn days (golden leaves, sunshine, blue skies and dew). Today, again typical Autumn but rain in abundance, every road flooded. I rode in because I can. Days like today are few and far between. A good bike, mudguards, Endura Tech pants, a waterproof jacket and an old water proof hood plus some descent lights where all that I needed. The best protective item though were my new Northwave Celsuis boots.

The rivers running down the side of the A27 forced me into the middle of the road - a safe place to be as I'd be noticed. Drivers are extra slow and cautious in this weather and don't have the nerve to overtake so, effectively, despite the poor conditions we are relatively safe. I even detected a note of sympathy as I beat the jams. But be very careful as our roads are designed to protect drivers not cyclist and prdestirans.

12th November 2009 Riding too fast.

I went on a short run over the Bostal and into Steyning. I met a regular Bostal commuter who was really powering up the climb from the south side, I managed to catch him for a chat but I had my all singing and dancing Wilier Cento Uno and had had is steel Peugeot with panniers and had just worked a night shift at GSK. I wondered if the "Virenque" name written on his top tube had anything to do with his climbing prowess.

Later, on the way back after repairing two punctures, the Locozade Caffiene Boost started to kick in. I was cruising at 25mph as I approached the old Sompting Village. Wow this drink packs a punch. I hit the snarly bit of Sompting and passed everything (why do drivers use this bit of road that is so obviously not designed for through traffic?).

On entering Worthing a guy drove past and hurled a torrent of abuse at me. I stopped to have a go at him as a rat runner only to find that he was a Sompting local. He said that I'd passed at 100mph and that I ought to slow down. Music to a riders ears. I was going too fast. In the constant quest for speed it is nice to be told that I was over doing it. However, it did not feel fast so I think that I'll have to use this Lucozade Caffiene Boost again. 3 hours later and I'm still hyper. No coffee for me today.

11th November 2009 Long trousers and a drive in to work

Am I getting soft? I drove in, my excuse is shopping and than collecting my son. A poor excuse as I usually shop using my bike, you.ve seen the old thing, it is amazing how much you can get into those old panniers. And my son? I used to collect his twin from footie with the tandem. In fact I'd go to the school, much to her consternation, ride to Goring, drop her off, back to cook dinner, then back to collect her. 18 miles all in and flat out. Life can be good.

Driving in at less than walking pace does seem a bit odd in a small flat town like Worthing but, hey, who's to question peoples freedom of choice with transport. The only problem is that when each child in each house in Worthing has their own car, and they will, let's hope that they don't all want to exercise their right to drive all on the same day at the same time at, for example, 8am.

If you were stuck in traffic today; enjoy the fact that in this part of the world, if you consider the extra time that it takes to drive, we still don't have a traffic problem as compared with the big cities. And if speed is of the essense you could always ride!

As for the long trousers - I'm not sure.........

9th November 2009 Hot 'n dusty in Colorado

Fed up reading about JP's rides in ther rain? Check out Charlie Curtis's Durango trip!

8th November 2009 Wet 'n windy and glad to be off road.

The forecast was wrong. We have spent a good 10 months with the weather better than forecast so it was a shock to have the weather worse than forecast. It didn't matter, these days there is no excuse for not being comfortable with the right gear and it is so long that I have ridden in mud that it was bound to be fun... And it was. Warm and toasty from finger to toe we had a blast.

After 25 years of searching I may have found the perfect chalk tyre: the Maxxis Ardent. As I watched my colleagues slipping and falling on the chalk I just rode straight up. In the wet clay it was average lacking the cornering prowess of the Medusa, Minion and High Roller 2.35 but as a light weight all rounder it is fine.

The new Mount Vision, however, encourages some reckless manoeuvres. It is so confidence inspiring that I may well have to fit a Minion to the front to compensate for my over exuberance (I used my helmet on a tree to break a fall as I tried to line up a drop off).

I have clocked up a load of road miles recently so it felt great to be on the dirt again. Despite the constant rain my feet were warm and toasty in my new Northwave Celsius boots. Unlike the leisure sole of the Shimano equivalent, these have a stiff performance foot bed which is great if you want power out of your pedalling (they are £20 less than the Shimano boots too).

Bring on the winter, I'm ready and waiting.
My gear: Marin Mount Vision 5.8 customised with Maxxis Ardents, 70mm stem, lay back seat post and ESI Chunky grips.
My clothing: Northwave Celsius boots, Endura MT500 bib 3/4 knickers, Endura MT500 Spray shorts, Endura BaaBaa baselayer, Gore Phantom jacket (due in next week), Dakine Ventilator gloves and a Giro E2 helmet - not cracked.

5th November 2009 Worthing Revolutions Forum meeting & 20's Plenty

Let's face it we are never going to get any proper cycle routes in the area.

Do not be dismayed. There is a solution: 20's Plenty.

The UK can be proud that it has the safest roads in Europe and the second safest in the world but that is for drivers and passengers. The UK is the worst place in Europe to be on the roads if you are not a driver. The most common form of death in the UK for people aged 5 to 35 is in or under a vehicle. There are 3,000 deaths and 28,000 serious injuries each year on our roads.

20's Plenty is a plan to save lives and injuries and the benefit for us and our families is that we don't need cycle route for most of the town. Residential areas will be restricted to 20 mph. It has worked on Portsmouth and only cost £333 per street.

Imagine the town given back to the people, a place to live in not just a place to drive in, where children could ride to school and play in the streets. At present if you ask a parent why they won't let there child cycle to primary school they will say it is too dangerous. Why? That is not the case in many other countries.

Splash Point redevelopment was also on the agenda. I was impressed by the plan. I asked the designer if he was aware that it was also an informal area for trials riders after he described how that would be placing boulders amongst the trees. He did acknowledge that riders gathered there. Whilst I believe that trials riding in the town should be promoted I will leave it open for debate as to whether the Splash Point development should be the place.

Worthing Prom could be officially open by the new year.

Worthing Revolutions invite comment

3rd November 2009 Worthing Revolutions and Worthing Borough Council is proud to be holding its fourth Worthing Cycle Forum on Wednesday 4th November (6.30pm) at Worthing Town Hall (Gordon Room)

In a packed agenda, there will be presentations and discussions on the following:

 The wish list of ideas to improve cycling in Worthing collected over the last year. It's a golden opportunity for you to ensure your ideas are included and make your voice heard.

 The success of 20mph speed limits in Portsmouth and how they would benefit everyone in Worthing. This Cycle Forum could be the start of a campaign for a similar project in Worthing.

 How the Splash Point development could best cater for safe cycling with the Landscape Architects, Craft:Pegg.

 Update on cycling on the Promenade plus cycling infrastructure currently being developed in Worthing.

If you care about safe cycling in Worthing, be there!

1st November 2009 It never rains but it pours

I rode my usual loop to Portslade then up over the Dyke and back via Poynings and the Bostal last Friday. It was warm, dry and almost sunny. What was nice was passing a fellow cyclist (of course I passed loads as it was 7:30am on the 259) but this guy took a tow from me and then I from him. Nothing said, both with Ipods but nice to share the ride as it was quite windy. Our only contact was a wave as I left the wind and started my northerly climb. I rode the whole way seated - the wind must have been strong. As I rode up the Bostal I imagined the pain and grimaces that would be there on Saturday as WECC ran the end of season hill climb. Luckily I would be working - my excuse for not riding.

Today, Sunday was altogether different. There was a southerly gale and relentless rain, fortunately it was exceptionally warm for the time of year. We were off for an easy cruise and decided that heading West was best. We turned back at Bracklesham expecting to be blown home. For every stretch with the wind behind us there was another with the wind in our face. The area West of Bognor and South if Chichester is criss-crossed with a myriad of flat easy roads. Be warned though, these lanes are very busy with cars, 4x4s, lorries (on a Sunday!!) and worse of all caravans and they all, without exception, are intent on murder. They all hate cyclists. I'll never rider there again. Most of Sussex is very accepting of cyclist but this flat land of bungalows and static caravans is a place to be avoided. Be warned!

25th October 2009 Is it a crime to ride the wrong bike?

The plan was to ride on the road as it was going to rain all day Saturday. With clear skies I feared the worse after last week and so I left out shorts, 3/4s, thin tights and thick winter tights to cover every option. On rising at 6 am with a lay it to boot I found that it was already 10 degrees with the sun yet to rise. We headed out to Goodwood via Duncton Hill and Knight's Hill. The weather could not have been better with knee warmers the only concession to the time of year.

The perfect ride you might have thought, and it was. However, we should have been off road. It may have been a little damp but Sunday 25th October 2009 will have to go down as one of the most perfect days for mountain biking in the year. We were on the road and, nice though it was, it was a crime to be missing such a beautiful day off road.

The long range forecast for this winter is warm with little precipitation. Let's hope that a day like today comes along soon so that the riding police don't bag me for wasting the very best that the South Downs can offer.

I still had a great ride and the scenery was magnificent but I know that I missed a classic today.

23rd October 2009 Does it get any better than this?

Autumn is here, just take a look at the beautiful weather. This morning was classic: clear skies, leaves falling (watchout they are slippery), warm up high, cool in the valleys and misty by the river. It doesn't get much better than this. Another indication that Autumn is here is my speed. My averages are falling fast. Is it the cool air or a lack of effort? I would not have thought either but my Garmin does not lie. I am slowing down. For now I am not going to worry but just enjoy the riding for the sake of riding.

19th October 2009 There is no doubt October of the best month of the year

The Wilier South Downs sportive was on yesterday. I could not afford to give up too much of my day so did not enter but did ride over to see the start and then to ride some of the hills. I laid out my clothes the night before so that I would not wake anyone in the morning as I was off at 6:45. On leaving the house it was 8 degrees and I was cursing that I'd be over dressed with winter tights. How wrong I was?

We rode to Chichester through lanes bordered with the white of the first frost of the year. When would the sun come up? It may have been cold but that was forgtten as we were completely overawed but the sheer beauty of the route.

At the start of the sportive we met the Wilier guys. They had all of the bikes on display including the most beautiful bike in the world: the Cento Uno Superleggera. Gazing at this I felt aduterous standing next to my own Cento Uno: thou shalt not covert etc,etc..... My Cento Uno is still the best bike that I have ever ridden road or off road.

We rode on up Kennel Hill past the riders setting off on the Bognor Hilly (results), one of the last time trials of the year, to the race course and then wound our way back home along the lanes at the base of the South Downs north escarpment: Chalton, East Dean, Barlavington, Sutton, Bignor, Houghton... try it.

A perfect October day: frost, sun, hills and riders everywhere.

Off road tension. Mountain bikers are in a state of panic and disbelief, as each day goes by they realise that it is mid October and still the trails are bone dry, even dusty. Don't waste it get out and ride before this 10 months of perfect riding comes to an end.

16th October 2009 - 2010 Mount Vision gets even better and the mornings get darker (and colder on the road)

I have fitted some Maxxis Ardents to the Mount Vision in preparation for the Autumn. The bike is now as close to perfect as a trail bike could be. I was so keen to ride it again that I took it on my mini bike test circuit Wednesdy morning. I ride down the East trail off Cissbury and nail the chicane as fast as I can. The bike is so confidence inspiring that any (inevitable) sliding provoked no sphincter twitching at all. I even managed the Monarch's Way single track downhill to Noman's Land with no brakes and not even a fearful finger lift. I feel so invinsible that a crash must be due soon. Let's hope that the bikes handling saves me from the worse.

On the road I have to admit to cold toes. I rode out to Devil's dark and was surprised to find that there was barely any light in the sky to the east as I road over the Bostal (Autumn is definitely here). I had an Exposure Joystick to light to way and an Exposure Redeye to light up the road for miles and miles behind. The Redeye is about as bright as a car fog lamp. As I rolled over the top of Devil's Dyke I descended the very rough but tarmac (of sorts) covered disused railway line into Hangleton. I usually climb this and never realised how much gradient and how rough it was at speed. For those of you who are frightened by the thought of riding 23mm tyres and a road bike, believe me they can take a lot of abuse. By the time that I got to the bottom my toes were freezing - time for overshoes.

13th October 2009 - South Downs National Park

I have just received the first edition of The News for the South Downs National Park email-able newsletter. Click to The South Downs Way page to view it.

12th October 2009 First Autumn ride in the rain and the 2010 Mount Vision

Just before leaving the house at 7:30 it started to rain, I grabbed a light wind proof (Endura Rebound jkt) and was off on the 2010 Mount Vision for a ride with my brother. It was wet and slippery but the mud of yesterday had consolidated and was firm. In fact the conditions were really good just not the dust of previous weeks.

The Mount Vision comes shod with Maxxis High Roller 2.1 tyres fast and very light but very sketchy on a wet South Downs. The new Mount Vision has quite remarkable handling, so remarkable that the tyres did not seem to be an issue. Of course the bike slipped on occasions but no tyre is slip resistant on our fresh wet chalk. The bike's ride instilled such confidence that I remained relaxed and that is the key to safe riding in slippery conditions.

The Mount Vision had been tweaked for the ride. I had turned the bike from a climbing demon into a trail monster. All I did was to replace the 100mm stem with a 70mm (probably a tad too short) and fit a lay back seat post. Whipping through the steeps and single track from top to bottom of Steyning Bowl I blasted it despite the tyres. What a bike?

Does it climb? The new set up was fine. Steyning High Street to the South Downs Way is steep and long, a good test of any bikes climbing ability. The steeper seat tube helped keep the front wheel firmly planted and grip was fine all the way up. The bike is a true all-rounder, confidence inspiring and a heap of fun: in other, words the perfect trail bike. Having the ability to adjust the set up to achieve such a variety of performance makes this bike ideal for the rider that does not plan on having a garage full of bikes.

Cool and damp with good trail conditions I'm a happy man - Bring on the Autumn!

10th October 2009 Dust 'til Dawn

It has been a weak since Dusk 'til Dawn and I am fully recovered. The race was amazing as were the lights and the fellow riders. I never thought that I'd ever think of rain especially after last year but with all the dust on the course and eyes nose and lungs clogged up with the stuff I actually thought that the course could be improved with some rain (just not when I was on it). The rain has duely arrived both there and here. Don't worry it'll soon dry out and the conditions are still firm but slippery.

Technology is wonderfuland enabled us to ride all night without out the least worry of poor visibility or running out of power (thanks to USE/Exposure for that with my MaXx D and Joystick)

However technology has an alternative side that frustrates and consumes time. This is my excuse for the lack of entries but my hard drive failed and I have only just got my laptop up and running again.

Dusk til Dawn pictures

Well don the Damian, Uncle Phil, Si, Andy, Andy and any one else from here that rode and sorry to the guy that I caught passing on one tricky section.

29th September 2009 How can we live without modern technology?

On Saturday we had our party up on Truleigh Hill as the riders came through on their night ride from Beachy Head to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The whole event was only possible thanks to modern lighting and whilst there are a lot of good lights available today, nothing beats the efficiency and value of a USE Exposure light. We have our demo set in for 2010 so try one to see what all the fuss is about.

These breifings are getting few and far between. I am sorry, but my laptop has crashed and burned and I am struggling to live without it.

I'm cramming as many offroad and night rides in as possible in a desperate attempt to get in shape for Dusk 'til Dawn this Saturday 3rd Oct. The constcontinual warmth and perfect conditions are not exactly the best preparation for an event that, last year, saw 12 hours of rain for a 12 our race!

21st Septemeber 2009 Marin Mount Vision 5.8 first ride

I was actually lucky enough to ride a preproduction version a while ago but was sworn to secrecy. Yesterday I rode the standard 2010 Mount Vision 5.8. First of it looks much lighter with the new swing arm and graphics. It now uses Sram transmission and Avid brakes. The shifting and stopping are great as you'd expect but what I really like is the look of the Stylo chainset. Considering the massive changes in the value of the pound they have a done a great job to put a better bike together at only 6.3% more than last years version.

The ride is the only thing that really counts and the bike really is more than 6.3% better. I have always said that the modern Mount Visions were amongst the best climbers, well, the 2010 Mount Vision is way ahead of anything I've ridden before. This is by far and away the most noticable difference over previous models. They have steepened the seat tube by a degree and this puts you well over the front on climbs. This eliminates front wheel float on the severe granny ring climbs and really helps you power up the more moderate climbs. The trail handling and downhill has improved by relaxing the head angle. I'll be giving more detail as I get in more miles and fine tune my set up. However, it looks to me as if the Mount Vision may well reach a similar iconic ststus to its predecessor of 10 years ago but this time as a perfomance "Trail" bike not the Polaris winning xc version of a by gone age.

This bike is now ready for you to try.

19th September 2009 Riding is a part of my job and a goodbye to Hannah

I want to be able to offer hands on expertise when helping some one choose a bike. Bikes are changing so fast that if you blink you'll miss a new and better development. I feel at times that most of the responsibility for testing the bikes that are most suited to riding round here rest with me. And as such I felt that I needed to do a back to back test with the Genesis Altitude against the Cove Handjob that I rode earlier this week.

Taking the quickest route in with the maximum of single track and hills takes 30mins. That is enough to get the feel for a bike. If I repeat the route on the way home I double the time on the bike - I usually get diverted and do just one more irresistable track. This is a labour of love. No complaints here.

The Genesis Altutude differs from the Handjob in two ways, it has a stiffer Reynolds 853 frame and uses a 120mm (20mm axle) fork. They both rode really well and it would be wrong to pick a favourite. However, as I m a sicko and see a climb in every hill I'd have to favour the Genesis. I know that many of my customers and friends see a descent in each hill and for them the Handjob may be better. The 120 v 140 debate will heat up even more when the Marin Rocky Ridge (140mm) and the Whyte Trail 19 (120mm) arrive. I'll have my work cut out. Does anyone fancy lending me a hand?

If any one thought that the lights were dimming at Quest Adventure, don't worry, it is not a power problem, Hannah is leaving. She will return later in the year to brighten up your christmas. Thanks Hannah for brightening up the shop this summer.

17th September 2009 - Riding again

Its been a tough couple of weeks driving round the country and looking a bikes. I've seen all the 2010 bikes now and lets hope that they start to arrive soon. Looking at bikes doesn't make up for riding them. In fact not riding makes you sick. Yesterday I would have said that I was going down with a cold, headache, aching, tired.... the usual symptoms. I should have realised that all I needed was a ride. This used to happen to me when I was running Kona. If I missed a week of commuting through work I'd end up with the same symptoms. The cure: go for a ride. Of course if you really are sick you just take it easy. If you can't ride a bike, nice and easy, even if you do have a bad cold then you really do have a problem - not physical but mental.

Cove Handjob
I was very keen to try the Cove Handjob and just to make it more comfortable I used a pair of the new Endura MT500 Spray shorts. The Handjob is very light - 25lbs and it only has a basic level of kit on it so if any one thinks steel is heavy, think again. Steel always delivers a comforable ride but this was amazing, it felt as if I was riding a spring, positively bouncing over the rough stuff. The Race Face Evolve seat post helped by flexing too. It took a while to get used to the bounce but I'd much rather have this than the constant jarring that many hard tails give (the exceptions to this rule are the Marin & Whyte Trail hard tails) . The bike is a trail bike so it is for fun, long and technical rides so I'd put the "spring" down as a damn good reason for buying a bike like this.

The bike has a 130mm Rock Shox Revelation which proved inspiring on the descents but despite its length the bike was still easy on the climbs. It had a U-turn but I never even thought to lower the fork on any climb. Today, modern long travel trail bikes be they full suspension or hard tail all seem to climb with ease despite their 130 - 150mm forks. This bike was a lot of fun to ride being both confidence inspiring and comfortable.

The Endura MT500 Spray shorts have arrive just in time for the damp dewey days of Autumn. They are super light weight, so you hardly feel that you are wearing them (this will be a real benefit when riding in the rain). All the fabric, including the water proof rear panels, are stretch. They look like a regular pair of baggies but the light weight and stretch panels make them very comfortable. Where they will win out is when the weather turns bad. The perfect short for Autumn, Winter or any wet days.

15th September 2009 - Southern Sportive and 1,500 road riders flying the flag

Yet again the Southern Sportive went off with wonderful weather last Sunday. We were running the second check point, the first with a timing mat, for the riders doing the full 155k. From 10:30 to 12:00 it was manic as 720 riders came and collected flap jacks, bananas and SIS drinks. There were a few punctures and the usual front mechs to sort out. That is all I ever do on these events: front mechs!

It is just about possible to ride a sportive every week in this country. The great thing about these is that it gives the great british public a chance to see cycling en masse. Whislt the odd git may get annoyed about this, it does start to educate the public that there are a lot of riders out there. The UK is unique in Western Europe in that it does not embrace cycling. In any other country the little villages on the route of the Southern Sportive would have gone out of their way to make the ride a festive occasion.

So keep riding these events as they present a great challenge and they will start to get drivers used to sharing the back roads on a Sunday with other users. Chapeau to all those that completed the ride.

8th September 2009 or is it 2010? 2010 Marin, Scott, Whyte and Wiler road shows

We are back from seeing the 2010 bikes and they could not come soon enough. Every brand has run out of every 2009 bike this year so shops are bare. When the recession struck no one thought that you would all want to keep riding your bikes. It seems that having fun for free on a bike is recession proof. There is no charge for riding.

The product managers have done an awesome job. We were all expecting price rises but the new innovations and reduced weights have meant that 2010 bikes are a stunning value. Our stock is starting to arrive. We have all the 2010 Wilier in stock, some Marins and we will be doing Whyte again (they have a Reynolds 631 steel trail hard tail. Steel is real - its what you buy if you don't want a full suspension bike). Keep an eye on each brands web sites for the full range they should be going live with 2010 bikes soon.

Most exciting - Whyte 19 Trail titanium. Most "want to ride" - the new Mount Vision, more relaxed head tube yet better climbing and lighter than the previous versions.

Next week its Ridgeback and Genesis.

More to follow soon.

6th September 2009 Steve Peat wins World Championship and great local pies!

I was going to write about ways to ride - in your comfort zone (as my mate trying to get back to fitness does) or totally maxed out, I was also going to write about how perfect our trails still are - dusty and fast, I was going to write about how awesome it is to ride with loads of road miles on your legs and I was going to finish up with one of the best rides that I have ever had - my daughter came out with me today! But all of this pails into insignificance agains Steve Peat's win. After 4 silvers and 15 years of trying Peaty final did it today. He covered the notoriously pedally 2.4km course in 2mins 30:33 seconds. He averaged just under 60kph! He has won more World Cup races than any one else but until now he was never been the World Champion. Well done buddy.

If any one wonders why we have a British Kona jersey in the shop, it was one the batch that I had made for Peaty and a few other riders at Steve's first World Cup back in, I think, 1994. He may give the impression that he is a wild man and nutter but he is truly a remarkable and professional athlete.

Just as Steve has incredible skills that he practices, I was reminded today how much there is to learn when riding a bike. If I didn't run the shop I'd like to coach as I used to with windsurfing. Today I was out with my daughter. She is a very fit and talented track and cross country runner but having that physical strength is of no use if you can't apply it. It was great to see how she came on as her skills improved. I have to admit to "dabbing" this morning as I struggled up a granny gear climb and my front wheel popped, despite the road miles - not enough technique.

Jimbo runs skills sessions if ever you want some coaching

By the way, Jimbo runs on tea and cake but we have discovered another local aid to cycling: Higgidy pies These delicious pies are made locally in Shoreham. Try one!

2nd September 2009 13 miles on a no cycling rest day!

Do you commute by bike? Is your bike a sports machine or a utility vehicle? Or is it both? Yesterday, my legs were hurting from my ride in Sunday and a tough, very hilly walk on Monday so Tuesday was a rest day. I still managed 13 miles. I live 10 mins from the shop but went to a meeting in Lancing then visited my mother in law at hospital before riding home. 13miles!

Once you get used to it a bike is by far the most practical and efficient way to get around. It saves time and a lot of money. It makes it easier for the elderly and infirm to get around in their cars - they have to drive. And it keeps you fit and keeps the weight off. It is the easy miles that burn fat not the all out efforts on a hard ride.

Imagine what your fitness and life would be like if you rode more. You'll all say that you can't do id because of work or family but imagine what would happen if your doctor said that you couldn't drive any more due to some ailment, you'd soon find a way to ride and turn your life around. Think how fit you'd get and how you'd be the strong one on Sunday rather than the guy at the back.

30th August 2009 Trail report

Its good to be clocking up some off road miles again especially since the trails are so perfect.

The track down from the Cissbury East Gate has been cleared (thanks)so you can ride down fast as you can see where you are going and there should be little chance of getting caught by the Hogweed.

When riding up above Steyning keep your eyes open for new lines. There are a lot of tracks round there and if you blink you'll miss a good bit of single track.

Be careful especially if you ride at night when descending the South Downs Way from the West to East on the tarmac section that drops down to the A24. There is usually a post to prevent vehicular access, this is dangerous enough, but it has been removed just leaving the bracket in the track/road. At best this could trash a tyre and rim, at worse it could take your knee cap off. Be warned..

This is still the best year that I have ever know for riding on dry firm trails

27th August 2009 Single track heaven

I was out flying around on the last remaining demo - the Scott Spark. To my excitment, up over Steyning I met some youngsters, I thought that I was going to see some real action on the jumps but all they did was stand around. For me riding is riding, not stopping and chatting, we rode on as they were not doing the jump and I found some news lines (part of the run out from the big stuff): nice with some good drops for cross country boy. Whilst there is nothing really big round here certain tracks can be pretty hairy if you only have 100 or 120mm travel. From top to bottom this is a long, fast and technical single track. We are so lucky.

There is a benefit to loads of road riding: huge reserves of power. That makes riding much more fun. I have lost a few extreme climbing skills by not riding off road as much, had the front wheel pop up so I could claim a clean run on the hardest climb but I am enjoying being strong. For those of you that frown on skinny wheels you don't know what you are missing. I'll be clocking up the dirt miles from now on as Dust 'til Dawn approaches. Ride-on!

25th August 2009 Racing round the Green

We often test road bikes around Broadwater Green. We have to really crank up some customer's bike to make sure that they work in racing conditions and the circuit provides a suitable test. Last night, inspired by the talk of the Wilier Cento Uno, Stu took off on a flying lap. He was wearing Shimano DX Flat shoes. 1:20 - not bad. JP had to have a go. 1:22 using Shimano Custom carbon road shoes but hitting traffic at both mini round-a-bouts . Darren was next up, he refused the loan of the shoes so did it with flip flips, 1:19. The challenge is on, the boss can't be last!.

By the way, don't try this at home.......

24th August 2009 Blisters and poisonous plants

Its that time of year again, in fact its late this year. Watch out for the Hogweed its sap causes blisters that may appear within hours of the sap getting on your skin. These then burst and you are left with an open sore. The worse place around here is the wonderful single track that runs down from Cissbury's East gate droping down and heading East. This is where the chicane is where I test out any new bikes.

Check this out to identify the plant. If I have made an error ( mybotanical knowledge is limited) please contact me and I'll set the record straight.

16th August 2009 Back on dirt again... and dog walkers

Yesterday was the Brighton Big Dog - what a great event! Well done to the organisers. It was not too big, not atall coporate, just friendly and socialble. It was also tough for those that rode. We went their to suport local riders and marshalls. I good number of Worthing riders were helping keep racers safe and generally taking abuse from the dog walkers. Jimbo did 6 laps (48 miles and over 6,000ft) and he didn't even have a bead of sweat on him.

Dog walkers are like drivers. Quite normal nice people get behind a wheel and suddenly feel that they have a god given right to absolute freedom on the roads (if you are normal, you may well act the same way too.). Again, quite normal nice people put their dog walking boots on and suddenly they and their mut have a divine right to roam wherever they please. Just look at all the unofficial trails that climb Cissbury. If mountain bikers had made them there would be hell to pay. Despite the abuse at Stanmer, the marshalls concentrated on the job at hand and everyone was smiling at the end of the day.

I was back riding off road today - the trail condition is incrredible. What amazing single track we have. My favorite jump has been groomed (thanks) and I got my biggest air ever. The trails are in such good condition that I was able to roadie climb on some routes that in the Autumn will be impossible. I need to practice sitting and straining leg power agains arms to get ready for the inevitable damp days

I did meet a lot of local dog walkers today and they were all very friendly.

14th August 2009 Brighton Big Dog

There's not been much going on and I've been to busy to ride much. Tomorrow we are off to Brighton Big Dog but we can only manage a small prescence as it is a Saturday and we need to man the shop too. That is a shame because I'd really like to support our local event.

Anyway, just incase you think that I've been road riding too much you might want to have a laugh at the expense of a roadie with this Aussie video -Its all about performance

Good luck to all the Pairs, Solos, singles and others for tomorrows 6 hour enduro and well done the organisers!

9th August 2009 Its not always about the bike

If you are reading this you'll probably be aware of my new bike (Wiler Cento Uno) and how fast it is. However, if you're stupid, a great bike will only get you so far. Today a small group of us went to Dunsfold to do a 4th cat race. I obviously thought that I should be in for a place (I am always optomistic). I'd never raced there but it did not seem very technical, basically up and down the runway. The problem was that at one end there was a gradual 180 degree turn marked by a white line, great for cars but for cyclists your eye followed the line but riders ahead all cut the corner to get onto the runway as soon as possible hence the constant screams and shoulder and handlebar clashing. At the other end there was a very sharp and narrow bend. This was easy and suited my mountain bike skills. Whilst most riders cut the corner the obvious thing to do was to go very wide and then cut in. Doing this meant that I did not have to brake and so exited first on the first lap. I continued to come out in the front group with no effort, but... Coming out with the front runners the sling shot effect meant that I could not control the irresisable urge to sprint of and chase any rider up ahead. The bike helped here. This was great fun but I ended up doing it for most of the laps. Not the way to conserve energy for a break or a sprint.

There were several breaks and I got involved in chasing them all. By the last lap I was wasted unable to do anything let alone try to out sprint my brother. Worse still, the sadists organising the race decided that the race was so boring (it was) that we should all do another lap. I wilted approaching the line and I ended up last horrified to see all the riders start the extra lap. Although I had no chance of any come back I found another gear and rode myself into the ground overtaking rider after ride. I caught my brother, dropped him did the usual sling shot on the final turn and continued to fire on all cylinder but just before finishing this monumental lap a whole bunch blasted past including dear bro and I died on the line a few bike lengths behind. At least I can take consolation in that I am was very tough on the day (not tough enough though)albeit an absolutely stupid git when it comes to road racing..... Being a hard man is the way to win mountain bike races, being smart is the way to win on the road.

I love my bike.

7th August 2009 A busy week in the shop

Naturally I've been riding and the Wilier Cento Uno is feeling even better but there is more going on. Wednesday was National Play Day so we were out there to entertain. Broadwater Green was packed with thouands of kids all under 10 and all potential cyclists of the future.

We'd borrowed Zero Gravity's old rig (Thanks a million Chris & Rob) so that Darren could do his stuff. So despite being flat out in the shop Quest Adventure was able to keep a load of kids screaming and clapping for Daz to go even high and further.

Worthing Revolutions had another meeting and despite the chat about the Prom going ahead we actually had some good discussion about creating our own cycle map for Worthing. If we wait for some proper cycle routes to come from WSCC I am afraid that I will be too old to be able to see them appear. The feeling is that as Worthing is such a cycle friendly town all that we have to do is to compile our own list of user friendly roads for you to cycle on. This should encourage more cyclist to start to use them. We will get to to point where it will be seen as a prefered cycle route. The safety in numbers theory should apply and cars will start to make more allowances on these routes.

Look out for "How ro ride in Worthing" on this web site coming soon. Worthing Revolutions web site

4th August 2009 Mount Vision 2010 sneak preview

I'll be writing up a mini review soon enough but for now here is a picture of one of the new Mount Visions. As you will have read in the press it is even more of a trail bike and lighter too.

The Mount Vision 2008 was Bike of the Year - you can't get much better than that.

Or can you. Remember my review of the 2009 - that bike was way more of a trail bike than the 2008.

The 2010 has taken all that made the 2009 better than the 2008 and gone a step further. The Mount Vision has now cast off its XC/enduro routes leaving the Alchemist to wave that flag and it is now a whole bundle of fun.

More later........

2nd August 2009 Back on the mountain bike and in "nice" mud

I've been off the moutain bike for almost a month (been on the road). What a day to get back on it - beautiful. Sure there was some mud but most mud and puddles were avoidable, it was warm, the sun was shining and I felt strong: perfect. What was a shock, though, was the first climb through the woods. As you know I warn everyone about the slippery surface round these parts but it never ceases to amaze me how slippery it is and how much of a shock it is when it has been dry. The whole climb near Roger's Farm is covered with roots! I may have 25 years experience but it is so easy to forget. I could barely stay on the bike for the first half an hour.

Here is a riding tip, relax, but keep concentrating and you'll soon get used to it and even start to forget that it was ever a problem. If you can stay on your bike here you can stay on anywhere. The rest of he ride was a doddle though I did eventually go down, it would have been a shame not to, after all I was mountain biking and for me that is a part of the deal.

Make the most of today as the forecast looks bleak.

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