themanfromicon
-
2013 Rapha Festive 500 [part 4]
Day 6 Another (slow) century, a proper one, not a metric one. Not the ideal recovery spin after yesterday’s ultracross adventures. However completing 100 miles is in the head more than the legs I think. So here goes… http://www.strava.com/activities/102576759 http://www.strava.com/activities/102634220
-
2013 Rapha Festive 500 [part 3]
Day 5 When I was a kid there were days when I’d go out on my bike all day, bombing around the streets collecting friends, then head up the woods to simply hack about for hours until we got hungry and went home. Jumping over tree roots, skidding round corners, flying down hills ever so…
-
2013 Rapha Festive 500 [part 2]
Day 3 – A tale of two rides As is tradition it’s time for the Boxing Day Century (imperial, not metric). I say tradition, but what I mean is I did it last year and I’m doing it again this year. Except last year I don’t think I quite managed 100 miles. Anyway, I’m up…
-
2013 Rapha Festive 500 [part 1]
Pre The weather forecast for the next week looks well iffy so I’m in two minds whether to even start a Festive 500 attempt. I did also vow last year I wouldn’t do it again. However I really like the badge this year. The sensible way to do it would be to try and do…
-
Tourist Trophy 2013 // Stage 12 // December // The same, but different
For the final official Tourist Trophy ride of the year I came up with the idea to go “home” to Frimley and ride the hometown streets I bombed around on rattly-can sprayed single speeds, ‘racers’, and BMXs as a kid, and then the local Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire roads that were my playground when I…
-
Tourist Trophy 2013 // Stage 11 // November // Cornwall
The sun is rising into an otherwise empty sky as I ride out of Wadebridge across the bridge over the River Camel. This hundred metres or so will be the first and last flat part of today’s ride. The only other flat section is the ferry across the River Fowey at the southern most point…
-
Tour of Britain
Back in January I read about a challenge that my friend Jo Burt posted on the road.cc website, the Tourist Trophy. The idea was simple – to go and ride in a different county each month in 2013. I read about this the day before I was due to ride to Surrey to visit friends…
-
Coast
A zig-zag route with a profile like saw teeth. Narrow lanes between high hedges, rough and twisting. Stick and stones, mud and leaves, over pitted tarmac. Gently turning into a corner the front wheel follows the tangential line until it finds some traction. Getting out of the saddle uphill is like roller training, back wheel spinning but no…
-
Tourist Trophy 2013 // Stage 10 // October // Peaks and troughs
I’m on Winnats Pass in Derbyshire. I’m lying on the wet grass verge looking at my bike lying half on the road, half on the grass with me. I gaze down the hill, then up the hill, and then forlornly back at the bike. A moment ago I was riding up the hill. The gradient…
-
The long way round
Shutting the front door whilst the nearly full moon still hangs over the city to the east I head west. The sun is yet to break cover. Where the sky meets the sea is pink and orange, a hint of what is imminent. I’ve got just under three hours before I need to be at…
the man from icon 