A Rainy Ride

The rain hammered hard. It fell from the clouds and dragged my spirit with it, it ran from my head, rolled down my back, round the cheeks of my butt and eventually fell off the rear of my saddle into my rear wheel, only to be slung around and splatted against my white staining jersey. This was going to happen for at least another 50 kilometres. The joy.

Glasses don’t really help either, they fog up as my heavy respiration forces warm breath from my mouth upwards onto the cold lenses. I wiped them often, but they just get smudged and grimy from the dates I ate and the sugary energy bars that kept me going..

My helmet may as well have been a swimming pool. Every time I tilted my head captured rain would fall through the vents and run down my back. The helmet was essential due to the fact that the chances of crashing were considerably higher as the lack of friction was becoming a problem.

Damn the rain.

I aquaplaned a few times leaning into corners. It’s scary, but exciting in an adrenaline boosting way, it grabs your attention and makes sure you don’t forget that every corner is now your enemy.

My shoes were completely waterlogged. Each turn of the pedals created a squelch, an irritating noise it would seem as time goes by. My toes were going numb, a feeling I’m still getting used to.

The only parts of me that stayed warm were my hands and legs. Mainly because I had two pairs of gloves on and my legs were constantly spinning around.

Had it been a warm day we would have been travelling a lot faster as there would have been a reduced risk of crashing. But no, I had decided I would ride in this weather.

People often ask why one would go and ride in the rain. The answer is simple.

I love cycling more than anything in the world. More than eating rhubarb and custard sweets, more than a cold one in the summer, more than the smile on my girlfriends face…

When you truly love something you’ll do anything to feel that feeling of happiness, joy, ecstasy…

New Year and Stuff.

So, here it is. The New Year.

Happy New Year to you, I wish you all the best for the coming 365 days.

I’ve got quite a few plans for this year, most of which are cycling, education and fitness related. Maybe a little bit of self improvement too?!

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my blog/s. Without seeing the hits on my posts I’m really doing this for nothing, it would look like I’m only typing to clear my head. However the stats show me that people from all corners of the world have read and continue to read my blog/s.

To start…

The year just passed.

If you’ve read my blog throughout the past year you’ll know that a lot has happened to me, some good and some bad. I did a lot for myself last year and really just started to understand who I am and what I’m doing here on this planet. I did quite a few things I’d never really do, I regretted some of the decisions I made but I also took opportunities I would never take too!

Everything I did has helped me to become who I am now and has helped me in planning a future based around the things I love.

The year ahead.

This year I aim to give you as much information as possible about what I’m doing, Training, Food, Music, Races… blah blah… And in return I’d like to hear back from you. Does anything I write about offend you? Motivate you? Even interest you? Let me know so I can improve what you see.

I have a secret plan for this year. I can’t tell you what it is obviously but I’m sure as the years comes to a close you’ll guess and maybe even understand what’s happening. Everything I do this year is working towards the secret… Dun dun dun…

You can follow me on…

Twitter; @Irideroad

Facebook; RideWithI

Instagram; @irideroad

Stay Flemish,

Orca Out.

Gran Fondo 8, SiS Summer 100 and Shimano Summer Challenge!

Sunday 10th August 2014

You always get a good view when you're on a bike

I'm sat here listening to E-Bow by Sigur Ros, a beautiful track, staring at this screen, teary eyed as the music fills my ears and memories fill my mind. I find a quote after searching online for something to express how I feel right now and this is what I found...

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."

The last week has been brilliant for me, in so many different ways.

Coffee

Thursday...

I finally got to see the insides of the Conti, something I've wanted to do for a long time. I need to know how it works, without this machine I wouldn't be very good at my job.

I managed to speak to the technician as he went about repairing the machine. He was extremely patient as i wrote notes and drew diagrams for future reference, he talked me through every single part of the machine, mentioning what they do and how they do it. It was a brilliant experience...

Cycling

I did just under 300k this week, I should have really done more... Training is all that matters...

Monday...

I'm waiting for my Racing licence to come through the in the post so I can start looking ahead at the CX season over winter. This will be a great learning and training season for me, I'm' not going to be looking for the win, but if the opportunity shows itself I will attack until my legs are jelly!

Wednesday...

So this ride was pretty cool, minus the fact I was left to go solo 25 Miles in due to Dale having a puncture... But that's not going to stop the Orca from smashing his way up and down hills in the dark! I managed to cover 91.2km in the end, so i wasn't too disappointed about doing it solo. Plus I was on a total high due to the night before...

Sprinting around on Alice, no hands!

This ride made me feel incredible, the mixture of being out with my best friend, doing the thing I love more than anything, the views and the great memories from the night before made me break down. I cried on a downhill section overlooking Clanfield. The feelings were too much for me to handle, I just had to let it out... I also had to let Dale know how much I appreciate him.

Saturday...

I finished work at 6.30, went home, cleaned my kit, threw some food and gels into my musette, charged my Garmin and planned the route... I then rode to Dales to pick him up and off we went.

Gran Fondo 8 and SiS Summer 100 were my goals, complete them both in one ride! On top of that I used the ride as a top up for the Shimano Summer Challenge, 600k in 16 days.

At first I didn't think Dale would have been able to even do 100 plus miles, thankfully I was wrong. He was great company for what was to be a cold, windy and rainy ride.

We climbed, we descended and we CTFU. We rode 50 miles before our first break, we sat in the road on top of a hill somewhere near Bishops Waltham.

One of the nice things about being up in the hills and away from towns is the lack of traffic and the fortunate lack of light pollution. Unfortunately the sky was full of huge clouds and we couldn't see the moon or stars, this is usually a perk I look forward to. Thankfully there were no cars around for miles, so we were not blinded every ten seconds unlike on other rides.

We had ridden around 60 miles when Dale mentioned he had a front puncture... Fuck!

Just what we needed. I was standing around not being very much help at all, freezing to death and CTFU. Dale luckily had packed his saddle bag with everything we needed, he fixed the puncture promptly and we were off again... Then it started raining... Not just raining... Pissing down!

We were drenched, worried about our phones in our jersey pockets and the terrible country road surfaces in the wet. I was blinded in one eye for at least a mile and a half, which was not very fun considering we were on a downhill.

The rain stopped as we re-entered Meon, however the wind was still howling at us, it was torture.

So, anyhow we managed to get on top of Portsdown Hill, somewhere near Southwick, but not using the A road... It was a complete mission climbing 128 meters after riding in conditions we had been riding in. At last we made it to the top... Everyone knows that what goes up must come down... And we did... Fast!

We descended into Fareham and rode towards Gosport... This is when I threw in the towel "I don't want to ride down that fucking road" I really dislike this particular road, I was cranky as hell, tired and cold. I just wanted to get home.

So we turned around and headed back towards Portsmouth.

We got onto the island and headed towards Clarence Pier, we needed to do a lap of the seafront and then add on how ever many miles Dale needed to make it to a complete century. We finished our lap in Eastney and turned to find another 4 miles. We pedaled and pedaled. In one mile I had completed my 3 challenges, 3 miles after that Dale would complete 2 of them too! I started shouting words of motivation. Our speed raised as well as our spirits.

Its a brilliant feeling seeing someone complete such a big ride, the biggest ride they've ever done! The longest time spent in the saddle! The highest number of meters climbed! The personal records stacked up!

A smile crept onto my face. Dale had done it! I had done it!

I didn't care much for my own goals, I only had time for my best friends achievements!

I'm so proud of him for everything! He really impressed me on this ride. He was great company, a great wind breaker and a complete fighter!

I rode back to Dales to pick up some amazing cake he had made, Peanut butter and chocolate spread marble cake! It was amazing and definitely helped in my recovery!

I got home and collapsed onto the floor, looked around for a while and decided I needed sleep. I slept.

Flandrian tanlines...Hot!

Check my Strava/Challenges page for all my ride information.

Personal/Other

 Go out and listen to Arkells new album High Noon! Its great, I wouldn't say its better than the old albums but it's on par.

Saw nan, all is ok. She went to Legoland with my Brother, she's a total nutter!

Get in touch?

Facebook-Instagram-Twitter

Just click on the boxes on the right!

Stay Flemish!

Orca out!

A personal one.

My name's Jordan, I'm awesome!

So today I just really want to talk about life,

Recently mine has been all over the place; I've been lower than I have ever been before and felt so terrible for the things I've done and said, for the people I've hurt and those I've ignored.

However from doing this to everyone I have personally had the greatest 2 months of my life, I haven't had to worry about anyone else but myself, I've been able to do whatever I want, when I want. I know it sounds selfish, but when you've been constantly working for other people a little time out is needed.

So I've been out riding the bikes, chilling with my true friends, I've moved house, worked hard, met new genuine people, tried a different diet, taken chances I would never usually take (and maybe regretted some of them) listened to some awesome new tracks and most of all, I have actually felt good about myself... This to me is the most important point.

No one should have to feel left out, alone, sad.... the list goes on, making a few simple changes in your life can change everything. I know, I just did it and I feel great.

So over the last few weeks what have I done?

We visited some hoes!

Riding....

I've been out so much recently, most rides I have been accompanied by the most amazing guy I have ever had the chance to meet, work with and ride with.
This guy (and partner) have done so much for me over the past 2 months, I really can not thank them enough.

Dale "The Wheels" Elder: Ultimate ride partner.

Dale, Bossing it as usual!

I met Dale About 2 1/2 years ago and we hit it off straight away. He's funny as hell, hard working and just a really cool guy. I got him to come out riding with me, god what a mission it was for the first few rides!

But, he stuck at it, in 2 years he's gone from "back of the pack" to "domestique extraordinaire".
Sticking on my wheel up climbs, breaking wind in front of me and setting me up for sprints like a one man sprint train and he's a motivational diva.

Pin-up girl material.

He's definitely changed, for the best of course. At the same time I would like him to always stay the same, right now everything is perfect.

So we've been riding around and the distances we go are getting longer and the chats we have on the bikes are getting stranger. We've recently started "getting lost".

Getting lost?

Getting lost is just riding in any direction, finding a place you've never been and just keep going. We've ridden in circles which is very annoying. We've climbed hundreds of hills and have even tried cyclocross... Unintentionally, but quite thankfully. Its a thrill, the adrenaline feels amazing, the fear of crashing keeps you on edge and the possibility of punctures makes you want to quit. Which we did not, we rode that trail like true Flandrian Hard Men.

And in getting lost we have started using my Garmin to its full capacity and using the maps. So we don't get completely lost...
Planning routes of 50-70 miles for only 2 people to ride is quite hard as distance and time are hard to keep track of when looking on a scree,. riding the route on the road, not knowing if you're going to be climbing or descending is a hassle and you don't want to be out all night in the cold and under-fed, so planning ahead is crucial.

We recently did a ride with a friend of a friend, which I was very insistent that Dale was ready for as I didn't want to look "un-Pro". Dales partner had prepared musettes for the three of us! That was amazing! Peanut butter sandwiches, Granola bars, Brownies and Flapjacks! Everything an ever hungry cyclist needs for a ride.

So we did the ride, got halfway and our tag along had a mechanical issue, so the returning half of the ride was at a slower pace... until his chain snapped. Fuck!

I've never seen a chain snap, I don't even know anyone who's had a chain snap, this was a first and I was quite shocked at how easily a snap can happen. Thankfully I have spares, but not with me on that ride, so we said goodnight and road on...

The rainbow road.

Rainbow Road Ridin'

One of the best things about riding is, you never know what's going to happen.

Me and Dale were out riding and we reached a junction on a bike path, I said
"Let's go left"
So we start riding along this bike path until we get to the most amazing thing I have ever seen while riding my bike.

The whole bike path was covered in Pink, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow chalk! It was everywhere! We rode through it, the bikes got covered in chalk, we were getting chalk on us and the chalk was being kicked up into the air, it was beautiful!

Impromptu Photoshoot!

This was easily one of the best rides I've ever been on, it was so unexpected and really raised our moods. I will always remember that night, riding with my best friend, in chalk, at night.... Bliss.

Getting Fancy with the Camera

More recently,

Just standing in a field, asking you to love me.

We rode from Portsmouth to Southampton via Clanfield and Bishops Waltham.
A big loop round the top of Portsmouth and then back down through to Fareham.

This ride was just brilliant because of the amount of climbing we did. We had never ridden on 70% of the roads, and this is when we tried cyclocross.


I am planning to complete 2 Strava challenges in one ride next Sunday (10.08) The SiS Summer 100 and the Strava Gran Fondo 8.

The first being a ride of 100 miles in one ride and the other being 130km in one ride. So my pre-planned route of 156 mile should be plenty to complete both challenges and rocket me up the leaderboard. If you would like to join me just drop me a message on any of the social networks at the bottom of the page and I'll send you the .gpx file!

Getting messed up!

Work/Coffee

Work has been good, same old.

Not exactly.

Well, being appointed Head Barista is pretty sick, a little bit of control and influence is always a good thing...
You know when you just like things done a certain way? Being able to pick up on the little things is awesome and knowing that things are being done correctly gives a sense of accomplishment, picking which coffees we serve is amazing too. I can pick flavours I like and hopefully get others to like them too!

There's also a new girl! She's pretty cool, into the whole Health and Fitness... I don't know if anyone else has this problem? But is it just me or is it really hard to find a girl who is genuinely into Health and Fitness? These girls are so rare!
Check out her Blog The Endorphin Diaries

I am still working on improving myself, a few new designs are being practised at the moment, not got them perfect enough yet to want to show anyone pictures. I've been searching for loads of different little things I can do to improve my skill set. Tara bought an amazing book called Coffee Obsession by Anette Moldvaer.

Its a brilliant read with some great basic information on coffee, but the main reason for mentioning this book is the recipes inside! They're awesome. They all contain coffee, some with alcohol and some with fruit... Just check it out for yourself and create some amazing drinks!

I tried the Coffee Cola recipe, using a double shot of our Jailbreak Espresso from HasBean, Ice and 250ml of Coca Cola.... It was really tasty, you can distinguish both coffee and cola but there seemed to be a hint of really juicy red cherries too! But saying that, I wouldn't drink too much of it because your teeth will fall out...

At home I've been making cold brewed Cascara and cold brewed Vanilla Iced Tea, both of which are super tasty, I made my housemates try the Cascara, they loved it which is a win, I mentioned it tasted like Marmalade and they were begging me for it! However the Vanilla Iced Tea is just too good to let anyone else have. But you can go buy some and make it yourself? I get my Vanilla tea from All About Tea and the Cascara from Hasbean.

Personal/Other Stuff

So on the girl front... I don't even know anymore? I guess I sort of give up? I'm currently just very happy being me, doing what I want. But, you know, if there's someone out there who likes the same stuff as me and isn't a complete nightmare....

My Nan was in hospital for a few days with a suspected Heart Attack, which sucked big time. This lady has really done more than she should have had to do with her life already, I can't express my love for her enough without crying and looking a complete mess. You'll never understand true love until someone has given up 18 years of their life to raise you even though they shouldn't have, she should have been enjoying her life. (And  I know she would argue that if she would have done it a hundred times over and never regretted anything) I am truly thankful and blessed for everything she has done and when something like the above has happened it really gets you going...

I emailed Portsmouth University about my Course next year too! Excited to start that!

IRR.cc, I am still currently trying to sort this out, its a nightmare trying to fit stuff in and around other things...
But, things are looking good for the .cc so I'm happy... for now...

IRR.cc - Best Bro's

Music has been pretty sweet, there's a new Gaslight anthem out soon, so I'm stoked!
I borrowed my housemates guitar last night and had a solo jam session, at least I've not forgotten everything.

Looking at buying an S-Works Venge too! Really happy about this, going to take a while to build the frame up, fortunately I have a few spares banging around... A nice new project to keep me busy.

The France and Belgium trip is still being planned, I also started planning a 2-3 day training trip to Wales. So I'm really excited that its starting to feel a bit more realistic.




Thanks very much for popping by and reading about my life....
I promise more bike related stuff soon....

If I've not bored you to death and you want to keep up to date please follow the links below!
Alternatively click on one of those Cups/Mugs on the side bar!

Facebook// Irideroad.cc
Twitter// @irideroad
Instagram// IRideRoad


Also If you're on Strava hit me up... Jordan Clarke on Strava
Alternatively Garmin me? Irideroad

Stolen bikes, Awesome sunsets and a Hedgehog???

I'm not dead!

Sorry for the lack of posts... The reason...

As many of you may know I had my bike stolen a few months back now, and it sucked big time.

When something that means so much to you is stolen the feelings you feel are hard to explain, I honestly didn't know how to react to finding Spartacus missing from my workplace, a place I thought it would be safe. How was I meant to get home? How was I supposed to go out and ride?

So obviously after phoning the police and giving a complete description of Spartacus I just had to sit and wait. I waited and waited.

Until finally one day at work a policeman walks in and asks for me.

Long story short… They found him!

So I'm off to Bristol of all places tomorrow! They moved him to a complete different county! But he’s safe! I literally cannot wait to see that beast again!

Other than my life being screwed for a month…

Amazing sunset whilst riding.

 

I bought a Specialized Allez as a replacement until I got Spartacus back, it’s a mean machine and for what I paid I got an absolute bargain. “Alice” as she is now called rides like a dream. Fast as hell in any direction! After having a bike fit a few months back I really noticed the difference in choosing the correct frame size and stem length, both of which are perfect on Alice.

Work has been ok, I've been trying some new latte art out and have had some good feedback, and I’m also in love with cold brew!

Yesterday I viewed a house just around the corner from work and it looks like I’m moving in on Friday! So I am going to be pretty busy this week. I hopefully have a ride planned on Sunday too which is sweet. Since getting Alice I've not really been in much, I've been at work or out smashing it up hills. My legs are feeling like tree trunks right now, so it’s time to order some new kit…

Met this little dude on a ride.

Me and my friend Dale have been discussing “Irideroad” as a brand quite a lot recently and are looking to start our own local team, so plans for kit are underway and finding a few sponsors are too! So if you know anyone who wants some advertising let me know and we'll see what they can offer in exchange for being plastered on our chests and backs…. We're also looking to start a few community projects too. I’m currently planning something to combine my two loves too, but that will have to be a whole separate post entirely.

I hope to be able to do a post every other day and if I can persuade Dale into it get him to do some guest posts, he’s my main man “The Mechanic” So no doubt he'll be able to help you with some repairs, fitting and general care tips for your ride.

Stay Flemish

JC out!

Venge & HFM

Hey!

Been a while now, I think you dropped me a few weeks ago, Iv'e just made a Pomegranate and Blood Orange Smoothie, so I'm pumped and roaring pack up to the pack.

I'm here.

So,

I'm going to start with Healthy For Men Magazine, this is just a cheap magazine you can pick up from GNC stores and Holland&Barrett.

I've been reading HFM for the last 3 months now, only because that's when i first saw it, i wish i had seen it before. They cover a lot of subjects Nutrition, Diet, Science in sport, Fitness, Male body image and Supplements.
I think the magazine is supposed to be an advertisement primarily for the products stocked at GNC and H&B, but also lets you know how to use certain products to get the right results. Most of the cover stories are success stories, last months cover model was the winner of a competition and they talked you through his routine, goals, achievements and lifestyle, so you can see how much hard work goes into being fit and healthy.

This months cover model was Actor Joe Manganiello, star of True Blood and How I Met Your Mother, in his article we read how he turned his life around, from a budding movie star (Flash in Spiderman) he fell into the wrong group of people, fame obviously being too much for him and started becoming a drug and alcohol abuser. After realizing he needed to turn his life around he started with his body, he swapped drugs and alcohol for workouts and training. Getting ripped and stealing attention away from other actors he landed job offers from Hollywood agents, thus turning his life around, he started at the bottom and is now at the top.

 After realizing his success came from his fitness he has written a book, Evolution, not wanting anyone else to make the same mistakes that he had.

So if you're interested in being fit and healthy and getting the right advice from professionals who can talk to you about the right products and work out regimes and also supply you with the necessary equipment, supplements and information head to H&B or GNC and pick up a magazine, I personally have learned a lot from them, there are vouchers for products inside so you can buy products cheaper, expert advice and interesting stories about male body image (this months being the rise in liposuction for men). It costs £1.25, a total bargain, it can get you off your butt and fill you with knowledge at the same time. Well worth it.

Check out their site healthyformen.com
Grab a mag in GNC or H&B stores!

Moving on,

For the past few weeks I've been looking for a new bike, i searched around at a lot of bikes until i found the one I really really wanted, I then made the decision based on the fact that I am very happy with the construction, quality and speed of my Specialized Langster (Spartacus) So i guess they're who I'm going to stick with... for now. So having visited bike shops and firstly looked for the Roubaix, which I do love, then Tarmac, which is a really nice general use bike it left me with one option.

Aggression, Aerodynamics and Speed.

The Specialized Venge.

So today I visited Hargroves Cycles to get measured so I can work out which size I should go for. For Spartacus I am at 54cm sized frame. Mark Cavendish is a prime example that this bike is the best, he uses it and wins races! However, he uses a a 49cm sized frame... This is too small for him, he should be riding something like a 56cm. But he is a professional and that is the reason he uses a smaller frame size, I am not a pro... yet.

So, my riding position of Spartacus is almost upright, its very comfortable and I don't speed around on him so I don't need to be lent over the bars, so this got me thinking about the size I should use for a road bike. I should get the 54cm as it is the correct size, however I am not in a speedy position, so I need to go up a size to the 56cm so I can stretch out a bit and get aero when I need to go fast!

Having checked that a 56cm would be an OK fit for me I now know what size to get, I am so happy and can not wait to get that box in the post!

I did look at this years Venge, its White and Blue, not something I would like to be seen on so I looked for last years model, Black and Red, plus at least £1000 cheaper than this years model. Sold to the man in the cycling cap!

Spending £21.50 on a bus pass a week, which is not very cheap for my bank or the planet, dictates what time I have to be at the bus stop, waits at traffic and takes more time to arrive at my destination than actually riding a bike (I have ridden the route many times and my times are faster) compared to paying "x" amount for the Venge, which runs on my own engine which in no way harms the planet, is a one off payment for travel, is good looking, keeps me fit and healthy and gives me bragging rights is ridiculous.

I am sick of seeing other cyclists riding past my bus in the mornings, I'm bored of sitting on my butt, I'm just not happy traveling anywhere if I'm not on a bike. Now I can ride to and from work, go out on my days off, sit and marvel at how beautiful it is when I'm at home carbing up.


A bike is freedom, a bike is green and a bike should be your friend. A friend that will take you from one place to the next, puts a smile on your face and keeps you healthy. A companion for its life and a reason not to sit at home in front of the TV being fed bullshit from the people who run the planet.



Finally,

The main reason for writing about HFM today is because of the opening paragraph of this months issue, recently I saw something that made me stop and think, and then seeing this today has confirmed that my life is changing/ has been changing since saw what I saw recently. (I'll let you know about that soon anyway).
Back to the point, it was a surprise/coincidence that the following paragraph sums up the last few days and explains how I feel at the moment, I want to help people and this really got to me.

"The reasons for lifestyle changes can be as varied as the individuals making them, although one thing they will all have in common is that each individual will be able to pinpoint the exact moment that they decided to take action"

-

Wesley Doyle

It's a strange feeling I'm feeling right now, and its funny because you don't always see what people are feeling, we wear masks during the day and when you get home, you take it off and look in the mirror and you look into your own eyes and think about what you're feeling, and the more you think about it the harder it is to stop thinking about it. It gets worse and worse everyday, you're stuck in a loop and you need to get out, you don't know how and you know that when it eventually happens the people around you wont be expecting it and the responses will be different.

Just be yourself and do what you need to do. 

Never has my sign off meant more than it does right now,

Stay Flemish

Irideroad

Rapha's lady love and Vulpine's new gear are all on my mind.

At last the weekend you say...

Today has been a bit strange really, for a start waking up in my mum’s house rather than my own at 5 in the morning is a weird feeling.

Travelling to work I found it hard to stay awake as I was up until early this morning finishing posts and making sure everything was ready for today. Because the different bus I had to get today arrived at work really early i had time to kill.

I visited a well known coffee brand for a tea, yes tea. Why would anyone drink the “unique blend” that comes from their machines?

Unique blend, meaning a blend of beans from unknown sources all roasted together until they resemble beetles that have died and been left out in the sun too long. Then ground and left in a chamber for who knows long before being crammed into a porta-filter with no consistency what so ever to weight of shots and taste.

After avoiding the “coffee” I headed to work…

Today was unusually quiet for a Saturday, the only reason for this could be blamed on the weather, another sunny day. Nothing of any real importance happened so I’ll skip ahead to what’s happening right now…

Strade Bianche

The Italian race was won today by  the  Polish National Champion Michal Kwaitkowski of my favorite UCI Pro Tour team Omega-Pharma QuickStep, after dropping Peter Sagan on the final climb.

Find out more on the Official Omega Pharma-QuickStep website by clicking on their name.

Rapha Women’s 100

Rapha announces this years date for the women's 100. An event designed to encourage women to get on their bikes and take part in riding with other women who enjoy cycling all over the world.

Rapha are offering all who complete the rides a woven commemorative badge to show off to all your friends. However you do need to sign up at Rapha.cc and join an official ride, unfortunately currently the closest is in London (if you live in the South), however there is also a ride in Cardiff, Cambridge and 2 in Manchester if you live closer to these cities. 

This year’s date is Sunday 20^th of July and Rapha are hoping to beat entries of over 4000 women worldwide last year to double at this years rides.

If you would like to join a ride go here

&

If you just want to shop click here

Vulpines new season

Vulpine unleashed their new season to the web yesterday. The spring collection features New jerseys, merino boxers and merino t shirts for men. While offering New jerseys, t shirts and boy shorts for women.

They also created a beautiful lookbook which shows all the range being used in practical ways, so you know what you’re buying looks good and that it’s up to the challenge when you decide to jump on the bike.

If you check out the lookbook be sure to take advantage of the free extras on the last page (not going to tell you what they are so you'll have to look for yourselves)

Check out the lookbook here

&

Check out Vulpine.cc here

I’m off to chill for a bit,

Stay Flemish.

FEA of my day.

Left it really quite late now...

Today was pretty epic for me, well not even just for me, the whole of Southsea Coffee Co.

Today we had a meeting about becoming ambassadors for Portsmouth, a huge responsibility for all of us.
I'll speak more about that later when I'm not so tired.

Today was really hot, which is fine with me! Its nice to have a day off from work and the weather be awesome.
Instead of riding today i spent the day with my girlfriend who had booked the day off from work, which is really quite nice as we don't get full days off to see each other.

After Lunch at Southsea Coffee Co we went for a walk along Southsea seafront and ended up in Clarence Pier, where we then spent the rest of the afternoon winning handfuls of really pointless prizes. A stuffed unicorn and alien later we met up with my mum and had something to eat.

So here i am sat on the sofa writing this up, ignoring my girlfriend and glancing at the TV and wishing someone would do something about that really annoying "One Sheet" dude from the Bounty advert.



Bike for bedtime?

Check this out...

This is a custom painted S-Works Venge.

Owned by Garret Chow the paint job may look strange but for any nerds out there who will know whats going on here bear with me while i explain to everyone whats so special.

The paint job is the result of an FEA Analysis, this is a map showing where the main points of stress would be, these are crucial results when designing bikes as designers will need to know where to use different strengths of carbon to keep the frame strong when being put under stress.

So, as you can see...
Red areas are where the frame would be under the most stress.
Yellow and green are medium stress zones.
Blue areas are not really affected by stress.

This is a very clever design painted on an equally impressive bike with Campagnolo Super Record EPS, slammed stem and some neat unbranded deep dish carbon wheels finishing off  the ultimate custom bike, this ride is sure to turn heads anywhere it goes.


More tomorrow as I'm up early for work.


Goodnight guys,

Stay Flemish

Happy Dots makes for a happy Irideroad.

Hey!!

If you saw my post yesterday about Red Dots Cycling you'll know how awesome they are, if not click here.

A few minutes after posting to my blog and Twitter I received a tweet from Red Dots Cycling.

As you can see were very happy about my post, which in return made me happy.

They later Tweeted again expressing their good mood to all of their Twitter followers, its nice to be appreciated.

Now, I've only been doing this a few days and to already have a few likes on Facebook and over 100 page views in such a short amount of time is awesome, i thank you all so much for being a part of Irideroad and being here from the beginning, hopefully you'll still be here in he next few months to see things progress into something epic.

More to come later,

Stay Flemish.

Red Dots Cycling, The Perfect Gifts.

Red Dots Cycling, The Perfect Gifts.

When I received my Birthday presents last year from my girlfriend i was expecting her to completely fail and buy me something pointless and uninteresting.
Well that didn't happen.
Among the presents was a cycling cap.
A very nice cycling cap.
A cycling cap to make all others  look obsolete.
This was the Paris-Roubaix Cycling Cap from Red Dots Cycling.

A handmade cotton and polyester cap, with flawless stitching and embroidered brand logo finished with a tiny French tag is what you get, for your very reasonable £21.47*, but you're not paying for just the cap, you're paying for high quality, style and practicality.

Not only does it finish of your cycle-wear for your Saturday morning ride, it looks the part with almost anything.

You can grab one now here!

But...
If the Paris-Roubaix is not your cup of tea, try this instead.

The Release the Hounds-tooth Winter Cap.
Who would wear this you say? Well the answer is elementary.
Any modern gentleman...Or cyclist who knows how to look good on and off the bike.

Made from Cotton and Italian wool, this cap is sure to keep your ears and neck warm on those early morning rides. Again, this is another handmade cap, which also looks well made with quality and overall finish as a main priority.
And don't be worried about it not fitting under your helmet, as its designed to be light and warm without needing extra padding.
Take into consideration that a big brand such as Castelli or Rapha would charge a lot more than £31.90 for a winter cap the Release the Hounds-tooth Winter Cap is a bargain.

You can grab one now here!

There are many caps to choose from as well as Smart Wallets which they make using recycled inner tubes, so you cant say there isn't anything that suits you.

Red Dots Cycling are currently selling their handmade cycling items on Etsy.
So please be sure to check them out and you might just fall in love with a cap like i have.
Also head over to:

Red Dots Cycling Blog
Red Dots Cycling on Facebook
Red Dots Cycling on Twitter

To make sure you're up to date with all their news.

Red Dots Cycling is run by Carolle and Richard out of their Vancouver based studio, the reason for the * is the current price due to shipping as they ship worldwide.

And as always,
Stay Flemish.

Roubaix, I see a future in you.

Specialized Roubaix SL4. The ultimate endurance race bike.

For the past few years I have yearned to own a Roubaix, a proven winner of Pro Tour Race's.
Yesterday I visited Hargroves Cycles in Chichester and took a look at the various models available, because if you haven't guessed yet, I'm going to buy one.

The Roubaix is named after the grueling Paris-Roubaix race, a race held every spring and is one of the many "Spring Classics". Most of which are held in Belgium, with others held in Italy, France and The Netherlands.

The frame has Zertz inserts built into the seat-stays and fork, these are vibration dampeners which will absorb most of the vibrations roaring through the frame as you cruise along the cobbles at 30kph.

This bike has had a lot of design input from recent record breaker Tom Boonen, who in most cyclists opinions is the "King of the Cobbles". One of the greatest cyclists of all time Roger De Vlaeminck, who also happens to be Belgian shares the most wins of Paris-Roubaix with Tom. 

They have each crossed the line in 1st position 4 times and i'm sure that Tom will be looking to add to the joint record in the next few weeks, where we will hopefully see Boonen win again riding his very own custom Roubaix SL4.

Buy a Roubaix here, probably as cheap as you're going to get it unless you go to eBay and buy a used one?

Stay Flemish.

Spartacus rides again, fueled by Turkish coffee.

Yesterday was awesome,

After posting the last post i went to Chichester town and ate some cake, drunk coffee and then looked at some art.

The sun was out!! It was amazing, riding around on Spartacus in shorts, t shirt and beanie hat was so cool, that's what life's about, i felt so good.

My first stop was H&M Coffee, based in Chichester train Station, for a Turkish Coffee. H&M is the only place i know that does authentic Turkish coffee, they even use coffee imported from Turkey.
£2.50 was paid and in return i was handed a paper espresso cup filled to the top with a wonderful sweet smelling thick crema topped coffee.

Now i haven't had one of these for about a year, and as i too my first sip, it all came back to me. I could drink Turkish coffee all day long. Its so sweet and rich, i think a chunk of Biscotti would have gone well with it, imagine dunking that! It would be heaven in your mouth.

If you've not tried Turkish coffee i would suggest you visit H&M.
Its really easy to get to if you're traveling on the train, the shop has an entrance on the train platform and a take-away window on the car park side.The shop is just a 5 minute walk from the high street.

More to come later.

Stay Flemish.

Banana and Nutella Pancakes with a side of Southsea Coffee Co, Cycle Chic and VeloBeats

So,

Yesterday was pretty strange, the weather was terrible and cold, but fortunately i was indoors looking out at work. I got home tired, gorged on Banana and Nutella pancakes and went to bed. Soooo exciting....

I work at Southsea Coffee Co if you're wondering, an amazing coffee shop in Southsea. Its one of a kind, Tara and Martyn have put so much into the shop to save the people of Portsmouth/Southsea from horrible "Italian" style coffee provided by the big chain coffee shops, which is in a working, we have regulars and i'm sure they'd agree that they now have a greater understanding of coffee and what tastes good and what doesn't.
So check them out over on Facebook : Southsea Coffee Co on Facebook

Be sure to like them and follow them on Instagram and Twitter too :) If you're lucky you might see me on there somewhere ;)



Moving on,

While at work a customer was just leaving when i noticed this in her partners arms...

This is a Lazer Urban Deluxe Wood.
A beautiful looking everyday use helmet, featuring strong leather straps and 16 vents to help keep your cool (and avoid frizzy hair... ladies) This is an alternative to those tacky looking single colour helmets which are available out there.

When i asked about the helmet the customer said that it was bought as a present from Cycle Chic for only £49.99, which may i add is a bargain!! She mentioned the straps didn't itch/scrape against her cheeks either which is a good thing, i find that with my Specialized helmet  i start to get an itch along my jaw after a few hours.

She also mentioned she's the only one in the area that has one, so if you see her riding around give her a shout and mention reading about it :)




Finally I'm of out now,

I'm one of those people that has my earphones/headphones on all the time when I'm out on my own and last year i stumbled upon VeloBeats on Soundcloud.

VeloBeats is run by John Braynard. John creates remix's perfect for riding and sitting at home too.
They range from an hour to 2 hours long and are mixed for different moods, a personal favorite is the Pre-Race Pump, a mix which sinks into my mind and prepares me for the ride ahead.
The Chillstep tracks are really cool for relaxing after a good ride too, you can cool down to some soothing sounds, these are also great for just having on during the day as they're not too noisy.

So please check that out too!

Time to get on Spartacus and enjoy this sunshine :)

Stay Flemish.

Irideroad

Hi there peleton.

Hi guys,

So at last i'm starting my blog.
I've been planning to do something like this for a while now and seeing as i'm totally free at the moment i have the time to start.

Irideroad is my "thing"

For the last few years almost everything I've done has had that name in it somewhere, it is me, but everything you don't usually see. Its like  split personality, there's Jordan, then there's Irideroad. The fanatic, passionate, less boring and more energetic me.


What you can expect. (Sort of?!)

Personal posts, i'll try not to get too emotional.
Bikes... Bikes... Bikes
Riders, hoping to do a rider highlight thing where i'll focus on a Oldie, Upcoming and a Present Pro.
Fashion, not my strongest point, but... I know a wrong fitting jersey.
News, riders, tours, bikes, doping... Anything that catches my eye really.
Coffee, lots of coffee.


I have designs waiting to be seen for tees and for walls, lovely images for you to view. Stories to hear, links to share and who knows what else right now.

So please feel free to follow me here...
Facebook: RidewithI
Twitter: IRideRoad
Instagram: IRideRoad
Outlook: irideroad@outlook.com

So you're completely up to date.

Thanks for reading,

Stay Flemish, Life is a headwind.

Irideroad.