Chippin' 'ell lad! Part 1

Spartacus is back!

25th June 2014

So as I said yesterday I'm travelling to Bristol today... I've already been and am writing this on the train back. What the hell? I just looked out the window and there’s a giant white horse?

Anyway, it's been a pretty sweet day, the sun is shining, I have Spartacus back and I've travelled the farthest away from home ever alone. I feel a bit grown up...

So firstly, travelling to and from...

I had planned my wake up to perfection. I had 3 or 4 alarms waiting to blast out an annoying tune to wake me up, they did not need to, i was awake half an hour before they were due to go off, so all I needed to do was get dressed and pack my laptop. After doing this the taxi was phoned, I had at least 40 mins to get to the train station....

But boy did it get close to missing my train, I stood and waited and waited for the taxi, the minutes passing and my worry growing, if I missed the train my whole day would be screwed! Eventually the taxi arrived 15 mins "late" his excuse... The traffic.

So finally I get to the station and buy my tickets with 4 mins to spare, a very close call for someone who likes to plan ahead.

The train arrives and as you can imagine, it’s already packed, people are complaining over reserved seats and the heat already... We have not even started moving... Shut up!

Damn, the ticket lady has got it going on!

I arrive at Bristol Temple Meads unharmed, now to wait an hour for the train to Yate...

There was no way in hell I was waiting at the station for an hour so I asked if I could pop outside, they let me through and I got to see Bristol for the first time... What a S**t tip.

Half the buildings were falling apart by the looks of things, there were a lot of advertisements all over the buildings, begging for someone to buy the space and "develop" the area.

I strolled along the main road just looking around, some of the buildings are beautiful, and some are not. 

I keep walking until I stop and see "Baristas Coffee Collective" I immediately enter. Upon entering I see a bar, a snug area with a projector aimed at the wall showing a blue square (obviously nothing on today?) and a few people standing up at the bar, one ordering the other two on bar stools drinking their coffee.

I was in a rush so didn't really get time to look at the full menu of drinks or food, so I did what any normal person does when being asked the question...

"What would you like today?" 

At least the barista was nice, 

"Urrrrrrrrrrrrgh?" You know this noise? This is what I did, just like you do when you don't know what to order....

"Double espresso please?"

"1.60 please"

"That’s cheap" I thought, probably going to be a bit crap then?

Well, what was handed to me in an espresso cup can only be called liquid gold. Peachy liquid gold. Gold.

I lifted the gold to my nose and smelled the coffee, peach.

I dipped my finger in the crema and tasted it, intense, thick, dark and rich.

Finally I lifted it to my mouth, sipped and swilled. It was heaven, flavour rushed my tongue. The longer I held it in my mouth the more it tasted of peaches. I was in love for about 30 seconds... I had to leave and get my train.

However you can experience the same pleasure as me by going and visiting them some info below.

Baristas Coffee Collective

FB/ BCC

So I walk back to the train station and board the train.

The thing I've noticed all day is that trains are crap, I often complain about how horrible the ones in and around Portsmouth are, green, dirty... falling apart!? But never again will I complain, have you been to Bristol and used the trains here? I thought I was going to die.

However another thing I noticed was that the further away from a major city you get the nicer the train stations get? It’s a shame that this is the case, I'd rather have nice trains and nice stations. Hell, even just having trains I feel safe in would be an improvement!

All day, or at least the times I was sat on a train the scenery was beautiful, there are so many beautiful houses and castles/churches/I don't even know what they are but they were pretty sweet!

Anyway back to the point....

I made it to Yate, the train station is about 50ft below the main road so you have to climb up a set of stairs which take you up onto a bridge which crosses the tracks. But when you get to the top you are welcomed to the town of Yate. The view is nothing extraordinary but it’s not until you start walking towards my destination, Chipping Sodbury, the next town across, that you notice how wide the roads are, how even though it’s the middle of the day traffic is minimal and that everyone seems to be in a good mood? Something in the water? Yate also came second in their first Britain in Bloom entry in 2011, maybe that’s why it’s so nice? Little fact for you there, I'm so knowledgeable... "Cough" thanks Google.

So, I had to walk to Chipping Sodbury from Yate, it's really not too far. Plus when the weather was as nice as it was today it's beautiful, the only shame is that you do have to walk all the way down a main road, however it is lined with wild flowers, so it's not too bad, and you do have something to look at.

After about a half hour walk I arrived in what can only be described as the most beautiful and old fashioned/ authentic town centre in the UK. 

You really do need to see the place to understand how amazing it is. So like a complete tourist I asked a passer-by where the local police station was...

"'Halfway down t' high street"

So I wandered down looking at everything, I mean everything, the buildings were beautiful (I've used that word far too many times already, but it's the truth). Finally I reach the police station, shaking with anxiety and excitement, I was also a bit scared. What if something’s happened to Spartacus? 

That has been my only real fear in this ordeal, the fact that I don't know what’s happening half the time, communication between oneself and the authorities has been quite minimal. So the whole time I have been expecting something to have gone wrong at some point. 

I enter the police station, which may I add looks amazing from the outside, and as I entered it reminded me of my old school, polished wood and smooth red brick, cold but clean. 

I walk up to the desk and wait for 20 seconds until an older fellow turns up from around the corner.

I tell him that I am here to pick up my bike, where I have come from and about my day, how impressed i am with the town and how very pleased i am that someone on his small police force has been able to locate my bike and recover it.

He replies with,

"You're very lucky to get this back"

To which I reply

"I know, very lucky. I didn't think I'd see it again"

So I take a seat after handing over the paper work.

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!

IRIDEROAD presents How To Be A Roadie Part 1

We all want to know, so here are some quick tips.

Start watching every race. Even if you're at work.

Always talk about races, riders & new tech and clothing.

 Buy a bike which costs more than a family car, the reason for this is to prove how dedicated to cycling you are and to give you bragging rights.

"Hey man, how much did that cost? £800? Pffft. Look at this! £13,000 beauty!"

Go out and buy all the best equipment. Helmet, Shoes, Garmin, Bib Shorts, Bib Tights, Jerseys, Rain Jackets, Gilets, Glasses, Shoe covers, Long Socks, Ankle Socks, Base Layers and Gloves. You must spend a minimum of£1000 on this. You know why? Because next season you're going to throw it all away and buy the new stuff anyway!

Shave your legs!

Tell everyone you know that you shave your legs!

"Don't tell anyone but... I shaved my legs..."

Try at least 6 different diets. Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, High Carb, Low Carb...

Talk about how you could have been Pro...

"I was offered a slot on ---- Team, but i have a family now and don't want to be away from them"

Start looking for group rides on Saturday evenings.

Turn up at a Sunday ride. Even if you know nobody. Continue to speed off all day and say stuff like...

"Come on! My Son is faster than you"

"Looks like you should have had a banana instead of that cake at the last stop"

"This is my Recovery day and I'm still faster than you guys"

"Have I seen you before? Oh Yeah! You're the guy I dropped half an hour ago"

Start hanging out at Coffee Shops and shun others who don't.

Start ignoring people riding bikes cheaper than yours.

"You are not worthy!"

Ignore all Mountain Bike riders. They're stupid.

Always wave at other Road bike users, unless they're Hipsters riding Fixed.

"If you don't ride with drop bars... We can't be friends"

Never let anyone else ride your bike. She's precious.

Even when you're not riding, wear something which shows you'e a cyclist, be it a T-Shirt, Cuffed Socks or just your ICE Band.

Talk about all your KOMs on Strava.

"I'm so fast man, just check my Strava"

Never tell your partner how much you spent on bike parts/clothing this month.

Pass off brands like Fox and Red Bull, you'd rather have Vulpine and a refreshing homemade smoothie.

"Gives you wings? Yeah right! More like gives you the shits"

Say no to drugs! You don't want to be Lance of your Sunday group ride.

"No, the only Belgian Mix I want is a selection of beers"

Stop at red lights, we need to end that stereotype.

"We all know its Hipsters and Mountain Bike riders, us Roadies are good guys"

Ride between 9pm and 3am, there's no traffic and it shows dedication.


Expect more. Want to add a tip? Let me know on...

Facebook/ridewithi
Twitter: @irideroad
Instagram: irideroad

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

R to the V-V, P to the R & C to the Obbles

Hey!

Its been a while, lacking motivation the last few days, but lets see if this makes up for your lack of reading material....

#RVV
I'm sure you know by now the great Tour of Flanders happened back on Sunday. I only managed to catch the last 70km but what I saw was amazing!
The Breakaway disintegrated down to two riders, who fought all the way to the end Stjin Vandenbergh of Omega-Pharma QuickStep and Gerg Van Avermaet of BMC. They lead for quiet a while until Fabian Cancellara of Trek and Sep Vanmarcke of Belkin joined them, where the group then rode to the finish attacking each other numerous times but to no reward until finally in the last meters Cancellara sprinted to the finish line ahead of the others.


How sick are these?!

Whilst browsing on the Specialized website a few days ago looking for the perfect custom S-Works frame i spotted an article celebrating their 40th Anniversary. In this interactive article i found these awesome 1988 Specialized Shoes click the link to see them.

Paris-Roubaix this Sunday

If you didn't know by now, Paris-Roubaix will shortly be upon us, and as always I shall be watching with high hopes that my main man Tom Boonen wins his 5th P-R, breaking the record he already shares with the great (and my 2nd favorite rider of all time) Roger De Vlaeminck.
Tom and Roger's record is likely to have another member to share the glory of 4 wins this year in the shape of Fabian Cancellara, winner of this years Tour of Flanders. Fabian is probably the favorite to win after his performance at RVV, if he uses strategies like he did on Sunday he could pull it off, but with Boonen right behind him.

Boonen did not enter the race last year because of a fractured rib, which in a way gave Fabian no excuse not to win as the number one contender for the race win was absent. Boonen will be riding with team mates who will be supporting him so there should be no excuse for not winning/being top 3. However, both Boonen and Cancellara both won in solo efforts from 50km out, so they're capable of going it alone, now that would be something special (we can only hope something that awesome would happen)

So in preparation im going to be wearing my P-R Cap from Red Dots Cycling all day and drinking some fine French beers, I hope you enjoy the race and your favorite rider wins... (It'll be Boonen though so bet on him to save disappointment)

Well I'll be back on Sunday after shouting at the TV, I hope you all enjoy the race and ride lot. Weather looks like it might be good, no excuses...

Stay Flemish!

JC

Keep in touch...
Facebook: /ridewithi
Twitter: IRideRoad
Instagram: irideroad

Breaking The Chain

Hey,

I have been busy recently hence the lack of posts, but in my free time I have been reading/have now finished Willy Voet's Breaking The Chain.



His short book focuses on his arrest and the events which lead to his arrest as-well as some insight into the world of doping in cycling and the whole Festina Doping Scandal, all from his point of view.


While reading you can fully connect with Voet and you start to understand why he would do what he did, Voet worked hard to reach the top, and when reaching it he had to risk his own and others careers by helping with transportation of drugs, the distribution and then application of these drugs on the teams cyclists.


You can't help but feel for Voet as you read about his rising through the ranks from a nobody to one of the biggest Soigneurs in cycling. He talks of techniques used to dope, famous cyclists who have doped and how they did it, the drugs used and what they do individually, Voet gives you all the information you need to learn about doping whilst also mentioning those who were against doping and the ways doping was tested for.


Voet's book is an honest and accurate insight into the world of doping, his first hand experiences and the way they are written really gives you a sense of how much work goes into doping, from transportation late at night, the application of drugs and the methods he used, the countless hours spent on the road, the planning of when to use the drugs so they wouldn't show up when tested for, personal issues in his life and the close calls and stories he had heard which should have stopped him in his tracks.


I'll stop there because I have already written too much and have already deleted 2 paragraphs.... I don't want to ruin it or tell you things in my own opinion as i don't want to sway yours. Just go and buy this book, you can probably find a copy cheap on Ebay.

Its definitely an eye opener, leading me to start reading David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins.
I'll also write something up about that when I finish.






I missed Milano-SanRemo on Sunday due to spending time with my family so I cant really talk about that other than I was disappointed to hear Cavendish did not win.


However a big well done to Ben Swift on his 3rd place in his first Milano-SanRemo.


More soon,
SF,
Irideroad

The Sea, Cake and Pie

The sea,

The weekend was pretty sweet, nice and warm. So off we went for a walk and i managed to snap this after getting pretty close to being soaked.

Cake.

At Southsea Coffee Co we were very happy to receive this super tasty cake from Ian....

Pie.

Me and Ian went for a man date, we ate, talked about Cycling and London.
We visited Pie & Vinyl on Castle Road because neither of us had been there before.

The shop is pretty cool, they sell Vinyl of course and Pies... The name suggests this. But the interior is quirky, full of old stuff. Its almost like a charity shop, there's loads of different things all over the place, you can look in different places over and over and still find new things when you look again. The Menu is quite limited... Pies... Or you can have Pie, Mash and Peas as a meal. We both chose the Deerstalker pie, which contained venison, bacon and lentils which was a nice change from having a Pork/Beef/Chicken based dinner. The meal was served on a vintage plate, the drinks were served in teapots... House teapots! Old school teapots. I have no idea what they're called but they were pretty cool.

Anyway,
The Vinyl is on one side of the shop, displayed on the walls and in boxes ready for you to flick through and find what you're looking for. They sell new and old Vinyl, so don't worry, i'm sure there's something for you in there. They also have events in store, recently they had Frank Turner and on the  20th of March they have The Feeling in for an intimate gig. Tickets are few so head over to their website for details.

Pie & Vinyl

Dope. 

I'm currently reading Willy Voet's book Breaking the Chain, its a really good book if you're into cycling and want to understand what happened to the Festina team way back in the 90's. It also gives you some information on how to dope and which drugs to use for certain effects. I don't suggest you follow any of those instructions.

But it makes you think, there is so much doping going on and will there ever be a completely clean team?
So if you can find a copy, buy it and read it, then pass it on to someone who hasn't read it.

Stay Flemish and don't dope.