Berlin 6 Day

Think the Oktoberfest meets an 80’s German Rock Festival with jungle whistle crew crowd in a velodrome and you are somewhere near. I chanced across this event last year after visiting the Keirin Berlin track bike shop. After watching a 10 minute video collage of the 2006 edition of the 6 day event on their website I knew I had to check this event out. This year’s event was the perfect introduction - 100th anniversary and Eric Zabel’s last professional race.

Gwydion, Michal and myself had tickets for the ‘Golden Night’ events on Saturday, starting 7pm through to 1:30am, and the ‘Family Day’ on Sunday. The velodrome building is enourmous, housing not only the track but an Olympic size swimming pool. Inside was a labryinth of beer stalls, food stalls and bike sales, including the tempting track bikes of Cicli Berlinetta.

There was also a Peace Race stand in the Velodrome selling memorabilia and books about the race. I started leafing through one of the books, looking at pictures of the 1950's and 1960's and the chap behind the counter asked my nationality. After some amusing pigeon german and gesturing I explained my connection to the race. The chap turned out to be Horst Schafer, proprietor of the Peace Race Museum in Magdeburg. He's invited me over to see the Museum next time I'm in Berlin where I'm planning on donating some of my father's Peace Race medals.

I thought the atmosphere in Manchester was electric, but here it was on another level. Everyone seemed to be issued with yellow whistles which were blown at every oppourtunity, in time to the music or when a rider put in an attack. Another difference to the Manchester velodrome was that the public were allowed in the centre of the track, the longer circuit allowing for more room in the middle. This space was filled with more bars and a VIP area, complete with cheer leaders. We spent the whole 2 days in this area only using our seats for a couple of hours... it was heaven, beer, track bikes and cheer leaders.

Some of the performances were amazing, seeing a 3 minute 3 man track stand face off in the mens sprint final and Zabel and Bartko winning the Madison. I can't recommend a trip to a 6 day enough, Gent is supposed to be another event renowned for its party like atmosphere. In the mean time we're now looking forward to biggest event since the Olympics at the World Championships in Poland. We'll be seeing the events on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March. Only down side I can see is that no booze is allowed in the Velodrome...

Berlin 6 Day Site
Saturday Photos
Sunday Photos

King of Sports

Under the circumstances it’s been a very positive start to the year. It’s hard to explain but I’ve come out of the dark weeks of December more inspired and motivated than ever before. During the last month I’ve become to know a great deal more about my father’s past through speaking with his old team mates and friends which has greatly contributed to this feeling.

Understanding his achievements in light of his disabilities (not that he would ever admit to them) has inspired me the most. Looking back at old photos of Dad competing against able bodied men, and getting consistent results, it does make me wonder how he would have fared with today’s Paralympics cycling. At the funeral it was an honour to meet so many cycling greats from the 1950’s and 1960’s and out of a day of mourning came inspiration, talking to cyclists in their 70’s who still get under the hour for a 25 mile TT.

To the untrained eye, the hotel where refreshments were served after the funeral would have appeared to be full of old people. But closer up you could see life bursting out of the room, friends exchanging experiences and banter, contemporaries looking wide eyed at legends and the humbleness of champions.

I’ve never really had any ambition in work, but talking to inspirational people such as John Woodburn, Geoff Wiles, Wes Mason, Stan Brittain and Ray Booty for the first time ever I’ve felt an ambition growing, to simply be fit and healthy into my old age. For this to be a reality it obviously requires an immediate lifestyle change.

Through this whole experience I’ve looked on my own life and lifestyle with different eyes. Last year was my most active but only until the autumn, where I soon fell back into what has been the norm for most my time in Brighton – late nights and lots of drinking. I’ve known it’s needed to change for a long time and now this has been the catalyst. It’s a rare opportunity to start a new year in relative good shape and I’m committed 100% to laying the ground work in 2009 for a year of competing in 2010. This will start with working on diet, nutrition and a training plan for the next few months, followed by sessions at the track to improve handling, technique and sprinting.

I’ve been reading an old book of my Dad’s for training advice and though it is over 40 years old it has strong messages regarding cycling in general. These following paragraphs could not sum up my thoughts regarding cycling and its effect on my life better:

King of Sports by Peter Ward

To the younger riders I would say: learn to like cycling for itself, for the beautiful country side you can see, for the good companionship and for its health, economy and peacefulness. From the elation you feel at the view from the top of a big hill you have climbed to the scalp tingling speed of the descent. Cycling can be all fun, all adventure. It can bring personal achievement and fitness that can never be found in a stuffy car or on a noisy motorcycle.

Not enough thought is given to the subject of fitness in later life. Many of the forty plus cyclists give the answer. Their healthy lungs and supple limbs are a glowing example to many of their short winded, lethargic contemporaries.

The path to success is there for everyone, but only those with courage will continue alone in the dark, only those with intelligence will chose the correct turn at the crossroads, and only those with stamina when the going is hard will arrive at the summit.

What is the reward, and is it worth it? To have an object in life is to live. No humdrum routine for the would-be top individual. For the ambition to become a top athlete and to that end to develop the body and mind is, in my opinion, far superior to becoming a top business executive suffering from the many ailments that are often compatible with overwork of the mind and neglect of the body.

The essential clean living, correct eating and exercising required to get to the top gives a man the appreciation of the true values of life, for few true athletes are concerned with keeping up with the Jones’s.

2008 Retrospective

2008 was an absolutely immense year for cycling. Personally, it’s been my biggest year of cycling with many new experiences, but it’s also been the first time many friends and colleagues have seriously taken to 2 wheels. Inspired by other peoples efforts or the Olympics, they’ve bought bikes and started riding to work, entered sportives or just ridden for general pleasure. Looking back through the months I think there have been 2 catalysts to this surge in cycling interest, in my own life and outside.

Firstly the impact that Kelvin’s pan America ride had on the many readers of his blog still amazes me. When I returned to work I found that 4 people had started commuting at least 3 times a week to work, 25 miles each way. Within a month of our return I’d counted 5 new bike purchases amongst my friends and colleagues, 3 of them buying Tricross Sports identical to the model that carried Kelv nearly 4,000 miles. All were inspired directly by reading the Only Forward weblog.

Secondly, obviously the massive successes in Beijing elevated already successful riders to household names, bringing British cycling to the forefront on an unprecedented scale. This was preceded by Britain’s best individual results in the Giro and Tour for decades, not to mention total domination at the track World Championships. Awards at the Sports Personality of the Year and the host of MBE's and CBE's. 2009 is going to be another amazing year, but for now I’m going to look back on 2008.

January
2007 closed on a low note, the annual Boxing Day ride held religiously now for the last 4 or 5 years was taken up by myself and Kelv. Riding out of Llanwnog on our mountain bikes we aimed for the trio of lakes north of my parents place. We bearly got 2 miles, myself struggling with a bad cold and low fitness. A week later, full of New Year promise and Kelv planning a long distance tour somewhere, we rode from Brighton to George’s near Orpington, Kelv on his new pannier laden Tricross. An inspiring 120 mile round trip under crisp blue winter skies through the Ashdown Forest started the new year well, but for me it wasn’t to last.

February
That ride in January was to be my last for nearly 2 months. I can't remember touching the bike at all in February!

March
Kelv’s long distance trip thoughts were now a reality. The week before he flew to Florida a gang of us gave him a send off in the Peak District with Mountain Bikes and Booze. By mid-March he was riding out of West Palm Beach heading westwards destined for the Rockies. In the mean time I was desperately trying to sell my flat to fund a new bike purchase and a month’s leave to join Kelv in the USA.





April
Finally the sale completed and my trip to the USA became a reality. First thing was to spec out a dream Tricross and get the Specialized Concept store in Birmingham to build it. The first test ride was a 60 mile loop out into the snow through Llawr-y-Glyn, Staylittle, Dylife, Machynlleth, Corris, Tal-y-Llyn, Dinas Mawdwddy and fast home along the A470. Back in Brighton I tried the new steed off road, riding the Downs Link home from work and discovering a taste for the speed and handling of cyclocross. Preparations for the USA continued learning from Kelv’s experiences of what to/what not to take.

Meanwhile Kelv had crossed Florida and Alabama and through the course of April passed through Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and finally Colorado. In 6 weeks he'd travelled nearly 2000 miles and crossed the dreaded plains, the toughest section of the whole tour.




May
The month that changed everything. Meeting Kelv in Boulder I eased into what was to be life for the next month. After some tough training rides in the mountains around Boulder I was off, heading for Wyoming on my own whilst Kelv took a well earned rest in the SUV with James. This was the toughest ride I’ve ever ridden and will be for some time. The mental and physical challenge of 120 remote, windy, hot, relentless miles to Laramie totally changed my perception of long distance riding and showed me the importance of maintaining a positive and strong mental outlook.

The next 4 weeks we experienced some of the most epic rides of our lives, almost on a daily basis. The trip culminated in a 3 day break in bike friendly Portland where I succumbed to the high quality bike porn and treated myself to a singlespeed Swobo. Read the full story at http://dog-solitude.blogspot.com


June
Coming back on a high from the USA, I returned to a new world - Meat, Sammo and others had started riding the 25 miles to work inspired by our tour, Jammer was eyeing up a Tricross of his own and the Bowden bought an Allez. 2 days after landing myself and Meat drunkenly agreed to enter the Brighton Naked Bike Ride, where we finished in first and second place (though it wasn't a race). By mid June 4 of us were riding to work together and the Swobo was converted to a commuter.


The Devil Ride sportive was looming on the horizon and training was stepped up. I rode with Rob to complete his first 100 mile ride, taking in Lake Vyrnwy, Bala Lake and Trawsfyndd Lake on an epic ride. I also had my first fixie crash, riding the Swobo to Machynlleth on the mountain road, lost concentration and travelled through Talerddig through the air.

I finally pulled my finger out and joined the Brighton Mitre, payed for a racing license and started joining their regular training rides. Wednesday evenings were spent at Preston Park as a spectator watching the track racing, Thursday evenings on the training chain gang and sundays on club runs. It would be a month or so longer before I tackled my first 4th category race though.

July
Gwydion's preparations for the Devil Ride included a nice new Trek and a grueling 100 mile loop of the Berlin Wall. I joined him later in July on the Swobo to repeat the slog, discovering the cobbled tracks and forest single track on the outskirts of Berlin. Plans hatched for the Midnight Maurweg, an underground singlespeed race around the historic trail.

Training continued with Jammer and Meat joining the fray on matching Tricross's. A wet weekend in Wales gave us a taster for what was to come in August. Meat's plans for a Peace Race inspired tour of Germany and Poland led to him being loaded down with panniers as a trial run. In hindsight maybe taking him up the Devil's Staircase was a little overkill as preparation for the long flat roads of Poland...

The bike upgrades and purchases with the Devil Ride as an excuse when into overdrive, including 3 brand new bikes and 2 complete bike rebuilds. The Trek received some attention, getting new wheels and a new 10 speed group set ready for racing action with the Brighton Mitre. My old Peugeot which I'd leant to Sammo benefited from a complete Dura Ace upgrade.

August
The Devil Ride was upon us, 100 miles of wild, wet and windy Wales and the climax of months of training, bike upgrades and purchases for many of us. Bob, Darren, Jammer, Gwydion, Jeff, Gwen, Kelv and myself set out from Builth Wells into an almost instant 25% climb, followed later by the Devils Staircase and the Gammalt. A tough but immensly rewarding day for all of us.

This month also saw my first and last races of the year, competing at Dunsfold and Goodwood as a 4th Cat with the Mitre. Dunsfold was a baptism of fire in a tremendous headwind, not to mention mixing it with the 1st and Elites once we were caught. Averaging 25 mph on the Goodwood racing circuit was a real eye opener.

The Burgess Hill Rumble sportive closed what was a very active month on the bike.





September
The Trans Cambrian was to be my last sportive of the year and other than a few training rides with the Mitre the bike didn't see much action. It was great to hit the roads of Mid Wales again, riding out of Rhayader on the back road to Llanidloes, followed by the toughest section of the sportive past Clywedog, then over the mountain road to Machynlleth. The last 50 of the ride were through amazing scenery, past Nant-y-Moch and into the Elan Valley.

Jammer was unstoppable on his Tricross, hitting the Guildford Cycle Challenge and making plans for the Southern Sportive.

October
Since returning from the USA I'd contemplated riding the South Downs Way in one go, covering 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Realistically October was to be my last chance with the days getting shorter. Having no great experience of riding the Tricross off road, Kelv and I tackled a few routes to give it a trial run, firstly on the Downs Link and later on the Kerry Ridge Way.


I'd decided to complete the south downs ride for charity and raised £650 for Diabetes. This was a major factor in keeping me going on the ride after some major mechanicals and a lot of riding in the dark. Kelv performed admirably as team support, bringing new tyres, clean socks and food and drink at points on the route. Of the 14 hours it took to complete the ride 4 hours were done in the dark with a Maxx Exposure Race light guiding the way.

November
Other than blasts around Brighton on the Swobo I didn't touch any of the bikes this month. November was a spectator month, catching 2 days of the Track World Cup at the Manchester Velodrome. Along with Meat and Chet we witnessed a GB Team at the peak of their performance, winning 90% of all gold medals at all levels, junior, men and women. Chris Newton delivered a lesson in how to totally dominate a points race, Pendleton was unstoppable, Kenny unbeatable and the Olympic Academy riders Armistead and Blyth outclassed their more experienced opposition. An awesome weekend.

December
Due to my fathers deterioating condition I spent all but 10 days of December at home in Wales. The bike was my escape and the hills around Clywedog a place to think and clear my head. Along with Curly Bob we braved the sub zero temperatures to venture out on to the mountain road to Machynlleth where we froze. New Years Eve was spent blasting around the Cli-Mach mountain bike trail near Corris, Bob on his single speed MTB and me on the Crosser.

On December the 21st Dad passed away, closing the book on an unbelieveable cycling career spanning 70 years. Beginning with touring as a youth with the Long Eaton cycling club it wasn't long before he was racing, competing ferociously on the track and winning many medals. Following a couple of years riding the Tour of Ireland he was invited to join the GB Team at the Peace Race as mechanic in 1955.

This began his long and varied career with British Cycling as mechanic and later team manager, taking him all over Europe on 8 Peace Races, the Tour de France, Tour of Sweden, Tour of Poland, Tour of Morroco, Tour of Algeria, Tour of Tunisia, Tour of St Lawrence (Canada) and many more. In the 70's he moved into race marshalling, becoming head marshall for races including the World Championships, Milk Race and National Championships.

He will continue to be my biggest inspiration.

2009...
This has got to be the year where I give racing serious focus and I'm setting my sights on the Hove Park series organised by the Brighton Mitre. Sportives wise, I'm looking to ride the Ronde Van Vlaanderen and the Tour of Ireland, both of which also require considerable training. The next few months should be interesting if I can stay focused, but I feel with my dad's passing I owe it to his memory to try my best.