Training Ride #42

Managed my final training ride on Saturday morning. Met up with a friend and we headed out on a new route with an infamous 20% gradient climb called Steeple by Creech.
A really enjoyable ride in great weather.

• Rode 38.1 miles
• Just over 2hrs and 48 mins in the saddle
• 13.6 mph average speed
• Top speed of 37.4 mph
• 1,454ft of elevation

You can read more about this training ride on my Strava page by clicking the link below...

https://www.strava.com/activities/590538235

Training Ride #41

A really nice and enjoyable training ride in the early evening sunshine. 
I chose a route with some hills to climb, to help with my stamina and fitness training.
Felt good throughout the ride and my bike is working really well.

• Rode 24.3 miles 
• Average speed of 15.5mph
• 1,089ft of elevation
• Just under 1hr 35mins in the saddle

You can view the full ride on my Strava profile here...

https://www.strava.com/activities/588839649/segments/14328956861

A BIG Thank You To Mezzanine International For Being A Sponsor & Supporter

The support and sponsorship I've had for the Prostate Cancer UK Football to Amsterdam 2016 charity bike event has been simply amazing.

A massive thank you to the brilliant team at Mezzanine International who have so generously sponsored and supported me.

From regular social media updates to news stories on their website and a very generous donation, Mezzanine International have been brilliant in promoting and supporting my participation in this charity bike ride. 

So a big thank you from me personally to Scott, Tanya and the team at Mezzanine International. Your support and encouragement has been invaluable.

To find out more about Mezzanine International and to see their brilliant range of industrial mezzanine products and services, please visit their website...

https://www.mezzanine.co.uk/

New Campagnolo Wheels Fitted!

So at my last bike service, it was discovered that the hub and bearings in my rear wheel had become damaged and worn beyond repair. Not great news, but I was happy to learn this before departing to ride the 145 miles to Amsterdam.

I then had a choice to make...

1. Repair and replace the hub. Then rebuild the rear wheel
2. Buy a new rear wheel

The costs were comparable, mainly due to the labour costs of dismantling and rebuilding a single wheel. So I decided to invest in some new wheels. As this would give me an upgrade and remarkable difference in bike performance.

After discussions with my trusted bike mechanic and then some on-line research, I decided to purchase a pair of Campagnolo Khamsin Asymmetric G3 wheels.

The specification of the wheels is below, which is impressive for the price. But the aesthetics of the wheels, in particular, the spoke pattern looked amazing in the images on-line and even better in real life!

• DIFFERENTIATED RIM HEIGHT: 24 mm at the front to provide optimal handling; 27,5 mm at the rear for transmitting all your power to the wheel. 
• NEW ASYMMETRIC RIM PROFILE: asymmetrical rear rim profile allows for better balancing of spoke tensions between drive and non-drive side, giving better symmetry to an asymmetric component. Increased efficiency and reactivity are sure to be noted. 
• DYNAMIC BALANCE™: every point of the rim is counter-balanced by an equal weight on the opposite side. Maximum stability of the wheel even at high speeds. 
• AVAILABLE IN TWO VERSIONS OF REAR WHEEL: radial lacing pattern of spokes and exclusive Mega-G3™ spoke pattern: perfect balance of the spoke tensions on both sides of the wheel. Reduces stress, increases transversal rigidity and the transmission of power to the wheel. Mega-G3™ eliminates vibrations even with "heavy" cyclists. 
• STRAIGHT-HEAD SPOKE: maximum stiffness of the wheel, maintains the spoke tension and long-lasting performance. 
• OVERSIZED FLANGE: increases the torsional stiffness, increasing reactivity at each change of pace of the cyclist. 
• ALUMINUM HUB BODY: provides a high degree of lateral stiffness. 
• SEALED BEARINGS: maintains performance over time, longer bearing life. 
• QUICK RELEASE: new, completely redesigned and lighter aerodynamic-profile wheel block. Steel spine and eccentric, lever with drill lightening and aluminum die. Eccentric-closure system allows cyclist to modulate the pressure necessary for heightened sensitivity to find the proper closure for the block. Easy to use, with a material resistant to wear and tear, rust, and pressure.

After fitting, the difference in bike performance, feel and speed were remarkable. The wheels have made such a big difference, I couldn't be more pleased.

It even gives my bike a whole different look, style, and feel.

A BIG Thank You To Spaceway For Being A Sponsor & Supporter

The support and sponsorship I've had for this charity bike ride has been simply amazing.
A massive thank you to the brilliant team at (and my employer) Spaceway who have so generously sponsored and supported me for the Prostate Cancer UK London to Amsterdam Charity bike ride event

Their support and very generous donation has been brilliant.

So a big thank you from me personally to Dominic, Charlie and the team at Spaceway.

To find out more about Spaceway and see their brilliant range of industrial space solution products and services, please visit their website...

www.spaceway.co.uk

Training Ride #40

Planned a longer training ride on Sunday. The weather was little changeable, to say the least! With showers, sunshine and overcast conditions with some blustery winds on the high points of the Purbeck's.
But overall a really enjoyable ride.

• Rode 42.6 miles in a few seconds under 3 hours
• Lots of climbing with 1,442ft of elevation
• Good average speed of 14.2mph
• Top speed of 32.2mph

You can view the full ride stats on my Strava profile...

https://www.strava.com/activities/584459492

Donation Update

My fund raising continues and thanks to some very recent and generous donations I have now surpassed the £1,700 mark on my Just Giving page!

Currently, I have raised an amazing £1,713 which is 171% of my original sponsorship target.

A huge thank you to everyone who has so kindly and generously donated. I still can't believe I've managed to raise so much money so far!

You can view all of the great "good luck" messages and still donate via my Just Giving page here, or by clicking the link below...

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Trudgett

Training Ride #39

After work training ride. Not too far in miles, but good to get out on the bike and get some more miles in the legs.

• Rode 15.1 miles in a little under 54 mins
• Average speed was 16.8mph with a top speed of 29.3mph

You can view the full training stats on my Strava profile..

https://www.strava.com/activities/582322077

This Blog Hits 4,000 Page Views!!

When I created and started this blog on the 4th January 2016, it was mainly as a personal record for me to look back on. Reviewing my thoughts, findings and experiences as I prepared and trained for the Prostate Cancer UK Football to Amsterdam 2016 charity bike event.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever envisage or think that within 5 months, this blog would exceed 4,000 page views!!

A big thank you to anyone and everyone who has visited this blog and read any of the blog posts I have created and published.
I hope you have enjoyed reading any of my blogs as much as I have enjoyed writting them.

A BIG Thank You To Web Feet For Being A Sponsor & Supporter

The support and sponsorship I've had for this charity bike ride has been simply amazing.
A massive thank you to the brilliant team at Web-Feet who have so generously sponsored and supported me for the Prostate Cancer UK London to Amsterdam Charity bike ride event

Their social media updates and support has been brilliant.

So a big thank you from me personally to Gillian and the team at Web Feet.

To find out more about Web Feet and see their brilliant range of digital marketing services, please visit their website...

www.web-feet.co.uk

New Cosine Saddle

Changing a bike saddle with less than 30 days to go before departing on my 145-mile cycling challenge is not the best idea. 

But circumstances slightly influenced my decision, as my original Boardman E4P saddle had become more than a little worn during my training rides. Plus the tear and scuffs along one side, caused by a training crash in March, were becoming an issue due to water and weather penetrating the saddle itself.

So reluctantly I began some research. Reading reviews and articles on a variety of cycling websites.

One saddle that kept appearing with positive reviews was the Cosine TI Endurance saddle from Wiggle.

And at a sub £30 price point, it was a really simple decision for me. Simple to fit, very leightweight due to the titanium rails and minimalist design.

Once fitted I ventured out on a couple of longish training rides. Overall I am very pleased with the new saddle. I'm not too sure or a big fan of the white sash panel, but this is purely astetics. After a few minor adjustments of poistion, height and angle I am really pleased with both the comfort and performance of this excellent saddle. I would highly recommend it.

Availble online at Wiggle...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cosine-ti-endurance-road-saddle/

I WON The War of Miles With AFC Bournemouth!

After a few technical issues from the AFC Bournemouth Sports Science team accessing the players data for the Everton game, it has now been confirmed I won the 'War of Miles' challenge during April!!

A huge thank you to the Media & Comms team at AFC Bournemouth for promoting and devising the 'War of Miles' challenge. The coverage in the match-day programme, social media, website and local press has been brilliant.
Really helping raise awareness and support for the charity Prostate Cancer UK and the event itself. Thank you so much!

You can read all about the 'War of Miles' challenge by clicking here.

Training Ride #38

An impromptu training ride as the weather was so good I didn't want to miss the opportunity to ride again in the sunshine with little or no wind.
Legs felt good after Sunday's longer training ride. Didn't plan a specific route, just went on roads I enjoy until I felt I'd ridden far enough.

• Total miles ridden - 20.8
• Time - 1hr 16mins 33secs
• Average speed - 16.4mph
• Eleveation - 818ft

You can see more of the ride details on my Strava profile...

https://www.strava.com/activities/578280373

News Story in Local Press

Really pleased to read a news story in my local paper on Saturday. The Stour & Avon Magazine ran a really nice story in their Health & Wellbeing section on page 24.
Featuring the picture of me with AFC Bournemouth player Matt Ritchie, the news story was really great and published my Just Giving page address as well.
You can read the full story online at the Stour & Avon Magazine's website by clicking the URL below the picture

http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Cherries-support-Wimborne-man-charity-bike-ride/story-29218505-detail/story.html

A BIG Thank You To SaddleDrunk For Being A Sponsor & Supporter

The support and sponsorship I've had for this charity bike ride has been simply amazing.
I must personally thank and recognise the brilliant team at SaddleDrunk who have so kindly and generously made me my very own cycling kit.
You may have read my previous blog posts about SaddleDrunk (you can read them here) and the brilliant cycling apparel they supplied me (jersey, gilet, bib shorts, socks, and cap)

So a big thank you from me personally to Stefano and the team at SaddleDrunk. Your support has been amazing and I will proudly wear the SaddleDrunk cycling kit on the ride

To find out more about SaddleDrunk and see their brilliant range of cycling products, please visit their website...

http://www.saddledrunk.com/

Training Ride #37

I met up with my friend and co-rider for the London to Amsterdam ride, Anthony on Sunday for our first training ride together.
A totally new route around some beautiful parts of South Hampshire.
Some really good climbs, in beautiful sunshine and great company.

• Total Miles: 31.3 miles
• Elevation: 1,401ft
• Average Speed: 13.9mph
• Max Speed: 34.7mph

You can see the full ride on my Strava page...

https://www.strava.com/activities/576884738

Sponsorship & Donation Update

I thought I'd share an update on my fund-raising target and amount raised so far! 
Currently, my sponsorship total stands at an amazing £1,663

A huge thank you to everyone who has so kindly and generously sponsored me or donated to my Just Giving page so far.

With 19 days before departure, training and fitness are all on target!

You can still donate via the Just Giving page...

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Trudgett

Training Ride #36

With the sun shining I set out on an after work training ride. Making it even better was the fact that Dave from Bike Fixed had fitted my new Campagnolo wheels!
Really great training ride. 
Nearly 27 miles in a little over an hour and forty minutes. With a good average speed of 16.1 mph. Plus a scary top speed of 42.1mph!!
Started with some climbs as well. Overall a really enjoyable training ride on a Friday evening!




You can view the full ride statistics on my Strava profile...

https://www.strava.com/activities/574977570

New Shoes!

So after 18 months of ownership, I've worn out my first pair of road cycling shoes. 
Mainly due to the winter training miles I inflicted on them during the start of 2016!
They were a pair of dhb R1.0 shoes from Wiggle. Inexpensive and great value for money as my first pair of road shoes. Plus I have ridden over 1,200 miles in these shoes in mainly poor weather, so I feel I have got my monies worth from these shoes.
So I need a new pair of shoes, so began the research!

I decided to try a pair of Louis Garneau LS-100 carbon road shoes. Mainly due to the good reviews and great price.
The great price was limited to the yellow colour option, but nonetheless, I quite liked the look of this colour of shoe. 
Initially, I ordered a 1/2 size bigger than my normal size. These were still a little too snug for my feet and had to order the next size up.

On opening the box you can't help but notice that they are very yellow in colour. But I liked the colour. So fitted some new Shimano SPD-SL cleats and then went for a test ride!
The shoes are so lightweight (approx 235g). The fit and comfort are exceptional, especially the adjustability of the 'boa' lace system.
The carbon sole is not only lightweight but very stiff, so pedal efficiency is incredibly high. Both the sole and the toe box have great ventilation, so feet stay cool and don't overheat.
I'm really pleased with these new shoes and would recommend them highly.

The Carbon LS-100 Road Shoe by Louis Garneau combines power, comfort and an elite fit. An ultralight and rigid outsole provides better power transfer and ventilation, and the BOA L4 quick attach system offers a precise adjustment for a custom fit.

Training Ride #35

First training ride in over a week. Nice to be out on the bike again. Riding in the sunshine was a real bonus. Only a short training ride due to time restrictions, but chose a flattish route and tried to maintain a good average speed.

Overall I rode...

• 14.3 miles in a little over 51 minutes at an average speed of 16.8mph
• 
  

You can see the ride in more detail on my Strava profile...

https://www.strava.com/activities/573725817

New Bar Tape & Gel Pads

My bar tape had become more than a little worn and discoloured. With a considerable amount tears and scuffs down one side after a crash in a training a few months ago. So at my bike service with Bike-Fixed I decided to get some new bar tape fitted. Swapping from the very colourful and original yellow bar tape to a more subdued and stylish black.

During a chat with mobile bike mechanic Dave from Bike Fixed, I mentioned how I found on long rides my left hand going numb. And how when I ride my mountain bike, how much I miss the front suspension. As all the vibrations on a solid road fork is felt through my hands, wrists and arms.

He suggested that I could add some gel pads underneath the bar tape which would help with minimising the vibrations, as well as helping with the comfort on the bars, especially during long rides.

So after a little research, I purchased the Fizik gel pads and had them fitted.

What a big difference the gel pads make to the comfort on my hands during rides. Plus I'm loving the new look and feel of my bike with the black bar tape replacing the yellow. Aesthetically it makes a huge difference in my view.

Bike Serviced by Bike-Fixed.com Before Departure!

Last week my bike was expertly serviced by Bike-Fixed.com.
Very fortunately and generously for me, Bike-Fixed is a sponsor and kind supporter to me, for this charity ride. 
Providing this bike service as their sponsorship and support to the ride.

Being a mobile mechanic, Dave arrived in his fully kitted professional workshop vehicle and began work on the full 35 point service of my bike.

The bike service was very thorough, with all aspects of the bike checked, tested and maintained. 

Overall the condition of the components on my bike was really good. No need to replace any worn cables or parts.

But there was one exception or finding that wasn't such good news! There was a big problem with my rear hub bearings. Dave kindly showed me the damage to the inside of the hub that had been caused by prolonged wear without suitable levels of grease in and around the inside of the hub bearings.
Sadly this would mean I needed either a new hub or a new rear wheel.

On a more positive note, I am now totally reassured that my bike is in the best condition mechanically for the ride. Plus discovering the rear wheel bearings damage now and fixing them, ensures that any issues that could have occurred on the ride have been elevated. 

A huge, massive thank you to Dave at Bike-fixed.com for the bike service and amazing support and guidance on all things bikes!

It is really appreciated and much valued for this epic charity ride. Thanks again. 

To find out more about Bike-Fixed.com and the many expert mobile mechanic services provided please visit their website by clicking the link below...

http://www.bike-fixed.com/services/

Web Feet Tweet

As well as being a great sponsor, Web Feet have been great at supporting and promoting the Prostate Cancer UK Football to Amsterdam 2016 charity bike ride and my participation within it.
The most recent example has been a tweet, posted on the Web Feet twitter feed that was then quickly retweeted three times!

A big thank you to Gillian and the team at Web Feet for their great ongoing support. It is being a great assistance and motivation to me personally.

You can read more about who Web Feet are and what great work they do, either on the Sponsors & Supporters page on this blog here. Or click the link below to visit their website...

https://www.web-feet.co.uk/

Watching My First Pro Cycling Race

On Sunday, I took a rest from training to go and watch my first ever professional cycling race. The 'Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix' is round four of the Motopoint Spring Cup race series.
Starting and finishing in the central market square in Salisbury, the racing and action were non-stop with some great viewing vantage points. The route was 110 miles, around a circuit with some very big climbs, that they would lap 5 times.

The race started at 11:00am and finished just after 3pm. The access to the riders and teams was excellent. With lots of pro teams in attendance with some top riders named to race. I happily wandered around the market square in Salisbury amongst the teams and riders as the readied themselves for a day's racing in some blistering hot sunshine.

After watching the 'roll-out' at 11:00am in Salisbury city centre, I jumped into my car and drove initially to the village of Walton to watch two laps and then on to Windwhistle to be at the top of the second of some large climbs the riders were undertaking throughout the race. 
The action was fast and frenetic throughout, with a sprint finish. A thoroughly great day of racing. B
Below is the short summary video of the racing from British Cycling. 


The race was won by NFTO rider Ian Bibby, with teammate Jonathan McEvoy taking the overall series green jersey.

Highly recommended event. More details can be seen about the previous and next rounds of the Motopoint Spring Cup Series on the British Cycling website

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/

April Training Miles Summary - War of Miles!

The month of April was a great month for my training. Not only did I have the brilliant incentive of the 'War of Miles' challenge with the AFC Bournemouth players. But the weather and lighter evenings made the opportunities for training rides a lot more available and fun.

Overall I managed 13 training rides, totalling 273 miles and 18 hours in the saddle.
My longest ride in April was 66.6 miles in the New Forset Sportive.

You can follow and see all of my training rides on Strava by clicking here or following the link below..

https://www.strava.com/athletes/7585619

Really Supportive Tweet's from Mezzanine International

As both a supporter and sponsor, Mezzanine International have been simply brilliant with their ongoing support and promotion.
Using their social media channels they regularly post updates, which helps massively in promoting the event and my participation in it!
Personally, I would like to once again thank Scott, Tanya and the team at Mezzanine International for their brilliant and ongoing support.

You read more about Mezzanine International on my Sponsors & Supporters page here or visit their website directly by clicking the link below...

https://www.mezzanine.co.uk/