September 2016 saw the start of my love affair with road bikes. Having only ever cycled to and from school when I was 16 on a Saracen TuffTrax mountain bike, 15 years later, I knew that getting to and from work (a 7 mile journey each way) would be quicker on a road bike.
Scouting around for the best deals, sensible gears and names I recognised, I plucked for a Boardman CX Team - clocking up a weekly mileage of 56 miles commuting to and from Tunbridge Wells seemed to be no problem, until I had a few issues with headsets and bottom brackets, this saw the bike returned, money refunded and a new bike sourced. This time from a local bike shop and cafe The Velo House. Ralph and Olly were really helpful and set me up with a Focus Cayo AL Disc, along with the bike, I bought a pair of SPD-SL pedals and Fizik R5b shoes. I was fitted to the bike, choosing to opt for a slightly shorter 90mm stem and feeling really comfortable.
Having already signed up to the inaugural Velo Birmingham event in September 2017, I went searching for local sportives. Clicking on various links that seemed interesting, but too far away for my first sportive, I hit on the VO2 Sportive Series. Happening just down the road from where I live in Tonbridge, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. However, it was just two days away from my new bike purchase and only 24 hours after I first learned of the event. With two stunning routes available a 65km or 120km I opted for the 65km as I hadn't ridden more than that in one go previously. Viewing the route on the Saturday night before, there were four distinctive big hills, Shipbourne Hill, Ide Hill, Toys Hill - (North-South) and Hubbards Hill. Four hills that I had not attempted before.
Wearing the TrueStart Performance Coffee kit I purchased at the London Cycle Show, what better way to start an early March morning than with a TrueStart coffee. I climbed Shipbourne Hill with relative ease, using a group of 5 to carefully make my way to the top. Following that, there was a few undulating miles of country lanes through to Knole Park and down in to Weald village.
From there, there was a shortage of people to chain gang, cycling passed Bough Beech reservoir and up on to Ide Hill, the second climb of the day. Knowing at the top there was a pit stop, I took it easy and reached the top. Next we were on to Toys Hill - North to South (the so called easy side) an average gradient of 5% over 1.8 miles with a maximum gradient of 14.9% getting to the top took 13 minutes. The final ascent of the ride was after 42 miles. Hubbards Hill is a mile long, with an average of 7% and a max of 20%, this was a killer. Stoping and starting all the way up, I was suffering. There was plenty of support from other riders on the course which was fantastic. A second decent down Riverhill saw me cruising to the finish line in a total time of 3 hours 18 minutes over 49 miles.
I was happy. My first sportive was a brilliant experience.
By Easter, I had joined the VO2 Maximum Team and prepared for a Good Friday - Hildenborough - Box Hill - Hildenborough team ride. 32 miles there, 32 miles back with a nice big helping of Box Hill carrot cake in the middle. Not to mention a beautiful view from the North Downs looking out over Surrey.
When I started cycling in September, I never thought I would be part of a team. I just thought I would commute to and from work, losing weight, getting a bit fitter and just having fun.
The lighter evenings, and a change of business premises, meant I was able to stretch my legs for a 15 mile - 996ft commute each way. Now travelling through lanes in to the villages of Brenchley, Horsmonden and Goudhurst, I thought I would be blasted by cars on the school and work runs, but I wasn't. This commute lasted a few months until I again moved to a new shop just 2 miles from my home. Decreasing my commute to just 2.2 miles, I thought I would lose a lot of strength that I had been working on over the last three months. My new commute would now give me the opportunity for a minimum of an hour ride before work if I planned it right.
Being blessed with good weather over summer, getting involved in Inter-Club TT races against Southborough and District Wheelers on Tuesday nights, VO2 Team Chain Gang evenings on Wednesdays and keeping up with my weekend rides when I could get out, all meant that a yearly target of 3000 miles was looking possible.
London Ride 100 came around and I completed it in a moving time of 5:43. I was so impressed with my time, nothing could stop me from wanting to get back on my bike.
Then BANG! Tuesday 1st August, two days post London Ride 100, I was taken to hospital with a suspected mini-stroke. At just 32 years old, I didn't want to hear those words. Half my face had stopped working, I was losing more movement by the hour.
By 6pm, I had been admitted to the Acute Medical Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. I had, had blood tests, a CT scan and more physical tests on my body. 4 days later, I had been told that all of the tests had come back negative, MRI scans, Ultrasounds and more blood tests couldn't determine one thing or another - sent home with a diagnosis of atypical Bells Palsy. I couldn't drink, swallow or talk. I was told not to exercise due to an abnormal lymph node in my neck that had been spotted during an examination earlier in the week.
More tests were ordered, examined and discharged. Three weeks passed, I couldn't resist in the third week to get on my bike and go for a few spins, however, the fourth week was another rest week. Just under a month to go until Velo Birmingham, I had covered only 222 miles since the end of July, 258 miles short of my target mileage over the 8 weeks of summer, a time when I really needed the mileage and certainly the hill climbs as the organisers of Velo Birmingham had already mentioned that there would be a minimum of 5000ft of climbing.
23rd September 2017, the evening before the big day. Last adjustments to the bike in the back of the van at the hotel, making sure the tyres were inflated, gears lubricated and the Wahoo Elemnt charged. (The later proved to be an issue measuring just 93 miles due to my failure to ensure the battery was charged the night before)
Sunday 24th September, I slept well and woke up in plenty of time for the start, showered, geared up and ready to go, I found the start line for Yellow B1. I met with Mike Hammond from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital who I was riding for in charity kit. I had been included in their sponsorship newspaper articles and really felt like my sponsorship had been worth doing.
We started, my legs however didn't. I bottomed out with all sorts of pain from around 48 miles. The first pit stop was at 55 miles. I felt this was too far from the start for many people who weren't as lucky as myself who could commute for strength.
There were some small issues with stocks of food at the pit stops and a couple of illogical rest places that were not well thought out.
Unlike London Ride 100, I couldn't find any chain gangs to hold on to for long enough, I suffered the hills through to 75 miles at the last pit stop before the KOM hill at St Kenelms Pass. Let me put it like this. From 68 miles I think I walked all of the hills with a gradient of 5% or more. A massive 1800ft more climbing than was expected. No wonder my legs hurt for a week afterwards.
However, I had completed the sportive. Another 100 miler in the bag for 2017.
A month later, VO2 had their third sportive of the year, another brutal hill climb day was ahead. 4793ft of climbing over just 62 miles. Starting again from the Hildenborough HQ of VO2, the route included a starting ascent of Riverhill, down Ide Hill, through to Crockham Hill, Edenbridge, Marsh Green, Dormansland, up in to East Grinstead, Forest Row and up Kidds Hill - (also known as The Wall) this climb is included in the Official 100 Climbs of the UK. An average 9% gradient, just under 1 mile in distance with a sharp mid section ascent of 13% this hill came at 37 miles. Just over half way through, with plenty more forgotten hills to come and go, I got round with some support from Jen Secker who had been invited on the ride by her work colleague from London.
What can I say, 2017 has been a whirlwind of emotions, losing weight, joining a team, competing in 5 sportives, two over 100 miles, illness, work and fitting this around family life with my amazing wife and children, I couldn't have asked for more from anyone who has supported me.
Thank you to Jimmy and Paula from VO2 for their continuous support and circuit training plans that they provide and the amazing team they have created. Click the link above to find out more and join the team.
All those who have cycled with me this year, thank you for your coaching and enthusiasm to keep me peddling when I just want to give up.
Thank you to my wife Sabrina who has supported me in all of my efforts. Thank you to all those who have given sponsorship money to my charities, WaterAid (London Ride 100) and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (Velo Birmingham).
With 10 weeks to go until the end of the year I have hit 2,434 miles, just 576 miles from my target I set on the 1st January. I am finally feeling fitter, so let me see if I can hit this target.
Scouting around for the best deals, sensible gears and names I recognised, I plucked for a Boardman CX Team - clocking up a weekly mileage of 56 miles commuting to and from Tunbridge Wells seemed to be no problem, until I had a few issues with headsets and bottom brackets, this saw the bike returned, money refunded and a new bike sourced. This time from a local bike shop and cafe The Velo House. Ralph and Olly were really helpful and set me up with a Focus Cayo AL Disc, along with the bike, I bought a pair of SPD-SL pedals and Fizik R5b shoes. I was fitted to the bike, choosing to opt for a slightly shorter 90mm stem and feeling really comfortable. Having already signed up to the inaugural Velo Birmingham event in September 2017, I went searching for local sportives. Clicking on various links that seemed interesting, but too far away for my first sportive, I hit on the VO2 Sportive Series. Happening just down the road from where I live in Tonbridge, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. However, it was just two days away from my new bike purchase and only 24 hours after I first learned of the event. With two stunning routes available a 65km or 120km I opted for the 65km as I hadn't ridden more than that in one go previously. Viewing the route on the Saturday night before, there were four distinctive big hills, Shipbourne Hill, Ide Hill, Toys Hill - (North-South) and Hubbards Hill. Four hills that I had not attempted before.
Wearing the TrueStart Performance Coffee kit I purchased at the London Cycle Show, what better way to start an early March morning than with a TrueStart coffee. I climbed Shipbourne Hill with relative ease, using a group of 5 to carefully make my way to the top. Following that, there was a few undulating miles of country lanes through to Knole Park and down in to Weald village.
From there, there was a shortage of people to chain gang, cycling passed Bough Beech reservoir and up on to Ide Hill, the second climb of the day. Knowing at the top there was a pit stop, I took it easy and reached the top. Next we were on to Toys Hill - North to South (the so called easy side) an average gradient of 5% over 1.8 miles with a maximum gradient of 14.9% getting to the top took 13 minutes. The final ascent of the ride was after 42 miles. Hubbards Hill is a mile long, with an average of 7% and a max of 20%, this was a killer. Stoping and starting all the way up, I was suffering. There was plenty of support from other riders on the course which was fantastic. A second decent down Riverhill saw me cruising to the finish line in a total time of 3 hours 18 minutes over 49 miles.
I was happy. My first sportive was a brilliant experience.
By Easter, I had joined the VO2 Maximum Team and prepared for a Good Friday - Hildenborough - Box Hill - Hildenborough team ride. 32 miles there, 32 miles back with a nice big helping of Box Hill carrot cake in the middle. Not to mention a beautiful view from the North Downs looking out over Surrey.
 |
| VO2 Box Hill - Good Friday Ride - Courtesy of Jimmy George |
When I started cycling in September, I never thought I would be part of a team. I just thought I would commute to and from work, losing weight, getting a bit fitter and just having fun.
The lighter evenings, and a change of business premises, meant I was able to stretch my legs for a 15 mile - 996ft commute each way. Now travelling through lanes in to the villages of Brenchley, Horsmonden and Goudhurst, I thought I would be blasted by cars on the school and work runs, but I wasn't. This commute lasted a few months until I again moved to a new shop just 2 miles from my home. Decreasing my commute to just 2.2 miles, I thought I would lose a lot of strength that I had been working on over the last three months. My new commute would now give me the opportunity for a minimum of an hour ride before work if I planned it right.
Being blessed with good weather over summer, getting involved in Inter-Club TT races against Southborough and District Wheelers on Tuesday nights, VO2 Team Chain Gang evenings on Wednesdays and keeping up with my weekend rides when I could get out, all meant that a yearly target of 3000 miles was looking possible.
 |
| VO2 Chain Gang - Courtesy of Jimmy George |
London Ride 100 came around and I completed it in a moving time of 5:43. I was so impressed with my time, nothing could stop me from wanting to get back on my bike.
Then BANG! Tuesday 1st August, two days post London Ride 100, I was taken to hospital with a suspected mini-stroke. At just 32 years old, I didn't want to hear those words. Half my face had stopped working, I was losing more movement by the hour.
By 6pm, I had been admitted to the Acute Medical Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. I had, had blood tests, a CT scan and more physical tests on my body. 4 days later, I had been told that all of the tests had come back negative, MRI scans, Ultrasounds and more blood tests couldn't determine one thing or another - sent home with a diagnosis of atypical Bells Palsy. I couldn't drink, swallow or talk. I was told not to exercise due to an abnormal lymph node in my neck that had been spotted during an examination earlier in the week.
More tests were ordered, examined and discharged. Three weeks passed, I couldn't resist in the third week to get on my bike and go for a few spins, however, the fourth week was another rest week. Just under a month to go until Velo Birmingham, I had covered only 222 miles since the end of July, 258 miles short of my target mileage over the 8 weeks of summer, a time when I really needed the mileage and certainly the hill climbs as the organisers of Velo Birmingham had already mentioned that there would be a minimum of 5000ft of climbing.
23rd September 2017, the evening before the big day. Last adjustments to the bike in the back of the van at the hotel, making sure the tyres were inflated, gears lubricated and the Wahoo Elemnt charged. (The later proved to be an issue measuring just 93 miles due to my failure to ensure the battery was charged the night before)
Sunday 24th September, I slept well and woke up in plenty of time for the start, showered, geared up and ready to go, I found the start line for Yellow B1. I met with Mike Hammond from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital who I was riding for in charity kit. I had been included in their sponsorship newspaper articles and really felt like my sponsorship had been worth doing.
We started, my legs however didn't. I bottomed out with all sorts of pain from around 48 miles. The first pit stop was at 55 miles. I felt this was too far from the start for many people who weren't as lucky as myself who could commute for strength.
There were some small issues with stocks of food at the pit stops and a couple of illogical rest places that were not well thought out.
Unlike London Ride 100, I couldn't find any chain gangs to hold on to for long enough, I suffered the hills through to 75 miles at the last pit stop before the KOM hill at St Kenelms Pass. Let me put it like this. From 68 miles I think I walked all of the hills with a gradient of 5% or more. A massive 1800ft more climbing than was expected. No wonder my legs hurt for a week afterwards.
However, I had completed the sportive. Another 100 miler in the bag for 2017.
A month later, VO2 had their third sportive of the year, another brutal hill climb day was ahead. 4793ft of climbing over just 62 miles. Starting again from the Hildenborough HQ of VO2, the route included a starting ascent of Riverhill, down Ide Hill, through to Crockham Hill, Edenbridge, Marsh Green, Dormansland, up in to East Grinstead, Forest Row and up Kidds Hill - (also known as The Wall) this climb is included in the Official 100 Climbs of the UK. An average 9% gradient, just under 1 mile in distance with a sharp mid section ascent of 13% this hill came at 37 miles. Just over half way through, with plenty more forgotten hills to come and go, I got round with some support from Jen Secker who had been invited on the ride by her work colleague from London.
What can I say, 2017 has been a whirlwind of emotions, losing weight, joining a team, competing in 5 sportives, two over 100 miles, illness, work and fitting this around family life with my amazing wife and children, I couldn't have asked for more from anyone who has supported me.
Thank you to Jimmy and Paula from VO2 for their continuous support and circuit training plans that they provide and the amazing team they have created. Click the link above to find out more and join the team.
All those who have cycled with me this year, thank you for your coaching and enthusiasm to keep me peddling when I just want to give up.
Thank you to my wife Sabrina who has supported me in all of my efforts. Thank you to all those who have given sponsorship money to my charities, WaterAid (London Ride 100) and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (Velo Birmingham).
With 10 weeks to go until the end of the year I have hit 2,434 miles, just 576 miles from my target I set on the 1st January. I am finally feeling fitter, so let me see if I can hit this target.
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