The business end of my new bike. Not a spot of dirt. Shimano Dura Ace 12-27 cassette. The three biggest rings are made of titanium. Roval wheels. Titanium quick release. Drool.
It's a terrible cliche, but I've literally got a mountain (or five) to climb. I going to need all the help I can get and that means I need to minimise the amount of weight which I've got to pedal up the mountains. I'm not going to turn up in Foix with my Raleigh Chopper.So, I've just taken delivery of a new bike and enthusiasts amongst you will be pleased to learn that I haven't scimped. The golden rule with road bikes is 'the more you pay, the less you get'. I stole that quotation from Simon Jackson.
My new set of wheels is a Specialised S-Works Roubaix. Carbon fibre throughout, built for speed over long distance. She (for she is obviously feminine) is in my lounge, pristine, unblemished.Dura Ace groupset, Bontrager carbon compact crank,Bontrager bars and Roval wheels. I've also bought a computer, Assoss bib trousers and Specialised Pro Carbon shoes.
I've spent 2 or 3 hours fiddling with the seat position, up and down, fore and aft, with countless short test rides on the local roads. Then the clips had to be screwed on the shoes, and finally I needed to measure the front wheel circumference to calibrate the computer. Now all I need is a dry day this coming weekend so that I can give her a good thrashing. Obviously there's no way I'm going to get her wet or muddy. The Island roads are in a terrible state after the recent bad weather, and there are countless rivers of waste run-off water all over the place. Am I alone... do other cyclists try and keep their bikes clean and dry?
TRAINING..The plan is to build up my distance over the next 19 weeks. There will be no substitute for hours in the saddle, building up the stamina and mental toughness. The IOW is pretty hilly too, and I live in the rural West Wight where we have loads of trails through the forests and over the downs. I have a 3-pronged strategy. Once a week (at least) I'll be putting in a long road ride, gradually increasing the distance by 5 miles
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