Rob Enslin - train smart, race well.

The season begins... on Surrey roads

2010-03-08T21:00:00.003Z

My 2010 race season is underway. After our team finally affiliated to the the Surrey League I was clear race in their Alfold Crossways road race organised by Festival. The racing began in the morning with the 3rd cats on the Kirdford circuit and Twitter friend @jaymcstay warned of the potholes claiming victim after victim with punctures.

Rather unusually I was forced to use my old trusty Viner EOM 16.5 race bike as I had last minute issues with my Giant, our AW Cycles team issue (albeit 2009 issue for me). Whilst not the lightest bike in the world it is a lovely bike to ride and with the road surface being what it was probably the most suitable frame material.

After signing on (race number 49), I was pleasantly surprised to discover team mate Matt (Melville) there too. Matt is the super start rider of the team and has been putting in huge amounts of work in preparation for the season. Also, his new team bike had only just been built up and he was pretty anxious to test it out.

At 1.30pm we set out for 5 and a bit laps of an undulating course around the Loxwood-Alfold-Plaistow area of Surrey. The lengthy neutral zone was a useful way to see how just how bad the surface was. My race tactic was to ride near the front and go with as many moves as possible, but not attack or be aggressive. I wanted to gauge how strong I was for this time of the year.

With the race underway immediately a few guys attempted to form breaks, but the mighty Ben (Instone) simply powered his way to any escapees offering everyone else a free ride across in the process. His testing ability clearly on display. For the majority of the race the pattern of attacks followed by Ben reeling them back in while the group held on continued. Matt had his fair share of aggressive riding - using the inclines to launch his attacks. On one accession it seemed to work when he got away with Andy (Bryson), from DCH (eventual winner of the race). The two had ridden superbly well until Matt's energy reserves ran out and ultimately forced to retreat and join the rest of the group. I handed him my spare bottle to tie him over for the remainder of the last lap.

Within the final 5km's the main chasing group became fractured with small groups of riders forming. By this time Matt had moved up front with me and we began to sprint for home. Content with the work I'd done during the race I eased back slightly and rolled in 14th. Matt finished a respectable 12th, however the bulk of the field not finishing at all. Special note for Chris Tune who I'd not seen race for ages, put in a sterling effort always attentive and quick to react.

Whilst not my best result I had a great day out in the cold sunshine finally finding a moment to express my physical form.

Final result:

1. Andy Bryson (DHCyclesport) 2:59:00
2 James Makepeace
3. Nick Abraham
12. Matt Melville (AW Cycles RT)
14. Rob Enslin (AW Cycles RT)

Physio stats - unavailable as I did not monitor or record any race performance data.

UK's Cape Epic 2010 route presentation: My nutrition talk

2010-02-06T12:28:00.008Z

The Cape Epic (Epic) comes around once a year, usually around March (21st - 28th March this year). With the CE gaining increasing popularity yearly, it's big business. When I rode the 2005 edition it was still relatively new attracting a modest field by its current standards. With UCI points up for grabs, top riders, spanning the globe, descend on Cape Town to put their bodies through 8 days of epic hell.

Andrew Clayton from Pedal Studio, a spinning studio in Putney, put on an pre-Cape Epic event to offer advice to race entrants and to unveil the 2010 route. Andrew asked me to come along and give a short talk on nutrition. There's so much information on nutrition out there, a lot of it very technical, so I prepared a few slides on the practical side of nutrition within the context of the Epic. By way of an introduction to nutrition I reminded the listeners about the basic breakdown of the nutritional components:

1. Protein - helps repair the muscle tissue (recovery)
2. Water and salts - eliminate wastes, temperature control and helps digestion
3. Carbohydrates - fuel muscles (keeps you going and helps recovery)

Here's a summary of what I spoke about.

1. Develop good habits

The main reason people don't drink or eat is because they are just not in the habit of doing so.

Start good habits now! Makes drinking a lot easier
Drink at work and home (not only on the bike)
Bottle is your best friend - carry one everywhere
Learn to eat and drink while you train

2. Know your body - conditioning

The Epic is no ordinary race. Every stage is a race in itself. Before a rider undertakes to punish his or her body this severely it's important to know your own limits - just how far can you push it before it 'breaks'.

If you look at this typical Epic pattern (8-day stage race):

pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 1)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 2)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 3)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 4)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 5)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 6)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 7)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race (day 8)

Pretty monotonous right?

There's a lot of fueling and hydration taking place so it's important that your body becomes accustomed to the repetitious nature of this feeding.

The single best way to prepare yourself is to mimic this behavior. Try using a block of training to expose yourself to it before you ride the Epic. If you find you're suffering from ill feelings you still have time to change your products or habit.

3. Planning

Nothing beats planning, right? Not enough can be said to emphasise planning. A notable benefit to good planning is reducing stress. If you're stressed you'll suffer. The only stress you need to deal with is the stress of the race (the inherent race stress - not self-inflicted stress). Here are a few specifics to look at:

No shortcuts to nutrition - just do it
Good planning controls your stress (the right type of stress)
Packing: organise your nutrition to make it accessible and easy to reach
Stock - how much and what to take? (buy UK or SA?)
Times: meal, wake up, flights

4. Food and equipment

How you consume your nutritional products is important. From the type of bottle to drink with to where and how you carry your energy bars.

Coffee and tea (go easy)
Gels - convenient, easy to measure, messy
Bars - solid food, minerals, convenient, but avoid chocolate-coated
Supplements
Use the 3 feed stations wisely (water, energade (*SA) & coke)
Personal snacks (foiled portions from breakfast) & savoury
Bottles vs Hydration pack - personal choice
Anti-cramp tables (emergency)

5. BDA (before, during and after)

If you pick up any nutrition book you'll find the same information written: drink and eat before, during and after you race or train. There's a reason for that... because it's been proven time and time again that it's the most effective way to support you during the event and prepare you for recovery.

Before - water, water, water, good breakfast, berocca
During - water, energy drink, solid food (use feed stations)
After - recovery drink (within 30mins), water, water, water, good meal.

If you lose your appetite get some help. You NEED to be eating and drinking.

View the slide show.

[Me presenting 'Looking after you!' at the UK's Cape Epic route announcement evening in Putney]

Inspiration to train (feel it)

2010-01-03T19:55:00.004Z

Yesterday I wrote about staying off icy roads to avoid accidents and ill health. I suggested 8 alternative ways to keep the heart pumping and maintain condition.

In the video below (by Landis Fields, PUSH PULL) see if you can relate to any of the details portrayed in it (facial expressions, sweat, kit, bikes, terrain) then watch it again and really feel it. The next time you're looking for inspiration watch it again and go train.

PUSH PULL from Landis Fields on Vimeo.

Don't ride on the road when it's freezing

2010-01-02T19:33:00.006Z

Well our (UK) winter is truly here. With crazy cold temperatures and buckets of rain, training has not been easy. Recently we've had snow making road riding near impossible. Two nights before Christmas I decided to ride home from work. What seemed like fun at the start ended up being a nightmare. With snow on the roads and no grit I ended up riding really slowly and consequently freezing. What should have been 1:45hrs to get home took close on 3hrs.

What lead me to write this post was seeing 2 guys pushing their road bikes today and someone else's bike too, after returning from a mountain bike ride this morning. It was obvious. Their riding partner had fallen and they were taking the fallen rider's bike home. So, why do people insist on riding on the road when the conditions simply won't allow it? I don't know?

When the conditions are bad why not look to alternative methods to train (exercise)? Normally, when the conditions are bad I either jump on the indoor trainer, go for a run or enjoy great trails on the mountain bike. I don't spend long times on the trainer and limit my runs to no more than 45mins, but riding in frosty conditions is so much fun and way safer too.

When the conditions are bad (dangerous) there are other ways to keep up your training:

1. Indoor static trainer

2. Mountain biking

3. Rollers

4. Jog/Run

5. Gym training

6. Squash

7. Swimming

8. Spinning.

What other training exercises would you recommend?

Orbana healthy energy drink: part 1 (intro)

2009-10-21T20:19:00.007Z

Whilst visiting Leisure Industry Week, an exhibition for the B2B leisure industry, I met the Orbana team. As exhibitors at LIW, Orbana were there to speak with potential buyers interested in sports nutrition products. The difficulty for any supplier supplying this market is the stiff competition they face. The sports nutrition industry attracts huge interest and worth millions of pounds so everyone wants a piece of this action.

Heard it all before
I've moved past the stage of asking suppliers too much about their products. Most seem to proclaim their products are 'unique': natural ingredients, all the vitamins, perfect balance of carbs to proteins and so on. I'm looking for their USP (Unique Selling Point)... what makes you stand out from the others?

Product presentation
The first thing that struck me was the way the product presented itself. Unlike other competitive products Orbana came to customers in a bottle as powder ingredients only. Odd you might think. Apparently this helps keep the ingredients 'fresh'. The diluent - usually water - reduces the ingredient's potency and freshness. Another noticeable point is it's a lot lighter (with no fluid dilutent) than your standard product - great if you carry your recovery product with you to use later.

What samples did I use?
After some discussion with Orbana rep, Sharon, I was offered a few samples. In fact I was given a box of sample to try (thanks Sharon). I've used all but one of my Orbana samples during a ride to work. This because a) I try new products outside a race first and b) I plan to report back on by way of a long-term test through a video entry (so I need a sample right?) during part 2 of the report.

And... what's it like?
In terms of taste I can say that it's rather pleasant. Some products tend to use sugar-replacement ingredients which leaves an unpleasant after-taste in your mouth, but Orbana was fine. Also, texture-wise I found it easy to drink (ingest)... almost smooth like. There is no unpleasant phlegm build-up or unwanted stomach discomforts either.
It's too early to report on its efficacy so I hope that in my second report I might offer better insight - whether good old water with Ribena is is-as-good as Orbana (or any sports nutrition drinks for that matter)? I fear not, I'm confident it'll be great, but for me proof comes whilst racing when your body cries out for nutritional help and too when the race is done... those all important first 30mins after.

Part 2 to come...

London Dynamo Hill Climb (17 October)

2009-10-17T20:00:00.000Z

[photo by Gavin Morton]

With a chest still a little dodgy from the Kingston Wheelers hill climb two weeks ago I tackled the 1200 yard Leith Hill climb promoted by London Dynamo CC. I managed to improve my position to 4th (from 7th) but whilst the course was a little longer than last time I did a slower time - 04:18 (last time 04:03).

This time I felt considerably worse suffering dizzy spells and cramping calves at the car park at the top of the hill. Jeez, when will I learn hill climbing is not for me :-(

Race stats:
Time: 04:08
Distance: 1250 yards
Heart Rate: 184/194 (ave/max)
Ascent: 120m

Results:
1. Chris McNamara (Corley Cycles RT) - 04:04 (see video below for interview)
2. Luke Wallis (Kingston Wheelers) - 04:08
3. Sylvain Garde (Addiscombe CC) - 04:12
4. Rob Enslin (AW Cycles) - 04:18

Chris McNamara interview from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

Chris won today's (Oct 17th) London Dynamo hill climb up Leith Hill in a winning time of 04:04.

I managed to nick 2 mins of his time to talk about the hill climb, training and next years plans.

Ride of the falling leaves, Storrington

2009-10-11T20:04:00.008Z

Another amazing ride organised by the FALLING LEAVES master, Steve Calland took place today leaving from his south downs den in Storrington. Unlike last year's Norwood Paragon dominated ride Steve managed to muster local South Downs Bikes riders for a leisurely 80 miles along some of the country's finest lanes.

Special mention to Florida Racing Magazine owner, David Green, for great good chats about the cyclist magazine serving the Florida area, US. I wonder whether a cyclist digital magazine would serve the London community? I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Ride time: ~5hrs
Distance: 78miles
Weather: cool, overcast and drizzle

"Thanks for a safe ride guys."

Leith Hill killer (3rd October)

2009-10-04T17:54:00.007Z

[photo by Gavin Morton]

Being a big guy (6'1" weighing ~79kilos) lumping my body over steep gradients is not easy. However, I'm always keen on competition and since Leith Hill (North Downs, Surrey) is very local to me, I thought I'd give it a shot. So I entered the Kingston Wheelers hillclimb.

After receiving the start sheet (PDF of the startsheet) well ahead of the event I was able to see exactly where the climb started and ended plus my start time. So, on Saturday morning I geared up and rode to the climb to recce it - to make sense of the profile and get some idea of where I'd push real hard and where I'd conserve. I actually recorded the climb so once I download it I'll share it here.

Off at 11.54 I smashed my way up the first section - long gentle start. Onto the first steep section the burn became apparent and my lungs began to burn. Push on I told myself. At the first reprieve I dutiful support awaited screaming their heads off: "move it", "come one", I heard. On the second of the steep sections - arguably the toughest - it started hurting real bad and the physiological emergency signs kick in. "Lactic Emergency" is not simply a build up of lactic acid, it's the bodies anaphylactic-like response felt by its inability to cope with this sudden overzealous lactic production.

With my cardio-vascular system on borrowed time I pushed on, on to the final ascent where a small group of eager people spurred me on. By now things were bad, my legs were slowing and pleading to stop. Before long I crossed the line in relief. I could taste the blood - a sure sign that you squeezed max out.

I managed 4mins 3sec enough to finish 7th. My AW Cycles team mate, Matt Melville, finished 5th after an encounter with a slow moving tractor. Matt, modestly confesses he'd have climbed another position if he had a clear road.

The final result revealed Pete Tadros, from InGear RT, winning by a very comfortable margin in 3mins 43sec claiming the course record. I managed to pull Pete across aside for a short interview.

Pete Tadros interview from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

Hillclimb stats:

Time: 04:03 (min:sec)
Heart Rate: 181 / 199 (average/max)
Ascent: 120m

North Downs riding - still rocks!

2009-09-13T12:48:00.003Z

It's no secret that I've not had the most active season this year, but like I've said before my season has just started now - a late start to the season - which includes cyclo-cross, track and the last few local road races.

So when Mark said he was planning a mountain bike ride around the north downs I added it to my calendar without hesitation. Meeting at Newlands Corner Mark, Jody, Chris, Matt, Sam and I set off for a fast ride 3hr ride. I know Jody & Sam are flying as is Mark so there'd be no hanging around. The last time I rode with Jody was at the SL Ewhurst road race back in August, and he was riding well then.

The trails are dry and dusty - a perfect combo for some sweet trails. And, with Sam and Mark with built their 'built-in GPS systems' we rode amazing swoopy tracks, some quite bumpy - Barry Knows Best to name but one.

After a short pro-stop cuppa at Peaslake, we headed the long way back finally ascending back to the top of Newlands Corner.

Thanks for a great ride chaps and the group-sponsored cup of tea.

Ride stats:

Time: 03:06

HR: 162/200 (ave/max)

Ascent: 1100m

Chocolate milk IS good for you!

2009-08-31T17:26:00.005Z

Anyone with a sweet tooth knows our incescent need to all things sweet quite often leads to our failed attempts at reaching perfect race weight. Plus, late afternoon's sugar crashes are all too common too. However, when Twitter socialite (and follower) @ericoduarte from Brazil noted how low-fat chocolate milk drink has shown to increase post-exercise recovery over traditional recovery products, I thought yeah right?

However, true to his tweet he shared a recent article which offered information to support his claim.

Medical News Today's article 'Chocolate Milk's 'Natural' Muscle Recovery Benefits Match Or May Even Surpass A Specially Designed Carbohydrate Sports Drink', examines how consuming the humble ubiquitous low-fat chocolate milk drink can boast recovery. Guardian's article 'milk 'just as good as sports drinks' for athletes' confirms it.

Low-fat chocolate milk is just as good as sports drinks at helping athletes recover from exercise...

Wow, I hear you say? Yes, that's what I thought when I read it. Right, I'm off to Tescos to buy me some choco milk drinks.

[thanks Erico!]

Late edit: For a shoot out on the state of off-the-shelf milk drinks available for sportsman check out Bigfoot MBC's blog post.

Greeting: are you a nodder or a waver?

2009-08-28T10:10:00.008Z

Ever since I heard a professional cyclist (wish I could remember his name now?) slag off a novice cyclist for nodding - claiming "they are the nodders" - at a passer-by cyclist, I consciously consider my greeting actions - nod or wave - when faced with that encounter?

To nod involves a short dipping of the head/helmet and to wave you raise your hand and often pointing finger upwards simultaneously, at a fellow cyclist while on the move. All in the name of saying hello and acknowledging for a common cause. Of course you can simply shout out "hello/hiya/howzit..etc", but then often cyclists have their ears plugged up with music, right?

So, out of curiosity I decided to run a quick Twitter poll to gauge how fellow (Twitter followers) cyclists greet each other (mostly strangers)? After a few minutes of sending the tweet it was clear that people usually signal using various gestures.

I mostly nod (safer in built up London traffic) and occassionally finger gesture too.

The Twitter poll results:

Nod = 7

Wave (finger gesture) = 7

Other gestures:

Shout: 4

Ding: 1 (@londoncyclist suggested that perhaps we should Ding them)

Here's what some of the respondants had to say/comment on Twitter:

@londoncyclist: I tend to nod when passing another cyclist. Maybe I should Ding them. Have you heard of Ding Day?- http://tr.im/xkjm

http://twitter.com/londoncyclist/status/3598857591

@Humphr: Both

http://twitter.com/Humphr/status/3598895059

@ishmaelb: Depends on what you mean by "cyclist", but normally I just wave.

http://twitter.com/ishmaelb/status/3598932671

@adrian_trenholm: nod, wave or shout "good morning" depending on circs, to cyclists, runners, walkers and horse riders.

http://twitter.com/adrian_trenholm/status/3598982624

@Yorkshire11: I just blurt a good 'Hello Mate' out, or something topical like 'Nice init'. THe best thing is saying hello to people

http://twitter.com/Yorkshire11/status/3599121396

@RyanV49er: Crazy flapping arms and shouting "watch out for the dogs!!!!". Always makes me laugh...

http://twitter.com/RyanV49er/status/3599214169

@felixhemsley: A sly nod of the head and a raise of the fingertips off the bar as a gesture...

http://twitter.com/felixhemsley/status/3599250883

@stevesaunders: I nod, and lift one finger from my bars or hoods as a wave

http://twitter.com/stevesaunders/status/3599637514

@TheOnlyMrW: nod or wave and a hello, unless they're mountain bikers as you never get a response!

http://twitter.com/TheOnlyMrW/status/3599904884

Annon: Nod

Surrey League Road Race (August 23, 2009 Goodwood)

2009-08-24T19:00:00.006Z

[Rob Enslin and John Veness at Goodwood, Chichester]

Another wonderful post-summer Sunday at Goodwood saw me enter the Surrey League 5-Day support race. Both Sam (Allen) and I were supporting AW Cycles.

My plan today was to ride hard and use the race as training. The warm sunshine would see me enjoy a hard race. With itchy feet I showed signs of aggressive racing while Sam was looking good too. We took turns attacking and chasing potential moves down. The main activist was Paul (Pickup), who was seriously active attacking at every possible opportunity... he was certainly in line for a win?

At the three quarter mark Sam got away with Paul, Bryan (Taylor) and one other guy to form a promising break. They managed to open a gap very quickly and soon out of sight. With Sam in the group I resumed a defensive role, marking every move and conserving my legs in case we somehow caught the lead group later.

By the bell lap a small group, Jason and one other guy (and me tailing on) managed to close the gap to within 100m. I noticed Sam drop off the group (as he cramped I later heard) and was hanging on for dear life... as we came ever closer to the finish.

On the final straight the sprint for victory was over with Bryan taking the win (second to Paul Pickup). Sam somehow hung on to forth and I came in just behind the winner of our sprint group with Jason (Edwards) from Wild Side Road Team, winning it to claim 6th.

After last weeks result this is my best to date. Things are looking up. Until next time, adios.

Rapha Pro Socks - delivery experience

2009-08-20T21:01:00.004Z

After much umming and ahring, I decided to splash out and buy some Rapha socks.

I'm a big fan of high-ankle cycling socks. It's so darn hard to get high-ankle socks so finally I decided to splash out and buy some from Rapha online.

One area I'm particularly interested in is the online customer delivery service (see Camelbak Daxio backpack). It starts at the first touch point - the website - then onto the email transaction notification until the item finally reaches me. My final judgement is that OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) I get when I open the package to reveal the contents of my purchase.

This OOBE was notable (albeit a pair of socks).

Rapha Pro Socks from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

I'm a big fan of high-ankle cycling socks. It's so darn hard to get high-ankle socks so finally I decided to splash out and buy some from Rapha online.

One area I'm particularly interested in is the online customer delivery service. It starts at the first touch point, the website and then onto email transaction notification until the item finally reaches me. My final judgement is that OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) I get when I open the package to reveal the contents of my purchase.

SL Ewhurst Road Race (16th Aug)

2009-08-20T12:55:00.005Z

[Photo: www.davehayward.com]

If you read my blog you'll have noticed that I haven't blogged for some time, and that's because I've not done much on the bike lately. So, now that my work commitments have somewhat relaxed I've decided to get going again, and so can officially announce the start of my race season. So a week ago - after my South African holiday - I finally decided to enter the Surrey League Ewhurst RR. I used the online rider registration (RiderHQ) service to enter.

With Ockley Village Hall so close to home (~5 miles) I decided to get race ready at home and ride to the start as a warm up. This would be the first time I'd used my new race bike (Giant TCR Advanced) and with my Fulcrums too. Needless to say it was great to see all the riders again - I sure miss the atmosphere. My mate Gilly (Andrew Gill) was there too so that was a bonus.

Other than the road surface this course is magical. It takes you around beautiful Surrey countryside along narrow lanes. The course itself winds its way through Ewhurst and then back on to the A29 before it heads back to the HQ, Ockley Village Hall. We had to complete six laps before branching onto the final section up Leith Hill (71 miles).

The race started in glorious sunshine after the obligatory race briefing. Immediately riders started attacking, trying to get away - a common pattern on the course. Two riders, Jodie Crawford and Sam Allen (AW Cycles) clipped off front and began to build a good lead. Soon afterwards I attacked and burried myself to bridge, which I finally did. Jody ran into some puncture trouble, but managed to get back to his car to replace it.

We got caught after a lap and soon afterwards a trio clipped off (and stayed away till the end). My team mates, Simon and Sam (AW Cycles), attacked and worked well together. Now patrolling the front of the peleton I managed to get a quick word in with John (Heaton-Armstrong, from Fit-For) where we agreed that the race was pretty much 'over'. The lack of spirit demonstrated by the groupies confirmed that there is a lot of negative riding in local Surrey League - riders seemed to rather sit in and follow wheels. A frustrated John continued near the front, secretly hoping some might be courageous enough to have a go. It was not to be.

In the closing stages of the race I came to the front main group to complete the second half of the last lap out front, holding a steady pace comfortable knowing my team mates where out of sight.

On the final turn headed towards the finish I pulled to the side and let the group fight for the minor placings. I was content with how my first ride had gone and

Results:

1. Guy Powdrill (London Dynamo/Cyclefit)

2. Steven Saunders (Kingston Whls CC)

3. Simon Ernest (AW Cycles)

28. Rob Enslin (AW Cycles)

Nearly perfect drinking bottle

2009-07-20T20:53:00.004Z

I've been searching for that perfect cycling bottle. So when I found these now not so new 'Camelbak Podium Bottle's' I though I'd hit the jackpot.

Before continuing, what makes the perfect cycle bottle? A few elements I've isolated include:

fits the bottle cage snuggly
large neck entrance
tight seal
easy to remove and tighten the bottle top
easy to drink mouthpiece
soft rubbery bit piece that can be gripped in your teeth
see-through bottle to visually inspect contents level
squeezable (malleable), but not too hard or too soft
good looks
easy to clean
good quality plastic
bottle decals and colour options

So, after using my Camelbak's for six months a single design fault raised its ugly head. Cleaning the inside of the bottle is difficult at best. Unless you insert an ear bud and scrub out the residue and completely remove any debris you'll be left with ugly left-overs. So with all the features a great bottle should have and more (lockable drink piece), I'm afraid the nearly perfect Camelbak Podium bottle has been let down by its impractical mouthpiece.

NPS 2 - Cross Country (Dalby Forest, 10th May)

2009-05-11T11:57:00.006Z

The second round of the NPS greeted us with a shock. A shock because far from the the neat, fast and clean roadie-like lines of Sherwood Forest last month, Dalby was a 'proper' cross country course - lots of technical sections and lots of climbing.

The NPS XC 2 podium presentation from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

During the practice session on Saturday both Mark and I were having doubts about two particlulary hazardous sections: the drop-off and the three-tired root descent. The real problem was not our riding ability it was our deep mental analysis - focusing on the what-if too much. We had to abandon a second parctice lap due to rain... further adding to our anxieties.

We enjoyed slightly lavish accommodation (by our standards) - Innkeepers Lodge - organised by Mr Bike Wikipedia - Nick Evans, from Beyond Mountain bikes, which included breakfast. We headed back to the forest park to attempt another practice lap before racing at 3pm. The practice lap was perfect for both of us... just as we'd predicted.

At 3pm, we lined up at the start. Mark on the front line, Tom on second row and me at the back. I stupidly forgot to pre-enter on time so lost a start line seeding. With a big circular field to start the race on there'd be plenty of time to come round some of the riders.

We set off to start 4 laps with Vets (including Steve Jones) shortly after us. I never saw Mark again as he sped off with the front riders (perhaps he could include a short commentary as a comment below?). Meanwhile I was still trying to get through the field and being held up by the traffic - having to come to a standstill to wait my turn to continue. With the climbs taking their toll the field began to spred out. I continued to pick off and pass a rider at a time. The drop-off and three-tier-root sections were fine - in fact I hardly noticed them anymore. By lap two I caught Tom who seemed to be struggling with cramp. He later retired from the race completing two laps.

I continued a fairly good pace till the end. Finally finishing 12th. Speaking to Hoppy (Paul Hopkins) I discovered Mark had won the race. He'd finally managed to achieve what he'd been trying to for so long. Huge congrats to him.

NPS XC2 Winner Mark Hutt from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

My ride stats:

Time: 01:33

Average HR: 179 bpm

Maximum HR: 203 bpm

The final placings:

1. Mark Hutt AW Cycles 01:28:48

2 Dan Lewis 01:29:35

3 Christopher Rathbone 01:31:12

12 Rob Enslin - AW Cycles 01:33:32

Some weekend photos:

[Speaking to the winner, Mark Hutt, on the way home. George Budd joined in via Facebook]

[Pit stop on the way home]

Twitter feed

2009-05-06T08:57:00.007Z

A colleague from work approached me this morning to ask how he could have his website articles automatically published to his Twitter account? Firstly, I explained that whilst it's possible, I did not recommend it. Twitter is a social publishing platform IMO so it loses that 'personality' which is counter-intuitive?

Anyway, as an experiment I thought I'd enable automatic Twitter posting from my blog. Confused? The idea is that when I write a blog post (from here) twitterfeed.com will automatically tweet it and include a link to my blog post. Seems simple enough hey?

What I'm curious about is whether you (reading this) think it's a good idea? (assuming you care about twitter). Good idea, bad idea or don't care?

Local North Downs 'legends'

2009-05-04T18:44:00.006Z

Most people who know me know that I live in one of the most beautiful places in the UK - Beare Green (Dorking). An area of outstanding beauty and also an area that boast a fantastic network of on-/off-road riding trails.

Since moving to the UK (~10 years ago) I've been riding local roads and trails. In the years I've been rendezvousing there I've met a few 'legends' (people and places).

1. Dave Lees (mountain man)

Most Saturday mornings (9.30am) I meet like-minded mountain bikers at Nirvana Cycles, Westcott. There are a few notables including Hugh and Richard but, only a trail companion knows just what a legend Dave is. There's nothing special about is riding, handling ability, fitness, jokes, technical conversations, gold Santa Cruz bike, Assos kit or anything else.... he's just a legend. So, the next time you want a fantastic ride and want to experience a legend, come along to Nirvana Cycles on a Saturday morning make sure you ride in Dave's group. You won't forget it.

2. Surrey Hills roads

There's nothing quite like riding through the 'Surrey Hills' countryside. The roads are quiet and tranquil they're a joy to ride. I use the Surrey Hills lanes for training and have a few standard routes - flattish, hilly and mountain bike routes too. A local sportive, the Legs of Steel Sportive, is held on these lanes and takes in all the hills these Surrey lanes can throw at you. My personal favorite is Barhatch Lane hill.

3. Bike shops

Whilst the bike shops aren't actually legends in their own right, I've included them because they are important to me and have contributed to my love of cycling in the local area.

As you'd expect this area attracts many riders of all disciplines. So naturally the supply/demand ecosystem works nicely with three major bikes shops serving the region. Firstly, there's the roadies shop - Dauphin Cycles - which is located atop Box Hill. Whilst they mainly stock Italian bikes, they do have quite a fantastic range as well as clothing. The only down-side is they're closed Sundays... probably out riding?

At the opposite end is Nirvana Cycles. I've not spent much money there but their servicing and mountain bike specific knowledge is amazing. Simon, who owns the shop, is a jump junkie and swears by their Laprierre full-sussers. I might even convert sometime soon?

Lastly, Head-for-the-Hills, is a new mountain bike shop situated in the old end side of the Dorking High Street. They stock mountain bikes and have a busy servicing schedule so if you ever plan to have your bike serviced there make sure you book it well in advance.

These are my local North Downs legends. Do you have any?

My new Camelbak Daxio backpack

2009-05-01T20:45:00.002Z

I finally decided to splash out and replace my old Camelbak with the Daxio. The Daxio is a beauty and at 26lt it’s good for commuting. It's good for commuting in that it's well made (good quality) and accommodates my Powerbook. I've only started using it this week so time will tell.

Over at Bikeradar.com the Daxio's was reviewed and it received 4 stars (out of 5).

I managed to record a short video of my Daxio as it arrived in the post - bought from Evans.

Evans Cycles Delivery from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

Here I share my online shopping delivery experience. What I find when the package arrives and how I feel when I open the package is part of the overall experience.

SL Easter 3-Day

2009-04-15T20:14:00.004Z

[Photo courtesy of Patron Choufflard]

Despite not winning the race I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it for a couple of reasons:

1. Great weather on the last day
2. Great bunch of riders in the local area
3. Team win (AW Cycles RT) on the final day - by Sam Allen
4. Having my wife (Bridget) and kids (Kate and James) there for support - see video below (turn volume down)
5. Fantastic countryside to ride a bike

SL Easter 3-Day 2009 from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

[I've not had a chance to write a race report yet.. might not even do it.]

I'd be interested to hear what people think about the number of London Dynamo riders allowed to enter despite many people being turned away from the race (from the reserve list). Please comment below if you have an opinion. Thanks.

Final Result (GC): (photo of winners)

1 Steve Calland
2 Richard Hoult
3 Douglas Dewey
4 Sam Allen awcycles.co.uk
12 Rob Enslin awcycles.co.uk

For full results visit the London Cycle Sport website or British Cycling.

NPS 1 - Cross Country (Sherwood Pines, 5th April)

2009-04-05T11:38:00.002Z

The master's race was a replay of the Elite race where a huge train of riders hurtled round the course slowly shrugging off riders as it wove relentlessly through the trees. Stephen James with Matt Barrett, John Veness, Rob Enslin and Mark Hutt helped shake this massive train down to just these 5 riders. Barrett playing on his vast experience left a little more in the tank and came past relative newbie James to take the win in a fascinating 4 up sprint. James took second narrowly ahead of Veness, who likewise pipped Enslin to third.
British Cycling website

So another XC season got underway and what a great way to start it. Here are just some of the words I'd use to describe the event : dry, sunny, excitement, results, aw cycles van, travelodge, audi tt, jody crawford, talkative, value, giant bikes, fast course, podium, bike weights, Twitter

Getting there

Our trusty AW Cycles van packed with equipment and bikes transported us to Sherwood Pines - the venue for the first NPS of the season. We arrived in good time and without incident.

Practice Day

Tom's pre-event ramblings of tyre choice didn't seem to matter now - with the course dry there was only one tyre on everyones mind - Racing Ralphs. Some of us were organised & well prepared (Mark Hutt) - donned their practice wheels saving their race wheels for race day, while others watched on (some of us even just scrambled around in search of mis-placed items).

We managed two practice laps before heading to our digs - Travelodge. The course was great, dry an fast but a little bumpy too so lots to be happy about. There were no tricky bits and no need to run over the course again on race day.

Race Day

Simon Ernest was the first AW man off in the elite race. Si started the race in a commanding position - first group - up with the country's best. I was feeding/supporting him. By lap 4 (of 7) he flatted and lost touch with the leading group. He'd managed to hold a nice little group till the end finishing a respectable 17th.

In my race - Masters - Mark and I were both gridded while Tom had to settle for tail spots. The start was furious and I loved it. Sidetrack: I just love those aggressive starts when riders are barging and pushing. Even though the start was hectic it was straight forward with a long open (slightly inclined) fire road to spread the riders out before entering the singletrack. By the first singletrack section both Mark and I were in good positions lying in the top 6 places. Mark rode like a man possessed making everyone suffer... including me. The course made its way into the twisty forest sections weiving in and out closed forest singletrack and fire tracks. Then we swung back towards the start/finish area and back out onto the second part of the course (back section) which was really fast - awesome fun!!!!

By the end if the first lap (of 5) our small neat and select group entered the start/finish area with raptuious applause from the spectators. Mark was leading the group with me hanging on. We continued this pace for a couple of laps. By midway we were joined by John Veness who incredibly junctioned... all credit to him - was great effort.

We continued around the course as a group of 5. Graham Warby attacked the group a few of times, but with a strong group on his wheel it was going to be tough to escape.

At the bell lap the pace was hot. Our group still moved along nicely with no sign of any chasers from the rest of the field. In the closing corners I miss-judged the number of laps remaining - thinking we still had one to go - so I found myself off the pace leaving Matt Barrett and Stephen James to take first and second with John (Veness) just ahead of me in third. (I did try to come round him) Mark right behind me, claimed 5th spot.

Result:

1st Matt Barrett
2nd Stephen James
3rd John Veness
4th Rob Enslin (AW Cycles)
5th Mark Hutt (AW Cycles)

Full results
British Cycling report

Mountain bike race: Gorrick #4 (Porridgepot Hill)

2009-03-29T15:36:00.005Z

I decided to do the fourth round of the Gorrick mtb ahead of the Dengie Marshes Tour or Peter Young Memorial with the first round of the NPS XC racing looming (next weekend). It's probably a good idea since I've not ridden off-road since January. It's been so long since I've been off-road I even had to change my disc pads with them so worn.

What I like about riding the Supermasters event is it's an early start (9.45am) and you get to ride against some great elite-like riders like Sam Gardner.

With no warm up I lined up next to team mate, Mark Hutt at Porridgepot Hill course. We experienced some tricky moments on the first corner after the start. By the first climb ( of 3 steep climbs each lap) we, the riders, found a rhythm and lined out on the singletrack dropping down the first technical - loose, sandy, off-camber - descent.

On the second climb we'd formed the lead group of five - me, Mark Hutt, Nick Onslow, Sam Gardner & Stephen James. Being off the bike for so long showed with my woeful technical riding ability - I was struggling on the technical sections - loosing ground each time. I became increasingly frustrated having to constantly bridge the group (yoyo'ing). At the start of lap 3 I started loosing a little ground with the group (30 secs). I continued to keep riding as hard as possible, keeping the pressure on. I was holding on to the 30sec gap, but as I started the last lap my rhythm kicked in and began to start riding with a lot control.

At the finish I felt strong and delighted to finish in fith place. I was also pleased to learn that Mark won with a sprint, beating Sam Gardner. An impressive result and well deserved Mr Hutt.

Next week we move to Sherwood Forest for the first NPS XC of the season. I'm seriously looking forward to it. (and the Surrey League Easter 3-Day the weekend after that)

Race results

1. Mark Hutt (AW Cycles)
2. Sam Gardner
3. Stephen James
4. Nick Onslow
5. Rob Enslin (AW Cycles)

Race stats

Time: 01:05

Laps: 4
HR: 181/193

Temp: 6 degrees average

Climbing: 400 metres

Wally Gimber Road Race (15 March)

2009-03-16T21:58:00.012Z

The Wally Gimber is traditionally a hard race and to win it you either need to be strong & fast, crafty or damn lucky. Unfortunately for me I was strong, however a required ingredient (speed) was missing. Until now my training has largely been of a strength/endurance nature so my speed is desperately lacking.

[photo courtesy of Belinda Sinclair]

At least we had cracking weather - 16 degrees and sunny at the start, but while we waited in the glorious sunshine we were missing a requirement to hold a race - an ambulance. It was running late. It gave us a chance to catch up with other riders and for me to check out Matt's new Felt top-of-the-range machine. What a beauty.

With the event being run by the SERRL we were privy to be able to use the transponders for timing and wear light paper-like numbers (seriously techie).

Anyway, we set off to complete six laps of a tough circuit which included one slight hill which fortunately wasn't too long. The start/finish line was on a slight descent wide enough for a safe sprint (yeah right).

On the first lap Alex Higham (WyndyMilla) and two guys attacked off the front so I chased and got on. We drove hard for the rest of lap one. I was feeling pretty strong and so was Alex it seemed. So while Alex drove hard on the climbs I put in hard turns on the flats to open a decent gap on the group. We seemed to be managing just fine and opened up a little lead - around 1min, so things were looking good. Eventually, however, Simon and a Dulwich Paragon guy got dropped and by this time a small chasing group had developed. The group had some strong riders in it including Grant Bayton (Sportsbeans/Wilier), Chris McNamara (Team Corley), Toby Neave (Southdown Velo), John Heaton-Armstrong (Fit-For), Steve Saunders (Kingston Wheelers).

Alex and I drove on well together with a neat and tight two-up TT formation. We set a good pace and relentlessly drove on. The gap hovered around 50sec until finally the chasers caught us.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what my team mates were doing or what was going on in the peleton. Turns out that Rob Hurd (DHC Colnago) and Tom Hemnant (London Dynamo) started a move to bridge the gap. They did so quite effectively and before we knew it they'd arrived with Rob looking as fresh as ever. How does he do it? Must be all those years of racing.

With two laps to go the lead group with me in it mucked around with no real cohesive efforts. It seemed that only a few riders were prepared to work which became increasingly frustrating for me. Afterwards I'd wished Alex and I had stayed away. After all we deserved it. The least the group could do is work together, but no - just good old English style - follow wheels "I'm not working" mentality. Argh!!!

So while all the negative riding ensued Rob Hurd said his goodbyes and rode off never to be caught again. He's a bloody crafty bugger. (BTW, he claimed the most stylish rider award which I think he deserved.)

[photo courtesy of Belinda Sinclair]

In the closing lap, while Rob Hurd was away and the main field closing rather swifty, we began the sprint for home. I was a little unprepared so never got going with it until it was too late. I came home in a rather disappointing tenth place... Just in the money (£15) and energy food/drink sponsored by Bike Food.

Final result:

1. Robert Hurd
2. David Creeggan
3. John Heaton-Armstrong
4. Mark Daly
5. Richard Mason
6. Henry Furniss
7. Grant Bayton
8. Roger Smith
9. Chris McNamara
10. Robert Enslin (AW Cycles.Co.uk)
18. Tom Smith (AW Cycles.Co.uk)
40. Alex Peterson (AW Cycles.Co.uk)
47. Matt Melville (AW Cycles.Co.uk)

Full race report on the British Cycling website.
Check out Steve Sauders' race report.

Race Stats:

Time: 03:08
Distance: 127km
Heart Rate: 173bpm average and 193bpm
Ascending: 970m

Follow me on Twitter for my tweets - for updates on racing stuff.

Severn Bridge Road Race (1 March)

2009-03-01T08:54:00.012Z

The AW Cycles team: Tom (Smith), Rob (Enslin), Alex (Peterson) and Sam (Allen).

There was a strong line up for the Severn Bridge Road Race on Sunday 1 March in Tockington, South Gloucestershire. We had ten laps of a tough (racing at speed) circuit to complete with one big climb (Hog Hill) at near the finish on every lap. Each climb carried a KOM prime (except the last) so each climb made harder. The crowds were the best I've seen for a while - they hugged the curbs along the climb and at the finish (last lap).

Severn Bridge Road Race: 1 March 2009 from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

The first lap was sketchy as the riders appeared a little nervous - perhaps as it was the season opener? By the end of the first lap - going up Hog Hill climb (a beast) - was pace was relentless (furious) with Alex suffereing off the back (see video). The training camp miles still firmly biting his legs (and Tom and mine I might add). Alarm bells were sounding when I could bearly hold a wheel and struggling to breath going that climb. Tom and Sam seemed very comfortable. Fortunately the crowds were cheering loud enough to keep me going - including fantastic support by the Enslin family (and Sam's dad Mark).

On ~ lap 3 going up Hog Hill a split was forced by the strong men (pros) of the race and two big groups formed. By now Alex had climbed off so the three of us were hanging in the second group. The gap stayed around ~30-40 secs for the next few laps. Also the field numbers were lessening as the pace remained high.

Onto the final quarter of the race and our chase group picked up a little momentum with Grant Bayton charging the riders with order and colllective effort to close. It worked and we reduced the gap. With three laps to go we bridged the lead group, but sadly both Tom and Sam faded. Tom, like Alex, suffering from post-camp fatigue and Sam cramping up the climb.

Now with a lap to go two riders (Marcin Biablocki and James Millard) clipped off the front and rode away to sprint it out while we endured a number of solo attacks which amounted to nothing. Up the final climb and I actually started to feel stronger so stayed near the front. Turning right with a kilo to go I kept the pressure on to finish comfortably in the main front group taking a top 20 finishing place (TBC).

After speaking with Tom and Alex it was clear we all had hard miles in our legs, which was slowly dissipating to be replaced with form (speed and power - a racing-winning formula). Watch this space!

Sam rode impresively today and a certain talent with a bright racing future. (just remember salt tablets for the next event).

Final placings:

1. Marcin Biablocki

2. James Millard

3. Marc Perry

?. Rob Enslin (AW Cycles)

?. Sam Allen (AW Cycles)

?. Tom Smith (AW Cycles)

DNF. Alex Peterson (AW Cycles)

Other points of reference:

British Cycling race report (and photos)

Fit-For race report

GS Stella TT: 1 February 2009

2009-02-01T15:22:00.018Z

Job done. We (AW Cycle RT) took the team award - finishing top team - by a mile. Today we all rode like champions. Other than Simon who was penalised for a late start we seemed to get our rides spot on.

GS Stella TT: AW Cycles wins the team award (1 Feb 2009) from Rob Enslin on Vimeo.

Prizes
18km - 3rd place individual (Bikefood: bottle and tub of Bikefood valued at £20.00)
18km - 1st team (Entry: free entry to next year's event valued at £8.00)

42km - 3rd place individual (Bikefood: bottle and tub of Bikefood valued at £20.00)
42km - 1st team (Entry: free entry to next year's event valued at £8.00)

Overall - 3rd place individual (£70.00)
Overall - 1st team (£30.00 plus Clifbar T-shirt)

Organisation
I don't often write about event organisers, but this time I feel compelled to. Mark has been running this event for many years now so testament to his committment to the sport of cycling. Any rider or spectator taking part in the GS Stella knows it's the most well run event around. From entries (and understanding) to HQ venues and results posting - everything is simply perfect. Then there's the sponsorship - he single-handedly secured very generous sponsorship even despite the economic issues we're facing. So, I'd personally like to say thanks to Mark and his team of helpers for putting on a fantastic event.

Results
42km - 1 February
1. Mike Coyle - 51:11
2. Pete Tadros - 51:13
3. Rob Enslin - 53:08 (AW Cycles RT)
5. Martin Smith - 53:37 (AW Cycles RT)
7. Simon Ernest - 54:32 (AW Cycles RT)

Overall
1. Mike Coyle - 1:17:24
2. Pete Tadros - 1:17:25
3. Rob Enslin - 1:20:12 (AW Cycles RT)
5. Martin Smith: 1:21:18 (AW Cycles RT)
7. Simon Ernest: 1:21:43 (AW Cycles RT)

Photos