Early Season Review

Wow. It's been a while, huh? Yes - I've been neglecting my blog for quite some time. Why? Well, because I've been focussing on the important things so far this year! Training, racing and attempting to promote those that I'm working with this year.

I'm on a bit of a break this week (first one since October/November) and thought it would be a good time to catch up on what's been happening so far this season.

So, when we last left off I was still in the heart of my winter training. Multiple trips to Majorca and a new coach put me in good shape going into the start of the season. Power is up and weight was down so was looking forward to getting on the TT bike to see what I could do. There a few early-season TTs I do every year to test my form in relation to previous years. Unfortunately, due to roadworks, these events had to be moved to different courses meaning I was unable to do a like-for-like comparison on the same courses.

Nevertheless, I went out there determined to put in some solid times. And that I did! I found I was beating people that I've never come close to in previous years. All good signs! These events were followed up by the start of the Club 10 TT season. I've been doing these for several years, week in and week out, so I have loads of data to compare. I can tell my relative form from my times and power outputs.

And more good news. I have started this year about a minute faster than last year! That is a huge margin. Not only that, but last week I actually won the Club 10 for the first time... ever. And tonight I'll be heading out to the course, rested and ready to see if I can beat my best-ever time on it! Which will be tough given that it's only April and my PB was set in the warmth of July!

This past weekend I also had the chance to participate again in the National Paracycling Time Trial Series (formerly the Rudy Project). Unlike previous years, there are a LOT more entries, making winning events much harder. The quality of the field is growing along with the numbers. A good sign for events to come.

The first event was actually cancelled due to weather conditions (snow), so this was 'round 2'. Was held on a course that I had won on before so was looking forward to racing there again. A couple of GB Paralympic athletes in the field also meant I would have my work cut out for me to get a win. But win... I did. I was beaten by 1 second by one of the GB riders, but with the factoring system I easily took the win. One of my main competition suffered a flat, so not sure how I would have fared against him, but I'm sure there will be many more battles to come!

This coming weekend I have break from the TT scene and will get out on the road bike for my second road race of the year. It's not something I'm focussing on this year, but it's important to keep my toe in the water. When it comes to World Cups and World Championships, I still have to do the road races so important to keep those skills!

Next weekend I will be heading to Ireland (at last) to participate in the Cycle4Life charity ride with Dan Martin. And given his recent successes, it should be a fantastic day out! (In case you're reading this and haven't already sponsored me - a fiver or more would not go unnoticed. The money isn't for me - it's ALL for the charity: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/ttworldchamp/). Any help is greatly appreciated.

Lastly, I'll be off tomorrow to finally get my TT bike set-up correctly and do some aero testing. Despite putting in some fast times this year, I'm still struggling to get comfortable and get all my power out - so hopefully this should help solve that problem!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to have some updates on a slightly more regular basis now!

This one is for the kids

It's not often I get a chance to make a difference in someone else's life and give something back, but that's exactly what I want to do in 2013. I am going to be supporting a few key events and am hoping that you (the cycling public) will get behind me and these events.

First up is for the folks in Ireland. On May 4, I will be participating in the Cycle4Life ride in aid of the Temple Street Children's University Hospital. To the people of Ireland – this is YOUR chance to come out and not only ride with me, but also support a GREAT cause!!

Details on the events can be found here: http://www.cycle4life.ie but the rundown is as follows: there are 3 routes to choose from – 5km, 63km and 147km (the start point is close to Dunboyne outside of Dublin). I'm doing the long route (and it's not for novices) but I'll be around at the start and finish to try and meet as many people as possible. There's also a bit of a Gala Dinner afterwards and I'll be hoping to see you all there!

Being a member of the Paralympic team, it was a bit of a no-brainer that I support a charity that helps sick kids. Last year, Cycle4Life raised over €125,000 for the Temple Street Children's Hospital and we'd like to significantly beat that amount this year!

If you can't ride, you can volunteer some time or even just donate a few pennies to the cause. 100% of donations go to the charity.

So, save the date on your calendars and register for the ride. It's not a race – but I'm sure many of us will be out there riding hard! I really hope that as many of you as possible will come out and join me in supporting this very worthy cause – and get some great miles (or kilometers) in on the bike! If you're a cyclist, you'll appreciate that actually doing a good ride that benefits a charity is far better than merely donating money to the cause!

I've been working hard this winter getting my fitness up and ready for the race season ahead. Why not come out and test yourself against me on a challenging day out? If I leave you behind, it's OK... you can say you got beat by a World Champion! (But if you beat me, I'm going to use the "I've only got one leg" excuse!) In all seriousness - it should a FUN day out for everyone no matter how fast or slowly you do the ride. Remember – it's for the kids!!!

If you can't ride but would still like to sponsor me in this event, I'd love a bit of support. Even €5 would go a long way to help!

Follow this link to sponsor me: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/ttworldchamp/ 

Buy Global. Act local.

It's the modern age. The internet rules the world. You can shop safely for pretty much anything these days from the comfort of your sofa. I am a self-confessed shopaholic when it comes to bike stuff – always looking for a bargain or a new piece of equipment that will help me go faster. It's addictive. It might explain my 700+ positive feedbacks on eBay (mostly from buying!) and my Platinum membership status at Wiggle.

Shopping online for bike parts is easy for me. I usually know what I want and the internet makes it easy to quickly shop around for the best price. No one source always offers the best price so I spread my purchases out across a wide variety of retailers. The process gets harder when you get to big-ticket items (like frames) as there is less differences in prices sometimes. Even with all the various sponsors I have, I still end up having to buy quite a bit of kit.

Initially it was an online search that lead me to Global Bikes (www.globalbike.co.uk). I was in search of a new time trial frame and they had what I was after. Global aren't in the typical list of your 'big' online bike shops (like CRC, Wiggle, Evans, etc) so I hadn't heard of them. But I sent them an email nevertheless and our relationship began.

I asked if they would be interested in 'sponsoring' me - with a deal on the frame I was after. They politely replied that (like many bike shops) they get loads of these types of requests. They don't normally agree to help, especially as the requests come from people that are at the other end of the country and/or once they get what they want are never heard from again. However, after looking into my background and also seeing that I was somewhat local to them (they are based near Chester), they agreed to help me out.

It was a simple thing – they got me the frame I was after (my Felt DA TT bike) at a fair price. It wasn't free but they managed to get the supplier to drop the price a bit. It was a great help to me. When it was delivered to the shop, I drove over to collect in person. I met their main man, Jim and it was a pleasure. I paid and left with my bike. That could have been the end of it. But true to my promise, I kept in touch with them.

I ended up winning my TT World Title on that bike. Without the bike I can't say for sure I would have won. It was a close margin of victory (12 seconds) and I needed every advantage. I am grateful to them for the help! A few months later, I met up with Jim again at a bike show in Birmingham - and he introduced me to the main Felt rep for Europe. Once again, I was able to upgrade my equipment for the following race season. I got a new bike (again at a reduced cost) that took me to London. 

Furthermore, when I was preparing my road bike to race in London, I took it into Global to have a custom build done. Dave in the shop spent a considerable amount of time wiring up my Cervelo S3 with Di2 parts – not a simple task as that particular bike was not designed for it! I'm still using the bike and it works like a dream.

Lastly, and most recently, the folks at Global invited me to join them at the Velodrome in Manchester to watch the track racing (Revolution) with them. It was nice to get out with the whole gang and enjoy watching bikes - something we all love!

If I had simply ordered a bike frame online and gone for the cheapest price, I may never have met the folks at Global. I wouldn't have experienced the top-notch customer service they offer and wouldn't have made new friends. My point is that sometimes... it pays to go to your local bike shop. Price isn't always the deciding factor – sometimes people and service matter more. And you may find yourself surprised at what you can get when you deal face-to-face instead of simply across a keyboard.

So – even if you can't visit Global in person, it's worth checking out their website! Especially if in the market for a new bike. The offer some really great deals. And I look forward to the next time I can drop into the shop. We have some plans for a new build for 2013!

Commitment

You hear it all the time: “I’ve spent the last four years working towards this.” The words that most Olympic and Paralympic athletes say when talking about the upcoming Games. Most recently it was London and we were all saying it – talking about the level of commitment we have for our sport and the amount of time that we’ve spent preparing.

In my case, I wasn’t able to say that. Simply because I only got into the sport of Paracycling 3 years ago. It was during the Beijing Paralympics of 2008 that I got inspired to go out and start training again, but my first competition in National colours wasn’t until 2010. Since then it’s been a lot of hard work and in recent years, a meteoric rise to the top.

During those three years I worked hard. In the beginning I held a full-time job and trained when I could find the time. Later on, when the company I worked for went bankrupt I decided to become a full-time athlete. I improved drastically once I was able to focus solely on training.

Last year, in the lead-up to the Games, I spent all my time preparing JUST to compete in London. But even with unlimited hours in the day to train, there are still many obligations and distractions. Even simple things like writing these blog pieces takes time away from your focus. I still do it gladly, but it’s also still ‘work’.

But London is over and I now have my eye on Rio. If all goes to plan, I’ll be there spouting the well-versed mantra: “I’ve spent the last 4 years preparing for this”. But unlike the last 3 years, I’ll actually mean it.

Going into London my focus was split. I was coming off a phenomenal year, winning two World Titles and had spent a lot of time trying to leverage that into some publicity for myself. To some degree winning had lead me to believe I was better than I actually was and I probably let my foot off the gas pedal at times. I probably should have been more focused and trained harder (smarter) than I did. I’ve admitted it before – mistakes were made and they cost me medals.

A few more of these would be nice

But the next fours years will be different. There are many World Championships to race in over the coming years, but win or lose – my goal is to win in Rio. Don’t get me wrong – I want more World Titles. But if I DO win again, I won’t let that make me overconfident.

Additionally, I have changed my approach to training. It’s now not something I have to do. It’s something I WANT to do. I embrace it. I look forward to it. And when I’m doing it – I’m 100% committed to doing it. That means training harder over the winter than ever before. Not just this year, but every year. It means going away week after week to warmer climates so that I can get the long days in on the bike. And when at home, it means suffering daily on the turbo trainer to avoid the cold and ice on the roads.

Winnng Paralympic medals can’t just be a hobby – it has to be an obsession. You have to sacrifice more than you think to not just get there, but to WIN there. If you’re not 100% committed, you might as well go home now. See you in Rio. 

Meeting the Wizard and Peeking Behind the Curtain: My day with 3T Cycling

I've spoken in the past about my love of all things 3T Cycling – the bar, stem and fork specialists based out of Brembate, Italy. I have used their bars for as long as I can remember. They are now my bar and stem provider for all my bikes: road, track and time trial. I've used their aero bars en route to both my World CHampionship titles and couldn't dream of using anything else. (See my review of their Brezza Nano Aero bar here.)

Recently 3T has branched out and has dipped their toe into the deep section carbon wheel market also. I've had a chance to use their Mercurio 80 wheels and can report they offer a superb aero ride on par with some of the best names in the business. I'm looking forward to the release of their 40mm carbon clincher wheelset next year – which should offer a great option for longer racing or training trips where I don't want to use my tubular Zipp wheels. And lastly, 3T are responsible for creating the rather unique aerobar designed specifically for use on Cervelo's P5 time trial bike, which coincidentally I will be riding next year! In short, 3T is all about speed and aerodynamics.

After the Paralympics I needed a break. I mean I REALLY needed a break. I hadn't had any time off worth mentioning in almost 3 years. And if I was going to try and refocus and dedicate myself to another 4 years of racing and have a go at making it to Rio, I needed some time away from the bike to clear my head and let the body recover. So, along with my girlfriend, we hopped on a plane for 3 weeks to visit Italy. Although I've been there a few times, it's usually been for racing and haven't had time to enjoy myself.

Checking out bars

It made sense that I should go and visit the 3T offices, especially as I was virtually passing by their location on my travels. I had spent so much time trading emails with people there and as a huge fan of their products, I couldn't resist the chance to go and see where the magic happens. Unfortunately there was a bit of bad timing to my visit, and the president and my main contact person were both away in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championships. Nevertheless, Rene (the president) made sure that I would be welcomed warmly.

I was greeted at the offices by Claudio Santi, 3Ts Worldwide Sales Manager. The offices once belonged to an architect's firm and are stylishly modern and open. Spread out over several floors, there are meeting rooms (galore), offices for sales staff, a basement full of product and a design centre where their small team of designers work on computers trying to come up with the 3T products of the future.

Claudio showed us around the entire office and introduced us to all the staff. We were able to sit and speak in great length about the history of the company, it's products, the way products are designed, produced, sold, and so on. For the layperson it probably wouldn't be all that interesting – but for a bike geek like myself it was heaven.

Richard and I discussing bar widths

We were also introduced to the head designer, Richard McAinsh. Richard is a Brit that now makes his home in Italy. His background before going to work for 3T was working as a designer for Ferrai's F1 cars. Richard, despite his self-confessed lack of a bike of his own, knows carbon fibre and he knows how to make it go fast.

Richard had just come back to the offices with some new 3-D prototypes of some new bars they are working on. Basically (and I hope I get this right), they design products on computer with CAD software and then are able to have 3-D protoypes 'plotted' (or cut) from a solid block of plastic. They can then take the plastic prototypes back to the office to attach to test bikes (on a turbo) for fine tuning. They aren't road-worthy by any means, but it's a fascinating way to see what products will look and feel like in real life before going to final production.

Myself, Richard & Claudio talking about the design process

I was fortunate to get a glimpse of some of the new products they have in the pipeline (some good stuff coming) and satisfy my inner geek by getting an eyeful of the design process. Richard also sat with me and spent a great deal of time talking about their design philosophy and the way products come to life.

The conversation continued over an authentic Italian meal where Claudio and Richard continued to indulge me and allowed me to pick their brains. I knew very well that your average member of the cycling community doesn't get the red carpet treatment from a company like 3T, but I could tell they were genuinely proud to have me there and their continued support of my efforts to win more World titles (and hopefully that elusive Paralympic medal) shows their forward-thinking. Not many companies with their reputation (they are the official supplier to the Garmin-Sharp Pro Cycling Team) would give someone like myself the time of day, let alone give me their ENTIRE day! 

Presenting a jersey to the 3T designers

Before leaving I had the honour of presenting them with a signed World Champs jersey (which proudly bears the 3T logo on the front) for their offices. I'm hoping it ends up framed and placed on the walls next to the signed World's jersey of Thor Hushovd!

In short, it is a day that I shall remember forever. It was one of those rare moments where I actually felt like a World Champion and was given ultimate respect for my endeavours. It is why I am proud to be a 3T athlete and why I choose to you their products. I hope they realize what an impact they made on me that day! (They will after reading this...)

TriRig Omega Brake review

I spend a lot of time online looking for cool new stuff for my bikes. Sometimes I’m just looking to bling up my bike a bit and make it a bit more personal – but usually I’m looking for ways to make it lighter and faster. Plus, like most cyclists, I want to see what other athletes are riding and the cool stuff they may have done to their bikes.

In my internet travels, I came across a website dedicated to time trial bikes. It’s actually about triathlon, but the main focus is on the bikes. And even though some triathlon bikes are illegal in UCI races (for breaking the 3:1 rule on aero parts), there is a lot of cross-over and for the most part, the positions, bikes and equipment are the same.

TriRig (www.tririg.com) has great articles and review about TT bikes and equipment – and has given me some interesting tips on how I can improve my own bike. And as a side-business, they have started producing some of their own aero equipment designed for TT bikes. Just a few key parts (like aero extensions, an aero stem, a new aero bar coming next year and an aero brake.)

Photo of the Omega Brake from TriRig.com

It was this aero brake (called the Omega) that caught my attention. If you want to read the entire history of the brake from concept to completion, it’s all here on the TriRig website: TriRig Omega History.

But in short, they designed an aero brake that is light, cuts through the wind with ease and works well. If you ride a TT bike, you will probably notice that until recently, the brake calipers were pretty standard and just slapped on the front of the frame. Most often right in front of the nice aero tubing of the frame, disrupting air flow down the rest of the frame. Little thought has been given to this part of the bike – until manufacturers realized there were aero gains to be made by moving the brake or making it less bulky. Some frames now have he brake integrated right into the front fork, behind the fork, under the bottom bracket, etc. Anything to try and keep it out of the wind.

But not all manufacturers have caught on with this yet. So there is a gap in the market. Even on my high-end Felt DA time trial bike, the front brake, whilst somewhat aero, was still bulky and not optimized for aero purposes. And so I decided to give the Omega a try.

The brake was fairly easy to set up (and there are good online instructions). It’s not quite as easy as a standard caliper that is just slapped on the frame, but it also doesn’t require a degree in engineering to install. I opted only for the front brake (as the rear on my bike is hidden away safely under the bike). I had the Omega installed and working in about 15 minutes.

The Omega in place in my Felt DA

My first impressions were good. It looks great on the bike, definitely was smaller and more aero (looking) than the standard caliper. Again – not as easy to adjust as some brake calipers, but certainly not as difficult as the caliper that came with my bike (a boat anchor from TRP).  Adjusting the width of the brake pads from the rim (something I have to do when switching from my wide-rimmed Zipp 808 to a standard training wheel) involves a few twists on each side with an allen key. In the grand scope of things – not a big deal.

The next test was to get the bike out on the road and see how the brake performed in real world conditions. I can report that I have raced with this brake many times now and have had zero problems with it. Stopping power was on par with the standard caliper and I’ve never had any issues with keep it straight and avoiding brake rub during a ride. In short – it’s been brilliant.

TriRig claim up to 2 watts in savings over a standard side-pull caliper. And while that doesn’t sound like much – it can be the difference between winning and losing at my level (I’ve lost races by less than a second before). There’s also the (minimal) weight savings which again – on it’s own may not be much, but it all adds up, especially when you’re trying to lose weight all over the bike.

For 2013 I plan to change TT bikes but one thing I won’t be changing in my TriRig Omega brakes. I plan to keep using them all the way to the podium! (P.S. They come in both black and white. Check out the TriRig website for more details.)

The Cost of Cycling

I’ve written many times about the amount of time and dedication it takes to be a great cyclist. Not accounting for genetic pre-disposition and a pinch of good luck, it’s mostly just hard graft that gets you to the top.

As I discovered this past year, staying at the top is even harder. There is always someone out there who is willing to work harder than you and who is looking to take your titles away from you. You have to make every training session count and if you truly want to be at the top, you have to remain focused and dedicated.

Training aside, the next biggest part of the equation when it comes to winning is equipment. And good equipment costs money. Lots and lots of money. I’d estimate, that I have spent over £25,000 in the past 2 years on equipment. And that is before any sponsor stepped into either provide free equipment of give a discount.

On top of the equipment costs, there are the every day costs of living, training, racing, etc. It all adds up very quickly. So how do I do it? Well – the Irish Sports Council is a major source of funding to myself and all the other elite Irish athletes. In short, the better you do, the more they fund you. But that money only goes so far (as my severely drained and stretched bank accounts and credit cards can attest to!).

What’s left is for me to hit up sponsors. It’s the part of being a ‘pro’ cyclist I hate the most and the hardest part of my job. How do you convince someone that you (and not someone else) are worthy of their attention? In these financially challenging times when so many people (men, women, disabled, etc) are all trying to get something for nothing – how do you stand out? And when they DO pick you, how do you repay their faith in you?

The simple answer is…. Win. Just win. It sounds simple, right? But anyone who has ever raced can tell you it isn’t. Sometimes just racing using their equipment is enough. I can attest to the fact that when I roll up to a race on Brand X of bike, it draws attention. People want to know what I’m riding, how I like it, where I got it, etc. Instant ‘free’ advertising for sponsors.

Then there is social media. I am addicted to Twitter – and I shamelessly will tweet about the products I use. Why? Because I believe in them! I only use products and brands that I like and never will promote a brand I don’t use. If I win a race or do a good training session because of a certain product – I will let the world know.

In the last year I have been blessed to get the support of companies and brands both big and small. Sometimes (like in the case of 3T bars and stems, Schwalbe tyres and ZipVit nutritional supplements and energy products) I get product for free. Other brands will get me their products at a discount.

Last year (and hopefully next year!) I was fortunate enough to be able to work with two of the best distributors in the UK. They compete against each other in many ways (one supplies Sram, the other Shimano), but they both are superb when it comes to serving the needs of their customers. And just as good when it comes to helping me out.

Me and my Look bikes (road and track)

Fisher Outdoor Leisure (www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk) has been my source for all things Sram, Zipp and Look, whilst Madison (www.madison.co.uk) has supplied me with Shimano Di2 and Giro helmets. I have different bikes for different events and I use all these brands. And without the help of these two giants of cycling in the UK, I wouldn’t be able to afford to kit out my bikes with the top-end parts they need. I’m stretched too thin as it is!

But it’s not just getting me parts at a reasonable cost, it’s also advice or service or help in a pinch... or pulling my fat out of the fire. Like when I broke a seat clamp on my Cervelo right before the Games…  Madison was able to get me a replacement sent to the Village and had it there waiting for my arrival. No questions asked. When I crashed in the road race in London and snapped my brand new front wheel, Fisher’s was there to rebuild it for me quickly and cheaply (not easy to do with a Zipp wheel!). These folks make my cycling life possible.

Cervelo kitted out with Di2 from Madison

My 2013 season is off to a great start. I’ve committed myself to some serious training abroad for most of the winter months (more expense – but worth it!) and I’m fortunate that I won’t need as much new equipment next year. But I will need a new TT bike and parts will always be an issue – so I’ll be once again looking to outside help to get what I need.

The suppliers and big brands often mostly support the Pro teams and it’s rare that this goodwill trickles down to the Paracycling ranks. But when it does… what a difference it makes. Thanks to all of you that have supported me and continue to do so! Let’s make 2013 OUR year.