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interviews & features | dvds | equipment | clothing | books | videos | portland 2009

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the mighty dave t's words of the week

"you seriously expect me to go out riding in weather like that?"

assuming the mantle

most cycle clothing nowadays is highly specific in both form and function. by the time the first week in august arrived, it's doubtful that mark cavendish was still sitting in his living room wearing a green jersey, and when he did swap, it probably wasn't for one from htc. ned boulting's recent masterpiece how i won the yellow jumper gives rise to thoughts of cosiness and perhaps a smidgeon of practicality. if only it weren't for the fact that they all seem to zip up the back.

jumper as a word, has softer and warmer connotations than that of the word jersey, even though in ned boulting's mind, they are likely one and the same. thus, for the more sportingly and athletically inclined, cycle specific garments are readily on hand when it comes time to remove the velocipede from the bike shed. though many have produced jeans and trousers that are all too happy to step up to the plate, 'tis a mode of dress that is mostly, and quite rightly, employed more by the commuting masses. i have scanned through many an image from the 2011 tour de france and at no time did thomas voeckler wear chinos and a checked shirt in the peloton.

the pelotonese are corralled by the simulacrum; there is a pressing need to either emulate their idols completely, or at least give the impression that unbounded and unfettered acceleration is a less than distant possibility. this is something to which the firmament is happy to subscribe.

but, philosophically, theoretically and practically speaking there is a before and after, two periods of time that could not be defined as such were there not a substantial period of bike riding in the middle. and while that part is comfortably taken care of, as i have already alluded, for some of us at least, the fore and after create their own concerns. the after period is perhaps slightly less of a concern, however; having ended this morning's ride cold and wet due to an influx of unexpectedly lengthy precipitation, there was little need, point or likelihood that i would inhabit my cycling garb for longer than truly necessary.

however, the moments before heading out to muddy the hakkalugi provided an intriguing and discomfiting period of transition. i'm sure i cannot be the only one who would wish to take on the notion, premeditated or otherwise, for a ride on my bicycle, something i'd like to be as seamless as going for a walk. the latter rarely requires any unique mode of dress, though i'll agree that donning a waterproof in this clime is a pretty darned good idea.

i am not possessed of the bluntness to deny that a bike ride could be perceived in similar fashion, but despite a psyche that talks to my inner-self, prescribing a more relaxed pace than usual, my inner-self is demonised by my devotion to the spring classics, the grand tours and a cyclocross course that eats casual garb for breakfast. surely it cannot be outwith the bounds of possibilities that technical could meet with jumperism resulting in offspring that could be worn while masquerading as owner/occupier?

that offspring, seeing as you asked, answers to the name yolande and has been thoughtfully provided by the chilled folks at cafe du cycliste for the purposes of riding one's bike, indulging in coffee and carrot cake, or simply getting in the way of mrs washingmachinepost as she vacuums under my pile of rouleurs. fashioned from merino tecnowool it follows in the footsteps of many who use similar fabrics. unlike the wool jerseys of yesteryear, there is no danger whatsoever of the back pockets dragging on the rear tyre in the rain. add to that merino's outstanding reputation for softness and comfort, and you can perhaps see where i'm coming from with this.

unlike a liquigas jersey, the yolande is not figure hugging. this is not to imply any form of baggyness; the style is very much that of the slim cyclist, but the yolande has a decidedly relaxed air about it that would commend its being worn more often than purely in the saddle. such a demeanour is enhanced by the affixation of (faux?) leather elbow patches, matched by a similar material running full length as a baffle behind the zip. this material also appears backing the buttoned collar. my only criticism, and it is slight, of this mode of styling relates to that collar which i feel ought to be a tad closer in fit to keep out untoward draughts at the neck. i am, however, reminded that the purveyors of the yolande jersey are ensconced in the cote d'azur where cold, biting winds are perhaps the stuff of myth and legend.

rarely has any jersey arrived so well-equipped with pockets: there is a vertically zipped example on the front right, three very accommodating pockets on the rear and the mandatory zipped outboard instance on the right rear. both shoulders feature padding that would surely allow comfortable use of a backpack and there are strategically placed reflective strips should your cavorting take you out past lighting up time. the dropped hem enjoys the services of silicon gloop to prevent untoward vertical movement, and something i have not seen on a jersey before, the cuffs have thumbloops preventing the sleeves from riding up and any ingress of the elements between sleeve and glove. a thoughtful and practical extra.

i cannot tell a lie; i look in envy at the photographs on the cafe du cycliste website showing a yolande clad rider bereft of outer shell, seemingly enjoying the comfort of his jersey and the absence of cold, wind and rain. sadly, my past weeks with the yolande have not seen many moments such as these, other than half a day lazing about the house, testing my theory that this jersey is as warm and practical off the bike as it is on. though marvellous in so many ways, technical merino wool is not windproof, so at the very least, in a hebridean january and february it would be unseemly to pedal without at least a windproof covering. however, with one or two exceptions, most rides have required something substantially more weather repellent than a simple gilet.

for those of us living in the british isles it is more than likely to be a few months yet before long-sleeve jerseys can be worn unfettered, so it is as well to gauge the efficacy of one so stylish when unceremoniously hidden beneath a softshell. to put it in a nutshell, just equate it with ned boulting's allusion to a jumper. the yolande is a triumph of style, function and practicality; i have little doubt i could wear this to the office without garnering undue attention from the fashion police.

undoubtedly one of the best jerseys/jumpers on the market.

the cafe du cycliste yolande jersey is available in navy or rust, sizes small to xxl at a cost of £125 ($199). arriving in delightfully traditional french themed packaging, it can be purchased from select dealers in europe and the uk or direct from the website.

cafe du cycliste

posted saturday 4 february 2012

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i'm about to throw a few tomatoes on a griddle of fries

there is little worse than that feeling of having missed out on something. even when you know that it'll be just as relevant if you get to do it later, there are mixed feelings of envy and disappointment that someone else got to do it and you didn't. even worse is the knowledge that you have little or no idea what it's all about in the first place, and this sense of missing out has been solely engendered by that selfsame lack of knowledge.

as is the nature of cycling, both in terms of transportational needs, heck this is fun sort of needs and most of all, in competitive terms, everything is cyclical, if you'll pardon the rather obvious pun. it's mudguards/fender time at the moment, coupled rather topically with freezing conditions in certain parts, but soon the big chill will give way to less chittery conditions and before you know it, we'll have dug out those short sleeve jerseys and bibshorts. it's unlikely the fun part is much of a respecter of weather conditions; tomorrow it is due to rain, so i'll go play on the 'cross bike in the woods, pretending to be jeremy powers.

and i doubt it's a factor of major concern in the competitive arena either.

competitively speaking, the road season almost doesn't finish at all. the tour down under has already been and gone, with few in the northern hemisphere actually paying as much attention as they might. but then it's unlikely that those who were in the mix in australia will show face again until the classics leap up and slap us in the face come late march, early april. so riding in the sun might be idyliic in one sense, but it's hardly a pointer to the remainder of the season. the idea of riding in the sun, however, provides much vaunted benefits for those who normally reside in less benevolent climes, a state of affairs that has fostered well-worn tradition of the early season training camp.

this brings us back to the part about missing out, or at least providing fuel for the fire that foments such concerns. the majority of us have no need of training at all, let alone a week riding in a smartly dressed peloton, holding up the traffic on obscure spanish roads, parts of nice, or more congestedly, the isle of mallorca. but the fact that the monthlies, the comic and several well-to-do websites have seen fit to place journalists in each or all of those locations, means that their opening pages are rife with photos that possess light and shade, brightness and contrast and densely packed shadows. all of these have been missing in action on this side of the channel since well before hallowe'en last year.

therefore even the majority averred to above, with no demonstrable need to improve their vo2 max, the big numbers on the screen of an srm display or even something often referred to as a recovery rate, either go ahead and book themselves on a week of purgatorial bliss, continually state that they're about to do so, or simply never shut up about it. it is the curse of the shaven legged. but does anyone actually know of what a pre-season training camp consists? could it be that the words and pictures are telling fibs; that it's not all it's cracked up to be?

the homeboys, even though they're nothing of the sort, have to be the guys from endura equipe pro road team. endura clothing are one of the few major scottish sponsors involved in pro cycle racing and, managed by former twice british road-race champion, brian smith, that black and lime green has a heart of tartan. in preparation for the 2012 season, smith, riders and the endura service course headed to mallroca for a two week training camp at the end of january, in the light of which brian seemed the ideal chap of whom to enquire just what a modern day training camp consisted and what it hoped to achieve?

"Years ago a training camp was a 'training' camp, especially in warmer climates. Now it's more of a 'gelling' camp, as riders do six hour rides together and spend days in a hotel with each other. So from 100% training i would now say it's split 50/50 between training and bonding. Riders are now pretty fit in late January and some have already raced. There's also the factor of bedding in new bikes and kit (endura have shifted from the look frames used for the past two seasons over to giant for 2012). All contracts run until the end of the year, so many are using new bike and kit in January, unless they've been with the team last season."

so a team training camp could be likened to the cup of coffee at the office in the morning before the real paid for work commences. rarely does any professional team retain the same riders year on year. some will have retired, some will have moved on, and others may have found themselves without a renewed contract. this all makes way for several new riders, some of whom will be well versed in the sport, others just at the beginning of their careers, and it's not too unseemly that they spend quality time getting to know each other and figuring out what it is that a sram shifter does that a shimano one doesn't.

but the training camp surely provides the team management with the opportunity to assess each rider 'au naturele' so to speak, consider what training plan may be appropriate and which race programme they'll be following? "A little bit of assessing, but pro teams usually know what their riders are capable of. Through testing facilities and talent spotting, most riders have their programme already by this time of year. For Conti teams it's a little harder, because they all need to be prepared at this time of year waiting for some invites to arrive.
World Tour teams have more structure. A training camp is often split between Classics specialists and Grand Tour riders. It's important for the Classics team to be fit at this time of year, but for the Tour de France it's not so important. Gone are the days when Lemond would turn up at training camp overweight. There may be general tweaking of programmes, but in general all is set, with reserves in case of illness or injury. Many riders now have their own coaches, so a training camp will give general training without too many specifics to individual riders. It's more bonding than full-on specific training."

so we now know pretty much what's on the cards for those in lycra, the chaps who'll be at the coal-face in a matter of weeks, but what about the blokes in short-sleeves. what about those who'll spend much of their year sitting behind the steering wheel of the team car, handing up bottles and gels while being ready to stash armwarmers and rainjackets when the tempo increases? is this also something ironed out at the training camp, or are those deatails already written in carbon fibre? "Most of the staff planning has been done in November and December. Training camps are all about the riders, giving them good training, good place for interaction and showing them the season's plan."

team endura equipe takes its name from the title sponsor, based in livingston, near edinburgh, scotland. company and team owner, jim mcfarlane is the man who has dipped deep into the corporate pockets over the last few seasons to place the endura team right where they are today, all in the name of product development and publicity, along with an insatiable passion for competitive cycling. is jim's role simply that of the guy who signs the cheques, or does he take a more hands on' approach when it comes to these early season rides in the sun? "Sadly I have nothing to do with the training camp, as it is far too much like a cycling holiday (for me) and I am instead chained to my desk in the office trying to earn the money to send others out to Mallorca instead. Funny how things work out...
"Everything is managed by Smiffy and Winnie (Julian Winn). I failed to attend either this year or last year due to time pressures in the business and lack of direct flights from Scotland at this time of year."

as brian mentioned above, for a continental team, there is a degree of apprehension to be endured, waiting to see where the race invites will come from for at least a part of endura's season. how dependent is he on receiving these invites to plan the racing year? "There is a new UCI rule which asks all 1.2 and 2.2 races to invite the top three ranked Conti teams in their area. Endura are lying 2nd in the UCI Europe Tour. These races are good, but a team like ours has goals of achieving Continental Pro status, so we need to try and perform in 1.1 and 2.1 races.
"It is highly competitive to gain entry to these races and Continental teams receive the last invites, and always last to know, something which is often difficult to manage. The UCI are trying to make cycling into a global sport, but race organisers will always look after their own country's teams first. Realistically, we need more UCI events in the UK to help more British teams gain access to the better races across the world. Where you are ranked in the UCI points system is now very important for all categories."

moving up from uci continental to continental pro is a step that will involve an appropriate increase in budget, one that needs to be spent judiciously. is jim mcfarlane content with providing endura's share of the budget, safe in the knowledge that he has a management team to ensure productive spending of the money? "I look at the budget at the start of each year and very closely at the proposed race schedule, riders and equipment, but after that's signed off, the team gets on with it with little involvement from me."

considering the degree of trust and budget with which brian smith and his peers are charged, it seems there may be a tad more flexibility and skills required from a team manager than acquiring a triangular tan line on one arm. just what is it that the team manager does and is responsible for? "The General Manager looks after the running of the whole team and its sponsors, from race programmess, public relations, staff, performance, future partners, sponsorship... it's a long list.
"The Sports Director looks after his staff and riders at their particular events. They will also look after certain riders away from racing. They are also responsible for planning every event and are the ones making all the tactical decisions. From time to time they will need to look after sponsors and guests."

while we're on the subject of sponsors, the team has parted company with french concern look, on whose frames they have raced for the last two seasons, and made the move to that of giant bicycles. each rider has a race bike, a training bike, a spare and a time-trial machine. presumably, in order to see that all is well in the land of carbon cycle frames, giant took the opportunity to attend the camp in mallorca too?

"Most teams are visited by all their sponsors during the training camp. Our main sponsor is obviously Endura Equipe and so is already well looked after. It's entirely up to the product supplying sponsors to visit the team. At World Tour level all sponsors attend, but at Continental level it's sometimes not always necessary. In my opinion Giant, as our new bike brand, should have been represented at the training camp but they chose not to, deciding to leave us to it, which most often works for the rest of the team staff. Giant, however, have tried and tested products used by the Rabobank team, so I completely understand why they decided not to attend."

endura's pre-season two week training camp in mallorca is, of course, now at an end and there are the coming month's of racing to look forward to. i would assume, race entries permitting, that brian smith has a cunning plan for the season? is endura set up to turn on a tanner (a scottish sixpence), if the season looks as if it may be straying from the ideal path? "As a Continental team we are set up to make immediate changes to whatever we need to do. Our race programme is pretty much set for the first half of the year, and I am confident we have the agenda to gain the relevant exposure in the areas where Endura need/want to be. We would, of course, like to do a couple of bigger events, but it's difficult to get in due to the level we're at and what the UCI rules say.
"I always have a plan B...."

it seems only constitutionally fair to ask the man behind the desk just how he sees the year ahead. what are jim mcfarlane's hopes for the season, both competitively and promotionally? "The main change this year will be to dominate in the UK. Last year we put too much of our efforts into the overseas races and didn't deliver in Britain as we perhaps should have. This year we are strong enough to do well both in the UK and in Europe."

that has either sated your appetite for pre-season training whether you need to or not, or it has you searching the sporting tours website to book for next year. probably the principal difference is that the riders on endura equipe will now, not unnaturally, be expected to repay their two weeks in the sun by way of results. you and i, on the other hand, are perhaps more likely to simply have a more impressive photostream on flickr.

endura racing | photos by joolze dymond | brian smith photo courtesy pez cycling news

posted friday 3 february 2012

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more woohoo

apparently the new mini eats asphalt for breakfast, is constantly looking for adventure and cuts a dash in town and country. additionally, if you're keen to purchase one of the more exclusive models such as the mini john cooper works, you can meet the big, bad bruiser, while there is nothing quite like the special edition. i'd be willing to dispute the latter claim on the basis that though the wholesale adoption of computer aided design may produce more efficient motor cars, it often seems as if they emanate from the same mould.

as it says at the top of this page, this is a cycling website, so how is it that i seem to know so much about the new mini? well, i'll have you know that i learned to drive in a dark blue mini clubman, when minis were still small cars and still owned by british leyland (remember them?). the clubman was the successor to my mother's first motor car, a mini traveller; an estate car if you will, featuring wooden detailing on the exterior, two rear doors, a flexy pull cable to open the two front doors and slidey windows that outdid many a rolling stone by gathering uncanny amounts of moss. asv 230b was the registration, and it was necessary to insert the igintion key and press a button on the floor simultaneously in order to start the engine.

pale blue, since you ask.

however, i have never owned a mini of my own; even the clubman was my mother's. in fact, as i recall, i have never owned any austin or morris branded motor car, and nor have i had the ignominious distinction of owning or even driving a bmw, who now own and produce the new mini.

to answer the question i was earlier kind enough to have asked on your behalf, the reason i know all the slogans accompanying the new mini (which doesn't look a heck of a lot different from its predecessor if i'm honest) is because my inbox today became populated with an e-mail inviting me to request either a brochure or, heaven forbid, a test drive. if you are wondering why one steeped in the tradition of european cycling, with a brace of colnagos in the bikeshed and partial to wearing a pair of rapha socks to work, would receive such unsolicited mail, then i'm afraid i am no better informed than you.

the e-mail address from which the missive was sent would indicate a public relations company to be responsible, but try as i might, i cannot recall ever having provided any answer to a market research survey that would have indicated any form of interest in motoring, let alone the new mini. in common with every other hapless shopper in glasgow's sauchiehall street or buchanan street, i portend to be late for a mythical meeting, should it look as if i may have inadvertantly caught the eye of a very pleasant woman clutching a clipboard. i have already asked myself the question 'why me?'

but we have been here before, and relatively recently. it may be that the un-named public relations company is as errant as the reader's digest apocryphally was in one of its promotions from yesteryear. you may recall that junk mail originating from the rd was amongst the first to embrace the possibilities of personalisation. in this particular case, the introductory paragraph read similarly to the following; "imagine, mr hapless, how it would feel to climb into your new morris austin ford vauxhall and drive off down anywhere street, receiving envious glances from the neighbours." sadly the readers digest failed to follow the personal aspect to its ultimate conclusion, realising not that anywhere street was a pedestrian precinct.

you live and learn (or not, as the case may be).

the errant nature of this mailshot is obvious enough; why send it to someone who dislikes cars, does not own one and has, quite frankly, no intention of purchasing one? it could, of course, be pot (bad) luck, or perhaps a variation on the scatter gun approach; fertile ground will surely be found somewhere along the line. it's a very cheap method of marketing, and i mean that in the economic sense as opposed to its quality and preparation. so why don't the world's bicycle manufacturers take a leaf from those in the motor industry? all it would take is a striking graphic and an appropriate list of e-mail addresses. surely not outwith the bounds of possibility?

i have long pressed the local accommodation providers on islay to use e-mail as a weapon; they must receive any number of e-mail enquiries throughout the year, many of which will be asking to book weeks already let to others. storing these e-mails ought to provide a ready-made list should they wish to promote any special offers during the less populated parts of the season. the folks at trek, specialized, pinarello, colnago and giant must gather huge numbers of e-mail enquiries throughout any given period and it would surely make perfect sense to adopt these as the basis of an e-mail marketing campaign similar to that being currently waged on behalf of the new mini.

yet, in all the years that i have been obsessed with the bicycle and its associated trinketry, i have never once received an e-mail from colnago inviting me to consider any item from their carbon emporia. in fact, none of the majors have ever entreated me to send for a brochure or request a test-ride on this season's offerings. and i do find myself asking why the heck not?

we are consistently told by the media that cycle sales are on the up, that the bicycle's time has arrived once again, but so far as i can see this is something that has happened to the cycle industry, rather than something promulgated by same. think how many more bums could be making more permanent acquaintance with numerous saddles if the cycle industry stopped preaching to the converted and aimed at least a portion of its proselytisation at the civilian population.

whimsically, and without a trace of irony, the website for the new mini invites visitors to record the great british roar come this year's olympic games in london. did i mention the mini is german owned?

posted thursday 2 february 2012

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i wish i'd thought of that

i can recall reading an interview with one of the world's more prominent crime fiction writers, probably in the guardian's weekend review section. the questions posited were in consideration of how one goes about assembling the ultimate whodunnit, at least until the next one hoves into view. though the author's concise answers seemed glaringly obvious in retrospect, they did rather explain why it is i have never experienced a thundering breakthrough in the crime writing genre. personally, i'd have figured out both the crime and whodunnit, before fingers were brought into play on what passes for my word processor. the intervening chapters would simply have consisted of a round the houses goose chase to separate the two events by as large a gap as possible to justify the enormous publisher's advance that would undoubtedly have been offered.

of course, that's not quite the way it works.

first off, it's necessary to muster a phalanx of characters, dividing them into those who may have had the motive or opportunity to have committed the dastardy deed(s), and those who exist simply as vehicles for the narrative and to provide a red herring, should such be needed. the story ought then to be sketched out in rough detail, often avoiding the necessity of naming the guilty party, even if only in the writer's psyche. for apparently, as in the manner that non linear editing pertains to movie-making, it may not be necessary or desirous of choosing the hapless character until much later in the writing process.

that one could work in this manner had not, i'll readily admit, occurred.

at the point of settling on just exactly whodunnit, the chapters can then be revisited, honing the insertion of clues that will appear blatantly obvious to the reader once all has been brought to light. this process lends itself well to the interpolation of false clues to lead the more investigative and smug amongst us in entirely the wrong direction. so though we mostly read such novels in a linear manner, it is most certainly not incumbent on the writer to operate in similar fashion. in fact it behoves them well to ignore all temptation for linearity.

i will grant you that there is a modest level of deceit included in each daily washingmachinepost article; i am a creature of habit, one who enjoys deceiving until i'm ready to reveal what the heck it is i have found it necessary to expound to those who have become similar creatures of habit. my failing is in knowing and describing plainly what it is i have in mind. these words are not subsequently revisited in order to incorporate a devious degree of subliminal suggestion that will be revealed as necessary upon reaching the last sentence. for starters, there is no butler waiting to receive his come-uppence just before the posting date, and my deadlines are a little closer than they are for celebrity crime fiction writers. i am, however, happy with my lot, though the money could be better.

yet such subterfuge, craftsmanship and a smidgeon of deviousness have infiltrated the latest issue of rouleur magazine, and i am on the edge of despair (well, not really, but i'm possessed by a necessity to appear 'edgy' at this precise moment) that i had/have not the skills to achieve such heights by myself.

every written article has to have at least one subject under discussion, but nowhere is it inscribed that one has to reveal one's subject to the reader; at least not blatantly. the article to which i refer is simply entitled 'ss10', referring to a particular stretch of roadway in italy. the words are by maglia rosa author, herbie sykes, with photography by the inestimable ben ingham. the former has come under a barrage of criticism for his 'unseemly' writings pertaining to zullo frames in the previous issue of rouleur, though i think it likely that the man is simply ahead of his time in this respect. i thought the zullo article to display a grasp of irony that seemingly by-passed the appreciation of the majority.

however, back to issue 28; herbie sykes has peppered his article with sufficient clues as to the subject of his interview without revealing his name even in the final paragraph. it is the job of the reader to be attentive throughout, or to resort to google when reading has ended. i'd to rely on my powers of observation, since googling in the bath can lead to all sorts of unseemly innuendos. though i regard this article as the highlight of rouleur issue 28, the remaining pages also offer an embarrassment of riches encapsulated in that pervasive ink on paper aroma that leaks out the minute the gray plastic wrapper is breached.

yet again, just when you think rouleur may be about to suffer from the dilution of longevity, underlined by an increase in publication frequency, we are proved substantially and undeniably wrong.

did i mention the 162 pages?

rouleur

posted wednesday 1 february 2012

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survival instinct

we have a substantial number of candles secreted about the sitting room in washingmachinepost cottage. i have no idea where they are, but mrs washingmachinepost has a map of their locations hard-wired into that pretty little non-cycling head, which presents a small problem, should they require to be used for the express purpose which they were purchased.

power cuts.

i heard tell last week that a small rural township in northern scotland was complaining vociferously about the frequency of power outages experienced last year. ten, i believe, was the number quoted, and it was something of a disappointment to discover how much attention was being given to this modern day travesty. this is not because i am hard-hearted enough to ignore this rural plight, but more because the mighty dave t, a resident of port wemyss, has suffered at least 28 power interruptions since december, one of which lasted for over five days.

though 'tis difficult to travel far nowadays without having one's view of the landscape broken by the spectacle of one or two windfarms, it is also comforting (in one way or another) to realise that the country's energy providers have our best interests at heart, doing their utmost to ensure that those little electrons continue to flow through the overhead and underground wires, while providing the ability to watch anything we like on bbc's iplayer. i am, of course, bearing in mind that they are keeping the other eye on both share price and profit margin. electricity has become so much a component of modern living, that we all take it pretty much for granted that the light will go on when the switch is flicked.

at the far end of ardtalla estate on islay's southern coast, lies ardtalla farmhouse, an elderly self-catering house that has no electricity. it may have had some at one time, for just inside the back door is a light switch. the strangest thing is that, even knowing that the house is bereft of power, it's still something of a surprise to find nothing happening after stupidly attempting to switch the light on.

islay is fortunate to an extent, that there is a generating station on the outskirts of bowmore village that can be brought into play should anything untoward happen to the current from the national grid on the mainland. last winter the undersea cable bringing power to both islay and jura broke, and bowmore's generator took the strain for over six months until the cable could be repaired (at considerable expense. apparently the few boats capable of laying undersea cables are in short supply and kept particularly busy.) for reasons i know not, we're being supplied by the island generator at present.

situations such as ours cannot but underline the fragility of modern existence. it affects us all in a myriad of differing ways. coffee being the lifeblood of even barely average cyclists such as myself, the option to pedal the few kilometres to debbie's cafe for a regular infusion of soya cappuccino is as much a part of peletonic certitude as inflating my tyres or donning a pair of cosy overshoes. a large, industrial brasilia coffee machine is gainfully employed churning out measured dose after measured dose, cups of which are brought to one's table for unadulterated supping.

along with those little caramel biscuits, it's something we simply take for granted.

so on receipt of a fine silver packet of dutch and wolf arabica coffee, a not inconsiderable degree of distress can be noticed trembling the upper lip. it says, and i quote 'suitable for both cafetieres and filter machines'. what if you don't own a cafetiere or filter machine? i mean, good grief charlie brown, that's what debbie's is for. isn't it? whatever happened to self-sufficiency in the face of silver packets of coffee?

nothing if not resourceful, i resorted to my bialetti moka pot surely the saviour of the technologically dependent, and the small ring on the cooker hob. i have no doubt that this produces differing strains and flavours than either of the commended methods, but i promise you, it made a rather flavoursome cup of coffee (well, two to be honest). the dark brown liquid, poured into an espresso cup out of habit, hit the spot nicely; it's not an espresso, but then it wasn't meant to be. what it was, was a rather fine, smoky flavoured cup accompanied by a plain-chocolate digestive. the ideal introduction to an evening's twmp scribbling.

i'm hoping you'll agree.

dutch and wolf's exclusive coffee blend, for both cafetieres and filter machines, is available to order direct from thijs and hank for only £5.95 in 227g packets. only the self-sufficient need apply.

dutch and wolf coffee

posted tuesday 31 january 2012

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capo forma padrone thermal jacket

making up around 77% of russia's territory, siberia maintaIns only 28% of the country's population. in the true tradition of russian principalities, it is a large slurp of land made up of several districts; a heck of a lot of them in fact. and it's cold, or perhaps more accurately, it's not warm. the annual average temperature is half a degree celcius, but at this time of year, it's a lot lower at around -15 degrees. that's a tad cooler than we're used to. situated in the east of siberia, oymyakon has the dubious distinction of being the coldest town on earth, with the lowest recorded temperature of minus 71.2 degrees.

ouch.

i don't pretend to understand the world's weather systems, and even less those that forecast the weeks and months ahead, but it seems not too unusual for arctic winds from the direction of siberia to head in the general direction of here during the opening months of each year. as i believe they are trying very hard to do at present. i shouldn't think i'd be too far off the beaten track if i were to surmise these winds to be the cause of last year's blizzards, snow drifts and white stuff on islay where there is not normally white stuff.

the hebrides have been spared snow this year (so far), but the important dials on the central heating have been inching clockwise over the past few days to compensate for less than moderate temperatures on the other side of the windows. this isn't a serious problem for the peletonese, for we are nothing if not well-prepared for the onslaught; it is often a simple matter of pedalling a bit harder throughout any extended periods out of doors. the velo club are not enamoured of turbo trainers, nor in possession of holiday leave that would allow us the luxury of jetting off to warmer climes for pre-season training in the sun. thus the sunday ride yesterday was braved by minimal numbers, swapping cycling for softies midway through for that of a gale-force headwind, peppered with a regular smattering of cold rain.

though the ambient temperature was doubtless sitting in positive numbers, the windchill inhabited the negatives; my cheeks and nose are more than ready to corroborate my story, should you be interested.

in order to face adversity with a smile upon my face and warmth within my skin and bones, the outer layer consisted of a waterproof shell over a capo forma padrone thermal jacket. the latter had previously given service in a more unadorned state, mostly due to a lack of consistent precipitation, but in the absence of manufacturer's claims suggesting comprehensive waterproofing, the outer shell was my safety net.

capo forma, or more colloquially (it appears) simply 'capo', was born in 2004, the offspring of gary vasconi and robert carbone. growing from socks and casuals to the more prolific offerings of today, everything is designed and developed in north america (corporate headquarters are in emeryville, california with a european office in varese, italy) with the bulk of production taking place in italia.

the padrone jacket wears its thermal properties with pride and excellence, composited as it is from lashings of super roubaix, a fabric without which the cycling world would likely be at a total loss. at least at this time of year. the outer panels are fabricated from windtex dream, doing a consummate job of keeping breezes, draughts and gales excluded from one's person. i can comprehend the apparent need to build cycling jackets from an interlocking system of panels, for using the padrone as my evidence for the defence, it seems one of the finest methods of providing that form-fitting couture.

form-fitting is the ideal or holy grail of cycling apparel, but in all honesty, suitable only for those without wobbly bits where wobbly bits should not be. capo's padrone jacket unashamedly advertises its italian heritage not only by means of tastefully placed italian red, white and green labels, but by a customary italian fit. the latter is likely the holy grail of many a less than active cyclist. none of this is intended by way of critcism, for there is little more pleasing than to acquire an item of cycling apparel that not only does what it says on the tin, but makes you look like a professional (even if only from a distance). try before you buy.

returning once more to those cold siberian winds, the collar is of commendable height, closed by means of a full-length, two-way zip. similarly, the sleeves are of well considered length, as is the drop tail to prevent nasty draughts around the kidneys. the inner face of the rear hem, partially elasticated, is spotted with dots of silicon gloop to ensure all remains where intended. ideally, and in keeping with the cyclist's definition of a jacket, there are three generously sized and remarkably flexible rear pockets, the outer two of which slope downwards for easy of entry and exit. even more satisfyingly, the middle pocket features an outboard waterproof zipped affair in which to keep the coffee money.

sticking a waterproof shell over the padrone on the sunday ride removed any likelihood of judging any degree of windproofing, so it's as well this had been satisfactorily proven over the previous days' riding. on sunday, cosiness was mine for every last one of those freezing 70 kilometres; super roubaix more than deserves its prefix. it's also worth noting that the padrone is, at the very least, showerproof, a feature to which i'm happy to attest; i got caught in the rain for 15km on saturday.

capo seems something of a well-kept secret in the uk, and an altogether non-existent secret north of the border. however, it's early days yet, and based on my cold, wet but cosy days in the saddle, the padrone thermal jacket is ought to change that in a very short space of time.

maybe there's a stockist in oymyakon, siberia.

the capo padrone thermal jacket retails at £190 ($250), in either black or white and available in sizes small to xxl (medium tested)

cap dealers | capo cycling

posted monday 30 january 2012

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patrick safety jogger

historically, the language of islay is gaelic, one that currently benefits from squillions of scottish government money in an attempt to re-instate it as at least something approaching a second language, though oft-times in parts of the country with no historical use. it's a language that suffers from a number of disadvantages. for one, certainly on islay, it was predominantly a spoken language; there are many of the island's older inhabitants who still greet each other in gaelic, but who would struggle to discern a sentence if written down.

mrs washingmachinepost's grandmother, when still alive, was a fluent gaelic speaker. my career path on moving to the isle in the late eighties was to have been that of a landscape artist, and as such, i explored many of the more remote hinterlands in search of rustic material for my impasto laden canvases. as many of these works were ultimately destined for exhibition, it behoved me well, as progenitor, to have them appropriately titled, the spelling of which i gleaned from an ordnance survey map. to enhance my ethnicity even further, i would show the titles to mrs twmp's gran for aid with pronunciation, to be throughly confused by the fact that she could not help me in any way.

which brings me to its second disadvantage (as perceived by one bereft of any language skills whatsoever), that of pronunciation. many a language has the advantage of being more or less pronounced as phonetics would dictate; gaelic confounds that principal completely. for example, bowmore distillery currently begins its mailshots with the claim; 'welcome, or, as we say 'failte'. this is a somewhat disingenuous claim in the first place, for the marketing materials emanate from glasgow, a city with no gaelic tradition to speak of. however, in an attempt to educate the great unwashed, they helpfully provide a phonetic aid memoire by stating 'pronounced foyle-ta'.

let me tell you that, if visiting the distillery, you were to greet a member of staff with the word foyle-ta, you would receive some very quizzical looks indeed. this is because the word failte, is actually pronounced 'falcha', where the 'ch' is as in the word church. though not even close to having the ability to pronounce anything in gaelic, i have e-mailed morrisons bowmore to point out the errors of their ways, but to no avail.

the third perceptible disadvantage is that each island enclave has its own variant of the language. lewis gaelic is distinct from skye gaelic is distinct from islay gaelic. the latter has given minor cause for consternation at the local gaelic college (ionad chaluim chille ile) which is administered as an offshoot of skye's sabhal mor ostaig (try pronouncing that correctly), thus many of the educational materials contain a version of the language not endemic to the queen of the hebrides. believe me, you do not want to get involved. several years ago, the local scottish co-op (presided over by an office in manchester) installed double-sided aisle signs with english on one side and gaelic on the other, a gesture that was all but useless. for those who speak gaelic couldn't read it, and for those who could, the signes were not in islay gaelic.

the majority of islay's population have no gaelic whatsoever, but all have a reasonable command of english. it therefore defies logic for the government to have spent millions converting all the road signs in the region to show both the english and gaelic place names. so now it's possible to get lost in two languages, though only one of them is featured in the automobile association's road maps of great britain. go figure.

prior to recounting these moments for your edification, i have spent a very enjoyable hour and a few minutes watching niels albert riding away from the rest of his belgian team to win the 2012 cyclocross world championship. this he did on a colnago prestige cross bike with a rare feature: a decent colour scheme. the top seven places were all filled by belgian riders, the last man home being another aboard a (somewhat dull) colnago prestige, sven nys. the chap filling eighth place was over a minute behind nys.

cycling is so much of a minority sport in the uk, it would have been expecting way too much for any of the british tv channels to have broadcast the race as a space filler on late night telly, let alone live. cyclocross is a tiny little eccentric niche of the venn diagram that describes the world of cycling, one that has no bradley wiggins, no mark cavendish and no team sky. therefore it is televisually irrelevant as far as british broadcasting is concerned, no matter that attendance at koksijde was reckoned to be in excess of 60,000. and in any case, twitter had already provided running commentary along with the final result, so any late night broadcast would have been somewhat null and void.

however, the interweb has removed pretty much every obstacle to watching live cycling, no matter the continent on which it takes place, therefore those of us with the necessary cyclocross street-cred were already sat in front of sporza, oblivious to the belgian commentator mutterings apart from the almost obligatory "aye,aye,aye,aye,aye." without which european cycling would simply cease to exist. if reassurance were required that sporza is a belgian undertaking, one need only take a gander at the web address atop the excellent live-streaming televisuals: sporza.be.

why then do they insist on plying the on-screen graphics with the english language? as neils albert furrowed his way through koksijde's deep sand, a little blue box would appear in the lower left corner stating head of the race. the six chasing belgians (was there any other country entered for the race?) were labelled chasing group. as admitted to above, i am sorely lacking in langage skills of any sort, but i think it quite likely that the belgian language has words equating to both head of the race and chasing group. surely native belgians feel just a bit put out by the intrusion of the english language onto one of their national broadcaster's images? i have not looked particularly closely, but does the tour of britain coverage insult us with tete de la course? probably not.

however, the above notwithstanding, it appears that patrick safety jogger is the new dirk hofman motor homes.

sporza | patrick safety jogger

posted sunday 29 january 2012

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the road to...

islay doesn't have a library, at least, not one that stays in one place. we have a blue library van, shelved round the inside and filled with the most requested genres of books. it's a part of argyll and bute's network of libraries, including the ones that are not itinerant, so if there's a book not available here, there's every likelihood iain (the librarian) can get hold of a copy from somewhere else. there's also the possibility that the very volume required might be sitting in storage at portnahaven hall. doubtless, as the years progress, the van will shrink to the size of a small box, and we'll download all we need onto our ipads, but for now, we can revel in our quaintliness.

in my early years on the island, i was wont to visit the library every wednesday morning to satisfy my voracious need for reading material, and i confess to having placed orders for some rather eccentric books outside the norm. but in my modern day guise as part-time, self-styled cycling literary critic, i generally have more words to peruse than any man has a right to expect. the library thus exists without my patronage, and is probably all the better for it.

however, due to budgetary constraints and a constant need for the council to make life a smidgeon harder than it probably needs to be, no longer does the library visit each area on a weekly basis. two weeks are now allowed to pass ere that blue van parks close to my front door. in the grand scheme of things, this is a misdemeanour that passes me by, and though most, if not all, are now accustomed to such sparing periodicity, it does not help any potential would-be scholars. how are the potentially learned to undertake timeous research into their areas of concern? how is one to educate oneself in all pertinent areas of subject matter that may furrow the brow?

the answer, of course, is the interweb.

no longer is it truly necessary to have even a basic grounding in any selected or imposed topic, when the world wide web provides such easy opportunity to select a vague term of search and proceed from the initial result. in much the same way that ahoover became a generic noun for any brand of vaccuum cleaner, finding the kernel of one's interest has simply manifested itself under the command google it whether that is indeed the search engine of choice. it has become so ubiquitous in daily life, that few will query such a response.

in the days when the internet was young and still in the throes of disarray, the website that many opted to use for the purposes of inquiry was that of alta vista. surprisingly in these days of google domination, alta vista still exists in a state of remarkable simplicity. matters of great incomprehension to the rest of us, known as algorithms, have spent many a year battling each other for supremacy, and though it would appear the mighty google has most of the parcel sewn-up, microsoft has yet to admit any form of defeat, and stakes its claim to our search and rescue missions with bing. it is obviously of little value to query the choice of appellation applied to their search engine, for in truth it is no less inscrutable than that of google.

ten years ago you would have laughed even louder in my face, that i chose to intersperse both words in sentence of purported serious intent.

while google plies its daily trade via inexpensive keyword adverts, bing has given voice this past week to five small uk charities under the banner 'help your britain', allowing each to voice the valuable contributions they make to the communities in which they work. friday's showcase was that of life cycle uk, a bristol-based organisation aiming to inspire people and equip them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to make cycling a part of their everyday lives.

it's a charity that places the emphasis on society and people, using the bicycle as a medium for change. pairing the blind with sighted partners to go riding and benefit from exercise, aiding those with forms of depression to get out and about and via their silver cyclists, helping the elderly gain confidence by cycling in groups chaperoned by an experienced cyclist. these are all aspects of cycling most of us take for granted or rarely think about. it's not all team sky jerseys and beijing gold medals; the bicycle has a far greater reach and potential for change than it is often credited with.

as with many a contemporary charity, funds are most certainly not limitless and some of life cycle uk's current projects are in danger of coming to an unfortunate and sudden stop through lack of necessary money. if you're in the area served by the organisation, perhaps you could volunteer a few hours per week or even donate a pound or two. after all, that white bar tape will last a couple more months. and do you really need another jersey?

as a dyed in the wool apple macintosh user, i have been unashamedly and sometimes justifiably critical of microsoft in past years, but i'm willing to partially redress the balance by offering praise, via bing, for providing such excellent exposure to a worthy organisation.

i don't suppose there's a search engine called bob hope is there?

life cycle uk | bing

posted saturday 28 january 2012

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rapha's focus on 'cross

jeremy powers is sitting in a car, in a car park, somewhere near hoogerheide. he's zipped up to the neck in a black quilted jacket and a white sram wooly hat pulled down over his forehead. for jeremy has a cold, an irritant that has fought back after the previous weekend's european cross race, and at the time of our conversation, he's not sure whether he'll be competing at hoogerheide. (jeremy did, in fact, take part in the race, finishing in 29th place, a result he tweeted as "we're gonna file today under 'DAYS TO FORGET' not an awesome result and I wanted better but...some days you got that swag. some days you don't)

despite suffering so, mr powers is perhaps unsurprisingly happy; he is now american national cyclocross champion, a title that has been at the forefront of his thoughts, racing and training for many a long year. "I finally got that monkey off my back." the 2011/12 season has also been one of his best in terms of outright victories including back to back wins at the deschutes brewery usgp weekend. this has also been his first season with rapha focus, a team that has fulfilled pretty much all the promise you can think of after only two seasons. last season, powers rode for the cyclocrossworld.com/cannondale team alongside tim johnson. though retrospectively a vacuous question, why the move?

"basically tim and i probably got too comfortable. we raced together, hung out together and often trained together. rapha focus had approached me during the previous season but it didn't feel right at that point. this time it did."

it seems almost unnecessary to point out that rapha is a predominantly british brand, based as it is in perren street in kentish town, london. though there are rapha outcrops appearing all across the globe, you'd figure most, if not all, strategic decisions would emanate from this location. the rapha focus cyclocross team is one of the few exceptions. i asked north american manager slate olson if it had been a hard sell?

"'Tis true. Talking from a participation point of view, cyclocross in North America is much bigger than anywhere else in the world. The Cross Crusade Series in Portland consistently sees 1000-1200+ racers across all categories each weekend. Seattle's MFG Series had a few weekends of 1000+ racers, and that's in a town that could hardly field 300 just a couple years ago. We're seeing consistent gains all over the US, from Southern California to the Northeast series. We see cyclocross as a bit of a 'gateway drug' and one of the best chances for bicycle racing to become broadly more popular in the US. The scene at these races are far more inviting to bring people to the sport than any other type of racing in cycling.
"But to answer your question more directly, it wasn't that difficult a sell to London. For one, 'cross has a direct and legitimate connection to road racing, and we love racing and have enjoyed success with the Rapha-Condor-Sharp team in the UK. Extending Rapha's presence in professional racing through the winter with the Rapha-Focus team was seen as a natural step."

ceo simon mottram concurs. was this a case of portland taking matters into its own hands?"Definitely. Our team in Portland are cross racers and The Rapha Focus team is completely their idea. Cyclocross is hugely popular in the US and growing rapidly. Slate saw a chance to have more impact than would come from a conventional road team."

jeremy powers has had to interrupt the conversation a couple of times to stave off the manifest effects of his cold. would it be true to say that the team had been built around him? (the other members are chris jones, zach mcdonald (usa u23 national champion) and julie krasniak) "yes, definitely." in which case, had jeremy been a specific target of slate's, or was it simply one of those serendipitous happenstances?

"The short answer is yes. Chris Jones and Zach McDonald were the first two gents that we targeted to build the Rapha-Focus team around. Not only are both strong, strong riders, but they are quality people that we knew would not only have results but make an impact with who they are. As I was talking with them in 2010, I did also reach out to Jeremy Powers, but as a complete "wouldn't that be something" sort of flyer. I knew more of Jeremy than I knew him, but was a fan, was well aware of his talent and knew that he was also a bit of a fan of Rapha. The sport needed to break up the CyclocrossWorld 1-2 of he and Tim Johnson and we knew he'd look great flying our colors. I'd still call it serendipitous though."

with so many excellent riders visible in american cyclocross, including jeremy's main rivals tim johnston and ryan trebon, what made slate want to sign powers? "His results speak for themselves. Obviously, I am very, very happy that he had the success and sort of season that he wanted. Jeremy is blessed with talent, works very hard and to have it come together is fantastic. Again, beyond the results, he has an electric personality, a great sense of humor and is someone we knew could bring meaning and interest to the Rapha-Focus program and our brands."

for those who are less tenacious in their following of american cyclocross, jeremy powers has featured himself and his sponsors writ large in a regular video series entitled 'behind the barriers'. jpow's extrovert tendencies are ideally suited to this medium. rumour has it that he paid for the previous season's episodes from his own pocket. was he still putting his own money where his mouth is? "No. this year my sponsors (Rapha, Focus, SRAM, Easton and Giro) have fully funded 'Behind the Barriers'." what prompted the series? "I just wanted to promote the sport of cyclocross in the States, to get it into as many homes as possible. If only a few of those who watch grab a bike and take part, then it's served its main purpose"

doesn't it intrude on a busy career? "Not really. Pretty much the whole thing is handled by Sam; he does all the filming and editing, but I have the final say on everything. Sometimes I've had to say no to a scene because it's a bit controversial, or because it features a product that you can't buy yet, but other than that, I wouldn't say it gets in the way."

did rapha have any input into behind the barriers apart from the odd appearance by slate and jeremy dunn? slate olson;"Nope. That's all Jeremy and Sam's doing. Call Powers what you will, he's a funny guy to tag along with. I think 'Behind The Barriers' has definitely taken strides this year."

despite the team consisting of four riders, from a fan perspective, it seemed to be all about jpow. was this a deliberate ploy, or is he simply possessed of an irrepressive nature? according to slate olson "For us it wasn't all about JPow at all. Jeremy is a bit of a one-man marketing machine with 'Behind the Barriers', so I could see how it feels like he took top billing. And, with Jeremy winning a lot of the big races, it was tough to keep his name out of the headlines. But, it was definitely a team effort this season. "

from jeremy's point of view, did the rapha focus team operate just as the name would suggest, for it seems less likely that other team members could help towards a victory as can be the case with a road team? Yes, it's definitely a team, maybe not in the way it works on the road, but it's definitely a team effort. We usually pre-ride the courses as a team, and Zach might say to watch out for a particular corner or tell me he made up two places in his race by taking a different line through a specific section. We all help each other; it's a real team."

though it may well be the case that the rapha focus team is an expression of slate olson's deft north american management, but are focus, easton and giro the silent partners in the team, or do they have as much say as rapha? "Nobody in this bunch is silent. I feel really lucky that Chris Jones helped bring us together with Focus originally and I think we have built a group of brands that are focused on the right things. It's a team effort from the group of sponsors, we genuinely like one another and have fun working together. I don't know if every other team can say that. Rapha-Focus may be the team name, but every sponsor is critical to the team's success."

as mentioned above, it's been a successful season, ending with two usa national champions jerseys, one of which will grace this weekend's world championship race (powers and jones will race for the usa team) at koksijde. what were the outline goals at the beginning of the season? slate olson; "1. Look fantastic. 2. Have fun. 3. Race as best as we could... which leads to 4. Win. I know that Zach always had his eye on the U23 US titles and spending more quality time in Europe. Jeremy was the same, I believe he targeted the USGP and certainly wanted to get the Nationals monkey off his back. Beyond that he was eager to continue to improve in European competition. Chris was a bit of a question coming into the season because of his massive workload during the road season and the Tour of Britain crash that banged him up. I think the season worked out about as perfect as could be for Chris. He had some good results as he came on strong the middle of the season and being selected for the US team for Koksijde is tremendous.
"The other goal for the team was to add a woman to the program. Julie Krasniak (aka. 'Ze Frenchwoman') came on a bit late, but added something fun for the team. I am inspired by the growth of 'cross because of women and for us it was important to support and be involved in the women's field. At least in the US, I think that the women's fields will only continue to grow and I believe that 'cross will do wonders for inviting more women into bicycle racing."

with one of those other team members, zach mcdonald, having grabbed the u23 national jersey, will having two champions on the team give slate more leverage on the budget for next season? "Ah budgets. We'll see. We have all three of our guys signed through Worlds '13, that has always been the focus. Hopefully we'll keep having fun the 2012-13 season."

of course, all this has happened across the pond, in a sport that the uk seems to have far more of a minority interest in. but having the usa national cx champion on the team must surely be the equivalent of having kristian house in the national road-race jersey. will this encourage perren street to continue or expand its investment in cyclocross generally such as last year's three race supercross series? simon mottram says it's a separate issue. "Cross here is catching on but is so far behind the scene in the US. The SUPERCROSS series is our attempt to lift the sport here and give it some of the US excitement and fun. Maybe we will be able to get Jeremy over for this year's races?!"

it's obviously not heating up much in belgium, for though sram's woolly hat has achieved a more relaxed stance on jeremy's head, the jacket is still pulled close about the collar. does jeremy regard this as having been his most successful season to date? "In terms of results I think that would be true to say, but in terms of success, nothing is more successful than that first USGP win. It depends on how you view or measure success." now that the national champion's jersey is safely on his back at last, does he intend to concentrate just as hard on the American season next year, or are there plans to spend more time in Europe? jeremy powers "i spent two seasons alone in Europe in 2004 and 2005 before realising that I wasn't at the level I needed to be at to be really successful. So I came back to America to concentrate on getting better, and now I've returned to Europe as a champion. But I like to have fun and I don't know if I'd want to do this if it meant living, racing and training in Europe to achieve ultimate success. I like going home after races and I like to spend time with my girlfriend.
"But to answer your question, I want to concentrate on getting to Louisville, (kentucky, venue of the world championships in january 2013) in the best shape I can."

before leaving jeremy to get warm and to hopefully feel better, it seemed an idea to ask where he goes from here? does he have a cunning plan? I just want to continue trying to be the best I possibly can be at all times, to win as many races as I can, and to have fun doing so."

do jpow's thoughts for the future coincide with those of slate olson? "To be honest I'm a little upset with Jeremy and Zach winning and putting a kink in our team colors, so that's the first strategic issue we'll have to solve. We're going to keep pushing next season and I'm sure we'll have a few tricks up our sleeves, but the focus is pretty similar to this past year. Should be fun."

does simon mottram feel that portland's renegade sponsorship ideal has been ultimately repaid by jeremy's win in wisconsin earlier this month? "The investment had more than paid off already through excellent press coverage and engagement with cross racers. Powers' win won't hurt though!" and will a replica usa cx nationals champion's jersey be made available through the rapha store? "I'm sure Slate will be pushing for that one! It's great that the US federation is much more relaxed about the design of their national champ jerseys than most countries (UK included). We're pretty happy with the new design. Let's see how many people ask for it!"

once this year's world championship race is over and done with, jeremy powers has only four or five days break before he flies to the season's first training camp with the jelly belly road team for whom he'll race the rest of the season, including the tours of colorado and california and perhaps the occasional foray into europe.

it's a dirty job (literally) but i'm kind of glad that jeremy powers is doing it.

i am very grateful to jeremy powers, slate olson and simon mottram for their considerable assistance with this article.

rapha focus | jeremy powers | behind the barriers

photography by dan sharp, wil matthews, corey keizer

posted friday 27 january 2012

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dutch and wolf

in 1835, in what is now known as becknerville, a short distance south west of winchester, kentucky, hank wolf set up a compact and bijou smithy and what i dare say we'd refer to as equestrian supplies, intent on providing himself and family with a small stipend to keep themselves in the manner to which they hoped to become accustomed. he was taking advantage of the boom that was in the process of happening in lexington, often referred to as the horse capital of the world, but felt he'd have greater success pandering to those travelling east to west before they hit the many similar traders in lexington town itself.

he hit lucky in this respect, but soon reached the dilemma that many small businesses experience; needing to expand to take account of the promise of even more dealings, but being short of the financial wherewithal to realise these ambitions. hank hit lucky. thijs van meerben had arrived alone in new amsterdam on the eastern seaboard of the united states in june 1838, intent on making his way to the pacific coast to start a new life, in the hope of meeting the love of his life and living out the rest of his years on sun, sea and sand. the initial problem, like that of wolf, was one of money.

van meerben spent some time trying to win a few dollars at poker around the less salubrious establishments of new amsterdam to finance the trip west, but could scarcely believe his luck on discovering just how poor the inhabitants were at playing cards. he left the east coast considerably richer than he arrived. his trip west began in may of 1839, serendipitously taking him through becknerville on his way to lexington, and with his horse appearing slightly lame, he dropped in at hank wolf's to take advantage of his equestrian services.

with nowhere to stay overnight, hank wolf invited him to bunk down in their barn, and to dine with him and his family. thijs van meerben was a bit of a mouthful for backwoods americans to pronounce, so thijs generally introduced himself simply as dutch. in the interests of cutting a long story short, dutch and wolf hit it off, dutch happily provided hank with the extra capital he required and the two went into partnership, rather obviously as dutch and wolf.

life moved on, as it inevitably does, and the demise of the horse business when first the bicycle and subsequently the motor car usurped that of equine transport, meant that the successors to thijs and hank had important decisions to make around the turn of the century. they elected to leave the motor car to others (a decision that has never been regretted) and immerse themselves in bicycles. the early velocipedes were very much the preserve of the well-heeled, and though the bicycle has gone through many sociological and class status moments, dutch and wolf were able to hang on long enough as a business to arrive at the other end intact, still serving the upper strata of the bicycle business.

in the early part of this century, they moved lock, stock and barrel to the uk, depositing themselves in, of all places, altrincham in cheshire, intent on providing the great british cycling public with a bob or two in their pockets with the ultimate in frameology and trinketry.

of course, this may all be unwarranted conjecture, for when i asked director mark mcgrath of dutch and wolf why the business had been so named, he replied "there is a long and interesting story behind it. But for now we are keeping it under wraps." i bet mine is better.

however, to leave the realms of fiction far behind, dutch and wolf does indeed live in altrincham, cheshire, and in fact is keen to pander to the every whim of those for whom the bicycle and its attendant fancies are everything. stocking frames from colnago, kyklos and orbea, they are keen that prospective customers can be assured that nothing will be left to chance, having engaged the services of professional bike fitter, alan williams, a man who has spent more than ten years in the service of team gb and a professional road team on both the giro d'italia and the tour de france. his services are available by appointment for dutch and wolf customers.

what you may wish to make an appointment for is a custom fitting on one of europe's most illustrious marques, and a firm favourite in the inner hebrides: colnago. d&w specialise in the c59 italia, the m10, master x-light and the epq. all colnago orders are bespoke including choice of colour. once chosen, the order goes to cambiago to be hand-built and painted to your exacting specification. though the choice is a somewhat obvious one, i asked mark why they chose colnago?

"Colnago for us is an easy choice, they deliver innovative, race-winning carbon masterpieces that are true works of art. The passion that started Colnago still exists today and that is very rare for such a global brand."

with regard to the custom painting mentioned on bespoke colnago orders, does this allow for individual customisation, or are we still talking about colnago's official colour range? "we're referring to any product factory colour."

if you consider that the likes of a colnago c59 frame and fork starts at £3,300, and it's unlikely anyone ever had shimano tiagra bolted to its carbon tubing, we're looking at a considerable investment in one bicycle. add to that, the d&w website is offering royce carbon hubs at £950 a pair, so those of modest means definitely should not apply. in the midst of a recession, is this the ideal time to be launching a cycle business that aimes at the upper reaches? "The luxury goods market has been on an upward climb for many years. Our research has concluded that there is a strong market for such products in spite of the challenging economic climate."

though royce are amongst the finest purveyors of hubs in the world, they do sit rather lonely on the hubs page of the d&w website, and few cycle businesses offer only three distinct marques of frame. does mark intend to expand the range of components, frames etc, or is he content with things as they are? "New products are being added all the time, we want to hand pick the best and that doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive." with regard to the fitting services of alan williams, is it possible for prospective clients to access his services via dutch and wolf, even if they have no specific intention of making any cycle purchase? "no. this service is provided for only dutch and wolf customers at this stage."

you would wonder, however, whether dutch and wolf can drag the middle aged man in lycra away from the current line of cycle commerce that has existed for many a year. after all, there are a number of stores that assist with fitting the customer to the bike, and untold websites from which every imaginable component and groupset can already be acquired via one's all too available flexible friend. all that would remain is to persuade the guy at the local bikeshop to assemble everything in a manner that would allow for velicipedinal perambulation. what is it that d&w think they can offer that others currently don't? "The best online experience bar none. One to one fitting by appointment in a fantastic location with proven professionals who take the time and care to deliver the bike of which dreams are made. Our unique products will be available over the coming year and will set us aside from our contemporaries in terms of quality and innovation."

there is little doubt that the market at which dutch and wolf have aimed their services exists. rapha and assos have all but proved that. and if you're intent on spending the sort of money that acquires a fully specced, handbuilt colnago c59, i'll admit it's rather reassuring to know that it's not being thrown together with a bunch of allen keys and an adjustable wrench in dutch and wolf coffee somebody's garage. the more expensive cycling becomes at the top end, the more services such as dutch and wolf's are likely to become a part of the day to day fabric. this is, as paul weller once said 'the modern world.'

as if all the above were not enough to encourage thoughts of re-mortgaging the bikeshed, dutch and wolf have not excluded the true reason we all ride bicycles. coffee. despite wearing the mantle of new kids on the block, d&w have a whole shelf of own-label grade a1 ground arabica. dont buy a colnago without it.

thijs van meerben never did get to the pacific coast. the growing town of lexington provided more than enough pickings for his card sharp skills.

dutch and wolf

posted thursday 26 january 2012

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boyz in the hood

i used to cycle to my work. years and years ago (at least it seems that way), i would have done everything necessary to make sure that the motor car (a yellow citroen 2cv; pretty much the same as cycling, if i'm honest) remained cossetted in its garage and only the bicycle accompanied me on the daily trammel. even come winter, when snow lay thick on the ground, it seemed eminently more pragmatic to ride two wheels rather than skite about on four. the reasoning behind such a decision rested on a better ability to gauge how slippy it was under wheel from the saddle that from the driver's seat.

while i have surprising recall regarding the daily journey, even down to remembering that i used to be chased by an invisible labrador (it was very dark at some points and ever ready lights didn't always work) on my morning route, but i cannot, for the life of me, remember my attire from that period. there is an evens chance that i wore jeans, shirt and some sort of jacket, the constitution of which more than likely depended on the climate of the day. my workplace was bereft of changing/shower facilities, as indeed were the majority of workplaces in mediaeval times, so i figure i must surely have worn whatever i required to wear for work.

i'm not sure that this included a tie (surely a gap in the market?)

it is almost worth my while concentrating harder to achieve total recall, for that would surely place the current standard of cycling apparel in some sort of concrete perspective. let's face it, unless you were a member of a cycling club and content to wear shorts with real chamois in the comfy bits while resembling an advertising hoarding up top, the only option was to revert to ordinary daywear, including disturbingly unpadded boxer shorts. the world has changed substantially since those days; the bicycle is, if i'm willing to stretch credibility as far as it will go, no longer exclusively regarded as the preserve of the working classes. not everyone rides a bicycle because they can't afford a car.

i am not a well-travelled person, and definitely not one given to visiting the big cities. central glasgow and edinburgh are both small enough to traverse on foot. i do not recall finding it necessary to climb aboard any form of public transport. strangely enough, it was shanks's pony that provided every step of transport in new york city, having walked from west 95th street all the way down broadway and onto the staten island ferry and then back again. bus, underground and cab had no need of application.

london, somewhere that features on the annual twmp travel itinerary at least once, is usually the subject of judicious purchase of an all-day london transport ticket. if you live in a small hebridean village of just under 1,000 people, the london underground has its fascinations, but in most cases i am not inhabiting a tube carriage with any pressure of time. and i do not have to undergo the same journey day in, day out. that would surely be a mode of urban commuting, one that i would be inclined to swap for a bicycle and the (not quite) open road. would i not wish to avail myself of the copious amounts of apparel expressly designed for my comfort and joy while studiously avoiding buses, taxis, motor cars but paying particular attention to traffic lights?

you're darned toot'n' i would. but where to start?

the latter part of the equation is soon to have another degree of pondering added to its ruminations. scotland's premier cycle clothing specialists now of world renown and a top class road-racing team are due to launch their urban range later this year. previewed at the recent london cycle show it features an outer shell jacket, a softshell jacket (both with hoods), a merino jersey, merino polo, stretch trousers, stretch shorts, leather gloves, argyll socks (what else?) and a cap. i'd struggle to think of anything they might have missed.

of course, naming no names, others have preceded them into this corner of the cycle clothing market with a reasonable degree of success, so why has livingston put their best foot forward? pamela barclay is endura's product development director in charge of the endura urban range: "There has been a dramatic change in the use of bikes and cycle culture in major urban areas in the last few years, with London being a great example. With this Urban range, Endura is looking to deliver clothing that works for the kinds of journeys that are a part of this lifestyle.
"As well as buying into brands that have been built around that philosophy, we noticed that folk were cobbling together a look from bits of outdoor and high street jeanswear including our own staff whose personal tastes were also moving in that direction.
"Endura has changed in so many aspects over the past few years, with massive growth in our range, the launch of Equipe, a strong pro-road offering, and our intensive management and involvement with the pro riders on Endura Racing Team. The Urban range was just another logical step as the cycling market evolves."

it is clear why endura would wish to enter a potentially increasing part of the cycling market; i'm all in favour of an ever widening choice of quality product, particularly in the light of endura's recent equipe range to which pamela referred above. but in the light that endura are somewhat late to the party so to speak, what does she think they can bring to market that isn't already there?

"It's true (that the market is already well supplied) but we still intend tackling it from a 'substance over style' philosophy, where the starting point is performance. We believe there is a segment of riders which finds the marketing and hype around some of those brands perhaps a little distant or inaccessible. We have a much more straightforward and masculine message of no-nonsense performance product that is styled more appropriately for the contemporary urban rider."

taking the above into consideration, who does pamela see as their target market for the urban range? " Pretty much everyone who rides a bike in urban areas. Even our hardened MTB riders and Pro Road guys are keen to get some for 'cutting about town.'"

i've already listed the items that form a part of the range, perhaps obviously endura's first confident steps in this direction. is that it, or is there more to come? "This is just the start, but we will need to see some confident sales figures on release before adding more to the range." and the price point? "Akin to our main line Endura range"

when i was a student at art college in aberdeen, cheyne's motorcycles owned three successive corner stores, beginning with mopeds and other underpowered machines, culminating in colossal touring machines such as the honda goldwing and its peers. on a saturday afternoon, it was possible to see groups of scruffy chaps clad in scruffy leather jackets and holding full-face helmets while staring glassy-eyed at the unobtainable behind the window. the humorous part, as if that were not enough on its own, was watching them all climbing on a bus to get home. looking the part obviously meant everything, motorbike or not.

does pamela therefore see the urban range as one that might appeal to even those who don't actually ride bicycles? "Not really. The whole ethos of Endura's product development is underpinned by functionality. There are no aspirations to be a street fashion brand with no technical performance aspect. There have been too many casualties where sports brands have courted the fickle fashion market; we're sticking to what we do best."

placed in historical and sociological context, this must be one of the best times to identify as a cyclist, however you wish to define such adherence to the flag. whether it's a case of screaming full blast for a finish line, or doing the same while heading away from a green traffic light, it would be an incredibly picky individual who failed to find clothing to suit their purposes. endura's urban commuting range will be in the hands of endura dealers later this year, promising no less than to make choice from the saddle better than ever.

posted wednesday 25 january 2012

endura

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the cyclist's guide to hillclimbs on scottish lowland roads. john h mckendrick. pocketmountains. 96pp illus. £6.99

ah the memories come flooding back; ten-speed racers were undoubtedly the way to go. though i now have bikes a plenty with shifting systems that do everything apart from actually flick the lever and enough sprockets to worry the wheel dish, nothing quite compares with that very first ten-speed racing bike. the comical part here is my use of the word racing in connection with just such a velocipede; i very much doubt that the cycle to which i refer ever hit anything like the speeds that would have it classified as a competitive machine.

i had been driving to my work a short distance of miles for some months before realising that this was costing me rather a lot for my petrol, and that the motor car sat idle for the bulk of its day. much like most of the cars on the planet, come to that. walking was definitely an option, and quite a pleasant one at that, but the idea of a bicycle seemed eminently more attractive. though the ten-speed racer may have never troubled those smaller cogs, its stance in life made it look as if it could. so mrs washingmachinepost dutifully ordered it from one of those mail order catalogues (i hang my head in shame) and a sleek, white steel bicycle arrived, wrapped studiously in brown paper inside its card box.

i knew nothing of bicycles at that point. it did arrive with a poster depicting a group of gentlemen clad in lycra huddled round a machine remarkably similar to the one i'd just lifted from the box, but i singularly failed to note the reynolds 653 decals that definitely weren't on my plain gauge version. the cycle industry occasionally fibs.

when we moved slightly further round the ayrshire coast, i was presented with a substantially longer ride to work, but also with access to less car-troubled roads for occasional forays into the surrounding countryside. one of those countrysides was the town/village of dundonald, reachable only by climbing a big hill. let me make matters perfectly plain at this point: i was riding a plain gauge steel bicycle (=heavy) with 52/42 chainrings coupled with a 14-21 freewheel, and had just watched robert millar calmly cycle away from his immediate peloton on a ruddy big hill somewhere in southern france. who was to say i couldn't do likewise?

my bicycle looked pretty much identical to that of millar's, i too was born in glasgow, so how hard could it possibly be?

very hard indeed as it turns out. once past the roundabout at loans, it was onto the ascent up past highgrove house, at which point i realised i was considerably out of my depth, stopped mid-cadence and was promptly sick at the side of the road. i am very thankful that i did not own this excellent book around that time, for i now discover that there was a second opportunity for humiliation just round the corner, should i have taken the opportunity to ride up to the radio transmitter atop dundonald hill. thank heaven for small mercies.

for the cycling enthusiast, climbing hills is surely akin to swimming against the tide. utterly pointless unless absolutely necessary, but often darned good fun. this book makes such obstinacy disturbingly easy in a concise yet attractive format. it is sufficiently compact and bijou to stuff in a back pocket, or possibly even one of those zipped efforts that graces the front of many a colourful softshell. each hillclimb is detailed in terms of distance, location, average gradient and the nearest practical railway station should you be in the business of adding to your tick book palmares across the scottish lowlands.

there are one or two others in here that recall local geography from my time on the scottish mainland, though i confess several have only been accomplished from the driver's seat of a car. perhaps one of these days. a total of thirty-six climbs are detailed between page one and page ninety-six; if you live in this area of scotland and occasionally find yourself imbued with robert millar tendencies, £6.99 is a remarkably small price to pay.

my only criticism is a debatable grammatical one. if you check the heading on this review you will note that i have placed the apostrophe in cyclist's to denote reference to a singular member of the peletonese. this is how it is portrayed on the book's cover. however, i am of the opinion that the book is intended to appeal to more than an audience of one, and should thus have been classified as cyclists'. yet another subject for discussion at debbie's.

hillclimbs of the scottish lowland roads can be order direct from pocketmountains.com at a cost of £6.99

pocketmountains.com

posted tuesday 24 january 2012

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tell them we sent you

quick mention for those intending to visit islay's shores on a bike during the summer. velo club d'ardbeg recommended coffee/tea stops - in no particular order.

club headquarters at the old kiln cafe, ardbeg distillery. excellent food and good coffee, though strangely (and disappointingly) still no espresso or cappucino. the single malt is apparently just ginger peachy. only open at weekends from june to september.

bruichladdich mini market (debbie's cafe), a few hundred yards from the distillery. highly commended designer coffees with outside tables. we like. open all year round with a cycling wall in the coffee corner.

welcometogreatcoffee.co.uk

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as always, if you have any comments, please feel free to e-mail and thanks for reading.

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