Giro d’Italia – The Story of the World’s Most Beautiful Bike Race, to give it it’s full title, is exactly what it says on the cover. It takes in all the major editions and events from the Giro’s 1909 birth right up to Nibali’s win in 2016.
Continue reading “Book Review: Giro d’Italia by Colin O’Brien”
The Invisible Mile by New Zealand author David Coventry is a fictionalised account of the five Australian and New Zealand cyclists who, in 1928, formed the first English-speaking team to ride the Tour de France.
Continue reading “Review: The Invisible Mile by David Coventry”
When it comes to spectacular TV shots of the Tour de France, forget yellow sunflower seas and the Champs Elysees, the mountains are where it’s at. And if you think they look good on your 58-inch HD, try them up close and personal. They’re dangerously distracting, I realised, braking hard as the hairpin bend turned abruptly to sheer drop.
I was in the Savoie Mont Blanc region of eastern, Alpine France, descending the Col de la Colombière, first tackled by the Tour in 1960. Its 16km ascent, particularly the last steep stretch into the headwind, had left me dazed.
Bagged myself a pair of Aldi’s Waterproof Lobster Cycling Gloves during their last cycling Special Buys event after being recommended them by a few folk on Twitter. Given their measly £7.99 price-tag I wasn’t expecting much.
Continue reading “Review: Aldi Waterproof Lobster Cycling Gloves – UPDATED”
I’m recently back from a few day’s riding in the Savoie Mont Blanc, the lumpy, Alpine part of Eastern France that borders Switzerland and Italy. The area, hugely popular with winter skiers, is making a big push to promote its many mountainous delights to summer cyclists. Not that cyclists haven’t already discovered the place. I stayed in Morzine, which has already hosted 19 Tour de France stages, including this year’s Tour’s penultimate etape (the soggy stage won by Ion Izagirre’s demon descent off the Col de Joux-Plane). The locals clearly took the Tour to heart and a month on from the big event the whole area was still decked out in white with red polka dots to match the maillot a pois rouge worn by the race’s best climber. 
A colleague recently asked why I cycle to work. Edinburgh is serviced by a host of bus routes, cycling in traffic can be dangerous, the weather is usually grim, and I own a car.
My reasons were very noble: it saves me money, on petrol, bus fares, etc. It’s greener (I may be inhaling deadly fumes but at least I’m not contributing to the problem). It’s quicker (my journey by bike takes half what it does by car). Cycling keeps me fit and, according to a recent Kings College study, slows the ageing process (yeah, 41 but I barely look a day over 39. Don’t believe the scientists on the ageing thing? Check out 90 year old Douglas Seale).
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| Ridden to death |
Ever been through one of those bicycle maintenance episodes that leaves you wishing you hadn’t bothered/had just bought a new bike/had taken up jogging instead of cycling? Continue reading “Riding Through The Death Rattle”
The Rider is the English translation of Tim Krabbé’s 1978 Dutch book, DeRenner. It’s long been a cult classic, but I was late to the party, despite having known of the tome for ages.
The 148 pages tell the story of the author’s experience in racing the Tour de Mont Aigoual. His commentary of the 150km event is littered with various cycling-related anecdotes and others detailing his own journey to becoming an amateur racing cyclist. Continue reading “The Rider by Tim Krabbé – a Nano Review”
I’ve long been particularly susceptible to cold hands. Even a short ride to work on a not particularly cold day can leave me in a decent amount of discomfort. Last weekend’s ride was a new (temperature) low for my poor icy paws, and it sent me in search of a solution.
The last couple of winters I’ve been riding with Sealskin’s Extra Cold Winter Gloves (see my review here). With these and a liner glove I’ve been just about okay on most days.
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| Andy Hampsten recreating my ride |
Rolf Rae-Hansen 