It's been a while since I last Bonked!

Everything seemed to be going well this week. My diet has started to work, back the right side of the wrong weight, but still a way to go, and my Mojo is well and truly back. Tuesday and Thursday spins with some of the lads from the club, and a great wind assisted 38mph on the flat on Tuesday night.
You can imagine my disappointment when after a good run out to Eureka this morning, on the way back, BANG! The wall was well and truly hit and I was in the hell of what is known in the cycling world as a Bonk! To sum it up for the uninitiated to the delights of the Bonk, you basically cant find any energy to spin your legs, let alone find the power to climb even the smallest pimple of a climb. It makes for a very slow, disheartening plod home. As I said in the title, it has been a while, and I hope it is a while till the next one. But  a big thanks to the lads who rode with me to make sure I got back ok, and as I sit here writing this, with my legs still aching, I look forward to the next ride without a dented Mojo!
Today saw some new faces to the weekend ride. To make it easy for us, two new riders to join Palefish both called Keith joined us, along with Iain who has been taking part in the week day rides for a while.
Also out for the first time was Derek's new bike, a great retro Raleigh. And also we saw an old face resurface in the group. It was great to see Ant again.
13 of us met at the Twelfth Man, the biggest group so far this year, which wasn't surprising seeing as the weather decided to be nice to us. It wasn't warm by any stretch of the imagination, and there were some Icy patches along the way, but we all made it safely to Eureka.
It was great to see Steve Smith there, on his way back from a training ride. Steve rode for the Vita team for a while, and then moved on the ride for the Kuota Spinergy team and now has a spot on the Maxgear racing team. I look forward to following his season.
We didn't stop too long today, long enough for a flapjack and coffee though.

Ant was obviously happy to be back out with Palefish CC!

As we headed back up the Chester High Road we saw Nipper heading the other way, and then when we were going through the lanes, me now in full Bonk, we saw John and Nicky who were heading out towards Chester and the Borders. The fine weather certainly was being taken advantage of!
I won't bore you with the ride ho,e as it was slow, and painful and I'm glad its over!!!

I do however need to up the miles and time in the saddle. In two weeks it is the next Twitter ride. This time it will be taking in the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland. There will also be some special guests riding, including Rob Hayes. Click HERE for details. If you want to see what previous rides have been like check out my previous posts HERE and HERE

I have also signed up to the Winter Sprinter, which takes place the weekend after! so I had better get back out on the bike soon!!

Cycle Show 2012

I struggle to accept that a year has gone by since I was last at the NEC drooling over the latest bike porn!

This year I was accompanied by 7 other Palefish CC lads. I drove and took Ken, Iain and Phil, and Paul also drove Scott, Pauric and Tim. I would like to say that The lads in the other car were given a picnic for the journey by Tims Fiance!! 

We met up at the NEC, My group were there first as we didn't stop for a picnic on the way, and as reward for getting there early we managed to see Olympic Silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead being interviewed by Dave Harmon.

Right next to the Stage was the stand for the Tour De Force. Sarah from the Loch to Loch ride was there and it was good to catch up and talk about the possibilities of doing the famous Tour route, one day!

My next destination was the Onimpex Bio Racer stand. I thought I would take the opportunity to talk to Ken about our order, and also it was a good chance for the lads to see what they had bought! Ken was great and explained how the kit was made, and the differences in fabric and pads used ( very interesting ) 

It should only be a couple of weeks now and then the club will be kitted out!

Next to the Bio Racer stall was probably the biggest, and definitely one of the busiest stalls at the show, Pinarello.
After Bradley's successful Tour the marketing team had gone to town, and I thought it was a great concept.

After a bit of mooching I came across old friends, Craig and Mike from Onix. It was great to see them so busy that they didn't have time to chat at first. It seems that the next few months are going to be really exciting for Craig, so watch this space for updates. We also spoke about taking the club ride up to the new Onix showroom and doing a ride from there into the Ribble Valley. More details to follow.

Rob Hayles actual Onix RH Pro! 

 Throughout the day we seemed to gravitate back to the Onix stand and as we did all the lads had a chance to meet Craig and talk about his bikes.

A Mike tool time master class!

Next to Onix was the C3 products stand. I bumped into someone else I had met before here. C3 were the main prize sponsors for the 10 minutes of hell Tunnel Time Trial last year. It was great to catch up with Paul, and nice to know he still reads the blog!

We spent the rest of the day roaming the halls taking in all the new technology and Bling.
Here are some of my favourites.

Colnago Ferrari Bikes

Olympic Gold Medal winning Bike

Tour Of Britain King of the mountains Jersey, and Kristian House's  bike above

Albero Contador's winning Vuelta Bike

Paul Smith Designed Lotus Condor

Palefish CC Colours?

That would look nice above the fireplace.

oops!

 We  also spent quite a lot of time in the Campagnolo Box. My personal favourite bling is the Super Record carbon groupset. Very light and extremely stylish.
As the day drew to a close we took advantage of the reduction in numbers and managed to get close to the Campanolo EPS test bikes. Paul was first, then Phil. We are not quite sure how it happened, but Phil managed to slip the chain off the rings! after a little fettling the chain was back on and we carried on abusing the extremely well engineered highly tuned piece of tuned engineering!

 I think my favourite bike of the show was the Demon Manhattan. Typically I didn't get a good photo of it, but here are some from the website. http://www.demonframeworks.com/

 I also liked the track bike, and the Copper plated finish.

So, that was the 2012 Cycle show. The Wiggo effect was definitely apparent, and the traders were commenting on the high level of interest from people new to cycling, long may it continue.

I haven't got any ride information to add this week. We didn't have a club ride on Tuesday, we decided to have a social at the 12th man instead, and have an opportunity to chat in comfort. It was well attended, and some great ideas about group riding safety were discussed. I couldn't make Thursdays ride as I was driving the length of the country, almost, and back to deliver my eldest Sons birthday present! And of course, we were at the NEC today!! Some of the lads went out yesterday, and on Tuesday I shall be back in the saddle too!!

Sun, Sea, Sand and Onix!

It is amazing how the sun encourages people to get out on their bikes. Tonight's ride promised to be interesting as Tim was going to be riding his Onix for the first time, and to add to the fun we were joined by a couple of new faces, and some familiar ones we hadn't seen for a while. I think tonight was the best turnout we have had for an evening ride so far, with 11 of us meeting at the 12th Man.

We rode out towards the Irby Mill to meet up with Noel, who is riding the Pennine Way with Paul over the weekend. Watch this space for a special guest blog from Paul on his return.
As we passed the Pub we spotted Ian and his son, so we decided to ride with them for a while. Luke was keen to show any challengers his wheel, which he did a couple of times!

After we left Ian and Luke, the two new riders chose to peel off as well. We rode on to Lower Heswall and then round and back up Thurstaston Road where I decided to have a David Bailey moment and take some over the shoulder photos of the lads climbing the hill!

At the top of the Hill we waited to regroup and have another opportunity to ogle at the Onix!

After a blast from Heswall to Caldy we climbed up Dave B's favourite hill, Kings Drive. Whilst at the top waiting to regroup I decided to ride down first and then capture the lads descending the only Hairpin on Wirral!!

I don't think David Bailey or Steven Spielberg have anything to worry about!!

After Climbing up Village Road and a great descent into West Kirby, setting off the 30mph speed sign, we stopped on the prom for me to get a few more snaps of the Onix.

Skinny Profile

Happy Tim!

The rest of the ride was at a good pace, with no more photo interruptions, along to Moreton and back through Upton to the 12th Man. Tim couldn't stop smiling and commented on how quick and responsive the Onix is, and how easy it is to put the power down and accelerate. I think I may spend a lot of time looking at his rear wheel in future rides!!

We hope to be riding every Tuesday and Thursday evening, leaving the 12th Man at 7.45. Everyone is welcome, the more the merrier!

A rest is as good as a change!

Firstly, sorry for not writing anything for a couple of weeks. I have had things to do in the real world, like applying for my own job! (thankfully I am good enough to continue to do it), and spend some time with the family, as I realised that I have ridden my bike every Saturday, except three, for the last year! So as I was feeling a little off colour I missed the club ride and went to Anglesey with the family for a great weekend (including a little fall off the wagon with a couple of Peroni) which I really enjoyed. My niggling lack of energy has developed into a full blown head cold, so I didn't go out on Tuesday with the lads. Instead of my usual 100miles per week I have managed 78miles in two weeks.
Other news in my cycling world from the last couple of weeks. I was dealt a reality check last weekend. Tim, who I rode the Rapha ride with, had a massive off when he was riding in the Lakes. His front tube failed at 25mph and he hit the tarmac pretty hard. It was lucky he had a helmet and gloves on, as I'm not sure the outcome would have been as favourable if he hadn't. He suffered severe cuts and road rash to the right side of his face, and has also been suffering from the cycling equivalent of whip lash. Paul and I went to see him on Monday and it certainly brings everything into perspective. I am happy to say he is well on the mend, and hopefully he will be back on the bike next week.
Which bike Tim will ride is yet to be seen. My constant talk about Onix bikes has finally worn him down. On his way to Scotland yesterday, he stopped off at the new Onix Showrooms in Blackburn, and instantly fell for the Rob Hayles Pro. I don't normally like to say "I told you so" but I did tell him they were great bikes, and he now agrees!! What makes this all the more interesting is that Tim is the second person from our group to visit Onix this week! Jon went up earlier in the week for a fitting and is eagerly awaiting delivery of his Azzuro, which was recently reviewed on the Channel 5 Gadget show and received 5 stars.




I'm sure when the lads get their bikes I will regret recommending Onix as I see their rear wheels disappearing  off into the distance!!

Today's ride was down to me to organise as Zel is racing tomorrow. As I am still full of the green stuff, I decided to offer a Cafe and back ride to Eureka. I am not the only person who is under the weather, so the reaction to a cafe ride was good. The shop soon filled up with riders, including the Vita Race team, which was nice as I haven't seen the lads for a while. We all decided to ride out to Eureka together and then anyone who wasn't in the Lemsip club could carry on.
There were 16 of us who left the shop. The weather looked good and the wind was at our backs. It didn't take long for things to literately take a turn for the worse! We always try to keep off the main roads and in the country lanes, which is great until you get near a farm! As we headed towards Thornton Hough we encountered a trail of slurry across the road on the junction of a right hand turn, with the added obstacle of a large Massey Ferguson! We all picked our lines, and the oncoming traffic was kind enough to let us turn, unfortunately for one of the group it didn't go to plan. Dave's front wheel picked up a little too much Muck and that was enough to make the front of the bike slide and he was down, heavily on the road. Luckily he was ok to carry on and his bike wasn't damaged, but we did make him ride a little behind us as the smell was a little overpowering!!!
We got to the Cafe without further incident and the race team then headed off to do some faster miles.

Dave smelling a little better and recovering with a well earned Coffee 

The group refuelling at Eureka Cafe 

It was nice to see a flyer for the upcoming Jubilee ride that is being organised by Patisserie Cyclisme and Polocini it promises to be a great ride, 60 miles from Nantwich to Eureka and back, with the promise of some great cake and coffee along the way!! There are a few of us doing it so why not sign up and join in the fun?

There are also a group of us doing the Broken Spoke on the 27th May. The route is quite challenging, if like me, you don't like hills, but it should be a great day. There is still time to sign up....what are you waiting for?

The ride back from Eureka was into the wind, as usual, but we meandered our way through the lanes, making sure we hit all the climbs Zel takes us on, and I was surprised to see when I got home, that I had got a Personal Record on one of my Nemesis climbs! Maybe being ill helps climbing performance? Or maybe it is the Beetroot juice working. I have been drinking it daily, even though I haven't been on the bike, and it really seems to be making a difference to my climbing. My legs can climb for longer without getting the "burn" and my recovery from sustained exertion is getting quicker. Even though it does taste nasty, it is working. I would recommend giving it a try.

When we got back to the shop we all signed up for the 2013 edition of Vita Cycles "Ten Minutes of hell"
Next years event promises to be just as good as this years, with a larger field that will be split into age groups. Time to start training I think with some Sunday tunnel time!!

Finally good luck to Zel in his race tomorrow, also good luck to Dave B and Dave C in their 10k run tomorrow and Jon at the Triathlon he is competing in.

Today's ride details

Onix Bikes Rob Hayles Signature range launch

I went to see the new Onix Rob Hayles Signature Range tonight at the Manchester Velodrome.
It was the first time I had been to the Velodrome, which is very impressive, and as we arrived it felt like going to Wembley for the first time. This is the home of British Cycling, and the stage where many of the current crop of British Pro's have learnt their trade.

Craig's dedication to his brand

We were warmly welcomed by Craig, the owner of Onix and chatted to him about the bikes, how Rob, triple Olympic medalist and former World Champion, had got involved in the testing process, and the decision to make it a signature range. Craig also talked about the exciting opportunities he has had to promote the range, including sending a bike to Monaco for the Channel 5 Gadget show to ride round the GP course.

As you know,all cycling events have to include cake, and as usual Craig used cake as a marketing medium, and they were tasty too, apparently! 

So to the new bikes. I will let you make your own mind up after seeing the pictures. I was lucky enough to see the bike in its raw state at the Twitter ride last year, and I have seen the launch photo's on line, but in the flesh they look even better.

Onix Black RH

Onix Black RH PRO

What I like about Craig's bikes is the attention to detail, not only in his pursuit of engineering excellence, getting all the angles, lengths and rakes right, but also in the finish. The distinctive black frames with only a stripe of colour is stunning. Craig explained how he had to convince the guys who painted the bikes that he wanted stripes without tapered ends and how they thought he was mad, as all stripes have to end in a taper! I think you'll agree they look great.

I also like the use of the Onix O on the top tube in gloss against the matt frame, The internal cable routing on the head tube and the Gloss signature.

Also on hand tonight was Mike, the Onix Mechanic and a real master of his trade. He gave us lots of advice for working on carbon bikes, and a couple of tricks to use to set our bikes up.

A Master Class from Mike

If these pictures have inspired you to think about a new bike, head over to onixbikesonline where you can use the bike builder to choose the components you want to add to the frame set and build your dream bike.

Craig and the Black RH PRO

It would have been rude not to have checked out the track while we were there. I was shocked at how steep the banking is, it definitely doesn't look that steep on TV!

Ade Shaun and Ken who I went with have all ridden the track, Shaun picked up his licence while we were there, and they suggested that I should give it a go. There are two things that may stop me. First, I'm not great at heights, and it certainly looks high on the top of the banking, and secondly, I don't think Mrs Palefish would be happy if I liked it and needed to buy another bike!!