Rich Rothwell

Can ya see what it is yet? Yep, sadly I was hinting towards intervals. In the Winter. Wintervals. OK, so it’s not quite winter yet… Oh, never mind. It flippin hurt anyway. I haven’t had a proper hard training session for a while, so 3 hrs kicking off with 6 x 4 mins threshold was a real shocker. Rasping throat and legs that felt like they had been mashed by a meat tenderiser. It’s amazing how 3 weeks of ‘easy’ creeps up on you and turns you all soft like. Once the worst of it was over though it was a great ride through some of the best roads in Northumberland. Up and down some prolonged climbs and through steep river valleys that are so definitive of the area, yet so well camouflaged by the ancient woods that seem to ‘fill in’ the eroded ravines as you scan the expansive scenery. Haven’t done this sort of road ride for a while, (I’ve mostly been off road) and I forgot what  a bike handling challenge they can be… Down a 20% descent, round a tight left, let go of the brakes and then shoot across a slimey, 6 inch deep river ford…. with 25c road tyres at 110psi…. I soon forgot about the pain in my legs.

Some Relentless stuff later; still waiting to get hold of some pics. Needless to say Josh ‘n’ Dave were wicked in their own inimitable way…

If you read my ramblings last year you may remember me commenting that one of the fascinations of cycling is the way that the core concept (two wheels / human driven) can be constantly reshaped and reinvented. The focus can shift and the style can be adapted to become an almost ‘new’ activity as your whims and interests change or develop. New takes on the same activity but holding the same base attraction.

Well, the latest twist for me has been my CX bike.  It’s been in the collection for a while but not really used to its full potential until recently. And I have the perfect trail to use it on. From my home to work there is a virtually unbroken stretch of singletrack that threads its way through a sort of trail Bermuda triangle. Few people seem to know about this route that snakes its way through the back of golf courses, sneaks under alleyways of trees and swoops along overgrown river valleys. It’s about 18 miles long each way. The perfect commute. It’s fun in places on a mountain bike but perhaps a bit too easy. On a CX bike flat out it’s a blast…. Should I really be having this much fun on my way to work….?