Shows over for the year...

Well, that's the (NEC) Cycle Show over for another year - and it brings to a close my show and race obligations for the year. So far I've been to Core Bike, Ice Bike, the Sea Otter, Mayhem, summer Icebike, Sleepless, Press Camp, Scott Week, Eurobike, Interbike and the Cycle Show, not to mention a bunch of press launches and the like. I've got one more press trip to go, that's going to see Pearl Izumi in about three weeks and then that's definitely it...

I don't want to whinge, but it's going to be really nice to actually ride bikes this winter! Things should be reasonably quiet for the rest of the year - with only this next issue and one more to do before New Year. Hopefully I can get some good rides in between now and the show season starting again...

Jamie gamely spent his birthday weekend manning the Singletrack stand at the show this weekend.
I did spend the Cycle Show looking/lusting at disc brake 'cross bikes. This Kinesis looks pretty good to me. After nearly pulling my fingers off trying to hold on at the Three Peaks, I'd like a little more power - perhaps not at good old Yorkshire League races, but for big events like the Peaks (and Hit the North, which ruined a pair of rims and pads with its gritty mud) then a disc bike is looking appealing...

Right, I'd best get on and finish writing the bike test!

Time for another go...

I'm going to try to add a few more posts to this blog, seeing as I've not done so for a year or more... It's been fun trying to find out just how to log back into it as my original Yahoo account turned into a Gmail account and now my computer wants to use that for my Singletrack mail...

Anyway... I'm back and this is for random ramblings that won't appear on STW... My first thought is for the 3Peaks 'cross that I just did. It's five years since the last one, given the usual clash with Interbike. This year though, the dates had changed and I managed to ride it. I won't say 'race' though as I really wasn't prepared for it. My training consisted of a month of trade shows and very, very little riding. As it turned out, I should have tried simply to walk up some steep hills instead, seeing as that's what you spend the majority of your time doing.

I did make it round though, without punctures (100psi kids, it's the only way...) but I'm still walking a little funny from several leg cramps, and my hands are still suffering from hanging onto the brakes so much. I reckon there's something to be said for 'cross bikes with discs. Although you don't need the ultimate stopping power of discs, being able to slow down without needing 20lbs of pressure on the levers would be a real boon.

Anyway, it's 'cross season now, I'm not ready for it and I'm going to miss several great rounds due to work, but I'm looking forward to the ones I can make. I might even have to venture further afield to find some non-Yorkshire rounds...