How it was.....

Listen to the names as they are called - legends of road and cross. Lovely stuff. I remember seeing the stills in Winning Magazine edited by no less a rider than Kenny Pryde ;-) Enjoy!

Entry.

Entered so far:
Ae Avalanche Enduro.
Bristol Bike Fest.
Kielder Montane 100.

On the probably list:
Brighton Big Dog.

On the maybe list:
10 Under the Ben.
24 hours of Finale.
Skye Sportive.

Trophy Time

I did a small race in Spain recently, it was the inauguration of a new timing system which has been set up on the Col de Rates. It was free to enter, there were trophies (even for the women) and free energy food. It was a good deal all round. 


Out of the many, many women who raced (me) I managed to win - but, hey, you've got to be in it to win it, and if Spanish people aren't willing to ride on days which are less than 20 degrees C then I'll happily take all the free energy food home stuffed down my top. I got a cool trophy. Here's the best pic I can find of me being presented with the trophy by the guy who sponsored the women's event. Oh, and someone else you might recognise stopped by to see what was going on - I think we can all see where Quick-Step got their inspiration for kit colour.

End of term report

2009 felt like a long year, though as the last hours crept up it was gone. The realisation really hit home when clearing the snow outside the back door I found a bogging pair of Sidi's that had been dumped there after Mull, a reminder that the off season had begun.
VCM have now completed two full seasons and is starting to realise its identity and potential, not a vintage year with a few exceptions but a good one never the less, charactors have been built, ill health has been dealt with and passions have been stirred but good times have been had. We've seen the arrival of several new riders and lost a couple of of old ones, never easy to accept but that's the way it is, this thing called VCM can never be everything to everyone, everyday and so things change.
Goodbye first up to Anja, she was missed by all of us this year and most notably at the SCX, her influence on the team has been a big and strong one. Goodbye to Phil Moore, this guy is a stud on a bike, this year he fought through Lymes and came back stronger than ever, always pushing harder and always with a smile, good luck with Morvelo, our paths haven't finished crossing yet. Goodbye to Jac (Strachan) Marquis, Jac who was one of the first to sign up to VCM has moved on. Jac had a turbulent year with health after the epic Portugal race and has decided to have a rethink about her racing strategy for 2010. Anja, Phil and Jac, you are friends, good luck for the future.
And hello to, Lyndsey Carson, what a great season, her first full season riding cross and finishing 4th in the series, a great start. Lyndsey is a great all round rider and we look forward to hearing about her 2010 season.

And so to the awards.
thanks to all who took the time to nominate their favourites of the year.
Combatant rider of the year. Steve Halsall for his awesome ride at this years 3 peaks cyclo cross
Blog entry of the year, so much good stuff but a clear favourite, On a Whim was Mark's account of riding up to the Black isle, good lad tapping out a big ride on his own and blogging it nicely.
The Carp of Shame, John McCallum for driving all the way from Strathpeffer to Dundee for a cross race to discover he forgot his kit, an unforgivable sin.
Supporter of the Year. An easy one, Andy Wardman, the first man to draw blood from cowbell ringing! He set the standard for support but we look forward to seeing him back on the start line this year.

Ok folks, well done everybody.

See you all soon for the VCM Spring Classics.

get your quick on

The ERCs are running a crit series at Ingliston again this spring for Cat 2, 3, 4s and a support race for women and youths.

Thursday 8th April 2010 - Support Race 18:30, Senior Race 19:00
Thursday 15th April 2010 - Support Race 18:30, Senior Race 19:00
Thursday 22nd April 2010 - Support Race 18:30, Senior Race 19:00
Thursday 29th April 20010 - Support Race 18:30, Senior Race 19:00
Saturday 8th May 2010 - Support Race 13:00, Senior Race 14:00, Elite Race 15:00

Cracking, fast racing, can bit hectic at times, but well worth it if you fancy having a go at some road racing.

Omloop Het Moulin

April 11th
119 miles
Start and finish: The Motor Grill, Ballinluig
Pace. frisky reliability
Start time TBC

Goatee of Filth

After a successful first running last year, Goatee of Filth is back for 2010. Slight date shuffle this year, now on Sunday 4th April to coincide with Ronde van Vlaanderen.

80ish miles of Fife roads and lanes with as many cheeky cobbled sections as we can find. A wee bit of cake and coffee, then back to the riviera for moules frites and a brew whilst watching the pointy end of the RvV.

Start time and exact route tbc. Pace brisk to middling. Sprints to be contested.

Snow Rider

carrying on as normal?

Copenhagen January Cycling - Your Country from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

via a post on the velocast site that raises some interesting points on British society, winter, cars and commuting.

first tracks

It's an immense pleasure being the first rider on trails after a fresh snow fall. The first to leave their mark, the first to attempt a trail without dabbing a foot or having to get off and walk, the first to slip and slide their way through. Controlled and not so controlled slides, feet out in the corners, bike dancing over the ruts, ice and snow beneath you. You defining the ride line that others will naturally follow, any mistakes there for all to see.

After a very slow start today I finally got out for a ride at Glentress around lunchtime. To my surprise, many of the trails had yet to be touched. a cheeky race link, Hit Squad Hill, Pie Run, Magic Mushroom and Falla Brae were all fresh and tyre mark free (well, apart from the underlying frozen tyre ruts from previous days).

Getting out to ride in the snow with the sun shining was an absolute joy. It's amazing to be back on the bike, feeling good and able to train again, with my post viral fatiguey problems hopefully behind me. Roll on 2010!

A very happy new year to y'all.

andy

Need to be less soft.

Merry Crimbo

I hope Santa is good to y'all.

Far Flung Friends - Don Leet

Nice interview/slideshow with honorary VCMer Don Leet of Bend, Oregon from the fine Cyclocross Magazine.

Cyclocross is Spoken Here: Sunnyside Sports in Bend, Oregon

skol n' crossbikes

courtesy of the shamed Mr Muir, yes you Mr Muir!

So, where *did* you learn those moves?

NSFW.

Mull.

So. Mull. Finish work. Throw warm gear in car. Pick up Chipps. Drive into the night, car cranked to metal.

Ferry. Meet the rest of the southern Scottish vcm'ers and head over the sea to Mull.

Drive carefully on the frosty ground to the welcoming and warm embrace of Davie Graham. Break a tooth, eat splendid curry, drink too much beer, fall asleep fetally at 4am. Awake to a pristine day and head to the castle of Glengorm. The course in fine fettle, fast people were fast, slow people were slow and there were lots of snapped derailleurs.

Back, shower, comfort food and out to a ceilidh at Aros hall with some locals and the rest of the crossers. Some partook more than others but the season was seen off in fine style.

Out on sunday for another fine and crispy race. More derailleurs were lost, but the season was done and after the prizes a few faces fell at the prospect of another year to go before we again don the colours for cross.

Thankyou to all the sponsors, the ds (mr duncan) and the rest of the VC Moulin family who have made this a season to remember.

Kielder 100 2010

Hi everyone,

Having stated that 2009 was always going to be a write off when it comes to riding and racing due to a busy year and the birth of my daughter who has DS. I've kicked off my 2010 race campaign this evening with a positive start as I mean to go on attitude, I've gone and entered the K100. Crikey! Think I will start my training on the 2nd of January!!

Good luck to all you lucky buggers on Mull this weekend, I will be there next year you can baleed dat.

Laatste ronde Wereldbeker Koksijde

Laatste ronde Wereldbeker Koksijde

The Sand God's! a must see for all VCM's something we can all look forward to, Surly a wee trip next year

A hard 50mins

photo taking by phunkt.com

A hard 50mins, Looking at the course I just knew before I started that I was gonna have find some kind off new running muscles, even thou my pins were feeling good. After watching Andy Whippet Wardman floating round to 2nd and Nelly to 3rd in the open race.

(nearly losing my voice because of screaming on nelly to get his ass into gear) Then it was me and John,

we started the race with the idea that we would run the first part, which would have worked for me if some

fellow crosser had not jumped on ma heels, making me land both knee's straight into a good 15 inches of mud.

Well yet again it was bad start. So it's a case of breathing out off every hole in your body to get your place back.

Which I managed to do, and nearly got up to a good group. But the old running legs if I had any where nae up to much.

So I settled for where I was, with a stride to come back next year stronger and faster.

Anyway Mull coming up so there is still something to play for boy's and girls.

Yours Miffae de Muir

Stick a fork in my arse, turn me over, I'm done.

After too many weekends of traveling to ride, it felt decadent to just ride from the door. Delayed by faff, route dithering and apathy that a 6-cup pot of espresso couldn't dispel, the pale Winter sky drew me through the door.

With the trails reduced to deepest chod, a road ride would be just the thing to awaken slumbering legs. With brain and iPod set to random I set off with no aim other than to earn my supper and ride a few new B-roads spotted some way off connecting the well-known.

You choose to do hill-reps in the Chilterns by leaving the house for a road ride and today I felt particularly masochistic too. Many of the roads were awash in rain-driven detritus; wood, gravel, road-kill and mud. Fields full of ripe egg-sized flints ready for harvest. Tail-wind, head-wind, tail-wind. Startled deer. Many, many kites. Special dusk light.

The weather held, the follow-my-nose route had a typically saw-tooth profile and the last miles ridden in the dark were spent planning a large risotto in great detail.

Deep bath, supper, fire-piled high. Stick a fork in my arse, turn me over, I'm done.