Today’s highlights include another British attempt on the round the world cycling record and a detailed account of the effectiveness of performance drug use from an amateur cyclists perspective.

1. I struggled to pick just one post to recommend from Russell’s fantastic blog. He is an artist cycling around the world, his writing is powerful and poignant. So here are 2 choices, both are unusual and thought provoking What we fear makes us ill and pedal by pedal an intimate goodbye
2. British cyclists are on a roll with “around the world cycling records” from LCC. First came Mark Beaumont 194 days, next James Bowthorpe 175 days. The record is now under threat again by Julian Sayarer a 23-year-old London cycle courier averaging a massive 112 miles per day, which would bring him home in 160 days. These photos show him at start then after 10,000 miles !! Check Julian’s website out This is not for Charity



3. “If you were stranded on a desert island what’s the one thing you’d want with you” question, and his response was “Walmart”. This classic line is taken from a great article on Tao of Cycling titled Banter Check it out.
4. Some lovely poetry on a cycling theme from Words-a-day. The bored reflections of a bored soul in a boring world.
5. You know that you are an Ultra Cyclist when? Taken from an article on Ultra Running on the same theme!
   • You tell your significant other you’ll ride there and would she please bring your change of clothes (for Thanksgiving Dinner)
   • You do centuries for speed work
   • Every deep thought and every great idea came to you while you were on the bike
   • Your closet is full of cycling gear and you can’t find “any” street clothes to wear
   • When you call your vacations- bikations.
   • When taking the long way home from work involves lights, and at least 1,500 portable calories
   • When you look at a Recommend Daily Allowances and scoff
   • When you look at “servings per container” and divide by two to achieve a more accurate number.
6. Race Around Ireland have set the dates for the 2010 race which is 1350 mile (2200km) non-stop cycle race sanctioned by the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association. Race open to solo riders and teams.
7. Training for endurance based events like triathlon, marathons and cycling requires a great deal of planning ,experience and knowledge. This excellent endurance nutrition video lists in order of importance the nutritional factors starting with water, electrolytes, carbs and Branch Chain Amino Acid’s ( BCAA’s), probably endurance nutrition best kept secret.
8. Are you intimidated to race your bike, scared of the pain or embarrassment of being dropped. You are not alone. MellowVelo share your feelings and have a lovely post The intent to race
9. So you want to get leaner, faster, stronger and not bulk up? This is the most informative article I have read on drugs in sport. It is a detailed and personal account of taking them, the effects and performance benefits they bring to endurance athletes and cyclists. It’s long but well worth the read. Please note it is NOT a moral article, nor too a discussion of the ethics but a scientific study of performance gains from an amateurs perspective. Endurance cycling drug use
10. Thanks to Running to Stand Still for the cool cycling picture used in the title of this article

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If you write a cycling blog and have written a interesting or unusual post on ultra, endurance or touring that you would like featured in this daily roundup of news then please Contact Luke

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1. Daily News round up covering ultra marathon and trail running – FRI 27 Nov
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3. Young British Rower Sarah Outen sets Ocean Rowing Record
4. Part 4 Volunteering in an orphanage in Nepal gave me an amazing new start in life
5. 50 Cent can teach you everything you need to know about raising expedition sponsorship dollars

From road to environmental, and urban to Parisian glamour they all share a deep passion and love for bikes and all things cycling.

This list of great cycling blogs has been fun to put together and I hope that you find something new amongst it to enjoy. It is numbered for ease of use but it is in no way a ranking.

I have left number 20 blank in the hope that you will share with me an unusual or thought provoking site about cycling as your recommendation.

1. Bike in the City Fabulous french cartoons of a women’s cycling life in Paris
2. Cycling Art is the passionate work of an ex road racer riding through life as a middle age cyclist, artist and blogger. Great historical cycling images.
3. Path Less Pedaled uses stunning photography and beautiful words to describe a bike tour throughout the US and beyond by Laura and Russ.
4. Daves Bike Blog Dave Moulton is an ex-bicycle frame builder. These are his personal thoughts on bike history, tech, bicycle culture, and often just life in general.
5. bakfiets en Meer light hearted look at the weird and wonderful world of cycling “Dutch Style”
6. Cyclofiend Amazing pictures from around the world that glorify those hard-working bicycles designed for toting, towing, delivering or selling stuff.
7. Fat Cyclist takes a light hearted ride around our obsession with weight and calorie intake
8. Bike Snob NYC is critical, opinionated and dangerous to be on the wrong side of. Maybe I should have put them at #1
9. Competitive Cycling is an honest, frank and informative look at road racing from a woman’s perspective.
10. Cozy Beehive is the technical, informed sometimes funny writing of a mechanical engineer with a passion for cycling.
11. Riding Pretty girls looking good on bikes. Enough said !
12. Velorunner is the words and video’s of a London cyclist with a great sense of humour.
13. On The Banking has strong opinions and fighting talk on all things cycling.
14. Down the Road is the story of Tim and Cindie Travis and their 7 year (and still ongoing) cycle around the world
15. Real Cycling is London by bike for commuting, shopping, sightseeing, socialising, partying, and generally just getting from A to B.
16. Hembrow urban cycling thoughts and opinions from the Netherlands.
17. Cyclo Culture Intelligent interviews with cycling people with something useful to share.
18. Copenhagen Cycle Chic beautiful photos and social documentary from the World’s Cycling Capital.
19. Drunk and in Charge brings you political rants, photos and cycle culture from Brooklyn.

What is your recommendation for #20?
Which is your favourite from the list?

CrazyJourney Community Recommendations

An amazing list of touring and ultra distance sites from Bernd Fischel via CrazyJourneys Facebook Page www.bike-europe-ultralite.com

A tour through India from Earth Warrior via Twitter cyclingnegotiator.blogspot.com

A journal tracing the creation of a bike trailer for everyday transportation suggested by Kari Taylor Atkins and Mark Reber via Twitter bambootrailer.wordpress.com

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2. Oli Broom’s Unusual Cycling Adventure Tour from London to Australia by Bike to Watch the Cricket
3. CrazyJourneys Daily Bike News covering ultra, touring and endurance cycling
4. cycling – Bike Cycling
5. cycling – General Cycling Tips and Tricks

In 2007 I rode the entire route 1 day ahead of the professionals and thought I would put together an overview of my trip and provide some pointers for others tempted to tackle a stage or the whole route. This is part 4 of a series of articles documenting my story. To read Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Cycling the Tour de France Prologue

My training was finished and I was ready! Well as ready as I ever was going to be following 3 weeks of effort. My Mother had agreed to join me and drive a support van. She arrived in London and we loaded up the transit van than would be our home for the next 3 weeks.

I didn’t take alot of gear or tools. My lack of cycling experience meant that i wouldn’t have known what to do with tools even if I had owned them. The basic kit list was a bike pump, spare tyre and tubes.

On Friday 6th July 2007 with the bike and geared stowed in the back of the van we set off to central London to ride the prologue and watch the Grand Depart. Parking in central London is a nightmare so we left the van in the car park at Batersea Park. My mother got a bus into town and I cycled along the river. I was so nervous. My stomach filled with butterfly’s feeling like an imposter who was going to be unmasked at any moment.

I arrived at Parliament square and went through the barriers they had erected and had my first taste of the huge logistical operation that goes on behind the scenes of the Tour. There were hundred’s of people erecting signs, barriers, TV vans, cables everywhere. It was a hive of activity.

The official start was at the top end of Whitehall so I rode up to the sign turned round and I began. The Prologue is a short stage of just 8km. For the pro riders it is a tough test, riding as individuals, alone against the clock. For me it was a lovely ride through some beautiful parts of central London.

The nerves I had felt earlier disappeared and I enjoyed the lovely summer afternoon and took in the sights. I didn’t rush and just took in the atmosphere. Much of the course had already been closed off to traffic and I had a taste of what the pro experience as I rode between the barriers imagining the 1000′s of people who would be there tomorrow to watch the Prologue for real.

The course meandered it’s way past many of London’s landmark sights including Parliament square, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park finishing on The Mall. The Mall looked amazing with Union Jack flags draped everywhere. What a buzz I felt. Really proud to be British.

Watching the Tour de France Grand Depart

I finished. I had a huge sense of relief. That just maybe this was possible. My mother and I met at Trafalgar square and were joined by a couple of other friends of mine to watch the Grand Depart. This is a formal presentation of the pro teams and all their riders. Trafalgar square was packed with people and big screens to watch the riders close up. Each team was introduced and the riders rode down a ramp and did a small circle in front of the crowd.

After the presentations we left Trafalgar square and went fro dinner at a nearby restaurant. After a fabulous meal with loads of banter by my friends about the likely disaster that was going to unfold we were just paying the bill when I had the most terrible thought. “What time did they lock the park gates”. I had a complete panic. I wanted to start the stage early the next morning and if we couldn’t get the van out where would we sleep and how could I get off early.

I jumped on my bike and rode like a madman the 3-4 km back to the van. To my eternal relief the gates were still open and we could rescue the van.

Each Tour de France stage is made up of 2 parts. There is the neutralised section which varies in distance between a few Km and about 20km. This is the route the riders follow to get to the actual start point of the stage. Then there is the actual stage and it is this distance between stage start and finish that is the distance measurement that you see listed.

I had decided NOT to ride the neutralised sections of the stage. This was for 2 reasons. The first being and most obvious “I didn’t need to add any additional distance to my challenge!” the second is that navigating through cities is difficult at the best of times and without the route signs that accompany the course it would be very difficult to follow. Meaning I could potentially waste lots of unnecessary time and effort.

We arrived at Greenwich which was the official start of the stage and found a car park to put the van and get some sleep. We made a funny pair my mother is 68 but still very fit and active. Me a novice cyclist with no knowledge about the Tour.

I had bought the Dummies guide to the Tour de France and as we prepared for bed I read out sections of the book to her. neither of us had a clue what it was gong to be like. I had never seen the tour, not even on TV whilst she had once while on holiday in Marseille seen the peloton ride under a bridge!

Our sleeping arrangements were bizarre to say the least. I slept in the back of the van with the bike, food and all the gear. It’s a bog standard van with no windows and the front section is panelled off from the rear. She finds the back claustrophobic so slept across the front seats in full view of passing people!

I did have a small camping light so after she had “shut me in” to the back I settled down to read the official tour program. This became my bible as it showed a profile for each stage including the distance and height to climb on each mountain.

Finally to nervous to read. I switched out the light and let my thoughts drift. I was really, really nervous. My mind turning over and over about the first stage and the hills to come. My mothers alarm was set for 5.30 and I finally drifted off to sleep.

This story continues tomorrow as I ride my first tour de France stage from London to Canterbury and I meet some other riders to share the adventure with.

CrazyJourney community comments on endurance riding

After crashing @ mile 50, being backed in2 @ 70, hitting emo-wall @ 80, grit teeth & forced last 20 & felt gr8. Bloody but gr8! ricalivestrong.blogspot.com

1st long distance bike ride? good or bad? Both for me! Lots of pain for me, but the feeling of accomplishment was worth it.
twitter.com/quad4_2000

1st LD ride was 75 mile charity ride. Felt great, lots of adrenaline to help me finish strong!
cyclinginhell.blogspot.com

Was too good, ass-breaking, but awesome! twitter.com/morfinrider

Mine great !! myspace.com/coloradobuff

To watch the Sky News interview with Luke in Paris Sky News

Please support CrazyJourneys.com by taking a moment to comment on this adventure story about cycling the Tour de France prologue and watching the Grand Depart and also tweet or share it.

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Related posts:

1. Part 3 – A rough guide to cycling the Tour de France Route
2. Part 2 – A Rough Guide to Riding the Tour de France Route
3. Getting Started – A Rough Guide to Riding the Tour de France Route
4. Cycling in the mountains of France Phil Deeker’s epic personal Tour de France
5. Oli Broom’s Unusual Cycling Adventure Tour from London to Australia by Bike to Watch the Cricket

In 2007 I rode the entire route 1 day ahead of the professionals and thought I would put together an overview of my trip and provide some pointers for others tempted to tackle a stage or the whole route. This is part 3 of a series of articles documenting my story. To read Part 1 Part 2

An epic personal Tour de France

I arrived at Clapham Common to ride the London to Brighton “sportive” late and found the place deserted. I planned to ride “there and back” which is about 135 miles and would be my first real test and roughly equal to one days Tour de France stage distance.

The barriers and signs were still up so I slowly followed them out of London. It’s a large event 30,000+ riders and closed roads, though with my late start the traffic was back flowing. I was riding quite hard, flushed with enthusiasm for “the chase” and kept expecting to see the tail enders every time I rounded a corner.

It took longer than I expected and I didn’t see a marshal or another cyclist for about 2 hours. It was my first lesson in the importance of spending time on the bike. In endurance riding speed is “relatively unimportant” the most significant factor in riding a long distance is how many hours you are prepared to sit in the saddle. Even the slowest riders of this sportive who were on worn out mountain bikes and must have weighed 20 stone had taken me 2 hours hard riding to catch.

I slowly wound my way through the field. It was a lovely atmosphere, almost carnival like and I strongly recommend it as a great cycling day for any rider. Regardless of their experience.

I began to feel under pressure for time. This is a horrible feeling on a bike or any endurance event. The bike computer is right in-front of your nose and I couldn’t help but repeatedly look at it. Sometimes 10 times in a minute. I had promised my girlfriend of the time that I would be back by 7.30pm for she was cooking a dinner party for friends of ours.

I didn’t have a route map, nor any idea of the exact distance. And again this gnawed away inside me. Would I make it in time. I was feeling tired already and I wasn’t even at Brighton yet. Should I turn round. Should I give up early. After riding for about 3.5 hours I knew I had to make a decision. Everyone on the ride had been talking about a big hill near the end and I guess I was a few miles short of there.

I was completely torn, a part of me wanted to keep riding at least up and over the hill before I turned round. Another part of me was really scared. I was really feeling the ride already. How would my body react if I tackled a really hard hill then turned round and had to ride for perhaps another 4 hours back to London.

In the end I took the easy option and turned round. The ride home was much better than I had expected. There is something psychologically easier about riding home on a route that you have already ridden than doing the same distance into unknown territory.

About 10 miles outside London I met another cyclist doing “there and back” like me and we rode together. Chatting about the ride he asked how I had found the big hill (sorry i cant remember it’s name) and I felt deeply embarrassed and LIED. I can’t believe it now looking back. I said it had been OK.

We parted company in central London and I finally reached my girlfriends house at about 7.45pm. The lie effected me deeply and undermined my fragile confidence and self worth. It was a stupid thing to have said and nearly wrecked my whole endeavour.

I had ridden 140km that day in just over 7.5 hours. My longest and hardest day to date. I should have been feeling proud. For even though I had abandoned before the finish I had still ridden further then ever before and although not quite a full stage distance it was at least progress.

Unfortunately my mind doesn’t work like that and I proceeded to beat myself up about it. I should have ridden on, I should have finished, why did I quit, if I were a proper cyclist I would have finished etc etc.

These negative thoughts wiped out another 2 days training as I struggled with motivation and spent the days feeling sorry for myself.

At this point I might very well have stopped the project. But fate intervened and my Mother rang. The first time I had spoken to her since our conversation where she had agreed to come along to drive the support vehicle. She was bright and bubbly and said she was just phoning to check that I had the funds in place to do the event before she booked her ferry crossing to come to London.

It was very lucky she phrased it like this. If she has said “was I still doing it?” I might very well have said NO! But to this question I replied that I had the money and we chatted on discussing my training and I told her I had been training hard but was now struggling. She was encouraging and just told me to get on the bike and not to worry so much. She said there was no pressure on me. If I finished part of the stages or a few of them then that would be an amazing achievement.

This was really good to hear and took loads of pressure off me. I began training again. My crisis of confidence over i threw myself back into the 3 sessions per day training program.

With just 5 days to go till the off. I decided really aught to see what riding a hill was like! I had read various accounts of the Tour de France and looking at the mountain stages and seeing some mountains had 25km accents with over 2000m vertical climbing put the fear of god into me.

The only hill I could think of in London is Haverstock hill and runs from Camden to Hampstead Heath. So that final Sunday I rode up and down in the pouring rain. People must have thought I was mad. It is about 3km from Chalk farm Tube at the bottom to the duck pond at the top. i have no idea of the gradient but in hindsight it’s not dissimilar to the Alps. So I rode up and down 13 times. it felt pretty comfortable and i finished the day, wet but pretty contented with progress. i had done about 40km of uphill riding and about 100km in total when adding in my ride to get there.

Although it was still a long way short of the mountain stage days to come I felt quietly confident. My mothers words really stuck with me. I wasn’t under any pressure. It was a journey and an experience. if I finished the stages brilliant. If not then so be it. i would do the best that I could. Of course i was fully committed. I really, really wanted to do it. To ride the whole route and prove to myself that I was tough enough. i think i saw it as a test of my mental strength far more that a physical one.

So that was my training done. I had a few days rest with light rides and waited for my Mother to arrive in London for the adventure to begin properly.

This story continues tomorrow as I ride the prologue course and then the big day. My first tour de France stage. Could I make it. Could i ride further than ever before? Part 4

To watch the Sky News interview with Luke in Paris Sky News

Please support CrazyJourneys.com by taking a moment to comment on this adventure story about cycling the route of the Tour de France one day ahead and also tweet or share it. Help Luke to spread the word. The buttons are below:

Related posts:

1. Part 4 – A rough guide to cycling the route of the Tour de France
2. Part 2 – A Rough Guide to Riding the Tour de France Route
3. Getting Started – A Rough Guide to Riding the Tour de France Route
4. Cycling in the mountains of France Phil Deeker’s epic personal Tour de France
5. cycling – L’Etape du Tour 2010 – Recon Cycling DVD – Tourmalet

I hope you enjoy this inspirational cycling video – Please take a moment to comment afterwards and give your thoughts on Phil’s view of endurance cycling psychology, what drives you to complete ultra distance events ?

For more information on Phil Deeker and to read the interview on ultra endurance cycling psychology that he did with Rapha CC please visit the web site www.rapha.cc

Credits for the images used in this movie about ultra endurance cycling belong to James Burger, raoterri, and Ross Woodhall.

Please support CrazyJourneys.com by taking a moment to comment on this cycling film about suffering and also tweet or share it. Help Luke to spread the word. The buttons are below: