HARO BIKES

I know this has been the subject of a previous blog but I'd like to take opportunistic advantage of my role as guest blogger to talk about Club des Cingles again. I've done the the Shop to the Top time trial at Hamish pace and there are photographs that reveal the state I was in at the top but that was just a stroll in the park by comparison with the three ascents of Mt. Ventoux. Having been pronounced "mort" by the guy who stamped our brevets at the tourist office in Sault before the final ascent, medical experts are still marvelling at me reaching the top a third time. Local followers of the occult are investigating the appearance of a (barely) moving corpse that appeared on the summit just as the sun was going down. There are still five places left if you would like to be one of the first ten Scots ever to complete the challenge. Many thanks are due to the staff at Ventoux Bikes who provided us with nicely prepared Ridley road bikes and to the Babadjian family at Aux Tournesols who looked after us so well.

Loosely translated, Club des Cingles means Club of the Crazies but back home, riding under grey skies in temperatures hardly above zero, fondly recalling the sunshine of Provence, one has to question whether the Ventoux adventure or venturing out in the Scottish weather is the true badge of the insane. For the uninitiated, Mikes Bikes are happy to let you into a secret. The smile you see on cyclists riding at this time of year is not an indication of being mentally unhinged but rather one of smug satisfaction at having the right gear for the conditions. Try the Altura Kinetic Bib Tight - made from WindTex, it offers great warmth and comfort from the fleecy inner and the combination of windproof and water repellant front panels, breathability and reflective trim makes it the ideal constant presence in your training kit. Add the Altura Night Vision Windproof top and a pair of Sealskin's Extra Cold Weather Cycle gloves and you are ready to put in the winter training to prepare you for your next sunshine cycling trip.

Speaking of sunshine cycling trips - Sammy is already out in the south of Spain awaiting the arrival of the Mikes Bikes Ventoux contingent plus the Bedman (he'll never join Club des Cingles!) for a "training camp", yeah, that's right, "training camp". I find that in order to "train" effectively I have to have my race bike - prepare to eat the dust off my back wheel when I "train" you into the ground, Bedman! In order to ensure the safe arrival of Mike's Raleigh Carbon Team and my Raleigh Carbon Race, we have invested in Outeredge Bike Transportation cases - ask Mike for details if you need to fly with your bike.

Last night I was introduced to night riding in the forest. Its fantastic and, of necessity, this is a short paragraph. Words cannot describe how good it was. Here's my top tip though... don't ask for a demo of the Stella Light and Motion Seca 400 light unless you are serious about paying for the best. Once you have used it, you won't want to settle for anything less. It turns night into day!