Cycling Diaries

Oct 5, 20237 min read

The fastest wheels for Cycling Time Trials - Group Test

Admit it, we all love a good-looking, great-sounding pair of wheels on our TT bikes. But which wheels are fastest? I went to find out.

Sep 26, 20234 min read

Is there such a thing as data underload in cycling?

Could a lack of data during a race be causing this time trial cyclist to underperform?

Sep 12, 20225 min read

Money can't buy you speed?

Spoiler alert. I started 2022 with a 10-mile PB of 20:16. As of last weekend, I stand to end it (one race remaining) with a PB of 19:23....

Apr 27, 20225 min read

Kicking Off the 2022 Time Trial season – New Giant Trinity, New Position, New Kit

It felt like a long time since the aero testing on the track at Newport Velodrome by the time I lined-up for the first Time Trial of 2022...

Apr 25, 20224 min read

Less Power, More Speed on the Bike: calculating the benefits of aero testing

Rewind to February 2022. The British time trial cycling season is a still a long way off, training is still very much in the “base” phase...

Jan 13, 20223 min read

Long covid, weight gain and the pursuit of fitness

I’ve never tested positive for Covid. And I’ve done a lot of lateral flow and PCR tests. It goes with the territory of working in an...

Sep 13, 20215 min read

Cycling adventures of a time trialist in the Pyrenees – Pt 2

Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. As I sat there eating another delicious meal and inhaling another half-bottle of wine on Wednesday...

Sep 10, 20216 min read

Cycling adventures of a time trialist in the Pyrenees Pt1

“There’s no excuse now”. So said the Facebook post from Ian at Pyrenees Multisport as the UK Government announced that it would no...

Jul 30, 20215 min read

Enve SES 8.9 vs 7.8: which is best for Time Trials & Triathlon?

Update 9/10/23: my latest TT wheel review can be found here (Enve 7.8 vs Aerocoach Titan vs Strada Trispoke). When the Enve SES 8.9...

Jul 29, 20214 min read

More watts, less speed

I’m finally starting to hit the sort of 20-minute power numbers that I should have been hitting four months ago. Better late than never,...

Jul 12, 20215 min read

A month with Whoop

The bloods came back. That sounds like the start of a Victorian novel, or a crime thriller. But in reality, it was just the result of the...

Jun 21, 20213 min read

The season I'd rather forget continues...

It's almost time to do my next blood test to see whether I've managed to raise the levels that were deemed low in my previous tests...

May 27, 20215 min read

Testing Times

I've never fully understood why time trial cyclists are referred to as testers. Supposedly each race is a 'test'. I actually think it's...

Apr 7, 20213 min read

Not the start I was hoping for...

H25/1a is a 'new' 25-mile cycling time trial course near Theale in Berkshire. This year we raced it for the first time. Here's my review.

Mar 24, 20212 min read

It's almost time to race

Hard to believe but, barring any disasters, we should hopefully be time trialling again in a few weeks. Bank holiday Monday in early...

Jan 18, 20213 min read

Summer cycling tyres and winter roads = Ouch

It happened so quick I barely registered. One minute I'm in the middle of a sub-FTP rep, trying to get my average Watts back up in the...

Jan 6, 20212 min read

Starting 2021 with a lockdown

Let's be honest, we all saw it coming. And many of us probably wondered why the UK Govt deliberately waited until after Christmas and New...

Dec 29, 20204 min read

Now is the winter of our discontent

A broken TT bike, too much time on the turbo trainer and tours of Zwift. All of these things make Matt a grumpy cyclist...

Sep 28, 20203 min read

A course PB, a cracked frame and a DNS(A)

Having set a new overall 10-mile PB on P881 just seven days before, I knew my form was above average (for me), so going into the VTTA...

Sep 8, 20204 min read

Chasing a sub 20-minute 10-mile Time Trial

How fast do you need to be to be "fast" at an Open 10 mile TT? Answer: VERY fast...