Mini Week 5 - Mini Plastic Cyclists

Today's post is an 'homage' to a feature in issue 11 of Rouleur magazine that had as it's cover stars these little plastic fellas. I finally tracked some down at a stall at the start line in Barcelona (God, that trip was a rich seam that I continue to mine!). Unlike the painstaking attention to detail and set design that features in the magazine, I prefer to show my low-fi version which sees our little riders gallantly racing down the wooden floored Champs Elysee that is better known as my mantelpiece. After watching my dad as an adoring son in his ill fated attempts at creating model armies which involved blu-tacking them to dowling wood and then proceeding to splodge paint all over them, I thought I would leave them on their unpainted steeds for this photocall. There jerseys are merely stuck on bits of nylon and disappointingly outdated with the exception of Franciase des Jeux. To see how it's really done click on the link below -

Janol Apin - photographer and master model positioner

Mini Week 4 - Mini Pumps

Weekend riding for me needs to be as low on baggage as possible and I have been searching for ages for a well priced and aesthetically pleasing mini pump. Being the type of person who tends to impulse buy lower priced items (as opposed to the weeks I spend searching the internet for a high priced bargain) I jumped at this little wonder straight away. The Blackburn Airstick SL has excellent minimalist design, 15.5cms long (is this the smallest?), £23 and weighs in at just 58g. Nothing beats the thrill (or pain) of inflating a compressed air canister but, for the pessimists like me who need back-up, this little gem does the trick.

Blackburn

Mini Week 3 - Mini Rider

'Awww, hoose da littel fella den?' is something that Chrissie the Irish cleaner might well have said if I'd shown her this picture. Well it's Alexander Bocharov sitting casually astride his mini bike waiting for the start of this years Tour stage to Arcalis. Standing at 5'4.5" little Alex is one of the smallest riders in the peleton. Rumour has it that he was only allowed his place on Le Tour after his team, Katusha, realised they were a seat short on their bus and needed somebody who would sit quietly on Pippo Pozzato's lap without playing with his hair. Anyway, he took his chance well and finished a very impressive 18th overall. The smallest rider in the peleton is Samuel Demoulin (5'2") but sadly I've no picture as he passed through my legs whilst I was looking out for Wiggo.

Mini Week 2 - Mini Wheels

Behold my weekday wonder - the Pashley Moulton TSR9. I love this bike not only for it's utterly unique looks, not only for it's nimble and speedy ride, not only for it's subtle undercoat colouration, not only for it's ability to cope with all terrains, not only for the rare but satisfactory salutation from a fellow Moultoneer but also for it's sheer bloody Britishness. It's eccentric in some ways but it absolutely works and is built like a tank. Whilst nothing will beat a Brompton's portability (although my version will split in half) I consider the PM to be the ultimate commuter bike for those who don't take the train. The only slight change I've made is to add a Brooks (who else?!) saddle which really should be standard issue on a bike like this. The saddle bag is a neccessity for lights, tubes etc but I'm also rather pleased with the way that my curvy Arbus lock juxtaposes with the pylon frame geometry (deep, deep, geekdom on that one). 20 miles a day and every inch an utter pleasure.

Moulton bikes

Welcome to Mini Week

Suffering the post Tour blues (and a horrific hangover from yesterday's wedding) I thought I needed to set myself a little theme for the week in order to regain my focus in life. So, with much fanfare, I herald Metropeleton's first Mini Week well and truly open. Each day this week we will take a look at the smaller, but no less important things in cycling. First up is this mini version of Le Tour that I stumbled across back in March when we were killing time in the rain (Paris is quite a depressing city in the wet) before getting the train home. It was the 'star' feature in the offices of the Limoges tourist board who had an exhibition dedicated to their most famous sporting son, the perennial bridesmaid, Raymond Poulidor. It was a treasure trove of all things Poulidorian but, and apologies to the purists, it was the attention to detail of this model rather than the various jerseys and momentos that most attracted my eye, right down to the (slightly sick) crash at the back of the peleton as it crossed the line. Anyway, very nicely done and I like to tell myself that it was the work of an enthusiastic 12 year old rather than a 50 something geek (which no doubt it was). Chapeau, les petits!

We've come a long, long way together

And so we come to the end of another Tour. It's been a great journey and how I'll miss the anticipation of each day's events, constantly checking the Eurosport website (although the official Le Tour site was the best for the Annency time trial) and then rushing home to watch the ITV4 evening show. Nothing will ever beat the Barcelona experience that triggered something in me that I don't want to let go of and the shock (and delight) of my beloveds occasional insightful comments on the riders. It was always going to be Contador and anybody who thought he might bonk like he did the last time he was in Provence underestimates quite what a phenomenal rider he is - Lance, you should have come back by managing a team and not riding in HIS team. No matter how impressive your return has been, ultimately it is pointless. Well done Britannia, 4 riders, 1 the fastest, 2 the most improved, 3 the most articulate and 4 the most loyal. Other honourable mentions go to Herr Haussler for raw emotion (and the nod of acknowledgement), The God of Thunder for his breakaway to show he had earned his jersey and for Brice Felieu for his ride to Arcalis (an annoying missed photo opportunity).

However, after 3 weeks of following the peleton, the intrigue and the scenery I am irked to say that I am writing this knowing that I will not see the finale in Paris. Compulsory attendance (only joking Nick & Carey (?)) of a wedding means that I will miss a certain person's record breaking 6th stage win. Anyway, I'm so confident he will do it that I leave this post with his picture - I saved it for now in the hope that it would have been more relevant (as I did the headline 'Thor Loser' - genius!). Next year for sure.

High Garate!

No picture today (scared of image rights!) but a huge 'chapeau' to Juan Manuel Garate for his superb poker face during his winning ascent of Mont Ventoux. He looked more like a glum accountant as he dib-dabbed his way to victory ahead of the glamorous chasing pack - outstanding! Also, the day can't go without another 'chapeau' to Wiggo - truly courageous stuff. How many of the others on that hill have Olympic gold medals? And how many have them for the track? Less than one year on and fourth in La Tour - superb. The only let down today was Ligger & Sherbet's lack of excitement as the clock ticked down between Schleck F and Wiggo for overall fourth - surely another Roche-like opportunity for the voice of cycling?

Deep Section Dreaming

Earlier this year I was seriously toying with getting myself a nice pair of Zipp wheels. Totally unnecessary but when has that ever been a consideration? Much E-bay stalking ensued (oh the thrill of the chase!) but I just couldn't get exactly what I wanted - 303's, clinchers, unused and £500 (dream on) so never made the plunge. Anyway, life has a habit of getting in the way of expenditure and when I found out that I am to be a dad in December I thought 'Come on man, get a grip and start saving for the future'. But slowly I have found myself creeping back to my old habits of the daily / hourly sweep of e-bay. To compound this just look at the picture above, taken (yet another) at Le Tour in Barcelona it shows a stack of the little buggers literally overflowing from the Cervelo Team bus. GOD, THEY TREAT THEM LIKE SWEETS AT THAT BLOODY RACE!!. It even started me thinking ' well, if they are so abundant then perhaps £1500 isn't really that much'. The pleasure / pain deliberations continue (unbeknownst to my beloved)

Zipp 303's

Great Expectations

I took this blurred photo of Wiggo in the start pits at Barcelona (yes, he was THAT fast even in the pits!) and said to my beloved just how lean I thought he was looking. Little did I know that on the very same day to Arcalis he would start to make himself a podium contender. For the next 10 days the feeling that he could 'do it' got stronger and stronger going from 'a top 20 would be good' through to 'Britain's got a top 10 rider' ending up at 'Fucking hell! He's going to get second!' Sadly today the head took over from the heart as the reality hit home hard that he still has some way to go before he climbs like a Schleck. I'm desperately trying not to be disappointed (especially as brother A is my skinny soulmate) but boy is it hard. Top 10 is still a superb result, it is, it really, really is.

It's Playtime!!

Here's a great site for when you are bored at work. Just drag and drop the components of your choice to make the bike and then save your finished design to your desktop and tell yourself how clever and creative you are. Simplicity itself and great fun for saddo geeks and cycling menchildren alike but it's a shame that it is only for 'street' cyclists

Pedal id

School's Out

School’s out for summer, school’s out forever, schools been blown to pieces.
No more parents in their Volvos, no more Nissans swinging doors open
No more tailbacks all through Dulwich, only pleasure riding to the office

Repeat to fade

Zipvit Freebie

Always one for a freebie, I sent off for the Zipvit Energy & Recovery Box and waited. Sure enough it turned up this week and I was very pleased with it's contents of little zip-locked packages (strangley reminiscent of blood bags and therefore giving it a slightly contraband feel - surely not what Zipvit intended when they sponsored Cervelo?!). Multi vitamins, Omega 3 capsules, energy gel and drinks, recovery drink and bar and (yet another) bidon. Well worth the £4 postage.

Zipvit

PS - I am aware that recent posts have been a bit Cervelo centric but this is purely coincidence and I am not (sadly) sponsored by them

Baby-faced assassin

Forgive the le Tour centric nature of recent posts - it's only natural at this time of year. Anyway, I'm a very happy chappy today following the brilliant and emotional victory of Fritz-Bruce, Heinrich Haussler. It's pretty clear that he is already a rapidly ascending star in the spring classics but, as far as I'm concerned, he is a top bloke too. Why do I say this? Because he was one of the 3 people who acknowledged my starstruck salutations whilst loitering in the pits in Barcelona last week. The other 2 will get their posting when they win a stage (although one being from the land of the rising sun and the other not to have won a race in his 10 years of selfless support to others, it's not likely to appear soon). Gut durchgebraten, mate!

The 42 grand jolly

It's that time of year (well any time of year seemingly depending on their mood) when we go to buy our favourite (and only) weekly bike magazine and are midly miffed to see that it has hoiked up it's price by 15% just because there are a few pictures of the new bikes on show at le Tour and some average action shots. Nothing in it is more than you might see on a web page yet, over a 4 week period, they are pocketing an extra £42,000. Is this what it costs to keep the CW team in hotels and vin rouge? Shocking!

Popeye's knees

The nonchalant pilot of this car is none other than Jean-Paul Van Poppel (aka Popeye) - sprint demon of the mid 1980's and 90's and now a DS at Cervelo Test. He's relaxed and about to start another day on le Tour. To see just how relaxed the Popster is witness his superb 'driving whilst snacking' skills on the Cervelo Test mini film about Milan - San Remo (nice films despite the corny music and voice over). It gives a whole new meaning to 'hands free' and anybody that christens his son Boy deserves a 'chapeau!'.

http://www.bartape.net/video.aspx?t=Video&i=Documentary

Top Tube Tuesday (1)

You may have seen a picture of Cav's top tube in the current issue of Cycling Weekly. What you won't have seen is how the world's greatest sprinter marks his victories on his top tube. It's time to add another pair of wings!

Biking in Barcelona

It took a day or two but I did come round to the design of Barcelona's community bike scheme. It had a touch of the retro 'chopper' styling but did look good when seeing all shapes, sizes and ages pootling around the city. I also thought that the interchangeable rear wheel covers were good for advertising.

Oh, Barcelona!

I have just come back from Barcelona - a birthday gift from my beloved to watch Le Tour. This was probably the greatest birthday present ever despite the unusually heavy (actually, make that torrential) rain. Just being in a city that gradually shuts down as the caravan approaches, the air thickening with anticipation and the cafes turning their tv screens to Eurosport to watch the army of riders, support vehicles and commercial flotsam wend its way to its heart is an experience never to be forgotten. Magically the rain ceased as the flotilla of freebie giving trucks and cars crawled up the Parallel artery before disappearing into Montjuic. Then, as we waited on the slope that once hosted the Olympic Games, we listened to the mix of French and Catalan commentary announcing the impending arrival of THE greatest sporting event on Earth. 'Millar, Millar, Millar deux kilometres, trente seconds', Millar, vignt seconds' and so it went until finally, with one kilometer to go Dave was gobbled up, leaden legged but totally heroic to anybody listening, watching or praying that he might just hold out.

I thought it couldn't get any better than to be so close to the rain sodden peleton but how wrong can a man be? The next day, with the modest intention of getting as close as possible to the departing peleton, I walked as far as I could towards the start point. The closer I got, the closer I wanted to be and seeing the team cars and buses parking up made me determined to try and get even closer. Walking as far up the fenced pit lane as possible I could suddenly see the high barriers disappear into low-line ones with gaps - not 'squeeze through and we'll catch you gaps' but full, open 'come on in, well done, you got this far' gaps! Straight in, no questions and no problems - N-I-R-V-A-N-A!!!!!!! The world of cycling still seems so open compared to other sports (Astana maybe not so much) and being so close to all the riders, bikes and hangers on was incredible.

I don't want to shoot all my arrows (about 300!) in one post so will leak out the images over the remaining days of the race. But just a couple of mentions for now - Ballan is a real gent, stopping for many pictures with a gracious smile and total charm. He also looks so good on a bike - a true champion. And Contador, I only wish I had kept my presence of mind to get a better picture of what I am sure will be this year's winner (it is so hard when riders were clicking past me like leaves falling from a tree).



Literally a morning of walking amongst the giants.

Mariscal at The Design Museum

Had to drop by the Design Museum today for work and saw this very apt magazine cover at the Mariscal exhibition (small but recommended). Stupidly I had not taken my camera so this is courtesy(?!) of my Blackberry - never again!

Land-Marks

2 significant milestones loom large this weekend - an unwanted 'life begins' birthday for yours truly and the record for TdF stage wins by a Brit. No points for guessing the age and even fewer for guessing the rider - simply the best sprinter the world has seen since Cippo. At least there is one upshot to the birthday - my beloved is taking me to Barcelona to see Thursday's finish and Friday's start - Chapeau ma cherie. Can't wait (pics will flow!!).

Speed Bicycles

Dom turned me on to an amazing site for a bit of vintage bike porn today. Speed Bicycles, run by Stefan Schaefter, is based in Basel, Switzerland and is basically an on-line gallery and dealership for beautiful vintage bikes. I could pontificate but the site is so clean and well done that it is simply better to follow the link to Columbus nirvana. www.speedbicycles.ch