Cycling Incident
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A broken collarbone is never fun but even less when it’s not from a daredevil manoeuvre!
Cycling down to Brighton to meet a friend for a day out when a car decided to share my side of the road with no warning making me slam on the brakes and land on my shoulder. This was in the high street in Cuckfeild. Luckily there were people around to help me and also make the driver pull over. He did not get out the car to see if I was OK!?
I ended up with a shattered collarbone that needed surgery and 6 weeks in a sling. The worst part of this was sleeping in an upright position! I now have a titanium plate holding it together.
I am a member of British Cycling which thankfully covers me for incidents like this. I am still in the middle of the claim but so far BC have been very helpful. I will update on this page as I move along.
Useful notes!
British Cycling. Legal & insurance benefits for members
Peace-of-mind insurance cover for your cycling
Support when you need it from our legal experts
Our promise to members: no excess or legal fees to pay
Compensation you keep, to help you get back on your bike.
Rapha offer a free repair service where a crash or accident has damaged a garment. This service also applies to garments outside the 30 day return policy. If they cannot repair they will offer a voucher towards new kit!
KASK offers a Crash Replacement Policy through Wiggle, a discount towards the purchase of one new KASK helmet for up to 24 months from the purchase date. It is required that the rider sends back the helmet involved in the accident along with KASK's Crash Replacement form and a proof of purchase.
Camera. Try to have an onboard camera if possible. Cameras don’t lie and will help with your claim.
Evidence. Make sure you get as much information recorded as possible at the scene. All witness information. Insurance and personal details of all involved in the accident. As much video and stills footage as possible. Keep in contact with the witnesses and the police to make sure all information has been collected and passed to the right departments.
Rapha, Miami
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Cycling with Rapha Miami.
Rapha Miami is located at 3911 NE 1st Ave #106, Miami, FL 33137.
I was in town for some sun after Christmas and took part in the annual RAPHA#FESTIVE500 event. This is 500 kilometers in eight days! I haven’t managed it yet!
You can hire bikes from Rapha but you need to be a RCC member. When I went they had problems with delivery of the Canyon bikes but usually offer bikes through the website.
It was a good mixed crowd that turned up and these rides are a no drop social affair. We headed out to the Key of Biscayne with some great views and a quick coffee stop at Starbucks, of course, in Palmetto Bay.
One thing about riding in Miami is that it is FLAT, very FLAT. The only uphill I encountered was the ride over the Rickenbacker causeway. The roads are well maintained and there is usually a cycle path for you to ride in.
Itinerary
Getting to Heathrow, within London, it’s best to shop around for Taxi prices or get a Taxi to the nearest station to access the Heathrow express.
Flying British Airways from London Heathrow T5 to Miami International Airport.
BA offer to take your bike box on as your hold luggage as well as a carry on case and laptop bag. The bike box must be max 190cm and 23 kg (51lbs) Find more info here. They ask not to pack extra items in the box but I always add my helmet, shoes and tools with no problem yet. They ask on the info page to call ahead but I have never done this and I just add the bike whilst booking online.
It’s easy to get a large Taxi the other side but always make sure it’s from a Taxi rank.
I stayed at a friend’s place on Collins Avenue, next to the beach, but there are plenty of Airbnb’s in Miami.
There are also plenty of bike shops for your needs. Hire, pick up spares or get your’s fixed here.
If you like sushi I recommend Blue Ribbon on Park Ave and 21st.
To see and download the route you will need an account with Komoot or follow me on Strava.
The Pyrenees
The Pyrenees mountain range separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, stretching more than 430km between Spain and France and rising higher than 3,400m in elevation. Hiking trails traverse the entire length of the range and national parks offer shorter trails, while dozens of ski resorts can be found on both sides of the Pyrenees. Andorra is a tiny sovereign state in the heart of the chain.
Made famous at the Tour de France and with over 500 passes at over 1000m there is a lot to choose from in the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are one of the world’s best cycling destinations. They’ve got huge cycling heritage, with legendary climbs that have been lighting up the Tour de France since 1910 and wild, untouched landscapes that won’t fail to leave their mark on you. The one thing I noticed the most from the region I was cycling in is that is was super quiet. Hardly any road users apart from cows and other cyclists. Many of the passes are routes that have been used by shepherds, traders and livestock for thousands of years, the stereotypical goat tracks covered by tarmac. Often cutting through dense, deciduous woodland, there is something other-worldly about them.
The start of Col du Pradel
I have yet to ride the classic climbs but this part of the pyrenees was quiet with some great climbs to be had.
Misty on the Col de Pailleres
I wasn’t so lucky with the weather and the top of the climbs were pretty foggy. Always be prepared for a quick change of climate and temperature when in the mountains. When it was clear there were some stunning views and from the top of col du Pradel was one of the longest descent I have done! Over 10 miles with a little kick in the middle back down to Puivert near were we were staying.
Here is a link to my Strava ride.
The Pyrenees has a lot to offer and I intend to go back as much as possible and discover these famous roads.
Overview
The main airport which serves the central Pyrenees is Toulouse. The budget airlines such as Easyjet, RyanAir and also British Airways have regular year round flights into Toulouse from airports all over the UK.
Although getting to the Pyrenees by train is a long journey (between 11 and 12 hours fron London) it is the most environmentally friendly option. It’s also the most relaxing way to travel. You can just kick back and relax as the train takes the strain. The modern trains in France have excellent facilities including quiet coaches in which mobile phones are banned and free WiFi throughout. The food on board is varied and surprisingly good value too
We stayed in an Airbnb just outside Puivert there are plenty to choose from here.
There are some great walks here also including up to Puivert Castle.
An interesting Afghan restaurant was in town with some interesting dishes which also serves Pizza!! here
There is also B D Q / Taproom & Kitchen which served up some good quality strong cycling inspired beer here.
Make sure you have good fitness and some climbing legs before you go as the climbs are tough.
Always double check the weather with a good app like Dark Sky or WeatherPro
Make sure you have the right spares and tools as you may be a long way from help.
Take warm and waterproof clothing with you. The weather can turn!
Komoot is a great app to help you plan rides and see where people have been.
Mont Ventoux
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CHALLENGE: MONT VENTOUX 3 ASCENTS
DATE: 25 AUGUST 2018
DISTANCE: 84.54m
MOVING TIME: 7:43:10
ELAPSED TIME: 9:44:05
ELEVATION: 14,629ft
AVERAGE SPEED: 11mi/hr
I had ridden Mont Ventoux a few times before I found out about the Club de Cingles. This involves ascending 3 times in one day. It is a long slog to the top and the weather can change pretty quick but I thought I could do it. On long distance challenges like this I prefer riding on my own for pace and not having to wait for people to pee. I read a few articles on the challenge, a good one in the now defucnt Cycling Active magazine. September Issue 2016. share advice
You can ascend from 3 sides. Bedoin being the most famous and arguably the hardest. 8% over 20 km. Then Malaucene being the second hardest 7% over 21 km. Finally the assent from Salut. A steady 5% for the first half until you join the last 6 km of the Bedoin side. An early breakfast of a croissant, of course! to start the climb. Collecting my stamp from the Tabac next door. It was colder than I anticipated and wish the I had brought my toe thingy's but I pushed on through he lush green forest that sits at the bottom of the climb until you reach the lunar landscape near the tip and get your first glimpse of the summit tower. This never seems to get any closer as you twist up the mountain. The gradient seems to be slightly less in this part as through the forest 6% seemd like a rest period to the near 11% stretches.
There is a left hand bend at the top befor the last stretch will remind you why they called it the windy mountain. This and the very last and very steep right hand corner to the summit. It is windy and instantly cold at the the top as I pose for my first photograph. Straight on with the gillet and a descend to Malaucéne. The view from this side is also stunning. Not so luna but just as impressive.
The first few km were pretty sketchy and I descended with caution as the wind was catching my wheels. It was approaching mid morning and the road was getting busier with cyclists grimacing on their way up to the summit. You can get up to some pretty good speeds with some long stretches and sweeping bends. Arriving in Malaucéne I stopped at the nearest cafe to refuel and collect my second stamp. I had 2 coffee's and 3 pastries. In hindsight I eat too much too quickly and on my ascent was feeling rather bloated and uncomfortable. I didn't take my own advice which is to always eat and drink little and often!!
The ascent is well protected by the winds and has some tough sections at 12%. But there is also some respite after the cafe nearing the top where I even shifted into the big ring for a little while. It is now getting very windy at the top as I had my second photograph taken by a fellow climber. Straight on with the gillett wishing I had brought a jacket! (I recommend this whatever the forecast!) Again caution on the decent with the wind gusting quite high now. Onto Salut! I was cold, my teeth were chattering i could barely feel my fingers and toes. The decent was fast and flowing eventually opening out to lavender fields i passed only to find a little kicker of a climb into Salut. I was a bit behind on my timing so a quick stop with a coke and a Mars bar before the last climb.
The lower part to the final ascent is a nice low gradient passing through the open fields up into the woods again. My legs were feeling good and i was making good progress. I passed Chalet Reynard I could see the clouds closing in and feel the wind starting to pick up. It started to rain the head wind was strong with powerful gusts. I was so close but yet very far from the top. I pushed through to the top quickly found someone willing to take my last photograph put on my gilet and descended for the last time. My whole bike shaking from my shivering body as the winds wiped my face. Half way down i could not feel my hands or feet which made this very unenjoyable last descent. I finally reached the bottom and began to feel warm again. A well deserved beer and a long look at my fully stamped card made it all worth while!
I had done it and it was hard. Would I do it again> probably.!
I highly recommend you do this challenge!
Itinerary
Accommodation
I stayed close by in Paradou (great place for groups to stay and some good rides from here that I have featured on the site) then drove to Bedoine and stayed at an airbnb here. If you do stay in this Airbnb, which was fine for the night, the place is on the right as you approach Bedoine, opposite the large carpark. The GPS will take you into town on narrow lanes to a dead end!
Travel
I flew EasyJet to Marseilles. I take my own bike using a Bike Box Alan. It cost £35 each way when booked online. Info here. BA offer you to take the BikeBox as normal hold luggage which for a short trip you can your add some other items in. I hired a car from Europe car. Hire in advance as much as possible. Going for the cheaper companies always works out more expensive!! Do not use Goldcar!!
DO’S AND DONT’S
.
Start early
Take a jacket
Use sunscreen
Eat little and often
Do some long hill climbing training
Apply early for your stamp card from
HotChillee Cape Rouleur
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HotChillee event format
HotChillee is a cycling club that has specialised in organising endurance cycling holidays since 2004. These are professional events for amateurs. It is based in west London and regularly meets for rides hosted totally free and is a great introduction to the HotChillee experience. Find them here.
The Cape Rouleur, South Africa, here, is a multi stage endurance road cycling event consisting of flagged race sections with tempo riding in between. Riders are seeded based on their times for the prologue, so that you end up riding in seeded groups of commensurate ability. The format allows for ample racing in the race groups, social tempo riding and interaction between the flagged sections with the “Ride” level groups more focused on completing the endurance nature of the event. The flagged race sections cover sprinting, climbing and over all time (general classification).
Cape Town Cycle Tour
The Cape Town Cycle Tour is an annual cycle race hosted in Cape Town, usually 109 km (68 mi) long. It is the first event outside Europe to be included in the Union Cycliste Internationale's Golden Bike Series. This Race is the end highlight to the Hotchillee event and is part of Lifecycle Week, an eight-day celebration of all things cycling. There is also an expo held at the Cape Town Stadium to look at all the latest bikes and gadgets.
Cycling for charity is the cornerstone of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, with the bulk of your entry fee heading straight into Rotary and PPA coffers. You can choose to do even more with your miles, though, by joining a charity group, or kickstarting your own charity drive. You can find more information here.
overview
This was a great experience that I would recommend for everyone to try. You will need to have some good fitness and get some training in before the event but it is open to all different abilities. The team are super friendly and helpful and the rides are highly organised. Everyone pushed hard in the prologue to get their spaces on the fast group and a lot, including me, found this super hard and dropped down the following day.
Franschhoek is our base and we have 3 big cycle days here and then the festival ride to Cape Town. I stayed at the Protea Hotel which was where the main HQ was. A really nice Hotel with good restaurants and clean big rooms. There are a few choices of hotels that they offer and are all in close vicinity to each other and the main town of Franschhoek.
Franschhoek is a town in South Africa’s Western Cape with centuries-old vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture. Trails wind through flowers and wildlife at Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve to views over Franschhoek Valley. The Huguenot Memorial Museum and neighbouring monument honour the area’s French settlers, who arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Franschhoek Pass, looking down to Franschhoek
The rides from Franschhoek take in some amazing climbs and views. We visit Stellenbosch, Theewaterskloof Dam and the Nelson Mandella statue at the Groot Drakenstein Prison. The days range between 100 – 150km per day and you’ll be done by mid-afternoon leaving plenty of time for recovery by the pool and fine dining in the evening. We then transfer to Cape Town on the Festival ride stopping off at Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy to see some of the charity work the HotChillee do. This is the largest townships in South Africa. Our luggage and bike boxes and moved for us. This ride takes in the stunning views on the
Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Hout Bay, Western Cape,
The outstanding part of the event for me was the feeling of being part of a pro race. We had rolling road closures, motorbike outriders, traffic police, lead cars, mechanical support and medical vehicles. This means no changing your own punchers and no stopping at red lights! The HotChillee Ride Captains are in radio contact with the support vehicles to help ensure the safety of each group at all times.
On the last day we have seeded entry in to the famous Argos ride, now called the Cape Town Cycle Tour. This is the best cycle sportive I have ever done and the views as we ride up the west coast towards Cape Town are stunning inc the famous Chapmans Peak underpass.
Once you have signed up and chosen your hotel Hotchillee give you a very detailed event pack that covers all you need to know and more about how to ride in groups what to bring and the best bit is that they will look after you from start to finish. If you do stay for the sportive you will need to find a place to stay in Cape Town. They recommend the Southern Sun Cullinan hotel but this is expensive. I stayed in an AirBnB.
This is some of the best cycling I have done with a highly organised rides the feeling of cycling like a pro amazing scenery food and a real camaraderie with the other cyclists. Make sure this event is on your bucket list.
Francis Cade was on this ride with us and you can have a look here. Also Magnus Bäckstedt is part of the HotChillee Development Rider Programme and he also rode with us.
As you are in South Africa you should try and find time to see some of the amazing animals that live there. I went to the Aquila Private Game reserve here. Make sure you choose your booking partner wisely as I ended up waiting nearly 2 hours to be collected from my airbnb to get to the park which wasn’t great. But seeing the animals in the wild was a unique experience.
Get out and Ride!
Table Mountain National park looking into Cape Town
Itinerary
I flew with British Airways as BA offer to take your bike box on as your hold luggage as well as a carry on case and laptop bag. The bike box must be max 190cm and 23 kg (51lbs) Find more info here. They ask not to pack extra items in the box but I always add my helmet, shoes and tools with no problems yet. They ask on the info page to call ahead but I have never done this and I just add the bike whilst booking online.
Always shop around for taxi prices and make sure you tell them you have a bike box. You will be taken care of the other end.
Hotchillee will send you a selection of hotels to stay in the rider pack. I stayed at the Protea Hotel here. It was were the HQ was and a lot of the riders stay so is a good atmosphere and chance to relax and talk with others about the ride.
You must sign up for there Cape Town Cycle tour if you want to attend and make sure you have accommodation in Cape Town. I just used Airbnb.
Regarded as South Africa's culinary capital, visitors to the Franschhoek Wine Valley are spoilt for choice here.
The best part of this event is that they will look after you and you gear from start to finish so you can focus on the cycling and relaxing by the pool with a cool beer or cocktail!