Women’s Cycling – an update for 2019

With the UCI announcing the WorldTour calendars for 2020 and that women’s teams will enjoy minimum provisions with effect from next year, including minimum salaries and entitlements for riders, there is a feeling that cycling is moving towards parity for men and women. But is that achievable or is it just a pipe dream for the female riders in the UK? 

Over the past few years, there has been a move to make the women’s racing equal to the men’s, with race distances being made longer as a consequence. In the UK, there has been a push to increase race distances for women, especially at a National Road Series level, with most races now over 100km, whereas perhaps five years ago, there were hardly any races that were over 50 miles (80km) in length. Whilst this can be called progress, we are moving towards a professional level of dedication, something for which perhaps the women’s sport is not yet ready. For example, there are not many teams that are able to pay riders’ expenses, let alone a wage, and this then means that many riders are effectively priced out of the market, especially when most national level events start at 9am, therefore meaning that an overnight stay is required, at a minimum. It should therefore come as no surprise if organisers are struggling to fill fields, as it becomes more and more costly to race at a national level without any significant financial support (whether that is from a sponsor or a family member). Is this sustainable, or do we need to find a –

And then we have the talent pipeline issue – we struggle to retain female riders after the age of 16, when riders make the transition from Youth to Junior, so it was hoped that the introduction of a Junior Women’s National Road Series would help bridge the massive gap from Youth to Senior. Unfortunately, probably to some degree as a consequence of coinciding with a major staff restructure at British Cycling, the Junior Women’s Series has not had the support from British Cycling that those involved at a grassroots’ level may have hoped to see, with organisers being given no guidance or support and races not being tied into the Series on the British Cycling website, therefore making it more difficult to find out what races were part of the Series. Those of us who are supposed to be in the know weren’t even told, so how riders are supposed to navigate the system to find the races does bring into question whether there really is a desire to see a push towards equality from a road racing perspective at British Cycling. We need British Cycling to be fully on board with the Junior Women’s Series and make sure that it is properly advertised, with organisers being given support and encouragement to promote these events if it is to be successful.

Next issue to be addressed is the shift in attitude with regards to risk assessment interpretation. Those of us who promote events for women are all too aware of the financial implications of promoting a women’s race – it is extremely difficult for an event to break even without a men’s race being organised in conjunction with the women’s race. At a regional level, when we first started promoting road races for women in 2013/14, the most viable way to do it was in conjunction with an existing men’s race, using the infrastructure which was already in place to add on a women’s race, usually starting a few minutes behind the men. This meant that we could ensure opportunities were being made available for women, without having to worry about the numbers. Unfortunately, a change in policy has meant that concurrent racing (where you have two events running alongside each other at the same time) is no longer deemed to be acceptable from a risk perspective and therefore the number of opportunities women will have to road race going forward will likely be substantially less, as organisers will opt –

 for men’s races that are easier to fill, rather than a potentially financially unviable women’s race. The risk assessment process is something which needs to be challenged – the outcome of this change in interpretation has effectively put a protected group (women) in a worse position and it is therefore paramount that a solution is found if British Cycling want to avoid a contravention of their own Equality Policy.

So what does all of this mean for women’s cycling? Well, whilst it’s great that the UCI have implemented a minimum salary requirement for Women’s WorldTour teams, it seems increasingly unlikely that there will be an increase in British riders gaining places on these teams if there is only limited financial support for those racing at a domestic level. Yes, it’s great that we have professional level National Series events but if nobody can afford to attend the races or organisers feel that the financial uncertainty is just too much, then the likelihood is that future cycling stars will not come from the UK, unless as a sport we can look at how events are run and redesign it to encourage as many people as possible to take part.

There are changes afoot at British Cycling, and a willingness to accept that what has come before has not necessarily been acceptable, but whether it will be too little too late remains to be seen. Let’s hope that we can find some solutions before it is too late.

All images © www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc

Heather Bamforth

Heather Bamforth

CyclingShorts.cc Sub-Editor

Heather has been with CyclingShorts.cc for 10 years attending and reporting on major cycling events; Tour de France, Tour de Yorkshire, World Track Championships, World Road Race Championships to name a few.

Influencer, Trustee & Founder of The Racing Chance Foundation Charity, Member of the British Cycling Road Commission, BC Regional board member and National Councillor

Heather is a highly respected member of the British Cycling community, she founded the Racing Chance Foundation, a cycling charity to help women gain experience in cycle racing and progress their cycling careers.

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Race Report – Team Jadan Weldtite Ten Time Trial

Rio’s loss is Team Jadan – Weldtite’s gain in their ten mile Time Trial Fund Raiser on the V718 Hull.

Team Manager Victoria Hood was thoroughly delighted when National Time Trial Champion Hayley Simmonds signed up to ride their Team Jadan – Weldtite Ten fund raising event last minute on Saturday 30th July.

The event would have probably gone-by unnoticed if circumstances were different. But Simmonds was in the area by chance and decided to ride the event being close-by and a couple of surprise results brought headlines to the Time-Trial World.

Smashing the National Fifty last weekend with a 1:42.20 from Julia Shaw’s [1:46.46] in 2010, on-form Simmonds rode a 19.31 on the V718 course, beating her own record from last year on the same course of 19.46 setting a New National Record.

Simmonds recently retained her National Time Trial Title for a second consecutive year not far away in Stockton-On-Tees and looked a likely candidate to support Lizzie Armitstead’s Rio Olympic Road Race bid in a week or two’s time as well as representing Great Britain in the Time Trial.

Returning from America where she was riding with the Unitedhealthcare Pro Cycling Team until recently, Simmonds was back in the Country expecting the call up.

Now riding for AeroCoach; Simmonds is eyeing up the National Twenty-five and the National Ten before moving on to the European Championships then the World Championships in Qatar later this year.

 

Another surprise today was Henrietta Colborne [Team Ecoboost] setting a new Junior Ten record with a 20.21. Colborne is a familiar face to the Pink and Blue Jadanite Family riding events on both the Road and Track in recent years for Team Jadan – Weldtite. Colborne’s time with Team Jadan has helped her progress forward and is setting her up for a bright future.

The quickest time set in the Jadan – Weldtite Ten was David Crawley [Velotik RT] with a time of 18.27.

The raffle for the ADR Carbon handle bar set was won by Daniel Dixon (Juvenile) from the Gosforth RC.

A triple record breaking week for Hayley Simmonds claiming new 10, 25 & 50 mile records.

Cycling Shorts caught up with Hayley soon after her 10 ride to get her reaction. She had been telling us that she was heading to Wales later in the afternoon to compete in the Bynea CC 25 on the R23/3H.

News came through on Sunday 31st that Hayley has smashed the 25 record to, in a 49.28.

Her next challenge. The National 25 next Saturday 06 August.

 

Team Jadan – Weldtite provide progression and opportunity for young girls to develop their talent in a supportive environment whilst racing all over the UK and Europe which is fundamental to their future success in the sport.

Today’s event will ensure sending the girls to Europe in the next couple of weeks and possibly the Ras na mBan in Ireland in September.

Team Jadan Weldtite are back riding the Revolution again this coming season on the Track. This year the Series goes international with a newly created Champions League where the girls will be mixing-it once again with the best in the World.

 

Interview – Hayley Simmonds winner of Team Jadan – Weldtite Ten V718 by Cycling Shorts

Hayley Simmonds chats to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc after she smashes her own course record at the Team Jadan Weldtite Ten Interview – Hayley Simmonds winner of Team Jadan – Weldtite Ten V718 presented by Vive le Velo.

All images copyright www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc

1 David Crawley Male Velotik Racing Team 18:27 32.52 MPH
2 Adam Duggleby Male Secret-training CC 18:29 32.46 MPH
3 MARK JONES Male DRAG2ZERO 18:39 32.17 MPH
4 Stephen Irwin Male North Lancs RC 18:40 32.14 MPH
5 Simon Wilson Male Secret-training CC 18:43 32.06 MPH
6 David Woodhouse Male G.S. Henley 18:53 31.77 MPH
7 Ryan Morley Male Royal Air Force Cycling Association 18:53 31.77 MPH
8 Peter Barusevicus Male Wheelbase Altura MGD 19:00 31.58 MPH
9 Daniel  Barnett  Male Team Bottrill 19:13 31.22 MPH
10 Scott Burns Male Manchester Wheelers 19:14 31.2 MPH
11 Dean Robson Male NOPINZ 19:14 31.2 MPH
12 Jonathan Gildea Male Seamons CC 19:15 31.17 MPH
13 Danny  Grieves Male GS Metro 19:18 31.09 MPH
14 Alistair Rutherford Male Secret-training CC 19:21 31.01 MPH
15 James Rix Male Crawley Wheelers 19:21 31.01 MPH
16 Gavin Hinxman Male Kettering CC 19:23 30.95 MPH
17 Matthew Senter Male Peterborough CC 19:24 30.93 MPH
18 Joel Wainman Male SSLL Racing Team 19:26 30.87 MPH
19 Ian Holbrook Male Stone Wheelers CC 19:26 30.87 MPH
20 Ian Guilor Male Mapperley CC 19:27 30.85 MPH
21 Matt Peel Male Redhill CC 19:38 30.56 MPH
22 Ed Nicholson Male York Cycleworks 19:38 30.56 MPH
23 Richard Dean Male Team Swift 19:44 30.41 MPH
24 Adam Coffey Male Alford Whs 19:45 30.38 MPH
25 Joshua Jones Male Brigg & District Cycling Club 19:45 30.38 MPH
26 Mark Wolstenholme Male Team Swift 19:47 30.33 MPH
27 Stephen Vanes Male Wyre Forest CRC 19:47 30.33 MPH
28 Mark Cox Male Fairly United Cycling Team 19:48 30.3 MPH
29 Richard Harrison Male Didcot Phoenix CC 19:49 30.28 MPH
30 Scott Leverington Male Chorley Cycling Club 19:49 30.28 MPH
31 Dan Taylor Male Birdwell Wheelers 19:51 30.23 MPH
32 Nick Rogers Male Team Swift 19:53 30.18 MPH
33 Liam Bosley Male Team MiVelo Racing 19:59 30.02 MPH
34 Blair Buss Male SSLL Racing Team 19:59 30.02 MPH
35 Nick Nettleton Male Wilsons Wheels RT 20:01 29.97 MPH
36 Angus  MacInnes Male Royal Air Force Cycling Association 20:02 29.95 MPH
37 David Harding Male Chelmer CC 20:04 29.9 MPH
38 Rob Scott Male City Cycle Couriers RT 20:06 29.85 MPH
39 Chris Sleath Male Adept Precision RT 20:06 29.85 MPH
40 Robert Willcocks Male Royal Air Force Cycling Association 20:08 29.8 MPH
41 Mark Nulty Male Team Swift 20:11 29.73 MPH
42 John Pilgrim Male Witham Wheelers 20:12 29.7 MPH
43 Gary Hunt Male Stockton Wheelers CC 20:13 29.68 MPH
44 Steve Gore-Browne Male Team Swift 20:13 29.68 MPH
45 Tom Thornely Male Buxton CC/Sett Valley Cycles 20:14 29.65 MPH
46 Martin Reynolds Male Cambridge CC 20:19 29.53 MPH
47 Patrick Murphy Male Team Bottrill 20:19 29.53 MPH
48 Andrew Cutts Male Team Bottrill 20:21 29.48 MPH
49 Stuart Wells Male Fluid Fin Race Team 20:21 29.48 MPH
50 Gray Walker Male Richmond CC 20:21 29.48 MPH
51 Gary Symons Male Witham Wheelers 20:22 29.46 MPH
52 Jack Levick Male Tuxford Clarion C C 20:22 29.46 MPH
53 Ralph Mullan Male Shaftesbury CC 20:28 29.32 MPH
54 Karl Caton Male Elmsall Road Club 20:31 29.24 MPH
55 Jason Turner Male Norwich A B C 20:32 29.22 MPH
56 Stephen Biddulph Male Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 20:35 29.15 MPH
57 Robert Watson Male Team Velovelocity 20:35 29.15 MPH
58 Peter Garnett Male Swindon Road Club 20:38 29.08 MPH
59 Steven Fullerton Male Darlington Cycling Club 20:39 29.06 MPH
60 Alex Leek Male Velo Club St Raphael 20:39 29.06 MPH
61 Paul Granger Male Fairly United Cycling Team 20:44 28.94 MPH
62 Lee Speight Male Pedalsport CC 20:44 28.94 MPH
63 Dave Morgan Male Out of the Saddle CC 20:48 28.85 MPH
64 Tony Johnson Male Barnsley Road Club 20:48 28.85 MPH
65 Andre Dyason Male Cambridge CC 20:54 28.71 MPH
66 Gavin Tillson Male Oxonian CC 20:55 28.69 MPH
67 Alastair Semple Male Stafford RC 20:59 28.59 MPH
68 Mark Woolford  Male Chippenham & District Wheelers 21:01 28.55 MPH
69 Simon Scott Male Anglia Velo 21:01 28.55 MPH
70 Neal Parkin Male North Notts Olympic CC 21:01 28.55 MPH
71 Billy Jarish Male Lincoln Whs CC 21:02 28.53 MPH
72 Daniel Shaw Male Halifax Imperial Whs 21:10 28.35 MPH
73 Tim Lawson Male Secret-training CC 21:18 28.17 MPH
74 John Brearley Male City RC (Hull) 21:18 28.17 MPH
75 Steven Hollowood Male Stocksbridge Cycling Club 21:18 28.17 MPH
76 Tim Wheeler Male Selby CC 21:18 28.17 MPH
77 Sean Hunt Male Lincoln Whs CC 21:28 27.95 MPH
78 Mark Rowland Male Selby CC 21:29 27.93 MPH
79 Lee Watson  Male City RC (Hull) 21:31 27.89 MPH
80 Gary Bates Male Team Swift 21:32 27.86 MPH Claim Result
81 Richard  Dixon  Male Team Swift 21:32 27.86 MPH
82 Norman Griffin Male Vive Le Velo 21:41 27.67 MPH
83 Rich Banks Male Calder Clarion 22:11 27.05 MPH
DNF Michael Schofield Male Clifton CC York DNF 0 MPH
DNS Justin Layne Male CC Ashwell DNS 0 MPH
DNS Peter  Oliver Male Fairly United Cycling Team DNS 0 MPH
DNS Johnny Harrison Male Adept Precision RT DNS 0 MPH
DNS Greg Lewis Male VC 10 DNS 0 MPH
DNS Michael  Ellerton (AKA, The Wind) Male Team Swift DNS 0 MPH
DNS Nigel Goscinski Male Team Swift DNS 0 MPH
DNS Jonathan Parker Male Team Bottrill DNS 0 MPH
DNS Bill Seddon Male Team Bottrill DNS 0 MPH
DNS Jonathan Sumner Male Springfield Financial DNS 0 MPH
DNS Jason Fossey Male Huddersfield Star Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Wayne Pitman Male Poole Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Chris Ledger Male Langsett Cycles Race Team DNS 0 MPH
DNS Adrian Humpage Male Lyme Racing Club DNS 0 MPH
DNS Jason Burrill Male Peterborough CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Lee Buckman Male Ashford Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Andrew Clarke Male Mid Shropshire Wheelers DNS 0 MPH
DNS Andy Jackson Male SSLL Racing Team DNS 0 MPH
DNS Mark Morgan Male Derby Mercury R C DNS 0 MPH
DNS PETER GREENWOOD Male Team Swift DNS 0 MPH
DNS Charles Zanettacci Male Cheltenham & County Cycling Club DNS 0 MPH
DNS Aled Roberts Male Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical DNS 0 MPH
DNS Tom Trimble Male CC Ashwell DNS 0 MPH
DNS Mark  Flannery Male Team Swift DNS 0 MPH
DNS Mark Denney Male Poole Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Anthony Collier Male Hoddesdon Tri Club DNS 0 MPH
DNS Keith Ainsworth Male Sheffrec CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Paul  Jones Male Primera-Teamjobs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Peter Lawrence Male High Wycombe CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Ed Neilson Male Vive Le Velo DNS 0 MPH
DNS Andrew Wright Male High Wycombe CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Tim Humphries Male Team Swift DNS 0 MPH
DNS Dan Evans Male Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical DNS 0 MPH
DNS Luke Danckert Male Army Cycling Union DNS 0 MPH
DNS Mathew Eley Male DNS 0 MPH
Women:

1. Hayley Simmonds (AeroCoach)     19.31

2. Henrietta Colborne (Team Ford EcoBoost)            20.21

3. Clarice Chung (SSLL RT)  21.06

1st Henrietta Colborne (Team Ford EcoBoost)  20.21

1st Adam Hartley

1 Adam Hartley Male PH-MAS Cycling 19:22 30.98 MPH
2 Hayley Simmonds Female AeroCoach 19:31 30.74 MPH
3 Nathan Allatt Male Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA 19:42 30.46 MPH
4 Max McMurdo Male SSLL Racing Team 19:43 30.43 MPH
5 Dylan Flesher Male Harrogate Nova CC 19:49 30.28 MPH
6 Bevan Jones Male Brigg & District Cycling Club 19:49 30.28 MPH
7 Henrietta Colborne Female Team Ford Ecoboost 20:21 29.48 MPH
8 Devon Round Male Mid Shropshire Wheelers 20:25 29.39 MPH
9 Adam Jarps Male Hetton Hawks CC 20:26 29.36 MPH
10 Joe Laverick Male Flex-Tech Ettridge Cycles RT 20:39 29.06 MPH
11 Daniel  Dixon Male Gosforth RC 21:02 28.53 MPH
12 Harry Buxton Male Broomwagon RT 21:06 28.44 MPH
13 Clarice Chung  Female SSLL Racing Team 21:06 28.44 MPH
14 Karen Ledger Female Langsett Cycles Race Team 21:08 28.39 MPH
15 Kieran Morris Male Mid Shropshire Wheelers 21:21 28.1 MPH
16 Danuta Tinn Female Maidenhead & District CC 22:01 27.25 MPH
17 Susan Semple Female Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 22:05 27.17 MPH
18 Keri Parton Female Royal Air Force Cycling Association 22:17 26.93 MPH
19 Louise Scupham Female Team Jadan 22:36 26.55 MPH
20 Alex Deck Female Langsett Cycles Race Team 22:37 26.53 MPH
21 Zoe Whiteside Female Team Bottrill 22:51 26.26 MPH
22 Fiona Sharp Female York Cycleworks 22:54 26.2 MPH
23 Alex Smethurst Female Team Swift 22:55 26.18 MPH
24 Corinne Mitchell Female Harrogate Nova CC 23:00 26.09 MPH
25 Louise Day Female Team Swift 23:24 25.64 MPH
26 Joanne Burnett Female VC Beverley 23:24 25.64 MPH
27 Libby McLaren Female Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 23:26 25.6 MPH
28 Maria Mulleady Female Drighlington BC 23:36 25.42 MPH
29 Jo Corbett Female Mapperley CC 23:40 25.35 MPH
30 Christine Johnson Female Hinckley Cycle Racing Club 24:27 24.54 MPH
31 Alison Torode Female Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 24:46 24.23 MPH
32 Jemima Line Female Oxonian CC 24:59 24.02 MPH
33 Clair Parfrey Female Phoenix Velo 26:41 22.49 MPH
34 Cheryl Trueman Female Team Swift 27:01 22.21 MPH Claim Result
35 Denese Hallahan Female Wisbech Whs 27:49 21.57 MPH
36 Helen Hudson Female Huddersfield Star Whs 28:01 21.42 MPH
37 Gill Henshaw Female Velo Club Long Eaton 29:09 20.58 MPH Claim Result
DNF Angela Hibbs Female Fusion RT Fierlan DNF 0 MPH
DNF Anna Key Female Oxonian CC DNF 0 MPH
DNS Michelle Rowland  Female Selby CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS LOU CAMPION Female Wisbech Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Denise Lawson Female Secret-training CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Rachael Elliott Female Newbury RC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Marcus Burnett Male Team Corley Cycles DNS 0 MPH
DNS Janice Mcwilliam Female Bolsover and District CC DNS 0 MPH
DNS Samuel Wadsley Male Poole Whs DNS 0 MPH
DNS Mickie Hornby Female Team Swift DNS 0 MPH

Cycliq Fly6 Rear Light & Camera Review

What can one say if your editor says to you that we have been sent some techy kit to try out, and would you like to review it? Yes please?

Cycliq Fly6 is a high powered rear LED light unit, with a difference. There is a rear facing HD cam built into the sealed all weather lamp that records what’s happening behind you as you travel along on your bike ride, daily commute or just out with friends. Got your rear covered is what it says on the box.

There’s no need to worry about anything else once you have set up the lamp on your bike and done a quick test to make sure you have a decent field of view. Just remember to switch the light-unit on EVERY time you go out!

All the factual information you need about Fly6 is on their website cycliq.com. It’s an updated design from the original, so here at Cycling Shorts, we are simply going to take it out of the box, fit it to the bike, and run it for a week or so.

Firstly, at just shy under one-hundred-pounds, it seems a lot for a rear LED. Is it worth it? Let’s see.

It comes packaged all nice and neat in a stylish black and red box, padded with shaped foam to keep all the components secure during transit to the shop, or direct to the consumer via mail order.

Once opened, there is a quick set-up guide and notes about recent improvements from your customer feedback.

The lamp feels solid, robust and of a quality build. I liked the fact there were two mounting plates and bands to accommodate a multi-bike set-up. The rubber stretch mounts are more common-place these days and means you can easily remove the lamp should you park-up and leave your bike unattended, being an expensive bit of kit.

I fitted the lamp straight onto my Trek road bike without any problem. Using the aero-seat-post adapter, I found it sat perfectly square to the ground, the body design aligned to take a standard 71.5° rake.

Not knowing what sort of view would be recorded, I positioned the lamp as high as I could without it touching my small tool pouch that was sitting tightly under the saddle.

I found the re-designed mount plate difficult to handle. I’d clipped the lamp unit into the plate slot to check the fitting prior to mounting and couldn’t remove very easily at all. It certainly wasn’t going to come loose, which isn’t a bad thing. But it made me realise that fitting the two mount plates to my two bikes, probably wasn’t going to work as well as I imagined. Maybe they would free off slightly over time if I separate them from time-to-time.

To run the test, I first had to fully charge the built-in Lithium battery. Although it comes pre-charged I wanted to see how long it would take to re-charge and how long it would last, running at full LED power. You can reduce the out-put level several times to conserve energy, or reduce the glare that the main LED emits. [Via the Courtesy Dimmer, opposite the power button].

I plugged the unit into my laptop with the provided USB lead early afternoon. I’d read that the charge LED would go off once charged. Having used re-chargeable lights this Winter gone, I knew that they took a while to fully charge up at work plugged into the USB slot on my PC, and I was right. It was late evening before the LED extinguished. Ok, I’ll test the unit tomorrow then!

Setting off on my Sunday morning bike ride, I’d set the lamp to full power and off I went. Three and a-quarter hours later, back home I switched the unit off. The unit had created a folder on the media card and sliced the ride into ten-minute videos. So they were twelve time indexed files created. I’d noticed that the first hour or so files had already been deleted, not a problem as the unit is there to safeguard any footage of an incident an hour prior to an incident and an hour after the trigger has been set through the bike laying on the ground.

Aimed as a safety back-up device designed to tell a story of what you were doing prior to any incident, then this lamp is a great way of providing additional evidence after the event. You simply must use it on every occasion that you jump on your bike, especially if commuting through town where things can sometimes get a bit more demanding.

The footage the camera produced was of a decent quality to see how the bike ride unfolded. Coming in ten-minute bite size pieces, it provides great footage that can easily be shared amongst friends and family. The file sizes produced are around four-hundred and fifty megabits each, and on the supplied card will hold around eighteen full files.

The recommend free Video Editing software worked a treat too. I found it reasonably easy to cut a couple of pieces from two files and join them to make a short demo.

On my first full power test, I achieved five-and-three-quarter hours recording before the video switched off leaving only the light working. This should last for another hour before being fully depleted.

I would imagine a normal user would need to re-charge the unit twice a week to keep the video camera working on the loop.

On the whole, having used the Cycliq Fly6 for the past four weeks, I would recommend it for my main rear light. Although a bit pricey on my initial glance, considering the beneficial footage that this device records and stores, then it’s a price worth paying.

It may not be something that you would consider buying yourself when looking for a lamp for your bike. But it would make a great gift for someone, for those who are looking for additional safety for their loved ones when out riding the bike.

RRP: £99.00

For more information on the Fly6 visit: www.Cycliq.com

Best price we can find online: www.amazon.co.uk

All Images, Video and text ©www.CyclingShorts.cc / www.chrismaher.co.uk

#ShareTheRoad Campaign

With an ever increasing number of cycle related road accidents, Lincoln-based photographer, film maker, cyclist and organiser of Lincoln Bike Night, Phil Crow who has decided to do something about it.

Having spoken to the emergency services and to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, Phil put together a short script back in October 2015 and Share the Road began to take shape.

I wanted to present a balanced argument to try and show motorists and cyclists that, with a bit of care and thought, we can all use the UKs roads carefully and safely.

Everyone has been really positive about what I’m trying to achieve and when I got Jason Bradbury to agree to present it I was beyond pleased! I just want as many people as possible to take a few minutes, watch the film and share it with their friends… Facebook, Twitter, email etc and if this saves just one life, then I’ve done my job.

I regularly cycle (and drive) on Lincolnshire’s roads. It’s a wonderful county and always great to see more and more people out on two wheels. However, I am always amazed by some of the incidents and near misses I regularly see. My hope is that this film can go some way to raising awareness of how motorists and cyclists can share the road and hopefully reduce some of those incidents.

Phil Crow

Photographer, #Share the Road Campaign

Share the Road is on Twitter @sharetheroad_uk

So please follow, message and RT the film so you spread the word. There will be car stickers also available so keep an eye on social media so you know where to pick one up!

Teaching your child to ride a bike with Isla Rowntree

With the summer finally arriving and the long school holidays on the horizon we asked Isla Rowntree, ex-national
cyclocross champion and founder of Islabikes how to approach teaching you child to ride a bike.

What are your thoughts on stabilisers?

For years children’s bikes have come fitted with stabilisers, but that doesn’t mean they’re the right thing to use. We encourage parents to avoid stabilisers as they prevent children from learning to balance naturally and actually make the process of learning to ride a bike trickier.
Far better is to let your child use a balance bike before starting to learn a pedal bike. A balance bike will teach them the basics of balancing on two wheels and make the transition to first pedal bike much easier.

 

How old should my child be?

Most children learn to ride their first pedal bike unaided between the ages of 3 1/2 and 4 1/2. But children develop their cycling skills at different times. If it seems that your child isn’t quite get the hang of it, don’t worry, let them keep enjoying their balance bike for a few more weeks and try again later.

How do I teach my child to ride?

Find a large, safe, flat open space to use as your learning zone. Something with tarmac or a fairly firm surface is perfect. Long grass is too tricky for new riders to pedal on.

Now adjust the height of your child’s saddle so they can get the balls of their feet on the floor.

Put your child on their bike and stand behind them, holding them under their armpits. Don’t hold any part of the bike. We want the new rider to feel how their bike naturally moves underneath them.

Push your child along and let the bike wander in any direction. You can help steer the bike by leaning your child right and left. Doing this will let your child learn that leaning is part of the steering process.

If your children have learnt to balance on a balance bike, they may take a little while to grasp the concept of forward pedalling. Encourage them while they practise pedalling forwards.

If your child is ready to cycle unaided they should quickly get a feel for balance and you can gradually let go, but stay close by to catch them if anything goes wrong.

For nervous riders, you may need to stay with them a bit longer. That’s fine. Just let them know that you’re there, but you’re very gradually going to loosen your hold on them. Eventually they’ll be cycling unaided without even knowing it. The look of delight when they realise you’re no longer holding them and they’re cycling all by themselves is a moment to treasure.

 

The final part of the jigsaw is learning how to set off from stationary unaided. For this, have your child put one of their pedals just past the top most part of the pedal circle. That means around the ‘5 to the hour’ position with the left leg, or ‘5 past the hour’ position with the right leg.

Now ask them to give a good push on this leg. With enough forward momentum they should be able to transfer both feet to the pedals, start pedalling and be a completely independent rider.

Islabikes build quality lightweight bikes that are gender neutral in their aesthetics, CyclingShorts.cc will be reviewing them shortly – so watch this space.

You can find more information at:

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/

@islabikes

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Numbers don’t win the race!

Most riders are obsessed with numbers in this Strava crazy world! We are always checking the data, the power, heart rate, time or speed for a session and obviously physical training is vitally important to becoming a successful road racer, but what about the other elements of racing that are often neglected?

 

Psychology

Can you manage your emotions, your thoughts, your pre race nerves, your confidence levels?

Professor Steve Peters rose to fame with his Chimp Paradox Mind Model and is credited with much of the success of British riders in the past few years.  Mental skills, like physical skills need time and effort to develop, how much time do you spend on them?

Simple things such as positive self talk to increase confidence and maintain focus, focused breathing techniques to control nerves and using imagery to visualise successful performances can make a significant difference.

Confidence also comes from setting SMARTER goals that include process goals. It is wonderful to have a goal of winning a specific race or completing a certain TT in a set time (an outcome goal), but often other factors outside your control influence these goals i.e. who else turns up for the race, how hard they have trained and the weather. You therefore need to set other goals or milestones that contribute to your overall goals for the season, or year. Ones that you are in control of, that will contribute to your long term goals and that you can be proud of achieving i.e. to have increased average cadence by X amount by X date, to have developed an effective warm up protocol by Spring or to have increased threshold power by X watts by X date, to have learnt to corner effectively in a bunch by Summer or to increase speed over a known course by X%. Achieving these milestones will bring confidence as you see your progress.

Pre race I recommend all my riders follow a set routine that works for them, I even ask them to write it down and plan it out along with a list of kit they need. This ensures there are no last minute panics. Using a set pre race routine and set warm up enables a rider to control their anxiety which in case is too much, experts recommend to use cbd hemp flowers.

During a race the mental skill most required is concentration and the ability to remain focussed at all times, a lapse in concentration could result in disaster. Post race it is vital to identify not just the areas for improvement, but all the things that went well. Try identifying 10 things that you did well each race i.e. did you complete a successful warm up, did you start in a good position, did you maintain a good position in the bunch, where you aware of the attacks, did you find a safe wheel to follow, did you hydrate well etc etc. Look for the positives; this is where confidence comes from! Always following the same process allows an athlete to get into the racing mindset. The British Cycling 20 minute warm is perfect for most events.

 

Technical Skills

Racing Skills Session for 700cc at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit

Racing Skills Session for 700cc at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit

Last year the Surrey League took the decision to make it compulsory for riders to attend two accredited race training sessions if they were planning to race in the league as a novice/Cat 4 racer. This year the South East Road Race League has done the same and it seems likely that other race organisers will follow suit.

These sessions cover a variety of technical skills for racing before progressing to some tactical skills including mock racing which is followed by a classroom session to discuss racing and training.

Having run a few of these sessions now, including some women’s only sessions, I truly believe riders at all levels can benefit from them. In the outside session we build the confidence to ride in close proximity to other riders, leaning on other riders, touching other riders, being in a bunch and moving through a bunch of riders.

Cornering in a bunch is very different to being cornering solo and being able to choose your line. Sessions like this give the opportunity to practise at speed in a safe environment. British Cycling has a great series of videos called Race Smart including one on Cornering in a Bunch which are well worth a look.

Women Only Session at Redbridge Cycle Circuit

Women Only Session at Redbridge Cycle Circuit

Technique for mass starts and sprint finishes are covered and practised; in a race you only get to do each of these once and they are not the sort of things you should be practising with your mates on the open road! Often the main area for improvement on the mass starts is being able to clip your second foot in quickly without looking down, this is simple to practise on every ride and can make a huge difference to both your confidence on the start line and to the start itself.

 

All riders enjoy working on their strengths, the things they naturally excel at, but identifying and dedicating time to our weaknesses will pay dividends come race day!

The Sprint for the Line!

The Sprint for the Line!

Knowledge really is power; do you know the demands of the races you are targeting? What is the circuit like? Is it a narrow circuit with tight corners, a wide circuit, an open road, is it hilly, where is the start/finish. If you are unable to ride the course or circuit pre race can you look at You Tube footage from previous races, look at Google Earth to get an idea of the layout, ask team mates or club mates what the circuit is like or even ask on social media. This will help you decide what skills you need to focus on most i.e. cornering or starts for town centre crits!

The excellent Race Smart videos cover everything from packing your bag to racing in high winds, but of course there is no substitute for getting out and practising so riders of all levels can benefit from this type of session.

 

Tactical Skills

Tactical skills are developed with experience, in your first few races really focus on observing the race, who did what, when and why? Where were the attacks? Was this a good place to attack? Did it work? Why? What happened in the race? How did you respond? How did others respond?

Watch other races live or on TV and see if you can work out what riders are doing and why? Observe how different tactics are used by individuals versus teams?

Then try some out! It is difficult to plan precisely, but have a strategy for the race or the course. Will you sit in the bunch and conserve energy as you know your strength is sprinting? Will you attack over the crest of a hill when other riders are easing off? Which attacks will you respond too? Where do attacks commonly happen on this circuit or course?

Early season races that are not your top priority for the year are good place to be brave and try out some tactics and see what might just work for you or your team.

So in 2016 will you develop your mental skills, your technical skills and your tactical skills alongside your physical training? You can bet the winners will be…….

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