Unless you have been living in an igloo for the last month, you will have heard the not-so-shocking news that Lance Armstrong was doping during his seven Tour de France wins.  This seems to have tarnished the way people view cycling, from both within and out of the sport. For me, occurrences like this in road cycling, solidify how good a sport mountain biking is.

OK, so mountain biking as a competitive sport isn’t perfect, with a few people in cross-country having used EPO (which increases number of red blood cells) and a downhill rider who seemed to have tested positive for something more recreational than performance-enhancing.

Much of the general public is unaware of downhill as discipline though, and many only know about cross-country because of the Olympics. I believe that mountain biking should be broadcast on mainstream television to shed a positive light on cycling.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Sir Chris Hoy, Laura Trott OBE and Victoria Pendleton CBE are all household names, which shows that cycling is well received in the UK and is on an all-time high.

But how about adding Steve Peat and Gee Atherton to that list? Two people who got to the podium not through drugs but through hard work and simply loving riding their bikes. It’s no secret that Steve Peat likes a tipple but he and Gee are honest people who enjoy what they do and not only focus on their own careers but spend time to nurture future talent too.

Ski Sunday is on the BBC in the winter and features downhill racing of the snow variety and is definitely entertaining. So I am sure a Mountain Bike Sunday in the summer would be well received! I believe there is an audience. Licensing for coverage must surely be relatively cheap compared to, say, F1. This would encourage investment in to mountain biking from major companies through sponsorship similar to what it had in the early 2000s.

Editor Rob Spedding heads down to Enigma Bikes in Eastbourne to get himself measured up for our upcoming bespoke bikes feature and proof, if it were needed, that he’s related to apes…

I’ve always been lanky but have always assumed that my spindly limbs were perfectly in proportion with my round shoulders and pigeon chest. After a few minutes of having various bits of me measured in a small industrial unit on the outskirts of Eastbourne, East Sussex, it looks like I might have a couple of bodily anomalies after all. “Your arms are longer than the norm,” says Enigma Bikes’s frame building guru Mark Reilly. As my knuckles don’t drag along the ground I could argue, but Mark’s the expert and his observation is backed up by the huge database on bikefitting.com. This is the tool that Mark and many other top bike builders use to get the geometry of bespoke bikes spot on.

My, haven't you got long arms?

Mark’s typed my measurements – including shoulder width, torso length and foot size – into Enigma’s bikefitting.com software and it’s compared me to thousands of other people of my height. Where I hit the norm the measurements show as green, where I’m different it’s red. So, my arm length is red… “This means that I can tweak the geometry of your bike so that it takes this information into account and you get the perfect fit,” explains Mark. On screen he’s making small adjustments to the outline of an Enigma bike and changing details such as top tube length – it ends up shorter than the 58cm ‘off the peg’ size I tend to favour – top tube angle, stem length and reach from saddles to bar. I’m not going to pretend to understand it but it all makes sense… And once I sit on a ‘jig’ that has all the relevant measurements dialled in I’m happy. (And, more importantly, so is Mark.)

And this is the 'handlebar' right?

Of course, having a bike made isn’t just about getting the angles and lengths right so before my measuring session Mark and I chatted about the kind of riding I want to do on my Enigma. And the bits I want on it. And, most importantly, the material I want it made from. Now, unlike tech. ed. Warren I’m not really a bike geek so I’m not going into this with the dream of colour co-ordinated tubing, cables and spoke nipples. And I’m also not an out-and-out racer like tech writer Robin Wilmott so I’m not in need of a machine that’ll get me to the front end of the field… But I do know that want something that’s comfortable enough for big rides, climbs well but can provide me with plenty of fun in the twisty bits.

"Yeah, throw in some wheels and I'll take it..."

As for the material I was seriously considering going for steel as I’d recently had a lot of fun riding my father-in-law’s old Gios, however think of Enigma and you really do think about titanium. And Mark does a pretty good job of selling Enigma’s expertise in the art of crafting Ti.  I worry that my slightly vague wishlist might not be enough for Mark, but he seems happy. We agree on hand-built wheels – Mavic Open Pros on Chris King R45 hubs, a matching Chris King headset and Campagnolo Athena Carbon shifting. I toyed with Shimano Ultegra Di2 but as much as I like it, I’m not sure I need it. And, it’s a personal thing, I think Campag will just look better on a metal bike.  So, we’ve got the ball rolling – Mark’s going to send me the final confirmation of size and geometry. And then I’ll sit back and relax while Mr Reilly works his magic in the Enigma workshop. I can’t wait!

Our shocking revelation that 48% of riders will admit to making cute ickle baby cats cry is the result of an “exhaustive” poll carried out on our Facebook page. Other frankly astonishing findings from our survey revealed that a worrying 21% of cyclists have punched a cow whilst riding and more than a quarter (29%) have hurt the feelings of a sensitive child. Less surprising is the ‘fact’ that only seven per cent of cyclists have kissed a girl and liked it while pedalling.

Look at its face. Now make it cry. (istock)

Yep, our survey of, ooh literally 28 people was rubbish and proved nothing. A bit like the the IAM’s survey which has drawn a uniformly negative response from journalists and cyclists alike. Kaya Burgess, writing in The Times, and The Guardian’s Peter Walker are among many who’ve already poured eloquent scorn over the IAM’s shonky sensationalism.  Here at Cycling Plus we believe that every road user should obey The Highway Code and, therefore, we say simply don’t jump red lights. However, we can’t help but feel the IAM missed the real headline  – 31.8% of drivers questioned in the same poll say that they also jump red lights. Surely, the Institute of Advanced, erm, Motorists should be highlighting this figure. The facts are incontrovertible* – a pedestrian, cyclist or car driver is far more likely to be seriously injured or killed by a car jumping a light than a cyclist. In chasing cheap column inches the IAM has missed the mark by a massive margin.

* According to the Department for Transport (DfT), in 2009 no pedestrians were killed in Great Britain by cyclists, but 426 died in collisions with motor vehicles out of a total of 2,222 road fatalities

Earlier this week we received a statement from Santini explaining that due to a clash with the MacMillan Cancer Support Dorset Bike Ride the Santini Sportive, starting from the National Trust property at Kingston Lacy on July 3 was off. Looks like it isn’t. Organisers VOTWO have released this statement to say the 50 and 80 mile rides – now the National Trust Sportives – are definitely still on!

“In response to recently published reports you may have seen in the cycling media that the Kingston Lacy Sportive event has been cancelled. This is not the case. Despite clothing sponsor Santini having withdrawn their sponsorship from the event Votwo and the National Trust are making no changes to their planned Kingston Lacy Sportive. Santini withdrawing there involvement in the event will not affect the running of the event and we look forward to seeing you on July 3rd.”

A few weeks ago I took part in a recce ride of the 50-mile route. It’s a nice route – not overly tough but with a cheeky climb up Zig Zag Hill on the B3061, reputedly Britain’s twistiest road.

To enter click here.

If any of you read my daily blog over at www.massivemtber.co.uk then you’ll know I am a huge rugby union fan. I’ve played since I was 10 years old and reached county level in the 1980s, which back then was a pretty good standard, and now I coach the game.

To say I’m a huge rugby union fan is, in all fairness, a bit of an understatement – sad, lonely rugby anorak is probably closer to the mark! I watch every bit of the sport I can, I read every book I can, devour every bit of info from all sources off the internet and social media, and I’m out coaching various teams as often as possible.

What has this got to do with weight loss cycling I hear you all thinking? If indeed you’ve made it this far down the page. Why are you banging on about rugby on the What Mountain Bike blog?

Okay, good point well made, but bear with me I’m getting there. Sir Clive Woodward, who was the England manager from 1997 to 2004, wrote a book called Winning! after England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Naturally I bought it and read it expecting either a coaching manual or his biography. What I got was both and neither. He’d written a story about what it takes to win and the standards that are required to be the best in the world. He left nothing to chance.

Let me put this into a weight loss cycling perspective. At the moment, everything is going well for me. I have my goals set for the year and I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. I’m eating correctly, commuting by bike every day, pedalling one day of the weekend and religiously doing my post-cycle upper body and core exercises.

How good am I, eh? My smug-o-meter is officially off the scale at the moment. But, what happens when things get tough? If you read my last WMB blog then you’ll know I fell off the wagon big style in December. I’ve stopped trying to figure out why that happens, but I’ve started a strategy to stop it when badness threatens.

Going to back to Sir Clive Woodward’s book, he set in place mantras for his team; plans that they fell back on when the going got tough. Automatic responses if you like. One of them was ‘control the controllables’. This has weight loss applications in as much as you can only do what you can do. A bit simplistic perhaps, but simple suits me. If you’re doing what you should be, then it doesn’t really matter what your weekly scales tell you if you have a static weight week. My record without dropping a pound was six weeks! But after 18 months if I look at my weight loss graph it shows a steady fall to the tune of six stones.

My favourite Woodwardism is that of TCUP. This translates as: THINKING CLEARLY UNDER PRESSURE

This is especially brilliant for us fatties who could, and do, fall off the wagon with alarming regularity. Sir Clive correctly identified that the top sides in all sports win the games that matter when they’re under the most enormous pressure. The Rugby World Cup of 2003 and Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal in extra time is the most famous example of Sir Clive and his team demonstrating TCUP.

With two and a half minutes to go of extra time (you all probably know the story) they engineered a field position to get Saint Jonny of Wilkinson into drop goal range and win the World Cup. The particular plan they had in place was called ‘Zigzag’ but they used TCUP to correctly solve the particular problem they had and identified ‘Zigzag’ as the answer. Then they had to stay calm enough to actually perform it with supreme accuracy. Which we all know they did and I had a three-day hangover to show for it!

I asked myself what do all fatties do when they’re under pressure? They eat or stop exercising. I know – been there done that. Which means they lose the game and much worse, undo all the good they’ve done beforehand.

A classic example would be having a hard day at work, a bad journey home, the kids are screaming when you get in, the missus is going off on one too… You get the picture.

Your reaction, probably a natural one, is “Sod cooking, let’s have a take away.” Or “I’m too knackered to do my upper body stuff…” This is the moment when you’re under the greatest pressure with your weight loss lifestyle. And the moment when you need to think clearly under that pressure. Identify this and create a strategy to deal with it successfully and it’s my belief you’ve cracked it.

So the big question for all you fatties out there is how do you apply TCUP and what’s your Zigzag to help you when you need it most? Whatever it is, the simpler the better.

Teams of four will compete for the  RIDE24 trophy, won by the team that completes the most laps and therefore travels furthest in 24 hours. The winning team will also secure themselves a free place in the French 24 Heures Velo event at the legendary Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans.

When not in the saddle, competitors can recover in the RIDE24 rider village, which includes camping facilities, 24-hour hot and cold food and snacks, massage area, first aid and mechanical support.

Event manager Sarah Stevenson, from Action Medical Research, says: “This is the ultimate in biking challenges, with teams racing day and night around a fantastic circuit. It’s your chance to push yourself and your team mates to the limit in an exciting, well-supported and unforgettable experience, and all for a good cause. Next year’s event promises to be bigger, better and more competitive than ever so do join us.”

The 2010 event was won by the Sky Estall Express team, a team of BSkyB employees, who completed 191 laps, travelling 876.6km. Team captain Richard Broadbent said: “We were pushed every yard by some superb and very hungry competition but by dawn had built up a decent lead. Crossing the line for the final time was unforgettable – my best ever moment on two wheels. The event was slickly organised and had a fantastic atmosphere, with friendly faces both on and off the track – mostly masking a steely determination to win!”

Cyclists participating in RIDE24 raise money to help fund medical research into conditions affecting babies and children. Research currently being supported by Action Medical Research includes work around meningitis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and premature birth, as well as some very rare and distressing conditions that severely affect children. Last year’s event raised more than £85,000 for the charity.

For more information about RIDE24 and to register, visit  www.action.org.uk/ride24.

There is a registration fee of £299 per team and you will also need to raise £1,250 in sponsorship as a team.

The Giro D’Italia is one of the world’s most iconic stage races, and with the recent announcement of the route, is also looking to be one of the toughest years yet.  The course takes in the classic climbs of Zoncolan and Rifugio Gardeccia, whilst also stretching itself down to the southern tips of Sicily.

This year, electronics giant Sharp and The Prostate Cancer Charity has opened up the route, for a chance for  mortal amateurs to ride the course as well.  Commencing as the Giro finishes, The Gran Corsa D’Italia will follow the entirety of the 2011 Giro Course, over three weeks.  All proceeds being donated to fight against the most common cancer in men in the UK.

Earlier this month, Rapha Condor Sharp rider Kristian House went to Sicily, to ride the Mt. Etna stage of the Giro – stage 9.  The course involved climbing the active volcano from its northern and southern side, with a descent to sea level, taking in the Ionian Sea, with the snowy, smoking Sicilian spewer in the background.

We had the chance to talk to Rapha Condor Sharp team Manager John Herety during the recce, and hear his thoughts on the unique nature of this stage.

Tell us about this stage.

John Herety: “The stage in Sicily, which encompasses Mt Etna will be one of the iconic stages of next years’ Giro. This is a unique opportunity to do a route less travelled.  Unlike many of the iconic Alpine or Pyrenean climbs this is less available as an arranged tour. Mt. Etna is a climb to be respected but not feared.”

©Sharp/Camille McMillan

How will the Sicilian setting affect the overall day?

“The island setting creates a very different atmosphere for the stage.  Climbing from sea level, you see a real change, yet have a constant visual reference, being able to see the coast for most of the ascent.  In two hours it goes from 20c to 0.  The island wind will also be both advantageous and challenging, as coastal breezes can be quite strong.

What about the Giro, makes it stand out compared to other Grand Tours?

“The Italian public are the the most knowledgeable about cycling.   They have a passion for it that you can only liken to the British passion for  football.”

What opportunities will the Gran Corsa D’Italia entrants have, not only on this stage, but overall?

“Whilst the riding elements of the stage are one thing, with the riders replicating what the pros will be doing, the transfer element of the Gran Corsa are inherent to the nature of pro cycling.  At the end of the stage, riders will go to hotel for the evening, with the large transfers in the morning. If you really want to experience what a pro goes through, this is the most accurate. The overall event, although incredibly challenging at times, will also prove to be an incredible opportunity to experience the reality, the highs and lows, and also the camaraderie, and teamwork, so essential to pro cycling.”

©Sharp/Camille McMillan

Can you tell us about the Rapha Condor Sharp team involvement with the project?

“This event is a continuation of the team’s commitment to The Prostate Cancer Charity, for a 3^rd year.  We’ve enjoyed relationship with them, and are pleased to take it another step forward, with this next adventure.  We will be sending three riders down, each for a week.”

“For the team, its an ideal opportunity for our riders to re-train during the season, use it as a solid block of riding, and is good training for stage races such as the Tour of Britain. It will be challenging for them as well.  Some of the riders have ridden for Italian teams in the past, and we hope to utilise their expertise on the terrain.”

©Sharp/Camille McMillan

For more information on the Gran Corsa d’Italia and to sign up click here or visit its Facebook page

Paul Howard

What a combination: a chance to go cycling on the Inner Hebridean island of Islay and to sample some of its most famous export – whisky. Not just any whisky, I might add, but single malt whisky from the prestigious Ardbeg distillery.

Come to think of it, it’s not just any cycling either. The charms of Islay are clear enough – magnificent scenery, not many people, even fewer cars – but the rugged beauty of the proposed route was only one aspect of the planned ride. Further enticement, if it was needed, came in the form of legendary former Hour Record holder Graeme Obree, who was due to accompany us on a spin around the island. Add to this the fact that the event was called the ‘Gourmet Ride’ and involved the promise of a luxurious dinner afterwards, and this was clearly an opportunity not to be missed.

Paul and Ian double up on Islay

However there were several obstacles to overcome before a commitment could be made. First was how to get there: Islay is a long way away from everywhere, but in particular from Brighton, and is poorly served by air and train transport. A car and preferably another driver would be needed.

Of greater concern, however, were the twin challenges of keeping up with Graeme Obree and other extremely fit cyclists, first on the bike and then in the bar at the distillery. With limited miles in my legs and an even more limited tolerance to whisky, travelling without a companion (read: chaperone) seemed risky.

Fortunately, the appeal of the ride meant there was no difficulty in persuading Ian – a cyclist and native Scot to boot – to volunteer for the ride, and to share the driving. And then came a moment of sheer inspiration: why only share a car when we could share a bike as well?

There, in front of me, was a brand new tandem waiting desperately for its first big adventure. Surely this was the answer? With a route devoid of major hills, our combined power might actually allow us to maintain a decent speed on the flatter sections, and possibly have enough breath left to converse with our fellow travellers. Most importantly, should the post ride whisky drinking become excessive, I would have someone to steer me home – literally.

Then as you grow up. The colour pink grows on you. Suddenly it’s an option. Something for a special occasion. You might try to bluff it by calling it salmon or magenta, but everyone knows it’s pink. And you don’t feel too bad about it. It’s just a colour. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course if you were being sceptical you would say I only like pink because my team kit contains a fair bit of it. That’s true, but unlike the T-Mobile kit of old, our use of it is a bit more subtle. A splash of pink is cool. Too much is overkill. That’s something the joker might wear when fighting Batman. He can get away with outlandish outfits. He’s a Supervillan. The rest of us can’t. We don’t live in Gotham City.

So why am I writing about a colour. And such a girly colour at that. Well it just so happens that those mother loving, bum bag wearing, metrosexuals from Italy also like pink. In fact they like it so much the leader of their national tour gets such a coloured jersey for the honour. Now before we go on lets be clear. The Maglia Rosa is cool and iconic. Matching shorts, socks, glasses, bikes etc most certainly are not. Vincenzo Nibali take note.

Pink also has another significance. Apart from being the name of a pop star. And a hair colour if you want to rebel or stand out from the crowd. And a perfume… It’s also the colour chosen for breast cancer charities. They have walks where women wear pink bras to raise money to fight breast cancer. It’s a cause which gets a lot of media attention.

And it’s a cause which means a lot to me. I know first hand how cancer can change lives. Everyone expects to go to their parents funerals at some point in their life. But not when you’re eleven. Not when you need your mother most. At least one good thing came of it. I found my hero. I’ve never faced death before but I certainly expect it will scare me. If my mum was scared she never showed it. Not to me anyway. She never complained. She never snapped. In the end it was a fight that was only ever going to have one winner. Breast cancer won.

So why am I writing about this now? It happened 15 years ago. I dealt with it a long time ago. My life’s changed a lot since then. Why talk about the past?

Well because while I might have changed. Some things haven’t. Modern medicine might mean more people survive cancer. But it’s still deadly. And in some cases on the increase. And now I’ve got a chance to do something about it. Raising money for charity is something other people do. While you sit at home worrying about what luxury item to buy. Other people are giving up their time to help others. Good for them you think. But do you do anything to help. Maybe. Maybe not.

The trouble is there are so many charities. Which one do you pick? While breast cancer might be getting all the news stories. There’s another more silent killer on the prowl. This is prostate cancer. Men are too proud to get cancer. They are too manly to admit it.  Well, unfortunately not. And denial isn’t going to help it.

As a team we’ve been luckily enough for the last two years to be sponsored by Sharp. The team’s jersey in 2009 were filled with the words Sharp4Prostrate. This was to show the companies support for the Prostrate Cancer Charity. And in 2010 a team from Sharp including the UK Managing Director Paul Molyneux took part in the RAAM. The Race Across America. And they did very well. But racing across America. Non stop. With little sleep. On a bike. That’s not fun. Only crazy people do that.

But in 2011 there’s a new kid on the block. A new challenge. And this time it’s in the land of pizza, ice cream and grappa. Italy. With it’s epic mountains and stunning scenery. And the occasional ‘bella donna’ to take your eyes off the road.

But only pro’s get to ride round Italy. You have to be a superstar to the do the Giro d’Italia don’t you? Well no. Not any more. In 2011 you can take part in the Prostrate Cancer Charity supported by Sharp, Gran Corsa d’Italia (www.grancorsa.com) covering the whole 3 week long route starting on 29th May 2011. The ride will be launched in London on 13th December but the ride is open to people from all nationalities so give it a go.

What an opportunity. You could be one of those fund raising people. Completing the challenge of a lifetime. And saving lives while you do it. The riders of Rapha Condor Sharp will be there. Will You?

This blog is dedicated to Clare Greenwood, 2nd April 1949 – 18th December 1995.

Then mosey on down to your local newsagent and pick up the brand new issue of MBUK.

It’s packed with all the usual news, features and reviews goodness, but this time we’re bringing you even more!

Yep, every issue comes with an exclusive supplement featuring the Sexiest Bikes and Kit for 2011.

Lovingly compiled by our genius tech ed Weavs, we’ve got flippin gorgeous shots of the bikes of the year. We’re talking the Nuke Proof Scalp DH, Mondraker Factor RR, Cannondale Jekyll Ultimate, DMR Omen and every single bike that matters for 2011.

We’ve got all the juiciest kit, and a look back at the trends that have stuck over the years. And the ones that haven’t.

Not only that, we’ve gotten into a huddle with all the industry bods who matter to find out what’s coming over the next year.

And our own Wrecking Crew team give their predictions for what we’ll all be riding in 2011. And last, but not least, a pic of a very large tortoise.

Don’t miss it!