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Welcome to the online playground of Adam Chamberlin

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Looking to the future

It is hard to believe it has only been a year. So much has changed and yet so little at the same time. The New Year is the time that many sit and make resolutions and plan improvement for the coming year. Maybe it is time to reframe our thoughts and look at it differently this time around.

This time twelve months ago the first sightings of COVID-19 were appearing and it started changing the world, completely. There was a problem that affected everyone, we all had to start working together to fight an unseen foe. You see that is the thing about a global pandemic, it does not matter about your skin colour or your financial demographic, we are all in it together.

So now as we enter 2021 we can do all we want to put 2020 behind us but January the 1st is just another day. Don't get wrong we should all celebrate and plan for the new year but the world won't be fixed with one more sun rise.

If we truly want to make 2021 better we must learn from 2020 and your resolutions might not involve a gym membership or a new diet.

There might be vaccines in the works, there are talks to build new trade agreements with new markets, but one thing remains the same, the humans behind ever turn.

So my plan is not to put a magic fix on a resolution but to make the most of what I have. By being the best human I can and with a positive attitude I can make 2021 better. So I encourage you to do the same. Reframe your views on resolutions and make the most of what you already have. Be the best you can. Don't judge those who think different or have a different outlook. We are all in the same boat and it is time to start bailing it out together.

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Vittoria Terreno Zero.

At first glance the Terreno Zero looks like a lockdown love child of the Corsa road tyre and a Terreno cyclocross tyre. Has Vitoria found that sweet spot for fast gravel rides?

Vittoria has been in the tyre game for a while now and where enhancements in road tyres are few and far between the off-road team have been busy. Hot on the heals of the existing three Terreno cyclocross specific treads; Wet, Dry and Mix, the Italian brand released the Terreno Zero.

Tyre Technology Overload

When the Terreno range of cross tyres first appeared I was skeptical of the performance claims. Whilst the Wet version looked like a conventional mud clearing tread, the Mix; with those arrows, looks like it was designed with Clip Art. Finally, the Dry had those fish scale honeycomb blocks that bucked the file tread trend. So, what happens when you take the smooth centre section of a Corsa road tyre and Frankenstein those fish scales onto the side tread?

Is this a slow road or a fast gravel tyre?

The fact that this tyre is called a Terreno Zero and not a ‘Corsa All Road’ probably tells you which type of rider Vittoria are appealing too.

There are four size offerings if you ride 700c wheels and one in the 650b format. My test tyres are the 32 mm wide 700c tubeless ready versions, which are the narrowest in the range, widths bulge to 38c. Whilst there is only one size for the smaller rim I’m sure Vittoria are backing this size and sales to the gravel market will be a high percentage of this 47 mm wide version. All tyres feature the Vittoria Graphene 2.0 technology. (Graphene particles fill in-between the rubber particles to add performance in case you were wondering). The main belt is a three-level compound and sits on top of a modern nylon based 120 TPI casing.

Installation

If this is a true gravel tyre then chances are you are going to be running them tubeless. So, it will only succeed if you can mount them without the need of an industrial-sized air compressor or giving yourself a latex-based shower. Let the fun begin… The front tyre popped on with nothing but a track pump, the rear only required a little assistance from a MilKit air canister. To be fair to Vittoria I’m putting it down to the wheel. Of course your mileage will vary and any tubeless setup is going to depend on the tyre rim combination. Once mounted on my DT Swiss ER1400 and inflated to a lofty 50psi they were measuring 38 mm wide. Given this rim has an internal width of 20 mm these are pretty much bang on spec.

Out on the road/trail

Whilst on the tarmac the centre tread, or lack of, acts just like any Corsa I have ever ridden, admittedly they don’t feel as tacky as the road version, but they roll really well. As you spin the Zeros faster you are quickly reminded that these are gravel tyres, the wind noise as the fish scales try to cut a hole is very noticeable. Once you hear it you can’t help but feel slower even if it is only in the head. When you run out of black top you just keep going, those funny-looking honeycomb blocks do work. They add just enough bite and feel to keep on the gas for longer. That said, you can quickly find the limits of these tyres, when the surface gets really loose they just cannot cope as well and you are probably going to have to start messing with tyre pressures to get the most out of them. Due to an August heatwave I have not been able to test what I suspect will be the tyre’s weakness; wet conditions. That centre section is so smooth that I think once the ground gets damp these are going to be nothing more than Bambi on Ice.

Overall Performance

The Zeros are just like the rest of the Terreno range I have ridden; on paper it just does not feel like it should work. Yet out in the real world I have been surprised how well they handle. The Zeros perform well on the road, they won’t feel out of place on a café run, likewise they hold their own on dry hard pack trails. Granted these are not a dedicated off-road tyre, but if you are a gravel rider that takes in a fair bit or tarmac between sections, or the trails are hard packed then these are worth a look. I will continue to rack up the miles and ride them into the Autumn and see how they perform in the changing conditions.

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Leaving Strava

It was 2010 and I signed up for the latest web service but unlike most of the signups this did not offer 140 characters to express my feelings, it was a new service called Strava. Back then Strava was pretty new, having only emerged a few years prior but it was gaining traction in the fitness arena, in particular cycling.

To me, Strava started as a digital logbook of my activities on the bike. Each week I would check to see how far I cycled and compare this on a leaderboard of local riders. Clearly the natural progression was to segments and the next level of comparison. I would target local segments and try and beat riders I knew. My life had become all about the average speed and nothing else mattered. During the purchase of my White 29 mountain bike I passionately told the sales assistant about my Strava conquests. He was not overly impressed and suggested I pin on a number instead; what did he know!

Roll the clocks forward a few years, and I was training with power and just started racing and yes, I was still uploading rides to Strava. This time I was not so much bothered by my segments; I had been introduced to the racing side of the cycling world and I soon realised just how small I was. The average speed was also a thing of the past; speed meant nothing, I saw it only as a by-product of my cycling. 

What value was Strava giving me? Social, it was all about social networking.

It was April 2020 and the whole World had been thrown into turmoil and life was changing by the day. I was trying to ride when I could but on my own, in my own little ‘bubble’. 

Strava had now become a negative experience. Every page load was a reminder of the situation in hand. My life was upside down, the family stuck at home whilst I was still working; if you could call it that. The shop door was closed, so I only had service bikes to talk to. Yet I was still checking in on Strava, just trying to torment myself further.

Today I have removed Strava from my phone. Set up a redirect rule on my laptop to prevent loading the site and disabled all email notifications. It has been the most liberating experience and after three months I do not miss the service. Well, I miss seeing the rides from the likes of Phil Gaimon but no doubt he will ‘gram them anyway.

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Getting my racing fix

2020 started off on the right trajectory. I had set myself some decent goals and spent a lot of the winter building my fitness towards some serious racing. An early race only went to prove this with a third place finish from a break.

The power numbers were looking good, the motivation was high and the summer could not get here soon enough. Roll the clocks forward and 2020 has turned everything on its head.

The pandemic hit everything, and boy did it hit my motivation. In the beginning I continued to train, living in hope that it was just a blip and the clouds would clear. Unfortunately that was not the case and my desire to train quickly disappeared. My days were filled with daily briefings and catching up the dire news from around the world; it just felt wrong to start thinking about myself and when I might get back to racing bikes. After a few weeks off the bike I soon realised that my mental state still needs to find a competitive edge and I need a goal to keep me getting out of bed in the morning. So I started looking back at my training plans and decided to throw my hat back in the Zwift racing ring. Around the same time the local race leagues had similar ideas and setup some online events to keep us going so it felt like a way to keep me motivated, stay in contact with the other local riders and still get a bit of racing in this year. My first race back on Zwift was just as hard as I remembered but I needed something else to keep me motivated, I needed a drive, something to keep my coming back and pushing every week. Let us be honest, getting on a turbo in a hot garage in June requires some dedication. Enter online streaming!

I’m streaming nearly all of my races on Twitch. We even provide a bit of commentary on the races with the online chat and Lucy talking into the microphone. This whole process helps drive me to push harder knowing there is a chance some one is watching. It has worked, my Zwift Power profile has jumped to A+ and I keep signing up for races.

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Howdy

You know that feeling, when you wake in the morning and that little thought pops into your head. “I had a blog, once”.

Yep. I can confirm that after an online search for my name it turns out I do indeed have a blog. It is still alive and has been sitting here collecting dust all this time.

Remember back when blogging was cool and everyone was creating custom WordPress themes every month? Those were the days, sat in front of the PowerMac with Coda open trying to think of a really cool design. So much has changed since then.

First and foremost I got old. Not really old just middle aged old. That said along with that I got a family; a real flesh and blood two children family. Unfortunately it also brought a mortgage and a lifetime of debt. Rough with the smooth I guess.

Honestly not sure what to do with this newly discovered platform. Pretty sure gone are the days of software releases or reviews of this new thing called Twitter. Maybe just use it as a release of mental overload. A place to gather words and share my thoughts. Can't get any more overlooked than the last five years that's for sure.

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#tbt falling leaves and burning lungs #outsideisfree #fromwhereiride #hillclimbs

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Hooded cycling jersey? #ashmei #cycling #clothing

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Falafel eating cycle pixie

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Dunwich Dynamo

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So I found a lump

"Well, it all started when I found a lump" is a phrase I have been using quite a bit lately and it is surprising how those few words can totally change the tone of a conversation. Luckily for me my lump was located on the flesh of my left buttock and after examination was diagnosed as a harmless lipoma.

When you recite that sentence; "I found a lump" you see the fear in faces and realise just how much more aware you should be of your health. Of course being a man after I found a lump I ignored it and actually booked myself on another cycling adventure. Don't be a fool, get yourself checked out and if anything is out of the ordinary go have it looked at.

I was fortunate that my 'lump' was nothing a serious as cancer, but it still required going under the knife and I was admitted to hospital within weeks. I'm now sitting here recovering from surgery, banned from cycling for a month going out of my mind with boredom but quietly thankful for all I have.

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My first crit race

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I will never underestimate a pro cyclist again

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Every race is a lesson

Round four of Mud, Sweat and Gears was held at Ickworth Park in Bury St. Edmunds. It was a new course for me but I had been informed it would consist of a lot of grassy climbs.

With the sun shining we pack the car and head over there. After signing on I meet up with Tony and we head out for a sighting lap. Sure enough, first turn off the start/finish straight was a big grassy climb into a wooded area. Unfortunately the previous two days of torrential rain was still evident under the trees. It brought back memories of winter rides with Boxford Bike Club, slipping and sliding through the thick goo.

With a sighting lap complete there was some rumours of not riding but having paid my dues I hit the start line. Somehow I was gridded and found myself on the front row, up against the inside barrier.

Eyes down, wait for the whistle. It was only as I entered the second wooded section I realised I was in the top three. Suddenly my race plan had gone from ‘just try to survive this round’ to ‘come on, we can have to have a crack at this’. Pressing on I stuck with second place through quarter of a lap, until on a climb he waved me through. As I passed I muttered that I did not want to lead but he claimed I had more firepower and to go for it. So I did. I put my head down, watched my heart rate rise and powered through two sticky laps.

On the final lap I realised I was on the limit and I needed to ease off the gas, but not knowing how far ahead I was meant I did not want to ease too much. Time to try and gage how much it too much but also too little. Crossing the finish line in first place was amazing but also surreal; could or would I ever reproduce it.

Only two weeks later we head over towards Chelmsford and Radical Bikes for Round Five. The description was a flat course that would not be technical but provide plenty of overtaking and a grin factor of ten. It was a section of natural woodland interspersed by ponds and littered with shallow bomb holes. The sighting lap highlighted that the little the climbs out of the holes required full speed attacks into the holes. It was going to be a tough course for me.

Once again I’m sitting on the front of the grid waiting for the whistle. To calm my nerves I look around and try to size up my competition; the only person I recognise is second place rider from the last round.

The whistle blasts and we fire off. First lap of four was reduced to cut out a bottleneck at the first woodland section. So it was a mad dash to the second bit of single track and I lost track of my position.

My race plan was to sit with a group, conserve some energy and pick off places as I can. Unfortunately due to a slight spill by a rider further down the track I ended up on the front of a small group after lap two. This is not a good place for me, I really struggle with pace and this is exactly what they wanted. Hearing the bikes right behind me rattle over the roots made me push a bit harder, but all I did was tow my two passengers around for lap after lap. Finally on the final lap by efforts gave out, I was forced into recovery mode and needed to back off. Nothing I could do but watch the two riders roll past me on into the distance. My only saving grace was I had put a gap on the next group so my reduced placing was safe. I pushed as hard as I could to the finish and crossed the line in sixth place.

Two races and two more experience lessons. It is clear I need to work on my pacing and being able to judge my efforts. More importantly I need to work on my mental race. Luckily I have July off to work on these, next race is in Thetford on the 3rd of August.

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First ever podium in cycling

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Early Bays on Flickr.

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Meet the new FSi