Blog
Ciao all,
I hope you are well and getting back to normal life after the holidays and the kids going back to school this week.
Next Sunday we will be at Richmond Running Festival come over for some great fun.
Visit us at our stand and say hello.
Have a good Bank Holiday.
SD Team
We had the pleasure to have Mark Yeoman to try Black Inc Wheel Thirty Tubulars with DT 240 Swiss Hub. Below you can find his review.
I've always trained & raced with a well know brand, so I was naturally apprehensive about switching wheels.
The reports about Black Inc Wheels are well founded. Straight away I could feel that the 30s were super responsive and quick.
Every time I looked to accelerate out of corner or look to chase down the wheel in front they responded without any flex or movement so no loss of power or confidence. And to say they are fast is an under statement. With DT Swiss hubs (ceramic bearings are optional) they rolled with ea. You can see that they are made to the highest stands. You would easily think that they were firecrests but these are better.
Thank you very much Mark and good luck for you world championship next month in Chicago.
If you like to try please get in touch with us at store@saddledrunk.com.
SD TEAM.
Today guest riders from the last L2P are Derek from the beautiful Scotland and Andy from Essex.
A french delicacy,Steak Tartare.
Why did you decide to do it.
I have been riding with SD for some time now and it’s great to be able to ride with like-minded people from an excellent coffee shop in Paperback so close to where I live.
So, when the Paris trips were announced signing up was an easy decision to make. Slightly more difficult was which month to choose. I opted for July as the weather was “ bound to be good” ( how wrong could I be) and it coincided with the climax of the Tour de France.
What did you do to prepare for it?
Preparation involved a range of different SD group rides comprising Richmond park loops , hill reps and longer Friday rides to Windsor and beyond and of course plenty of Paperback coffee.
How did you find it?
I really enjoyed the ride and was pleased that the training had put me in good stead for the event. An added bonus was no paperwork such as train/ferry /hotel bookings as this had all been taken care of courtesy of Stefano.
The mileage and terrain were fine the key challenges being the overnight ferry crossing ( ie no bed ) and the shocking weather, both of which I was able to mitigate to some extent with my self- inflating travel pillow , long bibs and overshoes. The rain was biblical in proportions and more akin to Scotland in Spring rather than the south of England in the height of summer.
It was fantastic to arrive in Paris together adorned in the SD customised yellow kit, albeit slightly weird to have posed for so many strangers’ photographs in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower !.
Derek landing in Dieppe with Heavy Rain & 42 Knots Wind Gusts
Would I do it again?
I wouldn’t hesitate and would encourage others to sign up.
What was going through your mind during the ride
The full gamut of emotions depending upon heaviness of rain, time of day, intensity of sun, speed, terrain and how the group were feeling but mostly......................I can’t wait to do more of these !!
Next is Andy with his speech.
Why did I do it?
I wanted to do the ride last year but unfortunately an injury meant I had to put it on hold, so this year I set myself some goals; what started out as personal goals soon became a reason to ride for a charity which is ‘Tommy’s.
How did I prepare for it?
I have been getting out on my bike whenever I can mostly during the week days and always on my own, I didn’t know anyone near where I live to ride with, so it has meant a lot of lonely training sessions. I have been gradually building up the miles riding 40, 50 then 70 then doing lots of spinning classes when I couldn’t get out on the road. I have also now joined Romford Cycle Club which is local to me and they are a great bunch of people, very welcoming and lots of good riders which makes the ride outs with them at times hard as they do push you on and I will always try and keep up with the stronger riders!!
How did I find the ride?
I had an absolute nightmare on Friday just to try and get to the start, I set off at 12pm in the car to be dropped off but the horrendous wet weather caused huge traffic problems on my route to the start. This meant that I never actually got there!! With the group setting off to the train station having taken the sensible decision to catch the train to Brighton where I had to meet everyone there. This was not something that I had contemplated we might have to do and was a bit deflated to start with, but the group were really upbeat and I soon perked up when we eventually set off to Newhaven.
I found the ride to be easier than I had thought it would be, maybe my training paid off after all!! Riding in the company of such a nice bunch of people also made it really enjoyable and despite the weather I had a great time riding through some great scenery and pothole free roads.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely!! I’m trying to convince my wife to take up cycling and do the trip next year.
I was also able to stop on in Paris to take in the Tour De France final stage which was a big highlight to be able to watch the professionals do their thing…they are so fast!!
I will be recommending the trip to everyone I speak to, who cycles next year it may well be our own stage of the TDF. Stefano has done a great job in organising the whole thing and was our very own Sat Nav at times.
Andy in Paris
What was going through my mind during the ride?
Mainly try and keep with everyone and don’t fall off!!
OK, so I was the only one to fall off…..!! but I did keep with you all.
The weather did it’s best to dampen spirits but to be honest I don’t mind riding in the wet I see it as just another challenge, I ride a motorbike and have ridden in all weathers including snow, so really didn’t mind it that much. However when the sun came out it allowed everyone to dry out before getting into Paris, I take with me from the trip some new friends and experiences and fond memories. I felt quite emotional riding to the Eiffel Tower where my wife was waiting for us to arrive and seeing the face of Craig when his mum tapped him on the shoulder was an absolute picture!! worth the journey on its own.
My thanks to everyone for making the ride so enjoyable and to Stef for organising, you don’t know how much I have been inspired to ride more often and will definitely being doing more rides and sportives.
Laundry in the room balcony.
Thank you Derek & Andy to pass over to others your experience.
Be safe on the Road.Be SaddleDrunk.
SD Team.
Ciao a tutti,I hope you are well and enjoying the summer with plenty Kms in your legs,and the virtual cabinet loading up with badges.
Last Friday we departed from London to Paris again with our second group. This time was challenging. Hence the fact that today guest blog riders/writers are Craig Skinner & Chris W. two of the "Magnificent 7".
Craig celebrating his arrival at the Eiffel Tower
Why did you do it?
My primary reason for doing the London to Paris ride was to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, but also to push myself as a cyclist.
I began raising money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research through cycling challenges following a diagnosis my sister, Kirsty, received of Leukaemia in 2012. She's shown an incredible amount of bravery in the face of everything that's been thrown at her and I'm so unbelievably proud of her. She went through so much chemotherapy and in 2013 she had a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, with a donation from me. This was successful and she's now doing really well.
Research into new treatments is so important and donating money to charities such as Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research can really help save lives. At the time of writing I’ve raised £751.74 from the London to Paris ride and would like to thank everyone who generously donated.
The weather radar before departing
What did you do to prepare for it?
Lots and lots of cycling. Often joined by lots of wonderful fellow Saddledrunk members. That, and I baked a big batch of flapjacks.
How did you find it?
The weather was the biggest challenge on the ride, leaving me shivering and with my teeth chattering for quite some time. Sadly the extreme weather conditions meant that we couldn’t complete the entire UK side of the journey as it was too dangerous but we pressed on regardless, hitting more bad weather when we arrived in Dieppe. Around the 100km mark in France the sun came out and slowly but surely we began to dry off and warm up.
Everything was very well organised by Papa Stef and he took care of us incredibly well, even handing out extra clothes from his heavy rucksack to those of us, like me, that hadn’t prepared for quite such bad weather. He also had pre-planned stops where we could load up on croissants and espresso. The countryside was also very pretty and the roads are nothing like those in the UK. No potholes!
In Newhaven at the Ferry Terminal.
Would you do it again?
Absolutely. Especially as we sadly had to cut it a little short. In fact I think my last words to Stef before riding home were, ‘I want to do the whole journey again’. The ride also left me with a burning desire to cycle abroad more - this was my first time - and my head is full of possible ideas for future rides.
What was going through your mind during the ride?
I can’t say it was always good things as the gusts battered us, the rain beat down and grit flew up in my face flying down the Avenue Verte but cycling with a really nice group quickly banished any negativity from my mind and for the most part I was just so happy to be part of the ride. And to know that my doing it had led to so many generous donations.
Arriving in Paris was a thrilling and wonderful experience too and one that was made even more special by the surprise appearance of my mum, who had got a passport and travelled to Paris from Cornwall to meet me at the finish. I had absolutely no idea that she was going to be there - her and my girlfriend, Katy, had managed to keep it a secret for some time - and was incredibly surprised and moved.
Andrew raising Money for Tommy's Charity
Next on line is Chris W.
London to Paris had appealed to me for quite sometime after witnessing friends and work colleagues complete the pilgrimage to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. So when the opportunity came about to do it with the SaddleDrunk guys I couldn't miss out, especially arriving in the city on the final weekend of the Tour de France.
I had been keeping a close eye on the weather in the build up to our own grand depart and the forecast was not in our favour, the great British summer decided to drop a months worth of rain in one day. The conditions were so bad a decision was made to get the train to Brighton for safety reasons.
Having only managed a small amount of riding on the first day in some terrible conditions, the real riding started when we arrived in Dieppe. Fuelled by coffee and croissants following our first pit stop, the sun finally made an appearance and we could really appreciate the beautiful countryside and pot hole free French roads. We really put in the effort and the kilometres were passing by in no time. It was a welcomed change to see how respectful the French motorists were of cyclists, giving us plenty of room when overtaking.
We had a lot of laughs and jokes along the way and there was a great sense of achievement when we reached the capital. We felt as though we were the stars of the TdF with tourists asking to take our photos underneath the Eiffel Tower! We capped off a great couple of days with well deserved beers and wine over dinner.
Stretching at Gare Du Nord.
I have to give a huge thanks to Stefano for organising the whole trip (and assisting with that puncture at 5am!!), I have taken some great memories with me and I look forward to doing more Saddledrunk organised trips in the future!
ook out for Part 2 of the ride.
Thank you to Craig & Chris.
A very well done to the riders.
SD Team
Chris,Stef,Craig,Ale,Val,Derek,Andy.
Ciao a tutti,
I hope you are all well.
A week away from another London to Paris in 24 hours, we have more reviews from 2 others riders from last month trip.Guest of today are John & Carl.
Ross Cycles saved Carl's ride to Paris
The first is John.
Why did I do it?
Well I like to set myself challenges, it was a few months before and I head Stef talking about London to Paris and I thought, wow, that sounds fun. I think at the time I’d not even made 50km (30 miles) in a day. I signed up and almost cancelled after my first 80km (50 mile) ride but actually signing up meant I really had to do it, I was committed. Getting back on a bike though is an effort at 50 years old and some 35kg (5 1/2 stone) over weight to get fit and lean again, it’s working, slowly but surely.
How did you find it?
Well even the day before I was pretty nervous, on the day I left an hour before everyone else because I thought I’d need the extra time to get to Newhaven, to be honest I still think that was a good idea but in all honestly I found it much easier than I’d expected and was still full of energy when we got there (for a while). The ride down to Newhaven was tougher hill-wise than the Dieppe to Paris ride, the excitement of riding in France just kept me going, finally you see signs to Paris Centre Ville and you’re there.
Would you do it again?
Absolutely, I’m even thinking of going on the July trip, it was a superb weekend, being able to arrive at a little bakery and eat almost everything in sight without worrying about the consequences was one of the best parts. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, several beers and a great meal when we got there. I could barely get out of a seat two days later but it was a good pain. Yes, definitely up for another trip very soon, I can’t wait.
Couple of SD riders sleeping on the ferry
Next on the line is Carl nicknamed "The Bull".
Why?
I have been looking for a personal challenge for some time.
I had seen you at work cycling and training hard and watched and heard about your passion/lifestyle/travels and the enjoyment you get from cycling.
I was on a weekend away in London with the wife in September 2014 and watched Stef, Stu and his father in law set of from Westminster, on the L2P2014 they were of on an adventure I wanted to go with them then lol, little did I know that the following year I would be riding it myself. A spark was obviously lit.
I have cycled on and off since childhood and wanted back in.
I had bought a road bike through the cycle to work scheme and was updating my attire when You literally kitted me out, I now had all the gear and no idea, I was now the coolest/largest looking mamil in Dorset,
I started training trying to get back a fitness i had in my head but my body said different
I was chatting with Stef and Stu about the Paris run from 2014. I had a new challenge..
How did I find the ride??
Absolutely exhilarating, a feeling of complete freedom, to borrow a SaddleDrunk theme intoxicating..
We met at PBC.. Met by some lovely lovely people all keen to help out in any small way the expressos are stunning, We left in a hurrah of photos and good luck wishes,
1 hour later the bike was broken, unridable a snapped derailiure hanger, and the trip looked doomed for me. (My heart sank) 1700hrs on a Friday night in Croydon, my heart sank I was completely gutted..
Two hours later I was pedalling towards Newhaven eating up miles riding with Stefano and Serrene thanks to Ross Cycles for staying open. At one stage I thought I had broke Stefano but it was his cleats. The others had left as there was a ferry to catch..on arrival in Newhaven we were met with pizza I was so happy that we had made the ferry, thanks to Stef, Serene, Stuart, John, Hilary, David And Paul..who all helped me to Paris..
Would I do it again???
I want to ride Paris again
The Pyrenees and
London 2 Rome ..
Feel Free to get if you need more info or you would like to take part.
Ciao.
John and his extra heavy bike
SD Team
Enjoying the food while the waiter is trying to burn the restaurant.
Welcome to the new SaddleDrunk site. Here you will find our cycling apparel, accessories and components for sale along with our stories from the road.
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