Review - 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson

As soon as I heard about multiple National Time Trial champion Michael Hutchinson's new book, I was eager to get a hold of it. I am a huge fan of his columns in Cycling Weekly, and of cycling science, so the two together were a highly appetising concept. I planned to save Faster... to read on holiday over Easter, but I read the first few pages and ended up devouring it in a single afternoon.

The overall aim of the book is, as the title suggests, to examine all of the factors behind the speed and success of the world's best cyclists. It is not written as a training manual, such as The Obree Way, but the investigative side is interlaced with Hutchinson's (highly successful) personal story.

For example, we are told about his personal history with Team GB (which I'll speak more of later) and his brush with professionalism. I think the 'obsession' part is mostly contained within this section, at least personally, disclosing that he has slept in an altitude tent for the past 10 years!

Hutchinson reels off his personal stats, which are for want of a better word - superhuman. Although he still manages to apply his characteristic self depreciating humour, stating that despite this, he still manages to be inefficient, both physiologically and due to his un-aerodynamic huge calves! These enable comparisons between himself, as a rider on the cusp of professional riding, professionals such as Alex Dowsett, and ourselves. Hutchinson's recovery rides are above 200 watts, a figure I'm quite happy to achieve for any non-race ride!

Much of the book focuses on British Cycling/Team GB and their phenomenal success over the past 8-10 years or so. Hutchinson gets unprecedented access to the British Cycling system, the science and the techniques behind their success, presumably due to his close connections and history with the establishment. This comes to a head when he finds himself in an unwelcome situation during product testing, stating the 'No Admittance' signs were directed at absolutely everybody!

One of the key things that comes across is the attention to detail, and willingness to research every little thing. This took place in the 'secret squirrel club' under the watchful eye of Chris Boardman, a pioneer of aerodynamics in cycling whilst riding and since retirement. A fine example of this comes with highly developed skinsuits, to which Boardman's wife casually remarked, 'but have you tried them wet?!' to deal with inevitable sweaty riders. On the subject of skinsuits, Hutchinson recounts a tale of riding naked round a velodrome in order to determine if bare skin was faster! It wasn't, thankfully.

The riders are also obviously a prevalent area of investment for British Cycling, both in terms of selection and training. Specificity is the key in both of these, with a rigorous selection process for the team, tailored to each event. For example, there was a definitive time of 4:30 for a 4km time trial, with no exceptions no matter how close. The selection of riders went even further than this. For example, Bradley Wiggins was apparently slower than other riders for the team pursuit, yet he was able to put in a longer effort, allowing the quicker riders to recover more.

Once selected, the riders were given specific training plans, focusing predominantly on their weaknesses, with a low percentage of work on their strengths. For example, Rebecca Romero, former Olympic rower, had endurance but not so much speed. Therefore, she was given a training plan of riding on rollers with a low resistance in order to increase leg speed.

Throughout Faster..., it becomes evident that whilst the science is a huge factor in their success, the overall system clearly pays dividends. For example, Team Sky take the riders favourite pillows to the hotel each night during a stage race, and Team GB riders live in the same house behind the velodrome rather than having to travel to train, and enabling them to recover, beating the monotony of rest days together. Soft drinks are also banned, in order to encourage riders to hydrate with meaningful liquids, i.e. protein shakes or fruit juice.

Attention to detail - the now legendary marginal gains policy - is obviously the key in all areas of business.

The style in which Hutchinson writes 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World's Fastest Cyclists' is also a huge contributor to my enjoyment of it. His characteristic self depreciating humour comes across constantly, sure to be a hit with fans of his column. I also think the level of detail he goes into is just right. Despite obviously having reams of information from his research, Hutchinson keeps it at a level that will entice both cycling fanatics looking for an edge, and others that have witnessed British cycling's meteoric success, and are curious to find out about it.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, to cyclists and non-cyclists alike.
Review: 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson
Review: 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson
Review: 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson
Review: 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson
Review: 'Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World’s Fastest Cyclists' - Michael Hutchinson

Cragg Vale: Review/Tour de France Preview

With the Tour de France visiting Yorkshire (and Rochdale I hasten to add) in less than 100 days, many events are taking place to celebrate is. It's fantastic to see people riding the wave of hysteria (in cycling circles at least!), with activities ranging from Bernard Hinault taking a ride around a couple of weeks ago, yellow bikes hanging from pubs welcoming cyclists, to one of the more abstract ideas: pulling a grand piano up a mountain. Not just any climb, the longest continuous climb in England, Cragg Vale. Click here for the news video from the BBC. Cragg Vale is a climb I know well, so I thought a review/preview hybrid was in order.

The Climb

Welcome to Cragg Vale!

With an elevation gain just shy of 300m over it's 8km distance,  Cragg Vale has an average gradient of roughly 4%. Don't be fooled, there are 1 or 2 steeper sections, 7% possibly, but also gentle ramps for starter and dessert. The route starts just outside Mytholmroyd (which I can't wait for Sean Kelly to try and pronounce during the Tour!), whereby riders are greeted with a sign proclaiming the longest continuous gradient, and the first road marking...8.6km to go, with markings counting down each kilometre from there forth.

From here, the road curves between rows of terraces, betraying the industrial heritage of Caldervale, or the Calder Valley. These soon give out, replaced with sheep, before a slight left signals an increase in gradient, as it meanders through an escort of trees. This carries on, hugging the curves of the valley, with stones houses and smallholdings peppering the steep sides, with plenty to catch the eye, including the terrifying fellow below!

I wouldn't hedge my bets against this guy...!

The steady gradient continues for the next couple of km, with brief straights punctuated with the valley's subtle sweeping corners. Houses start to appear as you reach the village of Cragg Vale, with a long straight followed by an exposed left corner signalling a slight increase in gradient. This continues past Cragg Vale School and the Robin Hood Inn, which has had one of the yellow bikes synonymous with the Grand Depart hanging from its walls for what seems like years!

A final row of terraces and a right corner signify the end of the village, and the emergence of the road from sheltered valley to the barren and exposed top. Emerging out of the valley tunnel, the village has a potentially double barrel way of discouraging an exit. A short, sharp kick in gradient rounds a right hand corner, into what can be a demoralising headwind, or an inspirational tailwind.

The final 3 or 4km climb gradually over an empty land of heather and peat bog, which is somehow a desolate beauty, best seen with ones heart pumping at 180bpm! This section can be punishing, with winds unhindered by any natural windbreak reducing even the most seasoned riders to a near standstill. In fact my last trip up in January came with 84mph gusts, which nearly sent us back downhill! Side winds can also be tricky, again with nothing to provide shelter, but a tailwind can really send you flying to the end. This is signaled by both the final marking on the road and the appearance of the reservoir, at which point the riders will turn left, down towards Ripponden, which is a straightforward descent.

84mph gusts of wind with hail stones can make for a miserable finish!

The road surface is pretty good the whole way up the climb, with any potholes being sorted last summer. These have been done rather well in preparation, with proper tarmac patches, rather than useless filling of the hole, which usually lasts about a week. One slight concern is at the very end of the climb, by the reservoir, where the road has started to resemble a ploughed field due to the foundations being washed away by regular flooding. The council may well fix this prior to the day, although it would make for an interesting KOM sprint! Come to think about it, this is in the half a kilometre or so where the race passes out of Yorkshire into Rochdale...the different council in charge may have affected this. I hope they sort it, what an embarrassment for Rochdale if a crash occurred!

Where to Watch

With 8.6km to choose from, there a plenty of options for those wanting to observe the Tour on Cragg Vale. In terms of where the action may be, the steeper sections bookending the village itself may provide a springboard for attack, however, being quite early in the stage this may be unlikely. Of these, a tailwind on the tops could provide a great opportunity for a lone rider if they timed the attack just prior. Other than this, there will likely be a decent sprint at the top for KOM points if the bunch arrive as a whole. I suspect however, that there may be an early breakaway on this stage.

In terms of best places to stand on Cragg Vale, I would suggest avoiding the very bottom, being almost level, all you will probably see is a blur. Some of the route, especially around the village is quite tight in terms of pavement, with  a drop to the valley, but with wide roads, a big crowd shouldn't cause any problems even for the whole bunch. The atmosphere will be best in the village, with two pubs and imagine other hospitality. Otherwise, the tops will provide an unrestricted view, with the potential KOM sprint, and being flat, I suspect that staff with musettes may be present, using the opportunity for a feed stop. Finally, the 90 degree turn down to Ripponden will slow the riders momentarily for a great view, and the nearby White House pub can provide facilities.

Overall, I think the atmosphere around Cragg Vale will be fantastic! I'm not too sure where I'll be watching from yet, but I think I may go for the end, near the turn. Blackstone Edge climb leads to this point, the other side of Cragg Vale, which as my favourite climb may well feature in another review post soon!

Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes

After much deliberation, scouring various Internet forums and the like, I decided to invest in some Bont Riot shoes. The main reason for this was the superior spec, such as a full carbon sole, compared to other shoes around my £100 budget. Additionally, the Bont size guide is a lot clearer than other brands, which seem to vary a lot from my research. I would, of course, have preferred to try and buy them in person, however, the several local shops stock only Shimano and Specialized shoes, which upon trying just didn't feel right.

General advice when buying cycling shoes is to go half to a full size up, due to swelling of feet on a warm/long ride. The Bont website helped in this area, with an online 'Size Wizard'. One simply enters the length and width (illustrated guide on the site), and it produces a recommended size, in my case 45. I then set out to find the best price, which being relatively new was £89.99, £10 of the RRP.

Bont Riot shoes, mesmerising monochrome

First impressions of the shoes were good, the carbon sole looked great, and the black and white palette complimented it. The material looked a little plastic, but for the price I wasn't expecting kangaroo leather, sail cloth or any other exotic material found on other road shoes. Fit wise the Size Wizard seemed to have worked it's magic, with a little space for the toe, but not so much as to allow slippage, and ample width for foot expansion. The straps weren't the most secure, but the ratchet stopped any unwelcome forward movement. Immediately I could feel a difference just walking in the shoes, the stiff carbon sole feeling completely different to the nylon one on my 7 year old Decathlon ones.

The plastic ratchet feels a little brittle when tightening

After a couple of minutes in the shoes, I took them off to fit my cleats, at which point I started to notice a few quality issues with the shoes. The ratchet is made of what seemed pretty cheap plastic, bending easily, and it actually took a bit of fiddling to release the strap. I was slightly worried I was going to snap it. On to fitting the cleats, the shoe has lines in order to gauge the fore/aft and sideways positioning of the cleats, an improvement over my previous shoes. After moving the cleats around a little, I noticed the white lines were starting to wear. Not such a good sign if the shoes are going to be in use for a while. I also started to notice other imperfections, such as loose stitching where the sole meets the upper, and on the straps.

Stitching of the upper panels isn't brilliant

Cleat placement guide starting to wear off already

Anyway, on to riding. I've had a couple of rides in the shoes so far, admittedly no more than an hour, but intense riding nonetheless. I find it a little difficult to get the forefoot particularly snug with the Z strap, no matter how tight I pull it. Whilst this is mitigated to some extent by the ratchet strap, the ratchet itself feels so fragile, I am a little hesitant to really put force into tightening it. Another slight niggle is that the straps on the left shoe line up with the Velcro, but those on the right shoe are slightly misaligned. Likewise the ratchet strap come to think about it, though that may be due to foot shape. Overall, I can get them tight enough for sprinting or climbing, but it's not smooth like conventional Velcro straps or a BOA system.

Full carbon sole with arch support, efficient power tranfer

Starting to pedal in the shoes was a strange sensation at first, but this soon fades. What replaces it is a grin, as you can genuinely feel the increase in power transferred to the pedals compared to lesser shoes. I'm really impressed with the feel, they are a marked improvement over their predecessors. The Riot's are well ventilated, which was noticeable during Saturday's surprise 16C temperatures for the MK Bowl race! They claim to have more arch support than other shoes, which is evident by looking at the curvature of the sole. I couldn't feel it hugely when riding, but they do feel a little more dynamic than those with none. If you use a footbed, I would probably recommend still using it, but personal preference will dictate this.

The construction of the shoes is a little different to many, with a 'tub' sole, meaning the carbon fibre extends approx. 10mm into the upper, like an elongated U shape. This makes the shoes feels sturdier, but after riding for a while, there is an evident quality issue once again with the edge of the 'tub' being rough, which I found dug into my little toe/end of the 5th metatarsal. Almost like a stone in the shoe, annoying. Another surprise at this point is the ability to heat mould the shoes to your foot shape but heating for 20mins at 70C in the oven and then wearing them. Whilst I haven't tried this yet, and I'm not sure about the effectiveness/risk, I am tempted to try and rid them of this sharp edge. They can be moulded multiple times, which I suppose makes it less risky. I'll update if I choose to do so.

Reading the above, I may give the impression that the shoes are poor and not worth buying. Conversely, I would in fact recommend these, albeit with certain caveats. If you are used to spending a couple of hundred ponds on high end Shimano, SIDI, Specialized, etc. shoes, then I would hesitate in buying these, as sadly it's not a case of getting the same level of quality for substantially less money. If this does apply to you, it may be worth trying the Bont Vaypor shoes, their higher tier model.

However, if you, like me, are buying your second pair of road shoes, your first 'serious' pair, and/or have a £100 budget, I can wholeheartedly recommend them. There are few, if any, other shoes that deliver a full carbon sole for this price, and for me that provides a measurable upgrade. With regards to the 'flaws', I wouldn't be especially surprised if similar quality issues were found with the majority of sub-£100 shoes. My opinion might change if they start to fall apart, but I'm willing to give the Bont Riot's the benefit of the doubt for now.

Overall, they deliver exactly what they profess, a taste of top end road shoe technology, with necessary limitations to make them accessibly priced for many.

Another great review, especially on the support aspects of  the shoe from a physiotherapist, can be found at www.millsphysio.wordpress.com.
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes
Review - Bont Riot Road Shoes