Author: Lowell
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SPOTY – Gotta Love Ya!
Each year the sporting community comes together to celebrate their achievements through the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) . With an unforgettable season in cycling, it seemed the only event that could possibly compete against a second consecutive win in the awards would be the unprecedented success of the London 2012 Olympics. Winners:…
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From Russia With Love
If Daniel Craig forged a new era for 007, then Team Katusha has certainly reshaped the image of Russian Cycling. Repeated triumphs by the team and team leader, Joaquim ‘El Purito’ Rodriguez, has catapulted Katusha to the premier league in what is possibly their most successful year to date. Nonetheless, on Monday 10 December, the…
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Good things come
Good things come and good things go. Sometimes, they come in small packages. And on occasion they’re so good, that they don’t go away at all; instead, they stand the test of time. Just like Dr. Alex Moulton’s revolutionary take on the bicycle. Turning design on it’s head, the inventor introduced small wheels that work…
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You got something to say
It’s now more popular than ever to ride a bike. A pleasing phenomenon not just occurring in our country lanes, but in our bustling high streets too. A walk down Oxford Street and you’ll see push-bikes everywhere: on the roads and in fashion stores as well. It’s the all new handbag, and smart-phone for the…
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Blue Steel and a Dancing Stag
Fooled again. It was with a false sense of security as I rolled into Richmond Park. The mercury dropped by 5 and it was freezing! All the same, a spellbinding welcome of low mist hovering over frosty meadows, and a glowing sun soon made things right again. That and the fine company: great to see…
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Broken Seats
Seat comes off. No broken hearts, thank God. That could very well have been the result if it had come off mid-descent! Thankfully, Big Chase; Dixon and Matt were able to find all the bits and pieces and put me back on the bike again. Whilst the fiddly bits were being taken care of, Dixon shared the…
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Crazy, CX-y, Cool
If you can’t get what you want, you might as well build it yourself. It was only a matter of time that Rob would start putting his hand at crafting and brazing his own build. This is the exquisite result: Sourcing just the right materials and components for the job, he has created the ideal bike for…
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Vorsprung…The Invisible Helmet
Yes, you know how this one should go: ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’, the German phrase popularised by the Audi car manufacturer. It can be roughly translated into English as ‘progress through technology’. Although, a more literal translation would be ‘advancement through technology’. So far it seems, there is no single English word which is an exact rendering of ‘vorsprung’; ‘to leap ahead’ comes…
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Baroudeur Big Ride – October 2012
The clocks are going back an hour to mark the return of Greenwich Mean Time. Everyone is excited, including the news-readers, as most people in the UK have an extra hour in bed! That is, everyone except me. The Baroudeur Big Ride returns, and despite the nippy weather, the ride is always much fun. I…
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Lance Man Standing
Southern France, Thursday 23 July, 2009. Stu spreads a local map on the dinner table and invites us to share in his revelation: that we could actually fit in an extra stage of the Tour de France, in addition to the penultimate stage on top of Mount Ventoux. That’s two stages of Le Tour in…
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Ride of the Falling Leaves
Taking on the Ride Of The Falling Leaves (ROTFL) is an ever popular event that takes in some of the best Kent has on offer. It commences a week on from the legendary ‘Giro di Lombardia’ of northern Italy. This British escapade is a tribute to that ride. Organised by the friendly parish of the…
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It’s not all about cycling
This morning reminded me that what we do is not all about cycling. Yes, we get together and we ride. And more often than not, we ride a lot and dare I say it, we have craaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy fun! But it’s not always on a bike. Some of my favourite moments are sitting on top of…
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Amazonia Woman
We’re enjoying a cuppa after Poncherello and Big-Chase have led us on a crazy loop of Hertford, and out of the heath, like a Jaguar, comes a familiar runner who happens to be one of our friendly Baroudeurs… Ed: “Hey Liz, what are you up to?” Liz: “For my next adventure I am heading to the Amazon to run, wade and probably…
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Britain’s not so secret race
Earlier this year our good friend and fellow rider, Debbie M. revealed that an extraordinary documentary is being considered for production. Dubbed ‘Britain’s Secret Race’, it aims to chart the history of what was once popularly known as the ‘Milk Race’, and what we fondly recognise today as the ‘Tour of Britain’ (ToB). What makes this…
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Prelude to a Tour – 2012
“Howdy!” comes the warm greeting from the cheery man in flip-flops. Alex and Rob are beaming as we rendezvous on this fine Friday afternoon. It’s the start of summer, which must mean a Tour for the Baroudeurs. Try as we may to avoid an exhausting road-trip like last year’s; wouldn’t you know it, we’re off to…