CYCLIST ENVY

Envy. Invidiousness.

That feeling of resentful emotion we experience when we lack what someone else has and we either desire it or wish that the other didn’t have it.

Portrait of a Woman
Suffering from Obsessive Envy
Jean Louis Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)

It’s a terrible thing, envy. But I wager it happens to all of us at some time in our lives, and I suspect cyclists might be more susceptible to it than the average Joe on the street.

You see, us cyclists live in a world where the latest bit of kit is going to make us go faster, where living a certain lifestyle will help us get the miles in and where having a particular physique is going to make getting up those climbs less gut wrenchingly difficult.

We read on the web and in the cycling press, day in and day out, reviews of the latest tech coming our way that we simply must have if we want to be taken seriously as a cyclist. Unless we have a bottomless wallet, unlikely in these times of austerity, just reading about it is tough enough. But when we meet our mates for a Sunday club run and that latest kit is hanging off their bikes, well, that’s when the little green monster is likely to rear it’s ugly head.

Whether it’s a new carbon monocoque frame, a power metre, a new Garmin GPS or the latest Rapha kit, sometimes it can be hard to swallow, especially when it’s happening week in week out.

Then there’s a guy on our Sunday run who works part-time and has a couple of days in the week to himself. He can ride his bike to his heart’s content without any time pressure. Sure, he has a young family and all the commitments that brings, but whilst the kids are out at school the road just yawns out ahead of him begging to be ridden. Just imagine the miles he’s been getting in over the last couple of weeks of this Indian summer…

And then there’s the plain physical envy. That guy we all know who eats what he wants but is naturally skinny, allowing him to dance up the hills leaving us huffing and puffing and cursing in his wake. Or even worse, the 'jelly belly' rider with legs like tree trunks, who claims to do no serious miles, yet come Sunday leaves us for dust in the sprint for the road sign finish.

Ah yes, envy comes to us all and is such a destructive force. Bertrand Russell said envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. It is a universal and most unfortunate aspect of human nature because not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but also wishes to inflict misfortune on others.

So what do we do when we, for whatever reason, find ourselves envious of our club mates? I find self-bolstering the best approach, appraising my better qualities and the positives that cycling brings to my life. This belief, this self-esteem can work wonders to the point where others’ kit, abilities and lifestyle no longer matter. I am just happy to be me, and I am sure a lot of other riders would like to be me too.

And if this doesn’t work? Well, there’s always schadenfreude, that malicious satisfaction we get from the misfortune of others, the misfortune which often befalls those touting their new extravagant purchases.

Just remember, don’t gloat. Not too much anyway…

RAPHA AW11 KIT NOW AVAILABLE

The long awaited and much anticipated new Rapha Autumn/Winter 2011 range is now available. All us Rapha fans have been salivating at the prospect, teased have we been by the little snippets of information drip-fed by Rapha over the past few weeks.

Well, now the wait is over. Not only can we view the latest new stuff at the usual place, there is also an exclusive online showcase featuring photography and films shot by Ben Ingham in the French-Italian Alps.

How very, well, Rapha of them...

Actually, I am quite relieved that my winter wardrobe isn't sufficiently lacking for me to go out and purge the contents of my wallet at Rapha HQ. One of the reasons I love Rapha so much is the longevity of their products. The winter kit I have now is the same kit that has kept me warm and dry through the last several (harsh) winters, and the stuff still looks brand new.

And the best bit? If I fancy a new piece of Rapha kit, or a new colourway, I just sell the 'old' stuff on eBay to fund it. Everyone's a winner...

BARGAIN HUNT - 13

I have never been quick enough off the mark to buy cycling kit from Aldi as it is always snapped up with such vigour! From today Aldi have winter cycling jackets in blue and on-trend white for a wallet friendly £15.99. They are also offering winter cycling gloves for a mere £4.99.


Aldi are also offering a rain jacket, winter cycling jersey, cycling trousers, a rather lush looking merino long-sleeved top (30% merino wool), winter socks, shoes, lights, a bike stand, mudguards plus a whole smorgasbord of accessories.


Mind boggling...

I have no idea about quality of Aldi stuff, although I have often read in forums that their stuff is perfectly acceptable and exceed price-related expectations. I have tried some Lidl stuff, which I imagine is comparable, and have generally been impressed. I wouldn't wear it for Sunday best, but it's good for the commute.

Regardless, this stuff flies off the shelves, so grab one whilst you can...

BARGAIN HUNT - NINE

Another name that might not be familiar with everyone, High On Bikes often have great discounts on cycling kit and components. Based on Scarisbrick Business Park just outside Ormskirk in the North West, they have an enormous warehouse full of stock and back this up with excellent customer service.

Along with Merlin and Shiny bikes, High On Bikes always offer some of the best prices on groupsets and components. Don't upgrade those levers or crankset without checking with them first!

At the moment High On Bikes have a 10% discount on all orders over £50 - just enter SEP10 at the checkout. It's also worth noting that they offer free delivery on all UK orders too.

In addition to the usual web outlet, High On Bikes have an eBay shop where there are some good deals to be had.

RAPHA CITY RIDING SOCKS

Fancy adding a splash more style to your commute into work? Rapha's new City socks could be just the thing for you then.


Rapha City Riding Socks have been designed for all-day riding in cool to cold conditions.


They are available in three striking seasonal colourways, are made from the same merino blend as Rapha’s standard merino socks but use a heavier yarn for increased insulation and are naturally high-wicking and anti-bacterial so your feet will stay warm and dry through those winter months heading our way.


With early snow supposedly heading our way at the end of October, these might be just the indulgement I need to keep me on the road...

RAPHA AW11 SNEAK PEAK

Rapha continue to tease us with sneak peaks only of their upcoming autumn and winter ranges. So far we have had a drip-feed of snippets, but the picture is becoming clearer.


It looks more and more like the clues lead to a rain jacket or wind jacket in red, long sleeve classic jerseys in new colourways, a new performance long sleeve jersey, new colours for the classic soft-shell jacket, a new winter jersey and a city rain jacket for the serious commuters amongst us.


Oh, and as an aside, I see Rapha have brought us their own brand of shaving cream, designed for both use on face and legs.


Rapha really do think of everything...

THE HIDDEN ALPS - RAPHA

I love Rapha. There, I said it. I don't buy into everything Rapha, but I do like a lot of their kit and I do like the stuff they put up on their website. A triumph of marketing.


The most recent video, a shop-window for the Rapha autumn and winter range, is titled The Hidden Alps and takes their riders "on to the steep, scarred and historic slopes of the Colle delle Finestre".


It's well worth a watch if you get the time. And I do like the look of the new colour-ways for the  long-sleeved jersey. I can already hear the groans of apprehension from my wallet...

The Hidden Alps from Rapha on Vimeo.

THE TOB AND BARGAIN HUNT - TWO

I took a trip out to the Queen's 'favourite residence' yesterday to watch the finish of stage 7 of the Tour of Britain. Sandringham provided the perfect back-drop to the end of an amazing day's racing. We were all expecting the bunch gallop with Cav pocketing another win, but the break-away managed to stay away all day, holding an impressive advantage all the way to the finishing line. It was a shame Ian Wilkinson jumped a little early, missing out on the stage win. 


After the stage my eldest son Joe and I managed to see Geraint Thomas, who was tirelessly signing autographs and chatting outside the SKY bus. We also had a chat with the nearly man of the day Wilkinson, and with Dean Downing, who although not riding was there promoting Rapha-Condor-Sharp. We had a good chat about Rapha kit...


All in all it was a great day and I am sure the TOB will be back to Norfolk again in the near future. And as we were leaving I am almost certain I saw Liz herself heading off on her bike for a quick reccie of the finish...


Still, on to more prescient matters. Much like the stage finish yesterday, that Planet X BOGOF offer ended quite abruptly in the end. There's just a 'you're too late' message on their website now. I am sure it will be back...


There are, however, plenty of new deals coming through thick and fast. Worth a mention are BikesYouLike (the web arm of the rather excellent Thatto Cycles in St. Helens and my dad's LBS). They have some great deals on jackets from Altura, Polaris and Funkier - up to 75% off in fact. The best of the bunch is probably the Altura Night Vision at half-price, a great commuter jacket. They are also offering some good deals on Cateye light sets - up to 50% off.


If you missed out on the Planet X BOGOF deal, you might be interested in their wheel deals. They are shifting out Shimano Dura-Ace carbon clinchers at a healthy discount. A pair of Dura-Ace 7850 50mm rims are being let go for a penny under £800, from £1250, and the budget Dura-Ace 7850 CLs for £500 from an already reasonable £700.


Shame I am a Campag boy!

BARGAIN HUNT - ONE

There are some great savings to be made this weekend on cycling kit. Ribble cycles have savings on Cateye lights and a 10% discount on Cycleops indoor trainers, for those of us not wanting to venture out so much in the winter months. Just use the code OPS10 at the Ribble checkout.

Ribble also have a 20% discount offer on most of their kit at the moment too, plus some supersized superdeal discounts. One that caught my eye is the eye-watering 52% knock-down on the Keo compatible Exustar pedals, in both black and white flavours. This brings them down to a winter bike friendly £23! The only catch is a minimum spend of £35, so you would have to throw something extra in your basket before checking out. How about an Elite Hygene bottle and cage for £10.99 - now that's a 52% saving again. Happy days.

Or maybe you're after some winter tyres - well Ribble have some Prorace Power folders for pretty much half price, at £11.50 a pop, in red, blue and black.

ProBikeKit have 20% off energy products from Powerbar, High5, ZipVit and Clif, amongst others, so now is a great time to stock up on drinks and gels. Also, if you were inspired by the mighty Thor's win into Caerphilly yesterday, or are just excited at the prospect of next week's World Championships in Copenhagen, PBK also have some impressive discounts on rainbow stripes kit. Just be careful how you wear it...

Building up a winter hack or cross bike? Wiggle are also in sale full-swing, and have up to 30% off contact point components. There really are some amazing savings to be had on Zipp, FSA, Fizik, Prologo and Truvativ kit. There is a particularly lovely set of FSA Wing Pro bars in white going for a song with 36% off.

And I tell you what, a 50% saving on Cateye's HL-EL320 and TL-LD610 light set is quite stunning for such a nice piece of kit. Grab one whilst you can...

This one deserves a mention, as I have never seen a deal like this before. Planet X are offering a BOGOF deal on one of their bikes. That's right, buy one of their On-One Carbon Whippets for a shade under £1500 and you get a free On-One Pompino Urban bike worth £600. That's a crazy deal. You have to be quick for that one mind, as that offer runs out at midnight tonight. You have been warned...

Happy shopping!

BIANCHI BLISS

I was due a piece of good fortune, and lady luck turned her attention in my direction last week. Sadly, this wasn't when I was logging on to buy my euromillions roll-over lottery ticket(s), but rather when I happened to be checking out Facebook. Lady luck just happened to be using Facebook at the same time too. The message popped up, "first person to post a photo of themselves with their Bianchi will win a Bianchi helmet and bottle".

Well what else was I to do? Before you could say Fausto Coppi, Il Campionissimo, a snapshot of me and my Infinito was up there on Pro Cycling's wall (for it was they who had actually posted, not really lady luck. I just wrote that to be poetic). Actually, you could have recited the start list of this year's Tour de France, Very. Slowly. in the time it took me to figure out how to post my photo to their wall, but eventually I figured it out, technical whiz-kid that I am. No, really, I am.

Many minutes had passed, but a quick check, and mine was the first photo to be posted. I guess on a weekday afternoon other Bianchi owners were busy, at work or something. Or out riding their bikes perhaps? During the rest of the afternoon lots of other photos slowly made their way onto Pro Cycling's wall, but none of them got in front of mine. My photo had held it's line, put it's head down and stuck it's elbows out to pip everyone else to the post. It might as well have come from the Isle of Man and been wearing an HTC jersey so convincing was it's victory...

And so to today, when the post brought an oddly helmet-shaped parcel marked for my attention. Much ripping of paper and brown tape and I was rewarded with a Lazer O2 helmet in Bianchi heraldry, plus other assorted themed goodies including a Bianchi bidon, buff and, most excitingly, a packet labelled Bianchi Team summer gloves. My, what a lucky, lucky boy.

Sadly, on closer inspection, the packet of gloves turned out to be empty save for the labels, but to complain about this would be churlish of me. Wouldn't it..?

Perhaps lady luck has simply moved on...