Cyclo-what?

I’ve been around on the bike, trying my hand at road racing, track racing, touring, mountainbiking, orienteering, endurance/brevet riding and numerous other semi-disciplines constructed around the two wheel and pedal design. I’ve owned a number of bikes throughout my time too. Some would consider the quantity ridiculously large (I can still remember them all), whereas other keen cyclists would probably consider it a modest sum considering the number of kilometres I’ve put them all through. When it comes to cycling I’m always looking for new challenges and doing things a bit different to what I am used to – albeit based on the same principal of pumping pedals. I guess in this way, I can still use the strength and ability built up over several decades and apply it to a sub set of cycling that at times can seem like a completely different sport. Ie. I don’t have to start at the bottom, which can be rather nice when time is limited. However the big advantage is that I still get the thrill out of doing what I like doing the best – simply riding a bike.

The latest incarnation of my varied cycling career (I guess I can call it a career, I have made a small sum of money out of it – just don’t ask about the expenses!) is cyclocross. Cyclo-what? As an avid cycle fan for many years I have always heard of cyclocross – ‘an exotic sport undertaken by Belgian racing cyclists in winter’.  Cyclocross involves hurling bikes not too different from road bikes around muddy circuits including over wooden barriers, through sand traps and up and down impossibly steep slippery slopes while drunk fans line the course hurling abuse and making noise at the slinky lycra clad riders. It was of course invented before mountain biking, suspension, indoor trainers and other much more practical means to 1. Stay fit in winter, and 2. Get a two wheeled machine around a bumpy off-road course. Mountain biking should theoretically have been the death of cyclocross, however no one told the Belgians and in recent years cyclocross is at a somewhat of a resurgence around the world.

Roll back a few years to February 2011. My home town Chirstchurch is devastated by a series of large earthquakes. The roads are literally littered with pot holes and cracks, and our office is relocated from the city to the airport. With a 25 km commute on pretty average roads and winter around the corner, I looked at my options for a commuting steed. The road bike would be destroyed, the mountain-bike too sluggish, the single speed too damned slow and the touring bike still in bits and needing a major overhaul apart from the fact it’s a reasonably slow and sluggish beast too. Think… cyclocross. Light and fast, with the added benefit of being able to put up with a lot more abuse than the road bike. Combine this with the news that cyclocross racing was coming to town in the form of the Southern Cross Cyclocross Series; it was a no brainer really. A few weeks after deliberating on which make/model, a box arrived at the front door and minutes later the new addition to the Mulliner/Bayer bike collection was ready for a thrashing.

I enjoyed some surprising success in the Southern Cross Cyclocross series in 2011, took myself to the Nationals in Queenstown and despite snapping my chain in the ‘hot lap’ and crashing heavily mid way through the race, picked up sixth spot overall. OK, cyclocross is hardly huge in New Zealand, but I was still stoked to pick up a top ten at the national champs. The following year, I helped organise the Southern Cross Cyclocross Series and my form abandoned me somewhat… or maybe everyone else got faster? But I still loved it. What could you not love about pushing your body to the limit for 45-60 minutes across a lumpy field on a bike with no suspension, in the cold, quite often in the wet – if your lucky in the snow, crashing a lot (I have crashed in nearly every single cyclocross race I have participated in), and half destroying your bike in every race you do? I can’t think of any things I don’t like about it.

So, I was excited to ride cyclocross in Sweden where the scene is a lot more established and the course / competitors completely unknown to me. The first step was to purchase a new stead. My former one had been sold off in New Zealand. I took delivery of a sleek looking Boardman after a few weeks of landing. It has definitely been my bike of choice in Stockholm so far. I took the jump to disc brakes (only legally allowed since last year) but interestingly note that most people still run the old style cantilevers… the difference in weight no doubt the decisive factor.

Karin soon steered me in the right direction and I started attending the regular Sunday jaunts with the local club, keeping on eye on their Facebook page for upcoming events. They seemed to meet up training practically every night! The Sunday races were held on an old golf course at the southern edge of Stockholm and provided good blow outs when I could make it over the summer. It felt odd racing cyclocross in summer, however as the days started to cool, the Stockholm Series began. We were lucky in that close to where we lived were a lot of large open areas and large forests that were riddled with trails. So I had begun training quite regularly in the local forest and back rounds in the mornings before work and had ‘discovered’ some sweet cyclocross riding there too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eELJrLefes&feature=youtu.be (Racing in Stockholm Cyclocross Cup)

I was starting to get plans in my head for the pointy end of the season – November. The season has to be early in Sweden as there is just too much snow and not enough light in the middle of winter. A national series culminated in two races in mid November in Stockholm and I wanted to give them a good nudge, with maybe a trip to one of the closer races a little earlier. Training started off well. Turning up to the Sunday club events and basking in the hot sun while whizzing around the various course on offer worked my motivation a treat. I enjoyed myself immensely; however it felt odd in the middle of summer. Therefore I was looking forward to some real cyclocross conditions – cold and wet.

 

Barriers are part of the deal in cyclocross

The courses on offer as part of the Stockholm Series were fun and with 30-40 riders at each event, it was great to be part of the scene. My form was struggling a bit, but I managed to squeeze into the top ten at the two races I made it to. I just couldn’t seem to get my body to push itself as I know it can. I knew I was capable of it and knew if I trained well, the form would come. Then came September and my biking trip to Bergen. That would really force the cobwebs away and after I recovered from that the form would surely come then? The trip went well, and although I was reasonably shattered at the end, I knew two weeks later after I recovered I should start to fire. Well, that was the theory anyway. About a week after I returned, the sickness came. To call it a sickness is a bit extreme, it was a light cold. But combined with plummeting temperatures and wet stuff falling from the sky I took it pretty sensibly so I didn’t get really sick.

 

Slow shutter speeds can make anything look fast!

At any given time there were two out of three of us sick at home. The slight cold would get better and then worse and then better and then worse. But we just couldn’t get rid of it! By this time, the only exercise I was doing was the easy ride to work and back. One month later, then we all got quite sick. That was this week. The final weekend of the national series in Stockholm is on this weekend. Needless to say my great plans came to nothing.

But that’s any sport I guess. Managing your health is part of it and it just didn’t work out for me this time. I went and watched the Men’s Elite race this afternoon. The conditions were perfect. An evening of rain followed by a cold dry day. Karin and I did a hot lap (more like a cold lap) of the circuit which weaved its way around one of Stockholm’s parks and couldn’t believe how slippery it was. The circuit was fun though with lots of short sharp punches and tight off-camber corners. The local band stand and its embankments had been used to good effect and a bridge that spectators could wander under had also been constructed. Of course this was nothing compared to Belgium, but to me, it seemed crowded with spectators. I’m not particularly fond of watching cycle races; I’d rather be doing them but I enjoyed watching the field slog around for a good hour. Being a spectator and hour seemed a very long time. No wonder it hurts!

 

Elite Field take the course in Stockholm

The winner was a long way ahead and rode the text book race. I’m under absolutely no impression I would have been competitive, maybe mid-field if I was on form, but I would love to give it a nudge next year. Watch this space. And if you are a cyclist and haven’t given cyclocross a go, do it. It is serious fun!

Six months and counting

Six months ago we landed in Sweden at the start of summer. The nights were cool but short; however the days were long and warm. Within in a few weeks even the cool nights disappeared and we were lucky enough to experience a long warm and dry summer. ‘One of the best in living memory’ apparently, however in my experience people’s memories are very short when it comes to weather so it’s hard to quantify statements like that.

At first I struggling to sleep at night as it never truly got dark and the curtains in our temporary accommodation were wafer thin. However, six months later a lot has changed as can be expected. We are now in the depths of autumn. It’s a beautiful season in Stockholm with its plentiful parks and reserves. Despite the shortening colder days, I am also enjoying it because I’m not really used to autumn as it’s usually short and not as dramatic in New Zealand, and kind of non-existent the further north up the country you go.

So, seen as how it is the six month anniversary of us arriving, I thought it timely for some more random insights and impressions listed under things I like and things I dislike.

Must be autumn

Things I like:

Houses are built for the conditions.

You always know what to wear in winter in New Zealand in the morning. Recoiled under your duvet in the early hours of the morning, your hands grabbing at the duvets edge willing it closer to your body, you generally know how cold it is outside by how cold your nose is. Maybe if you are lucky enough to have sufficient heating going it is probably a few degrees warmer inside than out, but if you can see your breath and can dress yourselves in five seconds flat it’s probably going to pretty cold outside. However in Sweden (and probably most of the rest of the developed world for that matter) it’s impossible to know. Because in Sweden they have this amazing technology with things like double / triple (yes triple) glazing, insulation and central heating. I know, these terms are practically vacant from the kiwi builder’s vocabulary. When autumn first arrived in Stockholm, I kept trying to leave our apartment in shorts and a t-shirt. Now I know better. I now know that it WILL be bloody cold outside despite how little I can wear inside, so I dress accordingly.

Amazing parental benefits and a system that really supports working parents

480 days of paid parental leave (at 80% of your salary) to be shared between mum and dad. And that’s for each child.

Great place to bring up children.

Stockholm is awash with open green spaces (which are slowly turning to mud), children’s play grounds around every corner and loads of indoor children’s activities including cafes were there are more toys than coffee and more playing areas than table space.

This is a cafe in central Stockholm

Green parks and forests are everywhere in Stockholm - at least until autumn when they are brown and winter when they are white!

The green space gets browner by the day. Ana doing her afternoon gymnastics.

Great cycling facilities and lots of people using bicycles as local transport

You can cycle virtually anywhere without even touching a road.

Car drivers are in general, patient and considerate

Not that you have to ride on the road if you don’t want to (see above), but when you do – and you are allowed, drivers conveniently pull off the road, put their hazard lights on and cheer as you ride past (well it feels like it after commuting in Christchurch).

Great public transport

Stockholm is well served by Tunnelbana (underground/metro), buses and trains.

Close to other places that are not Australia

No offense to the hot dust bowl of a neighbour of course.

Five things I dislike

Housing situation in Stockholm is diabolical

The housing situation in Stockholm is to put it simply… pathetic. I have written about it before but the more I am here the more I understand it. I understand and agree with the reasons behind limiting private investment and preventing the massive landlord / renter market that exists in a lot of the world, but unfortunately it simply isn’t working in Stockholm. The waiting lists for a first hand rental (the only type of rental that legal entitles you not to move every 12 months) is approximately 15 years. Therefore you with stuck with purchasing, or renting off other renters (2^nd hand rental) for a maximum of 12 months at a time… ugh.

Reserved and guarded Swedes.

I wouldn’t call the Swedish emotionless, but if they have emotions they don’t show them in public. To be honest it sometimes borders on rudeness. I know it’s not, but it’s hard not to be offended when I see my neighbour quicken his pace to get inside and lock his door, or purposely pretend not to see me so he doesn’t have to actually say hello (god forbid). It’s also acceptable to not even acknowledge people you are dealing with (that’s a bit harsh but a general observation of many customers in the supermarket at the checkout who say nothing throughout the entire transaction making sure that eyes are kept low to avoid any unnecessary facial communication). Even smartly dressed beggars on trains simply passively walk down the isle of a carriage and place a series of neat pieces of paper on vacant seats that outline reasons why you should part with your money for their cause. The note, is usually accompanied by a picture of their (or someone else) child. They wait patiently at the end of the carriage for 30 seconds and then quietly walk back through collecting up their cards and any small change that has been left. To be honest I'd rather see someone making a scene... but that's not the done thing here.

No decent hills to cycle up and down

I love the rolling countryside for cycling, but what I would give for a descent long hill to slog up!

Eternal sickness

OK, so that’s not true either. But for the last 3 weekends, at least 2 (usually all three of us at once) have been sick. It is of course Autumn, we have moved to the other side of the world and our daughter is attending the bacteria breeding ground otherwise known as kindergarten, so it’s no real surprise.

Overall (7-4 = +3)

Yes, a +3 for our first 6 months seems to sum it up nicely, even if it is the most meaningless static ever concocted. It has taken us some time to find our feet (as expected) and we have settled into a daily / weekly routine of sorts. Tina recently started a post-doc at Stockholm University so we are getting into the rhythm of both working while running affairs and the family at home. I have cut back work to 80% and enjoying two afternoons a week with Ana. Autumn hit us with some pretty cold temperatures. We know a lot worse will come, but we had a two week stint of temperatures that would equate to the coldest weather we would expect in Christchurch over the course of the entire winter. It was only the start of autumn, so we were a little scared; it even forced me to go shopping for some warmer clothes! The central heating system in our apartment was barely working, the radiators emitting just the slightest bit of warmth throughout this time. The temperature in our apartment however also did nothing…. it stayed a constant 18ish degrees centigrade for the entirety so we won’t freeze to death while we are inside at least. Aside the cold it has been grey, damp and dreary and the days are shortening - which is the worst. Everyone told us November would be the worst month, until the snows start to come. Bring it on is all I can say!

An afternoon out in the city. We have adapted and take a thermos with coffee / chocolate with us on family outings.