Brilliant Bialetti

I think I'm slowly becoming a bit of a coffee snob, I need a cup of the stuff to get myself going in the morning and out on the fixed gear to work, I won't have instant coffee at home anymore, it's banned as far as I'm concerned. But I have to admit that during the day at work I do sometimes pluck up the courage, go to the skanky kitchen and use some of the plastic nescafe stuff, it's honkin' stuff after you've sampled a Bialetti brewed wonder cup before you left in the morning.

I was introduced to the wonders of the Bialetti by team-mate Tom, it's a simple concept, but a classic piece of design and even though my partner hates coffee (she's a tea lover) there are no complaints about it sitting in full view with pride in the kitchen.

For those still to experience a Bialetti, let me explain, you may have used a cafetierre in the past, this works very differently to one of these, resulting in a much better (and stronger) cup of the black stuff. The top part unscrews from the main body, inside is a metal perforated filter, this lifts out and the lower base is filled with water, just up the level below where the base of the filter fits (you'll get this bang on every time after a few go's). Then place the filter in, you fill this with ground coffee, then screw the top back on (tight, or it might bubble through the seal). Stick it on the hob at a low heat and a few minutes later you hear it bubbling through and the coffee's ready.
This method means the water passes through the coffee as vapour, with other methods hot water passes through the coffee, the Bialetti method is superior and results a superb coffee.

Problems, yes, when I bought it it wouldn't fit on the hob, as you can see in the photo, I got hold of a stainless steel support I place over the gas hob to stop it falling through, pick one up for 2 or 3 quid in any kitchen shop, Debenhams etc. The sizing is potentially troublesome too, the small one is called a "3 cup", this relates to small coffee cups, if you want a mugfull this one will fill about halfway. I've just got an additional "6 cup" Bialetti which fills a mug, but will blow your head off, this stuff is a bit more 'loaded' than the coffee you may be used to, hence the emphasis on the different method.

The Bialetti really is an essential part of any cyclists life, this is the stuff that helps you out on a cold wet morning, it's even helped me and I am, by definition, a dedicated safty. Get yourself one, John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser & Habitat all stock them.

Scottish Road Race Championships 2010

A unique viewpoint for this event, from one of the lead cars. in the race convoy, so perhaps saw things a bit differently to those at the side of the road, plus missed absolutely everything that was happening away from the very front of the event, www.veloresults.co.uk should have all that info covered soon with their usual high quality and informative overview, saw them interviewing the winners and out on the road taking photos along the way.

Lap 1, couldn't get the radio working even after it had been fine on the check, so missed a load of info about what was happening, but gather a load of riders were getting shelled and one unfortunate puncture for one rider only 2 miles in, unlucky Mr Holmes, I know you're going well. The pressure appeared to be on as we saw a group form towards the end of the lap, about 7 or 8 riders containing at least 3 Endura's and some other of Scotlands top road riders, Rob Wilkins (Striling BC) as expected, in form Euan Pope (Glasgow Couriers), plus a Glasgow Wheelers rider I think (please comment and I can update the full contingent).

Radio now working after dismantling and reconnecting. These riders pulled a minute gap immediately, holding that for a couple of laps, time checks were coming in 56 seconds, 1:10, then back to a minute, the guys in the break looked like they were pushing it, so there must have been a load of lung bustung going on on the pointy end of the bunch, heard later it was Glasgow Wheelers, so the rider in the break may not have been from them.

On lap 3 up the A77, there was a time check at 45seconds, on the long straights the bunch could be seen, so something was going to snap, saw a flurry of attacks go and the lead group split into 3, the front two small groups formed together and the others appeared to slip back, the larger numbers of black jerseys in the group let us know this may be getting the hammer put down, it did. Radio crackled one rider was leaving the bunch too and going across, appeared to be Creber, but will also confirm that later. Through the climb up the feed zone and waiting for the riders, 2 appeared, matching black kit and white booties, 2 Endura boys, can't be good news for the others, tactics coming into play. Group behind containing Wilkins, seemingly driven by him (what else could he do, either sit up or get jumped by lone Endura rider sitting on, as he would, can't chase the team-mates).

4th lap and we hear that chase group has been attacked by McCallum, going across to 2 leaders, now 3 Endura off the front, we see him in the distance now, but he's not making fast inroads to the leaders, they don't know. Some roadside info passed up and Oliphant and Hand see Jamesey coming across, speed drops, rider joing the front and now 3 medalists, all from same team off the front, impressive stuff.

Timechecks coming in, the leads flying up now, pegged around the 4 minute mark, no way anybody will catch them now on the last lap. Wasn't sure what would happen, but looks like they all wanted the win and some attacks and suddenly Evan is just clear with about 3km to go, behind McCallum and Hand are weaving across the road, neither wanting to make the effort to catch Evan it seems, Evan crosses the line, followed closely by Jamesey and Gary Hand. Further down the road, last years winner Creber looks to have pushed right through some groups and slips in for 4th place, Endura 1,2,3 & 4.

After some good riding from the Glasgow Wheelers, they get Robbie Hassan in 5th, a really strong ride from the guy with a big future, he looked dejected though, which in some way is encouraging, means he wanted more.

No idea what happened back down the road, excellent race again from the VC Astar, excellent circuit and a sunny day, what more could you ask for, we knew roughly what was going to happen before the event, hopefully this is raising the level in Scotland, it really is starting to look that way, the Endura's had to fight to get themselves in that position.

Carbon Cages

Ok, lets get this out of the way, I used to have one, a long time ago, lost a bottle first ride, attached some rubber bits to the inside, couldn't get a bottle easily in, but it now weighed the same as an aluminium one.

So what's the point in carbon cages?

Riders seem to think they need a carbon cage, lets look at the facts, a 500ml bottle of water weighs 500g (just over 1lb if you're an old fella, in fact if you still use feet, inches and lb's you've probably never heard of carbon fibre, you're fine with your steel bottle cages). A carbon cage weighs something in the region of 30g, an aluminium one about 50g, but an aluminium cage has one huge advantage, it can be made to fit your bottle, it bends to shape and has some elasticity to allow it to grip the bottle. Aluminium bottles, £5, carbon bottles £25 upwards, for a product not fit for purpose.

In every race I've done this year I've noticed riders losing bottles on the first bit of bumpy tarmac, something you're certain to hit in a Scottish race. The ones who lose their bottle are all carbon cage posers, sometimes the bling boys have to take a good look at themselves and face the fact that for some things carbon isn't the best material, this is the case for bottle cages, they're a danger to others too, bottles flying about the bunch isn't particularly nice.

So the smart riders will ditch their cages, sell them to your nearest unsuspecting gringo or sportive rider, who cares more about bling than fuctionality. Carbon cages are not something for anybody looking for performance, you won't go well if you're not hydrated, plus you look a bit silly losing a bottle because you're a poser, you'd be as well swapping your helmet for a tiara, like a carbon cage, a tiara won't do the job and is overly expensive.