Chris's Scrapbook

BLOG POSTS

Posted Nov 20th 2007, 12:25pm

Cape Epic (128 days to go))

Another year, another 9 day, 900k off road race to get through. Im not a beginner anymore though! This will be my 5th mountain bike race - sounds like a tough one though!

I've entered the Cape Epic which is part of the trio of ultimate mountain bike races. Trans Alps and Trans Rockies make up the mountain bikers axis of evil single track.

I have done the other two so now to compete the trilogy with Cape Epic. 900ks off road through the amazing garden route of South Africa. From Georgetown to Cape Town at Easter 2008. Up the mountains and down to the beach every day - every single baking hot, dry day - therefore its perfect that all my training will take place in the baking, dry heat of a mid winter Bracknell forest in sunny Berkshire!

I am 44 and started riding on a road bike 4 years a go. I managed to finish a few races and have enjoyed the miles on the road. Last year someone in my club asked if anyone wanted to partner him on the hardest mountain bike race in the world (the Trans Alps). I agreed and since then have spent most of my miles either off road - or laying on it, after trying to self-teach an old dog new tricks and see if I can push my body further than my four kids already push it...

my partner in all this is the slightly more novice Bill Gilbert, who i did the Rockies with and for which the Cape will be his 4th mountain bike race.

So we're not really mountain bikers (could you tell). This blog is more about two 40 something blokes, taking on a challenge too far (perhaps) and seeing if we can train through a winter, stay friends and get to the end of the 900k with our bodies and bikes intact...

So I've done the entry - I'd better start training. Just remembered though, that Im running a marathon next weekend so single track training will have to wait for a week or two - back to the coffee then...

Comments

michael hodges

good luck to you and Bill - the training is the hard part, the race will not be so bad.

Posted by michael hodges, Nov 20th 2007, 4:15pm

michael hodges

good luck to you and Bill - the training is the hard part, the race will not be so bad.

Posted by michael hodges, Nov 20th 2007, 4:15pm

Posted Nov 6th 2007, 1:52pm

CALLING ALL FOOTBALLERS

For all footballers and Radio 5live listeners...Join our footie group.

This is the BBC Radio 5 live 'Your Football' community - the site for your match day football videos, photos and stories from the big games to the local ones down the park. We all want to see your skills, celebrations and football blunders...

Join our community on iSporty now. Get the breaking news from thousands of websites for your favourite pro club, keep up with the latest football news and comment on the BBC football page and check out the latest photos, videos and blogs from the grassroots.

Comments

Posted Nov 5th 2007, 4:05pm

Calling All Riders...

New Road, BMX and MTN Biking sites on isporty and fantastic competiton.

On isporty you can now get all the latest cycling news, photos, chat, videos and blogs for your favoured discipline, road racing, mtn biking or BMX.

These are collated for you from thousands of cycling sites around the world to bring you everything right up to the minute.

Also, if you want to join in, simply click straight through to the external site or upload your photos, videos and blogs right here on isporty.

To celebrate this, we have five copies of the fantastic Pro Cycling Manager PC game to win. Simply mail me with your choice as to which is the best cycling discipline out of road racing, mtn biking or BMX and your reason why. The 5 best win the games!

We also are hosting the BBC Sport cycling community on isporty so check them out and if you have a strong view about anything to do with cycling please join in there.

Keep riding through the dark and cold nights and be ahead of the peloton when spring arrives...

chris

Comments

Posted Jul 24th 2007, 8:46am

Last Chance to go to Paris!

Today is the last day for entries for our excellent Le Tour competiton to win this weekend in Paris to see the end of the race - Who will be in yellow come Sunday? You can be there to see by uploading your best cycling videos and photos today.

Winners will be notified tomorrow morning - so if you fancy the fantastic atmosphere of the Champs-Elysees for this Sunday view the other entries here and get uploading your own - by 5pm today!

Competition

Comments

Posted Jul 10th 2007, 10:11am

WIN A LE TOUR WKEND IN PARIS

WIN A TRIP TO PARIS

Enter our fantastic Tour de France competition to win a weekend in Paris to see the end of this year's race.

To have a chance of winning, all you have to do is to upload your best cycling photos and videos right here on the isporty website.

The competition theme is "Bikes And Me". So entries might feature you and your bike in a strange place, you looking like a professional (or rank amateur), your kid riding with stabilisers, or a beautiful view of the countryside obscured by lycra. Anything goes really (as long as it is not dangerous, inappropriate or illegal), so be as original and amusing as you like.

Two overall winners - one for "best photo" and one for "best video" will be chosen by isporty's expert panel. Both get hotel accommodation in Paris plus Eurostar tickets from London to the French capital. You'll even be accompanied by one of the isporty team to make sure that everything goes to plan.

In addition, isporty has 17 daily prizes of copies of Pro Cycle Racing for the PC so you can fine tune your cycle team management skills! If you win one of these from 7-23 July inclusive, your entry will still considered for the main prize. So why not enter a new video or photo for everyday?!

So get uploading your entries into this special Tour de France competition page now and check out our comprehensive updates live from Le Tour.

Le Tour comp

Good luck!

Comments

Posted Jul 3rd 2007, 2:40pm

WIN VIP Tkts For Prologue!

Win VIP hospitality at the Prologue!

isporty have once again teamed up with Tour de France sponsors Orange to offer 6 members the chance to win tickets for a day of full hospitality at the Tour de France village at the London Prologue this Saturday July 7th. The lucky winners will spend the day in the hospitality village, located on the roadside. They’ll experience the excitement of the passing of the race from a fantastic spot, enjoy cocktails, a buffet lunch and an amazing bike demonstration and show. Each winner will also receive a complementary gift.

To be in with a chance of winning, we need you to upload your favourite and best cycling photos and videos. These can be uploaded into this special Tour de France competition page which we have launched alongside our Tour Page – the most comprehensive tour resource on the web.

Le Tour page

Closing date is Thursday 5th July and the winners - with the best photo or video - will be notified the following day – good luck and look out for our major tour competition starting this Friday!

Comments

Posted Jun 27th 2007, 4:31pm

Ride The Stage 1 TdF Sportive!

Isporty has teamed up with the Tour de France sponsors, Orange, to give 4 cyclists the chance to cycle the 120-mile Stage 1 London to Canterbury route of the Tour de France on 1st July, a week before the professionals. The winners and 5000 others will cycle the marked and marshaled route from Greenwich through Kent to Canterbury. You’ll be provided with an Orange branded cycling suit, free refreshments along the way and transport back from Canterbury is included.

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question:
Where are Orange ‘On Your Bike London’ bikes being given away on 4th July?

Answer through the comments section of my blog and our 4 very fit and healthy winners will be picked out of the lucky helmet at 5pm on Thursday 28th June (tomorrow) – you haven’t got long to train!

Orange - official telecommunications partner of the Tour De France – will be giving away 500 mountain bikes and helmets worth £200 each to members of the public. To celebrate the inaugural start of the race in London, actress Gemma Atkinson and Olympic gold medal winners Chris Hoy and Jason Queally will be handing out a total of 500 black mountain bikes for free on July 4th in Covent Garden at 9am, as part of the Orange ‘On Your Bike, London’ initiative.

This is the first time exclusive content from such an event will be available over web and mobile in the UK thanks to Orange's Broadband and Mobile offering. If you want your free bike, go to www.orange.co.uk to find out more.