Not much has happened since we got back from the Trans Germany, the UK weather has been rubbish but worse than that…. after a recent MTB race the chain gouged a great big hole in the Trek!  Credit where it’s due the frame was strong enough to ride with it unnoticed even though there was a hole big enough to stick your finger through in the chainstay!

So the Trek has died, a new frame will be built up with the current bits and a new bike is on order.

Can you guess what it is yet?

 Britain took it’s biggest ever haul of medals at this year’s World Championships in Val Di Sole, Italy - with two Atherton Downhill World Champions, a Junior World DH Champ, two silvers plus a fourth in the Men’s XC….

The whole week in a 12 minute condensed mini vid. Go and make a cup of tea or get a beer and sit back…….

 

      or CLICK TO PLAY in external player

Here you will have a weekly review of what the club’s members have been participating in.

Well fame we can give you but fortune might just come in the form of a one of the club’s coveted trophies at the end of the year.  We need to know your results for the club’s records.  However insignificant you think of your effort we still do want to know.

So place your experiences, failures, successes, results or just what you got up to this weekend here….

Thankyou.

All the photos from the trip can be viewed on the High Wycombe CC website here……..

http://thesprocket.co.uk/transgermanypics.html

We thought we had it in the bag, the final stage was short without too much uphill.  Didn’t figure on this though……

Finally got around to updating the blog after the final day.
What was expected to be (relatively speaking!) an easier day turned into an epic, with just 1600 metres of climbing and 80 kms of riding I wasn’t too worried about completing the 2008 Trans Germany and getting that rare finishers jersey.
But nothing should be taken for granted. At about 50kms we could see a storm ahead and Chippo said ‘that looks like big rain’, an under statement.
The temperature dropped and then the heavens opened with, first, freezing rain and then hailstones. I was drenched and freezing.
Then again, with just 5 miles to go a hoooge thunderstorm sacred the bejesus out of us. Massive claps of thunder right over us and lightning either side to freak us out!
As previously mentioned we will not surrender and a slippy, slidey mud caked last few miles took us to the ultimate finish line!
We hit the beers, got our jerseys and finished about 160 something out of 220 starters!
Phew.
Thanks to all our donators and supporters.

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Wow , its over on what had to be the strangest of days ( weather wise).
Stage 7 started off in 30c heat and as per usual a 400m climb. We the hit lots of single track and rooty knarly forest which was superb until the heavens opened. We rode through heavy rain and hailstones as big a peppermints which made the forests rather muddy slippy and horrid.
The last 20k went up ( as usual ) but we headed up into a large storm that enveloped you in lightening and thunder (the whole time we where on the climb ) it took an age to get off the mountain and it was terrifying , lightning either side if you as you went up and deep thunder that you could feel deep in you core .
On the final downhill I fell off 4 times as the tracks and grass where so slippy ( sometimes its best to just not use your brakes) no damage done we just wanted to get this stage done.
On the run into the finish we unfurled the union jack and rode over the finish line to get our medals and get interviewed, an awesome day , an awesome week. We didn’t come last neither so a rather big bonus that.
We are going back for more next year and this time we will have a bigger team.
Bring on trans germany 2009

Chippo

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Happy Birthday to my gorgeous wife x

Neil

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Didn’t sleep much last night, too excited plus worried about the bikes that were locked up outside. Some teams had their bikes stolen from a hotel garage so couldn’t start yesterday.
But it’s sat morning and they are still here so no excuse!
We have had a team strategy this week… I go ahead on the climbs and learn about some German culture from our new friends then go back to Chippo and take his mind off the climbing with some education…
or some singing if I have a bigger audience!
Our knees are competing with our butts to be our biggest pain but a lot of teams are quitting due to knee problems.
Last day today , and it’s all downhill. Apart from the final 9 miles, which are, of course, all up hill! Wish us luck, it’s been line to us so far. Just need enough for another 80kms, that’s all.

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Tomorrow is the final stage and if the last week is anything to go by then tomorrow we will be rock and roll stars! The crowds have been as amazing as the scenery, especially all the kids who come out before school and give you high fives as you ride along. Today we finished in the highest point of Saxony, East Germany and there are views that in for miles. I’ve seen plenty of riders stop and take photos!
The organisation has been tops and go out of their way to look after every rider, even the back markers when they finish by giving out free beer!
Who’s up for it next year? We are taking names already!
Tomorrow’s final pasta party should rock, everyone’s already on a high for getting this far. The shuttle bus laid on to take the riders back to their hotels doesn’t start running until midnight and stops at 2am.
Rock on.

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Well , if I was a few pounds lighter we would I’m sure be sitting mid table for our category. As neil has highlighted we are not last by 6mins so we are pondering what to do ( no one remembers who came second to last ) , we shall see.
Today’s stage was full of climbs as is usual for this race but the biggest climb was the big 1200m beast that takes you up and over to the stage finish.The final climb was 24k long and dragged on and on with false flats and some very steep sections that tortured my already buggered knees.
The downhill into the finish was not easy neither very bumpy ,technical and twisty.
I had an interesting moment at the finish as within 2 minutes of me crossing the line my front tyre exploded ( a side wall tear) which was fortunate as if it had burst on the downhill I may be righting this from a hospital bed. New tyre , next stage tomorrow and the final stage.
C mon the wycombe.

Chippo

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Finished today’s stage which went up to 1200 meters. Got a problem though, we’re now not last. Team Rotho are about 6 minutes behind us! What do we do? Where’s the glory in coming second from last?
Another load of teams quit before today’s finale. Yesterday we were 185th out 185. Today we are 170th out of 171. 220 teams started last Saturday.
Hmmm…

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Ooooh legs hurt. No clouds, hot sun. 24 kms climb with 600 metre elevation to finish.
Ouch.
Chippo’s got the IBUPROFUN gel in his pocket today!

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Todays stage of 99.43 kilometres and 2,167 metres of elevation gain was tough but we finished. 35 teams have pulled out showing how hard a stage race trans germany is.For me todays highlight was the thousands of kids who lined the route it was bigger than anything I have seen before.The kids loved it and we as riders felt humbled by the support they gave us totally awesome but I’m feeling stronger and feel good for the next 2 days.

Chippo
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Chippo (left), Raggy (right)

It’s official, we have the lantern rouge! This is the name given to the rider in last place on the tour de france and it’s quite an achievement - to finish every day and not quit. Well that’s us. 15% are already out but we’re still going! 7hrs 15mins and huge crowds of flag waving kids- love it!

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The alarm went off too soon this morning, nobody wanted to get out of bed. The sun is shining but no-one can agree on the forecast today. We travel along the czeck border today and hope the legs hold out, they are starting to feel very stiff and tender when climbing down off the bunk beds!
No-one’s complained about each other snoring, we’re all dead to the world as soon as our head hits the pillows!

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Hi all
My god what a day but at least its day 4 so we have only 3 more stages remaining.
Today we had some rain ( due to altitude) so all off road was slippy , rooty and muddy. I’m starting to get used to living off gels, bananas,energy drink and raisins . I don’t seem to be replacing the calories I’m burning as I just can’t get that much food down me so I guess i will be loosing weight .
Today’s route was awesome and raggy has covered this off well so I won’t go any further on that one. All in all 2 punctures ( one after 5k) meant we spent all day chasing those who passed us ( we eventually dragged them all back) most prominent where the green goddesses 2 rather nice ladies sponsored by craft ( great kit) . The green goddesses( the kit they wear is green craft kit , doh ) have been riding just in front or just behind us all week so today one if them crashed and had to abandon leaving the other to ride alone ( and she is darn good ) she finished just in front of us passing a rather “lost the plot” chippo , the last 10k drove me insane I’m afraid , it went on forever as did my swearing I’m afraid.
Anyway , another tough soul destroying stage awaits, I will keep you posted on how it goes

Chippo

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Gosh. Today’s stage took us 8 hours 28 mins, it took the leaders 4 hours 20 so they failed to go twice as fast as us again. They need to train harder.
Today’s route was along a medieval trail called laufend weg, literally translated as ‘running trail’. It was used for running messages and doesn’t drop too far down into the valleys as the medieval message carriers didn’t want to climb up and down the mountains. That’s what I was told was the reason for today being flatish. Hey? 2400 metres of climbing in 120kms isn’t flat where I come from no matter whether you chuck an ish on the end or not.
Actually though it seemed to pass by quite quickly today, I must have been enjoying it. A lot of the descents were slow and technical with wet roots everywhere thanks to the rain and cloud cover up here at 1000 meters.
I felt fine, a bit tired in the middle but my legs are starting to feel the miles. They feel like just bones wrapped in clingfilm. My butt goes through phases during the day of numbness (good) and having hot lava pants (less pleasant).
My morale boosting repertoire of songs is also running low which will please Chippo and all the german girls whose wheels we try to hang onto.
“’swing low, sweet chariot’ come on everyone you know the words”…

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During yesterday’s stage we rode up and along a strange road made out of flat blocks of concrete. Just found out this morning that used to be a wall. It was the border between west and east germany.

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On paper today was the hardest stage. In reality though 60 miles, 4 big climbs, a summit finish and over 2600 metres of climbing was a ride in the park compared to yesterday. There’s just something about a 26 mile gravel track climb that is soul destroying.
Chippo lost his marbles yesterday and looked to be heading the same way today within the first 5 miles!
Right from the gun we climbed, and talking of guns, somebody might want to shoot the starter. Three days in a row he’s played AC/DC’s Highway To Hell at full volume as we kick off. If I hear that tune when I get back home I think I’ll be programmed to get on a bike and start pedalling up a mountain. Hope it doesn’t come on the radio when I’m in the lav.
Today was easier. 7′20″ is a lot of ‘chammy time’ and the final summit took forever to conquer but we finished and felt good. Chippo’s face is in a permanent contortion of anguish and suffering but he keeps going. So although we get overtaken by almost everyone on every climb we’re sticking together (unlike some teams) over the finish line. I’m now going ahead on up the climbs at my own pace so I can give my crotch a breather while I wait though!
The scenery is absolutely stunning, we’ve raced for 300 kms completely off road through forests with amazing views. Not a region I’d have ever thought to visit but glad to see it. Enjoyed today, the descents were very fast and made us for the climbs.
It’s the longest stage tomorrow and it’s just started chucking it down but hoping the profile is less severe than today.
In fact just popping out now to put a carrier bag over the paddles.
The village of Erbach have now said that we have to pay for a new barrier. They’ll have to catch us first, we’re on our way to the Czeck border…

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I have never seen anyone suffer so much as today. Several times on today’s stage I would stop pedalling, turn and look back to Chippo and see him stationary with his his head in his hands. The profile was simply up all the way with a tiny descent as a scant reward. The final climb was a relentless 26 miles. The temperature was in the 30’s and it’s all on gravel tracks. Every spare breath that Chippo had was spent cursing, everything. I would guess that I was top me the list! Today was the short stage! The easy one! Just 50 miles and then back to the (patched up, more on that later) RV but it was bad. Chippo was pedalling at just 3 miles an hour and I was walking alongside and then he got off and we were down to 2 miles an hour so I made us get back on! The air was blue. After continuous uphill pedalling off road along bumpy tracks we made the summit. The descent was fantastic but didn’t feel like compensation for the pain and abuse, both on our bodies and my ears. 6′27″ so how we are going to manage the longer stages I don’t know. Chippo admits he lost the plot today.
The RV story- the insurance doesn’t cover driving into barriers!

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Arrived at frankfurt with intact bikes. Woohoo, first worry over. Collected the motorhome and then went around in circles trying to get out until I worked out the satnav. Camped up in Erbach and signed on. Got a load of free stuff so Chippo’s happy. Ok, back to the race… Today was hot and sticky and really hard. Maybe they want to sort out the chaff! Eek. It took us 6 hours 50 mins, we got 3 flats and suffered in the heat. Not sure how we’re going to finish another 6 days. Oh, and Dad drove the RV into a height barrier, oops.

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Ok its simple
Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/26212005@N04/ .

We will be updating everyday so if you want to see suffering in germany check out the hwcc team.

Regards

Chippo

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This transmission (including any attachments) may contain confidential information, privileged material (including material protected by the solicitor-client or other applicable privileges), or constitute non-public information. Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately reply to the sender and delete this information from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this transmission by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.

Well we’re on the plane, haven’t seen the bikes get loaded yet but after paying lufthansa 40 euros each they had better come with us! 30 degrees forecasted, mmm

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OK, everything’s packed, I have a new front wheel since the old one exploded at the weekend so thanks to Saddle Safari for getting that sorted for me at the last minute!  The rain has put paid to any last minute panic training so we should be nicely rested before the start on Sunday.

It looks like you’ll be able to track the race here http://bike-gps.idrz.de/portal/Touren/SAT/region_TG-2008_sat.htm# via a live internet feed.

Last Sunday was a good dress rehersal for the two of us, a 100+kms ride, all off road into deepest, darkest Oxfordshire!  We weren’t taking it too quickly just steady and even met up with the hairy bikes from Cycle Care for a spot of lunch at Goring.

One flat which was fixed and we carried on back to Stokenchurch and no other mechanicals, let’s hope it all goes this smoothly every day in Germany!

Commute update .

All going well on the commuting bagged 70 miles yesteday my home is but a distant memory and my wife and kids dont know who i am anymore as i spend all my time on the bike training for this bloody MTB event.

I have got my commute to a super fast 45 mins ( thanks to the dick in the white van i managed to sit on for several miles today ) . I dont think i have ever ridden as fast as i did today , drafting of course but still damn fast considering the terrain and distance . I await the the downturn in form at any moment which i guess will happen on my trip home tonight ( next 2 days are recovery after a big overload ).

Commuting is addictive , its like a drug , i just dont want to miss a commute its like a feel guilty if i go to work in the car as if something is missing and i dont have that kick in my blood when at work due to missing out on the ride to work and back you get withdrawl symptoms man . Recovery though is so very important otherwise form just goes down the drain and you end up worn out and dissapointed etc so 1 day of recovery at least is required .

Only had 3 near miss collisons this week , 2 abusive drivers and one asbo who nealry drove me into a ditch , pretty good i think .

Its great to have heard that a few people in our great club dont think i will finish the TG , its great and real motivating to also hear about the mini bets being placed on me not finishing the event as well , great , real motivating great fantastic i  appreciate your faith and support .

MTB is tough ,  road riding is a walk in park next to it . Myself and wraggy picked the TG because its probably the hardest thing we will have ever done and i know its going to nearly kill me . Its for this very reason that the event was picked , i dont know many people in the club ( even the serious ones in the club ) who would attempt such an event . So , when i hear gossip stories about myself not finishing the TG dont people think that maybe its going to encourage me to do just THE OPPOSITE  etc.We ( dont forget its a team event ) may not finish at the front of the field but we will do our totall best to finish the event together , this is the plan and the training being done ref miles , endurance and intensity has and is being undertaken in the best way we know how .

Im slighly miffed as im sure you can tell , miffed and dissapointed to be honest y know i have not been sat on my arse eating crisps all winter and spring , i have been riding and training ( no doubt overtraining ) as often as i can and to the best of my ability so im going to give the event my best shot and i will finish every event even if i have to bloody walk.

;-(

To those of you who support me , cheers , you will get and invite to the celebration party , to the doubters , well , i will no doubt invite you as well , just be carefull when taking a drink form me , you never know what will be in it 

The 2008 Trans Germany Bike Race with Saddle Safari
Raising funds for the Child Bereavement Charity

The CBC is thrilled to announce that Paul Morrissey, 45 and Neil Wragg, 37 from Marlow, Buckinghamshire are training through the hail, sleet and (sporadic days of sunshine!) to raise money and awareness for the Child Bereavement Charity. 

2008 Trans Germany Mountain Bike Race is a gruelling 850 kilometre race starting from the German border with Luxembourg in the West all the way across the Bavarian Mountain range to Germany’s Czech border in the former East Germany.  The race takes eight days to complete and traverses over 18,000 metres (55,774 feet) of climbing.  That’s twice the height of Everest!  The event is televised for Eurosport and shown daily on German national television. Paul and Neil will also be producing print articles for national media and a film of their progress during the eight day race to be made available on DVD and the web.

Paul and Neil will be racing against some of the best teams from across the world.  Competitors will be from as far afield as South Africa, South America and all across Europe and will include the German & Canadian National & former World Champions.

Please visit Paul and Neil’s Just Giving page at: http://www.justgiving.com/cbctransgermanyrace

 HSBSG is an accredited ISO 9001 IT Solutions and outsourcing provider offering all the services of a dedicated IT department to small and medium business in London and the Home Counties. We work with our clients to help them use the latest technologies in a cost-effective, secure and reliable way.
  
With several years of experience we are likely to have solved your problem or met your objective before in similar organisations. If you are looking for a complete outsourcing solution or need help to complement your existing skills and resources, you will find us very friendly and ready to help.  http://www.hsbsg-it.co.uk/

HSBSG Ltd are providing the transportation for the Team.   Thanks to HSBSG Ltd the HWCC Trans Germany team will be able to race hard knowing that they can rely on the comfort and security of their own motorhome at the end of each race day.    No worries, thanks to HSBSG Ltd.

Ok , its week 3 of the commuting

I am still amazed by the state of our roads , i know i go on and i know that you already know this but man its victorian on these roads . Now i know why 4+4 vehicles are so populular.

This week ( apart from today ) i have managed to stay dry and its been rather pleasant ridng in at 6:30 am i have to say , the ride home is still the mad survival of the quickest but thats the SE of england for you . I have added an additional 10 miles onto my commute just for fun ( yes im joking ) which means i dont have cars trying to clip me every couple of miles although it is as lumpy as hell riding over to turville , dolsdan lane and onto the rock etc .

The good news is my fitness have gone sky high and i have also got some additional GPS tracking software on my BlackBerry which means i get all the usual GPS data i would use my Garmin for . All the data s updated over the air to my database , its cool , if you want to check it out here the link below ( checkout the BlackBerry link

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/TrimbleOutdoors.aspx

More fun and japes next week i guess 

TORQ Fitness is a Fitness Consultancy with it’s ethos based firmly on Fitness Consultancy, Coaching and Mountain Biking and this, they believe, provides them with a unique edge and integrity in the market.  They have developed a range of performance nutrition products, including a prominent range of Energy Bars and Drinks which the Trans Germany Team will be relying upon to provide the calories and nutrition needed for the 7 days of racing.

Mountain Biking is as grueling an endurance sport as any other and the guys at TORQ know how to provide the sustanance we will require as they sponsor and manage their own Mountain Bike Race Team.

You don’t have to be a Mountain Biker to benefit from TORQ.  Their products are used extensively in Triathlon and Road Racing. They have been up Everest and to the North Pole. They are used by Firefighters and Premiership Football clubs. The principles of sports nutrition hold true for any branch of endurance sport – if you have an endurance goal, TORQ is there to help you achieve it.

In addition to their uncompromising standards, is their conscience!  They refuse to use ingredients that are not derived from a NATURAL source, or don’t naturally occur within the human body. Artificial ingredients like sweeteners offer no performance advantage, can cause stomach discomfort and could potentially harm your health long term so they don’t include them. Advanced compounds like D-Ribose, HMB and L-Glutamine naturally occur within the human body and represent some of the most potent supplements available on the market today, so why would you ingest anything artificial?

Torq UK Fitness Consultancy - Coaching - Mountain Biking – Energy Bars | Drinks

Visit their website and see the extensive range of TORQ Energy Bars, TORQ Energy Drinks, TORQ Energy Gels and TORQ Recovery drinks plus their range of organic and vegan friendly versions at http://www.torqfitness.co.uk

News hot off the press…. 
The HWCC Team riding for the Child Bereavement Charity in this year’s Trans Germany Mountain Bike Race has a new team member.   Driving the Team’s Tour Bus will be my dad, Peter Wragg!  We fly out to Frankfurt on Friday 30th May and collect the 4 berth Motorhome provided by sponsorship from IT Support firm - HSBSG Ltd - based in Amersham.  We then ride the 500+ miles across Germany meeting up with the Team Bus at the stage finish each day, where our Team mechanic,masseur, chef, nurse and bedtime story reader will be there to greet us (although we haven’t actually provided him with the full job description yet, ahem.) 

Peter Wragg worked at the BBC for 25 years managing the Special Effects Dept on programs such as Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, Blake’s 7 and Bottom.  Originally starting at Century 21 studios on Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett the team is now hoping that some ’strings can be pulled’ to make sure we get to the finish line in Kurort Seiffen on Sunday June 8th. 
Instead of being at the controls of Thunderbird 2 back in the sixties Peter will be swapping the spaceship’s autopilot for Germany’s autobhans this June.  However, with the help of satellite navigation in 2008 maybe it’s not so different after all!

Last Sunday was the Gorrick Enduro MTB race, a 7 lap 70 mile extreme epic around Swinley Forest near Bracknell.  Not quite the Bavarian mountains Bracknell but what Swinley Forest lacks in long alpine climbs it more than makes up for with short, steep, rooty power climbs.  These climbs force you to stay in the saddle and power up them fast to get over the top, once over you are then straight down through swoopy berms, tight singletrack and rooty, off-camber turns and then back up again.   For six hours!   After five laps and six hours of racing I called it a day, using the justifiable reason of not wanting to do any permanent damage before the T-G!
Stopping after five laps instead of the full seven still gave me 41st position out of 70 riders, it was that tough physically so fair play to those who took over nine hours to do all 7!

My back felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it after the 6 hour abuse but the next day felt back to normal so that bodes well for the T-G, doing minimum six hour races for 7 days in a row.

Equipment was changed on the bike thanks to Saddle Safari - new XT brake levers and shifters gave much better shifting and no problems unlike last week at the Enduro6 where most of the gears (actually just the gears I wanted to use) were unusable due to persistent ghost shifting (where the bike just keeps changing gear by itself!).

So the bike’s ready, are we?  This Sunday is the Bucks Off road Classic, a 100kms ride around the local countryside……

Finally got my results from the weekend, competed in the Enduro 6 sponsored by Wiggle.  A Mountain Bike Endurance event completing as many laps of the undulating 6 mile circuit as possible in 6 hours of non-stop riding.  The event uses a ‘parc ferme’ format which means that once you start you have to stay on the course and can only exit into the pit area for spares, repairs, food and drink.  Each competitor is allocated a pit area to contain everything you might possibly need throughout the 6 hour event.  I did the event solo but there was also a pairs category as well so one rider is out on the circuit whilst the other waits in the pit area.   Some competitors filled their pit area with tents, chairs and gazebos!  Probably some plasma TVs as well!  My pit area consisted of a plastic tub of energy drinks and jelly babies. 

Useful as training for the Trans Germany race I completed 9 laps of 55 miles in 6 hours 24 minutes.  A first lap puncture meant I finished the first lap at the back of the field but rode steadily for the next 5½ hours and got past over 100 riders to finish in 29th out of the 136 finishers.

29th/136 finishers. 9 laps in 06:24:17
Lap1 00:50:29 - Lap2 00:38:35 - Lap3 00:37:14
Lap4 00:38:01 - Lap5 00:44:45 - Lap6 00:42:08
Lap7 00:42:59 - Lap8 00:47:35 - Lap9 00:42:31

Well , the first cyclosportive test is outa the way , The white horse challenge , 150 ok rolling hills and on big sod at the end ( uffington white horse ) . All in all im pleased with my result although on paper it looks like im 15 mins down in real terms the time was the same as last year ( i had two punctures in succesion this year ) so im rather chuffed. The real test of how i felt and what condition i was in came on the last climb up uffington hill , i managed to go pretty much full pelt up it and flew passed a few rider ( simon hughs etc ) . and was in fine form at the end .

Bonus , it was fine and sunny all day long , not a rain drop in sight

So in summary , excellent , in fine form and very on track for the Trans Germany

Yes , im on the bike riding to work !! A 45 mile round trip so its all good miles . Its been great so far apart from the usual Traffic , drivers , road conditions HILLS!!!!

My legs hurt but thats kind of the plan . i intend to ride at least 3 days a week that way im getting in good miles and good conditioning . One thisng for certain is that i will be making sure i fuel on the way home , as for two days in a row i have forgotten and biy did i pay for it whan i got to lane end .

So if you see a guy in pink riding to or from Bourne end up through the marlow road to stokenchurch , that will be me ( early morning and early evening ) give the chippo a beep

There’s snow stopping the training!  Yesterday’s snow gave the team a chance to train in conditions that they could face in the Tran Germany Race.  The race crosses the mountains and ski resorts of middle Germany and after talking to some local contacts in the area there is every chance that the weather could present enormous problems.  Fingers crossed that we will be racing in dry, dusty, sunny conditions eavery day but racing at altitude over the mountains at that time of the year could still involve snow, hail and freezing conditions.
Yesterday’s training in the brief snowfall was hard work!  The very wet snow combined with the warm ground temperatures produced very muddy conditions.  The roads have dried quickly since and the temperature is still just above freezing but with a lot of mud plugging.

Taken from this week’s Bucks Free Press newspaper….

HIGH Wycombe Cycling Club members have entered the challenge of their lives where they will pit themselves against the best cyclists in the world for charity.

Paul Morrissey, 45, from Stokenchurch and Neil Wragg, 37, from Marlow will take part in the 850-mile Trans Germany Mountain Bike race, beginning May 31.

The race lasts eight days and riders will do climbs which equate to being twice the height of Everest (29,029 feet).  The duo are using the race, which is televised on Eurosport and shown daily on German national television, to raise money for the Child Bereavement Charity based in West Wycombe.  You can donate at
http://www.justgiving.com/CBCTransGermanyRace

The team were interviewed for Mix107FM yesterday. The High Wycombe local radio station added our plea for donations to their sports bulletin! Listen to Mix107FM worldwide over the internet.

Listen to the broadcast here……Mix107FM Sports bulletin

8 days in the saddle could leave a mark! 
To avoid any scarring both mentally and physically Udderly SMOOth® has come to the rescue.  Udderly SMOOth® produce a chamois cream specific for cyclists as well as a range of moisturisers to protect your skin. 

“Ordinary barrier creams leave the hands greasy which prevents us from using, however Udderly SMOOth’s® cream is non-greasy which is crucial when racing”.

Anyone know where the nearest imax cinema is?  This TdF footage looks like it’ll blow your eyeballs out!

We are less than 100 days to go before the start of the 2008 Trans Germany (79 days, 13 hours, 48 minutes and 53 seconds to be precise). er 47 minutes, 22 seconds, 12 seconds.  OK you get my drift, IT’S GETTING CLOSER!  “And how’s the training going, well?” I hear you ask (all the time!) The training is going well but how do you replicate racing across the mountains of Southern Germany for 8 days here in the Chilterns?  The 100 mile road ride last weekend was good but I think it’s time to get some long rides in on the dirt! 

Off road to The Lookout & back this weekend then …

Remember - we are raising money for the Child Bereavement Charity and you can donate here http://www.justgiving.com/cbctransgermanyrace

And check out the official Trans Germany website http://www.bike-transgermany.de/englisch/index.html

The March Issue number 42 of The Sprocket, the country’s best club cycling magazine is available to download for nowt from http://www.highwycombecc.org

Remember, the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.  So this issue has the answer to it all, the whole lot, everything.  Kind of like a cross between Wikipedia on EPO and a teenager…..

Team bikes arrive!  OK now it’s getting serious.  We’ve both got carbon-fibre mountain bikes from Marlow’s Saddle Safari for the Trans Germany. 
The bikes are fast and right now the trails are rockin’ dry even though it’s March!  This Sunday is a 100 mile road ride then the weekend after a 120 mile off road ride.  
Well, it’s the least we can do since we are going to look so good.

Issue numero 42 will be out in the next few days.  We got words and pictures on time trialling for dummies, SRAM taking on the history of Campag & the billions of Shimano, news, views, waffle etc…..

With a subtle change of kit and some nice weather we could get the club runs similar to this…