Happy Birthday to.... this blog!

It was one year ago today that I made my first post on this blog. And what a year it has been. No better time than today to look back and reflect on the past year!

When I started this blog, it was my intention to chronicle my journey to qualifying for, and ultimately participating in the London 2012 Paralympics. A year ago I had no idea if I would be riding in the Paralympics, let alone if I would remain a member of the Irish Paracycling team. The 2010 Road World Championships in Canada hadn't gone well for me and I was questioning whether or not I had a future in the sport. But I decided to train hard over the winter and give myself one more kick at the can at the Track World Championships last March. If I didn't get some results there, I would pack it in.

A hard winter of training paid dividends and I managed two 6th place finishes in my track events, putting me back in the picture for London and giving me a spot on the Paracycling squad for the upcoming season. There was a glimmer of life in my cycling career after all! But this was just the start of the hard work, and the start what has been a fantastic year of competition.

I got to work straight away – putting in place a plan that would (hopefully) lead me to achieving my goals for the year. First up, I had to address the issue of my artificial leg. I didn't have a cycling-specific prosthetic and this was costing me valuable time and energy in races. As chronicled here, I contacted Pace Rehabilitation and together we designed and built a purpose-built custom carbon cycling leg. Over time this would prove to be a turning point in my career. 

The leg was put through it's paces shortly thereafter when I travelled to Australia for the first World Cup race of the season. The number of riders there was smaller than usual and the level of competition not as great as at the World Championships, but I still came away with a 2nd place finish in the road race. But it was the following day, in the time trial, that the first big surprise of the year came. I managed to beat the reigning World Champion for the first of what would turn out to be many times. It was proof-positive that I was on the right track to success and that the new leg was doing it's job. And it proved to me that I had what it takes to win on the big stage. It was the confidence boost I needed to keep me going through the rest of the season.

It wasn't all gold medals this year though. The next World Cup race in Spain saw things go rather differently. Frustratingly I managed a silver medal in the time trial, losing out by a mere 0.4 of a second. And the following day in the road race, on a course that actually suited me well, I broke a spoke and finished well out of the points. I managed to hold onto the World Cup overall lead, but it now would require a small miracle to win the overall tittle.

It was in search of the overall win that saw me travel to Canada in July for the final stop of the World Cup series. I was back at the site of perhaps my greatest failing – the site of the World Championships almost a year earlier that had nearly broke me and made me give up cycling for good. And even though my races went significantly better this time around, I still fell short of the points I needed to win the title. Still – it was a good lesson to me, and losing there taught me not to assume I would win every race, and showed me that I would have to work even harder if I wanted to win the World Championships.

September meant another trip to the World Championships – this time on the relatively flat roads of Denmark. It was a contest I had been preparing for, in one form or another, for a whole year. Since I found out where it was going to be, I knew that I had a chance to win. I knew I had to work for it, but with the right preparation I was confident I could pull out a win. And I didn't disappoint! I achieved my year-long target of a win in the World's in the time trial.

And so – a year ago the blog was a chance to remind myself of my struggles as a disabled cyclist and document my attempts to qualify for the Paralympics, but since then it has grown to be so much more. By virtue of my win in Denmark and my performances this past year, I have assured myself of a spot on the team in London (assuming I maintain my fitness and results of course!). So now the focus of the blog has shifted somewhat to looking at my preparations for my remaining competitions (Track World Championships in Los Angeles in February) and then London.

But it also now gives a chance to thank some of the great companies that have come on board to sponsor me with equipment. I enjoy being able to review the products I use and share my impressions of them – as well as why I use them and why I recommend them – with the public.

One year down, and only 272 days to go now. I know the Games will be here before I know it and even though there is a massive amount of training and racing to be done before walking into the Olympic stadium next August, the excitement builds on a daily basis now. No longer are the Paralympics a distant dream, but a very real competition that must be planned for and meticulously prepared for. 

In the coming months I will continue to chronicle the build-up to the Track World's and continue to share my reviews of the products I use. And I'll continue to talk about what the Games mean to me and how I'm dealing with the stresses and pressure of getting ready. And hopefully, in about 273 days from now once my first race in London is finished, I'll be able to write about how it felt to win my first medal!

Thanks to all who have supported me this past year and followed the blog so far – and thanks to all those who will be supporting me over the next year. 

In need of the fastest pedals on the market? Look no further.

Pedals are one of those things on the bike that are not only very important, but also a very personal choice. Anyone who rides a bike regularly will be using the 'clipless' pedal – something akin to a ski binding whereby there is a cleat attached to the bottom of your shoe which interfaces with the pedal and holds you attached – until you need to release yourself (usually by twisting your foot sideways). For safety reasons, these pedal systems are designed to release in the case of a crash (again – somewhat like a ski binding). It can take beginners a while to get used to them and it's not uncommon to see cyclists keel over sideways at traffic lights because they haven't released themselves in time. But in general, they are safe, provide excellent power transfer to the bike and make cycling easier.

The pioneers of this technology are a French company called 'Look' (www.lookcycle.com). They launched the first clipless pedal system into the market back in 1984. Their pedals (and virtually all clipless pedal systems) use a spring tensioning mechanism that holds the cleat in place. Some pedals allow you to adjust the tension on the spring, making it easier or harder to get out of them. I prefer the tension to be as high as possible, particularly when it comes to riding on the track – as you want to be held firmly in place when putting all your power down from the start. 'Pulling a pedal', or having your foot release from the pedal under heavy strain, can cause accidents or disqualifications in important races, so it's important to get it right.

The actual componentry involved in these pedals (with the heavy-duty springs needed), tend to make the pedals heavy. The influence of carbon fiber has certainly improved matters over the years allowing for lighter and stronger platforms and pedal bodies, but the core spring that holds you in place has always been a constant. But never one to sit back on it past successes, Look have gone back to the drawing board and re-engineered the clipless pedal concept with an innovative solution to get rid of the spring... and the excess weight.

The Keo Blade pedal uses a flexible carbon 'blade' to hold the foot in place. The blades come in two different tensions (12nm or 16nm). The higher the tension (16nm), the harder it is to get out of it. But the use of this carbon blade eliminates the need for the traditional spring, and saves weight. In the photo above you can see the usual spring that most pedals use. But compare this to the new Keo Blade pedals shown to the left. You can see the blade (shown flexing as the cleat engages) on the right hand side of the pedal. This replaces the traditional spring and cuts the weight down significantly. It's an elegant and innovative solution and possibly represents the way forward in pedal technology.

Look Cycles, via their UK distributor, Fisher Outdoors (www.fisheroutdoors.co.uk), have come on board as not only my track bike provider, but also my pedal provider. For me, it was an obvious choice as I have been riding Look pedals for years now and was happy to stay loyal to them. They make great pedals, have excellent customer service, and are proven winners. I have 6 different bikes I use between the road and track, and they all are equipped with Look pedals. Different models on many of them for my different needs, but all equally top-notch.

The curved undercarriage of the Aero Blade

Lat year for my time trial bike, I purchased the Look Keo Blade Aero pedals. These pedals are rarely seen in the wild, but at the time I was looking for something different, and perhaps something that could shave off a second or two from my TT times. The Aero Blade pedals use the same blade attachment mechanism, but the underside of the pedal is a curved section of carbon fiber. This helps smooth the flow of air across the bottom of the pedal. I know this probably sounds ridiculous to most people, but consider this: I lost a World Cup time trial last year, over a distance of 12.5 miles, by 0.4 of a second (riding conventional pedals). These Aero pedals would have given me that time back and given me a win. So whilst this technology may not benefit your average club rider, there is an argument for an elite rider such as myself to use them. (Then again, everyone needs pedals and these are just as light and fast as any other, so no reason to NOT use them, even for everyday riding!)

I am now using the regular (non-aero) Keo Blade pedals on my track bike. I like the positive feel as you click into them and the 16nm blades hold me firmly in place, even under the stress of standing start efforts. They are light also, shaving valuable grams off the bike's weight. Right now I'm using the cro-mo spindle version of the pedals, but with a little persuasion I am hoping that Look will pass on a pair of the titanium-spindle pedals to me for competition. Anything to help go a little faster!

One last aspect of the Blade pedals that I find to be of great help is the wide platform that they have. The surface area that comes in contact with the bottom of your shoe is larger than most pedals. It means more stability and better power transfer. Your foot is held stable with less lost energy or rocking from side to side. Even micro-movements add up over the course of a ride and can cost time and energy. This diagram shows the difference between an old Look pedal and the Blade pedal. Notice how much wider the base is on the Blade pedal: 

Aesthetically, the pedals look amazing (for those, like myself, who want their equipment to stand out). And the blades ARE replaceable should any problems occur (but I've had none to date). In short, they are simply superb. I can wholeheartedly recommend them if you are in the market for a new pedal system and want to try something a little unique.