There are a lot of people out there new to cycling, or finding themselves getting more and more in to it (longer rides, more bikes, entering a sportive, maybe a race, …).
This website is here to pass on advice to help you get as much out of riding as possible, be it teaching your kids to ride a bike, riding for pleasure and training, or getting in to racing (in particular cyclocross). These areas have dedicated pages, but there are also regular blog posts on everything cycling.
About me
I’m Alex Forrester, I started out riding mountain bikes when I was 14 with Matlock CC, racing in time trials, and soon cyclocross in the Notts & Derby League. After picking up the basics from club rides and time trials, I trained under the tutelage of cyclocross and mountain bike legends Tim Gould and David Baker. Work (at the University of Southampton, where I lecture Engineering), marriage and kids led to me drifting away from racing for a number of years, but I am now back racing in the South of England and Belgium.
In brief:
- Team: http://www.Zepnat.com RT – Lazer Helmets
- Club: Toothill Hardriders
- Favourite ride: Anything in Peak District and, from home in Southampton, this one’s not bad: https://www.strava.com/activities/786946238/overview
- Favourite race: Three Peaks Cyclocross
- Favourite KoM: Gunung Pulai climb https://www.strava.com/segments/1047128
- Best result: South of England Cyclocross Champion 2016/17
- Road bike: Specialized S-Works Roubaix
- Cross bikes: Ridley X-Night
- Winter bike: Specialized Langster
About him
I’m Doug Forrester, I started trying to ride my bike faster on family holidays when I was 12: the Raleigh Micron5 & Flyer are still in Mum & Dad’s shed. I started running competitively while doing a physiology degree at King’s College London and then began timetrialling with Matlock CC and then RaceScene. The biggest break in my education was before I went to primary school and I hope to keep it that way. Work (in Nottingham where I am a respiratory doctor) and life pulled me away from cycling for a number of years but I am now back to riding and coaching and even did a couple of races last year.
In brief:
- Team: http://www.Zepnat.com RT – Lazer Helmets
- Favourite ride: Anything overseas in the sun with a few longer hills: this one’s not bad: https://www.strava.com/activities/737741142/overview
- Favourite race: Matlock Shorter Hilly or The Porthole: both sadly lost to the world
- Favorite KoM: Mur d’Air Itam https://www.strava.com/segments/3127847
- Best result: 2nd U23 CTT circuit series overall 1998 or maybe the Meersbrook ‘faster than 59’ 25 but Veloviewer reckons it’s the Car Colston sprint: http://veloviewer.com/segments/8957258
- Road bike: Boardman 9.8SLR
- TT bike: UKSport/Boardman lovechild
- Track bike: Moda Senza
- Winter bike: Mercian King of Mercia
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