I say ‘new’ bike but of course in line with Racer Rosa’s philosophy, there aren’t actually many new bits on her. The frame’s an old steel Reynolds 708 which I picked up on eBay and which Diego had powder-coated in the Racer Rosa Lombardi Blue. The groupset is refurbished second-hand Campagnolo Veloce (apart from the front derailleur which is ‘new old’ stock), the hubs are secondhand Campagnolo Chorus (and beautiful…possibly my favourite bit of the whole bike!) laced with double-butted spokes to new Mavic Open Pro rims, handlebars are used 3TTT Competizione, headset is a used steel Campagnolo Record, saddle a San Marco Ponza…the list goes on.

She rides like a dream and I’m very proud of her. Massive thanks to Diego and Racer Rosa.

You can see more pics on Flickr here.

There’s little point in me going mad on the London bike though, so rather than buy something brand new I really wanted to find something second-hand that Diego at Racer Rosa could refurbish for me (I came across Racer Rosa a few months ago and was very impressed…hence the effusive blog post at the time!)

Well, a few weeks back I bought what looked to be a pretty solid old Reynolds 708 steel frame on eBay, and got it shipped directly to Diego. He arranged for it to be powder-coated in the house colour, Lombardi blue (which is now a bit darker than previously. And is really lovely) and I popped in there last Saturday morning to see it and chat about the build.

After much deliberation, I’m going to have the bike built up as a road bike using refurbished and “new old” stock wherever possible, which will hopefully be pretty much everywhere apart from the rims. Diego’s a master at sourcing parts and I really love some of the new old stock. The little green box you can see here contains a vintage Campagnolo headset which is still wrapped in its original waxed paper and never been used.

It may take a little while for Diego to find all the right bits and build it up for me, but I’m not interested in it being rushed. Equally, I can’t wait for it to be finished so I can get out on some rides, perhaps even with friends from Les Veloistes Gentils and G.S.GAZZETTA.

Ready to go, day one

I organised a little weekend jaunt down to the Pyrenees last weekend for a small group. Turned out to be a great trip. We were lucky with the weather – dry, warm, some sun and little wind – and the hotel was a gem as well, particularly the restaurant which was fantastic. I’m a little bit reticent about mentioning it here in case it becomes too popular! But I will anyway – it’s L’Arrieulat in Argeles-Gazost.

Argeles-Gazost is a nice little town and a great location to be based for a weekend’s cycling; legendary cols seems to spin out of the town at every angle! On Saturday morning we took in a couple of flat laps of the main drag to warm ourselves a little as the road up to the Col du Soulor starts straight out of town.

Col du Soulor

It’s a very pretty 20km ride up to the Soulor and aside from a very short stretch where I saw the gradient hit 16%, a straightforward climb (just over 5% average gradient over the distance).

The Col du Soulor is a stopping off point on the way to the Col d’Aubisque along La Corniche du Cirque de Litor, a stunning section of road cut into the side of the mountain and delivering breathtaking views across the valley.

The 10km from the Soulor to the Aubisque isn’t tough – in fact the first couple of kilometres are a fantastic desce

nt – but reaching the Aubisque along one of the prettiest road in the Pyrenees is well worth a coffee at the top. We returned to Argeles-Gazost via the same route, just rather more quickly! Lunch was taken in the town square.

An hour or so later we crossed town and started up the 17km climb to the ski station at Hautacam. To be honest, the profile of the climb – showing an average of just under 7% gradient for the length of the ascent – is pretty misleading. There’s barely a section of more than a couple of hundred metres which is of steady gradient. One minute you’re at 4%, the next you’re at 12%, then 6%, then 10%…it’s impossible to find a rhythm. We all suffered. Not only is it a bit of a bitch, but it’s not very pretty at the top! Great to tick it off the list but I won’t be rushing back to be honest. We flew down and retired to a bar in Argeles-Gazost tired but happy. A relatively short day at 90km but with 2,660m of climbing and three classic climbs, not to be sniffed at.

Sunday morning was bright and sunny with a little breeze which, though in our faces on the run south out of Argeles-Gazost to Luz-St-Sauveur, turned onto our backs as we turned sharp left up towards the mythical Col du Tourmalet. Which was nice.

The first sign tells you that there’s 18.6km to the col, which sounds like a bloody long way, but the gradient’s not too severe and before too long you find yourself passing through the little town of Bareges. The road kicks up slightly just after Bareges but then eases again until you reach the ski lifts. After that you’re into switchbacks cutting through hills reminiscent of Scotland in many ways and you see the col from a good 7km away.

Looking west from the Col du Tourmalet

I’ve seen so many pictures of people standing in front of the big silver statue of Octave Lapize that it was a real thrill to arrive there myself. Sadly, Octave himself had been removed for the winter. More disappointing, however, was the fact that the delicious looking plates of spag-bol being served in the cafe were for a pre-arranged private party only! So once we’d all made it and warmed up inside for a while, we dropped very fast down the other side through La Mongie (avoiding wildlife including llamas, cows and a donkey) and grabbed a spot of lunch in St Marie de Campan.

Our final climb of the trip was up the pretty Col d’Aspin. It’s a really nice climb. Very easy for 8km out of St Marie de Campan and only kicking up (and then not too severely) for the last 4km to the col itself. The views from the top of the Aspin are some of the best in the Pyrenees in my opinion. Simply fantastic.

Despite the fact that we were heading back the way we came down to Bagneres-de-Bigorre and then looping back to Argeles-Gazost, I dropped over the col – accompanied by good mate Gabbi – descended 3km and found the tree where I’d climbed off my bike two years previously having properly bonked on the climb from Arreau. Unfinished business. I was delighted to cover to road I’d failed to manage in 2008 (and this explains the ‘double peak’ in the profile below!)

We had a blisteringly fast run down from the Aspin to Bagneres-de-Bigorre and then tapped out the remaining kilometres to the hotel. A great day: 133km, 2,900m of climbing. And the end of a brilliant weekend. Lots more photos can be found here.

Dates: Friday 1st October – Monday 4th October 2010

Hotel: L’Arrieulat in Argeles-Gazost. I’ve not stayed there before but it looks really nice, has a great restaurant and a hot-tub!

Flights: Easyjet from London Gatwick to Toulouse. I’d propose the flight at 14:10 on Friday 1st (unless you want a very early morning) and the one back at 17:20 on Monday 4th.

Schedule:
Friday 1st October: Flight from Gatwick. You’ll be picked up at Toulouse by Howard (our support driver) and me. Bikes and kit in Howard’s van; people in my Land Rover for the transfer to Argeles-Gazost (which will take about 2 hours). Check in, dinner and bed. Also hopefully get the bikes built.

Saturday 2nd October: Breakfast. Ride the Hautacam and then the Col du Soulor and Col d’Aubisque and return to Argeles-Gazost (like this). Shower, hot-tub, dinner and bed.

Sunday 3rd October: Breakfast. Ride over the Col du Tourmalet and up the Col d’Aspin and return to Argeles-Gazost (like this). Shower, hot-tub, dinner and bed.

Monday 4th October: Breakfast. Easy morning ride to stretch the legs. Transfer to Toulouse for the flight back to Gatwick.

Cost: £380 per person (based on sharing a twin room). This cost includes three nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast, lunches on the road, energy drinks, bars and gels, full van support. It does not include your flights or any alcoholic drinks.

Racer Rosa was established by Diego Lombardi – who I met today – and his wife. Diego’s Italian (as you might have guessed) but has been living and working in London for the past six years. He’s passionate about cycling – his interest was sparked as a child by his father, Piero. There’s a lovely picture of Diego’s dad on the wall in the studio. It was taken in 1949 and he’s standing by his road bike on the side of a picturesque Italian mountain. (Some brands spend tens of thousands of pounds trying to create the illusion of authenticity, but when it’s real, it’s real!)

Racer Rosa positions itself as an ethical bike company. The most obvious manifestation of that is the fact that they will happily take an old steel bike and completely refurbish it; using as many of its original parts as possible and using ‘new old’ bits and second-hand where things need replacing.

But the ethical stance goes much further than that. Racer Rosa can build you a custom steel frame, handmade in Italy. The craftsmanship is outstanding. The frames are steel because it’s more environmentally friendly than producing bikes in aluminium and even when you have a new frame made, they’ll build it up with ‘new old’ and refurbished bits. Nothing is air freighted between Italy and London either. It’s about as green as a bike gets.

Most of the bikes Racer Rosa creates, however, are blue. It’s a colour that Diego created and therefore carries his name: Lombardi Blue. They’ll happily do any colour you like, but I think it shows how immediately people are connecting to the brand that most go for the house colour.

In the pictures here (and excuse the quality – the only camera I had with me was the one on my phone!) you can see an old white frame. Diego’s refurbishing it for a friend in Italy who was given the bike by his own father. The frame’s a Berma, manufactured in 1967 in Padova, Diego’s hometown. Honestly, the place – tiny as it is – is just dripping in cycling romance!

I’ve got an old Viscount steel bike which I’m going to try and get down to Diego when I’m next in town with a view to Racer Rosa refurbishing it for me. I had been thinking I’d get it painted in Véloiste green, but now I’ve met Diego, I really can’t see past Lombardi Blue! See what I mean..?

Honestly, it’s well worth a trip up to Walthamstow for a visit and chat with Diego. He makes a very decent cup of coffee too. Racer Rosa deserves every success.

Clearly Kristof and I were taking pictures at the same spot of the Tour de France individual time-trial last month (here are some of mine), just from opposite sides of the road.

A picture of me taking pictures by Kristof van Accom

Plenty of good stuff going on and a highlight was the trip down to the Tour de France with fellow LVG member and good friend Gabbi. We took my little lad and Gabbi’s two boys along with us, heading down to Bordeaux to see the finish of Stage 18 and then planned to camp somewhere and take in the individual time-trial on the Saturday.

Let’s be honest, a trip to a Tour stage finish for kids under ten isn’t necessarily the most interesting day out, however excited their dads might be. There’s a bit to see…but if you want a good view of the riders coming past anywhere near the finish line you’ll need to be standing by the barrier at least three hours in advance of their arrival. That’s not something you can consider with three active boys. So we had a wander around, grabbed a bit of tat from the caravan and stood 100m from the finish in sight of the big screen. It was still pretty fantastic.

The increase in excitement as the riders come into the last few kilometres is extraordinary (particularly with the prospect of a group sprint). It’s heightened by the sight and sound of the helicopters as they shadow the peloton over the city. The crowd goes mad and they fly past. This video doesn’t do it justice at all (Gabbi and I had three kids on out shoulders at the time and I was holding the camera up with my spare hand!) but it gives a sense of the atmosphere.

We wandered down to the HTC Columbia bus to see if stage-winner Cav would show his face and as we were there Armstrong popped right out of the crowd and rode right past us. I’m no great fan of the man myself, but it’s undeniable that he’s got presence.

The next part of our adventure was heading out of Bordeaux up the Medoc to find a spot to camp for the night close to the individual time-trial course. The roadsides were getting pretty rammed with campervans and it was getting a bit late as we got nearer to Pauillac and the little spot I’d seen a couple of weeks earlier when I rode the course.

Happily there was plenty of room for us to park up and pitch our tent, tucked between some enthusiastic Dutch Rabobank supporters and a group of Norwegian Thor fans. Shortly after we got there a UK-registered van pulled up and a very friendly couple with their 10-year old son Will climbed out. They’d been following the tour for a little while and cycling parts of the route. They also told us that Will had already climbed Mont Ventoux! Even more impressively he had three bikes with him, a football and a load of Lego which kept our lot more than occupied.

The next day dawned warm and sunny, we wandered into Cussac Fort Medoc for breakfast, coffee and to grab some bread and returned to our viewing spot in time for the caravan of tat’s arrival. The rest of the day was spent watching riders fly past, catching a few rays, taking a load of pictures and laughing at the Dutchies. Well it was for me and Gabbi – the kids were riding bikes, playing football and mucking around with Lego.

Again, the atmosphere was great throughout the day and obviously built towards the arrival of Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador. Personally I was hoping that Schleck could manage the impossible and take back the time he needed to nick the yellow jersey, and the reports we were getting before he reached us that he was doing exactly that only served to increase the excitement. Of course, we all know the final result…

I’ve stuck a bunch of pictures from the TT on Flickr. While I was taking pictures I set my little compact camera – which takes fairly decent video – on the road to record a few of the riders going past. Here’s Contador on his way to retaining the maillot jaune and, effectively, winning the Tour.

I left the house about 9.00am and drove the hour or so down to Bordeaux. I parked up in a  supermarket car park just inside the ring-road and on the route of stage 19 of this year’s Tour de France; the 52km individual time-trial from the centre of the city to Pauillac on the Medoc, the world famous wine region north of Bordeaux. It was a beautiful morning. I got the bike sorted, filled my bidons and set off.

After crossing the ring-road, the route heads out towards Pauillac on the D2. As I wasn’t starting right in the centre of the city, I reckoned I was cutting the first five or six kilometres from the route. As it happened, about a kilometre down the D2 I met roadworks and had to stop. Now, normally I’d soft-pedal past the barriers, sneak past whatever works were taking place and crack on. I tried that today, but the workman insisted that the road was unpassable and after I’d had a look myself I couldn’t argue. A whole section of road about ten feet wide and six feet deep was missing. Clearly it’s something they need to get sorted in the next couple of weeks…

But as the workman said, “you’re a sporty-looking fella, you can do the diversion…”

So I did, and pretty soon I was back on the right road. So, what can I tell you?

As mentioned before, it’s flat. The lowest point is at sea-level; the highest at 18m above that. There are sections which are very straight and very level and in which you can really get a good rhythm going and mash through a few kilometres. That said, there are also a few sections which are more rolling, and during which you feel like you’re always either going slightly uphill or slightly down. Less easy to find a rhythm. This particularly lovely stretch is one of those. On the left you can just see Chateau Pichon-Longueville; on the right is Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and, just in front of that, the entrance to Chateau Latour.

That’s the other notable thing of course. As you get out of the Bordeaux suburbs and into the Medoc as it runs close to the Gironde estuary, it’s bloody beautiful and about every 500m there’s another stunning chateau. It’s just amazing.

The road surface is great in the main. In fact between the villages (as so often is the case here in France) it’s really excellent and much has been resurfaced. In a couple of the villages, where responsibility for the state of the roads falls to the local Mayor rather than the centrally-funded department, surface conditions are more variable. Soussans was the worst surface and Cantenac a bit dodgy, but neither were that bad. And the level-crossing in Labarde is a bit bumpy. Unusually, the wind today (and there really wasn’t much) was coming from the north-east, so pretty much on my nose. Prevailing would be west/south-west, which would be slightly on the tail. The lack of hills – and only vineyards to disrupt it – might mean that wind is a factor. But if it’s following it could be a bloody quick time-trial.

With the diversion by the time I reached Pauillac I notched up a shade over 50km in a little over 1’40″. I don’t think it’ll cause Cancellara many concerns, but it might worry a Schleck…

The stage finish in Pauillac is along the quay, a long wide stretch that would make for a fantastic group sprint. They’ve already got the banner up on the finish line, and are making sure the road surface is spot on. A hot day plus fresh surface on the road does not make for happy tyres.

I took a little video on the way into Pauillac. In case any of the riders have forgotten that they’re in a time-trial, they created a rather nice reminder that it’s ‘contre le montre’ before they head to the quayside and the last kilometre or so.

I stopped for a proper lunch in Pauillac – three course for 15 euros, can’t argue with that – and headed off on the return journey, taking some pics on the way and keeping an eye out for some likely camping spots for when I return with friends and kids in a couple of weeks. The trip back was a little bit more relaxed and slightly shorter – I ended up covering 99km in 3’30″. A good day’s ride.

When I got back to the car I was so inspired by the countryside in which I’d been riding that, given I was parked outside a Bordeaux supermarket, it seemed churlish not to pick up a few bottles. So I did, and I’m very happily ploughing through a bottle of 2005 Prelude a Grand-Puy Ducasse. This one in fact.

Like I say. I’m a lucky sod.