2017-

Time to look back and see the ups and downs of this year. What to learn from the sad and what to remember as good.

The big things seems to start with Racemile Showdown in the end of January, this year not so cold but really icy as seen on the picture above. My Sequoia came to it’s perfect use with 42mm studded tires:)

A weekend with friends and a big Thank You to Hagen for arranging 😀

Then came a spring with a not so fast Sequoia which didn’t seem to give me any extra leg muscles. Instead it became a dropping time on Le Peloton with a too low handlebar and I felt slow…

It may have seen like many people on the picture here but my thoughts has been Le Peloton is loosing people to other things. Like Morningspins:

Without finding the speed on my roadbike I found it on my superlight Epic ht mtb and cut my PR at Långa Billingeracet with around 20min 🙂

The fastest bike I’ve ever had and super agile. Unfortunately it didn’t have an rear damper and I seem to have been older making my back hurt after like 40-50km Marathon racing. Felt fast uphill, it felt really good downhill singletracks but on on flat singletrack with roots and rocks it felt like I was standing still.

So I ate ice-cream instead:

And I tried to ride with fast people, SUMO style:

Manage to do a Randonneur with these great people in awesome pace 🙂

And according to Strava the one I was riding most with in 2017 is Emil who’s super fast:

A thing I didn’t think was I was going to do Vätternrundan once again. Riding around a boring lake on boring roads with stressed people. But Stefan convinced me to apply and what a team. Known and unknown people having fun going fast for almost 300km 😀

I never thought I would do it at 7h27min, and remembering it as fun. Riding with Henrik, getting to know Glenn, seeing how simple everything seems for Calle and Fredrik. Everything together with Jukka and Karl keeping things together. And the biggest effort by Erik for making it all possible and making us have a calm knowing everything is in control and skipping the stress so many people got for Vätternrundan. Skoda Cycling Team is not just a team effort, it’s like being a pro with everyone trusting you 🙂

The summer passed and the next big event came.

Race Across Skåne. Another friend like Hagen arranging a top notch event. Waking up in Malmö that day not feeling on top was a bit sad as I really longed for being in top shape that day. Got dropped sitting totally wrong in the crosswind pretty early, feeling like on a spring Le Peloton but at a 190km race instead of 40km training. Ending up with meeting my good friend Emil who saved the day. Cruised on this wheel feeling shit the rest of the route:

We had a crash in a group and it started raining. Everything felt just bad so at the last stop I got an ice-cream…

It’s always fun with an ice-cream, always 😀

The day after I felt worse, driving to my mum instead of doing an recovery spin with the rest. Got fever but manage to get good until our adventure trip. Me, Emil and Emile went to Norberg with gravelbikes and target to explore some new roads in the middle of nowhere. I felt slow after my illness but I love new roads and places. I found a straight fast road on a sunny day outside Norberg, or the road maybe found me…

The end of the summer after a stupid crash. But the start of knowing I got so many kind friends always there to help out. So thankful for everyone making my recovery easier. I missed Rapha 12 Hills and many many kilometers of sunny cycling but it could have been worse.

I got back on a bike outside 😀 Have been feeling slow all autumn but I’m riding and no matter of speed cycling is a beautiful sport. And with help from Specialized Nordic and Specialized Concept Store Stockholm I’m more motivated than ever. Got the dreambike which I’m hoping to ride everywhere, all the time and with a smile (when the salt is gone from the roads)

Travelled to Girona for some sun and met some cool people:

So 15437km later the year ends and I’m still not tired of cycling. The best way to explore our beautiful world and meet nice different people from all over the world.

For 2018 I want to go to new places, new countries. Want to enjoy every moment no matter if I ride in sunny Italy or just commuting to work a rainy grey day. Want to be a good friend. Want to watch some proper roadracing and maybe even meet Annemiek van Vleuten. Want to be an ambassador of our beautiful stylish sport without judging people. Because style is important 😀 

So welcome 2018 and good luck having more fun! Let’s enjoy every moment 🙂

Ready 4 Girona

What I had in mind for August got changed, now I’m going to Girona instead. 5 days of vacation hopefully with great people, awesome roads and good coffee.

Fixed my bike yesterday with new 28mm Specialized Turbo Cotton tires and a new white Fizik 2mm superlight bar tape (the best) so now it’s beautiful and ready to see the sun.

If you are in Girona, Spain and want to ride with me Monday-Thursday, write a comment. So far no plans than enjoying. On my dreambike, let’s see how good it is on real roads in some heat 🙂

Trick or Gravel

Selfiegame went strong on todays ride. 3-4h gravel for everyone from Le Mond was announced. Started like this:

Then we hit the gravel with smiles like if it was dry and the spring came

Awesome weather and with some fast and some slower sections, sometimes we had to get off or just wait for friends:

We also rode into the mist before coming to the gunfire with big guns.

mostly riding nice gravelroads in the sun:

Turning around before Häringe slott back to Stockholm, got up some speed to Västerhaninge and then it all went into pieces. People started to long home and the group got split into 3 groups riding and 1 group taking the train. I rode with David who got to see a very tired and low on energy Jonas. Had to take a gel with less than 5km to go to Le Mond as I couldn’t ride straight…

But all in all an amazing day. Feels in my heart and my legs. My bike managed it all great even with me getting it all dirty

Thanks to Emile for pictures and to all who joined for a great Saturday ride 😀

Map and stats: Strava

Specialized S-Works Diverge a.ka. Divergett

2 years ago when I sold my Crux and got a Diverge Comp Carbon I felt like I found right. Last year I heard rumors they would come with a new Diverge and as it felt a bit boring to get the exact same bike 2 years in a row I changed to a Sequoia. Bigger tires was a lot of fun but I was missing the roadbike feel of a Diverge.

When they released the new Diverge I knew I had to have one. When I read about it I felt even more that I had to get it. And thanks to Specialized Nordics I got the only (?) S-Works frame in size 52 that is coming to Sweden. Thanks to Specialized Concept Store Stockholm it ended in a top of a line bike that felt awesome from the first pedal stroke:

Specialized S-Works Diverge size 52 frameset

Specialized S-Works SL seatpost

Specialized S-Works Toupe saddle

Specialized S-Works Shallow handlebar

Specialized Trigger 38mm tires

Specialized S-Wrap Cork bar tape (will be changed)

Sram Red Etap HRD levers/brakes with 140mm rotors

Sram Red Etap Wifli rear derailleur with a Wold Tooth Roadlink

Sram XG-1195 10-42 cassette

Sram Red Quarq 170mm BB386 crankset with Ceramic Speed bearings and a 44t Garbaruk chainring

Sram Red22 chain

Challenge latex tubes

Fizik Cyrano R1 110mm -20° stem

Roval CLX32 disc wheels with Enduro Zero Ceramic bearings

Time Xpresso 12 pedals

The Futureshock may look a bit odd but it feels really nice. And the bike in total feels really awesome! Will vary with wheels as I got a set of cheap tubulars too for road mostly. And will probably change for a 3T Bailout cassette when it is released. And am waiting for my Berk saddlecombo from the mtb to come back from repair to have the possibility to save even more weight.

But as it is now it feels really really good. Road it on gravel yesterday and it’s just what I wanted and dreamt about. Can really recommend it to everyone wanting a fast gravelbike suitable for every terrain (except terrain) 🙂

And as everyone asked, the totalt weight as on the picture but with the right cassette which I changed for today: 7,72kg

Le Peloton #169

Last Peloton I did was the 26th July, a long time ago so going back today felt new ;).

I was dark, I knew almost everyone and we had lights and knobby tires. Feels like really long time ago. Last time like this was in the spring on a Specialized Sequoia. Now on a new bike never been in the beautiful forest before. A dreambike worth waiting for.

Sometimes the wait is almost better then when you actually getting the bike/thing you wait for, then it feels like it’s all over and you start thinking of something new. Something ”better”. When I finished my Diverge yesterday (more about it in a blogpost soon) and rode home in regular clothes it felt like home.

I wanted a new Diverge last autumn but it never came. Now when it came I got an S-Works thanks Specialized Nordic and Specialized Concept Store Stockholm. It’s built with so much perfection I got a bit depressed not getting the best bartape in time…

To have such a masterpiece and be able to push full speed at a Le Peloton CX is a special thing. 38mm tires, bad legs and out off shape made it different compared to last time.

Started in front, let Magnus pass before the gravel started and in the first climb at Lilla Sickla a lot of people passed me, I didn’t want to blow everything in the first climb. I pushed on as hard as I could and it felt hard, with a high heart rate but working legs and body. In a climb after the 3rd bridge Johan passed me, he haven’t been passing me in over 2 years… In the longer not so steep climb I tried the speed on my Diverge and flew by Johan like a rocket :p Blew up with a peak heart rate at 191 but it was fun. Then we had to stop and step over a big tree laying over the road and while having trouble clicking in my roadpedals Johan passed me and disappeared. I was alone again but pushed on good. Decided to take the shortest loop and sat a PR on a Strava section chasing Stuart who was in front of me but never caught him.

The futureshock did an amazing job down back to Äventyrsbanan and in some way I was smiling.

Passed the finish and rolled a bit easier to Le Mond for breakfast. I wasn’t so fast, I was suffering as much as I think this was the hardest Le Peloton this year according to suffer score 😉 But I’ve been longing so much for this. Push to my limit on a bike working just as I want it to work and feeling light. Even not being able to eat breakfast properly because of lactate acid in all of my body I was happy, this was a big win for me 😀

198 Watts and 174 in average heart rate on the Le Peloton CX shortest loop today. Extra fun with a Quarq tracking my progress with my left leg too. Not 50/50 yet but could have been worse. Map and stats: Strava

teaser

It includes a Ceramic Speed hybrid BB386 bottom bracket with a alu sleeve too. 😀

World Championships in Bergen

My old hometown hosted this years World Championships in Road Cycling. And after chatting with the Swedish Champ Sara Penton I booked a ticket. Who doesn’t want to see all Bergen and many more cheer on your friend:

I’ve been on the Women’s World Cup in Vårgårda and seen a few XCO World Cups but this was something extra. So much people and so many riders I followed just on internet before.

While I always hope Annemiek van Vleuten will win I was happy to see the Netherlands teamwork work out and with Chantal Blaak soloing to the finish. A women with style and that will wear the most beautiful cycling jersey in a correct way:

Happy to see that finish. But as for Kristoff the finishline came to far away for the 2nd group. Annemiek van Vleuten was first in the group when they passed me with 70m to go. 70m for Katrin Garfoot and Amalie Dideriksen to pass

Fully crowded as you can see. Going to the podium at Torgallmenningen was even more crowded. More people than on 17th May, thought for a while I wouldn’t get in on the square:

1. Chantal Blaak – The Netherlands
2. Katron Garfoot – Australia
3. Amalie Dideriksen – Denmark
4. Annemiek van Vleuten – The Netherlands

3rd year Boels-Dolmans take the World Champion win on a Specialized S-Works, 2 earlier on Amira, now on the New Tarmac.

Yesterday time for the men and the crowds grew. I met a polish guy that had come with ferry and bus to watch Kwiato. Dedication. And the crowds was happy seeing Odd Christian Eiking from Bergen in the 2nd breakaway:

A lot of people including a peloton:

The guy to the left had understood that we where there for the atmosphere and to cheer on our favorites live, not just following the race. Which is best in a sofa in front of the TV, but not as fun.

Alaphilipe and Moscon on the last lap, including the VideoMC that lost it’s connection some seconds after as the power got down on Fløyen. The other view of this:

Including me in blue in the red circle taking the picture above 😀

Just after the chasers/winners came:

I was hoping for the third guy here, Matteo Trentin but he did as van Vleuten and ended 4th.

If you missed the last 5km they are here from the helicopter:

Peter Sagan covering some gaps and attacks when people try to get rid of the sprinters. I’m not the biggest fan of Peter Sagan but he is incredible and clever being in the right place in the right time. It’s impressive and it was a clean sprint just like the way we want to see it.

1. Peter Sagan – Slovakia
2. Alexander Kristoff – Norway
3. Michael Matthews – Australia
4. Matteo Trentin – Italy

Peter Sagans 3rd World Champ title in 3 years. And he did it on Specialized S-Works Tarmac 😉

Peter Sagan does it alone what Boels-Dolmans do together. Both on Specializeds. For me I think Sagans win in Richmond was his best and Chantal Blaaks in Bergen the best in Boels-Dolmans. Coming in solo to the finish in the Worlds biggest road race is making the win even bigger, dropping the best riders in the world.

Progressing

I never want to settle and be satisfied. I always want to be better in some way.

My comeback now is a lot about that. Keep on pushing my leg further and harder, make it work at least as good as before. Sometimes when you don’t feel any difference and just being home and alone it sucks. But when meeting friends and being out in the real life you understand what to push for and that the efforts you make are making a difference.

Being able to lift your foot. Being able to sit on a chair with 90° bent leg. Being able to change from two to one crutch. Being able to walk without crutches. Being able to get dressed without tools to help you. Being able to get on my Colnago and spin a bit on the trainer. Being able to go out, step on your daily, get that leg in and pedal away (happened yesterday). Being able to measure progress and see when angles like 95, 115 and 125 is every day getting closer to 143°.

This day was about progress too. Talking about the future and seeing the future from Specialized (2018). And be able to step on a real bike, with real cycling clothes, and after a few tries get the left foot in and be able to ride with friends. Never tried to push so hard and while being fully focused on moving my leg around it was a big step in my world 😀

Extra fun to do it on the 2018 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with new Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 🙂

So keep looking forward no matter where you are in life. Make life better, and if you got a perfect life there is always someone else who needs help.

3T Bailout, or Overdrive?

A couple of days ago I went through a gear calculator to find the best gearing for me and my super Diverge. Want it to be good on gravel but also on asphalt, don’t want to change anything if I go down Nice and climbing up Col de Braus for example. Was out for the ultimate gearing for me.

Did I mention single chainring and Sram Red Etap?

Last year in Nice I rode with a 46t in front and a 11-32 cassette, worked fine but was hard went the gradient went over 10%. For my Sequoia I mostly had 42t in front and 11-36 cassette, but it’s a 2kg heavier bike. For my last Diverge I mostly was on my bigger ring 46t with an 11-32 cassette but I always had a 36t if it got really steep.

46t in front and 11-36 Sram 1170 cassette was my conclusion but will an WiFli Etap derailleur work with 36t?

Heard about 3T developing a special cassette for it’s Strada single chainring aerobike. Now it has been released at Eurobike:

9-32 in 2 options.

They got a Bailout where it’s tight in the beginning and bigger steps at the biggest rings (9-10-11-12-13-15-17-19-22-26-32). And they got an Overdrive with is more even (9-11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32).

This is like a dream for me and got me to think again. Wanted a 10-32 for a while but 9 is faster. And if I use a 42t chainring in front then this range is like a 50/34 with 11-26 cassette. Like made for my Diverge 😀 I like the Bailout most as you get smoother gears when going fast (like on a road ride) and then you always got an easy gear at the end when the steep climb in the end of a long ride come 🙂

Did I mention the 3T cassette is 126g lighter than the Sram 1170 11-36 cassette? And the 42t chainring is of course lighter than a 46t 😀

More about this: Bikerumor

Touringstart

Me and a friend thought about going to the Rapha Clubhouse events in Malmö/Copenhagen this weekend but he cancelled it cause of the weather forecast. I thought of riding alone but when not finding any great places to stay and the weater seemed bad I changed my mind. Instead the plan became riding from my dad in Mullsjö to Stockholm. With a hotel stay in Norrköping after 200km of 380km in total.

Started with Henrik yesterday morning and after some headwind to Habo we got tailwind towards Jönköping. Got ruined pretty quick by a puncture for me by a big stone. Changed it quickly and then kept on in a descent tempo, a long way to go. In Jönköping we rode by Team Sportia and I got a new spare tube.

Henrik dragged me passed Kaxholmen before he turned back home. It was windy but not too much so went pretty good to Gränna. Where I took a look at Vättern and Visingsö:

Also met 4 ”real” touringriders with a lot of packing on their bikes. Kept on pedaling through Uppgränna and to Ödeshög where I had my first stop. A coke and cinnamon bun was the plan and then have a proper meal bit later. Found another tourer, on a Sequoia:

After Ödeshög it all started, looking like this:

Flat and big fields, and a lot of headwind. A lot of headwind. The speed went down and my legs had to push hard to even keep going. Took a lunch in Sjögestad after 140km. Then the wind never ended, got really tired after 170km and was really happy when I saw the flags of Circle K. Red Bull and Twix saved the last part 🙂

206,6km and I arrived at what made the ride a bit better:

A great Grand Hotel and a bathtub 🙂 Map and stats from day 1: Strava. Took some time to get out for some dinner I can say 😉 But got dinner, some candy and orange juice.

A bit later I slept and this morning it was up early to get as far as possible before the rain…

The wind didn’t change so it was a hard start when I got out of Norrköping. Never found the speed and the first 63km to Nyköping kept on forever. In Nyköping the rain started and I checked the map. 1st option was to ride all the 172km home. 2nd option was to ride to Södertälje and take the train which seemed like the best option it wasn’t for the rain. 3rd option was to ride to Gnesta who was closest with a trainstation which worked with a bike.

More or less rain all the rest to Gnesta, but the legs looked more brown in the wet:

After 110km, mostly in headwind I found the centre of good cycling and gravel, Gnesta:

Gnesta feels like the centre of great cycling south (but close) of Stockholm. A place you will come to, pass or ride from some time. If I would get a summer house I would like it to be close to Gnesta.

Map and stats: Strava

Lessons from this: Specialized Burraburra 10liter saddlebag worked perfect, headwind sucks, it’s so much more fun to ride in a group, visa-card touring can be great, this was a nice start of something good.