Paul is teetering on the brink of being the rider with all the gear and no idea. He has been cycling to work for over 10 years but only taken up sportives in the last two. 43 years old and from Bristol, Paul's control freak tendencies make him a terrible descender. His ambition is to finish the Etape du Tour. Keep an eye on him on Twitter @WurzelRed
2022-05-20 13:04:58 - My secret weapon in preparing for my first sportive of 2022 was to do what the pros do - early season training in Spain. Six days in warmer climates a week before Beyond...
2021-08-11 14:48:13 - You wait 18 months for a sportive, and then three turn up at once... It was revealed at the briefing for the Mendips Classic sportive that there were two other similar...
2021-06-15 06:36:54 - My personal experience of the Black Rat sportive 2021 was the very definition of "failing to prepare is preparing to fail". This was in complete contrast to the...
2019-06-11 00:10:57 - In my experience, the parcours of most 100-mile sportives seem to follow a similar template. Flat and fast out of the gate, followed by some early minor climbing and a...
2019-04-29 12:48:13 - I've been trying to improve my sleeping recently after listening to a podcast featuring Nick Littlehales, who has worked with Team Sky. I haven't quite got the hang of...
2018-11-06 11:20:18 - The key moment of the Castles & Cathedrals sportive came before a wheel had even been turned in anger. It essentially boiled down to a clothing decision: my pink...
2018-09-11 13:20:55 - The Saddleback Sodbury Sportive is a popular and well-established event - but was there evidence of standards slipping slightly in the 2018 incarnation? I think this was...
2018-08-06 13:02:06 - After a long period off the bike I was fired with renewed enthusiasm after my recent attempt at the Maratona dles Dolomites and a daily dose of Tour de France...
2018-07-17 16:50:07 - It's 6.12 am on the first Sunday morning in July. I'm stood on a road next to the Italian equivalent of a village green. I've got my bike and my cycling kit on but I'm...
2018-06-05 09:43:58 - The new route for the Black Rat sportive presented a dilemma. The longest of the three routes, the 166km Granfondo, was going over Gospel Pass, near Abergavenny, for the...
2017-09-25 12:20:51 - The "death wobble" returned to haunt me on the Moor 2 Sea sportive. Not previously seen since the Exmoor Beauty around three years ago, I thought I had slayed the demon...
2017-08-30 06:00:01 - The 2016 Saddleback Sodbury sportive provided a free pasty to every participant. However, "free" was a relative term as everyone was asked to fill out a questionnaire...
2017-08-10 07:15:02 - "We were going to do the Epic route, but when we turned up at Cheltenham Racecourse there was no one there..." I'm listening in to a conversation at the Fire Service...
2017-06-13 10:16:48 - "I've left my helmet at home in Bristol. My wife is on her way with our three-year-old and one-year-old to drop it off..." Looks of sympathy were exchanged by several of...
2017-04-12 07:55:01 - Think Tetbury, and what immediately springs to mind is Prince Charles, antique shops, coach loads of tourists, and the horsey set. What doesn't come into your head is an...
2017-02-03 16:57:07 - I was the last rider to set off on the 2016 edition of the Cotswold Edge sportive. That wasn't my original plan: my intention was to go the distance on the 132km long...
2016-10-10 10:12:42 - The second Jole Rider Cotswold Sportive took place on Sunday 25th September but there was no sophomore slump at this event. Once again the base for the ride was the...
2016-09-28 12:35:58 - "Feed Station ahead" read the sign. I was looking forward to it. 80 miles into my second century ride in as many weeks and fluid supplies on board were running low. I'd...
2016-09-05 07:30:00 - The Severn Bridge Sportive is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde event when it comes to the choice of routes. Last year I was still in recovery mode from the Etape du Tour...
2016-08-31 07:30:00 - I've never been a member of a Rotary Club, but based on the Chipping Sodbury branch they are well organised, and know how to have a good time while raising a five figure...
