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Finding a great cycling route is one of the pleasures of cycling. Whether recommended by a friend, unearthed online or plotted by your own fair hand, setting out on a great route is a real treat. This is also true of hiking, running and walking; there's just something special about the excitement of a new route!

We're very proud of our London cycling routes here at Dirty Wknd. They've been created, tested and finessed over the last 5 years, and we think they're some of the best around. However we're always looking for new routes, new route providers and new tools for our members to be able create, find and use the best routes too. 

So we're very pleased to announce Komoot as our official route partner. Club Members will now be able to access free 'region bundles' to unlock extra maps, areas and other features. Normally only available to premium Komoot users, Dirty Wknd club members will get access to these tools for free.

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Welcome back race fans, to the second Yorkshire v Flanders Classic. After fireworks from the off at round one, cycling fans around the world were salivating at the prospect of a send bite of the virtual apple. Team Flanders dominated the first round, with not only an all yellow and black podium, but fourth place too, just for good measure. Andy Robinson came in a close 5th to save some blushes for the Yorkshire team, but it was clear they had been outclassed. You can read the full race report here.

However, week two was a new race, and the Yorkshire team would not be caught napping again. Or would they? Stepping down from the team buses before the race started, it was remarkable how many more fans had come along to Harrogate to watch the phenomenal racing and spot their favourite riders. The largest crowd was of course outside the Yorkshire team bus, fans young and old hoping to catch a glimpse of 'Smash Hits'  magazine recently voted 'hottest cyclist in the peloton' Jonny 'The Whisper' Secrett. They would of course be disappointed. Everybody knows that The Whisper always takes a helicopter to the start line.

Eyes were also on last week's breakaway winner. Jo Pirotte of Team Flanders was truly in a class of his own, capitalising on a perfectly set up move by his Flandrien team mates, to skip away to the line in the best example of social distancing we've seen to date. Thomas De Gendt tweeted later that night that he almost thought he was watching footage of himself. It was a dominant display by the Flemish, and one that Team Yorkshire could only marvel at. 

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I felt like I'd won the lockdown lottery when I dusted off the untouched turbo trainer I'd been given for free three years previously. It had been sitting unloved in the shed for ages, but 4 weeks ago I decided to dig it out and get stuck in.

It seemed like turbos had become the hottest commodity since toilet paper during quarantine, and I felt pretty lucky to have one. The only problem was I didn't really know what I was doing. As a somewhat beginner cyclist (I've been cycling on and off for a few years, but never consistently), spending time on the bike has always been more valuable than having the latest technology. I figured the best way to start was just mounting my bike on the trainer and getting going. 

I'm now an expert at taking my rear wheel on and off, as well as understanding the importance of regularly cleaning your bike (chain grease is a nightmare to get off your clothes!) My turbo is what is not very kindly known as ‘dumb’, which means it isn’t a smart trainer that changes the resistance automatically. It has five resistance settings, plus of course my bike’s gears, so it took some getting used to. I started by spending 20-30 minutes at a time getting used to being on the turbo and how the resistance settings worked with my gears. Wow, that was boring!

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Welcome race fans, to round one of the Yorkshire v Flanders Classic series. Since the Dirty Wknd x All Things Ride April series, the world of pro cycling continues much as the rest of the world: The Tour de Yorkshire, like the fabled Classics of Northern Europe that usually proceed it, was cancelled due to the ongoing virus.

However cycling fans around the world have an itch that can't be scratched by sitting around eating junk food and watching Netflix. Cycling fans need the thrill of racing to stay sane, none more so than two of the most passionate cycling regions in the world.

Flanders needs no introduction - the home of the Hellingen, birth place of Eddy Merckx and setting for some of the most exciting races in history. Yorkshire, however, Might need a little introduction. A new name on the scene, but the 2014 Grand Depart, Tour de Yorkshire and and the epic 2019 World Championships means that 'God's own county' certainly deserves its place in the cycling canon.

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They say cyclists have a reputation for making excuses, and I'm afraid this blog isn't going to do much to dispel this. Firstly, it was supposed to be delivered at the end of February, one month into my training plan and be the second update in a three update series. Secondly, I was supposed to be able to show an increase in FTP at the end of it. I haven't checked yet, but I'm pretty sure my tyre pressure was a bit off.

Having now finished my first SPOK'D training program, it's safe to say that I've learned a lot. But what I had hoped would be a 'look how much my FTP has increased by' update is more of a 'how not to complete a training plan' report. I want to be honest with you, and not sugar coat anything. SPOK'D are one of our partners, and members do get discount on the monthly fee, but it would be an insult to you and them if I claimed that it all went perfectly and that you should start using the program right away.

That isn't to say that I wasn't happy with the SPOK'D platform. I found the system very easy to use, with plenty of usable and relevant feedback. Considering SPOK'D is an online coaching platform, you really do get loads of data for your efforts. The system works a lot like a real coach and learns about you as you progress, updating accordingly along the way. It's very clever, and very easy to use, and I would recommend it highly to anyone. Just don't make the same mistakes as I did.

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