Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 June 2018

Poco Loco Cycling Holidays/Training Camps 2018/19

Poco Loco Cycling

In association with:

Solestar - simply the best.   
Solestar Insoles


Sport Bequi - for all your cycling requirements.



https://secret-training.com  





Hi,

After my enforced break from organising my training camps due to injury, I'm now pleased to announce new dates for 2018 and 2019 season. 
Working in collaboration with a major hotel (tbc) in Arenal i can offer excellent package deals for 5, 7 and 10 day cycling training/holidays.



LLaut Palace Hotel 



The camps will be supported by, Solestar, Sport Bequi and Secret Training who will be offering:

  • Solestar - World renown insoles as used by many of the World Tour pro riders.
  • Sport Bequi - Training Camp support plus Bike Hire.
  • Secret Training - Specialist nutrition
There will be NEW camps/holidays available in 2018/19 which are as follows:

  • Womens only camp - Full guided rides with 2 experienced riders working with the group to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.
  • Corporate Team Building - Company team building through various cycling challenges.
  • Over 50 camps - As it says, to provide training rides for the over 50's,  male/female who want to ride at a good pace but within their own age group.
  • Specific Training camps - designed for the needs of the riders who require specific work, for ex: Mountains, Time-Trial practice, Derny training etc...





Pricing is based on Half-Board/Twin Room Sharing including Taxes (Excludes Flights)

September 2018 - 5, 7 & 10 night packages:

5 nights H/B -   Pricing on request
7 nights H/B  -  Pricing on request
10 nights H/B - Pricing on request

**£12 single room supplement**

**Welcome pack for all riders who sign up for one of the above packages**

October 2018 - 5, 7 & 10 night packages:

5 nights H/B -   
Pricing on request
7 nights H/B -   Pricing on request
10 nights H/B - Pricing on request

**£12 single room supplement**

**Welcome pack for all riders who sign up for one of the above packages**

Spring 2019 Camps for March and April packages also available soon, enquiries welcome? POA

Bike hire is from Rolando at Sport Bequi based in Arenal with full carbon road bikes available. Select your bike and duration you wish to rent it and forward via the comment box for pricing. 






1. Wilier GTR 
2. Ridley Fenix
3. Wilier Cento 10 Air
4. Wilier Twin Blade T.T.
5. Wilier E-Bike





Once you decide on your package, please fill in the comment box on the bottom of the main home page with your contact details and preferred dates so as to confirm availability. Once confirmed you can purchase your selected package through the PayPal button at the bottom of the home page...there's a translation button also available for those outside the UK.

**Any questions please use the contact form at the bottom of the page i will do my best to help?**

Thursday, 17 March 2016

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016

Hi Guys,

Hope your training has been going to plan and that you are looking forward to some warm weather riding over some of the best roads in Europe!

I'm due to leave for Mallorca in a little over 2 weeks and i would like to get all balance payments received by the end of next week. All information related to how much you need to finalise your balance can be found on both the main website and blog!

Important items to remember to bring >>

  • Travel insurance
  • Helmet (on the spot fine if caught not riding with one)
  • Shoes
  • Pedals
  • Saddle (only if you have a preference for you own)
  • Good legs ;-)
Any questions give me a shout?

Cheers. N

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016

POCOLOCOCYCLING IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH BODYFLOW INTERNATIONAL TO PROVIDE THE MOST CUTTING EDGE IN RECOVERY>>

Please read the following and tap on the link and read how Team Sky are using this system to improve recovery time for their riders.

" We are excited to announce that we now have the opportunity to rent Bodyflow units. Bodyflow is a cutting edge electrotherapy modality that increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage, aiding recovery. Research has shown that the fine tuned frequency of Bodyflow reduces Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and allows athletes to recover and compete at the highest level. Bodyflow is used and endorsed by Elite Teams, for further detail about Bodyflow and the teams using it please follow the link via the bodyflow image on the blog sidebar>>

5/6 weeks to go guys!!

Monday, 8 February 2016

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016

IMPORTANT >>>

Hi Guys,

Please can you take note of the following prices for your stay in Mallorca, as many of you are booked in for 4, 6, & 8 nights:

4 Nights h/b = £210 Single  £205 Twin

6 Nights h/b = £290 Single  £245 Twin

8 Nights h/b = £340 Single  £280 Twin

Thanks.

N

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Hi guys,

Thank you to all who have confirmed their attendance for the Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016.

A little more info to ensure everything runs smoothly so all you will have to worry about is the riding!

Please find the following pricing for the bike hire:

4 Days = £65
5 Days = £75
6 Days = £85
7 Days = £100
10 Days = £120

Please forward to same account with reference: Initials 16 (Ex. ng16)

**Optional Insurance can be brought at he shop**

Don't forget to bring the following:

Pedals
Helmet
Own saddle (optional)

After looking at the rider list there will definitely be 2 maybe 3 groups...A, B, and C

These groups will obviously vary in speed with A group averaging 30-40 kmph depending on the terrain; B group will average between 26-32 kmph with C group mainly for riders who are either just starting out in cycling or who wants a nice leisurely pace.

**With the help of Mark Bond and Fraser Crewe a provisional group list has been made**

Hope your winter training is going well, we're already in February so not long to wait for some warm weather and great roads! N

Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016

UPDATE:

Hi guys,

Hope you are all having a great christmas and may i wish everyone a happy New Year.

As you can see the rider list is getting quite big with a good chance a few more joining in the New Year. Once we are in January i will need the following as soon as you can provide them >>>

* denotes importance

* room requirements and how many nights?
** bike hire, size required (s,m,l,xl), days required?
*flight dates, times of arrival and transfer required?

Training>>>

Which group do you think you will be riding with... A = 30-34kmph within 110-200km, B = 26-29kmph within 80-150km?
*Be honest with your fitness as you are riding out of your comfort zone with the km's covered!*

All the best. N

Monday, 30 November 2015

MALLORCA CLASSIC TRAINING CAMP 2016

Pocolococycling would like to welcome the following riders to the 5th season on the Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2016

Nick  (organiser and A group coordinator)

Nick Cartmel (B group coordinator)
Wayne Roberts
Dave Spencer
Andy Hazel
Mark Bond
Gino Paletta
Fraser Crewe
Andy Bell
James Bell
Russell Allmund 
Marie Jones
Andy Hughes
Sarah Ryder
Mark Doyle
Gavin Rushton
Frank Whitehead Jnr
Robert Owen
Amanda Bailey
Baz Dimelow
Joe Ames
Dai Harper
Steven Lewis
Simon Wynn
Denis Callanan
Patrick Gatenby
Martyn Maund + 1
Chris Jones
Chris Porter
Tony Greenwood
Jonathon Carroll
Michael Carroll
Jason Kelsall
Malc Giles

(35)

Top of San Salvador

















**please let me know if i have left anyone off the above list?**

***Over the next few weeks i will be asking for the following information >>>>

  • Room requirements
  • Special dietary needs
  • bike hire with days required and size
  • All flight details including flight numbers, arrival time and departure
  • Starting group, to enable me to have some sort of idea of A & B group sizes

This year I will be asking for deposits earlier. You can either pay £100 to secure your place or pay the whole amount once you have decided how long you are staying for?

Looking forward to seeing you all in the Spring. N

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2015

Provisional Rider list:

                                                                                                           
Nick Giles
The stunning sunset on l'arenal seafront
Malc Giles
Tony Greenwood
Russ Allmand
Brian Morris
Matthew Gilbert
Fraser Crewe
Nick Cartmel
Mark Bond
Will Morgan
Dave Spencer
Dyfan Evans
Andy Bell
James Bell
Andrew Hazel
Wayne Roberts
John Robertson
Stuart Ferguson
Gino Paletta
Stuart Wilkinson



**Just to let you know that deposits are now required (£100) along with the how long you are going for (dates if you have booked flights), type of room required and if sharing, who with? Contact me via the contact form through the main Poco Loco site and i will reply with account details. **

***I need reminding who is hiring bikes and what size is required?***

****If i have left your name off the above list, please let me know asap?****

Thanks.

N

Friday, 10 October 2014

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2015

Poco Loco Cycling in conjunction with long-time partner The Hotel Dunas are pleased to announce the dates and prices for the 2015 camp.

Please follow the link to access the relevant info: http://pocolococycling.com/camps.php?p=70

I have kept the prices low as the promise to keep the best value on the net!!

**We all look forward to seeing you in the sun**

Spenna deciding to show his form...

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Santa Susanna Training Camp 2014

Myself and Wouter Van Wezemael would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people who decided take-up the offer and come to Santa Susanna to sample this stunning area despite the planned race being cancelled and revised into a week long training camp:


Heather Bamforth
Fred Bamforth
Simon Bridge
Duncan Orme
Brian Morris
Charlie Bruce
Anne Raybould
John French
Julie French
Marcus Walker
David Spencer
Malcolm Giles
Joe McVey
Charlie McVey


The weather held well for us amongst some very problematic thunder clouds gathering earlier in the week...luckily they passed us by, only to cause havoc in neighbouring France!
Overall the rides went very well, with a good mixture of rolling and mountain 'parcours' with the occasional training segment thrown-in to keep the rides interesting and test out the form.
The Aqua Marina Hotel was superb, recently refurbished to a very high standard, with a brand new Spa & Health Club for the guests. The restaurant proved popular as ever, the food was fantastic, a vast choice of delicious food to suit all tastes and obviously help the hungry riders recover from the day's hard riding!
Thank you to Med Bikes for supplying the Specialized hire bikes and to come to the rescue of Dave Spencer who arrived late on the Wednesday evening only to find the Airport baggage handlers had snapped his Cervelo Carbon race bike...a sickening start for him, but once he got a bike and riding the magnificent routes his growl soon turned to smiles!!

Hopefully, we as organisers will have the pleasure of announcing a new race/training format for next year?


Cheers. N

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Mallorca Classic Training camp 2014


The final list for the Mallorca Classic Training Camp...

Myself & Malc
Nicola & Stuart
Dave & Leah
Terry & Jan (non rider)
Ben & Yvonne
Ryan
Richard
Will
Matthew
Luke
Emma
Dave S
Warren
Simon & Rachael (non rider)
Mark

19 riders.

All rooms are now allocated, transfers and bikes booked. Obviously I can get any hiccups sorted when I arrive on the 7th...

Each day's ride will consist of 'training segments' but I must emphasis these are 'optional'. The popular 'cut & chase' will be on the cards along with 2 man/woman 'Team Time Trial', coastal '1km x pace & change' and Mountain 'Back to Front Sprints' all to encourage the motivation. Importantly easy A & B group rides will be integrated throughout your camp.

*Prizes will be presented for the various segments and rider improvements, men & women*

2 highlights will be the following rides (weather dependant)...

1) Arenal - Port D' Alcudia - Can Pickafort - Arenal (A group)
Arenal - Petra (meet for both groups) - Arenal (B group)
2) Puig Major climb for the A group, 15km in length average gradient 6%

Looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks...

Monday, 3 June 2013

Post Mallorca Results

The rewards of the Mallorca Training Camp 2013...

With Mallorca over a month gone, the guys are returning some impressive results showing good form gained on the camp:

Dave Spencer - Silver at the TLI National Criterium Champs
Dave Spencer - 13th overall in Brenig Road Race 2/3/4
Dave Williams - 3.56 in Anfield 100 a PB and 3rd overall
Dave Williams - First group in Brenig Road race 2/3/4
Ryan Morley -   Top rider in club t.t. series 
Ryan Morley -   Team prize and 3rd overall in Chester r.c 25m t.t.
Ben Amesbury - Finisher in Anfield 100

Congratulations to all of above and to the others who came on the Mallorca Camp, please let me know your results/achievements.

Thursday, 2 May 2013

Mallorca 2013

Mallorca Classic Training Camp 2013

Poco Loco Cycling would like to thank the following people for making the 2nd Mallorca training camp such a huge success...

David Williams - 'bring it on'
Leah Williams - 'the determined one'                                                  
A relaxing and happy group enjoying a well earned drink
David Spencer - 'mr slice'
Susan Seller - 'the adventurer'
Nicola Collins - 'im lovin'it'
Nick Giles - 'the lizard'
Malcolm Giles - 'the teacher'
Richard Whitley - 'tan your dick'
Ben Amesbury - 'never say die'
Yvonne Amesbury - 'the joker'
Ryan Morley - 'man .v. food'

Also, I would like to thank all the staff at the Hotel Dunas Blancas for making our stay so enjoyable...

Jose Manuel, Charo, Andra and Marianne.

Last but not least Rolando from 'Sportbequi' for supplying the fantastic Wiler and Ridley Carbon Bikes and his excellent customer service.

Now for the week's review, oh where do I start....

With the excitement and anticipation of the Mallorca classic training camp finally arriving everyone was looking forward to the cycling adventure ahead, from the newbies to cycling to the hardened racers.

The various flight arrivals meant that i had to travel out early to make sure everything was in place and check out some of the routes that we were going to ride over the next week. Myself and Malc arrived at L'Arenal three days before our first arrival which was Richard (who was to become known as 'tan your dick').
As with the Newquay camp the weather was on our side, warm, sunny and temperatures ideal for cycling, albeit 15 degrees warmer than Newquay....happy days!

The initial few days it was myself, Malc and Richard riding together and with neither of them knowing the island by bike, i took them on 4-6 hour rides around the south of the island over the mountains and through the rolling hills of central Mallorca with Richard stopping every 10 km for a natural break on each of the rides... hence his nickname!

Myself and Richard with a stunning Mediterranean backdrop

The rest of the gang eventually turned up after some being on time and some being delayed which meant the hotel driver doing some extra shuttles out and back to the airport. Once all rooms were allocated and everyone was settled in, it was a case of meeting in the morning at breakfast and deciding the days 'parcours' for the two groups consisting of mainly the lads in one and the lass' in t'other and collecting the hire bikes pre-booked from 'Sportbequi'. After a few small sizing problems with the bikes we finally made it on the road with Sue Seller taking out Von, Leah and Nicola on a gentle ride up via the coast rode.

The gang all smiles on the first day...not for long!

I decided to take he lads on nice 'break-in' sort of ride, a little of everything, coastal rolling roads mixed with a few gentle climbs and some very fast flat stretches. The riding hours seems to pass so quickly with scenery to die for and weather that was just perfect, warm sun and little wind, no winter kit hear, just shorts and a jersey, happy days!
The evening was a case of fueling up for the next day from the vast buffet in the restaurant, which Ryan certainly made his own! Funny though, one thing I did notice during the week, people were coming down later for breakfast and eating became a little torturous trying to replace all the energy used on each of the rides! Saying that, the Aladins cafe stop, after a day's ride was just fantastic, out of this world cakes and real coffee, It was a place we took over in the late afternoon sunshine, to sit and chat and reminisce on the day's heroics!

This is the life

I must mention how impressed I was with the ladies, no moaning, just grit and determination not to let each other down and just enjoy the experience and see some of the island. Leah, must be given the award for tenacity, as she had hardly turned a pedal before she arrived, (mainly due to the crap weather here in the UK) and with wearing basic running trainers she completed all the rides...hilly ones to-boot! To me the lass' bounced of each other, a little competitive which is nice, but, all supporting each other at the same time, pure magic!

The awesome foursome - Sue, Nicola, Leah & Von

Over the week, I had designed specific 'training segments' to give the riders that something different to their rides and help them prepare for their seasons targets. The rides broke down like this..hard day with segment, easy recovery day with the girls, hard day with segment, easy recovery ride and so on...
These were optional, but the pleasing thing everyone was up for it...BOOM (one of the camps new phrases)
Our first segment came on our 140km trip into the mountains, where after a few shall we say 'ups & downs' performed an 8km team time trial with everyone doing 200m on the front and then swinging off. It was great, good tempo on medium size gears and all of us in team kit, it must of looked like a pro outfit, just a shame we didn't video it!
As last year, I kept the popular 'cut & chase' where the riders team up in pairs (selected at the pub in a draw) and set off for a 5km 'two-up' and given 1 minute before the rest gave chase. If the pair make it to the roundabout (5km) they won a drink courtesy of Poco Loco....trouble is, all pairings made it, no one was caught! :-/
I must give mention to Ben...for drama and the most noise made in a two-up he's reigns supreme, man can he suffer...but valiant he is!
Don't get me wrong, even the recovery days were still fairly hard and on several occasions we were still covering 100kms and with the lass' even pushing on the front! It was great to see the improvement from the ladies as the week went by, more confidence and the capacity to do such long days in the saddle, chapeau!

Well earned coffee break with Spenno having the widest grin after seeing  the Cannondale Slice in a nearby bike shop
                                                                                 
Ever wanted to know how to stop Dave W in his tracks...place a fake Euro note in the middle of a mountain road with a bleeding great lorry coming down the opposite way! Nearly wiped out for what turned out to be monopoly money :-(
The hardest day came with two days left, Richard had already departed and his happy go lucky, cheeky wit persona was already being missed by the group! Yeh, this day was a mixture of segments (basically to confuse the body and incur positve muscle reaction). It consisted of 5 x 8 second hard sprints, ride recovery, 2 x 1500m overload mountain climb and finally the cream on top of the bundle, 2 x 4.5km road race with 9km recovery between each effort. Once again, Ben was in his detemined chewing stem mode, while in complete contrast Spenno was never out of level 2. Rymo & DW were showing their strength, with myself...just disguising my age!
The road races were great fun...painful...but fun! The first one going to DW after an awesome attack with 2 km to go and the second one going to Rymo, showing all that eating must go towards his huge turbo!

The man who changed the rule book for tenacity...Ben

















                             



I would also, like to mention our kid...Malc was so nervous about the trip and was worried at not being able to keep up on the rides, but give credit where it's due, he rode every day, covering a very hefty 900km in 10 days! When the rides became too hard he joined in the slower group and helped them enormously with encouragement...some say it's the teacher in him, hence his nickname! He also credited with doing the photos which you can see above!
I hope the resume gives a decent read and apologies if I can't recall everything, but events upon my return caused a little melt down for me physically and mentally!

Till next time...

Adios.

N

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Tour of Cornwall Review

Tour Of Cornwall 2013


I would like to take this opportunity in thanking the following for their support in making the 2nd TOC a huge success:

Phil Wilkins, Andy Parr, Marcus Walker & Cath, Dave Spencer, Graeme Cummings (Specialized Concept Chester) Malc Giles, Roger Squire & Mandy, Phil Cooper, Andy Hill, Tim & Chloe (support car + spares & feed) - A group, Debbie Cracknell (Support car + spares & feed) - B group
Riders from Newquay Cycling Club
Racheal Tyers
Mel King
Riders from Tri-Logic Team
Tony Rowell
Neil Eddy
Paul Reeve
Jason Lloyd King
Dave Cracknell
Alison Galloway
Mhairi Saville
'Princess' Linda Garbett          
  
We all had an extremely good 3 days of excellent weather which just made all the difference with the routes and enabled the riders to enjoy the beautiful views that were planned.
Saturday was the the first big day with a near 80 mile jaunt down the south coast to St Ives. Split into 2 groups with Tony Rowell from Tri-Logic taking the 'B' on a slightly easier rolling route and myself taking the 'A' group on the severe hilly route. With no incidents to report, everyone was riding superbly, with the B group sticking together all the way to St Ives for the cafe stop, while the A group were digging deep to climb the very steep coastal climbs that seem to come one after the other. Andy Parr (muncher) was giving it beans every time the road went up, showing some impressive early season condition! Roger Squire, Phil Cooper (E cat vet) & Andy Hill were all showing true grit to battle over the climbs and stay in contact...well done to them!

After a short but welcome refreshment break it was time to return to Newquay. The A group had whittled down to 8 riders with several dropping back to the B group to save energy for the next two day's hard rides.
The plan on the return leg was to have a 'training race' segment over the last 5 miles into Newquay, with a finish flag waiting for the winners at the picturesque ganal estuary. Well, with the wind picking up and the last few hills taking it's toll, both groups split into two's & three's, scattered over many minutes. Roger Squire won the B group prize, with Phil Cooper and Andy Hill providing the most exciting sprint (short video to follow...)! Andy Parr won the A group prize after breaking away with Dave Spencer (Spenno) working well together until the 'big dipper' climb where he clipped off for a solo finish!

To show how hard it was Phil Wilkins (one of the best ex pro riders on the UK circuit) was cocooned in his duvet groaning to himself trying to ease the pain away!

*Congrats must go to the ladies, who showed some impressive fitness to complete the long ride*

The evening was spent having relaxing meal and a few drinks at Wetherspoons...just the ticket!

Sunday was another tough day, albeit slightly shorter at 70 miles. This time the route took us up the north coast to a cafe stop in Post Issac (a little fishing village where the Doc Martin series is filmed) and once again split into two groups with the B group taking the shorter and less hilly route whilst the A group started the hills straight away following the coastal road.
Today the wind was playing a huge factor in the progress of the riders with a cold strong easterly hampering any sort of speed, but hey, determination prevailed and everyone arrived at the cafe, only to find it was at the  bottom of a 3 mile steep climb, which after lunch, was not a nice prospect to climb out of!
Beautiful location as you can see >

The return to Newquay was going to be a rapid one with the wind behind us all the way. With 5 left in the A group and the B group still holding strong with the rest, it was a case to see if the A's could catch up with the B's before arriving back at Newquay?
Once on the A39 heading back to Wadebridge the A's were lined out averaging 45-48kph under the two-up impetus of Andy Parr and Dave Spencer, whilst the B's were splitting under the driving of Graeme Cummings (yes, brother of Stephen of BMC Pro Tour team) who was showing some top form on his newly acquired Specialized Venge bike.
Just after Wadebridge the A's started to split just in sight of a neat formation of the Tri-Logic riders, with Andy Parr once again powering away on his own to eventually catch firstly our kid Malc Giles who was on a very good day, then eventually catching and teaming up the Greame to form a duo all the way back to Newquay, leaving myself clinging onto Spenno with Marcus Walker and Phil Wilkins taking a short breather behind the remnant's of the B group before taking off in pursuit.

Top ride had by all, with once again the sunny weather just adding to the enjoyment!


Tony leading the B group with Phil & Marcus catching a ride







Andy & Graeme forge ahead towards Newquay


Dave Spenno on the chase with Nick & Malc








Monday, once again we were blessed with another stunning day, dry with blue skies, albeit very windy!
After a hearty breakfast we decided to set off on this last day's riding all together...well I say all together, Phil Cooper and Andy Hill, missed the departure and ended up riding the 25 miles to the Eden Project as a 2 up! In my defence the group did leave 15 minutes late, but in reality, I should have done a head count...let's put the blame on a equal footing!
What was meant to be an easy last day leisure ride, turned out to be just as tough as the previous days, with the strong headwind making the progress painfully slow and the last long drag over the disused clay pits was brutal causing the group to split into fragments with everyone just about turning over the pedals!
With a nice downhill to the cafe everyone eventually arrived, looking like they had just rode 50 miles instead of 25, but with the knowledge it was going to be a flyer back, smiles were still abundant. Not so Phil and Andy, they battled all the way together and arrived shortly after us, which, give credit when credit is due, was a superb effort!
We delayed the return to give Phil and Andy time to have a coffee and snack, which also allowed the rest to have a look around this famous landmark in Cornwall.
The initial start out from the cafe was very hard, especially after sitting down for an hour, the steep climbs made the legs hurt, but once over, it was 'pedal to the metal', the gears were rolling nicely and everyone was enjoying the tailwind push home!
The planned 4 mile team time-trial was a cancelled as most were too tired and just wanted to return to the hotel. Only one rider decided to have-a-go...yep, that man Any Parr decided to go solo and this time kick his own ass!





Back at the hotel and before everyone shot off home we (Poco Loco Cycling) had a small prize presentation for the riders who did well in the 'training segments' and generally over the 3 days of very tough riding. The following riders received their prizes from Graeme Cummings of the Specialized Concept Store who kindly donated the products:

Andy Parr - A group segment winner + overall

Roger Squire - B group segment winner

Alison Galloway - B group

'Princess' Linda Garbett - B group

Graeme Cummings - B group segment winner

Phil Cooper & Andy Hill - for their impressive 25 mile 2-up on day 3.

Thank you once again to everyone who supported the 2013 Tour of Cornwall and making it a success. See you next time....

For more photos and some short video clips please follow this link: Tour of Cornwall 2013

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

FWRC New Year Blowout 2013

The first camp for 2013 is now published. The highly successful fwrc New year Blowout to Capel Curig near Snowdonia. Further details such as routes & training segments to be added in due course.

If you would like to reserve a place forward your details to nick@pocolococycling.com

If you are thinking about joining us on this January camp I would advise some training in the lead-up to it, as it will be fairly demanding! As with the previous camps there will be 2 groups to accommodate the different levels of fitness.

Camp details: http://pocolococycling.com/camps.php

Confirmation of riders so far:

Dave Spencer
Dave Williams
Rob & Sue McDonald
Barry Williams
Nick Giles*
Malc Giles*
Jack Belcher *
Bill Belcher?*
Kev Shand*
Gary Greenwood*
Lee Taylor
Mike Hughes
Chris Hughes
Richard Hughes*
Marcus Walker *

Friday, 27 January 2012

Reviews of 2012 FWRC New Year Blow Out

We have received several reviews of this camp:

Hi Nick,
   I would just like to say a huge thanks to you and your fantastic support crew for a great days riding on Saturday. Mark and I were really disappointed we had to go home on Saturday night after what was a fantastic meal at the hotel, i think the candle lit theme only added to the event!
Please pass on our thanks to all involved for a great ride,looking forward to next year?
Cheers mate
Rich

Many thanks to you too Nick - it was a great weekend!  Well organised & really good value - and a great intro to FWRC for me as well.
Chris


Great weekend Nick really awesome - The hotel was fine so no apologies needed for it.  And massive thanks to Tim, Chloe, Rob and Jess.  I hope they enjoyed it also, they are lovely people. 

ousshh nearly a 1000watts hit on the 2nd day Mr Spenna! As above, really enjoyed this weekend, great people to be with, good cycling, good food and Cobdens Ale went down well also. Big Thanks to Nick Giles and massive thanks to the suport from Tim, Chloe, Rob and Jess. Wish i could make the cornwall trip!
Thanks again. DW

Great weekend and proud to be a member of FWRC
thanks Nick n crew, excellent camp once again

very character building, what was supposed not to be training for me turned into very much so because of the wind
We all did great on our riding these past 2 days, and no complaints.
We should all be proud of being part of FWRC, and we did the club proud.
so pleased I came, thanks Nick Giles and of course the brill support crew. And thanks club members :-)
Sue

Nice one, Nick...thanks for organising and thanks to Tim, Chloe, Rob & Jess for great support - it's makes all the difference.
Rob & Sue

Agree with all the above comments, a top weekend of cycling! My highlight was the crumble and custard!! :) Barry Williams

Many thanks to Nick for organising and Tim, Chloe, Rob and Jess for the support...top guys. Bring on Cornwall and Majorca 
Spenno

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Reviews of the Fibrax Wrexham RC Tour of Cornwall

These are some of the reviews that we received after the Tour of Cornwall this year:



Firstly, I would like to start by saying a massive thank you to the Giles’s - Nick, Malcolm, Alex, Tim and Chloe for all the hard work and effort that they put into the tour.Thanks guys! It was brilliant and a real pleasure to take part!

As a relative new comer to cycling, I didn’t really know what to expect from my first training camp, other than I knew it was going to be tough ... and I was right! By the end of the four days my legs where glad to leave but the rest of me wasn’t! What a fantastic experience! It doesn’t get much better than riding in good company, whilst taking in the amazing views of the Cornish coastline and countryside – it’s easy to forget about the aching legs when the scenery is that good!

The camp ran smoothly from the moment we arrived - even the weather was perfect! It was clear that Nick had invested a lot of time into planning the hotel, itinerary, support vehicle and the cafe stops, which were just about some of the best places to have a rest and grab a quick bite to eat to boost the energy levels in preparation for the afternoon training segments.

The option of two groups of riders (one fast and one slightly slower) worked well because you could pick which group suited your ability and your comfort zone. However, you also had the opportunity to change groups at one of the cafe stops, if you were feeling tired or if you wanted to push yourself that bit further. The training segments were not only a great way of improving technique and fitness but they also brought all the riders, regardless of ability, together and yet still allowed everybody to challenge themselves and their ability. I feel that I have learned a great deal from the camp about myself and my ability which can only help to develop my riding. I have also picked up some good pointers from the more experienced riders, which I can’t wait to put into practice in the up and coming season.

Finally, I can’t leave without also saying thank you to our guide Tony from Tri Logic. Thanks Tony! I am already looking forward to next year’s tour and if you are reading this and contemplating whether to take part – I would highly recommend that sign up before you miss your opportunity!

Jonny.



Hello, this is John (from tri-logic). I wanted to thank you for organising the training weekend. It has been fantastic really enjoyed the whole weekend. Its just a shame I had to go back to work on Monday (my legs were happy though!).

John Allen



Hi Nick

Thanks to you, all your back up crew for organizing such a great 4 days of cycling. Everything run very smoothly, great hotel, leaving us to concentrate on the cycling, which obviously took a lot of hard work from you.
First time for me on a training camp, signed up for the A group, thinking i wouldn"t have the legs to stay the course, knowing the nature of the terrain. So having come of a first season racing cyclocross, and 4 road rides around Hertfordshire(flat compared to Cornwall), i was a bit apprehensive. It was a tough first day ,but seemed to feel stronger as days went by, totally the opposite of how i thought i would feel, brilliant. Really opened my eyes to what i can do, and itching to try different things this year.
So would like to say thanks again to you, your back up crew, and all the other riders for making it a great training camp.

Regards, Andy Hill.



Hi Nick, thanks so much for the Cornish trip. You pitched everything virtually spot on, the 2 groups idea seemed to work well with people able to change group at the cafes (fantastic cafes). Also the training segments at the end of the rides were very useful. After coming home with sore legs (no surprise after the tough terrain),I have sort of recovered & for the time being it does seem flatter here. I have already reccommended the camp to others & would hope to do it again.
see you at a race Marcus.



hi nick

thought id drop a couple of lines to thank you for weekend it was 1st class excellent training excellent routes and a great bunch of people,really tired today cant wait for the season to start im sure after 4 days of training like that we ,ll have a great start to the season once again many thanks to you and everyone who helped with the camp it was faultless

Kind regards

Andy Parr




From Susan Seller

If I was a woman of few words, as I am when cycling, I would only need to say "excellent"

To expand:

Great pre-camp communication and itinerary/maps.
Good hotel.
Knowledgeable and experienced group leaders.
Brilliant support car and crew.

Personally as the least powerful rider I never felt pressurised, was always kept informed of where the rest of the team were regrouping, reassured when necessary, made sure I was fine and listened to.

My only criticism is why on earth did you decide to tuck Cornwall all the way down there!!!

Definitely want to be involved in any training camps in the future.



Nick,

That was a top training camp. From the location, accommodation, your guided routes courtesy of Tony & his Tri-Logic team mates, to the cafe stops & great interval sessions. The following car driven by Alex & his helpers Tim & Chloe were a great help filling bottles, constantly checking if everyone was ok & always greeted with a smile. The terrain was certainly very difficult but yourself & Tony in the 'B' group helped to control the speed to a level that suited everyone. You obviously put a lot of time & effort into the organisation as the outcome was a training camp that suited all riders who i'm sure will benefit from for the up & coming season.

I'll deffo be back next year & hopefully see the same faces.

Fantastic job done by all the Giles's. Well done.

Wazza.



Nick,

I'd like to thank you (and the team Malcolm, Alex, Tim and Chloe and Tony) for taking the time and effort in organising the TOC training camp. You should be really chuffed that it was such a great success.

My review:-

The whole experience totally exceeded my expectations. I had signed up fully aware that I would be one of the weakest (& female) riders but I am always up for a challenge. However once the ride itinerary was issued it seemed so beyond my limitations that I fully expected not to complete day one let alone 3 days. How wrong I was. The support and organisation was superb. Not only was the support car always there as a back up (and "comfort blanket" with friendly smiling faces!), the support and encouragement from the better riders for me personally was brilliant. I picked up so many tips that the whole experience not only improved my cycling fitness but also my confidence. It was great to ride with such a great bunch of people and really good that the locals joined us too.

The routes were great and I am glad that there was always a "B" option. I have never seen or cycled up so many hills in such a short period of time. It got to the point on the descents when I knew what was obviously coming up next that I was actually thinking "Why don't they just build a bridge here?". The coffee stops were always perfectly timed and perfectly positioned for the view - a lot of thought had obviously gone into that. The coastal scenery was stunning.

The hotel was perfect for a big group like ours - rooms really comfortable, well-furnished, clean and warm; great shower; free wifi; great breakfasts; handy for the local shops and restaurants and great to be able to bring take-outs back to. Great to have a garage to leave the bikes in each night.

The food parcels you provided each day were brilliant ..... and didn't last long.

It is obvious that you have put a lot of thought, energy and planning to make the training camp the success it was. This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done and I am buzzing that I have achieved far more than I ever imagined I would and I could. Thank you very much for your help, patience, and flexibility...and for pushing me up those hills with the A group!!!!

Suzanne



Hi Nick,

Rob McDonald commented on your status.

Rob wrote "Nice one, Nick - looking back you must feel really satisfied that everything went so well. I know stuff like this doesn't happen by accident so cheers for all the effort you and the whole team put in to making this a success. Not sure if I am missing the sea air but cough/cold back with a vengeance!! :-("



Nick

Just a brief note to say thankyou for organising the training camp.

I was telling a cycling friend all about it today. What we did,where we went ,how far,how much climbing the exercises and how very very tuff it was. When he chimed in with did I enjoy it, I replied that I absolutely loved it.,it was great.

Exactly what I needed.hard exercise that took me out of my comfort Zone that gave me the confidence to do more. I feel set up for anything the season can throw at me.

All of this plus fantastic scenery,terrific weather, good company and a great Hotel

I would certainly be up for more of the same. Once again thanks for organising it and us and I hope you feel satisfied on a Job well done, you should be.

best regards

Philip Cooper