Introducing...
Every month, we introduce some of the Kingston Wheelers and Jim Ley is here for November 2010. Part of a two-up team with Maryka Sennema, he's got six bikes and makes his homemade energy products and seems happiest on the bike when the going gets tough.
Name: Jim Ley
Age: 36
Any significant others? Maryka Sennema (Wife).
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? New girlfriend could drop me too easily to make rides with her practical, so I needed to get better, and she needed people to ride with. After she'd checked the Kingston Wheelers out to make sure I wouldn't get dropped on Portsmouth road I was confident enough to come along. I was even confident enough to duck the newbie ride and go straight to watching Lawrence disappear off the front on my first club ride. On that ride I even managed to climb Box Hill in 8:59, first time under nine minutes, to set up an ongoing obsession.
When did you join the club? October 2008.
What made you start cycling? I was always too cheap to spend money commuting, so I'd always cycled at least that much, and had my trusty Dawes Galaxy touring bike for longer rides, but I only started cycling road bikes once the new girlfriend started encouraging me, a few months before I joined the Kingston Wheelers.
What bike do you ride? A Cervelo! Although not always, currently there are 6 bikes:
Cervelo R3 - Racing Bike
Cervelo RS - Long Ride Bike (and Hill Climbs)
Cervelo P3SL - Time Trial Bike
Dawes Galaxy - Commuting Bike
Gary Fisher MTB - Pub Bike
Focus Mares CX - Cyclocross
Give us a brief cycling background: Little but commuting until I was 34, 1600 miles that year, none of it competitively, then 5000 miles a year since, with a mixture of races, TT, club runs and commutes. None of it as successful as I like, but all of it enjoyable.
What was your best performance or ride?Not yet been happy with a performance, I've had a couple of okay results - 3rd in an middle markers 10 mile time trial, 2nd in the Richmond Park TT, but I still felt I should've been better. Sadly I'm probably happiest with my time for lapping Richmond Park three times, but with that not a real competition I feel silly for including it. I generally enjoy a good club run, with fast people and some competition in the hills.
What was your worst day on the bike? There were many days in the early days of me riding where I'd've busted a gut to stay with Maryka and ended up dropped, broken, and feeling guilty. My first and only big crash in a race where I ended up with road rash, a broken Cervelo and lots of bruises could've been bad, but I'd had such a good race up to the crash I can't find it bad. There's not been any really bad days - at least not that I can remember.
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? I struggle to find inspiration from pro's, as I can't trust what they do. I get inspired by effort mostly, so it's all those lower level pros, absolutely killing themselves to grab a tiny sliver, or even just the guy struggling the same in a 4th cat race. I can't find that level of hurt in myself, so I admire it in others.
What is your favourite bike food? Jibbering Jel! My home made energy gel is great for when I need concentrated food, but ideally there will be a club run, and I can get a nice sausage sandwich or any other savoury cafe stop food.
Where is your favourite cycling location? Lanzarote in the winter, not because the cycling is brilliant, but simply because you don't need six layers to ride there in January. Otherwise anywhere I'm forced to work hard.
Most likely to say: ""I got a new PB up Box Hill", "That was a new power record" etc
Least likely to say: "I'm happy, I had a good race"