Team Grumpy is a joky name given to the Two-up team comprising Grumpy Bob and "Grumpy" Art Vanderlay, former clubmates now separated by a considerable geographic distance. We do however race together in 2-up time trials wherever possible, most notably at the Duo Normand time trial held in Normandy each September.
This website offers advice and reviews (events and equipment) pertaining to 2-up team time trials
Rule #1. Remember to make your excuses before the race, not after. Otherwise it will just sound pathetic.
Rule #2. Don't tinker with your bike the evening before the event. It will break, either then or, worse still, during the event.
Rule #3. If all else fails, buy some new bike kit.
Rule #4. And if rule #3 fails, new skinsuits are probably a good option.
Rule #5. Never train or race with a bad cough - it will destroy your entire season.
Rule #6. Tantrums are appropriate if provoked (e.g. by mechanical problems), but try to avoid damage to equipment.
Rule #7. Team Grumpy riders are allowed to use whatever equipment they wish (and their wallets permit). However, the official team energy drink is always pop belge.
Rule #8. Cycling terminology such as cockpit, wheelset and colourway are strictly forbidden.
Of course, our eight rules pale in comparison to the Velominati rules.
The two members of Team Grumpy live several hundred miles apart, so our competitive outings are necessarily limited. We aim to ride at least two 2-ups a year, typically an early season event in South Wales and the Duo Normand, a well-known 2-up time trial in Normandy. Sadly, the Duo Normand has not taken place since Covid, though as eternal optimists we still hope it will resume. Maybe for 2024?
Many of these events are reviewed on this site.
Team Grumpy has used a variety of equipment over the years - we will write reviews of this stuff to try and give a user's perspective often following long periods of use. Similarly, we've had varying success at keeping a sensible and effective training programme going, against a changing backdrop of domestic and work commitments - we plan to write on the subject of training methods.
