Time for a new look around here! I decided to go with a name change. The old “Swim On” was appropriate back when I started as i was getting back into swimming after a long lay off, but times have changed and I don’t really bother with swim training any more. I’m now getting much more enjoyment out of riding my bike, so I’ve changed the name to 34x28 and have also bought the 34x28.com domain name.

Inspired by the name of a site run by one of cycling’s most notorious doping doctors, Michele Ferrari, 53x12.com, which signifies riding at speed in top gear (53-tooth front chainring and 12-tooth rear cog), I’ve opted for the complete opposite, a 34-tooth “compact” front chain ring and a 28-tooth rear cog, to signify a complete contrast with Ferrari’s outlook. Not only am I strongly against doping in cycling, but I’m also a crap cyclist, with 34x28 being my default gear once the roads head into the mountains :)

Also, in case you’re wondering, the background photo is taken in Bourg d’Oisans in France, near the bottom of the famed Alpe d’Huez climb, looking along the valley floor in the direction of the Col du Lauteret. I climbed Lauteret last year, but never made it up the Alpe due to a dodgy knee. Unfinished business!