Road Cycling Essentials

[shadowcreaper]

Done a few tts no 100 mile ones yet though.
They really good as your racing yourself and trust me stick a number on yourself you gain +5mph and the word brake isn't in your dictionary

Couple of tips add a beginner myself
1: you need TT clip on bars, huge difference, just much more relaxed than on drops.
2: don't look at other peoples bikes you will cry, then work out how to explain to your other half how you've spent 5k on a bike!

3: warm up before race, I mean you should be sweating before you get on that line!

4: take risks..... Yep you heard that, brake late, pedal down that hill like a mad man, and enjoy the speed

 

[Edinho]

Finally a hill climbing challenge on Strava. Rapha Rising 14-21st July 24k ft. Awesome

At last a proper challenge




....grabs map to find steepest hill

re: TT's did my first 10 mile a couple of weeks ago so between then and now I have naturally spent £500 on some 50mm tubulars and have been looking at TT bikes.

 

[[Damien]]

I am looking for an upgrade..
I currently ride a Specialized Allez 16 with Mavic Aksium wheels. I like the look and spec of the Canyon bikes, currently considering the roadlite AL 6.0 and the Ultimate AL 7.0 Is it worth the additional £340 for the ultimate?

I can't say much for the difference between the two but I'm very happy with my Ultimate AL 7. When I stomp on those pedals it really shifts. No flex, no mushiness. I've read that it can be a bit unforgiving for lighter riders though so bear it in mind. I got mine with the better version seat post too. Very comfy.

 

[Vonhelmet]

24k in a week? Not. A. Chance. I couldn't do that in a month.

I can't wait until I'm 70 and retired and can cycle all day.

 

[SoliD]

Big Big climbing challenge that, have entered but don't think i'll make it, will have to do some serious hill repeats around this way to make that!

 

[grudas]

You really would never tell, I'm still not convinced even Very nice work though mate.

thanks man!

 

[Berger]

Cramp, I hate you.

Sprint finish, go to put the power down and jump on the train of 3 riders. Leg goes pop straight away, give it a couple of pedals to see if it improves, only got worse. Had to unclip and free wheel to the line.

 

[uniQ]

^ Hate cramp.

This looks like a bit of a bargain? £1.8k SRAM RED (Ulteg Cassette) & Ksyrium Elite Wheels. 6.9kg:

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/bi...cott-addict-r15-compact-road-bike-2011-p81551

 

[One More Solo]

Finally a hill climbing challenge on Strava. Rapha Rising 14-21st July 24k ft. Awesome

Coincides with the final week of the Tour, and given I'm in the Alps that week on holiday I'd be a bit disappointed not to manage that.

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

Anyone going out in the wind today? Need to get the miles in but not sure I can take this gusty wind!

 

[tedmaul]

Anyone going out in the wind today? Need to get the miles in but not sure I can take this gusty wind!

Weighing up the same thing. Utterly pishing down and windy here in south lanarkshire, and forecast says no let up all day.

Trying to decide if i man up and just go out, or go out tomorrow instead when the forecast is better. Only thing with that is i need to work from midday, so would need to be home again by 11 - so to fit a 50 miler in at the paltry speeds i do i'd need to be out the house by about 7.30am! On a sunday! Won't somebody think of the children!

 

[oli collett]

I was supposed to get up at 7 to go round richmond park, but was woken up twice in the night by the wind and had a lie in instead

Forecast awful here for tomorrow - was going to do a 100 mile sportive but don't fancy it in this weather

 

[Berger]

^ Hate cramp.

This looks like a bit of a bargain? £1.8k SRAM RED (Ulteg Cassette) & Ksyrium Elite Wheels. 6.9kg:

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/bi...cott-addict-r15-compact-road-bike-2011-p81551

I used NUUN tablets for a change from High5 zero, that's about the only thing I did differently so not too sure what caused it, could perhaps be those.

Usually get up at 9.30, cereal and raisin toast, light lunch at 11:30 and race starts between 1:30 and 1:45 normally. Drink one 750ml bottle over an hour to an hour and a half now it's cold weather.

 

[Mr Jones]

Anyone going out in the wind today? Need to get the miles in but not sure I can take this gusty wind!

Haven't cycled in a week so I got up early for a quick ride before a busy weekend - it's gusty and persistent!

 

[Chasser]

this is how my bars sit on my used-to-be triban3 your hoods look to low/bars to low so rotate them, i find that comfortable

Nice work indeed. Are they R500 wheels? How do you find them compared to the stock set?

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

Haven't cycled in a week so I got up early for a quick ride before a busy weekend - it's gusty and persistent!

argh I really can't stand the wind. Went out for 25 miles earlier in the week and didn't really twig that I was absolutely flying on the way out as I was just riding for fun rather than to numbers. Realised on the turn around I had the return leg all the way home into 15-20mph winds. It was emotional!

I'm after a bit of newb advice from any experienced sportive riders if possible.

I've never done one basically, I've ridden over 150 miles in a day so have no worries about completing. But I've decided to enter a local one tomorrow (106 miles) as a way of training instead of going solo today in the wind. Does anyone else go it alone to sportives? Can you join in with groups, or do you tend to work alone? I think there are 600+ riders, does that mean the course will be busy or will it spread out a lot?

Cheers for any help/advice

 

[Vonhelmet]

Hmm. The weather's better than it might have been today. However, it's my girl's birthday party so no cycling for me. I'll try to get out tomorrow evening instead, though knowing my luck it'll be bucketing by then!

 

[One More Solo]

Weather looks much better than forecast. I've got some crappy cold and hacking up all sorts so no riding for me this weekend.

 

[Saundie]

I actually got my fat, lazy backside out of bed this morning and went for a proper ride;

http://app.strava.com/activities/60420950

Toys Hill is an utter pig, I overcooked it on the first section not realising that it ramps up half way through. I had to get off and rest for a bit before I could grind my way up. Still, not bad considering how little I've been cycling lately...

 

[[Damien]]

argh I really can't stand the wind. Went out for 25 miles earlier in the week and didn't really twig that I was absolutely flying on the way out as I was just riding for fun rather than to numbers. Realised on the turn around I had the return leg all the way home into 15-20mph winds. It was emotional!

I'm after a bit of newb advice from any experienced sportive riders if possible.

I've never done one basically, I've ridden over 150 miles in a day so have no worries about completing. But I've decided to enter a local one tomorrow (106 miles) as a way of training instead of going solo today in the wind. Does anyone else go it alone to sportives? Can you join in with groups, or do you tend to work alone? I think there are 600+ riders, does that mean the course will be busy or will it spread out a lot?

Cheers for any help/advice

On the sportives I've been on there weren't really any proper groups. Even the people who'd obviously turned up together weren't really holding a pace line.

Weather looks much better than forecast. I've got some crappy cold and hacking up all sorts so no riding for me this weekend.

Me too. I've got a nasty ear/sinus infection that I thought I got over a couple of weeks ago (it's the one that led to that chest infection I had last time I was out with you Vonhelmet). It's come back with a vengeance. I feel like I've been punched in the jaw on both sides. It's horrible.