Road Cycling Essentials

[Razor-BladE]

Ooo the thigh burn! First proper ride today (after 7 hours of exercise yesterday), just over 15 miles in an hour, not too shabby I don't think!
http://app.strava.com/activities/93179846
Nice weather, not too cold, little windy though.
Fairly flat throughout but a killer (for me anyway) hill right at the end. Surrey roads are horrible to ride on, so bumpy!

I actually preferred riding on the drops as it felt more comfortable; riding on the hood was hurting my hands and the seat was a little too declined

One thing is that I'm finding it slightly difficult to grasp the brakes properly when on the hood, it's easier on the drops. And on the drops I can't really push the lever far enough over to shift up, I need to be on the hood.

 

[Shamrock]

Me looking a bit more cheerful than my previous 2 sportives!

Don't think I'll be doing any more sportives for a while. Paying extra to ride my bike doesn't seem like a good use of funds unless the route is particularly special or it is on closed roads.

 

[oli collett]

Just disable replotting.

I think the issue was with the routing getting confused on the map - there were parts where it got confused by the one way system or was slightly out so thought we were on a different road etc. not usually so bad in the Uk but over here there's often roads running in parallel at different levels which can make it really confusing!

Should be fine for the rest of the trip, was just today that involved various ins/outs of small towns

 

[memphisto]

Seen those veloviewer sign have signed up to the site and uploaded my data can I ask how do u convert the data to a sig?

 

[SoliD]

Seen those veloviewer sign have signed up to the site and uploaded my data can I ask how do u convert the data to a sig?

There is a signature link on the profile page I think, that gives you a url and what you want in your sig, then just add the [ img ] link to your sig.

 

[ShiWarrior]

its just not my weekend/week in buying stuff

Wiggle have got back to me on the polar strap, they said there website is incorrect and they don't have the wearlink plus ones, so I've got to return mine


Decathlon haven't got back to me about there cheap £35 rear wheels, but I've just looked and they don't do them anymore

Halfords sent me last years model of the light I ordered, even there the website says the current one

not good at all


but what I need to order whilst I'm waiting for more replies, is a spare rear 700c wheel that can take a shimano 105 10 speed cassette and a 700x23 training tyre

can you help me find one? thanks

 

[memphisto]

thanks Solid all done

 

[rogan]

Sportives that are on open roads boggle my mind

why pay to ride where you could ride for free? yeah you get some food out of it but just take some with you!

audax uk i can get behind, sportives are very odd

 

[One More Solo]

Sportives that are on open roads boggle my mind

why pay to ride where you could ride for free? yeah you get some food out of it but just take some with you!

audax uk i can get behind, sportives are very odd

The rare ones which are organised by people that care are brilliant. Sadly most are run by people looking to cash in massively and offer little in return.

 

[Shamrock]

Sportives that are on open roads boggle my mind

why pay to ride where you could ride for free? yeah you get some food out of it but just take some with you!

audax uk i can get behind, sportives are very odd

I agree.

The 3 sportives I did this past month were because mates asked me if I wanted to join. Otherwise, I wouldn't normally go for them unless the roads are closed or there is something particularly unique about it.

 

[Boycie]

So I'm currently on a 3 week trip to see the folks in Perth, thinking of hiring a bike for 2 weeks cost is £50 equiv do people think this is a good deal? The bikes are cannon dale road bikes are these any good? They throw in a helmet, water bottle and lock for the price.

The roads here are like silk compared to the rubbish I put up with back home, lots of space and very cyclist friendly, it appears (from what I've seen so far) cycling is much more popular than at home. You could be forgiven you were in Vietnam sat at some of the road junctions. Only downside is no hills.... At all but the weather is 27C+ with clear skies which I very much like the thought of.

Just thought it would be good to keep my hand in there isn't a massive amount of scenery around my folks place but I didn't want to undo all my hard work by not cycling for 3 weeks.

Thanks
B

 

[One More Solo]

Why not? I'm heading to Perth in a couple of weeks and taking the bike. Warm weather and nice roads sounds good to me!

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

£50 for two weeks on a Cannondale is a bargain.

 

[touch]

The roads here are like silk compared to the rubbish I put up with back home

eek, you must have really bad roads down your way

lots of space and very cyclist friendly, it appears (from what I've seen so far) cycling is much more popular than at home.

Sounds plausible.

Only downside is no hills....

What?

At all but the weather is 27C+ with clear skies

Ah right, different Perth
I was confused for a bit there.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Sportives that are on open roads boggle my mind

why pay to ride where you could ride for free? yeah you get some food out of it but just take some with you!

audax uk i can get behind, sportives are very odd

I want to do the Manchester 52 closed road one, though I gather from a mate who's done it a few years that of late it's getting more and more people who have no riding sense at all.

I've done Liverpool to Chester twice, which involves riding through the Mersey tunnel, which is quite special in terms of novelty.

But yeah, bye and large I agree that plain old open road ones are a bit daft.

 

[SoliD]

Got down to a local racing skills session tonight at my local outdoor track, first attempt, was quite good fun, learning about the basics of racing, done a couple of sprints near the end, first one guy who was in our mini group was too strong, but nailed the second one by squeezing through the gap and just carrying on pushing to the line.

One advantage of mountain biking first is my handling and ability to push through small gaps seems to be on a par with the better riders, got told I need a few more brain cells earlier in the session when i squeezed myself out of the guys who were surrounding me as part of one of the skills, just by pushing on of them on the arse with my handlebar

Sportives that are on open roads boggle my mind

why pay to ride where you could ride for free? yeah you get some food out of it but just take some with you!

audax uk i can get behind, sportives are very odd

I've done two sportives, one MTB and one on road, the road was ok, but I only done it because I got asked to by my brother, it was a chunk of cash for charity and the lunch was very good but was just road riding, however the MTB one was great because you go on so many paths that you just wouldn't find by yourself.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Will tumble drying Lycra ruin it? It's obviously too cold to hang washing out to dry, so it's that or cover the radiators with all my shorts and jerseys...

 

[memphisto]

I've done a number of sportives over the past couple of years

Team townend x2
Eden valley epic
Cumbrian cracker
Lakeland Loop
Durham the Beast
Fred Whitton
Virgin Money Cyclone x2

theres probably one or two I've forgotten but to answer a few points raised as to why. Well its the challenge, at 33 years old im not old by any stretch but starting out cycling age 31 as a 16.5 stone bloke I began small a little 13 mile circuit, then I improved did bigger rides by myself and with others, then the idea of Sportives got thrown about and talked about.

Why do I do them, well it gives me a reason to get on my bike, for example when I have a biggish sportive to do take the Lakeland Loop for example, all I'm thinking about for weeks before is what's coming up, what's ahead and the challenge I face, 75 miles going over some pretty damn steep hills, it means that on those days when I want to lie in bed, I don't, I get up, I get on the damn bike and I go for a ride, when I want to eat a giant bar of dairy milk I choose not to.

When I start in the main I aim to complete the sportive as fast (safely) as I can physically do and I take pride in the position I have come on that board, I also use it as a marker for the next year If I'm doing the same one again for example.

For some on here I can see why this would be pointless if for example you race, doing a sportive would more or less be nonsensical, you gain nothing from sportives other than a training ride, but for some of us the sportive is our race


EDIT: Also as a small aside sportives are great for charity fund-raising, so far I've raised over £1000 completing some of these rides for varying charities etc

 

[Shamrock]

Finally got round to mounting it!

 

[touch]

Looks good!
What is the yellow one on the left between the aerospoke and the brompton? Never seen a frame like that before.