Road Cycling Essentials

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Vonhelmet said:
Ah, I did wonder but I wasn't sure based on what your numbering meant.
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No, your understanding of my post was correct, there's still a problem. But I'm not sure if this is normal, as the chain doesn't jump when you pedal the way which makes the wheel spin, it only jumps 1 tooth on the ring. Only when pedaling backwards (the way which doesn't make the wheel spin) the chain can drop on to lower gear (2nd from top).
 
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Jonny ///M said:
Just in from my first attempt at 'The Bundy'. It was pretty bloody rapid from the off and I made it up the Braidwood climb to get dropped just at the top, Greig brown tried to push and give me his wheel to get onto the bunch again but I was gubbed.

I told him to just go but I had already passed the point I could have taken a short cut and met them again. Wee bit of a windy pedal in the road myself but it gives me a goal next time and to not go too hard at the start of the braidwood climb to have something left at the top :)

Guess that's what happens when Greig, Steven Lawley and Scott McCrossan get together :|
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Still a great effort mate. Wind was wild again out there tonight, so makes everything so much harder. I'll hopefully get down there and have a crack at it some time. What time do they set off normally? Might be a bit tight with work.
 
tedmaul said:
Still a great effort mate. Wind was wild again out there tonight, so makes everything so much harder. I'll hopefully get down there and have a crack at it some time. What time do they set off normally? Might be a bit tight with work.
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It's 6.30pm at the moment and they cut up the braidwood climb for now. Once the lighter nights come they leave slightly later and go up kirkfieldbank at Lanark.
 
Jonny ///M said:
It's 6.30pm at the moment and they cut up the braidwood climb for now. Once the lighter nights come they leave slightly later and go up kirkfieldbank at Lanark.
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Yeah, that's probably too early for me to make. I don't get back home after work til gone 6pm. Where do they meet up?

I don't really know any of the roads out that way tbh.

I jumped on the back of the 9.30 on saturday in the valley, was pretty brutal. The 9.15 only went to border and then turned back, but Gregor had caught up with us so i just cycled on with him. Then when the fast bunch caught us tried to hang on. Made it to just outside Douglas before i got dropped. Gregor hung in with them for quite a bit i think - i caught up with him again coming out of Lesmahagow after he'd eased off and headed back in together.

Was good fun, but i feel a long way off being able to hang with those guys right from the start at EK. Just don't have the fitness.
 
Second ride on my new bike. It feels faster and quicker to respond, and like it's keener to keep going at speed. I can't really describe it, but it feels a lot better. I need to tweak the fit a bit. I think the saddle must be a bit far forward still, as it's pressing on some delicate bits, and I need to do something with the bars as I was in the drops a lot and found the heel of my hand getting a bit sore, though maybe that means I need longer drops or something.

Anyway. No sign of buyer's remorse here!
 
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tedmaul said:
Yeah, that's probably too early for me to make. I don't get back home after work til gone 6pm. Where do they meet up?

I don't really know any of the roads out that way tbh.

I jumped on the back of the 9.30 on saturday in the valley, was pretty brutal. The 9.15 only went to border and then turned back, but Gregor had caught up with us so i just cycled on with him. Then when the fast bunch caught us tried to hang on. Made it to just outside Douglas before i got dropped. Gregor hung in with them for quite a bit i think - i caught up with him again coming out of Lesmahagow after he'd eased off and headed back in together.

Was good fun, but i feel a long way off being able to hang with those guys right from the start at EK. Just don't have the fitness.
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Maybe once the times change it'll suit you better. I'll update this when I find out. It doesn't hang about that's for sure, I rode away from Gregor/Guto going up the Braidwood, they took the shortcut so they caught the bunch again but as I said I had already committed to the road to Morningside!

I'd try the 9.30 one day, do what you did or just leave calderglen a bit infront of the 9.30 at your own pace. They apparently keep it steady until hitting Muirkirk. It's the only way to get into that 'OMFG I'm actually dying' phase and bring yourself on.

Or don't as it's a complete mind **** when you're breathing out your arse and greig brown just rides up past you at what feels like twice the speed.....
 
Jonny ///M said:
Maybe once the times change it'll suit you better. I'll update this when I find out. It doesn't hang about that's for sure, I rode away from Gregor/Guto going up the Braidwood, they took the shortcut so they caught the bunch again but as I said I had already committed to the road to Morningside!

I'd try the 9.30 one day, do what you did or just leave calderglen a bit infront of the 9.30 at your own pace. They apparently keep it steady until hitting Muirkirk. It's the only way to get into that 'OMFG I'm actually dying' phase and bring yourself on.

Or don't as it's a complete mind **** when you're breathing out your arse and greig brown just rides up past you at what feels like twice the speed.....
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Aye, i've seen some of the strava logs from Colin etc - their idea of steady into Muirkirk is pretty much my idea of hammering it!! :D

But yeah, that's pretty much what Gregor was saying to me - i just need to suck it up and get out there and hurt until i get better. I still feel a long way off being able to stick with even stuff like the BTRs etc.
 
Went to do an evening 10mile TT this evening, took all my gear to work, rode out to the event and all 35 places had filled up! Bit annoyed, as we were held up at a railway crossing for a good 5 minutes. Me and my mate went and rode the course prior to the others starting, happy with my time of 25:28, bit of a gusty wind and I really died a death in the last 200 yards.

I did notice my HR was much lower than previous efforts over that distance, averaging about 160bpm, compared to low 170s. Although it may have been due to a new HR strap being more accurate. Don't have any TTs lined up for a few weeks now, so looking forward to doing some miles and seeing what sort of time I can manage in a few weeks time.
 
Lots of bits turned up today. Got myself a saddle bag, pump, lights and a cycle computer. Got a bargain on the computer, it is a wireless Sigma BC16.12STS with cadence which for some reason amazon is selling it at £33.

I think I will have to get some padded shorts though, it is being a bit painful not having any padding! Any recommendations for shorts?
 
ShiWarrior said:
thanks to all that responded

didn't ride last Sunday, but the previous Sunday, I did about 35 miles, hoping to do another 35 tomorrow
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I can still remember when i would feel dead coming to the end of a 30 mile ride. Just upped the distance each week and now i can do 70 miles, i think the idea is to gradually increase the distance by 10% at a time. I do a few 25 mile rides in the week pushing the pace, and go out for long rides when the weather is nice.

If you want to ride further, then ride further. If you want to ride faster, then push harder. At least until you need structure for more gains. Im still slow on the long rides though lol.
 
I've just been looking back at the data from this evening's ride. Apparently I averaged 34mph over 10s on the flat when I sprinted away from a car at the lights :D

I also had a bit of a moment where I nearly hit another cyclist, which was a bit random. I was passing a guy and a girl who were riding on the pavement, and she was slowing down or something and then just randomly fell off her bike into the road. I yelled at her (nothing specific, just WHOA WHOA WHOA! after which I felt compelled to apologise and shouted sorry as I passed) and swerved round her. She's probably lucky I was there, as I had a car following me who'd had to slow down behind me, and she might not have been so lucky if she'd fallen in front of the car instead of me...
 
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saitrix said:
Lots of bits turned up today. Got myself a saddle bag, pump, lights and a cycle computer. Got a bargain on the computer, it is a wireless Sigma BC16.12STS with cadence which for some reason amazon is selling it at £33.

I think I will have to get some padded shorts though, it is being a bit painful not having any padding! Any recommendations for shorts?
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If you want recommendations for something that won't cost the earth, look at Wiggle's Aeron range or Decathlon. I have a couple of pairs of their Flat 5 shorts (or something like that) and I love them, they fit me really well.
 
Nice one, I have a £5 voucher for Decathlon so will have a pop in and have a look at their range, if not then rely on good old wiggle.
 
This may sound a bit harsh but I don't think there's anything to worry about with endurance rides at the beginning.

Adding 10% at a time on a 35 mile ride? Just go out there and ride. Make sure you drink and eat enough (take some food) and you'll probably find you can do 50 miles (or more) no problem.
 
Bought my carbon bike in to work today, aiming to leave an hour early and do some hill work through the Chilterns.

My winter turbo training with the 3LC videos seems to be paying off, practiced a sprint during a strava section with a friend on Sunday, clocked 31mph, was 25 last year so quite pleased.

Does anyone here ride through the Chilterns regularly? if so does anyone know the route with the highest amount of climbing?
 
Urgh.

Did another 50km ride after work, threw a couple of hill repeats in there.

Felt like crap, no explosive power at all. Pulled 300w+ average over the climb twice, but nowhere near like I would like or have been riding, I'd like to be getting close to 350w average on it now.

Last couple of rides have only been mid 200w weighted average power for the whole ride which is OK but my body hasn't felt good at all, just fatigued and lacking energy.

Maybe I am still suffering a bit from whatever I came down with last week/over the weekend and thats costing me. Disappointing as I felt like I was riding really good before that.

Have to keep putting in the hard yards or I will go backwards quickly, last week of riding now for a while, will have to try and keep the weight down too, I'll probably put half a stone or so on when I am off the bike.
 
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