Road Cycling

[FrenchTart]

This morning whilst riding in recovery mode (ala, slow as hell) an awesome guy drafted me without saying a word. I was *so* tempted to test how well my hydraulic discs would stop me.

 

[daveski]

On the upside after tomorrow mornings commute home I will have done 7700ft of climbing this week in 110miles!

That is a lot of climbing! I've done similar amount of miles but less than half the climbing.

My June audux route planned. 24 hour cycle from Manchester to the south coast and then back to stay at a friend's place in Winchester.

https://www.strava.com/routes/2128345

Have fun with this! I might try and join you for part of the ride. Nutter.

 

[James07]

Including import tax it was about £330 I think.

And carbon has vibration dampening properties.

That's not a bad price at all!

This morning whilst riding in recovery mode (ala, slow as hell) an awesome guy drafted me without saying a word. I was *so* tempted to test how well my hydraulic discs would stop me.

Made my morning!

That is a lot of climbing! I've done similar amount of miles but less than half the climbing.

You don't have a choice round here lol

Ended the week on 110.2 miles 7700ft elevation.

Feeling it now, can't even stand at the loo to pee without my legs hurting haha

 

[Roady]

Rode through the bad weather earlier this year and back end of last year before taking time off through Injury last year.

I've done about 750 on the roadie and its running smooth as, little rattle from the front every now and then but nothing major.

The chain feels really flexible and smooth, no stiffness or other issues but I think the rear mech may need attention which will be this weekend.

I haven't cleaned it half as much as I should have through ignorance of not knowing how often I need to but that's changed now, it's fortnightly cleaned, decreased and relubed

I was similar about the cleaning thing on my old hack, I just oiled and oiled it with a rag wipe every 3-4 months. It only had 1 degrease in 18 months! It has an easier life now on my turbo and doesn't see any adverse weather! (It's also been totally serviced)

To be honest with the cost of chains I would be happy to change it every 2000 miles if I wasn't servicing/cleaning it much - the time/cost saved from not doing anything with it would more than cover a £20-30 chain!

You don't need to brake the chain the take the RD off, just take the 2 jockey wheels out and that will release the chain. I took my RD off for the same reason you want too the other week.

Will it just come off and go back on again perfectly as it were? No tweaking?

The jockey wheels come off easy enough, there's a plate thingy ('inner cage plate') behind them which they'll come off with, make sure you get that back on the correct way around, same with the jockey wheels! They are an 'upper' and 'lower' sometimes called a 'tension' and 'guide' so are not interchangeable (think they're even different sizes?). If yours are like mine they will look exactly the same, just one of them has more writing on, if I remember correctly it also has direction arrows on?

Be careful when refitting them, it's probably easier without the chain in place. I cross threaded one of mine into the 'inner cage plate' (the 'upper' one) so refitting the lower first to hold the cage in position was easier!

One of mine doesn't spin as easily as the other, even after I took them apart and cleaned and relubed them. The 'bearing' on both of mine was identical and was nothing more than a metal bushing (the lower one of the 2 expanded diagrams here: http://www.cyclistno1.co.uk/features/maintenance/replacing-your-jockey-wheels.htm ).

At some point (probably when changing chain) I'll replace mine, along with the cage plate I damaged the thread on

Commute in this morning was ok, did a bit of sprint practice from a red light. Actually got passed/scalped by a guy on a MTB with knobblies. Was a fair pass as I wasn't travelling at any speed carrying my suckrack... Still first time I've been scalped in a while, fair play to him!

 

[[Damien]]

Hey all,

As I've mentioned I'm doing a LCHF diet to try and drop some weight while also trying to get my fitness back. In the process I'm going to be regularly recording my weight/blood glucose/blood ketones/diet. I have a family history of diabetes and I've always been a slightly chubby carb monster so experimenting with a diet of this type is probably a good idea now I've hit 30.

Would this be interesting to anyone if I did a semi-regular writeup? Like a dedicated thread with a gdocs spreadsheet or whatever?

I'm pondering maybe getting a blood workup done (should have done it before starting really) to use as a baseline to compare against in a few months.

Also, anyone know of a good way to measure and record my relative fitness (how accurate are the new strava fitness stats?) rather than 'I feel stronger'?

 

[Vonhelmet]

This morning whilst riding in recovery mode (ala, slow as hell) an awesome guy drafted me without saying a word. I was *so* tempted to test how well my hydraulic discs would stop me.

Nah, should have dropped him like a bad habit.

 

[FrenchTart]

Made my morning!

I'd probably regret it more than him as my bike got smashed and his old clanger wasn't affected much at all

To be honest with the cost of chains I would be happy to change it every 2000 miles if I wasn't servicing/cleaning it much - the time/cost saved from not doing anything with it would more than cover a £20-30 chain!

I tend to agree. If it was only a case of having to replace the chain more frequently and not all the other bits that get damaged by a dodgy chain or the effect on shifting I'd totally just not bother cleaning it and buy a new one every 1000 miles.

Have fun with this! I might try and join you for part of the ride. Nutter.

I'll let you know nearer the time too. People are more than welcome to join us at any point - I just have no idea of the kind of time we'll be at those points of the ride and our speeds will purposefully be very slow as we don't want to burn ourselves out

Hey all,

As I've mentioned I'm doing a LCHF diet to try and drop some weight while also trying to get my fitness back. In the process I'm going to be regularly recording my weight/blood glucose/blood ketones/diet.

Would this be interesting to anyone if I did a semi-regular writeup? Like a dedicated thread with a gdocs spreadsheet or whatever?

I'm pondering maybe getting a blood workup done (should have done it before starting really) to use as a baseline to compare against in a few months.

Also, anyone know of a good way to measure my relative fitness (how accurate are the new strava fitness stats?) rather than 'I feel stronger'?

Do you log your food intake with MyFitnessPal or the like? I'm sure a training log thread would make for interesting reading. There's the Training Logs sub-forum in here if you fancy it.

Personally I'd measure improvements in fitness via an FTP test using a turbo or a watt bike if you don't have your own turbo set up. A less restrictive way might be to choose a long climb near you and then go up it once a fortnight whilst fully rested. Hopefully you'll see your times gradually get better or something.

 

[FrenchTart]

Nah, should have dropped him like a bad habit.

I had to make sure I didn't go above 20mph (which was surprisingly hard work) so dropping him wasn't an option. I've done that kind of thing before when I've meant to be resting and then when I do my longer/harder rides on Sat/Sun I've really regretted it

 

[Vonhelmet]

http://road.cc/content/news/148387-rotor-unveils-£499-inpower-bottom-bracket-based-power-meter

Another new power meter option - this time in the BB.

 

[Vonhelmet]

I had to make sure I didn't go above 20mph (which was surprisingly hard work) so dropping him wasn't an option. I've done that kind of thing before when I've meant to be resting and then when I do my longer/harder rides on Sat/Sun I've really regretted it

Not going above 20mph? Not a problem for me

 

[[Damien]]

Do you log your food intake with MyFitnessPal or the like? I'm sure a training log thread would make for interesting reading. There's the Training Logs sub-forum in here if you fancy it.

Yeah I do use MFP. I did think of the training log thread after making my post. I'll knock something up later.

Previously I've just used the 'push harder, ride further, eat more' method of getting fitter but doing it a bit more scientifically interests me massively. I'll record as much data as possible and see where it goes.

Personally I'd measure improvements in fitness via an FTP test using a turbo or a watt bike if you don't have your own turbo set up. A less restrictive way might be to choose a long climb near you and then go up it once a fortnight whilst fully rested. Hopefully you'll see your times gradually get better or something.

Good shout. I've got a basic (non-electronic) turbo I can use I suppose but without getting raw data from it I don't know how much use it would be. You know anywhere localish that has a wattbike? Failing that yeah, I could find a decent climb or two to measure on.

 

[Richand]

My dog pulled me off my bike down a sandy hill the other day, scratched me up and sprained my little finger but all recovering nicely, first fall off a bike in 15 years!

The impact managed to bend one of my shifters, I cannot see a way of adjusting the position they sit on the bars, anyone know? 5800 105 Shifter so over £100 to replace...!

Was going to brute force it but looks to be made of aluminum which does not take nicely to bending forces, might be the only option though.

 

[FrenchTart]

Yeah I do use MFP. I did think of the training log thread after making my post. I'll knock something up later.

Previously I've just used the 'push harder, ride further, eat more' method of getting fitter but doing it a bit more scientifically interests me massively. I'll record as much data as possible and see where it goes.

Good shout. I've got a basic (non-electronic) turbo I can use I suppose but without getting raw data from it I don't know how much use it would be. You know anywhere localish that has a wattbike? Failing that yeah, I could find a decent climb or two to measure on.

If your turbo is a fluid one/is supported by Trainer Road then setting it up with that (you'll also need a speed/cadence sensor and an ant+ or bluetooth usb stick for your PC) is probably the best way to go. If not then you may need to resort to the watt bike thing. I know the velodrome has them but that's probably more local to me than it is to you if you live near Von

I'm not sure how much you've read up on stuff but power-based training is really interesting in terms of approaching it scientifically. Sweet-spot and other interval training is also awesome for burning tons of kcal in a short space of time.

Not going above 20mph? Not a problem for me

I just need to keep un-pushing /Grudas voice

 

[Vonhelmet]

My dog pulled me off my bike down a sandy hill the other day, scratched me up and sprained my little finger but all recovering nicely, first fall off a bike in 15 years!

The impact managed to bend one of my shifters, I cannot see a way of adjusting the position they sit on the bars, anyone know? 5800 105 Shifter so over £100 to replace...!

Was going to brute force it but looks to be made of aluminum which does not take nicely to bending forces, might be the only option though.

Without having any 5800 shifters to hand, alas, I can't say for sure, but if you look on the outer edge of the shifter there is probably a groove in the plastic and if you pull the rubber housing away at that point there is an Allen key in there which tightens the clip that holds the shifter to the bar.

 

[Asprilla]

The impact managed to bend one of my shifters, I cannot see a way of adjusting the position they sit on the bars, anyone know? 5800 105 Shifter so over £100 to replace...!

Was going to brute force it but looks to be made of aluminum which does not take nicely to bending forces, might be the only option though.

Roll the rubber cover up and you should find an allen head bolt. Loosen that off and the shifters will move.

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

Just bought a pair of wiggins hour record tickets. Looking forward to it. Never been to a velodrome either, so will be interesting!

 

[topgun06]

Very nice. Should be a good experience!

 

[Roady]

Previously I've just used the 'push harder, ride further, eat more' method of getting fitter but doing it a bit more scientifically interests me massively. I'll record as much data as possible and see where it goes.

More data is the way forwards, you'll find as you progress different ways of measuring things so will want the old bits of seemingly unimportant data to look back over/measure against. Look for other people who've done similar, see what they measured/used to measure for some ideas. Good luck!

If your turbo is a fluid one/is supported by Trainer Road then setting it up with that (you'll also need a speed/cadence sensor and an ant+ or bluetooth usb stick for your PC) is probably the best way to go.

The FTP test on TR even with only S&C is still a good measure. I'm quite interested in what mine is now as my previous was after some basic turbo sessions. Now I've completely stopped the turbo but doing some regular big (for me) road rides at high intensity. I've got a big ride in a couple of weeks time (52 miles - will be my furthest yet) so a week or two after that I should do an FTP test to see my progress!

I just need to keep un-pushing /Grudas voice

Careful you'll wake him! He's already been on my Strava this morning saying 'Faster!'

Just bought a pair of wiggins hour record tickets. Looking forward to it. Never been to a velodrome either, so will be interesting!

The amount of hype around it he better not let us down! I'm not convinced he's found his best form yet this year so we'll see...

Without having any 5800 shifters to hand, alas, I can't say for sure, but if you look on the outer edge of the shifter there is probably a groove in the plastic and if you pull the rubber housing away at that point there is an Allen key in there which tightens the clip that holds the shifter to the bar.

Roll the rubber cover up and you should find an allen head bolt. Loosen that off and the shifters will move.

Good tip, usually after a fall/knock/move your shifter will be looser and worth tightening anyway!

 

[[Damien]]

If your turbo is a fluid one/is supported by Trainer Road then setting it up with that (you'll also need a speed/cadence sensor and an ant+ or bluetooth usb stick for your PC) is probably the best way to go. If not then you may need to resort to the watt bike thing. I know the velodrome has them but that's probably more local to me than it is to you if you live near Von

I'm not sure how much you've read up on stuff but power-based training is really interesting in terms of approaching it scientifically. Sweet-spot and other interval training is also awesome for burning tons of kcal in a short space of time.

I think mine is an Elite Volare Mag Lite (or a similar model). I'll check when I get home. If it is it's compatible. I'll definitely look into that. I was going to set up my old commuting bike in my conservatory on it for rainy days but I've avoided it because of boredom (was considering selling it). I've got enough ground space in my computer room to leave it up (I'll get Mrs aggro granted but oh well...) and then I can run Trainerroad on my PC.

At the moment I'm suffering with only having an hour or so after getting home to have a quick ride (sucking exhaust too because of rush hour which doesn't help) so I'll probably get better results doing a longer session in the house. Plus as I found out when riding with Von the other night, until I've gone through the keto/fat adaptation period (3-6 weeks) bonking is a major worry when pushing hard and not eating any carbs. At least in the house I can push my limits without worrying about not getting back.

Good thinking batman

More data is the way forwards, you'll find as you progress different ways of measuring things so will want the old bits of seemingly unimportant data to look back over/measure against. Look for other people who've done similar, see what they measured/used to measure for some ideas. Good luck!

The FTP test on TR even with only S&C is still a good measure. I'm quite interested in what mine is now as my previous was after some basic turbo sessions. Now I've completely stopped the turbo but doing some regular big (for me) road rides at high intensity. I've got a big ride in a couple of weeks time (52 miles - will be my furthest yet) so a week or two after that I should do an FTP test to see my progress!

Cheers. I'm definitely going to look at Trainerroad and set my turbo up. Even if the results aren't 'accurate' so long as they rise/fall by relative amounts I'm not bothered. It's the changes I'm interested in, not the absolute numbers.

Good luck on the big ride btw. After a certain point more distance just means more food/water so don't let it intimidate you. Once you know what heart rate level separates 'hard but sustainable' from 'I'm really pushing now' (in my case 170-175bpm) then so long as you skirt that limit without pushing it too much you can go forever. My trick on longer rides (the flat 100m I did and the 85m 12,000ft climb one in majorca for example) were these. A couple of handfuls of the sugary goodness when I felt the fatigue coming and I was off again. Not healthy in the slightest I know but they worked for me.

 

[roadie]

After covering 1,500km and 24,000m of elevation gain according to Strava within the first 3 months of the year, I have been back on my bike this week after 3 weeks off.

It has gone badly. Very, very badly! My legs are dreadful compared to where they were and I experienced my first puncture in 3 years yesterday, necessitating a roadside tube change. Lucky I had a spare tube, as my repair kit is shocking. Does anyone have a recommendation for a reliable one?