Road Cycling

tedmaul · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:19

We appear to be having a late summer up in Scotland. Been stunning the last few days and pretty settled for a week or so now and set to improve as the week goes on.

Of course, on cue i have a sore throat and stinking head cold so am unable to get out on the bike.

topgun06 · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:25

Has been a pretty decent weekend as well weather wise. Was splendid yesterday but was fairly busy and visited the Chatsworth Show. So no cycling for me which I do feel a bit crappy about but I'm looking to get out a fair few times this week to make up for it.

FrenchTart · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:28

Yeah, yesterday was very nice weather-wise. I'm hoping that'll last into part of this week so I can get a few decent rides in.

Friday looks particularly nice so if the weather forecast stays as is I may book it off.

Jono · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:39

Wow, I can't believe how ridiculously quick it gets dark now.

Stupid seasons.

That aside, I balied out of my first proper century ride. It was all going well until I got about 2 miles down the road and just felt awful.
I ended up going out and doing about 25 hilly miles instead and then did just over 30 somewhat hilly yesterday (at least the first part).

I still absolutely suck at climbing... but do seem to be getting slightly less sucky at it.
Gutted I Can't find my HRM though. Wonder where it's gone.
Maybe I should just buy a new one - are they useful as a training tool if I can't justify a power meter?

https://www.strava.com/activities/385315267
https://www.strava.com/activities/386498569

Roady · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:40

lordrobs said:
Somehow I managed to get a puncture... on the turbo... on the front tyre. Go me.

Haha that's quite an achievement! Speak to Tart, I think he's had some rubbish Turbo luck before, crashes and punctures!

grudas said:
you gotta keep pushing bro, you know that? but no, really, I don't feel/think that my riding is careless

It's breathtaking more than careless, like an artist at work lol (great image btw).

As with anything recorded with our cameras - it's very hard to experience the footage out of context. Most of my footage is slow and boring in start/stop traffic, anyone not experiencing riding in that may think I'm riding dangerously from the footage but I'm quite the opposite.

syke said:
Ugh, first ride for over 2 months and recovered (ing?) from my LCL injury - not used to feeling that gassed or tired during rides

Take it easy and don't push yourself too hard! Go easy now, some good base miles over winter and then smash it next year!

Lethal` said:
Overall, I'd thoroughly recommend cycling in Corsica, but with the warning of the heat! It was stupidly hot at times and what might seem like not too onerous rides became absolutely hellish. It didn't spoil any enjoyment but the first day was one helluva slog towards the end. Scenery was stunning and I'd perhaps recommend it over Majorca or Tenerife. It was truly breathtaking a times. But it does do this to your shoes:

Great write-up, thanks for all the info! Pics look superb (should've put them on Strava!) and glad you enjoyed it.

You do know modern bikes have brakes right? No need to put feet down when decending?

FrenchTart · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:44

Jono said:
Wow, I can't believe how ridiculously quick it gets dark now. Stupid seasons.

That aside, I balied out of my first proper century ride. It was all going well until I got about 2 miles down the road and just felt awful.
I ended up going out and doing about 25 hilly miles instead and then did just over 30 somewhat hilly yesterday (at least the first part).

I still absolutely suck at climbing... but do seem to be getting slightly less sucky at it.
Gutted I Can't find my HRM though. Wonder where it's gone.
Maybe I should just buy a new one - are they useful as a training tool if I can't justify a power meter?

https://www.strava.com/activities/385315267
https://www.strava.com/activities/386498569

I wouldn't say that they're that useful to be honest. When you get more advanced and want to ride for different reasons (e.g. a fasted zone 1/2 ride) then it can be useful but for the most part you're better off not worrying about it and just riding as much as you can.

HRM + Garmin is pretty useful for working out semi accurate kcal burn though.

Roady · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:52

SoliD said:
Then today was another year of Jaguars #ridelikeapro events. Was a good day out from Cowdray Golf Club again by Harwoods. 58.5 miles, 20.5 mph, absolutely beasted, one guy leading us round pretty much all the way, was just wheelsucking the whole way round, but really happy with the ride. Good bit of food at the end (Hog Roast! ) Don't reckon I'll have a chance to win 2 years in a row, but it's nice to ride different roads, and with new people, and probably ride the fastest I've ever done on my road bike!

https://www.strava.com/activities/386070597

Good going, did spot the ride on Strava and it looked fast! All down to luck though as isn't there a driving element to the competition also?

At least you didn't fall off like last year and still win!

SoliD said:
Nikwax tech wash I think it is.

Thanks.

Jono said:
Maybe I should just buy a new one - are they useful as a training tool if I can't justify a power meter?

FrenchTart said:
I wouldn't say that they're that useful to be honest. When you get more advanced and want to ride for different reasons (e.g. a fasted zone 1/2 ride) then it can be useful but for the most part you're better off not worrying about it and just riding as much as you can.

HRM + Garmin is pretty useful for working out semi accurate kcal burn though.

I use mine quite a bit, usually for pacing (to know if I'm going too hard to maintain) and to check that when I'm recovering (that I really am enough) between efforts. It's not perfect, but better than nothing and certainly better than spending a fortune on a PM.

One More Solo · 7 Sep 2015 at 09:54

Roady said:
Good going and nice speeds, almost makes grudas look slow! That's Nottingham yeah? Cycling infrastructure looks amazing, dare I say it - better than London's! So jealous, we're lucky if we get an ASL here.

That's London.

Roady · 7 Sep 2015 at 10:03

One More Solo said:
That's London.

Ah, ooops! Yeah I know Shamrocks from London so quite why I recognised it as Nottingham I dunno... The blue cycle lanes everywhere as I think that's the main place they stuck out for me when driving around a few years ago. There and Northampton! I recall the cycle lanes in Liverpool too but don't think they were blue back then...?

'Lazy' weekend of riding for me - ie hardly any! Went snowboarding (Tamworth Snowdome) on saturday and after 2.5 hours on a board my legs were utterly ruined! Still honing skills (making sure they're still there!) before our next trip to Italy at the end of January.

Weather was fantastic on sunday so managed to persuade the other half to go out for a ride to 'Locks Garage', as she hadn't experienced any of their legendary ice creams! First time I've ridden with her for a long time - outside of our holiday jaunt. A nice little 11 mile route - more of a pootle in the sun really! She kept pace well but isn't used to riding out of the town on open roads, neither is her 'city' bike (crappy Apollo Etienne). The Shimano 18 speed Tourney (I think?) with grip shifters is a right pain in the a*** to keep indexed and previously I've just made sure the middle (it's a triple) is right. Of course on the open road she was in the biggest chainring! Ear ache! But at least now it's helped her to decide on a new bike at some point (the Apollo is nearing 3 years old & has had a hard life). Maybe I can persuade her to get a road bike (but fairly sure I'll also have to sort the Apollo out for commuting as it gets left on public bike racks in town...)

EDIT: Guys I know did the Rapha M2L on the weekend - 219 miles, 10k elevation in 13 hours, 17mph+ average... Pretty good going!

https://www.strava.com/activities/386558183

#Chri5# · 7 Sep 2015 at 10:11

FrenchTart said:
Yeah, yesterday was very nice weather-wise. I'm hoping that'll last into part of this week so I can get a few decent rides in.

Friday looks particularly nice so if the weather forecast stays as is I may book it off.

I'm sporting a little bit of a bit of minor sunburn this morning. Helmet vents and a 1cm stripe on my right arm - must have been a gap between the top of my arm-warmers and my jersey.

Still, lovely metric century yesterday. Always nice riding to somewhere new.

Jono · 7 Sep 2015 at 10:12

Is anyone (planning on) doing Ride London next year? I've tried to sign up for it. People I know that have done it aren't doing it this year... at least I don't think they are.

SoliD · 7 Sep 2015 at 10:32

Jono said:
Is anyone (planning on) doing Ride London next year? I've tried to sign up for it. People I know that have done it aren't doing it this year... at least I don't think they are.

It's a ballot, so you enter now and could get picked out of the hat.

Jono · 7 Sep 2015 at 10:49

SoliD said:
It's a ballot, so you enter now and could get picked out of the hat.

Yeah I know. I've claimed I'll do it in about 5.5 hours

Apparently that's the thing to do. I doubt I'll get in - and I certainly won't be doing it for a Charity. At least not an official place - no way will I be able to raise the required amount

I bet I don't get picked, anyway.

Roady · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:20

As the nights are drawing in...

Ordered myself a Knog Blinder rear light, cheap and cheerful option and I may pick up something brighter in the winter if I need to - will give me 3 rear lights. Cateye mini RC (15 lumen) attached to seatpost, Blinder (11 lumen) attached to saddle bag and Leyzne Macro Duo (11 lumen) which I'll helmet mount again.

For the front I'll have my existing three lights, Cateye Volt 100 (100 lumen), Cateye X RC front (25 lumen) and Leyzne Macro Duo (150 lumen). Previously I've only really used lights for visibility as any of my night-time riding was commuting under streetlights.

Now I'll want a light bright enough for open unlit roads whatever the weather, I'll use it for commuting still but this lights main aim will be long leisure rides in the winter, would a Cateye EL340 be good for this? Any idea what 1000cd equates to in lumens?

Jono said:
Is anyone (planning on) doing Ride London next year? I've tried to sign up for it. People I know that have done it aren't doing it this year... at least I don't think they are.

My friend I ride with has done it the last couple of years, unsure if he's doing it next year but if he continues to do so it'll only be a matter of time until I do it...!

Thomas. PLease. · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:24

Jono said:
Yeah I know. I've claimed I'll do it in about 5.5 hours Apparently that's the thing to do. I doubt I'll get in - and I certainly won't be doing it for a Charity. At least not an official place - no way will I be able to raise the required amount

I bet I don't get picked, anyway.

I thought I may as well try and ballot a place as well, and would be hoping for around 4hrs. Have a chance of getting a spot through my club as well if we get places this year.

Dunks · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:34

Summer is over. Felt freezing this morning, and school is back so traffic is also back to being awful on the commute, boo!

SoliD · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:34

Thomas. PLease. said:
I thought I may as well try and ballot a place as well, and would be hoping for around 4hrs. Have a chance of getting a spot through my club as well if we get places this year.

Had the option of doing it through our club this year, still an expensive day for non London folks, but couldn't go due to a TT. Have entered the Ballot again for next year.

grudas · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:42

Roady said:
It's breathtaking more than careless, like an artist at work lol (great image btw).

As with anything recorded with our cameras - it's very hard to experience the footage out of context. Most of my footage is slow and boring in start/stop traffic, anyone not experiencing riding in that may think I'm riding dangerously from the footage but I'm quite the opposite.

yeah I think it's all about the perspective..! say, for people who are used to london traffic etc, my riding does not look careless/dangerous etc but for those who see 1-3 cars on their 15mile commute to work it may look like a suicide mission

on a different note..

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...om-powering-your-life-one-pedal-a/description

looks interesting, wonder if it could keep garmin virb juiced up on a long ride!

Jono · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:46

Roady said:
As the nights are drawing in...

Ordered myself a Knog Blinder rear light, cheap and cheerful option and I may pick up something brighter in the winter if I need to - will give me 3 rear lights. Cateye mini RC (15 lumen) attached to seatpost, Blinder (11 lumen) attached to saddle bag and Leyzne Macro Duo (11 lumen) which I'll helmet mount again.

For the front I'll have my existing three lights, Cateye Volt 100 (100 lumen), Cateye X RC front (25 lumen) and Leyzne Macro Duo (150 lumen). Previously I've only really used lights for visibility as any of my night-time riding was commuting under streetlights.

Now I'll want a light bright enough for open unlit roads whatever the weather, I'll use it for commuting still but this lights main aim will be long leisure rides in the winter, would a Cateye EL340 be good for this? Any idea what 1000cd equates to in lumens?

My friend I ride with has done it the last couple of years, unsure if he's doing it next year but if he continues to do so it'll only be a matter of time until I do it...!

Apparently 1000CD is 1000 Lumens(?)
I bought the Moon Neubla like Grudas and it's awesome - I'm not sure what the running time will be like on 100% flashing. 2h20, according to literature, but that's stupidly bright. I tested it last night

Twice that at 50% should be more than enough for a couple of commutes a day.

I bought a 2nd hand Lezyne Mega Drive - the old one with just the 2 LEDs. Perhaps I should have gone for one of the newer ones, but this seems good for what I wanted it to do - which was throw enough light in front of me to see with in the dark and not have an external battery pack. It's nowhere near as bright as my few-years-old chinese (Fluxient, I think) single CREE LED thing that cost me £50-odd. But it's a much more usable beam pattern - i.e. not blinding everything that comes the other way.

Expensive lights, perhaps too expensive but they should at least let me see and be seen. Both USB rechargable too, which is a bonus.
I bought a High Efficiency USB charger too, from a company called Anker - seems great.

Lethal` · 7 Sep 2015 at 11:59

SportPursuit have delivered

Which mounts do people use for the Garmin? Thinking of mounting underneath handlebars.