Road Cycling
- Thread starter Zefan
- Start date
- Status
TR is good, but I (personally) struggled with it as it was nothing more than glorified training plans that are slightly interactive. You still really need to find your own distractions. Turbo work can really be a test of resolve/patience (at the best of times) and I found watching a graph on screen and having to match my power to it mind numbingly boring after only a couple of sessions! Last winter (and even this winter) I've not had time to commit to a plan which involves (in reality) a minimum of 4*1 hour long sessions a week, my turbo work is much more ad hoc as I'd rather be out on the road.
Zwift for me has been great, the 'free ride' provides enough distraction for fasted/recovery rides and the zpower is great (yes I know TR has it's own virtual power) to use when spinning along watching something else. The training plans are not as 'tried and tested' as the plans in TR but Zwift is still in it's infancy. The added social interaction on Zwift adds a huge amount of distraction to your training, as do the virtual worlds and 'leveling up'. You can just fire it up, join a rider/group of riders pushing your kinda power and 'just ride'. There are organised group rides and even 'meet the pro' kinda rides - I've seen Jens Voigt a number of times and several UK national riders (Russ Downing & Ian Bibby spring to mind).
You can build your own plans in each and both should provide enough structure if you wish to concentrate on a specific type of riding over many days/weeks of training. Fundamentally they both share elements of training with their own different spins on it. TR is very much a tool for solo following a rigid plan for intensive training. Zwift is more a 'pick it up and use how you want' tool, although too many riders get hooked on racing other people on it - where in reality they should determine the type of riding they're doing before they fire it up!
Well done, when do you finish your cut? I'd be surprised if you manage to keep it boxed up until the weekend, quite easy to swap cranks...!
I had a 'Beefy Boys' burger last night as met some friends... IT.WAS.AMAZING!
~
They're local 'pop up' burger guys (know several of them) who now have their own restaurant, they came '2nd best burger in the world' in 2014 and then 7th best in 2015 in the World Food Championships. Best burger in the UK (Grillstock) for 2 years running! Really not the healthiest but oh so good!
Zwift for me has been great, the 'free ride' provides enough distraction for fasted/recovery rides and the zpower is great (yes I know TR has it's own virtual power) to use when spinning along watching something else. The training plans are not as 'tried and tested' as the plans in TR but Zwift is still in it's infancy. The added social interaction on Zwift adds a huge amount of distraction to your training, as do the virtual worlds and 'leveling up'. You can just fire it up, join a rider/group of riders pushing your kinda power and 'just ride'. There are organised group rides and even 'meet the pro' kinda rides - I've seen Jens Voigt a number of times and several UK national riders (Russ Downing & Ian Bibby spring to mind).
You can build your own plans in each and both should provide enough structure if you wish to concentrate on a specific type of riding over many days/weeks of training. Fundamentally they both share elements of training with their own different spins on it. TR is very much a tool for solo following a rigid plan for intensive training. Zwift is more a 'pick it up and use how you want' tool, although too many riders get hooked on racing other people on it - where in reality they should determine the type of riding they're doing before they fire it up!
Well done, when do you finish your cut? I'd be surprised if you manage to keep it boxed up until the weekend, quite easy to swap cranks...!
I had a 'Beefy Boys' burger last night as met some friends... IT.WAS.AMAZING!
~1/3 lb Beef Patty, American & Swiss Cheese, Bacon,
Red Cabbage Slaw, Lettuce, Onion, 16 Hour Smoked
& Pulled Beef Brisket, Butty Bach BBQ Sauce
Red Cabbage Slaw, Lettuce, Onion, 16 Hour Smoked
& Pulled Beef Brisket, Butty Bach BBQ Sauce
They're local 'pop up' burger guys (know several of them) who now have their own restaurant, they came '2nd best burger in the world' in 2014 and then 7th best in 2015 in the World Food Championships. Best burger in the UK (Grillstock) for 2 years running! Really not the healthiest but oh so good!
Last edited:
Will all depend on the light you're using and the beam pattern. Many of the 'chinese'/cheap-knockoff lights just flood an area with light rather than focusing it. You usually find the same problem with MTB/offroad orientated lights, they're made for having maximum light in an area around where you're riding, for the road you need a more focused/shaped area of light which you throw further up the road so you can make out road conditions/pot holes 15+ feet in front of you @ 19mph, not rocks and roots 5 feet in front of you at 5mph.
This. A light allowed on the road with Germany's lighting laws is perfect for road riding over here. Usually means buying branded more expensive lights but that's the nature of the beast. I tried a 400 lumen cree LED torch jobbie from amazon, it was worse than a 100 lumen cateye for road riding.
Mind you, down 5kg since Christmas. Done 102km so far this week... on we push...
Good going and good miles mate! I'm averaging similar at the moment but not really losing that weight as I didn't gain it!
I told my current gf that marriage is not going to happen with me
That's ok, providing you 'keep pushing'!
I LOVE MY TRACER! Really really impressed with it, have run it on mode 2 flash (which is a pulse with 12 hour burntime - perfect for commuting). Exposure don't list the different lumen for the modes (only the max of 75) but this is at least 20 lumen with a 25-30 lumen pulse. For such a small package it's a feature packed and great quality light! Will be looking at Exposure fronts when I next need one...! I bought the saddle rail mount as don't trust rubber bands... But looking at clearance with my saddle bag it's gonna be a tight fit on my Aliante so it's surplus if anyone wants one for £5? Will see if sigma do a free collect+ returns if not.
£44 on Wiggle, £35 on Sigmasport (but not sure how long for!)
Last edited:
awesome!
"I bought another light, deal with it, I'm a grown up man!!"
Or as a married man, just make sure you keep a secret credit card. That way you can order what you want and pay it off when you want
Nebula ordered as well
My flatmate had a TraceR and it kept cutting out when he went over bumps. Hopefully that was just a dodgy one but something worth being aware of. I've got an Exposure Blaze which has been very good so far.
I might go pick up a Moon Nebula for £29 at the Cyclesurgery near my office. Hard to resist that bargain.
I might go pick up a Moon Nebula for £29 at the Cyclesurgery near my office. Hard to resist that bargain.
Soldato
- Joined
- 30 May 2009
- Posts
- 4,629
- Location
- Maidenhead
Perhaps I do ok on TR because I have a Kickr and I don't need to care about riding to the power. The turbo sets the power, and away I go. ERG mode really is a delight to use! I must admit, I did struggle more with it before I got the Kickr... I watch TV stuff whilst I'm doing it. Probably going to swap over to music soon though.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2009
- Posts
- 14,064
- Location
- France, Alsace
Haha just buy another bike, that way you need one for each. Winrar
Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Dec 2004
- Posts
- 17,114
- Location
- Shepley
Just realised for the first time in 3 years I'm going to be able to (/have no excuses not to) do the Tour of Sufferlandria... 6th-14th February. Anyone done it before or considering it?
Also, where would the best place be to off load these, rather avoid using fleabay.
Local Facebook groups seem very popular at the moment, due to local pickup and the rise in cycling interest I guess. Failing that I think pinkbike have a good buy/sell forum although not browsed it myself. What's the spec and how much are you looking for?
Seen several Easton wheelsets appearing around the club guys recently, anyone got any?
Good point, I'll try that one! Although to be honest I'm going to keep the Nebula boxed/unused until the autumn, unless I do some night riding!
With a smart trainer like the KICKR then you would get quite a bit from Zwift - it's an interactive environment after all! A huge proportion of riders on there seem to be using them...!
Or as a married man, just make sure you keep a secret credit card. That way you can order what you want and pay it off when you want
Oh I have a separate account, that's not the issue, the 'oh that's new?' is the tricky bit!
I'm using a Fenix torch which has something like 800 lumens in steady mode. Which lights are good when it comes to compliance with German standards?
I'm using an AXA Greenline 50.
AXA, Busch and Muller, Philips all make them
you're best off looking on rose or bike-discount
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
You can carry on using your torch if you fit something to the top of it to block the light - uv has something similar and used electrical tape to block off the top ~1/5th which he said seems to have stopped blinding other cyclists.
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2009
- Posts
- 14,064
- Location
- France, Alsace
Just had my UPS tracking number from Canyon for the peach...
Oh, and hopefully this should arrive next week too:
Just an Endurace AL 6.0, 105 Groupset, but the frame is supposed to be much more comfortable/ less race position. So I might put the Bianchi on the trainer full time, then use these two day to day.
Little excited... clearing the basement out this weekend ready to start the setup
Oh, and hopefully this should arrive next week too:
Just an Endurace AL 6.0, 105 Groupset, but the frame is supposed to be much more comfortable/ less race position. So I might put the Bianchi on the trainer full time, then use these two day to day.
Little excited... clearing the basement out this weekend ready to start the setup
The genuine Fenix are fairly well regarded lights but I have a feeling they are more 'flashlight' than 'bike light' - good for MTB/offroad but not really suited for shared areas of road/bike path.
The majority of branded lights you see on most of the major etailors would be sold/available in Germany (so therefore should be conforming to German law/standards). I tend to edge towards recommending Cateye & Leyzne (due to personal experience) to most people although I picked up an Exposure rear yesterday and will be looking at their front lights when I'm next in the market... I only say 'branded' all the time to mean genuine lights (not knockoffs) which sold as retail units would need to conform to UK/EU law.
Great tip - all your light is doing is it's 'job' - currently providing a fairly unfocused beam of light to an area, the angle of which is bleeding light on the edges higher than it needs to causing glare to incoming riders/drivers.
Just had my UPS tracking number from Canyon for the peach...
Oh, and hopefully this should arrive next week too:
Just an Endurace AL 6.0, 105 Groupset, but the frame is supposed to be much more comfortable/ less race position. So I might put the Bianchi on the trainer full time, then use these two day to day.
Little excited... clearing the basement out this weekend ready to start the setup
Never really been a huge fan of the canyon logo, but matt black on frames... *drool*
Waiting on some real world pics...! And feedback!
I recall linking you the Exposure links a couple of months ago Roady and you dismissed them as expensive and 'only' 100 lumens
That was for front lights, getting more than 100 lumens from Exposure seems to entail a £100+ price tag!
Although I'm very tempted by the Axis-Mk3 if/when I need more than my Volt400... Almost 900 lumen for ~£136!
A proper front light for the road is my next bike related purchase I think. Problem is I feel that I need the output that I currently have from my Solarstorm for the country lanes but I agree that it is a bit of a Bobbie dazzler.
I noticed the other day on CRC (I think) that they have labelled a lot of their lights as not suitable for use in Germany. I know why now.
Looks like a good option. It does throw me a bit that they use lux as opposed to lumens but my minute knowledge of the subject leads me to believe that lux is a more useful measurement anyway?
I noticed the other day on CRC (I think) that they have labelled a lot of their lights as not suitable for use in Germany. I know why now.
Looks like a good option. It does throw me a bit that they use lux as opposed to lumens but my minute knowledge of the subject leads me to believe that lux is a more useful measurement anyway?
Last edited:
- Status