Road Cycling

Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2015
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Bristol
It's arrived and built! Love it, only took it for a little ride around the block with my cage pedals but I can tell it will be rapid.

Will take some getting used to freewheeling again, it felt broke at first but I'll get used to that soon enough. The lightness really took me by surprise. I knew how heavy it was going to be but still lifting it up really blew me away.

Only issue is I can't seem to shift into the big chainring at the front. Going to have to consort YouTube to teach me how as I am clueless.

7SwdnJ4.jpg

The old and new!
 
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Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2006
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3,563
Do any of the e-tube stuff give you a battery indicator, or an alert which could be triggered when it reaches 'low'? Or could that be more of a bluetooth feature to a smartphone app rather than a head unit?

I have the older Di2 system on mine but added the ANT+ module so the battery level gets sent to my cycle computer the newer version has it built into the battery (you can swap in the newer battery to the older system and get this plus synchro shift etc). You can assign the battery level to a data field on the cycle computer but it will flash up a warning when the battery hits 25% then at 20/10% so on also lets you see the mirco adjustment value on the screen/what gear you are in etc.
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Still some newbie questions from my end.

How much benefit do you get with cycling from very easy low intensity stuff?

With running that is advised for most of your running. Go slow, take it easy etc. But is that the same with cycling?

Recently I’ve been heading to the pub (just for 1 or 2) with the wife which is has been around 7-8 miles in total. She’s on an electric bike so it’s easy enough, As well as being shortish it’s also very slow. Probably averaging 8-9mph.

Am I likely to see improvements from that if I do that say twice a week on top of a longer ride on my own, or would you expect them to have minimal impact?
 
Soldato
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Officially least sunny location -Ronskistats
Still some newbie questions from my end.

How much benefit do you get with cycling from very easy low intensity stuff?

With running that is advised for most of your running. Go slow, take it easy etc. But is that the same with cycling?

Recently I’ve been heading to the pub (just for 1 or 2) with the wife which is has been around 7-8 miles in total. She’s on an electric bike so it’s easy enough, As well as being shortish it’s also very slow. Probably averaging 8-9mph.

Am I likely to see improvements from that if I do that say twice a week on top of a longer ride on my own, or would you expect them to have minimal impact?

Not much but nothing wrong with breaking in gradually. Saying that, when your into training plans and can get competitive, there are days the plan encourages you to do 'recovery rides' which are low intensity legs spins.

If your new or trying to develop bike handing skills yeah but there comes a point where if you want to 'improve' you have to up the intensity. Look into HIT sessions.

Yes. Any miles you do on the bike is miles worth counting. I found for example if I commuted amongst training sessions the commute sessions bring you on the most.

At some point it will plateau. Your body will only progress as far as it can until you start pushing it further or shocking it into areas you never went before. There are many sayings but one I recall goes something like.. "If you ride for twenty miles hard, you will only be good at twenty miles hard". Basically saying if you only train for one thing you cant expect to be getting better at anything else.
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Cheers, i'm unlikely to get into any training plans, i'm still trying to get the right balance of running/cycling and manage overtraining etc and would prioritise running over cycling. At least that's the plan, because i know if i get "too" into cycling i'll fall down the rabbit hole of constant upgrades and spending :D

Was just curious whether a few rides with the wife would have a benefit, or whether i should consider them "extras" as i look to improve generally.

On the downside, i went to add some mudguards the seller had included in the bike, the front is causing some slight rubbing noise so need to look at that, and i'm missing the frame screw on the rear, i assume that's a standard sized bolt?
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
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18,141
Location
Hampshire
Still some newbie questions from my end.

How much benefit do you get with cycling from very easy low intensity stuff?

With running that is advised for most of your running. Go slow, take it easy etc. But is that the same with cycling?

Recently I’ve been heading to the pub (just for 1 or 2) with the wife which is has been around 7-8 miles in total. She’s on an electric bike so it’s easy enough, As well as being shortish it’s also very slow. Probably averaging 8-9mph.

Am I likely to see improvements from that if I do that say twice a week on top of a longer ride on my own, or would you expect them to have minimal impact?

After a month you won't see much benefit from that distance/effort. But you'll benefit from spinning the legs and active recovery to keep the body ticking over.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2015
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11,091
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Bristol
First proper ride in anger today. The handle bars are ever so slightly out of shape so I need to sort those back out and need to do a bit more work with getting the front derailleur to shift to the big ring consistently.

Hills are still tough and we had, for me anyway, a pretty horrible climb on the way back that was 24% in spots but other than that, loving it. It was 65km in the end but I feel absolutely wiped out now.

My next question as this is where I failed today, what's the best food/fuel to bring with me? Half way through the hill I seemed to have hit empty. Passed a shop on the way back and got a ribenna and some skittles but I'd like to avoid that feeling again. It wasn't a complete bonk but one was near, luckily was mostly downhill after that point :o
 
Soldato
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Southampton
My next question as this is where I failed today, what's the best food/fuel to bring with me? Half way through the hill I seemed to have hit empty. Passed a shop on the way back and got a ribenna and some skittles but I'd like to avoid that feeling again. It wasn't a complete bonk but one was near, luckily was mostly downhill after that point :o

Some go for gels, but their cost adds up if you do frequent rides where you will need a handful of portions. Some take malt loaf and hot cross buns, both of which I love off the bike, but find them tricky to chew and swallow on rides. Personally, I take a ~250g bag of jelly babies on rides expected to be 2hrs+, easy to chew and swallow one every 5-10mins from ~1hr into the ride, less than £1 a bag and full of sugar that will quickly get into your system.
 
Soldato
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Aye I'm a haribo or jelly baby guy for munching away. Only had a bowl of cereal this morning and 1 bottle for the bunch ride and ended up feeling empty after the sprint, fine lined it too much for the pace. Had to stop and have a toastie, cake, coffee and can of coke to get home 9 miles :o

Felt good today for having a big week for me at 250 miles and 15,000ft climbing. Could hold on to guys giving it there all and even jumped across to two guys off the front myself - even if it was to no benefit as we got pulled back in not long after.
 
Associate
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I have been using some of the sis gels and I take a couple of bar something like the kind nut bars or a cliff bar for fold

I have also been using sis go energy orange drink power works quite well. 3 scoops of powder in a bidon and has 47g of carbs a bottle.

I think they say about 60g of carbs and hour so a bottle and a gel keeps me going, I’d eat a gel and a bar every 40 mins or so and then just drink as I go.

sis have a 40% off sale so a 1.6kg tub of energy drinks about 15 quid at the moment
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
As above. I tend to just add a carb based energy powder to my drinks bottle works well I find.

I did 26 miles today. Still some discomfort in my right knee and my right elbow feels a bit strained.
It was a very windy route which is a cycle route around Preston so not lots of chance to build up speed. At one point it was a 25% decline on mud and stone. Definitely not a place for a beginner on a gravel bike!
 
Soldato
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I rarely if ever have a ride when riding on training nowadays, stick to bananas and oat based bars in the main. Gels I keep for racing and the really hard sessions.
 
Soldato
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I'd say that is the best way to go as you'll get the best hit when it matters.

My mates been smashing quite a lot of gels and out in bunches see guys smashing caffeine gels to get away from my hairy legs :cry:
 
Soldato
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Bristol
I thought I ate enough for the ride but in hindsight, clearly not! Had a large bowl of porridge (proper oats, not oat-so-simple etc) and a flat white before I left the house.

I have a huge sweet tooth so I like the idea of having some Jellymen in my back pocket and just snack on those at set intervals to keep on top of things. Next time I do a morning ride I'll make sure I really eat the night before and in the morning. Eating at correct times and the right food is my weakest point in life
 
Soldato
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10 weeks after barely being able to move with a broken back, I'm rather chuffed with my new PR on the steepest hill near me this morning, felt like I was flying up it. Also got all time best 30 second, 1 minute and 2 minute power records. Garmin also said I added 1 extra watt to my FTP despite a fair amount of free wheeling on the descents so probably a good uplift there too if I did a proper test.

On the negative side there was some proper bad driving at the start of the ride.
 
Associate
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Bury St Edmunds
Went for a long ride today and came off the bike, there was some standing water on some concrete and wheels just came away and landed on my hip in hospital with a fractured pelvis no riding for 6 weeks :(
 
Soldato
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Officially least sunny location -Ronskistats
10 weeks after barely being able to move with a broken back, I'm rather chuffed with my new PR on the steepest hill near me this morning, felt like I was flying up it. Also got all time best 30 second, 1 minute and 2 minute power records. Garmin also said I added 1 extra watt to my FTP despite a fair amount of free wheeling on the descents so probably a good uplift there too if I did a proper test.

On the negative side there was some proper bad driving at the start of the ride.

Really happy for you mate - well done!!

From being there and coming through it, it still a traumatic experience looking back.
 
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