Road Cycling

interesting podcast today on bbc - david robson the expectation effect -
various scientific snippets on how your brain may control performance, and even outcome of vo2max measures
genuine competition reveals performance you otherwise don't believe you have; brain sending out fatigue, or lactic limit msgs prematurely; supplements succeeding through placebo effect

Makes sense. I can hit heart rates that I didn't know was possible at the end of a close Zwift race. Lately a lack of confidence in my performance had what should have been fast threshold 1 hour cycles getting a average HR barely in zone 3.
 
Cause you cray cray riding in the dirt. (I secretly want to get myself a Cannondale Trail SE 3)

Nobody turned up this morning so I may need to catch a tow on the back of a local club ride if I'm allowed.

My lifeline heart rate monitor that died has finally been refunded and I've paid the extra tenner to get a Wahoo Tickr, hopefully that will last longer. Had to get a few pairs of white socks to do the new shoes justice.
That's got too much tyre for the type of mud I mean! My tickr lasted 7 months so unfortunately don't get your hopes up
 
Cause you cray cray riding in the dirt. (I secretly want to get myself a Cannondale Trail SE 3)

Nobody turned up this morning so I may need to catch a tow on the back of a local club ride if I'm allowed.

My lifeline heart rate monitor that died has finally been refunded and I've paid the extra tenner to get a Wahoo Tickr, hopefully that will last longer. Had to get a few pairs of white socks to do the new shoes justice.
Don’t count on it, but they will send you free ones under warranty and then discount a new one out of warranty…. Horses for courses!

I skipped Monday and Tuesday as riding in that heat is just silly. Reason why we always did morning bunch in Australia…..

Went out tonight and did my usual Tuesday ride which is 50km with 3x3 min hill efforts as part of a little loops and felt good for the first time in a fortnight and maxed my HR, O had been struggling to get:hold it over 185 so maybe was just under the weather a tiny bit. All the way to 200 and I’ll take the 15% more power which comes with it!

Bike all good after rebuilding the front end, no noticeable play, creaks or squeaks. Steering didn’t feel tight even after perhaps over tightening the headset so fingers crossed & inspect in winter. Worst case ruins the bearings sooner than usual, but £40 on bearings or £400 on a fork…
 
It seems to just be a HRM thing where they just stop working or become intermittent. Fingers crossed!

I'm sure the fork will be grand, you didn't care when you didn't know about it :cry:

You also a 200bpm guy? I never really worked out my HR/Power relationship full as I haven't had power long enough.

I headed out feeling meh after this morning and actually felt magic once out, not really happy sitting at steady hard pace in groups but when it lights up to properly hard I love it.

My mate wanted to try for a segment but missed it slightly which was 16 minutes at 300w for him at 75kg. An earlier climb was 6 mins at 400w but the start was tempo and he kicked at 1000w when he went, I closed it seated and ended up taking it right to the top feeling pretty good. Few sprints for 30s into towns and a small section we clipped off the front and one guy bridged across, as he got up to us I freewheeled and let my mate get about 10 bike lengths. Sat on the guy as he was obviously cooked then jumped across to my mate. Tomorrow night is going to be hard when I'm the one getting attacked :o
 
no noticeable play, creaks or squeaks.
I can't remember if I've mentioned this. I'm getting creaks from somewhere along the drive train. I've tried to remove as many possibilities as possible, rightened the pedals, tightened my cleats (this made it a bit better) tightened the rear axel (this also made it a little better) but I still have creaking. It seems worse earlier in a ride. It's definitely when I'm climbing, maybe slower cadence and higher power. If I free wheel for even a split second it often makes it stop for a while.

Is it simply time for a new BB? I've done about 12k miles on this one.
 
It seems to just be a HRM thing where they just stop working or become intermittent. Fingers crossed!

I'm sure the fork will be grand, you didn't care when you didn't know about it :cry:

You also a 200bpm guy? I never really worked out my HR/Power relationship full as I haven't had power long enough.

I headed out feeling meh after this morning and actually felt magic once out, not really happy sitting at steady hard pace in groups but when it lights up to properly hard I love it.

My mate wanted to try for a segment but missed it slightly which was 16 minutes at 300w for him at 75kg. An earlier climb was 6 mins at 400w but the start was tempo and he kicked at 1000w when he went, I closed it seated and ended up taking it right to the top feeling pretty good. Few sprints for 30s into towns and a small section we clipped off the front and one guy bridged across, as he got up to us I freewheeled and let my mate get about 10 bike lengths. Sat on the guy as he was obviously cooked then jumped across to my mate. Tomorrow night is going to be hard when I'm the one getting attacked :o
Yes it goes all the way up to 200!

On a long bunch ride or something it would sit at 140-150. Threshold hill effort or time trial maybe 180-185. 185-190 sustainable for a short time and can recover if drop back to 180-185. Over 190-200 will need more significant rest, can’t go back to threshold!

Andy do you have another bike to interchange parts with?

Change wheels/skewers that kind of thing.

Creak in and out of the saddle?

Shimano cassettes also do make noise.

You can usually tell if a BB is duff by removing the crankset or even just the chain and feeling the cranks when spun by hand.
 
Black bar tape, or black with silver or similar. give me your recommendations or any bargains you've spotted recently.
 

I like supacaz having taped quite a few of them, lizard skin DSP comes in thicker versions if you want it a bit softer.

I don't mind thinner tape so Supacaz suits me, I also like the fade style on the drops.
 
Ooooh sorry, long overdue actually catching up here! Not much to report here apart from a general lack of quality regular riding. Power numbers are pretty good still and I'm quite consistent even without the regular riding, just life getting in the way! :rolleyes:

Did a club social 2 weekends ago and went up Gospel pass. Legs felt good and mostly riding high tempo for the climb off the front with a few other hitters. Knowing it's brutal at the top, was good to cross that one off as I'd not been up that side for a couple of years. This weekend they're talking of going down to Chepstow and back up through Gloucestershire & Herefordshire villages for a 100 miler. I've not done one for several years, so I'm really up for it and want to do it - knowing I'll not really struggle legs and fitness wise... But time in the saddle I may - especially as having '2 meal stops' has been mentioned - making me think it'll be an 8 hour slow as hell ride and not a 6 hour like I've done before! :cry:

Earlier this month had a few 'undercarriage' issues. Thought it was after my 2 weeks (20 days) off riding for my holiday as seemed to coincide when I rode a little more. Eventually narrowed it down to the chamois creme I have been using since the winter. So 'Chamois Buttr Eurostyle' and hot weather seems to cause some minor irritation for me, almost like a shave rash sore and itchy. As soon as I stopped using the creme a couple of days it was resolved. Switched back to an old pot of my previous favourite (Assos) and it's continued solved so have ordered some more (although it's a different tub, I hope it's not different stuff!). Will use up the Buttr in the colder weather! :rolleyes:

Sorry meant the tickr hr
My original TICKR was replaced start of this year with the Gen 2 (Black) one. I've had several issues with it, but not enough to raise a support ticket. It's burned through a couple of batteries, I've had a couple of really high readings with it, also some really low ones. I think it's the strap, I've switched it over to the 'amazon' strap I ran with my original the last couple of years and it seems to have settled down. It's either the strap connections/poppers - solved by using a strap which doesn't undo at the poppers, or it's sweat ingress that was also draining the batteries, which is partly better as this strap has material behind the unit, so it gets less movement and amounts of sweat around it's battery cover. Just enough issues for me to say I don't 100% trust it, but also reliable enough that I've not done anything about it...

My original Gen 1 I purchased on 18/10/2014 so it was just over 7 years old. Was probably 6.5 years old before it saw a few issues, generally it not 'waking up' and I changed the strap over. That did solve it for a time, but that seemed to come back and it got progressively worse. In the end I was taking the battery out when not in use, then putting it back in, which wore the plastic door out. But when it was on it was still working perfectly.

Would buy the Gen 1 again if I could! ;)

I think you can use zwift to calibrate without using the wahoo app. I think I used the app once and never again.
This. I'm the same, even with having mostly all Wahoo kit now I don't really use their apps. Only regular one I use is when my ELEMNT hasn't uploaded and then trigger it within there. I've done a couple of spindowns with my KICKR20 but really unnecessary - it self calibrates. Did them when new and a couple of weeks in then have not bothered since. It's reliable and 'just works' - like most Wahoo devices.

If you look at a head unit and see the numbers with some big digits then you end up telling yourself you can only do X for Y length of time. Just get stuck glued onto a wheel and dig deep and you may see a PR.
It's that it though - why riders riding on 'feel' rather than power end up going so well sometimes. Think in the TDF that Stefan Bissegger was mentioned sometimes rides without power - which is pretty insane for a young TT'er in the current generation. Fairly sure I'd heard it from some of the older ones like Alex Dowsett learning how to pace without power and just by feel when doing domestique duties and such.


I like supacaz having taped quite a few of them, lizard skin DSP comes in thicker versions if you want it a bit softer.

I don't mind thinner tape so Supacaz suits me, I also like the fade style on the drops.

I put the real thick Lizard Skins DSP on my turbo bike with some gel under it, it's very sold and strong feeling. It has made the alloy bars almost sweatproof - which was one of my aims! Expensive stuff though and not sure I'd like the feel when out on the roads. Nor the look. Have nearly always used 'standard' type cork tape on mine. Doesn't wear that badly really considering the abuse it gets. I've always wanted to try some supercaz but always been put off by 'sticky' tapes when I've felt them - just paranoia about them getting dusty and looking dirty the whole time...
 
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I don’t really look at the numbers unless it’s for a bit of encouragement sometimes or following an effort I’ll hit lap and then compare it next time round on that set.

I did a lot of competitive swimming in my youth so the body just got used to pacing efforts, and repeating at increasing/decreasing time intervals over and over.
 
Does anyone here lift an int/advance level (~2.5*BW Squats/3*BW Deadlifts >5 reps) whilst cycling?

I've been trying to periodise my training without dropping lifting (I don't want to lose a season rebuilding a base again with lifting being my main sport) but now starting to suffer with recovery on higher miles. Last Saturday I hit 62 miles.

I dropped loads over the last 2 month and right now I've dropped squatting and deadlifting once every 2 weeks (20% reduced loads) and upper body once or twice a week but I feel really battered.
 
It’s a tricky balancing act everything I think. My running has taken a big hit with previous 40-45 mile weeks dropping to around 25 mile weeks with increased cycling.

As you say recovery and time becomes a factor. Not looking forward to the weekends 50 mile run given my lack of running volume recently!
 
Dammit, sold my old Garmin cadence sensor and included a fake Garmin out front mount i'd bought on ebay and got refunded for. Now can't find my spare mount i was planning on putting on the Turbo so would've been handy to have :(
 
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I went for a bike fit at my local bike shop a few weeks ago (The Bicycle Lounge in Ormskirk). Found the whole thing really interesting and they made some pretty big changes, the main one being my seat height. They couldn't believe how low it was, and ended up raising it by more than 6 cm which he said was the most they have ever had to do for a customer. The guy couldn't raise it anymore as he hit the max line on the seat post. They also changed the stem from a 120 mm to a 110 mm. Other than that, the only change they said would try shortening the cranks from a 172.5 to a 170, but given the cost to do so, try the bike with the changes made for a few hundred miles then come back in if needed.

The new height and riding position took some getting used but straight away I was much quicker, and felt like I had stacks more power. Every time I went out on my normal routes I could see the Strava times coming down.

The guy who did the bike fit (Matt) is the owner of the shop, and when chatting he was telling me about the bike club there. (Harry Middleton Cycling Club). They all meet outside the shop every Sunday morning, and why don't I give it a whirl. They have 3 groups (A, B, C) so I wouldn't be dropped into TDF pace and be out of my depth. I'm an unsociable bugger at the best of times, but that Sunday, I thought sod it, ill give it a whirl. Got up and did the 7 mile ride to the bike store. There must have been at least 40 riders there waiting. I decided to join the B group as the C group had a few Mavis's in, and the A group seemed to be full of Pogačar clones. They ended up having to do 2 B groups as there were so many people. Was a really good day. The route taken was just over 50 miles and a really good mix flats and some bloody steep hills. I've never ridden in a group before so that took some getting used to. I really enjoyed being pushed as there is no slacking off when in a group. All in that day I did 62 miles, which for many on here isn't much, but it was double my previous longest ride so I was well impressed with myself. My legs were bloody killing the next day or 2 though.

I have been a couple of times since and whilst I still prefer riding alone, its a nice change doing the group thing. And meeting new people is never a bad thing.

In other news, my upgraditis is getting bad........

I was getting sick of the creaking from the BB so I decided to do something about it. I ordered a C-Bear BB30A to 24mm Shimano Ceramic Bottom Bracket, and a unused Ultegra FC-R81000 chainset off eBay. I got the 170mm length as recommended on the bike fit. I fitted it all with no issues. But the bugger was dropping the chain all the time. Turns out I needed a 12 speed chain to get the front cog changes to work nice and smooth. Drive train is much quieter now and the creaks are gone :cool:

Having the seat post right on the max line was triggering me so picked up a longer stem. A Cannondale HG Save Seatpost. It's supposed to have some active vibration elimination jiggery pokery. Cant say I've really noticed any real difference though. But hey, it's longer ;)

I also treated myself to some new shoes. I picked up a pair of VENTO INFINITO CARBON 2 WIDE. They weren't cheap but they are a proper step up in quality over my Northwave Revolution 2 I was using. I used them for a couple of rides before sticking in a pair of Bontrager Inform Biodynamic Insoles (Red). Its amazed me just how much difference a well fitting shoe can make, my first ride out I got more than 20 PB on Strava segments. Its been the best upgrade performance wise I think I have made.
 
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