Road Cycling

[Junglist]

Enjoy it while it lasts - those of us struggling for any 'whisps of warmth' on top really are jealous! At least getting it butchered now, it'll be mostly fuzzed back before the really cold weather. But also kudos for carrying it through that heatwave!

Yeah it was no fun during the heat but it's getting to the point now I have to really tug down on it and then the hair just looks wild coming out the sides... pretty sure it's not very aero

 

[Roady]

I hadn't realised, but even though I've done multi day trips in the Alps, the Lake District, Mallorca... that ride was my fifth biggest for elevation gain!!!

Haha yeah, that's easy to do in Wales. Very little 'easy' riding there, most of the time even feels like far more ascents than descents! Sweeping generalisation of Mid-Wales where I'm from (bit further south than where you rode) and the parts I ride now from Herefordshire (generally a bit further south still). But very apt!

There's a Sportive type Challenge ride that starts/ends in Bala run by Merseyside CTC https://www.cyclingukmerseyside.com/wwc - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38327560

But if you wanted to cross off a bunch of the Top100's then do a route like Geoff did - https://www.strava.com/activities/2434473760

Or even like the stage of the ToB 2021 and take on this beast... Gotta be one of the longest climbs in the UK. I've always been told (& believed) that Gospel Pass is the 'highest paved road in England & Wales outside of the Lakes', but that is 5 feet more total elevation (1602ft vs 1597ft). Maybe I need to go that way myself!

Yeah it was no fun during the heat but it's getting to the point now I have to really tug down on it and then the hair just looks wild coming out the sides... pretty sure it's not very aero

Having a Pogacar 'tuft' is a recent trend/helmet accessory!

It is time to talk about Tadej Pogačar’s tufts

In a sport where aero is everything, how much does Tadej’s hair leave on the table?

cyclingtips.com

 

[Junglist]

It's the bits circled that stick out and look bonkers. I think my hair is too thick to slip through the vents but I have a pretty gnarly 7 row mohican after a long ride

 

[Lethal`]

Staying at my mums in Shropshire for a few days, so headed into Wales for a ride yesterday. Went from Lake Vrynwy to Bala Lake and back, including a small diversion to Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall. I don't think the climbs are 'known' climbs, but about 5,500ft for the day seemed plenty. Some great views up the top though.

I have bad memories of cycling around that area.. Pouring rain, sodden wet through while fully loaded with bikepacking gear. It was during a trip to cycle up to the sodden World Championships in Yorkshire 2019.

I'm sure it's nice when it's dry.

 

[UTmaniac]

Was in Wales myself for the latter half of last week, visiting family in Prestatyn. Took the road bike up again despite being at least ~15% down on my numbers from before my late July Covid/flu, no chance of getting close to my PBs up any hills but a lovely area to ride around when dry.

Went up the ~6.9 mile Road To Hell https://www.strava.com/segments/6671093 for a third time, surprised I was only ~9mins slower than in March, the wall just after Peniel nearly killed me... Although in fairness, it's never nice for me, ~0.35 miles of over 15%, me being ~82Kg currently and easiest gear 34/34 needing ~300W for almost 5mins. https://www.strava.com/segments/32769519

@Roady It wouldn't have all those TOB rider insane times, but from the same start point, you get very similar mileage and elevation numbers to the top of Stwlan Dam, all being well I will be trying the dam in some form in late October. https://www.strava.com/segments/29687986

 

[AndyCr15]

me being ~82Kg currently and easiest gear 34/34

I can only dream of being that well suited to climbing... Heavier and worse gearing here I don't know I can get a bigger cassette on mine though (a 34 at present) and to get smaller at the front would mean smaller big ring too, right? Which I don't like the idea of...

As for getting down to that sort of weight... I would love to as I imagine climbing much easier, but it was hard enough to drop the 40kg in the first place. I seem to be stuck around 100kg and lacking the motivation to really hit it hard again.

 

[Junglist]

I was close to 82Kg before the baby was born. I was up to 89Kg a few weeks ago but seem to be steadily going down. Back to 87 a the moment. Goal of 80.

 

[UTmaniac]

I can only dream of being that well suited to climbing...

It certainly seems increasingly difficult to lose weight and gain it easily as I get older, 49 in a few months.

I was 95Kg in June '16 and 73Kg by August '17, with the help of beginning to cycle for fitness and a ruthless cutting out of snacks, but I caved into the carb cravings. I've been 80-86Kg since autumn '18, only very briefly dipping into 79.x before my July Covid/flu, a few weeks of too much eating and little to no high end training and it's all going wrong again!

 

[fez]

It's the bits circled that stick out and look bonkers. I think my hair is too thick to slip through the vents but I have a pretty gnarly 7 row mohican after a long ride

Pictures of the mohican please

Also, you look like a Rapha commercial, just need a fancier helmet and the look will be complete!

 

[Junglist]

Pictures of the mohican please

Also, you look like a Rapha commercial, just need a fancier helmet and the look will be complete!

I don't look quite hipster enough. Would need to start looking after my beard rather than just letting it grow. Though maybe you're onto something, I should ask them to sponsor me as I've noticed their 'models' have a certain look if you catch my drift

Getting back into Zwift, either I've got really unfit the last few months (entirely the cause I just don't want to admit it) or Zwift has got much harder. Was sweating buckets and not even close to my old times.

 

[Shoeyuk]

Had my first tubeless fail today from what I could see a small puncher and it sprayed sealant all over the frame and had to put a tube in to get home. Was only a small thorn so a bit disappointed

 

[Junglist]

That reminds me, I need to buy an emergency tube. I took my saddle bag off once I realised the one I had with me didn't have a long enough valve so was pointless taking it with me

 

[Shoeyuk]

Inspected the tyre I would have though the tubeless could have coped with this.

 

[Berger]

I know nothing about tubeless but wouldn’t you have to pull it out so there’s a hole to plug? You’d lose some air but just keep going or add some by hand or co2 if needed.

If you leave it in each time the wheel rolls over it will move around a bit in the tyre and leak?

 

[Shoeyuk]

@Berger I’m not 100% sure I went into tubeless pretty blind, I would have thought it would have survived this as the stuff should have sealed around the thorn.

Seeing mountain bikers use that and going though woods etc they must run over a fair few thorns.

The only way I know to find out what made the damage would be to deflate the tyre and look for the debris in the tyre.

But as soon as the tyre is off the rim the goo would then go everywhere and then I’d need a track pump to pop the tyre back onto the rim or a co2 cartridge would probably do it.

I may need to look into getting co2 cartridges.

 

[Altaz]

I'd have pulled the thorn out and let the sealant do its job, if it still didnt seal this is where "bacon strips" or Dynaplugs (my preference) come in and let you fill holes that sealant won't seal.

 

[Shoeyuk]

I'd have pulled the thorn out and let the sealant do its job, if it still didnt seal this is where "bacon strips" or Dynaplugs (my preference) come in and let you fill holes that sealant won't seal.

So when it was on the wheel it was leaking all over the frame but it did stop hissing, but the tyre was down and then as soon as i tried to put air in with the hand pump it started hissing again. So at this point i should have added a "bacon strip" and that may of been enough?

 

[Berger]

@Berger I’m not 100% sure I went into tubeless pretty blind, I would have thought it would have survived this as the stuff should have sealed around the thorn.

Seeing mountain bikers use that and going though woods etc they must run over a fair few thorns.

The only way I know to find out what made the damage would be to deflate the tyre and look for the debris in the tyre.

But as soon as the tyre is off the rim the goo would then go everywhere and then I’d need a track pump to pop the tyre back onto the rim or a co2 cartridge would probably do it.

I may need to look into getting co2 cartridges.

Good point about MTB I hadn’t thought. A co2 inflator is the way to go, maybe get one of the more controllable ones so you don’t lose all the gas in one shot if it goes wrong.

Looks like your standard farmer cutting hedge flat to me which will be quite common once it gets past nesting bird season!

 

[Invertigo]

Managed my longest ride yesterday, a charity 100km ride when my longest previous was 50km on the MTB. Felt decent, average pace of around 25kph which I’m happy with, 103km completed in 4:05. Bit disappointing I didn’t get under the 4h mark but there’s always next time!

 

[Berger]

Managed my longest ride yesterday, a charity 100km ride when my longest previous was 50km on the MTB. Felt decent, average pace of around 25kph which I’m happy with, 103km completed in 4:05. Bit disappointing I didn’t get under the 4h mark but there’s always next time!

That’s a good time for a long ride, throw in some stops or traffic lights and you average speed can really nosedive through no fault of your own. Seemed like there were lots of sports events on this last weekend, cramming them in before autumn/winter!