Road Cycling

I can finally get back on my bike tomorrow for a few weeks (hopefully indefinitely depending on ultrasound scan results) and I can't wait. The last few months have been rubbish with how little I've been able to ride and just knowing I can is putting a grin on my face.

Until I feel the pain of not cycling for a month take effect.
 
AndyCr15 said:
It's funny isn't it. I remember seeing an eBike KOM, way quicker than then others, so I had a look at the full 'ride'. There were a few comments and then the guy himself saying something like 'well, there's no catagory for recording on my moped?!'. No mate, there's a reason for that! What do some people think Strava is for? Route planning in the car or on their motorbike?

Just report I guess. Hopefully Strava will deal with it.
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Yeah all reported and sorted.
 
I am embarking on a bit of a period of training indoors in light of the deteriorating weather and i'm going to follow a very basic structure of largely zone 2 with some interval sessions a few times I week. Current FTP of 250 ish and I want to get up to 300+ by the time the spring comes around.

I was previously doing zone 2 at ~160w on the trainer with my HR at ~120 but from doing a bit more reading/research it seems like I was going a little easy. Using the "conversation test" I did a session at 185/190 and I think thats probably more like where I should be for Z2. HR sits at about 140 for that.

Interesting that HR and power aren't valid ways of doing zone 2 by all accounts.
 
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I'll be doing the same. My FTP is way down on yours though. Was 220 when I last checked and I haven't checked in a number of months lol.

Going to join trainer road and do their sweet spot base - build - then a climbing program. Hopefully by the time next year comes I'll be fitter than I was this year.
 
Junglist said:
I'll be doing the same. My FTP is way down on yours though. Was 220 when I last checked and I haven't checked in a number of months lol.

Going to join trainer road and do their sweet spot base - build - then a climbing program. Hopefully by the time next year comes I'll be fitter than I was this year.
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Sounds good. I assume trainer road is a little more "training" focussed rather than Zwifts programs which look to keep you engaged rather than give you the best returns.
 
It seems so. I don't mind the Zwift workouts and they're my only experience of interval training so ignorance is bliss and all that.

Though, I'm now just used to paying for Zwift. If I don't use it, I don't mind. If I pay for trainer road I'll know that I'll at least want to use it the first few weeks to get my moneys worth and hopefully by that point, the routine will have kicked in.

That's my plan anyway :p
 
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What would you say is a decent winter/commuter road type bike that takes mudguards. Is quick release and rim brake?

Looking to replace my 20 year old cx bike with no mudguard mounts.
 
fez said:
I am embarking on a bit of a period of training indoors in light of the deteriorating weather and i'm going to follow a very basic structure of largely zone 2 with some interval sessions a few times I week. Current FTP of 250 ish and I want to get up to 300+ by the time the spring comes around.

I was previously doing zone 2 at ~160w on the trainer with my HR at ~120 but from doing a bit more reading/research it seems like I was going a little easy. Using the "conversation test" I did a session at 185/190 and I think thats probably more like where I should be for Z2. HR sits at about 140 for that.

Interesting that HR and power aren't valid ways of doing zone 2 by all accounts.
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Gaining 50w over the winter would be some going but if you’ve not done much structured training it’s possible. Establishing Z2 seems to be a minefield but the talk test is what people come back to. Like you, I realised relatively late that Z2/endurance work should feel like work and not just turning the pedals.
 
One More Solo said:
Gaining 50w over the winter would be some going but if you’ve not done much structured training it’s possible. Establishing Z2 seems to be a minefield but the talk test is what people come back to. Like you, I realised relatively late that Z2/endurance work should feel like work and not just turning the pedals.
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I'm not very well trained cycling wise and I weigh around 83kg so currently I only have a power of ~3w/kg.
 
I hope some of you lot got out for a ride today. Honestly one of the best days of the year so far!
 
fez said:
I am embarking on a bit of a period of training indoors in light of the deteriorating weather and i'm going to follow a very basic structure of largely zone 2 with some interval sessions a few times I week. Current FTP of 250 ish and I want to get up to 300+ by the time the spring comes around.

I was previously doing zone 2 at ~160w on the trainer with my HR at ~120 but from doing a bit more reading/research it seems like I was going a little easy. Using the "conversation test" I did a session at 185/190 and I think thats probably more like where I should be for Z2. HR sits at about 140 for that.

Interesting that HR and power aren't valid ways of doing zone 2 by all accounts.
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i need to dust off the wattbike and jump on it when weather won't let me commute to work to make up for lost cycle a day....
last time i followed a training structure, was back in 2017...worked very well for me...maybe i should find the program i've used and start it again...
 
Thought I might put this in here as likely more eyes than in the Zwift thread.

Bought a Selle carbon saddle for my road bike. Life changing and so much more comfortable than my last one. In fact I like it so much I have bought another to put on my smart trainer bike (Tacx Neo). Problem is it doesn't fit. It came with a Selle saddle on it however doesn't have carbon rails which even though are likely same diameter the carbon ones look to have been squashed to be a little more aero. Almost oval shape if cut into a section.

The current fixing system on the Neo looks like this on the Garmin website.

Tacx NEO Bike Plus Owners Manual - Replacing the Saddle

www8.garmin.com www8.garmin.com

The bit in the below photo that isn't quite wide enough is the rail clamp which is the same part indicated in Garmins picture, even though the arrow is actually pointing to the bolt. Next to a pic of both saddle rails.

Took both saddles and the entire saddle assembly (inc seat post!) to my local bike shop at the weekend and they couldn't help me. He was adamant all rails were a standard size, which they aren't - clearly, and that the clamps can't be bought on their own.

Seems I've got 4 options.
1 - Contact Garmin. Done that. not heard back from them.
2 - Get a different saddle. Rather not as I cant return mine as I chucked away all the packaging and it was expensive.
3 - Somehow machine / drill the existing grooves in the clamps to make them wider and risk breaking them.
4 - Ask the internet!

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

 
This is why I lose my rag a bit when people talk about LBSs in such glowing terms, some of them are ****ing clueless. Most carbon rail saddles have different shaped rails to steel/titanium ones (7x9mm rather than 7mm round). They will fit sometimes in a standard clamp but it’s not recommended officially. For something like an indoor trainer where it doesn’t exactly matter if your saddle rails break, I’d be bodging/forcing it in there as Trifid suggests. Just be sensible when you tighten the clamp, use as little force on the screws as you can get away with which may need some trial and error.

Alternatively, you may be able to find an identical profile saddle in the Selle range with steel rails.
 
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Thanks for the replies. The issue I have with fitting it is the clamps stick out further so the bolt is just shy of reaching the nut. Suppose I could maybe find something that would nip the rails in a bit in order to get the bolt to bite.

I could maybe grind the clamps a bit, I have a angle grinder but probably need a bench vice of some sort. Doubt the Mrs will hold it for me :D
 
Take a picture to remind me what it looks like? As said, I thought mine wasn't going to fit but used some brute force and ignorance and clamped it in there. Was worth doing as the standard saddle caused quite a bit of numbness.
 
bastic said:
all depends on your budget.

and does it have to be 2nd hand ?
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Second hand as you're not going to get a rim brake, quick release new bike now.

I'm more interested in what models are recommended as most rim brake road bikes, don't seem to have mudguard mounts.

I'd ideally like an old pro model bike that I can build up again with some newer parts.
 
One More Solo said:
This is why I lose my rag a bit when people talk about LBSs in such glowing terms, some of them are ****ing clueless.
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Its embarrassing isn't it. I was sold a brake cable as a gear cable despite being quite adamant that it was not the same as the cable it should have been replacing. I am a competent home mechanic and have built a number of bikes and do all my maintenance and have done for years and feel like I know far more than a lot of LBS mechanics. You assume they know what they are doing but some of the basic stuff they get wrong is a joke.

I took the cable home assuming that I just didn't realise that you could use different end stop cables or that it was compatible. I couldn't believe they could make such a basic mistake
 
Vandle said:
Thanks for the replies. The issue I have with fitting it is the clamps stick out further so the bolt is just shy of reaching the nut. Suppose I could maybe find something that would nip the rails in a bit in order to get the bolt to bite.

I could maybe grind the clamps a bit, I have a angle grinder but probably need a bench vice of some sort. Doubt the Mrs will hold it for me :D
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Even just a round file might remove enough material to let the rails sit properly?
 
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