to be fair, caracal is a very fast tyre so it could well be that too.. - not sure if race/non race is different but I've only got experience with race version and it's impressive.
Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
Yeah, i think the race version is a step up. By all accounts on the rolling resistance website, the Gravelking should be a lot faster/lighter so i put the improvement down to tubeless vs tubes
Last edited:
that frame is on my list as well..
iCan Graro as well - found a brand called Racoon Bikes and on clocer investigation I've found they are using iCan frames...so why pay more for a rebrand
from bigger manufacturers, basso palta and ridley astr are on top of my list...
i'm falling to pieces LOL
ducked my 2nd calf hahahah something popped/clicked in it when was doing sled push...
as always, after longer time of inactivity on the bike have planned a ride that might not be best for a come back ride ...
we will see how it goes...haven't been to Kent in a longgggg while
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51862505
ducked my 2nd calf hahahah something popped/clicked in it when was doing sled push...
as always, after longer time of inactivity on the bike have planned a ride that might not be best for a come back ride ...
we will see how it goes...haven't been to Kent in a longgggg while
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51862505
I'm struggling big time, don't think I'm getting enough food in, I've started hitting the gym again after 3 months out and lifting 3 times a week + trying to get 3(short 20k) but higher intensity rides in is difficult, I either find no time or it's end of day 8pm on.
know the feeling...changed jobs last month. and due to injuries and job, had no time for gym so routine is out... new commute is 23km one way. easy ride, but body feels it... tired for too long...
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,523
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
Start your number of intense days slowly, one a week for a few weeks, then add another.
yeah, I sleep well (8hrs + most nights) and sleep quality is decent going by my garmin but I feel shattered.
thats kinda what I ended up doing just because I struggle to find the time, still managed 4-5 days of training for the last month but its clearly built up now, last two days I feel like I'm dragging my self around, think I need to jump on my supplements to help with recovery again.
My fitness is slowly ebbing away simply due to not getting as much quality time on the bike. I'm probably averaging about 5 hours a week but thats mostly outside which varies in quality massively. Tried to do a workout that I could do a month or two ago on the trainer yesterday and failed miserably. I have probably only lost 5% but on hard workouts thats noticeable.
Life is just busy and stressful at the moment. Trying to get the house ready to sell. Working 1.2 jobs. 2 young children. Keeping the house in check etc.
Life is just busy and stressful at the moment. Trying to get the house ready to sell. Working 1.2 jobs. 2 young children. Keeping the house in check etc.
5 hours! I've barely been getting more than 2 hours a week at the moment and that's a good week! Part of that is since moving house I've been enjoying walking to nursery to pick K up but there and back is a ~8km then by the time I'm back and we've done food/bedtime my desire to lycra up is pretty low.
That's with one child. You've got two. Be nice to yourself, man.
Whenever I get pretty down and miserable about not being able to ride (Which is frequently - i start feeling really guilty) I always have to take a step back and remind myself that I do this for fun and for clearing the mind. We're not pros doing this for a job and our chances of being super-domestiques ended a long time ago!
Like you said, you're working lots, you have twins and the emotionally draining task of selling a house and trying to buy another? You're smashing it, mate!
That's with one child. You've got two. Be nice to yourself, man.
Whenever I get pretty down and miserable about not being able to ride (Which is frequently - i start feeling really guilty) I always have to take a step back and remind myself that I do this for fun and for clearing the mind. We're not pros doing this for a job and our chances of being super-domestiques ended a long time ago!
Like you said, you're working lots, you have twins and the emotionally draining task of selling a house and trying to buy another? You're smashing it, mate!
Best to just get out when you can and enjoy it then force it.
I have volunteered to pick up some relatives belongings from a police station in east London (they were ceased as a investigation into their death was carried out). Do you think I'd be able to walk a nice carbon bike in through the front door or will I be told to leave immediately? While the immediate area isn't very nice and I wouldn't leave my pub bike locked up there, you only have to go a couple of minutes to get to a nicer area and then onto country roads and through the villages back home, it would make a nice cycle for 95% of the journey and I get a cheeky 100k in while doing an errand for the family.
All right, all right! Next thing you guys will be telling me is that its uphill in both directions on your bike rides! 
I know that 5 hours a week is still pretty nice, its just frustrating getting slowly less fit.
I know that we do this for fun but I have always enjoyed sports more if I am getting better at them or at least treading water. Thank you for the kind words at any rate!
I know that 5 hours a week is still pretty nice, its just frustrating getting slowly less fit.
I know that we do this for fun but I have always enjoyed sports more if I am getting better at them or at least treading water. Thank you for the kind words at any rate!
Which TPU's would you recommend - not aliexpress something I can grab from usual UK webstores - as a 'cheap' alternative to standard butyls? Need to get some spares for the other halfs commuter and figured just to grab 2 Conti's from Halfraulds but they seem to be crazy money (£4-5 each!)... But will admit has been a while since I bought tubes so don't know the going rate for them. Happy to pay a bit more for TPU's as might switch to carrying them as spares myself to save on space.
Nope, Tubeless defo not lighter, but also the tyre volumes you're talking really wouldn't worry about it. Only when you're on skinny tyres (25-28) on a light bike/wheels would really consider worrying about tubeless:tubed weight differences!
"ooh I saved 88g switching to TPU from tubeless" - just have a bigger poo before you leave the house (yes, you could do both, but going to the toilet is much cheaper)
Very, but also looks damn fast! Chunky fast!
Looking quite chunky with 45mm elite wheels.
Zwift. Convenience is king/key to it!
There's your problem, are you part sloth? I sleep 5-6 hours and that's mostly due to not 'finishing' all home & riding stuffs until 10pm so the wind down & TV/partner time means not in bed before midnight. I'm out like a light and could sleep longer - do 'catch up' on the weekends - but really 'don't have enough time' to sleep during the week. Life is too busy! But will admit the days I'm not riding in the evenings, it becomes additional family time and although I could restructure to be in bed earlier those evenings, routine & habit means I'm not.
I'm worse when there's a Grand Tour on - but this time only having ITV to watch with 1 hour of coverage I should be ok. Some other years I've finished it feeling like I've ridden the damn thing - sleeping 4-5 hours is ok a few days, but a couple of weeks of it really begins to hurt me (and lead to some other health 'niggles').
It's hard mate but don't beat yourself up about it too much as @Junglist says! We all have to make some sacrifices - rather than flogging ourselves to hold fitness when other things far higher priority come along. Don't fight it, switch, sacrifice, then come back when you can - or at least take some of the pressure off yourself. Ride for the clarity/change in focus/quiet time rather than performance. When you get to have more time, treat as a reset at that point, plan structure & go again. The slow decline will ruin your enjoyment and willpower. Having a 'clean break' then giving yourself a point in time to get some 'bike time' to work on from, will give you a target and you'll not lose the willpower and enjoyment. Your fitness might be a bit less, but you'll be more inspired so you'll see quick improvements from that baseline!
I'm 5-6 hours just to 'maintain' and it's been like that for a while... But I've found as kid got older, it got 'easier' to fit it in, while I also had more energy for it. Took all the pressure off, I found I rode harder and without massive amounts of more time on the bike, alongside some good/easy structure which brought loads of enjoyment rather than stress I gained fitness/power and probably last summer (and close this spring) I was the 'fittest' I've ever been. Matching numbers (FTP) from 2015-16-17 when I was riding 10-12 hours a week!
Last edited:
yeah, good way to look at it I guess, once you start stressing about it the fun part goes to bin..
Oh its not bothering me that much. I think the combination of having so much to do and the fact that most of my riding is now outside and I have been making a conscious effort to plan new routes on roads I haven't been on before has been helping. Just a light whinge about the unfairness of life
haha, that's the funny thing, I only use aliexpress ones - I have had no issues, a few members here use them too and they're great. I've used cyclami brand(bright green) and ridenow(pink) and no issues with either.
Very, but also looks damn fast! Chunky fast!
until the wife takes it away once the new bike arrives.. or is ordered - cycle2work is taking for ever.
I hate it, it's so boring.. I think I really like the outdoors riding. Winter I'll have to get back on zwift but not now, ew.
haha! work from home, hit the bed around midnight and up at 840am. Not complaining, it's great to have time to sleep.. but yeah if I slept less I could do more - in theory, or would I just be tired and not have energy?
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,523
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
I'm trying to do 5 hours a week, due to my two lurgies I'm down on that as an average by 10-15 hours this year, but I'm gradually clawing it back in recent weeks. Usually one day of hard efforts a week, usually two rest days or proper z1 pootles.
Averaging closer to 10 hours a week from late '21 to mid '22 made the world of difference to my progress, along with no typically annual lurgy in March. I could recover from back to back short Zwift races very quickly and do two or more batches of 3+ in a day, or do outdoor Strava segment max effort attempts day after day, far easier than previous years.
But I do appreciate it makes things so much harder to commit to that sort of time if you have kids, work 5 days a week and have a social life... None of which applies to me!
Averaging closer to 10 hours a week from late '21 to mid '22 made the world of difference to my progress, along with no typically annual lurgy in March. I could recover from back to back short Zwift races very quickly and do two or more batches of 3+ in a day, or do outdoor Strava segment max effort attempts day after day, far easier than previous years.
But I do appreciate it makes things so much harder to commit to that sort of time if you have kids, work 5 days a week and have a social life... None of which applies to me!
You must have been a beast on 10+ hours a week!