Road Cycling

Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
16,984
Location
Shepley
Last year I completely lost my focus on cycling and the year very much petered out. I did significantly less miles than the year before and have subsequently ended up about 8 kgs heavier than a month ago! Given all the new year resolutions (aka the road to hell is paved with good intentions!), I am thinking of perhaps giving the Randonneur Round the Year thing a go this year, one 200 km audax per calendar month. My main problem(s) are that I don't really know the first thing about audaxing and my current level of fitness is very poor. I'd more than likely be knackered by the club ride on the weekend!

However, I'm determined to give this a go (at the moment!), starting with the club ride on the weekend and the first audax being the 200 km Newport one. It looks like the best (only) audax to limp around to chalk off January. Did about 3 or 4 hundred milers last year, not many I know, and I've never done 200 km, but its basically a hundred miler and a bit more isn't it! Blind optimism will get me round!

As long as you have a comfortable bike and a decent nutrition plan, you'll get round alright. :) A flat 200km isn't a massive step up from a century, even if your fitness isn't where it could be.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
10,043
Location
Burscough
They're probably quite a good thing to get into for you at this stage then. Many of the 'Sportives' these days feel overpriced and nothing more than an unofficial race or a glorified club ride. I tend to try and use them as a social occasion which is why I've not hunted down any of the really popular/expensive ones. That may change this year as I'm looking to do some faster/larger club rides and possibly the Velothon.

Audaxs are much more of a traditional thing - set routes and distances with time & speed not really seen as too important. More of a man & machine vs landscape & weather challenge. There's lots of them around which until you start looking you may not have been aware of some really local to you! :)

Some good numbers and impressive progress you've made Steve! Kudos! :)

Lots of people in my club do them and our club run two aduaxes a year, the Mere 200 and the Wizard and the Llamas. A few have completed the RRTY award and I figure I might give it a go. Doesn't have to be completed in a calendar year, so strictly I could start in February. I've signed up to the January Newport audax anyway, in order to provide the correct "motivation".
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2005
Posts
8,618
Location
Southampton
Not that I've sat on a saddle yet since last Thursday, but I've noticed this morning that the Strava January Climbing Challenge is only 7500m instead of 8000m.

Are Strava lowering the target, or is this normal, along the lines of typical winter weather making it harder to reach 8000m?
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Oct 2006
Posts
5,386
I think every gran fondo last year was 100km so I'd say they are... The previous year they went up to 140km IIRC.

Along with making every new segment attempt a "PR". My number of PRs for months after October climbed incredibly... I did a lot of new roads. It makes me dismiss the results now as I can't be bothered determining which PRs are actually improvements vs which are just new roads I've now ridden once.

I guess it's possible something like Stravistix may address this issue in a future update.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2005
Posts
8,618
Location
Southampton
Just been googling last year's early climbing challenges (before I knew about them full stop) and the early months were 7500m or even 6000m, they went to 8000m in June.

So maybe it is seasonal, given how indoor turbo sessions don't count, but then it seems a bit odd to me that December was 8000m... Not that I issues getting there. ;)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Somebody didn't check the wind speeds in the weather forecast for today....around commuting home time....
My commute home (west) at lunchtime was interesting... Pushing 300W and burying myself on a 2% incline to maintain 14mph... The ride back was fun though, 27mph on the flat freewheeling...!
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
More worried about gusty crosswinds blowing me into:

a, a farmers field

Oh that too! Shame I didn't put more of an effort in on my way back.

... And you still got a third overall. Can I flag it? ;)
Naaah I was obviously pushing a bit judging by that avg HR lol

Interesting. My cadence spikes are back which implies my cadence sensor has stopped and my ELEMNT is using the Powertap C1's guesstimated cadence reading (which I know is bogus). Grr!
 
Associate
Joined
4 Mar 2007
Posts
409
Location
Manchester
Hi all, Happy New Year!

Me and the g/f are looking at turbo trainers and I have a quick question which I was hoping one of you clever chaps might be able to help with...

My bike has a 10 speed 105 groupset and she has a newer 11 speed 105 groupset on her bike. We are looking at the Kickr SNAP and whilst I have a spare rear wheel which I figured I could use for both, I'm realising this might not be possible because we not the same speed groupset?

If I put a rear cassette on the wheel is there one which would be compatible with both bikes so we only have to have one wheel for the turbo or do we both need our own rear wheels for the turbo?!! (and cassettes!) ugh.
 
Back
Top Bottom