Road Cycling

[FishFluff]

My CRC order that I made on a Sunday afternoon has been delivered on Xmas Eve. What kind of witchcraft is this?!

 

[One More Solo]

Anyone planning festive500 this year? Weather looks much improved on the last few years with mild temps and relatively dry period by the looks of things! 38KM completed prior to work, will aim for another 55-60 tonight to give me a good start, although nowhere near as big as previous years when I've usually got 160-180KM in on the first day!

I’ll probably do it but not going to kill myself as not really feeling it this year. Shame as the weather is better than it has been for the last 3.

 

[SoliD]

Up to 181KM after a beautiful 50 miles this morning. Was up and out the door by 6.30 and caught the sunrise! I love Christmas day riding because of the peace and quiet, riding with a much reduced fear of being run over is great!
https://strava.app.link/ztuqcZDWVS

 

[Berger]

I did 50km.

Not so beautiful. More like foggy and wet.

Busier than I expected on the roads, but quieter than the rest of xmas will be.

Bike riding great.

 

[Lethal`]

I love Christmas day riding because of the peace and quiet, riding with a much reduced fear of being run over is great!

I've found that year on year the traffic has been increasing. Genuinely quite busy in places today. I waited 2 mins at one junction to make a right turn. One driver beeped at me on a wide road (literally two car width lane sizes) gesticulating at the MTB trail 50 yards parallel over a fence He may have received a Christmas salute in return...

 

[FishFluff]

Finally finished the Boardman upgrades. New group set and wheels, can’t wait to get out on it. Oh wait, back at work tomorrow

 

[SoliD]

Ticking over the rides and racking up the KM's (Miles...) for Festive500, I was really not expecting to get in as many as I have but the weather has been awesome and with no wind, makes riding so much easier! Up to 272 following this mornings commute and my legs don't feel dead which usually happens after carrying my fat christmas arse around for miles on end.

 

[Berger]

Any festive bargains. Rapha sale on but the bibs are all not in my size or not really that cheap.

They have navy and yellow but only a small saving over buying a colour I would prefer.

 

[Lethal`]

Been pretty quiet down here with most of the family away or working so I just piled on the miles for the Festive 500. Dusted it off today. I'm not convinced it was easier than last year... certainly better weather but my motivation and fitness was a lot lower.

Rode a imperial century on Monday and felt awful throughout... my legs barely wanted to turn. Next day they seemed to be okay so I pedalled round and round for another century. Met up with a mate for some lanes and coffee yesterday and then spent today exploring a few new areas.

 

[PermaChanged]

Just ordered the last of the big parts for my build, can't wait for it all to arrive so I can build it!

Pic of my old bike, which I sold 4 years ago, included - https://imgur.com/a/2OtKFvn

I hope I still have the flexibility to ride an aggressive position as the steerer is already cut on the forks of the frame I've bought

 

[Shamrock]

I've had a pretty **** Christmas. Got some sort of virus which lasted about 10 days and was still lingering by Boxing Day. Couldn't eat properly or ride my bike for a week so I feel like I've lost any fitness I still had.

I've been forcing myself to do the Festive 500 but I'm not really enjoying being on the bike in my current condition and with the gloomy weather. I can't tell if these rides will help me get back to strength or are just junk miles.

Dreaming of Sierra Nevada in 3.5 months time.

 

[randomshenans]

I've done nothing but eat and drink tbh, but gonna relish it and hit it hard come real world time again.

 

[Roady]

Belated Merry Christmas all! Good to hear some of you have been getting some quality rides in... As I've not! We'll 1 good group ride last weekend before Xmas and a couple of Zwift sessions. Nothing more! Did have grand plans of doing the f500 on Zwift (technically doesn't count) but really not finding any time to ride - too many new kids toys to play with and my little dude (who's had an amazing Xmas).

I'm still very happy with my tubeless set up for now. It's definitely saved me several times so far in situations that would have required me to change a tube normally. I run them on my winter/commuter bike but I'd definitely consider it in the future for my "best" bike with some nice tubeless carbon hoops and fast tubeless tyres like Pro One or GP5000-TL.

Just to chime in - really happy with mine too! Few fitment issues which I put totally down as a learning curve - has helped.me to really understand the concepts as did it all myself. Pumped my 32mm up to 50psi for last weekend's ride and it was too much on the front for some of the rough sections around here. 40 will be about perfect, while 50 on the rear is about perfect. 40 on the rear feels a little slower and absorbs a bit too much. May try 45.

Very interested in tubeless summer narrower tyres but need to hold off as got the gp4ksii with only 1 summer on them.

It’s so quiet! Quieter than any other bike I’ve built.

It's because it's so aero, it just slips through the virtual winds on Zwift!

Well done for getting it sorted, I'm not a huge black bike fan but it looks slick & very smart!

By the way, re:tubeless punctures. For more permanent fixes I use standard inner tube patches on the inside of the tyre. Not worth doing for every single little cut in the tyre, but if a few build up and the sealant is getting a bit old anyway I'll generally just take the tyre off, patch up all the holes I can see and then remount the tyre with fresh sealant

Good tip/advice! Park do a 'tyre boot' which is made for tubed tyre cuts at the roadside but I would imagine it would work well/better. Think the kit I got was £5-6 And had 3 of them in it. When I get a big cut I'll use one and report back

Wheels for me are one step too far, lot of time and experience in building a good wheel. Happy to pay someone else to do it for me.

Have to agree, such a time sink but something I really need to revisit as I bought most of the tools and kit for it!

I've had a pretty **** Christmas. Got some sort of virus which lasted about 10 days and was still lingering by Boxing Day. Couldn't eat properly or ride my bike for a week so I feel like I've lost any fitness I still had.

Rubbish, if it's the same thing I had it took a good 2.5 weeks to clear! Bit of a head cold, then sore throat, progressing to streaming nose and back to head cold again. I avoided any long cold rides to avoid it going to my chest. Still managed a coupe of Zwift sessions as the weather turned mild those 2 weeks before Xmas. Good luck!

Know that fitness feeling far too well, although to be fair I'm still got some innate/deep base still as the couple of group weekend rides have been tough rolling routes and I've felt pretty good and not run out of stamina. Just low on power.

I've done nothing but eat and drink tbh, but gonna relish it and hit it hard come real world time again.

Pretty much the same here! Weighed in day before Xmas eve at 77kg. That's over a kg more than 4-5 weeks ago! So much cheese, crackers, port, cider & cake I must be near 80kg now!

 

[SDK^]

Thanks guys, not quite the way I'd intended to end 2018.

Ouch - hope you have a speedy recovery !!!

 

[FishFluff]

I feel like I'm doomed to not get out at all over the Xmas period. It's finally the weekend and oh look, 30mph winds :/ Guess it's Zwift time for me today.

 

[randomshenans]

One thing I've realised on this De Rosa is that I'm going to have to actually route the gear cables, which I no like. They have all the cables in the spots to make it easier to trace the real ones through, but this is why I went etap last time lol
What are the best cables to get? I have a set of brake cables here from last build, but no shifting cables.

 

[Roady]

What do you mean by route, if the inner guides/sleeves are there?

 

[merlin]

I feel like I'm doomed to not get out at all over the Xmas period. It's finally the weekend and oh look, 30mph winds :/ Guess it's Zwift time for me today.

I ventured out this morning and the winds so very nearly had me turning back for the sanctuary of my garage and zwift - but I stuck it out, kinda glad I did as it turned out ok. I do still very much have my winter legs on, so I'm not pushing hard - just trying to maintain fitness.

Mid Jan I'll start ramping the effort a little.

Meantime it's kinda nice just heading out and pootling around.

 

[randomshenans]

What do you mean by route, if the inner guides/sleeves are there?

Well tbh I've never done it with cables before, I did the front and rear brakes on the pink one, but not done full cables. With those locators in there, I assume I just tape my cables to those, pull them through, attach outers and be done?
What cables are best? Gear and brake cables the same?

I'm not used to this "mechanical shifting" lark

 

[Jonny ///M]

The tubes in the frame you can run the inner gear cables through then get rid if them once the cable is out atvl the BB.

Blue thick ones are usually guides but thin white ones sometimes stay in the frame as a shield/guide/something.