Road Cycling

[Roady]

Ah don't min. GCN doing articles and giving it air time. Utter, utter joke! Social media went from doing nothing but ripping into him to now thinking he is some kind of innovator when that GCN nonsense got onboard.

That the bars J was talking about? I've had far too much proper racing/rugby to watch the last month so really not caught up with GCN.

Did you spot Ed L actually rode with bars with the drops cut off a couple of years back to save some grams as he never used them, looked almost like base bars but just drooped down at the ends & not up lol

 

[xdcx]

Sawing off the drops is super common amongst the top HC'ers in the country Roady. They all do it.

Yeah the road bars J was talking about no doubt. Some lad up here has been using them in road races to get propah aero innit.... He's actually not that innovative as some Dutch lads been getting away with narrow (dangerous!) bars for a couple seasons now from Roompot Charles.
GCN did a video recently titles "is this the most aero road racer in the world" or some ****. I refuse to watch it.

 

[Roady]

Ahhh yeah I know them but I thought it came from more of a Dutch CX thing to avoid stuff on trails and to hit apex's around trees etc!? Can see it there, but recall comment during the classics on how safe they actually where when in the bunch. Most riders thought they where far too twitchy the majority of time in groups so more of a boon unless you where solo the whole time.

Think Ed actually did it during the road season during stage races, think it was the year he got injured over in China or wherever it was, so a year or two before he went nuts Hill Climbing. Was the couple of years after he left NFTO as I was still half keeping tabs on him.

 

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Hello from sunny Lanzarote.

 

[Django x2]

rusty chain is rusty

 

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rusty chain is rusty

It's brand new and well bling innit

 

[Django x2]

I do love a good Ribble, how are you finding it? I see their new custom paint configurator and keeping playing around with the options

 

[garnett]

It's brand new and well bling innit

Hard to tell (on that little cog and hidden by the bike )

 

[AndyCr15]

Perhaps worth pointing out the Aftershokz Strava Challenge. Cycle 100km in the next 7 days and get 20% off anything from their store. I love a challenge like this because I have Aftershokz last headset for cycling and had been tempted by their new headset. I think I'll complete the challenge and then have the option of buying them with 20% off!

 

[Roady]

Hello from sunny Lanzarote.

Nice! ave a great trip! Chinese carbon wheels/rims? They look great on that frame but why so aero on Lanza? I assume its quite windy this time of year and not exactly flat so lighter & shallower would be better...

*cough* Small-Big & wrong side *cough*

It's only a NICE from me. Amazing landscape though, any idea what all those rock formations are for?!

EDIT: My tubeless taping woes continue. Spent another 1.5 hours on it last night. Retaped rim from scratch again, 2 winds of tape being super agressive to get it in the bed of the rim as much as possible. Following the guide from Stans did my valve hole differently than I have been - poked a hole, then used a file to remove all the excess from around the hole rather than stretching the tape with the valve. The tape appears to be really stuck all around the hole but still got the same result. Can get it up to 80 psi but it quite merrily sits there hissing air at me.

Sleeping on it now I'm thinking my 'problem' of air coming from the value hole is actually not air leakage from there... But elsewhere on the rim into the inner rim 'channel' just the valve hole is the only 'escape' for that air. Does explain when the fitting Tuesday night when I fitted sealant and pumped it up and left it with the valve at the bottom, it had deflated without any evidence of sealant on the floor.

Going to have 1 last attempt at it tonight, part of me thinks I've got the wrong tape. My rims are 21mm internal and I bought 21mm wide tape. Watching a Stans video last night they do say to go a few mm wider than the internal to aid getting tape in the rim bed. Makes sense now and may explain why when I've got the tape not 99% perfect I'm getting leakage from a spoke hole in just the wrong position...

Actually considering giving it to my LBS on saturday morning and asking if they can tape it for me with wider tape while I watch. But then part of me doesn't want the 'first' ride on it to be the 80 mile/5-6 hour hilly Epic the very next day. Sticking a tube in it to get over that ride first seems the much more sensible option!

 

[Jonny ///M]

Yeah go for 23mm tape.

The tape will be filling in to the centre channel and leaving a gap at the eactual bead seats where you need it tight. Explains why your bead had so much dried sealant on previous photos.

 

[Roady]

Doh! Proper dime bar error by me then, 21mm rims = 21mm tape, but NO! Doh!

Although doesn't quite explain why I did the front wheel first time and after 3-4 tries got the rear and rode it for 10 months with no issue. Although does nicely answer that my technique must be fairly good and it not something I've been doing drastically wrong, or some valve hole problem unique to me...

 

[Roady]

Anyone noticed the huge amount of 'compatible' cleats on PX recently? Did a quick price check for Look Keo's and they don't do the official branded ones, but have about 10 other compatible types, all for £3-4! Seems mad not to try some out when next ordering something from there...

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEVPARC5/vp-arc5-look-keo-compatible-road-cleats
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEEXEARCR2/exustar-e-arc-r2-antislip-keo-2-max-cleats-6-degree-float - really interetested in these as they look almost an exact copy of the official Keo grip placement
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEEXARC10/exustar-e-arc10-look-keo-cleats
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEBALOOKCL/barbieri-look-keo-cleats-set
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEVEXCK/velox-keo-grip-cleats
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEJOB...stem-compatible-floating-7-cleat-red---yellow
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEVPA...compatible-road-cleats-with-exact-replacement - cool idea, able to replace the cleat in 2 halves to maintain position, although unsure if that introduces some flex into it.

I previously tried the Wiggle/Lifeline compatible ones but the grips where quite a bit different to the Keo and they jammed in the mechanism more easily than Keo's and wore at least twice (or more) quickly - so really not worth it.

 

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Nice! ave a great trip! Chinese carbon wheels/rims? They look great on that frame but why so aero on Lanza? I assume its quite windy this time of year and not exactly flat so lighter & shallower would be better...

*cough* Small-Big & wrong side *cough*

It's only a NICE from me. Amazing landscape though, any idea what all those rock formations are for?!

Cheers.

The rock formations are in the U-shape to protect the grapes from the ravaging wind and let them grow. Red wine apparently quite good here, but the local white is supposed to be awful.

No reason to go aero, just that those rims are my current ones with the GP5000 on and my Mavic Aksium training wheels are currently tireless and cassetteless. Plus I was ripping off 105 and installing Red Etap, the handlebars and seat post until 11pm night before the flight out here, so just planned to get some wind control practise

Rims are Lightbicycle 55mm deep clinchers with bladed spokes, built on Hope hubs (bzzzzzzzzzzzz).

The wind picked up today (rest day) so we shall see how things go tomorrow. The Mrs has shallower ENVEs on her Cervelo, so it's not so bad for her in comparison.

We've seen loads of rider's out here preparing for the 70.3 on Saturday, most riding their TT bines with deep 80+mm fronts and disc rears. Rather them than me as winds are forecast to be a bit tricky on race day.

I do love a good Ribble, how are you finding it? I see their new custom paint configurator and keeping playing around with the options

I actually love it now, with the Etap, 3T Aeronova Team handlebar and Selcof carbon seat post finishing it off nicely. Comfort is improved and the gearing is finally just working. Going electronic is just such a difference compared to mechanical.

I see no need to change the frame as it's just reliable and fits me well. The only standard things left are the frame, fork and 105 compact crankset, but that'll soon be switched out for a Praxis 52-36. A compact has been nice here though and I hope to climb Femmes on Sunday/Monday once it's reopened after the 70.3 Ironman closure (Saturday).

I'm considering one of their TT frame sets in a custom colour, as I need some purple in my life.

Oh and I can only apologise for my sins on bike orientation and setup for a photo, I was rushed! Quite annoyed later on when looking back at the picture as the bike just looks all wrong

 

[dod]

Did my maiden 100 miler at the weekend, Poppy Scotland, was apparently a fairly high dropout rate so quite happy with that after three weeks of interrupted training

https://www.strava.com/activities/2749738591

 

[Roady]

The rock formations are in the U-shape to protect the grapes from the ravaging wind and let them grow. Red wine apparently quite good here, but the local white is supposed to be awful.

Ahhh, hadn't realised they where vines, you not partaking?

No reason to go aero, just that those rims are my current ones with the GP5000 on and my Mavic Aksium training wheels are currently tireless and cassetteless. Plus I was ripping off 105 and installing Red Etap, the handlebars and seat post until 11pm night before the flight out here, so just planned to get some wind control practise

Rims are Lightbicycle 55mm deep clinchers with bladed spokes, built on Hope hubs (bzzzzzzzzzzzz).

Good stuff, setup looks ace. Do love a good Hope buzzzzzzzzzzz. Was really chuffed when my Zipps sounded similar!

Good luck for the winds, watching the IM/partaking?

Also why Praxis, just interested as I just moved away for various reasons to R8000. It would've been easier to stay with their M30 but I grew to hate the setup/BB.

Did my maiden 100 miler at the weekend, Poppy Scotland, was apparently a fairly high dropout rate so quite happy with that after three weeks of interrupted training

https://www.strava.com/activities/2749738591

Brutal route and conditions for it (windy/wet) or did you get lucky? Well done regardless!

Maybe I can take a leaf out of your book for my hilly 80 on sunday. Barely any training, a few sustained hill/steep climb efforts but any time I've gone towards 3 hours or over I've struggled so could be interesting on probably a 6 hour+ ride!

Prepare yourselves for the tired & grumpy moaning on here next week as I couldn't book Monday off from work as holiday...

 

[dod]

Brutal route and conditions for it (windy/wet) or did you get lucky? Well done regardless!

Maybe I can take a leaf out of your book for my hilly 80 on sunday. Barely any training, a few sustained hill/steep climb efforts but any time I've gone towards 3 hours or over I've struggled so could be interesting on probably a 6 hour+ ride!

Prepare yourselves for the moaning on here next week...

It was damp and windy. Head wind on way out and it felt like it turned for coming in
Looks like a lot of climbing there, good luck with it
I hadn't really done anything much over 3 hours or so until the weekend before hand and it was one of those where you were just pleased to finish it. I'd done a fair bit on zwift prior to that though, but mainly 1-1.5 hour sessions following their gran fondo training plan. Dark nights coming in so going to see what else they've got on there to follow

 

[Robzere31]

After having my trainer replaced I've got some codes for various trainer apps/programs

I won't use them so if anyone wants one, let me know & I'll send you the code.

These are the ones I have.

The sufferfest - 60 day free trial
Kinomap - 2 months free
My e-training -12 months free

 

[Jobe]

I’ve just started dabbling with Rouvy so if anyone has a code for that it would be most welcome. Currently on the 1 month free ( inc premium)

 

[AndyCr15]

Cycled to the gym this morning, 5°C at 8am... wow, that's some chill! Do you guys wear a balaclava or anything like that when it's this cold? I think it might be time to get the trainer set back up and get back into Watopia...