Road Cycling

Arrrgh. Man down! Massive muscle pain in my thighs, I can barely walk! I'd love to say it was from an epic ride but embarrassingly it was from a couple of hours polishing and waxing my wife's car :o

So no ride on the first day of my week off. Better sort the bike out instead!
 
First visit to the Velodrome last night and is was awesome!!!

Local club had booked it and we had the place to ourselves!

Brilliant fun, hard work getting used to no brakes, no gears and no freewheeling. Starting and stopping was the hardest bit - once you got going it was great!!

Already decided I'm going to get my accreditation done for it. Will be great to head over the winter for a good session.

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booyaka said:
First visit to the Velodrome last night and is was awesome!!!

Local club had booked it and we had the place to ourselves!
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Looks great fun! Take your own pedals and shoes, or is the Dolan yours too?

I've always wanted to give it a try Newport Velodrome is only around an hours drive. There's plenty of other outdoor circuit options too - Cardiff (Maindy) and Stourport being the most popular and closest. There is an outdoor one in Halesowen, but I never hear of anyone using it?
 
Roady said:
Looks great fun! Take your own pedals and shoes, or is the Dolan yours too?

I've always wanted to give it a try Newport Velodrome is only around an hours drive. There's plenty of other outdoor circuit options too - Cardiff (Maindy) and Stourport being the most popular and closest. There is an outdoor one in Halesowen, but I never hear of anyone using it?
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Bikes are hired - quality units - cost £10 for the session (2 hours)
Shoes were hired as well - they are Keo Look pedals and I have spd-sl and spd's but only £4 to hire them. So if you have your own, your fine.

Well worth a go - It's about 40 mins to Hoy Velodrome for me but I'm booking my accreditation level 1 later today. Need 4 levels to pass to be allowed to ride in open sessions etc. But again it's only £12 a level or something and that includes the bike hire etc.

Even if once ever couple of weeks over the winter I take a visit it's something different that the turbo!!
 
booyaka said:
Bikes are hired - quality units - cost £10 for the session (2 hours)
Shoes were hired as well - they are Keo Look pedals and I have spd-sl and spd's but only £4 to hire them. So if you have your own, your fine.

Well worth a go - It's about 40 mins to Hoy Velodrome for me but I'm booking my accreditation level 1 later today. Need 4 levels to pass to be allowed to ride in open sessions etc. But again it's only £12 a level or something and that includes the bike hire etc.

Even if once ever couple of weeks over the winter I take a visit it's something different that the turbo!!
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That's really affordable and quite good value. I have a few options near me and I'm certain my club do something similar too so will definitely look down this avenue for some variety!

More splurging:

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£37! :eek: Base Bar bargain.

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+ DA Bar End Shifters.

Fitted the 'cockpit' conversion yesterday and switched the seatpost +5 degrees. In built on the Propel's Vector seatpost which is handy :) (the rubber cap moves back and the clamp plates switch round)

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Taa-daaa. Needs many adjustments, cables routing/indexing and fit tweaking before I can get out on it. Got tomorrow off and it's due to be 26 degrees and sunny so think that'll take place outside tomorrow morning :cool:

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A bit disappointed with the Rapha Arm warmers. Lovely feel to them.

Got a pair of xl and 2 pairs of XXL (in different colours) just incase.

I have fairly long arms and whilst I guessed XXL would be too large in terms of the upper arm gripper, the XL are also the same. Too baggy at the top of the arm gripper.

Even if Large was in stock, they would be too short as the XL is just about the right length but too "baggy" at the top of the arm gripper.

Before I return them - anyone want them a pair for the £5 I paid for them?
 
booyaka said:
A bit disappointed with the Rapha Arm warmers. Lovely feel to them.

Got a pair of xl and 2 pairs of XXL (in different colours) just incase.

I have fairly long arms and whilst I guessed XXL would be too large in terms of the upper arm gripper, the XL are also the same. Too baggy at the top of the arm gripper.

Even if Large was in stock, they would be too short as the XL is just about the right length but too "baggy" at the top of the arm gripper.

Before I return them - anyone want them a pair for the £5 I paid for them?
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Any pics? I have larger biceps, so might be fine on me.
 
I bought the same base bar & brakes Benny! I got black brakes though.

Some fettling tonight, fitting the brake cables is a little awkward but didn't take too long. I think my rear brake outer is a little short perhaps.

You don't get full range of handlebar movement, maybe 90% before the brake cable length stops it (if no brake cable it would pull the cable outer out of the top tube).

I can change the cable outer tomorrow for a longer one, but I may just build it all up & work it out later as there will be some forward/backwards movement in the bars & stem yet.

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Berger said:
I bought the same base bar & brakes Benny! I got black brakes though.

Some fettling tonight, fitting the brake cables is a little awkward but didn't take too long. I think my rear brake outer is a little short perhaps.

You don't get full range of handlebar movement, maybe 90% before the brake cable length stops it (if no brake cable it would pull the cable outer out of the top tube).

I can change the cable outer tomorrow for a longer one, but I may just build it all up & work it out later as there will be some forward/backwards movement in the bars & stem yet.
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If you're not planning on ever turning the bars 90 degrees then it's not really an issue. If you have a roof-rack rather then transporting it in-car for example. I've plenty of outer knocking around and for the time being (until next month or so) don't have a rack. Also avoiding any extra cable stretch caused when bars might get turned is enough of a reason to use longer outers for me.



Rapha have added some more lines to the sale it seems so I'll grab some jerseys to try for size, though I'll be visiting a store this weekend in Manchester but free returns...

5'10 - 175lbs - with an athletic build 42"/16" chest/arms (used to lift y0). Figuring a large based on their sizing guide but if anyone of similar proportions can confirm that'd be great :)

Got a long torso and short legs but never usually struggle for length and their jerseys look quite long generally anyway...
 
Lethal` said:
Shoes I ordered yesterday from Wiggle have gone down in price on their site since... chances of them actually reimbursing the difference?
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Quite high I'd think.

That or just order them again and return the first pair. (Read, send back the second pair to actually arrive but RMA the first order and keep the first pair to arrive, so you pay the lower price :))
 
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