Road Cycling Essentials

PermaChanged · 12 Mar 2013 at 10:28

EndlessSky said:
Anyone watching the cycling on sky sports 3? Leg 6 of the Tirreno-Adriatico, with a ridiculous 30% climb, sheer pain, sheer wobbly thighs. Christ on a bike.

touch said:
Some of them getting of and walking up

A few months ago wasn't there a guy on these forums who claimed he rode 45% hills regularly as part of his training? He should teach the pros a thing or two, or realise that he's wrong about his 45% hills

Found it!

sven256 said:
That's why I'm knackered after 3-4 miles, where I have been practising there are quite a few 45% hills most are 30%+. I better find some flatter roads, and i would consider myself fairly fit.

Berger · 12 Mar 2013 at 10:38

Woke up with cramp this morning. Had this happen in the past and thought I had solved it, two high5 zero tabs in 750ml of water has done me proud up to now but didnt work this time.

Getting slated for your KOM on Strava Von!

Normally have a 10-30kmh headwind to ride into here, feel like I'm flying along when there is a zero wind day.

topgun06 · 12 Mar 2013 at 10:45

[Damien];23921531 said:
Yeah, it's working now. What a crap load of pics though. Between that and the road arrows that no one could tell which way they pointed (equilateral triangles aren't arrows...) it was a pretty poor effort tbh. It's a good job that a couple of us in our group had GPS & routes or we'd have taken a fair few wrong turns. I know a lot of people did. It was only the hotdogs & cake afterwards that redeemed it for me.

Haha! That is EXACTLY what I said. Equilateral triangles were just stupid!

Feed station could have been in a better location too. A little awkward on a junction.

I've taken the results and stuck them into a spreadsheet. I came 84th out of 233. So quite pleased with that

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 10:54

If you've still got it to hand, check what I came will you on the 50 route? I was pacing myself to stay with mates (only broke away solo at the bottom of Shrigley and then monstered it back to base because I was desperate for the loo) and I did stop to take pics of Jodrell telescope so I'm not expecting a blazing time.

PermaChanged · 12 Mar 2013 at 11:13

[Damien] - Cheers for the link to the FSA BB30 tools, knocked my bearings out, re-greased them and all the bottom bracket area, reinstalled them and now the knocking/creaking noise has gone!

If the noise re-appears I'll probably change the bearings to some ceramics next time.

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 11:29

Rusty_Noob said:
[Damien] - Cheers for the link to the FSA BB30 tools, knocked my bearings out, re-greased them and all the bottom bracket area, reinstalled them and now the knocking/creaking noise has gone!

If the noise re-appears I'll probably change the bearings to some ceramics next time.

Nice one! I ended up using loctite last time I reinstalled mine while I was trying to diagnose a creak. It turned out to be my upper headset bearing race in the end (after getting frustrated and taking the entire fork off) but at least I now know my cranks should be bulletproof for a while.

I thought I'd stick these new BB bearings in seeing as I was resassembling it all again anyway. Can't argue for a tenner.

topgun06 · 12 Mar 2013 at 11:50

[Damien];23921974 said:
If you've still got it to hand, check what I came will you on the 50 route? I was pacing myself to stay with mates (only broke away solo at the bottom of Shrigley and then monstered it back to base because I was desperate for the loo) and I did stop to take pics of Jodrell telescope so I'm not expecting a blazing time.

Okay!

Out of the 272 riders who finished the 50mi and have a time registered against their name. You came 46th (03:18:40)! So well done

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 11:55

Hooray for me!

Next up, the Cheshire Cat! There'd better be decent photographers on that one though. I'm expecting a lovely shot of me at the top of Mow Cop with snot hanging out of my nose, all bug eyed and wheezing.

Lead_Head · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:10

GCN on YouTube are posting spinning workouts that you can do at home on your turbo trainer or rollers. If you're not subscribed to there channel then you should do, great free cycling news, tips and insights.

Shimmyhill · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:15

For the chaps who did the sportive on the weekend; what and how much food did you take?

Trying to get prepared for my 60 in a couple of weeks!

R0B75 · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:17

[Damien];23921758 said:
Has anyone here had knee arthroscopy? How soon were you riding again?

I'm being referred to have part of my infrapatella fat pad trimmed to stop it getting trapped.

Not riding but I had one when I was playing football in my mid 20s to remove torn cartilage. Was very painful for a week, but was back at work a week after the op. I didn't play football again for about 6 weeks, mainly because it was the end of the season but I was very fit back then so I think if it happened now, it might take longer to recover.

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:31

Yeah, that sounds about right from what I've read. 1 week off your feet then full recovery over the next 6-8. I'll work from home for the first week or so but after that I'll have to see how I go whether I can get back to riding in to work or not.

Shimmyhill said:
For the chaps who did the sportive on the weekend; what and how much food did you take?

Trying to get prepared for my 60 in a couple of weeks!

I had porridge for breakfast & took 4 gels and 1 bottle of high 5 2:1 mix in water on that 50m I just did. I came back with 2 gels. I was hoping to raid the feed station & come home with loads of free gels but the guys I was with didn't want to stop. One of them palmed me off with half a flapjack but I was still a bit unimpressed with getting no loot.

I think the amount of food to take depends on how much you had to eat the night before, how heavy you are and whether you're taking in sugar in your drinks or not. It's always better to take too much than not enough though. Take 10 gels (assuming you like them) and a couple of bottles (fill one from the off and leave the other empty to fill at a feed station or to carry looted gels) and you'll be fine.

PermaChanged · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:56

Why I haven't cycled to work to the past few days!

Shimmyhill · 12 Mar 2013 at 12:56

[Damien];23922634 said:
I had porridge for breakfast & took 4 gels and 1 bottle of high 5 2:1 mix in water on that 50m I just did. I came back with 2 gels. I was hoping to raid the feed station & come home with loads of free gels but the guys I was with didn't want to stop. One of them palmed me off with half a flapjack but I was still a bit unimpressed with getting no loot.

I think the amount of food to take depends on how much you had to eat the night before, how heavy you are and whether you're taking in sugar in your drinks or not. It's always better to take too much than not enough though. Take 10 gels (assuming you like them) and a couple of bottles (fill one from the off and leave the other empty to fill at a feed station or to carry looted gels) and you'll be fine.

Thanks, i have got one of those High5 starter packs and i already use High5 Zero in my bottles - never tried the gels so i guess i best take them on the ride this week to see how i get on with them!

The starter pack comes with loads of different ones, will have to read the blurb and pick some i like i guess and order some in for the sportive!

Speaking of feeding, i hit the bonk the other day - always thought it was some mythical bike thing but right at the end of our ride we hit an unexpected hill and as i stood up to go for it there was nothing in my legs at all

i think we had just passed 31 miles and i hadnt eaten anything on the ride so im guessing that was the reason.

topgun06 · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:06

Shimmyhill said:
For the chaps who did the sportive on the weekend; what and how much food did you take?

Trying to get prepared for my 60 in a couple of weeks!

Like Damien, I had porridge in the morning.

I took 3 gels, 3 bars, a bottle of energy stuff and a bottle of SIS Hydro.

I ate one bar and 3 gels iirc. Two of the gels were from the feed station and a few pieces of flapjack which were at the feed station too.

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:06

I ordered one of those starter packs for my first one too. I ended up coming home with more gels than I left with though. Pockets and an empty bottle full. I picked up a couple of boxes on that bogof offer from wiggle too so I've got a decent stash.

Make sure you have a big carb laden tea the night before then have a porridge in the morning. I went a bit OTT and went on a sugar binge the day before (I loves me some cookies & haribo omnomnom) and had a big spag bol. It worked though because if I didn't have company I'd have flew round that course despite only having a couple of gels and a bit of a flapjack. I had more energy after finishing than I did at the start...

PermaChanged · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:06

Just remember High 5 zero is hydration only, not energy. I took 1 gel on a 30 mile sportive I did and found it was adequate for that, but then had a meal pretty soon afterwords. For a 60 mile sportive I'd be looking to take something more substantial, probably a huge hunk of Soreen loaf or similar.

Vonhelmet · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:06

Berger said:
Getting slated for your KOM on Strava Von!

Haha, I'll live. I'm not fussed about getting to the top of any lists just yet, so long as I can see I'm improving. It's a pleasant surprise, but I don't expect it to last. Damien will take it no bother as soon as he gets a clear run at it.

Vonhelmet · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:13

When I did my 100k last week, I had pasta the night before, 4 weetabix and a banana for breakfast, a gel before I set off, then took a High5 carb drink in one bottle and some High5 zero in the other. I stopped for a gel after about 1 1/2 hours, then stopped again and had a coffee and two cakes at a cafe after another 1 1/2 hours, which basically constituted my lunch. I had a protein recovery drink when I got in and then snacked a fair bit for the rest of the day. I felt absolutely fine. I only did 3,500ish feet of climbing, so not sure how that compares to whichever sportive you're planning for, but there you go.

[Damien] · 12 Mar 2013 at 13:16

Vonhelmet said:
Haha, I'll live. I'm not fussed about getting to the top of any lists just yet, so long as I can see I'm improving. It's a pleasant surprise, but I don't expect it to last. Damien will take it no bother as soon as he gets a clear run at it.

I've had a couple of runs at it (granted not with a tailwind

) and I never can get much faster than that. I'm terrible at getting aero and the harder I push the less aero I get so I really struggle to get towards the 30mph mark.