Road Cycling Essentials

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[DOD]Asprilla;24590180 said:
If I was going straight on there I would position myself in the middle of the left lane rather than in the cycle lane. Someone is less likely to left hook you from the right lane than from the left.
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this! :) you'll learn the basics quick enough..
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24590180 said:
If I was going straight on there I would position myself in the middle of the left lane rather than in the cycle lane. Someone is less likely to left hook you from the right lane than from the left.
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This. If you don't want to take the lane properly then at least take the bike box at the head of the junction so you can get away first when the signals change.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24590180 said:
If I was going straight on there I would position myself in the middle of the left lane rather than in the cycle lane.
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It's much safer to stay in the cycle lane there.
Thats an advanced stop line for bicycles. The bicycle 'lane' takes up the entire width of the road at that point. The idea is that you ride up the cycle lane on the left and position yourself in the stop box depending on which direction you want to go.
The advanced stop line means that you are positioned a few metres in front of the car stop line and cars in both lanes can see you. It's much safer than being in the car lane.

edit: actually, having read that again, i was thinking of this situation in stationary traffic at a red light. I guess you're talking about flowing traffic through a green light? I think you're probably correct in that case.
 
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touch said:
It's much safer to stay in the cycle lane there.
Thats an advanced stop line for bicycles. The bicycle 'lane' takes up the entire width of the road at that point. The idea is that you ride up the cycle lane on the left and position yourself in the stop box depending on which direction you want to go.
The advanced stop line means that you are positioned a few metres in front of the car stop line and cars in both lanes can see you. It's much safer than being in the car lane.
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Only if traffic is stationary.

I admit I was assuming traffic was moving. Either way you want to be in line with the centre of the left lane when you cross the ASL, it's a question of when you move over that way.
 
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What are people's views on how tight a QR wheel should be? I only ask because I tracked down an annoying noise on my bike the other day to the fact that the front brake disc was rubbing on the brake pad assembly metalwork. I couldn't move the pad assembly since the disc was right up against the metalwork, (i.e. pad adjustment was irrelevant) so puzzled for a few minutes before realising that by not doing the QR quite as tight, it aligned perfectly. I still got a good "snap over" on the QR lever, so it feels firm.
 
A friend of mine always moans at people for doing their QRs too tight. I think you can damage something doing it. It makes sense, as you're probably applying more leverage than you think pushing the lever over.
 
You did Sa Calobre as well :D I didnt notice that on your strava. Well done.
IMO, thats the toughest climb on the island, not quite as long as Puig Major, but steeper.

Reminding myself of some of the numbers:
Puig Major: 5.8% avg gradient over 8.8 miles.
Sa Calobra: 7.1% avg gradient over 5.9 miles.
 
Thanks for sharing the pics topgun, that looks fantastic, care to share the strava links? love to see the routes.

How did you get your bikes out there? i would absolutely love to do something like this
 
touch said:
You did Sa Calobre as well :D I didnt notice that on your strava. Well done.
IMO, thats the toughest climb on the island, not quite as long as Puig Major, but steeper.
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I think I have to agree, I found it tougher. It was cloudy at the start of the descent, but by the time we started the ascent it was baking hot! That certainly made it harder.

Kimi said:
Thanks for sharing the pics topgun, that looks fantastic, care to share the strava links? love to see the routes.
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Routes here:

topgun06 said:
Day 2: 44mi. But for some reason, even though I used my Garmin as normal, I do not have an activity file for this. I'm going to steal my mate's file and upload that eventually.
Day 3: http://app.strava.com/activities/65865661
Day 4: http://app.strava.com/activities/65865592 - VERY windy on the return leg.
Day 6: http://app.strava.com/activities/65865655
Day 7: http://app.strava.com/activities/65865554
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Kimi said:
How did you get your bikes out there? i would absolutely love to do something like this
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We all bought bike bags and got them flown out with us. £30 return with Thompson. All together with the bags it cost more than it would if we had just hired them when we got there. But to have our own bikes was great. And we most definitely plan on using the bags again on other trips in the future.

I'd recommend it to anyone. As others who may have been will tell you, it is completely different to riding here in the UK. Longer more steady climbs, better weather and the roads and scenery are phenomenal.
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
Did my first 10 mile TT this evening. Managed a 25:29, which I was reasonably pleased with. Definite room for improvement with a more aggressive position I think. Anyone else done many TT's?
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Nope, on my to-do list tho. Just washed and cleaned my TT. I cycled to work today which was the first time on the bike in nearly 2 months. I nearly impulsed a Garmin 810 when I was picking up cleaning stuff and oil.

The outlaw tri went past my house on sunday...so wish I could have joined in. :rolleyes::(...next year!
 
topgun06 said:
I think I have to agree, I found it tougher. It was cloudy at the start of the descent, but by the time we started the ascent it was baking hot! That certainly made it harder

We all bought bike bags and got them flown out with us. £30 return with Thompson. All together with the bags it cost more than it would if we had just hired them when we got there. But to have our own bikes was great. And we most definitely plan on using the bags again on other trips in the future.

I'd recommend it to anyone. As others who may have been will tell you, it is completely different to riding here in the UK. Longer more steady climbs, better weather and the roads and scenery are phenomenal.
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How much did you pay for flights and accommodation if you don't mind me asking? Really keen to do something like this myself.
 
kiteloopy said:
Nope, on my to-do list tho. Just washed and cleaned my TT. I cycled to work today which was the first time on the bike in nearly 2 months. I nearly impulsed a Garmin 810 when I was picking up cleaning stuff and oil.

The outlaw tri went past my house on sunday...so wish I could have joined in. :rolleyes::(...next year!
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Get it done, nice enjoyable evening with a good atmosphere.

Ah dear, was a hell of a weekend for it. The run must have been carnage!
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
Did my first 10 mile TT this evening. Managed a 25:29, which I was reasonably pleased with. Definite room for improvement with a more aggressive position I think. Anyone else done many TT's?
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Thats a great time for your first TT. I'v only done one 10 this year and equalled my PB at 23:13. It was a little windy though and i hope to get a better time in before the end of the season.

There was a nice little documentary on eurosport the other day about the TTing scene in england called "Cycling: The Race of Truth". Apparently it's repeated a few more times during the TdF, so keep an eye out for it.
There was some input from Alex Dowsett but mainly followed average club riders riding at their local club TTs, so it really showed what happens right at the grass-roots level where anybody watching could go out and do the same thing for themself.
I think a lot of people are put of doing this sort of thing because they are worried about coming last and being laughed at but i think the film captured the atmosphere quite well showing that it's more of a race against yourself than anybody else and the other riders are more supportive than competitive. I expect there will be a large rise in the number of riders at these events after seeing it.
 
Going to Majorca in September on a family holiday but still really tempted to do a cycle one day. Thing is although I could hire a bike better than mine I'd still rather do it on mine which I won't be able to do. I'm sure many of you can appreciate that!
 
Been waiting all year for the frikin weather to warm up and now it has, I still haven't been out much. FAIL ME..

Anyway, have a RSS feed news story :D

"Cyclist spooks car driver..." (says car driver)
Car driver then knocks him off, careers into two pedestrians injuring them and crashes into a bus" Oh and all while going the wrong way up a one way street..

I swear you can't make this up!
http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/n...crash_driver_says_cyclist_spooked_him/?ref=mr
 
Fuzz said:
Been waiting all year for the frikin weather to warm up and now it has, I still haven't been out much. FAIL ME..

Anyway, have a RSS feed news story :D

"Cyclist spooks car driver..." (says car driver)
Car driver then knocks him off, careers into two pedestrians injuring them and crashes into a bus" Oh and all while going the wrong way up a one way street..

I swear you can't make this up!
http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/n...crash_driver_says_cyclist_spooked_him/?ref=mr
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That one way system and the cycle lanes through it are a veritable death trap. Kingston also has a light controlled cycle crossing, but the lights are mounted in such a way that they don't actually tell cars to stop. When I spoke to the engineers responsible they couldn't see the problem.
 
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