Road Cycling Essentials

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[DOD]Asprilla;24679553 said:
I'd get a tough frame for Cat 3/4 racing and race the good bike if I got to Cat 2/1 (which wouldn't happen as I'm a lot closer to 40 than 20).

Crashes happen a lot in the lower leagues.
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I was just talking to my neighbour about this. His son is just getting into racing - he's been out on some race training rides with a local club, he's applied for his license, etc. He mostly rides a CAAD10, but that's out of commission with a broken fork, so he's been racing on his old Carrera Virtuoso which he started out on. He was going to pick up a fancy Tifosi frame and build it up as an aggressive racer, but having crashed his Virtuoso several times just on the training rides he's not so keen. Instead they're going to stick a carbon fork on the Virtuoso (the stock one is steel), put a standard chainset on it and a cassette with an 11 at the high end. No huge losses if you dump it into a hedge or worse, and the added bonus of causing serious shame if you can beat someone on their £5k wonder machine :D
 
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InQ said:
Funny i was thinking of him when i read uniQ's post!

He took one of my KOM's (i got by 'accident' in the first place) and as you say seems to hoover up a lot of segments around the area including the road up past me where i was 2nd on a few segments (now 3rd!).

Think you just have to accept there are always people faster than you!
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True. Maybe I'm getting suspicious since seeing that digitalepo stuff, but in fairness to him it's not like he's done entire rides of wall to wall KOMs...
 
uniQ said:
I quite like that, looks like an awesome 'pub' bike. What's the build cost?
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Way too much. Most expensive bits were the wheels and the track crankset, but I've been using them for nearly 3 years on my other bike so I've had my money's worth out of them. Saddle was a freebie from a Retro Biker, the pedals were on my Bob Jackson, new seat post, tyres were a mistake buy for my old Viscount (the ones Saundie jokes about when we went on that ride up to Biggin Hill), Campag brake caliper was thrown in with some Mavic TT bars I got a while back and the curly bars were from a Freecycler. I paid a bit over the odds for the frame but I had to have it, so the actual cost to hit the road was the frame plus seatpost and a packet of bar tape.
 
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Vonhelmet said:
I was just talking to my neighbour about this. His son is just getting into racing - he's been out on some race training rides with a local club, he's applied for his license, etc.
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My mate's racing blog:

http://firstseasonracing.com/page/8/

He started racing in winter 11/12 and he's just become 1st Cat. It's a good read.

He won his first ever race. I think it was his second race when he crashed and put his thigh straight though the top tube on his Ribble.

He's now got an S2 and Speed Concept, but he's racing at a reasonable level where you expect good bike handling skills.
 
Who was it getting all worked up about Team Wiggle Honda's kits? They're going to be riding on the Ride With Brad sportive on August 11th. If you can still get a place, you can pop along and admire them to your heart's content. Assuming you can keep up with them, that is.
 
uniQ said:
Of those I would take the Defy. You should try a 'race' bike too though don't be put off by the generally more 'aggressive' position some people find it very comfy and tbh most bikes can be adjusted either way with changing saddle height, fore/aft, adding/removing spacers, stem length/angle etc etc.

For style/colour it's your bike so get the one you like the look of the most. Especially if after test rides you found them all much of a muchness. The bike you like the look of the most will make you wan't to get your leg over and just go for a spin :)
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Any reason you would recommend the defy?

All the bikes I've listed only come in one colour, defy is the only one in white/black which I ideally wanted
 
The Defy us generally regarded as one of the best frames on a bike under a grand and I think it's won the BikeRadar bike if the year (under £1000) for the last three years. That's a good indicator (although I reckon advertising spend influences the results as well).

The others are also good bikes and you won't find a lot to choose between the major manufacturers at this level.

You win bonus points for recognising that a comfortable bike is the right bike and for going out and sitting on bikes before buying so you are halfway there already. :)
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24692102 said:
My mate's racing blog:
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:eek: Those circuit races sound horrible, crashes all over the place.
I'v done around 20 bunch races now, mainly 3/4 cat races but some E/1/2/3 as well. The standard of riding is definitely better in the higher categories, but crashes are not that frequent in the other races either.
In my 20ish races i'v probably seen 6-7 crashes (most likely there were a few more crashes behind me that i didnt see) and only come off once myself. (Got a little bit lucky in the last race i did a couple of weekends ago where i had to cyclocross a bit on the grass verge to avoid a crash).
 
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I've been racing since April time every week and we haven't had any crashes on the line. These are all road races, either scratch graded or handicap.

I remember someone fell off due to poor road surface as he was riding with his arms resting on the bars when he hit the bad surface and went down.

I've been pushed onto the verge once in the bunch and had a few rubs of wheels/bodys but nothing major, just people moving around a bit. Generally people are pretty chilled, only racing for a few dollars, which is nothing compared to the cost of a bike, once you get to the end of the race together it's a bit of a lottery whose going to win most times.


Compared to the big sportif which happens once a year, I've seen lots of people hit the deck in that. Too many wannabe pro racers and big variation in talent combined with bunch riding is a recipe for disaster!
 
Vonhelmet said:
Who was it getting all worked up about Team Wiggle Honda's kits? They're going to be riding on the Ride With Brad sportive on August 11th. If you can still get a place, you can pop along and admire them to your heart's content. Assuming you can keep up with them, that is.
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That wasn't me, but I do think its quite a nice looking kit.

Both Jo Rowsell and Dani King are now confirmed to be riding in the Ride London 100 on Sunday, so I will be joining them this weekend. Whether I actually spot them amongst 20,000 riders is a different story!
 
Furton said:
Any reason you would recommend the defy?

All the bikes I've listed only come in one colour, defy is the only one in white/black which I ideally wanted
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I have 2 Defy framed bikes. I find them very comfortable to ride. You should be able to get a test ride at a Giant stockist which you should take advantage of (goes for any bike your buying really)
 
Nexus said:
That wasn't me, but I do think its quite a nice looking kit.

Both Jo Rowsell and Dani King are now confirmed to be riding in the Ride London 100 on Sunday, so I will be joining them this weekend. Whether I actually spot them amongst 20,000 riders is a different story!
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What's your start time. I'm off at 7.20.
 
I'm like well jel of you guys who are doing the Ride 100. :(

Btw, if anyone in London is after a bargain single speed, a guy from my LBS is selling a brand new Genesis Flyer for £400, size 56. He won it in a competition for fastest tyre/tube change.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24693124 said:
What's your start time. I'm off at 7.20.
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I am off at 726am - gulp. Aiming to knock off the first 40 miles in as close to two hours as possible, ideally if I can find a couple of other riders to share some work with. Look out for me on my white Wilier!
 
Vonhelmet said:
Who was it getting all worked up about Team Wiggle Honda's kits? They're going to be riding on the Ride With Brad sportive on August 11th. If you can still get a place, you can pop along and admire them to your heart's content. Assuming you can keep up with them, that is.
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No problem. Jo Rowsell shows up on a Strava segment near home and I'm faster :D ;)
 
I'll be in the black helmet, back glasses, black jersey, black shorts on the black Scott with the black saddle, black tape, black cables, black rims, black spokes, black hubs and black tyres.

Some of those bits have bits of white, but generally Johnny Cash has nothing on me.

There are going to be a lot of people in the first 40 miles attempting to tank it but who have little experience of group riding. I'd steer clear if I were you. There are going to be some crashes on Sunday.
 
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[DOD]Asprilla;24693339 said:
I'll be in the black helmet, back glasses, black jersey, black shorts on the black Scott with the black saddle, black tape, black cables, black rims, black spokes, black hubs and black tyres.

Some of those bits have bits of white, but generally Johnny Cash has nothing on me.
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We would look like clones on a ride. Although it'd probably be like Dr. Evil and Mini Me...
 
anyone used spa cycles? whats their delivery/dispatch time like?

arknor said:
lol my hamstring is aching :(
I don't think it's used to the stretching that goes on with pedalling or something :(

(not pulling on the upstroke)

I guess going from walking maybe 1-4 miles a day to trying to ride 5-20 miles every other day is to much for my body :(
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first couple of weeks are always the hardest tbh :) IMO it doesn't actually get any easier as time goes by.. you only get faster.. - one of the rules.
 
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