Road Cycling Essentials

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I have a Topeak TrunkBag which slots into a Super Tourist rack. It's pretty heavy but very sturdy. I used to ride with both a backpack and the pannier, but it occured to me I was carrying stuff I never used in the backpack (extra batteries, first aid kit, waterproof jacket and trousers, overshoes etc), so I downsized to just the pannier.

I carry a change of clothes and my lunch to work with me every day, so something like a Carradice saddle bag wouldn't be big enough for my needs. The TrunkBag has expandable side bags that strap to the sides of the rack if you want even more space - I've used it a couple of times like that, but usually I don't need to.

I probably look absurd tucked down on the drops with a rack and bag attached, but the way I look at it is that it's more points for me in silly commuter racing :)
 
Saundie said:
How do you feel about not being able to reach your gears or brakes? That's the main thing that puts me off of trying some clip-on aero bars. That said, I am tempted again to give them a try. The guy who did my bike fit adjusted the angle of my levers in relation to the bar, so that I can actually reach them while riding in the drops. As a result I've been riding in the drops almost all the time, and I must say it has made a noticeable difference - at least 2kph on my stop-start commute. I've also stopped wearing a backpack, which I suspect also helps a fair bit in terms of aerodynamics.
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I don't tend to use the tri bars on my road bike anymore, just use it as a pure road bike now. When I did though it was never really a problem. The roads local to me are generally quiet so braking wasn't a problem. Obviously you just have to pre-empt junctions etc a bit more than otherwise. Gears I found could get a bit annoying taking one hand off and changing gear, but it's still faster than you'd otherwise be I think. Managed a 1:02 40k bike in London triathlon last year on my road bike with the tri bars so can't have been too bad.
 
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grudas in posting nice bike shocker! ;)

Agreed on the wheels though. I'm a big fan of 38mm tubs with little or no branding, think they really set a bike off without being too in your face.
 
One More Solo said:
grudas in posting nice bike shocker! ;)
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so i don't wear lycra(i do now.. somewhat) does that make me tasteless noob too? :D cmon.

check this beauty out..

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I so want a raw Ti bike.. one day.. ;)

also why are 90% of Ti bikes unpainted? is it because it looks really good as it is or ...?
 
daveski said:
On the TT on Wednesday night someone turned up on a TT bike with disc wheel and was only 4 seconds faster than me :)

I hope to be further into the 25s if my legs are up to it.
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TBH you can't look at what speed each person goes, as a bloke that lives down my road who is 60+ has a Planet X TT bike with aero wheels, but barely breaks 20mph average, but he does it because he enjoys it.
 
SoliD said:
TBH you can't look at what speed each person goes, as a bloke that lives down my road who is 60+ has a Planet X TT bike with aero wheels, but barely breaks 20mph average, but he does it because he enjoys it.
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Yeah of course, TT is all about racing yourself :)
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
I don't tend to use the tri bars on my road bike anymore, just use it as a pure road bike now. When I did though it was never really a problem. The roads local to me are generally quiet so braking wasn't a problem. Obviously you just have to pre-empt junctions etc a bit more than otherwise. Gears I found could get a bit annoying taking one hand off and changing gear, but it's still faster than you'd otherwise be I think. Managed a 1:02 40k bike in London triathlon last year on my road bike with the tri bars so can't have been too bad.
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Ah, fair enough. It always seemed to me to be too risky to use the tri bars on the road. I see your point, though. It's not as though you're going to be surprised by traffic lights and junctions - you can see them for a long time before you get them, after all. I am surprised by how much of a difference getting down on the drops has made - my average speed on my commute home last week was 25.2km/h, this week it's been 26.9km/h. The reality for me is that I should work on losing the extra 7kg or so of weight I'm carrying before I consider things like tri bars.
 
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