Soldato
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There's not one, there's loads!
New ones out tomorrow as well:
http://www.thesufferfest.com
Couple that with trainer road and you have a brilliant training program
Road Cycling Essentials
- Thread starter Matutu
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There's not one, there's loads!
New ones out tomorrow as well:
http://www.thesufferfest.com
Couple that with trainer road and you have a brilliant training program
I fell off yesterday going about 20 mph 
I went to turn a corner but didn't turn at a sharp enough angle for the road surface
My front wheel was turning left but my rear wheel got caught on the stupid kerb bit and just wanted to keep going in a straight line sliding along it. (sure everyone has had this happen at least once but without falling off)
This is not the kerb going along side the road it's where a T junction is for some reason they put those stupid kerb bits across it and some of them stick up nearly half an inch
= me falls off at 16mph and as I'm falling decide to put my hand out to stop my self oops..
I probably should have just kept hold off the handle bars and feel to the side comedy style or something
I got up as quick as I could hoping no one saw me so was literally on the floor for about 2 seconds then realised a few minutes later my hand was dripping blood
Had to finish about 10 miles being able to hardly hold onto my handle bar with the injured hand
pic of my hand this morning
the gunk on the plaster is just antisceptic cream
spoiler tags in case someone is about to eat
I guess it could have been a lot worse and my bike doesn't seem to have taken any damage
I went to turn a corner but didn't turn at a sharp enough angle for the road surface
My front wheel was turning left but my rear wheel got caught on the stupid kerb bit and just wanted to keep going in a straight line sliding along it. (sure everyone has had this happen at least once but without falling off)
This is not the kerb going along side the road it's where a T junction is for some reason they put those stupid kerb bits across it and some of them stick up nearly half an inch
= me falls off at 16mph and as I'm falling decide to put my hand out to stop my self oops..
I probably should have just kept hold off the handle bars and feel to the side comedy style or something
I got up as quick as I could hoping no one saw me so was literally on the floor for about 2 seconds then realised a few minutes later my hand was dripping blood
Had to finish about 10 miles being able to hardly hold onto my handle bar with the injured hand
pic of my hand this morning
spoiler tags in case someone is about to eat
I guess it could have been a lot worse and my bike doesn't seem to have taken any damage
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Soldato
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I had my first ride out in the Gabba yesterday. Jeez I feel like a pro wearing that thing. I think its because its nice and tight around the arms!! Partnered it with my Sportful No Rain arm warmers. Weather was light drizzle and the odd heavier shower. It was 60 F and in truth I was a bit warm once I got going with a thin baselayer under neath.
The Gabba is ace for keeping out the wind you really notice it on fast downhill sections and water just runs off it or. Having it cut a bit longer at the back is nice also as it comes down and covers a fair bit of your arse. Overall my first impressions are extremely favourable. It probably makes me look a bit too pro but the illusion is dispelled when I am wheezing up the local inclines!
You pay £100 for a decent pair of bibs so I would say that this jersey is well worth the £120 I paid for it. I can see it getting a lot of use over the winter and I think it may also encourage me to get out on days when I wouldn't have done so - its quite cool seeing the rain drops just sticking to the jersey and then running off.
Just a quick 25 miles this morning. Had to be back early for family commitments! Fairly unimpressive on the Strava front, only a very few PRs and a bunch of 2nds and 3rds. We had a guy with us who's started cat 4 racing this season - he's unbelievably quick up the hills.
I'm happy if I can hit a VAM of over 1000.
Not sure how that compares, I guess I would be a Cat 3 or 4 racer perhaps...
My best today was 7-800.
The lad I was out with - looking at some of his rides he's getting 9-1100, so yeah, 1000 seems about right for cat 4.
Soldato
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I wouldn't go too low if I were you, nothing has brought my climbing on more than riding with tough gearing as its pretty much do or die, and you'll soon adapt to what you have, I'll never get off the bike ro climba hil so am used to climbing with a compact and a 23-11 at the back now.
How does a "B grade" compare to a cat4/cat3/cat2/cat1?
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3rd for this week too. I'll blame my average on doing over half of my miles this week with my mum 
I personally can't see a need for anything lower than the 28 I have right now. The worst climbs I've encountered, the 20-25% gradients, wouldn't really be helped by having a 32 over a 28 at the back anyway. I'm umming and ahhing about 25 for my next bike, but I don't know if I'm hard enough.
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Soldato
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If you're keen on improving, which I'm sure you are I'd absolutely go for a 25. Sure there are climbs that are going to be very hard to begin with, and you're not going to be able to spin up some of the steepest sections to begin with, but it will force you to train harder in effect. I used to regularly use a 27, then went to 25, and now 23. 23 was severe to begin with but I'm happy spinning up all but the most difficult gradients now, and by the point I struggle I want to be up out of the saddle and giving it some anyway. Small cassettes look ace too imho.
Another benefit is having more consistent gearing across the range rather than big jumps between sprockets.
![[Damien]](/styles/overclockers/avatars/4.png){kind=avatar}
Stick with a 28 imo, or a 27 at least. It's better to have that lower gear and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Don
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Thanks Thomas, anyway, I've decided to leave it as it is, as I'm going to use it on the turbo over winter , and club rides, then in the summer, I'm hopping I'll ne able to do steep hills then, so I won't need lower gears, besides, if I change that front middle down to a 32t then my usual gear will be changed to , and I'm gussing, either big ring and small or small ring and big lol
How does a "B grade" compare to a cat4/cat3/cat2/cat1?
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At a guess cat2/3/4.
Obviously each club grades differently and the ability level is spread a bit between the slowest and fastest guys to make up enough numbers for each grade. Road racing is a little different to crits, speed wise, solo ill do over 30kmh average and climb with a VAM of 1000 and ive been dropped the last three weeks....
The front guys are top ten in their age at state level and one of the best women in the state too. The club picked up a decent haul of medals in the state masters champs recently.
A grade consists of national road series team riders and UCI Conti team riders.
I need to increase my training rides after work to 2 hrs or so, I'm doing 75-90 minutes at the moment, with 20km on my rollers every other day. Be easier as its not getting dark till after 6 now and the clocks change in October.
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I've just had a look at some of my mate Laurens Ten Dam's rides on Strava - he's pushing between 2500 and 3000 VAM on some climbs
[Damien];24942390 said:
I think that's probably where I'm at for now. Considering I'm currently on an 8 sprocket 11-28 and never spinning out the 11, if I go to a 10 sprocket 12-28 on my next bike I'll keep my low climbing gear and the closer gaps on a 10 speed will be bliss by comparison. If I man up over time I can always swap the cassette later on.
Really?
Mark Renshaw has the lap record around the track here and on the climb to the top of the mount only hits a VAM of 1600..
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