Road Cycling Essentials

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rnickster said:
I got a HRM for chrimbo and read somewhere that to get your resting heart rate you needs to strap it on just after you wake up for a 3/4 days to get an average. Not done it yet though . .
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Pretty much what I've read too. I just fancied seeing what it read today/testing it :)

I'm going to use it for some random commutes to get an idea of how the graphs look but I'm not really expecting to get any decent data from it for at least a week, depending on how long my immune system carries on being a noob for.
 
touch said:
Sneaky PX pricing at work again.
Only the campag compatible wheels are £299, the shimano ones are £350 (and sold out too) :(
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That drives me nuts. They offer, I don't know, a stem for £4.99, then you take a look and it's only the 6cm luminous green one that's that price, and a black 11cm one is £50.
 
Berger said:
Went up to Merlin Cycles today, got lost on Buckshaw village as they have built a TON of stuff since I was last there and it looks totally different.

Merlin have a new showroom, much bigger than the old one which is a lot nicer, they have moved down a few doors on the industrial estate now.

Tried on the Northwave winter shoes, the extreme gtx and Fahrenheit.

The gtx are a little trickier with the boa cable tie system, but it allows you to tweak the fit a bit more. The Fahrenheit is faster to put on and off, but there is quite a bit of lace to tuck in, don't think it would be a big issue.

I don't think they sell the arctic commuters, which it was also interested in, these look similar to the Fahrenheit but are rated to lower temperatures and are high vis yellow. I think would be handy in winter, draw people's eye a bit more as your feet are always moving. The others are just black which is dull, but I can see why as they will get dirty.

Merlin did have a 10% off code, I was going to come home and order online, got home and it expired at mid-day! You can't buy in store for delivery overseas which I wanted to do to save the VAT, but wanted to check sizing first to save returning for a smaller one.

I'll just wait till march time or a good offer now, as I won't need them until April I expect!
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I have the hi vis commuter road version. Probably one of my best cycling purchases. Aside from ice, not reason to not go out in the cold since I bought them.
 
Roady said:
Not got mine either, had intended to ring them to see about cancelling it (as I'd bought the light separately), but got the letter like the rest of you. If mine doesn't turn up (had my second magazine today) I'll probably just cancel the DD as they've not responded to any of my e-mails to the various companies. :rolleyes:
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problem is they have taken the first £25 out of my account, so I wont get that back if I just "cancel"

I am going to cancel it anyway, but sooner rather than later..
 
Anyone know for definite how the cycle to work scheme works?

I bought a bike on the scheme almost (end of Jan) a year ago, so just have this months payment to make on 28th January and the 7% final payment (£70) to go.

What I would like to do is pay it off and then get another one on the scheme. Is that allowed?
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
Never had wet feet unless I've been cycling through huge puddles, sometimes get a bit wet at the top of the socks if you don't seal between tights and socks tightly. But indefinitely better than using normal shoes and overshoes.
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Happy enough using the speed laces? They've not gone rotten and snapped?
 
davejh666 said:
Anyone know for definite how the cycle to work scheme works?

I bought a bike on the scheme almost (end of Jan) a year ago, so just have this months payment to make on 28th January and the 7% final payment (£70) to go.

What I would like to do is pay it off and then get another one on the scheme. Is that allowed?
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Usually fine to get another straight away assuming your work are still taking part in it.

Got a guy that uses his year on year to get a new bike that he will have given to his son or made a commuter.
 
As far as I know they are still taking part.

I was planning on getting the new Defy 0 and selling my current Defy 1. There doesn't seem to be much difference in the bikes to be honest, but I think I could still get about £400-£450 for mine and the new one would end up costing about £720 ish in total.
 
7 2015 KOMs on my commute today. Think I'm going to go ahead and disable email notifications as they're all pretty much guaranteed to fall within 24hrs...

I quite like the idea of these yearly achievements, was getting near enough impossible to get a PB on my commute after doing the same route for ~2 years now...
 
Hopefully this doesn't constitute medical advice...

I have very mild asthma, usually triggered by tree/grass pollen in the summer months, usually though I don't get a peep out of it.

I noticed after my first ride and also yesterdays when it was pretty cold that that evening and the following day I have a little bit of a cough and mild discomfort when inhaling deeply right at the where the esophagus branches to each lung/the sternum region.

I haven't done any sustained aerobic efforts in about 10 years though do exercise very regularly and include some aerobic work but usually much lower intensity aerobic work or much shorter higher intensity prowler/HIIT work. The majority of my exercise is weightlifting.

A quick google points to exercise induced asthma, however on my two other warmer rides it wasn't an issue. I was pushing myself a little yesterday mind.

Has anybody else come across this? Just curious.
 
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it doesn't

I went out for an hour on the first coldest day (dec 28) and even though my Asthma is well almost no-existent, I could certainly feel my lungs breathing in the cold air (I should have worn a face mask but didn't) the following day I developed a cough/flu symptoms, I still have it and I still haven't been back out on the bike..
 
BennyC said:
Hopefully this doesn't constitute medical advice...

I have very mild asthma, usually triggered by tree/grass pollen in the summer months, usually though I don't get a peep out of it.

I noticed after my first ride and also yesterdays when it was pretty cold that that evening and the following day I have a little bit of a cough and mild discomfort when inhaling deeply right at the where the esophagus branches to each lung/the sternum region.

I haven't done any sustained aerobic efforts in about 10 years though do exercise very regularly and include some aerobic work but usually much lower intensity aerobic work or much shorter higher intensity prowler/HIIT work. The majority of my exercise is weightlifting.

A quick google points to exercise induced asthma, however on my two other warmer rides it wasn't an issue. I was pushing myself a little yesterday mind.

Has anybody else come across this? Just curious.
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Might be a similar thing, not sure. A guy at work has asthma and bikes to work. He suffers really bad in the winter/cold months. It is, for him, something to do with the airways narrowing and then not being able to take in enough oxygen. He is fine in the summer.
 
ShiWarrior said:
it doesn't

I went out for an hour on the first coldest day (dec 28) and even though my Asthma is well almost no-existent, I could certainly feel my lungs breathing in the cold air (I should have worn a face mask but didn't) the following day I developed a cough/flu symptoms, I still have it and I still haven't been back out on the bike..
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davejh666 said:
Might be a similar thing, not sure. A guy at work has asthma and bikes to work. He suffers really bad in the winter/cold months. It is, for him, something to do with the airways narrowing and then not being able to take in enough oxygen. He is fine in the summer.
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Cheers guys, I had thought about investing in something so I'm not breathing in icicles. :o
 
Second session on the track today. It was somewhat less structured as the instructor basically said "just ride below the blue line" and left me to it. Although it was fun going a bit faster and also experimenting with overtaking people (and lapping people :p) it wasn't quite as fun as my first session. I guess mostly because I don't feel like I have a clear goal to aim for?

In theory I can go to another session tomorrow but if it's just going to be the same again I'm more tempted to simply do a turbo session for a better workout. Not having to get to the velodrome and back would be nice too as due to my illness atm the cold air really knackers my throat.

Thomas. PLease. said:
Never had wet feet unless I've been cycling through huge puddles, sometimes get a bit wet at the top of the socks if you don't seal between tights and socks tightly. But indefinitely better than using normal shoes and overshoes.
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Interesting. I may have to pick up a pair. Thanks for the information :)

Asprilla said:
I think frenchtart mentioned that cycling in the cold did his asthma no favours.
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I'm not asthmatic but my friend that cycles a lot (and is a monster on hills when his asthma isn't playing up) is and he really suffers whenever it goes cold. Apparently eating something sugary just before riding really helps him.

I think he tried the whole breathing mask/bandanna thing but it didn't do much for him.
 
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