Road Cycling Essentials

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janp said:
Your pretty close to me. I did a lot of those roads in the summer, love the roads around Goodwood. Looking at your ride, I seem to remember Singleton having a pretty nasty hill.
Anywho, let me know if you ever want some company :)
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Add me on Strava :)

I'm out every Sunday morning weather depending, would love some company on the rides. As you can see I'm a noob still so nothing too daunting!

On that ride yesterday I went down East Dean hill, coming up it would be a nightmare :eek:

Could do a nice route doing Goodwood Hill & East Dean.
 
Maxeh said:
Add me on Strava :)

I'm out every Sunday morning weather depending, would love some company on the rides. As you can see I'm a noob still so nothing too daunting!

On that ride yesterday I went down East Dean hill, coming up it would be a nightmare :eek:

Could do a nice route doing Goodwood Hill & East Dean.
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I've added you mate.

Yeh, I think I've been up East Dean Hill. South Harting, is the one to try though :) What sort of time do you ride on a Sunday? I could probably meet you around Funtington?
 
Crazy ride on saturday, managed to get 50 miles in. We had sheet ice at the top of the chilterns, went round a corner and bang skidded 30 ft before it would stop. My mate went over. Luckily ok. We ended up walking 2 miles before it was clear! 11mph avg speed for the ride:D was freezing by this time, then once we got started i got a puncture 2 mins later, snapped my tyre leaver lol. Then we went home

Cant wait for summer
 
grudas said:
pro4's ordered.. :o
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Finally! We knew our persistence would pay off! Mwhahahah! ;)

FrenchTart said:
You've given in to the dark side :D

Which version did you go for? I wanted to order more Pro4 Endurance tyres but CRC only have the two packs for Service Course and SC Grip so I went for the grip.
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grudas said:
endurance, 20quid/each at wiggle :o 25c will do, don't really want to go back to 23c! we'll see how they perform! reviews are kinda mixed, either very good or very bad? :eek:
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The Endurance are good in this weather - I swapped my 23mm part-worns onto my Giant to replace the 25mm P-R2's and the difference is noticeable. Certainly commuting this morning when there was some moisture around (rained overnight).

I'm gonna grab some 25mm SC or Grip (when I see them) ready for next winter (we're going to have snow one of these winters!). No problems with keeping foldable tires folded in storage is there? :)

booyaka said:
To stop auto scolling screen - go to settings, then activity profile, then select your profile. then select auto scroll > auto scroll speed (think you put 0 for none scrolling)

Also I know on the 500 you can put whatever you want on whatever screens on the display.


Should sort it for you.
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You are a legend! Thanks! :D

dodg3rman said:
ps. ROADY....How are you getting on with the Defy , good points or bad points so far ?
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Loving it such a total change to my previous (then again it's over 3x the value!). It's really stiff so feels nice and planted when really pushing. Really light so feels fast & responsive. Not too racey so using it every day for commuting is fine - even though I have poor reach and shorter leg length for my height/torso I don't struggle with it. I'm loving 105 compared to Sora, it's really responsive, quick and accurate. Am getting a tiny bit of cross-chaining (it is 11 speed) but it was worse on my old bike.

My only gripe would be tyre clearance so lack of mudguard options. I have the giant guards but they are noisy, changing from 25mm to 23mm tyres has made them slightly better but still not perfect. I think it comes from them being metal guards and the 'flex' causing them to knock. Plastic guards (Raceblades?) might be better. Clearance would always be an issue, think it would even be a faff fitting road racer mk 2's (had them on other bike).

Things I've changed since new:
  • added guards & changed pedals
  • removed pizza plate
  • changed pads to coolstop salmons (much better stopping in the wet)
  • fitted 2 front lights, 1 rear & saddlebag
  • fitted 2 bottle cages and pump mount
  • changed tyres to P4E's 23mm for more grip in the wet (part-worns off my old bike)
 
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janp said:
I've added you mate.

Yeh, I think I've been up East Dean Hill. South Harting, is the one to try though :) What sort of time do you ride on a Sunday? I could probably meet you around Funtington?
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Would that be part of this one? :o

https://www.strava.com/activities/236443521

Really want to nail that one.

I usually go out around 10am, drive to Lavant and make my way from there.

Be more than happy to come over to Funtington :)
 
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
 
Roady said:
My only gripe would be tyre clearance so lack of mudguard options. I have the giant guards but they are noisy, changing from 25mm to 23mm tyres has made them slightly better but still not perfect. I think it comes from them being metal guards and the 'flex' causing them to knock. Plastic guards (Raceblades?) might be better. Clearance would always be an issue, think it would even be a faff fitting road racer mk 2's (had them on other bike).
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I have a 2012 Defy 2, so not sure if frame has changed much but don't think so. Raceblades don't fit .The only things that do are the Giant own brand (v noisy, as you say, and also snapped within 3 months for me) and the roadracer mk2s. I have the roadracers on again currently - you do need to cut about an inch off the bottom of the rear guard to get it to fit near the bottom bracket, but once on they are decent.
 
Jonny69 said:
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
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Cycling is my main hobby.
I also love anything with an engine.
Got a couple of cars, my project car is in a rented garage away from home so it's out of sight, out of mind most of the time. I'm restoring an old 50cc moped just now (puch maxi) and also have a petrol hedgetrimmer which is in the middle of a rebuild - i don't even have a hedge :p
Also like fiddling with electronics/microcontrollers, got some some tiny 8 pin chips which im trying to interface with a temperature sensor and wifi module so i can check outside temperature before i go cycling.
does ebaying count as a hobby?
 
touch said:
also have a petrol hedgetrimmer which is in the middle of a rebuild - i don't even have a hedge :p
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Haha! :D

touch said:
Also like fiddling with electronics/microcontrollers, got some some tiny 8 pin chips which im trying to interface with a temperature sensor and wifi module so i can check outside temperature before i go cycling.
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Problem solved! ;)

I have two kids and a wife, who keep me pretty busy, though I'm not sure that's a hobby as such...
I watch a lot of films, several per week, occasionally several per day.
I've started playing the piano recently, having not played it in about 20 years. I'm teaching myself from a book. We picked up a digital piano a couple of years ago for my eldest daughter to learn on, and I started getting into it.
I sing in a choir at work, though that's only an hour or so each fortnight. I might join the church choir as well.
I also play video games. I've only got an XBox 360 (no fancy PC, no new console) but there's still loads of games I want to play on that, so I'm in no rush to spend bike money on a new console. I'm currently bashing away at Far Cry 3 which is brilliant.
 
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well, went to the Docs today, my cold seems like its gone now (4 weeks later) but my throat is really badly inflamed, on antibiotics now, don't particularly want to go for a ride in the cold and make it worse, back to square one again :/
 
Jonny69 said:
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
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I took up photography, but in 2012 my love of road cycling came and my photography is non-existent now as I'm trying to dedicate all my time to it
 
tedmaul said:
I have a 2012 Defy 2, so not sure if frame has changed much but don't think so. Raceblades don't fit .The only things that do are the Giant own brand (v noisy, as you say, and also snapped within 3 months for me) and the roadracer mk2s. I have the roadracers on again currently - you do need to cut about an inch off the bottom of the rear guard to get it to fit near the bottom bracket, but once on they are decent.
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Thanks for the note/experience of the RRM2's, I may fit them if I get too annoyed with the giant guards or get a breakage (:eek:). I'd seen a picture of a Defy 1 2014 with Raceblades fitted and my LBS (I got my Defy 1 2015 from) recommended the Raceblades :confused: although the guy did comment they hadn't fitted them to a 2015 yet... Mine is due back for it's free 6 week service shortly - I'll ask them to look at the guards and see if they can figure out where the noise is coming from. (didn't get the guards from them as they didn't stock them, fitted myself) :rolleyes:

Jonny69 said:
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
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Mine are probably:
  • Trolling here
  • Trolling Facebook
  • Stalking/giving kudos on Strava
  • girlfriend well-being (i.e. general slave labouring) ;)
  • PC gaming (Battlefield)
  • Dog walking/general spoilt white dog 'well-being' solutions provider (belly rubs included)
  • Home DIY/Maintenance (own our first place so saving costs where possible - basic plumbing, basic electrics, gardening etc)
  • Car enthusiast - try to do majority of own day to day maintenance (oil, brakes, tyres etc) on our 2 cars
  • cyclist - try to do majority of own day to day maintenance on our 4 bikes
  • drinking beer/cider while BBQ'ing :D :rolleyes:

I do too much of the first 3 and not enough of all of the others, certainly not the last!

Ever find you don't have enough time to do everything so it's a constant balancing game or priorities? Have many hobbies I'd like to get back into but in reality they're best saved for retirement (only another 31 years to go...):eek::(

Working 8-5:30 (leaving home at 7:15 and returning at 6) for 5 days a week is my real time sink.

touch said:
does ebaying count as a hobby?
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More of a past-time! ;)

Cycling for me is part-hobby (I'm getting into it more and more) along with everything else (training/maintenance/research/gadgets). I started as a commuter as it was cheaper than running a car (which I've continued running anyway) and even saved me some travelling time. Once I got more interested in cycling and the general change in fitness which came along is what prompted it as more of a hobby than a necessity. :cool:
 
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Jonny69 said:
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
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I have other hobbies but a lot of them have fallen by the wayside as I got more into cycling. I don't regret it though as it's nice to finally feel that I'm fairly fast and wouldn't instantly be dropped on any club ride :p

The only hobby I've really kept up aside from cycling (and strength training to supplement it) is cooking - mostly as I've now got an excuse to eat tons of the super rich and delicious foods that I like.
 
Jonny69 said:
I always seem to be a bit thinly spread between bikes, cars, DIY etc. Do you guys have other hobbies aside from cycling or is it just cycling for you?
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I wish I could do more cycling but:

  • 2 kids (7 and 3) - between school runs/nursery/clubs/swimming/feeding etc etc
  • 1 new puppy
  • full time job
  • keeping the house going/food shopping etc etc
  • wife works random shifts patterns over a 4 week period so can't really plan anything in advance.

That's has me pretty much covered full time - so have to squeeze in cycling somewhere!

Things have gone are gaming (sadly)/golf (used to be 2/3 times a week)/photography (very average but I enjoyed it)

Feels like i'm pouring stuff out to a physiologist!!!
 
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