Road Cycling Essentials

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thing is, in london it happens SO MUCH that I'd be wasting 5minutes of my 50minute journey just sitting behind cars screaming at them while other cyclists ignore it and continue cycling..

guess I found out why my spoke went poof this morning..

 
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grudas said:
thing is, in london it happens SO MUCH that I'd be wasting 5minutes of my 50minute journey just sitting behind cars screaming at them while other cyclists ignore it and continue cycling..

guess I found out why my spoke went poof this morning..
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Wow sunrise in London is certainly a quick experience ;)
 
booyaka said:
Local shop has some great cannondale bargins on last years models

Cannondale Super 6 EVO 5 105 2014 - £1149 from £1849

Cannondale CAAD10 105 2014 - £970
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Amazing looking rides (always loved the Cannondale 'look' as I have loud tastes) but still 5700 not 5800 so quite high priced considering alternatives...

Love the details on the CAAD10 ;)

PermaBanned said:
Usually overtake on the right if there's room.
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physichull said:
There are a whole other plethora of incidents that I'm sure many on here have come across where drivers try to "do the right thing" or stop to let cyclists through, when really if they just obeyed the rules of the road there would be much less confusion! Its like, I appreciate their gesture, but it'd just be far easier if they actually didn't do it in the first place!
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I'd slow as the fact the driver has overtaken you (when he really shouldn't have) means he doesn't overly care about the highway code and 'good driving practice'. I'd then overtake on the right hand side if safe to do so, in theory with him stopped/slowing any other traffic would also have to stop - making lots of room for you to overtake... Kinda the same as a bus you're following stopping and indicating left - you wouldn't undertake him now would you? Not even grudas does that! ;)

The whole appreciate thing is one thing - at least they've seen you. But many times the drivers who stop to let you turn actually hold you up as you're already stopped waiting for them to pass! We all know 90% of them wouldn't appreciate us turning infront of them unless it was 100% safe to do so (enough gap and low speed). The other 10% are the ones who'll try to run you down no matter who's right of way it is.

The slightly less annoying one is cars stopped behind you at lights - you're stopped and the lights change, you've already looked behind so they know you're aware of them, I delay a second to let them go and they don't... Look over shoulder and they're sat there waving for you to go... When there was ample room for you both to go at the same time and they have enough room to overtake. :rolleyes:

This is my place I'm moaning about: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.0...m4!1e1!3m2!1s4y0Ki2zDxPDEAwXMlOjKkQ!2e0?hl=en

You can see plenty of room on the left (where the skip is) and it's uphill, I actually like a car infront as I love to stand going up there and really push to catch them! (e.g. top speed on this ride) ;)

I'm one of the small percentage of cyclists who don't ride on the pavements there...

grudas said:
guess I found out why my spoke went poof this morning..

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End of the video make me lol, you do hit a lot of potholes though don't you! :rolleyes:

Granted my commute is half the distance of yours, but I know where all the biggest potholes are and avoid them even in the dark... :p

Just noticed you do 100 more miles than me... PER WEEK! :eek:

touch said:
That's not sunlight, Gurders turned on his dynamo-powered headlight :cool:
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2000lux!
 
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Roady said:
End of the video make me lol, you do hit a lot of potholes though don't you! :rolleyes:

Granted my commute is half the distance of yours, but I know where all the biggest potholes are and avoid them even in the dark... :p

Just noticed you do 100 more miles than me... PER WEEK! :eek:



2000lux!
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I do, because these roads change so much and often traffic prevents me from taking a "safe/pothole free" route.. :/ the one I hit yesterday was new, and I did not see it :o my ass still hurts from it ha!

yeah I do around 130ish/week :o so 5/days week to work, which is 23miles/day.. then 4 times/week to gym which works out as 4miles/day..

then again, frenchtart does like 250/week ha :D
 
Sadly won't be doing so many miles this week grudas :(

Vonhelmet said:
I like spokes. Less likely to lose a wheel of something breaks.
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I didn't mention the spokes for that reason - just as another reason that the wheels are likely heavy.

That said, as you've brought it up, that many spokes on a bike you're riding on the road as a non-heavy rider are probably OTT :p
 
grudas said:
I do, because these roads change so much and often traffic prevents me from taking a "safe/pothole free" route.. :/ the one I hit yesterday was new, and I did not see it :o my ass still hurts from it ha!

yeah I do around 130ish/week :o so 5/days week to work, which is 23miles/day.. then 4 times/week to gym which works out as 4miles/day..

then again, frenchtart does like 250/week ha :D
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Yeah my commute is 2*4.4mi and I usually do 4 a week along with roughly 20 miles on the weekend = approx 55 miles a week, you nearly do the same in 2 days! :eek:

One task this summer is to find a nice 10-15 mile scenic commute I can do a couple of times a week :D

Vonhelmet said:
I'm 2lb heavier than I was when I last weighed myself before Christmas. Disaster!
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More spokes required? ;)

I find my weight fluxuates a good 4-6 lbs, anything upto half a stone I don't overly worry... Unless I carry it for a week! ;):p

I'm not expecting to lose any more until I do longer weekend rides/hill climbing anyway.

Edit: Lots of Sportful now has 30% or more off on Wiggle, they were 20/25% off last week! Gonna get me some summer jerseys I think!
 
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I've just bought one of these badboys. The 400mm long Park Tool PW-4. Yes, I'm expecting pedal trouble :p

Park_Tool_PW_4_Pedal_Wrench.jpg
 
Jonny69 said:
I've just bought one of these badboys. The 400mm long Park Tool PW-4. Yes, I'm expecting pedal trouble :p
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Ugh, I hate it when people overtighten things. There's no need for it :mad:
Especially pedals, they naturally tighten with the rotation of the crank, you could just do then finger-tight if you wanted.
Last bike I bought had every bolt way overdone and 2 stripped threads.

Good luck getting your pedals off.
 
Worse, these may have been in for 50+ years :eek:

One set of chrome rat traps in 1960's Raleigh cranks and one knackered set of rubber blocks in my 1938 Rudge cranks. Luckily I've got a honking great big vise at work to hold them in, but I'm expecting them to put up a bit of a fight.

For everyone's info, I had a Park Tool PW-5, the baby pedal wrench for home use. It way wasn't up to the job and just folded up. Round at the LBS they brought out either a PW-3 or a PW-4 and it didn't even break a sweat :cool:
 
Oh my god.

Just updated ALL my Strava rides for the past year and a half to select a bike profile (i.e. my current bike) in preparation for my new bike arriving so that I will be able to tell the mileage difference between the two. What a thoroughly brain deadening, laborious task!
 
physichull said:
Oh my god.

Just updated ALL my Strava rides for the past year and a half to select a bike profile (i.e. my current bike) in preparation for my new bike arriving so that I will be able to tell the mileage difference between the two. What a thoroughly brain deadening, laborious task!
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would be a 1560+ rides for me :eek:
 
So crashed into the side of a bus tonight :/ I'm so angry, never been so scared in my life.

Tried to go for an easy spin after work. I took a pretty short steep descent, remember seeing 30-32mph on the Garmin. I'm in primary position as there's traffic behind me, and I don't want anyone trying to overtake at that speed. I see a bus to my left, ahead of me waiting to turn right out of a junction. I approach the junction, and with a few seconds to brake, the bus begins to pull out, (he's not stopping I think to myself). I managed to brake quite considerably thankfully, but my front wheel and head smashed into the side of the bus. I'm un-injured, but my front wheel is slightly buckled, and my front disc brake is screwed. Cracked my helmet, so new lid required :/

Unfortunately, the bus drove off, and I was too shaken to look for a number plate before it got away. I'm pretty sure I have the company name, so will be making a pretty big complaint.

I'm now ordering a virb, whilst smoking my first cigarette in 2 years.
 
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