Road Cycling Essentials

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Spinning is great.
It's very effective at improving your cycling. Not through building strength in your legs, more just improving your general fitness to allow you to cycle faster/further.
The fact that you found it hard means that it must have been a good workout for you, do that once a week and you'll soon notice the difference in your cycling (and any other sports you do).
 
1.5 hours - WTF? I assume this is back to back 45 minute classes?

My Biotex arm warmers arrived, they are merino wool and feel fantastic. Looking forward to trying them out however the XLarge Planet X neoprene boot covers do not fit over my size 12 feet never mind over my shoes. I guess they'll end up on eBay unless anyone on here wants them for £12 to cover my costs inc postage? - still cheaper than if ordering from Planet X...
 
cork-spotters said:
Out of interest, does anyone here do spinning?
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Yes, on Tuesday and Thursday lunch times at our work gym - 45 min sessions. Very good fun, although I have started getting annoyed with people cheating. I think everyone should be working as hard as they can - really don't see the point in stupid, giggly girls going in there for a chat. You're supposed to be dying FFS! :mad:
 
Excellent - have just won a prize in the British Cycling Facebook compo.

They wanted people to give their best tips for cycling and the winners would receive assorted things they have lying around the office. I suggested: There is no such thing as the bad weather, only bad kit.

I'm holding out for a GB Skinsuit, but I bet I get a mug and a puncture repair kit.

Still, free stuff is always good. :)
 
Had a funny night on Thursday night. Met some friends in London and took a bike up there to get around, as usual. I managed to miss the train home by seconds, but I know I can cycle back from central to Kent in about the same time as it takes to wait for the next train and the journey time. The caveat was I had my small-wheel 1960's Raleigh RSW and not my normal road bikes. I decided what they hey, it's only 11-12 miles and the only hard bit will be the Crystal Palace hill which, from that direction is a long uphill stretch from Herne Hill all the way through Dulwich and then the big steep hill itself at Crystal Palace.

Off I went, it's after midnight, trundling along in my smart coat and Fibre Flare on my bag over my shoulder, skinny cords, looking proper hipster I'm guessing. As I was coming out of Herne Hill towards Dulwich I was passed by a fully kitted-up cyclist on a road bike out the saddle really going for it. I got a quick flash of overtake rage but remembered I was on the RSW and speed isn't an option, so I continued. Except the other cyclist burned out when he got about 50m in front of me and I caught him up. I stopped at some lights which he jumped but I caught him up again further down the road. At this point Crystal Palace hill was approaching and I'd have to go past him at some point, so to save dying of heat exhaustion on the hill I pulled over, quickly whipped off my coat and made off after him hoping to have the ******* on the hill. You can see where this is going, right...? :p

So I was just catching him and I'd planned to sit behind him and overtake when it got really difficult. It was a risky strategy, because I haven't done that hill on a small-wheel upright shopper with a worn Sturmey Archer 3-speed before, but I was prepared to do it because this could be worth more than 10,000 points on itsnotarace.com. But then he damn well turned off on the South Circular and I didn't get the chance. Aaaargh!!!! :mad:

Anyway, tldr; I made it up the hill but it was hard work. Felt good. I'd have had him no problem :p

Edit: and the whole journey took 50 minutes instead of the normal 45 minutes on a road bike - good to know 4 teh futurZ.
 
Frame size

Hi guys

I'm 5'11" and my inside leg is 86cm / 34". On most frame size guides this suggests that I should be looking at 58-60cm frames. The bike I want, Ribble Sportive Racing, comes in 55 (L) or 59 (XL)...am I really an XL??!
 
My bikes are 56 and 57 - I have a 32" inner leg (short legs, long torso - I'm 6'0"). The 57 is probably a touch too big for me but it's still comfortable.
Doesn't really answer your question but you'd probably find the 55 to be quite small. The obvious recommendation is to try a 59 frame in your LBS if you can.
 
Robbie G said:
Hi guys

I'm 5'11" and my inside leg is 86cm / 34". On most frame size guides this suggests that I should be looking at 58-60cm frames. The bike I want, Ribble Sportive Racing, comes in 55 (L) or 59 (XL)...am I really an XL??!
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Go into somewhere like a Halfords where they'll have several bike sizes ready for testing. Pretend you're looking to buy a Boardman or something and they'll let you hop on the frame then leave guilt free as they're a big evil corporation and buy from Ribble.
 
Robbie G said:
Hi guys

I'm 5'11" and my inside leg is 86cm / 34". On most frame size guides this suggests that I should be looking at 58-60cm frames. The bike I want, Ribble Sportive Racing, comes in 55 (L) or 59 (XL)...am I really an XL??!
Click to expand...
The problem with the larger frames is they are also longer. I have long legs, short body and long arms, so I feel comfortable on a smaller bike (~56cm max) where I'm not stretched out. You're one inch taller than me and your legs are two inches longer (though I note my penis is longer), so I would say that a larger frame will be uncomfortable for you to ride.
 
Robbie G said:
Hi guys

I'm 5'11" and my inside leg is 86cm / 34". On most frame size guides this suggests that I should be looking at 58-60cm frames. The bike I want, Ribble Sportive Racing, comes in 55 (L) or 59 (XL)...am I really an XL??!
Click to expand...

I'm around your height and ride a 56cm cannondale.

If you look into a lot of different brands the sizing can be different like 51/53/55 vs 54/56/58/61.

The large ribble being a 55cm has a horizontal top tube of 57cm which is closest to what I have now so I'd be getting that and maybe using a 9cm stem to get to the same length I have now 56cm+10cm stem.

check out the wee chart at the bottom of this page.

Edit: Basically always check the geometry to see the the top tupe lengths. Most bikes that are 56cm centre to top(seat tube) are 56cm(centre to centre of the seat and head tube) but some brands use different sizing and sloping top tubes,like most sportive bikes, make a difference aswell.

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/assets/images/Sportive_Geometry.jpg
 
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