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Road Cycling Essentials

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eXist said:
its a press fit bottom bracket, definetly not square taper.

Nice price too for that quality of frame but depinding on your size there are far better bergains to be had.
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I know, the Boardman team carbon is a bargain, but the looks don't do it for me :(
 
Cheers touch.

Jono, I'm actually in Powys now, near Welshpool.

Tonight's ride, well, it didn't quite go to plan. It started getting dark a bit earlier than anticipated, so at the 10.5 mile point (averaging 20.3mph) I turned around, my final average after 20 miles was only 19.2mph, but I tried bloomin' hard and am pretty pleased.

http://app.strava.com/rides/22411610
 
http://app.strava.com/rides/21995786

Hit a few PR's on my ride on Saturday but at the same time I wasn't all that happy with it, my average HR was 162 when I normally can sustain an average of 170+, my legs just weren't playing ball to make my heart work hard!

On another note I fitted some Titanium/Carbon Skewers to my bike this evening, they only weigh 44 grams and have saved me around 80 grams over the stock steel ones - they're going to add at least 5mph to my average :D I only got them as they're on offer with Planet X atm, I'd suggest grabbing some for £20 with free delivery. http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WSPXTISTQR/planet_x_ti_stick_quick_release_with_carbon_levers
 
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Ok, you guys are probably going to laugh at the noob but here goes...

I've recently started riding a 'proper' (well, a CX) bike on the roads instead of my old hardtail MTB. I've gone from platform pedals where I'd usually just monster everywhere in a high gear, to now using SPDs and trying to keep a steady cadence by using my gears more.

Why am I getting so exhausted? I get that pedalling with SPDs takes a bit of getting used to, and I get that there will be a bit of transition period while I get used to the new bike. It accelerates from a standstill far faster than the MTB did (probably due to lack of suspension) and flies downhill but the slightest uphill gradient and I end up crawling along at a ridiculous speed.

I know the problem is me, but what exactly? I can't pin down the main thing that's different, because everything feels different. I just know that where as previously I'd just mash away with my quads (destroying my knees in the process) to go X speed, I'm now using a lot more effort and concentration to go X+not a lot.

Help :(
 
[Damien];22796242 said:
Ok, you guys are probably going to laugh at the noob but here goes...
Help :(
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No laughing in here mate.

Sounds like its just, as you say, New. Climbing is something that you build upon; im useless at it as well. I really really dislike it.

A few things well help:
Lower bike weight
Lower rider weight (inc carrying stuff)
your leg strength
how much hill riding you do
how long the incline is
exactly how steep the incline is.
Who wants to win more...you or the hill? :p

We can all work on those things.
 
[Damien];22796242 said:
Ok, you guys are probably going to laugh at the noob but here goes...

I've recently started riding a 'proper' (well, a CX) bike on the roads instead of my old hardtail MTB. I've gone from platform pedals where I'd usually just monster everywhere in a high gear, to now using SPDs and trying to keep a steady cadence by using my gears more.

Why am I getting so exhausted? I get that pedalling with SPDs takes a bit of getting used to, and I get that there will be a bit of transition period while I get used to the new bike. It accelerates from a standstill far faster than the MTB did (probably due to lack of suspension) and flies downhill but the slightest uphill gradient and I end up crawling along at a ridiculous speed.

I know the problem is me, but what exactly? I can't pin down the main thing that's different, because everything feels different. I just know that where as previously I'd just mash away with my quads (destroying my knees in the process) to go X speed, I'm now using a lot more effort and concentration to go X+not a lot.

Help :(
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My first guess would be that the gears on your CX bike aren't nearly as forgiving as those on your MTB.
 
Rusty_Noob said:
http://app.strava.com/rides/21995786

Hit a few PR's on my ride on Saturday but at the same time I wasn't all that happy with it, my average HR was 162 when I normally can sustain an average of 170+, my legs just weren't playing ball to make my heart work hard!

On another note I fitted some Titanium/Carbon Skewers to my bike this evening, they only weigh 44 grams and have saved me around 80 grams over the stock steel ones - they're going to add at least 5mph to my average :D I only got them as they're on offer with Planet X atm, I'd suggest grabbing some for £20 with free delivery. http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WSPXTISTQR/planet_x_ti_stick_quick_release_with_carbon_levers
Click to expand...

Think they have been on special for months as I got mine over 6 months ago for the same price and every time I go to that sites they are the same price.
 
kiteloopy said:
No laughing in here mate.

Sounds like its just, as you say, New. Climbing is something that you build upon; im useless at it as well. I really really dislike it.

A few things well help:
Lower bike weight
Lower rider weight (inc carrying stuff)
your leg strength
how much hill riding you do
how long the incline is
exactly how steep the incline is.
Who wants to win more...you or the hill? :p

We can all work on those things.
Click to expand...

Vonhelmet said:
My first guess would be that the gears on your CX bike aren't nearly as forgiving as those on your MTB.
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Thanks guys. I do reckon most of it is just getting used to the different way of riding. I'm used to just powering along at 15-20mph on my MTB (with slicks) and barely breaking a sweat. I'd maybe shift down one gear for hills and not have much trouble. Now I'm really having to concentrate on how I pedal now that I'm using SPDs and I don't seem to have anywhere near the amount of power because of it. Is there a trick to using them I've missed?

This new bike weighs about half what my old one did so I thought I'd see an instant improvement. Apart from acceleration off the line I really haven't.
 
[Damien];22796408 said:
Thanks guys. I do reckon most of it is just getting used to the different way of riding. I'm used to just powering along at 15-20mph on my MTB (with slicks) and barely breaking a sweat. I'd maybe shift down one gear for hills and not have much trouble. Now I'm really having to concentrate on how I pedal now that I'm using SPDs and I don't seem to have anywhere near the amount of power because of it. Is there a trick to using them I've missed?

This new bike weighs about half what my old one did so I thought I'd see an instant improvement. Apart from acceleration off the line I really haven't.
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Have you got a speedo fitted or are you just roughly guessing your speed?

I highly doubt you're going slower than you were on your MTB :)
 
Rusty_Noob said:
Have you got a speedo fitted or are you just roughly guessing your speed?

I highly doubt you're going slower than you were on your MTB :)
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Yeah, I've got a speedo. I'd usually do 18-20 when on a straight on my MTB, on my CX I do 20-24ish. So not slower, but not exactly blowing my head off either. And way more tiring. I've rode hardtail MTB's like the one I've just ditched for years though and I'd got pretty comfortable knowing exactly how much power I could put into it. SPDs and drop handlebars have really pushed me out of my comfort zone though.
 
[Damien];22796521 said:
Yeah, I've got a speedo. I'd usually do 18-20 when on a straight on my MTB, on my CX I do 20-24ish. So not slower, but not exactly blowing my head off either. And way more tiring. I've rode hardtail MTB's like the one I've just ditched for years though and I'd got pretty comfortable knowing exactly how much power I could put into it. SPDs and drop handlebars have really pushed me out of my comfort zone though.
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Those are very respectable speeds! It's not a wonder you're getting tired hauling along like that.

In terms of the pedals, it's probably worth a check to make sure they're aligned correctly and in the right position on your foot. As for the drop handlebars, assuming the bike is the right size for you and set up properly, you should find that it gets more comfortable with time.
 
[Damien];22796521 said:
Yeah, I've got a speedo. I'd usually do 18-20 when on a straight on my MTB, on my CX I do 20-24ish. So not slower, but not exactly blowing my head off either. And way more tiring. I've rode hardtail MTB's like the one I've just ditched for years though and I'd got pretty comfortable knowing exactly how much power I could put into it. SPDs and drop handlebars have really pushed me out of my comfort zone though.
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Did you alter the tyre size reading when swapping the speedo over?

The bigger roll out of the CX wheels means each revolution covers greater distance, if you didn't alter it on the speedo the reading will be wrong.

That being said 20-24 isn't slow!
 
Vonhelmet said:
Those are very respectable speeds! It's not a wonder you're getting tired hauling along like that.

In terms of the pedals, it's probably worth a check to make sure they're aligned correctly and in the right position on your foot. As for the drop handlebars, assuming the bike is the right size for you and set up properly, you should find that it gets more comfortable with time.
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Thanks. To be honest I'd no idea what was/wasn't a good speed. I pretty much just cycle to commute to/from work. My current commute is a 27m round trip. I've been doing 20m+ a day mon-fri for probably most of my working life. I did take it out today just for fun (20m round trip visiting a mate) while I'm off work just to help get used to it but my god hills are more tiring.

I'll double check the pedals, definitely. I did move the cleats further forward after my first ride on Fri, and moved them further forward after getting home today and after feeling like I needed to shift my foot further back when trying to stand and climb hard.

When using platform pedals I tended to centre the pedal just behind the balls of my feet and for some reason angled my right foot out at the toes more than the left. I was free to do so on the fly with platforms though, now of course adjustments are a bit more complicated.

Rusty_Noob said:
Did you alter the tyre size reading when swapping the speedo over?

The bigger roll out of the CX wheels means each revolution covers greater distance, if you didn't alter it on the speedo the reading will be wrong.

That being said 20-24 isn't slow!
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Haha, yeah I changed it. I was happy to see that I'd done it right when one of those LED speed sign things (you know the ones, that tell cars what speed they're doing) clocked me doing what the speedo said (23 at the time).
 
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Me too. I missed out on the ones from Lidl, as they only had smalls in the store :(

Gore ones seem phenomenally expensive :(
 
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