Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
K13LCC said:
This happened to me recently on the Great Manchester Cycle. Took the wheel to Evans and the fitted a new spoke for £14 - listed as a wheel true. Took it in at lunchtime and they had it done for 5.30pm.
Click to expand...

I will remember that for future! In the meantime I've ordered all the bits I need including tools, for £20 so will have a go myself tomorrow night!

Looking at a few guides online it seems quite straight forward.

Rob
 
I recommend the Rapha base layers actually. Ok yes they are ludicrously priced but I've yet to find any base layer that comes close for comfort.

And the Rapha winter base layer....so luxurious. Can't wait for it to be cold enough to wear it lol.
 
Vonhelmet said:
:/

What happened?
Click to expand...

the usual traffic on edgware road, standstill no cars moving, I'm fallowing a moped all good, enough space etc.

was probably doing 10-12mph no more than that, this guy in a small white van(derp) has no space either side to do any maneuvers bar the gap between teh cars where we're filtering.

so I'm fallowing the moped ~1.5m away, leaving enough space.. as I'm going past the van, he just turns his wheel and slams right into the side of me? his headlight slammed right into my knee and made me elbow his bonnet and "lean" on the car... ?!

why would anyone do that I'm not sure! glad It was at slow pace but I'm still genuinely confused as to why he did it, seemed like it was on purpose.
 
How do you guys work out your ideal weight for cycling should be? Do you go via BMI or something else? I read somewhere that BMI wasn't a great tool to use.

I'm pretty sure I need to put more weight on, to increase my speed on the flats. But I'm worried about loosing too much weight and my hill climbing will suffer. I appreciate that everyone's different, but is there a basic guide anywhere to work out my target weight?

My current stats are: 5ft10 - 9st6 (59.9kg) which gives me a BMI of: 18.9
 
You don't need to put weight on you need to increase your Functional Threshold Power or your Max Power depending on whether it's sprinting speed or overall average speed you want to increase.
 
janp said:
How do you guys work out your ideal weight for cycling should be? Do you go via BMI or something else? I read somewhere that BMI wasn't a great tool to use.

I'm pretty sure I need to put more weight on, to increase my speed on the flats. But I'm worried about loosing too much weight and my hill climbing will suffer. I appreciate that everyone's different, but is there a basic guide anywhere to work out my target weight?

My current stats are: 5ft10 - 9st6 (59.9kg) which gives me a BMI of: 18.9
Click to expand...

Personally I'm still at the point where I want to lose weight (or at least body fat). I am more in line with the Grudas line of thinking - I don't want to have a stick thin upper body just so I can ride faster.
 
grudas said:
why would anyone do that I'm not sure! glad It was at slow pace but I'm still genuinely confused as to why he did it, seemed like it was on purpose.
Click to expand...
Sounds a LOT like it was "accidentally" on purpose. I get it quite a lot from Surrey drivers (they're a spiteful bunch) but I've wised up to it now. You see the flick of the eyes in the mirror, then the pretend they haven't seen you while they struggle not to look in the mirror again, followed by an unnecessary manoeuvre which was clearly deliberate. Or the winscreen washer comes on.

Oh but wait, how could it be deliberate if they "didn’t know you were there"?

Funny ****s.
 
janp said:
How do you guys work out your ideal weight for cycling should be? Do you go via BMI or something else? I read somewhere that BMI wasn't a great tool to use.

I'm pretty sure I need to put more weight on, to increase my speed on the flats. But I'm worried about loosing too much weight and my hill climbing will suffer. I appreciate that everyone's different, but is there a basic guide anywhere to work out my target weight?

My current stats are: 5ft10 - 9st6 (59.9kg) which gives me a BMI of: 18.9
Click to expand...

You're borderline underweight off BMI so you could probably happily put on a couple of kilos but it's not going to improve your cycling alone. Anyway, as Asprilla says, it's all about fitness rather than strength. For endurance exercise, your "strength" is in your blood, not your muscles. You'll improve fitness through a combination of easy long rides, hard intervals and mid-distance harder rides.
 
One More Solo said:
You're borderline underweight off BMI so you could probably happily put on a couple of kilos but it's not going to improve your cycling alone. Anyway, as Asprilla says, it's all about fitness rather than strength. For endurance exercise, your "strength" is in your blood, not your muscles. You'll improve fitness through a combination of easy long rides, hard intervals and mid-distance harder rides.
Click to expand...

I don't think my fitness is the problem though, I think it's the lack of leg muscle. Which is probably why I always feel the need to spin at 105rpm all the time.
A friend of mine whose a much better cyclist than me, suggested my problem was down to strengthening. My HR is consistently pretty high (170-190bpm), but drops quickly when I stop. My resting HR is around 60bpm.

As I said, I love my hill climbing and don't want to negatively effect that. But I'm struggling big style on the flats. I just need a little guidance on a balance target.
 
I can't be arsed with joining a gym, and comparing me or indeed any of us to the world TT champion is ludicrous, obviously. BMI says I'm overweight which is rubbish, I just happen to be short and stocky. I feel like I could lose another stone, but I'd settle for just converting that stone from fat to muscle.
 
Mont Brun>Sault>Summit of Mont Ventoux>descent to Bedoin>Sault>Mont Brun.
I am absolutely done! So cold on Mont Ventoux! Was shivering by time i got to the top! So windy too!! Headwind for miles! Dangerous! And descent was deadly as 40mph+ with so many cars/bikes was scary! Especially through the trees where i couldn't see as well in tinted glasses!

Cycled my second mountain in 2 rides though. :) 14000t of climbing!
Never done any real climbing before. Found loads of issues with my injuries! When descending i can only use brakes when in drops do my neck was killing me! Also meant I was more aerodynamic which is bad for survival! Lol.

So tired...
 
platypus said:
Squats, deadlifts, olypmic lifts, upright rows.
Click to expand...

Sounds painful. At least I can do all of that at home, I guess. Is there a guideline for what size weights to use, and how many reps? Or is it just a case of using the heaviest I can manage, and then increasing as the reps get easier?
How many days a week should I concentrate on weights, and should I still be riding on those days?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom