Road Cycling

Vonhelmet · 12 May 2016 at 08:48

Nice morning. Still a bit on the windy side, but bright and warm.

FrenchTart · 12 May 2016 at 08:51

Yup. I'm hoping the wind dies down a little for later. After a hellish week I'm reclaiming some of my overtime and taking the afternoon off to cycle in the sun. I was thinking Mow Cop but it's a 75 mile round trip along the route I wanted and I don't want to be too tired tonight. I might just do a flat metric.

grudas · 12 May 2016 at 08:56

Well I've caught a hellish cold! Tuesday ride home felt fine, in 5 hours my throat, nose, head all went to poo! Still made to work the next day but it messed me up even more so today I'm stuffed big time! Grrrr.. seems to happen every year soon after the nice weather hits and goes awayfor a bit! My immune system must get confused

booyaka · 12 May 2016 at 08:57

FrenchTart said:
. I might just do a flat metric.

so blasé

Vonhelmet · 12 May 2016 at 09:09

booyaka said:
so blasé

To be fair if it weren't a matter of pre booking the time with her indoors I'd do flat metrics all the time. 4 easy hours, less if you're FT, no need to really strain yourself. Easy.

Roady · 12 May 2016 at 10:15

SoliD said:
Roady you sure an Allen Key doesn't go in either side. 8mm?

Hmmmm, hadn't considered that as they looked circular not hexed. Will check/try at lunchtime! Thanks

FrenchTart said:
OMS's skinsuit. No wonder he's been getting all those PRs.

Nice! Reminds me of something else...

grudas said:
but it messed me up even more so today I'm stuffed big time!

Keep pushing?

To be fair the humidity has hit me too - can only imagine what it's been like inner city! Our bodies do get shocked by rapid changes in environmental conditions, couple that with the pollution, possibly some slight hayfever and a virus, you soon have your immune system suffering/struggling to keep up!

Vonhelmet said:
To be fair if it weren't a matter of pre booking the time with her indoors I'd do flat metrics all the time. 4 easy hours, less if you're FT, no need to really strain yourself. Easy.

I'd love to but have the same issue with time & her indoors, have really enjoyed the last couple of longer rides (tending to be 50's so just over 3 hours for me) but fitting them in around everything else going on is tricky. I'm quite lucky that I always do a 5 day week, she does a 5.5 most of the time, so I get a 'default pass' for 3 in 4 saturday mornings!

Anyone with experience of Altura and Endura shorts? I'm looking at 'cheap' but good quality shorts on Wiggle to grab a couple of pairs for commuting. I've 4 pairs of Castelli Evoluzione for 'good' but if I start wearing them commuting (alongside weekends) I'm going to be short of a couple of pairs. Ideally I'm looking for shorts I'll use for work but also for leisure rides. I'm looking at the following and edging towards the Giro:

Altura Airstream - £40, plain black shorts
Endura Xtract - £42, plain black shorts
Altura Sportive - £48, little more colour/flashy
Sportful Giro - £52, ideally a little more than I wanted to spend (for 'work' shorts) but these would just be another pair of leisure shorts so I have enough pairs of them to commute in also.

Need to have a look at some Stolen Goat, Galibier and possibly Rapha. All of which would be more expensive shorts than my Castelli, used for weekend riding really relegating the Castelli to commuting duties. Any other shorts for weekend riding (some rides up to 6 hours) less than £60-80 I should be looking at? Or shorts for less hours (3-4) around or under the £50 mark?

Ideally I'm after quite wide pads as they tend to suit me best.

SoliD · 12 May 2016 at 10:19

Altura are terrible. Endura not too bad but I prefer DHB.

Roady I suspect it will be allen key either side to tighten/loosen.

FrenchTart · 12 May 2016 at 10:28

Agreed /re Altura. Utterly cack. Endura stuff seems pretty solid to me - less comfy but longer lasting than DHB. For work cycling however I get super cheap bib shorts because those 4/5 miles are fine in almost anything.

Vonhelmet · 12 May 2016 at 10:30

I have a pair of altura progel which I got in a sale. They're working out ok, though on balance I think I prefer the top end decathlon ones that I have.

topgun06 · 12 May 2016 at 10:53

Roady said:
Anyone with experience of Altura and Endura shorts? I'm looking at 'cheap' but good quality shorts on Wiggle to grab a couple of pairs for commuting. I've 4 pairs of Castelli Evoluzione for 'good' but if I start wearing them commuting (alongside weekends) I'm going to be short of a couple of pairs. Ideally I'm looking for shorts I'll use for work but also for leisure rides. I'm looking at the following and edging towards the Giro:

Altura Airstream - £40, plain black shorts

Endura Xtract - £42, plain black shorts

Altura Sportive - £48, little more colour/flashy

Sportful Giro - £52, ideally a little more than I wanted to spend (for 'work' shorts) but these would just be another pair of leisure shorts so I have enough pairs of them to commute in also.

Need to have a look at some Stolen Goat, Galibier and possibly Rapha. All of which would be more expensive shorts than my Castelli, used for weekend riding really relegating the Castelli to commuting duties. Any other shorts for weekend riding (some rides up to 6 hours) less than £60-80 I should be looking at? Or shorts for less hours (3-4) around or under the £50 mark?

Ideally I'm after quite wide pads as they tend to suit me best.

Haha Roady. I bet you have more items of cycling clothing than pieces of normal clothing.

I have 3 pairs of bib shorts. One "winter", and two "summer". I've used exclusively the winter ones for the last 8 or so months. I suppose it is different as I do not commute.

How many pairs to you rotate through each week?

Danny207 · 12 May 2016 at 10:55

great day to ride!!!

One More Solo · 12 May 2016 at 10:57

FrenchTart said:
OMS's skinsuit. No wonder he's been getting all those PRs.

Fully body condom, pointy hat and latex overshoes and it's the penguin onesie I get grief for?!

topgun06 · 12 May 2016 at 10:59

Danny207 said:
great day to ride!!!

Yep! Will be getting out on the steed once I get out of the office :cool:

DaleTheWhale · 12 May 2016 at 11:05

Roady said:
Any other shorts for weekend riding (some rides up to 6 hours) less than £60-80 I should be looking at? Or shorts for less hours (3-4) around or under the £50 mark?

Ideally I'm after quite wide pads as they tend to suit me best.

Shame you couldn't get down to a Rapha sample sale, the lightweight shorts were £75 from £160 and are amazing for long rides, I've worn them a few times for commuting as well as I love them.

Might be worth seeing if anyone is selling them off on eBay or the likes for £90-95 as they're definitely worth snagging that cheap.

Highly rate the DHB AVS's as well if they're still floating about.

FrenchTart · 12 May 2016 at 11:07

For short commutes literally just get cheap £10 shorts from ebay

I wear through my shorts way too quickly to justify spending £100 on them.

Vonhelmet · 12 May 2016 at 11:09

topgun06 said:
Haha Roady. I bet you have more items of cycling clothing than pieces of normal clothing.

I have 3 pairs of bib shorts. One "winter", and two "summer". I've used exclusively the winter ones for the last 8 or so months. I suppose it is different as I do not commute.

How many pairs to you rotate through each week?

I have... 7 pairs, I think? 2 decent long ride pairs. 5 commuter / short ride pairs, comprising two fairly knackered old pairs from decathlon, a pair of low end dhb ones and 2 pairs of new ones from Evans which are good but tight across my big hips.

I've quite a lot of jerseys and base layers as well, needless to say...

FrenchTart · 12 May 2016 at 11:24

One More Solo said:
Fully body condom, pointy hat and latex overshoes and it's the penguin onesie I get grief for?!

I'm just glad it's from the front so we can't see the hole you cut out in the back :eek:

Roady · 12 May 2016 at 11:24

SoliD said:
Altura are terrible. Endura not too bad but I prefer DHB.

Roady I suspect it will be allen key either side to tighten/loosen.

Hmm, have steered away from DHB recently. Admittedly my only shorts experiences are from their cheaper (Active/Flashlight) ranges from last year and bad fit on me anyway, the pad in the Flashlight wasn't great (even thought due to the shorts size it kept moving around). Looking at their range I've only looked at shorts 'above' the Flashlight which really puts them into the same price territory as the others, Blok @ £44 & Aeron @ £60.

Gotta wait till lunchtime (1!) before I can investigate wheels. Longest 2 hours EVER.

FrenchTart said:
For work cycling however I get super cheap bib shorts because those 4/5 miles are fine in almost anything.

More and more now I'm riding after work, admittedly I don't do more than an hour or two but not much point having a sore arse afterwards! I have this week (after wearing crappy/cheap shorts on monday) but much better after my rest day yesterday.

FrenchTart · 12 May 2016 at 11:26

Roady said:
Hmm, have steered away from DHB recently. Admittedly my only shorts experiences are from their cheaper (Active/Flashlight) ranges from last year and bad fit on me anyway, the pad in the Flashlight wasn't great (even thought due to the shorts size it kept moving around). Looking at their range I've only looked at shorts 'above' the Flashlight which really puts them into the same price territory as the others, Blok @ £44 & Aeron @ £60.

Gotta wait till lunchtime (1!) before I can investigate wheels. Longest 2 hours EVER.
More and more now I'm riding after work, admittedly I don't do more than an hour or two but not much point having a sore arse afterwards! I have this week (after wearing crappy/cheap shorts on monday) but much better after my rest day yesterday.

Fair point. As I go home at lunch I do get a different pair if I plan to do more than 20 miles after work.

All the non bottom-end DHB stuff is good btw

Roady · 12 May 2016 at 11:42

topgun06 said:
Haha Roady. I bet you have more items of cycling clothing than pieces of normal clothing.
<snip>
How many pairs to you rotate through each week?

Yes, I have much more cycling clothing than 'normal' clothes! Well, except maybe my extensive tshirt collection...

Tend do do a wash when the weathers good for drying, usually 6 pairs go in! So I'd say I normally use between 5 and 7 pairs in any given week...
Shorts:
3 'winter' - Sportful Fiandre NoRain Roubaix. XL, perfect size but only suitable for sub 10 degrees! Worn the hell out of these through autumn/winter commuting & leisure. Excellent shorts!
4 'summer best' - Castelli Evoluzione. XL. Red/2Blue/Yellow.
1 'summer second best' - Northwave Logo. XL so ok size but slightly damaged & uncomfortable.
1 'summer old' - Northwave Logo. XXL so too big. Damaged & repaired so not sold.

ThaReaperGuy said:
Shame you couldn't get down to a Rapha sample sale, the lightweight shorts were £75 from £160 and are amazing for long rides, I've worn them a few times for commuting as well as I love them.
<snip>
Highly rate the DHB AVS's as well if they're still floating about.

One day I'll catch some of the Raphas in a sale, I dragged my heels over a pair of the Sky team ones on sale for £65, but next time I'll snap them up!

The ASV's are still floating around (guessing 2016+ range as they look different to what I remember?) but at £60 they're really in the realms of sale Castelli's/Sportful's I'd prefer owning - as a more reliable/known pad!