Road Cycling

Literally just back from Mallorca. We got quite lucky with the weather, given what they've had over the last few weeks. Rather mixed trip for me. I knew I wasn't feeling great, which was backed up by no PB's on any climbs, which is a first from one of these trips. Strangely, no one seemed to be going quick, so maybe the cold, headwind and air density were a factor.

Gentle ride on Thursday, and I didn't drink enough, felt crap on Friday for Sa Calobra and had a terrible day, feeling awful in the evening. Saturday was a bus to Andratx, then ride back to Port de Pollenca, which was an amazing ride. Missed Puig Major PB by 2 mins, which looking at others times was par for the course. For some reason though, I felt amazing after PM, with only about 45km to go I was feeling better than when I started the ride! How odd! Finished the day 3ft.... THREE FEET short of my most elevation ever!!! (3ft behind Pico de las Nieves day from the end of January!)

Still, all around another great trip.
 
Hmmm, not sure. Most of them good ex-Pro's they likely have a high watts FTP (Connor/Simon/Alex), they may still have as their riding volume still seems high... But the majority of them will be heavier than their Pro days. Dan, Connor, Manon, Simon and certainly Hank piled on the pounds while on GCN. Ollie would probably be the only one who seems to have got stronger & leaner - but then he wasn't a Pro to start with!?

The strongest GCN member seems to switch quite a lot so its hard to make any firm statements. Oli was a beast for a while at a chunk over 5w/kg I think but hes shrunk back and is one of the weaker ones again from what I see.

Quite easy to have good base stamina when 50% of your day job can be out riding a bike!

Indeed. I'm always intrigued how much they pay the presenters? Is it a **** salary and a lifestyle job or is the pay actually OK?

Yeah I had a local garage quote me £900 to add one to our Fiesta and that was a few years back. He said the actual towbar is easy, it's the electrical wiring which takes the time and the bits needed as the majority of cars which don't have them from new will lack it and you can't fit one without the wiring for rear lights which have to get signed off for MOT and towing purposes.

Yeah, bolting on a towbar was the cheap part, it was wiring it in that was the cost.

Literally just back from Mallorca. We got quite lucky with the weather, given what they've had over the last few weeks. Rather mixed trip for me. I knew I wasn't feeling great, which was backed up by no PB's on any climbs, which is a first from one of these trips. Strangely, no one seemed to be going quick, so maybe the cold, headwind and air density were a factor.

I see you've got a copy of the big book of excuses :p
 
I see you've got a copy of the big book of excuses :p
I have a co-author credit on that book.

Tbf, I wasn't making excuses for me, I was pondering why almost everyone (we were a group of 28, many who had been out there before) was having slower times...
 
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Tbf, I wasn't making excuses for me, I was pondering why almost everyone (we were a group of 28, many who had been out there before) was having slower times...

Thats straight out of the big book of excuses in of itself! Right alongside "I was going easy so we didn't drop the slower people in the group" :p

I jest of course. If everyone is slower and people don't think they are slower (and cyclists are usually pretty good at knowing when they aren't in peak fitness) then something is probably different.
 
https://www.strava.com/activities/17806399399 - me too! Even on the fast bike (first summer bike jolly since september)!

You can't be coming in here with a 29.3kph average and agree with me you're slow! :mad:


I got my frame bag last week, but one of the mounting holes was slightly out (went for mounting to the frame rather than straps). Dropped it off Friday and it was ready to collect. Decided to ride down to the coast to pick it up after work. Ended up being a pretty decent ride. My legs ached 1km in which didn't bode well, and i faced some horrific winds around the airport. It was pretty much 42km each way. Downhill there, then uphill back. I felt pretty good on the return leg and given most of the climbing was the last 15km or so i was pretty happy to get home feeling strong and Strava suggests i hit a few segment PR's.

Good few hours of riding in the dark aswell which was actually really enjoyable!
 
Would have been even faster if he didn't faff around at the end. What on earth happened there!? :p
 
Also, they're released the provisional route for the Traka. Depending on whether i use Strava or Garmin to upload the GPX to, it's either 2800m of elevation of 3400m. I get there's occasionally small variances, but this is ~20% variance

Both profiles/maps look the same, so it's quite baffling!
 
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Also, they're released the provisional route for the Traka. Depending on whether i use Strava or Garmin to upload the GPX to, it's either 2800m of elevation of 3400m. I get there's occasionally small variances, but this is ~20% variance

Both profiles/maps look the same, so it's quite baffling!
try komoot, that'll give you something that'll make you feel better about the ride ;)
 
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yea that needs a good trim, putting fake miles in! typical Roady.
HAha didn't notice that! Trimmed the last 4.5 mins off.

Lost 600m distance from the GPS burp but gained 7w avg power & 1.5km/h speed... Also gained 27m elevation somehow cutting off this corner and my drive/garage!

Lol we did the same but stupidly didn't bring an extra layer as the wind was still crisp.

Nothing beats sea side fish and chips though. :p
Haha where did you go? Weston for us while the doggo is allowed on the beach! F+C was quality but I've had a dodgy stomach afterwards so regretting my choice of a massive fish!

Literally just back from Mallorca.
Enjoyed your photos as always mate, glad you had a good one. Someone on Lanza said they've had horrific winds most of the year, then Spain itself has had a bunch of rain and flooding the last couple of weeks hasn't it? Sure it was Calpe or at least near @Martynt74 ?

I'm always intrigued how much they pay the presenters? Is it a **** salary and a lifestyle job or is the pay actually OK?
I'm fairly sure it's just an 'ok paid' UK journalism job, then the promotions, partnerships and being 'in the industry' is the real gain. But then most of them live around Bath, a fairly nice and hipster affluent area to live for their sorts of lifestyles. Connor, Alex, Dan and Simon would probably have enough money from their Pro years that they don't need a massive income. I seem to recall something a while ago that Connor has a couple of homes, including one in Nice. He's Irish but family from St Albans, his sister a professional tennis player and his uncle raced yacts. So yeah not exactly on the breadline. His other halfs family raise racehorses around Waterford in southern ireland and own a bunch of land there.

There's a reason most of GCN have Pinarello's and Orbea's with Princeton wheels, when the teams they raced with didn't use those brands. Whereas most retired Pro's who do 'normal jobs' afterwards still ride the same brands.

Good few hours of riding in the dark aswell which was actually really enjoyable!
Probably much better getting home and around your quiet roads in the dark rather than around Alicante! although your pics do show really quiet roads around there. Great ride mate & good opportunity to get a long ride in!

barely any climbing in that ride, decent average.
Who are you with the compliments and what have you done with grudas?

Also, they're released the provisional route for the Traka. Depending on whether i use Strava or Garmin to upload the GPX to, it's either 2800m of elevation of 3400m.
Load it into Strava then see if you can do elevation correction on it? As that uses actual map data/elevations to recalculate it?

Garmin random number generation is rife everywhere! A friends BOTB ride of 42km told him he needed 120 hours to recover. He rides 300km most weeks. I get that it's a race on sand & lots of running sections but wow...
 
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Fitting GP5000 tyres on my old rim break bike is nearly impossible, and is impossible to do solo. So a mate popped by to help me.


So picture this scene...


My mate is kneeling down, bent over the tyre, levers on both sides of the tyres pushing in towards the end where the tyre valve is.

I am behind him, leaning over his back reaching over him to use a tyre bead tool to lift the bead up a bit so he can push the bead along further towards the centre.

It requires all of our strength to move it a cm at time. There was grunting.

Half way through this procedure I say "I'm glad there isn't anyone else here to see this scene..."
 
Haha where did you go? Weston for us while the doggo is allowed on the beach! F+C was quality but I've had a dodgy stomach afterwards so regretting my choice of a massive fish!

Aha so we usually go to Weston but recently we’ve been going to Sand Bay which is the next beach along. It’s more of a pebble beach, despite the name, but no restrictions on dogs so that’s where we walk ours. Often a bit quieter too
 
Fitting GP5000 tyres on my old rim break bike is nearly impossible, and is impossible to do solo. So a mate popped by to help me.


So picture this scene...


My mate is kneeling down, bent over the tyre, levers on both sides of the tyres pushing in towards the end where the tyre valve is.

I am behind him, leaning over his back reaching over him to use a tyre bead tool to lift the bead up a bit so he can push the bead along further towards the centre.

It requires all of our strength to move it a cm at time. There was grunting.

Half way through this procedure I say "I'm glad there isn't anyone else here to see this scene..."
Yeah they are tough. I feel the coloured wall ones are even stiffer than the black. If you haven't, try a cup of warm soapy water and just run your finger around the inside bead of the tyre first. makes a difference.
 
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