Road Cycling

[One More Solo]

I’ve actually just ordered a whoop on the 30 day trial. How do you find yours? I don’t know if I even need it really. Plus wearing both an Apple Watch and whoop I may look like I’m on tag

I found it to be a random number generator tbh, but it does encourage good sleep hygiene and limiting alcohol which is no bad thing, obviously.

 

[Junglist]

I found it to be a random number generator tbh, but it does encourage good sleep hygiene and limiting alcohol which is no bad thing, obviously.

But I don’t drink anyway so I suppose it’ll just be about sleep hygiene and with a toddler I expect it’s disgusting lol

 

[One More Solo]

But I don’t drink anyway so I suppose it’ll just be about sleep hygiene and with a toddler I expect it’s disgusting lol

Yeah, that won’t help, and it’s largely common sense anyway. Personally if I wake up feeling tired a number on an app isn’t going to change how I feel about that, and my scores never reliably stacked up with the days I felt better/worse than expected anyway.

 

[AndyCr15]

Personally if I wake up feeling tired a number on an app isn’t going to change how I feel about that

Personally, I've had several times I've woken up feeling pants, Whoop said I'm okay or even good and when I get cycling I do feel very different. Yesterday was a great example of this.

 

[One More Solo]

Personally, I've had several times I've woken up feeling pants, Whoop said I'm okay or even good and when I get cycling I do feel very different. Yesterday was a great example of this.

I do think it’s very individual, should have added that. I find I’m pretty consistent day to day regardless of tiredness so perhaps it’s harder for Whoop to get a read, I don’t know.

 

[Junglist]

My plan of action is to try it for the 30 days. Return it. Wait another 30 days and see if it’s something that had any tangible difference for me and if I wanted to get it back

I quite like the Oura ring as well. Certainly prefer the subscription model

 

[bastic]

todays cycle was a sucess.
137km - home- Richmond Park - box Hill and back
thought you will like the next photo
one Spec sl7 was missing from it..

 

[Junglist]

Nice set of bikes!

I’m really jealous, but not for the reason you’d think!

Having a bit of a rubbish evening and feeling fed up/down. When I decided to get into cycling a few of my friends gave it the ‘big I am’ before I bought my bike. I wanted to clarify with them that before I got it, they were gonna stick with it. They assured me yes. I mainly threw myself into cycling, in the deep end, to kick my smoking habit. Which it had worked for the most part anyway, blah blah blah

One moved away so I can’t hold that against them (he did buy a trainer and said he’d do Zwift but never did lol) and the other, who still says he wants to do all these sportives, cycling holidays and generally get fitter/lose weight and he is such a flake. The amount of times we’d plan a nice ride and he’d cancel in the morning it was to a point it was pretty much predictable.

Start of this year he said he was going to really give it a go… there’s been zero change. I asked if he wanted to go out for a ride this weekend. Said he was too tired from work and was just gonna play some games and go to the pub

Ultimately, I know I shouldn’t be annoyed how someone wants to spend their time and now I just ride by myself and will wait for him to ask to go on a ride but it really gets on my nerves sometimes. Then seeing a picture like that and hearing you went out on a really nice ride. It’s basically what I want to do. Usually I would’ve ridden with my partner but having a toddler means we can’t really do that together anymore.

It’s nice riding by myself with some music or a podcast but I know it would be so much more enjoyable with friends and I’m too introverted to join a club of people I don’t know.

I’m also annoyed trainer road thinks I shouldn’t cycle again until Thursday lol

/moan

 

[bastic]

Well...
I got in to cycling with hybrid then bought my first ever carbon Ribble...

Somehow found a FB cycling group which now broke but managed to find few ppl through it...
There was mostly 3 of us....cycling in Kent over weekends...now I'm the only one left...
Other guys are from Essex - long story short, they were part of that FB group as well and I got to know them better via Kent guys.
Having a car was useful as I could pack bike in and drive to them and other times they will drive to London or get a train and we do Windsor ride or box hill or whatever...
Now I'm car less we will see how it will go..
Today we had 2 guys driving from Midlands - same FB group .

One of my best bike mates I've met in a cycling holidays . He's moved out from Kent - notninitial guy from Kent - so only see him occasionally..

I've signed up to local cycling club and joined them few times after I've lost Kent gang... And might start cycling again with them .

Few years back when I've found my mojo, I've been doing 30-50miles on my own on Sunday morning

Don't let the others pull you down.
There must be other groups around of friendly cyclists that actually cycle.

Where are you based ? Maybe close to me or my lot
We accept almost everyone

 

[Martynt74]

The downside of my day, I had this too. It happened the one other time I had to change a tube on the Tarmac, the tyre doesn't pop out and seat itself, it folds under the tube and then you're cycling on a square wheel. We rolled slowly to the petrol station and got lucky attempting to fix it right in front of a bike mechanic. He sent me to get soapy water, lathered this in the bit that didn't seat, pumped the tyre to 130psi and it finally popped into place.

Not sure what I'll do when it happens in a country lane with no soapy water or track pump...

Ah good to know. My mini pump suggests it goes that high, but not much help when it's at home.....

I'd take it off so that i could fit a second bottle mount as they didn't seem to fit together!

 

[Martynt74]

Where are you based ? Maybe close to me or my lot
We accept almost everyone

He's Bristol i believe.

I keep putting off group rides because i worry about being too slow or not having the fitness. Although the last 2 weeks have been fairly strong for me, so i'm targeting May as a time i feel confident enough in my ability.

 

[Junglist]

Well...
I got in to cycling with hybrid then bought my first ever carbon Ribble...

Somehow found a FB cycling group which now broke but managed to find few ppl through it...
There was mostly 3 of us....cycling in Kent over weekends...now I'm the only one left...
Other guys are from Essex - long story short, they were part of that FB group as well and I got to know them better via Kent guys.
Having a car was useful as I could pack bike in and drive to them and other times they will drive to London or get a train and we do Windsor ride or box hill or whatever...
Now I'm car less we will see how it will go..
Today we had 2 guys driving from Midlands - same FB group .

One of my best bike mates I've met in a cycling holidays . He's moved out from Kent - notninitial guy from Kent - so only see him occasionally..

I've signed up to local cycling club and joined them few times after I've lost Kent gang... And might start cycling again with them .

Few years back when I've found my mojo, I've been doing 30-50miles on my own on Sunday morning

Don't let the others pull you down.
There must be other groups around of friendly cyclists that actually cycle.

Where are you based ? Maybe close to me or my lot
We accept almost everyone

Yeah, I think I need to just get over that whole fear of meeting new people and just go for it. Whilst I was riding Saturday morning I saw a few groups riding together and it looked like so much more fun. Plus it was super windy and having someone break the wind for me for a bit would've been nice!

Though I'm literally the opposite side of the country from your lot haha

He's Bristol i believe.

I keep putting off group rides because i worry about being too slow or not having the fitness. Although the last 2 weeks have been fairly strong for me, so i'm targeting May as a time i feel confident enough in my ability.

Yep, with the accent to back it up as well!

I have the same concern as you. I'm not a fast cyclist (Last ride was 56km. Only 541m elevation and I still only averaged 24.9 kph) so any seasoned groups would likely be waiting for me and the last thing I want to do is feel like a burden to their social rides.

 

[Martynt74]

I have the same concern as you. I'm not a fast cyclist (Last ride was 56km. Only 541m elevation and I still only averaged 24.9 kph) so any seasoned groups would likely be waiting for me and the last thing I want to do is feel like a burden to their social rides.

Yeah, my only mental boost, is that letting someone break the wind would likely add a couple km/h onto our speeds

 

[Junglist]

That's what I tell myself, anyway!

That's the route I did. The bit in yellow was glorious. Was really nice out, little bit of tailwind sunny but cool. Then orange part, the first little climb at about 15km in is where it went pear shaped. It goes from fairly sheltered roads to open farmland with noting to really shelter you from the wind... On one hand, I'm quite happy. I set out with the intention of doing that climb really easy and not chasing any times up it as it's early into the ride and I didn't want to get too excited. Stayed seated and just tried to get up it without too much drama. Last done that hill back in 2022 when I first got my road bike. Was cycling with my friends and we tried to gun it up the hill. Today I took 50s off that time without attempting to be faster.

On the other hand that's where the wind played it's part in the day. I've been out in strong winds with my wheels but that day had really strong bursts of wind that if I was going no handed or not paying attention would've taken me off of the bike. I can see why lighter riders may not be keen!! Between Marshfield and Bathford, I could see the forecasted rain in the distance. I was feeling like I timed the ride well and would avoid it... Which I mostly did. But instead I got into a shower of horse/sheep/farmland poo My bike was basically brown..

Got into bath, had a coffee break and the wind started picking up quite strongly and I was getting cold so figured may as well head back. That blue part was horrendous. Luckily it was pretty much flat but the rain/sleet was like little pins. I couldn't see out of my glasses but I didn't want to take them off because the alternative would've been worse. Had to cycle looking down and only a few meters ahead. Then by the time I only had 10km to go... The sun was back out!

I did want to get to about 80km parental duties called. I've planned a 100km route that'll take me to Cheddar Gorge in a few weeks.

Hopefully the weather will be nicer then

 

[fez]

I keep flirting with the idea of joining a club or a group but currently I can't easily be at place X at time Y with the little ones. I had a mate (like you @Junglist) who had pestered me for a few years about getting a road bike and about 6 months after I did, he moved about 20km away and I see him about twice a year for a ride. Honestly, I don't care that much. I like going out on rides with people and I like doing them on my own. The only issue I have on my own is that I am awful at pacing.

I have another mate who lives on my road who comes out with me most weekends but hes a much weaker rider and getting ever more so in comparison as I get fitter. So those rides are not massively long and I have to be a little careful with the pacing and they are basically Z1/2 rides at best.

One of the reasons I love cycling is the lack of thinking, the beautiful countryside and the exercise. None of these need someone else and I sometimes find that its hard to cycle happily with a friend on some of our roads because they are so thin and twisty/turny. One of my partners cousins is in the Bristol area so if we come down to stay with her I would be up for meeting up @Junglist. Oh and 25kph isn't bad on a route like that. I wouldn't do much faster than that.

Question for all you guys. Do you tend to stop at a cafe on most rides or just blast them out?

Also, I am off to Crete with the family in May and wondered if any of you have any experience with cycling out there. Tempted to take my bike. My main concern is that one of the other guys going is an uber keen cyclist and will absolutely wreck me. Think 6-7 cycling holidays a year and probably cycling 6 days a week.

Oh and finally, I got a gopro because I was sick of all the dangerous overtakes and generally **** behaviour I was seeing on my rides and obviously yesterday when I had it on basically everyone was great

Only had one stupid overtake where a woman decided to overtake when we were going through one of those bits of road with a bollard and a raised curb surrounding it. She managed to **** her wheels on the cub as she went past. You just wonder why people are so desperate to get ahead. Bizarre.

 

[Martynt74]

Question for all you guys. Do you tend to stop at a cafe on most rides or just blast them out?

Also, I am off to Crete with the family in May and wondered if any of you have any experience with cycling out there. Tempted to take my bike. My main concern is that one of the other guys going is an uber keen cyclist and will absolutely wreck me. Think 6-7 cycling holidays a year and probably cycling 6 days a week.

I tend to just blast them out, but usually since i'm on my own and usually have plans with the wife so just try and get back as quick as i can as a coffee break would be the equivalent of 5 miles or so and at the moment the distance is more important. Maybe as i progress to longer rides then a proper break would be nice.

I imagine cycling in Crete would be ace. We went and i just ran some of the roads, but they were lovely. Can imagine only being better on a bike!

 

[Junglist]

Oh don't get me wrong, I do enjoy cycling on my own probably more so than with other people as I don't have to think about anything else and as you say, most of our roads aren't really suitable for riding beside one another and when cycling in a line you can barely hear the other person. It would just be nice for the company from time to time (Ok, I just want someone to draft lol)

As for breaks? Usually if it's ~50-60km I'd just do it all in one ride without a break. I didn't bring my keys with me on the weekend and my partner was out shopping so I had a coffee to kill a bit of time. But I usually do the reverse of this route without a break

 

[Roady]

Hold onto your hats... But Roady actually spent some money!

Got the SL7 on saturday... Thought it was a sign when an INEOS team car caught me in traffic! No idea what they where doing driving through Hereford, but no bikes on the roof for me so the Tarmac it was. Basically built by shop, saving what I could didn't get it fitted to me - although bought parts from them can do the fit & swap out myself. The guy I got my Bike Fit from does a 're-visit' deal anyway which I might take him up on after I've ridden it a bit.

So it came with this insane saddle drop, I'm too much of a beer guzzling dwarf to ride it like that, but dang it looks Pro!

So dropped seat down and swapped out saddle to the 155 Power. Cleaned my Zipps and put them on (involved swapping rotors & cassette). Need to switch out valves and replace sealant in both.

Need to swap the bars (narrower) and cranks (shorter) too, so very much a work in progress. But with the weather forecast the next 2 weeks it won't be ridden anytime soon! Will get some better pics in the sunshine at some point...

Also considering 'Invisiframe' to protect it. By all accounts easy to fit before it gets 'outdoor' road grime on it. But £230 for my LBS to do it, or buy the kit myself for £95 and do it myself. Anyone done similar/helitaped?

also need to figure out a colour scheme... It's very 'black', but need valve stems and new bar tape so could colour both of them to give it some... More grey? I know Supercaz (?) do 'fade' type tape, maybe a black->grey... Or do I take some inspiration from the LBS sticker and go for blue...

 

[Martynt74]

You're missing pedals

You still on your hodge podge of DI2 or did the bike come with it?

 

[Roady]

You're missing pedals

You still on your hodge podge of DI2 or did the bike come with it?

Haha it came with 12 speed 105 di2. Well changing cranks to 170 which are Ultegra so will be a mix again, with the rest 105 (not a problem!). So have 'new' di2 on this, with 'old' di2 on the other 2 bikes.