Road Cycling

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 15:05

I generally take it slowly in the dark for the very reasons you've mentioned.

You could get a bright light (for example, I have this) which will help you see pot holes and make you a bit more visible via a pool of light on the road. Just be sure that you aim the angle of the light as far down as possible so that you don't dazzle other road users.

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 15:40

I'd argue that if you're riding on the road (rather than an MTB trail or something where you're extremely unlikely to run into other cyclists/etc) then you should keep your light aimed a fair bit down at all times.

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 16:29

I agree that cars with blinding lights also suck. I take the moral high ground though

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:19

lordrobs said:
New winter hack is getting cheaper... just had an email with photo attached to say that there is a paint chip on the caliper mount and do I want £35 off or a new frame. As its a cheap winter / off road bike rather than a nice summer bike I took the money off.

Clearance price of £390 - 4% Quidco - £35 = just under £340

As you predicted in your original post, I didn't think it was a great purchase but I was basing that off the RRP of the bike. At £340 it's not a bad deal at all.

BennyC said:
Dat slog son.

Kind of annoying that there isn't a segment that just takes in the entire climb and non of the descent. Either that or I'm blind.

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:23

All tyres lose traction sometimes. Was this one as worn as your 4 Seasons one you posted a pic of a while back?

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:35

BennyC said:
I can make one once I've finished crying at Ian Boswell's time

Annnnd it's a HC.

Nice. Enjoy the KOM whilst it lasts too

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:33

SoliD said:
There are loads of duplicates. I think myself and xdcx/touch tried to find the best. Which I reckon is this one.
https://www.strava.com/segments/12481258

Oof.

Also, looks like I don't have you on my Strava (you enjoy 4 spammy commutes per day right?). Fastest on my list is OMS with 55:02 / 9.6mph / 217W. Bet I could beat that power output whilst simultaneously being 2mph slower

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 20:49

SoliD said:
I smashed that little pip squeak 48:55 @ 267W.

I don't mind commutes, but shame you can't remove them from your feed, would be something so easy for Strava to do no doubt.

Fudge, nice

Agreed /re commutes. It would also be nice if I could set some kind of default for my rides (i.e. that they were flagged as commutes).

I'll add you later so I can cry at all your rides if you don't mind

lordrobs said:
Yeah, I'm under no disillusion as to what it is as in reality it is a fairly basic Claris equipped bike and the £650 RRP had a healthy dose of "gravel bike" current fad tax

The better spec versions seem to review quite well though and while my one misses out on having through axles I'm hoping that the other positives of geometry etc. are the same. If it allows me to keep doing proper riding through some of the winter then it'll have earned its crust.

I'm currently building up the confidence to join a club ride that a few people from work already go on. I couldn't make this week so my first club outing could be on it which would be awesome considering that last year from mid October on wards last year I clocked just 4 rides all under 20 miles.

I imagine you'd deal with a club ride a lot better than you think. I was quite worried when I first went out on one but when I did it turned out that the level wasn't quite as extreme as I was expecting

Agreed /re gravel bike tax. My frame was rather overpriced due to the same :/

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 21:13

That's awesome. I'll set that up tomorrow

Thanks Lethal'.

@SoliD - it's the other 10% I'm interested in anyhow

FrenchTart · 17 Oct 2016 at 21:44

SoliD said:
Oh, purchased some shifters now for my di2 setup, so where is cheapest for Di2 cables FT?

CRC with BC discount as far as I've found. Plenty of options that are nearly as cheap but CRC edges it out.

Which shifters btw?

FrenchTart · 18 Oct 2016 at 08:49

SoliD said:
I wouldn't hit the 10% threshold tho. Only need 4 cables. Only git the brakes but got 2nd hand dura ace ones.

I think Merlin might have been the next cheapest. You could get Wiggle to match I guess? They must already love you for that kind of thing anyhow

FrenchTart · 18 Oct 2016 at 10:44

randomshenans said:
I still have your charger on my desk FT, will get it posted out this afternoon after lunch. Need to get to the post office on site.

I got drenched last night. Utterly bloody hoofed on. Saturated more than I ever have. Which was lovely. Then did a 40 min London Zwift. Solid effort up Box Hill. Not quickest, but pushed 280-300 the whole way up, which I was happy with.

Ah, no worries. And no rush

FrenchTart · 19 Oct 2016 at 13:12

Lifting is great for lots of reasons and I'd recommend it to anyone that cycles but..yeah, it's not going to massively impact your FTP as compared to just cycling a lot more/training properly

In other news, the bits that I stupidly forgot for my bike build have come through. Headset and BB. Now I can start building it properly.

Shamrock said:
Welcome back. I would probably choose dhb over altura!

I've thought about doing weights over the winter (just the compound lifts like deads, squat, bench and o/h press) but the cost of gym memberships in London is extortionate so I guess I'll just stick to intervals on the turbo!

As xdcx said, BW stuff can be great. Tons of stuff to try that doesn't need anything really. Try out pistol squats sometime

FrenchTart · 19 Oct 2016 at 15:42

merlin said:
Half the time they're not even straight out of the bloody retail box, let alone straight after being used and abused!

This is true, especially for cheaper rotors but it happens with the more premium ones too.

@kiteloopy - your method wasn't wrong as such but I find even with all the "foolproof" methods I often have to perform some manual adjustment to eliminate rub.

FrenchTart · 19 Oct 2016 at 16:47

xdcx said:
LANCASHIRE.
Does anyone here live there? I am going to some place called Bacup near Burnley? Also going to Lancaster.

Can I ride my bike in this area or will it result in death?

If anyone lives there can possibly organise playing on our bikes or I can follow you on Strava and pinch some routes?

Vonhelmet and PhysicHull aren't a million miles away (though not exactly next door either).

If I wasn't still recovering from my broken collarbone I'd be up for heading that way. When are you in the area?

FrenchTart · 19 Oct 2016 at 21:10

Looks pretty normal to me

FrenchTart · 19 Oct 2016 at 21:52

Started my bike build today. Potato cam pic.

Still missing some fairly major parts to get it all finished but it's nice to have the bits out of boxes at least.

http://imgur.com/a/d8bXD

FrenchTart · 20 Oct 2016 at 10:41

@randomshenans

"Sir David Cartwright" lolz

Guy who brought me the parcel was amused.

FrenchTart · 20 Oct 2016 at 16:18

xdcx said:
Have you crashed also?!? What have you lot been up to in the past 6 weeks? jeeees. Hope collarbone is on the mend FT It's next week I will be down dude. Tues/Weds and then going to some place called Lincolnshire for a night then back to Lancaster.

Yup. Surgery about two weeks ago, first physio next week. Hoping to be back on the bike in November and aiming to turbo it up in the meantime - once I've cleared this bug.

Shame it's so close when you're nearby. If I was remotely back on the bike at all I'd be tempted to pop along for a bit if only to waddle around in my post-lack-of-riding unfitness

SoliD said:
You've never ridden chunky tyres in your life!

Not true...I borrowed a friend's MTB for 6 months when my bike was stolen once. Horrendous

If I'd not crashed the plan was to get my spare bike converted for CX for the start of October. Obviously delayed but I'm hoping to have managed that by end of Nov now.

randomshenans said:
I started writing it and was going to go FrenchTart nuts, but then read the rest of the address and thought I'd get you in trouble haha

Glad it got there!

Yup, cheers again

I doubt FrenchTart would've gotten to me though one or two ppl in work do know that name. If "nuts" was on there too I'd have denied any knowledge of it

FrenchTart · 20 Oct 2016 at 17:30

Does anyone have any idea where the cheapest place to get 11 speed chains/cassettes are?

Looking for:

105 5800 12-25 cassette
Ultegra 6800 11-28 cassette
Ultegra/DA 11 speed chain
11 speed chain of any type (cheap as possible, for CX/turbo bike)