Road Cycling

Roady said:
It was a tough intro to chainganging! I think I can manage the 4th group and probably the 3rd again once I gain a little fitness. Really need to work on tempo/recovery. These groups seemed to be 20/21mph and 270-350W for me, while being able to recover at around 250W which I currently can't do that well.
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I wouldn't be dismayed :) riding at the mercy of the wheel in front takes a bit of getting used to. Looking at the speed/power something like a slow-ish 4th Cat crit on a non-technical circuit would be a good replication.

Some over-unders or sweetspot intervals with sprints, on the turbo would probably serve you well too, enabling you to clear lactate and get used to recovering at a high work rate. Trying to ride as efficiently as possible almost feels counter intuitive as trying to hold power is usually how most of us try and ride but if you don't need to be pedalling, don't! Equally if you hear the sound of hubs freewheeling behind you know you can press on a bit :D

First time I trained for a race with a club mate I was falling off his wheel most of the first lap but by the 3rd and 4th I could maintain the gap well enough. The next outing was a notable improvement partially due to knowing what to expect and some fitness improvements but also just wising up a bit too :cool:
 
xdcx said:
400-500w to get to the front and 250w on the wheel? That's ridiculous so either your PM is mental, your group is absolute mental and way above their threshold with mental efforts but either way that is not right.
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Not really. I've done load of chain gangs, but yesterday was the first with a PM. My figures were about the same. Roughly 500-600 spikes to come through to the front, then 200-250 or so sitting in.

You can clearly see all the spikes in my power graph here: https://www.strava.com/activities/937974812/analysis

But then again, that was our fastest CG I think, hence the KOM.
 
xdcx said:
You went out and got stuck in. That's the main thing. Don't let it put you off, see it as a beast to be tamed rather than being scared by it.
400-500w to get to the front and 250w on the wheel? That's ridiculous so either your PM is mental, your group is absolute mental and way above their threshold with mental efforts but either way that is not right.

On my first ever chain gang Touch told me to join the fast group and said I would be alright. I promptly ended up on the wheel of a guy in GB kit... Legitimate team GB kit. Didn't get dropped though but did think I may die a few times :p
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It's not going to put me off as one thing I need is a challenge like it! :D

Last couple of years I rode with a couple of friends faster than me so it was always an effort to keep on their wheels, this year they'll be on my wheel as neither rode much over winter and both are very short on time as have babies arriving/arrived. I've no Sportives planned yet this year so need some other 'goals' to keep me on track, even if it's hitting and holding 300W for an hour to progress up the chaingang! ;)

There was a headwind last night so much of the power showing on my PWM was probably escalated by that when moving up and on the front. A small group really meant no let up/recovery, hurting me badly. You can see my power 'surges' in the data of #1, #2, #3 (popped), #4 (& through village as 2nd wheel) then barely able to hold 300W and giving in. :(

Shadowness said:
But then again, that was our fastest CG I think, hence the KOM.
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Impressive KOM even with that slow section in there! :D
BennyC said:
Some over-unders or sweetspot intervals with sprints, on the turbo would probably serve you well too, enabling you to clear lactate and get used to recovering at a high work rate. Trying to ride as efficiently as possible almost feels counter intuitive as trying to hold power is usually how most of us try and ride but if you don't need to be pedalling, don't!
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All good info and you're right - I really think over/unders are what I need most to progress.

Much of the Zwift racing efforts I think would also work well but a combination of factors (warmer weather & illness) meant I stopped them a couple of weeks ago. I've failed pretty miserably since then to do any evening rides as I was saving energy for the weekends, then had bike problems & ended sat on a slow social ride, so my fitness hasn't improved (done quite the opposite!). :rolleyes:

SoliD said:
From this
kBt8ETr.jpg

To this

XcsLzP6.jpg
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Repair looks fantastic! Happy with the work? Pid they send you any pics of how it looked pre-paint?

Are you riding CX again this year or what are your plans for it, keep/sell?
 
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I agree. Roady is a couple of kilos lighter than me but that's normal power for me in a chaingang. 250w on a wheel, 350ish on the front, 400-500 to close gaps and catch onto the back when needed. Averages out about 300w.
 
I just need to up my game and get familiar to suffering more! ;)

Also, currently 76.8kg so a little heavier than I would like...! 'Race weight' I bounced around last autumn was 75kg, ideally I'll get that down to 74kg this year as I'm intending on doing much more climbing but my primary focus needs to be power gain not weight loss.
 
That's pretty much the same as me. I usually hover around 74-75kg, but I've done a lot of travelling so far this year, which has made it hard to stick to that. I'm currently about 77kg. I want to get back to my lightest of about 73kg
 
Well done mate, need to start someone. Look at half the ride rides I upload!

Wind was brutal here last night, I was on the far right hand side of the road just to get shelter. Bit mental really but it was a quiet road but it meant I didn't get dropped whereas as guy who sailed up the climb and is probably fitter was left in the wind to die. Self preservation :)

An Orca arrived today but it's a 51cm in black/red. :mad::(
 
Checked the delivery note and it was listed as delivered. It's at our other shop :( cycled in today too.

Nice of them to phone or give it to my boss delivering a bike down there.

May go pick it up tonight and build it in my work as i'm an impatient ****.
 
The headwind on the way to work this morning was a right pain. Constant all the way and just suckedal my energy out of me, knackered now and need to cycle home yet!! Hoping it's no where near as windy.
 
Jonny ///M said:
It's at our other shop :( cycled in today too.

Nice of them to phone or give it to my boss delivering a bike down there.
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Phone him and ask if it's ready for collection? Be an annoyed customer for once! ;)

IndigoGorilla said:
The headwind on the way to work this morning was a right pain. Constant all the way and just suckedal my energy out of me, knackered now and need to cycle home yet!!
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Tell me about it! Wall of headwind on the way back at lunchtime & I struggled to even hit 300W on the climbs! :o

Downhill back wasn't even easy so can't have been much of a tailwind! That's a private segment, does it open for you guys? Basically this.
 
Roady said:
Phone him and ask if it's ready for collection? Be an annoyed customer for once! ;)

Tell me about it! Wall of headwind on the way back at lunchtime & I struggled to even hit 300W on the climbs! :o

Downhill back wasn't even easy so can't have been much of a tailwind! That's a private segment, does it open for you guys? Basically this.
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I'm heading through later to pick it up then will drive to my shop and build it(can find my tools easier). Built up the red and black which is quite nice if a little dark for me.

Won't ride it tomorrow at the bundy, maybe next week after a few runs on it. Need to swap the chainset from 50-34 105 to either the old scabby 52-39 one on the caad 8 or stick a 6700 53/39 on it that I can get for less than the 105 would cost me new then punt the compact to cover the cost.

I'm enjoying the tailwind home, got a KOM on the way home there without too much effort.
 
Well, I had another pretty brutal physio session a few hours ago. She wants me to stay off the bike and do nothing except self massage for a week.

I agreed, providing staying off the bike can start this Saturday. She gave me the rolleyes then agreed.

Out tonight, and tomorrow then! :D
 
merlin said:
Result!

Except when your neighbours are chatterboxes cos they're 70 odd and haven't spoke to anyone in like 3 weeks. That'll be my neighbours, both sets.
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One of my neighbours is a super keen cyclist so any time he has a package for me from wiggle or wherever he always wants to know what it is! I've just been and fetched the frame so have been telling him about the bike I'll be building up with it.

As an aside, he's handy with the spanners so often has fellow cyclists round asking for jobs to be done. I'd seen one guy round the other day with his caad10 so I asked my neighbour what was going on. He'd brought it round needing a new cassette fitting. My neighbour had got the old one off, but was struggling to get the new one on - he couldn't get the final cog and lockring on. After a while of doing battle with it he looked at the box and saw it was an 11 speed cassette, but he knew the bike was only 10 speed. He asked the guy why he'd got an 11 speed cassette, and he said well, he wanted 11 speeds. My neighbour had to explain that at the very least that meant new wheels and new shifters, and he ended up having to refit the old cassette and sending him on his way. Whoops!
 
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