Road Cycling

I made my own out of a couple of old MTB tyres and quarter inch wood screws. In the great snows of 2012, I was the fastest vehicle of any kind on my commute route

Spiked tyres are ace
 
Currently on a flight back to the UK after a few days of sunny +20C in Gran Canaria... reading all this and looking at forecast it seems I should ask them to turn the plane round!
 
I was in Abu Dhabi 3 days ago, almost 30 there, although it is their 'winter' too!

Looks even worse today, actual settled snow here now. If it's mushy then it could be ok, not sure if it's icy though. Decisions......
 
Any recommendations for a new HRM? The Garmin one that I was using seems to be dead (tried with three different batteries including a new one - nothing). It's just the basic one that came with my Garmin 705 years ago.

It certainly chose its moment to go. Just raced the WBR 10km on Zwift, and managed to come out top in Cat B despite usually hanging out in the middle/back on the longer races. Turns out one of the rules is "Category winners must wear a HRM" and so I'm not classified in the final results :( Only two places behind Ed Bradbury on the unfiltered results, though :D
 
TickR ftw.

I think the Garmin straps are notoriously poor and people usually replace with a much cheaper Polar strap and trim around the poppers so they aren't quite so recessed.
 
Cold and snowy you say?

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Yeah, yeah rub it why dontcha :p There’s been about 5inches of snow where I am today. I’m off to Thailand on Boxing Day so not long now and then cycling round Sri Lanka in February so it’s not so bad ;)
 
7 inches south B'ham. Bonkers. Its like its the 1980's all over again. :p

I think Monday night track is going to be Monday night Zwift.
 
Phil99 said:
Any recommendations for a new HRM? The Garmin one that I was using seems to be dead (tried with three different batteries including a new one - nothing). It's just the basic one that came with my Garmin 705 years ago.

It certainly chose its moment to go. Just raced the WBR 10km on Zwift, and managed to come out top in Cat B despite usually hanging out in the middle/back on the longer races. Turns out one of the rules is "Category winners must wear a HRM" and so I'm not classified in the final results :( Only two places behind Ed Bradbury on the unfiltered results, though :D
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Agreed with other suggestions if moving to TickR. I did and it's a lot less daffy than my old Garmin HRM.

However...I had issues with battery changes on my Garmin which were resolved by "resetting" it by shorting the sensors with a wire for a few seconds. Or something like that. Google the exact method. It sounds likely to be your issue.
 
Cleared myself a nice path to the garage this morning :p (*adds snow shovel to shopping list, my neighbours made light work of it & clearing the road entirely out front too).

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Walked past some daft bint trying to ride the snowy footpath on what looked like a 28mm slick :rolleyes:
 
Vonhelmet said:
So it's gonna snow tomorrow... and Saturday... and Sunday... and then it'll be below freezing for a lot of next week.

Guess I'll be driving to work.
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Snowed all day here yesterday, around 8-10 inches of snow and really hasn't cleared. Thankfully it didn't really freeze overnight and walking part way to work this morning it didn't feel like it was freezing (got a lift in a colleagues 4x4). Clouds have lifted & temperature is dropping, will be getting interesting!

Around 50% of people have stayed home and I probably should've but so much work to do! (Implementing new T&A system). Also had no power here from 10pm until 7:40am so no heating either! :o

Phil99 said:
Any recommendations for a new HRM?
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Another TICKR recommendation. Had mine 3+ years and still going strong, on it's 3rd or 4th battery. Had so much use my straps elastic is starting to deteriorate/disintegrate (I tend to wash it every other week).

Shamrock said:
Cold and snowy you say?

y6aF7VKh.jpg
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Please tell me you're 'stranded' as there's so many UK airports closed? ;)

merlin said:
I think Monday night track is going to be Monday night Zwift.
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I totally neglected to get on all weekend. The cold weather meant I didn't build up the willpower needed to sit in my freezing cold garage & some sleep deprivation. I spent most the weekend keeping the house warm, fire burning & getting some shopping/eating/drinking done. Only 57 miles for last week! :o

Saw on fb there where over 4500 riders on yesterday afternoon!

Lethal` said:
Just calculated I need to do 450 miles to hit my silly goal I invented last month of 10k miles this year. London snow better pack it in pronto!
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Good work! Hit my 4500 target a few weeks back, even with a couple of easier weeks I'm at 4700 as being ahead of pace most of the year I'd set myself a challenge of 5000 which I'm really not far away from! :)

BennyC said:
Cleared myself a nice path to the garage this morning :p
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Come do mine? Snow shovels are incredible! Cleared half my drive, garage and car in around an hour at lunchtime yesterday. Around 2" of snow over it this morning but it hadn't turned to ice this morning... Things at work starting to ice up now... Road will be an Ice rink around home! :o

Spent a good 10 minutes laughing at the neighbour yesterday trying to move an Audi TT in heavy snow. She managed a total of ~8 feet. Numpty!
 
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leaskovski said:
This is a good read thanks. I used to be a roadie way back when before I went to uni, but have been out of that since then... It will be 20 years! lol

I totally messed up anyway. I didn't realize you could actually do an online order without the cycle to work certificate. Anyway because I was waiting for that to come through, the wilier has now gone out of stock. Gutted.
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Ok, so with my lack of understand of how to place an order on the cycle2work scheme, i.e. you don't have to wait for the certificate the be approved before you place the order, I have been hunting, and I have basically drawn up on these two:
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872-black-105-fulcrum-se/
or
https://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-l-etape-carbon-road-bike-shimano-5800.html

I think I prefer the Ribble because of its enlarged BB, though for some reason I keep thinking I like the looks of the Dolan better.... euh... I hate being indecisive.
 
leaskovski said:
Ok, so with my lack of understand of how to place an order on the cycle2work scheme, i.e. you don't have to wait for the certificate the be approved before you place the order, I have been hunting, and I have basically drawn up on these two:
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872-black-105-fulcrum-se/
or
https://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-l-etape-carbon-road-bike-shimano-5800.html

I think I prefer the Ribble because of its enlarged BB, though for some reason I keep thinking I like the looks of the Dolan better.... euh... I hate being indecisive.
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The R872 is more of an out and out aero racing bike, while the etape is more like an endurance bike. I'd be picking the etape, but that's because I'm slooooow.

The BB30 in the etape is actually slightly bigger than the BB86 in the R872. However, BB30 is renowned for being a bit crap. Mind you, all press fit bottom brackets are crap to varying extents.
 
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