Road Cycling

Finally got round to updating my blog after about two months.

www.twhatley.com
Awesome catchup & a good read as always Tom!

I think the 'lack of results' you're feeling is really down to the type of racing you've been doing - some big stage/team stuff and very varied riding (TT's/Sportives etc) rather than predominantly crits. I think hitting crits regularly is the best/only way to progress fast up to CAT2/3 but then all you're likely to get is fast sprinting power and not much long term endurance. You're now turning into more of a balanced and team rider, so I guess most of it boils down to what you want to achieve as a cyclist. I think you're enjoying the team/stage/club stuff more than the mad-frantic crits? If so then maintaining your CAT2 isn't really that important, is it? :)
first ride on a new bike too
Where's the pictures?! :o :(
Benny... Stop spamming asking for cheapo Rapha knock offs. Gawd.
Reel him in FT, xdcx is having a fit. :p

To be honest I used to be a huge DHB fan, I guess still am to a degree. Although the later DHB ranges do seem to be creeping up in price, putting them very near other brands in sales. Now I have multiple DHB and Castelli-sale jerseys, outside of commuting, I almost always choose the Castelli. My 4 pairs of Castelli Evoluzione are mostly commuting shorts with the majority of my leisure riding being done in my 2 pairs of Sportful Gruppetto. I will probably never again own any DHB shorts... Although I was impressed by the ASV Windslam Roubaix jersey, I'd be tempted by some windslam shorts. For winter use (when I already have 3 pairs of Sportful Fiandre NoRain).
 
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It's like someone made the brand purely with me in mind :D
I'd get some of that stuff for the crack, but the irony is they dont have it in my size haha
Hahaha! I know it's a bit tongue in cheek kinda branding but I can see the appeal of 'normal' sizing for those who are new to cycling and more of a 'normal' body shape. Then again any kind of normalisation, consistency and way to judge sizing between brands would be good - not just from cycling gear either!
Pls Jeff. Just want me some poverty spec 'Raffer' :p:rolleyes:
lulz
I struggled a little and when it came time to drop I dropped. And kept dropping! Utterly buried myself on the hills to try and reel them in but I'd gone too deep and couldn't even hit 40mph on the descent. <snip> setting off again I was dropped within half a mile, utterly spent! The next 15 mins I was struggling to find anything, pedaling squares and not able to maintain HR - definitely underfuelled/semi-bonked.<snip>a real lesson in how much form/power I'd lost over the ~12 days when I was unable to ride very much due to moving house. :eek:
Any tips/shortcuts on how to recover my form/power from a couple of a weeks ago? Am I better to work in a couple of interval sessions into a couple of ~20 mile rides this weekend, or am I better doing a 'base miles' kinda ~50 mile ride? I'm thinking the latter will probably assist my endurance more but the former may make recovery easier for some after work riding next week?
 
Hahaha! I know it's a bit tongue in cheek kinda branding but I can see the appeal of 'normal' sizing for those who are new to cycling and more of a 'normal' body shape. Then again any kind of normalisation, consistency and way to judge sizing between brands would be good - not just from cycling gear either!
lulzAny tips/shortcuts on how to recover my form/power from a couple of a weeks ago? Am I better to work in a couple of interval sessions into a couple of ~20 mile rides this weekend, or am I better doing a 'base miles' kinda ~50 mile ride? I'm thinking the latter will probably assist my endurance more but the former may make recovery easier for some after work riding next week?

VO2 Max intervals of around 3 minutes where you're working just above sustainable work rate/lactate HR with recoveries 90-120s in length.

The other trick is to manage to not blow on a climb :p I'm finding having power in front of me very useful for pacing climbs as quite often there might be a little HR lag. I'm getting more familiar with what I can sustain and what I can 'push' for brief periods and then ease off and return to my sustainable pace. This may or may not be Threshold dependent on the climb.

You can use HR zones for this but the margin is quite small so it's quite difficult.

Longer rides of a moderate intensity are beneficial regardless. There's little benefit to 50m in Z1 if you're trying to improve your climbing though ;)
 
Awesome catchup & a good read as always Tom!

I think the 'lack of results' you're feeling is really down to the type of racing you've been doing - some big stage/team stuff and very varied riding (TT's/Sportives etc) rather than predominantly crits. I think hitting crits regularly is the best/only way to progress fast up to CAT2/3 but then all you're likely to get is fast sprinting power and not much long term endurance. You're now turning into more of a balanced and team rider, so I guess most of it boils down to what you want to achieve as a cyclist. I think you're enjoying the team/stage/club stuff more than the mad-frantic crits? If so then maintaining your CAT2 isn't really that important, is it? :)

Thanks, yeah I've also had nowhere near as much time to do weekday crits this year, that and my favourite circuit cyclopark, seems to have had much less races on this year.

Always a good read. :) That stage race sounds brutal!

Cheers, yeah, those juniors will be pros in the not too distant future so I can't feel too bad!
 
Loving this page.
People getting snooty about Rapha gear and cheap alternatives. It's soooo amazingly OcUK :D

All your gear should be your club gear and whatever brand they've forced you to accept. Sportive specialists are the brand worrying type*

*I am poking fun and trolling. Bite plz.
 
Loving this page.
People getting snooty about Rapha gear and cheap alternatives. It's soooo amazingly OcUK :D

Don't forget the reverse-snootyness.:D

How dare someone with disposable income buy expensive cycling kit or a £10k Pina Dogma!
 
Don't forget the reverse-snootyness.:D

How dare someone with disposable income buy expensive cycling kit or a £10k Pina Dogma!

It's the British way.
HATE everyone that earns more money than you :D That's why I hate everyone in the world basically.

I have a mate who is full Rapha clad.
Rides a £9k Bianchi.
You blokes would love him, he's right up your street and he's the nicest bloke in the world... however, he rides his bike about once a week. And he doesn't shave his legs.
 
VO2 Max intervals of around 3 minutes where you're working just above sustainable work rate/lactate HR with recoveries 90-120s in length.
<snip>
Longer rides of a moderate intensity are beneficial regardless. There's little benefit to 50m in Z1 if you're trying to improve your climbing though ;)

My 'base miles' I ment riding at Tempo (z3 or more usually z4 for me until ~20 minutes or so in then I tend to drop down to z3 for the same efforts). As the weather is meant to be good I'm more tempted towards distance rather than intervals... I know I can just suck it up when it comes to my fatigue levels and riding next week anyway! ;)
HATE everyone that earns more money than you :D That's why I hate everyone in the world basically.
Same! My Diverges RRP (£2500) is worth more than around 50% of the cars in my work carpark lol
 
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My 'base miles' I ment riding at Tempo (z3 or more usually z4 for me until ~20 minutes or so in then I tend to drop down to z3 for the same efforts). As the weather is meant to be good I'm more tempted towards distance rather than intervals... I know I can just suck it up when it comes to my fatigue levels and riding next week anyway! ;)
Same! My Diverges RRP (£2500) is worth more than around 50% of the cars in my work carpark lol

If you climb in Z3 then that's all well and good but I'm sure most, you included will climb in Z4/Z5 so this is where you need to be.

Either start suffering or keep losing the wheel in front ;):p
 
I have a mate who is full Rapha clad.

dyrnSVj.jpg
 
It's the British way.
HATE everyone that earns more money than you :D That's why I hate everyone in the world basically.

I have a mate who is full Rapha clad.
Rides a £9k Bianchi.
You blokes would love him, he's right up your street and he's the nicest bloke in the world... however, he rides his bike about once a week. And he doesn't shave his legs.

My hero! *swoons*

(Though actually these days I've got silky smooth legs :eek:)
 
There's little benefit to 50m in Z1 if you're trying to improve your climbing though ;)
Either start suffering or keep losing the wheel in front ;):p
I used to think you were my friend. :o:p
Hahaha love that! *steals* :D
(Though actually these days I've got silky smooth legs :eek:)
Am I the only one here who doesn't?! :o

It's feeling really warm out there guys, hot winds and oppressive sunshine! Wish we'd had more of it earlier in the 'summer'! It might even reach 30 degrees here next week! (ssssh Berger, that's hot for the UK!) ;)
 
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