Topic: The Cyclist Thread

[Pheeny]

90k ride this morning with one hell of a hill,just outside Liege,was in 3 parts with an average of about 8%,one part was about 12% and was about 100m long.

[kumbriankopite]

Anyone watch the footage from Fort William on the beeb today?

[grimreaper]

Anyone watch the footage from Fort William on the beeb today?

I seen a little bit , far play looked a right knackering  trial that

[Silvanus]

90k ride this morning with one hell of a hill,just outside Liege,was in 3 parts with an average of about 8%,one part was about 12% and was about 100m long.

Harsh..

[grimreaper]

90k ride this morning with one hell of a hill,just outside Liege,was in 3 parts with an average of about 8%,one part was about 12% and was about 100m long.

i would pass out out looking at a ride like that, let alone ride it lol

[Silvanus]

i would pass out out looking at a ride like that, let alone ride it lol

Agreed, i would just, not be arsed 

[kumbriankopite]

I seen a little bit , far play looked a right knackering  trial that

Which bit? Cross country or 4 cross?

[grimreaper]

Which bit? Cross country or 4 cross?

ermmm , dont no to be honest , there were some stones on part of it where they were going up hill lol, in  between some hills

[kumbriankopite]

ermmm , dont no to be honest , there were some stones on part of it where they were going up hill lol, in  between some hills

Cross country bit then mate, thought it looked a killer aswell.

[grimreaper]

Cross country bit then mate, thought it looked a killer aswell.

looked like they were going fast as fook in some parts

[kumbriankopite]

looked like they were going fast as fook in some parts

Yea, i think most of the course after half way was down hill, which might have helped. But they're certainly nipier up it than i would be.

[Pheeny]

Saturday did a ride of about 75k with a few hills.Must be getting fitter as I did not feel it in my legs and was a bit disappointed that the ride was not longer.

[Pheeny]

70k with the club tomorrow.Its almost end of the season, hence the shorter distance allthough its a hilly ride as we head towards the Ardennen (Ardense)

[Kelvin_Little]

Just had my shipment from Australia arrive and first thing i unpacked was my bike (my beloved Giant Reign).... it looked odd because when they packed it, they had packed it without taking it apart but when it arrieved, it arrived in pieces.... I was sweating a little - got the bubble wrap off and was horrified!

They have managed to bend the frame of the bike by the rear derailuer (which is completely mangled).... to add insult to injury they had taken my handlebars to bits and my front fork is damaged and the frame which was in immaculate condition is now scratched to fuck...  I was fuming.  It was a good thing that the company are in australia i was trying to call them there and then.... 

Amen for insurance but i wanted to take it up the lakes....

bastards.

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

I had a brief look at them in the shop, but the guy told me that they run on a built-in rechargeable battery that runs out after a couple of hours. I often ride for 8-12 hours--or even a few days--so I wrote them off as a bit silly. Still, I guess they're great for training. How longs does the battery last?

How's the GPS reception? I know a lot of devices lose reception under trees, though I must say my Vista Hcx (the H indicates the new, much more sensitive receiver) has astounded me--it can get a signal in my flat a few yards from the window.

Battery life is absolutely fine.  I did the Maratona in Italy in July and I was out for 7 hours.  It depends on which features you choose as your set-up for the GPS but I always have pulse, current speed, average speed, total ascent, current altitude, overall time and of course, distance.  I also have a 1600 metres (1 mile) indicator that flashes up giving me the time I did the last mile in.  The battery lasted me the whole thing.  Then last month I did the Pendle Pedal, a 100 mile 3,000 metre event and was out in total for almost 7 hours.  Again, battery life was fine.  You charge the battery by linking your GPS to your computer when you get home.  As it downloads the info, it charges up fully.

As for reception, I've had a previous walking GPS and that lost reception in Scottish valleys and under trees.  The Edge 305 has never lost reception anywhere I've been on the bike and I've cycled through some severe tree cover and in some tight valleys in Italy.  My advice is to bite the bullet and go for it.  the best feature is you never need to look at the speed when you are descending and this is a marvelous safety issue.  You can always get your fastest speed reading through your computer when you get home.  My current fastest speed is 82 KPH. 

[pascoli]

Battery life is absolutely fine.  I did the Maratona in Italy in July and I was out for 7 hours.  It depends on which features you choose as your set-up for the GPS but I always have pulse, current speed, average speed, total ascent, current altitude, overall time and of course, distance.  I also have a 1600 metres (1 mile) indicator that flashes up giving me the time I did the last mile in.  The battery lasted me the whole thing.  Then last month I did the Pendle Pedal, a 100 mile 3,000 metre event and was out in total for almost 7 hours.  Again, battery life was fine.  You charge the battery by linking your GPS to your computer when you get home.  As it downloads the info, it charges up fully.

As for reception, I've had a previous walking GPS and that lost reception in Scottish valleys and under trees.  The Edge 305 has never lost reception anywhere I've been on the bike and I've cycled through some severe tree cover and in some tight valleys in Italy.  My advice is to bite the bullet and go for it.  the best feature is you never need to look at the speed when you are descending and this is a marvelous safety issue.  You can always get your fastest speed reading through your computer when you get home.  My current fastest speed is 82 KPH. 

82 KPH on a pedal bike?

Fuckin hell im well impressed there.

Id wanna be dressed up in a full american football outfit to do that.

I only popped in here to take the piss out of you's for wearin all that dodgy skin tight gear but after readin about these 8 hr rides, scary speeds etc i think i shall keep me mouth shut!

[saph]

just did a 3 hour bike tour of new york. amazing place and great tour guides. took in ground zero, stonewall inn, wall street/stoke exchange and brooklyn bridge.

great city to ride in

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

just did a 3 hour bike tour of new york. amazing place and great tour guides. took in ground zero, stonewall inn, wall street/stoke exchange and brooklyn bridge.

great city to ride in

Bloody hell, Saph, that' sounds amazing.  I don't think I'd have the courage to ride in New York though.  Every time I go, the roads seem to be over-crowded and most drivers seem rude and everyone's in a hurry.  Still, if you liked it, I am presuming you didn't find it like that?  And the stoke exchange....is that where you can change it to Derby or Port Vale? 

[wacko]

Battery life is absolutely fine.  I did the Maratona in Italy in July and I was out for 7 hours.  It depends on which features you choose as your set-up for the GPS but I always have pulse, current speed, average speed, total ascent, current altitude, overall time and of course, distance.  I also have a 1600 metres (1 mile) indicator that flashes up giving me the time I did the last mile in.  The battery lasted me the whole thing.  Then last month I did the Pendle Pedal, a 100 mile 3,000 metre event and was out in total for almost 7 hours.  Again, battery life was fine.  You charge the battery by linking your GPS to your computer when you get home.  As it downloads the info, it charges up fully.

As for reception, I've had a previous walking GPS and that lost reception in Scottish valleys and under trees.  The Edge 305 has never lost reception anywhere I've been on the bike and I've cycled through some severe tree cover and in some tight valleys in Italy.  My advice is to bite the bullet and go for it.  the best feature is you never need to look at the speed when you are descending and this is a marvelous safety issue.  You can always get your fastest speed reading through your computer when you get home.  My current fastest speed is 82 KPH. 

Good to know, thanks. But I went for the full-featured GPS instead, which is now my cycle computer. It doesn't do all the biking bits like cadence and HRM, but I wouldn't swap it for anything. Brilliant bit of kit, and it runs on normal AA batteries. One set of batteries easily gives you 15+ hours.

My current fastest speed is in the region of 1,300 kph. As far as I can tell, it lost reception when I got on a train in Düsseldorf, and when I got off again, it apparently assumed I'd travelled 40 km in a few seconds.

There're no hills around here big enough to get much over 50kph on the racer. The recumbent trike will get you an extra 15-20kph on the same hill though

[saph]

Bloody hell, Saph, that' sounds amazing.  I don't think I'd have the courage to ride in New York though.  Every time I go, the roads seem to be over-crowded and most drivers seem rude and everyone's in a hurry.  Still, if you liked it, I am presuming you didn't find it like that?  And the stoke exchange....is that where you can change it to Derby or Port Vale? 

to be honest we went mainly on quiet roads and the tour guides were amazing. very protective.

stoke exchange was weird - no crockery around

http://www.toursbybike.com/toursd.html

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

There're no hills around here big enough to get much over 50kph on the racer. The recumbent trike will get you an extra 15-20kph on the same hill though

I've been zooming down hills around here and recumbents have overtaken me on three occasions.  I've seen the evidence that they can go faster than a bike-bike but how and why? 

[axb96m]

I've been zooming down hills around here and recumbents have overtaken me on three occasions.  I've seen the evidence that they can go faster than a bike-bike but how and why? 

Lower centre of gravity means cornering can be tighter, and much, much less wind resistance than a normal bike.

The first guy to turn up to the Tour de France on a 'bent wiped the floor with the field on the first day; the rules were changed that very night - only 'normal' bikes allowed!

[howes hound]

Between weather and road construction for the 2010 Olympics it's been a rough summer here. There's only one road I can take and it's full of trucks, graders, flagpeople. Not to mention rocks and ruts. Got five flats in one ride. If I don't maintain PSI to near 100 I'm guaranteed snake-bites. Suppose losing weight might help but that means less beer. Still managed 150k per week average from June on, but lots of short rides and because I can't go north of here, where the major hills are, I'm nowhere near my normal hill-climbing fitness for this time of year. Plenty of 6-8% grades to the south but they're relatively short. I do an out-and-back two or three times a month that adds up to 95k per trip. Flew outbound at an average of over 30kph two weeks ago and thought I must be getting really good at this until I turned around to come back. Biggest westerlies since winter, strong enough to bring out the coast guard for tipovers out in the strait. I was totally trashed by the time I got home, legs cramping up all through the night. Bike's taken a beating passing through all this construction, starting to make all kinds of noises and the paintwork's getting tatty. If I don't strip down the drivetrain every 2-3 weeks the whole thing gets full of shite. Time for a major overhaul this winter.
Touch wood, no serious run-ins with drivers this year. But I've just about given up riding on Sunday. Sirens on the highway all day long. Two Sundays in succession it was closed for hours while they carted off the bits and pieces from head-ons. And in built-up sections the airheads on cell phones are a menace. They just don't see you.

[Simon C]

I'm considering doing the Etape du Tour in 2009, can any of you out there offer any sage advice. I think I need to join a club.
I would really welcome some tips on winter training and diet etc.

Thanks in advance
Simon

[saph]

TITS




































Time In The Saddle

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

I'm considering doing the Etape du Tour in 2009, can any of you out there offer any sage advice. I think I need to join a club.
I would really welcome some tips on winter training and diet etc.

Thanks in advance
Simon

I don't think you'd need to be in a club for training purposes to be honest.  I've put off joining one due to the danger of looking out of place with all the knowledgeable cyclists talking about gear ratios and the like. 

I have done many sportives of over 100 miles in this country and did the Maratona in Italy this year which, while not as long as L'etape, is still 138 K and almost 4,000 metres of climb.  I discussed the relative differences with a lad who did L'etape this year and we concluded the French version was longer and it was much hotter than mine but the Maratona had more and longer climbs, although not as steep (they just went on forever!) 

As for winter training, it's difficult for me as I refuse to cycle in the dark and obviously some weekends are going to be brutal weather-wise so I tend to run a lot and ride a cheap bike on a roller in my garage.  If you put your computer on the back wheel, you can tell how long you've ridden etc and can alter the resistance.  Not ideal and it's boring, try reading a book and it gets wringing wet due to your sweat, but gets the heart rate up and gives you TITS as Saph says.  The main benefit will come in the spring really and there's certainly enough time to train up for L'etape.  Good luck anyway! 

[Pheeny]

I disagree with MBE.Its well worth joining a club.Loads of advice will be given and you will have company when riding,safty in numbers etc.As for winter training it should not consist of any sprinting.

[RedJedi]

Advice needed please.

I started cycling to work a few months ago, as it was taking forever on public transport. I bought a cheap MTB to get stated which cost me about £130. I didn't want to spend too much as I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it and keep it up.

4 months on and I do enjoy it, but I've now worn out my bike. Front break keeps breaking and I can hear that the bottom bracket is on it's way out as well (obviously wasn't meant for a daily commute). I also want to start using it recreational riding at the weekend.

So I am going to get a new bike in the next couple of weeks. The company I work for is signing up the the "Bike2Work" scheme, which means I'll be saving about 45% off the price  and the payments are spead out over a year, being taking from my wages. (£600 will cost me about £30 P/M).

So I need some advice on what bike to get. I am looking at the hybrid bikes as I live in London and the roads aren't very good and a couple of the cycle paths take me onto to pavements, so a road bike won't really be suitable, and I want the higher gears that a hybrid give over a MTB.

Can you recommend any makes or models of bikes I should consider, and is there anything else I should consider getting. I am looking to spend about £500 - £550 on the bike and about £100 on accessories.

Any help would be much appreciated.

p.s. My god was it cold this morning. Looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and slip into some lycra. But as I've lost loads of weight in the last 4 months it shoudln't be too bad, I just don't want to offend anyone 

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

I disagree with MBE.Its well worth joining a club.Loads of advice will be given and you will have company when riding,safty in numbers etc.As for winter training it should not consist of any sprinting.

I disagree with Pheeny's disagreement!  I think he lives in Belgium or Holland or somewhere like that and so probably needs the company of other riders to entertain him on rides through those endlessly boring countries.  We on the other hand have the never-ending delights of Her Majesty's realm in which to exercise to our heart's content! 

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

Red Jedi, with that budget, you'll certainly get a reasonable bike of the type you describe.  Rather than recommedning specific makes, I'd suggest going to a local bike shop where they will be delighted to help you.  I can't stress enough the importance of a good local bike shop.  As it's local, you'll be able to whip it in there if you get annoying squeaks or problems you don't know how to fix and as they sold you the bike, they'll be made up to put it right for you on the cheap or even free.  They love regular visitors as you'll be stocking up on bits and pieces for the bike such as clothing, gloves, pumps, de-greaser, energy bars etc.  If you live near an Edinburgh Bicycle Company shop, they are really good; the attitude of a local shop with the buying power of a big store.  You won't go far wrong there.  I'd steer clear of e-bay bargains and the like as you will need the knowledge of your local shop for help down the line.

Good luck, you will love it!  And as you've seen, spend £130 or less on a bike and it's not really a bike you've bought but a toy. 

[Pheeny]

I disagree with Pheeny's disagreement!  I think he lives in Belgium or Holland or somewhere like that and so probably needs the company of other riders to entertain him on rides through those endlessly boring countries.  We on the other hand have the never-ending delights of Her Majesty's realm in which to exercise to our heart's content! 

I actually live close to some really beautiful countyside called the Ardense / Voeren.

[saph]

Advice needed please.

I started cycling to work a few months ago, as it was taking forever on public transport. I bought a cheap MTB to get stated which cost me about £130. I didn't want to spend too much as I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it and keep it up.

4 months on and I do enjoy it, but I've now worn out my bike. Front break keeps breaking and I can hear that the bottom bracket is on it's way out as well (obviously wasn't meant for a daily commute). I also want to start using it recreational riding at the weekend.

So I am going to get a new bike in the next couple of weeks. The company I work for is signing up the the "Bike2Work" scheme, which means I'll be saving about 45% off the price  and the payments are spead out over a year, being taking from my wages. (£600 will cost me about £30 P/M).

So I need some advice on what bike to get. I am looking at the hybrid bikes as I live in London and the roads aren't very good and a couple of the cycle paths take me onto to pavements, so a road bike won't really be suitable, and I want the higher gears that a hybrid give over a MTB.

Can you recommend any makes or models of bikes I should consider, and is there anything else I should consider getting. I am looking to spend about £500 - £550 on the bike and about £100 on accessories.

Any help would be much appreciated.

p.s. My god was it cold this morning. Looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and slip into some lycra. But as I've lost loads of weight in the last 4 months it shoudln't be too bad, I just don't want to offend anyone 

welcome to the joys of a daily commute - you'll love going past car drivers getting all angry and beeping their horns.

as a bare minimum i'd get a helmet, waterproofs/hi vis, lights, lock, pump, gloves. i have a trek 7.2 fx and its great. cheaper than your price range but been a solid bike. i treated myself to a different saddle and clipless pedals, and a bike computer. oh and also see how many free services they can offer - i'd expect at least one within 6 weeks to tune it up, and hopefully another one. and maybe look into bike insurance - cycle guard do good deals.

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

welcome to the joys of a daily commute - you'll love going past car drivers getting all angry and beeping their horns.

as a bare minimum i'd get a helmet, waterproofs/hi vis, lights, lock, pump, gloves. i have a trek 7.2 fx and its great. cheaper than your price range but been a solid bike. i treated myself to a different saddle and clipless pedals, and a bike computer. oh and also see how many free services they can offer - i'd expect at least one within 6 weeks to tune it up, and hopefully another one. and maybe look into bike insurance - cycle guard do good deals.

What she said.  With a little bit of this...

There seems to be an ongoing war between the two camps, cyclists and car drivers reported from some quarters but I have to say, with a foot in both camps admittedly, I find 99% of car drivers patient, considerate and friendly.  I've had runs ins of course, who hasn't but I find the vast majority decent and good to share the road with.

Also, clipless are fantastic but build up to them as it might take a while. 

[RedJedi]

Thanks for the advice.

I have been considering clipless pedal, I'm just a little worried about falling off at every junction, but I guess that you just need to practise.

I have had both experiences with drivers so far. There is one particular left hand bend where some drivers like to get as close to the left as possible to leaving no room for me except to move in the gutter. This isn't help by a drain cover which is about 2 inches lower than the road surface. 

But I have had a few drivers who have moved away from the curb when stuck in traffic to let me through, always acknowledged by me.


Just to open a can of worms.....what are your views on helmets. I currently don't wear one, and having done a lot of reading up on it, and I am still not sure. If anything I am even less inclined to wear one.

[Pheeny]

You can get pedals that are both Clip in (Clipless) on one side and normal flat on the other.Ideal for in town riding.As for helmets I'd not go out on my bike without one and anyone that does is in my opinion an idiot.

[RedJedi]

I've been doing some more research on helmets

This site has a good summary of what I found

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/hfaq.html

It appears that helmets will help reduce minor head injuries but they have no real protection against major impacts, and in some case can cause rotational injuries, which do more damage and linear impacts.

Inadequate safety standards mean that helmets only have to protect against a straight impact at 12mph  from a height of 1.5 - 2m. Which is pretty much falling off a stationary bike and hitting a flat surface. I've done that many times as a kid and no damage was ever done.

If you get hit by a moving car or fall off when you've got your momentum going, the helmet will not do much more than protect against scrapes and cuts.

I have heard of cyclists having a car door opened in front of them and going head first over the top. A helmet will not help in these cases.

And the newer fashionable helmets with lots of holes in them seem even worse for protection.


So I'm still undecided but I'm inclined to continue not wearing one at the moment.

[Simon C]

I never go out without a helmet on, plain daft not to wear one IMO. Kivilev died not wearing a helmet when his head bounced off a kerb. If it's good enough for the pro's it's good enought for me.

I value my brains where they currently are.

[RedJedi]

He was racing and also had 2 cracked ribs which suggested he hit the ground alot faster than 12mph, in which case a  helmet may not have made a difference.

There have also been reports to show that motorists give an unhelmeted rider more room when passing, and even more to women.

[The G in Gerrard]

any places online which is best to get a bike from at the moment?

[Simon C]

He was racing and also had 2 cracked ribs which suggested he hit the ground alot faster than 12mph, in which case a  helmet may not have made a difference.

There have also been reports to show that motorists give an unhelmeted rider more room when passing, and even more to women.

He died of a fractured skull and it was proven that had he been wearing a helmet he would have probably lived.