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[jakonovski]

Went for a longish mtb ride this morning. Thought it would be nice and fresh but the woods were humid as fuck. I sweated so much I now have a dehydration headache (and not enough coffee to boot).

edit: also, BBC stream of Women's Olympic Road Race coming up in 15. The lone Finnish cyclist of the olympics, Lotta Lepistö, is taking part. Finally someone to actually root for!

 

[frontieruk]

Went for a longish mtb ride this morning. Thought it would be nice and fresh but the woods were humid as fuck. I sweated so much I now have a dehydration headache (and not enough coffee to boot).

edit: also, BBC stream of Women's Olympic Road Race coming up in 15. The lone Finnish cyclist of the olympics, Lotta Lepistö, is taking part. Finally someone to actually root for!

Hmmmmm I need to find my remote see if the TV has coverage.

Hope you're feeling better, dehydration headaches are a bitch

 

[jakonovski]

Several pints of mineral water and some ibuprofen is working wonders!

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Went for a longish mtb ride this morning. Thought it would be nice and fresh but the woods were humid as fuck. I sweated so much I now have a dehydration headache (and not enough coffee to boot).

edit: also, BBC stream of Women's Olympic Road Race coming up in 15. The lone Finnish cyclist of the olympics, Lotta Lepistö, is taking part. Finally someone to actually root for!

Whenever I would ride my bike in the woods on a humid day it felt like death. Literally Dagobah

 

[thomaser]

Tried a new gravel climb today! I've wanted to do it for a long time, but people kept telling me it was dangerous. It wasn't, at all. Just a lot of wind at the top that made it hard to stay on the fairly wide road. There's a power mast at the top.

Great views westward towards the Atlantic Ocean and the town I live in. It's in there somewhere, hidden behind a mountain.

 

[jakonovski]

Geography is so unfair. I want mountains in Finland too! Stop hogging them Norway!

 

[thomaser]

Geography is so unfair. I want mountains in Finland too! Stop hogging them Norway!

We're actually considering giving you one.

 

[jakonovski]

Good.

grumpycat.jpg

 

[frontieruk]

Holy shit that crash... I've seen broken ragdoll physics that don't bend like that. Hope Annemiek van Vleuten is OK.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Holy shit that crash... I've seen broken ragdoll physics that don't bend like that. Hope Annemiek van Vleuten is OK.

She's speaking again according to Dutch TV

 

[frontieruk]

She's speaking again according to Dutch TV

Good to hear she was out cold.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Good to hear she was out cold.

Just read it's a concussion and 3 cracked vertebrae. :-/

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Got a new bike for the park

 

[Teggy]

Looks like the Toupe Sport is the stock saddle on Allez. A lot of people swear by the Toupe or Romin, and some love the Power Pro. I borrowed the Toupe or Romin, forget which, and it felt so hard while adjusting I just didn't bother. I still want to try one for a longer period of time.

Anyway, if the place you got your bike from is a Specialized dealer they may have their assometer that helps measure sit bones. So that would be step one in figuring out width. After that it could be the angle up or down that is causing pressure b/c those seats have cutouts so there shouldn't be any pressure. That said, I do know of some people who feel more pressure with cutouts.

As far as padding goes when you have your bibs on get in a position like you would be on the bike and feel where the pad is. if it's not positioned over your sit bones, then there ya go. The chamois should be tight to your backside and not have much movement, if none at all.

This is the saddle

Phenom Comp GT, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm

They definitely have all the Specialized body geometry stuff so hopefully they should be able to guide me.

 

[frontieruk]

Just read it's a concussion and 3 cracked vertebrae. :-/

Not good but it could of been a lot worse.

 

[Mascot]

Fitted a new BB on Saturday morning and went out for 25 very hot (but wonderfully click-free) miles around the woods before heading to an afternoon BBQ in Portishead with a bunch of old friends. I took the bike along so that I could hit the nearby Leigh Woods on the Sunday, a place I absolutely love but haven't ridden in quite some time.

That was the plan, anyway.

Let's just say that lager, Guinness, prosecco, vodka, tequila, gin, Jagermeister, red wine, white wine and sake are not a good mix to drink in the hot sun on an empty stomach after a long and sweaty bike ride. I spent half of Sunday dying in bed and the other half dying on the sofa, and had to stop the car twice on the drive home to throw up in a verge.

What a total waste of a day. I'm still feeling awful this morning but am determined to hit the woods this evening and flush the rest of this poison out of my system. Goddammit, it seemed like such a good idea at the time.

 

[Psychotext]

I just can't drink like I used to these days. Don't even try.

 

[Mascot]

I just can't drink like I used to these days. Don't even try.

Yeah, I rarely drink at all these days, that's why it hits me extra-hard when I do. It was one of those afternoons that just kind of ran away with itself.

Holy fuck check out this run at Davos Klosters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGlmmndVkVg

Switzerland just jumped to the top of my holiday bucket list.

 

[Dancing Queen]

My first metric century has been completed:

Beautiful bike. What model is it?

I have Allez E5 Sport and the colors are similar.

 

[danowat]

It's bloody windy today........

In positive news, a team mate of mine won his first Elite national MTB race at Cannock Chase, so that's good news.

 

[Mascot]

It's bloody windy today........

In positive news, a team mate of mine won his first Elite national MTB race at Cannock Chase, so that's good news.

Jason Bouttell?

 

[danowat]

Jason Bouttell?

Yeah, he races MTB for one team, and time trials for the same small team I am in, Velovelocity.

 

[Mascot]

Yeah, he races MTB for one team, and time trials for the same small team I am in, Velovelocity.

It's not real MTB though, is it? They wear spandex..!

 

[danowat]

It's not real MTB though, is it? They wear spandex..!

I guess you could wear baggies, if you aren't worried about winning!

 

[Mascot]

I guess you could wear baggies, if you aren't worried about winning!

Looking cool is a lot more important than winning.

 

[Ripenen]

Those of you who ride road and MTB, how do you balance the two? I got a mountain bike about six months ago and have barely touched my road bike since. I feel guilty because my road bike has given me years of great rides and now it just sits in my garage.

 

[Mascot]

Those of you who ride road and MTB, how do you balance the two? I got a mountain bike about six months ago and have barely touched my road bike since. I feel guilty because my road bike has given me years of great rides and now it just sits in my garage.

Quite right too!

 

[Teggy]

Beautiful bike. What model is it?

I have Allez E5 Sport and the colors are similar.

Roubaix SL4 Sport

 

[-SG]

Those of you who ride road and MTB, how do you balance the two? I got a mountain bike about six months ago and have barely touched my road bike since. I feel guilty because my road bike has given me years of great rides and now it just sits in my garage.

I don't balance them very well at all either. Ever since I went full roadie my MTB usually only gets out when I ride around with my girlfriend. I try to go to the local trails at least once every 2 weeks for some serious rides but I'm just too obsessed with my road bike right now to get back into it.

 

[jakonovski]

I just go back and forth between road and mountain every couple of months. And lots of cyclocross inspired riding in the autumn. Which reminds me, gotta get tubeless cx tires!

 

[Psychotext]

Roadies are too scared to do a lot of mountain biking. Generally pretty worried about scratching up their perfectly waxed legs and mussing their tailored bibs.

On the subject of... don't try bike park stuff with broken bones in your hands. It's fucking terrifying not being able to hold the handlebars properly.

 

[Mikeside]

So I've done the ride from work home a couple of times now & it's pretty great.

Almost all off-road except for one chunk of road in the middle.
There's only one hill I can't get up, but my goal for the week is to make it by Friday.

I thought my fitness must be absolutely diabolical - it's 4 miles and on Friday last week (my first big ride) it very nearly killed me.

Turns out the bike shop didn't inflate my tires enough despite telling me it was ready to ride - was on 20psi. I've upped it to 40 and the ride home this evening was much more bareable

 

[Psychotext]

Shitty bike shop service is one of the best reasons to learn how to maintain your bike yourself.

There are some good ones out there, but they're very few and far between in my experience.

 

[HTupolev]

On the subject of... don't try bike park stuff with broken bones in your hands. It's fucking terrifying not being able to hold the handlebars properly.

Sounds like a great opportunity to get on the road and practice the phantoms!

Hm, pretty sure my bike can take 28s...

But can it take 48s?

D:

 

[Psychotext]

The hell are the phantoms?

 

[jakonovski]

I think I'm gonna put a medium wet weather tyre (Maxxis Beaver) in the front of the XC bike with a semi slick still in the rear (Conti Race King). Ought to give me rolling speed and confidence when the forest turns wet like it always does.

 

[HTupolev]

The hell are the phantoms?

Phantom aerobars. Forearms on the tops. Hands resting in free space.

 

[Psychotext]

Can't do that either, I chipped my elbow in a crash (same one that did my finger and thumb) and the whole area is still fucked.

I think I'm gonna put a medium wet weather tyre (Maxxis Beaver) in the front of the XC bike with a semi slick still in the rear (Conti Race King). Ought to give me rolling speed and confidence when the forest turns wet like it always does.

That's a huge difference in grip. You'll just wash out the rear in any fast cornering.

 

[Psychotext]

.

 

[Mikeside]

Shitty bike shop service is one of the best reasons to learn how to maintain your bike yourself.

There are some good ones out there, but they're very few and far between in my experience.

With that in mind - what should I be doing to keep my chain and all the gears in good nick?

I just used a bit of the muc-off drivetrain cleaner, spun the pedals backward to give the chain a good coating then sprayed it all over the gears, then did the same with water, followed by some lubricant stuff on the chain - is this alright or am I missing anything?

 

[Psychotext]

That's basically right.

I spray off the worst of the crap with a hose first. Then use the drivetrain cleaner. Spray the chain again. Dry it with a rag. Put on lube. Wipe off excess.

 

[Teggy]

But can it take 48s?

D:

It I break out a hammer, maybe.

 

[jakonovski]

That's a huge difference in grip. You'll just wash out the rear in any fast cornering.

Never happened yet with the other bike's High Roller/Ardent Race combo, so I'm gonna give it a shot. If it's too much I can put the current front tyre, X-King, in the rear.

The reason I want to do this is because it's practically always the front that washes out. If the rear slides I can usually handle it just fine. When I shredded my knee it was light drizzle making rocks and roots slippery and the front just went without warning.

 

[Mascot]

Shitty bike shop service is one of the best reasons to learn how to maintain your bike yourself.

It's also immensely rewarding, saves a ton of money, and is actually a lot of fun - if you have the correct tools. I love working on the bike early in the morning at this time of year. Garage open, sun streaming in, Danny Baker on Five Live, tools at the ready... it's very therapeutic. And with YouTube choc-full of professionally-made instructional videos for just about any task imaginable there's no excuse for not giving it a go.

 

[Psychotext]

Never happened yet with the other bike's High Roller/Ardent Race combo, so I'm gonna give it a shot. If it's too much I can put the current front tyre, X-King, in the rear.

Grip on high rollers is nothing compared to what a beaver can offer, and ardent race is grippier than a race king in my experience (race kings are shit for all sorts of reasons). X-Kings are good though.

The reason I want to do this is because it's practically always the front that washes out. If the rear slides I can usually handle it just fine. When I shredded my knee it was light drizzle making rocks and roots slippery and the front just went without warning.

So why not have reasonable grip on both ends? Unless you're spending a massive amount of time on hard surfaces you just don't need semi slicks.

Crashes from losing the rear are less painful as a general rule... but they still hurt.

Edit- This from a perspective of a hard tail rider for what it's worth. You need to be EXTREMELY careful in managing grip as you don't have the shock compensating for you.

And with YouTube choc-full of professionally-made instructional videos for just about any task imaginable there's no excuse for not giving it a go.

Yeah, it's a lot easier than the old days.

 

[teepo]

it's only natural to pack your bike to bring with you on vacation, right? i had a six day stay at the outer banks and managed managed to squeeze 140 miles on nearly flat terrain. my 70 mile ride only had 130ft in elevation gains while the others barely reached 30ft. riding in that type of environment was fun but i def am grateful for living in a somewhat moderately hilly area where the wind isn't consistently beating you down. i can't imagine dealing with those type of headwinds on a daily basis and the flat terrain can be mentally draining as well as tiring on your legs.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

it's only natural to pack your bike to bring with you on vacation, right? i had a six day stay at the outer banks and managed managed to squeeze 140 miles on nearly flat terrain. my 70 mile ride only had 130ft in elevation gains while the others barely reached 30ft. riding in that type of environment was fun but i def am grateful for living in a somewhat moderately hilly area where the wind isn't consistently beating you down. i can't imagine dealing with those type of headwinds on a daily basis and the flat terrain can be mentally draining as well as tiring on your legs.

Looks like a great place to break up your usual riding monotony. And I agree about the dead flat. It can be fun every few days but to always ride dead flat would drive me nuts (some people do it near me).

 

[Mascot]

*pics*

Very nice - looks like a lovely part of the planet. Where is it?

In other news, I noticed an odd hollow rattle from the rear end over rough ground during yesterday's evening ride, so gave all hardware a thorough torque check when I got home. Turns out my rear cassette was loose - like, very loose. The cluster of big cogs could rotate independently of the rest by around 10°..! Shifting was unaffected, which was weird - I guess the chain load on the cogs rotated them to the correct position. Anyway, torqued the lock ring up to 40Nm and all is well again in the world.

That's the fun of doing between 100 - 125 miles a week over rough ground and banging over rocks and fallen trees I guess - more frequent maintenance checks required and parts to replace. I fitted a new BB last weekend, need new SPDs (I don't *think* I can strip these down and redo the bearings), need to bleed my brakes (might get away with a burp, we'll see) and recently replaced the pads again, chain's getting close to needing mending with a new one, wheel truing is a twice-monthly affair, hubs could do with a repack, gears need tweaking once a month, suspension bushes are developing a tiny bit of play, shocks probably need servicing soon...

It might be easier to buy a new bike..!

 

[HTupolev]

The cluster of big cogs could rotate independently of the rest by around 10°..!

That's odd. The splines should be holding the cog rotation rigid relative to the freehub... The lockring isn't for preventing relative cog rotation, it's for preventing the cassette from sliding left and right. Are you sure that the lockring slippage wasn't caused by a catastrophic issue with the freehub and/or cassette?

 

[Mascot]

That's odd. The splines should be holding the cog rotation rigid relative to the freehub... The lockring isn't for preventing relative cog rotation, it's for preventing the cassette from sliding left and right. Are you sure that the lockring slippage wasn't caused by a catastrophic issue with the freehub and/or cassette?

Yeah, I thought it weird at the time. I was a fix late last night with the plan to take a closer look at it in the daylight this afternoon.