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Bicycle age

P

Psychotext

Member
teepo said:
there's still sun out! what's wrong with you people!!!
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I turbo train all year, frankly I'd rather that than spent one minute on the roads near me.

On the subject of... god damn that session was a complete disaster. Legs just kept filling with lactic acid, and it was at the sort of power outputs that I can normally stay at forever. :(
 
M

Mascot

Member
This post popped up in my FB feed in a thread about motorists being prosecuted if they don't give cyclists enough room when overtaking. Thought it was worth sharing.
Are you about to comment on this post suggesting cyclists shouldn't be allowed on the road? If so, read this handy hints guide first. It’ll save you tiring your fingers frantically bashing the keyboard in some kind of fact-devoid, blind rage.

1. If your argument is centred around car drivers having a license and cyclists not, realise that the vast majority of cyclists are also car drivers. Being a cyclist does not suddenly preclude you from owning or driving a car. Ergo, most cyclists also have a license to be on the road.

2. If you argument is about car drivers paying road tax to allow them to use the road, realise that “road tax” does not exist. You pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). This is based on engine power and emissions. Cyclists have neither engine power nor emissions, so even if they were to be taxed, it would be in the lowest rate tax band. Yes, £0. And since it would cost money to administer this, that cost would be added to your tax bill. That’s right, the road upkeep is paid for by your council tax. And cyclists, since they too live in houses, also pay council tax.
At this juncture you may also wish to circle back to point 1 - most cyclists are also car drivers, so even if you don’t believe that VED is for emissions, then you still have to accept that cyclists who own cars also pay VED, or “road tax” as you seem to be intent on calling it.

3. If you wish to argue that cyclists should be insured because “who’s going to pay when they bump into my car and cause damage?” then you should know that being a member of British Cycling (£35/year) brings with it up to £10million of third party liability insurance. Additionally, since we’ve already established that cyclists live in houses (apartments, flats etc) they most likely have home contents insurance too. If they do, there is a chance that it includes some cycle cover that may extend to third party liability. If a cyclist bashes in to your car, that would be a good start point. If they have a valuable bike, then they probably have specialist insurance too and that very likely includes third-party liability.

4. If you think it’s wrong for cyclists to ride two abreast, please reacquaint yourself with the highway code. Specifically rule 66 (handily copied here: “never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends”) so two abreast is acceptable on normal roads. Rule 67 is also a good one “look well ahead for obstructions in the road, such as drains, pot-holes and parked vehicles so that you do not have to swerve suddenly to avoid them. Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path.” This is additionally pointed out in the official TFL advice to cyclists “Stay central on narrow roads. Try to ride away from the gutter. If the road is too narrow for vehicles to pass you safely, it might be safer to ride towards the middle of the lane to prevent dangerous overtaking by other vehicles”.

5. If your argument is about cyclists riding badly - well, yes you’re right, some do. They give the rest of us a bad name. Just like not all drivers are bad, just some of them. Unfortunately, a bad cyclist might slightly damage a car or get themselves killed. A bad car driver will kill other people, specifically vulnerable road users, like cyclists. The crux of this is simple - drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists all have a right to use the road safely. Those that do not adhere to the rules and those that drive or ride unsafely should be brought to task.
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M

Mascot

Member
Psychotext said:
I turbo train all year, frankly I'd rather that than spent one minute on the roads near me.
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I live in a little village on the coast and only do about two miles on actual roads going to and from the woods, the rest being a mix of coastal path and cycle path. I can still pretty much guarantee that some fucking impatient asshole will buzz close to me because they couldn't wait a few seconds to round the bend and see if the road ahead was clear. Two nights ago a fucking driving instructor did it!
 
J

jakonovski

Member
Someone'd been piling thick branches on my commute trail. Not that dangerous because it's a spot where you go slow, but annoying nonetheless.
 
T

Teggy

Member
I didn't realize they updated the Kickr. It is much, much quieter.

I think I am still leaning towards the Neo though, because it is even quieter and has the downhill and terrain sim. Figure if I am going to spend at least $1k I should just go all in if I expect to use it a lot.
 
R

RaySpencer

Member
Oh yeah! An indoor thingy for my new bike might be a good idea! I probably wont be riding it out side in -40 that it can get to here in Edmonton. Haha.

What do you guys recommend for a beginner?
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Teggy said:
I didn't realize they updated the Kickr. It is much, much quieter.

I think I am still leaning towards the Neo though, because it is even quieter and has the downhill and terrain sim. Figure if I am going to spend at least $1k I should just go all in if I expect to use it a lot.
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I would absolutely buy a Neo if I knew I could use it enough but the moment it gets light out in the morning and warm I bail on indoor riding.
 
T

teepo

Member
one major problem i had read about the neo is that it supposedly doesn't handle inertia well once you stop pedaling in zwift.
 
T

Teggy

Member
TarpitCarnivore said:
Don't base it entirely on how it works with Zwift, especially with something like inertia. That stuff can get fixed with software and Zwift isn't the end all be all of training tools. If it has the features you want then buy it
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Well I definitely want to use it with Zwift, and I'd consider handling that part of the experience more important than getting some occasional road simulation. The difference in noise is significantly less of an issue than it was before.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Think I'm going to get some Homage tires ordered and thrown on my bike for the fall. I keep wanting to go rip through the trails but my Gravel Kings just can't handle it.
 
D

danowat

Banned
Psychotext said:
Offset easily by the fact that a ton of your body's effort goes into cooling you. Cold weather is PR weather.

Up to a point obviously.
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I dunno, that's way offset by the increase in drag and the fact that your muscles aren't as efficient in cold weather.

All my fastest times have been set in the summer.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Glad I didn't go for the Whyte. Is ugly in person. Weight was right too... 13.2kg. Bizarre.

Ha, not sure I like the raw carbon on the Spectral either. At least you wouldn't worry about scratches.

Edit - Oh, and easily autumn / spring for my fastest times. But there's obviously a lot less reliance on aero for me.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
Ended up putting Ikons on my hardtail as the go to tyre, the most unimaginative choice in my neck of the woods. But at least they're skinwall, looks totally ace!

edit: and before another round of seatpost too tall, look at the skinwall depth. The camera is fisheyeing like crazy.

WB73J4a.jpg
 
L

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
jakonovski said:
Ended up putting Ikons on my hardtail as the go to tyre, the most unimaginative choice in my neck of the woods. But at least they're skinwall, looks totally ace!
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Oooh, how much for that rack!?

BTW, do white tires always become yellow with the sun? Mine did. :S
 
T

Teggy

Member
But how do you go fast with that teeny tiny crank?

Did a century today up the New Hampshire and Maine coast. Lots of nice views.

e7f06a352a9e85dc0ed83397bceb8bfd.jpg
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Rear end is still giving me a ton of problems. Now I'm getting chafing under my butt cheeks in addition to all the other problems. Really frustrating and really discouraging.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Have you had your ass measured yet? If not, would you like to know how to do it?

Unrelated... properly gutted about my Canyon order now... but I guess not as gutted as I'd have been had it arrived and I hated it.

I'm half tempted to just buy some used full suss and wait for Hope's carbon beast that's coming next year.
 
T

Teggy

Member
Psychotext said:
Have you had your ass measured yet? If not, would you like to know how to do it?
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Are you trying to pick me up?

I did the Specialized doohickey where you sit on the spongy thing?

Is there any possibility that my shorts are too big? I wear a medium and they are really snug to get on, but my butt sweats a lot and I notice when the chamois gets soaked it starts to sag, which could be contributing to the chafing. But I couldn't imagine the small fitting my waist.

That wouldn't explain sitbone pain, though.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
It's quite probable to be honest. Like saddles, chamois come in different widths, and you'll have to mess around quite a lot to find what suits you best.

My problem is that I have very big thighs (for my overall size) and a non existent ass... so a number of the MTB undershorts cut off the circulation to my legs whilst being bunched up around my ass. It's ridiculous.

For road cycling there's a ton more range though (mostly by virtue of having to cater for both massive legged sprinters and tiny little climbers).

For the sitbone pain... you might just need to HTFU. Tough ass comes from many days in the saddle, it's like any other physiological adaptation. But it could be that your saddle is supporting you in the wrong place, and your padding in your shorts etc isn't where it needs to be.

Oh, and a chamois pad is supposed to breathe, not get soaked... ever.
 
T

Teggy

Member
Psychotext said:
It's quite probable to be honest. Like saddles, chamois come in different widths, and you'll have to mess around quite a lot to find what suits you best.

My problem is that I have very big thighs (for my overall size) and a non existent ass... so a number of the MTB undershorts cut off the circulation to my legs whilst being bunched up around my ass. It's ridiculous.

For road cycling there's a ton more range though (mostly by virtue of having to cater for both massive legged sprinters and tiny little climbers).

For the sitbone pain... you might just need to HTFU. Tough ass comes from many days in the saddle, it's like any other physiological adaptation. But it could be that your saddle is supporting you in the wrong place, and your padding in your shorts etc isn't where it needs to be.

Oh, and a chamois pad is supposed to breathe, not get soaked... ever.
Click to expand...

Interesting. My chamois definitely soaks up a lot. Is there a guide for chamois based on butt type? Should I photocopy my rear and send it someone?

My butt is big.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Do you have wide sitbones to go with your big butt, or just a lot of flesh?

Oh, and you could look at this: http://www.endurasport.com/support/pad_fit/... but they're crazy expensive, and even with the right width, they still might not be right for you.

But yeah, dump any pad that gives you a soggy crotch pretty much immediately. There's no way to recover from that.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Teggy said:
Interesting. My chamois definitely soaks up a lot. Is there a guide for chamois based on butt type? Should I photocopy my rear and send it someone?

My butt is big.
Click to expand...

Nope, literally trial and error. You want to pay attention to the stitching (like number of panels) and the balance of the padding. Too many shorts have an improper balance, meaning the front of the chamois is too low.

There's some "how to's" on buying but it's really mostly trial and error.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
New tires and bar tape for the fall/winter: Swapped out the 32c Panaracer Gravel Kings for 42c SimWork x Panaracer Homage tires. The bike looks WAY better with these beats on them, but I'm still planning to get another wheel set next spring to swap between 32 & 42.

xoUcyX8.jpg

fm7EnV5.jpg
 
P

Psychotext

Member
I have literally one pair of bibs which I love... and the rest range from fucking awful to just about useable. One set of my MTB undershorts was so bad that I took about a week to recover from the ride. Had complete swampcrotch about 4 hours in, and still had a good 32 hours to go. :(

I'm yet to find a pair of undershorts that I love.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Fantastic supercar perving at Silverstone today, but I got crippling right leg hamstring cramps in the pub this evening. I'll be absolutely gutted if this fucks up tomorrow's trip to Swinley.

Still 'toight'.
 
T

Teggy

Member
Psychotext said:
Do you have wide sitbones to go with your big butt, or just a lot of flesh?

Oh, and you could look at this: http://www.endurasport.com/support/pad_fit/... but they're crazy expensive, and even with the right width, they still might not be right for you.

But yeah, dump any pad that gives you a soggy crotch pretty much immediately. There's no way to recover from that.
Click to expand...

I had to go up one size on my saddle. I don't know if they are exceptionally wide.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Are you chaffing or bruising? Does it hurt more sitting down or when you're in the shower cleaning?

Chaf could be from any one thing: loose chamois is probably the likely culprit, but there's also the possibility of rocking in the saddle (seat to high, too far back, pedal, etc)
 
H

HTupolev

Member
Bridgestone RB-T? Potentially?

6WX3SMO.jpg


Hmm...

bEtZarB.jpg


The headset is being crappy. Ugh.

This frame is tiny, so to size it to myself I'm probably going to need to stick with a pretty big stem, or else I'll have to get excessively aero. Oh well, it's a Bridgestone... Grant Petersen approves of huge stems, maybe, or something.
 
T

Teggy

Member
TarpitCarnivore said:
Are you chaffing or bruising? Does it hurt more sitting down or when you're in the shower cleaning?

Chaf could be from any one thing: loose chamois is probably the likely culprit, but there's also the possibility of rocking in the saddle (seat to high, too far back, pedal, etc)
Click to expand...

Chafing, I can feel the rawness if I touch it.

Something that I have noticed is that it happens first on the right side of my body.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Teggy said:
Chafing, I can feel the rawness if I touch it.

Something that I have noticed is that it happens first on the right side of my body.
Click to expand...

Is your center mass straight: seat nose straight and not right/left, handle bar straight, cleat balance, etc? This would be the first and easiest thing to check.

Right side dominance is not unusual in cycling so it wouldn't surprise me if you're balanced more over one side than the others from a physio standpoint, meaning when you pedal your more emphasized one way. Check out some of the videos here: https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/04/the-right-side-bias/
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Mascot said:
Gorgeous here at Swinley today. Blue skies and warm sun. Can't believe it's almost October.
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Buds and I are so happy for fall. I love Summer because it means longer rides and warm weather, but there's nothing like the crisp air warming up through the day, especially when ripping through the woods.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
Went to my third race in as many weekends today. I think I need to rest a bit now...oof.

Lonely1 said:
Oooh, how much for that rack!?

BTW, do white tires always become yellow with the sun? Mine did. :S
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The rack is like 10 euros from a random German online retailer.

The tyres are supposed to be tan colored and are brand new, no discoloration there.

Teggy said:
But how do you go fast with that teeny tiny crank?
Click to expand...

The crank is a standard 175mm so I take it you mean the chainring. :p

A top gear of 32x11 has been enough for me on the trails, more than I'll ever need in fact. On the road you can go about 40kph with a high-ish cadence, which again is enough for me.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
jakonovski said:
A top gear of 32x11 has been enough for me on the trails, more than I'll ever need in fact. On the road you can go about 40kph with a high-ish cadence, which again is enough for me.
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Any time I mountain bike I have trouble gearing and end up smashing it into every new trail start. I gotta get good at spinning better and not slamming so much like a road bike.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
I suck at finding the right gear off road and have to push the bike up hills I would theoretically have the legs for.

Sometimes I get perfect cadence for a lengthy stretch by accident and it's awesome and then the bubble bursts, usually with a terrible noise from the cassette.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
I'm trying to work on flowing so I don't have to slam as much coming out of turns, but man is that hard (for me). It's especially frustrating when I'm feeling good and pushing it only to nearly eat shit and get my confidence knocked off.
 
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