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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
Christoff Yurievich
Member
I don't have a smartphone otherwise I would. :/
It sucks just knowing that I let them down.
Crits are a blast and you should definitely be going for wins. Work through the pain!
Yeah, challenge this week for sure. I need to get in some good endurance practice and this'll be a good motivator.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
Wind has been awful here in Austin, TX lately too. Temps are fine, but the wind has just been brutal.
I'm hanging up my Specialized Allez road bike in favor brand new Cannondale CAAD 8 the company sent me to ride for a few weeks. I write reviews for all kinds of outdoor and travel gear and they wanted to hook me up to cover the bike. Looking forward to taking it out for the first spin later today.
GalacticSushiman
Member
You can pick up a Garmin 305 or something similar for ~150, probably cheaper if you shop around.
I'm doing a KOM challenge, basically three difficult centuries in the next month and a half (4/13, 5/4 and 5/18), so I'm trying to keep my nose clean, as I can't really afford any injuries. After those and maybe a bit of a break, since I've been in training cycles from early Jan, I'll switch gears and put more concentration on racing (which includes picking a team to join).
Funny, I thought I'd enjoy road races and just tolerate crits, and it is the opposite. Crits are all the fun parts of road races squished down to a short period of time. Also, less likely to get seriously injured by some moron that can't handle their bike in a crit.
Finally some staying weather here. First real ride of season, and with new bike at that. Such a difference on a road bike. A few mph faster average, and that was a first ride...
Was a fairly quick ride of 40min, but it felt good to just get back out there after trapped inside all winter and even last season from June-November due to the ankle injury. Nice to be moving again.
Was a fairly quick ride of 40min, but it felt good to just get back out there after trapped inside all winter and even last season from June-November due to the ankle injury. Nice to be moving again.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Really? Huh, I'll look around then. Thanks.
Darth Pinche
Member
Great news man! I remember my first rides post injury were fantastic.
Trying to find a good deal on a Quarq or SRM and craigslist is driving me crazy. Search for Quarq and you get bottle cages, brakes, wheels, bikes, all sorts of things except Quarq cranks. People list paragraphs of tags that have nothing to do with the item they are selling. It makes me just want to flag them all, although it doesn't seem like what they are doing is against craigslist's rules.
Do people honestly think someone looking for a Quarq or Zipp 404s is going to accidentally find bottle cages that they really want?
It's almost enough to make me want to use eBay.
Do people honestly think someone looking for a Quarq or Zipp 404s is going to accidentally find bottle cages that they really want?
It's almost enough to make me want to use eBay.
It's probably worth going on eBay just for the better deals. When I move up to the A category (some day. maybe I'll go to grad school to make that happen) I'll get one along with a nice wheelset.
I think the problem with the road races right now is that it's just a mess. No team tactics and the Cat 5's and C's have such a wide range of ability that the groups fall apart easily. If you get stuck behind someone falling off and can't get around then you've got to put in a good amount of effort to get back or are stuck fending for yourself or going at a pace that pisses you off.
I think the problem with the road races right now is that it's just a mess. No team tactics and the Cat 5's and C's have such a wide range of ability that the groups fall apart easily. If you get stuck behind someone falling off and can't get around then you've got to put in a good amount of effort to get back or are stuck fending for yourself or going at a pace that pisses you off.
Psychotext
Member
So it's warm enough that I sweat buckets on the trainer now... but too cold to use my monster fan.
DAMNIT! lol
DAMNIT! lol
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
Alright so I am in the market for a nice mountain bike that I will also ride about 10miles on the road each day. I live in Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas so it's time for a nice mountain bike. I am looking for a hard tail bike. I am 6'2". Someone recommended that I check bikes direct.
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
I think I definitely want a 29er. What brands shine?
davidnic
Member
Giant Talon 29er O (2013)
I have a Talon 2012 model it is very nice for the price. But I am not mountain bike expect I am a road cyclist but I have Giant Road and TT bike there are very nice and perform well for the price.
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
Sorry, should have put that I am trying to spend $800USD or less.
Came across this. I like the white one.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom29_comp_xii.htm
Go to your LBS.
Go to Craigslist.
Don't get a 29er.
davidnic
Member
sasimirobot
Junior Member
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/855921126/revolights-wheels?ref=live
Sorry if this bike has been mentioned before, but the revolights Valencia looks really nice. Has the lights built into the wheels. But that price tag! ouch...
Sorry if this bike has been mentioned before, but the revolights Valencia looks really nice. Has the lights built into the wheels. But that price tag! ouch...
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Hey all..I've got possibly a stupid question. I want to start using a trainer (CycleOps) I was given a couple of winters ago and was wondering, do I have to change the skewer before I hit the road or is it alright to use on the regular? It'd be great if I didn't have to change it all the time. I'm assuming it should be fine, but would like to stay on the safe side..new to road bikes.
davidnic
Member
I not sure what a CycleOps skewer looks like but I assume it is then same as a normal one with different ends so it can fit in the trainer, if so yes it is ok to use on the road.
Psychotext
Member
Trainer skewers are just heavier / stronger. Nothing stopping you keeping it in there for when you're out and about.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Excellent. Thanks for the info..I'll be using it a bunch if that's the case.
Third in the TTT with our second that never practices. Proud of the teammates who did some really, really good work. Lost some time due to technical issues. Also, 20m of visibility fog over the course and 30 degree weather. My beard was frosty.
Legs were dead in the crit since I pulled for the majority of the TTT.
Got DQ'd from the Road Race because an official pointed me in the wrong direction. Also, a team mate (who is not really a team mate, just some mother fucker who never comes to practice and races for us) gave the impression of going for an attack. I was on the front setting the pace and he shot by so I let up a little and shouted "GO!" So he decides to look back at me and sit up. Everyone sprints up to him and I snap off the back because I'd been pulling the group up a long hill with 20-30mph headwinds. So he pretty much fucked the team over with that move because we had amazing positioning. I could mostly defend any attack if nobody was on the wheel. If all the climbers chased the SOB teammate then our guy could sit tight while we caught their tired asses on the decent.
Instead, I dropped off (and got misdirected by officials), the sprint messed with positioning during the first lap which screws up getting into a good spot for the decent, and then we didn't get first. Three guys still got into the top 10 but come on.
Was feeling incredibly solid today. Could have done way better if that shithead didn't pull that. Lesson learned: that guy is not 'really' on the team so I should shut his gaps down.
Legs were dead in the crit since I pulled for the majority of the TTT.
Got DQ'd from the Road Race because an official pointed me in the wrong direction. Also, a team mate (who is not really a team mate, just some mother fucker who never comes to practice and races for us) gave the impression of going for an attack. I was on the front setting the pace and he shot by so I let up a little and shouted "GO!" So he decides to look back at me and sit up. Everyone sprints up to him and I snap off the back because I'd been pulling the group up a long hill with 20-30mph headwinds. So he pretty much fucked the team over with that move because we had amazing positioning. I could mostly defend any attack if nobody was on the wheel. If all the climbers chased the SOB teammate then our guy could sit tight while we caught their tired asses on the decent.
Instead, I dropped off (and got misdirected by officials), the sprint messed with positioning during the first lap which screws up getting into a good spot for the decent, and then we didn't get first. Three guys still got into the top 10 but come on.
Was feeling incredibly solid today. Could have done way better if that shithead didn't pull that. Lesson learned: that guy is not 'really' on the team so I should shut his gaps down.
Very hard 'century' yesterday. 120 miles with >13k climbing. Was popping endurolytes like candy, ended up having to clip out a leg and stretch while riding to keep it from locking up. Some of the climbs were very brutal, 1/3 mile with 16% average, lots of mile stretches at 10%. Had two people run me over the center line, if you want to descend slowly, stay to the right, especially when someone calls out 'on your left' from behind you. Total time is ~8:57, spent way too much time at the check points (about an hour). Had one flat, but I changed it fairly quickly <5 minutes.
Descending Rock Store (credits Jon Connington):
Was planning to put out a quick 30 miler today, but beer, food and rest sounds like a whole lot more fun.
vidcons: Nice race report. Was he just riding his own race? I've seen a lot of clubs/teams where they basically just wear the same kit.
Descending Rock Store (credits Jon Connington):
Was planning to put out a quick 30 miler today, but beer, food and rest sounds like a whole lot more fun.
vidcons: Nice race report. Was he just riding his own race? I've seen a lot of clubs/teams where they basically just wear the same kit.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Bought a new bike last Thursday. Well, 'new' bike as it's a 2000 Lemond Buenos Aires. Paid $420 for it and after tuning it Saturday and buying some shoes I went on a 76 mile trek.
I'm training for a century in May, and this is my second 'big' ride so far. Currently I'm riding to and from work (14 miles one way) as well as one ride on the weekend. Some problems I noticed, and maybe you'll have some input: I was fine up to mile 50, eating snacks (granola bars, trail mix) and then a peanut butter/banana sandwich but after that I started flagging hard. I had another sandwich plus constant snacking on trail mix and lots of water but I just couldn't maintain the same avg speed. Previous to 50 it hovered around 20mph but after it dropped to 15. Is it just endurance related in that I can get better, or was I just not keeping myself properly maintained? i.e. more water, more food, what have you. Thanks in advance.
I'm training for a century in May, and this is my second 'big' ride so far. Currently I'm riding to and from work (14 miles one way) as well as one ride on the weekend. Some problems I noticed, and maybe you'll have some input: I was fine up to mile 50, eating snacks (granola bars, trail mix) and then a peanut butter/banana sandwich but after that I started flagging hard. I had another sandwich plus constant snacking on trail mix and lots of water but I just couldn't maintain the same avg speed. Previous to 50 it hovered around 20mph but after it dropped to 15. Is it just endurance related in that I can get better, or was I just not keeping myself properly maintained? i.e. more water, more food, what have you. Thanks in advance.
Psychotext
Member
Could you simply have been trying to go too hard, too fast? How was your heart rate?
You need to pace yourself. On your long rides keep it so you can effortlessly carry on a conversation. You don't have too many weeks to prepare, so I'd concentrate on low intensity, long efforts (base miles). If you notice your breathing picking up, back off. A century is an accomplishment, your next one can be faster.
Also, yes, you will get stronger, but you never get to ignore pacing.
Also, yes, you will get stronger, but you never get to ignore pacing.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
I don't know my heart rate per se, but it was normal-ish for the most part. I mean, I didn't feel like I was exerting myself any harder than I do on my treks to and from work, though the first half was significantly less hilly than the second. Thinking more about it, it's possible I was too excited about trying out the bike and pushed it harder than I should have. Kind of a, "this is a fast bike so I should be going fast" mentality.
Also, what is this screw for? There's one on both sides.
Also, what is this screw for? There's one on both sides.
Darth Pinche
Member
I believe the screws are to adjust the position of the axle in the dropout and thus chain tension. They were used more often when people did not have 8-10 speed drivetrains and would switch the whole cassette to match the terrain (track, climbing etc).
Dropout adjuster screws. For fiddling with t'wheelbase, I believe. I've never seen the point in them.
My little singlespeed jump bike has screws that go the opposite way, to maintain correct chain tension.
Ah, are they for chain tension on road bikes too?
You learn a new thing every day. I'd assumed it was purely wheelbase length for handling adjustments.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
So if I had an issue with the wheel going crooked in mid-ride, would I lessen the tension on them? Because the wheel went sideways and I reset it but it went sideways again a few miles later. It didn't do it again past that, but it was very annoying and made me nervous.
I'm not sure what a normal-ish heart rate is. 
Your treks to and from work are short, you can ride above LT w/o any recovery for a short ride. IMO, your long rides right now should be more about preparing you for the century than training fitness. Just take it slow, pay attention to what your body is saying and get used to being in the saddle for a couple hours.
Make sure the skewers are on tight (especially if there are no lawyer tabs on the dropout). Your wheel should not be moving, you really need to address that. If you can't figure it out, take it to a bike shop. Bike crashes can be very serious.
Also, clean that bike.
Your treks to and from work are short, you can ride above LT w/o any recovery for a short ride. IMO, your long rides right now should be more about preparing you for the century than training fitness. Just take it slow, pay attention to what your body is saying and get used to being in the saddle for a couple hours.
Make sure the skewers are on tight (especially if there are no lawyer tabs on the dropout). Your wheel should not be moving, you really need to address that. If you can't figure it out, take it to a bike shop. Bike crashes can be very serious.
Also, clean that bike.
easy fix on a ride to get back into town is to just bend your wheel. back the end that needs bending on the ground.
don't screw with spokes without a tru'ing stand, and especially if you don't know what you're doing.
how crooked was your wheel. if it's just a little out of alignment then you can open the brakes up a bit. definitely worth getting fixed unless the wheels are dinky and go out of wack (are you past the weight limit for them?). if that's the case, get new wheels, which shouldn't be expensive since you'll just need something sturdy to support you.
Chiro popped my shoulder in today, no more pain! I got more faith in the treatment for my hips now, which is still in no biking condition but getting much better.
You really should get yourself a HR monitor. It's hard for me to tell the difference between say 140 and 155 HR, I can keep the former running easily through a 200K but the 155 would start to become difficult to maintain 100 miles in. Eating is good but don't overdo it btw, you'll have to figure out what works for you but for me it doesn't help to put more than a granola bar or something similar every hr (~200cal max). And experiment before your century, not during -- found out I can't handle rice during a long ride and in the middle of a huge climb, thankfully there's barely anyone that rides randos around here since I was cursing at anything and everything from heat, hills and the worst stomach cramp in recent memory.
You really should get yourself a HR monitor. It's hard for me to tell the difference between say 140 and 155 HR, I can keep the former running easily through a 200K but the 155 would start to become difficult to maintain 100 miles in. Eating is good but don't overdo it btw, you'll have to figure out what works for you but for me it doesn't help to put more than a granola bar or something similar every hr (~200cal max). And experiment before your century, not during -- found out I can't handle rice during a long ride and in the middle of a huge climb, thankfully there's barely anyone that rides randos around here since I was cursing at anything and everything from heat, hills and the worst stomach cramp in recent memory.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
I'm not sure what a normal-ish heart rate is.
Your treks to and from work are short, you can ride above LT w/o any recovery for a short ride. IMO, your long rides right now should be more about preparing you for the century than training fitness. Just take it slow, pay attention to what your body is saying and get used to being in the saddle for a couple hours.
Make sure the skewers are on tight (especially if there are no lawyer tabs on the dropout). Your wheel should not be moving, you really need to address that. If you can't figure it out, take it to a bike shop. Bike crashes can be very serious.
Also, clean that bike.
Alright, that all sounds good. I'm taking it to the shop I bought it from on the way home today. As for the bike: it's already cleaned. I took that shot when I got back from the ride, and it was a wet one.
It's hard to describe what happened. It wasn't the wheel so much as the entire axle went sideways and made the wheel rub on the frame. The wheel/rim itself is fine and doesn't really need truing. I'm fast approaching 200 (down 15 lbs since 4/1) so I don't think I'm past the weight limit, but I will check when I get a chance.
Yeah, it's definitely something I'm keeping in mind for longer treks. I'm doing a ride this weekend and I'm going to make it a slow one this time, just try to keep myself moving instead of doing it quickly.
This is the one I'm doing in May.
The beach thing looks pretty fun! If you're interested, OR Randonneurs has a 300K this weekend: http://www.orrandonneurs.org/rba/2013/ThreeCapes/ThreeCapes_info.html Relaxed ride with people going all at their own pace, may be a little longer than you want to go but if you're bombing through 50 miles at 20mph you should be able to tackle this going a little slower.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
That looks interesting, I'll keep that page in mind for future events as this one's a little sudden.
Oh yeah. The rubber was on the frame.
Oh yeah. The rubber was on the frame.
Just got my old bianchi back from the shop. New chainrings (yay no more eliptical rings), chain and rear cassette. I'll throw up some photos once I'm actually riding it.
Kind of an incredible year around here. Still lots of snow/ice everywhere in mid April. Usually I've been riding outside by now :/
Kind of an incredible year around here. Still lots of snow/ice everywhere in mid April. Usually I've been riding outside by now :/
I've had to pop some big fat knobbly Continental Baron tyres on my FSR. Now when I ride to work the front end washes out when turning on wet concrete. It's equal parts exciting and terrifying.
Was it rubbing against the drive side or the off side?
Was the skewer loose? I'd be surprised if the dropout adjusters were to blame.
Was it rubbing against the drive side or the off side?
Was the skewer loose? I'd be surprised if the dropout adjusters were to blame.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
It was planted against the off-side. I took it the the LBS last night and they said it was the adjusters as they were in backwards. I hadn't touched them since I bought it and they were just completely fubar'd. Like, in backwards according to the mechanic, not to mention off-center which is what caused the wheel to go sideways. He fixed them and the bike runs a lot better now.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Guys..ever since I got this bike, my right elbow has been hurting like crazy! I'm guessing it's the new riding position going from hybrid to road. It's gotten worse ever since I joined the Strava Specialized challenge and have been riding everyday. When does this go away? DOES it go away? Please, say it goes away..
Either a bad fit (too much weight on your hands) and/or you are locking your elbows (which may also just be a bad fit).
This.
This.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
I'm mainly riding on road..some bike paths. I was fitted to the bike, for shoes and all (didn't end up grabbing them). Perhaps it's my weight. Really didn't want to hear I shouldn't feel it. My buddy has felt it a bit as well. We both got our bikes the same day..both coming from Trek hybrids.
The pain is right on the elbow (right one). Never felt it before on either of my two old bikes.
The pain is right on the elbow (right one). Never felt it before on either of my two old bikes.
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