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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
This is great, thanks so much. I have noticed more issues with my knees since I started to climb more so it seems like moving to a compact might be my best bet.
Not a roadie, so can't be of much help... but, if you do run out of gears at the top end you can always do the whole 120prm windmill thing.
Ha. I'll do anything to get over a hill.
That does sound nice!
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Had a busy day yesterday. Did a quick 13.5 mile ride to the local beach and then proceeded to paddle (kayak) around on the river with 17-mph cross-wind for about 2 hours. Ate lunch, rode over to the lake (less choppy, but not by much) and swam almost 1/2 a mile (hard to do after paddling, I tell you what). Jumped out, got back on my bike and rode home (still gusty) and then decided to run three miles.
I slept like a damn baby. Oh, and I need to find a good wet-to-ride crotch gunk because what I have did not serve me well at all yesterday.
I slept like a damn baby. Oh, and I need to find a good wet-to-ride crotch gunk because what I have did not serve me well at all yesterday.
Psychotext
Member
Some poor sod took himself out in a big way at the trail centre today. Had the air ambulance out as well as two fast response cars and a normal ambulance.
I believe he's OK, but he was apparently out of it for a good half an hour.
I believe he's OK, but he was apparently out of it for a good half an hour.
Has anyone here ever had to make a smaller seatpost fit into a bigger shaft? I've had absolutely horrible luck trying to find a seatpost that will fit my bike (and no information on the manufacturer's website or book) after my seat and post got stolen a few weeks ago. I measured it and it looked like the 25.4mm would do the trick, but it ended up being too small and wouldn't lock in place at all. Took that one back and got a 27.2mm (those seemed to be the 2 standard sizes) but that wouldn't go in at all. I tried a different brand of 25.4mm to see if maybe the first one was just messed up, but this one is too small as well.
Can I just shove some tin foil in there to give it some extra width? Or something else? It's getting really frustrating trying to find the right part, all because someone out there is a jerk.
Can I just shove some tin foil in there to give it some extra width? Or something else? It's getting really frustrating trying to find the right part, all because someone out there is a jerk.
25.6mm and 25.8mm are both slightly less common, but available sizes. A bike shop should be able to measure it and tell you the size, and get you either a proper post or a shim. I wouldn't trust tinfoil for this, you don't want that to corrode or fuse inside your seat tube, and it doesn't seem like that would be very strong.
There's not a bike shop in walking distance, as biking/walking are my two modes of transportation, so I was stuck with ordering online. It looks like some people use old soda cans too.. I can ask a friend for one and try that maybe.
Psychotext
Member
I've used shims plenty of times, they work fine. The good news is that they tend to be really cheap so you can just order a couple of sizes.
Not seat post, but I use a shim on my bars for my stem. Assumed my bars were the standard diameter and felt like an idiot when the new stem arrived. The shim works great and hasn't budged one bit since. I'd still recommend proper fitting parts over shims, and I'd avoid using home-made shims (although I also read a bunch of stories from people with good results from cans).
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Psychotext
Member
Nice pics. Quality bike leanage.
Apology NOT accepted. For all we know, you caught the bus.
Another shot of that tree. Those recent storms were brutal. Loads of snapped trunks like this one in the local woods.
I received my first ever proper road bike for my birthday. It's lovely, but now it's dry I just want to take the MTB out. My cardio is awful at the minute though so I'll have to go on the road for a while anyway.
Oh, also, would like a new helmet for my roadie. Not the pro gear, but I want a change from the one I use offroad. Any (cheap) nice stuff?
Oh, also, would like a new helmet for my roadie. Not the pro gear, but I want a change from the one I use offroad. Any (cheap) nice stuff?
Great pics, Mascot! I have to learn how to get those hallucinating-like colours. I love Kottila's pic too, looks like a great place to bike. It's in Finland, right? May I ask where?
My right knee started hurting near the end of my ride yesterday, and today it's been quite bad. Walking down stairs hurts a lot :-( So no cycling for me until the pain goes away. I've tried using lighter gears with a higher cadence lately, so this wasn't because of too heavy gears. Could it be that the saddle is too low?
My right knee started hurting near the end of my ride yesterday, and today it's been quite bad. Walking down stairs hurts a lot :-( So no cycling for me until the pain goes away. I've tried using lighter gears with a higher cadence lately, so this wasn't because of too heavy gears. Could it be that the saddle is too low?
Forgot! Some pictures from my Sicily-trip:
Trying "my" Massi-bike for the first time (yes, I got badly sunburned later that day):
In front of Noto Cathedral, after biking slowly through their main street two times, pissing off all the local drivers:
Exploring Modica. Fascinating place, I really want to go back there some day:
Posing in Marina di Ragusa:
Taking a breather after having lunch in Scoglitti:
Getting lost in Piazza Armerina:
Early morning, looking towards Regalbuto:
Stopping in Bronte for (mediocre) coffee and (amazing) pistachio icecream:
The small, labyrinthine hilltop-town Castiglione di Sicilia. Very atmospheric place in the evening, but almost no people around:
Reaching the east coast, at Giardini Naxos. Italy's mainland can be seen far in the distance:
View from Taormina, with the foot of Mount Etna starting to rise in the background. Some in our group had a grueling climb halfway up the mountain earlier that day. I didn't, choosing the beach instead:
Trying "my" Massi-bike for the first time (yes, I got badly sunburned later that day):
In front of Noto Cathedral, after biking slowly through their main street two times, pissing off all the local drivers:
Exploring Modica. Fascinating place, I really want to go back there some day:
Posing in Marina di Ragusa:
Taking a breather after having lunch in Scoglitti:
Getting lost in Piazza Armerina:
Early morning, looking towards Regalbuto:
Stopping in Bronte for (mediocre) coffee and (amazing) pistachio icecream:
The small, labyrinthine hilltop-town Castiglione di Sicilia. Very atmospheric place in the evening, but almost no people around:
Reaching the east coast, at Giardini Naxos. Italy's mainland can be seen far in the distance:
View from Taormina, with the foot of Mount Etna starting to rise in the background. Some in our group had a grueling climb halfway up the mountain earlier that day. I didn't, choosing the beach instead:
Great pics.
Where exactly are you feeling the pain? I had a week last year of pretty bad right knee pain in the tendons just below the knee cap. I'd notice it off the bike when bending at the knees or standing up, and also on the bike when pedalling with any sort of pressure. A change in cleat position pretty much solved it immediately. Unfortunately I also immediately discarded the memory of the original position of the cleat, but it was either rotated in or out too far - the fix was essentially straightening up my foot so that it was closer to parallel with the frame of the bike.
Having said that, it could be something else for you. Saddle height could be too low or too high, too far back or too far forward. Though it's tempting to change a whole bunch of things at once, the key is to change one variable a small amount at a time and test it until you're comfortable. A good starting position though for saddle height - with the cranks at 12 and 6 oclock, with your leg straightened, your heel should just touch the pedal at the 6 oclock position; when clipped in, your leg in the same position should have a slight bend at the knee. If you feel like you're over-extending your leg, or are rocking from side to side when pedalling, then it's too high. Your hips should be able to stay mostly motionless while pedalling.
It's directly under the kneecap on the front - the same place you had pain. It's most apparent when going in stairs (especially down) or when I rise from a squatting position.
I don't think the angle of the cleats is a problem, since I used the same shoes and cleats in Sicily, where I biked for much longer distances without having knee pain at all. But I'll have a look at the position of my feet tomorrow and see if they're angled in our out compared to the bike. If that doesn't work, I'll do as you say and change one variable at a time. Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated.
I get knee pain when my training levels pick up. It doesn't always mean something is wrong. I try to concentrate on form, which is smooth pedal strokes in addition to keeping cadence up.
Also, fit is very personal. If my feet are pushed parallel to the frame I would end up in a lot of pain.
Also, fit is very personal. If my feet are pushed parallel to the frame I would end up in a lot of pain.
Ha ha... thanks! I only upload so many photos because it's so damn easy. I snap them all on my phone (Nexus 4) then as soon as I get back home and into wifi range they automatically upload to Google+ where some simple filters (like the bluebell acid trip) can be applied. The Google+ image links can then be used to post them here, so no more having to upload them to Photobucket or host them elsewhere. it's a piece of piss now.
Your Sicily photos are great, btw. Made me almost think about dipping my toe into the dark side of road biking.
Almost.
If my memory is correct it is actually only a few hundred kilometers north of where you live. This was a small valley on the way to Sognefjorden
Anyone here use a MIPS helmet or are thinking of upgrading? Head protection is obviously one of those things on which it's easy to justify expenditure, and MIPS lids are getting affordable now. I do like the look of the Scott Stego which can be nabbed for around £110 with great reviews.
Scott promo movie
Scott promo movie
Psychotext
Member
Making me jealous. Too busy to ride.
Too busy to ride.Nice pics! There's nothing like riding through the calm chill of the forest with dawn sunlight filtering through the mist. Love it. This is an old photo but reminds me I really must make an effort to get some early rides in before work this year.
Good lord. Wherever that is, I need to go there. Fantastic photo!Nice pics! There's nothing like riding through the calm chill of the forest with dawn sunlight filtering through the mist. Love it. This is an old photo but reminds me I really must make an effort to get some early rides in before work this year.
It's about 150 km south of me, then
Mascot said:Your Sicily photos are great, btw. Made me almost think about dipping my toe into the dark side of road biking.
Almost.
Nah, just keep riding your mtb. I didn't take pictures of all the dreary roads we went on, but to be fair many of them were absolutely beautiful, with little or no traffic. I'm quite envious of those cool forests you have access to. Around here, our forests are mostly on steep mountainsides and impossible to bike in, except for short gravel roads made for cars here and there. It's possible to ride on top of many of our mountains, but I don't feel I have the skills yet.
Psychotext
Member
Edit - Sorted it, QR was misaligned.
If you're feeling pain in your knees during or after cycling, something is almost certainly wrong! Cycling is a very low impact sport when it comes to your knees - if they're hurting either your fit is wrong (or technique, which generally goes along with your fit) or you're exerting yourself far beyond what you're capable of. It's not like aching muscles that come with a tough workout - doing something that gives you knee pain again and again will inevitably lead to a more serious injury. The last thing anyone should be thinking is that knee pain is in any way a normal, expected facet of cycling.
Wow - gorgeous!Redid that climb today - from both sides- just for you
South:
North:
This is a smaller scale bike trip I took today. I was going to see my family at their seaside cabin. Because it's only 20km away I went by bike and because I'm bored I decided to document it on the go with my cell phone camera, joy!
It has to be noted that the weather was absolutely amazing. The temperature was a bit under 10C, sun was shining and there was very little wind. This winter has been the second warmest in recorded history here, and the spring is about a month early but it's here.
Early stages of my journey were on the cycle ways that criss cross between and through the city's suburbs:
The sand on the path hasn't been cleared yet after the winter.
After 10km things get a bit more rural:
Not only do you share the path with pedestrians, but there are occassionally horses there too.
At about 15km mark the cycle ways and public roads are left behind and a thick forest looms ahead:
There's still a bit of snow in the shade:
There's also an ancient stone labyrinth in the forest:
The "road" leads to the sea shore:
The sea still has ice, but it already has big cracks on it. But why not...
It has to be noted that the weather was absolutely amazing. The temperature was a bit under 10C, sun was shining and there was very little wind. This winter has been the second warmest in recorded history here, and the spring is about a month early but it's here.
Early stages of my journey were on the cycle ways that criss cross between and through the city's suburbs:
The sand on the path hasn't been cleared yet after the winter.
After 10km things get a bit more rural:
Not only do you share the path with pedestrians, but there are occassionally horses there too.
At about 15km mark the cycle ways and public roads are left behind and a thick forest looms ahead:
There's still a bit of snow in the shade:
There's also an ancient stone labyrinth in the forest:
The "road" leads to the sea shore:
The sea still has ice, but it already has big cracks on it. But why not...
Psychotext
Member
I'm at Bike Park Wales tomorrow, wont be taking any photos.
I'm at Bike Park Wales tomorrow, wont be taking any photos.
Boredom makes you do stupid things, boredom and beer makes you share them with others.
Psychotext
Member
I'll be going with my non mountain biking friend, so I might actually take a few shots whilst I'm waiting for him to come down / of him as he's coming down.
Thanks.On a side note, I just discovered veloviewer.com where you can do all sorts of fancy stuff with your Strava-data, so I played a little bit with it and made this graphical representation of the north side climb (the toughest). 5,6km, 446m elevation difference, 8% average
(raceshape is also a fun Strava-third party page)
Sorry, but training isn't low impact, and often it is pushing yourself to your limits. It is literally impossible to exceed what you are capable of, I'm not even sure what you mean by that. It looks like you copy pasted stuff off of a website on fit. You could destroy someone's knees by forcing their feet parallel to the frame, foot placement should mimic natural gate.
Some joint pain is a pretty normal part of training. I know very few serious cyclists that don't have to deal with it in the start of the season. The first time running a TSS >1200 for three weeks and your joints will hurt.
I'm not saying this is or isn't the case for Thomaser, but your gross over-simplifications are wrong.
It doesn't always mean something is wrong. As I stated, I get it when my training levels pick up, and it clears up after a cycle or two.
Thanks.On a side note, I just discovered veloviewer.com where you can do all sorts of fancy stuff with your Strava-data, so I played a little bit with it and made this graphical representation of the north side climb (the toughest). 5,6km, 446m elevation difference, 8% average
(raceshape is also a fun Strava-third party page)
Cool, don't know if it is the same site, but there used to be another one, that Strava killed with one of their updates.
On that note it looks like the Strava club died, anyone want to start one up, probably PT, since he seems the most consistently active one here.
I remember there being an uproar. They've updated veloviewer significantly. Really cool stuff.
Fantastic! But no bike-leaning-against-a-rock/tree/fence/wall/building/animal shot? Mascot am disappoint.
Is that Sweden?
I decided not to add it at first. Parked at the labyrinth.
The bike's my commuter bike. As you can see, it's not that well suited for trails, but it still handles dirt roads well.
It's not Sweden but Finland, however the border's not that far away.
Ha ha..! A dastardly trick!
Ah, not a bad guess then. I did some work in Stockholm many years ago so got the Scandinavian vibe.
Sorry, I'll make it clearer. What you are capable of without causing yourself injury or unnecessary pain.
I don't see how it looks like that at all? The part where I said someone's fit might be wrong if they're experiencing knee pain? That looks copy pasted?
Good thing no one is forcing anyone to do anything like that then?
And that pain is a clear indication that they're overworking those joints.
That knee pain means something is wrong with your fit/technique/effort on the bike? If you think that's wrong, we'll just have to agree to disagree.
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