cat 1-2 is usually elite-ish in my mind, they should go sub 54 or go home.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Monday, 1 March 2010 00:57 (fourteen years ago) link
i'm thinking of doing an hour soon to gauge my solo effort skillzzz. i think my best effort is 22.5 miles (last year).
however, being tied to this geography, i'd like to stake out the rare stretches of relatively flat ground. there is a paved lap around the polo fields in Golden Gate Park that would make a monumentally boring ride but could do the trick.
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 1 March 2010 04:47 (fourteen years ago) link
ok, after looking at that internal hub xc bike on the other thread it reminded me of a question i've always had w/r/t TT bikes:
do you really need two chainrings on a TT bike?
why not do away with the weight of small chainring and front derailleur?
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 1 March 2010 04:52 (fourteen years ago) link
i think some tt specialists swear by fixed as on the track, right? single ring makes some sense. bonus, you wont drop your chain. otoh, the weight penalty on a flatish course is really minimal. see cyclinganalytics.com if you ever have insomnia. for example, i have an antique first gen specialized tri spoke front that weighs 1200g. srsly. and the disk i have is heavy too, like 1450g. i think i figured out a long time ago that the extra weight penalty vs a modern set of the same weighing 1700g total (2.1 POUNDS less) was less than 5 secs on a flat-rolling 40k. in a triathlon, thats like, dropping your gu in the transition and having to pick it up, right?
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Monday, 1 March 2010 14:30 (fourteen years ago) link
oh shit. fitting new headset, had to trim fork again. thought it was taking a bit long, realised i was actually sawing through the star nut as well ;_;
i mean i can fit another one of course but was hoping to avoid the hassle. i don't have any of the tools, gotta borrow them every time.
― take me to your lemur (ledge), Monday, 1 March 2010 21:40 (fourteen years ago) link
40 miles this morning (I don't usually work on Wednesdays) in preparation for a sportive this weekend.
― Home Taping Is Killing Muzak (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 3 March 2010 15:55 (fourteen years ago) link
just got caught in a hailstorm! quite invigorating in a way, could do without everything getting wet tho.
― eau de humanity (haitch), Saturday, 6 March 2010 05:06 (fourteen years ago) link
rode 130 mi commuting this week. this am im going to try to catch my first big boy group ride. this should sort out my relative fitness for me.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Saturday, 6 March 2010 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
sort it out
― shite new answers (cutty), Saturday, 6 March 2010 15:32 (fourteen years ago) link
finally got a builder to look at my bike. headed over shortly
feel like I'm taking my dog to the vet, prognosis unknown
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Saturday, 6 March 2010 17:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Totally smoked a roadie on a hefty uphill while doing a rolling 35 mile country loop on my fixed complete with laden courier bag; always makes me feel good.
― krakow, Saturday, 6 March 2010 19:32 (fourteen years ago) link
thats awesome and devastating but why u ride w laden courier bag?
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Saturday, 6 March 2010 19:42 (fourteen years ago) link
I think I scored major points with skinny jeans hipster bike store dude as I managed to up sell the indecisive customer who was preventing me from buying a new chain from a 600 buck road bike up to a cross check. I think everyone wins on that deal.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, 6 March 2010 20:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Americans always trust a British accent
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Saturday, 6 March 2010 21:00 (fourteen years ago) link
Talking of degreasing, he sold me some speed bike degreaser. I think I killed a couple of penguins, a polar bear and dissolved a cranial lobe, however it also turned black into shiny in seconds.
http://media.rei.com/media/717907.jpg
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, 6 March 2010 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
just degreased my chain, too, but with ECO FRIENDLY, ORGANIC (and potable, even) EL DUKE
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Saturday, 6 March 2010 21:36 (fourteen years ago) link
curse you, trying to buy some el duke has led me to seeing things like this
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, 6 March 2010 21:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Laden = lock, water, repair gubbins, pump, other bits & bobs for meeting my sister on the way back home...
― krakow, Saturday, 6 March 2010 23:31 (fourteen years ago) link
second fucking rain ride in a row, jesus christ.
― put your glans up for Detroit (haitch), Sunday, 7 March 2010 10:20 (fourteen years ago) link
MANY BABYWIPES HAVE DIED THIS EVENING TO CLEAN THESE BIKES
― put your glans up for Detroit (haitch), Sunday, 7 March 2010 13:46 (fourteen years ago) link
yesterday: climbingtoday: more climbing
legs: burning
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 March 2010 14:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Did the Puncheur Sportive today: 69 hilly miles in 4 hours 22 mins (including stops). There was a fair bit of black ice about - I saw five people crash and we had to dismount a walk for a bit. The finish was up Ditchling Beacon - horrible, horrible, horrible. I managed to keep riding all the way up and overtook everyone I saw on the climb, but I felt awful.
― Home Taping Is Killing Muzak (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Sunday, 7 March 2010 19:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Having biked up ditchling beacon at a leisurely pace you have my sympathies
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Sunday, 7 March 2010 19:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Total Elevation Gain week of 3/1 - 3/7/10 (2 short rides, 2 long rides):
19,722ft/6,011m
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 March 2010 23:50 (fourteen years ago) link
is that using an altimeter type thing, or ? no matter how you slice it thats a shitload, congrats.
somewhere i posted the hunter climbing calculation rules once. like, less than 200ft vert in one go? doesn't count. less than 4%? dont bring that.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Monday, 8 March 2010 00:36 (fourteen years ago) link
that's from the Garmin data.
longest climb was 3.3 miles at 7.4% (1300ft) which suckkkkkkkkkked.
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 8 March 2010 01:58 (fourteen years ago) link
oh stop ;)
― shite new answers (cutty), Monday, 8 March 2010 15:23 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/ringmap/gradient.jpg
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 8 March 2010 18:19 (fourteen years ago) link
A lovely evening ride was ruined just now by being accosted by a large gang of feral East End Glasgow teenagers who saw fit to pelt me about the head with various random objects to the point of bleeding.
It's not too bad after a nice hot shower and sit down, but still... bastards.
― krakow, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
argh
― shite new answers (cutty), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 21:51 (fourteen years ago) link
what?! some fucking dystopic nightmare shit.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 22:12 (fourteen years ago) link
That's Glasgow's East End for you. Sometimes.
It's sore, but fine now, they just caught me some belters about the ear from ridiculously close range after running out into the road to get at me.
― krakow, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 22:37 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah I've had something similar happen in Chi (didn't connect tho), and knew plenty of ppl who encountered it with regularity
also: clean chain and frame alignment equals silky smooth drivetrain, it's wonderful. also switched to friction shifting after failing to get indexing working properly and I think I like it better?
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 23:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Spent my lunch hour (+1/2) pootling like a vicar iirc.
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 23:34 (fourteen years ago) link
lol
― shite new answers (cutty), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 00:42 (fourteen years ago) link
Re: Krakow - ouch, sorry to hear that.
I've got the official results in from Sunday's sportive now and me being me, I've bunged them into a spreadsheet and analysed them. On Sunday I was a bit disappointed that I'd only managed to shave 2 minutes off my time from last year, but I now realise it was much tougher this year than last: the median time was 23 minutes longer, and less than 5% of the riders got 'gold standard' (less than 4 hours), compared to nearly 20% last year. Last year I 'beat'* 55% of the riders, this year I 'beat'* 82%.
* I know technically it's not a race, but everyone's trying to finish it as fast as they can.
― Home Taping Is Killing Muzak (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:15 (fourteen years ago) link
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2804/4421799445_5cb8a956d3.jpg(me nearing the top of the brutal final climb with 70 miles in my frozen legs)
Did 31 miles this morning in cold, windy Essex. Not much fun. I'll be glad when Spring finally appears.
― Home Taping Is Killing Muzak (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:16 (fourteen years ago) link
duuuuuuuuudes
google maps finally has a "by bicycle" feature when yr getting directions.
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Interesting. I don't think this is necessarily true. Yes, I want to finish in as good a time as possible; but if I was focused on that for the whole 100 miles or whatever, I think I'd go mad. What I want *most* out of a sportive is a fun, new experience in the fresh air while doing something I love with friends.
― Mark C, Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link
cosine.
i'm trying to get the best coffee, not the best time.
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:12 (fourteen years ago) link
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:37 AM (58 minutes ago)
is this the same as "Avoid Major Highways" or have they tapped into dedicated bike routes, trails and such?
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:37 (fourteen years ago) link
trails, bike lanes, etc.
i just mapped my usual commute (which is like 5 miles of path, half mile of street) and it got it just right
― nitzer ebbebe (gbx), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:38 (fourteen years ago) link
neat, will try it out.
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:44 (fourteen years ago) link
What I want *most* out of a sportive is a fun, new experience in the fresh air while doing something I love with friends.
Both of those things sound good, but probably tricky to fit them in what with all the cycling.
― Home Taping Is Killing Muzak (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:15 (fourteen years ago) link
i dont have a general policy about how hard i ride something like that-- its not like i wanna quick time, its that i wanna "win" any hill or sign sprint thats contested by the group. and im happy to yak all u want, but please, NO STOPS unless piss or mechanical or dire hunger knock. generally hate hate stopping for over 2 minutes.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:04 (fourteen years ago) link
this is why training by oneself, if training is the objective, is superior. when you have a program, groups can derail the program. and it is why bike racing as an objective can steal the joy from your riding hobby, at least ime. youre doing work.
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah - it's like when I was making decent $$$ playing online poker - it became a job, an expectation, not a fun hobby.
― Mark C, Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:27 (fourteen years ago) link
ha hunt3r otm. HATE riding with groups. i turn down all my team's group rides. much rather go out by myself or one other like minded individual with similar fitness and training goals. NO STOPPING. NO LOOKING AT STUFF. NO MUFFINS.
― shite new answers (cutty), Wednesday, 10 March 2010 23:28 (fourteen years ago) link
and yeah its work
cutty doing work, a ilx joint
― malicious humor victim (Hunt3r), Thursday, 11 March 2010 00:19 (fourteen years ago) link