Racing on the track is awesome. It simultaneously incredibly competitive and supportive. A really great vibe and great way to improve your cycling. If you have a velodrome near you I can't recommend taking the chance to ride on it. Also, nice track bikes are cheap as hell, relative to nice road or mountain bikes.
― sous les paves, Wednesday, 3 November 2010 02:32 (thirteen years ago) link
err can't recommend enough
otm i haven't done it in a couple years (and it was only twice), but the track is so, so fun.
― BIG MUFFIN (gbx), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 02:34 (thirteen years ago) link
thinking a bit baout joining local club to get road racing licence, whose specialty is track. they have spare bikes to use too, because another bike, i mean really!
yesterday: sedate spin round the trail with two friends who i'm riding along the great ocean road with on the weekend. they're kinda freaking out about the 130 km length of the loop we're doing! got rained on a bit in between sunny patches. springtime in belgium, perhaps.
― domestic jet set, trash and jetstar (haitch), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 03:58 (thirteen years ago) link
SLP: do you have a dedicated gear inch on your track bike or do you mix it up for different events?
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 04:03 (thirteen years ago) link
I ride a loaner bike (bianchi pistas) from the track right now, which runs about 86 inches (I think it's a 48 x 15). The guys in my class who have their own bikes and race (well, raced. the season is over now) all bring a few different chainrings. They'll switch them out per-race. I'll buy something over the off-season to be ready to race at the beginning of next season (march)
― sous les paves, Wednesday, 3 November 2010 13:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Yesterday: 67 minutes, 4.5 miles, average speed 3.9mph, thanks to my down tube breaking, presumably as a result of the little prang described in my post of 15th October, which meant that my journey home was on foot (well, I managed 3 miles before getting off and wondering what that increasingly loud metallic ticking noise was). Was quite a nice walk though I have blisters on my blisters today, and need a new frame - this one is fuxored.
― Mark C, Thursday, 4 November 2010 13:08 (thirteen years ago) link
Pics?
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, 4 November 2010 13:21 (thirteen years ago) link
four weeks of no biking = getting fat
― BIG MUFFIN (gbx), Thursday, 4 November 2010 13:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Here you go, Ed:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/biondino/bobcrack.jpg
― Mark C, Thursday, 4 November 2010 14:27 (thirteen years ago) link
ouch
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, 4 November 2010 14:29 (thirteen years ago) link
rode two short 1 hour rides on my new bike. first time riding a road bike and my body hurts like no other. ass muscles hurt from new riding position and shins muscles hurt from using clipless for first time and pedaling all the way around. i feel like i'm walking like a penguin
― jaxon, Thursday, 4 November 2010 20:11 (thirteen years ago) link
four weeks of no biking = getting fat― BIG MUFFIN (gbx), Thursday, November 4, 2010 1:36 PM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalinkotmfm. ~feelin~ this, quite literally
― cozen, Thursday, 4 November 2010 20:18 (thirteen years ago) link
ditto! cant wait for this rotation to be done. I'd bike here but its twelve miles and I gotta be in by 615. no dice.
― BIG MUFFIN (gbx), Thursday, 4 November 2010 20:48 (thirteen years ago) link
Went for an ill-advised 105 miler today that despite me telling myself pre-ride to keep the HR under 150, I decided to counter some attacks with 1:35 of 450W (avg) around mile 40 which pretty much rendered the remainder of the ride horribly painful. I am now limping around the house trying to choose between chocolate milk, pepsi (w or w/o vodka) or beer.
There is a 5-6 hour hammerfest for tomorrow on my calendar right now which is about to get removed and forgotten about real soon.
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:17 (thirteen years ago) link
ha i rode 60 miles moderately hard, 4000 ft of climbing. what a terrible year for riding-- that's my 2nd longest ride of the year, and longest since century mid july.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:40 (thirteen years ago) link
well but how is your fitness from running?
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:42 (thirteen years ago) link
i hate climbing. period. hate it. i am thinking of running a compact with a 11-27 in the back on my next set of training wheels. spinnnnnnnnnnnnn.
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:43 (thirteen years ago) link
meh, fitness from running is ok, i guess. i really cant figure out what i wanna do wrt physical activity for the rest of my life. there are no realistic objectives that im interested in attempting wrt cycling, and i don't enjoy running, and i have no discretionary time to indulge myself in something new.
iow, i have no _real_ problems right now and should stfu.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:52 (thirteen years ago) link
i think you should splurge on a state of the art recumbent, don the optic yellow, and call it a day~~~
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 November 2010 02:55 (thirteen years ago) link
(iow: my plan fairly soon)
spoke to dude on recumbent today after long descent who complimented me for dropping him. i complimented him on his taste in chaise recliners, but noted that chaises are even faster when adequately faired.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Sunday, 7 November 2010 03:04 (thirteen years ago) link
here is my day out on the coast and in the otways. wish our trio hadn't missed the start by ten minutes - i'm sure i could've shredded a colnago man or six up the big climb. felt good all day! got rained on for a bit around angelsea, but what you gonna do eh.
― schlock contender for test captaincy (haitch), Sunday, 7 November 2010 09:16 (thirteen years ago) link
p wicked powerclimb section before bells beach, steep down - steep up - rinse repeat
waitress at coffee shop stop 2/3rds along had the most slammin bod too, daaaaamn girl
― schlock contender for test captaincy (haitch), Sunday, 7 November 2010 09:28 (thirteen years ago) link
a compact with a 11-27 in the back
this is what I'm running ~spins~
― geddit (cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2010 11:48 (thirteen years ago) link
bells beach! slammin bod waitresses! totes jealous!
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 7 November 2010 14:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Winter Training Cycle coach at club ride started on the Strength training part of the course. First half of the (50 mile) ride he made us ride up all the inclines on the big ring and in a small gear in the back. Alternating sitting and pedalling at 60 rp and standing at 45 rpm. The second half of the ride he had us do the same thing but clip out of one side and do it with one leg for 50 strokes, and then switch legs. It's wierd because I thought I'd really feel it in the quads, but what is most sore today is my calves. Probably a form thing... Owie.
― sous les paves, Sunday, 7 November 2010 14:48 (thirteen years ago) link
wish id had a bike when i visited that neck of the woods haitch, really nice.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Sunday, 7 November 2010 16:33 (thirteen years ago) link
Saturday took Skyline to Los Altos to see my girl. Moving to the Bay Area feeling like a good decision. Got a job offer Friday, start Dec 1 if I take it, so I'm gonna splash out, trade the Centurion and Converse All-Stars for carbon and SPDs, see how many rainy miles I can put on before December.
― just woke up (lukas), Monday, 8 November 2010 04:33 (thirteen years ago) link
how long ago were you out here hunt3r? it's great, lots of quiet and twisty roads. (great ocean rd can get busy tho.) considering doing another ride next month through the rainforest bit futher down the otways now.
gotta admit i like the challenge of the hills. i'm pretty one-speed tho - just grind grind grind. 39x25 as lowest ratio will do that! maybe i should try a compact one of these days to see if there's an appreciable difference.
― Is there a thread for the rapid def of the leppard industry? (haitch), Tuesday, 9 November 2010 00:55 (thirteen years ago) link
lukas, do you live in the city?
― jaxon, Tuesday, 9 November 2010 19:09 (thirteen years ago) link
Yup, half a block from Dolores Park.
― just woke up (lukas), Tuesday, 9 November 2010 19:28 (thirteen years ago) link
no races yestiday-- it was 27 degrees and deserted. plenty of parking. ahhhhh, <3 u winter.
actually, check that, today its gonna snow, not so psyched for that.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Thursday, 11 November 2010 13:25 (thirteen years ago) link
oh, haitch i just saw your question. like 10 years ago i visited, we did some touring and hiking along great ocean rd and environs. missus had her bike, but i didn't have mine, so we just drove and walked around.
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Thursday, 11 November 2010 13:34 (thirteen years ago) link
Job interview yesterday in Palo Alto for a job I don't really want. Got up at 5:30, rode 42 miles down with a friend who works down there, toweled and changed in their bathroom, did the interview. Wasn't too tired, in fact pretty amped.
― just woke up (lukas), Friday, 12 November 2010 19:40 (thirteen years ago) link
nice. i work in sunnyvale and mean to do the ride at some point. but f waking up at 5.30
― jaxon, Friday, 12 November 2010 21:48 (thirteen years ago) link
which way did you go btw? getting past the airport is a bitch
― jaxon, Friday, 12 November 2010 21:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Took the day off and rode 85 miles up the coast this morning at a briskish pace (18mph with 7 shortish category 3-4 climbs totaling about 4k feet of ascent) with a bro who is going to do an Ironman in 3 weeks. I am really losing my fitness but there are enough remnants to fake "it". Need to start buckling down with smarter offseason rides because these once a week deathmarches are not cutting it nor doing me any favors.
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Friday, 12 November 2010 21:53 (thirteen years ago) link
xp did this route:
http://www.sf2g.com/bayway.html
sort of insanely complicated. helps to go with someone that's done it before. the sf2g people seem nice, so that's an option if you want to join their mailing list etc.
― just woke up (lukas), Friday, 12 November 2010 22:07 (thirteen years ago) link
xp my bro I rode with today is one of the SF2G founders just to tie this all together.
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Friday, 12 November 2010 22:09 (thirteen years ago) link
(i really like their kits, for just a bunch of cat6 commuter geeks, they did some good work)
I was riding around in the (slick, concrete) driveway, testing out the new Look pedals I had just installed, wearing my regular (slick bottomed) road shoes. My brother and sister-in-law came over to return some stuff they'd borrowed and conversation turned to the cyclocross race I'd went up and watched last weekend. I decided to demonstrate a cross dismount/remount....on the slick concrete, in my slick shoes. I now have a twisted and swollen right ankle. Idiot.
― sous les paves, Saturday, 13 November 2010 01:48 (thirteen years ago) link
visited the fam on thursday night, took bike out and did moderately hard 70km out to kinglake and back on friday morning - 32deg c heat, humid and a headwind all the way up the hill, blargh. some roadworks were being done at the foot of the short but sharp hill that is my nemesis on that road (near 10%, 650m) with one lane only and limit dropped to 40km/h - i assured the traffic control guy that i would stay under that on the way up, heh.
― Is there a thread for the rapid def of the leppard industry? (haitch), Saturday, 13 November 2010 03:50 (thirteen years ago) link
I think thanks to my occasional layoffs and greater increased caution after my pair of accidents lately my fitness has decreased by a small but obvious amount. The crashes meant cancelling the longer rides I had planned, but even on my commute I'm aware I'm taking it so much easier because I'm so nervous of not being able to stop if I get doored, or hooked, or pedestrianed or whatever. On top of that, I don't really trust my roadie after the accident as I must have given it an almight smack, and you know what they say about carbon. Ah well. I'll be lucky to complete the 4,000 mile minimum target for the year at this rate.
― Mark C, Monday, 15 November 2010 12:07 (thirteen years ago) link
I'll be lucky to complete the 4,000 mile minimum target for the year at this rate.
I've given up on mine - haven't ridden at all for 8 days, it's been pouring with rain whenever I haven't been working.
I don't really trust my roadie after the accident as I must have given it an almight smack, and you know what they say about carbon
I thought your frame had actually snapped in two?
― Porpoises Rescue Dick Van Dyke (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 15 November 2010 13:43 (thirteen years ago) link
That's my steel frame! Which I crashed 2 days earlier, though so lightly I thought there'd be no damage at all. Carbon impacting at 10+ mph seems sturdier than steel at 3mph, whaddaya know.
― Mark C, Monday, 15 November 2010 15:04 (thirteen years ago) link
On my fourth-choice bike today, and still managed to get a puncture on the way to work. Sigh.
― Mark C, Tuesday, 16 November 2010 11:22 (thirteen years ago) link
On my ugly new bike which is way faster than me ... did Paradise loop for the first of hopefully many times. With in-city travel and wrong turns, was sixty miles. My legs could use a glycogen drip and I don't think I'm going to meet my friend at 6am for the Calaveras route.
― just woke up (lukas), Wednesday, 17 November 2010 02:09 (thirteen years ago) link
goddam
winter is upon us here in the middle western states, i don't expect to ride more than 20 miles at a stretch for basically 6 months.
here's hoping this XC skiing thing takes
― BIG MUFFIN (gbx), Wednesday, 17 November 2010 02:21 (thirteen years ago) link
have u not xc'd before? it's awesome!
― potholes and esso assos (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 17 November 2010 02:44 (thirteen years ago) link