Feeling Sluggish

[MrFixed]

I don't know whether it's me and a psychological or physical thing (I've been out of the cycling game for just under a year) but I've set my bike up to how my old one was, (gearing, saddle height, saddle, bars) and I still feel like somethings slowing me down.

The only thing massively difference is the wheelset and tyres. I think the rear wheel has a cheapish Specialised All Condition tyre and the front is a stock Kenda tyre that came with the bike when I looked the model up (It's second hand).

Do you think that'd be my problem?

Back on my old steed it used to feel like I was 10x faster than I am now.

 

[vickster]

Have you double checked the brakes aren't rubbing...?

I expect however it's psychological

 

[MrFixed]

That was the first thing I checked. It's not that.

 

[MikeW-71]

If you've not been riding for a year, you've lost fitness, so no wonder you're feeling sluggish to start with .

 

[gavroche]

Nothing wrong with Specialized all condition tyres. On the other hand, get rid of the Kenda as they are rubbish.

 

[Andrew_P]

After one year off the bike you are questioning why you feel sluggish? And blaming the bike?!! After two weeks off the bike it takes me a while to get back in to it...

 

[MrFixed]

I'm not fully blaming the bike haha.

When I spin the front wheel with no weight it seems to slow down pretty quick and the brakes aren't touching, just little niggles like that. The bike gets a tiny blame haha.

 

[vickster]

Hubs gone?

 

[MrFixed]

I'm just gonna find a longer route on my commute and HIIT every other day to get me quick again and give me some strength.

 

[downfader]

Could be a bit of both fitness and the fact the bike has been used before. If you had better wheels on the other bike that might make a small change. Check the wheels arent locked in too tight as they can sometimes stop them spinning as fluidly, though make sure they're secure obviously. Once had an over zealous bike mech over tighten the rear wheel so tight I had to lean my whole 15 stone on the tool to release it. Before I'd spin the rear and it would do half a turn and then stop

 

[ColinJ]

Check the wheels arent locked in too tight as they can sometimes stop them spinning as fluidly, though make sure they're secure obviously. Once had an over zealous bike mech over tighten the rear wheel so tight I had to lean my whole 15 stone on the tool to release it. Before I'd spin the rear and it would do half a turn and then stop

I got a bit distracted and did that to the rear QR of my MTB once when fitting a huge new tyre. I felt the drag as soon as I started riding the bike but put the sluggishness down to the tyre. It was only when I eventually put the bike in my stand that I noticed that the wheel did was yours did, and stopped spinning in less than one revolution when freewheeling. Slackening the QR to proper tightness fixed the problem.

 

[downfader]

I got a bit distracted and did that to the rear QR of my MTB once when fitting a huge new tyre. I felt the drag as soon as I started riding the bike but put the sluggishness down to the tyre. It was only when I eventually put the bike in my stand that I noticed that the wheel did was yours did, and stopped spinning in less than one revolution when freewheeling. Slackening the QR to proper tightness fixed the problem.

Yeah it was your original post that made me realise what had happened to mine.

 

[ColinJ]

Yeah it was your original post that made me realise what had happened to mine.

Ha ha!

I was annoyed with myself for not investigating as soon as I felt the sluggishness, but I had jumped to a conclusion about the tyre and didn't bother.

 

[fossyant]

Hubs gone?

Legs gone