Got to catch this bloke...

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I'm not fast....I don't consider myself particularly slow either, for someone who is more affected by headwinds than most due to a non-aerodynamic shape... but I do usually overtake more than I am overtaken

Spotted this guy as he went past a junction yesterday, he seemed to be going some so i thought I'd use him as a pacesetter for the trip

Saw him today as I pulled out, noticed he was about 25 yards behind me as I looked to my right

He's now annoying me....the way he just drops me with ease when we get to a short sharp slope (it's steeper than it looks, though it isn't steep or long, it gets my legs)

OK, it's me that's unfit..the speeds here won't seem much to some

But no matter what I do, he leaves me on the short climb seemingly without even trying.

What's the quickest way of solving this? Reps up a short sharp hill?

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSkajFW1oDI[/media]


Hope it's no-one on here...I'll have just given the game away and he'll try harder knowing someone is trying to beat him

 

[ColinJ]

I'm not fast....I don't consider myself particularly slow either, for someone who is more affected by headwinds than most due to a non-aerodynamic shape... 

But no matter what I do, he leaves me on the short climb seemingly without even trying.

What's the quickest way of solving this? Reps up a short sharp hill?

Speed up hills is mostly about power-to-weight ratio

Does non-aerodynamic shape mean large as in overweight? If so, the most obvious thing you can do is to lose the surplus weight. 

Obviously, working on boosting your power output isn't going to hurt either. 

I'm currently useless at climbing but losing 3 stone one winter and doing 5-10 hours of hard cycling a week until the spring did it for me. By the following summer I was flying uphill, well by my standards anyway. (I was using a 39/19 gear where I'd previously used a 30/26.) 

 

[marinyork]

Do Eastbank Road x2 three or four days a week for a few weeks.

 

[BSRU]

Unfortunately I never have this problem, I am not fast but there are so few legal riding cyclists and the ones I do meet are no challenge, even on climbs or long drags where my heavy, 23kg, fat tyred hybrid is making me work harder.
Probably meet loads of super human speed merchants this morning burning me off as I struggle with the headwind.

All you can do is put more miles in build up your strength or buy an electric bike .

 

[ColinJ]

I am not fast but there are so few legal riding cyclists and the ones I do meet are no challenge, even on climbs or long drags where my heavy, 23kg, fat tyred hybrid is making me work harder.

23 kg - that's over 50 pounds - shurely, shome mishtake!!!!!!!!

 

[BSRU]

23 kg - that's over 50 pounds - shurely, shome mishtake!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately no, there was a thread a while back about the weight of peoples bikes and I decided to bring the bathroom scales to the garage to see how heavy mine was. Did not matter how many times I tried, it always weighed the same.

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

In the beginning I was obsessed with making my road bike commuter as light as possible, saw times improve, but noticed a deteriation on long rides, so now I'm doing the opposite heavy rack an panniers back on ruck sack back on the cupboard, litre and a half instead of a litre of liquid on board, loads more gear than I actually need. This accompanied with strong head winds am hoping to see an improvement come spring!

 

[magnatom]

Pah! I'd fly by both of you!

 

[ColinJ]

Unfortunately no, there was a thread a while back about the weight of peoples bikes and I decided to bring the bathroom scales to the garage to see how heavy mine was. Did not matter how many times I tried, it always weighed the same.

(ColinJ whips out his bathroom scales)

My mountain bike is pretty big (I'm 6' 1"), has a steel frame, heavy Marzocchi suspension forks and huge knobbly tyres and it only weighs... 29 pounds (13.2 kg). 

My steel-framed Basso racing bike weighs... 21.5 pounds (9.8 kg).

Your bike weighs the same as my two steel-framed bikes put together - blimey!

I reckon there is something wrong there. Even the heaviest, cheapest bikes I've ridden have only been mid to high 30s in pounds (or 16-18 kg).

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Do Eastbank Road x2 three or four days a week for a few weeks.

I want to improve my climbing not kill myself

(on a serious note, too many TWOCcers racing through red lights up there for my liking too!!!)

 

[Smiler100]

Electric bike perhaps?!!

 

[potsy]

Unfortunately no, there was a thread a while back about the weight of peoples bikes and I decided to bring the bathroom scales to the garage to see how heavy mine was. Did not matter how many times I tried, it always weighed the same.

Is that bike only or with your normal load ie-paniers?
My heavy hybrid with M+ tyres is around 15kg.

 

[jig-sore]

pass him on the flat, get in front and slow him down up the hill... simples

 

[BSRU]

(ColinJ whips out his bathroom scales)

My mountain bike is pretty big (I'm 6' 1"), has a steel frame, heavy Marzocchi suspension forks and huge knobbly tyres and it only weighs... 29 pounds (13.2 kg).

My steel-framed Basso racing bike weighs... 21.5 pounds (9.8 kg).

Your bike weighs the same as my two steel-framed bikes put together - blimey!

I reckon there is something wrong there. Even the heaviest, cheapest bikes I've ridden have only been mid to high 30s in pounds (or 16-18 kg).

My bike was fully loaded for commute, work clothes, 38c M+ tyres, almost a kilo each, Brooks saddle, lots of lights, including halogens, 5 front lights and four rear lights, which are heavy, all the batteries, each halogen battery weighs 0.5kg, my tool kit, spare tubes, cheap heavy wheels with SekuClips on each spoke, mini-dvr lcd screen, with handlebar mount, for bullet camera, the bullet camera is in my top box, with the rechargeable batteries. I think I included my helmet as it has a halogen light, ContourHD and a Blackburn 3 attached.

 

[BSRU]

Is that bike only or with your normal load ie-paniers?
My heavy hybrid with M+ tyres is around 15kg.

Fully loaded for my commute to work.