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Gaileb

Senior Member
Location
Cookstown
Whorty, remember you can join the Warm Up as you are first off at 0:00.

I noticed on Thursday that Gail sat during the warmup without pedaling so I just wanted to make sure you were aware that you can pedal during the warm up to keep warm, but you should stop completely before it hits 0:00 and then go for it!

Geoff
I DID pedal for the full 10 minutes! (Not very fast I must admit) cos I thought I would try to be'professional' about it :wahhey::cycle:
 

<Tommy>

Illegitimi non carborundum
Location
Camden, London
I wondered what happened. You passed me and was pulling away then towards the end I overtook your stationary ghost. I figured something was not right.

I was surprised it worked out the way it did really. I was sitting 5th, not really eating into anyone's time at a great rate, and watching cj slowly close in on me. I figured cj would pass me at some point and I'd settle for 6th and a stronger ride. But I guess u ran out of steam cj and you too worty. Then Rick gave me some encouragement which I really appreciated and decided to push a bit harder.

These sessions are ridiculously addictive. The result flatters me somewhat because of my generous handicap but riding with you guys is superb motivation for me.
 

Cjbon

Active Member
Location
Tiptree
I was surprised it worked out the way it did really. I was sitting 5th, not really eating into anyone's time at a great rate, and watching cj slowly close in on me. I figured cj would pass me at some point and I'd settle for 6th and a stronger ride. But I guess u ran out of steam cj and you too worty. Then Rick gave me some encouragement which I really appreciated and decided to push a bit harder.

These sessions are ridiculously addictive. The result flatters me somewhat because of my generous handicap but riding with you guys is superb motivation for me.
Yeah was running on empty near the end but u was keeping the gap pretty steady which pushed me but didn't have the legs to reach u. Hats of to u sir.
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
I was surprised it worked out the way it did really. I was sitting 5th, not really eating into anyone's time at a great rate, and watching cj slowly close in on me. I figured cj would pass me at some point and I'd settle for 6th and a stronger ride. But I guess u ran out of steam cj and you too worty. Then Rick gave me some encouragement which I really appreciated and decided to push a bit harder.

These sessions are ridiculously addictive. The result flatters me somewhat because of my generous handicap but riding with you guys is superb motivation for me.
I gave everything in the first 15 mins trying to hold @bert1971 off. I actually expected more to pass me towards the end, but having people chasing me, and the great encouragement, gave me just enough to get to the finish line. Pleased I knocked some time off Thursday, but still 2 mins down on my fastest.

Must say though, these 'rolling' courses don't suit me. Just can't get any power on the downhills or flattish sections or work out which gear to be in. Much prefer a hill where I can just zone out and turn the pedals in a nice easy pace staying in one gear :laugh:
 

AAAC 76C

Large Member
Location
LIVING THE DREAM
I was surprised it worked out the way it did really. I was sitting 5th, not really eating into anyone's time at a great rate, and watching cj slowly close in on me. I figured cj would pass me at some point and I'd settle for 6th and a stronger ride. But I guess u ran out of steam cj and you too worty. Then Rick gave me some encouragement which I really appreciated and decided to push a bit harder.

These sessions are ridiculously addictive. The result flatters me somewhat because of my generous handicap but riding with you guys is superb motivation for me.

Believe me it makes it interesting for the us quicker guys that start late in the order. I did envisage this would be a case of us collecting each other as we went along, a bit like real life handicap races I've been in, but I quickly realised I needed to go even deeper than being in the front from the off.
Bill seemed and age away from me at the start and there were many way ahead of him so there was no time to slow and take passengers it really is everyone for themselves unless you are even Stevens with another on the day.

I kind of like my new hybrid, but I will like it even more if it can get it updated, and it was good to see I don't fly downhill anymore however I do have that Pro slingshot which used to annoy me as a Classic rider but it is a bit excessive (I think).
The other thing that I find odd is that I can often go faster up a shallow incline than the same descent (e.g. 1% vs -1%) and not matter what I do it's almost impossible to put down power going downhill now.

The update bit worries me as I have discovered that updates to FEC will be limited to fully paid up Trainers so if I have bought a old Trainer that was on the never never and it's payments have not been completed I may never be able to get updates.

Has anyone else had sinilar experiences with second hand trainers?
 
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BILL S

Guru
Location
London
I think the problem for the guys starting last is that their scope for improving is very limited whereas the guys starting nearer the beginning are getting stronger and gaining fitness all the time. I was giving it my all but was only able to overtake one person and poor old LB was having an even tougher time of it. Not that I'm whinging or anything. I really like the handicap format because some of us have had it far to easy for far too long.
I don't know how it was for the rest of you but I think when I push hard on a Thursday night then I'll not quite have as much energy on the Saturday so I'd be much better off saving my energy for the Saturday and going only 90% on the Thursday.
Rick/Geoff, Any thoughts on how to go forward with the standard chaingang and the handicap? Could we make it Chaingang on Thursday and handicap on Saturday for example?
 

AAAC 76C

Large Member
Location
LIVING THE DREAM
What's the "pro slingshot" AAAC? Sorry I've got no clue on the tactics etc.

On my classic if I freewheeled into a climb from a descent I would come to almost an immdiate standstill but with the Pro you seem to keep more inertia and so the transition from down to up or flat to up is a lot more gentle.
It is even more noticeable if you power into the climb and as a result I can get over reasonable lumps, on my 'Pro' with a much higher speed as I don't loose it all to the climb from the very bottom.
However I have proven with the Classic than I can develop huge power peaks by powering into a climb and then shutting off as soon as the climb starts so I can see up to 1000 watts on the screen and I am not even pedaling.
The latter is not so with the Pro but I do get the speed without the power spike and the speed is more pronounced than the Classic.
As a result, even on Thursday when I did my best time, others left me behind for a short while if I caught them at the foot of a climb.

If your riding a Classic and you had just passed someone on a Pro at the start of a climb you could often find them shooting past you again as if they were given a 'sling-shot' up the hill hence the term 'Pro Sling-shot'.
 

AAAC 76C

Large Member
Location
LIVING THE DREAM
I think the problem for the guys starting last is that their scope for improving is very limited whereas the guys starting nearer the beginning are getting stronger and gaining fitness all the time. I was giving it my all but was only able to overtake one person and poor old LB was having an even tougher time of it. Not that I'm whinging or anything. I really like the handicap format because some of us have had it far to easy for far too long.
I don't know how it was for the rest of you but I think when I push hard on a Thursday night then I'll not quite have as much energy on the Saturday so I'd be much better off saving my energy for the Saturday and going only 90% on the Thursday.
Rick/Geoff, Any thoughts on how to go forward with the standard chaingang and the handicap? Could we make it Chaingang on Thursday and handicap on Saturday for example?

Bill when I did the last stage of the last Chaingang ride 3 times at full chat (Thurs, Sat, Sun) I was absolutely done and was suprised I recovered for this Thursdays ride, its a kind of over training scenario especially as you get longer in the tooth and take longer to recover.

With all the racing I am not doing so much climbing and or distance and I am falling well behind in the UK Male Vet 2 standings.
 

gbrown

Geoff on Bkool
Location
South Somerset
Rick/Geoff, Any thoughts on how to go forward with the standard chaingang and the handicap? Could we make it Chaingang on Thursday and handicap on Saturday for example?

Up to you guys doing the riding!

I think it's nice to shake things up from time to time, different terrains, different formats, etc. keeps things fresh.

The handicap format does makes things closer and makes for more overtaking.

If you pick the time and the place, I'll provide the timings... and enjoy watching! :popcorn:
 
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