Team BKool CycleChat

[Add]

I certainly felt like I'd accomplished something. The beauty of Bkool is, even if you are cycling alone, you can try and open the gap or maintain it from the guy behind, or try not to lose ground to the 'machines' ahead of you.
I pushed quite hard tonight, and the mini heatwave we are having didn't help, sweat was pouring out of me!
But glad to have done it. I found the hill at the end almost a relief, I was finally able to get a bit of wattage down. Tommy you stayed with me up it too mind you, I thought I'd lose you on that.

 

[rob01792]

That was a pity as we were working well together - I waited to see if you reappeared but alas not, so I then pushed on to catch up with Rob and we got another team White train going to the bottom of the big climb


Thanks to AAAC and yourself for your words of encouragement towards the end. At least it proved that I am over my recent sickness

Yes drafting seam to work a bit better for us today but that climb was difficult but u made it look easy u put 2 minutes on me

 

[AAAC 76C]

I agree - and that hill at the end is just long enough to be a nasty challenge but without going on for ever.

Stuff! Just looked back and i did this in 47:30 last time we rode it in the league.
I reckon I would have been with you at the end Bridgy at 30 secs plus faster.
Perhaps if I'd had stayed there you'd been quicker as well.
I find it hard to believe that GA Camel did this in 31:16! That's in excess of a 50kph/30mph average which is faster than we were going to the foot of the climb and then keeping it going up the mountain, I smell as rat.
As for the 20 sec record, I think we can count that out and the male Vet 2 record of 42:31 is some going as well.
I'll have to put my 52 back on for Saturday and blast the approach at 30mph and then try and keep it going up the berg with a megga Pro Sling

 

[BILL S]

A little annoyed as we were having a good tussle tonight. I was not at my best and I was wondering if Bill and I were letting you sit on too much.
I had to put the pressure on on that little climb at about 3/4 as I new there were a few little descents and I didn't have the enthusiasm to chase after you both going downhill and it worked just about right as we all went into the climb sort of together. Knowing that I had 4 minutes on Bill and 10 on yourself (in the GC) I knew I didn't need to smash up the hill which is just as well as I was pretty spent well before we started climbing.
Our little battle was keeping me going as my just forward of butt area was giving me jip and I was blowing hard as well.
All that and the thought that I didn't want to do this again under duress meant Iwas not going to give in and then........BSim crashed! feck, feck blimming feck

Well I forgot to switch on my lofts air conditioning to get the place cool but was feeling good anyway and it wasn't until we got to the hill that I started feeling weak. The drafting went really well compared to the handicap TT's and I reckon we did it a fair bit quicker than last time. I think it was you, me and LB last time.
For Saturdays re-run I have no idea what to do about my tyre. Ride all that distance on lower pressure so I can get some grip up the hill, or stick with the hi pressure then stop at the bottom of the hill and let some air out? That'd probably only cost 10 seconds. I'll not be going up that hill as quick as you two though.

 

[CXRAndy]

There has been some significant improvements over the last attempt in February!

I am having a few easier days, felt a little under par. Will catch up with rides next week. Looking forward to Geoff's KG/Watts adjustment leg

 

[Soarerv8]

There has been some significant improvements over the last attempt in February!

I am having a few easier days, felt a little under par. Will catch up with rides next week. Looking forward to Geoff's KG/Watts adjustment leg

Yes I guess about 40% of us are quite excited by this, 20% will notice no difference and the other 40% will afterwards realise what excellent life choices they have made.

 

[theboxers]

Yes I guess about 40% of us are quite excited by this, 20% will notice no difference and the other 40% will afterwards realise what excellent life choices they have made.

And those, like me, who have enjoyed life to the full, must now pay the piper or in this case Geoff .

 

[bridgy]

So how about we try an individual weight Handicap next Tuesday?

Just sign up here, be allocated a weight, set that weight before the ride and see how you get on.

You can ride it at any time during the week, but those who's motivation is improved by the sight of others just in front (Adam and Bill, you know who you are) should enjoy the added bonus of a suddenly emaciated @theboxers flying up the hill in front...

I suggest I setup a league stage with 3 laps of the Merry Harriers as a trial run, so we keep target times below 30 minutes.

Here are my initial calculations on target weights (taken from this months Bonus sprint 2)...

user Handicap Kg
AAAC 76C 97.7
Bridgy 96.3
Bill S 87.7
Adski 87.4
John18 82.5
TurboTommy 79.9
CXRAndy 78.7
Bobinski 75.1
Soarerv8 71
bazzer99 68.2
RamirezAGC 66.6
berty bassett 64
Rob 60.9
Goldwolfie 60.6
TheBoxers 47

96.3kgs???? Do you realise how hard it was to lose that weight, and now you want me to put it all back on again?!

Sounds like another fun experiment though so I'll be up for giving it a go. Could turn out to be a major weight loss incentive - those who've lost weight and have to ride with it back on will be encouraged to never put it back on, and those who get a nice weight drop will be encouraged to try and get there in real life!

I'm intrigued to see how this will work out.....

 

[Goldwolfie]

Yes drafting seam to work a bit better for us today but that climb was difficult but u made it look easy u put 2 minutes on me

The drafting with The Boxers and yourself allowed me to save something for the climb, and I have definitely improved my climbing, having lost those 22 lbs over the winter. However, it might have been a different story if the climb had gone on a bit longer, as I hadn't anything left at the end.

 

[gbrown]

96.3kgs???? Do you realise how hard it was to lose that weight, and now you want me to put it all back on again?!

Sounds like another fun experiment though so I'll be up for giving it a go. Could turn out to be a major weight loss incentive - those who've lost weight and have to ride with it back on will be encouraged to never put it back on, and those who get a nice weight drop will be encouraged to try and get there in real life!

I'm intrigued to see how this will work out.....

Actually, considering the effect on resistance, it may make sense to stick to lower weights.

Tempting though it is to watch you guys struggle up the climb with an extra 20Kg, I suspect you will just reach maximum resistance for your trainers and it won't make that much difference.

If we aim for a higher Watts/Kg level, that should give everyone else a chance to keep up. I just wonder how low a weight is practical.

Geoff

 

[BILL S]

Good point Geoff. With the weight you allocated me I'd probably just go faster because of the blue numbers.
Maybe it's worth making the maximum weight something like 66kg. Somewhere around @berty bassett weight, and maybe he can confirm if he ever see's any blue numbers when climbing steep hills?

 

[bridgy]

And/or ensure the course you choose doesn't have too steep an incline? I think the steeper the incline the more likely heavier riders will see blue numbers as the resistance has maxed out etc.

 

[Goldwolfie]

Rather than all this competetive malarky, I'm planning to slow things down a bit.

I'm due to retire on 1st August, after reaching the age when the state decide to pay back some of my hard owned from the last 49 years of hard labour.

Mrs GW is not too keen on the idea of having me lounging around the house all day, so not to upset her too much, I will be looking at spending alot more time riding around the Peak District close to my home.

I find my road bike a bit uncomfortable for anything over a couple of hours riding, so the plan is to purchase something a little more relaxed and comfortable - either new or good second hand.

I'm thinking a tourer would be the best option with the hills around here, but cyclocross jobbies seem to be very popular these days and might suit the bill.

I'll be sticking to the roads and like to tootle along at a reasonable speed by my standards. I have an old mountain bike that I currently use to commute to the station and will use that for any off road or trail outings. It's that old and it has been left on Chesterfield station platform daily for 5 years, and nobody has ever nicked it - plenty others have disappeared, never to be seen by their owners again.

I might also be tempted to shoot off on a short tour or two, as I'll have time on my hands, and Mrs GW will give a big thumbs up to this idea.

Have any of you multi-bike owners got a view, from experience, on the main differences between tourers and cyclocross bikes, compared to a road bike.

I'll obviously be scheduling my real world rides to fit in with this forum's events.

 

[<Tommy>]

For what it's worth I'm 95kg and don't see blue numbers on 'huez'.

 

[bridgy]

For what it's worth I'm 95kg and don't see blue numbers on 'huez'.

That's good to know - that one we had in the league the other day which was causing problems is much steeper than Alpe d'Huez - same height gain over 2/3 of the distance.