Team BKool CycleChat

[JLaw]

I ventured out into the real world again yesterday. This time with the road bike. I was shooting for 1:50 up Little Cottonwood and secretly hoping for 1:45; the former time would mean I'm a little slower than I ended last year, the latter would be on-par with where I ended last year. I'd be happy with either time.

Essentially the whole point of getting a trainer was to be able to work out through the winter and not see the horrific 30 minute setback over the winter months. This was the first apples to apples test to see how well that worked.

First half wasn't anything special, I wasn't pushing too hard, but I knew I was on a 1:45-1:50 pace. When things flattened out a bit after the climb past Tanner's flat, I consciously kept the gearing low and tried to bring the cadence up to something more respectable. When I past the point where the gopro died last week I quickly estimated that I was on a 1:40 or better pace, which was a great motivator for the last couple miles to keep turning over the pedals.

I finished at 1:36:??. Best time in 10 years, hit it in May and carrying 20+lbs. You can assume I had a big fat smile on my face once I got off the bike.

Now to rethink what that means in terms of goals for the season and the next couple years.

 

[CXRAndy]

@JLaw excellent result, even pacing wins

 

[berty bassett]

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?

i saw blue numbers on the 5.4 miler we did the other week but i couldn't make head nor tail out of when they were appearing - sometimes when i stood up and the wheel slipped i got blue and sometimes it would be white at 7mph / sometimes blue - there seemed to be no logic and i certainly couldn't control them . they didn't seem to make it easier at any point --- and i am a svelt 63 kg now not a plump 66 - my missus has now started humming danse macabre when i head for my shed !!

 

[gbrown]

Well team green I have done the TTT afraid I just couldn't stay with you. Bkool was doing some funny stuff big lag on gradient change. Would have been welcome on an uphill course big nuisance downhill. Could you do the necessary Geoff to see if I have shamed the team.

Well done @Soarerv8 40:09, another Team Green improvement.

Along with large improvements from Bazzer and Berty, you've nicked it by miles.
If you could all turn up on the night you would be a formidable team!

Bazzer 40:12
Berty 40:12
Soarerv8 41:39 (third man)
Bill 42:45
Tommy 42:48
AAAC 42:48
Adam 42:51
Bridgy 42:55 (third man)
Andy 43:02 (third man)
Kipster 43:33
Bob 44:04
Rob 46:55
TheBoxers 47:12
Camlo 51:59 (third man/woman/lady/person)

 

[LBHIFI]

That's a pity Lars. Haven't seen the virtual you for a while. We could try the dummy ride adjustment but I'm not hopeful that it'll work after the stage expires. I'm happy to try but I guess the league finishes soon.

My time trial test today was cut short by technical problems, so I almost did a real stage 5 attempt. I thought I would take it easy from the beginning but that was a mistake. In no time you were almost 2 minutes ahead. As the real steep sections began, I seemed to reel in seconds again, but I then began to feel the result of the real life time trial an hour ealier, and bailed out. I saw no blue numbers during my short ride.

 

[kipster]

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.

I use my cyclocross on the the turbo and for winter rides as it isn't really a cyclocross, the gearing isn't right for that game. It is comfy and would work well for touring, it can take full mud guards and a rack on the back. I used to use it for commuting. The latest trend is for gravel bike which are supposedly somewhere between road and cross bikes. I don't think you'll go far wrong with a bike designed for audax or touring, they will be plenty comfortable enough, probably a nice steel frame set, but it might be worth a look at a gravel bike.

Generally cross bikes will have smaller chainsets (48 or 46 or 42 big ring and a 36 or 34 small ring), perhaps coupled to a wide ratio cassette, tourers /audax might have triples (50-39-30) or compacts (50-34). Cassette range may depend on what gearing you want, ie a 30 X 32 will most likely get you up steep hills at a relaxed pace.

A road bike might not have room for a rack, so where will the packed lunch go?

 

[gbrown]

Still I did my best average power @230 watts over 20 minutes or so not all wasted .

Geoff a la ben kenobi


You did no this post. You will not use this post to calculate handicaps. This post is no admission of potential future performance.

Too late...

 

[AAAC 76C]

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.

A road bike might not have room for a rack, so where will the packed lunch go?[/QUOTE]

But the other half could cart it all around in the Team Car so that she does not get too board either!

 

[CXRAndy]

I like the versatility of a cyclo-cross bike. Large tyres upto 40mm usually. Room for mudguards/racks.

My dream Road bike would be a titanium frame for disc brakes with eyelets and internal wiring with di-2 When my boardman frame gives up the ghost, I will commission a bespoke frame and build it from my gearset on the Boardman.

 

[theboxers]

Too late...

Damn


That just cost me 10kilos

 

[AAAC 76C]

I like the versatility of a cyclo-cross bike. Large tyres upto 40mm usually. Room for mudguards/racks.

My dream Road bike would be a titanium frame for disc brakes with eyelets and internal wiring with di-2 When my boardman frame gives up the ghost, I will commission a bespoke frame and build it from my gearset on the Boardman.

When my frame gives up the ghost I will pat myself on the back and say, "I did that!"

To be honest I don't think I had a frame that given up on me other than malicious damage (AKA crashing) more I give up on the frame because I want a new one.

 

[AAAC 76C]

I like the versatility of a cyclo-cross bike. Large tyres upto 40mm usually. Room for mudguards/racks.

My dream Road bike would be a titanium frame for disc brakes with eyelets and internal wiring with di-2 When my boardman frame gives up the ghost, I will commission a bespoke frame and build it from my gearset on the Boardman.

My dream road bike was a Ducati Monster but I have lost touch with the Bike world.

 

[BILL S]

My time trial test today was cut short by technical problems, so I almost did a real stage 5 attempt. I thought I would take it easy from the beginning but that was a mistake. In no time you were almost 2 minutes ahead. As the real steep sections began, I seemed to reel in seconds again, but I then began to feel the result of the real life time trial an hour ealier, and bailed out. I saw no blue numbers during my short ride.

Definitely worth doing the stage5 Lars as the w/kg achieved is higher than normal for some reason. Worth doing at least half an hour of it anyway

 

[BILL S]

My dream road bike was a Ducati Monster but I have lost touch with the Bike world.

I think the tyre might be a little wide for the roller so you're probably best just sticking with the Honda Melody.

 

[CXRAndy]

When my frame gives up the ghost I will pat myself on the back and say, "I did that!"

To be honest I don't think I had a frame that given up on me other than malicious damage (AKA crashing) more I give up on the frame because I want a new one.

I know it will probably last years, but I didn't do it any favours last week when the chain jumped off the 11t at high rpm and gouged into the frame stays