Turbo Club - Meet Ups / Events

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Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
My target, currently, is just to get to the start line. My treatment for my leg issue goes slowly.

I'd like to be 25+kg lighter when arriving there. But may have difficulty in reaching that target in a healthy way, currently.

I hope to meet up with all of you again on the day for some banter.
Wife has been reading about recent MS research around fasting, and a mediterranean diet. Not strictly for her version of MS (seems to be better for Relapsing rather than progressive, but still worth a try). We're going to try this for a few months to see if this helps at all - as I'll be supporting her then I'm expecting to be losing some more lard ^_^ Less cake and other bad stuff should help. Is it worth giving something like this a go yourself?
 

theboxers

TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
Wife has been reading about recent MS research around fasting, and a mediterranean diet. Not strictly for her version of MS (seems to be better for Relapsing rather than progressive, but still worth a try). We're going to try this for a few months to see if this helps at all - as I'll be supporting her then I'm expecting to be losing some more lard ^_^ Less cake and other bad stuff should help. Is it worth giving something like this a go yourself?
:blush: I lack the will power.

I'll be working on better food and smaller portion size. But I've got to get the exercise going to burn what I'm eating :mrpig:
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
:blush: I lack the will power.

I'll be working on better food and smaller portion size. But I've got to get the exercise going to burn what I'm eating :mrpig:
Same here - awful will power. I promised to help the wife though so at least I have another reason to eat better again. Good luck mate finding your motivation :okay:
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
whorty have u been down county cycles yet if ur set on a bianchi try epic cycle they will swap parts etc to get the build u want
I did Saturday. Bought a bike. Got home. Found out it was priced incorrectly. Then decided it wasn't really the spec I wanted (buy in haste and all that!). Sunday, drove back over to drop bike off for a refund :crazy:

Still trying to work out what I really want! Too much choice :banghead:
 

rob01792

Über Member
Location
swansea
I did Saturday. Bought a bike. Got home. Found out it was priced incorrectly. Then decided it wasn't really the spec I wanted (buy in haste and all that!). Sunday, drove back over to drop bike off for a refund :crazy:

Still trying to work out what I really want! Too much choice :banghead:

ive just seen it on the other thread I haven't been on the forum in ages im a big fan of my tarmac built a scott foil up in the summer
take ur time and read up as much on it as u can. both my bikes r d12 they will cover over 1k before needing charging up
its a mind field out there
 

bridgy

Legendary Member
Location
Cheddar
I have just signed up for this. If I recall no one was that keen but just in case I am going with La vie en Vélo so London/Kent pick up and return; if any interest and only 3 of 8 places left now the pm me.
I decided to go for 139km but on understanding I could upgrade to 179 if fitness improved hugely.

https://www.werideflanders.com/en/
I won't get a pass for this, but it looks awesome and I'm very jealous! Look forward to hearing about it...
 

berty bassett

Legendary Member
Location
I'boro
I have just signed up for this. If I recall no one was that keen but just in case I am going with La vie en Vélo so London/Kent pick up and return; if any interest and only 3 of 8 places left now the pm me.
I decided to go for 139km but on understanding I could upgrade to 179 if fitness improved hugely.

https://www.werideflanders.com/en/
If you like bone shaking roads that much you can come up here for a ride round Northants county , hours of fun pot hole dodging
 

Del C

Veteran
Location
Horley
I won't get a pass for this, but it looks awesome and I'm very jealous! Look forward to hearing about it...
It is an excellent trip, especially if you stay on for the next day and watch the pros ride (both men and women) and if you make sure you get into Gent for some excellent Belgian beer.

I've done it 3 times, and should have last year, but had to pull out with a virus.

I'm currently dithering about whether to do it next year, as some of my club and the usual group I go with have already signed up.
 

bobinski

Legendary Member
Location
Tulse Hill
It is an excellent trip, especially if you stay on for the next day and watch the pros ride (both men and women) and if you make sure you get into Gent for some excellent Belgian beer.

I've done it 3 times, and should have last year, but had to pull out with a virus.

I'm currently dithering about whether to do it next year, as some of my club and the usual group I go with have already signed up.

that’s a cracking endorsement- welcome to join us Del
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
Del,
What bike, wheels tyres and gearing did you use? I know people do it on all sorts but there must be an ideal option?

I would fit the biggest tyre you can accommodate in the frame, run tubeless. I wouldn't consider a cobbler s^_^ ride in less than 40mm G Ones.

But Im a heavyweight Clydesdale so a little rider could use 28/32mm
 

Del C

Veteran
Location
Horley
Del,
What bike, wheels tyres and gearing did you use? I know people do it on all sorts but there must be an ideal option?
I've got a Ridley, so I chose that bike. Had to ride a Belgian designed bike for Flanders!

I've ridden it each time on 25mm clincher tyres, but as @CXRAndy said, if your bike will take 28mm tyres that might be worth doing.

I've run tyre pressure around 90 psi on a 25mm tyre. You can go a bit lower. There are articles that recommend tyre pressure setting such as:

https://blog.tacx.com/how-to-prepare-your-bike-for-a-ride-on-the-cobbles/

I've lost a stone in weight since I last rode Flanders. I'm now 11st 12lbs or 75kg, and according to that article I could go a bit lower now, maybe to 85 psi. The main thing you're balancing is reducing the jarring from riding over cobbles, versus the increased risk of a puncture. The cobbled sections are tough but there's far more riding on ordinary tarmac roads.

Some people put extra bar tape on their bars. I don't bother, but try not to grip your bars too tightly when you ride over cobbles. You'll tend to grip harder at first, but try to stay as loose as you can. You have to let the bike bounce around a bit and go where it wants to some degree. It will normally correct itself and stay in a straight line. You'll feel a lot less tired at the end of the ride if you can master that.

When you're riding on the cobbles, there are normally 2 places people recommend. Either ride in the gutter and try to avoid the cobbles or ride on the crown of the road in the middle where the cobbles are normally better, more even and with less gaps. I've tried both, but I've settled for the crown. Riding in the gutter is ok, but your bike handling needs to be good and you need to look well ahead. If you look close to your front wheel, trying to avoid drains, uneven driveways, etc, then your bike handling just gets worse and you're in more danger of coming off. I decided I was better off on the crown. If you're going to ride a cobbled classic, then there's not much point in trying to avoid cobbles!

Make sure you've got good bottle cages! I use metal cages on my Ridley that grip the bottle. I also use shorter bottles. Both of these things reduce the risk of your bottle flying out of the cage when you hit the cobbles. One of the more amusing thing when you hit the first section of cobbles, is the number of bottles lying on the road from bikes where the rider didn't follow this advice.

And finally, treat your nuts to a nice coating of chamois cream or Sudocrem. They'll thank you hugely after you've battered them to pieces over 90 odd miles (or longer) of Belgian roads and cobbles!

Hope that all helps!!
 
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