The biking thread

I can't decide if this is brilliant or dumb.



My Ribble has a 40T front chainring and a 42T rear cassette in my smallest gear. This gives me 25 gear inches. I'd say this combo is good to around 12-15% gradients before I have to go deep to just keep moving. I really like the simplicity and reliability of the 1x setup but it would be really nice if I could go down to like a 30T on the front for the couple of times the terrain gets really steep. I thought about just putting a 30T front chainring coupled to my 40T and moving the chain by hand when it was needed (18 gear inches with the 30-42 combo), but this is kind of like that but a little more convenient. Is it really a 1x at that point? No but it's not fully a 2x either. More like a 1.5x with a bail-out gear?

I could go with a mullet setup and get an even bigger rear cog, but the rear mech already feels super exposed with how long it is and honestly I think those 50+T rear cogs look kind of silly.

I really wish I could get a modern 2-speed rear hub at non-extortionist prices (looking at you classified...). I really don't like front derailleurs.

edit: Just found this. A 3-speed gearbox front chainring that is compatible with standard bike frames. Lowest front ratio is equivalent to 28t. I'm super interested in this although they make it very clear it's not designed for "racing" applications...which makes me think it has some soft torque-at-the-cranks limits.
 
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Omnis
Also, whoever asked me about the brake pads, good job. My fitter saw that I had cork pads and didn't let me leave until he changed them for carbon ones. He's like, "Cork was the only thing we had in 2013, but you'd stop faster by dragging your foot before these did anything."
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Woah, knew people get it wrong with the pad material on carbon wheels but not that cork pads get used! Good to see the stem worked out for you.
 
Solo
Woah, knew people get it wrong with the pad material on carbon wheels but not that cork pads get used! Good to see the stem worked out for you.
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I thought it was some crazy kevlar-brownish brake pad material. Nah, it's cork. :lol:
 


Riding with these guys at the big park tomorrow morning. 👍 Gonna try to put at least 20 miles in, stretch 30. The crazy part is these guys are going FAST but it looks SO SLOW on video lmaooo
 
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Omnis


Riding with these guys at the big park tomorrow morning. 👍 Gonna try to put at least 20 miles in, stretch 30. The crazy part is these guys are going FAST but it looks SO SLOW on video
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Screenshot_20221015_204445.jpg


This was the ride referenced above. I finally also got a cheap lil bike computer and the right kind of button battery for my power meter, so that's up and running.

I was wondering why riding outside seemed so significantly harder with the wind, and it turns out at my size I'm having to put out about twice the wattage of what I'm used to on a steady indoor pace. Here are the maxes from the quick shakedown lap

20221015_152742.jpg
 
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Also, my bike is 16 lbs. How is this real life? Carbon is wild. I notice that I'm bouncing a lot above 100 rpm and if I'm pushing in the drops it feels like the bike is all over the place. Maybe I need wider bars or a longer stem? It's just such a weird feeling to have so many dynamics going on at once. I'm going to head to the local velodrome this week to see if I can start training with the track guys and become better as a cyclist in general.

Bike handling-wise, what I do love about the TCR is that I can basically just lean to one side or the other to steer. There's like no hand input, which I guess is how it's supposed to be. I also was going to roll through a stop sign but I saw a Lexus speeding down the road at the last minute so I did a panic stop which morphed into an abrupt U-turn which the TCR handled beautifully. I love that I can just lean over and the wheel turns in to sort of catch you and keep you from falling over as long as you're still clipped in and providing some propulsion. Are all road bikes like this? New experience for me for sure.
 
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Steering characteristics are derived from the ‘cockpit’ proportions. Most road bikes are set up to a preference.
My commuter had the stem at 0 and it’s input was razor sharp, though it was geared to go slow.
My climbing bike had a longer stem and bars making less twitchy at high speed.
A pro bike fitter would be able to explain in great detail about how geometry affects steering and handling.
 
Omnis
Carbon is wild. I notice that I'm bouncing a lot above 100 rpm and if I'm pushing in the drops it feels like the bike is all over the place
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That can be inherent to carbon but not necessarily just because it's carbon.
Many different layup methods of carbon can go into a bike in different sections of the frame to try tune this out and soak up some harsh road feeling.

As with any frame material not all carbon fibre is equal, a $1k carbon frame won't give the same ride quality as say a $10k frame just as a wild example. The more expensive frame will be layed up differently and using better carbon fibre to try help with this.

The harshest bike I've ever owned was an aluminium Specialized Allez though that's to be expected as it's a crit bike and made to be thrashed around a small city circuit for half an hour and to hell with comfort.

Rule of thumb generally Aluminium is the harshest followed by carbon then titanium and steel though there are obviously exceptions to that depending on the quality of materials used, workmanship, geometry etc.
 
Shaun
That can be inherent to carbon but not necessarily just because it's carbon.
Many different layup methods of carbon can go into a bike in different sections of the frame to try tune this out and soak up some harsh road feeling.

As with any frame material not all carbon fibre is equal, a $1k carbon frame won't give the same ride quality as say a $10k frame just as a wild example. The more expensive frame will be layed up differently and using better carbon fibre to try help with this.

The harshest bike I've ever owned was an aluminium Specialized Allez though that's to be expected as it's a crit bike and made to be thrashed around a small city circuit for half an hour and to hell with comfort.

Rule of thumb generally Aluminium is the harshest followed by carbon then titanium and steel though there are obviously exceptions to that depending on the quality of materials used, workmanship, geometry etc.
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Carbon fork goes a long long way of smoothing out some of the trademark Al harshness. Same with dropped seat stays. My CAAD12 isn't harsh at all, in my opinion. No dropped seat stays, but it does have a carbon fork and high developed tube shapes. I've always wanted to try a 90s aluminum race bike just to feel how teeth-juttering they must be...especially on 23mm tires at 100+psi.

My titanium 650b Ribble feels like a Cadillac of course. :lol:
 
Omnis
I notice that I'm bouncing a lot above 100 rpm and if I'm pushing in the drops it feels like the bike is all over the place. Maybe I need wider bars or a longer stem?
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Do you mean your body is bouncing in the saddle or the whole bike is bouncing and moving your body?

Pushing in the drops takes some getting used to especially with deep wheels like you have as any bit of cross wind will unsettle the bike. I still hate doing it, but the terrible British roads don’t help.

Have you been able to calibrate the power meter with your phone/bike computer? Was it just peak watts that are massively up or also avg watts? When I Zwift vs using my power meter pedals I get pretty close correlation on power/speed for a flat section so I’m surprised you’re finding it so out!

On another note, does anyone fancy GTP Strava group? I’d be happy to set one up if there isn’t one already
 
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Solo
On another note, does anyone fancy GTP Strava group? I’d be happy to set one up if there isn’t one already
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I would be of no perceptible contribution to said group, but I'd join.
 
I'd join to have a look and add encouragement but I gave away uploading to Strava as I was starting to look at the numbers too much instead of just riding for the fun.
Now I use my bike computer while actually riding but then just delete it after each ride.
If I start training for something serious again I'd start uploading again.
 
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I found the same thing, all my rides became focused on trying to beat my records on various segments. Ended up deleting it and just using my bike computer just to view the stats at the end. Good enough.
 
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I'm not a numbers chaser so using it to track how far (or not) I've ridden for the year was about all I did.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
1200w!💪

Edit: 1200W for 26mph seems like a lot. Sir, are you a sail?
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Yes, it's a (likely) transient peak reading. :lol: But since the bike came with PRO handlebars and my fitter put me on a PRO saddle, my goal now is to become the real-life Ion Göttlich. I'm already halfway there-- just subtract all the mass from the arms and add it to the belly :lol:

278718357_295670862735752_4797816634601283903_n.jpeg

W3H5
Steering characteristics are derived from the ‘cockpit’ proportions. Most road bikes are set up to a preference.
My commuter had the stem at 0 and it’s input was razor sharp, though it was geared to go slow.
My climbing bike had a longer stem and bars making less twitchy at high speed.
A pro bike fitter would be able to explain in great detail about how geometry affects steering and handling.
Click to expand...

Solo
Do you mean your body is bouncing in the saddle or the whole bike is bouncing and moving your body?

Pushing in the drops takes some getting used to especially with deep wheels like you have as any bit of cross wind will unsettle the bike. I still hate doing it, but the terrible British roads don’t help.

Have you been able to calibrate the power meter with your phone/bike computer? Was it just peak watts that are massively up or also avg watts? When I Zwift vs using my power meter pedals I get pretty close correlation on power/speed for a flat section so I’m surprised you’re finding it so out!

On another note, does anyone fancy GTP Strava group? I’d be happy to set one up if there isn’t one already
Click to expand...
It's my butt bouncing on the saddle as my legs are flying up and down, lol. I'm sure my stem has a role in the "jumpiness" while pushing, but going from riding the snot out of a 160-lbs static machine to a 16-lbs highly dynamic machine is also a very different experience. That's what I meant by Carbon is wild. The last bike I rode was a $90 retail, 30+ pound steel commuter tank, and I now have a $13,000 retail 16 pound supercar of a bike. Whole new world for me.

I'm going to re-calibrate the meter tomorrow during my ride at the park. I think Luis rides with one, too, so we can compare numbers while riding in the same paceline, same cadence, etc.

Would love to join a GTP Strava group. Anything I can join that gives me more incentive to ride, I'm all for it.
 
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Omnis
Yes, it's a (likely) transient peak reading. :lol: But since the bike came with PRO handlebars and my fitter put me on a PRO saddle, my goal now is to become the real-life Ion Göttlich. I'm already halfway there-- just subtract all the mass from the arms and add it to the belly :lol:

View attachment 1201174



It's my butt bouncing on the saddle as my legs are flying up and down, lol. I'm sure my stem has a role in the "jumpiness" while pushing, but going from riding the snot out of a 160-lbs static machine to a 16-lbs highly dynamic machine is also a very different experience. That's what I meant by Carbon is wild. The last bike I rode was a $90 retail, 30+ pound steel commuter tank, and I now have a $13,000 retail 16 pound supercar of a bike. Whole new world for me.

I'm going to re-calibrate the meter tomorrow during my ride at the park. I think Luis rides with one, too, so we can compare numbers while riding in the same paceline, same cadence, etc.

Would love to join a GTP Strava group. Anything I can join that gives me more incentive to ride, I'm all for it.
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I mean I can't say with a high degree of certainty, but conceptually, a big belly is more aero than big arms.
 
Joined. Will always be at the bottom of the climber's leaderboard around here. :lol:

I also have a terrible habit of booting up Strava but never hitting Start for my rides. Should be different with my bike computer now. The park ride was rained out this morning. Hitting the Velodrome tomorrow evening and hopefully the park Thursday morning.

Eunos_Cosmo
Joined
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Dude, your Strava pics are AMAZING.
 
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Omnis
Joined. Will always be at the bottom of the climber's leaderboard around here. :lol:

I also have a terrible habit of booting up Strava but never hitting Start for my rides. Should be different with my bike computer now. The park ride was rained out this morning. Hitting the Velodrome tomorrow evening and hopefully the park Thursday morning.


Dude, your Strava pics are AMAZING.
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Marin has a way of doing that... :lol:
 
Dude 30 miles after lifting and not sleeping totally sucks haha. I felt like I had no power. Still, I was out there when it was dark and did a few laps towards the end with Romina (the girl in the front on that video I posted). She dropped me so hard after the 2nd lap. Was holding like 250ish the whole way just to get through the wind, but after I let up and went down to 100ish or freewheeling, she just kept going. It's amazing how far back you fall in no time once you even entertain letting up a little bit.

Anyway, I went home, ate, showered, and totally passed out for a nap that lasted 7-8 hours. Great day.

I don't have a tire pressure gauge for a presta valve but I'm also wondering whether my rear tire is even inflated appropriately for my weight. Maybe that's why I feel so slow despite cranking massive wattage. I calibrated my PM 3 different times and my unit was still giving me around 250W for like 17mph. Maybe I should take up sailing.

Riding out of the saddle is really weird and wobbly still. Does stem length really do anything to help with this? I feel like the front doesn't twitch only when I let the bike sway. But when I wag the bike in the drops I can hear my rim brakes rubbing. Is that also normal? I'm wondering if wheel flex is compounding that squirrely feedback I'm getting through the bars. Oh, and also I HATE my drops. It feels like there isn't anything to grab onto. There's not enough bar that extends parallel to the ground for me.
 
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Omnis
Dude 30 miles after lifting and not sleeping totally sucks haha. I felt like I had no power. Still, I was out there when it was dark and did a few laps towards the end with Romina (the girl in the front on that video I posted). She dropped me so hard after the 2nd lap. Was holding like 250ish the whole way just to get through the wind, but after I let up and went down to 100ish or freewheeling, she just kept going. It's amazing how far back you fall in no time once you even entertain letting up a little bit.

Anyway, I went home, ate, showered, and totally passed out for a nap that lasted 7-8 hours. Great day.

I don't have a tire pressure gauge for a presta valve but I'm also wondering whether my rear tire is even inflated appropriately for my weight. Maybe that's why I feel so slow despite cranking massive wattage. I calibrated my PM 3 different times and my unit was still giving me around 250W for like 17mph. Maybe I should take up sailing.

Riding out of the saddle is really weird and wobbly still. Does stem length really do anything to help with this? I feel like the front doesn't twitch only when I let the bike sway. But when I wag the bike in the drops I can hear my rim brakes rubbing. Is that also normal? I'm wondering if wheel flex is compounding that squirrely feedback I'm getting through the bars. Oh, and also I HATE my drops. It feels like there isn't anything to grab onto. There's not enough bar that extends parallel to the ground for me.
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If there is basically any headwind, you'll need substantially more watts to achieve "normal" speeds. There is this strava segment in SF called "the wind tunnel" which during the summer has headwinds upwards of 20mph. You need 250w just to go 10-12mph. I've bee passed by joggers on that street. :lol:

You should get a pump with a built-in pressure gauge. I have this one and it's been great for several years.

You can also get presta-shrader adapters on amazon for like $1.50 that you screw on and you can use with standard tire pressure gauges.

When I'm on my road bike with "standard" drops, I don't find myself using them very much. But I use the flared drops of my gravel bike a lot. They just seem more comfortable and the fact that they are wider gives a little bit more precise control.
 
Omnis
Riding out of the saddle is really weird and wobbly still. Does stem length really do anything to help with this? I feel like the front doesn't twitch only when I let the bike sway. But when I wag the bike in the drops I can hear my rim brakes rubbing. Is that also normal? I'm wondering if wheel flex is compounding that squirrely feedback I'm getting through the bars. Oh, and also I HATE my drops. It feels like there isn't anything to grab onto. There's not enough bar that extends parallel to the ground for me
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A longer stem will make it feel less 'twitchy' but also slower to react, I went from a 110mm to a 130mm stem and it gave the bike a much more relaxed handling feeling along with being much more comfortable.

Brakes rubbing in the drops is fairly normal, you can adjust the callipers slightly for more clearance if it's really bad but I wouldn't worry too much. I'd say it's unlikely the wheels are flexing, more the forks or rear stays.

Race bike drops are tiny, got to save any weight you can. Welcome to TCR life rather than spin bikes. First bit of setup I do is to make sure the bottom of the drop is parallel to the floor, this will make it feel significantly better even if they are short. Perhaps check this and rotate the bars forwards if you can? It'll also increase the reach of the hoods slightly which will add some stability I'd think.
 
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Before my ride at the park I saw a bunch of other guys pull up and the last thing they did before taking their bikes off their racks was to pump up the tires. That was my light bulb moment, and so I got my Lezyne floor pump today. This thing is awesome. Built like a tank-- you could murder someone with it.

So the feeling ultra-slow for 250W might have something to do with the tires being at 70 psi instead of 100. I set the front to 100 and the back to 110. Took it for a quick spin and it felt much better. Riding out of the saddle in the drops was also more stable, strangely. But it was just a quick spin with no arm fatigue or anything.

I think I'm gonna head down to the bike shop again this week. While I'm down there I'll probably go ride across Rickenbacker and do Key Biscayne. Definitely next weekend, if not this week. Gonna also visit the velodrome tomorrow when the Association is there to practice.
 

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