The biking thread

[Submerged]

Ah, going a little bit quicker is fine, just so long you keep the same time.

For example, if when you started doing your cycling, it took you 1 hour and 30 mins to cover 20 miles (an example), you can do the same time, just cover the distance a bit faster, so just do more distance.

So when you start arriving five minutes earlier, just change the distance to be about 2 to 5 miles longer and it'll be about the same time, just longer for you to cycle.

Alternatively, just vary your pacing and create an cycling program for yourself?

 

[funkyDucks]

Ah, going a little bit quicker is fine, just so long you keep the same time.

For example, if when you started doing your cycling, it took you 1 hour and 30 mins to cover 20 miles (an example), you can do the same time, just cover the distance a bit faster, so just do more distance.

So when you start arriving five minutes earlier, just change the distance to be about 2 to 5 miles longer and it'll be about the same time, just longer for you to cycle.

Alternatively, just vary your pacing and create an cycling program for yourself?

Never thought about adding distance to be finished at the same time. I always focused on doing the same distance quicker.

Can you explain more about varying pace or a cycling program. I am intrigued.

 

[W3H5]

Went for a cycle today. 12Km in 27 minutes at an average speed of 26.4km/h.
I am practicing for joining a cycling club to get a youth award. I know I should be aiming for longer distances but for now I am starting small.

From my experience, the best practice is commuting, whether to work, school, college or just to get around.

I started commuting to work a long time ago on a not so great bike. Took me around 45 minutes to cover 14km!

Now I have a touring bike and have been doing it for years so can cover the distance in just under half an hour. I have several different route, all of which include mountain roads of different gradients and lengths and varies my ride by around 1-2km.

If you want to know how to pace yourself then ride to the point when you can talk to yourself but are pushing too hard to be able to sing, that's the point when you'll be getting a good workout and conditioning your muscles properly without doing an all out sprint.

Alternatively you could find a 500m mountain road and sprint up it, rest, coast down, sprint back up and repeat. Doing this really helped my get in shape and builds muscles for short bursts of energy.

 

[boiltheocean]

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wtf-12

 

[Aldo]

 

[Neal]

I'm definitely using rhoid-buffing next time I'm out on a group ride...I have a feeling it won't raise an eyebrow though


My new SRAM X9 rear mech arrived today so will be getting fitted tonight. The X7 one I bought had very stiff links causing it to shift poorly at best and not at all once it got a bit of mud on it so that's been returned and thankfully the X9 one feels smooth so should work fine. Next upgrade on the list is a new front mech as my current cheapo one doesn't really do it's primary function under load or if it's a bit mucky.

Look at the shiny shiny

 

[W3H5]

I thought all SRAMs were supposed to be top quality, well the ones I've read reviews of seemed to be from the report.

What's rhoid-buffing? Is that some kind of performance enhancer?

 

[Neal]

I thought all SRAMs were supposed to be top quality, well the ones I've read reviews of seemed to be from the report.

TBH I don't think there is a great deal of difference between SRAM and Shimano in terms of performance but I've current got SRAM so stuck with them. The X7 mech is pretty decent quality but after a bit of googling it seems like they can suffer with stiff pivots causing ghost shifting and mine was so sticky it wouldn't change into the smallest cogs! I could have had a replacement X7 which probably would have been fine but found a X9 mech for £20 more so got that instead...did I mention it was shiny :magpie:

What's rhoid-buffing? Is that some kind of performance enhancer?

Buzzing your crack with your back tyre when you're hanging your arse off the back of the bike while dropping off steep shi...stuff. Depending on what floats your boat that may be a performance enhancer

 

[W3H5]

Buzzing your crack with your back tyre when you're hanging your arse off the back of the bike while dropping off steep shi...stuff. Depending on what floats your boat that may be a performance enhancer

Ah, I see. I can happily say that never happens to me, and if it did, my slicks would only give the grapes a shine!

 

[Submerged]

....wouldn't they just blister them very quickly due to the speed you're going at?!

 

[W3H5]

Or shear them right off!

 

[ExigeEvan]

I don't think I could even lean that far back on my road bike

 

[W3H5]

I could if I held the cross bar instead of the handle bars, but then I'd probably crash.

 

[daft biker]

I don't think I could even lean that far back on my road bike

It's more of a seat down and bottling it on something steep thing I believe. With two wheels on the ground shifting the weight that far back is often followed by a bail because there's no weight on the front and the brakes are on.

 

[Submerged]

Well, you'll get a momentarily sensation of flying i guess...

Which is fun.

 

[alpacaflip]

I'm still bad at rock gardens haha. I wasn't actually prepared for it, the new park re-routed a path which was wall rides and jumps. Now half way down it turns into rocks. This was only a portion of the rock garden.

 

[daft biker]

That'll be a tree then

Nice looking trail though:tup:

 

[alpacaflip]

I wanted a closer view of that bark!

Mountain Creek is a pretty awesome little place.

 

[W3H5]

After buying the pedals a while ago I thought it was about time I bought some shoes to fit them.

Last season's stock? I don't care for £12.

 

[Submerged]

They're Chinese sized aren't they (extremely small)?

Or are they the largest size that they do just for you?

 

[W3H5]

I got them in a 43, that's the image from the site, not from my useless phone. For the price I'm expecting them to be fake, but as long as they have the clips I'll be happy.

 

[Neal]

Shoes look good Shem, if you don't like them send them to me as I'm in 43 too

alpacaflip - Funny end to a nice vid 👍 I think the trick to rock gardens is to attack them at speed to you skip over the rough stuff (* disclaimer this may cause serious injury and/or death)


In my biking news I have managed to do 2 whole rides without any mechanicals or needing to adjust anything \o/ It's taken a lot of spannering and a divorce threatening amount of money but I am finally happy with my bike...until next pay day

 

[Bram Turismo]

So I just blew my fourth inner tyre in two weeks time...

Something or someone really doesn't want me out there enjoying the weather...

Seriously though, 4 inner tires in 2 weeks. I'm getting fed up with it. I'm blowing so much money on this cheap road bike right now that it's just pissing me off. First I drive through something which luckily didn't leave me standing flat an hour away from home. Then the next tyre randomly deflated when I was at uni. The next one blew when I apparently fitted it wrong so it got pinched somewhere inside. And today the thin protection around the bare rim came off so the spoke holes blew my tyre.

I bet someone up there is doing this right now:

 

[W3H5]

So I just blew my fourth inner tyre in two weeks time...

Welcome to my world! I actually take note of my tubes now because I've tried so many companies that produce crap ones it's unbelievable! I had 2 in 2 days a few weeks back!

I don't know if my pressures were too high or the tubes were faulty but a lot of my punctures come from thin air, and not due to a rock or piece of glass. The ones from obstacles I can't blame the manufacturer for.

 

[Tiagodh]

Hi! In a reply to the OP I take mountain biking as an hobby, altough it's something I really like to do. I'm more into the Downhill scene though, and sometimes I enter some races (only in trails that I like ). Since I didn't read much of this post yet I would like to know if there's more people in Dh, or just in the AM/XC riding (wich I also like).

By the way, my bikes are:

AM- Commencal Meta 5
DJ/Street- Commencal Max Max
Dh- Santa Cruz V10

 

[Bram Turismo]

Welcome to my world! I actually take note of my tubes now because I've tried so many companies that produce crap ones it's unbelievable! I had 2 in 2 days a few weeks back!

I don't know if my pressures were too high or the tubes were faulty but a lot of my punctures come from thin air, and not due to a rock or piece of glass. The ones from obstacles I can't blame the manufacturer for.

I refuse to ride on anything lower than 120 psi. I've been riding 120 psi for three years now, and never had a problem. Anything lower than that and I feel as if the road is basically eating my tires like a fat kid eating his dessert.

 

[W3H5]

I have the same issue. The resistance difference from 90psi, what the shop suggested so that I stop popping tubes, to 100-110 which I usually ride is noticeable. The extra effort to keep the bike at high speeds is also very noticeable!

 

[W3H5]

Stupid shoes didn't come with the attachments that actually clip into the pedal. Off to the bike shop tomorrow to buy them. Another £3 to splash out, oh the damage to my wallet.



Na, I kid, biking in China is a relatively cheap thing.

 

[Aldo]

I was gunning it on the way home from work a couple of nights back and ripped past two bike cops at like 20mph on the pavement... I was bitterly disappointed when they didn't start chasing me.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Stupid shoes didn't come with the attachments that actually clip into the pedal. Off to the bike shop tomorrow to buy them. Another £3 to splash out, oh the damage to my wallet.



Na, I kid, biking in China is a relatively cheap thing.

*cleets*

They're wear and tear items so it's not such a big deal.