New to cycling

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by ratter

Pretty sure I've seen 72 kmh on a downhill, will check my Garmin data to confirm, I know I've seen 60's

I don't know how these Garmin watches work, but on the watch at the bottom of the hill I saw 72km/h. When I got to work and checked the max speed, it only said 63.3km/h, so I don't know why the big difference? Something to do with the change in altitude perhaps?

[ratter]

Pretty sure that a real quick spike of any of the readings may not show on the graphs. i.e the graph printed may not take into account every recorded point, it may only do every 5th (as an example) if your 72 occurred for over 5 recorded points then it would show if it doesn't and is not one of the points printed then it may not show on the graph

[HLC]

Quickest I've clocked on the track bike was 66kph just yesterday rolling off a slight downhill. That's 172rpm on my ratio ha ha

Quickest I've hit on the roadie pushing on the flat was 56kph in top gear 53/12 for kicks. But I've only done 100km's on it and haven't taken it down any sweet hills yet ha ha

Quickest I've clocked on the turbo trainer was 87kph in the same ratio lol! Little different to the road though :P


On Garmins, when you upload to garmin connect/strava, it automatically corrects any anomalies in the data so that's why the numbers change!

[blueoval]

Just a quick update guys,

Im booked in to get a custom bike fit today, then Im putting down a deposit on a 2011 Focus Cayo Expert CF frame with full Campy Athena groupo, Fulcrum 5 rims, Gator skins tire upgrade, prologo seat, FSA head stem and seat post.

Really excited to get this. Will take pics of the demo model today and post them up.

I have heard the custom bike fit is just as if not, more important than the bike itself. Comfort levels increase and the whole fit is designed to your body shape to gain maximum enjoyment and minimal pain for riding.

[ratter]

I had a custom fit about 6 weeks ago, Whether placebo or not, I have picked up my average speed and are able to sit at the front for longer now

[HLC]

Good stuff Shav! 11speed campag, going all out ha ha!

[sneaky]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about buying this bike to ride to work. The ride would be 10-15k's.

What are your thoughts on the bike and what price should I pay?


hope this link works

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by HLC

Good stuff Shav! 11speed campag, going all out ha ha!

Yeah might as well. The same version frame with the Ultegra was $300 more believe it or not. So I thought why bother and just go for supposed better brand instead etc.

Originally Posted by ratter

I had a custom fit about 6 weeks ago, Whether placebo or not, I have picked up my average speed and are able to sit at the front for longer now

I was told it's not just a placebo mate, but comfort and efficiency that makes a custom fit work best.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by sneaky

Hi guys, I'm thinking about buying this bike to ride to work. The ride would be 10-15k's.

What are your thoughts on the bike and what price should I pay?


hope this link works

That bike looks good for commuting.

Has carbon fork, alum frame, relaxed geometry with the flat bar, Sora type group set, concealed cables, rapid fire shifters. Yeah I think thats a good buy if you can get it for about $550-600.

GT is an ok brand as well. Probably on par with Apollo, Malvern Star etc.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by sneaky

Hi guys, I'm thinking about buying this bike to ride to work. The ride would be 10-15k's.

What are your thoughts on the bike and what price should I pay?


hope this link works

What will your commute be like??? Flat? Hilly? On the road or paths?

Those all dictate what sort of bike will be suitable for commuting/everyday riding.

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Just a quick update guys,

Im booked in to get a custom bike fit today, then Im putting down a deposit on a 2011 Focus Cayo Expert CF frame with full Campy Athena groupo, Fulcrum 5 rims, Gator skins tire upgrade, prologo seat, FSA head stem and seat post.

Really excited to get this. Will take pics of the demo model today and post them up.

I have heard the custom bike fit is just as if not, more important than the bike itself. Comfort levels increase and the whole fit is designed to your body shape to gain maximum enjoyment and minimal pain for riding.

Very nice bike you are about to purchase mate... Let us know how you go

[sneaky]

Originally Posted by HLC

What will your commute be like??? Flat? Hilly? On the road or paths?

Those all dictate what sort of bike will be suitable for commuting/everyday riding.

it will probably be all of those things.

some hills (no huge) some flat, some road and some path (where the road is very narrow)

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Very nice bike you are about to purchase mate... Let us know how you go

Bike fit went well and was quite a good thing to experience. noels off sider fitted me up. I'm a size 52 but I need a 120cm head stem so that will be taken care of.

Some small bad news. the Athena bike initially intended was not to be as they didn't have one in my size. :-(

so I went back to my original choice of the ultegra based cayo instead. more than happy with that and noel ended up discounting that bike more than what he agreed to last week. so very happy.

He threw in some bottle cages and bottles as well as getting me new black bar tape in lieu of white.

I also ordered front and rear led lights at discounted prices. but decided to forgo that idea in lieu of some Gator skin tires.

I pick up the new steed on Saturday lunch time.

Can't thank the bike station enough.

Rrp $2799. paying $2450 includes custom bike fit, black bar tape, 12months free tuning service, elite bottle cages and bottles. for extra $20 each Gator skin tires.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by sneaky

it will probably be all of those things.

some hills (no huge) some flat, some road and some path (where the road is very narrow)

That gt bike should do the job well. bear in mind having nobbly mtb tires will affect your overall average speed. its a lot easier to ride a bike with smoother tires fitted.

[sneaky]

cancel that bike, lost it on ebay :|

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by sneaky

cancel that bike, lost it on ebay :|

ah spewin. Oh well, the good thing about bike buying is that there are heaps of choices out there. You'll find another as good if not better.

[blueoval]

Ok, picked up my new bike yesterday. WOW

Took the new bike for its first run after picking it up from The bike station in Hove on Brighton Road. Noel was fantastic and did my final bike fit and helped me get used to the new feeling and riding position. It is certainly a different feeling riding a proper road bike compared to a FBR and a more upright position. But one I quickly got used to.

I ended up getting a co2 pump canister kit and a few spare pumps with my upgraded conti gator skins. very impressed so far with how well the gator skins handled the veloway. Generally the Veloway is littered with broken glass and debris from the ongoing construction that is underway with the Southern Expressway. I still made a concerted effort to avoid as much debris and glass more so than I would with my hybrid, and I intend on making this a habit.

The ride itself consisted of me riding to friends place so I could ride with them and compare my speed and cadence with them. I didn't expect to be on their level. They are seasoned riders with competition bikes but I managed to keep up with them on the flat and surprised myself in the increased speed that I wasn't used to. From what I was told the Conti Gator Skins have more rolling resistance to say the Conti GP4000s tires but the gatorskins are more resistant to punctures which suits me fine.

Anyway onto the bike, I cannot compare this with any other bike I had. so it may sound very biased but this truly is the best bike I have owned. take this little review how u will.

The bike looks amazing with the livery and design of the frame. It looks different to what was advertised on the website, but not in a bad way, it looks way better In the flesh. The bike feels fast, solid and efficient. the gear changing is precise and quick. Still a tad notchy till it settles in. The ride is actually quite comfortable more than my hybrid which I reckon has more to do with the carbon absorbing the shock better. I did find my lower back felt a bit sore during the ride but I attributed that to the head stem height being lower than I am used to and the new riding position. will give that a few weeks to get used before I make the lbs make and adjustments.

Other than this I love this bike. its perfect for me and suits me to a tea. I believe this has been accentuated with a custom bike fit and just having the bike adjusted and setup to suit my shape. can't stress enough how much getting that done before u buy or even to suit your current ride. it makes an amazing difference and can be the difference with just riding a bike and actually enjoying what you ride.

I spent some time fitting my lights, saddle pouch and make tweak here and there to hopefully enhance the experience.

So far its been a killer first ride and I'm looking forward to enjoying many more.



and a video

[Captain Stubing]

Shav,
It'll be good to hear your experience with the differences between your new steed and the older hack! Congrats!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by swanny

Shav,
It'll be good to hear your experience with the differences between your new steed and the older hack! Congrats!

Thanks mate.

To tell you the truth, its a very different feeling.

The FBR bike (Kona) is more relaxed and generally slower more sportive frame to ride. Its something you can ride all day. It's geared to be a good commuter/trainer, and handles hills well but at a slower speed (20kph ave). The hydro disc brakes are better at stopping and feel good on the hands. The alum frame is a lot stiffer though and u can feel every bump in the road.

This bike (Focus) is a more aero position, faster rolling speed, geared better for speed(30+kph ave and climbing), the carbon frame absorbs road undulations a bit better and smoother, the frame is very stable, the groupset works well for both hills and long flats and you feel like you are able to generate more power through the cranks. Its all round a better bike if you are after a proper sportive/race road bike.

But if you are a relaxed touring style rider, the FBR is well suited. I have both now so I can pick and choose what I feel like on the day.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by sneaky

it will probably be all of those things.

some hills (no huge) some flat, some road and some path (where the road is very narrow)

If there is no off road, I'd be getting something with road tyres/slicks so we are talking road bike/hybrid.

I'm a huge advocate for Single Speed commuter bikes. Low maintenance, very little that can go wrong. Depends on what you want out of the bike. Pick the right ratio and hills don't matter at all!

[HLC]

Shav, the bike looks great! Small frame though!! Good to see you are enjoying it! Next stop, track bike. Ha ha!

[TZENU]

Love the colour scheme on the Focus... I bet you look forward to the climbs more now!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Love the colour scheme on the Focus... I bet you look forward to the climbs more now!

Originally Posted by HLC

Shav, the bike looks great! Small frame though!! Good to see you are enjoying it! Next stop, track bike. Ha ha!

Thanks guys. Funny thing is, I have a 53/39 crankset on BB30. Its not really setup for hills climbs but I have been able to push on it to do the job reasonably well. The BB30 bearing is pretty dam good though. so stiff. Having the power to push power into the road without the crank twisting or rocking makes a big difference. Plus the ride is much quieter than my FBR.

The frame size suits me perfectly. Being a 52cm puts me into the Smaller framed category. Not that it matters to me. But the 120cm head stem made all the difference with bike fit and set up. I must have a longer torso. Means I can stretch out a bit on the hoods rather than be cramped up. I kid you not, the bike fit was priceless. It's really made riding more enjoyable.

The color scheme is different to what was advertised online but not in a detrimental way, I love it. The design is actually a 2012 not 2011 which I was led to believe. So a bonus to be had there as the LBS was able to get me a dam good price.

Track Bike?!?!?!?! hahaha. Yeah Im sure I have a chance....not!. pmsl.

What I did notice is that my downhill speed is just mind blowing. I was able to keep up with my mate who has an Avanti Quantum Team framed bike with Mavic Ksyrium Elite rims but he weighs about 110kg and is well over 6ft. Probably a good 1kg lighter bike overall than mine.

Basically over time, getting used to the different gearing, ride setup and position, I reckon I can improve even more.

[TZENU]

Anyone watch the Paris - Roubaix??? Was an exciting race to watch!!!. Stuart O was the best placed Greenedge cyclist at 53rd...

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Anyone watch the Paris - Roubaix??? Was an exciting race to watch!!!. Stuart O was the best placed Greenedge cyclist at 53rd...

Oh yeah, I watched the last 30km of the race. How good was Boonen. 4th win. well done to him, he was untouchable. Real disappointing seeing Greenedge so far back in the field. Felt for Thor when he fell. The guy was never the same after that.

A pretty amazing and historic event. Really tests the skill levels of the riders on all terrains.

I noticed they were riding a cyclocross/road bike style frame with bigger tires is that right? Other than that it was killer to see such a discipline so widely enjoyed.

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by blueoval

I noticed they were riding a cyclocross/road bike style frame with bigger tires is that right? Other than that it was killer to see such a discipline so widely enjoyed.

Yep that would be right.. I am assuming that they would use slightly wider tyres to eliminate the tram tracking you would cop, whilst riding on cobblestones...

Oh and the UCI Track championships was tops too (we were spoilt this easter break with some awesome racing both here in Oz and in France!!!)

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Yep that would be right.. I am assuming that they would use slightly wider tyres to eliminate the tram tracking you would cop, whilst riding on cobblestones...

Oh and the UCI Track championships was tops too (we were spoilt this easter break with some awesome racing both here in Oz and in France!!!)

Definitely. Unfortunately due to other commitments (including purchasing my new bike ) I couldn't watch much of the track champs, but I did see the medal winning run from both men and women.

I also watched a loan dvd of the legends of the TDF over the weekend too and was quite enthralled with the history the TDF displayed over the years. Amazing stuff.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Thanks guys. Funny thing is, I have a 53/39 crankset on BB30. Its not really setup for hills climbs but I have been able to push on it to do the job reasonably well. The BB30 bearing is pretty dam good though. so stiff. Having the power to push power into the road without the crank twisting or rocking makes a big difference. Plus the ride is much quieter than my FBR.

The frame size suits me perfectly. Being a 52cm puts me into the Smaller framed category. Not that it matters to me. But the 120cm head stem made all the difference with bike fit and set up. I must have a longer torso. Means I can stretch out a bit on the hoods rather than be cramped up. I kid you not, the bike fit was priceless. It's really made riding more enjoyable.

The color scheme is different to what was advertised online but not in a detrimental way, I love it. The design is actually a 2012 not 2011 which I was led to believe. So a bonus to be had there as the LBS was able to get me a dam good price.

Track Bike?!?!?!?! hahaha. Yeah Im sure I have a chance....not!. pmsl.

What I did notice is that my downhill speed is just mind blowing. I was able to keep up with my mate who has an Avanti Quantum Team framed bike with Mavic Ksyrium Elite rims but he weighs about 110kg and is well over 6ft. Probably a good 1kg lighter bike overall than mine.

Basically over time, getting used to the different gearing, ride setup and position, I reckon I can improve even more.

53/39 with 12-23 on the Hillman.. who needs granny gears... especially on a light bike. How tall are you out of curiousity??? Im 179cm and love a 54cm frame with an 80-90mm stem, but about metre of seatpost ha ha!!!! I have long limbs and short torso, so a custom frame with 57-58cm Seat Tube and 54cm Top Tube would be perfect!!!

I have hear the BB30 cranksets are ultra stiff!! Always worries me on carbon though, because all that force will be going into the chainstays then!! It's scary how much my mates trek flexes on the Turbo Trainer when you are pushing it!!! They are designed to do that though so its all good!!


Paris-Roubaix, Watched a little bit.. not too much, the gf let me watch all 4 nights of the Track Worlds and by the end was screaming at the TV with me... was pushing it after they ended to keep watching the Roubaix ha ha!!!!!

and 25-28c Tubulars on the Roubaix bikes! A bit wider for a bit more of a forgiving ride over those bumps! And most frames are specific for this style of riding correct!

I'm not sure if either of you have seen the Specialized 'Roubaix' Specific model up close, but the seatstays and chainstays have these kind of carbon spring cutouts moulded in to absorb more shocks from the bumps! Really amazing frame, but the Saturday morning Peloton apparently frowns on people riding these for being pansies ha ha

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by HLC

53/39 with 12-23 on the Hillman.. who needs granny gears... especially on a light bike. How tall are you out of curiousity??? Im 179cm and love a 54cm frame with an 80-90mm stem, but about metre of seatpost ha ha!!!! I have long limbs and short torso, so a custom frame with 57-58cm Seat Tube and 54cm Top Tube would be perfect!!!

I'm fairly short mate. Only about 5'6-7 or there abouts. Got a longer torso, average arms and short legs. So a freak in not so glamorous terms. lol. The seat post is higher than the head stem at the moment, so I am in the race-ish position and in aero in the drops. It's pretty cool but yeah taking a bit to get used to. I made a slight adjustment to the bar angle so that the hoods aren't so far forward. I tilted them slightly back so it takes a bit of pressure off my lower back. My flexibility is ok, just that my back isn't used to it. Hoping this minor adjustment works.

Originally Posted by HLC

I have hear the BB30 cranksets are ultra stiff!! Always worries me on carbon though, because all that force will be going into the chainstays then!! It's scary how much my mates trek flexes on the Turbo Trainer when you are pushing it!!! They are designed to do that though so its all good!!

Yeah I have heard if you are a high torque rider that the CF frames can creak over time. I'm not a big gear cranker. I like to choose the correct gear and efficiently get up when required rather than crank a big gear and force more pressure through the chain ring. I also heard the FSA cranks don't like big torque either as they are a bit weaker than Shimano stuff. But I prefer the looks of the FSA cranks over the 'elephant nosed' Ultegra crank/chainring. That said, the rest of the Ultegra groupo is working well. Just waiting for it all to wear in.

Originally Posted by HLC

Paris-Roubaix, Watched a little bit.. not too much, the gf let me watch all 4 nights of the Track Worlds and by the end was screaming at the TV with me... was pushing it after they ended to keep watching the Roubaix ha ha!!!!!

and 25-28c Tubulars on the Roubaix bikes! A bit wider for a bit more of a forgiving ride over those bumps! And most frames are specific for this style of riding correct!

I'm not sure if either of you have seen the Specialized 'Roubaix' Specific model up close, but the seatstays and chainstays have these kind of carbon spring cutouts moulded in to absorb more shocks from the bumps! Really amazing frame, but the Saturday morning Peloton apparently frowns on people riding these for being pansies ha ha

I have seen the Roubaix models at my local JT cycles a while back. Wasn't sure what they were at the time as they looked like road bikes but different some how. Now I know why.
It always amazes me the level of etiquette a rider must display to these elitist riders these days. What a load of crap.

[TZENU]

Anyone entering Around the Bay this year? (Public entries open on Monday 23rd)

After being involved in a decent accident around 5 years ago while riding ATB, I had become fearful of riding in a such a big bunch and would often either speed up or slow down when I was in one... Im happy to say that that demon is finally off my back and will be entering this years event... (waiting to confirm from some mates whether we are doing the 250 or 210)... It has been a while since I have gone for a serious "training" ride, so starting from this weekend it's game on!
I have taken on Muy Thai and some strength and conditioning classes (I cant believe how much flexibility I have gained over the past 2 months) and am feeling better than I have ever felt so hopefully that translates a little to the bike...
My goal is to achieve an average speed of over 30 k/ph.. If things go my way hoping for a mid to high 30s average...
The prize I will be rewarding myself with if I get to the mid to high 30s???


Now that I have posted this, there is no turning back and the pain barrier does not exist