New to cycling

[prydey]

you do realise this is a cycling thread right??

you need to ask your question in the right area of the forum. i'm sure you will get plenty of advice from those with similar cars.

try posting a thread in here
http://www.fordforums.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=114

or here
http://www.fordforums.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=31

[Boosted boss]

Appologies mate just saw the details of the posters car and was hoping for some help thanks for the link

[GUTLES]

Originally Posted by bArNsY

I usually run a 5-10 psi less in the wet to offer some better traction.

I run Specialized Roubaix Pro tyres http://www.specialized.com/au/en-au/...es/roubaix-pro, been running them the last two years. Very predictable in the wet and dry....haven't really tyred anything else.

Hope you have a quick recovery

Thanks Adam, my LBS has recommended these as well. Interesting that they have a 23 tread on a 25 casing. Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

[blueoval]

Ive had the roubaix tyres before too. Excellent tyre but pricey.

[geckoGT]

I have just had some repairs done to my Merckx. If anyone needs repairs to carbon frames get in touch with Paint My Bike here in Brisbane as their work is excellent. Yes they do service Australia wide.

[Whitey-AMG]

Finally got my front light !
After searching around and a lot of reviews.
Its bright. Very very bright. Excellent forward and side illumination.
No more kamikaze runs down my favourite routes after 5.30PM now.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/revie...00-front-light

[geckoGT]

Some pics of the Merckx



The braze on front derailleur conversion.



The repaired drive side chain stay. A dropped chain chewed big chunks out of the carbon tube. It is impossible to tell now.

[bArNsY]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

Finally got my front light !
After searching around and a lot of reviews.
Its bright. Very very bright. Excellent forward and side illumination.
No more kamikaze runs down my favourite routes after 5.30PM now.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/revie...00-front-light

It is surprising how much safer you feel at night when you get some brighter lights, these is no excuse for anyone to say "sorry mate I didn't see you".

[geckoGT]

I am waiting for the release of the Fly 12, high intensity LED headlight combined with a HD camera.

I already have the Fly 6 which is a flashing rear light and HD camera.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by bArNsY

It is surprising how much safer you feel at night when you get some brighter lights, these is no excuse for anyone to say "sorry mate I didn't see you".

i'm all for having bright lights but not so extreme that they are blinding for other road users.

after all, it is illegal for a car driver to drive around with high beams on, and car headlights also have to meet certain guidelines as well. lights on a bike are generally mounted much higher than a car, closer to the eyeline of a driver, so just something to consider when riding in traffic. for sure, its all about being seen, but a certain amount of consideration should be had as well.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Some pics of the Merckx

i didn't notice you running the gatorskins when i was up there. whilst they may not be as fast as a gp4000s2 or similar, i like the fact that they have added sidewall protection, which is probably needed on the roads you ride on. i had a brand new gp4000 on when i got up there and it only lasted a couple of rides before i got a big cut in the sidewall. luckily i had a spare gator with me.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by prydey

i didn't notice you running the gatorskins when i was up there. whilst they may not be as fast as a gp4000s2 or similar, i like the fact that they have added sidewall protection, which is probably needed on the roads you ride on. i had a brand new gp4000 on when i got up there and it only lasted a couple of rides before i got a big cut in the sidewall. luckily i had a spare gator with me.

I have had the Gatorskins for the last 2500km and getting very good wear out of them and no punctures to this date (touch wood). You are right, the roads up here need and strong tyre or a lot of spare tubes.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by prydey

i'm all for having bright lights but not so extreme that they are blinding for other road users.

after all, it is illegal for a car driver to drive around with high beams on, and car headlights also have to meet certain guidelines as well. lights on a bike are generally mounted much higher than a car, closer to the eyeline of a driver, so just something to consider when riding in traffic. for sure, its all about being seen, but a certain amount of consideration should be had as well.

Totally agree
Reason i bought this light is that I ride on unlit bike paths - would certainly not have it on 700lm for road use. It has 5 modes - so "normal mode" for 300lm is certainly more appropriate and courteous as well as having the light aimed correctly.

[geckoGT]

A lot of it is not so much how bright it is but how it is aimed. If it is aimed low as a car low beam is it will not be an issue but if it aimed high than of course there will be an issue.

[Captain Stubing]

I've decided to push myself, after getting an email at work about a fundraising ride. On June 21st the Brissie to Bay is being held, raising funds for Multiple Schlerosis. I've always given to charities, but thought this would be a good opportunity to DO something to raise donations.

Anyway, I've started "training" for the 100km course. I've been riding for a bit over 3 years, I think, and my upper legs don't yet have the strength for this distance.

My profile is located at:

https://msqldevents.com.au:443/champ...15/DarrellSwan

I've not done this distance before, but I believe I can. My plan has been to try and ride every second day, or three times a week. Riding to work gives me at least 50km/day, and I am trying to throw in a longer ride to get my legs used to the kilometres. I'm also looking at food/energy gels (haven't tried these yet) for every 45mins, plus hydration.

I'm not sure if I'm pushing the 'every second day' theory, in giving my legs time to recover, I've read as you get older that you should ride every 3 days. I'm now 48 years old.

I'll be riding my Avanti Cadent 1.0, 11speed with full size chain rings. I notice there are a couple of climbs around the 68km mark, which would definitely stop me at my present level of fitness!


I know there's a few riders here who can pass the 100 mark in one ride, how does my 6 week training plan sound, with a couple of 50km'ish rides plus a longer ride in the week? I'll take on any advice!

[blueoval]

I think you underestimate what you'll be able to do swanny. If your riding those km now i don't think it will be an issue pushing a bit longer to get the tonne. Its more mental than it is physical. Usually your mind says you've had enough but your body is already conditioned to handle a bit over half that now.

I reckon doing a 100km ride or 2 as part of your training will help you to mentally prepare for the distance you plan on achieving. Once you crack the tonne, you'll find that mentally itll be easier

[prydey]

Swap to compact cranks! Your legs and knees will thank you

[Captain Stubing]

Originally Posted by prydey

Swap to compact cranks! Your legs and knees will thank you

I used to have compact cranks before I changed to the Ultegra groupset, and they do make climbing easier. My thoughts were that riding harder up hills on a full crankset would make my legs stronger. I've still got my Tiagra compact cranks.

I was getting a sore knee every time I rode for more than an hour when I swapped over to the Ultegra that would take me off the bike for a couple of weeks, but I found the cleat on the shoe on that side was out of line. Once I fixed that it's been good.... except for the muscle burn up near the hips when I'm pushing a bit harder!

[prydey]

Originally Posted by swanny

My thoughts were that riding harder up hills on a full crankset would make my legs stronger.

the best way to get up hills is to spin with a cadence above 80 (if you can). i would say focus more on efficiency rather than strength, esp for longer rides.

not sure how much strength you would be able to build in 6 weeks. the general consensus is to generally take it a bit easier in the days leading up to the ride, so basically you have 4-5 weeks to see what you've got.

i would suggest attempting a 100km ride in those weeks, but at a fairly casual pace. like Shav says, many hurdles are in the mind. once you conquer your mind its amazing what you can do.

if you have a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor, just use those as a bit of a guide. (unless you have a power meter). ignore your speed. speed (ave speed) can be a distraction if you feel you need to maintain a certain pace. speed is irrelevant. it will come naturally once you build fitness and endurance. just ride keeping your heart rate low and cadence above 80 and enjoy the scenery.

on the topic of Gels, personally i've only ever used them at the back end of really big rides, just to get me home sort of thing. i know some packets say to consume before, during and after, but the sceptic in me says this is just marketing so you need to buy more. every 45min is overkill in my opinion. on longer rides, i normally fill one of my bottles with a sport type drink. i use staminade. i normally carry a small tube with enough powder for a refill along the way. i have been recommended a product called 'endura' but it doesn't seem to be that readily available from local shops where i am. keeping hydrated is important. everyone is different, but a rule of thumb is about 500ml for every hour. you can get specific energy type bars, but often i just take normal muesli bars. banana's are good as well. probably should be first thing you put in your pocket.

if the charity ride is a supported event (rest stops with food and drink provided) then that makes it a bit easier. i find charity rides to be a good way to get in to longer rides too, as its always easier with a big group of people, so long as you can stay with a group.

hope that helps. what i've said isn't 'a must follow' guide, but its generally what i do. i'm sure others can chip in with some advice of their own.

enjoy the ride. thats the main thing.

[DBourne]

My 2 cents.

If you can ride around 50-70km now, 100 is obtainable. All you need to do is see what your average speed seems to be, and peg it back a bit.

For example, if you find you can do 50km at 25km/h, peg it back to 23km/h and you'll notice the difference.

When you first start to do 100km rides, you'll notice that what happens is you get uncomfortable, more so than your legs going on you. So just make sure you switch it up and get up off the seat every now and then to let your legs use different muscles.

And of course, if you need to stop and have a breather, then do so. Especially around the 80+km mark.

Using energy gels is a good idea, for your mental state as much as anything else.

Make sure you drink! Drink before you get thirsty, drink even if you don't think you need to.. If you wait until you're thirsty, then you're too late.

I would highly recommend using compact cranks as was said above. Especially if you think you're going to struggle on the climbs.

I ride compacts presently and wouldn't think of going back to "normal" cranks. I'm not doing any high speed pursuits, so compacts are fine, especially when I get to a tough climb I am glad I have them!

I can see your reasoning for using normal cranks, thinking that it'll give you more power, however when you are going for a longer distance such as the 100k, you really want endurance, more than power.

I would use these coming weeks to figure out what cadence you're comfortable spinning at (if you have a way of seeing your cadence)

It's a great metric to keep your mind focused and yourself disciplined.

For example, I know I am my most comfortable at 90rpm. So when I'm on longer rides, I do my best to maintain 90RPM. I know that if I've done a tough climb, or worked in to the wind and need to bring my heart rate down, I look for whatever gear will allow me to spin 90RPM and recover.

I also know that when climbing, I need to be 70+RPM, else I just bog down and blow up almost straight away. So I keep my eyes on my cadence and adjust my gearing to suit. Forget all other factors such as speed, it's irrelevant.

Sorry for being so long winded, but basically my points are:

- Hydration is key
- Use these coming weeks to figure out what cadence you can spin comfortably, and use this as your key metric for the ride
- You'll be fine, so long as you can remain disciplined and just ride within your means, even though you'll want to charge out at the beginning

Also, as a side note, don't underestimate the power of adrenaline. On the day, with so many riders, such a good cause, you'll do a lot better than you think you will. Just enjoy it mate.

Edit: while I was writing my post, Rob beat me to it!

[prydey]

chucked $10 in your kitty too Swanny. i know its not much but every bit helps.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

Edit: while I was writing my post, Rob beat me to it!

at least we are on the same page

[blueoval]

The boys speak truth. Compacts for the win. Will never go back to standards unless I had a tri bike.

I believe you'll do fine Swanny. Once you've done it too, you'll feel amazing knowing you have reached an epic milestone.

After doing this, every other tonne you crack will become easier.

[Captain Stubing]

Thanks guys, all good info, especially with the cadence - something I've been trying to work on this week.
I just fitted a cadence meter to go with my new Garmin Edge 500 last night, so I can start watching that.
I'll look at swapping over to my compact cranks in the next week or so, and see how that pans out. I'm due for a longer ride tomorrow, I've only got one bottle cage, though I've been using my Aldi branded hydration back pack to carry water so far.

Thanks Prydey, every dollar does help, mate!

[blueoval]

Fit another bottle holder Swanny. The hydration packs are fine too but I find them annoying when I know my back wants to breathe with build up in sweat. I also know that carrying something on my back also hurts my shoulders over a long period of time like a 100km ride. Ridding yourself if unnecessary weight will not only help you physically but also mentally especially around the 80km mark.

[prydey]

which reminds me, its way too long since my last 100+km ride. weather in adelaide sucks at the moment though, which makes it very difficult to roll out from under the warm covers in the morning.

its officially that time of year where you have to suck it up and just get out there. i don't actually mind riding in the rain if its dry when i start. i hate leaving the house if its already raining.

its sad when you actually look forward to the climbs to get a bit of heat in to your body, and dread the decents where the cold just rips right through you.

we have a little township in adelaide about 20km from me (clarendon) that is at the bottom of a hill, and surrounded by hills. the temp, no matter what time of year, is always quite a bit colder than surrounding areas. its like riding in to antarctica this time of year. its so idyllic and scenic, but the cold is like nothing else!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by prydey

which reminds me, its way too long since my last 100+km ride. weather in adelaide sucks at the moment though, which makes it very difficult to roll out from under the warm covers in the morning.

its officially that time of year where you have to suck it up and just get out there. i don't actually mind riding in the rain if its dry when i start. i hate leaving the house if its already raining.

its sad when you actually look forward to the climbs to get a bit of heat in to your body, and dread the decents where the cold just rips right through you.

we have a little township in adelaide about 20km from me (clarendon) that is at the bottom of a hill, and surrounded by hills. the temp, no matter what time of year, is always quite a bit colder than surrounding areas. its like riding in to antarctica this time of year. its so idyllic and scenic, but the cold is like nothing else!

I live for the descents. haha. To me it's worth the cold. So much fun. haha

[Captain Stubing]

Well, that went well!

Yesterday afternoon I decided to swap over my cranks to the Tiagra compact set that were originally on the bike (and another bottle cage, Shav!) I had to take 3 links out of the chain, move the front derailleur down a bit, and got it shifting okay.
I mapped out a 69km course to tackle, and set off this morning. I had it all going... good breakfast, water and energy drink on board, a few muesli bars in my pocket and compact cranks to try out and a cadence meter fitted.
The ride was feeling good, I pushed it a bit harder in a few places, and thought I'd settle down for a bit at the 30km mark to save a bit for the end.

Then at around 36km, that's when the chain let go! It was so disappointing... the link disappeared, and I didn't have the tool to rejoin it with me. Lucky my partner could come pick me up.

Anyway, looking at the data, I see that I was averaging a cadence of 93, which is more than I thought I was doing. The average speed is down because it was recording my 5km/hr walk for about 3kms. The compact cranks seemed to let me use more of the gears on the rear cassette, and felt better than I remember them. Perhaps I've got a bit of riding in my legs since I last used them.

I'll have to try again tomorrow, after either a new chain or rejoining this one!

[blueoval]

Good to know the compacts are a positive for your ride mate. Sorry to hear of the chain failure. These things happen and I hope it gets sorted soon.

I think the main benefit of compacts for you will be having enough juice in the tank to finish the ride. I found going to compacts allowed me to spin faster yes, but it helped stretch out any fatigue I previously had with standards, especially on a climb. Spinning is winning.

You'll have to let us know how it goes once you complete the full course you mapped out.

[gossy]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Spinning is winning.

.............and mashing is smashing. lol


On the topic of chains, get yourself a couple of quick links too, they help out immensely.