New to cycling

[mcnews]

I run 28s on the Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Black Inc, as it came with them, ride is amazingly smooth. I guess I am lucky the bike was designed for them and the Vision 40 carbon rims are to suit that size etc. too

[DBourne]

Shav, you have to follow the rules you know! ;)

I would say it's a safe bet that the Defy could run 28's and I'm tempted, but it's already comfy enough.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by DBourne

Shav, you have to follow the rules you know! ;)

I would say it's a safe bet that the Defy could run 28's and I'm tempted, but it's already comfy enough.

hahaha, Velominati guide book ftw.

That's awesome. I'll probably run 25s on the Cervelo and look at 28's for the Focus down the track.

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by DBourne

Shav, you have to follow the rules you know! ;)

I would say it's a safe bet that the Defy could run 28's and I'm tempted, but it's already comfy enough.

I've got a Defy Advanced 0 on 25s, and getting back on it recently it was unbelievable how rough it felt after the previous 500km on the Synapse. And yep I know the Defy is the comfortable endurance Giant model too, likewise the Synapse is the Cannondale endurance model, difference is chalk and cheese. The Cannondale is magic carpet ride stuff.

[blueoval]

Took my deeper dish wheels in to the bike shop to dummy up to the Cervelo S5. Paid more money on it too so am 1 step closer to ownership.

20160702_125849 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

20160702_125723 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

20160702_130021 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

[Danny]

God I love Cervélo

[Batmobile]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Took my deeper dish wheels in to the bike shop to dummy up to the Cervelo S5. Paid more money on it too so am 1 step closer to ownership.

image20160702_125849 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

image20160702_125723 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

image20160702_130021 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

Love the look. Its disappointing they 've stepped the length in the top tube in 54 . I definitely like they're the fastest looking bike , especially whilst Meyer sitting on board
Congratulations

[DBourne]

That bike looks terrible.. honestly so crap..

Look, Shav, I think you're a great bloke so I'll take it off your hands, you don't even need to pay me (even though I know you'll want to, because I'm being such a top bloke helping you out like this).


Obviously I'm joking, that looks schmick!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by DBourne

That bike looks terrible.. honestly so crap..

Look, Shav, I think you're a great bloke so I'll take it off your hands, you don't even need to pay me (even though I know you'll want to, because I'm being such a top bloke helping you out like this).


Obviously I'm joking, that looks schmick!

yeah suuuuure mate, you can have it.....NOT! That made me lol. Nah Im just excited and in semi disbelief that I will own this bad boy.

Originally Posted by Danny

God I love Cervélo

Everytime I look at it, I do too more and more. Plus with Cavendish winning stages in the tour with the same frame, it just solidifies my decision to buy this. (not that it had an placement of the decision, but it gets me excited)

Originally Posted by Batmobile

Love the look. Its disappointing they 've stepped the length in the top tube in 54 . I definitely like they're the fastest looking bike , especially whilst Meyer sitting on board
Congratulations

Thanks mate, me being a shortass I fit into the smallest of the sizes, being a 48. So I am lucky. But even the new 16'-17' S5 looks amazing and has some improvements over the frame I have. The guys at the shop just keep saying how fast this frame is and if aero is anything to go by, I am sure hoping to improve on some of my strava times.

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Took my deeper dish wheels in to the bike shop to dummy up to the Cervelo S5. Paid more money on it too so am 1 step closer to ownership.

image20160702_125849 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

image20160702_125723 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

image20160702_130021 by Shav Bird, on Flickr

That seat height to handlebar difference would absolutely kill my lower back!!!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by NTF6

That seat height to handlebar difference would absolutely kill my lower back!!!

Well Im not going with that setup. The bike is still yet to be customized to suit me. They need to do a proper bike fit. Once they get all my measurements, they will cut the seat post down to suit and the aggressive stance you see now will be a more forgiving look. They will also reduce the head stem height and cap it so it's a little less pokey too.

The bike fit will take a couple of hours. They do a full body calculation as well as setup for my pedal stroke with all these state of the art gadgets and gizmo's. It's pretty cool to see.

[Batmobile]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Well Im not going with that setup. The bike is still yet to be customized to suit me. They need to do a proper bike fit. Once they get all my measurements, they will cut the seat post down to suit and the aggressive stance you see now will be a more forgiving look. They will also reduce the head stem height and cap it so it's a little less pokey too.

The bike fit will take a couple of hours. They do a full body calculation as well as setup for my pedal stroke with all these state of the art gadgets and gizmo's. It's pretty cool to see.

I know joking you had stated you're a short *** , but in all seriousness the S5 is meant to be set up with a very low bar height so its imperative at your required seat height you do have the ability to access the 3 touch points on the bars with ease and comfort .
There arent many weekend warriors who can ride the mock up set up you 've shown in the photo.
Please be careful and check and double check the set up before agreeing to go ahead .
I am sure you dont need to be told - no point falling love with the bike if you cant ride it as it should be
A mistake and you just maybe giving it to DBourne.!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by Batmobile

I know joking you had stated you're a short *** , but in all seriousness the S5 is meant to be set up with a very low bar height so its imperative at your required seat height you do have the ability to access the 3 touch points on the bars with ease and comfort .
There arent many weekend warriors who can ride the mock up set up you 've shown in the photo.
Please be careful and check and double check the set up before agreeing to go ahead .
I am sure you dont need to be told - no point falling love with the bike if you cant ride it as it should be
A mistake and you just maybe giving it to DBourne.!

Duly noted, the guys in the shop have said similar and they advised to go lower. they also said the size is suitable for my leg length based on what they saw of me. Seeing as this is a bike that will be doing fast runs, I doubt I need to set it up for pure comfort as much. But the current saddle height is too high right now. I wouldnt be able to touch the pedals as it sits now.

The bike also has 2 mounting points on the seat stem which can give you more forward or aft positioning before you make micro adjustments on the saddle rails. This allows more flexible positioning based on leg length. Based on what I seen, I am pretty close to the mark apart from the seat height. the bike shop has a 'dummy' seat post they will use to measure my prime position before any cutting or mods are done. Not just that, there will be another inch or so of seat post length to make micro adjustments post modification.

[Batmobile]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

I will let you know how I go. We do remember that I only have the Garmin Vector S which is single pedal (left side) and therefore I cannot comment on the Garmin dual pedal models. All of the pairing issues I read about occurred with the dual pedal models.

All reviews I read stated that the end figures compared very well with other systems such as SRM and Stages. Not that this really matters as it is not how it compares with other systems that really counts but how consistent it is over time. If a Garmin is reading 250w and a Stages reads 255w it does not really matter, as long as the result is consistent at the same workload. Much like a chassis dyno, no two are the same but as long as the same dyno is consistent then it is a useful tool for guaging engine performace for tuning. A power meter is just a tuning tool for your cycling.

Hello GeckoGT , I started to revisiting fitting the training bike with a power device . Sometime back I had some very nice Ambrosio wheelset with a powertap G3 . Heavy wheelset ,so I on sold them, but worked a treat . I now looking to either purchaser a Stages left hand crank , or another wheelset with a power tap G3 hub
I remembered you had purchased the left side Garmin Vector system , which on searching appears hard to get , as the dual pedal system seems to be offered
Can you provide me with your thoughts and findings to date
Many thanks in advance

[Batmobile]

Power Recording : I have continued with my research , and unless you are prepared to tip in some real money and pick up a SRM system with all the bells - then you are best to hold tight and wait for Shimano to get their current system available via their their new Dura Ace Group . Any issues will be worked out and then it is expected that they will filter the crankset down to the next level below across the road and mtb . Suggestion as with all things Shimano - it will work , be reliable and will end up costing you very little - That is , currently you can get Ultegra and Dura Ace Groups are excellent pricing , so it is expected that we may see those and or similar pricing - equipped with the power cranks
No one i have spoken too has spoken well about the Garmin Vector system ($1100 for Vector 2) - a shame , because it reads like a very portable and effective system .
Interested to hear from anyone using a power recording system currently

[GTpilot]

I have been using a 4iiii precision since Jan this year and it's been great, I cannot fault it.
The order process was easy, it's even easier now as they can supply cranks arms (I had to send mine in and they installed he unit and return shipped. It cost me about $680 AUD all up delivered, I bought a new crank arm to put it on.
Currently they are Left side only but they are due to release a dual sided model at any time now.

I use it with either my Garmin 510 or Magellan Cyclo505. No issues. It pairs up quickly, it's never lost connection. I zero it every couple of weeks or on major temp changes. Best of all, no magnets are required either.
You can use either ant+ or Bluetooth protocols.
In 6 months I've changed the battery (CR2032) once.

I'll probably get the dual sided model once it's released and move the current one to my CX or "B" bike.
I highly recommend you check it out.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Batmobile

Hello GeckoGT , I started to revisiting fitting the training bike with a power device . Sometime back I had some very nice Ambrosio wheelset with a powertap G3 . Heavy wheelset ,so I on sold them, but worked a treat . I now looking to either purchaser a Stages left hand crank , or another wheelset with a power tap G3 hub
I remembered you had purchased the left side Garmin Vector system , which on searching appears hard to get , as the dual pedal system seems to be offered
Can you provide me with your thoughts and findings to date
Many thanks in advance

I have now had my Vector for about 2 months and have to say I have had none of the reported problems. So far they appear to be consistent in the power readings I get from them but this is hard to confirm as I do not have another system such as SRM to compare to. The reason I say they appear consistent is because I have not had an episode yet where they have given any readings that do not make sense when compared to my speed, heart rate and level of exertion. When I compare different rides on different days the results always appear to be consistent with each other. They may not be accurate if I were to try and compare my power output with other riders using other systems. Although reviews I have read say they are within a few % of other systems. That doesn't really matter as I really only need comparability in my rides and not those of other riders.

I have read of some of the issues with them giving strange figures and requiring you to back pedal etc but I have not experienced this at all. I wonder if some of the reason for that is because I calibrate the system prior to every ride. It is easy to do as it asks me if I want to calibrate when I start the system and is completed very quickly. I normally find the calibration is complete before the Garmin Edge 500 has picked up the GPS and by the time I have got my helmet and gloves on. I have also heard that many people had issues with accuracy of the readings but have been told this is often because their pedal is not correctly torqued to the recommended setting. My pedals were torqued correctly on installation so perhaps that is why I have not had the issue.

Another pleasant bonus has been the function of the pedals themselves. I was initially a little concerned about them being Exxus pedals and how they would perform compared to the Look Keo's and Shimano Ultegra pedals I had been using. The Looks were not my favourites as I found them often difficult to clip into and prone to squeaking. The Ultegra pedals were easier to clip in, felt more secure than the Look and not prone to squeaking. These Exxus pedals (Garmin Vector) are secure, don't squeak and easier to clip into than the Ultegra so I am very pleased with them.

The only concern I still have with the Vector system is how they will stand up to a crash but to be honest I hope that is a concern I never have to test.

I had hoped that I could consider units such as 4iiii and Stages but both have significant issues for me. At this Stage 4iiii is not compatible with Campagnolo so it is not an option for me as I love my Record groupset and there is no way I am changing for the sake of a power meter. Stages can be had in Campagnolo but at a cost of nearly 1000 euro for a new Campagnolo crank arm and meter the cost is prohibitive for me. Also the issue of portability between bikes was not initially a concern as I had no intention of swapping any system between bikes but there may be times that the portability of the Garmin unit is an advantage. One that is coming up is I am going over to Perth later this year and I will be unable to take my bike. I may however rent a bike over there, all I need to do is take my pedals with me and I still have my beloved power readings. This is something you can not do with Stages or 4iiii easily.

The only complaint I can come up with so far is the battery life which is a bit shorter than I expected in that I have already had to change the battery. I suppose 1 CR2032 battery every couple of months is not too bad and they are very easy to change, could even be done mid ride if you had to.

Having access to power has been of a huge benefit to me with my training and being able to structure my rides. As I spend 8 days out of every 14 stuck on the indoor trainer with no opportunity for road rides the power meter is essential in my opinion. Without one it is easy to have high levels of inconsistency in my rides on the trainer as even changes in roller tension between rides can give huge variations on speeds at comparable exertion levels and heart rate. A light roller and you can cruise along at 35km/h, an extra 1/2 turn and you struggle to hold 26km/h. That variation is no good for trying to stick with a training plan. The power is a huge help because speed no longer matters, 300w on a light roller is no different to 300w on a heavy roller. Also having power to guide you makes interval sessions a lot more efficient and accurate when trying to achieve particular objectives. Power is a real time indication of your current effort where heart rate is an indicator of the effect on your body of the effort you did a minute ago, not helpful on short intervals.

The results in my riding since getting the power meter have been quite pleasing, I have gone from a FTP of 258w to now 324w in a pretty short time. That result is obviously a combination of a few factors including the motivation of tracking and working for better results, more consistent training and a structured training plan. So I am not saying the power meter is the single reason for that improvement but it has certainly helped. The result on the road speaks for itself and even other riders on the group rides I do have commented. When I first started with them I was sometimes having difficulty when the pace lines started and there were significant pace changes, now I am actually dishing out some of the pain to others. I would even go as far to say that if a rider does not have a power meter they should get one before going out and buying the latest aero wheels, the improvement in their riding will be far greater.

A discovery I found interesting is the effect of pedal technique on power readings. When I first started road racing my coach was always on to me about "pedalling circles" and making a conscious effort to pull the pedals back at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Recently I have read a few articles that suggest all this effort is wasted and you really only need to concentrate on the pushing down phase of the pedal stroke. I have noticed that when riding if make a conscious effort to pull back on the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke I get a 20-30w increase in power output at the same RPM. To me that is a considerable gain when you compare it to people spending $1000's on the latest aero wheels for the sake of a few watts saved. Obviously that is my observation from results on my rides and not everyone will get the same results. However it is clear to me that in my case this idea of pushing down is all that matters and pulling back doesn't is a load of garbage.

[GTpilot]

Great post Geko.
Portability is a big plus for the pedal based systems for sure.
I have also read it's quite an easy task to change the pedal body over on the Garmin system to shimano pedals.

With regard to comments about comparing different power meter systems, you really can't do this, as they measure the power in different ways at different points.
Pedal systems will measure different to crank systems, which will measure different to Hub based ones. Just like a engine dyno will provide a different result to a hub one and even a wheel one due to loss along the driveline.
My 4iiii always reads slightly higher than my Tacx smart trainer.

The key element is you are comparing YOUR data on the same system.

[mcnews]

I looked at Vector 2 and would have got one for my Cannondale but don't think there is enough clearance between crank arm and chain. Expensive mistake to get them and have them not fit... And I am not changing my crank front ring etc. as it is the horniest looking set-up I have ever seen.

[Batmobile]

Agree with the earlier comments and findings , unless you're able to measure it becomes almost impossible to improve especially if most of your training rides are on your own or within a group of similar fitness
I am finding the initial burst from 35k's to 45k's and spike in heart rate where I am currently struggling . It's trying to hold the spike in heart rate at your 90% max at the moment a little difficult .
I am keen to learn whether I need to work more at holding 90% max heart rate or whether by increasing power , I can work at 85% max
Currently just working on heart rate and the improvements are evident , but there might be a relation between heart max and power and cadence that I am keen to learn
Also if anyone has a proven interval session performed on an indoor trainer that they have found to help improve race fitness I would love to hear the details

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by GTpilot

Great post Geko.
Portability is a big plus for the pedal based systems for sure.
I have also read it's quite an easy task to change the pedal body over on the Garmin system to shimano pedals.

Didn't know that although I am not too sure the Shimano body has any advantages over the Garmin one, functionally they are both very good and I would rate both as a better pedal than the Look Keo.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by mcnews

I looked at Vector 2 and would have got one for my Cannondale but don't think there is enough clearance between crank arm and chain. Expensive mistake to get them and have them not fit... And I am not changing my crank front ring etc. as it is the horniest looking set-up I have ever seen.

I can not see how Vector would not clear as most of it is on the outside part of the crank between the crank arm and pedal body. There is only a very thin electrical connection that plugs into the pedal axle. That electrical connection is only a couple of mm wide and can't imagine it would foul on the chain.

[mcnews]

It is the sensor thing that goes around the crank arm that needs clearance between it and the chain when the chainrings are set to their closest points etc. I don't think it will clear at that point enough and sometimes the chain will slap against the thing that the Vector needs attached to the crank arm.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by mcnews

It is the sensor thing that goes around the crank arm that needs clearance between it and the chain when the chainrings are set to their closest points etc. I don't think it will clear at that point enough and sometimes the chain will slap against the thing that the Vector needs attached to the crank arm.

The crank must be damn close to the chain then, my Campag record cranks would be pretty close but it would clear. Is there any way you could do a test fit? I think any decent bike shop would let you do a dummy fit to see if it clears.

[mcnews]

I don't think it is incredibly uncommon that the clearance is an issue, as all the instruction manuals and Garmin instructions etc explicitly state how to measure for clearance etc. and in my case it is too close to risk it, so yes only way would be for a shop to do a trial fit and pay full retail etc. I guess.

[geckoGT]

I just did a bit of a review on how things have gone since I bought a power meter and have to say I am pretty happy with the result.

On the 13th of June I had just bought the power meter and had a FTP of 258w, weighing in at 94.4kg that gave me a figure of 2.73w/kg.

Now I have a FTP of 324w and a weight of 88.4 giving a figure of 3.66w/kg. A drop of 6kg in weight, increase in FTP of 66w and a power/kg increase of 0.93w. That is an improvement that can really be felt on the bike, particularly when the road gets vertical. All that in a month.

Not saying the power meter was the only change as the training is a lot more consistent now and I have a formalised plan written by someone that knows what they are doing. The power meter has definitely given me a better indicator of training load and keeping the rides honest giving more quality rather than just quantity. I do think it might be a case of a new toy gives more motivation.

[prydey]

changing the topic....

i don't really follow the sport of cycling, but know a few of the big names like most people do. i've never watched much of the cycling events that we get on FTA here in Adelaide (tour down under, tour de france) due to work, timezones, other commitments etc but have found myself watching the last couple of stages over the weekend (heading in to night shift, so staying up late...)

froome certainly caught them all napping a couple of nights ago, and hows his downhill style! i've seen them go the full tuck before, sitting on the top tube, but to stay there and pedal... it just looked slightly comical. mind you he was topping 90km/h or close to, so it was pretty effective.

then last night, hows the conditions at the end of the stage. absolutely bucketing down with reasonable sized hail as well. thats earning your money!

[geckoGT]

No doubt a hard way to earn a living. Sensational end of the stage, all the contenders were certainly giving it a red hot go and one of the better stages I have seen in a while. I normally find the mountain stages a lot more interesting than the flat stages where the teams of the sprinters always close down the break with monotonous regularity and seem to make the result rather predictable.

[blueoval]

One thing that annoys me with Quintana is his lack of attacking against Froome. He's always waited till its too late in the tour to attack and always when he is seconds if not minutes down on the GC. I fear this will be another predicable result. I watch to see some part timers get their stage win glory.

[Batmobile]

Originally Posted by blueoval

One thing that annoys me with Quintana is his lack of attacking against Froome. He's always waited till its too late in the tour to attack and always when he is seconds if not minutes down on the GC. I fear this will be another predicable result. I watch to see some part timers get their stage win glory.

Don't worry , with Valverde by his side, i am sure that we shall see them the blue train of MovieStar try and put time in Sky .
However , at this point in time - time trail , mountains , i can't see any rider and or team put time into Froome .
I said it before , he is a ugly rider on the bike , a rider i certainly would not wish to emulate - however the boy can ride - no questions