Bicycle Brahs Part 3 - Riding is our leg day (literally bicycle)

[KRANE]

The best of the local coffee shops has opened a new location a few blocks from my work, it's the first shop I've ever seen those messenger style saddle racks at a place. Solid business move, the counter is right near the door and you can just sling your saddle over the bar, get a coffee and be like 3 ft away during the whole process.


Hnnnnnnng

We need pics of this son.

Don't dork out completely sir.

(Only kidding of course, I prefer the old school "look over the shoulder" method)

My bones have gotten too rusty for that.

[CBR2K]

in on said thread.



Now can someone please address this =D. posted it but it didn't get answered. Hoping people have some insight

this is seriously mind boggling. I can regularly repeat 10 minute efforts of 330 watts outside and yet I can barely hold 270 to 280 for 10 minutes. This is extremely frustrating. I really doubt it's a cooling problem because i have 2 fans on me and it's 15c inside (59f). Also outside I can hold 280 watts without trying. It feels incredibly easy in comparison to inside. Inside I am truly suffering and having to back pedal every 5 minutes.

I guess the only other thing is that because it's an older fluid trainer maybe it's messing up my pedal stroke and that is somehow zapping all my power? I know for sure that when I stand up on the trainer that my watts drop WAAY off. anywho it's very frustrating... I'd like to know that if I can hold X watts for a given period of time especially as a mental gauge for when I ride outside. As it stands now the numbers are basically useless from outside to inside and vica versa.

I'm fairly new to riding but I do have many, many hours on the rollers (not exactly the same as a fluid trainer but similar). First, I'm assuming that you're measuring power on the bike either via cranks, rotor, pedals or hub and not using the "virtual power" outputs. What I've noticed is that for the same power output my average speed on rollers is much slower than outdoors. I think this is due to the much higher intrinsic resistance experienced training indoors which means almost zero coasting. Whenever we stop pedaling on rollers or a turbo trainer, the rear wheel barely spins for a few more seconds whereas outdoors (even on a level surface) you can continue to roll for quite a while.

To summarize your X watts outdoors is much easier to achieve than the same X watts indoors.

If the outdoors/indoors difference is significant enough, you might want to FTP test indoors as well and use that for training when going outside isn't practical (otherwise using the outdoors FTP setting may result in workouts which are way too hard to complete)

[KRANE]

Thanks m8! Appreciate it.

Dura Ace 9000 brakes are silver, yeah but the new 9100 are black. These are older and I'm not sure what I'm replacing them with.

It will be a month or so because after the Enve wheels the price of this build got out of control real fast lmao. And about the gatorskins, I run them on the back and GP4000II up front. I don't race I just ride as a serious hobby? Idk I have cycling pros (including a world champion) in the family and grew up around that mentality and it burned me out on bike riding. So I just train with serious riders and we part ways on race day. I just like riding my bike.

About time we get to view the trusty steed fully optioned. Is this the final look? Also, curious why titanium -- because of Clydesdale?

I choose aluminum due to the carbon variant being limited to the smaller sizes.

[doughnutgut]

Krane. How old are you? If you dont mind me asking.
Are you a manlet?



Thanks for the links to the bar mirrors guys.
Also cheers for the front tyre advice.

My good lady and son are flying Monday to visit family. 2 weeks alone. May get some miles in.

Hate it when they are away. But family live in the middle of nowhere and I am pretty sure most of them will drink beer and vodka for 2 weeks.

[SkepticalOne]

Do it *******, you don't need to start with a $5000 bike. Best life change you'll ever make. Your wife may hate you tho.




Regarding mirrors, I don't think i'd trust them tbh.

Mirrors work great to see the headlights of distant vehicles approaching before they can be heard - they also work great when riding in groups to see the proximity of other riders at glance.

[KRANE]

Krane. How old are you? If you dont mind me asking.

Now you can't expect me to reveal all my details to the machine. But I wouldn't be offended if you referred to me as old-timer. You can glean the rest.

Are you a manlet?

[ChaseW]

Now you can't expect me to reveal all my details to the machine. But I wouldn't be offended if you referred to me as old-timer. You can glean the rest.

After BB.com removed stats no one is safe from being accused of manletry

[benz5521]

I went for a short ride yesterday pulling my kid's trailer. Makes it so much harder. I imagine it's good training though.

I'm still trying to get my fitness level up to a point that I can start getting more serious and try to build a training plan based around power output and heart rate.

Sometimes when I'm out on the bike I'm like this sucks why do I do this? But as soon as I get back and rest a bit I want to ride the bike again.

[doughnutgut]

Now you can't expect me to reveal all my details to the machine. But I wouldn't be offended if you referred to me as old-timer. You can glean the rest.

Just reading your posts. It gives me an incine that you may have been around the block a few times.

Hey i got nothing to hide. In my 40s. 5'10 ish. 185lb last time of checking.

I dont hold it well.

[ChaseW]

I think from what I remember Krane is 6' or 6'1 and like 190

[doughnutgut]

I think from what I remember Krane is 6' or 6'1 and like 190

Yeah. I asked about height due to the making carbon frames not small enough post earlier.

Front gatorskin went on in a few mins. Dafuq.

Btw. I have a feeling you guys all play in another forum/thread together for some reason.

[ErikTheElectric]

Strong lol, didn't even realize stats were removed.

[ChaseW]

Yeah. I asked about height due to the making carbon frames not small enough post earlier.

Front gatorskin went on in a few mins. Dafuq.

Btw. I have a feeling you guys all play in another forum/thread together for some reason.

Can't speak for everyone but not to my knowledge. This is the one and only bike thread

[Slurgie]

Do it *******, you don't need to start with a $5000 bike. Best life change you'll ever make. Your wife may hate you tho.

Leaning toward picking up mtn biking with a price cap of $1k for bike+gear but no idea what to get yet. I'm no marriage crew so I should be good on that front.

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

Leaning toward picking up mtn biking with a price cap of $1k for bike+gear but no idea what to get yet. I'm no marriage crew so I should be good on that front.

No marriage crew is the only way to spend 10 hours per weekend on a bike lol.

Look for a good used mountain bike IN YOUR SIZE for $500-$1000 range. You might even find some good (basically new) bikes for less than $500 on craigslist.

If you come across something with hydraulic disc brakes in that price range, it's likely a good bike with good components.

[Num3n]

lawd jesus hold me brahs.


doing my first 'race' tomorrow. More just like a giant group ride, technically it's a race but there aren't any sections of roads closed off. Anyways 100km, conditions look like they will be a bit wet.

Any recommendations, tips, advice? A friend of mine has done it before and says that we will just want to try to sit in with a fast group. My main concern is etiquette. My friend and I have both had weak days on the saddle recently and I've been able to drop him easily on the flats and in the past he has been able to do the same to me. I suppose I should establish a game plan with him? And what we should do in case one of us gets a flat and so forth? Any other tips are very very welcome since I am a total noob.

Yeah. I asked about height due to the making carbon frames not small enough post earlier.

Front gatorskin went on in a few mins. Dafuq.

Btw. I have a feeling you guys all play in another forum/thread together for some reason.

you mean the previous thread? strong amnesia bro. I've got some bad newwzz =(

Mirrors work great to see the headlights of distant vehicles approaching before they can be heard - they also work great when riding in groups to see the proximity of other riders at glance.

an additional benefit I think is when a couple cars are passing and you only hear the first car and a lot of the time I think that i'm all clear now but turns out there are 2 3 or 4 more cars still needing to drive beside me and pass. I need to finally order a mirror for my bike. I've read that the italian bike mirror is the best because it's actual glass vs the plastic options which heavily heavily distort the image.

[Num3n]

Frame: Merlin Works CR XL
Shifter: Shimano Dura-Ace
Bars/Stem: Giant Contact SLR Carbon
Cranks:FSA Carbon w/ FSA rings
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace
Brakes:Shimano Dura-Ace
Seat: Selle Italia Superflow
Post: FSA Carbon
Wheels: Enve SES 3.4 Carbon Clincher w/ Ti Skewers


It weighs 15.6lbs (without Wahoo) and is a 58cm and could still lose a pound if I wanted it to.


Just to head this off, yeah, I forgot to put it in the big ring and if I wanted a slammed stem I would have one. Thank you.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/TQYH9xR.jpg[img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/VNqhNan.jpg[img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/hm3otWi.jpg[img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Gz6LmBo.jpg[img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/x09sZjV.jpg[/mg]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/sg3x10z.jpg[mg]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUARRRRK. merlin everything about your bike so so so so so hard. Love that clean aesthetic. I'm sad that my bike is red lmao. I wish it was black or some neutral colour but I can't complain since I got it for literally 50% off.

is your stem carbon and as well as your handlebars?

[doughnutgut]

Num3m. You seen the mirror i am talking about?

You can get them that look moulded into the end of the drops.

[ChaseW]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUARRRRK. merlin everything about your bike so so so so so hard. Love that clean aesthetic. I'm sad that my bike is red lmao. I wish it was black or some neutral colour but I can't complain since I got it for literally 50% off.

is your stem carbon and as well as your handlebars?

Thanks man! Appreciate your nice comments here and on strava. That coffee place was sweet. It's connected to a bike shop with no walls in between. Enjoyed a nice cookie and coffee.

Yeah, I got lazy with typing but it is the Giant Contact SLR carbon bars and Contact SLR carbon stem. I really like the combo.

[KRANE]

Yeah. I asked about height due to the making carbon frames not small enough post earlier.

Front gatorskin went on in a few mins. Dafuq.

Btw. I have a feeling you guys all play in another forum/thread together for some reason.

Actually, I was referring to just the opposite.

[l00t3d]

I see a lot of you guys suggesting meme(gator)skins for the front tire. The rolling resistance sacrifice isn't worth it. I'd wager 80% of the flats people experience are on the rear wheel, especially considering that's where all the weight is.

I run a GP4000 in front and the gator in the rear, been doing this for thousands of miles on both of my bikes.

It's overkill to run a gator on the front and deal with the poor rolling resistance. S-works Turbo or GP4000 on the front my friends.

The Vittoria Corsa is a super great tire too.

[ErikTheElectric]

When in Dana Point....




On another note.. Mind = BLOWN at the fact that I haven't used vaseline for all of these years. Put in another 8k of elevation today with practically zero pain!

Stoked about the 14 mph average.

Spoiler!

[ONIcc]

DC rainmaker does tons of reviews on power meters and other biking gadgets. He reviewed the PowerPods and they are surprisingly accurate. However personally I'd get a real power meter that measures strain with a gauge. For a little more you get a left only stages crank or even the Powertap P1 single sided pedals. However if budget is the number one concern, that PowerPod will be a good enough estimation.

I really like the stages power meters but I've read a lot of bad things about them online, from faulty devices requiring multiple warranty replacements, to weak battery doors that fall off. If I were to go the powermeters route, i'd probably want to upgrade my groupset from ultegra 6500 9spd to ultegra 6800. But then I'd also require a new wheelset.

I would love to try Powertap, but I just dropped some dough on a speedplay set-up. This is another great recommendation though, considering the price.

I'll check out DC rainmaker's reviews on powermeters while I consider my options. Thanks for your input.

[doughnutgut]

I see a lot of you guys suggesting meme(gator)skins for the front tire. The rolling resistance sacrifice isn't worth it. I'd wager 80% of the flats people experience are on the rear wheel, especially considering that's where all the weight is.

I run a GP4000 in front and the gator in the rear, been doing this for thousands of miles on both of my bikes.

It's overkill to run a gator on the front and deal with the poor rolling resistance. S-works Turbo or GP4000 on the front my friends.

The Vittoria Corsa is a super great tire too.

I get your point. Depending on the area you live and how the roads are. I just put 2 gators on and tbh. Rolling resistance is not top of my priority. Getting fit enough to not have to stop or want to stop is mt goal currently.

I recon in this short time. I am at around 40 miles non stop apart from traffic lights. With a speed average of 15mph.

Once I improve. Then the tyre adjustment MIGHT be a consideration.

But. Newcastle roads are terrible. It is not until you get to the Northumbrian borders that the roads become empty and smooth. Plus there is miles and miles of beach and clean air.

Yesterday cycled in a cycle lane in busy traffic. Guy in a white transit was parked up ahead in the cycle lane and i had nowhere to go. I politely pulled up along side him and told him he was an inconsiderate kunt.


Btw Erik. Your cycles are nuts. I would never hae the time free to be able to put in them saddle hours. Plus my arse would be like a wizards sleeve if i did.

[drbaig]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39531836

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

I'm thinking out loud here.

Would a steel gravel bike with 105 components make for a solid road bike if I just switched off the 40mm gravel tires for some 32mm gatorskins?

Or do 40mm tires do decently well on road? (I'm thinking 45mph descents maybe not so much)

I'm seeing the Raleigh tamland 1 (105 componentry) 2015 model for $1,299 and think it's a solid deal.

I always go back & forth in my mind about this stuff.

[ErikTheElectric]

Regardless it's going to be on the heavier side, I would say that it's a great way to get on the road. If you could manage to swap those 40s for 28s instead (if they'll accommodate it) I think you'd have a better ride.

The Tamland is a dope bike. I've always thought "steel is real".

[jordanair45]

I'm thinking out loud here.

Would a steel gravel bike with 105 components make for a solid road bike if I just switched off the 40mm gravel tires for some 32mm gatorskins?

Or do 40mm tires do decently well on road? (I'm thinking 45mph descents maybe not so much)

I'm seeing the Raleigh tamland 1 (105 componentry) 2015 model for $1,299 and think it's a solid deal.

I always go back & forth in my mind about this stuff.

With a different set of wheels and tires, absolutely . Would make a good climbing bike imo

[camaleom]

innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn in this biatchhhhh!!!!

let's ride!!!!!

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

Helmet-less/road-less/bicycle-path-only 54 miler today.

Can you get a more conveniently timed flat tire than in a spot like this?


Lunch stop. Hnnnnng.