The Cycling Thread

Another very hard session at the track tonight. 35 miles in total and regularly at 20mph+ in the bunch meant that I again got blown off the back towards the end when the pace went up towards 25mph. Really enjoy it though and it really pushes you when working with others that you dont get on the turbo. I think last week I managed around the 90 mile mark and this is a bit of a slow week with work, currently around 65. Might get another Turbo session on Saturday but should be able to get near 100 miles done again next week....

[maviczap]

Racing is always the best way to bring fitness levels up that no training sessions can really replicate.

[Dipper]

There was me being all smug about the Marathon Plus and this morning I got a flat still 1500 miles between puctures isn't so bad I s'pose.

Can anyone here recommend a good make of 7 speed chain, I seem to only get about 1000 miles out of them or is that all I can realistically expect? The chain gets virtually no crud on it as I've full mudguards with a mudflap flap down to the ground and the chainset/cassette were new 1500 miles ago.

[maviczap]

Dunno, 1000 miles seems pretty good as a commuter bike.

But I've just fitted a new clarkes self lubing chain to my 9 speed and seems pretty smooth. Plus gold blingy bling colour.

I just bought a couple from an Ebay seller for a third of the price of Halfrauds.

Buy a few cheaply and throw away regularly, buy a chain measuring tool to check on the wear in the chain before throwing away the chain.

[Dipper]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Dunno, 1000 miles seems pretty good as a commuter bike.

But I've just fitted a new clarkes self lubing chain to my 9 speed and seems pretty smooth. Plus gold blingy bling colour.

I just bought a couple from an Ebay seller for a third of the price of Halfrauds.

Trust me if you saw my commuter, bling just wouldn't work

Originally Posted by maviczap

Buy a few cheaply and throw away regularly, buy a chain measuring tool to check on the wear in the chain before throwing away the chain.

I've been buying cheap £9 Shimanos and replacing at .75% on the guage to save wear on the sprockets. Thing is when I throw them they look nearly new they're just streched, you're right though if they lasted longer I'd just have the bother of maintaining them.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by EssexDave

Fixie is now officially on it's way. Like a wee kid at Christmas.

Cool, which one did you go for the Speicalised one you put a pic up of ?

Chain Life - I managed 3K out of a 105 chain, the 105 Chain on my look has done 1200 miles and still looks like new. With no sign of slop or stretch. I am a bit OCD when it comes to cleaning it though. Personally for me I would rather buy a decent chain and look after it then keep buyin cheapo ones.

I'm toying with the joining a club idea again. Going to try the local clubs sunday club run and see how that goes I think, but that'll be next weekend when I'm not on call possibly.

I'm not sure about racing, I've heard some horror stories and I'm not sure I would feel happy about racing on my LOOK, shame my Van Nic is so mangled as that would have done OK and I wouldnt have been bothered so much about crashing and damaging that, but if I crash my LOOK I will be gutted.

I'm also thinking about some time trialing then I dont need to worry about bunch riding.

[Dipper]

Originally Posted by Dipper

There was me being all smug about the Marathon Plus and this morning I got a flat still 1500 miles between puctures isn't so bad I s'pose.

Just pulled a piece of flint out as sharp as a Stanley knife blade and 10mm long, it only caused a slow puncture. Much respect

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Dipper

I've been buying cheap £9 Shimanos and replacing at .75% on the guage to save wear on the sprockets. Thing is when I throw them they look nearly new they're just streched, you're right though if they lasted longer I'd just have the bother of maintaining them.

Yep on the outside it'll look fine, but the wear is on the inside where you can't see.

Cheaper to change the chain, rather than cassettes and chainrings

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Cool, which one did you go for the Speicalised one you put a pic up of ?

I did indeed, plus some cheapo brakes from wiggle with a turbo trainer and some other goodies.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I'm toying with the joining a club idea again. Going to try the local clubs sunday club run and see how that goes I think, but that'll be next weekend when I'm not on call possibly.

I'm not sure about racing, I've heard some horror stories and I'm not sure I would feel happy about racing on my LOOK, shame my Van Nic is so mangled as that would have done OK and I wouldnt have been bothered so much about crashing and damaging that, but if I crash my LOOK I will be gutted.

I'm also thinking about some time trialing then I dont need to worry about bunch riding.

Its a good idea, although I must say its one thing that irritates me about my local club & clubs in general, is that it can be a closed shop. If you don't know anyone, no one will talk to you and there's a lot of snobbery about what bike you've got. I got past the closed shop by doing TT's and meeting other club members about, and it was enjoyable having a chat with everyone at an event.

I've done a lot of TT's and some road racing, although not proper road racing from point to point, but criterium's round town centres. I enjoyed both but IMHO TT's are the way to start off.

Trouble with any RR is that even if its a 4th Cat race, you'll get former 1st or 2nd cat riders returning to racing after a break, and they've got no points to hold onto their 1st or 2nd cat licence.They'll blast off right from the start, seems to be the tactic employed by all the good riders to drop off the less experienced guys. Once you've been dropped, what do you do? Its feckin demoralising and you've travelled a way just to get blown out the back in the first few miles.

Plus like you say, if you trash your Look, you wouldn't be happy, and it pays to have a bike you can race on. In RR's you get lots of mixed ability in bike handling, which can be a recipie for disaster.

Doing TT's its you own race, so doesn't matter if you get caught by the faster guys, just get used to it

But you could race you Look just by adding tri bars. I haven't been to a TT recently, so I don't know how serious everyone takes it. Although I know that the mid week club TT's are taken more seriously by some, than the proper open events

A good way to start TT's is by going along to your clubs mid week TT's, usually just turn up, pay a small fee and race. Then once you've got a feel for it, then enter a open event.

After that its a constant need to buy carbon this, aero that and listen to you tyres sing on the road.