Savington

iTrader: (31)

I have to top up once a week or so. Have to put in air at least once a month or they'll go flat. Maxxis 40c on Industry Nine hoops.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

I don't think I have ever gone out for a ride without checking and inflating my tires. That's just cycling. I don't expect any tire to hold at opttimum pressure for 24 hours.

dcamp2

iTrader: (4)

Bow down to your new master:



Built this new roadie slayer out of my winter trainer bike and some old MTB crap I had laying around. Will be fun to harass real roadies with this beauty. (28lbs as shown)

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

I run about 75 PSI on the commuter bike. With regular, dry tubes, I usually aired them up once a week.

I found this to be one undeniable benefit of Slime. With said product in the tubes, their air-retaining qualities were greatly enhanced. Check 'em once a month, maybe add a few PSI tops.

Last month, I bought a new set of tires (the old ones had almost 2 years on 'em, and it was time), and I also purchased two Michelin A3 "Protek Max" tubes. They're heavy, have an odd profile, and come pre-filled with a small amount of a substance which seems much thicker and stickier than Slime. These tubes also hold air similarly to slimed tubes.

So far, so good.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Stan's Grail with WTB tape and a Hutchinson Toro stay at 32psi for a couple weeks
WTB i19 with Stan's tape and Maxxis garbage tires need air daily.
Stan's Grail with WTB tape and Vittoria CX rubber needed air every couple weeks
Roval wheels with Stan's tape and Spesh Roubaix need air once per week

If I were getting tires specifically for commuting, without any uphill or rocky dirt, I'd do the Spesh Roubaix; Hutchinson Mamba for some dirt, dry single track, gravel; Hutchinson Toro for CX. I should note that I trust my life to a Stan's Grail and Hutchinson tire, only had one burp ever and it resulted in a big crash, but just one and I have a ton of races. Remember to watch tire pressure in a race because multiple little punctures can cause the tire to come off the bead. My front tire comes off the bead in hard cornering at ~18psi. The Hutchison tires are so soft that you must run more pressure than the Vittorias, not a bad thing in my experience though.

I don't have a good mud tire but hear that Clement BOS for proper mud, if you can get them. Clement supposedly have two tubeless tires out but there is nothing on their website, I've never seen one, screw them. I'd going to get a set of Spesh mud rubber for CX season this year, Spesh is killing it on tires, supposedly hired-over a shitload of people from Continental, told them to go nuts and it appears they did.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Omg, saddle bag, frame pump...

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

I have a frame pump, saddle bag, and slime tubes and plastic liners on my vintage 2002 mountain bike. Each has been invaluable at least once.

I want to do my first road race this sunday but I'm too ***** to sign up. Tell me to grow *****. I know it's regional specific, but any general idea on w/kg required to keep up in a cat5 25 mile zero elevation road race? How many days before the race do I stop riding to save energy? It's gonna be beautiful Friday and I will want to pedal somewhere.

I've been spending my lunch breaks rereading this thread from the beginning, copying good info in a document. I'm a third of the way thru which is 2014 haha. I :heart: mt.net. Thank you all for this.

Trey gave me a killer deal on my new whip.

3rdCarMX5

iTrader: (1)

The best thing you can do is just show up. W/kg critical power is irrelevant in a flat road race unless you plan to time trial solo to win. Even in the p1/2 it is largely irrelevant, unless it's an uphill finish. It's more about tactics.

Don't worry about tapering for 25 miles. It will probably be an hour long. Just don't try to be a hero. It will seem easy at first and you'll want to try and pull, don't. Wait until someone else ups the pace and follow.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Thank you for properly riding my CX bike.

For your first race, there will be dudes off the front at 3w/Kg, there will be dudes ridiculously blown-up off the back in the first mile. Your goal is to do very little work, do not cross wheels, rotate through the front once or twice.

Soft-pedal the two days before the race.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Flat cat 4-5 road races are more about your 15s, 1m w/kg, not FTP. You need enough basic fitness to suck almighty wheel then be able to close little gaps when the race heats up towards the end, then come around the poor skinny climbers with 4w/kg FTP's. Make sure your legs are fresh enough to do hard jumps without hurting once you are warmed up.

Don't overthink the taper. Just trim down duration and intensity leading into the race so your legs have no soreness. When you start racing more, you'll just train through races by including them in little 5-10 day training blocks with minimum rest.

Dope yourself by making sure you stay fed, electrolytes, hydrated. Take some caffeine just before the race. My standard is a double espresso maybe 30m prior or half a 200mg caffeine tablet if no espresso available.

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

Just enter, try not to crash and not be last. That's my "strategy" when racing...the one race I've done.

Thanks Emilio and Trey for the breakdown with the tubeless psi thing. My combo is (was) exactly the WTB i9/Maxxis tires that you said need air daily. I usually check my pressure on the road and cross bikes every time before I ride but that day I'd left my pump at work. MTB I check the pressure with my hands and go ride if it feels ok, lol. Lots of variation, from topping up the high-psi road tires daily to filling the MTB tires maybe every other week. Variables for a NYC commuter to consider for sure.

Tech question: DT350, 12x142 thru-axle, 10s Shimano freehub. Want to convert to 11s Shimano road freehub.

I'm finding plenty of 11s road freehubs (with the QR end cap I don't need): DT Swiss 240 Freehub Body Shimano Road 11 Speed

Use 11s road freehub kit linked and just throw away the QR end cap or is there more to it than that with the thru-axle?

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

Thanks guys, I signed up. This will be terrifyingly fun. I am worried that, being only 25 miles and flat, it will turn into a group TT. 75%+ of the people signed up so far are in team, which means they are faaaassstttt.

My FTP is more like 3.5w/kg but i do pretty good on the 30 second sprints in Zwift and recover pretty quick I think. I plan to bring the trainer and warm up for 20 min or so, sound right? There's a 'race warmup' workout in Zwift that's more like 45 minutes and has some sprints in the end, I may try that tomorrow before a light ride and see how it makes me feel. Same with the caffeine.

I have to find some good youtube videos on peloton skills and etiquette.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Basic road etiquette applies, same as training rides

-don't touch your brakes in the bunch unless you absolutely have to. Use the rear so the guys behind you can see/hear your brakes.
-Be paying close attention to not just the ride immediately in front but several riders ahead. This allows you to react sooner and sometimes avoid braking, by just coasting and drifting out of the draft to air brake a bit. This will also allow you to say "slowing!" before you touch your brakes
-If it's stretching out and you have trouble holding the wheel in front, try to not to also detach the entire group behind you. Know that you're coming off and wave the riders behind through.
If a rider just ahead drifts towards your front wheel, just a touch on the bum or hip will let them know you are there. Avoid shouting and getting emotional. If they are right alongside and are drifting, you can fan your fingers off your hoods to touch their hip. Further back and you can gently nudge with and elbow. Be delicate with the elbow. Too forceful and you make enemies.
-obvious but, hold your line. When the group is rolling along and positions are changing slowly, don't ever make the mistake of quickly switching from one wheel to the other. The guy behind might not be overlapping because he's 3' away but he will overlap when you chop across with no warning. I will actually turn my head (but not look back) and stick me hand out like a turn signal if I want to "get out" of the group to move up the side.
-Try not to spend any time sitting bar to bar right next to another rider with you on the edge of the road or centerline. If you have to squeeze by, make it a pass then come back off the edge.
-learn how to pull/replace bottle and drink at speed without looking down at the cage and/or wavering.
-learn how to pull food from your jersey without wavering. It's important to take your time when doing this and not get panicky. If you feel rushed when grabbing stuff from your pockets, you will always waver. Slow the process down, smooth and straight
-pay close attention to wind direction. Position yourself to take best advantage of the draft
-suck wheel like a boss
-never, ever hit the front (except for the last 10 meters)

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

What is the best location to suck wheel like a boss? Where you can fan their butt with your fingertips? Basically, how close is good? I've never ridden with anyone else.

Watching CAT4 races on youtube...they seem to be riding the brakes ALL THE TIME like WTF

Everything else seems straight forward, cept the smoothly removing bottle from cage. I am not good at that, especially the rear cage, and definitely not when on the drop bars.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Not having ridden in groups is going to make things tough. I would strongly recommend you find and do as many group rides as you can, today, right now. We can offer advice all day but you need to tune your senses and reactions to the organic biomass that is a fast moving peloton. Hate to be a downer but if you are nervous, trying to ride for a good result in a cat 4-5 RR and have never actually ridden in a group, the chances of you crashing are like 90%. I would approach this first race as learning how to relax, pay attention, avoid those who aren't relaxed/paying attention. Learning how to save energy and not surging/accelerating anymore than you have to. DO NOT focus on a result unless you are clearly way stronger than everyone else (you're not). Just focus on 1. Getting home unscathed 2. Learning 3. Enjoying the experience.


edit: First 10 riders is safest. Takes close attention, energy and constant subtle movement to hold position at a tempo. When pace ratchets up, it takes 400-500w surges and sharp elbows.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

In for gore pics on monday

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

haha nice. I'm borrowing a gopro. I'm not concerned with placement at all, perfectly fine being the last rider, but plan to get some experience so i knwo what to work on for next time.

I don't care much about me, but I do not want to harm the bike. I considered bringing hustler's ex instead but my bitch would get jealous.

EDIT: 40 riders max in my group. "4 safe turns with great road surfaces" I'm one of 8 who aren't associated with a club or RR training group. haha. I'm gonna watch from the back.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, no race until you spend a few months riding in groups, **** happens fast, concrete hurts, the financial costs hurt badly but pale in comparison to agony of time off the bike. A significant part of keeping your body off the tarmac in a cat-5 race is knowing who is going down and avoiding them.

I'm on my 8th road race this weekend, still very much a newb and a cat-5 poseur. Although years of TT and endurance auto-racing help, I am still working on the right level of assertiveness, realizing problems before they start.

Additionally, behold my six-month fitness gain from similar races:

Newb gains FTW!

I am doing a wet ITT and wet crit on Saturday, dry 60-mile road-race on Sunday. Just trying to survive Saturday, going to go just fast enough in the grit to not get pulled unless it's really sketchy, then I'll attempt a cat-5 break off the front.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Random and unrelated sidebar:

I picked up a set of Clarks molded brake pads to hold me over until the replacement KoolStops arrive:





The text near the top of the cardboard reads "Exceed your limitations."


Whether on two wheels or four, isn't that generally rather bad advice, to the tune of an ambulance ride to the ER and the formation of a relationship with an orthopedic surgeon?

At least, that's been my experience.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

hackbike is almost ready.

need a saddle, 90mm stem and im getting some clement x'plor ush tires (or maybe continental cyclocross speeds... idk yet)

Taped bars last night.