Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Tennis racket grip?

I rode into work today. I forgot that the last time I rode the bike I curb stomped the bash guard and broke it. I need to remember to just rip it completely off before I leave work because it rubs on the front derailleur and makes a really annoying noise.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

Went to the local bike shop and bought some cheap EASTON bar wrap. should do the job... for now anyways.

Bars wrapped, Bike more or less done. I just want to true the wheels and ride it.

Miata bike build. bars wrapped! by Shlammed, on Flickr

Ride is much more enjoyable with the bars taped. so much more smooth feeling.

doward

I am shopping replacement brakesets, levers, lines, pre-bled, for my xtc 9er. I can get current SLX WITHOUT rotors from BlueSkyCycling for ~$200 shipped, or offer on used '09 XT WITH rotors on ebay for ~$150 shipped?

What would you do?

rigidbigelsworth

iTrader: (3)

Just thought I would mention BikesDirect.com in case people are looking for affordable options. NOT AFFILIATED I am just a road bike noob and wanted something that didnt break the bank. I am pretty happy with my purchase, AL frame/Carbon fork and some Shimano components. Happy with it so far, but what do I know

Can anyone recommend a good affordable seat? I went on about a 10 mi ride last night after work and wasnt real happy with the comfort level.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

If you are new to cycling and rides of that length, it's you not the seat. If you plan to ride very infrequently, say 2-3x a month then you'll need a big plum "comfort" seat. Just hit up your LBS for that. If you plan on riding at least 2x a week with some 10mi+ rides, I'd suggest staying with that sat for a while. As your butt gets used to it, you'll want less padding and width. IOW, you might end up wanting that seat after a few weeks of regular riding.

rigidbigelsworth

iTrader: (3)

Fair enough, I like that response because it requires me to spend $0.00
I'm going to try to start riding a couple times a week to give me a break from running. I got back to my house last night after my ride and did a couple extra laps around my neighborhood because I wasn't ready to get off the bike. Hopefully that enjoyment lasts and laziness doesn't take over..

ShockerGT

My turd:

2009 Giant TCR Alliance 1



Finally got Retul fitted last weekend so now I need to cut my steerer tube down to get rid of the spacers sitting on top of the stem. Mostly stock, just finished piecing together my 6700 Ultegra groupo, so I need to get going on installing it.

Rode 63 miles this morning averaging 19.2mph.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I followed this plan. I finally ordered 3 Specialized Romin seats, picked the size I wanted, and returned the rest. I now realized I found the magic seat so I should have bought the one that's 30g lighter, lol.

WTF is going on with those bars? Do your wrists rest on the bar when you use the hoods?

Trim your cables and housings, please. lol

You will also find that when you become stronger you will have less weight in the seat and more in the pedals.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

So at first I thought the stem was too long so I bought a 90mm stem. The fit was better but holy **** the steering was fast. I'd turn around to look behind me and veer way off, it was dangerous. So I bought a 110mm stem on a friend's advice and bought shorter reach, shorter drop, round bars (didn't like the ergo bar hump). I like these round bars because I can get the hoods where I want them and can always get to the levers, I'm getting accustomed to the shape. I also like the fatness of the bars and can slam the stem now. I also took the time to rework the cable housing and lube everything since I just broke 3000 miles on the bike since April.


I also finally replaced the bike rack I hated with this Kuat:


It's a good thing I have 400lb springs in the rear.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Props. That is much miles.

I have not gotten on the bike much so far this year. Depressing.
Must be more like the Hustle

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Thanks. I'm still weak but slowly getting faster. I'm doing a race on October 5th in Claremore, OK (near Hallett) for 100 miles. My goal is to finish in the top 75%. Hopefully I can find someone to pace-line with or its going to be a long day.

rigidbigelsworth

iTrader: (3)

I looked around after reading your comment, I never noticed how much angle the bars had compared to other bars. My wrists don't touch, they feel ok to me but again, this is my first road bike so I don't have anything to compare them to really. Should I be worried about it? Or is it just a personal preference thing?

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

You should be able to comfortably rest your palms on the tops of the hoods.
I'm assuming the photo you posted was the generic one from the bikesdirect site. Assembled by photographers assistant FTW.

Hood and bar design has evolved over the last 20 years so that tops of hoods are generally either flat or angle upwards as is the fashion with racers in Europe. Check some of Husters earlier bike **** posts.

rigidbigelsworth

iTrader: (3)

Yeah that was the generic pic from the site I bought it on. I installed the bars myself but I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the angle when I assembled it. I want to think I put it relatively flat but then wouldn't my brake levers be pointed forward rather than down? I'll just check it when I'm home but I'm not real worried about it since I haven't felt any discomfort in my wrists after a few 10+mi rides.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Advice:

- Start eating & drinking early. Because there are no breaks in pace, you burn calories far faster than a training ride.
-Only use high cadence when you need high power. When your loafing in the draft drop your cadence a bit, that will lower heart rate.
-Pay very close attention to wind direction. IOW, don't assume that the best draft is right behind someone
-Be an opportunist. If the group you're in starts breaking up, don't be the first one to bridge across unless it's just a few pedal strokes to cross. Look around to see if anyone else is going across then catch a ride. If the group going away is going a pace that you can survive, it's a really big group, no one else is bridging and the gap is starting to open, sprint for all you are worth to get back on.
-If the pace in this race is high right from the start. Warmup for 20 minutes and do a few, short medium efforts in. Nothing sucks more than getting dropped by the pel 15 minutes in on the first little 30mph roller.
-And the most important advice, never, ever, ever hit the front. Unless you are in a very small group and you're not the weakest rider in it.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

"right" is whatever you like. Most bike shops have top of the bar and hood almost level, by default. Most racers and hi mileage riders angle them up a bit. If they are really angle up, you have to stretch your fingers up to shift in the drops. The idea is your fore arms should be nearly level with the ground when sprinting in the drops so that reach is easier.

Anyway, bike fit is a big deal if you actually plan to ride much. Don't be afraid to fuss over small adjustments here and there. When you are new to road riding, the seat seems hard and narrow, the steering to sensitive, bars to low and far away, shifters hard to reach. A few hundred miles later and you're shopping for a narrower seat, lowering the bars, raising the hoods and riding in a fairly straight line when in a group.

Here they're angled way up:



here, less so:



My cross bike (off road) with hoods high for low speed riding



My road bike with hoods about the same as the Scott above

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Old skool tradition is to aim the bottom straight portion of the bar at the top of the back tire. These days, most racers will point lower so they can raise the hoods. Note how incredibly long the levers are on modern brifters compared to stuff from 20 years ago. That's so you can raise the hoods for comfort and still reach the brake levers when in the drops.

rigidbigelsworth

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely have to look at it before my ride tonight.
Can I completely reveal exactly how noob I am for a quick second? Are you talking about actually moving the hoods with relation to the bars, or just loosening the stem and rotating the bars to change the angle? I guess I was under the impression the hoods were fixed in place on the bars, but I haven't looked at how they attach yet. Ill have to do some tinkering when I get home. Is it 5 o'clock yet?

EDIT: The ol' google machine straightened me out.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Now I'm afraid, lol
I thought this was a bad habit, I can live with this advice.
I got in on the echelon thing two weeks ago, it's like ballet. I'm not sure that will work with random cycling bros. OK is known for wind so this will probably come into play.
Ah yes, I am a newb. I never considered that, thanks. This is the beginning of the hard part and growing into a cycling adult.
How do I pick my over und? Pick an MPH I know I can sustain and stay put until ??miles into the race? Are you talking about a pre-race warm-up or a grupetto warm-up? On an amateur race like this, will there be a well-formed peloton or should I expect pure chaos?
Never hit the front of the peloton or never get out in a break-away? I assume I'll have to do some work.

I'm really working hard with a group that averages 27mph right now, I drop hopefully no less than one-mile longer than the ride before, then fall into the 23mph group. Am I getting into this too soon?

Big-thanks for the advice.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

MPH means nothing. Wattage is what you want to monitor ideally. Short of that I'd watch heart rate. My Garmin 500 has a few screens. One is just HR in big font, speed slightly lower, wattage below that. As you get fitter you can sustain HR closer to your anaerobic threshold for a longer period. Hopefully you have a HR monitor now and sorta know where your red zone is. Just stay below it as long as you can. As you gain experience, you'll learn tricks to lower HR.

-stay cool and well hydrated
-lower cadence-minimize power "spikes". Little micro accelerations that gradually tire the legs. You'll notice the fast guys all look relaxed? They have learned not to expend energy unless absolutely necessary.

Warning signs:
HR sky high but no power - dehydrated, didn't drink enough
HR won't go up, no power - low blood sugar, didn't eat enough
HR comes up to normal but no power - just plain fatigue, went too fast for too long

Pre race warm up depends on the race. Some races start at full speed with hills right away. Gotta be ready to go hard right off the start. Other races roll along at an easy pace for an hour or so before anything happens. Those first few efforts always hurt. As you get fitter, you need longer to get your engine warmed up to hit full power. Just make sure you're not cold and stiff at the start.

For time trials and cyclocross races, my warm up is about 45 minutes long and involves stepped efforts all the way to and slightly past my anaerobic threshold.

Don't fret over doing a race that might be beyond you. You just get dropped. No idea how organized it may or may not be. No matter what, there will be a front group. Looking forward to the race report.