[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[teaboy]

Just shorten the pain!

 

[1066familyman]

I'll draw your attention back to the rules, no. 34 is relevant here!

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

I checked out those rules, re: saddle bags for tools. Not liking the tools and pump in jersey option I then discovered the 'tool bottle' option elsewhere. So I now have the upright bottle holder in use for small pump, puncture kit, tyre levers & multi tool and the other water bottle for drinks. Is this acceptable I wonder?

On the plus side, I may struggle to get tubes in the bottle so may have to go strictly old skool figure of eight over my shoulders. That would be loads of brownie points, surely?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I checked out those rules, re: saddle bags for tools. Not liking the tools and pump in jersey option I then discovered the 'tool bottle' option elsewhere. So I now have the upright bottle holder in use for small pump, puncture kit, tyre levers & multi tool and the other water bottle for drinks. Is this acceptable I wonder?

On the plus side, I may struggle to get tubes in the bottle so may have to go strictly old skool figure of eight over my shoulders. That would be loads of brownie points, surely?

I just bite the bullet and go for a saddle bag. Not all rules are created equal!

 

[1066familyman]

I just bite the bullet and go for a saddle bag. Not all rules are created equal!

Exactly!

 

[Stat Brother]

You're seriously cutting your nose off to spite your face, by not sticking a saddle bag on.

 

[1066familyman]

Trouble is a saddle bag would obscure the rear light and I don't want to be pffaffing about changing things over for night and day time. The water/tool bottle seems to work well. Otherwise I probably would go saddle bag, yes.

 

[Woodchip]

I've got a small saddle bag for the road bike, big enough for mobile phone, $40 in cash, EFTPOS card, inner tube, multi tool, levers and house keys.

Rear light fits under it and is still easily viewable (especially as I have one clipped to the saddle bag as well).

Oh, and I wear SPDs on the road bike.

I'm a mudda fooking rebel. Raaaaaaaa

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I've got a small saddle bag for the road bike, big enough for mobile phone, $40 in cash, EFTPOS card, inner tube, multi tool, levers and house keys.

Rear light fits under it and is still easily viewable (especially as I have one clipped to the saddle bag as well).

Oh, and I wear SPDs on the road bike.

I'm a mudda fooking rebel. Raaaaaaaa

You're in oz now, they have no respect for the rules!

 

[Stat Brother]

You're in oz now, they have no respect for the rules!

But more respect for geography. He's in New Zealand!

Although they are pretty much the same thing

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

But more respect for geography. He's in New Zealand!

Although they are pretty much the same thing

Whoops. Sorry Woodchip, small but important mistake!

Saw a few cycling crimes in Melbourne, particularly their love of the sleeveless cycling jersey. Just plain wrong.

 

[Woodchip]

I wondered what was going on when it didn't come on at 8.30.

No worries.

You're not a true cyclist unless you have bizarre tanlines.

 

[Woodchip]

How the bloody hell did Tapatalk manage to quote something from 05-07-2003 11:05?!?!?!

I was meant to quote Indurain's Lungs.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I won one of my only two ever wins on the bostal! After that flat-ish middle, that next bit where it really ramps up is horrible

Fair play!

Years ago I read a little side bar from a climber I'd never heard of, on 'how to climber up a mountain'.

As much as obviously there is next to no similarity, I've still always used his advise.
I'm not the first (cos I've never been the lightest) but unless it's Cobb Lane I'm confident of easily making it over.

- Drink/eat 5 to 10 mins before the climb.
- Approaching the climb make an effort to control your breathing.
Good solid lung filling breaths, get into a good rhythm, the burn comes from lack of oxygen to your muscles.
- At the foot of the climb drop into the lowest gear you'll need.
- Maintain breathing, cadence, gears, from there if you're feeling up to it, you can then push on to the top, on the top half (or 3rd) of the climb.

I'm sure (I know for a fact) there are better people than me at going up hill, [MENTION=2551]Stoichkov[/MENTION] will have better advise, but I think the above makes for a pretty good starting point.

Sound advice which I've sort of naturally adopted anyway. Did the Ditchling Beacon last night, started in the lowest gear and just tried to keep a steady pace - I think I have been prone to going at it too hard at the start. On your other point, mentally is where I really need to improve, on almost every climb my brain is going 'look for somewhere to stop....this is too hard....have a little rest....' I'm getting better at shutting it out, hopefully confidence will help that. 7mins 7 secs for the Beacon climb which I'm pretty happy with.

Changing is so good nowadays that it isn't really ideal to just stick to a gear regardless. Rythmn is very important on long steady climbs and trying to maintain a reasonable cadence helps with this - just change gear when you need to (presuming you're not going to get unexpectedly confronted with a sudden very steep rise). The exception to this is big/little ring, you'll need to get in the little ring in time.

Climbing in the saddle is more efficient but getting out of the saddle will help you get through changes in gradient and shift the burden on to other muscles for a brief time.

Most of it is about gauging your effort and the rest is tinkering.

I've tended not to dance out of my saddle, but as you say, on a steeper gradient, I do find it gives you a fresh boost when you sit back down, and have been doing it more often all be it for a brief boost.

This thread is turning into one hell of a resource!

 

[Stat Brother]

I find concentrating on everything else, doesn't leave room for the doubts.

I know I keep saying breathing but it is really important to keep bucketfuls of oxygen flowing.

When I'm out of the saddle it's like watching the fuel gauge while driving full bore in first.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I find concentrating on everything else, doesn't leave room for the doubts.

I know I keep saying breathing but it is really important to keep bucketfuls of oxygen flowing.

When I'm out of the saddle it's like watching the fuel gauge while driving full bore in first.

Comes down to personal physiology really (see wiggins vs contador). You've got to find what works for you, I think.

 

[Pantani]

Just shorten the pain!

This, my climbing style has always been to go as fast as I can seated. Then, hope I can hang on if there are any ramps, works pretty well for me on the local hills. I would be in all sorts of trouble doing that on any long climbs though.

 

[Pantani]

I checked out those rules, re: saddle bags for tools. Not liking the tools and pump in jersey option I then discovered the 'tool bottle' option elsewhere. So I now have the upright bottle holder in use for small pump, puncture kit, tyre levers & multi tool and the other water bottle for drinks. Is this acceptable I wonder?

On the plus side, I may struggle to get tubes in the bottle so may have to go strictly old skool figure of eight over my shoulders. That would be loads of brownie points, surely?

Small multi tool in jersey, pump mounted on the bike, inner tubes held to the top tube using old pedal clip straps. No way can I use one of my bottle cages for tools I'm too much of a water guzzler for that.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

This, my climbing style has always been to go as fast as I can seated. Then, hope I can hang on if there are any ramps, works pretty well for me on the local hills. I would be in all sorts of trouble doing that on any long climbs though.

Differing somewhat from your namesake then!

 

[Stat Brother]

This, my climbing style has always been to go as fast as I can seated. Then, hope I can hang on if there are any ramps, works pretty well for me on the local hills. I would be in all sorts of trouble doing that on any long climbs though.

Hello stranger, Froome-dog has been missed.

I'd be spewing my guts up.
It would be a proper tortoise and hare race, although I can't see the tortoise pulling this one off.

 

[Pantani]

Differing somewhat from your namesake then!

Yes, very true. When I was younger I used to try and climb out of the saddle all the time, hands on drops aping my namesake to the max. It turns out I'm not as good as he was, surprising, I know. That said when I do get out of the saddle climbing my hands still tend to be on the drops, I've just got used to it, and I have quite small hands so I do not always feel comfortable with my hands on the hoods.