[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[1066familyman]

And Lobato even worse off. Demare crash and gone too.

Sky trying to make it as selective as possible for Swift I suppose, but I agree, seems a bit early to use everyone up to me.

 

[Pantani]

Cav still there, just. Looking real good for Swift and Sagan at this point.

 

[1066familyman]

I can see Gilbert doing something here now. BMC have played it well so far, sending first GVA on the attack and now Oss.

Some out and out sprinters really struggling but Greipel looking quite good surprisingly.

 

[banjo]

Thomas attacking

 

[Pantani]

Huge from G, Swift looked to get blocked a bit but he was too far back anyway.

Degenkolb was fantastic, he could win several of these, especially once they make it more difficult again, next year.

 

[1066familyman]

Huge from G, Swift looked to get blocked a bit but he was too far back anyway.

Degenkolb was fantastic, he could win several of these, especially once they make it more difficult again, next year.

Agreed. Remember he only wasn't at the finish last year because he punctured at the bottom of the Poggio. And that finale today was almost a carbon copy of last year with Paolini leading Kristoff out from a distance again. Interesting to see Bouhanni there at the finish but Cav not. The recent bug must have taken it's toll on Cav I suppose.

 

[Pantani]

Agreed. Remember he only wasn't at the finish last year because he punctured at the bottom of the Poggio. And that finale today was almost a carbon copy of last year with Paolini leading Kristoff out from a distance again. Interesting to see Bouhanni there at the finish but Cav not. The recent bug must have taken it's toll on Cav I suppose.

Not sure if Cav got caught up in the crash with Stybar and Kwiatkowski. At least not having them to help would have made it harder for him to catch up if he had been dropped on the way up the Poggio.

 

[Stat Brother]

Blimey I'm tired just watching that.

Great ride from G, he may well have been to strong for Swift, setting such a fast pace.

I'm gutted for the Steppers on the last 2 climbs I thought any one from three were looking likely to win.

As said earlier in the week, I can't see the scenario that ends up with a Degenkolb win
I just didn't think he would get over the likes of Kristoff in an out and out sprint.

Great ride by him, in a great race.

Belgium approaches now.

 

[sten_super]

Beautiful weather this morning (although it could have been a bit warmer), feeling the benefit of a few climbing miles recently I was very happy with my pace into work - only to discover when I uploaded the ride to Strava that I didn't touch any of my top 3 times on any segment, in fact I was a way off on all of them. Just goes to show the benefit of having miles in the legs I suppose, was obviously a fair bit fitter and faster last summer...

 

[strings]

Beautiful? Where I was (in the Midlands) it was bloody freezing!!

Nevertheless, I was up early having fitted clipless pedals to my bike over the weekend. Before I hit the 'proper' roads later in the week, I thought I would spend half an hour riding around my estate 'clipped in' so that I can practice stopping at junctions (stopping at every junction regardless of whether I needed to or not).

I set the pedals to the minimum tension, and found that I could always get my feet out, even on two occasions when I forgot I was clipped in and panicked! I'll increase the tension as I get used to riding clipless. Next step... a commute.

Have to say, it is so much easier to accelerate whilst clipped in.

 

[sten_super]

Beautiful? Where I was (in the Midlands) it was bloody freezing!!

Nevertheless, I was up early having fitted clipless pedals to my bike over the weekend. Before I hit the 'proper' roads later in the week, I thought I would spend half an hour riding around my estate 'clipped in' so that I can practice stopping at junctions (stopping at every junction regardless of whether I needed to or not).

I set the pedals to the minimum tension, and found that I could always get my feet out, even on two occasions when I forgot I was clipped in and panicked! I'll increase the tension as I get used to riding clipless. Next step... a commute.

Have to say, it is so much easier to accelerate whilst clipped in.

Bright sunshine in Cambridgeshire this morning at about 4 degree C. Not cold enough for any worries about ice but enough for long sleeved jersey, leg warmers and for my fingers to get painful!

I found with clipless that it's towards the end of the ride, when you're tired and not thinking things through, that I forgot and took the inevitable tumble. For me it was the end of my very first commute, congratulating myself at having made it the whole way without forgetting, then slowly pulling into the kerb and realising as the bike starts to lean that I haven't clipped out, cue slow fall to the kerb.

edit to add: I did the same in terms of keeping them at low tension, although I've never found the need subsequently to tighten them particularly. I'm not the most coordinated so like that it's pretty easy to get in/out of them.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Beautiful weather this morning (although it could have been a bit warmer), feeling the benefit of a few climbing miles recently I was very happy with my pace into work - only to discover when I uploaded the ride to Strava that I didn't touch any of my top 3 times on any segment, in fact I was a way off on all of them. Just goes to show the benefit of having miles in the legs I suppose, was obviously a fair bit fitter and faster last summer...

Likewise - bright here this morning but dipped to 3 degrees on the commute. I also felt good on the ride in but realised half way that a gentle tailwind was responsible!

 

[banjo]

Chilly in Sussex this morning and felt like the wind was following me, not to my advantage.

 

[Stat Brother]

Beautiful? Where I was (in the Midlands) it was bloody freezing!!

Nevertheless, I was up early having fitted clipless pedals to my bike over the weekend. Before I hit the 'proper' roads later in the week, I thought I would spend half an hour riding around my estate 'clipped in' so that I can practice stopping at junctions (stopping at every junction regardless of whether I needed to or not).

I set the pedals to the minimum tension, and found that I could always get my feet out, even on two occasions when I forgot I was clipped in and panicked! I'll increase the tension as I get used to riding clipless. Next step... a commute.

Have to say, it is so much easier to accelerate whilst clipped in.

You know you can't call yourself a true roadie until you've had a clipped in fall.

We await the story.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm a bit annoyed by your route today [MENTION=22214]banjo[/MENTION].

My first thought was 'oh cool, he just needs to find an extra mile and he's got a pan flat 10 mile TT route'.
Then I thought about it, and realised, annoyingly, it's not that simple:-

You can't set a true time going through the airport.
You can't carry on east because Shoreham is always gridlocked.
You can't go west because of the same with Worthing.
Or North because of the A27.
South has other problems.

Someone needs to move Worthing and Shoreham apart by about 2 miles.

 

[banjo]

I'm a bit annoyed by your route today [MENTION=22214]banjo[/MENTION].

My first thought was 'oh cool, he just needs to find an extra mile and he's got a pan flat 10 mile TT route'.
Then I thought about it, and realised, annoyingly, it's not that simple:-

You can't set a true time going through the airport.
You can't carry on east because Shoreham is always gridlocked.
You can't go west because of the same with Worthing.
Or North because of the A27.
South has other problems.

Someone needs to move Worthing and Shoreham apart by about 2 miles.

Haha! Glad you made an excuse for me, was hoping to get over 20 mph average but the buggering round the airport did hinder it.

 

[Stat Brother]

Haha! Glad you made an excuse for me, was hoping to get over 20 mph average but the buggering round the airport did hinder it.

You'll be taking your life in your hands trying to 20mph your way round the airport.
I doubt even the legend that is [MENTION=23986]Glanders[/MENTION] has done a TT with speed bumps.

I'm guessing The Cycle Store to the big Shoreham roundabout just isn't long enough.

 

[banjo]

You'll be taking your life in your hands trying to 20mph your way round the airport.
I doubt even the legend that is [MENTION=23986]Glanders[/MENTION] has done a TT with speed bumps.

I'm guessing The Cycle Store to the big Shoreham roundabout just isn't long enough.

No just under. I was reading up on how to improve my fitness on the bike and it said to mix up the rides, short at full pace will help my distance riding well hopefully. I think I'm getting Into this riding lark now. oh! Great riding from you ATM Stat. Chapeau!

 

[Stat Brother]

No just under. I was reading up on how to improve my fitness on the bike and it said to mix up the rides, short at full pace will help my distance riding well hopefully. I think I'm getting Into this riding lark now. oh! Great riding from you ATM Stat. Chapeau!

Yeah I was having that conversation Colin, a little while ago, he's very much a rouleur.
I definitely agree, Strava is great for motivational blast, but I get a lot from mixing up my core rides.

Now that I'm comfortably sub (just) 30 minutes for 10 miles (only 5 minutes behind Glanders ), today I started on resistance.

Basically riding as if I was only going up hill.
Riding full bore but geared in such a way as to only be riding 65-75 rpm, sprint gear all the way round, with no tucking.
It wasn't as tough as it could have been because of the rear wheel I was using, but it certainly was tough enough, and adds yet another dimension to the ride.

 

[banjo]

Yeah I was having that conversation Colin, a little while ago, he's very much a rouleur.
I definitely agree, Strava is great for motivational blast, but I get a lot from mixing up my core rides.

Now that I'm comfortably sub (just) 30 minutes for 10 miles (only 5 minutes behind Glanders ), today I started on resistance.

Basically riding as if I was only going up hill.
Riding full bore but geared in such a way as to only be riding 65-75 rpm, sprint gear all the way round, with no tucking.
It wasn't as tough as it could have been because of the rear wheel I was using, but it certainly was tough enough, and adds yet another dimension to the ride.

Have to agree with the motivational bit on Strava. Some good riding so far this year and not into proper spring yet. I think this summer will see some serious miles being rode on Geeks. As for Glader's I think he's a fictional character