Psychotext
Member
Awesome. 
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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
T8SC
Member
Psychotext
Member
You probably can, but only in bursts. It's the sustained power of an FTP test that's the hardest part.
Unless you're on a track, in the real world you'll always get slight breaks here and there. Traffic lights, a gate, a slight descent etc. Your body will also back off naturally to recover without you even realising it.
When it's you vs the numbers on your screen, there's no-where to hide.
T8SC
Member
Never back off in a TT, it's flat out until the end.
Just bought a Thule helium tow hitch rack. Found out I can install a tow hitch on my new car without visible cuts on the fairing. Was nervous about the weight of my old steel one so I bit the bullet. Seems well reviewed but has anyone here used it? I'm confused about the weird frame extension bars I saw on a video.
The Lamonster
Member
Something like a Giant Anyroad? I've never been on one though.
47 miles down in just under 4 hours. Longest ride in what I'd consider a really good time for myself. Going to be doing this trail section once a weekend for the next month then I add the next part which is nearly 60 miles round trip.
Bad day today. Hadn't been on the bike in about 4 weeks due to travel and illness but had paid for an event today. Mixed terrain and pretty mild climbing. I figured if I did the 45 mile route instead of the 60 mile route I'd be fine. Wrong. About 10 miles in on a gravel section my heart rate was reporting 190. Very strange since I don't think I've ever seen it over 185. The graph looks pretty normal, so even if it was misreporting my heart rate was still pegged pretty early in the ride and it was having a hell of a time calming down. Even the smallest hills were killing me at that point. At the 20 mile rest stop I was going to take a 10 mile route back to the start, but someone offered me a ride and I figured why not.
The one bright (although also frustrating) part. The stock cheapo $30 Giant saddle I have on this bike is by far the most comfortable one I have used so far. I hardly thought about my rear end the whole time.
Also took a really stupid spill just turning my bike around when I hit some soft sand on the side of the road. Didn't realize until I got going again that my brake hood was pointing 45 degrees inward. Luckily I was able to twist it back in place.
The one bright (although also frustrating) part. The stock cheapo $30 Giant saddle I have on this bike is by far the most comfortable one I have used so far. I hardly thought about my rear end the whole time.
Also took a really stupid spill just turning my bike around when I hit some soft sand on the side of the road. Didn't realize until I got going again that my brake hood was pointing 45 degrees inward. Luckily I was able to twist it back in place.
frontieruk
Member
I had the anyroad Comax for a week, nice bike but so heavy it was crazy. But rolled really well.
Allroad/gravel/adventure/whatever bikes are pretty versatile, but there are times when it's highly beneficial to have suspension and MTB posture/handling.
And what tires to pick?
Were you bottoming out your gearing and had to hammer to keep the cranks turning, or would it have been possible to lower both gearing and power?
People just about always bump up their wattage on the hills, even when they're not trying to. It's usually a good idea in a race, but when exploding and trying to just get through distance, it's not a bad idea to force yourself to minimize this.
That's what you want.
If a hood budges in a crash, you can just get it back into place, and aside from scuffing the finish it's like nothing ever happened to it.
If a hood refuses to budge in a crash, it breaks and now you're screwed.
True, even a slight descend gives a small break. Didn't think of that.
I knew it would be hard doing it, but damn was it hard. When the stupid thing says you have 5mins left why not push a bit more (i did it on zwift). I just wanted to go tell it to fuck itself, give more. what do you think i am. superman. The last 3 minutes felt so incredibly hard once it hit zero thought I would throw up, I did not. while cooling down i was barely managing 50rpm and after few minutes, unclipped and went plop onto my bed. I'll see again in a month or so. Kinda fun.
I was in my lowest gear. When I came off the first gravel section (which was basically all flat), there was a gentle climb and I let everyone pass me because my heart rate was spiking and I couldn't maintain power. I probably needed to ease back into riding after being sick. It was just a bad day.
Psychotext
Member
Yeah, I actually did throw up once, it was particularly unpleasant.
I've also ended two FTP tests with massive cramp in my calves and another time in my foot. They're really, really hard to get right. A lot of people flat out avoid doing them, and it's not hard to see why (many people also don't give anywhere near what they're capable of).
I have one of these... it's basically bomb proof.
Can't speak for the helium though.
Yeah, I actually did throw up once, it was particularly unpleasant.
I've also ended two FTP tests with massive cramp in my calves and another time in my foot. They're really, really hard to get right. A lot of people flat out avoid doing them, and it's not hard to see why (many people also don't give anywhere near what they're capable of).
I have one of these... it's basically bomb proof.
Can't speak for the helium though.
How many bikes does that hold? I see 2 straps on the left and 3 on the right? And some kind of lever? And what do the clamps in the back do? Do those lights hook up to the car?
I have to get a rack for our new car by the end of July. I really like the platform racks with the hook that goes over the front wheel because they are so damn easy to use. And they fold down so you can still open the hatch. But I need to decide if I can go with a 2 bike rack (for my two bikes) because now my wife went and bought a bike off a coworker that was leaving town. Of course the bike is in terrible shape and I would have told her not to buy it if she had shown it to me beforehand, but it was only $50 and I have to play this carefully so that she ends up somehow with a bike she will use occasionally
. Unless something completely unexpected happens, she'll never do serious biking with me, but I can probably get her out on the rail trail.Psychotext
Member
Four total (with a special extension arm), but to be honest I wouldn't want to risk four mountain bikes on it...
...and yeah, those lights hook up to the car.
They do a number of versions, including a two bike one.
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/bike-rack/towbar-bike-racks?q=BW3B75Jbw
...and yeah, those lights hook up to the car.
They do a number of versions, including a two bike one.
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/bike-rack/towbar-bike-racks?q=BW3B75Jbw
Wow, that's really interesting - the Thule racks sold in the US are completely different than the U.K. ones. This is the US version of that page:
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks?q=GafGznKbw
This is the rack the person had today, it was really nice
http://kuatracks.com/products/hitch/nvtm-2-0/
Psychotext
Member
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the US market is more interested in form than function. I'm not sure I'd trust any of those.
Well I never.
I do wonder if the lights are a requirement over there? Seems odd that all of the racks seem to have them.
And I can assure you lots of people use Thule racks over here and there aren't bikes littering the highways
Psychotext
Member
Your rear lights have to be visible, so in 90% of cases you'd need to have them on the trailer.
I've sold a lot of them. Are you using it for a full suspension mtn bike? By frame extension bar I take it you mean the top tube/frame adapter to give the bike a top tube to be held by the rack? I'm not a fan of the top tube adapters but I've never seen one fail. Just double check your stem and seat post bolts.
Part of the reason for the US/UK difference is that Thule makes the US hitch racks in the US. The other factor is that since we have state instead of federal laws people just ignore them. That's freedom.
jakonovski
Member
You mean pushbikes?
Noooooooooooo
I did one on Zwift about a month ago. I do not like FTP tests.
I've done 3 time trials since then. 9.2mi (about 26 to 27 minutes for me so far). I have a power meter, too. For some reason, when riding out on the road, putting down the same average power, it just doesn't feel as bad. I mean, it still hurts, but there's something about racing the clock and chasing the guy in front of you that helps. In fact, on the last one I did, I passed 7 people and ended up in the lead, unfortunately. I lost a bit of time compared to my last one. I need someone to chase! I did use Strava live segments on my Garmin Edge 1000 to help pace myself, but they are a little "off".
I think that no amount of indoor airflow is going to cool you like a 22mph wind over your skin, either. And the bike doesn't move on the trainer, so your ass hurts more. It all just sucks!
Psychotext
Member
I have a Kurt Kinetic Rock n Roll II which actually works pretty well for that.
I think there's a lot to be said for things in the real world keeping your mind off the pain too.
I think there's a lot to be said for things in the real world keeping your mind off the pain too.
Totally agree, though it can be extremely challenging to find an outdoor piece of road that is sufficiently predictable such that you can keep consistent gearing throughout, which is important for a numbers freak like myself who can adjust his power output by a watt or two with ease but lacks the attention span to optimize pedaling economy.
Did a 20 minute Zwift power test a week ago and went as fast as I have in a year and a half (though slower by a fair chunk than my 20min test from 18 months ago). Did a Zwift race a week later and topped that by a couple of watts (despite the 45min ebb and flow of trying to hang with the front pack before getting mercilessly dropped with 5 miles to go and softpedaling home), so I'm pretty sure I'm gaining fitness quickly again.
Anybody here Zwift frequently? With my work schedule and a significant other I find I'm never able to ride outdoors during the week, and it's been the best thing to happen to my motivation. I used to just watch vid of whatever cycling race was happening, but I find that I'm way more in tune with my rides with Zwift. It was a slog to get 5-6 hours in each week, and now I'm having to limit myself to 8-9 so I can let my body adapt to the volume.
Oh cool thanks for the response - nah, three normal framed mtbs (hardtails) but one is a kids/teenager and the geometry is a bit tight, but that's a useful explanation.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I'm finding Zwift to not be an accurate representation. i think it's 2-3 mph higher than your average output. If you're really planning to train with Power I'd highly recommend trying TrainerRoad over zwift.
TR programs are highly structured and designed for people want to train around power. Zwift to me is more about just riding a course
TR programs are highly structured and designed for people want to train around power. Zwift to me is more about just riding a course
Psychotext
Member
Yeah, I'm a huge TrainerRoad advocate, but you need to be willing to push yourself fucking hard to get the most out of it.
My daughter's been pushing me to bike her to school -- something which I've wanted to do for a long time but the time requirements made difficult. Last week I said fuck it, and it was great! It's about 4 mi from our house to daycare, lock the trailer at daycare and another 16 to work from there. Gonna try and do 2 of these bike to daycare/work things a week while I get back up to speed on my bike.
I just ordered an 11 speed cassette so I can put my new bike on my Tacx Flux trainer. I just can't do indoor rides when the great outdoors is outside. But the weather has been horrible this spring in New England. The next 3 days are in the 50s and rainy. So I'll probably be back on the trainer in Zwift soon. Oddly, I am finding the structured workouts more compelling than just riding around Zwift Island. I feel like I'm actually doing something.
Speaking of awesome riding in the great outdoors, I went on a 66.2mi group ride yesterday. 17.2mph (was 17.5mph until I had to go through stop and go traffic to get home). 3317ft of climbing. 10 people. I fell asleep on the couch last night. I was worn out.
I'm a little sore going up stairs today, but not bad. That put me at 151mi for the week. I'm trying to get at least 100mi in every week.https://www.strava.com/activities/1021156304
So that was a metric century. This coming Sunday is the King's Tour of the Quabbin ( http://www.sevenhillswheelmen.org/centuries.htm ). I was debating doing the 100mi length (I've only ever done the Metric before). But it's 7100ft of climbing, as opposed to the 4500ft of the Metric. I don't want to be out of commission for days afterwards.
Here is last year's Metric:
https://www.strava.com/activities/607338149
outunderthestars
Banned
I am a Thule dealer and probably sell 250 hitch racks a year. I have never seen a rack fail in use. The only thing I have seen is old straps break. I'd suggest replacing the straps every 2-3 years depending on use. What are the extension bars you are talking about? Link to the video?
zwift has races and structured group training rides with the group leader yelling at you through discord though
and your indoor ftp is rarely reflective of what you can output ourdoors. it's very common to see a 15-30w difference between indoor and outdoor power, even more so if you're using virtual power.
in the end, ftp is just a number. the one advantage testing your ftp indoors is consistency. while it might not be reflective on how much power you can output while riding outdoors, it is consistent enough that you can at least measure any gains, accurate or not.
Psychotext
Member
Group rides are a lot of the problem with outdoor training too. It's easy to find yourself not getting what you need, interval / rest / exertion wise.
Psychotext
Member
Going hard all the time isn't' the answer though. It's like weight lifting, if you want to progress effectively it's all about periodisation.
There's a reason proper cycling training mixes up energy systems / recovery periods etc. Whilst there's truth to "just riding your bike" being the key to getting faster, it's only useful to a point, and it's certainly not the most efficient way to do it.
Unrelated, I've always found the Zwift races fairly meaningless as you can just lie about your power.
There's a reason proper cycling training mixes up energy systems / recovery periods etc. Whilst there's truth to "just riding your bike" being the key to getting faster, it's only useful to a point, and it's certainly not the most efficient way to do it.
Unrelated, I've always found the Zwift races fairly meaningless as you can just lie about your power.
Group rides tend to make me ride harder than I would otherwise. Although it is easy to conflate riding faster with putting down more watts. And if you are drafting a lot of the time, you're probably not putting down more watts.
Around here, though, there are a lot of hills, and keeping up on the hills is challenging, plus it comes with a built in rest period on the other side.
Around here, though, there are a lot of hills, and keeping up on the hills is challenging, plus it comes with a built in rest period on the other side.
you're looking at this whole thing through a very narrow perspective. i understand you have different goals than the vast majority of cyclists but you're being very dismissive on one of the most fundamentals and enjoyable parts of cycling, i.e the social aspect.
you're also wrong to assume group rides are all about going hard, which isn't often the case at all. there are a variety of groups that tackle different styles of riding, e.g. endurance, time trialing, race training, sprinting, attacking hills, elevation, etc. the majority of cyclists prob do a group ride 1-2 times a week and group rides are an easy way to offer variety to an otherwise boring routine
it's really hard to motivate yourself to train day in and day out on a trainer staring at numbers, but it's very easy to motivate yourself to join a few groups and try to work your way up from the back of the B group all the way to the front of the A group. motivation is far more important than following an "optimal" training regimen.
and group rides are a large reason why ftp numbers become meaningless. people will push harder than they ever had before when riding in one. you really won't truly know how strong you are until you've pushed yourself in a group or a race. there's a reason why many will be quick to tell you how little your ftp number matter in the grand scheme of things.
and if you're pushing higher than 4.0w/kg, zwift requires you to verify your power output and they will dig through your strava/garmin records. i think you also need a smart trainer?
you're also wrong to assume group rides are all about going hard, which isn't often the case at all. there are a variety of groups that tackle different styles of riding, e.g. endurance, time trialing, race training, sprinting, attacking hills, elevation, etc. the majority of cyclists prob do a group ride 1-2 times a week and group rides are an easy way to offer variety to an otherwise boring routine
it's really hard to motivate yourself to train day in and day out on a trainer staring at numbers, but it's very easy to motivate yourself to join a few groups and try to work your way up from the back of the B group all the way to the front of the A group. motivation is far more important than following an "optimal" training regimen.
and group rides are a large reason why ftp numbers become meaningless. people will push harder than they ever had before when riding in one. you really won't truly know how strong you are until you've pushed yourself in a group or a race. there's a reason why many will be quick to tell you how little your ftp number matter in the grand scheme of things.
and if you're pushing higher than 4.0w/kg, zwift requires you to verify your power output and they will dig through your strava/garmin records. i think you also need a smart trainer?
Are there any deceent youtube channels/vids or even books about proper bike maintenance and repair? I don't mind bringing my bike to the local place I tend to frequent for a tune up once a year but it can get pricey and I'd like to be able to deal with small things like changing out break cables and the like. That and it'd be cheaper for me to just buy replacement parts and do it all myself.
Edit: I should add most of the lingo in this thread goes way over my head so something for a newcomer/casual person would be best.
Edit: I should add most of the lingo in this thread goes way over my head so something for a newcomer/casual person would be best.
Psychotext
Member
Certainly wasn't how it used to be, but I'll be honest and say it's been some time since I used it.
...and you're right, I'm definitely talking about this from a particular standpoint. At the end of the day, what gets you exercising is the most important thing, but that's another story.
But if you have the self motivation, there's definitely good ways to go about improving, and not so good ways.
i've grown fond of GCN's maintenance videos.
and it flew over everyone's head at one point or time. i find mtb's daunting af with all the tech and whatnot. don't worry about it.
Just google it and watch a few videos and read a few tutorials. I haven't seen any one series that gets every detail covered perfectly. None of this stuff is hard. I'd say that derailleur adjustment is the trickiest bit, and it is something that everyone should know.
Brake cables are dead simple. Even replacing derailleur cables is simple.
If you have Shimano components, you can read their docs, but OMG they are bad. I'd say read them just to make sure you understand the specs.
Lots of jobs require special tools (like a cable housing cutter to keep from crushing the cable, although a dremel might work too), but they usually aren't expensive. Your local bike shop probably carries them if you find you need a tool that day. Amazon carries all the stuff too.
Just dive in. If you get in over your head, there's always the bike shop.
absolutely agree on it being a requirement to know how to adjust derailleurs. knowing the ins and out of your derailleurs can save you from a lot of problems if something were to occur in the middle of a ride
speaking of which, i finally took the time to learn the ins and outs of how sram front derailleurs work this weekend. it was the one thing i didn't know how to properly adjust on my bike and even the local bike shop had problems adjusting it properly since they don't really come across a lot of sram equipped bikes. it's a bit unique in how it's designed and adjusted with the yaw system
it took me several hours of trial and error and some frustration, redoing my adjustments for both the front and rear over and over until i got it just right. i'm upgrading my cable housing, wires, handlebar tape and tires next weekend and thought i'd use this as an opportunity to practice some shit without the fear of fraying the cables.
in the end, it's very simple and a lot of the documentation was needlessly more complicated than it has any right being. and do watch multiple videos. sometimes they gloss over small steps or one might have a little tip or hack that will make everything that much easier.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
What would I realistically be looking at to move from 2x1 to a 1x1 on my bike? I have a 50/34 and a 32-11 in the back and the wide range is good for the small times I end up needing the 34/32 for a climb. It's a shimano front and rear derailleur.