Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
The use of gels is a very
The use of gels is a very personal thing. There is nothing magical contained in any of them, they are basically a sugar syrup which can be easily digested to give an energy boost. Problem is that the majority are simple sugars/carbs so they produce a spike (after about 5-10 mins) which is then usually followed by a natural low (when the body counteracts the sugar with insulin). Personally, I try to limit their use since:
1. gels are far from healthy (complex carbs in real food are much better at avoiding highs/lows)
2. the body has had a lifetime of processing things like oats/bananas, etc.,
3. gels can quickly rot teeth
4. gels are an expensive way of getting basic carbs
5. gels come in a very environmenatlly unfriendly wrapper (cf: banana!) even when disposed of responsibly
So, for me, I will carry a gel on a long ride for the times when I know I need energy but cannot face eating any more (typically 5-6 hours into a ride when staring at a bloody big hill). Then again, I have seen folks knock back a couple of gels at a cafe on a club ride, which shows that everyone has a different view of them.
Thing is, most riders should have enough glycogen to last a 2 hour ride so refuelling only becomes an issue after about 90 mins, and if the effort is going to be sustained then I reckon on about 50g of carbs an hour after that (one flapjack/banana/bar is typically 25g – 40g of carb) so one needs to keep the reserves topped up but the body can only digest so much.
Whatever you do, don’t try gels for the first time on an important ride, they can upset the digestion of some folks, which is far from pleasant!
A lot of the folks I ride
A lot of the folks I ride with are getting more and more into gravel…so I would guess that, as cycling becomes more fragmented, niche events will inevitably follow suit? They won’t die out, just become, well, niche.
Eurosport all day long for me
Eurosport all day long for me. BBC coverage is usually even worse then ITV, and that’s saying something!
Bearing in mind that I
Bearing in mind that I suspect you are not in a race…when you need a break, take one. Phones are good for this since you can pretend to be taking some nice piccies and feel no shame from anyone passing! Ultimately, it’s a big hill, get over it
Yepp, it is usually an
Yepp, it is usually an unfortunate by-product of choosing aluminium/alloy for freehubs rather than steel in the search for marginal weight savings.
Might be worth re-titling
Might be worth re-titling your post to see if people will click through and help more. Perhaps something like “Help required for a successful complaint about the police”??
It works fine. My summer bike
It works fine. My summer bike is 11 spd Campag Potenza but when it is a mixed day I stick my winter wheels on from my winter bike. They are Shim and normally run with 10spd so I bought a cheap 2nd hand 105 11spd cassette, removed the 10 spd spacer and it all works brilliantly. So much so that when the Campag cassette on my nice Campag wheels wears out I will stick a Shim freehub on and a cheap Shim cassette. So much more VFM and there is no downside as most OCD freaks can’t spot the cassette mismatch!
There are quite a few options
There are quite a few options around and you may struggle to find anyone who has done an exhaustive/objective test against them all. However, my view is that anything decent and around 1500g for the set will feel light for hills (I do quite a few of varying character) and something around 40mm rim should help balance out speed/climbing and side winds. I have a slightly earlier version of the Fulcrum Quattro carbons, which are 17mm internal and seem to work really well (decent braking too, which is always a bonus!!). Now these are called the “Wind 40C“, and can be had for about £900. The specs will say “28mm tyre” as they are optimised for that but they do work very well with 25s too (I have run both but prefer 28s now).
Eurosport and GCN are one and
Eurosport and GCN are one and the same company (Discovery), and race coverage/content is shared between the platforms. Both android/apple apps are shockingly bad, and have been for some time despite all the upbeat “just call support” messages in the reviews. However, if you get them to work then the picture quality on Chromecast/TV is superb. Personally, I like most of the commentry, but that is always very subjective.
The main difference is that GCN is more cycling specific, so has additional cycling stuff as well as the races and pre/post show analysis. Eurosport is all sports, so there is a lot of cycling there but filtering can be a pain, not helped by the app. So, if you just want decent race coverage there is not a lot to choose between them as that content will be the same, as is the price (in most cases).
I cannot see the piccie at
I cannot see the piccie at the mo but it could be that teeth are not all the same as they are profiled to assist shifting. If you do need a replacement cog ( which I suspect not) then Miche are usually an option worth looking at.
Yepp, lots of options out
Yepp, lots of options out there but DCR would get my vote too. Another good option would be the Hunt range, pretty similar to handbuilts but off the shelf.
Oh, not sure the Vision wheels noted are tubeless ready.
Some Tektro brakes are ok,
Some Tektro brakes are ok, some are very poor. Calipers can make a surprising difference (my 5800s @ £30 gave a massive boost over an older Ultegra set, but they aren’t direct mount). However, the first thing to try is always the pads, my favs are Swisstop Pro BXP. They are not cheap (£25) but that is for a set of 4. They provide smooth excellent braking in all conditions and last reasonable well. Other alternatives are out there but swapping from Tektro pads would definitely be my first step since there is no reason to put up with a poor rear brake (I can lock up the rear wheel on all my bikes, running a variety of wheels and brakes).
If you want to do some quick maintenance though, just pop the wheel out, pick out any embedded debris in the pads, resurface using a file (not sandpaper) and see if that helps.
I think you are overplaying
I think you are overplaying any aero dividend. The differences will matter for the pros but not for us lot and indiscernable on any ride. One factor you haven’t mentioned though is clearance on the frame, etc., particularly around the back of the downtube and/or any clip on guards. Personally though, I would go 25f and 28b, and get the best bang for the buck all round.
TL is down to personal preference, no point me voicing an opinion there since you already have the wrong brakes ?
Wot he said ^
Wot he said ^
