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I would find it hard to look
I would find it hard to look beyond PlanetX myself, great spec. A lot of people recommend trying as many as you can and going with the one that makes you happiest regardless of spec. The big usp of PX at that price is the groupset but that shouldn’t divert you from the rest of the spec. Are the wheels any good? Can you upgrade from the PX wheels relatively cheaply? At least where you are you can visit the shop and talk through the options – not so easy when you live near Brighton! Merlin cycles also offer some interesting bikes, Sensa amongst them. Might be worth a lookI would find it hard to look
I would find it hard to look beyond PlanetX myself, great spec. A lot of people recommend trying as many as you can and going with the one that makes you happiest regardless of spec. The big usp of PX at that price is the groupset but that shouldn’t divert you from the rest of the spec. Are the wheels any good? Can you upgrade from the PX wheels relatively cheaply? At least where you are you can visit the shop and talk through the options – not so easy when you live near Brighton! Merlin cycles also offer some interesting bikes, Sensa amongst them. Might be worth a lookWeight wise it doesn’t matter
Weight wise it doesn’t matter if it’s on you or the bike – you’re still working getting the “system” up the hill. I find there isn’t enough room in the bag and with 3 jersey pockets for everything you need…can’t imagine not having a saddle bagAnthony.C wrote:They seemed
They seemed to have changed things a bit at Strava recently, you can now see the leaderboards for flagged segments as long as you agree with their waiver saying that if you crash or die you won’t sue them.I didn’t know that, thanks for posting about it! I was KOM through Parham House, which is like Richmond Park but a fraction as busy, and it has been flagged. I’m guessing it was flagged as dangerous because of dog walkers or maybe horse riders, but if you can flag that, then there isn’t a safe segment in the country.
Quote: Well said! I hate the
Well said! I hate the elitist attitude among many racers (and club riders) that you aren’t a real cyclist if you don’t compete in the evening TT down the bypass or zoom along the lanes in your peleton all in the same jersey every Sunday.
I pushed myself on RideLondon, really pleased with the time I got. Was I racing? Not sure, I wasn’t racing any particular person, but I wasn’t bimbling along either and was very conscious of my time/progress. I’d love to spend £5k on a bike and spend all week riding it, but I don’t have the time or the money.Well I don’t think it’s elitist to say that a sporting event under a codified set of rules which matches riders of similar ability in a race is not the same a mass charity ride my friend. If you think these are the same sort of thing then that is delusional. Not bimbling along and completing the course is admirable. I am huge supporter of Ride London. But it’s not a race. The race was in the afternnoon. It was a different thing entirely and I really enjoyed that as well.[/quote]
Did you read what I wrote, my friend? I’m talking about the elitist and arrogant attitude among many club riders and racers I meet who look down their noses at cyclists who don’t partake in those activities. I didn’t say anything about sportives, so wasn’t making any “delusional” comparison.
Thanks all. I usually
Thanks all. I usually position it just under my nipples, is that right?I changed the battery recently, I’d seen it stop registering my HR so knew it was that.
Interesting there is no reference to the strangely low reading after starting out from everyone else, maybe it’s something my heart does?
I really struggle to put two
I really struggle to put two intense days together; if I’m honest the day after an intense ride I might have a day off and then the third day would be easy, 4th go for it again. I’ve always taken longer to get over a hard effort than others and it makes something that is difficult to do unpleasant as well.One question I have is to do with commuting. I would assume if I commute two days in a row, three of the four rides should be easy shouldn’t they? On the assumption a night’s sleep is the best aid to recovery?
bikeboy76 wrote:Thank you
Thank you Matt Eaton for saying what I have always though. Sportives ARE races, they are a mass time trial event open to the public, there are always going to be people trying to go as fast as possible including me. This is what is so attractive about closed road events. I am sick of hearing this ‘its not a race’ rubbish. True you don’t need to be a Dick (channeling Adam Hills) but people will be going fast.I am 37 years old, I weight 90kg and my hip bone is two inches lower than other guys my height; I have spent a large part of my life playing tennis and white water kayaking; I will NEVER be as fast or naturally talented at cycling as I want to be, or you might be. This Cat 4, ‘find yourself a race’ bollocks is bollocks.* Not everyone can take part in even the lowest level of competitive cycling.
Sportives are there to cater to exactly the type of knobs/people you are complaining about. There are tens of thousands of keen amateur cyclists looking for an occasional challenge who can only do a couple of events a year because they are real people with jobs and families and lives to live. I have not enough time to cycle as I want because I have to live the rest of my life and I don’t have the time or money or equipment or fitness or time or money to pretend that I am some semi-pro. So I do these things a couple of times a year and moan on the internet about how I want to be better and will overshoes help or not because I know I have very little talent but try my best.My definition of going my fastest 5 hours for Sunday could well be slower than someone capable cruising around in 4; if Lee Dixon cut me up I might be fuming whilst he wonders what I am complaining about because he is not exerting himself. The only grounds for complaint you have is with the organisers for not being more rigourous in their start waves; but how can they be with 20,000+ to start, most or which wouldn’t mind a slot as early as possible.
In summary SPORTIVES ARE RACES. If you have paid to enter a timed event from point A to point B and you don’t think you are in a race, you have made a mistake. If you want to blow hard Glynr36 please post your Cat4 results.
*Swearing; if its good enough for Stephen Fry, its good enough for you. – Me.
Well said! I hate the elitist attitude among many racers (and club riders) that you aren’t a real cyclist if you don’t compete in the evening TT down the bypass or zoom along the lanes in your peleton all in the same jersey every Sunday.
I pushed myself on RideLondon, really pleased with the time I got. Was I racing? Not sure, I wasn’t racing any particular person, but I wasn’t bimbling along either and was very conscious of my time/progress. I’d love to spend £5k on a bike and spend all week riding it, but I don’t have the time or the money.OP – I have the same problem,
OP – I have the same problem, out on the road, it doesn’t take much of a hill to tip me over the upper limit of even zone 3. I’ve only been doing it for 5 weeks, and the last two was all about Ridelondon so I cut back on the hard workouts. I think I am noticing improvements but will get back on programme and keep trying a bit longer.I’m alternating hard rides with easy ones, and trying to extend the easy ones out beyond 2 hours. It means doing a lot of miles, but that’s easy at this time of year!
I’d be tempted to dabble on
I’d be tempted to dabble on ebay and get a secondhand specialised or Trek. You’ll soon know if a road bike is for you; if it is it will be ok for a year or two while you get fitter and learn more about what you want from your next bike, and will be easy to sell on, and if it isn’t it will be easy to sell.I’ve never had a carbon bike
I’ve never had a carbon bike and have always promised myself one, one day. Aithein is making me think long and hard about this! RE the weight limit, which is 89 kg I think. Has anyone had any issues with this? Are any of you close to that? I’m around 80 myself so wouldn’t want to put any on!wellcoordinated wrote:What is
What is the point of the 100 climbs club? As far as I can see its just a group on Strava. It doesn’t have anything to do with climbs and not 100 of them – Am I wrong?I think this is how it works, but I could be wrong, so feel free to correct me. At the top of the page just above the leaderboard is a link to Veloviewer, which is a website that tracks your progress on Strava segments. You have to join Veloviewer too, and there is a 100 Climbs page or section on there. You get a point for climbing each “Official” segment of the climb, and then the fastest man gets 100 bonus points, down to the 100th fastest getting a single bonus point. The 100 Climbs are broken down into regions so you can focus on the ones you can get to easily. The more popular the climb (or the more riders that go up it, I should say) the harder it is to rank well. eg Boxhill I’m 292nd (along with 4 others with the exact same time) but Steyning Bostal I’m 29th. If you go out in the morning and ride 4 of them well you leap up the leaderboard, but by the end of the day you can slip back down again.
Suffolk Cycling
[quote=Daveyraveygravey]I won’t mention the “100 Climbs” club then… 👿http://www.strava.com/clubs/52733%5B/quote%5D
Oh, Jeez. Kill me now!
Mind you, wiped four seconds off the hill segment today, so only another 23 seconds to lose!
Sounds like you already got the bug!
I love it because it’s never ending. I’m trying to do the 14 in the SE and have done the 9 that are close-ish. Planning a long day out with the bike in the car to get the other 5 but even while typing this some bugger has probably bettered my time on one of the hills!I reckon mtb is somewhere
I reckon mtb is somewhere around 1.5x as hard as road so 100km should be doable. Brakes will be a big difference and comfort too although you have loads more positions available on a road bike to get comfy. Mtb has more extremes of effort ; climbing is harder and requires more thought but as compensation the flats and downhills require less effort. On a road bike you’re more likely to pedal harder downhill and on the flat.
You’ll soon be looking at lycra – and you don’t HAVE to shave!I won’t mention the “100
I won’t mention the “100 Climbs” club then… 👿
