[fatdoc]

if you cant stop pedalling... how do you stop???


we all ready for the cat chaps?

I'm getting up at 4, 

dont forget the clocks go foreward!!!

[BVT]

Do a taster session, Chappers, but get a few cyclist mates to go with you so you have like-minded souls to ride with. Its a pretty terifying experience the first time you ride in a big group on a bike that has no brakes and that you can't stop pedalling, but totally addictive. I'm well psyched for it and go to the SQT sessions whenever I can - a major beasting is normally administered in these sessions! Its very, very good training for riding on the road. Makes your pedaling a load smoother, and is a good way of increasing your leg speed.

Agree with all of this - taster's are a great way to have a go, and they limit the numbers doing it so you don't have to ride round in a group until you feel more confident.  You soon get used to riding fixed, and yes, it's very addicitive.  If you get the bug, the SQT's are the next step (called Drop In sessions back when I used to go), and you might even find yourself riding fixed on the road (normally winter training or time trials).  Nothing beats riding a TT on fixed when you're really pinging.

There's some interesting stuff on here http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk/ including the bizarre tale of Dave Fearon riding the Buxton Mountain TT on 72" fixed!

Fatdoc - you're obliged to fit a brake if you ride fixed on the road, and if you have to stop on the track you'll probably end up slamming into that baltic pine anyway!

[fatdoc]

if you cant stop pedalling... how do you stop???


we all ready for the cat chaps?

I'm getting up at 4, 

dont forget the clocks go foreward!!!

oh God...
 i hurt... semi sheered steerer ( no turning on downhills then    ), mech pissing me off and a faaasst course... then a punture....    more detailed reportage when i've had a beer, bath and some sleep!

still got in under 4hrs... would have been sooo easily under 3:30 thou....


i think perc just missed the 3 hr.... effort to the lad. my fast mate got lost, then lost his timer chip...          still got it in 3!!! 

[tlr]

Congratulations to those who completed the first Sportive of the season - how was Mow Cop?

I was skiing in Verbier, so had lots of steep hills of my own, all downhill though!

Anybody riding this weekend, or even after work this week?

[Fatleg]

Check this out - bit pricey though.


http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/addict-ltd-08-30999

[tlr]

That Scott is nice, but I think this looks a bit classier.....http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/fascenario-07-08-24132

I'm very tempted by a Cervelo R3 or a Storck C1.1 at the moment, but I really, really can't justify it....

[fatdoc]

Yes you can Tim, that cervelo looks awesome...

just think about the fred whitton, and the performance boost you'll get. I was in the lakes last week, drove a bit of the course. I can safely say its a mental undertaking.

Matters such as this are best summerised as "it's not what you need, but what you want"
 


sorry mate, i expect to see you on your new steed in the next few weeks... you know you've mentally bought it already. 0% finance and a squint on opening the post is all it needs now.

As for riding, my bike is in the menders, again. The last bloke who tried to fit my headset fucked it up. a lot. spent all of the Cheshire Cat cursing his soul... you cant get it tight enough, so under high speed braking the bike is totally uncontrollable... i near died twice... one  a hairpin in the wet, another a car... I've spent all my goodwill points at stanley fearns - but i doubt I'll have the roadbike until next week. I'll be going out XC (or as I now believe it's called *all Mountain* MTBing sometime over the weekend... weather, climbing and family permitting.

[Fatleg]

Cervelo R3 or R3SL ? Both look very nice, and would be great on the climbs round the peak etc.

As fatdoc mentioned you've already made the purchase in your head at least.
 
If you've got the cash  - you only live once.
Mind you the one thing that may stop me buying another machine this year is the new groupsets to come out in 2009.
The new Shimano Dura-ace with electronic option looks good, and I'm sure Campag will come up with something equally good. Plus by then SRAMs groupset will have probably been improved. Only you can decide.............

[fatdoc]

campag have an electronic set coming out as well...

I'll stick with my veloce for a good while longer... it's gonna cost a bloody fortune and I'd like to see if it's really worth it...

just got call from mechanic... weird issue with the fork brace.... ) 0.2mm of carbon shaved off (!) later and I'm back in business... well, once it's recabled. He said to have ridden it over 100km in that state was either a very determined effort, or sheer stupidity! Thing was you couldnt tell anything was wrong until you gave it some real hammer... by then I was 15 mile in, thought I'd persevere!

The Cat times are out.... me 3:52, Perc 3:30. That's the most costly puncture I've ever had 

But my mate's in the dubious position of having been IN the lead..... by a good way... then gets lost 

He gets back on the course, then loses the timing chip off the bike!!! And STILL gets in at about 3 hr 5mins... he didnt get out of the big ring all the way round 

[tlr]

The Cervelo R3 was a second hand frame and fork, for £1000, but I think that it is a bit big for me - I already get a stiff shoulder after a hour or so on my 56cm frame. Saving 400g would be nice though....

I'll keep looking for something tasty. I wouldn't have taken a new bike on the Whitton anyway.

Who was your fast friend Doc? Another anaesthetist? And I thought Percy was doing the long course - 3.30 for 160km is not bad going?

Under 4 hours for 100km is still very good going.

[fatdoc]

Percy's knees have exploded, too much jumping off climbing walls whilst teaching route setting I believe. He did the short one, then drove to Brittany  ??? To work! He spent the night before in the van in Knutsford, coz he was working in Stockport the evening before the race!!! 

This season is easy for sportives for me, I ve nothing to loose. Next year will be  very different... The Cheshire Cat is near as flat... 3:30 for me next year or'll fucking hate myself forever...

The est time for the mini legbreaker  (only 76km) is 4.5 hrs.. now that's a real course... there is NO flat on it the whole way round!!! Better get on that froggatt / baslow hill training loop asap 

My mate who has the legs is an anaesthetist forced out by the system into GP. He boulders a bit... his cousin went semi -pro I think. I've seen him the small ring only on the last hill home when we're out in the peak.... I told him he could win one of these things.... next time he might!!! Nice bloke as well, damn him! There are no other docs I know that could ever get near him round sheff, and yes I know the speeds of some of them...

[Fatleg]

Technical question for leg shavers ? Wilkinson Sword or Gillette ?

Only kidding.
Do I need a specific campag chain tool to change the chain on my Campag equipped bike or can I use a normal one from park. My bike book claims you need to use a campag specific one (Zinn & the art of road bike maintenance) 

[fatdoc]

Dunno, but i'd like to know the answer!!

[Yossarian]

I've used non campag tools to remove campag chains, but not to put them on. Cos I prefer wipperman chains.

[Fatleg]

When I change the chain - do I need to change the sprockets as well?

Oh and a clothing question - I am having boil in the bag moments due to my winter tights being too hot. I still want to wear long legged bottoms but not fleecy thick ones. Any suggestions - I don't want to be messing about with leg warmers at the moment - too much messing for the commute to work.

[tlr]

When I change the chain - do I need to change the sprockets as well?

Not necessarily, really depends how worn they are. If you change your chain fairly frequently then sprockets and chainset last years. The alternative approach is too leave it all on to wear together and change them all once every few years.

On my mountain bike I change the chain every 1000km or so, and got 4000km out of my rear cassette and middle chainring and jockey wheels. You should get way more out of a road bike.

I'd change the chain and if it jumps then change the rear cassette, no point otherwise.

I'd change the chain to a Sram Powerlink chain (or Wipperman) so you don't need a tool.

[fatdoc]

that's impressive on the MTB.. i break things more than that...

[tlr]

I'm still on the original rear mech and shifters on the XC bike after 6000km!

I've only changed the disc pads on that bike about 4 times I think.

Not sure what that says about my riding?

[fatdoc]

bloody hell!

to have actually pedalled that bike of yours 6000km is pretty good!! isnt it about 37lbs?

[tlr]

The Bullitt is 37lbs, and has done about 1000kms in my ownership, mainly lift assisted downhill in the Alps.

Its my Superlight that has been pedaled for 6000km, and that only weighs 26lbs.

The Bullitt is already on its second rear mech.

Are you up for 100km on Saturday? Or anybody else? Thinking of Sheffield, Bakewell, Ashbourne, Matlock, Sheffield.

[fatdoc]

YES

gear freak of the day goes to ME. (re: the weight of the Bullitt, an 06 model I think - stretching it a bit there)

I'm going XC sunday, got committments saturday (climbing en famille) . TBH I've still got crepitus in my knees from sunday, so I'll have a few *long ride home* rides next week before going for it on the roadbike.

[Fatleg]

Well I've bought a new chain from Ribble cycles. They've got the SRAM powerlink for £25 or so. Its £40 with wiggle even as a platinum customer!.

Has anyone seen the price of the new assos bib-shorts - £169 on parker international!!! - No I;m not kidding. There are cheaper options in the assos range, but that makes rapha look cheap. I have been well impressed with specialised kit I've bought recently so was thinking of getting some of theirs instead. I really like exte-ondo as well but they only seem to be available in Spain.

[Percy B]

I'm back - anybody going out tomorrow morning? Not ridden since the Cat and my knees almost don't hurt again! Result. As for the timings for the Cheshire Cat - well, some serious discrepancy has occured somewhere (maybe going over the feedstation timing mat 3 times was a bad move?!?!). My Polar has me at 3hrs 10mins with an average speed of 31kmh, and I don't remember taking 20 minutes to eat the poxy square of flapjack outside the pub... the bastards have added another 20 minutes on to my time

Mind you, I have yet to ride a sportive with timing chip results that have corresponded to the bike computer - even the timers for the British sportive were dodgy with some timing mats not being triggered by the chip and some of them working fine. Best sportive for timings were last seasons Ridgeway Rumble that was timed by humans with stopwatches, pens and notebooks! Bloomin' technology....

[tlr]

Supposed to be -2 at 10 am tomorrow! Wrap up warm.

A mate is supposed to coming down to go climbing, but if he changes his mind then I'd be on for a ride. If he comes down then no doubt we'll end up at the Works!

Just got in from 85km, pretty breezy out there - it felt like pretty hard work I have to say, and the sleet hurt!

Good effort on the Cheshire Cat by the way.

Tim

[fatdoc]

In the absence of an MTB thread I'd like to have whinge about MTB componentry... it's shite... either made out of cheese or no QC to speak of.

2 rides in and my new Pike air forks wont fully adjust out, obviously the *rack* they extend out on has partially misaligned... but I'm well pissed off... they're about £320 and should work for christ's sake  I've not even abused them, standard XC duties only.. no steps / drops... just mushy snow and the odd rock!

so now, i miss a day's commute ride so I can go to work with the van, and then get the forks back to the shop... FFS