The Velotard Thread.

[Wombat del combate]

Machin will be bashing one out over this:

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/4669/brewdog-beer-launches-global-cycling-club

 

[leedswolf]

I see that the Tour de Yorkshire has begun.

 

[b3h]

Went to Cannock today, rented a bike and attempted the full course. What a stupid idea that was. I wasn't ready for how long and hard work it is, haven't rode a bike in years. Football last night probably didn't help, going to ache so bad this weekend. Hats off to cyclists

 

[machin05]

Full course of what?

 

[b3h]

God knows. Ups and downs, too many ups. Followed red

 

[Johnny75]

God knows. Ups and downs, too many ups. Followed red

You followed the red route on the chase? Lolz.

 

[b3h]

Yeah and I nearly made it until I got double inner thigh cramp!

It's good fun but damn my mates for taking me there first time.

 

[b3h]

Absolute knobs :icon_lol:


Grade: Red – with optional black sections • Length: 7.46 miles – 14.19 miles including Follow the Dog
Opened in April 2010, the Monkey Trail is an optional extension to Follow the Dog. Again it’s a red graded trail, but this time it’s a far more technically challenging and demanding trail. It includes bigger climbs, more technical descents and optional black graded lines. The trail is intended for experienced and technically competent riders.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Took on my "nemesis" Strava segment last night, turned myself inside out in the process and still was 24s my PR. Fuck knows how I got it down to 9 minutes in that case, someone must have slipped me a cocaine enema with an EPO chaser or similar.

 

[machin05]

Oh the struggle - 95% headwind of >10mph

 

[machin05]

A day of two halves on the bike today.

This morning I clocked in one of the slowest commutes for a long long time. Definitely the slowest since upgrading my bike. 14.8mph.

Then on the way home I averaged 19mph, which is the quickest I've managed since July last year - and that was in the school holidays on my road bike! Annoyingly, though, I didn't clock a single top 3 personal segment time. Weird.

That PM commute has given me a bit more confidence ahead of tomorrow, during which I'll be cycling 70 miles up to Stockport. Better than sitting on the M6, tbf.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Cracked the 30kph average this morning, all in the little ring as was trying to maintain a high cadence rather than smash parts on the big one and be less consistent.

Now time to start considering a winter bike upgrade.

 

[Keef]

Bit of an update on my big trip,err turned out not very big at all,I'm currently on a sleeper train from Vienna heading towards Cologne.
I've been away a month,in that time I've had 3 good days on the bike,lots of the others have been just awful,I've just not enjoyed it at all,putting the blame fair and square on the weather. The temps have been ridiculous,a typical hot UK summers day,shorts,no shirt weather,it's been that warm at 6am,then nudging the high 80s from 10-4pm. I've spent early mornings riding,had 6 hours or so off middle of the day,then riding again later,just haven't felt like I'm getting anywhere mileage wise.
So after all the bigging it up,I've thought it's a stupid idea,let's go home so far I've cycled through 5 countries,with another two(Belgium,Germany)possibly three(Holland,Belgium,France) to come,so seven possibly nine countries isn't a huge fail really

 

[lemonjelly]

How long (or how far?) should a pair of tyres last? My tyres are basic ones that came with the bike, and one of the two appears to be wearing quicker than the other (back seems to have more wear than front). According to the website what are on there are:

TYRES
Vittoria Randonneur 700 X 28 tyres

Thread density: 120 T.P.I
Beads: stiff
Minimum pressure: 4 bars
Maximum pressure: 6 bars
Weight: 490 g

Thinking of getting something a bit more puncture resistant. Seeing a ridiculous amount of broken glass on the roads/pavements in brum, so thinking I want to avoid punctures as much as possible.
The ones I have are 17 months old, and I do about 35 miles a week commuting.

 

[machin05]

I've had Schwalbe Marathon 32s on my hybrid for years and they're still going strong.

 

[Keef]

+1 for marathons,they're heavy but bombproof tbh,proper tourers tyre of choice,people have got from the UK to Turkey and beyond with them.
Rear wears quicker because the weight is on it,and the power goes through it

 

[machin05]

I have my tyre pressure a little higher in my rear, which I guess would even out the wear(?).

 

[machin05]

Nice review of them here. About twice the weight (and then some) of my Continental GP4000s that I have on my road bike, but in 2 years and about 2,500 miles of commuting I've never punctured on them - and that's up and down the Birmingham New Road for 13 miles at a time, with it's fair share of broken glass, shattered bus shelters, bottles etc...!

http://road.cc/content/review/85284-schwalbe-marathon-plus-tyre

 

[Wombat del combate]

Maybe it's your big fat arse which is wearing the rear tyre out quicker LJ? But seriously, as the back end has more weight on and over it, it will degrade quicker.

I run 95/105psi front/rear and that serves me well, however I would urge you to check where you're getting punctures: are they always on the outside or are you getting what are known as pinch flats where the inside of the inner tube is caught between the rim and the rim tape or the tyre itself. Also consider using anti-puncture fluid which is easy to install, albeit at a cost of a new inner tube every few months as it eventually goes off.

 

[machin05]

Maybe it's your big fat arse which is wearing the rear tyre out quicker LJ? But seriously, as the back end has more weight on and over it, it will degrade quicker.

I run 95/105psi front/rear and that serves me well, however I would urge you to check where you're getting punctures: are they always on the outside or are you getting what are known as pinch flats where the inside of the inner tube is caught between the rim and the rim tape or the tyre itself. Also consider using anti-puncture fluid which is easy to install, albeit at a cost of a new inner tube every few months as it eventually goes off.

What width tyres are you running?