Road Cycling

[grudas]

The shape does look quite similar to a Fizik Antares rather than the Aliante. Tried one? They do a VS version with a central channel if you need and an Open with a cutout.

funny you mention the antares! yes I did just get one and tried it yesterday... 30mins and I was not having fun to say the least hopefully I win one of the auctions for the san marco ponza!

pulled out all my old saddles out of the loft and tried them all, only one that was sorta okay is pro griffon.

I know there's a lot of "its usually not the saddle" comments but I have adjusted the height of the saddle, angles etc and I'm still in massive discomfort. Changed the reach, put a shorter stem etc! just doesn't seem to fit well!

maybe my bottom got used to the luxo seats in my car and now I can't ride a bike! we'll see once/if I finally snatch a san marco ponza on the 'bay

 

[lordrobs]

maybe my bottom got used to the luxo seats in my car and now I can't ride a bike! we'll see once/if I finally snatch a san marco ponza on the 'bay

Simples

 

[Roady]

Yea, I've seen the TCR frame I meant to see the colour. That one photo looks decent but it might be a bit Marmite lol...

The price is also what appeals, would just need to hunt around for offers on di2 and rims, sorted

Haha yeah it could be very marmite, many of those high gloss, fades or metallic paint jobs are. They're also really hard to really see well in website photographs, they're usually too perfect, you need to see a cross section of various 'real' photographs by lots of different people/cameras in lots of light conditions to get more of an idea.

For that price though... I'd still be quite happy even if I didn't absolutely love the colour. My hyper green Diverge I'd not normally have chosen the colour but as it's so distinctive, eye catching and even 'high viz' the fact I was also using it for commuting it persuaded me. I now love it. But still can't match the colour anywhere for some touch up paint lol

I'm really loving matt grey thats on some frames at the moment. That BMC a few pages back, @Thomas. PLease. has a Venge in similar and I've seen Tarmac's but Giants don't really seem to do matt colours very much. There's a Tarmac Expert with a grey:bluey:black fade that's pretty awesome too, but the only 'normal' Tarmac's I've been really after is the Pro and the colours are far more boring/bland! Obviously several of the 'team' bikes (DQS) and Sagan collection are awesome but the £3000+ cost I'm hoping to build the whole bike for and not just the frame...

Which chainsaw did you get?

Stihl MS-170. Nothing special but an excellent price from a local place I could chuck it on my dad's account for him to claim the VAT back! Every little helps!

Seemed the best buy from all the reviews I read of the lower of their range, better saw than the couple above it (like the newer 171 & 181) which generally where less powerful with slightly longer bars. I shouldn't need more than 12" but read several reviews of people putting 14" or 16" on it and it still copes fine.

And now we've discussed literally almost everything in here lol

My aero full carbon with sram force 22 hydraulic disc was £1710 and that was with a discount. Can't really knock PX for their prices! Ultegra was around £400 more though. Hardly seemed worth it and I prefer sram now anyway.

Great price. Bike prices the last few years and especially 2020->2021 season are crazy. I mistakenly end up comparing to my full carbon Diverge I paid £1750 for back in autumn 2016 in a sale. 105/non-series hydraulic disc. The starting RRP of mine was £2500, 2020/21 that price is £3400!

My legs were getting some pain dished out earlier by guys on allez sprints vs me on this £4k plastic bike.

The Allex sprint is amazing for the money. Just proves how well aluminium can be used for frames still.

Does anyone else make their own electrolyte drinks? Himalayan rock salt, lemon juice, honey, water. Does the trick for me at a fraction of the price.

Good tip. I'm after something a little less home made but still very much a powder I can buy in bulk rather than expensive tab form...

maybe my bottom got used to the luxo seats in my car and now I can't ride a bike! we'll see once/if I finally snatch a san marco ponza on the 'bay

Probably, you've gone soft. HTFU!

Gutted you sold the ponza's and not some older saddles, haha. Could it not just be time in the saddle you need? It can take months of riding... For some it takes years.

 

[grudas]

Simples

LEGEND! how did I not think of that

Probably, you've gone soft. HTFU!

Gutted you sold the ponza's and not some older saddles, haha. Could it not just be time in the saddle you need? It can take months of riding... For some it takes years.

gone soft for sure lol!

tell me about it, I think it's a combo of both, time in saddle and getting one that feels alright from the start.

you can quickly tell when things are not right! I am hoping getting a used Ponza will solve all my problems, once I know I've got a saddle that works for me I can then spend time in it and see what happens..

 

[xdcx]

.

Stihl MS-170. Nothing special but an excellent price from a local place I could chuck it on my dad's account for him to claim the VAT back! Every little helps!

Seemed the best buy from all the reviews I read of the lower of their range, better saw than the couple above it (like the newer 171 & 181) which generally where less powerful with slightly longer bars. I shouldn't need more than 12" but read several reviews of people putting 14" or 16" on it and it still copes fine.

And now we've discussed literally almost everything in here lol

I just got handed a 170 for free via Jo's mum doing some work for an older couple. He didn't need it so gave it to her for me.
Bought a chipper off him for dirt cheap also.

Not cleaned it up and tried the 170 yet but don't really know if I can find much use for it. A bit small for my needs but if it fires up after a service and runs well it can be sold on for pennies towards my next saw.

I've a MS-391, MS-170 and then a Husqvarna 550xp and 435 mk2. Plan to sell on 550, 435 and 170 and buy a 550xp mk2 or maybe a MS-400..... There really is no bounds to the cycling chat thread on this forum

 

[Roady]

I've a MS-391, MS-170 and then a Husqvarna 550xp and 435 mk2. Plan to sell on 550, 435 and 170 and buy a 550xp mk2 or maybe a MS-400..... There really is no bounds to the cycling chat thread on this forum

You dark horse you, I had no idea! Why so many? For some reason I thought you where an Office/Systems guy. Your physique doesn't exactly scream 'Forestry'

I've only done basic stuff really, small felling and plenty of clearance stuff when on the farm. Then my father put me onto 2 Lantra courses on basic use/maintenance then a 1 or 2 week course on felling/cross cutting and snedding (I think it was called), but that was a few years ago now. I worked a season on clearance but that was all ground work really and not too much saw work. Enjoyed it and the tree work but damn hard graft for not much pay. But a chainsaw is something I'd always generally been around when younger and something I've quite missed the last couple of years being office bound. I've not missed much else from 'the farm'. The time a tractor caught fire (with me on board) a couple of weeks before my current job offer really was a sign that IT was the best place for me!

Saw's I've used have generally all been older. Quite a few without guards, chokes or even clutches. Dreadful things really now I think back - so was taught quite early to have some real respect for them. General saw of my fathers I used the most (when clearing) was a Husqvarna 400 something, maybe a 440? Looks familiar and that kinda size. This 170 will be only used for light work, no real felling or certainly nothing as big as I've done before. Just saves me spending hours with a hand saw when logs are too big for our small wood stove.

Although a little chipper/mulcher capable of garden trimming/waste is something I may need to look at. We get through a crazy amount of 'green bags' which is the only thing the council will accept it in and have to buy £4.20 per 10 from the library. Which has been closed for 3+ months. I've got 3 'compost' heaps here now but they stink and take up so much space, just seem to keep growing. So need a cheaper way of getting rid of it or reducing down. Local tip takes it but is 7 miles away, with a Fiesta it would probably take 6+ trips already and no easy way to carry it in the car. She refuses to get a bigger car until we really need to change it... It's an '11 plate, has done 65k and does a maximum of 5k most years so that's going to be a while!

 

[xdcx]

Spoiler

You dark horse you, I had no idea! Why so many? For some reason I thought you where an Office/Systems guy. Your physique doesn't exactly scream 'Forestry'

I've only done basic stuff really, small felling and plenty of clearance stuff when on the farm. Then my father put me onto 2 Lantra courses on basic use/maintenance then a 1 or 2 week course on felling/cross cutting and snedding (I think it was called), but that was a few years ago now. I worked a season on clearance but that was all ground work really and not too much saw work. Enjoyed it and the tree work but damn hard graft for not much pay. But a chainsaw is something I'd always generally been around when younger and something I've quite missed the last couple of years being office bound. I've not missed much else from 'the farm'. The time a tractor caught fire (with me on board) a couple of weeks before my current job offer really was a sign that IT was the best place for me!

Saw's I've used have generally all been older. Quite a few without guards, chokes or even clutches. Dreadful things really now I think back - so was taught quite early to have some real respect for them. General saw of my fathers I used the most (when clearing) was a Husqvarna 400 something, maybe a 440? Looks familiar and that kinda size. This 170 will be only used for light work, no real felling or certainly nothing as big as I've done before. Just saves me spending hours with a hand saw when logs are too big for our small wood stove.

Although a little chipper/mulcher capable of garden trimming/waste is something I may need to look at. We get through a crazy amount of 'green bags' which is the only thing the council will accept it in and have to buy £4.20 per 10 from the library. Which has been closed for 3+ months. I've got 3 'compost' heaps here now but they stink and take up so much space, just seem to keep growing. So need a cheaper way of getting rid of it or reducing down. Local tip takes it but is 7 miles away, with a Fiesta it would probably take 6+ trips already and no easy way to carry it in the car. She refuses to get a bigger car until we really need to change it... It's an '11 plate, has done 65k and does a maximum of 5k most years so that's going to be a while!

Chainsaw tree chat.

Spoiler

Ahh nice you got to do the courses. I was going to do them just to have tickets but they're pretty bloody expensive!

I love being among trees is all really. Like deep in a forest feels special to me, I feel relaxed and happy with a massive sense of relief when among big tree's. So I love working with them purely more hobby than anything work or official wise.

391 and 550 I bought as do'er uppers and ended up working them. 435 was my actual saw but it's not big enough for the stuff I been doing. So I think a pro level 50cc saw will do most things I ever need and keep the 391 for big boy jobs...... I've never used anything bigger than a 491 other than a Husq 555 but they are both equiv saws really. Both top end "farm" level saws in the 60cc range.

I've done 6x cherries during lockdown for Jo's mum and dad. Every single one of them leaning ridiculously. 2 of them were horizontal coming over their property and directly hanging over their summer house and their oil tank so they were very difficult to do solo and with not much experience. But I done them all spot on. No injuries, no damage to anything and a nice clean solid job. So very happy. I now have about 2 winters worth of nice cherry for the stove as well which is airing nicely.

Done 2x 60ft poplars up on Jo's mates farm. The slightly larger of the 2 was 4ft through so we ran the 555 with 20" bar for that one. Biggest thing I've ever done yet but was straightforward.

440 is the most common mid range farm type saw so very likely you used that. It's just a step up from my 435 but is very well regarded as a general use strong enough saw for most jobs.

We have a brown bin here for garden waste but I can fill that within 2 hours working in my garden. So I would recommend a mulcher/shredder type like you mention. That's all I have really it's not a proper chipper but it is certainly good enough for personal/home owner type use. An Eliet is what I have but no idea what model it is and can't remember the size of wee Honda engine it has but it certainly does for me.

You're probably like me in the IT world Roady. It's nice to be sat at a desk most the time and not busting your ass. But can't take away that back to caveman enjoyment from things. Tom Moses from Madison Genesis finished up cycling last year and he's now climbing and working for an arborist company.

 

[Lethal`]

Chainsaw a carbon frame in half and do a Hambini style teardown please.

 

[AndyCr15]

Some guys in the running thread are doing various 'virtual runs', is anyone doing any cycling ones?

In my search for an example, I found one you can cycle - https://www.theconqueror.events/lejog/

I like the idea of this, but a) it's more expensive than I would hope and b) I would probably want the version with the T Shirt, which is sold out.

Anyone know of any other good ones to add a little interest into the miles I'm cycling?

 

[Begbie]

Some guys in the running thread are doing various 'virtual runs', is anyone doing any cycling ones?

In my search for an example, I found one you can cycle - https://www.theconqueror.events/lejog/

I like the idea of this, but a) it's more expensive than I would hope and b) I would probably want the version with the T Shirt, which is sold out.

Anyone know of any other good ones to add a little interest into the miles I'm cycling?

Seems like a bit of a con to me. You pay £30 for the privilege to upload your data? I can understand a virtual race though . I'd rather do it and chuck £30 to charity or similar.

I suppose its good for motivation.

 

[UTmaniac]

Anyone looking for a £1k rim braked bike might want to check their Halfords within travelling distance, the SLR 8.9c Limited Edition is supposedly out there as of this morning.

Not that I'm after rim brakes these days, but no sign of stock in the stores near me.

Edit: Now showing available to pick up locally 15th July.

 

[Roady]

How's this for a ride! Gutted she didn't quite everest but wow. Pooley is nails. I've always thought it and that just proves it. Great little write up on the ride description too!

Spoiler: Chainsaw chat

Chainsaw tree chat.

Ahh nice you got to do the courses. I was going to do them just to have tickets but they're pretty bloody expensive!

I love being among trees is all really. Like deep in a forest feels special to me, I feel relaxed and happy with a massive sense of relief when among big tree's. So I love working with them purely more hobby than anything work or official wise.

Courses where not too bad if I recall, but then it was a while ago so may have changed quite a bit. They where run on a farm I kinda knew the owners of anyway so quite likely I got 'mates rates'!

A very good hobby to have. I've several friends who are arborists and being a farm boy spent quite a bit of time in woods and trees when younger. My parents own 360 acres of mostly hill-land with 3 or 4 woods on it, so some good access to firewood if I need it. To be fair we always *need* firewood and I'm happy to go and fell/cut but without an easy way to get it home it's not something I've done... As we've got friends (and partners of collegues etc) in the trade pre-dried and pre-cut firewood is quite easy to get hold of around here. Think the last couple of huge 'builders' bags 'cost' us 2 bottles of gin...

I've done 6x cherries during lockdown for Jo's mum and dad. Every single one of them leaning ridiculously. 2 of them were horizontal coming over their property and directly hanging over their summer house and their oil tank so they were very difficult to do solo and with not much experience. But I done them all spot on. No injuries, no damage to anything and a nice clean solid job. So very happy. I now have about 2 winters worth of nice cherry for the stove as well which is airing nicely.

Done 2x 60ft poplars up on Jo's mates farm. The slightly larger of the 2 was 4ft through so we ran the 555 with 20" bar for that one. Biggest thing I've ever done yet but was straightforward.

That's some good felling work, especially with the poplars although they do grow quite tidy most of the time 60ft is nothing to be sniffed at, especially with that girth! Nice work, good experience and fantastic wood for burning!

Most of the 'big' felling I've done has been conifers so really nothing much thicker than a foot or so girth. Wind fell stuff I've done big oaks and such but that was all for logs so size of the saw didn't really come into it. Especially not when some of the biggest have been real old monsters with trunks 6'-10' wide!

We have a brown bin here for garden waste but I can fill that within 2 hours working in my garden. So I would recommend a mulcher/shredder type like you mention. That's all I have really it's not a proper chipper but it is certainly good enough for personal/home owner type use. An Eliet is what I have but no idea what model it is and can't remember the size of wee Honda engine it has but it certainly does for me.

You're probably like me in the IT world Roady. It's nice to be sat at a desk most the time and not busting your ass. But can't take away that back to caveman enjoyment from things. Tom Moses from Madison Genesis finished up cycling last year and he's now climbing and working for an arborist company.

Brown bin here costs £12 per month with a minumum 12 month term. I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay that as I know for a cold 4-6 months during late autumn/winter/spring we really wouldn't get much use of it. Late spring/summer I'd more than fill it every week. If they did 6 month terms I'd more than get my moneys worth so for now green bags... Although a really mild winter like last one and an early spring the amount of grass and various shrub trimmings is crazy and would probably be worth it...

A small shredder/mulcher might be the best option really, but they're crazy money!

I knew Moses had done stuff like that before but hadn't realised he'd quit to continue it. Fair play. Then again if you where going to take a season out from Pro cycling to 'reflect' then he chose the ideal one!

Chainsaw a carbon frame in half and do a Hambini style teardown please.

I could maybe put a chainsaw through Hambini at times, other times I find him a breath of fresh air. Other times hot air!

Some guys in the running thread are doing various 'virtual runs', is anyone doing any cycling ones?

In my search for an example, I found one you can cycle - https://www.theconqueror.events/lejog/

I like the idea of this, but a) it's more expensive than I would hope and b) I would probably want the version with the T Shirt, which is sold out.

Anyone know of any other good ones to add a little interest into the miles I'm cycling?

Virtual cycling? I've heard of it...

You're probably looking for something similar to the 'Challenges' on Strava?

Quite a lot of talk and people doing v-everesting this year so that's certainly a *thing*, similar lines with Everesting the last couple of years.

Not to mention the kinda 'at home' IM (or whatever they're properly called?) @Shadowness was doing some of them I think. I wonder if there is a real Virtual one, but guess more of a duathlon if you used Zwift as don't think there's a virtual swimming platform... Although would be cool concept?! Like a massive jacuzzi with strong jets to swim against?! I'm not even gonna google that as I'm sure there's something and that really sounds like a never ending google-dive (pun intended).

They ran a v-RAAM instead of a RAAM (Race Across America) this year from the 16th of June. They actually went with FulGaz rather than Zwift as it was a better way of doing the courses. One for the ultra distance guys, know Hoppo did it (came 7th) but there where really not many finishers this year. Riding on a trainer for 4542km is brutal, there's no coasting/downhills so you're always pushing resistance and the courses the organisers chose where all hilly-ish to boot. It was so tough he nearly quit half way. The organisers reduced the distance for the event down to 3428km. Still only 7 of the 19 starters finished it. 8th place was 74km short. Brutal!

I'm now riding in the Zwift TTT league and my first ride is later tonight (@xdcx any tips?) . I've drawn the short straw and ended up as the only C in a team of B's on the Sand & Sequoias course so it's going to be a real brutal introduction. I finished a series/league last week and theres another starting next week I'm looking to get into, think for me these will be my 'aims' for this year rather than any sportives or such.

 

[Shadowness]

I did a load of the Ironman Virtual Series events.

The first bunch were full of idiots cheating, smashing out 500W for an hour type thing, or on rollers doing 30mph at 50W. But still good fun, and a great personal challenge at least.

Now they have 'championship series' events, where you must run outdoors, no net elevation loss, and the ride is on the Rouvy platform, all on the same course. For these you can earn proper championship points.

I've given up now out of protest, as I would have qualified for a world championship slot (for my age group), but they DQ'd me as my Wattbike isn't an 'eligible' trainer.

 

[AndyCr15]

I guess I wasn't clear. I don't want to do virtual cycling (that's for desperate times when it's too cold or too wet), I want the virtual race or virtual challenge. So, you sign up for Land's End to John o' Groats for example, go out cycling and the miles you clock move you along the route.

 

[Shadowness]

I don't really get the appeal of that though tbh, especially when you pay to do it. Ok, I guess it might motivate you to get out and ride more maybe?

But the challenge of LEJOG etc is you're normally doing upwards of 100+ miles a day. Some of the challenges I've seen run over months!

 

[GSVBagpuss]

I’ve been thinking of upgrading the wheels on my 2011 Scott CR1 (with 25,000km on the clock) to some deep carbon wheels. Clearance is tight against the frame but I’ve found some giant SLR 42mm that should fit. But when taking a good look there is a small amount of what looks like rubbing against the chainstays where they join the BB. Something to worry about?

 

[Saytan]

I’ve been thinking of upgrading the wheels on my 2011 Scott CR1 (with 25,000km on the clock) to some deep carbon wheels. Clearance is tight against the frame but I’ve found some giant SLR 42mm that should fit. But when taking a good look there is a small amount of what looks like rubbing against the chainstays where they join the BB. Something to worry about?

really depends if it's just the paint or it's rubbed into the weave. close cleared frames often lose a bit of paint round there if ridden in the wet

 

[Roady]

I've given up now out of protest, as I would have qualified for a world championship slot (for my age group), but they DQ'd me as my Wattbike isn't an 'eligible' trainer.

That's a joke! Don't blame you boycotting. I'd bet a bunch of Tri guys ride Wattbikes. More so than many other online cross section or group of cyclists!

I guess I wasn't clear. I don't want to do virtual cycling (that's for desperate times when it's too cold or too wet), I want the virtual race or virtual challenge. So, you sign up for Land's End to John o' Groats for example, go out cycling and the miles you clock move you along the route.

If you just want to cross miles off then set yourself some weekly goals or segment goals?

Whatever I'm doing I try and tick off 100 miles a week, real and virtual, as that usually is the amount of riding time and intensity from various rides I need to maintain/slightly build my fitness, keep my weight down and keeps me enjoying riding.

But the challenge of LEJOG etc is you're normally doing upwards of 100+ miles a day. Some of the challenges I've seen run over months!

Not to mention the differing scenery and the whole prospect of riding the entire length of the UK. Gives you a real sense of the areas, scale and appreciation of where we all live.

I’ve been thinking of upgrading the wheels on my 2011 Scott CR1 (with 25,000km on the clock) to some deep carbon wheels. Clearance is tight against the frame but I’ve found some giant SLR 42mm that should fit. But when taking a good look there is a small amount of what looks like rubbing against the chainstays where they join the BB. Something to worry about?

Scott are kinda known for haviong quite tight clearances. You'll have to judge if the wear is enough to worry about, worth putting some 'frame protectors' or such on there for the time a stone or something does get jammed.

Would probably be worth trying some different tyres (if you have them), something which sizes up a little smaller may give you a little amount of extra room without too much loss of comfort/grip/etc? Certainly cheaper than changing wheels again.

 

[Jobe]

vEveresting that was touched on earlier.

That’s on my radar for this year.
I did a ‘base camp’ a couple of months ago ( half the elevation)
Picked Epic Kom forward as the Alpe is just too steep for 8.5 reps with my setup. Rode an extra 10Km or so on the flat to make it up to 200Km
Going to try the new Ventoux route next week as that looks a more suitable incline to try it on.

 

[GSVBagpuss]

really depends if it's just the paint or it's rubbed into the weave. close cleared frames often lose a bit of paint round there if ridden in the wet

It’s not near the weave but more than the paint only. I’m not particularly worried. My rear wheel is a little out of true and a little dished too so I’ll get that sorted.

Scott are kinda known for haviong quite tight clearances. You'll have to judge if the wear is enough to worry about, worth putting some 'frame protectors' or such on there for the time a stone or something does get jammed.

Would probably be worth trying some different tyres (if you have them), something which sizes up a little smaller may give you a little amount of extra room without too much loss of comfort/grip/etc? Certainly cheaper than changing wheels again.

already running 23mm Gp4000s but I’ll have a look at tyres too, thanks.

vEveresting that was touched on earlier.

That’s on my radar for this year.
I did a ‘base camp’ a couple of months ago ( half the elevation)
Picked Epic Kom forward as the Alpe is just too steep for 8.5 reps with my setup. Rode an extra 10Km or so on the flat to make it up to 200Km
Going to try the new Ventoux route next week as that looks a more suitable incline to try it on.

Did on (on the Alpe) a few weeks back. Much easier than my outside Everesting but still pretty brutal as you’re stuck inside. The breaks for descending makes nutrition far easier. I tried to get lots of calories in through drinks