Re: Sorry so late- wasn't paying attention You don't have to explain to me the benefits of lugged fabrication. The problem is that most bike manufacturers don't make lugged frames so you have to go custom or "luxury". That's a bit more than most recreational cyclists will be willing to do.
Re: another embarassing newbie question We're moving into a house with a garage in Jan. or Feb. Keep that in mind. What is my best option for getting my bike off the ground so I can turn the pedals and change gears after I lubricate? Getting my kids involved was barely fun the first time. I can either keep using the kids until we move, and then hang stuff from the ceiling, or I can get a workstand now.
Re: another embarassing newbie question Turning the bike upside down is the cheapest way. Bike stands are nice and I have one, but they are annoyingly pricey. And yes, they are not all created equal. Some do different things and can adjust in a variety of ways which makes it easy for some repairs. Not sure if this is showing up Dave, but here is some from REI. http://www.rei.com/category/4500827 Obviously, I would recommend looking at craigslist, ebay, etc... here is one that is pretty much just getting one wheel off the ground (cheaper). http://www.gearzone.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=208-24001-1&click=5096
Re: another embarassing newbie question First things first, that picture of O'Donnell is so annoying. I want it to be of Giada DeLaurentis. I got a couple: First, if my bike rack is on the back of my car, its a good time to throw the bike on it and perform the maintenance. Second, I'm too cheap to buy a work stand. My neighbor is going to build one this winter. My solution is I usually hang my bike upside down from the ceiling in the summer in my garage. I leave the front wheel hooked and let it hang by one wheel. With the rear gears and chain hanging low, I perform my cleaning and lubing. No, I cannot change gears. I will usually spin around in front of the house shifting gears for a few minutes.
Re: another embarassing newbie question I think the joke will be over in a couple of weeks. Oooh, that's smart. Thinking as a layman about what a bikestand is, I can't believe they're as expensive as they are! I'll try putting it upside down. It's bloody obvious now that it's been mentioned. I feel right stupid not having thought of it.
Re: another embarassing newbie question Hang a string from the ceiling and tie a loop at the bottom. Put the tip of the saddle in the loop. I use a leather dog leash.
Re: another embarassing newbie question There are two distinct bike cultures 1. Those that refuse to spend anything. 2. Those that will pay anything to have 'it.' #2 applies to bike stand folks. A Cervelo looks more proper in a bike stand rather than some pipes with a vice grip and towel.
Re: another embarassing newbie question In that vein, whenever I needed to do stuff on my bike, I just put it on my wall rack and worked on it. I could only access one side, but it worked well enough and it only cost like $25.
OK, it's cold now. I'm a cold-natured guy; back when I used to run, I'd run in shorts and short sleeves even in the 30s. So that's my story. The bike is different, tho, because I'm moving alot faster and the wind cuts. I am thinking about regular short sleeve shirt under long sleeve shirt, shorts, and gloves that cover my fingers. That should cover everything but my ears, and I like to be able to hear the big metal machines that are trying to kill me. Any advice on all this? Do the shirts in the bike shops really make a difference?
Get a thin skull cap hat (like for running) under your helmet, such as First, what you are describing, to me, isn't cold. There are real differences with each 10 degrees of change for riding. You sound like high 40's-50's for riding. The basic tech-wear is the same, but bike shops sell shirts that are fleece lined and are nice. I usually go base layer (love under armour), either long sleeve lined jersey or short sleeve/arm warmers (either way, light fleece lined on the arms) and a windbreaker vest. Gloves are a must (really like lobster claw mittens). Whatever the temp. The first 10-15 minutes should feel like you have under-dressed, as you will warm up.
Did you just ask a group of grown men for advice on how to dress yourself? Was your mother busy? Wear some under armour, wear a beanie, wear some warm socks, wear layers.
I've found that if you cover your head and feet, you can cycle in just about any conditions. I'd maybe also add in a third component of "armpit" to that equation also.
Agreed. Midwinter rides (when weather, daylight and time infrequently allow) usually can only be around 90-120 minutes due to the toes going numb. I picked up some new shoe covers this year, so we'll see how that goes. I feel that equipment is losing a battle to age/circulation.
This. Keep your hands, feet and head warm and you will be amazed at what temperatures you can handle. I used to ride in ski gloves when it got to be about thirty or so. Also, I totally agree with the idea that the first ten minutes or so should feel cold. And once you get in the low thirties, you might want to wear something over your mouth - when the air gets that dense you'll find you get weaker because your lungs don't take as much oxygen.
It's 31 out right now! 31 celsius. However, it did get into the thirties when I was living in Northern VA and commuting into work on my bike.
New question...I can ride 45-50 minutes, 10-12 miles relatively easily. But quite often, that's about when I start to run out of energy. The obvious answer would be to bring along some kind of energy food. But if that food has 300 calories, and it only allows me to crank out another 5 miles, I'm losing ~25 calories on the deal. It's really only worth the time and money if I can push on another 7-8 miles or more. Will I be able to? Will pushing onward allow me to expand my boundaries so that in time I can ride an hour without needing a boost? Or is the 45-50 minutes a limit based on how much quick energy a body can store? Another alternative...when I stop, I get this surge of energy 10 or so minutes later. One thing I could do is just plan for that break...ride 45-50 minutes, rest for 10, stretch out and stuff, and then ride for another 1/2 hour or whatever. Would such a regimen be bad for my muscles? IOW, is the energy I gain by stopping worth the "cooling down"? Show-off. I got a windbreaker with detachable sleeves, thicker gloves, and these foot covers. Worked a treat.
You're body should be in the process of transforming more to endurance so you should be able to increase the distance more and more. Depending on the level of work, I find that two hours is where I am going to need to start feeding the beast. For rides of 1-2 hours, I will bring a watered down gatorade for calorie replacement. Only water for 1 hour rides. 300 calories? Sounds too much. Sounds like a protein bar, which is what you don't need. You are looking for something that will replace carbohydrates. Gel packs which are around 100 calories are a bit expensive but easy. Something simple like a rice krispy treat, pop tarts or my personal favorites - fig newtons (I'm a snob and eat the Fig Newmans) are high in carbos and will get into your system to keep you moving. Also I've seen Clif Bars being sold in mini's now. Try not to stop and the muscles will start cooling down and tightening. Try not to aim for more than 200 calories an hour, as that is about all the body will be able to ingest. The rest just makes going up a hill a bit harder.
First, quick Q & A. How many water bottles do you usually bring? And, how are you at pre-hydrating yourself before your ride? I have two bottles: one with water, and the second one half gatorade half water. This works for me doing a two hour/30+ mile ride. Next, what are you having to eat before a ride? My breakfast usually consists of oatmeal and works great for me. A banana, bagel with peanut butter, pancakes, yogurt and granola are not too bad as well. I also try to get in a lunch which is usually a couple hours before my ride. Some carbs and protein work fine. Nothing heavy. I think you are going to get a variety of answers on this, but I can throw you a couple things I do. One, I try to be good at hydrating myself throughout the week and especially the day before and day of a ride. What determines enough? For myself it is around 40-60 ounces of water the day of the ride (I usually do my rides in the afternoon) Some may have better and scientific answers for this. Also, even as the weather gets cooler make sure you are drinking enough. As for food, most riders I have talked to or seen on other bike boards usually say you should be able to get by without any food if the ride is under two hours. I usually bring a couple fig newtons or a mini cliff bar just in case. Guess what? 99 times out of a 100 they just sit in my pocket. Some people bring a banana, some sort of gel, or nuts/trail mix. But, your body should be able to adjust without having something during the ride. Post ride. Again, everyone has their ritual and it depends on what your goals are. BUT, this can be just as important as your pre ride consumption. This might give you some more info that you can adapt to your plan http://funsportbikes.com/coach/archives/tag/pre-and-post-ride-foods
I'm gonna do a century next week I know what you're thinking. Superdave, how the hell are you going to do a century when you were just posting about hitting a wall at 10-12 miles? Well, dear reader, note that I didn't say I was gonna do a century next Friday, or next Saturday. Next week. My goal is to knock out 100 miles from Sunday through Saturday. I'll be able to, at best, get 15 miles Mon-Wed by doing 5 miles in the morning. That leaves an average of a little over 20 miles the other 4 days. The way I look at it, 7 good long rides will do it, so I'll have to double up most days. Eh, it's a goal.
14.2 miles Sunday, 5.6 this morning. I went on my longest ride every Saturday, 20 miles. I was paying the most attention to what fatigues me. One issue is the lactic acid build-up...after 40 minutes or so, a really tough hill just devastates my legs. I've got to find a way past that. The other issue is cardio-vascular. If I've been riding long enough, and have it as a goal to ride even longer, I just need to stop until my pulse rate gets back to normal. Then I'm good to go.
After reading this, I wonder if your cadence is too slow, i.e. you aren't turning your legs over fast enough. Hills are tough and all, but a lot of beginners end up pushing a larger gear than they should up hills, which causes a ton of lactic acid build up. There are all kinds of ways to count your cadence, but quite simply you should try getting into a smaller gear, not just on the hills, but also on the flats. You might find that you have more energy later in your ride because when you push a big gear, you're using your muscles anaerobically, which causes lactic acid to drain into your legs. It takes a hella long time (like 24 hours or more) for your legs to fully recover. On the other hand, if you use a smaller gear, your body is acting more aerobically, meaning your lungs are doing more of the work and you can recover much quicker. You may feel like you're just spinning in place at first, but thirty minutes down the line you should feel a lot fresher. Also, I think a lot of the issues you're facing are conditioning issues that should get better the more you ride. Keep enjoying!
I've already made a slight adjustment on this score, just over the last 3-4 days. In particular, sometimes I'm in a gear and it feels good, but as soon as it gets tough, I go down a gear. Alot of the time, after, I dunno, 15 seconds in that gear, I go back up and feel fine. Being less aggressive on gears allowed me to crank out 10 miles in my first 40 minutes Saturday (I usually go between 13.5 and 14 mph) and feel pretty darn fresh. But then, that part of my ride was relatively flat compared to what came next. Maybe I need to adjust a bit more. I'll test different patterns and see what works best. Speaking of trying new ideas...I read an article in Bicycling magazine on how to take turns. It said to push down on one handlebar or the other depending on which way you want to go. I tried this out, and oh man, is turning alot easier. It's alot more "precise," for want of a better word. I can go faster into curves now and still feel safe.