Off topic cycling chat for the cyclisti out there..

[neilbardsley]

I'm pretty sure that I would need a granny front chain ring to get up Hardnott and Wrynose and a lot of luck given the shape I'm in.

I used to be quite good on the climbs but a few years ago I spent a w/e cycling iin the Pyrenees. We did some of the tour climbs with Big Mig before the tour came through. I wasn't at peak fitness but much fitter than I am now so I took my normal South Downs gearing of 12/23 x 39/52 I watched the Spanish unpack their bikes from the car and they all had 27 x 32/34 as their bottom gear. I wondered why! When we got to http://inrng.com/2014/02/roads-to-ride- ... e-blanque/ I realised why. I was out of the seat grinding for the last 5k! It's one of my hardest rides ever.

I should of read this guide before coming

"Tour de France: the race has passed 14 times. If the Pyrenees were the start of high altitude racing this one is a relative newcomer to the race with its first inclusion in 1978 and it wasn’t used again until 1986. Perhaps this was because it helped ruin Bernard Thévenet’s chances. The Frenchman had won the Tour in 1977 and was back the next year but ground to halt on this climb and needed a back wheel with a 24 sprocket.

Gearing: don’t be a Bernard and come with the wrong gear. The correct gear cannot be recommended, no more than this blog can recommend shoe sizes. The Marie Blanque is not Monte Zoncolan but it’s significantly steeper than everything else within range."

[TheBaron]

You could go for the "Little B@stard" by RAW ala James Dean homage, very light and a bit controversial

http://www.bikefrenzy.co.uk

[TheBaron]

Or for you urban cyclists a tricked out Bromton:

[Burma-Shave]

Just finished building this season's race steed..same weight as me old planet x, but stiffer, longer, lower and more, errr, macho.



Trademark angled dropouts..not sure why..



Couldnt stretch to this Storck though..5.5kg, 15,000 Euro.

[neilbardsley]

Very nice. All the tricks too. Large jockey wheels on the rear mech. The fancy spokes. Then the rear skew pointing backwards! Pretty much equal to anything in the pro peleton

[neilbardsley]

What race on Sunday. Forget F1. Brilliant, brilliant.

Great move up the penultimate climb. Then on the flat run in, Fabian, had my son, and I, fooled. Lets others chase. He even threw in a half heart attack then managed to pin the chap that had been resting at the back to the barriers so he couldn't really contest the sprint. Very brave and smart. Switzerland 1 - Belguim 3. Lets wait for the news story about the motor in his frame again

[sng45]

Tour of Flanders was fantastic last Sunday -

Fabian for Paris-Roubaix at the weekend - can't really see anyone getting near him - Van Markke and Van Avermaert for the minor placings !

[roadiesean]

Flanders was fantastic wasn't it ? Race of the season, it'll take some beating !

PR should be good, I'll be in France, hope I can get to a telly !

The backward facing Storck rear dropouts all come from the Kleins, Marcus Storck bought Kleins copyrights when they stopped building bikes and the dropouts remain. The basic thinking is for "safety", there is no way that you can pull a wheel out forward of the drops when you have them like this. But in all honesty, its more marketing hype these days, it came from the era when you had the massive log forward facing drops and it was tricky to line up the axles on the wheel accurately without screws. They look cool but are a MASSIVE faff when it comes to changing wheels. I do love that Fenomenalist though, very nice. And the old Spinergys, I have a mate with a pair of the carbon Spinergys that got banned they look a bit like those Madfibre wheels, fastest wheel ever ! So quick they banned them.

[neilbardsley]

Great race. I think that Fabian played his cards pretty well. Quick Step finally got it right with 3+ men in the front break. Aggressive racing by Tom Boonen and Peter Sagan but I think more of a sign that they didn't have the legs. However, that break with Tom and Thor in it with about 50/40k to go wasn't coming back for a while. Anyway it was Terpstra's day! As the commentators said not many get to solo into the Velodrome!

[Mick Cliff]

Great race. I think that Fabian played his cards pretty well. Quick Step finally got it right with 3+ men in the front break. Aggressive racing by Tom Boonen and Peter Sagan but I think more of a sign that they didn't have the legs. However, that break with Tom and Thor in it with about 50/40k to go wasn't coming back for a while. Anyway it was Terpstra's day! As the commentators said not many get to solo into the Velodrome!

That was Paris-Roubaix for those not aware.....
First name terms for all bar the winner
Fabian = Cancellara
Thor = Hushovd
Terpstra's first name is Niki
He who dares wins. Plucky ride by Terpstra and a well deserved win.
Bonus to see Wiggins and Thomas making the junction near to the end....

[neilbardsley]

Great race. I think that Fabian played his cards pretty well. Quick Step finally got it right with 3+ men in the front break. Aggressive racing by Tom Boonen and Peter Sagan but I think more of a sign that they didn't have the legs. However, that break with Tom and Thor in it with about 50/40k to go wasn't coming back for a while. Anyway it was Terpstra's day! As the commentators said not many get to solo into the Velodrome!

That was Paris-Roubaix for those not aware.....
First name terms for all bar the winner
Fabian = Cancellara
Thor = Hushovd
Terpstra's first name is Niki
He who dares wins. Plucky ride by Terpstra and a well deserved win.
Bonus to see Wiggins and Thomas making the junction near to the end....

Yes naming the race might of helped.

If any DDKers live near Crystal Palace then Cadence Performance Cafe is well worth a visit. Nice big screen for watching races and lots of cafe on offer for the end of a bike ride (no affliation).

[Sam]

That was definitely the best P-R of the last few years. If it had rained a bit it would have been epic. The muddy ones are best.

Wiggo (Sir Bradley) looks like he might actually be back in some kind of form.

[neilbardsley]

Looks like the worlds of motorspot and cycling might intersect!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report- ... eam-alonso

Team Alonso is looking more likely?

[Burma-Shave]

Missing all these classics on account of not having sky and being out racing! Had a dry cat 3/4 race sunday, but hellish head cross/wind combined with a long climb. Echeloning into the ditch. Bleh.

And my lovely light 50mm section wheels were a stupid, stupid choice, I am an ass for thinking they would be fine. Fell off the back of the lead group with 6 miles to go (the worst feeling in cycling, losing the wheel and watching a group riding away.. ) and rolled in 16th out of 71 starters. Crap. Never mind, off to Mallorca with 20 guys on Friday! (Oo-er.)

Talking of men with giant, tanned, well oiled thighs - and motorsport and cycling crossovers - this is better than opening a bike shop when you retire, non?:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/others ... -race.html

[Mick Cliff]

Missing all these classics on account of not having sky and being out racing! Had a dry cat 3/4 race sunday, but hellish head cross/wind combined with a long climb. Echeloning into the ditch. Bleh.

And my lovely light 50mm section wheels were a stupid, stupid choice, I am an ass for thinking they would be fine. Fell off the back of the lead group with 6 miles to go (the worst feeling in cycling, losing the wheel and watching a group riding away.. ) and rolled in 16th out of 71 starters. Crap. Never mind, off to Mallorca with 20 guys on Friday! (Oo-er.)

Talking of men with giant, tanned, well oiled thighs - and motorsport and cycling crossovers - this is better than opening a bike shop when you retire, non?:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/others ... -race.html

I watched the last 10km of P-R yesterday on the PC. Not the same as 'live', but worthwhile nevertheless.

Yup - worst feeling is when you see the wheel in front drawing away and you can do knack all about it. Apart from grovel and think up excuse (like - "I chose the wrong wheels"! ) Back in the day we had a set of everyday wheels and a 'best' set, so no choice, ergo, no excuses (apart from having the sniffles, too many/not enough miles, blah, blah).

Hoy and GT car racing - Hoy's bulk might prove to be a handicap? How will he get those thighs into a racing bucket seat? Will need extensions on the thigh straps