[Closed] So I want to try road racing + build a bike specifically for this

I know! With hindsight, my race was a shower of s**t!! 😆

......But I got a pay rise at the meeting afterwards so it was worth not focussing too much on the race 😆

I have a strange feeling my Tempo session on Wednesday may become Z2 and my Z2 on Thursday become Z1 and Fridays S drills may become race openers this week 😀

Somebody has upped the ante 😉

That pic must have been early on?

We weren't going at pace so I was also up like a sail 😆

Yes, doing about 19mph I think 😆

I've charged up my MTB light this week 😀

Hoping mine's still charged from last week.

I've set aside some money for a power meter, has to be Ultegra though 😆

Forecast says rain between 4 & 5pm boo - commuter it is 🙂

What time did you boys stay till? Or indeed are staying till this week?

I can be there from about 4:15 ish and can quite happily stay until 7.

I have no pressing need to get back this week but certainly until dark....

Ah right. Well, I'm afraid that's not going to fly for me then boys. So I'll see you Sat early doors and do some swift action tomorrow instead.

Weeksy- What time did you think we'd leave? We wouldn't have been riding until 15:30 at the earliest 😆

And if we left there at 17:00 we'd be sat in a queue for so long getting home, we'd have just as well left at 18:30 anyway.....

(I know this because that's what I did last week 😉 )

I was assuming 5 mate, obviously incorrectly. It's pancake day tomorrow and my lad is really looking forward to it. Silly as it sounds, his fun is more important than mine and missing pancake day wouldn't sit well with me.

I'm not as convinced it will affect my result.

As I say, I left at 5 last week and it took 1h45 to get home. I'm hoping it will be half that if I leave a little later.

I don't think it will affect your result but it will give you some muscle memory of riding inches apart at speed through a corner- which can only help.

We're having our pancakes on Wednesday 🙂 (Freddie can't read a calendar yet 😆 )

I tried that when my lad was 2 and we went to morzine, I wanted to come back 2 days after his birthday. Mrs Weeksy wasn't having it that we don't tell him and have his birthday a few days late.

Lol! A birthday and pancake day are a little different 😆

Kudos for trying though 😀

Guys I've got 45mm depth wheels.

[url= http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Vittoria/Latex-Inner-Tube-700-x-25-28-Presta-51mm/3ELG ]Will these fit!?[/url]

You'll need a valve extender

Yes, with valve extender. The Vitoria ones are good, they have a removable core. Don't get the Michelin ones, they don't.

And you'd recommend them over butyl for a race bike?

Are your wheels carbon? There is usually a warning on the tube box (and a warning sticker on the rims) recommending not to use latex with carbon rims.

Yeah Hope Carbon 45s

I don't think I'll overheat latex tubes in crits!?

Basket is ready to go:
KMC X11 EL Gold Chain
2x Vittoria Latex tubes

I'll hit the buy button if I get my 2 points. 😆

@ Weeksy, worth a watch for Sat:

yeah you'll probably be alright with them for crits

I don't think I'll overheat latex tubes in crits!?

🙂

I ran latex tubes on carbon rims all last year on a couple of bikes and had they were fine. I might think twice about an alpine descent but otherwise I'd not worry.

That's reassuring @mrblobby - and once in they're less p*n<t^re prone?

I think so. Have had good experience of running then all winter with GP4000's too.

Another fun training session at Hillingdon this evening. Thankfully, the clouds parted, the rain stopped and the sun came out to make a lovely evening!

I got absolutely trounced in 2x 1km races by both Nath and Jesper. I redeemed myself though in the 2x 200m sprint races with 1470w and 1459w maximums respectively.

I did a few good max cadence drills with over 140rpm up the hill a few times too. That's positively whirring for me 🙂

That's a big number indeed!

Left me for dead 😆

It's a pretty irrelevant number when the comms have pulled you off and you're stood watching the rest of the bunch sprinting it out 😆

It's a pretty irrelevant number

Numbers are nice but the important one is how fast you were over those 200m 🙂

Quite! I certainly wouldn't be kicking out 1400w after doing 8w/kg for 1 min!!!

Yay! Strava is back online 🙂

Carrying on the pointless numbers thing, my second sprint was over 1000w average for 15 seconds 😀

Those are very impressive sprint numbers.

It's a pretty irrelevant number when the comms have pulled you off and you're stood watching the rest of the bunch sprinting it out

Continue the progress and in a few weeks or months time it will be a different story. Getting your fitness up to a level where you stick in with the bunch is an easier goal (relatively speaking) than it is for most riders to put out 1400+ watts. Many won't get close to that no matter how much focus they put into improving their sprint.

Indeed, i could install a 500W motor and still never trouble 1400.

Strava estimates my max power was 545w 😆

My 1k anti clockwise was 1:28, 6 seconds slower on the commuter, but only at 337w 🙂

You boys are scaring me now !

Numbers are nice but the important one is how fast you were over those 200m

@MrBlobby- We rolled to the line at 15mph and I maxed out at 29mph into a quartering 10mph headwind. I was on the drops and trying to be as aero as possible 😆

How come @weeksy?

These are just pub numbers - don't really translate into racing, all my numbers quoted are from strava estimates as I didn't have a PM with me.

Strava estimated power calculator... 🙂

[img] [/img]

Getting your fitness up to a level where you stick in with the bunch is an easier goal

It's not even fitness really, it's just learning how to read the race so you can ride more efficiently.

Indeed, i could install a 500W motor and still never trouble 1400.

With the motor I might get close 🙂

I managed 1kW for a couple of seconds yesterday. I was doing a zone 2 ride but got a bit bored 🙂

I redeemed myself though in the 2x 200m sprint races with 1470w and 1459w maximums respectively.

Makes mental note to ensure that CH is out the back before the last lap 😉

If a fast guy or two throw a few attacks in- that seems inevitable 😆

I won't attack then if you ask nicely 😈

Please do! The sooner you're back to the car the better 😆

I detect some rivalry! 😆

LOL i think that's been well established in advance.

The rivalry is there and in full effect. If we ride and CH gets dropped and i last even 2 sec longer than him, that's an absolute win for me 🙂
It's funny, i may not even see him when i'm out there, but he'll be at the forefront of my thoughts when i'm not thinnking of how i'm about to die anyway.

I gave the Isaac the once over yesterday... It's all running nicely and sweetly. I still can't get all 10 gears on the way down with the Campag, but it's only 9th i miss.... I can't see myself needing 9th on a flat course though so i can live with it, if i really really need 9th i can hit the button and quickly trim it back, so no massive issue.

Left have been resting since Tues arvo, but i may need to cycle 10 miles into Newbury later to get my car.. but i'll likely talk Mrs Weeksy into giving me a lift. My right leg calf muscle isn't quite 100% at the moment, but it's close enough. After this weekend and the weekend afters races i'm going to get back into stretching after riding, i stopped for a while due to tweaking the muscles, which either co-incided with me getting the foam roller/stretching or me adjusting the seat position. At the time i set the seat back, plus stopped the rollering/stretching, so i'm not sure which has helped. But i'd like to give the stretching/rollering another go. But not yet as i don't want to risk it leading up to the 2 big events.

Here come the excuses 😀

I'm not losing any sleep over it- I'm just impressed you've signed up for it. No doubt you'll stay in bed if it's a bit cloudy anyway 😉 😆

I've resigned myself to the fact i may be getting wet. The actual handling in the wet and cornering etc concerns me a lot more than the actual rain/dirt. I'll be there though buddy... i'm all ready.

I'm losing sleep, pretty much every bloody night !

Good luck this weekend 'Team STW' lets get Nathb those extra few points so he leaves us 4s in piece 🙂

I shall not be around this time as I am away learning to build a frame at Downland cycles (A long aimed for trip).

Looking for some more races later in the year, once I can actually finish in the pack I'm prepared to travel a bit more.

Have fun with the frame building tiim. Would love to do that sometime.

Spent a bit of time last night building up the bike for the weekend. Might be ready in time. Did it while watching Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on the telly and getting some inspiration from a rampant Sagan 😉

and getting some inspiration from a rampant Sagan

There's almost enough of us to just blockade the front of the bunch leaving Nath free to TT to victory 🙂

I'll be honest with you mate.. IF and i of course mean IF i'm there at the end, one of you two will be getting a lead out until my heart explodes 🙂
It's all fantasy of course.... but by golly .... i'll do my best for you lads if i happen to be in that position.

Seriously- take the road bike out and ride at 28-30mph solo for a couple of minutes- then come back here with a reality check 😆

Too much pressure!!

At the mo I'm 50/50 whether I'm going to race - had a cracking migraine since Wednesday morning... 😡

At the mo I'm 50/50 whether I'm going to race

Attack from the gun, pain in the legs will soon eclipse the pain in the head 😆

To much sprinting on Tuesday night 😉

take the road bike out and ride at 28-30mph solo for a couple of minutes

If i could do that i'd be attacking from lap 1 !

At the mo I'm 50/50 whether I'm going to race - had a cracking migraine since Wednesday morning...

Nooo! Good chance to get your 3rd cat. Hope it clears.

take the road bike out and ride at 28-30mph solo for a couple of minutes

Do it for over 20 mins you'll make a decent time trial rider 😉

@Weeksy- Lol! Hardly- the race is a bit longer than that! Seriously- that will give you a feel of the surges involved.

My new favourite saying- you don't get dropped because you can't ride at 25mph for 50mins. You get dropped because you can't ride at 30mph for two 😉

Thanks guys.

Took the stupid decision of:
A) Going to work
B) Cycling to work - thought the cold air may help. Turns out every bump felt like banging my head against a wall!!

If I don't race I'll be there for support, banter & sympathy haha!

Know some on here like their numbers, so thought I'd post this...

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/03/numbers-take-competitive-cobbled-semi-classics/

Based on pro data from the first two cobbled classics.

[img] [/img]

While some of us may be able to hit some of those numbers for those durations, doing it in the context of a 5 hour race is something entirely different!

Met office app saying 6mph southerly and cloudy at the mo....

Looks very good for Saturday. Friday looks dismal I shakedown ride for bike build might be the race!

Those numbers are difficult to relate too @mrblobby, but very impressively non the less!!

Shouldn't mention the weather pre race guys, you know the rules 😆

I've just changed my stem to a 120mm one, annoyingly its not as deep as my old one so I've had to stick an extra 5mm of spacer above it. 😥

No time to test I've set it right as I'm out for dinner straight after work tomorrow.

Migraine appears to be shifting 🙂

Whats your thoughts on in-race punctures guys ? Do you take a tube, whip it off and replace withing the 2 mins or so lap you're granted ? Or is it simply game over ? Just sorting all my kit out for tomorrow, so wondering if i want to be having a tube in my jacket to replace ? Sure, if it happens in warmup then i'll swap assuming i've for enough time. I've removed the MTB peak from my spare helmet 🙂 so i won't look quite as green as i would have 🙂

Gearing checked, pedals checked, everything i can do has been done.
All that's left to do is get on the bike and pedal.

There's no lap-out rule anymore (although the comms at Hillingdon Imperial allowed it for this year as they said it was ambiguous) so either grab a spare wheel from the start/finish and rejoin for the experience or call it a day get ready to watch Nath's sprint. Not worth carrying anything.....

OK, coolio. When you say 'grab a spare wheel' i assume you mean one of my own ? Not that they have random spare wheels sitting there ready just in case ?

I have a spare rear, but i don't have a tyre for it 🙂 So wouldn't really help me.

I'm also having an internal debate on what to do when i get spat out the back. Do i try and hang on until lapped but still at my own version of 'race pace' or do i do what you've recently started with and ease until caught again and then have another try at holding on... Or indeed, do i just call it a day at the time of being dropped... I guess a lot will depend on how i feel, who if anyone gets spat out when i do etc etc... I'm not really sure i'll know what i may or may not do until it happens.

I'm also having an internal debate on what to do when i get spat out the back.

Obviously 1 crucial element in that decision.
Has CH been dropped yet? If no, leap in car and go home asap claiming some mystery ailment. If yes, keep at it as a finish is worth bragging rights 😛

Obviously 1 crucial element in that decision.
Has CH been dropped yet? If no, [s]leap in car and go home asap claiming some mystery ailment.[/s] get back to the car, let the air out of one of the tyres, and claim you were going well, finding it easy, and probably on for some points until you got a bloody puncture!

🙂

All this talk is making me wish that I was joining in... next year I promise! Best of luck to all of you - hope you have a great time.

I'm sadly lacking in excuses this week!!

I haven't trained through...
I'm not ill.....
I don't have a meeting to go to afterwards.....
My bike is in full working order....

Must try harder 🙁

@Weeksy- there are normally some neutral wheels kicking around.....

I haven't trained through...
I'm not ill.....
I don't have a meeting to go to afterwards.....
My bike is in full working order....

Hmm...

Been quite a hard week of training... tick
I have a cold and sore throat... tick
I have kids activities I need to get back for... tick
My bike is still half built... tick

I'm sorted for excuses 🙂

See, you're a better Crit racer than you thought 😆

Come on guys, shouldn't mention that P word!!

@weeksy - peaks aren't allowed anyway I don't think.

@all - I've got a good list of excuses at the ready 😆

I'll be in my standard red jersey with white stripes tomorrow so easily identifiable - say hello 🙂

Tactics wise - hopefully the lack of 16 mph winds means that normal tactics apply. Sit and do nothing for 38 mins then engage...

LOL if i'm going to puncture or not, it won't be because i wrote something on the internet.