Cycling: fitness, racing or leisure rides..

[MatteeG]

Went for a light ride last night, thought Id try Bains Rd at Woodcroft for the first time as a nice easy climb, god was I wrong! I did have heavy legs but geez I struggled to get up, much sharper gradients in parts than Chandlers Hill or Main Rd...

LOL- the Rav4 struggles up parts of that let alone riding a bike...

[gadj1976]

Well I took the step today and put a deposit on my new bike. I took it for a test ride today at lunch, under the watchful eye of a sales assistant at megabike. Loved the feel of it. I'll pick it up during the week. Here it is.

[mickey]

Very nice gadj, don't forget to invest in some shorts for that bit extra padding....

[pig_skin]

well what a day at regency... first time racing out there and a nice strong wind...... on the good news HAD A WIN TODAY!!!! took out the D grade in a fast sprint finish..

was feeling good all race, just held my lines and where i wanted to be and stayed out of the way of some certain guys that were all over the place.. got into the right spot with the 2 laps to go, exited the last corner with 1 other strong rider next to me and i jumped in behind his wheel quickly, pulled out with about 300m to go and just smashed the pedals as hard as i could... and got over the line a few bike lengths in front... max HR in the sprint was 204, and max speed was 62.3km/h.. totals overall was 26.90km/h in 40min 34sec, ave speed 38.6 km/h...

cant wipe this smile off my face today.....

[pig_skin]

oh yeah gadj... that bike looks sick.... i was close to buying a fixie that looked like that the other day...

[gadj1976]

oh yeah gadj... that bike looks sick.... i was close to buying a fixie that looked like that the other day...

PS, dumb question, why would you invest in a fixie these days? Obviously they are the in thing, but for me, I couldn't think of anything worse. When I was a kid riding around the burbs I busted for an extra gear or two. My second bike was a three speed. Christ did I think I was gods gift!

[Dutchy]

well done Pig!

[gadj1976]

I think I answered my own question about fixies....

Got the bike today and rode home. The chain and derailer are mutually exclusive I've realised. Very ordinary indeed. It "slips" when under strain. The derailer displays gear 7 and is actually in gear 8.

It's pretty much unrideable but I'll have to limp back into town to get it seen to and hopefully get a replacement, seeing as I have grease marks all over the handlebars.

NOT happy.

[pig_skin]

That's not a good start at all... Surely it's just the derailer or something that is out of alignment... It shouldn't slip at all.. The reason I wanted a fixie was just coz they are the 'in thing' and wanted it so could use to just hook down to the shops etc..

Hope you get that gearing issue sorted quickly..

[gadj1976]

That's not a good start at all... Surely it's just the derailer or something that is out of alignment... It shouldn't slip at all.. The reason I wanted a fixie was just coz they are the 'in thing' and wanted it so could use to just hook down to the shops etc..

Hope you get that gearing issue sorted quickly..

Yep, I took it in, said how thoroughly disappointed I was that they could let something out of their shop that was pretty much unrideable and left it with them. I said I'll pick it up at 4.30 today. If it's not fixed, I'll ask for a refund. At least by doing my research I've got fall back options

The guy who looked at it, said that it was a stiff joint in the chain. He said they might need to replace the chain completely. I said to him that I'd bought the display model as it was a perfect fit, but he didn't seem to think that that should be a concern at all. IMO the chain seemed "loose" but time will tell hey?

Another bloke came in and said "oh, you need to adjust the derailer like this" then twiddled with something at the back of the derailer. I looked at him and said "but I only bought it yesterday". He said "yeh, but they're not standard items". WTF?

[gadj1976]

Rode home today and it's all good. Apparently it was a 'stuck pin' in one of the chain links. Of course it happens to me and not some other poor bar-sted.

Nice bike, I like it heaps!

[mickey]

Good that its all sorted gadj.. at least they fixed it and fixed it fast..

[pig_skin]

Rode home today and it's all good. Apparently it was a 'stuck pin' in one of the chain links. Of course it happens to me and not some other poor bar-sted.

Nice bike, I like it heaps!

sweet, at least it was something simple... i think i have heard of this happening a bit on roadies too.. sometimes after wet rides if you dont clean your chain some links start sticking...

well done Pig!

thanks dutchy... i couldnt stop smiling sunday..

[mickey]

The velo Adelaide jersey design has been released... looks real good if u ask me..

[pig_skin]

bit quiet on here recently so thought id see how everyones riding is going...
Gadj - how is the new bike going, hooked enough to get a roadie yet..
Dutchy, Mickey getting some kms in? how is your prep going for TDU.

my riding been going well been training hard for the crits, had a bit of bad luck last sunday, when i got a puncture with 5 mins to go... i have a feeling i would have won too as i was feeling and riding well, and there was only 14 people in the race coz it was wet and i had beaten them all before...
- have entered in the holdfast bay crit champs on boxing day so will be taking it easy on xmas day to make sure im good for that...

went up corkscrew rd for the first time tonight after climbing kangaroo creek dam up gorge rd... damn that corkscrew is a hard climb... 2.4km at 9.5%... got up in 13mins 18sec with a strong head wind.... there were parts on the climb i felt like i wasnt even moving.... i was in the easiest gear i was still searching for more gears....

hope everyone is enjoying this weather and getting out...

[gadj1976]

Hey Pig_skin

No, can't say I'm hooked .......yet. I've done about 220kms since getting the bike and to be honest, I'm struggling to ride to and from work in a day. I'm lucky in that I can leave my bike here overnight and then ride it home the next day - as I have done a few times already.

I really do enjoy it, but I've realised my body isn't up to the rigours of riding long kms for hours on end. I do actually want to go for a decent ride during my holidays with no time constraints but that's unlikely to happen.

The morning ride is best, but the inclines on the way home don't excite me much.

Another (side) issue is having to get changed here at work, and dealing with showers, lockers, bringing clothes in.....it's all a bit difficult.

I had my chain fall off last night and then again this morning. Is that 'normal'? Should I get it looked at? It occurred when I went over the same stretch of bumps, when I wasn't peddling.

I will keep cycling because I'm reliving my childhood when everything was a bike's ride away. It's great to NOT have to catch the bus in and out of town and rely on the bus company to turn up so you can get home.

Overall satisfaction is a 7.

[Dutchy]

Gadj - probably took me a couple of months to get addicted, but I was only doing 10-14kms flat to start off and it grew from there once I felt a little bit of fitness.

I havent been getting out as much as I hoped, not working in the city anymore means no commuting sadly.

Although when I have been getting out Im heading straight for the hills to get the climbing skills better. And it is working, can now get up Chandlers Hill Rd and Main Rd without blowing out. Also went down to Clarendon on the weekend for the first time and climbed out of there via Clarendon Rd, loved that climb so much I did it again Monday night.

Pretty confident Ill be Ok for the TDU, did think about doing the shorter trip for 5 mins the other day but no going to stick it out for the full 138kms, just going to really pace myself. Have done a 75km and a 60km ride in the last fortnight in the hills, just need to do 4-5 more of these I think.

Going to Marion Bay for a week after christmas isnt going to help but will do some running to maintain some fitness.

Has anyone done any of the TDU route? in particular the hills?

[gadj1976]

Dutchy

I'm working at Santos at the moment and quite a few of the guys are doing the 138kms (the link being that Santos is the major sponsor). Two of the guys are my age and do the weekend rides of 50-60km, and trundle in to work doing about 6-8 one way.

As far as riding, yeh look I do love the fact that I don't have to live my life to a timeline and I am getting fitter (I did the 16kms in 46 mins tonight) but I don't LOVE riding "yet".

That could come, maybe after the Christmas break - cos at the moment I'm physically and mentally stuffed after a long year.

The one thing I'd like to do is ride with a mate for 20kms (and my age and weight) and just go for a gentle ride of 50kms (time permitting). As I said, I don't really have time for that at the moment however.

[pig_skin]

bit quiet on here recently so thought id see how everyones riding is going...
Gadj - how is the new bike going, hooked enough to get a roadie yet..
Dutchy, Mickey getting some kms in? how is your prep going for TDU.

my riding been going well been training hard for the crits, had a bit of bad luck last sunday, when i got a puncture with 5 mins to go... i have a feeling i would have won too as i was feeling and riding well, and there was only 14 people in the race coz it was wet and i had beaten them all before...
- have entered in the holdfast bay crit champs on boxing day so will be taking it easy on xmas day to make sure im good for that...

went up corkscrew rd for the first time tonight after climbing kangaroo creek dam up gorge rd... damn that corkscrew is a hard climb... 2.4km at 9.5%... got up in 13mins 18sec with a strong head wind.... there were parts on the climb i felt like i wasnt even moving.... i was in the easiest gear i was still searching for more gears....

hope everyone is enjoying this weather and getting out...

what an awesome day down at holdfast today... great crit circuit, tight turns and some very quick sections... good racing in all grades too, some heavy crashes as well..
i had a pretty good day, came 2nd by an inch in the crit and i came 1st in the B grade straight line sprint... was competing up a few grades than i usually race in so was good to test my speed against some of the other higher riders...
now a week off while im away and back into it as soon as i get back..

[gadj1976]

bit quiet on here recently so thought id see how everyones riding is going...
Gadj - how is the new bike going, hooked enough to get a roadie yet..
Dutchy, Mickey getting some kms in? how is your prep going for TDU.

my riding been going well been training hard for the crits, had a bit of bad luck last sunday, when i got a puncture with 5 mins to go... i have a feeling i would have won too as i was feeling and riding well, and there was only 14 people in the race coz it was wet and i had beaten them all before...
- have entered in the holdfast bay crit champs on boxing day so will be taking it easy on xmas day to make sure im good for that...

went up corkscrew rd for the first time tonight after climbing kangaroo creek dam up gorge rd... damn that corkscrew is a hard climb... 2.4km at 9.5%... got up in 13mins 18sec with a strong head wind.... there were parts on the climb i felt like i wasnt even moving.... i was in the easiest gear i was still searching for more gears....

hope everyone is enjoying this weather and getting out...

what an awesome day down at holdfast today... great crit circuit, tight turns and some very quick sections... good racing in all grades too, some heavy crashes as well..
i had a pretty good day, came 2nd by an inch in the crit and i came 1st in the B grade straight line sprint... was competing up a few grades than i usually race in so was good to test my speed against some of the other higher riders...
now a week off while im away and back into it as soon as i get back..

Wow, well done Pig_skin! That's excellent news. How are you feeling - stuffed, exhausted, exhillarated? What was the average speed over the journey?