Any question answered...

I asked this before but because of the useless search in this forum, couldn't (or unable to find the right word) to search for it again.

Is there's an automatic clue sheet generator where I can easily pop a GPX files that convert into a clue sheet?

If possible, a London to Brighton cluesheet would be great, heading out tomorrow with the g/f on her dutch bike.

http://www.lfgss.com/thread77319.html

Not that it was very helpful.

It would be useful to find something and a quick internet search suggests that there's loads out there but I suspect you'll find a longhand method quicker than wading through it all if you need something for tomorrow.

How do I remove my BB when it's stuck so tight i just did this to my park tools spanner?

That is a headset spanner, they are not designed for removing the fixed cup of a bottom bracket. The correct tool is a vice.

My riding looks like this:

-Commute during the week (150-175 miles per week - fixed).
-Light spin on a Saturday (35 miles - road bike or I'll join the slow club road ride on my fixed gear, usually ~60-70 miles).
-Long club rides on a Sunday (~120-140 miles).
-Just started racing (BC road races ~60-80 miles in place of club ride).

Would I benefit from sports massages? I do have heavy feeling legs most of the time and not soreness, but a lingering ache/tiredness is pretty much always there. I guess it just feels like I'm constantly full of lactate. I know I don't cool down enough from hard rides, though I do stretch a lot. I did a TT study for some PhD research and the guy's blood tests told him that I hold onto lactate like a mofo (24 hours off the bike it's at a level he would have expected 1-2 hours after a hard effort).

I have a foam roller which I used to loosen up my IT bands, but never really felt that I got any benefit from it other than that. I can't afford lots of massage though, so it would be maybe a 30 minute session once a month. My concern is that if it did help, one hard ride later, the benefit will have been lost. And unless it's prep for an important race or recovery from a long ride (doing the C2C2C in 18 hours later this year!) then it'd be worthless.

Any experiences?

definitely overdoing, you need at least 1 day off per week, why not drive/get the train on one day to have a regimented rest day?

invest in some ice packs, great for sitting in the watching the tv, i rate compression stuff but i think its a bit psychological, sports massage is supposed to be great, but as you say its a bit of a spend habit!

what foam roller do you have, i used to use a foam roller and upgraded to a trigger point one, and found its much, much more effective...

I'm being dumb and finding this hard to understand:
http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/static/filemanager/cycle_restrictions_map.jpg

Does it mean there are no cycle restrictions on a train from Cambridge to London? So if four people just rock up with bikes and ask for a ticket on the next train to London, we won't have needed to reserve bike space or anything?

(This will be on a Saturday evening if that helps)

Cheers

This is a bit of a double edged sword. Your right that you dont need a reservation but it's pretty common for train companies to restrict the maximum number of bikes per train. On services where you cant book you just have to hope that there arent many other cyclists so that there is room for you to get on.

Bicycle carriage is provided free of charge so the train companies get away with this shoddy arrangement.

You'll probably be fine - at worst you just have to wait for the next train.

Thanks. So in general they're allowed on the route, it's just a question of the train guard allowing it or not? I've only previously taken bikes on the train back from Brighton, and that was perfect. They looked surprised to even be asked if it was allowed, and there was specific bike space and everything. I'm hoping Cambridge will be just as easy.

definitely overdoing, you need at least 1 day off per week,.

"overdoing it" is dependent on the person, if they are sufferring from severe fatigue, hormonal/emotional problems, injuries, deterioration of physical ability and nightmares. Then you could say they were overdoing it.

Sanddancer just has tired legs. This is totally normal and hardly an inconvenience. Dropping out days of riding will not necessarily reduce this as they are clearly well adapted to riding a lot. Riding less might just 'detrain' them.

I would recommend, more food (good stuff) and hot baths. Massages may help but unless you have someone to do it for free, or you have a specific knot/cramp etc, I would not bother. Also sleep, lots of sleep.

If you are asking from a training perspective and are concerned about optimising your performance. You may want to start periodising your riding. Introducing recovery periods where you go easy, so you can go much harder than usual at other times - to beat your own distance/endurance and speed records.

If you are always tired from commuting/junk miles, you may maintain a decent tolerance for mileage. But you will never get to really push yourself to be faster.

the shiny stuff on my hack bike has the circles (DSP Race) and is nice apart form its shinyness, the tape on the look is the other one (DSP) and has the logo all over it. I'm after something with the finish of one and the pattern of the other, but I'm being unnecessarily fussy.

It's not what I'd call shiny:

Do you want a matt finish like the Fizik Microtex?

"overdoing it" is dependent on the person, if they are sufferring from severe fatigue, hormonal/emotional problems, injuries, deterioration of physical ability and nightmares. Then you could say they were overdoing it.

Sanddancer just has tired legs. This is totally normal and hardly an inconvenience. Dropping out days of riding will not necessarily reduce this as they are clearly well adapted to riding a lot. Riding less might just 'detrain' them.

I would recommend, more food (good stuff) and hot baths. Massages may help but unless you have someone to do it for free, or you have a specific knot/cramp etc, I would not bother. Also sleep, lots of sleep.

If you are asking from a training perspective and are concerned about optimising your performance. You may want to start periodising your riding. Introducing recovery periods where you go easy, so you can go much harder than usual at other times - to beat your own distance/endurance and speed records.

If you are always tired from commuting/junk miles, you may maintain a decent tolerance for mileage. But you will never get to really push yourself to be faster.

You are contradicting yourself in one post.

if you don't give your body the chance to adapt following training, then it will not do so very well.

In case we have a new frame and forks can someone tell me the cost for a good wheel set handle bars stem saddle and the bars that saddle and stem fit onto?
Lets say that the frame has a price of 300 GBP.

Just to see the budget!I dont care if the parts are used or new!
The bike is going to be a fixed gear.

Cheers and thnx in advance!

Wedding tomorrow on Pall Mall, kicks off at half three.

This is going to be an Indian wedding so Fenella is in a sari, I (being boring) will be in a suit.

So- not cycling. I'd prefer to drive- but is there anywhere around there that I could leave the car that would be less than £35? 3pm to 1am.

Bit of a longshot- has anyone posted a bike frame to Oz?

If so, who did you use, and how much did it cost?

These guys will do it sea freight for 140: excess-baggage.com
I'm sure you could find cheaper too.

definitely overdoing, you need at least 1 day off per week, why not drive/get the train on one day to have a regimented rest day?

invest in some ice packs, great for sitting in the watching the tv, i rate compression stuff but i think its a bit psychological, sports massage is supposed to be great, but as you say its a bit of a spend habit!

what foam roller do you have, i used to use a foam roller and upgraded to a trigger point one, and found its much, much more effective...

I have been trying to keep Saturdays free lately. Problem is, the girlfriend then claims those days and I end up running about, walking miles, doing DIY or jobs that aren't exactly restful.

I do have some Skins compression tights that I use. I'm a little unsure about them...sometimes I'll wear them and the next day feel right as rain, but other times they seem to make no difference. I suffer from serious cramp after riding hard (though never on the bike) and if I wear the tights, they hold the cramp at bay, but as soon as I take them off, the camps will come as though I've never worn them.

My roller is a crappy ebay one; just a length of sold pipe lagging style polystyrene pipe. I was looking at the trigger point ones earlier, and although they're fairly steep for what they are, I could get one for the cost of a session or two at the massage place....teach a man to fish and all that.

I'd prefer to drive- but is there anywhere around there that I could leave the car that would be less than £35? 3pm to 1am.

Is Belgrave Sq too far? Free on Saturday afternoon, so if you get there after 1:30 you'll pay nothing
http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/meter/belgrave_square/london/

I was looking at the trigger point ones earlier, and although they're fairly steep for what they are, I could get one for the cost of a session or two at the massage place....teach a man to fish and all that.

^This

I can inflict more agony with the trigger point rollers than most masseurs I have ever used.

Is Belgrave Sq too far? Free on Saturday afternoon, so if you get there after 1:30 you'll pay nothing
http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/meter/belgrave_square/london/

Interesting, mile and a half walking.

I could drop people off, then go and park, and vice versa at the end.

Then drive home in a bus lane, wearing a really long tie.

^ Repped.

But: Disappointed in you Dammit. You really ought to wear a Sari under that tie.

"overdoing it" is dependent on the person, if they are sufferring from severe fatigue, hormonal/emotional problems, injuries, deterioration of physical ability and nightmares. Then you could say they were overdoing it.

Sanddancer just has tired legs. This is totally normal and hardly an inconvenience. Dropping out days of riding will not necessarily reduce this as they are clearly well adapted to riding a lot. Riding less might just 'detrain' them.

I would recommend, more food (good stuff) and hot baths. Massages may help but unless you have someone to do it for free, or you have a specific knot/cramp etc, I would not bother. Also sleep, lots of sleep.

If you are asking from a training perspective and are concerned about optimising your performance. You may want to start periodising your riding. Introducing recovery periods where you go easy, so you can go much harder than usual at other times - to beat your own distance/endurance and speed records.

If you are always tired from commuting/junk miles, you may maintain a decent tolerance for mileage. But you will never get to really push yourself to be faster.

The sleep thing could be an issue. I'm working two jobs and also doing an Open Uni degree so 4 hours is about the most I can expect. This is something I hope to change in the next couple of months though.

I wasn't really thinking about doing them for a performance benfit, though that would be a nice bonus. It really came about because there was an offer on at a local place and I thought it may just make me more comfortable. Just didn't want to spend the money if the benefit from a session was only going last until the next ride.

I think from a performance point of view, the junk miles observation is spot on. I find these days I find it hard to put in really intense efforts when riding and it's always my legs that give out first, never getting that heart racing, feeling like you're about to puke out your lungs sensation. More like a struggle against fatige than against the effort, if that makes sense.

Think it's time to start working out a structured training/riding plan...

I guess it just feels like I'm constantly full of lactate. I know I don't cool down enough from hard rides, though I do stretch a lot. I did a TT study for some PhD research and the guy's blood tests told him that I hold onto lactate like a mofo (24 hours off the bike it's at a level he would have expected 1-2 hours after a hard effort).

Stop hanging around with sports "scientists". Lactic acid is old hat, daddio. Here's a review of some real science:

Skeletal Muscle Fatigue: Cellular Mechanisms

TL:DR "In summary, it appears that the intracellular accumulation of lactate per se is not a major factor in muscle fatigue."

How do I remove my BB when it's stuck so tight i just did this to my park tools spanner?

As DFP said a vice or a draper FHW32 (32mm) for £5.99. It's a seriously tough tool and it's angled a bit little like a pedal spanner so you can get in there with some propper leverage:

http://www.powertoolwarehouse.co.uk/draper-52581-fhw32-bmw-and-ford-32mm-thermo-viscous-fan-nut-wrench.html

Also you probably know this but the drive side has a left-hand thread, so you have to turn clockwise to loosen - only saying as i've never seen a break like that on a park spanner, good luck.

That is a headset spanner, they are not designed for removing the fixed cup of a bottom bracket. The correct tool is a vice.

Well it used to fit my bb tool (32mm) and has plenty of leverage, you can see why i gave it a try. I've use it successfully many times in the past. I don't have a large enough adjustable spanner or a vice. Time to get one.

What i'm worried about is damaging the frame if I use it for leverage. I am going to need to use more force than is required to destroy a good quality headset spanner. After all modern frames are often only strong in the places their designers want them to be

As DFP said a vice or a draper FHW32 (32mm) for £5.99. It's a seriously tough tool and it's angled a bit little like a pedal spanner so you can get in there with some propper leverage:

http://www.powertoolwarehouse.co.uk/draper-52581-fhw32-bmw-and-ford-32mm-thermo-viscous-fan-nut-wrench.html

Also you probably know this but the drive side has a left-hand thread, so you have to turn clockwise to loosen - only saying as i've never seen a break like that on a park spanner, good luck.

Thanks for that advise - the threading depends if it's english or italian doesn't it. Mine is English... i think. If it's Italian that might explain where I went wrong!

Well it used to fit my bb tool (32mm) and has plenty of leverage, you can see why i gave it a try. I've use it successfully many times in the past. I don't have a large enough adjustable spanner or a vice. Time to get one.

Oh I see, I thought you were using it for a fixed cup of a traditional bottom bracket. If you are using a BB tool for a cartidge BB. You still need to use a real spanner (not a flat spanner). The vice would be excessive in this case. Get yourself a bolt to help secure the BB tool against the BB. Then use a large spanner (available in a good hardware/mechanics shop) to undo the BB.

I bought a quality 32mm spanner for £4.20 from a regular shop.

The sleep thing could be an issue. I'm working two jobs and also doing an Open Uni degree so 4 hours is about the most I can expect. This is something I hope to change in the next couple of months though.

High Mileage.
Rarely have rest days
4 Hours sleep a night

See where this is going ?

I know fuck all. But most people would say you need to give your body chance to rebuild a bit.

Life of course may interfere. The massages may cure the symptom, not the cause.