Thursday Night - Hour of Power

I just looked closely at Sunday's route for the first time. Total ascent, 1765m.

To prepare, I am going to spend tomorrow crying.

come on love. it's not that bad.

To prepare, I am going to spend tomorrow crying.

that^ for sure, plus, blaming Damian!

come on love. it's not that bad.

Honestly, 1765m isn't that bad at all. A tiny bit over 'standard' for that distance, in my skewed mind, but that makes sense because it has by intention got some proper hills in it. I'm still not feeling really comfortable in my self/on the bike at the moment, getting a bit of grief from my left leg that I keep soldiering through then regretting.
excuses excuses.
not sure I'm going to enjoy this making an effort to get round quickly lark. But I'm still going to make an effort to get round quickly. self-destructive attitude and appetite for suffering ftw!

Sounds like you're overgeared ;)

I can't deny that :( It would however appear that only my left leg's overgeared. Anyone got a creative technical solution (that isn't gear down and learn to pedal like a real man)?

Tom, you have a granny ring....overgeared....rly? ;p

I'm so tired tonight I can't think of a decent comeback. But if you could imagine you read one, and it was witty and biting with a hint of big ring attitude, that'd be just dandy.

Honestly, 1765m isn't that bad at all.

Really? That's a relief, I'd just gone wobbly at what appeared to be a big number.

Mebe you're right. Having thought, the route is statistically similar to a few trips what I've made into Kent and Sussex (the journey to and from my father's house).

Marginally less traumatic then. Still tricky through, I'm definitely going to have a bash at caning it.

Rest up tomorrow.

As for a creative technical solution, how about my old man's electrically assisted bike?

How about not using the big ring in the front for a while, but only the middle one?

friday:
http://www.bigringriding.com/

^I thought I was reasonably well-calibrated until I started cycling. Discovering that I've the attitude of an angry toddler came as something of a shock.

^^ this. I think. Unless I've misunderstood.

Spent the last 90 minutes on the turbo fiddling with seatpost height and saddles. and then spinning. like actually have the pedals going round more than once a second. have reached some kind of possibly comfortable agreement between them all but I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
/major fit adjustment before big ride stupidity

(the experimenting included a saddle i've borrowed from Edwardes - the most amazingly stupidly light (and stupid) saddle; Ti rails with a small arse-shaped section of carbon fibre on top, nothing more. not as uncomfortable as it sounds, but once the novelty wears off the numbness sets in...)

@damo I always read that URL as Big Ring Grinding.

i want to be like them in that blog.
but i know it's too late for me now.

^^ this. I think. Unless I've misunderstood.

Spent the last 90 minutes on the turbo fiddling with seatpost height and saddles. and then spinning. like actually have the pedals going round more than once a second. have reached some kind of possibly comfortable agreement between them all but I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
/major fit adjustment before big ride stupidity

(the experimenting included a saddle i've borrowed from Edwardes - the most amazingly stupidly light (and stupid) saddle; Ti rails with a small arse-shaped section of carbon fibre on top, nothing more. not as uncomfortable as it sounds, but once the novelty wears off the numbness sets in...)

It's really easy to set your saddle too high based on how you feel on the turbo. It's static, so the tendency is not to allow that little bit of give you need when minor road irregularities give you a little push upwards, or the bike 'counter-rocks' against your pedalstroke, or you stand heavy on the outer pedal at BDC when cornering, etc.

Err on the side of caution, and remember your hamstrings can shorten over the course of a ride too, which will exacerbate things.

I've got gears with me today and am considering a quick blitz after work, anyone interested?

I'll be in Shoreditch, trying to be cool.

Shame really because I could do with a spin. The last day or so has been a wee bit on the rough side, and I'm quite looking forward to the next leg stretching.

Hey Tom, probable, yeah, but im fixed and will be there about 6.

I've got gears with me today and am considering a quick blitz after work, anyone interested?

Maybe.... though I'm riding the shitter today which is never as much fun. Probably best save my pins for tomorrow eve if people are still up for that

Oh - and if you're quicker on gears than on your aero bar rocket ship jobby I've got no chance of keeping up!

Yeah, quicker on gears :P Will be doing the rounds tomorrow as well though, worry not. Plenty of Rollas out tomorrow too I think.

Ok, will come tomorrow on quick (for me) bike. Have fun this eve chaps

in for tomorrow.