Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

coddlesangers

coddlesangers wrote: »

65km with 1000m climbing, freezing as per. But I'm in a state of shock. Bike dropped the chain a few times, I didn't think much of it. Ended stuck in the big ring, was a pain in the hole given I had a few climbs still to do, but good for the low cadence work I guess. Got home and inspected the bike to find not one but two chainring bolts missing, explains all the mech issues. I had the bike in for a service 3 weeks ago, it's an expensive full tear down and rebuild. What the ever living ****. I could have come a proper cropper given the circumstances, I'm raging.

Back to the shop - chainring bolts not their fault apparently, tear down doesn't include checking same. Chainrings are absolute black ovals with their own specialized bolts. Install guide insists on thread locker, i didn't use any. Mea Cupla. Replaced with sturdier ones from the fella in the shop.

cletus

coddlesangers wrote: »

Back to the shop - chainring bolts not their fault apparently, tear down doesn't include checking same. Chainrings are absolute black ovals with their own specialized bolts. Install guide insists on thread locker, i didn't use any. Mea Cupla. Replaced with sturdier ones from the fella in the shop.

When did you install the chainrings? What is involved in this shop's "tear down"?

smacl

Escaped from the 5K zone at lunch and very nice it was too. 35km with 640m of up and some nice views for a change. Delighted.

wheelo01

Wasnt quite as adventurous as Smacl, but got out for 35 at almost 25kph, cold enough day, but great to do something different.

https://strava.app.link/77ZiA0wZRbb

Daroxtar

I've been confined to the turbo for the past month after an operation to fix my thumb after coming off the bike. Probably another fortnight before I can get back out.
I was absolutely flying earlier in the year and then struggled to get back on form following a hernia op. I was just about right again when I had my spill so I was a bit pissed off at the thoughts of losing my hard earned fitness.


Well the last few weeks have been getting steadily more depressing. I was dropped like a stone on a cat C social spin on Zwift when I was quite competitive in B races earlier in the year. Every spin I've done for the last few weeks has been so much harder than anticipated. I could just about sustain 3w/kg and had no desire or the legs to go harder or for longer.

This evening I used the Bike The World app and just started fiddling around with some settings before I started.
Spun the legs for a minute and the PM was reading over 250w on the garmin while the turbo was reading barely over 200w on the laptop. I hadn't thought to calibrate the turbo since spring. I've been killing myself for the last month and wondering why I feel crap!!
Reset everything and has a short spin and felt fcuking marvellous. Heaps of watts (probably no endurance though)
I'm not wasting away. Happy days

Mercian Pro

Out the door at 8.25 this morning for a club meetup in Swords at 9.00. 11 of us initially headed SW round the new runway at the Airport before heading north to Garristown where the sun briefly appeared. Through Naul and across to Balbriggan for SD coffee+ outside the Centra near the church. Along the coast to Skerries before taking a contorted route inland back to Swords. A few of the gang were heading home to Portmarnock so I added that loop in before returning home via Baldoyle and Fairview. Lots of mucky roads, generally overcast and cool but great to be back with the Tuesday group.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Em3WgXH7Rbb

Seth Brundle

Went out early (7:15) this morning to beat a lot of the school and commuting traffic.
Managed to get almost 70km and almost 400m at a leisurley 26.6km/h.
It was cold and damp but thankfully fairly quiet. It probably felt like the coldest so far this winter.

secman

Off work today, having some cardiac tests in the afternoon. Headed out for a leisurely 70km this morning , 520m elevation and an avg of 26kph on the button. Nice crisp morning.

Brendan Hennessy

at1withmyself wrote: »

Last day of level 5 is tomorrow

A call out to everyone who stuck cycling within the 5km,i enjoyed reading about your spins. I managed 3 in the past 6 weeks as I struggled with the loops so took to walking and running.

Not quite my cycle today - but here's my story about riding every road in my 5km.

In order to complete the challenge we had to take to the high seas!!

http://www.oldvelos.com/three-go-down-to-the-sea/

Really glad we did it.

Brendan

positron

^^ That's a really nice part of the world you are in. Nice read!!

I tried to ride to the boundaries (if not all the roads) of my 5k radius and I did 110k over two rides and still had at least 30% to cover!!

And perhaps another 100k if I want to do ALL the roads in 5k radius. My initial plan was to do every single paved surface (going into estates etc), but would have taken me months!!

Brendan Hennessy

That's some map too Positron!

Mine took over 140 miles, but that's including the sea crossing. There was a huge amount of doubling back and going out over the ame raods again and again. I had thought about the estats too, but was sure the Guards - if not the asylum - would be called! Well done.

Brendan

JMcL

Not as foggy or frozen in my part of the SE this morning as it seems to be elsewhere so got out as soon as it was reasonably light (about 8:15). Brass monkeys all the same, Garmin reported a max of about 1 degree. I usually find this about 2 or 3 degrees below the actual, but feels about accurate when taking wind chill into account. All the same, tiptoed around for fear of black ice which thankfully wasn't forthcoming. 61km with about 680m at a cautious 22km/h

Type 17

Went out to Howth from Dublin city - freezing and damp/foggy on the way out (4deg C, felt like 0deg C), but once you got near the summit of Howth, you were above the fog-bank and it was blue skies and bright sunshine and it felt closer to 6-8 degC. Photo from the summit car park, looking across the bay to Dublin/Wicklow mountains:

barrier86

36km. City centre around howth and back. Sun was shining as I go to the top of the hill. Fantastic view.

Deano12345

barrier86 wrote: »

36km. City centre around howth and back. Sun was shining as I go to the top of the hill. Fantastic view.

Me and a mate did the same route! I’d say we passed each other at some point. Fairly fresh out today below the fog!

Dexif

Howth as well this morning at 8am. Wahoo said it was -4 and it felt like it! Side wall of back tyre blowout on way home then. CO2 cartridge on a morning like that was not pleasant!

puddles22

What a day, really Icy in the first 20k and then was no bother after that, nice fresh beautiful winters day. Nice wee 75k

https://strava.app.link/07vu4UMf0bb

Tell me how

puddles22 wrote: »

What a day, really Icy in the first 20k and then was no bother after that, nice fresh beautiful winters day. Nice wee 75k

https://strava.app.link/07vu4UMf0bb

That's some end to a ride to have to look forward to! Impressive.

Stunning pics by the way.

barrier86

Deano12345 wrote: »

Me and a mate did the same route! I’d say we passed each other at some point. Fairly fresh out today below the fog!

Most probably did! Plenty out today.

puddles22

Tell me how wrote: »

That's some end to a ride to have to look forward to! Impressive.

Stunning pics by the way.

That's the end to a lot of my rides, starting to accept it though it is always in the back of mind lol

fat bloke

Two x 1 hour turbo's for me all weekend . I had the forecast completely ar$eways. I had Saturday written off but it didn't turn out as cold or as wet as promised and was all set for Sunday but the roads were so bad around us that I could hardly go for a walk around the neighbourhood. No way was I going out on my bike.

.red.

Went out this morning about 10am, well layered up. Longest cycle yet at just over 60km.
Bitterly cold tho.
Went from home onto the N22, turned off at Macroom and as far as Inchegeela. Thought I'd get a cuppa tea there but no luck so ate my breakfast bar in a lovely park and turned back.
I really struggled for the last 15kms. A real lack of energy and my toes were getting sore from the cold in trainers and thick socks. Straight into a hot bath for 30 mins when I got home.
61kms @22kph with 300m of very small climbs in 2h46m.
Nice cycle but very tough going at the end.

https://strava.app.link/TGXqdpiC1bb

padyjoe

I was out yesterday in the thick fog, visibility less than 100mtrs. Kept to the flats and wide roads. I got 46 kms in less than 2 hours, some 230m elevation. It was cold but manageable.
The experience:
I have prescription glasses, no way taking them off, the lenses soon will be covered in drizzle, so a frequent wipe with a gloved finger needed if you are feeling blind.
I had front and rear the lights on, bright coloured gilet and helmet cover. I felt this still might not be enough: cars passing me with no lights at all!!!!, with DRL on only and no rear ones lit, cars with parking lights.
I was wondering if those drivers don't care to put their lights on to make themselves visible, how much do they care about what's going on around them? And one of them was a dark coloured Defender of a mobile network company, cutting through the haze in a complete murkiness and they drive for living.
Stay safe lads, light up and keep those eyes and ears focussed!

Seth Brundle

I went out yesterday evening after spending the day in online meetings (from home) - really needed to get out as my head was melted.
Anyhow, was expecting it to be foggy and possibly slippery so went on my hynbrid rather than the road bike. However, there was no fog. Ground seemed damp but not frosty/icy thankfully. It was cold though (-2℃) - my right foot was numb for hours afterwards despite the merino socks and shoe covers.
Managed just shy of 50km @ 25.4km/h around the Leixlip/Ardclough/Newcastle/Lucan areas.
One thing I've noticed recently whilst cycling the back roads in the dark - I rarely get close passed. I reckon if I were to cycle the same road in the daytime, I'd be passed closely by several cars. Go figure.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4442967555

Rogue-Trooper

padyjoe wrote: »

cars passing me with no lights at all!!!!, with DRL on only and no rear ones lit, cars with parking lights.
I was wondering if those drivers don't care to put their lights on to make themselves visible, how much do they care about what's going on around them?

A girl I work with drove her new car for a couple of months at night with only her DRLs on. She thought she had automatic lights and only found out when someone jumped out of their car at the traffic lights one night to tell her off!!:eek:


Back on topic, this morning's commute into work was buttock-clenching at times. Was out the door before 0630 and it was very frosty out. Roads in my estate were completely white but main roads not so bad. Just took it really handy. Need to look at some winter tyres for the CAADX commuter bike - I have a spare set of rims so I could switch them easily on bad days.

CramCycle

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

A girl I work with drove her new car for a couple of months at night with only her DRLs on. She thought she had automatic lights and only found out when someone jumped out of their car at the traffic lights one night to tell her off!!:eek:

The number of people who think their DRLs are full lights is frightening. I've been told to f off when I point out their rear lights aren't on in a nice way. DRLs are bizarre, why are they not just dims, it is bizarre. The studies their usage is based on was using dims, it is so bizarre.

grouchyman

25.6 kms this morning to bring my total to over 5,000 kms for the year. Was out at around 8. It was good and dark and wet, kinda what you expect this time of the year.

The main bike is getting its back wheel replaced for the second time in about 2.5 years, so I'm back to using the old trek 1.2 (sora groupset and flat pedals) at the moment. My times on the trek this morning are slower than usual so I'm curious to see if the new wheel on the main bike makes a big difference when I get it back.

smacl

grouchyman wrote: »

25.6 kms this morning to bring my total to over 5,000 kms for the year. Was out at around 8. It was good and dark and wet, kinda what you expect this time of the year.

Just 20k with 410m of up for me, up to the Hellfire through the mud in Masseys Wood, taking my YTD to 4,986k. Mañana, mañana....

Spiked tyres feel heavy as feck and are accompanied by the sound of someone drowning in a bowl of rice crispies. Better that the Schwalbe G-Ones in the mud for all that which make me think I'll need a rethink on the choice of gravel tyre in the spring.

smacl

Up Cruagh to Foxes and back for 25km with 400m of up and passed my 5000k goal for the year. Jebus but the ice tyres not only suck, they feel positively vampiric and I managed to record one of my worst ever times for the circuit in what were really good conditions. Really need to pick up a spare set of wheels so I can quickly pick tyres based on the day that's in it.

Wildly Boaring

50k pretty flat.
In the pissing rain and dark.
Wouldn't mind but I could have gone out earlier and avoided both

Ah well. Home and hosed.

Drivers better in the dark