Team BKool CycleChat

[<Tommy>]

I've just just uploaded the ride so it will appear in Strava and Bkool(greyed out presently)

7800ft climbing. Alot commented on how there were many more climbs between the categorised ascents. Just remembered on the 4th to last climb, you entered this private road, tree lined with a full canopy. For about a mile or so it was beautiful with the sunlight beaming through the trees. At the end was a mother of climbs. Ahead riders were falling like 10 pins first one with cramp, he lay there thumping his thigh trying to kill the cramp, then another fell who couldn't get round him, then another jumped off his bike hobbling around a vain in an attempt to stave of heavy cramp. I must admit it nearly happened to me

Strava estimate I was just shy 500Watts for the first climb (listed 41 out of 100climbs)?

Great stuff Andy!

A well deserved coming you're way

 

[kipster]

Finished the TdY 100k. Bloody hell what a task. First hill literally after the start had dozens walking up it. It was maybe a mile long hardly ever went under 10% and had 18% for huge sections. Started to suffer physically at around 45miles with cramp on both legs. Women were crying at the roadside asking to go home, bodies walking up most climbs. I could of got off so many times, but ever so slowly ground my way up everything. Bloody Go-pro didn't record ride to show how steep it really was. Chap came a cropper on fast decent, he was still alive as I nearly bunny hopped him at over 40mph. Waiting in field for professionals to go by-they are so slow

Here comes the peleton

We watched the peloton crawl up Shibden wall, loved it. And well done on the sportive, I left my bike at home

 

[gbrown]

That is my tactic! I hold on to the breaks for grim death 30 mph on a straight descent is all I'm prepared to do. I want to protect my youthful good looks

This is my favourite local descent, wide enough to not have to brake at any point but bendy enough to be fun!


View: https://youtu.be/P3WoAUVinYs?t=35s

P.S. When descending fast, I always move to the right side of the left lane, to make sure any cars that do overtake have to do it properly, in the right lane!

 

[Whorty]

I've used my bmc with the 36 cassette today. Did a session on BRVR, Pikes Peak, superb video and painful gradients. Ok I'll not set any records, but it is nice to know there is a gear lower than you'd normally have, to use for when your legs say no more.

I will stick the GT, with it's 36 cassette, on there tomorrow for a less steep climbing session.

Have a 11-32 cassette on now - will be testing it out for the first time tomorrow. Also have two new Conti 4 season tyres on. Not had chance to have the two handle bar levers fitted yet

 

[theboxers]

Have a 11-32 cassette on now - will be testing it out for the first time tomorrow. Also have two new Conti 4 season tyres on. Not had chance to have the two handle bar levers fitted yet

I put my sram 1130 11-36 on a bike with an 11-32 cassette (I think it's a medium GS 105 derailleur). It turned up unboxed so I can't confirm what it is, it went straight on though. Only adjustment so far is the b tension screw (to separate the cassette from the derailleur jockey wheels). I will be doing the final ride test tomorrow on a bkool session.

The sram 1030 11-36 cassette worked without issue on the BMC. Again only adjustment so far is the b tension screw.

They can be got for not a lot relatively speaking.

1030 10 speed 11-36 £32
1130 11 speed 11-36 £37

You need to add a chain whip and cassette lock ring remover (2 parts) £7 and up

All info on changing the cassettes was gained from YouTube. It took about 15 minutes all told (including watching the videos)

Not had chance to have the two handle bar levers fitted yet

There is a video on YouTube about fitting them.

 

[<Tommy>]

I put my sram 1130 11-36 on a bike with an 11-32 cassette (I think it's a medium GS 105 derailleur). It turned up unboxed so I can't confirm what it is, it went straight on though. Only adjustment so far is the b tension screw (to separate the cassette from the derailleur jockey wheels). I will be doing the final ride test tomorrow on a bkool session.

The sram 1030 11-36 cassette worked without issue on the BMC. Again only adjustment so far is the b tension screw.

They can be got for not a lot relatively speaking.

1030 10 speed 11-36 £32
1130 11 speed 11-36 £37

You need to add a chain whip and cassette lock ring remover (2 parts) £7 and up

All info on changing the cassettes was gained from YouTube. It took about 15 minutes all told (including watching the videos)


There is a video on YouTube about fitting them.

I've bought 50-34 compact chain rings with Wales in mind. I'm sttill undercided what cassette to go with but probably 11-28.

With the guys running tubeless (Andy and Bob?) do you have any reservations running them? What happens if you get a large puncture?

I love tubs myself but I've never ridden so far from home and if the worst happens it's possibly ride over for me.

 

[CXRAndy]

I've bought 50-34 compact chain rings with Wales in mind. I'm sttill undercided what cassette to go with but probably 11-28.

With the guys running tubeless (Andy and Bob?) do you have any reservations running them? What happens if you get a large puncture?

I love tubs myself but I've never ridden so far from home and if the worst happens it's possibly ride over for me.

Tubeless are great, small holes generally self seal, not even notice. Major tyre problem, convert to innertube. I carry a couple of spare inners but also sealant and gas inflators. Tubs are nice to ride, if youve got a spare tub and can fit it quickly then tubs are ok. You could put Stans sealant in tubs to offering protection from thorn holes

 

[<Tommy>]

Morning Andy

Generally I won't put stans in the tyre until I've gotten the puncture as otherwise I think you're in the position of having to top it up every few months. I might have this wrong? It's magical stuff though and saved my bacon a couple of times. Before I discovered stans I used Vitoria pitstop but it's much more hit and miss. I've changed out a tub at the side of the road when the pitstop failed me. It's not much hassle in itself. The problem with it is that the tub isn't fully secure. Ok to get you home but I wouldn't fancy doing another 70 miles up and down Welsh hills on it. Also it requires pre gluing a tub where as these days I've started using tub tape rather than glue. So now I'd need to carry a spare tub and tape. These days I just carry a small pot of stans, C02, core removal tool, sometimes a mini pump, patches and superglue. This combo gets me out of 99% of trouble. But I'm just thinking very worse scenario, I gash I tyre badly, it could be game over. Maybe I'm overthinking this though.

 

[CXRAndy]

That is not a bad method Tommy re Stans sealant.-- get puncture, remove valve rotate tyre so puncture is at bottom and pour in sealant, re inflate. everything should be ok.

Re tubeless and Stans, Ive never topped it up, I read that you should, but my tyres have been on nearly 2 years. I suppose I should renew sealant for DD

 

[<Tommy>]

That is not a bad method Tommy re Stans sealant.-- get puncture, remove valve rotate tyre so puncture is at bottom and pour in sealant, re inflate. everything should be ok.

Re tubeless and Stans, Ive never topped it up, I read that you should, but my tyres have been on nearly 2 years. I suppose I should renew sealant for DD

Yeah fingers crossed we all avoid the dreaded P word anyways!

I think with tubs and tubeless it's more likely the tyre goes bald rather than dies via puncture. I'd defo renew the sealent pre Wales though mate. From my understanding it turns from liquid to solid after 3 months or so

 

[bobinski]

TT what Andy said.
Andy, the only time my wheel didnt seal was when the sealant had dried out. Befoe hen it had sealed 4-5 broken glass p's in pouring rain on a 24h london to paris and coming down a 14% climb in the Alps. I dread to contemplate a clincher and tube rolling off at 40mph down that slope...
So, i am relatively confident tubeless will be as safe and reliable at least as any other combo but will carry sealant, tufo repair kit and an inner tube just in case. I wont give up 80-85psi and the comfort and relative speed it brings.

Ps-and the glue.

 

[CXRAndy]

I have no worries about tyre holding up after yesterday's descents. I'm easy a 100kg fully kitted out, I was descending at 40+mph on quite rough roads. Same as Tenerife banking into hairpins. Schwalbe just need 50 miles to scrub up for fantastic grip.

Just looked at my TdY results, fair would be the comment 5th out of 9 in club on long course.

Feel a little below average. I spotted a rider in my age group who completed the course in 3hr40 compared to my 5hr 10. Most came in around 4hr ish to 5hr ish.

Steepest gradient I recorded 28.8% eek

 

[<Tommy>]

TT what Andy said.
Andy, the only time my wheel didnt seal was when the sealant had dried out. Befoe hen it had sealed 4-5 broken glass p's in pouring rain on a 24h london to paris and coming down a 14% climb in the Alps. I dread to contemplate a clincher and tube rolling off at 40mph down that slope...
So, i am relatively confident tubeless will be as safe and reliable at least as any other combo but will carry sealant, tufo repair kit and an inner tube just in case. I wont give up 80-85psi and the comfort and relative speed it brings.

Ps-and the glue.

I feel the same about tubs. My back's still not great and lower psi is winning the argument vs clinchers

 

[gbrown]

I run Schwalbe One (25c) tyres on my carbon Powertap wheels (they aren't tubeless ready) and they've been great.

Previously I've used Bontrager R3 Tubeless tyres and they were fine, just had one puncture I noticed, a screw through the sidewall, and it nearly sealed the massive hole, but not quite.

Just got some Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless 25c for my Dura Ace wheels, hoping they will be as good as the non-tubeless ones. I managed to fit them without levers (first time for tubeless) and they sealed really easily. The Shimano valves don't have removable cores, making adding the sealant a pain, but I just pour it into the tyre carefully before I fit the last few inches, and then make sure it runs round to the bottom before fitting the last bit of the rim.

I use the Bontrager sealant (bought a big bottle online) and I read in tests that it didn't dry out in a year and was one of the best performing, so I've stuck with it. I've taken tyres off after a year and found plenty of sealant still liquid. I will worry about refreshing the sealant when/if it stops sealing, I think I would probably replace the tyre after two seasons anyway.

I bought a fancy Bontrager track pump, which I can pump up to 100+ psi and then dump the lot into the tyre in one go, which makes fitting tubeless tyres much easier. Before that I burned out an air compressor and nearly gave myself another stroke trying to seal the tyre with a normal track pump, while the sealant pissed out the sides!

My wife's new bike (Specialized Ruby) claims to have tubeless wheels and tyres (2Bliss?) but came with tubes and without tubeless valves, so I guess I need to buy some valves. I'm not sure I like the specialized tyres, they have a minimum pressure of 100psi on the sidewall, which seems daft for 26c tyres. Tempted to bin them and get some Schwalbe Pro Ones in 28mm, but hate to waste brand new tyres!

I would feel much safer with all the family running tubeless tyres, seems less chance of a blow out at speed and also less chance of the tyre coming off the rim. Can always fit a tube if a puncture doesn't seal, although it would be messy and quite hard work by the road side.

Geoff

 

[Whorty]

I think I'll be on Zwift (London) later to test out the new set up. Hoping the gearing is set up correctly, and the new tyres roll well