Team BKool CycleChat

[theboxers]

3hrs and 43.3 miles completed. Some nasty little bumps, with %'s up to 10-14% I think it's safe to say the 60 miler DD is the one for me. I could comfortably add an extra 20 miles to the ride today ... but not sure I could add an extra 50 miles and 6000ft of climbing. Weighing up the options of 30 extra miles, or a few more beers .... hmmm, the beers are going to win

You need to do some of the longer, 25-40km, Bigring VR rides 1700+ m of climbing. For me thats going to be 4+ hrs, owing to the way it works (w/kg). I'm enjoying the ones I do, .

http://bigringvr.com/Ride.aspx?rideID=1073 Pikes Peak.
I've had to split it into 3 rides (too long, time wise, for me to do in one lump). I still enjoy it though .

 

[CXRAndy]

Carl see if you can push the ride out to 60-65 miles in the next two weeks.

 

[Whorty]

Carl see if you can push the ride out to 60-65 miles in the next two weeks.

That is the plan (weather permitting). I have 2 more Sundays to go for the longer outdoor rides, and hopefully a couple of BKool long rides too.

I am noticing vagaries between real life and Bkool though - real life seems 'easier' on the flats and downs, but Bkool is 'easier' on the climbs. On Bkool (and Zwift) I can climb for 1-2 hours but IRL as I start to tire on the climbs I start to get worried I'll fall off the bike and can't keep the rhythm going ... very off putting when there are banks of stinging nettles to the left, and cars passing to the right

I'm feeling good about the DD now as I'm pretty much there for the 60 miler. If it's not too cold, and no wind, then I might push to the 95 miles but the weather really would need to be on my side for that to happen .

 

[CXRAndy]

How is your cadence on the steepest sections, is it a grind or spin 85+rpm ?

 

[bobinski]

Whorty-great progress!
Yes, the fear of falling on steep uphills is real Just keep pedalling

 

[theboxers]

I'm watching the Giro and they've just had some, at that time, stats pop up for Andre Greipel 250-300w 45kmh 115 bpm

 

[rob01792]

Whorty-great progress!
Yes, the fear of falling on steep uphills is real Just keep pedalling

and if u do stop it can be fun trying to clip back in

 

[theboxers]

and if u do stop it can be fun trying to clip back in

That's why mtb pedals and shoes are better when you start out. DAMHIK

 

[Whorty]

How is your cadence on the steepest sections, is it a grind or spin 85+rpm ?

Still feels like a grind at times, even though I drop to the lower gears. I get out of breath very quickly if I go to the lowest gear and the resistance still feels highish on the legs so I often end up going back to a higher gear and getting out of the saddle to get the speed back up. Just not fit enough to spin at very high cadence

 

[Whorty]

That's why mtb pedals and shoes are better when you start out. DAMHIK

That's what I have - clip one side, flat the other.

 

[bobinski]

Still feels like a grind at times, even though I drop to the lower gears. I get out of breath very quickly if I go to the lowest gear and the resistance still feels highish on the legs so I often end up going back to a higher gear and getting out of the saddle to get the speed back up. Just not fit enough to spin at very high cadence

You will get there-almost there as it is.
I went out on a real life ride today, 1st proper one in a long time. It seems I now spin faster than most of the 100's of people we saw riding. My mate commented on it asking how I had learnt. Turbo. Plain and simple. There's some drills on TR but you can just fire up your sim of choice (bkool- really? ) choose a flattish route and just spin. 95ish for me is just about right and staves off fatigue, though I agree, can trouble my breathing but easier with more practice.

 

[theboxers]

Still feels like a grind at times, even though I drop to the lower gears. I get out of breath very quickly if I go to the lowest gear and the resistance still feels highish on the legs so I often end up going back to a higher gear and getting out of the saddle to get the speed back up. Just not fit enough to spin at very high cadence

I've found that a very, very low gear 26/32 or 26/36 I can spin @85 or so on >5% gradients (180-200 bkool watts). Take that to a 36/32 or 36/36 and I'm down to 70-75 (190-210 bkool watts). Speed/power turns out to be very similar. I can hold the low spin gear easier, but put out a little more power easier in the higher gear. But I tend to burn out quicker in the higher gear. It's just finding that sweet spot of the 2.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Poly bushes are great, but need to coated on the mating surfaces with copper grease or alike to stop creaks

It's not just the creaks, which have gone with a bit of PTFE spray however I did grease them with the supplied grease, where they are they act as the pivot point for the top of the rear struts. Two thick poly washers sandwich the top mount plate which is bolted to the underside of the wheel arch area,. The end of the rear damper rod is threaded and goes through the centre of the sandwich which is topped with a dished washer and a nut.
With the rear trailing arm in the weight on wheels position the lower strut mount is quite an effort get lined up i.e. you are already compressing one side of the sandwich which in turn side loads the damper rod quite a bit.
The OEM bushes are more compress able so lining up the lower mount does not side-load the damper rod so much.
My view is that a side loaded damper rod will not operate so well and seals could fail prematurely hence I am going back to OEM which are 1/4 of the price new and I replaced mine about 3K ago anyway when I fitted my Koni FSD's

 

[bobinski]

Has anyone else noted the number of tyre punctures in the Giro? I am surprised more teams don't run tubeless or at least some sealant in the tubs?

 

[CXRAndy]

Has anyone else noted the number of tyre punctures in the Giro? I am surprised more teams don't run tubeless or at least some sealant in the tubs?

Quite a few Bob. Sealant would hardly effect the performance.