Team BKool CycleChat

[<Tommy>]

You was pushing out some big watts there At times though you started pushing say 300 then 190, then back up to 280, then down again .... I go like that when I get tired too ... I then have to just concentrate on a steady watts level (say 220/230) and just keep a good tempo. You did really well though to stick it out - can be a lonely place (as I'll find out in Wales) climbing those mountains

I think that's good advice for all of us with regards to pacing ourselves.
The more training rides I put in the more admiration I've got for Add, Bill and Bridgy. The distance they did with the crazy amount of climbing on top of that! It really seems like an incredible challenge.
It's much more testing than anything I've tried before. Ive got a mix of excitement, determination and intrepidation at the moment, but I'm sure that's the same for all of us. In short,

bring it on!!!

 

[CXRAndy]

Paul I noticed your 31mile ride at 21+mph. If that is solo you should be doing TT?. You could do a 20mins or less with a TT bike

 

[bridgy]

Paul I noticed your 31mile ride at 21+mph. If that is solo you should be doing TT?. You could do a 20mins or less with a TT bike

Yeah that was solo Andy. Have always wondered about doing a TT but don't really want to go down the inevitable slippery slope of specialist aero TT equipment etc to shave more and more seconds off my time! So for now I'm happy pootling around on my trusty aluminium Giant Defy and beating my own personal bests when I can

 

[bridgy]

Paul I noticed your 31mile ride at 21+mph. If that is solo you should be doing TT?. You could do a 20mins or less with a TT bike

There's a 10 mile TT course just round the corner from me - 5 miles up the A38, round the roundabout and back again. I've done one direction many times as it's part of a 20 mile loop I often do if I only have an hour spare, and my best time for the 5 miles up to the roundabout is 10.35, but I've never turned round and gone back the other way - I must do this some time! I have stumbled upon a TT taking place there before and must admit I did take some satisfaction overtaking a guy in full TT gear . One of those overtakes you soon regret though, as you realise you really have to keep going full gas as it would be so embarrasing to be re-overtaken!! That roundabout couldn't come fast enough!

 

[CXRAndy]

There's a 10 mile TT course just round the corner from me - 5 miles up the A38, round the roundabout and back again. I've done one direction many times as it's part of a 20 mile loop I often do if I only have an hour spare, and my best time for the 5 miles up to the roundabout is 10.35, but I've never turned round and gone back the other way - I must do this some time! I have stumbled upon a TT taking place there before and must admit I did take some satisfaction overtaking a guy in full TT gear . One of those overtakes you soon regret though, as you realise you really have to keep going full gas as it would be so embarrasing to be re-overtaken!! That roundabout couldn't come fast enough!

Talk about crushing a riders ego, overtaken by rider on standard bike on the hoods

 

[bridgy]

While looking that up I've noticed the guy who has the KOM on my local TT course is Marcin Bialoblocki who's riding in this year's Giro d'Italia - 17.45 at an average speed of 33.2mph

Edit: Don't think it was him I overtook

 

[theboxers]

Holy carp. Have you seen the performance numbers from the riders on the Giro on the live page?

http://www.giroditalia.it/eng/live/

Scrool about half way down, and then scroll left and right for many riders

 

[CXRAndy]

Giro, in an attempt to catch the breakaway riders crashing all over the place in panic

 

[AAAC 76C]

Giro Stage 1 in 7 if anyone is interested

 

[Whorty]

Giro, in an attempt to catch the breakaway riders crashing all over the place in panic

Organisers seem to get that slightly wrong .... road not closed off and not enough marshalls. Looked nasty for some riders.

 

[Daddy Pig]

While looking that up I've noticed the guy who has the KOM on my local TT course is Marcin Bialoblocki who's riding in this year's Giro d'Italia - 17.45 at an average speed of 33.2mph

Edit: Don't think it was him I overtook

You can't get much flatter than the Somerset levels though, although it's pretty exposed in places to the elements. Bloody fast time though bridgy... wonder what you could do in an aero position on a tt bike...

 

[Whorty]

You can't get much flatter than the Somerset levels though, although it's pretty exposed in places to the elements. Bloody fast time though bridgy... wonder what you could do in an aero position on a tt bike...

Not very level by me when I ride up into Somerset!!! I seem to have the Somerset non-levels

 

[Steve]

Giro Stage 1 in 7 if anyone is interested

As i seem to be getting regular 'you have been..............' morning emails (such as the stage above, thank you AAAC) i thought i might as well invite some more, so i've just posted a time for Stage 2 of May's CG, hope it helps.

 

[<Tommy>]

I tried to take my pedals off my bike yesterday to pack it into a bike box but the pedals had completely seized to the crank arms. They're the type that are fixed with Allen key rather than spanner. I sprayed some lubricant on them to try and help release them, and used a ratchet wrench with a hex head attached for extra leverage. I put so much force through it that the pedal didn't release but the hex bit snapped offf inside the pedal spindle and is now completely wedged in... so now I not only can't take the pedals off the crank arms, but one is a bit buggered on top of that.

Any ideas? I've tried drilling it out with a 2mm drill bit but it's barely made a dent in the sheared off hex bit.

 

[berty bassett]

I tried to take my pedals off my bike yesterday to pack it into a bike box but the pedals had completely seized to the crank arms. They're the type that are fixed with Allen key rather than spanner. I sprayed some lubricant on them to try and help release them, and used a ratchet wrench with a hex head attached for extra leverage. I put so much force through it that the pedal didn't release but the hex bit snapped offf inside the pedal spindle and is now completely wedged in... so now I not only can't take the pedals off the crank arms, but one is a bit buggered on top of that.

Any ideas? I've tried drilling it out with a 2mm drill bit but it's barely made a dent in the sheared off hex bit.

if theres enough sticking out can you get molegrips on it ? you were undoing it werent you i know its silly but one goes backwards as i am sure you know
if cheap enough pedals and lbs is out of question maybe dremel a slot in it for screwdriver but that seems harsh
think i would lbs it then less chance of mullering it