Team BKool CycleChat

[AAAC 76C]

I can't remember who won that day other than it was more like a team time trial with a race for the line at the end.

Which one of us guys from the AAAC would you be then?

Trying to remember the whole Team from Major Eddie's Tea Room (Quote CSM Joe Wells)
Westy. (D Coy.)
Dave Moore (A Coy.)
Ian Herd (B Coy?,)
Rocky Marshall (D Coy)
Me (D Coy)
Leapy Lea? (? Coy) (Not 76c though)
Clint ... (? Coy) (Senior by then I think)
Gaz Bowers (D Coy) (Also a Senior I think)

I remember we dropped everyone pretty quickly after what's his name Hunt from Harrogate punctured so we just went full gas for the whole race as a TTT.
I think that was the day L Col Keast came to watch. I remember him standing on the bend at the top of the long drag up to the top of the circuit.
The next year I raced in the Senior race and came second to an Apprentice from Chepstow who as it happened was a good mate of Woody from A Company.
Shearing I think his name was.
I could of won but I waited for him as I had dropped him on the very short sharp climb around the corner after the long drag up.
I felt some odd form of duty to sprint it out as we did a two up break from lap 2 and left all of the 'old boys' standing.

I think I know who you are.
Are you in my avatar photo?

 

[CXRAndy]

Group rides obstacles are warned by an arm point in the direction you need to move. Poor group etiquette.

 

[<Tommy>]

That is some weight loss Tommy

Have you lost some power? I suppose as long as power loss isn't too great then it all good

Steep hill TV. Does short replays of the last few kilometres upto 15k or so, plus all the results

Cheers Andy

I think the first time I weighed myself in a longtime was when I got the turbo. I was 95kg but that was a year and a half ago now so it's been quite gradual really. I must of gained power in that time but my legs are as matchstick like as when I was 18! 'More meat on a butchers apron!' Is the saying that comes to mind... I think I've lost muscle mass from my upper body as well as pork in that time as I've cycled more but done no weight training. I didn't make a massive effort to lose weight. I drink far less now than I did in my twenties and I try to eat smaller portions but that's it really.

I'll check out steep hill tv later cheers mate.

 

[<Tommy>]

Ps I might be tempting fate here but so far I've managed to avoid the issues AAAC so vividly described when he was in the Caribbean last year

But the toilet roll is in the freezer just in case!

 

[OldYews]

Yep, that is me and Ian Herd at the front, where was that taken?

 

[AAAC 76C]

Ps I might be tempting fate here but so far I've managed to avoid the issues AAAC so vividly described when he was in the Caribbean last year

But the toilet roll is in the freezer just in case!

You wouldn't need loo roll, just stick a large straw in it !

 

[CXRAndy]

Does your hotel have a little gym with a spin bike so you can practice those 20+% hills Tommy? I was viewed by some going down in my lycra at 6am for a spin session, then walking back in 80 degrees heat after as though I had been swimming feeling a little Set me up for breakfast and, as you say, portions are ridiculous

 

[bobinski]

Cheers Andy

I think the first time I weighed myself in a longtime was when I got the turbo. I was 95kg but that was a year and a half ago now so it's been quite gradual really. I must of gained power in that time but my legs are as matchstick like as when I was 18! 'More meat on a butchers apron!' Is the saying that comes to mind... I think I've lost muscle mass from my upper body as well as pork in that time as I've cycled more but done no weight training. I didn't make a massive effort to lose weight. I drink far less now than I did in my twenties and I try to eat smaller portions but that's it really.

I'll check out steep hill tv later cheers mate.

Well done with the weight loss TT. If there is one thing I regret not doing since taking up cycling it's exercise on my core and upper body. I do have a rowing machine but it fell into disuse faced with choice of turbo or rowing. Not sure it's a good idea to use it with my knee either. I have recently bought some resistance bands and I will see how I get on with them.

 

[CXRAndy]

Upper body mass has never been my issue. I do like dipping(no not that one). Press ups and chin ups, though the latter is becoming increasingly difficult. Bob try the plank for core strength and press ups. If your wrists() suffer, either press up on knuckles or get get press up handles

 

[bobinski]

Upper body mass has never been my issue. I do like dipping(no not that one). Press ups and chin ups, though the latter is becoming increasingly difficult. Bob try the plank for core strength and press ups. If your wrists() suffer, either press up on knuckles or get get press up handles

But it all sounds like such HARD work...and my knee is not happy with me today

 

[<Tommy>]

Does your hotel have a little gym with a spin bike so you can practice those 20+% hills Tommy? I was viewed by some going down in my lycra at 6am for a spin session, then walking back in 80 degrees heat after as though I had been swimming feeling a little Set me up for breakfast and, as you say, portions are ridiculous

I've been going to the gym the last couple of days after breakfast. It's full of grunting men much like the ones in the uk but they have three bikes and I bought my headphones so all good.

The machines they have are called 'matrix' ever heard of them? Slowly working out how to use them. Yesterday I did a fitness test which went up slowly starting from 60 watts. I bailed halfway through the 340w section which kicked in at about 18mins. Then I tried to do 30km at a steady 240w but bailed after about 12 or 13... pissing out sweat and I just got bored staring at a stats screen to be honest.

The seat isn't very comfy for me either but I feel 10x better for doing something. I think I'm probably eating at least 40-50% more a day here than I would at home and plus steady drinking everyday so...

We're at an all inclusive place which is still a bit of a novelty to me and the food is better than I was expecting / it's very hard to say no!

 

[<Tommy>]

Well done with the weight loss TT. If there is one thing I regret not doing since taking up cycling it's exercise on my core and upper body. I do have a rowing machine but it fell into disuse faced with choice of turbo or rowing. Not sure it's a good idea to use it with my knee either. I have recently bought some resistance bands and I will see how I get on with them.

Cheers Bob

The resistance bands are supposed to be excellent. There's loads of workout sessions on YouTube that a friend of mine recommend to me which are built around them. I keep on Menai g to do more core work too but I'm very inconsistent with it...

 

[Breedon]

I've been going to the gym the last couple of days after breakfast. It's full of grunting men much like the ones in the uk but they have three bikes and I bought my headphones so all good.

The machines they have are called 'matrix' ever heard of them? Slowly working out how to use them. Yesterday I did a fitness test which went up slowly starting from 60 watts. I bailed halfway through the 340w section which kicked in at about 18mins. Then I tried to do 30km at a steady 240w but bailed after about 12 or 13... pissing out sweat and I just got bored staring at a stats screen to be honest.

The seat isn't very comfy for me either but I feel 10x better for doing something. I think I'm probably eating at least 40-50% more a day here than I would at home and plus steady drinking everyday so...

We're at an all inclusive place which is still a bit of a novelty to me and the food is better than I was expecting / it's very hard to say no!

The problem with all inclusive is you don't say no especially when it's food, last holiday i had was all inclusive I'd eatan so much over a few days i skipped breakfast and lunch i was so bloated, drinks on the other hand there different

 

[Marino.g]

Hi Guys
Some feedback for you.

I was returning to cycling from a bad ankle sprain and wanted to train on a flat terain using my bkool trainer but I found this much more convenient on zwift ( didn't think to use the velodrome).
So I joined the dark side and really enjoyed the ease of logging on and just riding for fun and found the simulator software so much more user friendly compared to Bkool.
As my injury improved I joined some organised racing events and the fun really began to start.

The Bkool trainer issues then came to light.
Without going into too much detail Zwift became more like an arcade game, they give you power ups as you ride and one moment I'm struggling to maintain 180 watts and on a power up I reached 700 watt and suddenly I was a doped Lance Armstrong passing everybody.

In summarry the Bkool trainer is too unreliable on Zwift for power calculations and their use of power-ups.
It was virtually impossible to ride and work in a group with a Bkool trainer and if by some miracle you did manage to latch on, drafting didn't appear to have any benefits.
I can't justify buying a Tacx Neo or kickr for Zwift just yet as my Bkool is only 6 months old so I've decided to rejoin Bkool and beg for your forgiveness for leaving you in the first place ( not that you noticed ).
Hopefully see you there.

 

[bobinski]

Hi Guys
Some feedback for you.

I was returning to cycling from a bad ankle sprain and wanted to train on a flat terain using my bkool trainer but I found this much more convenient on zwift ( didn't think to use the velodrome).
So I joined the dark side and really enjoyed the ease of logging on and just riding for fun and found the simulator software so much more user friendly compared to Bkool.
As my injury improved I joined some organised racing events and the fun really began to start.

The Bkool trainer issues then came to light.
Without going into too much detail Zwift became more like an arcade game, they give you power ups as you ride and one moment I'm struggling to maintain 180 watts and on a power up I reached 700 watt and suddenly I was a doped Lance Armstrong passing everybody.

In summarry the Bkool trainer is too unreliable on Zwift for power calculations and their use of power-ups.
It was virtually impossible to ride and work in a group with a Bkool trainer and if by some miracle you did manage to latch on, drafting didn't appear to have any benefits.
I can't justify buying a Tacx Neo or kickr for Zwift just yet as my Bkool is only 6 months old so I've decided to rejoin Bkool and beg for your forgiveness for leaving you in the first place ( not that you noticed ).
Hopefully see you there.

I never use power ups! You have to press a key on the keyboard to use them The power ups you are talking about are the crazy bkool power algorithm. Almost as effective as this rhythm stick :


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGVgfjnLqc


Anyway, you will be welcomed back with open jaundiced arms

ps.

only kidding!