New to cycling - Page 58

**Captain Stubing** · 10-05-2015, 09:00 AM

That sounds fantastic, Gecko! That'd be a great leg up! I appreciate the offer to help out.

prydey · 10-05-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanny

That sounds fantastic, Gecko! That'd be a great leg up! I appreciate the offer to help out.

Gecko will look after you mate. he took me on a 100km+ tour of brisbane when i was up there at xmas time. was a good day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/238188399/

blueoval · 10-05-2015, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanny

Geez Shav, I lived up near the top of Queens Rd till 86. Mum & Dad moved from there since.

haha. Crazy. I remember playing with some of the local kids on the street with our skateboards and bikes at the time. Pushing them up the hill and rolling down to the bottom where my house was. Me and my sister (we are both asian) used to love it but my mum hated us on the road often used to tell us off for being dare devils. Crazy. We sold up and left for Adelaide in 86.

geckoGT · 10-05-2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanny

That sounds fantastic, Gecko! That'd be a great leg up! I appreciate the offer to help out.

No worries mate, I was thinking of meeting up somewhere in towards the city or Bayside area and pick up on the course for the more challenging sections. That way when you do the actual ride you will have already covered them and have the confidence that comes with that. What sort of distance would you want to do and what is your longest ride so far?

Any suggestions on where to meet?

**Captain Stubing** · 10-05-2015, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckoGT

No worries mate, I was thinking of meeting up somewhere in towards the city or Bayside area and pick up on the course for the more challenging sections. That way when you do the actual ride you will have already covered them and have the confidence that comes with that. What sort of distance would you want to do and what is your longest ride so far?

Any suggestions on where to meet?

I suppose the challenging parts come after leaving Wellington Point. At the moment I'm around the 60km mark, and hope to be around the 80km mark in 2 or 3 weeks. A possibility would be starting from Chandler, heading Tingalpa, and doing that section of the course. Chandler has huge parking areas, too.

Whitey-AMG · 17-05-2015, 06:30 PM

Just finished up from my 1st 100klm ride. Woohoo !!
Eastlink odyssey. Man my @$$ is sore...****
Should have taken more fluids and an extra muesli bar.... Mental note for next time.

4 hours @ 25klm/h average speed. 1900 calories and some great scenery.

blueoval · 17-05-2015, 06:31 PM

Bluey - Thats a stirling effort mate. Congrats. Well done

Whitey-AMG · 17-05-2015, 06:45 PM

Thanks guys.
I'm hoping a mineral radox bath will allow some bodily movement again. I can't feed myself at the moment, lol and I'm hoping I have some feeling back in my legs and butt for tomorrow...as I have a busy day at work.
Cardinal sin... I did the ride with no spare tube or pump so I was very lucky with no incidents which allowed me to enjoy the ride. I'm such a novice douche...

**Captain Stubing** · 17-05-2015, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

Just finished up from my 1st 100klm ride. Woohoo !!
Eastlink odyssey. Man my @$$ is sore...****
Should have taken more fluids and an extra muesli bar.... Mental note for next time.

4 hours @ 25klm/h average speed. 1900 calories and some great scenery.

Good onya, Bluey! That's what I'm working up to in about a months time. I did a 73km ride today, and the backside started hurting from around 40km, the legs after 50.

I've decided my first 100 will be on the charity ride I signed up for.

Whitey-AMG · 17-05-2015, 07:06 PM

Yes.

My body gave up after 80 Kay's.
The last 20 were pure mental willpower. Push, push, push.
If I had taken some extra energy bars and another Powerade I would have fared much better. Things you learn hey.

geckoGT · 17-05-2015, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

Yes.

My body gave up after 80 Kay's.
The last 20 were pure mental willpower. Push, push, push.
If I had taken some extra energy bars and another Powerade I would have fared much better. Things you learn hey.

Good work on the 100, nice.

The trip for tomorrow and the next few days is to keep moving, a light ride will help.

geckoGT · 21-05-2015, 03:20 PM

Thoughts on the UCI application of the rule regarding the exchange of wheels between Richie Porte and Simon Clarke?

https://www.facebook.com/SBSCyclingC...7/?pnref=story

DBourne · 21-05-2015, 04:18 PM

Personally, if someone wants to lend someone else a wheel, why not? Pretty silly to get pinned for it, but the world is a strange place I guess..

In unrelated news, I swapped out my seat, as I had noticed a bit more flex than I thought was normal.. turns out there was a crack right through the middle... I mean, I know I eat a lot, but damn!

edit after watching the video, I now understand the reasoning for the rules. Just an unfortunate event really.

blueoval · 21-05-2015, 04:45 PM

I think it's a stupid rule. Cycling is a difficult sport for most to get the hang of to follow. This just makes a mockery of it in my opinion.

prydey · 21-05-2015, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Thoughts on the UCI application of the rule regarding the exchange of wheels between Richie Porte and Simon Clarke?

https://www.facebook.com/SBSCyclingC...7/?pnref=story

being that is what they do for a living, i would have thought they would be well aware of the rules. it was a silly thing for clarke to do.

the ruling is there to stop 3rd parties assisting other riders and gaining them an advantage. Porte's team let him down. thanks to clarke, he lost little time against contador. if it was contador that punctured, would clarke have offered him assistance?? hence the rule.

i agree, on the surface it looks silly and petty, but it is a rule and its there for a reason.

blueoval · 21-05-2015, 09:45 PM

Clarke and Porte said they werent aware of the rule. Is that their teams fault or the UCI's fault for not making it clearer? Serious question...

glpeck · 21-05-2015, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueoval

Clarke and Porte said they werent aware of the rule. Is that their teams fault or the UCI's fault for not making it clearer? Serious question...

Well there aren't that many 'rules' that the riders need to know for a race; just by watching coverage of the Tour De France etc on TV over the years and listening to the commentary, I was aware of that rule. I'd call it a rookie mistake (except these guys aren't rookies and they are often well paid at their level). Now don't get me wrong - I have immense respect for these riders (I've been a cyclist for 40+ years) but I have to say I was just astonished when I read about what Porte and Clarke did - there is really something wrong with their professional preparation for a big race like the Giro if they are going to claim they didn't know about that rule...

blueoval · 21-05-2015, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glpeck

Well there aren't that many 'rules' that the riders need to know for a race; just by watching coverage of the Tour De France etc on TV over the years and listening to the commentary, I was aware of that rule. I'd call it a rookie mistake (except these guys aren't rookies and they are often well paid at their level). Now don't get me wrong - I have immense respect for these riders (I've been a cyclist for 40+ years) but I have to say I was just astonished when I read about what Porte and Clarke did - there is really something wrong with their professional preparation for a big race like the Giro if they are going to claim they didn't know about that rule...

Thats a fair call. Seeing as they are professional racers you would assume they know the rules back to front, especially this one. Doesnt mean I agree with it.

prydey · 22-05-2015, 02:50 AM

even though i ride, and its fair to say that i really enjoy riding, i've never really been a big follower of the professional sport. i know some of the big names but not well enough to know who they ride for or where they are from, just that they are involved in cycling.

anyways, being on night shift this week, i was up late sunday night (first shift is monday night, so getting myself in the mode) and just happened to flick over and catch the last 60km or so of the stage. i couldn't turn it off. wasn't really that exciting to a non rider, but the fact that i ride gives a different (and better) appreciation of the events, and the fact the telecast puts up stats like ave speed for the stage and various other details, just seems to keep me hooked.

anyway, work is quiet, so had tonight off, and found myself watching stage 12. terrible conditions, and some very sketchy descending with about 20km to go. about 5 crashes on the downhill, including gerrans unfortunately. one dude, who i don't know his name, but he was out in front and no one knows how he managed to stay on his bike. at least 5 corners he was all over the shop, foot unclipped trying to balance, off the road.... gee it must've been pretty slippery conditions.

i still don't really understand how the teams work. obviously each team has a main man? and its the rest of the teams job to look after him and keep him protected?

geckoGT · 22-05-2015, 03:10 AM

I don't have an issue with the rule, they are there and ignorance is not an excuse.

I do have an issue with the inconsistency with the application of rules by the UCI.

Examples.

In this years Paris Roubaix about 20 riders rode around the boom gates at a level crossing in front of a train. According to the UCI rules this can result in being disqualified. The result, nothing done but the UCI.

In stage 11 of this the Giro tis year, the next day after Porte was given a 2 min penalty for accepting the wheel off another team. Contador removes his helmet whilst riding, an offence that attracts disqualification. The result, nothing is done.

The UCI seriously needs to bring in some consistency rather than selectively applying rules. The two instances of rules being broken a rules that a clearly rules regarding safety yet they are ignored. So why is it the rule that applies to competitiveness and has adversely affected the tour hopes of a GC contender now been applied? Apparently competition is more important than safety.

geckoGT · 22-05-2015, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glpeck

Well there aren't that many 'rules' that the riders need to know for a race; just by watching coverage of the Tour De France etc on TV over the years and listening to the commentary, I was aware of that rule. I'd call it a rookie mistake (except these guys aren't rookies and they are often well paid at their level). Now don't get me wrong - I have immense respect for these riders (I've been a cyclist for 40+ years) but I have to say I was just astonished when I read about what Porte and Clarke did - there is really something wrong with their professional preparation for a big race like the Giro if they are going to claim they didn't know about that rule...

Perhaps the confusion rests with just when the uCI will apply the rules and when it will turn a blind eye.

geckoGT · 22-05-2015, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

even though i ride, and its fair to say that i really enjoy riding, i've never really been a big follower of the professional sport. i know some of the big names but not well enough to know who they ride for or where they are from, just that they are involved in cycling.

anyways, being on night shift this week, i was up late sunday night (first shift is monday night, so getting myself in the mode) and just happened to flick over and catch the last 60km or so of the stage. i couldn't turn it off. wasn't really that exciting to a non rider, but the fact that i ride gives a different (and better) appreciation of the events, and the fact the telecast puts up stats like ave speed for the stage and various other details, just seems to keep me hooked.

anyway, work is quiet, so had tonight off, and found myself watching stage 12. terrible conditions, and some very sketchy descending with about 20km to go. about 5 crashes on the downhill, including gerrans unfortunately. one dude, who i don't know his name, but he was out in front and no one knows how he managed to stay on his bike. at least 5 corners he was all over the shop, foot unclipped trying to balance, off the road.... gee it must've been pretty slippery conditions.

i still don't really understand how the teams work. obviously each team has a main man? and its the rest of the teams job to look after him and keep him protected?

It was a really good stage with a good strong effort by Gilbert to win. I was glad to see him win as he is a solid rider and a rider I have a lot of respect for.

You are correct, teams have their lead rider who is their best prospect for a win in one of the categories which is usual the overall (GC). Sometimes a team will not have a GC contender but they may have a good sprinter in contention for the points jersey or a good climber up for the KOM. The team is there to support that rider as you saw Tinkof Saxo doing for Contador tonight and Sky got criticised for not doing well for Porte the other day.

prydey · 22-05-2015, 03:28 AM

where's 'the voice of cycling' - Phil Liggett? Not calling the Giro this year? i don't watch a lot of cycling but i've never seen any without Liggett calling it.

geckoGT · 22-05-2015, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

where's 'the voice of cycling' - Phil Liggett? Not calling the Giro this year? i don't watch a lot of cycling but i've never seen any without Liggett calling it.

He doesn't do the Giro. I am glad he is not doing it, sick and tired of his monotonous cliche's. The guy is a first rate knob that can't even identify the riders properly in his commentary. I wish they had these guys doing the TDF and Paris-Roubaix as I think they are doing a pretty good job.

Whitey-AMG · 23-05-2015, 05:36 PM

Just completed a 105klm epic ride today.
Sore neck and sore @$$.... Lol

Took more liquids and energy bars this time so I fared better than my 1st effort.
Was such a great day for a big ride today in Melbourne. Just a little sun and a light breeze and heaps of awesome scenery along the trails.

Interesting disparity between my cycle computer and GPS. 110klm on computer and 104 on GPS. I made sure I measured the rolling tyre circumference and then plugged that into cycle computer, so it should have been very accurate. Lost 5klm somewhere ?
Anyhow, into recovery mode now and looking forward to next ride !
( doing more Kay's on the bike than the GT...lol )

prydey · 23-05-2015, 06:29 PM

nice one. i probably asked already, but are you one strava? if not, get on board

a sore neck is fairly normal as you start doing longer stints in the saddle. your muscles will get used to it. if you haven't had a bike fit done, or at least done one yourself using the many online helps, then it may pay to look in to that just in case there is another reason for the sore neck.

my bike and car do similar km's in a year, locally, if i don't include the yearly interstate trip.

i also probably spend more money on bike stuff these days as well.

sad isn't it.

Whitey-AMG · 23-05-2015, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

i also probably spend more money on bike stuff these days as well.

sad isn't it.

Good advice. I'll look into the bike ergonomics / fit.
Spending money on bikes !!!
I've got my eye on this thing...

**Captain Stubing** · 23-05-2015, 07:27 PM

I too have found spending money on cycling gets in the way of my car, but I don't mind too much

Whitey-AMG · 23-05-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanny

I too have found spending money on cycling gets in the way of my car, but I don't mind too much

Yep , it drives you insane.
I'm trying to decide on a new bike ( not that my current ride is bad ) or getting a YT dual plenum , dual 60mm throttle body , new rear end bushes and a retune.....
Need to spend money like a BOSS...

kazawaki · 23-05-2015, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Jekkyl

Cheap, light, strong..............choose 2.

And yes, quite often you do get what you pay for.

Giant bikes have a good reputation in terms of value for money.

The 2 best researched bikes available Are TREK and Specialized .They are the geometry masters Giants are really the commodores of the bike world.
Yes I know what im talking about, over 35 years in this trade mainly as importer and wholesaler to the trade and specification designer for a number of bikes and models.