My Tour de France

[mikesbytes]

Good point about the gearing. I've been thinking that I might switch from a 11-23 to a 11-25 for Grafton to Inverall, so to permit a modest increase in cadence

[toolonglegs]

Blatant double post ( keeps it all together )

Heres how we roll here... even at my totally amateur zero prize money level


The payed boys

The volunteers

Just about to let us go from neutralized zone... the cooloest sound in the world is the instant the arms drop and 160 guys drop down a few gears at the same time... wish I had a go-pro for that!

We own the road... usually

[twizzle]

Didn't want to change in to little ring at bottom for fear of dropping a chain.

I've run a chain catcher ever since dropping mine in a TT. 'coupla grams in weight, why wouldn't you?

I've got my setup all ready for the next time we race Apollo Road down here, it hits about 18% a couple of times - I got hammered when running a 34/25, I just couldn't get the cadence up high enough to make power. I'll be taking the 'cross bike next time with 34/28.

[toolonglegs]

I actually thought I could get up there ok in the big ring... I rode the course 3 hours before my start time but went up in little ring... Couldn't really try it out in big ring as the entry into the climb was a dangerous blind corner coming off a pedestrian area... No way of knowing till you tried it at race pace which you couldn't get anywhere near in practice... I will know for next time ... Least I didn't have to walk it like some!.

[toolonglegs]

Woohoo... Sitting on the train on my way to Liege via Paris... TDF time .

[Redbull]

Batard!!

Have fun

[toolonglegs]

Cheers... Will do... 1st obstacle climbed ... Found space for my vélo on the TGV!

[Chuck]

Woohoo... Sitting on the train on my way to Liege via Paris... TDF time .

Bugger off

[toolonglegs]

Ha .


OT as I know this thread doesn't too much regular BNA traffic... but what is it lately with all the righteousness on here!.
I am only going to try and stick to threads in Road Racing and Touring for a while... let me know when everyone tops up on the chill meds please.

[Chuck]

Ha .


OT as I know this thread doesn't too much regular BNA traffic... but what is it lately with all the righteousness on here!.
I am only going to try and stick to threads in Road Racing and Touring for a while... let me know when everyone tops up on the chill meds please.

Maybe I'm guilty too, one thread in particular

Just catching up on this thread, awesome race pics, love the TT helmet and the pinches. Some of the guys in the pics look like they're really enjoying the climbs

[PawPaw]

A mate is in Euroland at the mo climbing everything.

5 days ago, 3 sides of Ventoux in one day.
3 days ago, 2 sides of Tourmalet
2 days ago, Luz Ardiden
yesterday, Hautacam

This guy is one of the toughest audax riders I know, and he's on the wrong side of 50.

[toolonglegs]

Chuck... I will let you off for shaking the tree .
Pawpaw... 3 different ways up Ventoux would have been fun... I saw it in the distance when I was down that way on Monday ... No room in the car for a bike though .

[PawPaw]

Pawpaw... 3 different ways up Ventoux would have been fun... I saw it in the distance when I was down that way on Monday ... No room in the car for a bike though .

take your bike back when you've lost 10kg TLL.
BTW, if you're still there for the 100th TdF, I'll look you up. Am planning to stay for 3 mths.

[toolonglegs]

Apparently tour companies are nearly booked out already for some tours next year... going to be a big one for sure!!!.

[toolonglegs]

Kemmelberg ... the descent rocks!!! (apart from somehow destroying a chain on a descent where pedaling would be suicide ... had to take out 6 links and do the next 60 kms in the little ring ).

[Daccordi Rider]

Ha .


OT as I know this thread doesn't too much regular BNA traffic... but what is it lately with all the righteousness on here!.
I am only going to try and stick to threads in Road Racing and Touring for a while... let me know when everyone tops up on the chill meds please.

Did you visit the helmets thread TTL?

[toolonglegs]

lol... Not very often... But then I live in a sensible country when it comes to helmets!... Have been wearing one for the last week though .
I just look at the title of most threads and if it looks like a whingefest I stay away!.

[toolonglegs]

How nice are the Midi-Pyrénées!... 30° plus days, not a cloud in the sky, quiet monster climbs, beautiful scenery, TDF going by!... looking after people means no Strava records but having a blast... hey I didn't even mind pushing someone up the last 5kms of a col! . Lourdes is a crazy place but the riding is fantastic.
Only bad part was looking after some dude who crashed really heavily in front of me on the Tourmalet ( dont pump clinchers up hard in the mountains, especially on hot days! )... I thought he had some pretty bad head injuries and there was blood everywhere... glad to hear he is already out of hospital... no doubt the helmet saved him, but then you don't really descend those monsters without a helmet if you want to hammer it!.

[toolonglegs]

The TT Dog is getting quicker ... only one thing to go, but finding one big enough ( and cheap enough ) might have to wait till next year!.

[vander]

The TT Dog is getting quicker ... only one thing to go, but finding one big enough ( and cheap enough ) might have to wait till next year!.

Looks good. What chain rings are you running? Definitely need the frame. Massive angle on your seat!

Dont you usually get a smaller top tube on a TT bike then on a road bike? This may be the reason, if I am correct with this.

[toolonglegs]

Running 55 - 11/23.
The saddle is supposed to be run a bit funny ( also exaggerated by the photo angle ), it's one of those Adamo jobbies and you just sit right on the nose of it. Takes a while to get set up and used to but personally I find it really comfy sitting right on the nose even for an hour or more.
Well the frame is all I had... yeah it's a monster. The question is how much saving in a 30 minute ITT would a TT frame make ?. Saying that 20 secs would have moved me from 23rd scratch up to 15th ( and from 7th into 3rd overall for my age group ) last Sunday. A frame and disc rear might have made that difference.

[vander]

Running 55 - 11/23.
The saddle is supposed to be run a bit funny ( also exaggerated by the photo angle ), it's one of those Adamo jobbies and you just sit right on the nose of it. Takes a while to get set up and used to but personally I find it really comfy sitting right on the nose even for an hour or more.
Well the frame is all I had... yeah it's a monster. The question is how much saving in a 30 minute ITT would a TT frame make ?. Saying that 20 secs would have moved me from 23rd scratch up to 15th ( and from 7th into 3rd overall for my age group ) last Sunday. A frame and disc rear might have made that difference.

Frame changes position which will probably be more aero, so frame + position may have helped a fair bit. Although 20sec still a fair bit.

[toolonglegs]

Yeah with that set up I can only get the saddle nose to 7cm's behind the bb ( although compared to a normal saddle it is probably around 5cm )... so with a TT frame I could get a 2cms further forward. I can maybe drop that front another 15mm on that frame (take out the last spacer and adjust stem a bit more ).I may try that after next weekend, but for Sunday it is too late, plus with the amount of climbing I don't think I could make the power climbing any lower. But for the Nationals I think it is pretty much totally flat... so I will go low.
PS... there is a 15cm drop from saddle nose to arm rests now... that was tough a couple of months ago but seems pretty easy now and the power in that position is obviously OK. Will play around after Sunday. Flexibility is still an issue, but I have no back pain these days in any position which is good .

[toolonglegs]

Pancake ... possibly where I will be spending a fair bit of time in the next month .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nxSpZVXOVQ

[mikesbytes]

The Saddle isn't UCI compliant, there's a new rule that it has to be flat

What's the disk wheel?