The point of this is not to rub in that I live in the best place for riding. It's a real question, and it could affect parts of my road racing. When a road is really steep, say 14-20%, for a while, is it better to ride a switchback on the inside, which is shorter in distance but steeper in grade, or outside? Or does it even matter?
On a slight aside, have you guys ever heard of the term 'paper boy weave'? I hadn't until this spring, and I totally had to bust it out yesterday, even with a 27 on my back.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Misc
As its title suggests, "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" is a training guide for wattheads. People familiar with the book tell me, however, that it's a good read for the workouts, even if you don't have a power meter. Only $14 on Amazon.
Hat tip to Tim H., who swears by Fausto Coppi that this book is better than the Training Bible.
After riding the Panaracer Ribmos for a while (ok, only two days), I confirmed my suspicions: these are not tires for racing bikes. It's not just the weight, it's that they feel very different from regular road tires. I knew they would offer very high rolling resistance and poor acceleration--that's to be expected. What makes them unacceptable for me is the uncomfortable sensation they provide when leaning into a turn: the transition from the center to the side of the tire is sharp and unexpected. This is perhaps due to a big change in the thickness of the tire or in the composition of the rubber, or perhaps to the "pointy" shape of the cross-section, I'm not sure.
There's no point in training on a tire that doesn't corner at all like racing tires do. They might perform better with slightly wider rims, but I'm not sure. If you get lots of flats or absolutely hate ever having a flat, stick with Schwalbe Stelvio Plus. They offer superb protection without sacrificing as much in terms of performance as the Panaracers do. Reserve the Ribmo's for your commuter bike.
Regarding racing tires, Dan may have found the optimal combination of speed, grip, and puncture protection. He set up his bike with a Schwalbe Ultremo in the front, for speed and unparalleled grip among clinchers, and a Panaracer Extreme Duro in the back, for better puncture protection while keeping weight and grip within acceptable limits. Maybe he can share his impressions (or maybe I will, since I've copied his setup).
Hat tip to Tim H., who swears by Fausto Coppi that this book is better than the Training Bible.
* * *
After riding the Panaracer Ribmos for a while (ok, only two days), I confirmed my suspicions: these are not tires for racing bikes. It's not just the weight, it's that they feel very different from regular road tires. I knew they would offer very high rolling resistance and poor acceleration--that's to be expected. What makes them unacceptable for me is the uncomfortable sensation they provide when leaning into a turn: the transition from the center to the side of the tire is sharp and unexpected. This is perhaps due to a big change in the thickness of the tire or in the composition of the rubber, or perhaps to the "pointy" shape of the cross-section, I'm not sure.
There's no point in training on a tire that doesn't corner at all like racing tires do. They might perform better with slightly wider rims, but I'm not sure. If you get lots of flats or absolutely hate ever having a flat, stick with Schwalbe Stelvio Plus. They offer superb protection without sacrificing as much in terms of performance as the Panaracers do. Reserve the Ribmo's for your commuter bike.
Regarding racing tires, Dan may have found the optimal combination of speed, grip, and puncture protection. He set up his bike with a Schwalbe Ultremo in the front, for speed and unparalleled grip among clinchers, and a Panaracer Extreme Duro in the back, for better puncture protection while keeping weight and grip within acceptable limits. Maybe he can share his impressions (or maybe I will, since I've copied his setup).
| Weight (g) | Price | |
| Panaracer Ribmo | 360 | ~$30 |
| Schwalbe Stelvio Plus | 310 | ~$42 |
| Schwalbe Ultremo | 190 | ~$45 |
| Panaracer Extreme Duro | 240 | ~$26 |
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Matteson is back
Just in case you don't read CBR (and everyone should), the Matteson crits are back this Tuesday. Free entry to everyone who shows up early to sweep the course this week!
(I wrote about the Matteson practice crits before here.)
The race site has been under construction recently and the South Chicago Wheelmen folks have had to put the event on hold for a coupl' weeks. It looks like there's gonna be a narrow window of three weeks during which it'll be possible to hold the event again. Thanks to SCW for putting on these races!!
(I wrote about the Matteson practice crits before here.)
The race site has been under construction recently and the South Chicago Wheelmen folks have had to put the event on hold for a coupl' weeks. It looks like there's gonna be a narrow window of three weeks during which it'll be possible to hold the event again. Thanks to SCW for putting on these races!!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Matteson practice crits
UPDATE (5/18/2008): the practice crits are temporarily suspended due to construction work on the course. Check the website for updates.
I want to bring the Matteson practice crits to people's attention. This is a series of crits that takes place in an access road around a factory, in Matteson, IL. Matteson is about 40 minutes away from Chicago, by car. The event is held on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Check out the website.
Depending on hours of sunlight, they hold two or three crits on any given Tuesday. The first one is about 15 laps, the second one is about 40 laps, and the last one, if it's not too dark to keep riding, is either 10 or 15 laps.
They split riders into two groups, A and B. The A's start first, followed by the B's shortly after. In theory, if you're a cat4 or 5, the officials will make you do the B race. After a while, when you've proven that you are a safe and fast rider, they'll let you do the A race. (I was lucky to know someone at the event who could attest that I was strong enough to start with the A's right away, a year ago.)
Good things about the event:
a) Good atmosphere.
b) Safe course.
c) Very low racing fees.
d) Good cornering practice. Since the course has four corners, you end up doing over 200 corners in one evening.
Not-so-good things:
a) Easy corners. It's a flat rectangle with a wide road and excellent pavement. You can zoom by the corners; you don't even have to stop pedaling.
b) Riders are quite less aggressive than in a real race, because there's nothing at stake.
I want to bring the Matteson practice crits to people's attention. This is a series of crits that takes place in an access road around a factory, in Matteson, IL. Matteson is about 40 minutes away from Chicago, by car. The event is held on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Check out the website.
Depending on hours of sunlight, they hold two or three crits on any given Tuesday. The first one is about 15 laps, the second one is about 40 laps, and the last one, if it's not too dark to keep riding, is either 10 or 15 laps.
They split riders into two groups, A and B. The A's start first, followed by the B's shortly after. In theory, if you're a cat4 or 5, the officials will make you do the B race. After a while, when you've proven that you are a safe and fast rider, they'll let you do the A race. (I was lucky to know someone at the event who could attest that I was strong enough to start with the A's right away, a year ago.)
Good things about the event:
a) Good atmosphere.
b) Safe course.
c) Very low racing fees.
d) Good cornering practice. Since the course has four corners, you end up doing over 200 corners in one evening.
Not-so-good things:
a) Easy corners. It's a flat rectangle with a wide road and excellent pavement. You can zoom by the corners; you don't even have to stop pedaling.
b) Riders are quite less aggressive than in a real race, because there's nothing at stake.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Something I read
I read this yesterday and I was wondering what you guys think:
When riding in a group, keep your front wheel 12 inches behind the wheel in front of you. If the gap gets narrower than six inches:
a) Soft-pedal, don't coast. If this is not enough to keep you more than six inches behind, then
b) Coast. If this is not enough, then
c) Move slightly to one side and lift your upper body, so that air resistance slows you down. But don't let your front wheel overlap with the rear wheel of the person in front of you.
Do not touch your brakes, unless it's an emergency or the group is coming to a halt.
What do you guys think?
When riding in a group, keep your front wheel 12 inches behind the wheel in front of you. If the gap gets narrower than six inches:
a) Soft-pedal, don't coast. If this is not enough to keep you more than six inches behind, then
b) Coast. If this is not enough, then
c) Move slightly to one side and lift your upper body, so that air resistance slows you down. But don't let your front wheel overlap with the rear wheel of the person in front of you.
Do not touch your brakes, unless it's an emergency or the group is coming to a halt.
What do you guys think?
Monday, November 19, 2007
HPTT 12 November
Sorry for the belated post! Last week's times were pretty fast, but given tonight's conditions, I predict even quicker splits. The prize of the week is courtesy of Aspen: a swanky "ZIPP Speed Weaponry" t-shirt, size medium in black. As always, please bring lights and remember that the start time has been bumped forward to 5:15PM.
For newbies, I've posted the route info and rules at the bottom of this page:
http://taticycles.com/index.php?x=about
For newbies, I've posted the route info and rules at the bottom of this page:
http://taticycles.com/index.php?x=about
| Grant | 12:52 |
| Danny | 14:29 |
| Maris | 14:01 |
| Jesse Y. | 16:39 |
| Tony C. | 13:37 |
| Loren | 14:19 |
| Taylor | 14:02 |
| Rob F. | 13:37 |
| J. | 14:03 |
| Dan | 13:53 |
| Phil | 14:56 |
| Jeff | 14:40 |
| John R. | 14:32 |
Monday, November 5, 2007
HPTT 5 November
Tonight was just a taste of what's to come, my friends: some wind, a chill, and burning lungs. As usual, one rider got lost, and another had a mechanical. The only other casualty was John's coffee mug.
- Liam wins tonight's form award. It was actually too dark to really see it, but I trust his spin continues to smooth out and his torso was very quiet for the entire ride. Liam's prize is a pair of super skinny 559 tubes for his new 26" Schwalbe cyclocross tires.
- Maris wins tonight's pity award. He got a flat mid-course and had to borrow a wheel in order to ride back home. Maris wins a tube and flat repair and careful examination of his crazy malformed Shimano wheels.
- Katherine wins tonight's best bike award. I suppose she could also win the heaviest bike award, but I'm just glad to see her out with the crew! Her prize is a package of Cola flavored Clif Shot Blocks.
| Liam | 13:43 |
| Andy | 20:18 |
| Phil | 15:08 |
| Kevin | 17:40 |
| Katherine | 18:03 |
| Claus | 14:09 |
| Maris | 32:16 |
| Grant | 13:20 |
| Suchandra | 15:27 |
| James | 15:01 |
| Jeff | 14:30 |
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Routes
I think something that would help everyone here, regardless of experience, would be the sharing of routes. Perhaps we can urge everyone to map their favorite routes on some place like www.mapmyride.com or similar website? If anyone has a preferred site for routes, please pass it on, so we can all contribute.
Monday, October 29, 2007
HPTT 29 October
The weather and wind was a little more forgiving this week, resulting in a doubling of the field and some excellent times. There were no crashes, one mechanical, and we had our first three women riders!
- Tim Z. wins the most improved award. Not only did he drop 100 seconds in one week, but he rode one spoke down after breaking his rear Rolf last time. Tim's wins a packet of Jelly Belly Energy beans.
- Brian H. came out for the first time and posted an absolutely ridiculous time of 12:16. He wins the Course Record award, one packet of chocolate Clif Shot.
- Paige C. set the women's Course Record this evening! She wins this week's Grand Prize, a pair of super comfy Woolie Boolie cycling socks: just in time for winter.
- Claus L. tore up the course on underinflated 32c cyclocross tires, resulting in a pinch flat towards the end of the course. Claus wins the Pity Award, and his prize is a free Kenda tube and flat repair courtesy of TATI.
| Name or Alias | M | F | Total |
| Brian H. | X | 12:16 | |
| Tim Z. | X | 16:13 | |
| Noah C. | X | 15:46 | |
| Paige C. | X | 15:38 | |
| Phil S. | X | 15:24 | |
| Dan H. | X | 15:18 | |
| Grant X. | X | 13:48 | |
| Tony C. | X | 13:35 | |
| John R. | X | 15:43 | |
| Jesse W. | X | 14:34 | |
| Zac L. | X | 13:38 | |
| Jeffrey H. | X | 14:59 | |
| P. Myers | X | 14:12 | |
| Sancho | X | 17:44 | |
| James F. | X | 14:32 | |
| Maris G. | X | 14:40 | |
| Brad | X | 18:41 | |
| Bruce | X | 19:22 | |
| Claus | X | 14:22 | |
| Ari E. | X | 13:36 | |
| Jeff N. | X | 14:10 | |
| Katherine M. | X | 17:25 | |
| J. | X | 14:12 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
