The Fretboard Cycling Club

Mellish

Trainers are very useful and I wouldn't knock them. If they get you on the bike that's fine. We had them in my competitive era, although nothing like you have now. What I *would* advise is don't give up the road. Even on a freezing winter's day we'd be out there in the ice and snow  

m_c

Nikc said:

Mellish said:

So you guys don't use tubs?  

No clinchers only, I've have friends who have tried tubeless - while its great for MTB its not so good for the road, PSI is to high the sealant just blows out

You do realise tubs are a totally different thing from tubeless?

Mellish

Tubs have tubes. To access the tube you have to unpick the thread. That's what I was referring to in my "faffing about at home" comment in my earlier post  

Jaycee

Clinchers for me. I use Shwalbe Durano plus two punctures in 5 years, both after hedge cutting season

Mellish

Yes hedge-cutting is a real pain. Often you're unaware until you're on it and by then it's often too late. I always used to take a minimum of two spare tubes in a back pocket  

Bowks

Tubeless all the way for me these days. Both on road and gravel bikes.

Nikc

m_c said:

Nikc said:

Mellish said:

So you guys don't use tubs?  

No clinchers only, I've have friends who have tried tubeless - while its great for MTB its not so good for the road, PSI is to high the sealant just blows out

You do realise tubs are a totally different thing from tubeless?

yes fully aware, I mentioned tubeless as they are growing in popularity

Nikc

I use Durano's on my super six, Marathon plus on winter fixed and I race on One's I think my MTB has Racing Ralph's there's a theme here Shwable Tyres might be my go to

littlegreenman

54.555 kms by Alex Dowsett. No hour record, but still the 3rd best modern time and lots of cash and awareness raised for Haemophilia and the Little Bleeders charity. Chapeau sir.

Mellish

littlegreenman said:

54.555 kms by Alex Dowsett. No hour record, but still the 3rd best modern time and lots of cash and awareness raised for Haemophilia and the Little Bleeders charity. Chapeau sir.

Yes, commendable. I didn't do any charity rides but my mate was heavily into that. I was mainly tt with a love of hilly courses. I'd often also enter hill climb events. Trooper Lane, Pea Royd Lane were two of my favourites. You can see them on YouTube and go up with the rider  

jonnyburgo

There's a pretty tough climb up near me called Pym Chair that I do in about 11mins and am absolutely puking, watched YouTube vid the other day of a local club, guys going up at under 5 mins, absolute animals

Mellish

jonnyburgo said:

There's a pretty tough climb up near me called Pym Chair that I do in about 11mins and am absolutely puking, watched YouTube vid the other day of a local club, guys going up at under 5 mins, absolute animals

The last part made me smile. Body type will mostly determine where you shine. It isn't always the case, of course. There's very good all-rounders and five-times Tour winner Bernard Hinault may serve as an example  

Mellish

Here's how an indoor trainer helped me: every road out of my village is a climb. Tackling a climb "cold" will do you more harm than good, so I'd use the trainer to get warmed up so that I could attack the climb if I wanted to right from the off. It's different today, I get that, but back then we just had a turbo trainer. There was no bells and whistles, you just hooked your rear wheel in the trainer, put your favourite music on and got on with it  

littlegreenman

Mellish said:

Here's how an indoor trainer helped me: every road out of my village is a climb. Tackling a climb "cold" will do you more harm than good, so I'd use the trainer to get warmed up so that I could attack the climb if I wanted to right from the off. It's different today, I get that, but back then we just had a turbo trainer. There was no bells and whistles, you just hooked your rear wheel in the trainer, put your favourite music on and got on with it  

Yep, these days I can do a nice warm up on Zwift in Central Park or Paris before I go out and be entertained and ready to go as soon as I leave the door.
Got a cheap ebay bike on the indoor trainer (Wahoo Kickr) for £50. Set the measurements same as my outdoor bike and the same saddle and it's no different.

Mellish

@littlegreenman ; yes, if you have two bikes (one for the trainer and one for the road) always mirror the setup or as close as the trainer one can get. I'm sure you know already, but you don't want to be trying to adapt to two setups that are markedly different  

Teetonetal

Logie said:

@jonnyburgo ;
I did a tyre on a ride up in Windsor and had to get a replacent sharpish as I was only visiting. The only bike shop was in Bagshot and they only had one suitable tyre in stock. A Schwalbe One tubeless which they insisted was fine for tubed as well.
I beg to differ…
Two inner tubes, scuffed knuckles and most of an afternoon trying to get the twat on but I had to admit defeat and shelve the rest of the weekend.

Tubeless ready tyres are an arse to fit with a tube.

the key for me is to really make sure the tyre wall is in the center channel and I carry a little soap with me to help slip the tyre over the rim.

littlegreenman

Met Sir Chris Hoy at work today, so that was a thing!

dano

I went out for a 12 mile MTB ride today and it was COLD ! Dry day, a bit foggy, some windchill, felt like 0C easily.

Had to quit about half way on the loop and head home as I was completely unprepared in just base layer and long sleeve cycling top. 

My trusty Altura Nightvison from 10yrs ago has a failed zip so i didn't wear it. So I need to get  new cycling jacket but the choice now is bewildering.

drofluf

If it’s any comfort I was cold in my garage on the turbo as well. But kudos for getting outside

Mellish

@dano check out the Assos Mille GT