cycling

Pros and cons of power meters

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If power meters had never been invented I would be quite happy. They cost a lot of money and in the past two years I’ve had more technical problems with power meters than I have had with any other cycling equipment.

quark-power-crank

On the other hand, it’s hard to push back technological advances, as the Luddites found out all those years ago. Yes, it would perhaps be nice if we all rode single speed steel frames with nothing more than the wind in our face to evaluate how hard we’re trying. But I can’t deny I’d rather have a 6kg Emonda for climbing in the Lake District, and now you can have a power file to look at and muse after. Whether you get as much joy inspecting a power file as you do climbing Hardknott pass, who can say?

My power meters

Quark Elsa

The Quark Elsa is a pain to fit (at least for me – of low technical capacity) and it frequently broke down in the first six months. To be fair, it’s been quite reliable this year and the power figure seems reasonably reliable. However, a dropped chain on Monday did knock off a precariously balanced magnet, showing it’s just another thing that go wrong.

Stages

I bought a Stages power meter crank this April because I wanted one for the road bike, and it was too difficult to swap the Quark cranks / bottom brackets e.t.c. Stages is half the price of Quark and at £700 is moving into the area of reasonably affordable (by cycling standards anyway)

It is relatively easy to fit, you just need a bit of finesse with a torque wrench (something I lacked, rounded a bolt and had to buy a new bolton ebay) Since using in May, the Stages has been reliable and consistent so far.

The main thing about the Stages is that it gives a reading of 30-40 watts more than the Quark. I was really excited to suddenly be getting an extra 40 watts on training rides. Though alas, I still had very similar times to last year’s efforts at 40 watts less.  An extra 40 watts means nothing, if you don’t go any faster. That’s the thing with power meters, it still is the time which counts in races (at least for now…)

I’ve tried resetting Stages, but it gives the same high power reading, which is a bit of a pain for comparing power meter outputs between the different bikes, I’m not sure which is right. For a five minute hill, it’s the difference between a watt per kg ratio of around 7.3 or 6.8.

I think there is a way of testing the reliability of power meters and properly recalibrating, but I don’t really have time.

Advantages of power meters

Pacing. Perhaps the most obvious benefit of a power meter is that it will give very useful indicators about good and bad pacing. For anyone doing a time trial, it is really useful information. I started using a power meter after 8 years of racing. I thought I knew how to pace a good time trial. But, a power meter suggested my pacing wasn’t as good as I thought it was. In some cases, it was a real eye opener.

You don’t have to be a timetriallist to benefit from the pacing benefits. Even a sportive rider may benefit from a look at power. If you’re doing over your threshold after the first half an hour, it’s going to be a long six hours in the saddle.

Speed and power. Without a power meter, it is interesting how much importance you can give to speed or average speed. With a power meter, you can have much more confidence in holding back on a tailwind and increasing effort into head wind.

Peaking. The first year I used a power meter was 2014, during the hill climb season. It was very useful for seeing the 3-5 minute power achieved during a race / training session. It enabled me to spot patterns about the consequences of training and racing very hard, with little rest, and then the contrast with racing after a few days rest.

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Hill climb courses / events 2015

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A list of  hill climb events for 2015 from CTT.

I usually spend a lot of time trying to work out what kind of hill all the course codes are so this is a page with some of the info I have, but bear in mind it is incomplete, and possibly inaccurate.

  • Sometimes it is hard to find info on the course. If you have more info, or link to event website, drop us a line or leave a comment.
  • To enter hill climb click on name of event. Note some events, have separate event for J/W. Best to check at CTT site.
  • The most helpful thing to know is roughly how long a hill climb will take. Time of 1st ride is either CR or estimate CR for men. Some course records are from memory. But, it will provide a rough guide to kind of hill

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Overtaking cyclists

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Motorists often give too little space when overtaking cyclists. It is potentially dangerous and an unpleasant experience. Often is just a combination of impatience and unawareness. But, once you have been a cyclist yourself, you would always approach overtaking a cyclist in a different manner.
too-close-passing

Car overtaking on Oxford High Street very close

iam-traffic

bus-cyclist-behind

Big buses. Very often cars/ buses pass so close that if you put your arm out and signal right you will hit the vehicle. lorry-overtake

Beware of lorries turning rightcyclists-buses-pass-with-care

Cyclists – Pass with Care! – Buses overtake with Care!

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‘Narrow Lane Do Not Overtake Cyclists’

How much room should you give a cyclist?

The Highway code states:

“give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211-215)”

Highway code

“As much room as a car” leaves some discretion, but, I would have thought three feet would be a good minimum. My grandma used to think the law was enough space for cyclist to fall off, without hitting the overtaking car. The highway code doesn’t quite say that but it seems a good rule of thumb.

Also the Highway code states:

“Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make.”

This is an interesting one, as sometimes, if you deviate less than one foot from your line an overtaking car will beep aggressively. True, you should be looking over your shoulder, but, if a small deviation from line causes consternation, it is probably because the car is passing too closely.

Urban roads and Rural Roads

It is common for cars to pass closely on urban roads, but at least speeds are lower, and often cars are more ready to slowdown. It is a bigger problem on fast rural roads where cars can be doing 50-60mph + and motorists don’t have the mentality to be ready to slow down. 50mph speed limits can become like minimum targets. If a motorist comes across a cyclist, they are loathe to slow down so just keep on ploughing on.

Speed of overtaking

There is a big difference between a car overtaking close at 20mph and a car overtaking close at 50mph. There is also a big difference when a lorry overtakes you and it is so close the drag pushes you around.

 

SPACE from carltonreid on Vimeo.

3 Feet Rule

passing-not-so-close
A car giving plenty of room to a young kid on Cowley Road (look how close the child is hugging the kerb). I wonder if the cyclists was wearing lycra, helmet and fluroescent coat, the car would have given less room?

 

Some countries have toyed with the idea of passing a law that motorists should leave 3 feet when overtaking. If this was the case, 80% of drivers would break the law everyday.

Doesn’t giving Cyclists Room mean an increase in congestion / time wasted?

lone-survivor-bus-undertaking

I’ve lost count of the number of times a motorist has impatiently overtaken – squeezed through a gap which wasn’t there and then had to slam on the brakes because he’s approaching a traffic jam. There is a certain karma to then be able to undertake them whilst they are stationary in a traffic jam. But, you would think, people would look ahead. Squeezing through gaps which aren’t there rarely get you any quicker anyway.

Generally, cars should give more space, but all rules need some discretion. As a motorist I find it quite easy to give space to cyclists because I always think empathise with the cyclist that I am overtaking. I would give the cyclist as much space as I would want myself.

I really don’t understand why cyclists get such a bad press in the media. When I think of the 100,000 miles I’ve driven in the past 10 years – how much time have I lost by waiting for a good opportunity to overtake. It is completely negligible. Furthermore, I enjoy the process of slowing down and giving space – because I know the cyclist will appreciate it.

It’s just a matter of perspective – Get mad because you have to wait 5 seconds, or take a bit more time and get to the back of the traffic jam in a calmer state of mind. Life isn’t rocket science!

But Cyclists don’t wear A Cycle Helmet / Cyclists don’t pay road tax

  • Would you want to run-over a pedestrian because they don’t pay an obsolete tax, no one pays?
  • Would you run over a pedestrian just because they are not wearing a safety helmet – to teach them a lesson?

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Selling Trek Equinox SSL

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trek-2I’m selling my Trek Equinox TT bike. Size XL (60cm)

Came 3rd in National 100, 2014 so quite fast.

Frame has a few minor scratches and chipping of paint. But, never involved in crash.

Groupset was Shimano Dura Ace 10sp, though now has ultegra rear dereailleur.

Crankset is currently Shimano Sora, though I still have original Dura Ace crankset (with 54/39 chainrings) you can fit. As it comes with bike.

Trek Equinox at Ebay

Also Selling on e-bay

British National road champs 2015

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After a hard couple of days racing, it was nice to be able to put the feet up and watch other people suffering for a change. This year’s road race was held on the roads of the Lincoln Grand Prix – featuring the infamous cobbled climb of Michaelgate. Just two minutes long, the climb may not seem too much on itself, but ridden nine times with many miles in the legs, the cobbled climb is guaranteed to break up a race and create an intriguing race.

Phmichaelgate-2-david-davis
PHoto David Dales

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Bradley Wiggins – World hour record 54.526km

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The world hour record by Sir Bradley Wiggins was one of those great sporting moments. It was a great achievement, and a real pleasure to watch.

wiggins

An hour of a single athlete riding around a track, may sound quite dull. But, it is testimony to the record and athlete that it was one of the most enthralling hour’s of sport I’ve watched.

As a timetriallist myself I couldn’t help but admire, for the full 60 mins the near perfect position (with ridiculously low CdA), and metronomic timing of the laps. At one point, the average speed seemed stuck on 54.62 km/h. There was a very slight dip in speed in the last twelve minutes, but, still enough to smash the record with a 54.526 km.

After the torturous hour of racing, Bradley gave a very composed and entertaining interview; an example of why he was so popular. (a sharp contrast to the inarticulate interviews of footballers after European cup final last night – which was a great game!)

Number of riders who have won the following palmeres: One – Bradley Wiggins

  • Olympic gold – Time trial (2012)
  • Olympic gold – Individual pursuit *2 (2004, 2008)
  • Olympic gold – Team pursuit (2008)

Total Olympic medals – seven, four gold (and Rio 2016 to come)

World Time Trial Championships

  • World Time trial championship (2014)
  • Track world championships * 6 gold medals (10 medals in total)

Stage race victories

  • Tour de France victory
  • Critérium du Dauphiné (2011, 2012)
  • Paris–Nice (2012)
  • Tour de Romandie (2012)
  • Tour of Britain (2013)
  • Tour of California (2014)

Miscellaneous

  • 3rd Vuelta Espane (2011)
  • Wore leaders jersey Giro d’Italia and Vuelta
  • Team pursuit world record 3 times. 3:53.314 (2008)

National titles

  • National Time Trial Championships (2009, 2010, 2014)
  • National Road Race Championships (2011)

UCI World Hour record

  • 54.526 (2015)

The coverage of the hour record was mostly good (at least after missing the start with Sky commercials. It was a little bizarre having a mid race interview with Seb Coe, who for some reason was spending the hour riding on an indoor bicycle. Carlton Kirby did a fine job in the commentary; but it was the atmosphere of the crowd seeping into the tv which was the real star.

1036mb was the air pressure making the record perhaps an hour slower. This record of 54.6 is definitely not on the shelf. I think a rider like Tony Martin could break it. – Perhaps within the year. Alex Dowsett will probably go away for a few years and feel that towards the end of his career he could come back and get close to this mark.

Would Bradley be tempted to have another go – knowing that low air pressure could give him up to another 1 km? Probably not. Bradley doesn’t have much to prove, but then he always said he would never do the hour record at all.

p.s. Kudos to the young kid wearing an Otley CC jersey I saw in the crowd.

p.p.s. I’m so glad his aero team told him to shave off his beard. I wouldn’t have got as much joy if he was riding with a beard to disturb the airflow.

Some thoughts on Giro d’Italia 2015

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdfsuezitalia

The Giro d’Italia has been great to watch – beautiful Italian scenery, exciting, unpredictable racing – and as stage races go a lot of drama and excitement. If the Tour de France could replicate that intensity, we could be in for a treat. Hopefully, if the main contenders stay safe in the crazy first week, there will be many more people to seriously challenge for the lead.

Contador / Nibali / Froome / Quintana – sounds an absorbing competition.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdfsuezitalia
Photo Engie

 

One of the abiding images of the Giro was watching Alberto Contador dance up the Mortirolo climb picking off the straggling peleton like he was a pro coming across a Sunday afternoon club run. It was a really great stage. Similarly, it was just as good to see Contador suffer on the last stage. – Expect the unexpected with this Giro.

I’m a great fan of the Corinthian endeavour – amateur ideals of sport and all that. But, the thing with professional cycling is that it is often the badly timed crash / puncture that really lights up the race. If the main protagonists stopped racing every-time someone came a cropper, it would become more like a charity ride, than a race. I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth. The sportsmanship in pro-cycling that really matters is riding 100% clean.

Still, the ever-unpopular UCI rule makers should revisit those rules about fining riders who swap equipment from different teams. I think it’s good if rival team mates want to offer a spare wheel out of friendship or sportsmanship. It’s always good to have rules that outsiders to the sport understand. Unless you have spent many late nights reading the UCI rulebook you will probably struggle to understand the two minute penalty give Porte and Simon Clarke (BBC link) for nothing more than a wheel swap.

The one shadow over the Giro is why they have to always commemorate Marco Pantani as the great hero of cycling. To me, he never will be. The abiding memory of Pantani is (apart from his ridiculous Heamocrit levels) was leading the peleton protests (photo) against ‘proper drug enforcement at the 1998 Tour de France (the Tour of the Festina scandal)’. Pantani was a tragic life, a cautionary tale, a man who perhaps deserves sympathy, but, I struggle to feign admiration for any drug users – be they Pantani, Armstrong or Ullrich.

Finishing on a more positive note – another highlight of the Giro was seeing a new generation come through, like David Formolo’s successful win from a break. That was really good. Hope to see him keep progressing for next few years.

Cycling inventions that seemed like a good idea at the time

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I remember when I was 11, I owned a shell suit and thinking it was the greatest thing since Marmite. I’ve now expunged all photos of me cycling in a shell suit (good job no flickr.com in those days). It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now…

There are many things that seem like a good idea at the time, cycling is no exception.

The all over skin suit

mw-one-piece
I believe under this skinsuit is Dave Lloyd

In the 1970s, these all over skin suits were all the rage in the time-trialling community. Apparently, dressing up in this figure hugging lycra piece was a couple of seconds more aerodynamic over 25 miles. The sad thing is that I’m drawn to the quality of the number pinning, which may well negate all the effort of that lycra onesie.

Dressing all in black

For many years in the UK, the RTTC had a regulation that cyclists must only wear all black whilst racing on British roads. The idea was to make the cyclist look less conspicuous – and so hopefully prevent anyone from noticing that we were doing something as rebellious as ride a bike.

all-over-in-black

These days, we go to the other extreme and wear fluorescent jackets and the like.

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