You are a cyclist !

[olmania]

Hey hey ! We are in April, time to restart really seriously the cyclism, for real !
I'm sure, in the RSF players, there are a lot of real cycling riders, in club or for fun !
I don't know if this thread will interest some people, but that can be interesting to speak about our preparations, our outputs-ballads, our mischances and our performances !
isn't to do a comparison of what we have in our legs (or between, like roby will criticize), but i like read the blabla about cyclisms trips, not only the races and the records, but about the roads of everyday, the feelings and the wishes ...
I'm not sure to be understandable ... but i hope i'm not only who will interested by a thread like that !

[Luna]

You're good understandable.

What we have between our legs is imprtant, too, since it can cause pain after several ours on the bike

I ride my bike nearly every day. No races, no specific training. Just doing my ways with it, since I use neither car nor bus. Except when the streets are too full of snow or if the rain falls too intensively. So I had to rest for about a month last winter. But since february I'm back on the bike. Especially since I took on some cross tires. They are great, because now I'm able again to go on dirt roads or whatever. I like riding on the streets, but sometimes I just want to go a little off road. So it was unpleasant to be restricted to roads while using thin tires without profile.

Although I ride in nearly every weather, I am happy that it gets warmer now, since I prefer riding with short pants and in t-shirt in hot temperatures. The sweat shall run from my face. The airflow shall be nicely warm or pleasantly cool, instead of ice cold.

My avarage riding distance per day is 25-30km in everyday life. When I ride just for fun I do 50-100. It's a little difficult to do longer distances, as I don't want to be too exhausted from it, because I need to ride monday to friday again.

It's so funny. I love it, in deed.

[Bear]

Very nice thread, good idea Ol

I am also the just-for-fun-rider. I like to ride offroad, this is more like my other hobby, enduro riding. Mud, rain, stones, roots, this is what my bike is used to.

Last year I did my first "Alpencross". This was a great experience and just awesome. I will never forget the Val di mora and the Val d'Unia or the flowy downhill after the gravia pass. This year I will ride my first mtb marathon in albstadt... so I need to train at least a little bit

Unfortunately I was injured in the winter. So I am not in a good shape right now. At the moment I ride 30-50km every 2-3 days (depends on my free time). Maybe I have to go to the black forest for training on this weekend

[olmania]

Fine !

So, if you want, you can put profils of your ballads, I think i will do that later ^^ that's interesting.

My turn !
I'm a for-fun rider ! I always do a big break during the winter, because here it's impossible to ride here ! 5kms on the right, or the left and : big moutains with a lot of snow ! And do a break it's better for me, because now i only want one thing : come back on the roads !!! So, during the winter, i practice other sports, or i do some home-trainer times. With that i can keep a bit of form, but i'll restart now the most regurlarly as i can.
So, this week-end i leave the city, and i'm visiting my parents in the campaign, a will do my time trial reference (5.5kms of hard climb), after that i will have an idea of my form ^^

So, I pratice on-road cycling because i've not the bike for offroad, when i had to change of bike, I change for a bike on road. But sometimes i can keep an "ATV" for offroad, that's fun.
My favorite speciality is the climb. Rise is fun ! Each year (the 5 last years) I practice this sport, because during the summer i go in the Alps ... what a pleasure ! To climb 20kms of uphill, and prestigious climbs (i'm sure you know Izoard, Galibier, Agnel, Vars ...) that's what i prefer on my bike ! After that i'm not really good in the flat and the valleys, too boring in my opinion.
This year don't know yet if i'll ride in the alps, again. But, i'm in Grenoble until the end of June, so i'll do some climbs all around the city.

In big moutain, 50-70kms is good, to have burning legs, and when i do cyclism in middle moutain (where my parents live) 100kms is enough for me !

[Luna]

I like climbing, too. More than downhill or flat. You can give it all you have without caring for navigation or even using the brakes. Just pedaling, breathing, sweating, suffering, maybe drifting away in your mind.

Unfortunately I don't have that big mountains here around me. 5km is the longest I've found in my area. I could go to the "Harz". There are some longer climbs. But that would exceed my accustomed distance. And there is many traffic on the roads. I don't like that very much. But maybe I'll do it some day. I can't always do only this short ones. And who knows if I'll ever travel to the Alpes with my bike.


Defying the forces of nature is funny, too. Today I was caught by a strong cross wind while riding home out of the town. If there would have been a peloton, I definitely would have lost contact from it^^
I had to lean against the wind just as if I was riding a curve, while I was on a straight. That was strange. I really had to concentrate on not beeing blown from the road, especially when there was a car passing me, what scrambled the winds massively.

[el Galactico]

The Harz is very brutal, long climbs but some are veeery steep! I was surprised when i was there last year because i haven't thought that there are that nice mountains in northern germany, but you're right, most of the streets are full of ugly traffic.

3 years ago i was in France, near the Mont Ventoux, there are some very beautiful routes with nice climbs too, and the Ventoux as the i-point, but it was very windy that day. There is nothing better than to have a little race against one of your competitors there.
We also made a little tour to the foot of Alp d'Huez to ride there. I like this mountain.

This year my motivation is really down, living in a city now doesn't makes this better. But the time will come.

[Bear]

I had a beautiful ride today. Perfect weather, a nice 35km lap with around 700 heightmeters (not too heavy, my form is really bad^^ )and a lot of offroad. Today I found my new favorite singletrail

[olmania]

Hey !
Last week I did some little "outputs" offroad to try to find good sensation on the bike. But after 4 days, I broke the thing to change the gears (i don't now the name in english ) i wasn't lucky.
Today, my first try onroad, maybe too ambitious (for a first in 2010), but I did it ! Now i'm dead ...
http://www.openrunner.com/findORElevati ... 1517009647

This hill is hard ! more than i thought ^^

I want, and I need to sleep now

[olmania]

What is a bad luck ?
I've my own idea ...
2punctures in 5kms, and coming back with a flat tire !
Super morning

[Luna]

How do you (and others) handle the always imminent danger of puncturing? Do you permanently keep a patch kit and/or a reserve tube with you? Where do you store it? All in the back pocket of your jersey next to the banana and the nutrition gels/bars? Is there enough room for all that? And isn't it kinda uncomfortable?

[Bear]

I just come from a 2 hour ride. Because I go offroad on every ride I ever take a patch kit and a reserve tube with me. I have a small deuter backpack where all the stuff (rain jacket, maps, food, "trinkblase/camelbag", bicycle tire inflator,...) fits in. Its not that heavy and it doesn't bother me. I'm used to it and I want it that way so I don't care about more weight during a "AlpenX". Besides, I don't like these small bags directly at the bike.

[Luna]

Small bags at the bike? Hm. Maybe that's an idea. I just hate having anything at my back while riding.

[Bear]

Yap, most of the cyclists like these small bags for the bike. The most important things you can put inside.

You don't like having something on your back. I hate stuff that's dangling at the bike

[NoPikouze]

But I don't take anything, excepted my cellphone in the backpocket of my jersey

[Luna]

Thanks for the picture, NoPik.

Maybe you're right, Bear. The dangling could become disturbing. I think I'll just have to try it out, since I am no cell phone user

[Luna]

Do they use clipless pedals in cyclo-cross races? They have to step from the bike many times on the different surfaces during a race.

[el Galactico]

Planning my next tour to France in 2011 Like to ride all these big mountains in the Alpes like Galibier etc. Will have time for about 1 week in summer i think. Not much time, so the right plan is very important. Hmm and there is this boring training here in the north. Always flat^^

And i use such a small bag as well, enough place for the kit and the camera.

[olmania]

Planning my next tour to France in 2011 Like to ride all these big mountains in the Alpes like Galibier etc. Will have time for about 1 week in summer i think. Not much time, so the right plan is very important. Hmm and there is this boring training here in the north. Always flat^^

And i use such a small bag as well, enough place for the kit and the camera.

Where do you want to go in the French Alps ? North, Middle, South Alps ?
And you want to cycling each day, 7day ? 1climb/day, 2climbs/day ?
I can help, and advice you to do a good trip, in the good (and hard) climbs

[Luna]

Nice plan. I'm envious.

But is there anybody out there who can tell me if they use clipless pedals in cyclo-cross races. I'm thinking about the winter time. Will I be able to ride through snow and over dirty roads with the clipless' or sould I maybe change back to the ordinary ones for the winter period?

[olmania]

Nice plan. I'm envious.

But is there anybody out there who can tell me if they use clipless pedals in cyclo-cross races. I'm thinking about the winter time. Will I be able to ride through snow and over dirty roads with the clipless' or sould I maybe change back to the ordinary ones for the winter period?

I do almost only onroad cycling, when I use the old offroad machine, it's without the clips pedals, I tried some days with a bike of a friend, and it's so hard ... I don't like feel stopped by the clips, it's like you can't move for the agility in the curves and downhill, that's cool in the climbs, only in the climbs (when it's not 25% with sand : have to go out of the bike to push, and push !)

[el Galactico]

Yeah plan is to ride all 7 days. Dont know yet. Well i think 2 mountains/day are maximum. I tried to make a first little plan and created a tour over 7 days from Isola near to the Italian border (bottom of Bonette). End is Rochetaille with the "king stage" to Alp d'Huez

About 14.000 hm and 590 kms! I think I need a good training for that , but it should be doable or not? If you are interested i can go into details about the stages

Problem is how to take all the things with you, which are important. Dont like a big bag on my shoulders if i climb up a mountain there. Any ideas? The way back from Rochetaille to Isola could be made with a hire car or is there maybe a train or something like that?

[Bear]

For one week a 30l backpack is ok in my opinion. You can find several packing lists in the net, mostly for Alpencross etc. I had a backpack with me which was even smaller, one week and was ok. It's a week of cycling and not holidays were you go out at night in a fine dress. So you don't need much stuff. But for sure, some people don't like stuff on their shoulders... I think Luna was one of them

[olmania]

Yeah plan is to ride all 7 days. Dont know yet. Well i think 2 mountains/day are maximum. I tried to make a first little plan and created a tour over 7 days from Isola near to the Italian border (bottom of Bonette). End is Rochetaille with the "king stage" to Alp d'Huez

About 14.000 hm and 590 kms! I think I need a good training for that , but it should be doable or not? If you are interested i can go into details about the stages

Problem is how to take all the things with you, which are important. Dont like a big bag on my shoulders if i climb up a mountain there. Any ideas? The way back from Rochetaille to Isola could be made with a hire car or is there maybe a train or something like that?

The last summer I did a trip of one week with 10kgs on my bike. I think if you do the same, it will be really hard in the >10% kms !
And if you have not the good training, the last 3days should be really, really hard for you.
But 10kgs on the bike is really is enough to stay alive one week
Your bike is a pure on-road bike ?
Have you ever climb hills like the long hills you will meet in Alps ? Any experience, or ?
And, yes I'm interested about the details of your stages, because I maybe can advice you for some roads to avoid, or others which are unmissed !
And, the Alp d'Huez is famous all over the World because of the Tour de France, but that's not the hardest climb you will do during your week

And, for the way back ... you absolutely need to come back to Isola ? Because I think it's not easy with buses (3-4buses to take maybe), and really long and expensive with trains !

[Robyklebt]

Bah:

A backpack? Horrible idea. Just buy a decent bike where you can put on "Seitentaschen" and go with that. Weight? No problem, just get used to it. After all you don't need to climb the mountains with 15 km/h..... in my youth when I was 20 (ok, 25..) kg younger and generally in better shape (but not a super sport star in any way) me and my cousin just happily climbed our passes at 7 km/h average, taking it easy, if one got tired he just announced that he really had to take a picture or something and took a break... then sprint at the top (stupid idea in France, except the great Port de Pailhères I lost every single french 2000+ meter pass, grrr) So if you have a bike where you can put "Seitentaschen" on, get with those, much much much more confortable than a backpack. With a backpack all you do is sweat like a pig for nothing. Say no to backpacks, no to mountain bikes, yes to good old touring bikes!

[Bear]

Haha, I like the picture of young Roby taking out his camera every second corner...

... but I don't like "Seitentaschen". Maybe this is because I am more the Offroadguy... there "Seitentaschen" is the last thing you wanna have on your bike. This could be different on roads... don't have much experience with road bikes. I think everyone should do this like he is used to it. Important: Take your kilos of stuff for some training rides.