Spy shots of Shaf commuting:

10 m behind a van can already make quite a difference.
I couldn't sustain it for 2 hrs, but not too long ago I drafted behind traffic at around 40 km/h. 10 m, 40 km/h... yes, it's stupid for many reasons. So lets just forget it...

Alpinum wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:21 pm
10 m behind a van can already make quite a difference.
I couldn't sustain it for 2 hrs, but not too long ago I drafted behind traffic at around 40 km/h. 10 m, 40 km/h... yes, it's stupid for many reasons. So lets just forget it...

In a previous (cycling) life I was a keen time trial rider and all the fastest courses for particular distances were on roads that had lots of traffic (often dual carriageway roads). The theory was that each time a vehicle passed you, you gained a little bit of a drafting effect and this became significant over the period of the time trial.
As you say though, madness and there's no way I'd entertain such behaviour now that I'm less young and (arguably) less stupid!

No skin suit nor drafting traffic or anyone in Crikey, how much jackets (they get rqther annoyed, even if I try telling em I have one on too with my baggy pants). No aero helmet (though I might need to look into that) as I never plan on any form of skinsuit which is where the bulk of the seconds shaving would be it is believed

No drafting traffic though I do try to latch on safely whenever I can without being an annoyance or danger to them or myself.

In todays news... took the aero wheel out for a little spin to Screwfix (laminate stuff) and though it was hard to get up to speed, the way it just glided after that (until the next hillock, obviously) was nice. Hoping to enjoy that on the commutes (after the first hilly 15 miles )...

Oh... head I try to tuck in but am careful of my back and sprain (12 hours shift as soon as I arrive) and most of the ride is in the drops so try to maintain as much of the aero gain as poss. Already has some aero bars (mainly for comfort) and once I drop some weight (off it, not me) I should notice a decent improvement...

2h and 20 mins is average(ish) and the fastest has been about 2h14 I think

Fell off it…

Hit a patch of black ice* on a fast decent. Hit the ground hard, slid a long way. Sore hip, ribs and elbow. Wrecked a gillet and put holes in two new pieces of winter clothing

* black ice Friday?

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:40 pm Oh... head I try to tuck in but am careful of my back and sprain (12 hours shift as soon as I arrive) and most of the ride is in the drops so try to maintain as much of the aero gain as poss. Already has some aero bars (mainly for comfort) and once I drop some weight (off it, not me) I should notice a decent improvement...

2h and 20 mins is average(ish) and the fastest has been about 2h14 I think

Speed socks? Aero pedals?
Apparently a seat pack gives you some aero benefits too. As does a tidy, sleek frame bag (better than round tubes alone).
Riding 64 km in round about 2:20 I'd not bother about weight, but all about aero. Your average speed is simply too high to take weight into consideration more than aerodynamics.

Ian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:14 pm Fell off it…

Hit a patch of black ice* on a fast decent. Hit the ground hard, slid a long way. Sore hip, ribs and elbow. Wrecked a gillet and put holes in two new pieces of winter clothing

* black ice Friday?

Ouch. Hope you heal up quick Ian.

Ian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:14 pm Fell off it…

Hit a patch of black ice* on a fast decent. Hit the ground hard, slid a long way. Sore hip, ribs and elbow. Wrecked a gillet and put holes in two new pieces of winter clothing

* black ice Friday?

Hope no holes in your skin Heal quick.

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:03 pm Spy shots of Shaf commuting:

Hope someone's pointed out to him he's lost his stoker Or is it like the team sprint where one rider can drop off the back

psling wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:44 pm Hope no holes in your skin Heal quick.

Thankfully not, but I was sliding for long enough that the thought went through my mind…

Alpinum wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:31 pm

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:40 pm Oh... head I try to tuck in but am careful of my back and sprain (12 hours shift as soon as I arrive) and most of the ride is in the drops so try to maintain as much of the aero gain as poss. Already has some aero bars (mainly for comfort) and once I drop some weight (off it, not me) I should notice a decent improvement...

2h and 20 mins is average(ish) and the fastest has been about 2h14 I think

Speed socks? Aero pedals?
Apparently a seat pack gives you some aero benefits too. As does a tidy, sleek frame bag (better than round tubes alone).
Riding 64 km in round about 2:20 I'd not bother about weight, but all about aero. Your average speed is simply too high to take weight into consideration more than aerodynamics.

Ian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:14 pm Fell off it…

Hit a patch of black ice* on a fast decent. Hit the ground hard, slid a long way. Sore hip, ribs and elbow. Wrecked a gillet and put holes in two new pieces of winter clothing

* black ice Friday?

Ouch. Hope you heal up quick Ian.

Thanks Gian. Thw first 15 miles is the 1400ft of elevation but then the rest is virtually flat (lightly hillocky). Might invest in an aero helmet and had wondered abiut the seatpack reducing resistance as it's at the back. Didn't know it could provide anything aero though so will keep an eye on that.

Framebag, I'd assumed removing it would be where the benefit was. But what you say makes sense. Pity my current one is a bit 'resistancy'. Will put in some thought... Aero socks and pedals erm... I'm on mtb pedals as everything else is pointless for me as I need to walk without being a duck on the corridor and rosd shoes are just not me anyway.

Thanks again... Watch this space

Ian... hope you get well soon. Black ice

Ian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:14 pm Fell off it…

Hit a patch of black ice* on a fast decent. Hit the ground hard, slid a long way. Sore hip, ribs and elbow. Wrecked a gillet and put holes in two new pieces of winter clothing

* black ice Friday?

Sorry to hear that Ian. Please check ribs (seriously) I had a similar crash at speed many years ago and unknowingly broke 2 of them. I now look odd in a mirror (not that I didn't before) as they were never put back properly.

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 4:31 pmSorry to hear that Ian. Please check ribs (seriously) I had a similar crash at speed many years ago and unknowingly broke 2 of them. I now look odd in a mirror (not that I didn't before) as they were never put back properly.

Thanks for the well-wishes chaps. Nothing out of place or broken, but very much bruised.

Basically lost the front wheel first on a fast left hander downhill, got a foot down but the rear broke away quickly so I was full on sideways but then the rear wheel bit on a bit of road with no ice and I was high sided off the outside of the bike. Body position was such that I landed heavily on my right side and a full on slide onto the other side of the road. Good job no cars coming…

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Fri Nov 26, 2021 4:01 pm Didn't know it could provide anything aero though so will keep an eye on that.

Framebag, I'd assumed removing it would be where the benefit was. But what you say makes sense. Pity my current one is a bit 'resistancy'. Will put in some thought...

Youtube search for bikepacking aerodynamics should give some insight, if you haven't already searched for it.

Have finished working on my girlfriends everyday/offroad touring bike. She's been using it practically every day for nearly 5 years and rode it across Iceland 2 x with hardly any love. Was about time to give it some.

Rear rack to fit large tyres/regular offroad tyres and mudguards, new (well... used parts but in a way better state than the 4 year old) drivetrain/shifting, bar with more rise for more comfort, different mount position for the front light (below the front rack, not on bars), new tyres and new rear hub. Bike looks like new. Was well worth the effort and I can't wait to get her feedback from the first ride. Mine's next.

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:27 pm

Have finished working on my girlfriends everyday/offroad touring bike. She's been using it practically every day for nearly 5 years and rode it across Iceland 2 x with hardly any love. Was about time to give it some.

Rear rack to fit large tyres/regular offroad tyres and mudguards, new (well... used parts but in a way better state than the 4 year old) drivetrain/shifting, bar with more rise for more comfort, different mount position for the front light (below the front rack, not on bars), new tyres and new rear hub. Bike looks like new. Was well worth the effort and I can't wait to get her feedback from the first ride. Mine's next.

Well done.
that's sounds like my missus bike, with out the off road stuff.
If you lucky you might get a peck on your cheek in appreciation
But don't list all the upgrades (yawn) ,
it'll probably be a big turn off

Fitted some TRP Spykes to the Ramin, so it's now fully rigid and fully mechanical. I just need to get rid of this cold now and give it a test ride.

Fitted some drop bar pogies to my gravel/cx/commuting bike. Bit tricky as it's got the old style STi shifters where the cable comes out the side, but OK.

Rode round to the post office in the piddling rain, and they're amazing!

New 11 speed XT rear mech on my fat bike/hardtail to replace the battered four year old one that has been subject to multiple rock strikes culminating in the spring failing on it. Nice smooth shifting is now restored.

Just threw this together:-



Probably proof that I have indeed gone mad but what the hey, it could be worse, I could be hiding in the basement waiting for the end of the world....

Anyway I've fancied a steamroller for a few years now. Like all Surly skinny bikes it has lots of nice features like fancy lugs on the forks, horizontal top tube, which to my mind is essential on a road bike; and nice noodley steel tubes to avoid too much jarring on rough roads. I missed out last year and built a fixed cross check instead which is more versatile with wide tyres and mudguards, but having off loaded my blingy van nic skinny bike, which was just too good and therefore a bit dull; I was still feeling the need for a pure road machine (stuff yer carbon 20 gear bank balance busters!) No need for any more than one gear these days so managed to secure one of the latest SR's in a rather fetching yellow (its much more yellow in the flesh than this crap pic.) Nicked some bits off the pacer (which may have to go) and used the track wheels I bought many years ago so overall spent very little dosh other than the frame.

Just about done. Originally it was going to get a freewheel but in the event I figured that this was an extravagant luxury for people clearly lacking in moral fibre (well at least on road bikes) so its fixed. As usual I'm way lower geared than what everyone recommends (42/17) but it's affy hilly hereabouts.

The keen eyed amongst you will spot the lack of brakes but these are incoming. I've seen all the stuff on u toob with folk screaming around various urban environments sans any form of braking other than what is offered by stopping pedaling but this is a short way to splat city (man.) If I lived somewhere flat without any other person present I would go brakeless but having two fully functioning brakes makes riding fixed much more accessible and avoids knee flailing 200rpm antics on steep descents.

OT so I'll try and do a bam on it next year

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 6:49 pm I'm way lower geared than what everyone recommends (42/17) but it's affy hilly hereabouts.

I seem to remember I was running 39/18 when I had a fixed!

Not today, but in the past two weeks I've completely stripped my OOF, fitted the Lauf fork I should not have bought from Allen (still struggling with the idea that there is no crown race for this fork - it's integrated which is a term that fills me with dread). But it feels real nice.

I've built two wheels onto my Hugo rims with fresh hubs, somehow managing to get the calcs for correct spoke length right for both of them. Miracle. I have not built many wheels in my time but am very pleased with the front, which is straight and round. The back not so much. Dishing it took a bizzillion twiddles and I don't know why: it was nearly 10mm high on the drive side, but we got there eventually. It's got a few very minor wobbles but I can live with that given it's running a big fat tyre which is not exactly straight either.

The original Husselfet bottom bracket finally got some new bearings. Finding them online was not fun because I have no idea how to measure bearings. But I got it right first time ... yaaaaah me. It is one of only three parts that came with the thing nearly 10 years ago, the others being the stem and the cranks. The bearings were not too bad TBH, despite a decade of negligence, they were just a little grindy. They seized up a few years ago but a week in a bath of WD40 sorted them out. Some things are just built to last, or at least used to be.

I spent half of Sunday wrestling with the 2nd hand GX 12 speed (bought off here about 18 months ago to replace the worn out XT 10 speed its had on it for years) Honestly, it is the most argumentative drivetrain I've ever fitted. Half a turn on any adjuster had it chucking the chain here there and everywhere. Eventually in desperation I pulled four links off the chain and suddenly it worked ..... sigh.

I was hoping to get it resprayed but the place I trust (Argos) are taking bookings for April with delivery in June. Nope. I'll stick with the manky battered paint and just enjoy remembering the stories each scratch and dent tells.

And it's got a new bar and new grips. Next job: getting the tyres up tubeless. That's how they came off and that's how they are going back on. Yes they will.

And I will ride it on Saturday. Maybe.

argh

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 6:49 pm Just threw this together:-



Probably proof that I have indeed gone mad but what the hey, it could be worse, I could be hiding in the basement waiting for the end of the world....

I quite like that. You've really embraced the single speed way (fixie here I know). The fat bike will be next!

FLV wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:08 am
I quite like that. You've really embraced the single speed way (fixie here I know). The fat bike will be next!

My problem now is hating the thought of bolting all that stuff on the back wheel, even if it makes it easier!
At the mo the fat bike is keeping its gears as I need the 26/46 to fight my way through the deep stuff and the other gears are good for getting to the deep stuff . However if I could contrive a two speed arrangement with a normal singlespeed gear plus a crawler gear.....

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:02 pm However if I could contrive a two speed arrangement with a normal singlespeed gear plus a crawler gear.....

That old chestnut, yeah someone should invent that.