Cycling

[RayP]

Never used a power meter before. Also thought it seemed high. Bikes are brand new and real nice though.

Still need to buy my own trainer.

 

[RayP]

So the wife and I are going to discuss a move to Portland this weekend, and it looks like there is a significantly better than 50% chance we do it.

I already enjoy cycling, although Atlanta isn't exactly the most friendly state for it for many reasons. From the heat, to traffic, to texting and driving tickets not really being enforced and thus something to scare drivers away from doing it.

Anyways, salivating over the thought of how much more enjoyable my cycling would be. A car wouldn't be needed, and we buy groceries almost daily so things like that wouldn't be an issue. Soooooooo many people up there cycle as their main and only mode of transportation. The city itself is pretty flat, and easy to get around. And just a matter of a few miles outside of it you're in the mountains with HUGE clean shoulder lanes all throughout, not to mention very quiet roads.

The wife is mostly on-board.... she really only has one concern, and that's how gray it is in the winter there. She grew up in Atlanta where it's never really gray that many consecutive days.

So many gorgeous places to ride out there in the immediate area, and within a short drive to change it up dramatically.

 

[The Imp]

Great stuff, Ray. Seems to me you'd be experiencing more days with rain? Really just based on prejudice, tbh.

Seems to me that there'd be a definite culture change, too

Had a fabulous ride to work this morning - 4th in the all-time KOM on one segment on Strava, and four PRs on other segments. I've been struggling a bit with a chest infection/irritation of some sort since La Marmotte, but today was just a perfect ride. Trouble is, there's a thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon; I really don't want to be caught out in that on my way home. Guess I gotta leave work early .

 

[RayP]

Great stuff, Ray. Seems to me you'd be experiencing more days with rain? Really just based on prejudice, tbh.

Seems to me that there'd be a definite culture change, too

Had a fabulous ride to work this morning - 4th in the all-time KOM on one segment on Strava, and four PRs on other segments. I've been struggling a bit with a chest infection/irritation of some sort since La Marmotte, but today was just a perfect ride. Trouble is, there's a thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon; I really don't want to be caught out in that on my way home. Guess I gotta leave work early .

During the winter it would rain more days, but not often more than just a mist. When it rains out here we are usually talking downpours. And with the way drivers are here, there is no way you could get me out on the roads. Texting and driving is really bad here.

And yeah, the culture change would definitely be welcomed, and wanted for that matter. Much more laid back and our speed.

How is it riding on the roads there in the rain? Nice big bike lanes? They tried to create a lot of bike lanes here, without actually widening to the roads to do so.... So as expected, it didn't exactly create much of a lane.

Double whammy for me is that the roads I would ride to and from work are also some of the worst in the state, and I hate punishing my bike like that so eventually stopped. Well, between that and nearly getting literally killed by an 18 wheeler.

 

[The Imp]

Denmark has to be one of the best countries in the world for cycling. Two or three bikes wide cycling lanes all over Copenhagen, which are elevated about 10 cm from the road, just like a sidewalk.

In the countryside, any road with a speed limit of 80 kph will have a wide white-stripe divider, and then a cycling lane with space for at least one bike.

 

[VanillaCoke]

It rains alot in Oregon... not as much as Washington and Vancouver but way more than atlanta.
The scenery is spectacular tho and well worth it imo.

On an unrelated note I was just in atlanta last weekend!

 

[VanillaCoke]

Does anyone use airless tires?

 

[RayP]

It rains alot in Oregon... not as much as Washington and Vancouver but way more than atlanta.
The scenery is spectacular tho and well worth it imo.

On an unrelated note I was just in atlanta last weekend!

Believe it or not, Atlanta gets 54 inches of rain per year. Portland..... 38 inches per year.


Definitely rains more frequently in Portland, no doubt... But as long as it's light, which it usually is there, I'm not worried about it. That and with how big of a cycling town it is, also have that added comfort as well as from a drivers perspective it's expected to see bikes out on the road. And a lot of em.

 

[RayP]

Denmark has to be one of the best countries in the world for cycling. Two or three bikes wide cycling lanes all over Copenhagen, which are elevated about 10 cm from the road, just like a sidewalk.

In the countryside, any road with a speed limit of 80 kph will have a wide white-stripe divider, and then a cycling lane with space for at least one bike.

Ever have any issues on the countryside roads? Doesn't look like the biggest lane, but I get the vibe that's not really an issue and that distracted drivers by you aren't as big of a concern.

 

[The Imp]

No, distracted drivers are not a big concern here. It's just that the distances are so short here.

You'd never have to drive a car on a countryside road for more than an hour before hitting either a proper highway or the coast. Denmark is... small.

One thing you do need to worry about are semis performing right-hand turns. Seems to me a cyclist gets squished every other week, here.

 

[RayP]

Got caught in a bit of a dicey situation today.... Forecast said no storms till 5pm, so went for my ride between 11-2.

Well, at about 1:15 I saw an absurd amount of lightning and some hail. Ended up making it back just fine, but man were those last 12-15 miles not fun. Not a single spot to stop at and attempt to wait it out, either. Well I could have tried someone's porch, but in the part of the country I was at that would have probably been even riskier. Very rednecky.

 

[Havre]

At least you don't get those %#"%#% hills and mountains everywhere in Denmark (I'm close to 2 meters tall and 100kg+)

Infrastructure in Denmark is 50 x better than Norway when it comes to cycling though. Apart from the wind and lack of hills it is pretty close to perfect I would say.

 

[Very Stable Genius]

I know it might be sacrilege for some, but I just bought a Specialized e-bike and it has changed my life forever.

 

[RayP]

In two weeks I'll be buying my first wheel set.



Giant SLR 1 Carbon Aero.

 

[Havre]

In two weeks I'll be buying my first wheel set.



Giant SLR 1 Carbon Aero.

Cool.

Any reason for choosing the SLR1?

Been looking for an upgrade myself. A bit of a nightmare trying to find good reviews of the different wheels.

 

[RayP]

Cool.

Any reason for choosing the SLR1?

Been looking for an upgrade myself. A bit of a nightmare trying to find good reviews of the different wheels.

Got a buddy hooking me up with a pretty good discount, so gonna give them a go. These seemed to make the most sense out of my options. Difference between these and SLR 0 wasn't worth spending that much more when I can just drink a few less beers that week instead.

 

[Havre]

Got a buddy hooking me up with a pretty good discount, so gonna give them a go. These seemed to make the most sense out of my options. Difference between these and SLR 0 wasn't worth spending that much more when I can just drink a few less beers that week instead.

OK. Seems reasonable. Especially since I still haven't found proper information about how well wheels actually do perform. I just don't trust someone saying "these are good when it comes to acceleration" and statements like that. So so hard to objectively "feel" those things. What you often end up with is all the well known and respected brands get good reviews and so on.

Anyone know of a site where they would test drag etc.?

http://www.wing-light.de/downloads/wheel_simulation_wing-light_090430.pdf

That is quite a cool report. Only captures a few wheels though.

 

[The Imp]

I have a pair of SLR wheels. I also have Zipp 404s, and had a set of Cosmic SLs.

The Giants rank squarely in the middle. They're fast, sturdy, and reasonable in sidewinds. However, the bearings screech when you ride in the rain, and I think rain's pretty tough on them.

 

[RayP]

I have a pair of SLR wheels. I also have Zipp 404s, and had a set of Cosmic SLs.

The Giants rank squarely in the middle. They're fast, sturdy, and reasonable in sidewinds. However, the bearings screech when you ride in the rain, and I think rain's pretty tough on them.

Hmmm.... interesting. That could actually become an issue after we move, with how frequently it rains up there.

OK. Seems reasonable. Especially since I still haven't found proper information about how well wheels actually do perform. I just don't trust someone saying "these are good when it comes to acceleration" and statements like that. So so hard to objectively "feel" those things. What you often end up with is all the well known and respected brands get good reviews and so on.

Anyone know of a site where they would test drag etc.?

http://www.wing-light.de/downloads/wheel_simulation_wing-light_090430.pdf

That is quite a cool report. Only captures a few wheels though.

Yeah, I didn't find much either.... The guy hooking me up is someone I've known for a while now, and he runs a Giant store, so I'm just trusting him. I figure worst case scenario, hopefully they're still better than something comparable to what I'll pay for the SLRs. Or at least that's what I'm convincing myself.

 

[Havre]

If you can get a discount there is no reason to believe they wouldn't be better than what you could get for the same amount of money elsewhere.

And in terms of speed I would be tempted to argue no-one knows.

A Norwegian magazine did a fairly simple test between Zipp 303 Firecrest and the Mavic Aksium S. So one cheap set of wheels (Mavic) and one I guess mid-priced (slightly on the expensive side) 303s. Uphill riding at the same average watt the Zipps where 1.4% better (18s with 21m19s riding with the Zipps). Doing the same on a fairly flat road the Mavics where 1s faster.

Of course not very scientific and on short rides like that there are many things that can "mess up" the results, but I can't help thinking the Zipps should have won regardless (not with minutes, but with something - and certainly not lose on the flat).

The only time I have seen a cheap set of wheels beating the more expensive though.

http://www.wired.com/2016/06/expensive-bicycle-wheels-worth-money-lets-check-physics/

More like what I would have expected. Even if the results are obviously quite "extreme" due to the rider pushing himself to the match - so the difference certainly wouldn't be the same at for example 90% instead of close to 100.

 

[RayP]

Man.... talk about a bad ride today. Just wasn't into it at all. I can be having the worst day ever, but if I get on my bike even for a short ride, it instantly turns my day around... At least for the duration of the ride.

But I just couldn't get into it, and legit didn't want to be riding. Weather wasn't an issue either. Just one of those days, I guess. However, I did put in the time/mileage I was suppose to, just wasn't as fun as it usually is.

If you can get a discount there is no reason to believe they wouldn't be better than what you could get for the same amount of money elsewhere.

And in terms of speed I would be tempted to argue no-one knows.

A Norwegian magazine did a fairly simple test between Zipp 303 Firecrest and the Mavic Aksium S. So one cheap set of wheels (Mavic) and one I guess mid-priced (slightly on the expensive side) 303s. Uphill riding at the same average watt the Zipps where 1.4% better (18s with 21m19s riding with the Zipps). Doing the same on a fairly flat road the Mavics where 1s faster.

Of course not very scientific and on short rides like that there are many things that can "mess up" the results, but I can't help thinking the Zipps should have won regardless (not with minutes, but with something - and certainly not lose on the flat).

The only time I have seen a cheap set of wheels beating the more expensive though.

http://www.wired.com/2016/06/expensive-bicycle-wheels-worth-money-lets-check-physics/

More like what I would have expected. Even if the results are obviously quite "extreme" due to the rider pushing himself to the match - so the difference certainly wouldn't be the same at for example 90% instead of close to 100.

Interesting stuff. I really wish I knew more just in regards to this stuff, but my knowledge is still minimal.... So thanks for sharing.

How long you been into the cycling thing for? Where abouts you ride?

 

[Havre]

I'm not an advanced rider in any sense. I'm fairly fit, but cycling has never been my main focus. Bought my first road bike 3 years ago. Before that I have only done MTB. Planning to do 3-5 races in 2017 so I have started to look into some equipment upgrades - mainly wheels. I am a bit "nerdy" when it comes to research before spending money on stuff like that (it could be an espresso machine or laptop for that matter). As mentioned before really depressing the general state of reviews around. The more I look the worse it becomes. Hardly anyone will provide anything remotely scientific - even if speed basically is pure science. Can't help thinking it is partly because the manufacturers of expensive wheels don't want people to know how little it actually matters.

I live in Oslo. Mainly I just go on 1.5h rides outside of the city. Occasionally if I go with others we will take a boat or drive 15-20 mins before we go. Then it would be more like 3-4 hours.

http://bhxblogg.no/?p=327

That is just outside of the city. Quite popular among cyclists. Perfect for a short evening trip.

 

[The Imp]

Going by stereotype here, so please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Norway is generally pretty hilly, yes? With a good deal of rain?

I'd go with wheels with a 35-40 mm rim, and aluminium brake surface.

Like...

http://www.wiggle.com/shimano-rs81-c35-carbon-clincher-wheelset/

or

http://www.wiggle.com/vision-trimax-carbon-35-wheelset/

They're both solid, and will serve you well. Of the two I'd tend towards the Shimanos, simply because Shimano is everywhere - easier to get them serviced and/or fixed, if needed.

 

[Havre]

Depends on your starting point I guess. For me the area around Oslo is "flat" - because most of Norway is quite different. Compared to Denmark it obviously isn't. In terms of cycling you will find some hills that are 4-5k long averaging 6-7%. And a lot of shorter ones, but no real mountain climbs.

Typically in races, even if I'm much bigger than the average cyclist at 6ft6 and 100kg+, I can usually manage the climbs as long as it isn't at the end of the races. Not really that important anyway because such races I can't win or get any good results in regardless of equipment. When the climbs are earlier few will go flat out so then I can manage. So more looking for performance when the speed is really high on the flat. Been thinking from 40 to 60mm (more or less).

Basically I'm just going to look for a good deal to pop up somewhere. Chainreaction got a decent deal on a set of 3T wheels at the moment, but I don't like the weight of them.

Got Campagnolo so from the looks of it those Shimano wheels won't work.

As for rain. Not really a problem. It doesn't really rain that much in Oslo and I'm not riding every day anyway. Meaning looking at the forecast I can always plan so that I don't have to ride in the rain. Of course occasionally I'll experience some rain, but it will never have much impact on the wear and tear of my equipment (I use my MTB for my commute - which is a bit different).

 

[jorbjorb]

yeah riding a bike in my city is a night mare.

They are adding paved roads for bikes which is nice but they have a long way to go.

keep in mind we get 2 feet of snow in the winter so you can't really bike then anyways.

summers are really nice though.