MoAlpha

Yeah, I'm additionally slow downhill because of worsening vision and fear and I often find my HR dropping into Zone 2 at the bottom. That's below where I want to be, but it helps on the next ascent.

Velo Vol 

10,000th post.

MoAlpha

I slap a little on my neck each morning after I shave. Makes the chicks go wild.

MoAlpha

Little early in the day, COVID not withstanding, isn't it?

Velo Vol 

As surprising as this may sound, I've never had six-pack abs.

Why not now?

WhyFi

Bike still squirrelly at times, or just the pucker-factor of going plaid?

I think that, if you have to and in general, you'd rather go a little over (not a lot) when conditions aren't favorable and a little under when conditions are favorable. Basically, you want to minimize the time that you're under the influence of the bad conditions, but not so much that you're blown and can't take advantage of the good conditions.

WhyFi

I'm shocked.

MoAlpha

Fear of bad pavement, mainly. I've pretty much mastered the new wheels.

bampilot06

I have been eye balling that one as well. But I will wait for you to tell me how it is before I commit.

indyfabz

I’m also a relatively slow descender. Blood thinners and crashing don’t mix well. In 2016 I let myself get up to about 42 mph on a long mountain descent. Fully-loaded bike. Wide road with a good surface, no traffic and great sight lines. I was impressed with myself. I usually won’t go over 35.

WhyFi

Are you ready to open the can of tubeless worms? That would be my one caution - you *need* to run them with tubeless tires (although you can run tubes in those tubeless tires), so I don't think that I'd recommend them to someone that isn't already familiar with everything that tubeless entails.

That said, they're right up my alley - pretty light, moderately deep, perfect width for my bike and great tire volume. And the retail price isn't horrible.

LAJ

Nice.

I worded it incorrectly. When is the event? If you can get out and do intervals of 2/3/4x15'-7.5' at threshold with 7.5' rest between, then working up to 2 to 3x20' at threshold with 10" rest between, it sort of teaches one how to work that distance. A couple times a week. As said, pacing is the key, and knowing the course. The hilly part is always a treat, and I've always had an issue of wanting to rest on the downhill as opposed to keeping power down.

WhyFi

Oh, and I looked at the weekly leaderboard. Too many of y'all are actually trying this week. Stop it.

MoAlpha

No no no no no no, nor with skinny old femurs, and second concussions in the elderly are a very bad thing. I'll get up into the low 40s occasionally around here. No idea what I used to do, because no instruments.

abshipp 

On my ride yesterday I had the worst shimmy I've ever had on a ~25mph downhill when I took one hand off of the bars to get a drink. It was totally manageable, but still got my attention.

Both hands on the bars all the time when descending from now on, I suppose. It's generally stable, but the frame is pretty whippy. Planning on installing the lower half of a needle bearing headset for unrelated reasons, but it should help with the shimmy as well.

Bah Humbug

I’m at 115.6 starting Monday. Does that knock you down another step?

MoAlpha

They're weekly, unsanctioned, club BS. I've done two already.

I've done a few threshold workouts with 10' on and 5' recovery x 4 or 5, so what you suggest is 100% doable. Next week!

I learned to pace races on the bike and mainly on foot before HRMs and blew up spectacularly or finished way too strong many times, so I can pretty much control the burn rate. I also know the course intimately.

abshipp 

Ugh, I had a podium spot until Mo kicked me off with fake miles

I've never done this kind of volume in a week before and I'm definitely feeling it. Pretty much all day yesterday I would try to stand up to get over a hill and my legs were just "lol no".

indyfabz

I hit 50 back in my college days when I didn't wear a helmet and wasn't on thinners. 49 coming into Ticonderoga, NY, while crossing the country. Top speed of the entire trip.

Slowing down a fully-loaded bike from 42 to take a photo has it's issues, but worth it. It was interesting because I had ridden that same descent 16 years earlier to the very day. Back then, the peaks were still completely covered in a lot of snow despite a relatively mild winter snow-wise.

#GlobalWarming

WhyFi

soidh.

Despite not having that miles on the odo, my legs have some lingering fatigue, too. I'll definitely have to ride at a recovery pace tomorrow, at the very least.

LAJ

Once reading, it looked like you were already at it. Way cool, and it's nice to have that race-type workout in the bank. Nothing is the same and training is still just training. I know your familiar with the ol bod, so knowing when to take a break, taper up, stuff like that, is also a help. The longer days at threshold just teach the mind how to eat out of that bowl of nastiness you strap onto your handlebars for a TT.

2manybikes

seedsbelize 

I do too. Glutes and abs.

bampilot06

Ive been looking at wheels for the heck of it. I search for clinchers and these were one of the ones that came up. I didn’t realize that those required tubeless.

seedsbelize 

Since my return to normal activities, I'm finding the days to be too short. I adopted some sedentary habits that I'd like to continue. And now it's time to walk the dogs and then ride. A good hour too late.