Getting dropped on hills
#76
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I've seen many types of bikes on our Tuesday night fast group rides, but never a track bike. If someone rolled up to the parking lot on one, I would probably nicely tell him that he wasn't going to ride with us on that bike. Gloves are off after that if he insists and he'd probably end up in the ditch.
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#78
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#79
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#80
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I've seen many types of bikes on our Tuesday night fast group rides, but never a track bike. If someone rolled up to the parking lot on one, I would probably nicely tell him that he wasn't going to ride with us on that bike. Gloves are off after that if he insists and he'd probably end up in the ditch.
Random unknown guy on a track bike might be a different story.
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I'm a working class cyclist (used to deliver food) and track bikes definitely belong on the road, its part of the fashion. Seeing a commuter on a track bike is like seeing a guy with his full lycra kit on a carbon bike; you can assume they mean business and are out there to ride hard.
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I've seen track bikes (with brakes) on the River Ride occasionally. I can think of maybe 4 or 5 riders who've done it, and they're all experienced on the road and track. It's flat and there are only a few tight-ish turns that could be an issue if you tried to take the inside line, but easily avoided if you plan ahead. It's never been an issue, but the RR is known to be a bit more laissez-faire regarding equipment than other group rides I've been on. If you show up on a TT bike, you don't use the aerobars unless you're safely off the front or off the back. If you show up on a track bike, you have brakes and pedal through. If you show up on a CX bike, you better have a big enough gear to roll the fast parts. Just be safe and don't be a jerk.
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Did you try to true the wheel? Seems like the better option, especially since an out of true wheel might get worse or start breaking spokes.
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In an earnest attempt to be helpful:
Get yourself a set of Gevenalle shifters $200
Get yourself a shorter "take-off" stem $10
Get yourself a road handlebar (aluminum) $30
Get yourself some bartape, cables & housing $50
Get yourself some decent road tires & tubes $100
At $400 you will have a much, much faster bike than your current configuration. Aerodynamics & rolling resistance mean a lot. The energy conserved on flats will make a meaningful contribution to your reserves on climbs.
The same can be said for your actual hill climbing technique. Sit. Spin or grind (depending on your perspective) at around 80 rpm or so. Hands on the tops, not the hoods. Sit bones a bit forward on the saddle, head up, chest a bit forward, shoulders a bit back, with the roundest pedal circles you can coordinate your legs to make.
Remember to exhale completely so that you can let in lots of fresh Oxygen. It's easy to forget to breathe. I've seen people nearly pass out because they inhaled to "grunt-out" an effort & never let any air out for the duration.
Then as others have said: Group dynamics & strategy for further conservation of energy. The best place to be is right behind the leader. It helps minimize the sling-shot-caterpillar-surge-effect that ejects slower riders off the back & as a secondary benefit buys you a meaningful amount of time on climbs as you fall to the back of the group.
Hills are also about raw athletic capacity, motivation, technique, & determination. You can't buy yourself to the front. You build yourself to the front. Do what you're going to do. Ride what your going to ride. But, you might find it's best to save your light & fancy bike for the group rides. Combine that with fresh legs. Many people "train heavy" & "ride light." It's a time honored tradition.
FWIW: A fancy $4-6,000 carbon wonder bike & no ability would be considered Fredly on the opposite end of the scale. Those guys tend to self-select out of our group before very long. Our group has migrated to "heavy" "gravel" bikes with 38c tires & way too much storage over the years, as the group average over a 25 mile suburb road ride has remained moreorless steady at around 18mph or so. Stay with your current bike.
Make the above changes, build yourself, & do your own work. Kickin' their Aces on what is perceived as "lesser" equipment builds street cred.
Get yourself a set of Gevenalle shifters $200
Get yourself a shorter "take-off" stem $10
Get yourself a road handlebar (aluminum) $30
Get yourself some bartape, cables & housing $50
Get yourself some decent road tires & tubes $100
At $400 you will have a much, much faster bike than your current configuration. Aerodynamics & rolling resistance mean a lot. The energy conserved on flats will make a meaningful contribution to your reserves on climbs.
The same can be said for your actual hill climbing technique. Sit. Spin or grind (depending on your perspective) at around 80 rpm or so. Hands on the tops, not the hoods. Sit bones a bit forward on the saddle, head up, chest a bit forward, shoulders a bit back, with the roundest pedal circles you can coordinate your legs to make.
Remember to exhale completely so that you can let in lots of fresh Oxygen. It's easy to forget to breathe. I've seen people nearly pass out because they inhaled to "grunt-out" an effort & never let any air out for the duration.
Then as others have said: Group dynamics & strategy for further conservation of energy. The best place to be is right behind the leader. It helps minimize the sling-shot-caterpillar-surge-effect that ejects slower riders off the back & as a secondary benefit buys you a meaningful amount of time on climbs as you fall to the back of the group.
Hills are also about raw athletic capacity, motivation, technique, & determination. You can't buy yourself to the front. You build yourself to the front. Do what you're going to do. Ride what your going to ride. But, you might find it's best to save your light & fancy bike for the group rides. Combine that with fresh legs. Many people "train heavy" & "ride light." It's a time honored tradition.
FWIW: A fancy $4-6,000 carbon wonder bike & no ability would be considered Fredly on the opposite end of the scale. Those guys tend to self-select out of our group before very long. Our group has migrated to "heavy" "gravel" bikes with 38c tires & way too much storage over the years, as the group average over a 25 mile suburb road ride has remained moreorless steady at around 18mph or so. Stay with your current bike.
Make the above changes, build yourself, & do your own work. Kickin' their Aces on what is perceived as "lesser" equipment builds street cred.
Last edited by base2; 05-06-21 at 11:17 AM.
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#89
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You're full of good decisions.
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#90
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https://imgur.com/a/HFUy5YW I’m loaded up and about to go do hill repeats
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 05-06-21 at 11:36 AM.
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It's nice they are so optimistic since it isn't their ass out riding the thing. If something is messed up to the point your brakes are rubbing you might want to get a second person to have a look at it.
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In an alley cat nearly everyone is riding fixed so they are more or less equal in stopping/skidding. Non fixed riders can slow down a lot faster so mixing the two is bad news.
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Nothing wrong with that... kings kicked my ass though couldn't do a full repeat on it. clocked 27 miles with 3k feet elevation so im happy. This experienced descender tried to kill me on the way down, he was taking the turns at speed and I was doing my best to follow. Was the fastest ive ever gone on a bike according to strava at 44.7 MPH!!!
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 05-06-21 at 02:39 PM.
#95
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WAIT!!!!!! These are your copper tube aerobars? No way would I ever ride with that. One little mishap seems like it could send one of those tubes through a thigh, worst yet, a testicle.
But I bet if drafting in the pack, if you position yourself just right, you could tickle a few butts.
But I bet if drafting in the pack, if you position yourself just right, you could tickle a few butts.
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 05-06-21 at 03:52 PM.
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#98
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bye
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Let's see some pics.
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