The Atomic Cycling Thread, Please read the OP before posting Options

[Ezkaton]

Just picked up a speedo from my LBS for $62 while I was in there today.

"O_synce minifree"... I don't know, it looked nice and compact, basic, simple.
http://www.o-synce.com/en/products/bike/mi...s/minifree.html

Displays the current travelling speed, and if you push down on the screen you can select various other things, like total distance travelled, travel time, stopwatch, clock, etc.


Seems like it will do the few things I wanted one for. :)
It's waterproof and wireless, too.

Can't complain too much at $62... now to attach it and set it up!

EDIT: Can't figure out how to turn the damn thing off! Do these things turn off on their own after not being in use for a while?
The manual is probably the worst thing in the world... which isn't helping.

EDIT2: It 'turns off' after a while, just the clock stays on.
Kind of annoyed I couldn't mount it to my headstem due to the bracket not allowing it... I'll try rig something up in future I think.
It looks shit on the handlebars, and is more likely to get damaged if a crash occurs.
Also the piece you attach to the forks is kinda too large for my liking, and I had to push it in on an angle just so it could be close enough to the magnet to work.



This post has been edited by Ezkaton: Mar 31 2012, 03:50 PM

[seehund]

Hey, glad you found one Ezkaton...looks like a nice bit of kit. I'll be keen to see how you go with it - one of the guys at work is looking for a similar setup at about that price.

Oh, and don't be too put off by the size of the sensor, I've got the Polar WIND setup on mine and it's about the same size and angle for pickup. Pretty standard.

[Ezkaton]

Yeah, it seems alright, I just want to be able to mount it on the headstem just under the GIANT logos.
I'll figure something out (when I get more cable ties).

[Nich...]

teehee

[Mr Dump]

Bought some white 'pipe cleaners' on Ebay for a couple dollars the other day.
So I could wrap them around my cables where they rub up against the frame (mostly thanks to the suspension) so the paint doesn't get worn/damaged.
Seems to work well so far. :)

Got a pack of 25, so if the fluff starts to wear down I can change them a number of times before I need to buy more.

Just a word of caution with pipe cleaners, if they are anything like the car bras at work, the fluffy stuff becomes impregnated with dust and dirt, which is abrasive, and the paint actually rubs quicker! For my wife's alchemy frame we just put electrical tape on the frame itself at the rub points (but I think you hate tape?!) Anyway keep an eye on it! dumpy.

[Ezkaton]

Yeah I've been keeping an eye on it. :)

[seehund]

Nice one Nich :D

[Gir]

How the hell is there a cluster of trees and water in the middle of the desert and W.A. but practically nothing on the East Coast?

This map is a gross misrepresentation!

[Caelum]

You should come visit to see for yourself!

[Ezkaton]

I really want to go ride Mt. Buller... somebody invent a teleportation device!
I can't afford to buy/register/fuel/maintain a car. :(

[Gir]

One day I shall, but I'll be riding a motorbike.

Yeeeeeaaaah,

[seehund]

Biceps Femoris Tendinopathy; my nemesis!

Seems I'm suffering quite a bit of this in the back of the left leg at the moment. Basically it's where the connecting tendon from the hamstring to the tibia suffers inflammation by being over-used or stretched.

Whipping around a few sites (don't worry, I'm not going too deep into intarweb-self-diagnosis as I'm off to see a physio/osteo in a couple of weeks if it doesn't improve) I've turned up some of the possible causes:

- Pushing too big a gear/cadence too low (if anything, my cadence is probably a bit more on the high side)
- Seat too high (nope, it's just right)
- Seat too far back (again, it's just right)
- Pronation (I may have a little in the left leg as I'm constantly checking my knee track back in)
- Over-training (......maaaaaybe)
- Too much hill work (starting to look likely)
- Crank arms too long (nope, they're just right)
- Foot too far back on pedal (this is possible as I haven't adjusted my cleats for a while now)
- Excessive internal rotation of the cleats (something I need to check when I tighten the shoes down, but possible)

I've started doing a set of hamstring strengthening exercises (not squats at the moment - my old, sea-going knees don't support that much stress these days >.< ) for the next couple of weeks to see if it improves before getting it properly checked out:

- Stand near a wall or door frame for balance.
- Bring your feet and knees together before slowly kicking your foot back off the ground.
- As you lift your foot away from the floor, keep your knees together.
- Complete three sets of 10 reps.

It actually felt good last night after doing a few sets and a bit of stretching but it's back to the tightness and pain again today. Thinking about it, it tends to ache at the start of the ride, improves during the ride but flares up when doing high cadence uphill or immediately on completing a ride. Oh well...more sets later on.

What I'm trying to get across apart from all the pissing and moaning is that when you start to move up to longer distance/higher speed riding it's important to keep on top of things like your bike fit, posture, equipment and diet. I've pretty much got the diet and posture sorted but I might have to get back in for another fit and look at my shoe/cleat setup again...there's few things worse than being in the middle of a long ride and having your legs come out from under you in pain because you didn't get set up properly in the first place.

Speaking of having legs coming out from under you...went for the Saturday morning ride with a mate on a return loop from Port Melbourne-Mordialloc (60km) and we were banging along at a great 34-38kph until the last 2 "hills" outside Mordy when my legs just gave in. I'd been eating well enough for the last few days so I should've had the reserve for the push but got to that hill and the legs told me to fuck off. That was when I remembered chasing down a small group on a previous uphill, passing them, looking down and noticing I was still at 33kph continuing uphill and they'd decided to tuck in behind me and use me as a pacer. By this stage I'm starting to feel a little winded but not wanting to look like a complete tool and drop the pace off, allowing them to re-pass me I kept pushing until I'd left them about 500m or so behind.

Guess I remembered where my reserve went...idiot.

The return was worse. What was supposed to be a cross-tailwind turned into a gusting headwind all the way back. Karma for being a competitive dick?

This post has been edited by seehund: Apr 2 2012, 09:07 AM

[katalyst]

I really want to go ride Mt. Buller... somebody invent a teleportation device!
I can't afford to buy/register/fuel/maintain a car. :(

Maybe there is a way.

Anyone know much would a decent two bike rack would be for a Golf?

[seehund]

I really want to go ride Mt. Buller... somebody invent a teleportation device!
I can't afford to buy/register/fuel/maintain a car. :(

Maybe there is a way.

Anyone know much would a decent two bike rack would be for a Golf?

I'd recommend the Thule OutRide (RRP $225) or the Thule ProRide (RRP $245).

My mate's got the ProRide on his 2012 Jetta which we use to transport both bikes to/from rides. Easy to get the bikes on and off and they feel very secure, especially with the downtube lock-arm. Did a few hudred klicks with both bikes on the roof recently without problems.

Other friends use the OutRide on their 4WD but I'm not happy putting my bike on it as there's no downtube securing in place and if you have a strap failure or have to break heavily then the bike may come free (catastrophically - happened to them with a frame last week). Their failure may have been through UV deterioration on the strap though...haven't heard it happen with anyone else.

Unfortunately we can't fit a roofrack to the GTI Polo...so the bike gets pulled apart and stowed in the back.

I will add though that when we talked to the VW dealer about roofracks for the range he said we'd be far better off with a third party roofrack over the VW units.

This post has been edited by seehund: Apr 3 2012, 11:23 AM

[katalyst]

I really want to go ride Mt. Buller... somebody invent a teleportation device!
I can't afford to buy/register/fuel/maintain a car. :(

Maybe there is a way.

Anyone know much would a decent two bike rack would be for a Golf?

I'd recommend the Thule OutRide (RRP $225) or the Thule ProRide (RRP $245).

My mate's got the ProRide on his 2012 Jetta which we use to transport both bikes to/from rides. Easy to get the bikes on and off and they feel very secure, especially with the downtube lock-arm. Did a few hudred klicks with both bikes on the roof recently without problems.

Other friends use the OutRide on their 4WD but I'm not happy putting my bike on it as there's no downtube securing in place and if you have a strap failure or have to break heavily then the bike may come free (catastrophically - happened to them with a frame last week). Their failure may have been through UV deterioration on the strap though...haven't heard it happen with anyone else.

Unfortunately we can't fit a roofrack to the GTI Polo...so the bike gets pulled apart and stowed in the back.

I will add though that when we talked to the VW dealer about roofracks for the range he said we'd be far better off with a third party roofrack over the VW units.

Cool, thanks.

[seehund]

The other great thing about cycling (and eating better) is finally cracking the 97kg mark for the first time in 5 years.

I started at 102kg after xmas and a couple of months of much laziness and since getting my hands on the new bike and riding further and doing the climbs I hit 96.7kg today.

Just another 8.7kg until I hit my 1991 (enlistment) weight of 88kg...by Sept...just in time for my 40th ;)


Edit: fuck, I love cycling.

This post has been edited by seehund: Apr 3 2012, 05:18 PM

[elvenwhore]

Out-freaking-standing, seehund :-) Well done! :-)

We went on an afternoon bike ride along the Brisbane River on Saturday afternoon/evening. I'd bought new lights for my bike so hey, had to give them test, right? :-p Riverside, along South Bank, along the river to West End then back again. Stopped to explore/climb the odd tree here and there, so it was a fairly relaxed outing.

Despite the hiking and jogging that I do, it's been an interesting process to find that my legs are still comparatively weak for cycling. The boy has been cycling for years and done awesome things like cycle tours of Vietnam and 85km charity rides, so I can't be expecting to match him right off the bat, but, well, I'd like to :-p My recovery time is excellent, even faster than the boy, and my endurance is fine, it's just that I have to get used to using different muscles in ways I'm not accustomed to.

Which means I need to get out there more. Damn, what a shame :-p

[seehund]

Nice elvenwhore...and cheers :D

One of the peeps in my riding crew runs as well as rides and has a not so fun time trying to find the balance between the two. She does a lot of fun runs in the 8-15km range and regularly gets out on 60-120km rides. I think she tends to taper the running for a week or so in the lead-up to a long ride...I can try and get hold of a copy of her training routine for reference if you're interested.

Getting into a spin class once or twice a week during the colder months (if you're a fair-weather rider) can help condition the legs and keep them ready for the summer riding season :D

Watched the UCI Track Worlds on TV last night...man, that was some good viewing. Big ups to the Aussie team (Shane Perkins, Scott Sunderland and Matthew Glaetzer) winning Gold in the Men's Team Sprint over the French...by 100th of a freakin' second! And Ben Swift pulling gold for Britain in the 15km scratch race...at an overall average speed of 50-ish kph...amayzink. Feel kinda sorry for Andrea Muller not getting it after such a gutsy break six laps out.

What got me in that race though was Nolan Hoffman breaking out from somewhere in the middle of the pack on the very last lap and powering ahead to a second spot. That must've taken every last ounce of strength left in him...fucking incredible watching the replay as he just vaulted out of the pack.

Looking forward to Anna Meares taking on Victoria Pendleton tonight :D

This post has been edited by seehund: Apr 5 2012, 08:26 AM

[Ezkaton]

Good work on the weight seehund.
I'm sitting around 87-90... it changes week to week, haha.
I'm 6'3 or so, so I don't appear overweight or anything.

I'm trying to use my riding to help me get down to about 82-85, I'd feel more comfortable there. However, I used to be 69kg!
Literally skin and bone, up all night, slept all day... lived on toast and cordial.

A few people thought I had AIDS when they met me, 'cause I was just white, and really skinny.

Don't want to get to that point again of course, but a few kilos could be shed. :)

You've got 10 years on me, though (I'm 29). I am sure my metabolism is yet to slip further... haha.

This post has been edited by Ezkaton: Apr 5 2012, 04:41 PM

[seehund]

Good work on the weight seehund.
I'm sitting around 87-90... it changes week to week, haha.
I'm 6'3 or so, so I don't appear overweight or anything.

I'm trying to use my riding to help me get down to about 82-85, I'd feel more comfortable there. However, I used to be 69kg!
Literally skin and bone, up all night, slept all day... lived on toast and cordial.

A few people thought I had AIDS when they met me, 'cause I was just white, and really skinny.

Don't want to get to that point again of course, but a few kilos could be shed. :)

You've got 10 years on me, though (I'm 29). I am sure my metabolism is yet to slip further... haha.

Yeah, I've been trying to pull my finger out for years to get the weight off, guess it took until I fell back into riding before it worked though.

52km of hills this morning helps :D

Doing another 40km or so tomorrow...let's see if I can still walk tomorrow night :D