Bicycle thread

[TheYeti]

Originally Posted by pierce

so... anyone got any experience with Velocity Dyad rims? they seem like the right mix to me for what I'll want once my crappy stockers start to go... basically a touring wheelset for my hybrid.

*WHY* do all these brands like Fulcrum insist on splashing their graphics all over things?!? I don't mind a small tasteful label, but to cover the whole rim in giant letters like its a sponsored race thing

Yea, I got a pair on the Ridley, 32 hole with 14 guage spokes on 105 hubs. I've got 1500 km on em so far .no problems. they seem sturdy enough.I'm a pretty big guy 238#

Their web site says they are touring rims I don't know if i'd use them for that.The LHT has Alex Adventurer rims on it 5000 mi of hard riding and no problems.

[TheYeti]

Originally Posted by Ridge

9th in my first CX race and 12th in my second on Sunday. My tires were the weak link both days but I'll put up the full report later when I get more time. Brutal, dirty, wet, muddy fun... and that was just Saturday watching the wimmen's race.

That's pretty damn good Ridge,

[Aurelius]

Been watching some race videos filmed at Santos, and I noticed that most (all?) the racers stop pedaling when they go into a turn, keeping the outside foot at the 6 O'Clock position until the turn exit. It looks to me like they could avoid losing speed by pedaling through the turns. Or is that unsafe?

[fullmonte]

Originally Posted by Aurelius

Been watching some race videos filmed at Santos, and I noticed that most (all?) the racers stop pedaling when they go into a turn, keeping the outside foot at the 6 O'Clock position until the turn exit. It looks to me like they could avoid losing speed by pedaling through the turns. Or is that unsafe?

Ever drug your pedals before? Unlike motorcycle foot pegs, they are NOT spring loaded. You can imagine what happens when one digs into terra firma.

[Slimie]

Originally Posted by pierce

start the hill spinning easy in granny gear ?

That's pretty much been my plan, but they ramp up so quickly!

I've tried riding around the village three or four times but my neighbours think that's all I do!

-Simon

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by fullmonte

Ever drug your pedals before? Unlike motorcycle foot pegs, they are NOT spring loaded. You can imagine what happens when one digs into terra firma.

Ya, I thought about that, but it doesn't look like their pedals were anywhere close to touching down.

[Ridge]

Originally Posted by Aurelius

Ya, I thought about that, but it doesn't look like their pedals were anywhere close to touching down.

There's not much forgiveness for a miscalculation of distance to the ground though. I've touched down a pedal in a crit and it cost me a top 4 finish since it was on the last turn of the last lap. Just bad judgement in an off-camber turn and I was in the weeds hanging on for dear life at 30mph. Now imagine the same scenario on a MTB trail with immovable objects just waiting inches away from the trailside. You know how tight some of those trails at Santos are. Vortex is a perfect example. Fast, rolling and blind turns.

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Ridge

There's not much forgiveness for a miscalculation of distance to the ground though. I've touched down a pedal in a crit and it cost me a top 4 finish since it was on the last turn of the last lap. Just bad judgement in an off-camber turn and I was in the weeds hanging on for dear life at 30mph. Now imagine the same scenario on a MTB trail with immovable objects just waiting inches away from the trailside. You know how tight some of those trails at Santos are. Vortex is a perfect example. Fast, rolling and blind turns.

Makes sense, I suppose. I was just trying to think of a way to avoid scrubbing off so much speed in the turns. Gotta climb higher on the Strava leader board, you know.

[RxZ]

I started riding in June of this year with a 20 mile ride outside Taos. I also had my worst crash while riding a bike that trip, and still have a decent scar and discolored area on my arm to prove it. The cause was two fold: 1) inexperience with a 190 degree turn and 2) I had the inside pedal down. It caught in the ground and I INSTANTLY went flying. The place in the ground where the pedal had dug in was probably about 4 inches deep I am not racing, I do this for fun and exercise, so I stop pedaling and keep the outside foot down in turns now.

Originally Posted by Aurelius

Been watching some race videos filmed at Santos, and I noticed that most (all?) the racers stop pedaling when they go into a turn, keeping the outside foot at the 6 O'Clock position until the turn exit. It looks to me like they could avoid losing speed by pedaling through the turns. Or is that unsafe?

[pierce]

Originally Posted by TheYeti

Yea, I got a pair on the Ridley, 32 hole with 14 guage spokes on 105 hubs. I've got 1500 km on em so far .no problems. they seem sturdy enough.I'm a pretty big guy 238#

Their web site says they are touring rims I don't know if i'd use them for that.The LHT has Alex Adventurer rims on it 5000 mi of hard riding and no problems.

their touring builds with the dyads use a 40 spoke rear ... thats gonna be pretty damn strong.

i was thinking 36 rear, 32 front for my city thrasher.

meh. was gonna try for 10 miles today, but the 5 yesterday and 4 on sunday left my wasted-away right calf muscle aching today. and my foot hurts too much if I try and flex my ankles while pedaling (heel down at the bottom, toes down at the top, 't ain't happening yet)



I picked a new bottle cage for it (that got destroyed in the car wreck, too), along with a speedo/computer so I can track mileage better.

[Gummee!]

I clipped a pedal on a tree root two Sun.s ago Guy behind me did the same thing. I didn't go down, but foot + immovable object = bad.

Another reason to stop pedaling is to weight the outside pedal. Drive the bike into the ground. Keeps the knobbies digging into the ground and not sliding out.

Ridge: Anyone showed you how to sprint standing up thru a corner? Can be done, but there's a trick to it.

M

[moodfart]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

I clipped a pedal on a tree root two Sun.s ago Guy behind me did the same thing. I didn't go down, but foot + immovable object = bad.

Another reason to stop pedaling is to weight the outside pedal. Drive the bike into the ground. Keeps the knobbies digging into the ground and not sliding out.

Ridge: Anyone showed you how to sprint standing up thru a corner? Can be done, but there's a trick to it.

M

I had a downhill guy suggest weighting the outside pedal after he watched me loop out on a dh run and it was an amazing tip; fast corners, even in loose soil/rocks, are much easier to pin with as much weight on that outside pedal as possible. I usually bring the inside pedal to twelve o'clock when setting up for a corner.

[Ridge]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

Ridge: Anyone showed you how to sprint standing up thru a corner? Can be done, but there's a trick to it.

M

I was standing on the pedals through the turns as I do in crits... but assumed the body position of a flat-tracker sliding through the turns. Using my whole body to shift and move the bike underneath me. My tires really were holding me back both races. As you can see below.

My tires on left and a traditional cross tire on the right. That's being rectified as I type this!

[Gummee!]

Fango front, Grifo back seems to be the best all-round racing combo for the east coast.

PDX tires seem to do OK as a front when paired with pretty much anything in the back

I've got a Tufo Dry 32 stretching. I'm gonna try a file tread rear, Grifo front 'soon.'

M

[Gummee!]

Cross practice session last nite. Ugh. Legs no worky again.

We did 2 x 3lap races. There was 5 of us. DFL the first one. Second to last the second. Mind you, I'm riding with the Cat 1s and 2s here, so its to be expected, but its still frustrating.

Fixin to go out with a buddy here in about an hour. We'll see how my legs feel. (and hope this headache goes away!)

M