The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[louiebaby]

E65Ross said:

What sort of speed difference are you seeing?

Maybe a couple of mph, but it was quite a headwind in this morning. The difference is the comfort vs how low you can go.

The only change I've made, (as I want to just put the aerobars back on after the sportive, and not mess about with the other bits that were done on my TT fit,) was to remove the TT bars.

To get as low as I was without them, I need bent arms on the drops, which is much harder work to maintain than when on the aerobars.

Straight arms on the drops doesn't get me as low, but is more sustainable.

My TT setup isn't particularly agressive, as I'm 36, and as an ex-rower, not particularly flexible.

[Gary C]

Ho hum. In bed for a snooze before the first night shift. Hope it's not windy when I get up or I might wimp out.

[Liquid Knight]

Gary C said:

Ho hum. In bed for a snooze before the first night shift. Hope it's not windy when I get up or I might wimp out.

Headwind all the way for me yesterday. Because I'm close to the coast it is usually but the sea breeze shift in the morning so I have a headwind in the morning as well. This morning I smashed my old record time by over two minutes but due to the near gale force tail wind the time doesn't count.

I was looking at aerodynamic options before my off. Now I'm using a rucksack again instead of panniers my times have been better than before. I'll not use triathlon bars until my arm is healed. Thankfully we've not had the crappy hot summer yet so I've not melted yet.

[curtisl]

E65Ross said:

curtisl said:

louiebaby said:

I took the aerobars off my roadbike, which I've (occasionally) been using for time trials, aand (mainly) been using for smasshing Strava records on my commute. This is because I'm doing the Kitson's Devon Classic on Sunday. Which is 100 miles over Dartmoor, and won't really require an aero position, the ability to effectively climb stood up is more important.

It still felt a bit weird this morning though.

Porridge with SIS Vanilla Whey Protein mixed in.

I have had my bars on my bike in preparation for a duathlon I done at the start of the month. I still haven't taken them off yet as I will be doing my first TT this week. I must say, as much as I must look like a complete tit in full on TT mode on a commute, I am liking my new cruising speeds. As long as I keep up the TT's then I have an excuse to keep them on!

What sort of speed difference are you seeing?

I reckon I see about 10% gains when i'm on the bars, that is from speeds that I would normally be travelling at on certain roads compared to the speed on the bars. The most noticeable difference is the difference in effort you have to put in to maintain speeds. I can quite easily cruise at 35kmh on the flat on the bars with little effort. It takes a bit of tinkering to get the right position and admittedly, I still have to move my saddle forward more to be comfortable but there is a handy GCN clip on this on you tube.

[Liquid Knight]

I experimented with leaning over the bars and resting my forearms on the grips this morning. It was okay for about a hundred yards then I hit a bump in the road and jarred my back. Triathlon bars can stay in the shop for now.

[louiebaby]

Liquid Knight said:

I experimented with leaning over the bars and resting my forearms on the grips this morning. It was okay for about a hundred yards then I hit a bump in the road and jarred my back. Triathlon bars can stay in the shop for now.

I understand what you're saying, but when I had my TIME TRIAL bars set up, (not triathlon bars, I'm not a pervert ), we worked quite hard to have the pad fairly well back, only a few inches forward of my elbows.

With that, you're carrying the weight in your elbows, not on the mid part of your forearms, so there is no "lever" effect of weight on the elbows, pivoting halfway up your arm, and then effectively meaning that you're holding onto the bars with your arms to stop your hands slipping up.

It does take a bit of getting used to, but I have started to find it more comfortable. The forearms on the grips is no use to me at all!

[AC43]

I cycled in on Tuesday and for the first 20 minutes got caught up in a Biblical downpour. I'd left my mudguards off too so got soaked from all directions.

[E65Ross]

It was actually quite cold this morning.... WTF. Left at around 0620 and it was just below 9 degrees.... In the middle of July. I wore a (thin) base layer!

Still, clear blue skies made a nice change!

[Steve vRS]

I remove and replace the TT bars before and after every event. Always thought I'd look like a bit of a tit in the TT position with a rucksack on my back!

Might give it a go though as there is a nice long flat segment on my commute....

[AC43]

Managed to fit a second one in this week. Properly inflated tyres and a tailwind made a mahoosive difference going up the incline at the end of the return leg.

[louiebaby]

Steve vRS said:

I remove and replace the TT bars before and after every event. Always thought I'd look like a bit of a tit in the TT position with a rucksack on my back!

Might give it a go though as there is a nice long flat segment on my commute....

Since I'm either wearing a Heinz Beans top, or one to look like a waiter, I tend not to worry about looking a plonker.

Simply by spending time on them, they've become more comfortable, so since my commute is the lion's share of my training, I need to use the bars.

[Steve vRS]

Looked like rain so as I'd cleaned my best bike with the bars on, I rode in on the CX bike, fitted with knobly tyres and race mud. Still managed to do over 20mph average . POWER BAZOOKA!

Wearing a PH jersey of course

Two Weetabix to resurrect an old theme.

[idiotgap]

Steve vRS said:

Looked like rain so as I'd cleaned my best bike with the bars on, I rode in on the CX bike, fitted with knobly tyres and race mud. Still managed to do over 20mph average . POWER BAZOOKA!

Wearing a PH jersey of course

Two Weetabix to resurrect an old theme.

Isn't it "Wattage-Bazooka!"?

[Steve vRS]

idiotgap said:

Isn't it "Wattage-Bazooka!"?

Whoops, so it is.

[Craikeybaby]

Nice ride in this morning, looking forward to taking the long way home this afternoon.

[Gary C]

Liquid Knight said:

Gary C said:

Ho hum. In bed for a snooze before the first night shift. Hope it's not windy when I get up or I might wimp out.

Headwind all the way for me yesterday. Because I'm close to the coast it is usually but the sea breeze shift in the morning so I have a headwind in the morning as well. This morning I smashed my old record time by over two minutes but due to the near gale force tail wind the time doesn't count.

I was looking at aerodynamic options before my off. Now I'm using a rucksack again instead of panniers my times have been better than before. I'll not use triathlon bars until my arm is healed. Thankfully we've not had the crappy hot summer yet so I've not melted yet.

Yey, didnt wimp out. Knee is feeling much better these days too.

Keeping up my plan to cycle on night shifts is working, but been lucky. The really bad weather happens on my days off...... err.... hum

[E65Ross]

Best morning weather of the year today in my opinion. Was around 17-18 degrees when I left at 0620. Clear blue skies, sun was shining.... Utterly magnificent.

[cirian75]

Rode in summer gear

No extra layers at all = bliss

[WinstonWolf]

E65Ross said:

Best morning weather of the year today in my opinion. Was around 17-18 degrees when I left at 0620. Clear blue skies, sun was shining.... Utterly magnificent.

This, got chatting to a bloke on the fens for about twenty minutes as we rode along together. It's days like this that make it all worth while...

Porridge with raisins.

[JQ]

I can always tell when summer has finally arrived, I get angry at more cyclists than drivers on my commute to work. There were at least 4 Sunday Cyclists today with complete disregard for their own safety.

However, I did thoroughly enjoy zooming past a chap head to toe in Rapha on a carbon road bike whilst I was on my 10yr old steel hardtail with nobblies. Although he did get me back good and proper by running a red light at a pedestrian crossing at about 20mph while a mum and small child were crossing - knob!