Tips/critique for a new rider
Discussion
Mark83 said:
OEM tyres are generally rubbish.
£100 on decent lightweight tubes and some premium rubber is a great upgrade. They will have more grip and lower rolling resistance.
I wouldn't worry about a minute here and there. Weather, traffic etc. all affect time. The only real metric for tracking progress is power. That's a slippery and expensive slope.
I do quite like the idea of having tyres with Continental on the sides!£100 on decent lightweight tubes and some premium rubber is a great upgrade. They will have more grip and lower rolling resistance.
I wouldn't worry about a minute here and there. Weather, traffic etc. all affect time. The only real metric for tracking progress is power. That's a slippery and expensive slope.
Edited by Mark83 on Monday 6th June 22:34
On the power thing is that the watts in your Strava? Mine is set to mph (but I suppose if my average speed is going up that is a similar measure).
okgo said:
Don't try and go as hard as you can every day, some days go further, some days do a couple of climbs some days go nice and easy. The key to cycling is really mixing up the volume and intensity (not forgetting to rest here and there) while slowly increasing the load of all intensities along with being consistent.
I hear you. This week is different as I’m off work so I’ve set myself the challenge of going out every day. Feeing it in the legs this evening. I’ll be back to every other day next week. 
okgo said:
Building fatigue is part of the game. Taking a day off after every ride won't be a good thing long term, fine in the very early days but eventually you'll just cancel out any gain you make doing that. There is no harm in going out on a day and literally just turning the legs, hard rides hard, easy rides easy 
Whilst cycling doesn't need to be complicated, the idea is that you slowly build the load, the more you train the more you can train and all that - how you get there is really dictated by the time you have, if you have 5 hours a week to train then to ever have the same level of 'fitness' as someone with 10 hours you're going to have to do more intensity and accept you won't have the same level of endurance. You don't often see pro's smashing themselves day in day out for the same reason, they have 25 hours a week to ride, you simply cannot smash yourself every day to that level.
I don't see that cycling training should look much different to running really, and running plans seem much more easy to understand than cycling! The key though is the longer ride steady ride at the weekend and a bit of mixed intensity in the week.
Interesting info. I must admit that all my rides are kind of the same. Yes, some variation in routes, but the terrain, pace, effort etc is the same, just for longer or shorter depending on the route. Whilst cycling doesn't need to be complicated, the idea is that you slowly build the load, the more you train the more you can train and all that - how you get there is really dictated by the time you have, if you have 5 hours a week to train then to ever have the same level of 'fitness' as someone with 10 hours you're going to have to do more intensity and accept you won't have the same level of endurance. You don't often see pro's smashing themselves day in day out for the same reason, they have 25 hours a week to ride, you simply cannot smash yourself every day to that level.
I don't see that cycling training should look much different to running really, and running plans seem much more easy to understand than cycling! The key though is the longer ride steady ride at the weekend and a bit of mixed intensity in the week.
Like I say, my main - or only really - driver at the moment is losing a bit of weight and getting in better shape. However, over the longer term the mixing up of rides like you suggest seems like something I should look at.
Also must say I’m a bit disappointed that every day is quite normal, I was beginning to think I was a bit of a superstar this week
tertius said:
I think that is good going.
Your pace looks decent as well - I certainly don’t average as fast as that and my front derailleur works!
I did just over 40km yesterday at an average of 23.8 km/h - realistically that’s as fast as I go, especially on normal suburban roads plus a bit on Richmond Park (I’m SW London).
FYI, although it seems odd to us Brits most cyclists track speed and distance in km, so if you switch to that it’ll be easier to compare.
Ha! I really should get that sorted but tbh I don’t seem to need the other cog on my rides. Although perhaps I don’t know what I’m missing.Your pace looks decent as well - I certainly don’t average as fast as that and my front derailleur works!
I did just over 40km yesterday at an average of 23.8 km/h - realistically that’s as fast as I go, especially on normal suburban roads plus a bit on Richmond Park (I’m SW London).
FYI, although it seems odd to us Brits most cyclists track speed and distance in km, so if you switch to that it’ll be easier to compare.
I bet it is nice riding around your way. Know it’s not exactly your doorstep but I’m a Fulham fan and love that part of London.
I do seem to have a weird mix of measures. My Fitbit has my height in cm, my weight in lbs. My runs (if I do them) I measure in km and my rides in miles
defblade said:
I find that if I go out and try to pull myself back a notch or two and have an easier ride, I unexpectedly end up with a PB or two. My theory is by taking it easy through the boring bits, I end up with more energy/legs to tackle the harder sections, even though I'm really not aware of hitting them "harder".
Or maybe it's just a favourable wind?!
It was probably a bit of both Or maybe it's just a favourable wind?!
I find that when I have a good "flow" I go fastest, as opposed to the times when I am feeling - or trying to go - fast.
So something odd happened this evening. A few times lately I have noticed quite a distinct noise from the front tyre when going over a crack, stone or bump. Kind of a mix of a pop and a scrape.
Tonight, going over a speed bump, it was particularly loud. I didn't think too much of it but on my final stretch I noticed my front tyre was flat. Got home and it was about 20psi I think. I've pumped it up to 100 and it seems to be holding (will check tomorrow).
What has happened here? Where has the air escaped from if the tyre and tube are intact?
Tonight, going over a speed bump, it was particularly loud. I didn't think too much of it but on my final stretch I noticed my front tyre was flat. Got home and it was about 20psi I think. I've pumped it up to 100 and it seems to be holding (will check tomorrow).
What has happened here? Where has the air escaped from if the tyre and tube are intact?
KnackeredOldBanger said:
Wish I lived somewhere as flat as you! Rides around me average 100ft climb per mile distance, it's quite daunting as a rubbish cyclist!
Keep it up.
I didn't think it particularly was at first! But yeah looking at other Stravas it is isn't it. There are six places where I get up out of the seat but they are all probably - to most on here at least - pretty modest hills.Keep it up.
Incidentally - and referencing one of the first topics discussed here - I no longer "spin" up hills. I now prefer staying in a higher gear and standing up. Not sure what that means but, hey, it's what I now do!
Guys what am I doing wrong?! So the tyre was completely flat today so I changed the inner tube. Gone out for a ride and heard the pop sound again over consecutive bumps. Bit later I can see and feel a tyre bulge which is rubbing against the brake pad then all of a sudden lose all the air.
Tyre looked like this. The tyre has popped off of the rim. I am sure it must be user error but don’t know what I’ve done wrong!
Tyre looked like this. The tyre has popped off of the rim. I am sure it must be user error but don’t know what I’ve done wrong!
Solocle said:
You must have managed to fail to seat the tyre correctly. Worth when you fit them checking all around to look for spots where the bead hasn't seated. After inflating, of course!
I think this is what I've done. How I've managed to do that and still inflate to 100psi I do not know.TheDrownedApe said:
the usual cause of this is not seating the inner tube/tyre correctly. When you first change the tube and add the tyre; pump it up a little (5 or 6 pumps on a track pump) then spin the wheel in you hand and look for a inconsistency in the tyre (like a high riding spot). it's probably where your inner tube is proud of the sidewall of the tyre. it's a regular occurrence that most of us look for when attaching the tyre but more easily spotted when spun with a little pressure in the tube.
Oh side point, if you want to get faster then lose weight and push your limit HARD. I've recently gone from 115 to 99 kg and completed 900 miles in 9 days. Now i've recovered and back to my local routes i rarely use my 32 and 28 ring and have increased my average speed by about 1.5mph to around 18.5 mph.
900 miles in 9 days! Blimey. That is some going.Oh side point, if you want to get faster then lose weight and push your limit HARD. I've recently gone from 115 to 99 kg and completed 900 miles in 9 days. Now i've recovered and back to my local routes i rarely use my 32 and 28 ring and have increased my average speed by about 1.5mph to around 18.5 mph.
okgo said:
You need to go round the whole rim on both sides and pinch the tyre making sure no tube is showing beyond the tyre bead - I.e you don’t want to see any tube. Only then may you pump. You’re very lucky it didn’t go bang as you pumped it and deafen you and even more lucky it didn’t cause an off!
Tyre levers are often to blame for this, if you use your hands you’ll have better results I’d have said.
I do wince when I’m pumping it up! I still can’t believe you do it to 100+ psi!Tyre levers are often to blame for this, if you use your hands you’ll have better results I’d have said.
So I do do the pinch check all the way around. The only place where I can still see the inner tube a bit is right at the valve but then this bit does sit a bit different doesn’t it (some sort of reinforcement?). Can’t seem to avoid it and once pumped up it does seem fine.
But then when I think about it this is exactly where the blowout happened yesterday…?!
defblade said:
If the blow out is at/around the valve, most likely you've not got it in exactly straight and the valve hole has been rubbing at the base of the valve on one side. Tubes can rotate inside the tyres when riding, but it's much less usual. It might also fail fast enough to have given enough pressure to blow the tyre off the rim???
If it's not the first time in the same place I'd also check that there's no sharp edges to the hole/file it down a little, and also have a good look and feel around the area in general or other sharp/pointy bits inside the wheel.
So there is definitely a bulge at the valve. Hard to capture but quite obvious in real life. Not sure what I am doing to cause it though. If it's not the first time in the same place I'd also check that there's no sharp edges to the hole/file it down a little, and also have a good look and feel around the area in general or other sharp/pointy bits inside the wheel.
Oh and to add the tyre bead was definitely not sitting right at this point, ie the bulge was lifting it up and away from the rim a touch.
Edited by WhisperingWasp on Saturday 18th June 11:39
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