Did my first two bike events in August, a 100 Km and a 75 miler. My normal training rides are about 45 miles every other day and I thought I was ready for these. I finished both but learned a lot about proper hydration and ride nutrition and how I obviously don't know enough about either. Since then with some strategy improvements I've seen an increase in speed on hills and straights and overall average. Ordering a new bike in October a real bike not just a touring/commuter knock off. I'm planning on being ready for the Attack on Mount Mitchell in May.
- Thread starter winniethepooh
- Start date
I love black bikes too! My new Highball is that smoke gray color, thought I would try something new.
24mph average is pretty damn good even for a group ride. How much elevation gain do you average on those rides?
Nutrition is key! I am very specific with my nutrition and over the years I have adjusted it to suit my needs.
I’m thinking about coming down to do ORAMM next year. Should be fun.
They're sweet bikes, was thinking of making it my SS and ya its a 2015 frame got it new in 2017 nothing but good things to say about Santa Cruz. And honestly not much elevation is South Florida biggest climb I'm probably looking at during a ride is 90 ft bridge. Usually that group ride is 30 mi and its a hammer ride probably doing 27+ bridge and all.
Damn that’s fast!
@jbell this is one of the rides I do 11:30 that’s me with the green camo jersey 
, pretty sure I broke my handlebar that day. And I know we kinda ride like dicks
, pretty sure I broke my handlebar that day. And I know we kinda ride like dicks Last edited:
Holy shit! The rider filming spent so much time above 180BPM that I started feeling it...
That is a damn hammer fest for sure. Those roads look so smooth and I guess I forgot how flat Florida really is, HA. That was fun to watch, thanks for sharing it.
That is a damn hammer fest for sure. Those roads look so smooth and I guess I forgot how flat Florida really is, HA. That was fun to watch, thanks for sharing it.
Racing season coming up for MTB, I'll see if i get a mount for my bike for up coming season
Back in my road racing days, the difference between a Cat 5 race ("lowest" class) and the 1/2/3 races, that I did, in average pace was not a lot different (24-ish mph vs. about 26-ish mph), but it was night and day for a feeling. Racing at 30mph plus chasing a break, even in a pack, is f'ing brutal. As soon as you come off a wheel you are toast and there is no way you are catching back up in your own!
When doing a triathlon on the bike, it is all about position and steady effort. Coming from a road race background, I could have a mediocre day on the bike and I would still post a top 5% bike split during tris, even only riding twice a week for training. Best split I had was averaging slightly over 25 on a flat course in a sprint tri. Best ride in a tri that I can think of, I did a relay as the cyclist in an Olympic distance on a very challenging course, averaged just under 24, and finished with a top 30 split out of about 1800 riders, beating all the female pros.
When doing a triathlon on the bike, it is all about position and steady effort. Coming from a road race background, I could have a mediocre day on the bike and I would still post a top 5% bike split during tris, even only riding twice a week for training. Best split I had was averaging slightly over 25 on a flat course in a sprint tri. Best ride in a tri that I can think of, I did a relay as the cyclist in an Olympic distance on a very challenging course, averaged just under 24, and finished with a top 30 split out of about 1800 riders, beating all the female pros.
Finally starting to see some performance improvements. 5 of the last 6 rides have been at or above 16 mph average. Up until now I've stuck at 15.5. Two of those rides have pretty good climbs too. Monday I'm getting fit for and ordering my new bike. Some of the improvements came from a change in mental attitude. One of the guy's I do a group ride with said "just go faster" when you think you going fast enough just pedal harder and go faster. So far it works.
Nice bike.
Make sure you're fitted properly to include your cleats on your shoes.
That saddle doesn't look level, you may want to check that out.
Get fitted, do a half dozen or more rides and recheck your fit. It can and will change as you get used to a new bike.
Proper fitting will allow you to put the power down properly, but it also helps prevent injury.
Did my first ride yesterday and had to re-adjust the seat but everything else was good. Picked up about seven tenth's of a mile on ave. and didn't run out of gear on the down hills. It climbs so much easier then my Vilano. Much of the ride was spent getting use to the 105 shifter's and finding my new best gear. Straight line speed on level road seems better but I need some more horsepower to drive the higher gears. Gonna be fun.
Canman: Do you have a computer mounted on your bike? Prior to getting a power meter I always watched my HR and cadence. Try to keep your cadence on the flats and rollers above 85 rpm and your knees will thank you for it. On hills you will drop down and I am usually between on 60 to 70 on climbs unless it especially steep. Look at buying some additional cassettes and learn how to change them. Have one for climbing and one for the flats. The best upgrade you can make is getting a good set of wheels. Good luck.
I've got a real basic computer. It has current speed,max speed, odometer, average speed, clock/stopwatch. When I get back from jump training in October I'm getting one with cadence and heart rate. I've done a cadence pace count by using the stopwatch but not anything usable. Thanks for the advice
Last edited:
I used to ride daily when I was stationed in the Philippines. I had a local shop make a custom steel bike with the 105 group. This was late 80's up to 1990. 12 speeds with toe clips still ruled then.
I raced in the base races (Admirals/Captains Cup events).
Transferred stateside, attended C school in Charleston SC. Continued riding, rode from Goose Creek to the base down North Rhett. Talk about pucker factor.
Got transferred to Yorktown, Virginia riding tapered off to nil.
Transferred to South Texas, rode occasionally. Wind sucked.
Went to Sasebo Japan, again rode occasionally, back to South Texas in 98, quit riding.
I recently came into an older Cannondale R900 with a mix of Dura-ace and Ultegra components and have picked up riding again.
Roads here suck, there are no hills but lots of wind.
I'm old, fat and slow now, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I only ride a couple of times a week, not that far. farthest was 15 miles. I do other workouts and have rolled the biking into what used to be a day off.
I raced in the base races (Admirals/Captains Cup events).
Transferred stateside, attended C school in Charleston SC. Continued riding, rode from Goose Creek to the base down North Rhett. Talk about pucker factor.
Got transferred to Yorktown, Virginia riding tapered off to nil.
Transferred to South Texas, rode occasionally. Wind sucked.
Went to Sasebo Japan, again rode occasionally, back to South Texas in 98, quit riding.
I recently came into an older Cannondale R900 with a mix of Dura-ace and Ultegra components and have picked up riding again.
Roads here suck, there are no hills but lots of wind.
I'm old, fat and slow now, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I only ride a couple of times a week, not that far. farthest was 15 miles. I do other workouts and have rolled the biking into what used to be a day off.
Damn this bike is the best investment I've made in the last ten years. I picked up about a mile and a half in average speed and going over 30 MPH in flat strait line speed. Rode out with a group of hard chargers and kept up...they weren't looking over their shoulders but I was close. Really looking forward to next Fondo season.
Riding a cyclocross with 60mm enve's is a little ridiculous for gravel grinding; the price was right. i would never recommend the wheels for a Kansas cross wind (bc's are muy malo) but they are tuff as nails.
Way to go! Hope to cross the Dirty Kanza off the list one these years myself.
Iron Horse registration opens December 7th at 8:00 AM MST. Outdoor Magazine several years ago wrote that it is one of the ten rides you need to do before you die. . Nine under my belt and planning to do number 10 this May at 65.
Are you referring to the road or gravel versions of Iron Horse? I've done the triple and double bypass several times. It's a casual ride, but great way to see some of Co.
I sold my Hakka gravel bike and a few months ago I bought this new 2020 Specialized Crux Expert. It's basically stock right now less the Rene Herse tires, Enve low drop bar, and shorter Syntace stem and currently weighs 18.5 pounds. I'm thinking about ordering some Berd wheels with DT 180 hubs to lighten the bike up. The cool thing is the Crux carbon frames and fork are the same as the S-Works frame and fork.
So far I have only done one ride outside but several hours on the rollers. I'm looking forward to some long days out on the road & some hill climb events (maybe I'll race Mt Washington again in 2021)
So far I have only done one ride outside but several hours on the rollers. I'm looking forward to some long days out on the road & some hill climb events (maybe I'll race Mt Washington again in 2021)
Bro get you a set of rollers that have resistance built in (I like the Elite Quick Motion rollers) and a power meter for your bike. It made a big difference for my winter training.
I ride throughout all four seasons (fat biking on snow with a group of fellow idiots is a riot). Indoor training is mainly a way to keep from getting too fat. Zwift makes the time go by a bit faster, although the stupid sprints and KOMs are constantly suckering me into riding harder than I should during the off-season.
@jbell, I've got a smart trainer, and power meters on the road bike and two mountain bikes. This data is extremely useful in reminding me that I suck, except when it comes to producing peak power during infrequent short bursts. Staying out of the gym during the winter would help fix this problem, but then I'd miss the joy of dropping my buddies during a surprise attack and then having them blow past me 30 seconds later. It's kinda my style.
@jbell, I've got a smart trainer, and power meters on the road bike and two mountain bikes. This data is extremely useful in reminding me that I suck, except when it comes to producing peak power during infrequent short bursts. Staying out of the gym during the winter would help fix this problem, but then I'd miss the joy of dropping my buddies during a surprise attack and then having them blow past me 30 seconds later. It's kinda my style.
