Cycling: General Chat

[LondonLax]

Is Alp D’Huez not a bit snowy in Jan/Feb

[DeadlyDirk]

42 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

Is Alp D’Huez not a bit snowy in Jan/Feb

Adds to the fun  

To be honest I didn't really think of that! 

[KentVillan]

1 hour ago, LondonLax said:

Is Alp D’Huez not a bit snowy in Jan/Feb

Yeah I think Alp D’Huez is one for later in the year

I’m after something with decent weather, a few hills, decent views, but not too punishing. And ideally where drivers are nice to cyclists… Spain was good in that regard when I did the north coast, and heard the roads in the Canaries are good too, but the main climb in Tenerife looks pretty serious.

[NoelVilla]

10 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Yeah I think Alp D’Huez is one for later in the year

I’m after something with decent weather, a few hills, decent views, but not too punishing. And ideally where drivers are nice to cyclists… Spain was good in that regard when I did the north coast, and heard the roads in the Canaries are good too, but the main climb in Tenerife looks pretty serious.

A lot of pros used to go to Mallorca in that period so the locals should be used to and aware of cyclists. Maybe pros still go I don't know. Around Girona should be the same.

[sne]

4 minutes ago, NoelVilla said:

A lot of pros used to go to Mallorca in that period so the locals should be used to and aware of cyclists. Maybe pros still go I don't know. Around Girona should be the same.

I went to school with Magnus Bäckstedt and from what I remember they went to Mallorca regularly. He was pretty much never at school tbf as he also competed in downhill skiing during the winter. Odd combo.

Anyway, I've been quite a lot in the northern part of Mallorca and the roads there are great for cycling. But it's been a while so no idea how the traffic is these days.

[Talldarkandransome]

3 hours ago, villa89 said:

What lock(s) we're you using? I use two kryptonite locks that would take some amount work to get through. My bike can still be stolen but the risk+effort is less than the reward at the end. 

I see bikes near me locked on the front wheel...one twist of the quick release skewer and three seconds later the bike is stolen and just a front wheel left for the owner. It's a sad indictment of our times but you need to lock your bike up like it's made of gold. 

The Univega was well hidden in a garden but it went, the Claud Butler was taken from a locked garage. That was many years ago and not really bothered with another one since then. Used to enjoy riding down to Stratford most weekends

[DeadlyDirk]

3 minutes ago, Talldarkandransome said:

The Univega was well hidden in a garden but it went, the Claud Butler was taken from a locked garage. That was many years ago and not really bothered with another one since then. Used to enjoy riding down to Stratford most weekends

Keep mine in the house. Seems to work for me.

[andyjsg]

4 hours ago, DeadlyDirk said:

How have I only just stumbled across this thread? I'm big into cycling myself, raced for the Prison Service in China and Netherlands in international tournaments (World Police and Fire Games) - got a Wahoo Kicker Core and 3 bikes.

Here's the main race bike:-

Although using a Zipp Firecrest 404 on the front and 808 on the back (I'm at work and don't have an up to date pic!) Also into Time Trials too, and although I'm not great my quickest 10 mile TT is just under 25 minutes, which isn't too shabby.

So to the question - cycling holiday for Jan/Feb - Drive yourself down to Grenoble in France and stay there, get yourself up Alp D'Huez as that's in the area, plus there'll be plenty of other climbs in the area to tickle your fancy.

Very nice, I have an R5 (which Ive recently upgraded from a 2017 R5) and will never go back from Cervelo.

Jan/Feb I would recommend Lanzarote, cooler but not cold

 

[veloman]

On 29/12/2022 at 14:37, andyjsg said:

Very nice, I have an R5 (which Ive recently upgraded from a 2017 R5) and will never go back from Cervelo.

Jan/Feb I would recommend Lanzarote, cooler but not cold

 

@DeadlyDirkJust read this post. Can you remember which Course you did that "25" on ? P.S. Zipp wheels are ace . I can/could only afford Corima.

Edited December 31, 2022 by veloman

[andyjsg]

Talking of Time Trials, my big "achievement" of the year in sport was winning a time trial for the first time (only TT I did this year), a 10 mile hilly(ish) road bike (so on the R5) one, beat a few of the decent local TT guys in the process which as mainly a runner did my ego wonders https://www.strava.com/activities/7553926465

[DeadlyDirk]

On 31/12/2022 at 11:59, veloman said:

@DeadlyDirkJust read this post. Can you remember which Course you did that "25" on ? P.S. Zipp wheels are ace . I can/could only afford Corima.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5325227871 - Doesn't have a CTT designation unfortunately but was a local run TT (It's not quite sub 25 but would have been if I had remembered the 11 to 10 speed space on the cassette!) - only 3 seconds off though.

[tinker]

On 29/12/2022 at 14:16, Talldarkandransome said:

The Univega was well hidden in a garden but it went, the Claud Butler was taken from a locked garage. That was many years ago and not really bothered with another one since then. Used to enjoy riding down to Stratford most weekends

I cover my frame with electrical tape, it hides the name and makes it look like an old knackered bike with the benefit of it protecting the paint as well ( for when I sell it).

Shame we can't enjoy what we have ( show it off) but I still benefit from the light frame and half decent components without the thieves being alerted to a precious looking pay day. 

[Delphouneso]

 

Gino Mader dead after a crash in the Tour de Suisse yesterday.

Begs the question of why we're still getting these stupid descents into finishes. They're dangerous, the riders don't like them, and I can't speak for everyone but I'd much sooner watch a summit finish anyway. Ayuso was clocked at 103km/h on the descent yeterday. There's a whole bunch of these finishes in this year's TdF route as well.

[AshVilla]

Talk about getting your washing in at the wrong time...

Edited July 9, 2023 by AshVilla

[one_ian_taylor]

On 29/12/2022 at 12:37, sne said:

I went to school with Magnus Bäckstedt and from what I remember they went to Mallorca regularly. He was pretty much never at school tbf as he also competed in downhill skiing during the winter. Odd combo.

Anyway, I've been quite a lot in the northern part of Mallorca and the roads there are great for cycling. But it's been a while so no idea how the traffic is these days.

Not totally unprecedented  - think Alex Zulle was a promising downhill skier until he took up cycling for summer training

[chrisp65]

The last couple of times I ventured in to town it was free of food delivery bandits with concealed faces doing 30mph silently up and down the pedestrian areas.

Turns out this is why:

Quote

Use of Cardiff city centre’s busy pedestrianised street by cyclists, which is banned, is an issue the local authority and police have been trying to stop for years.

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “Any electric bike that exceeds 15.5mph or has a throttle on the bike is classed as a motorcycle and not a bicycle.

“To drive these vehicles, the vehicle must be registered with the DVLA, the driver must have a motorbike licence and the vehicle must be insured.”

 

 

So, turns out an electric bike that can exceed 15.5mph is classed as a motorbike and requires insurance… did we all know that?

[Marka Ragnos]

7 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

The last couple of times I ventured in to town it was free of food delivery bandits with concealed faces doing 30mph silently up and down the pedestrian areas.

Turns out this is why:

 

So, turns out an electric bike that can exceed 15.5mph is classed as a motorbike and requires insurance… did we all know that?

Thanks for sharing. My wife had just sent me this a few days ago ... trigger warning as the article is actually very disturbing ... we have kid about the same age.

Quote

 

On a Thursday evening in late June, Clarissa Champlain learned that her 15-year-old son Brodee had been in a terrible crash, the latest teen victim of an e-bike accident.

He had been riding from home to shot-putting practice. The e-bike, a model made by Rad Power, had a top speed of 20 miles per hour, but his route took him on a busy road with a 55-mile-per-hour limit. While turning left, he was clipped by a Nissan van and thrown violently.

Ms. Champlain rushed to the hospital and was taken to Brodee’s room. She could see the marks left by the chin strap of his bike helmet. “I went to grab his head and kiss him,” she recalled. “But there was no back of his head. It wasn’t the skull, it was just mush.”

Three days later, another teenage boy was taken to the same hospital after the e-bike he was riding collided with a car, leaving him sprawled beneath a BMW, hurt but alive. According to the police, the teen had been seen driving recklessly and was found to be at fault. In the days following, the town of Encinitas, where both incidents occurred, declared a state of emergency for e-bike safety.

The e-bike industry is booming, but the summer of 2023 has brought sharp questions about how safe e-bikes are, especially for teenagers. Many e-bikes can exceed the 20-mile-per-hour speed limit that is legal for teenagers in most states; some can exceed 55 miles per hour. But even when ridden at legal speeds, there are risks, especially for young, inexperienced riders merging into complex traffic with fast-moving cars and sometimes distracted drivers.

“The speed they are going is too fast for sidewalks, but it’s too slow to be in traffic,” said Jeremy Collis, a sergeant at the North Coastal Station of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating Brodee’s accident. The investigation is ongoing pending a medical examiner’s finding.

To some policymakers and law enforcement officials, the technology has far outpaced existing laws, regulations and safety guidelines. Police and industry officials charge that some companies appear to knowingly sell products that can easily evade speed limits and endanger young riders.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Marka Ragnos

[Brumstopdogs]

 

[andyjsg]

I see Cav maybe back next season, he was still winning sprints and deserves another shot at the TDF record I think.

[Danwichmann]

I've done a few cycle races now but today is the first time I've done one where the riders had to cycle over the pavement and use pedestrian crossings Pretty special and hilarious.