Nice weather for a bike ride. Lack of fitness is showing due to lack of riding!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
2012 Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro
First off road ride out on the new bike. it had been raining a lot the last week so i picked the canal to ride down to try and avoid most of the mud but this wasn't really working.
I have been riding the bike on my really "extreme" ride to work and back. After using Trek's guide to setting up the suspension on their bikes I decided that the vigorous testing on my commute over the various curbs, speed bumps and dog poo, that the suspension was too soft, based on Trek's setup it was way too soft at the front and to add to this the rebound was too quick bouncing giving me the feeling of being bounced off the saddle over bumps.
So I used this ride to setup the bike in a more realistic setting. Armed with my shock pump, allen keys, a bumpy canal and some steps to drop off nearer to home to test the settings.
Well my current settings that I had personalized on the way to work were useless. Too hard, rebound couldn't control the suspension, front was way too hard leaving me with a slack steering.
After some playing with rebound, pro pedal and air pressure I improved it greatly.
At the half way point I googled "Trek Suspension Setup" to see how Trek's settings compared. They were pretty close, I had more pressure in the rear but the same in the front, which surprised me as i originally thought it was too soft. Although i did have a slightly slower rebound settings.
The higher pressure in the rear that i ended up with is probably to do with coming from a hardtail.
On the way home after avoiding attack from the swan which attacked me on the way out and few at me on the way home. I rode the dropoff down the steps and didn't bottom out the suspension so its not too soft.
Just got to get out and ride it some more now to get ready for mountain mayhem.
You can see Trek's suspension setup here.
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/resources/suspension_setup/
I have been riding the bike on my really "extreme" ride to work and back. After using Trek's guide to setting up the suspension on their bikes I decided that the vigorous testing on my commute over the various curbs, speed bumps and dog poo, that the suspension was too soft, based on Trek's setup it was way too soft at the front and to add to this the rebound was too quick bouncing giving me the feeling of being bounced off the saddle over bumps.
So I used this ride to setup the bike in a more realistic setting. Armed with my shock pump, allen keys, a bumpy canal and some steps to drop off nearer to home to test the settings.
Well my current settings that I had personalized on the way to work were useless. Too hard, rebound couldn't control the suspension, front was way too hard leaving me with a slack steering.
After some playing with rebound, pro pedal and air pressure I improved it greatly.
At the half way point I googled "Trek Suspension Setup" to see how Trek's settings compared. They were pretty close, I had more pressure in the rear but the same in the front, which surprised me as i originally thought it was too soft. Although i did have a slightly slower rebound settings.
The higher pressure in the rear that i ended up with is probably to do with coming from a hardtail.
On the way home after avoiding attack from the swan which attacked me on the way out and few at me on the way home. I rode the dropoff down the steps and didn't bottom out the suspension so its not too soft.
Just got to get out and ride it some more now to get ready for mountain mayhem.
You can see Trek's suspension setup here.
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/resources/suspension_setup/
Sunday, 29 April 2012
2012 Mountain Mayhem
Mountain Mayhem Solo that's the plan for the year!
There I said it my first solo 24 hour mountain bike race! I have done this event as a team of 10 for the last two years which I imagine will feel like cheating in comparison to solo!
Riding as a team of 10 has had its ups and downs. Downs been woke up at 2 or 3 am to be told everything's failed and you need to be on your bike! Ups being when you think you are going to be placed top 10 only to end up 11th for the second year in a row! but all is fun in the end!
I have successfully entered the 2012 Mountain Mayhem solo. (bites nails). So its about the time I need to start some sort of training plan or even to have a plan of how to go about riding a 24 hour race. But this is my problem how do you plan for 24 hours in the saddle? Ive not even done half of that before.
24 hour race strategies
Ride. Rest. Ride. Rest. More resting. Short ride. Back to resting.
This would seam to be a good strategy for the first attempt at solo but I fear a lack of motivation for getting back on the bike! Sounds like a fun strategy but not very effective for a high number of laps!
Ride slow, ride slower then even slower.
This is the ways the pros do it but just without the slow. Start riding and just ride until I can't ride any more.
There I said it my first solo 24 hour mountain bike race! I have done this event as a team of 10 for the last two years which I imagine will feel like cheating in comparison to solo!
Riding as a team of 10 has had its ups and downs. Downs been woke up at 2 or 3 am to be told everything's failed and you need to be on your bike! Ups being when you think you are going to be placed top 10 only to end up 11th for the second year in a row! but all is fun in the end!
I have successfully entered the 2012 Mountain Mayhem solo. (bites nails). So its about the time I need to start some sort of training plan or even to have a plan of how to go about riding a 24 hour race. But this is my problem how do you plan for 24 hours in the saddle? Ive not even done half of that before.
24 hour race strategies
Ride. Rest. Ride. Rest. More resting. Short ride. Back to resting.
This would seam to be a good strategy for the first attempt at solo but I fear a lack of motivation for getting back on the bike! Sounds like a fun strategy but not very effective for a high number of laps!
Ride slow, ride slower then even slower.
This is the ways the pros do it but just without the slow. Start riding and just ride until I can't ride any more.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
2012 Trek fuel EX 9
2012 Trek fuel EX 9 came into the shop today and then was taken away. @speedscycles
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
2012 Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro
A sneak peak at some photos of the new bike more photos to come later. just got to get out and ride it now.....
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
A perfect fit!
I have been climbing now for a few months where I have been renting all of the equipment I need. A week ago I decided to treat my self two my own pair of shoes.
Now fit on climbing shoes is important I had managed to rent various sizes of La Sportiva shoes which I found 46 to be comfortable and 44 a bit to unbearable with 45 about right! Entering the climbing shop at Creation climbing centre I found them not to sell La Sportiva that I was used to. Despite this the staff in the shop were very helpful spending time trying different brands and sizes despite being very busy in the reception and skatepark next door.
In the end I decided on some Red Chilli Sprint VCR as one of the shoes recommended by the staff at creation I went for 45.5 in the end which in the shop after climbing were a little tighter than the 45 rental shoes I had been climbing in that day, but with cut toe nails and a little use I was hoping they would bed in and give just a little.
Unfortunately the shoes that I had chose were the more expensive of the few that I had narrowed it down to when trying shoes on. (why is that always the way?) When I came to pay for the shoes I was told that they were on offer and ended up getting them for a very competitive price cheaper than the prices available on the web with all of the benefits of buying in store!
This is my first impressions after the first few hours climbing. I did think from trying them on around the house that they we're going to be just too tight, but once climbing either they give a little or my feet shrank but I no longer have any concerns about size. Good advise by the guys in the shop they are perfect. As far a performance goes I'm probably not a good enough climber to notice but I have no complaints there either. I would defiantly recommend these shoes and the shop at creation were friendly and helpful recommended.
http://www.creationwall.co.uk/
Now fit on climbing shoes is important I had managed to rent various sizes of La Sportiva shoes which I found 46 to be comfortable and 44 a bit to unbearable with 45 about right! Entering the climbing shop at Creation climbing centre I found them not to sell La Sportiva that I was used to. Despite this the staff in the shop were very helpful spending time trying different brands and sizes despite being very busy in the reception and skatepark next door.
In the end I decided on some Red Chilli Sprint VCR as one of the shoes recommended by the staff at creation I went for 45.5 in the end which in the shop after climbing were a little tighter than the 45 rental shoes I had been climbing in that day, but with cut toe nails and a little use I was hoping they would bed in and give just a little.
Unfortunately the shoes that I had chose were the more expensive of the few that I had narrowed it down to when trying shoes on. (why is that always the way?) When I came to pay for the shoes I was told that they were on offer and ended up getting them for a very competitive price cheaper than the prices available on the web with all of the benefits of buying in store!
This is my first impressions after the first few hours climbing. I did think from trying them on around the house that they we're going to be just too tight, but once climbing either they give a little or my feet shrank but I no longer have any concerns about size. Good advise by the guys in the shop they are perfect. As far a performance goes I'm probably not a good enough climber to notice but I have no complaints there either. I would defiantly recommend these shoes and the shop at creation were friendly and helpful recommended.
http://www.creationwall.co.uk/
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