Can’t stand riding in the rain and listening to all my components getting chewed to pieces but quite like running in bad weather.

Yeah I also was about to recommend Endura FS, the pads come in a range of wide/narrow sizes too which can help and they’ve lasted me ages.

Standard clause but then a fair amount of wording in contracts is there as a deterrent and not because it is intended to actually enact what it purports to do.

Depending on where you work there might be an IP Policy that elaborates on the position and you might find that there are exceptions and limitations to the blanket statement in the contract, or varying levels of remuneration (of some sort of another) to staff, depending on circumstance.

Also, it is a lot easier to say “any invention” than (e.g.) “novel Inventions relating to bicycle component design” which leaves room for people to develop IP/components that perhaps relate to the employer industry but deliberately fall just outside the specified field capturing “bicycle component design” in some way. Etc.

An online to-do list app.

I use the free version of Todoist which updates across my phone and laptop/internet/chrome/whatever and it really adds so much value.

Apart from actually constructively planning things it also means that whenever a random thought or obligation just pops into your head on the bus or queuing for a coffee or whatever you can immediately just tap it into your phone as a reminder and mentally move-on, knowing that you won’t forget.

Out of curiosity are people doing full gas standing sprints at the end of races?

I am so in the habit of not standing on my indoor trainer that it only occurred to me recently that people might be doing proper out the saddle efforts… which might explain my dire finishes even when I manage to hang on to the lead group to the last km(s)

At the start I always aim for FTP+30% for a few mins which seems to at least give me enough room to adjust slightly upwards or down as needed depending on how manic it is

Not a comment on the show as I didn’t see it but I can’t imagine I’ll ever feel like I am keen to watch anything related to covid in my whole lifetime. Feel like I’ve had a bellyful already having lived through it and just got zero motivation to re-visit it in fictional form of any kind really. I guess as time passes we’ll see more of it in fiction though perhaps.

Yeah I think in the US its a recall and replacement but in the EU the onus is on the mechanic in a shimano authorised bike shop to inspect the cranks and determine if they’re safe or not…if not, then they’re sent to Shimano for inspection and replacement. Not sure what the criteria is for inspection.

Cheers all. Yep, I think the plan now is to just buy a new chainset and then ride that (keeping a close eye on it I guess) until Shimano (presumably) replace the shonky current chainset.

Spent about £100 chasing the mystery creak which now (fairly sure) is the Shimano crank issue.

It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence 😐

Yeah bolts have been checked at the shop. I think the first pic is a normal/good join but the second one is where its starting to come apart? I’d expect to see a seam but not a gap if that makes sense?

I think there’s 4 joins and 3 of them are flush as per the first pic but one has a gap. If it wasn’t for the product recall I’d have assumed its a tiny manufacturing defect but in light of the recall and the knowledge that my cranks fall under the affected products it seems more likely to be an issue?

Each to their own and nothing against them but they’re not for me. I cannot imagine any future where e-bikes are the only option even if they do become the greater market share at some point.

Even in some hypothetical world where an e-bike was the same price, weight and spec as exactly the same standard version bike I still wouldn’t buy one. There, I said it.

I’ve never liked the look of Pinarello’s but do agree about the Aethos looking great, would consider one for my next road bike if there are any iterations out there that don’t cost stupid money

Good grief, I pull over as soon as I can on lanes if they cannot pass, because why wouldn’t I? If I met them coming the other way in a car I’d do my best to let them past, why not when cycling? Doesn’t make a difference if they are going the same way or not. On country lanes we all have to do our best to allow each other to make their journey, this applies to bikes and cars and everyone else

I’m sorry I have no idea what you’re talking about or how that really relates to my post.

Yeah I have very occasionally pulled-in on twisty narrow lanes when there’s been someone stuck behind me for ages, especially if a work van or wagon of some sort. I have always got a toot of thanks for this.

I think its just sensible if someone is genuinely struggling to pass for a really long time and a natural pulling-in place reveals itself up the road. Sometimes its not even a case of unclipping bur rather just taking a corner in an exaggerated slow and wide manner to let them through.

I don’t commute though and so only ever out riding as a hobby if that makes any difference.

I’d second/third/fourth the Varia and won’t even list all the benefits here as its one of those rare things that a quick Google will reveal the internet is almost unanimous on- pretty much everyone who gets one says its a gamechanger.

I’d also specifically recommend the Bontrager Ion 200 front light- its a dedicated daytime flash light with a flash pattern designed to grab drivers attention.

I’m one of those people who hates disrupting the clean lines of my road bike with mudguards and lights and stuff but the Ion is so tiny and weightless its impossible to justify not using it and works super well. Its not good for seeing in the dark (well perhaps it’ll get you home in an emergency) so cannot really be used as an all in one light but its on my bike year round now pretty much.

I think the combination of the Varia plus the Bontrager Ion 200 on the front makes a big difference.

Edit to say I would also second not reading road.cc as whilst I agree with some of their opinions it mainly seems to be good for just raising everyone’s cortisol levels.

This post is not a huge help but I am literally in the middle of a warranty claim for a road bike with Giant for my Giant TCR- they have immediately agreed to replace the frame (suspected microscopic manufacturing default of some sort in the BB area) but I’m getting a 2020 white frame to replace my 2019 black/charcoal frame.

I assume it’s the closest they have in stock and whilst I don’t think I would choose a white bike ordinarily, I’m pretty much fine with it. I only had black in the first place as it was on offer and was a good deal.

In your case though, if the colour is an obvious mis-match and looks garbage then my guess is you can request a refund instead. I assume the manufacturer are only obligated to replace like for like *where possible* but equally you can ask for refund if its not.

Ken Fosters in Chorlton is great, easily the best local one I’ve used though its maybe a 20/25min drive from Alty

Just a job innit. You get used to what you do.

Agree with this and I also think that by and large there is not really any such thing as an “easy” job (I’m sure there are some exceptions). Every job seems to have at least some element about it that is difficult and seems to me to be more about what temperament is required of the individual rather than a scale of easy>>>>hard.

Thanks all, some really helpful comments here.

BB is being replaced tomorrow so I’ll report back if I have any luck after a couple of rides!

Cheers all, some food for thought to try!

Having listened to it for 4 hours on saturday I think maybe the chainring bolts could be worth checking as it did feel like it was coming sort of from the right crank, but hard to say.

I don’t think its the pedals but they will be easy to swap so I will try and eliminate them.

Greasing the skewers has also been suggested so think we’ll do that too.

Cheers for this, I had this exact conversation with a mate last weekend as I have an old hardtail in the shed and really just need the space and would not say I am bothered about the money (if it is even worth anything) so may donate as I am fairly close to Knutsford.

Thanks for this- I have one and still use it for running so this is useful. I did get the same email but only had chance to quickly scan the title but expected the worst. Shame as it works really well and I am sure when I bought it, it was really good value for a watch with music storage and breadcrumb mapping.  Or it was at the time, anyway.

Another vote for the Varia 515 here, it really is great and not just for close pass warning. Its a bit like having an additional 6th sense and I really notice it if I have to ride without it for some reason.

If I’m riding with a mate two-up on twisty lanes I can just get on with chatting with them and not constantly looking over my shoulder to see if we’re holding a vehicle up.

Its also great for fast, long descents when you might want to move into the middle of the road at times but glancing over your shoulder can be more of a risk.

Plus, everything people have already said up there^. Personally I hate my Garmin beeping at me so I just turn off the sound alerts for the Varia and use the visual alerts on my head unit.

 

I think I must have really low standards as I use the Muc-Off wet lube and it seems fine to me. Whatever I use, the chain needs cleaning after a while. I do use it very sparingly though.

I always wanted to be in the RAF and was pretty serious about it all through school, tailoring my qualifications for it and managing my expectations as I got a bit older- looking at realistic roles I could do rather than just the usual vague schoolboy dream of “I want to be a combat pilot”.

It really was not seen as a cool thing to do though in the circles I hung around in and for some reason I was generally discouraged from it by my family too. So I naturally just aimed for going to University, drinking, taking drugs and all that stuff which is of course much more productive.

In some ways it hardly matters as I’m pretty happy now so whatever really, but I’m a lawyer which seems almost as far as you can get from being in the royal air force. I do often feel a pang of regret when I see or hear about those types of things in the media or on TV though.

I also think there’s massive chance I’d have immediately failed literally all the aptitude tests but at least I’d have known eh!

Personally if I had a reasonable wedge to spend I would buy a specialized aethos. Also bearing your comment above in mind,  they seem quite classy without being bling and exotic enough to have people striking up conversations with you when you roll up at the local cafe.

I only road ride these days but no way I cba going tubeless. Punctures are really not all that common.

Hi All

Doubtless a stupid question but does Trainerroad “count” Zwift rides automatically or do I need to manually match the Zwift ride to a Trainerroad workout (like with an unplanned outdoor ride) for Trainerroad to account for the Zwift rides in its calculations?

I assumed it automatically counted them but I’ve just had a dawning realisation that maybe not…

Please note I have not sense checked this but on a similar theme I saw the below yesterday which appears to be a deal on Wahoo Kickr v5 though I think you need an adapter as its a US plug or something:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/you-can-snap-up-a-wahoo-kickr-half-price-right-now-at-chain-reaction/

“Wahoo Kickr V5 trainer hits half-price at Chain Reaction Cycles in best-ever deal”

You could park right on the top of Peaslows in Sparrowpit.  There’s a sizeable layby up there and i’d be happy to leave a car there for a few days. 

I was also just about to suggest this.

Dial back my exercise level

Yes, purely on a personal level I would make some minor adjustments to my training if I have a cold depending on how bad I feel. For Covid I would most likely re-profile my training plan quite significantly and probably mentally budget for a fortnight off or something like that.

I work in an office where pretty much everyone can work from home on any given day if they want. If someone comes in with a cold I just think fair enough but if they have covid I’d expect them to work from home as it can have more serious consequences than a cold. They would of course need to do a test to distinguish between the two.

No easy answer  but personally for me you already hit the nail on the head in your post when you say that its effect is to make you not enjoy your life outside work anymore- that doesn’t seem sustainable to me.

For context I wouldn’t say I enjoy my job but I don’t mind it and on an especially good day sort-of look forward to going into the office (don’t get me wrong it has its moments).

That said, I don’t get paid massive amounts but I think its someway above the national average and I feel like I get paid very well for what I actually do.

If you’re asking the question then maybe it is time to think about making some kind of a change. I’m sure others might disagree.

I appreciate this thread is kind of coming to the end of its usefulness but I agree with Kryton’s post. The OP has asked the question on a forum so the responses are a mixture of specific training advice, underlying principles and personal experience.

My “top-tip” if the OP wants to get faster is to pick an event that you want to do and then follow a training plan tailored to the amount of hours/week you are willing to commit to it. Personally I like TrainerRoad to generate my plans but there are tonnes of options.

In terms of how to train there are different options (sweet-spot, polarised, 80/20 whatever) but they’re all proven to work. If your destination is to get fitter then any of these methods will pretty much get you to that destination near-enough if you commit to them so just pick whichever suits you best.

Whichever you do, the underlying principles are the same and won’t change. More volume gets you fitter, proper recovery, nutrition and sleep are required and gradually increasing the load so you don’t plateau. Plus, as everyone says, strength and conditioning will really help.

Everything else is just noise or personal preference really. If people don’t like doing intervals and prefer riding hilly routes then that’s fine but the answer to the question of “what’s the most efficient way to get fitter on a bike” is definitely riding properly structured intervals, one way or another.

I haven’t read the news item about this specific case but a lot of people would be shocked if they knew how the justice system in UK works. Even if you successfully defend yourself against being accused of a crime you didn’t commit there is a chance you are still paying your own costs for that defence and will not be compensated and end up selling your house etc to cover it.

We’ve used Air BnB as customers a lot in the past and had lots of success (though you have to be discerning about where you pick). I like the original fundamental principal (“live like a local”) but now it has proliferated so much I have felt part of the problem lately, so to speak, when pulling a wheely case into residential flats in some tourist spots.

For this reason I think we are more likely to use hotels these days, though depends on the location and the circumstances really.

I don’t drink all that much when riding so I have a tool bottle in seat tube cage with 2 x tubes and smallest/lightest multi-tool I own in there. Mini-pump and levers in jersey pocket. This means I also have a “clean” seatpost to fit a garmin varia onto.

If my chain breaks then I’m walking but I do replace my chain on a conservative basis for this reason.

All my rides are road rides around Cheshire or the Peak District so being uncomfortable and inconvenienced for a shorter or greater length of time are the main consequences of any unfixable mechanicals really.

Is the crowd actually such an intrinsic part of the parcours? In cricket you have to adjust your game based on weather for example and it’s felt to be part of it. Being able to think on the move and when you can and can’t attack, to maximum effect, is that not also part of the smarts?

I saw Pogaca being interviewed about the moto “incident” yesterday and I think he may actually take this view, up to a point. He was really (on the surface anyway) quite relaxed about it and seemed quite philosophical about the whole thing. Perhaps he will feel different if he loses the tour by 7 seconds, who knows.

I am sure on the flip side riders must dig deeper on a climb due to the atmosphere compared to an empty road- if my local hills looked like that on a Sunday morning I am sure I would grab a few Strava PRs.

Lets be honest, as a spectacle it is pretty incredible to see all the fans on the mountains, Dutch Corner etc.

Apart from anything else I guess smart phones do not help matters and have made a difference compared to previously- at least in the past fans would be facing forward to see the riders but so many now seem to be looking up the road into their phones for a selfie with the riders behind them, arm outsretched into the road etc.

You’re too late its “Lazy Girl Jobs” now….

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/09/gen-z-lazy-girl-jobs-tiktok-work#:~:text=Mostly%20the%20term%20refers%20to,the%20mood%20is%20overwhelmingly%20aspirational.

Its almost like the media just spend their time trawling Tik Tok for random catchphrases to spin into a news story.

Having said that, I agree with the majority of the posters general opinions on this thread.

I also think “quiet quitting” (if we have to call it that) is likely a reaction to the kind of slightly unhinged lunatics you see preaching on Linked In telling everyone how they work 100 hours a week and get up at 3am every day and how everyone should be “hustling”.

It seems that if you do the job you’re asked and no more it is now some sort of form of protest- it used to just be doing the job you were paid for. My dad is 73 and could never understand why me and my brother would sometimes work after 5pm if we weren’t paid, and we would shake our heads- but I’m starting to see his point.

Another vote for endura dorado II here, I really like them.