Anyone (njee?) know if SRAM Force 22 levers will work with a SRAM XX1 rear mech/cassette?

Squirt here too.

Try and get some Melotonin. It isn’t easy to get over here though, so if you ever do the trip again – buy it out there as you don’t need a prescription.

Amazing stuff.
Sleeping tablets may also be an idea.

Non-drug solution, go for a big ride and knacker yourself out and hope you sleep through the night.

Thanks guys, I will give Jizer a try. 5 litres for £18, so not as expensive as bike specific degreasers.

Nope. Have 2 on 2 bikes and they’ve been great.

They are good and I love the comfort/flex.
On the HT, which has the most use on it, the holes cut through the carbon post have ovalised and creak.

I’m happy with the strength, but maybe that sections needs an aluminium insert.

Chinese 130g seatpost (£50!)

Yours hasn’t cracked or developed any play or creaking yet then?!

Just eat more carrots.

Lease and PCP are different, you are talking about a PCP where your name is on the V5.
For a lease, you are essentially renting the car, and after 2, 3 or 4 years you just hand back the keys and walk away.

PCP the aim is that you have some equity that you can put towards another car. You can also pay off the final amount, or just hand it back and walk away.

If you are looking at PCP, then its worth looking at a lease as well.
You can get some very good PCP and lease deals – although on a lease, it ends up being expensive if you add options, so get a model with a good base spec.

Lease you don’t own it. PCP you do… except you don’t really :)

Warped discs

Thunderbird here. Tried several, but nothing seemed to work well. Not totally happy with thunderbird either, but it works well enough for now.

Has anyone tried the Karrimor bivvy bag?
Looking for a cheap, summer, dry weather only option but something that will keep my down bag dry.

I don’t find mine harsh at all. I did 1100km in 4 days and didn’t have any discomfort.
People expect to it be harsh as thats what they are told aluminium is like, but I have ridden carbon bikes that are more uncomfortable.

If you are a looking for a good, UK based company and value good support, then 34sp.com are worth looking at.

Conwy mountain might be less dodgy?

More plastic parts used on lower end kit, which wears out faster.
Think more along the lines of shifters and mechs. With metal parts, the lower tier parts are just heavier with less complex forging.

Honda Civic Tourer?

VCLS seatpost?

Di2 was released in 2009 and to date has still only trickled down one step of the ladder to Ultegra.
It will probably make it to 105 at some point, but I can’t see it going to Tiagra or Sora.

Some technology does go right down the ladder, but it tends to be more an idea, rather than actually being the same material, etc.

Quite reassuring to know AC uses a compact though!

He doesn’t. Maybe for a few high mountain stages maybe, but generally he uses a standard chainset with wide range cassette. More and more riders are using 11-28t cassettes.

Cleats furthest back is not ideal though – unless you’re trying a mid foot position. Under the ball of the foot is generally agreed to be most efficient.

Cleats right back is no where near mid-foot position though.
Most people have the cleats set up too far forward, putting too much pressure on the front of the feet.

Ball of the foot over the axle centre, or just ahead is best practice as you say.

I use Lezyne Carbon, absolutely fine. Never dropped a bottle.
You need to be careful with bottles regardless of cage, some are a bit thinner than others and more prone to falling out.

How did you get on lunge?
Terrible weather through the night and the final bit into Paris, so big well done if you were one of the 8 who made it within 24hrs. Big respect to anyone who rode the full distance actually, not a nice day on a bike.

Normally I would say tubs are a waste of time and money, but if its just for racing triathlon and no training, then I would go for them.

40 front, 60 rear is a good combo

I honestly don’t get the 2 shorts thing. One pair of comfy shorts should be fine.
Adding 2 pairs would need an increase in saddle height – not a bad thing as such, but a PITA.

I have no idea what charity it is yet. If you see cycletec vans, then I will be one of them.
Hopefully riding as much as possible.

I might see you there, I am a mechanic on one this weekend.

You can probably grab some sleep, or rest at least on the ferry.
Keep eating and keep drinking. Don’t think of the overall ride, break it up into chunks. Try not to lie down. So long as you keep riding it won’t be too bad.

Know how to fix a puncture ;)

What if the bike was nearer 20lb?

I think power outputs is the new bike weights thread.
Some people are seriously over-rating their power outputs.

366w FTP, depending on rider weight would be at the sharp end of Elite.

Shame about walking on wearing Dr Dre “Beats” though. They don’t work unless you’re facing magnetic north.

Like it or not, that is how product sponsorship works.
You would wear them too, if you had been paid a 5 or 6 figure sum.

Maybe it’s different in the UK.

It has been mentioned several times above, yes it is different in the UK.
France, Italy and Spain too if you say so (I haven’t done Quebrantahuesis, but want to) have sportive style events that are classed as races.

I would take those tables with various categories and power values with a massive pinch of salt, although it tends to be the longer power values that are least accurate, especially FTP.

Why do you think it is unrealistic?

Is 564W for a 80kg male realistic?

In a word. No.
If you are looking for something as a comparison, then VAM and a long hill is better than guessing at power.

Out of interest, if I wanted to compete in a proper race (and not a sportive), how much choice is there in the UK? Over 100 miles with some decent climbing?

None.
But that probably has more to do with the UK road racing scene, rather than the laws we have about what can and can’t be classed as a race.

Some do, and if not it’s not exactly hard to sort by time in an spreadsheet.

Those that do may well be in breach of whatever insurance (assuming they are insured) they have in place for the event.

Any sportive that was promoting itself as a race in any way would be in trouble should there be an accident and a rider try and prosecute.

Ask yourself if the couple of minutes is worth it, versus the risk of not being able to ride at the other side.

“it’s just a ride around a marked course as fast as possible.”

How is this different from racing?

No podium, prizes or official results with riders listed by finishing time.

Sportives or Gran Fondos might not be races in the UK, but head to France, Italy and lots of other countries and they are full on races.

The concept started in France and was a race from the very beginning.

On what basis? The one (admittedly rather good) chase back to the bunch from a few years back?