Anyone? 😳

sq225917 – Member
I assume I’m that ‘forum deflection guy’.

Yes, you went quiet on the London Road thread.

Seriously used to like the brand… but I’ll just leave this here:

To throw another company in the mix, I used Bikmo.

I had a small incident with a Ocado van and they were fantastic at getting everything ready in case Ocado took further action. They were also great when dealing with my accidentally damaged front wheel.

I must admit, Zwift FTP test was okay (as far as they go). Kept me distracted enough and something to focus on by having virtual cyclists around to try and overtake. What I wasn’t expecting was a dramatic change in resistance from the warm up to the start of the test, I wasted a lot of energy there (https://www.strava.com/activities/784603519/analysis/1200/2404)

Aim to redo it at the beginning of January.

HR is a strange one!

@tonyg2003 – Yeah I went ahead and got one ^^. Still have the Felt though. Yeah, I’m imagining it to be similar to the FTP test but worse.

@fifeandy I’m not 100% sure that figure is correct, I’m rather tempted to hire a powermeter to see how it compares to the Vortex’s power. Just to see if there is any progression in my cycling over the next few months.

@mrblobby – I did the FTP test on a mixture of the drops/usual hand position. Tried to avoid sitting upright apart from drinking/towel.

Am I right in assuming that if Hillingdon doesn’t have an event on, I can just rock up and use the circuit? I’d like to get used to it before signing up to any future events there.

Yeah I couldn’t figure if you meant am or pm.

I’ve only just this week got my commuter up and running again, will aim to join you guys next week. 🙂

Thanks @haze the calcs were mainly for Zwift racing haha.

Licence will be bought 1st Dec.

I haven’t @tired as I haven’t joined a club/got a licence yet. I’ve been out in NYC, got engaged there, came back bought a ring (proposed with a temp one) and hired a wedding venue since last time I posted on this thread. 🙂

Building up the courage too 😳

Wee update to this.

I had a holiday in NYC and bar a run around central park and a soul cycle session I didn’t do anything intensive. Result is my HR is back to resting at 47bpm.

The bike is built (bar me cutting the chain too short and the stem needs cutting once happy with the height):

(yep the decking still hasn’t been done).

I bought a Tacx Vortex smart trainer for over winter to structure my training, along with commuting every day I can and weekend cycles. I’ve just done my first FTP test on Zwift, it nearly killed me:

338W over 20 mins, which is calculating at 4.59kg/w (I’m 6ft 70kg)? Which I’m not suggesting is accurate in the real world, but in Zwift using the same equipment I should see an improvement?

But this is a good basis to start the training. Zwift is also going to allow me to do some virtual racing, so hopefully get me ready ish for the randomness of sprints?

Next steps:
– Join a club
– Get a british cycling licence

There’s the Tacx Vortex too for £276 at the moment: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacx-T2180-Vortex-Smart-Trainer/dp/B00MCF5Q2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480006708&sr=8-1&keywords=tacx+vortex

hooli – Member
Perhaps a stupid question but if you don’t have a smart trainer, how do you know what resistance to put it at?

If I am climbing up a monster hill, I could have mine set on almost max and somebody else could have theirs at 50%?

Cadence and speed sensors are used and electronically adjusted in the game. An example – if your in the lowest resistance and your speed sensor is reporting 30mph, in Zwift it might only be 10mph.

If your trainer/speed/cadence/heart rate sensors are Bluetooth you don’t even need a dongle for your computer, you can use your phones bluetooth via the zwift mobile link app.

If in budget I’d recommend a smart trainer (tacx flow from Halfords is £200) as it’s much more fun having it change resistance for you.

If you have an iPad the app will be out soon.

These races sound fun!

I’m going to do the FTP test tomorrow to get into the correct category, is it done on a course or just watching a timer? Would you recommend the longer one over the 45 min one?

I’m 6ft and weigh 70kg – at the moment Zwift has me down at an FTP 280 which is a W/KG of 3.75 (280*.95/70)? This seems really high to me, I’m sure that’ll be much lower after the test! 😆

NYC

By the way, for those waiting for the iOS app (or for those without bluetooth/ant+ on their laptop/pc) there’s a kind of work around here (sorry if it has already been mentioned). My laptop isn’t powerful enough to run zwift (doesn’t support opengl), however I’ve got a big ole powerful desktop, so here’s my setup:

– Desktop in the study runs Zwift & teamviewer application.
– iPad attached to bike in the garage runs teamviewer application – I can now see and use the PC (it’s basically a monitor and mouse)
– iPhone runs Mobile link (zwift app) and from that I can now see my bluetooth devies: Tacx Vortex trainer, heart rate/cadence/speed sensors

Works perfectly! The only thing I don’t have is sound, but I listen to music anyway. Hope this helps someone 🙂

I’ve done a few “RPM” classes at virgin and tried a “Soul Cycle” class in NYC.

I prefer Zwift to be honest, particularly as I like recording/monitoring what I have done.

Don’t get me wrong the spinning classes are brutal and good fun (particularly the soul cycle), but there’s something about racing virtual people.

Yep @greentricky the 9am one specifically says excludes turbo trainers.

Broomfield is my favourite, it’s not tough.

However I find Annerley and Gipsy hills tough, I had also forgotten about honour oak until the below. Basically CP is a collection of hills, or maybe it feels like that as all my cycling around there has been after a full day at work… 😆

I shamelessly found this on google:

The candidates so far:

Swaine’s Lane Highgate: Not marked as uphill only. A long drag but my estimate is something like 12% tops.
Brittacy Hill, Mill Hill. Similar to the above.
Star & Garter Hill Richmond. Marked as 10%.
Nightingale Lane, Richmond. Not marked as uphill only. Claimed as 1/5. Not sure but looks 1/6 to me.
Gravel Hill, Finchley. Not marked but would be 10% by my estimate.
Highgate Hill. Marked as 10%
Shooters Hill. Not marked but estimated by me at 10% or less.
Roads to Crystal Palace. Anerley Hill is 10%. Gipsy Hill perhaps the same.
Chingford Mount/Muswell Hill. Can’t find anything really steep here.
Succombs Hill. Marked as 25%
Ena Road. As discussed marked as 17%
Canonbie Road, Honor Oak. Marked as 18%
Spout Hill, Addington. Marked as 17%
Downe Road. Marked as 25%

Another one for the mix is St James Road, Purley and that has a sharp bend at the bottom where it’s steepest. However I note GSV marks it as 14% only. Have my doubts about that, but still; can’t argue. However, it’s certainly a pain because of the bend and you can’t get a run at it.

Annerley hill and the general Crystal Palace area make for a good work out 😛

My favourite hill is Broomfield in Richmond Park, its steep and short and lots of people to overtake while shouting stravaa. According to the stats it’s only 11% though… https://www.strava.com/segments/5525410?filter=overall

@greentricky

Halfords flash offer:

Extra 10% Off Cycle Accessories

Duration: 28/10/2016, 09:00 – 11:00

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories?cm_re=mmcycling-_-accessories-_-Bikeaccessories

4.5/5 on Halfords: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/turbo-trainers/trainers/tacx-flow-t2240-smart-turbo-trainer

Ah wait, apparently after an update it does! http://forum.tacx.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25194

The old 22% off any purchase from halfords no longer appears to be working though http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/22-off-any-purchase-halfords-1603626

To confirm, once the Zwift IOS app goes live this turbo trainer will work with the app and change the resistance via bluetooth?

Tempted to hit the buy button.

May be able to get this for a cheeky £162 using vouchers & BC discount 🙂

N

Own both, can’t tell the difference including the 172.5 vs 175 😆

Ultegra £133 using “COMPO10”: http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-cranksets-and-chainrings/shimano-ultegra-fc-6850-compact-bicycle-chainset-11-speed/10791323.html?variation=10791326

If that helps the decision, they also have 5800 172.5mm compacts for £81.99 and 10% for first orders using “FIRST10UK” or £72 at Ribble. 😳

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphones-Mpow-Nano-coating-Sweatproof-Hands-free/dp/B010FDQCBM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1477039503&sr=8-4&keywords=mpow

These are getting good reviews, 300g for 28c version from said reviews: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essential-commuter-road-tyre/

Edit: missed the fast bit 🙂

Great write up, enjoyed reading your adventure!

Probably no use to you, but a great idea: http://road.cc/content/review/207728-littlebig-3-1-bike

Yeah I’ve got one of them in the lens kit, thanks!

I guess I need to keep a fairly high shutter speed too?

Haha.

This is a real helicopter so I need to combat the movement and the glare from the window.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

Hopefully they’ll do a bundle deal, I get a bike she gets a handbag therefore not noticing the new bike 😆

Wee bit of an update to this.

Loving the Canon M3! A photographer friend gave me a 20 minute “how to take manual shots” lesson so I’ve been following the cat around all weekend (she’s a moving target).

Couple of examples:

I’ve also bought a set of filters to try.

The next thing I need to figure out is the best way of getting decent pictures from a helicopter. 😆

If it helps this is the list of frame sellers that I have come across with good reviews:
http://www.flyxii.com
http://www.workswellbikes.com
http://www.dengfubikes.com
http://www.hongfu-bikes.com
http://www.velobuildmall.com
http://www.carbonda.com
http://www.miraclebikes.com
http://www.icanbikes.com

And after my London Road debacle I would never purchase anything from PX again.

Chinese!
If you’re willing to build one up: http://www.flyxii.com/en/products/flx-fr-602.html

If not: http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cr3-winter-training-special-edition/#pid=35202

I’ve got a 602 and it’s been great on the road, not taken it off road yet but there’s plenty of clearance for some big tyres.

For the time being at least. 🙂

Yeah my view on the purchase was being skewed by paypals “conversion” rate.

Didn’t realise you can change it to your card providers. 😳

The £ seems to be almost back to how it was yesterday: https://www.dailyfx.com/gbp-usd

Cheers.

Paypals rates were shocking (1.2)

I went with my travel card so at the moment it should work out at £397 using mastercards rates.

We’re in NYC for 8 days so were going to take $100 for each day split between, for things like coffee, tips etc – the rest will be on card.

Yeah my last chinese frame also at $500 cost me £343 and that was only a few months ago!

Yay for the brexit!

Yeah I’ve just seen this quote:

“Secondly, and perhaps most damningly, HSBC issued a pretty bleak statement claiming that, as the ‘defacto official opposition to the government’s [Brexit] policies’, the pound could well find itself circling $1.10 by the end of the year.”

Crap, forget time traveling to a few months ago. Last week it would have only cost me £385 for the $504 invoice instead of the £417 today! 😯

bomberman
It must be very hard to train somewhere so flat and densely populated

You get fairly used to clipping in and out quickly between lights 😆

ianpv
You may get a bit of a shock even in 4th cat races – even a slow one is going to be 6-7 km/h quicker than that for twice as long.
My local chaingang does about 37-39 km/h for 60km on rolling terrain and that is training! (plenty quick enough for me, I’m delighted if I hang on)

Just run what brung and get used to the intensity for a while!

Yeah I imagine I’m going to get spat out of the back to be frank. Solo on a milk pond flat route I can do 19-20mph over 52 miles including being caught up in traffic on the way back into London (https://www.strava.com/activities/621383879) – but definitely up for joining some chain gangs to get used to it properly.

cloudnine
You think you are fit until you start racing.. Then realise how far you have to up your game and how much effort it really takes. I’ve just started CX racing and it’s unbelievably tough. The hard part is knowing when to really push and when to sit up a little bit and try and grab a bit of recovery. Treat your 1st season as a learning curve and just use it to find your strengths and weaknesses.

Not considered CX racing before, it sounds fun too. But yeah first season is just going to be turn up and hope I don’t cause/get involved in a crash. 😆