Because the UCI is utterly mad, however those are the rules.

“It is forbidden to wear items designed to influence the performances of a rider such as reducing air resistance or modifying the body of the rider(compression, stretching, support)”

link

Neither if its an event run under UCI rules, as compression clothing is banned, (and remember the correct sock length as well) 😯

Climbing worked well for me when I busted mine. Very low level traversing back and forth across the local wall, builds great stamina as well as core.

I’d say you need more intensity thrown into the mix. I’d imagine the commute and running will be done at a good, but consistent pace.

Try interval training to vary the tempo of the runs, e.g. 4 * 4 minutes with 2 minutes recovery after 10 minutes of warm up.

Rode a whole bunch in Tenerife a few weeks ago, wow talk about long and steep, like nothing I’ve done before!

700 meters gain, over 10KM, at an average of 7%, fun!

Kalas Sportswear have done our club gear for the previous few years, I’ve also got our company kit via them, all be it the cheaper range. Both are good, min order was 5 if memory serves me well.

Had it twice, both times self diagnosed and then agreed by the doc, 2 weeks of penicillin seemed to cure it.

Very common over here with climbers, bikers, walkers.

Gold Kona Explosif

Edge 500 with additional wrist strap so I can run with it as well.

The new Ridley’s looks OK:

According to you then my 32:20 doesnt qualify me as an “athlete”

Nope, but it means you’re freaking excellent runner, who would likely place or top 10 in all but regional races upwards.

The Swedish Chef – that would put some very very good runners out of the athlete category.

It would, so let me explain.

I’ve had the privilege to meet a number of excellent runners, and also a fair few “athletes” from various sports, running, cycling, rowing, tri. If we’re talking gross generalizations, and we are ’cause this is an internet forum and not face to face, then I’d say the difference between an “athlete” and someone who is very good at their sport is their ability to excel at other sports. Unfortunately a fair few excellent runners can not lift their own body weight etc, and thus fail when attempting others sports. Athletes usually excel.

Where that border is I’ve no idea, but to go sub 32 for 10km, you normally need to train like an athlete rather than simply bang out miles day after day.

Not wanting to offend someone, just giving an opinion.

Under 40, call yourself fit.
Under 36, call yourself a runner
Under 32, call yourself an athlete
Under 30, call yourself whatever you like 😀

Extra points for doing it on a track, as most people can’t stand the mental side of it

Sorry 😯

Very nice, very light, very costly. They seem to be THE choice bike for the XC racers in Sweden.

Cannondale are also referred to as the Apple of the cycle world here, rather bizarrely.

They’ve moulded a very nice top tube profile and then chosen to cut costs and run the cable straight across the gap, it looks cheap and ruins what is by all other measures a very good bike in style that someone wrote above. It was fixed in later models I believe
.

The Giant, the cable routing on that Specialized is an utter disgrace

Last year’s race bike:

Trek 9.9 SSL with Reba’s, XT bits, 3T stem and bars, and American Classic wheels. Came in at 9.9kg with pedals, bar ends, cage.

Currently undergoing a diet before the 2012 season starts.

Irrational urge to get a Lefty and go 2*10 with GripShift

Jumble, you use a PowerTap wheel for CX racing? Be interesting to see some numbers from it.

Could be, could not be, currently looking like not.

Its 8 degrees here now, which is as warm as its been.

If you’re looking at Göteborg then mail me for details if you want.

View from the front of the house:

View from the rear:

I think people underestimate just how physically hard HIIT/Tabata style training is.

October to April looks like this:

Monday to Friday 20 minutes core strength every morning.
Tuesday – 30 minute high intensity Tabata session
Wednesday – 1 hour Sufferfest session
Thursday – Run, intervals, normally something like 4 *4 off 2 minutes
Saturday/Sunday – Road session as long as I can get away with, so ranging from 90 minutes to 4 hours

Someone on here had a lovely XC full suspension Felt, yeah here looks very nice

I moved to Sweden 8 years ago as an interesting experiment, and have stayed and have no real desire to move back to the Brighton area where I originate from.

My wife, (then girlfriend), is Swedish, however we had no jobs or housing sorted before we moved over. We simply sold the flat and car in the UK, got our possessions shipped over and put in storage, and left with 2 bags each and slept on friends floors and hostels until we found somewhere to live.

Life is different over here, and certainly more in-line with what I want out of it right now, however the UK has many many things going for it. I’d never would have been in the position to do the opposite move had I lived over here.

Did a bit in Norway with a summer climbing partner, but I have real issues with being cold so I’ve stopped doing it now

Sorry crown, not bezel, wrong terminology

Thanks to ditch_jockey for the Creation Watches link. This arrived yesterday.

Need to take it to a jewellers and get the strap shortened, but I like it a lot. Didn’t get charged tax/import duty either, so excellent news there.

Question, I cannot get the bezel to screw shut as it should do according to the manual, any tips? It should push down and screw in clockwise and lock, but I can’t seem to get it to lock.

Sorry to interrupt, but can you do tabata on rollers?

Tabata is the only session I do not do on rollers, not sure I’d stay on them. I’ve got rollers with built a resistance unit, but I’d guess I’d be struggling to get enough resistance on normal ones.

I use tabata on Tuesday’s I “only” have a 30 minute window for training, therefore it fits my schedule well. They can also be done at hotel gyms etc to good effect which is a bonus when away on business.

I would not do them 4 days a weeks though as I see no benefit in the type of racing I do, (XC/CX/marathon), plus I feel they’d do damage to my immune system over the long term as they are too intensive.

Yes I felt they worked well in the CX season when I was racing twice at the weekend and just rolling Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, so on Wednesday’s I did tabata to maintain that great feeling you get of having huge lung capacity.

As RPE it’s off the scale as the time period is so short.

However as an example my Sufferfest RPE10 is 420 watts based on an FTP of 300, using 1.2*FTP*170% you get 600 odd watts per tabata interval

I also want to know this.. i work on longer intervals (4mins) and just wondering if this is useful at this time of year (for the road racing season)?

Yes, 4*4 off 2 minutes recovery is a classic Nordic session that the majority of XC-skiers use. Again done at a certain power level this is the new “sweet spot” training. Normally done at FTP-5%.

Tabata is so 2010 😆

I’ve used tabata training once a week since about October.

I started by doing the normal go as hard as you can then die approach, but reading into it all efforts are meant to be consistent, hence the 170% of VO2max effort level. If you’re dying in the last few and not maintaining form and power then that’s not following the protocol as it was intended.

You can also use the formula 1.2*FTP*170% if you don’t know what your VO2max level is, (and of course have a powermeter).

Thoroughly enjoyed the last two films/edits, nice work!

Wales, sometime in ’91 I think:

Kona Explosif, with Syncros and CookBros

Use my training wheels

Excellent post Kitz, that just about sums up my experience knowing a salaried Pro.

They are all slightly different but are based on the theme.

They have just re-done Downward Spiral with new film clips which removes a lot of the repetition from the original and adds the cadence/intensity suggestion like the other films.

As overall workouts I like The Hunted and Angels best.

“chicken leavers” are what I’ve heard them called before, but whatever works.

suicide levers

er?

suicide levers were manual leavers for mechs before cable pull shifters were invented.

Anyway glad you like it, very nice looking those Boardman’s

Ritchey pedals are meant to be SPD compatible.

The WCS V4 Ti comes in at around 250gr, never tried them though.