Author Topic: cycling in 2018 & beyond (Read 23595 times)

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #25:** May 08, 2018, 11:05:34 AM »

I wish I had seen that before I bought, I just assumed that something sold as a multispeed build wouldn’t have track ends (the shop here sells them, but doesn’t stock them and charges a decent restocking fee if you change your mind). I’m using a chain tensioner because I’m riding it fixed and tug tug keeps me from having to worry about the rear axle being in the right position

MarquisDeSade · « **Reply #26:** May 08, 2018, 11:35:28 AM »

Using chain tensioners like the Singleator (https://surlybikes.com/parts/drivetrain/singleator) on a frame with horizontal drop outs seems insane to me. Did they not mention you could just use the Tuggnut (https://surlybikes.com/parts/small_parts/tuggnut) instead? By definition having the horizontal drop out means an external chain tensioner isn't needed but I get it that sometimes the wheel still moves. I use two Tuggnuts with Monkey Nuts (https://surlybikes.com/parts/small_parts/monkey_nuts) on my SS Pugsley and haven't had the wheel budge at all.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #27:** May 08, 2018, 11:44:12 AM »

Quote from: MarquisDeSade on May 08, 2018, 11:35:28 AM

Using chain tensioners like the Singleator (https://surlybikes.com/parts/drivetrain/singleator) on a frame with horizontal drop outs seems insane to me. Did they not mention you could just use the Tuggnut (https://surlybikes.com/parts/small_parts/tuggnut) instead? By definition having the horizontal drop out means an external chain tensioner isn't needed but I get it that sometimes the wheel still moves. I use two Tuggnuts with Monkey Nuts (https://surlybikes.com/parts/small_parts/monkey_nuts) on my SS Pugsley and haven't had the wheel budge at all.

the tuggnut is what I use - I just use the term tensioner and tug interchangeably. I'd like to use MKS tensioners, but the Surly dropouts are too thick for any other brand to fit (which probably means the frame will last a lot longer

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #28:** May 08, 2018, 11:54:46 AM »

Could that thing have more braze on fittings?

Quote from: MarquisDeSade on May 08, 2018, 10:40:26 AM

All Surlys have track ends/horizontal drop outs so they can be ran SS (the Cross Check is semi-horizontal). I've ran both my Ogre and Pugsley as single speeds.

Ogre:

(Image removed from quote.)

Pugsley:

(Image removed from quote.)

Not sure why you're running a chain tensioner on a Steamroller.

varoadking · « **Reply #29:** May 08, 2018, 01:20:08 PM »

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #30:** June 05, 2018, 03:48:05 PM »

The UHC team was on a training ride in Rock Creek Park last night...guess the Armed Forces Classic is this weekend.

Must have been their "B" team since the big guns are still racing in Korea. Still fast as crap

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #31:** June 05, 2018, 04:30:09 PM »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on June 05, 2018, 03:48:05 PM

The UHC team was on a training ride in Rock Creek Park last night...guess the Armed Forces Classic is this weekend.

Must have been their "B" team since the big guns are still racing in Korea. Still fast as crap

Pretty cool. I did not know they were in this early. I don't know if the team they send to Crits is different than the teams they send for stage races. Usually they send the sprint train here. John Murphy? It's funny, but their sprinters are now spread to Rally and Holowesko so it's a nice show on Sunday (and Saturday, which I don't go to). They usually send their best women here, too. Coryn Rivera won but was relegated for swerving in the sprint a couple of years ago.

I'm not doing the challenge ride this year because I have not gotten much riding in at all.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #32:** June 08, 2018, 10:52:09 AM »

Seen Team Columbia near the Shirlington end of the W & OD the past two nights.

Sounds like Sunday is going to be wet. Should make for some spills at the usually turns.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #33:** June 08, 2018, 12:01:31 PM »

Teams training on the w and od brings new meaning to pathalete. It seems like a terrible place to ride fast with walkers, joggers and slow riders

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #34:** June 08, 2018, 01:54:59 PM »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on June 08, 2018, 12:01:31 PM

Teams training on the w and od brings new meaning to pathalete. It seems like a terrible place to ride fast with walkers, joggers and slow riders

well, it was during the week and not on the weekend, and, frankly, they may have been on the roads rather than the path. There a nice little hill on Walter Reed, and I could see the Columbians doing some training loops

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #35:** June 08, 2018, 03:26:18 PM »

I'm too scatterbrained today to do any actual work, so I'm going to go see what elite riders are tearing things up in Rock Creek Park. Judging from the team that blew by me the other night, I'll probably get dropped in 5 seconds while they casually discuss lunch.

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on June 08, 2018, 01:54:59 PM

well, it was during the week and not on the weekend, and, frankly, they may have been on the roads rather than the path. There a nice little hill on Walter Reed, and I could see the Columbians doing some training loops

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #36:** July 02, 2018, 01:15:58 PM »

Froome cleared by UCI of Salbutomol positive, WADA accepts decision and will not appeal. Apparently, he was able to show there's a lot of variability is his metabolism of the stuff and that the result is consistent with clean, approved doses on a puffer.

I don't know what to make of Sky. They seem to skate right up to the line but end up not crossing it. I remember my Dad would QC his product to better than the QC standards of his buyers because he knew his testing equipment probably was better than theirs. I think Sky kind of does the same thing.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #37:** July 02, 2018, 01:29:47 PM »

I’m just happy there’s a sport where large numbers of asthmatics can compete at the highest levels

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #38:** July 02, 2018, 01:59:17 PM »

I wouldn't be able to ride at all in very hot or very cold weather without albuterol. Performance enhancing, sure, but an enhancement from zero in my case.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #39:** July 06, 2018, 11:23:58 PM »

TdF kicks off tomorrow; Cav ran a nice stage-by-stage prognostication: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/44576490

On a semi-related note, does anyone have an indoor bike that they love (and why)? Asking for a friend.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #40:** July 06, 2018, 11:55:24 PM »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on July 06, 2018, 11:23:58 PM

TdF kicks off tomorrow; Cav ran a nice stage-by-stage prognostication: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/44576490

On a semi-related note, does anyone have an indoor bike that they love (and why)? Asking for a friend.

Zwift plus a decent trainer- if you like your bike why buy a crappy indoor one?

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #41:** July 07, 2018, 11:01:33 AM »

for a flat stage, some interesting GC impacts. No more spoilers from me for today.

MarquisDeSade · « **Reply #42:** July 08, 2018, 11:59:45 AM »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on July 06, 2018, 11:23:58 PM

TdF kicks off tomorrow; Cav ran a nice stage-by-stage prognostication: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/44576490

On a semi-related note, does anyone have an indoor bike that they love (and why)? Asking for a friend.

Peloton.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #43:** July 08, 2018, 12:51:34 PM »

Quote from: MarquisDeSade on July 08, 2018, 11:59:45 AM

Peloton.

This was just announced today

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/07/tacx-neo-bike-smart-first-ride-and-final-specs.html

I’d easily take it over a peloton

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #44:** July 15, 2018, 12:09:45 PM »

today's stage is worth a watch on replay tonight at 8 on NBCSN. It is a stage that has 15 stretches of riding over cobblestone paths, so I'm not giving anything away to say there's some big impacts on the potential overall race. Beyond that, I was incredibly happy with the winner, but a bit annoyed I didn't put money on it because I had a feeling this guy was a pretty consistent top 10 in some of the recent flat sprints.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #45:** July 15, 2018, 02:31:12 PM »

It’s probably the only stage that I’ll get my wife to watch with me, it just seemed like chaos.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #46:** July 20, 2018, 11:32:57 AM »

Quote

The researchers — who also included Lisa Van Langenhove, Alain Vandriessche, Cedric Bertrand, Kris Verheyen and Pieter Vangansbeke, all from Ghent University — examined four decades of footage and spent more than 200 hours over the course of a month in the archive of the VRT, which is Belgian national television. Their study appears in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

They found that the timing of the trees produced leafs and flowers earlier in response to warmer temperatures. Before 1990, almost no trees had grown leaves at the time of the spring race. TV footage showed that after 1990, however, more and more trees were seen in full leaf, especially magnolia, hawthorn, hornbeam and birch trees.

“We found that especially the temperature in the three or four months before the video affected the leafing and flowering, and we saw an acceleration, with more and more green trees visible in the video archive every year up to the most recent edition,” De Frenne said. The Tour of Flanders takes place at almost the same time every year and, although the course can change, “we selected our tree individuals for analysis on cobblestone sections that are clear landmarks along the course that are easy to find back in the footage and also appear almost annually in the race,” he said.

https://www.popsci.com/televised-sports-capture-climate-change

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #47:** July 29, 2018, 01:43:50 PM »

I went jogging on the mount Vernon trail for the first time in a long time this morning and was reminded why I avoid it- what compels someone to ride down a narrow two lane path filled with joggers, dog walkers, people renting bikes to go to mount Vernon... crouched over their arrow bars? I get that you are proud of the money you dropped on your tri bike, but there are better places to ride it

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #48:** July 29, 2018, 03:14:52 PM »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 29, 2018, 01:43:50 PM

I went jogging on the mount Vernon trail for the first time in a long time this morning and was reminded why I avoid it- what compels someone to ride down a narrow two lane path filled with joggers, dog walkers, people renting bikes to go to mount Vernon... crouched over their arrow bars? I get that you are proud of the money you dropped on your tri bike, but there are better places to ride it

as a side note, arlington is doing some work on the custis trail near 66 from the italian market east to route 29

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #49:** July 30, 2018, 12:21:37 AM »

Short of moving to Minnesota (where this kind of thing never happens), one is well advised to stay off the trail on weekends. It's too narrow for mixed use in general, and certainly so for road bikes going at speed. I'll ride it on a weekday in mid winter on a mountain bike...maybe.

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 29, 2018, 01:43:50 PM

I went jogging on the mount Vernon trail for the first time in a long time this morning and was reminded why I avoid it- what compels someone to ride down a narrow two lane path filled with joggers, dog walkers, people renting bikes to go to mount Vernon... crouched over their arrow bars? I get that you are proud of the money you dropped on your tri bike, but there are better places to ride it