Beasty's objectives for 2010

Planet X

Thought it would be pretty windy that's why I didn't go.
Seemed to be not too bad in the end?
Well done.
Good time, falling all the time. (excuse pun)

Beasty

Planet X wrote: »

Thought it would be pretty windy that's why I didn't go.
Seemed to be not too bad in the end?
Well done.
Good time, falling all the time. (excuse pun)

Thanks Planet X. It's my last 10mTT for the year, and gives me something to aim for next year. I have this nasty feeling, however, that I am better suited to the 25m:eek:. It's a bit odd, as everyone says how much they dislike TTs, but for some reason I don't mind them (must be all the gadgetry on the bars that distracts me!)

Conditions were certainly better than that 10m at Moy Valley - wind was westerly, but not very strong. I think there were quite a few who beat handicap

Beasty

So tonight's race didn't exactly go to plan. The reason seems quite straightforward - I managed back to back races last month, a 20km vets TT followed by a Swords race at Bog of the Ring, but that course was relatively flat, and I did not race on the back of a hard weekend spin (the Tour de Kilkenny). I also think I put much more effort into last night's TT.

So I guess I now have a better understanding of my limits, and hopefully won't make the same mistake again - I may try consecutive nights again, but I will be a bit more selective, probably a 10mTT followed by either a flat course, or perhaps some track racing, and certainly not on the back of such a hard weekend spin.

Stats for tonight, until I pulled out, were not too bad, given the hilly nature of the course:

Distance 19.7km, time 37m 48s, average speed 31.1kph
Power - average 253w, pedalling 268w, normalised 279w, max 778w
HR - average 161, max 175w
cadence average 80, pedalling 88

As noted in the race report the interesting thing was my power output for 34 minutes was pretty close to my best, which given I was taking it relatively easily for a few minutes after I was dropped was a pleasant surprise.

Anyway, I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the week, just a gentle commute on Friday, in preparation for the vets race on Sunday morning

I'm also off for my bike fit tomorrow - it will be interesting to see how wrong I have been getting my set-up!

Jawgap

Where are you getting the bike fit done?

Beasty

Jawgap wrote: »

Where are you getting the bike fit done?

Bikefitting Ireland, based near Bray.

I'm getting the Cayo and track bike fitted, and will report back on the outcome ...

Beasty

Went for the bike fit last night. As noted above it was www.bikefittingireland.com, based just south of Bray. Aiden Hammond was a top cyclist, and is a qualified coach (as is Michelle). He had previously ridden for Swords, and had been recommended by some of the guys there. I arrived at 7.30 – these fittings normally take about 90 mins, but I had brought both racer and track bike and two bikes would take a little longer. We did spend some time chatting, and it was actually 10.30 or so when I got away.

What took so long? We started off with Michelle going over my medical/injury history, identifying any niggles and measuring me up. She had no idea what she was letting herself in for when I came through the door though!

I explained my back problems, with resultant sciatica. My right leg is marginally shorter than the left, probably as a result of a break as a child. She thought I had a partially fallen arch when she looked at my ankle and foot shape – nothing could be further from the truth – my arches are actually very high, and when I stand on a flat surface only the balls of my feet and heels are actually in contact with the floor. She checked the bike to make sure there was no rubbing from my heel, as my right foot actually points outwards when I walk. These were all issues I was aware of, although perhaps not the extent of these “abnormalities”.

Then the measurements, and one thing we established, which I had absolutely no idea about, is my right shoulder is 4cm lower than my left one. Perhaps I should try and change my username to Quasimodo! All the issues identified relate to the right side of my body (I had also mentioned my right hand goes numb when riding the track at Manchester, when I would have thought I would have more problems with my left hand, which suffers from arthritis, and where I broke the wrist earlier this year). She also said I was the most inflexible cyclist she had come across, as I struggled to bend far enough to reach beneath my knees.

I suspect most of the issues identified result from my back problems, and I do get the odd niggle on the bike, but my body is largely used to it, and adapts accordingly. In fact the exercise I get on the bike tends to improve any back problems I have. We therefore concluded it was not worth trying changing anything unless I had particular problems that caused concern. She did recommend pilates to improve my flexibility.

Then onto Aiden, and sorting the bikes out. He took videos of the “before and after” for me to look at. In terms of the road bike, the saddle was about 8mm too high, and the stem 10mm too long and a couple of cm too low (although it was the right height for the aerobars). The track bike saddle was at exactly the right height – I’d set it the at the same level as the road bike, but failed to adjust for the fact the track cranks are 10mm shorter. The stem was again 10mm too long, but the height of the aerobars I had put on was fine. The saddle needed moving forward slightly, but we then could not get it level. Hence 2 new stems and a new seat post are already on order!

I’ve tried the road-bike today with the bar height adjusted and the saddle lowered half-way to the recommended height (I’ll drop it the rest of the way in a week or so), and I did find it more comfortable. I had made some adjustments when I originally fitted the aerobars for the TTs, and overdone it. My position on the bike was too stretched out. Once I get the new stem and drop the saddle all the way, hopefully I’ll notice more improvement.

Beasty

So having given up the opportunity to see United hammer the best Ireland have to offer on Wednesday to fail miserably in the Swords League race, today I faced a similar dilemma - the Community Shield at Wembley, or vets DMS. Well having seen probably a dozen or more Community/Charity Shield matches over the years I decided United could cope well enough without me today, and I headed off the Kentstown instead.

Although billed as 80km, the actual distance was nearer 68km. The IVCA website has me down as riding in the second Group (B), rather than the one I had ridden with previously (C), and I was hopeful I had been relegated, as this would have put me in the slowest of the three races taking place today. Unfortunately this was not to be the case, and I found myself in the middle race, which included Groups C and D and would be a lot harder.

There were well over 30 riders in our race, including mc2000, Planet X and another coupls of Swoirds guys

With a DMS there's less pressure to take turns, and following Wednesday's performance I basically sat in for most of the first lap. I kept losing time on each corner, and it was a bit stop and start in the middle of the group. In addition a number of riders were very aggressive in getting the position they wanted, forcing me to give way to them on a number of occasions. After about 15km I moved up to third position in the Group (a couple of riders had got away at this stage), and was surprised at how much easier it was there, allowing me to go at a steady pace.

I went back in the group for most of the second and final laps, and was struggling a bit up the inclines on the final lap, until one of the guys gave me a gentle push to get me going again.

We dropped a few riders as we went along, but there must still have been around 25 when we took the final turn. I was still towards the back, and badly placed for the sprint, so I ended up coming in at the back of the field.

After the race I headed off to marshall the Swords Grand Prix, and then came home to catch United's last couple of goals on TV

Stats:
Distance 68.7km
Time - 1h 52m
Average speed 36.7kph
Power - average 214w, pedalling 250w, normalised 256w, max 866w
Work 1,440kj
HR - average 159, max 180
Cadence average 80, pedalling 91

I feel much more capable at the 40-50km distance that Swords do, and need to think more about refuelling in these longer vets races. I feel as if 70km is about my limit for racing, and perhaps need to do some longer spins over the winter - the 108km Tour de Kildare is the longest spin I've done this year, and there have only been another 5 or 6 around the 70km mark (including a couple of races)

Next week I'm off to Manchester, and should get some time on the track, but more importantly I'll get down to Old Trafford to see the start of the Premiership campaign:D

Beasty

An hour spin on Monday, the vets 10mTT on Tuesday, the ill-fated Swords League race on Wednesday, a commute on Friday and today's vets race added up to 209km at 31.5kph this week.

Total distance now stands at 6,440km, at an average speed of 29.2kph, leaving 3,560km to do

Next week I expect to do a commute tomorrow, than I'm off on a "business" trip to Monaco on Tuesday, arriving back a couple of hours before the Swords League race on Wednesday. I'll then be catching the overnight ferry to Manchester for another "business" trip, and will have the new bike in the car, with a view to doing a couple of track sessions.

A nice quiet week ...:rolleyes:

Beasty

One of my objectives for the year is to try and do 40km in the hour on an indoor track. Priorities have changed a little given the commencement of my racing career earlier this year. I have not forgotten about “the hour”, and set out below some of the theory behind it and if my performances to date provide an indication of whether this may be achievable.

Step 1. Get the bike – a Dolan Track Champion – it came with drop bars, and so I purchased some 3T aero bars – my major concern with this is controlling the bike round the tight bends in Manchester – I struggled to keep to the inside of the track on much wider ones at Sundrive. I guess, however, that the steep banking in Manchester will help me counter the centrifugal forces

Step 2. The bike fit – this was done a couple of weeks ago, resulting in some minor adjustments to the saddle position, and a shortening of the stem.

Step 3. Aerodynamic drag – I recently purchased a book entitled “High-Tech Cycling” which explains some of the theory behind aerodynamic drag, and the resultant speed at different power levels. There is a complete chapter on the world hour record, which includes a formula to help evaluate this:

Power = K*(0.00953*M1*V + 0.00775*V^2 + 0.007551*K1*Af*V^3)
Where V = velocity (kph), M1 = weight of cyclist and bike(kg), K = a factor specific to individual velodromes, based on external conditions of the track etc, K1 = an aerodynamic factor taking into account rider position, clothing, helmets etc, and Af = frontal area

The book states the value for K in Manchester is 1 (it was mentioned in the context of Boardman’s records – I suspect the Manchester track became the benchmark for this factor). Hence the two elements that need to be estimated are K1 and Af

Af can be estimated using the following formula:
Af = 0.0293*H^0.725*M^0.425+0.0604
My height is just over 1.87m, and weight around 90kg, and hence
Af = 0.0293*1.87^0.725*90^0.425+0.0604 = 0.373m^2

K1 = Kd*Kpo*Kb*Kc*Kh
Where:
Kd = density ratio (1.0 at sea level, 0.994 in Manchester)
Kpo = rider position – standard position, arms in with aero bars = 1.0, on drops = 1.08 to 1.18, aero bars, elbows wide = 1.07 to 1.11
Kb = bike/components – standard track bike, disk wheels = 1.0, drop bars, wire spokes = 1.07
Kc = clothing – skinsuit = 1.0
Kh = helmet – aero helmet = 1.0, normal road helmet = 1.025

In my case, I will be using Manchester, so Kd = 0.994
Kpo – this is probably the largest variable, but on the basis I will be trying the aero bars, = around 1.11
Kc = 1, Kh= 1

So K1 = 0.994*1.11*1.07*1*1 = 1.181

So, if Power = K*(0.00953M1*V + 0.00775*V^2 + 0.007551*K1*Af*V^3)
In my hour attempt, the power I will need to average 40kph = 1*(0.00953*98*40+0.00775*40^2 + 0.007551*1.181*0.373*40^3) = 262w

Can I achieve this on the aero bars? My hour CP is estimated at 269w, but that was based on cycling using the hoods. I have done 2 x 25m TTs this year when I did use aero bars, the first one I averaged 262w (269w normalised) and the second 266w (277w normalised)

Hence on the face of it I should have the power to do it, but I have not tried this particular bike set-up, which has lower aero bars than the clip-ons on my road bike, so I am not sure if I will be able to maintain this power in this position....

Lumen

You're going to need another power meter.

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

You're going to need another power meter.

That would make 3 - do you really think I would be that extravagent?

...thinking about it though, Powertap do a track hub now....;)

Beasty

A couple of public sessions on the track in Manchester have given me the opportunity to try out my new bike and set-up for the hour attempt. Aero bars are not allowed in public sessions, so I would not be able to practice with them before the actual attempt.

The first session was Thursday evening. The weather was lousy and I had to spend some time drying the bike off when I got it to the track, so I did not get an opportunity to set up the Garmin to record my speed and cadence. My gear ratio was 48:14, which would require an average cadence of about 92 to get to 40 kph. I did about 25km during the session, and was very pleased with the bike set-up, although I did suffer numbness in my right hand due to the weight it was bearing. Hopefully this will not be an issue if using the aero bars.

The second session was Friday lunchtime. I stuck with the 48:14, as I feel reasonably comfortable with this gear ratio. During my 25m TTs my average cadence has been around 86-87, but it has been a bit higher in the 10m TTs – about 90-91. An extra cog on the front would reduce cadence by about 2 rpm, which I suspect is unlikely to make a major difference.

This time I had the Garmin working, and hence have some pretty decent data. Given the race on Wednesday and Thursday’s track session, I did not go full out. I pushed 3-4 hard 10 minute or so sessions. Although my overall average speed was only just over 34kph, there were longish sessions when I was averaging 39kph. Steady cycling is not so simple when there are a number of others on the track, but overall I was pleased with the session. Using the above formula I was averaging around 262w when hitting 39kph, which is about where I need to be when I have the aero bars, aero helmet and skinsuit to help me on my way. In addition, my heart rate hovered around 160-165, whereas on my 25m TT efforts were more in the 165-170 range, again suggesting I could have put a bit more effort in. The question is can I sustain this for the full hour .....

Beasty

So, having tee'd up the excuses in the earlier posts, today was the big day.

The gear:
Bike – Dolan Track Champion
Aero bars – 3T Mistral Pro
Helmet – Giro Advantage 2
Computer – Garmin 500
Skinsuit – Assos chronosuit
Overshoes – Assos lycra
Plus prescription “streamlined” cycling glasses

With all this stuff what could possibly go wrong?

Turned up at the velodrome at about 1.20pm. I had the track booked for my exclusive use from 2.00 until 4.00. The coach was already there so by the time I got changed I managed to get onto the track by 1.45. To start with I wanted to do a few laps to get used to the aero bars. This would also allow me to warm-up. I did 25 laps in just over 11 minutes. I was a bit nervous on the bars when going round the bends to start off with, but by the end of this session was reasonably comfortable, and able to keep to within 10cm or so of the black line for most of the lap.

My intention was to use the Garmin to track distance and speed. The coach offered to count the laps for me though, using the track lap counter. I set off, probably a bit too fast. For the first kilometre I was averaging 42.5kph. It was very difficult to see the Garmin, as it was mounted on the stem. The only way to have a proper look would be to sit up completely.

I continued at a relatively fast pace, still averaging just under 42kph over the first 4km. This is where I started to think my mind was playing games, as the lap counter seemed to be missing some of my laps. I couldn’t afford to sit up and keep checking the Garmin, but after I had counted 40 laps the counter was showing 36! My legs were suffering a bit, but not as much as my elbows, and in particular the left one which suffers a bit more force going round the bends on the aero bars. I decided to give it a rest, and sat up for a couple of laps (still trying to maintain 40kph). At what I thought was 44 laps the Garmin showed over 11km, suggesting my own guess as to how far I had gone was more accurate than the lap counter.

As the laps progressed I felt myself gradually slipping back on the pace. According to the Garmin I did 20.02km in exactly 30 minutes, but based on the lap counter I was nearer 18km. I was seriously doubting the calibration of the Garmin, and had quite a lot of discomfort in the arms, legs and in the saddle area. I was also feeling dehydrated – although I had taken fluids and gels before starting, there was no opportunity for topping up during the ride.

I considered dropping out, as I had guessed I was quite a bit behind target. However I thought I would keep going until 80 laps and take it from there. At 80 I targeted 100 and at 100 I targeted 120. By then the coach was counting down from 10 minutes. I pushed hard for the last 5 minutes, but was pretty certain I would be well off my 40km target. At 130 the lap counter stopped altogether, and that’s where it stuck when he blew the whistle at the end.

A measly 32.5km according to the counter, but I knew he had missed some laps, and I had not kept to the black line, so there would be some extra distance as a result of this. The coach admitted he had had been erratic when counting the laps, but thought it would be OK, as I was relying on the Garmin!!

I had given up on the Garmin, but when I looked down it showed 39.4km. I guessed I had probably done something over 38, but was not sure. I knew I had missed the 40km target though.

Once I had chance to get some fluid I decided to do some slow laps on the black line to calibrate the Garmin. I did 9 x 250m laps and it came to 2.25km – ie the Garmin was right all along!!! In the end I was only 550m (just over 2 laps) short – I may have pushed a bit harder in the middle if I’d known the Garmin was accurate, but I also lost a bit of time sitting up to give my arms a break.

Hence stats are:
Time 1hr
Speed – average 39.44kph, max 43.74kph
HR – average 165, max 173
Cadence – average 91, max 101

PowerAgent graph/data:

Beasty

Here are the pictures:



Blurred to give a sense of speed;):

Beasty

A commute, Wednesday's Swords League race, 3 track sessions and a bit of time in the hotel gym today added up to 228km for the week, at an average speed of 33.3kph, making the YTD total 6,668km (now over 2/3 of the way there:)) at 29.4kph. This puts me 448km ahead of target, with 3,332km to go.

It should quieten down a bit next week, with the main focus being Wednesday's final Swords League race (except for the Nags Head hill climb - might head off to Sundrive that night;)) on a new, almost completely fast, course. Given the speed of all the Groups last Wednesday, it will be interesting to see what they do with the handicaps, and how fast the race is. It's only due to be 33km in total, and I suspect the key will be trying to hang on when the faster groups catch us. I am hopeful given the lack of hills or even drags on the course, but who knows. Wednesday is likely to be my last road race of the year, although there is a vets 50mTT at the beginning of September I am thinking about:eek: (with a bit of luck "family commitments" will be back in play by then!)

I'll be heading off to Cornwall for a long weekend, so no cycling after Thursday, and I'll be eating into the headroom for my 10,000km target.

Beasty

I was originally planning to attempt this later in the year, but circumstances conspired to provide me with the opportunity to give this a go on Saturday (including Team GB very kindly giving up their normal Saturday afternoon training session!). With hindsight there are a number of things I could have done better, and given how close I managed to get to my 40km target, I think I will be back to give it another go (probably next year)

This was the hardest thing I have ever attempted on the bike. I have had more pain in my legs (in my first 25mTT), and I have felt my lungs more in other races. I have also put out more power. However the combination of pushing towards my power limits (certainly in such a low aero position), the pains in my legs and a combination of pain and numbness in my forearms and the saddle area, breathing hard and the psychological effects of thinking I was drifting well behind target was pretty unrelenting for the full hour.

When I turned up I did not even know if I was going to give it a serious go, because I had not been able to try the aero bars on that track. I now know I can use them, although I need to adjust them to get a more comfortable position. I reckon I must have lost quite a bit of time sitting up to give my arms a rest (probably sat up for 12-15 laps in total, costing me 100 to 150m or so). I was using S-bend bars, and had only given them a short go at Sundrive previously. I have used J-bend clip-ons on the road bike, and this type may be a better option for me, possibly helping reduce any forearm pressure. I also need to experiment with the angle of the bars.

I would certainly have been better off if I had practiced a bit longer – maybe 30 minutes rather than 11, also allowing me to get properly warmed up. I probably could have done with another half-bottle of lucozade sport inside me before the start also – the indoor track probably takes a lot more fluid out of you than when outdoors.

I think my gearing was probably about right. In fact, thinking back I cannot see many benefits from either increasing or reducing it. Putting on a higher gear would have cut down the cadence, but this is more likely to stress the leg muscles. Most hour records are set at a cadence of 100 or so, but this would be very unnatural for me. I would need to do 92 rpm or so to get to 40kph, and even this is a bit high for me over an hour. I do need to experiment though, and I think I will start by lowering the gear and upping the cadence a bit. A 47T front ring will increase the required cadence by about 2 to 94.

I also need to change the saddle – it had not been a problem previously, but was in no way suited to 1 hour of intense pressure – I think I’ll give my normal road bike saddle (which has been used in 25mTTs without major problem) a go at Sundrive.

My plan was to get ahead of target and try and stay there. However I think I pushed it too hard for the first 4-5km, which had me gasping for air a bit, and my legs and arms were already beginning to ache. I would probably have been better off starting at around 41kph and trying to hold it as long as possible. If I could have maintained this for the first 10k, then dropped to say 39.5kph for the next 20k, and picking it back up to 40kph for the last 10, this would be more typical of the relative efforts in my previous 25mTTs.

In terms of the bike, it seems fine for the job, but the main question, I guess, is whether I should consider investing in a rear disc wheel – it seems a bit extravagant, given it would probably only be used 4 or 5 times a year ....

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

My plan was to get ahead of target and try and stay there. However I think I pushed it too hard for the first 4-5km, which had me gasping for air a bit, and my legs and arms were already beginning to ache. I would probably have been better off starting at around 41kph and trying to hold it as long as possible.

Your plan failed. You need a new plan. Going hard early on makes no logical sense - the graph shows you going into the red, attempting to hold it there but failing and getting slower.

I would just move the Garmin up to where you can see it (duct tape FTW) then spend the first 15 mins steadily cranking it up to 40kph average (over that period). Then hold that until the final 10 minutes when you can push a little harder.

Or else forget the Garmin and get someone to count laps and time you properly. Maybe they could hold out red/amber/green cards for slower/steady/faster signals.

GlennaMaddy

Lumen wrote: »

Or else forget the Garmin and get someone to count laps and time you properly. Maybe they could hold out red/amber/green cards for slower/steady/faster signals.

Last thing you needed was to be dealing with the discrepancy between the garmin and the coach. Who knows what affect the doubt your in your mind had on your performance, my guess is it was significant.

Beasty

The Garmin will definitely be in view next time! I've found the data available a major benefit during the TTs I have done to date

I thought I was initially going at a pace I could sustain, perhaps for the first half, with an expectation of a bit of a dip in the third quarter allowing me to come back strong in the "home straight". I appreciate that in an ideal world power and speed would have been pretty constant throughout, but it is difficult to focus so intensely to maintain this (certainly for a novice like myself) for the full hour.

A combination of factors (and in particular the discomfort/pain I was in) meant I did not keep up the initial pace on this occasion. You can see I actually picked up pace after 11km - this was when I first sat up and could see the Garmin - clearly I was putting more effort in at that stage, both to raise the speed, and counteract the additional aerodynamic drag.

The discrepancy between Garmin and coach was definitely playing on my mind. If I had known I was still on target at half-way, I may have pushed a bit harder in the 3rd quarter. As it was, I was thinking more about jacking it in because I thought I was well behind target pace. Towards the end I pretty much ignored the lap counter, and picked up the pace a little during the last few km (although this has been a feature of my 25mTTs also - I do manage to pick it up when I feel the end is in sight).

Anyway, I think there were enough lessons learned for me to believe that with a few adjustments I can achieve the 40km:)

Beasty

Tonight was the final "proper" race of the season (I may do another TT or two) at the new "White House" course.

Race report here

Despite being dropped early on, and one or two negative comments from other riders, I quite liked the course. However I had ridden (and driven) it before, and probably knew better than most what to expect (and spent half the race riding on my own, which was much easier than in the Group!)

Stats:

Distance 32.8km
Time 56m 20s
Speed - average 35kph, max 47.1kph
Power - average 265w, pedalling 279w. normalised 278w, max 866w
HR - average 166, max 177
Cadence - average 88, pedalling 96

Average HR was a bit high compared to other races this season, and I did feel my legs a bit early in the race - I suspect I was not fully over the after-effects of Saturday's efforts

Power was at or pretty close to my best between about 30 mins and the race duration of 56 minutes, I just feel as if I used too much of it in the early part closing down gaps and pulling through to the front. It's something I need to work on for next year.

CP curve:

Beasty

Last night was my final road race of the season. I will probably do another couple of events, but they will be TTs or on the track.

When I started this log I had absolutely no intention of racing at all. Even when I joined the Swords Club in March it was with a view to doing some TTs and perhaps some track pursuits – I never imagined I would get into “proper” road racing. Anyway I decided to give it a go, and now find myself having done 14 races over the last 4 months or so.

So what have I achieved – in terms of points, not a great deal – largely just my 2 for turning up each week, although I did get 7th place and 4 points in a Vets DMS. Indeed for some reason I appear to have finished in 50th place (out of about 140) in the Vets midweek league, having only taken part in 4 of the 13 events.

I took part in 11 Swords and 3 Vets races, and completed 12 of them (no mechanicals though:)), although I was only in (or somewhere near) the “mix” in 5 of those, and was completely dropped in 6 races:o. I suspect I was a bit more cautious than many riders, and typically was dropped by not keeping close and fast enough through some of the corners (I remain nervous over the possibility of crashing, with my track record in this area and a history of back problems I suspect I will remain one of the more cautious ones – However I will work on this, and in particular the line I take through corners).

I can’t do a post of this nature without some stats;):

Total distance raced – 580.02km
Total time racing – 16h 54m 55s
Average speed – 34.3kph
Power – Average 250w, pedalling 272w, normalised 274w

I’ll definitely be back next year, hopefully a bit wiser, and with more focussed training in me. Having said that, I remain unconvinced that group racing is best for me. I will probably pick and choose my races next year, to allow me to focus on a few more TTs and get some track work in. I may shift emphasis towards some of the Vets races also, as I feel at somewhat of a disadvantage racing against guys that are usually 20-30 (in some cases more) years younger than me at Swords (and the vets courses are flatter, with fewer potholes:D)

For anyone who may be thinking about taking up racing, I know my posts here have been a bit long-winded, but I hope I have been able to get a flavour of my own experiences over, both here and in the race threads. If I can take up racing, anyone can. I would recommend you join your local club and give it a go - despite the pain, I can honestly say I have enjoyed every race, and have no regrets whatsoever. Swords is a great club, and I have been welcomed by everyone I have come across, both from within the club, and other cycling clubs and organisations.

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Total distance raced – 580.02km
Total time racing – 16h 54m 55s
Average speed – 34.3kph

Have enjoyed your posts Beasty (and the pleasure of your company :rolleyes:).

Thought this interest you......

http://www.cyclingarchives.com/ritfiche.php?ritid=12287

Bordeaux - Paris 1985
France
Date: 25-05-1985
Distance: 585 km
1st René Martens in 13h 19m 05s
2nd Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle at 04m 31s
3rd Guy Gallopin at 11m 25s

Paul Kimmage finished 9th that year.

Anquetil also won it once the day after winning the Dauphine Libre (flew by private jet to the start allegedly drinking champagne ...)

Tom Simpson won it once as well.

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

(flew by private jet to the start allegedly drinking champagne ...)

That's where I've gone wrong - I've flown in to races from Paris and Monte Carlo this season, but foolishly refused the offer of champagne on the flights ...

shotgunmcos

Hey Beasty,

Really interesting log you have going here. Man doing 130 laps of a velodrome track must have taken serious concentration. Agree with Lumen, you need constant reliable checkpoints of your progress. It must have felt harsh to be just 0.5km short of the 40 :eek: As for the pain, I did an hour all out on the turbo last night for the first (and last) time and my legs have never felt anything like it. Sadistic is a word I could use!

Hope you stay healthy and reach your 10,000k goal

Beasty

It was actually about 156 or 157 laps when the ones that were not counted are included

If you scan back through the thread (I know, it's painful) you will see my references to 3 hour and 100km non-stop sessions on the turbo...:D

Beasty

Only a short gym session on Monday, the Swords League on Wednesday and a commute on Thursday this week - total 110km, making YTD 6,778 at 29.4 kph

3,222km to go and 367km ahead of target

Another quiet week ahead as I won't be back from Cornwall until Tuesday evening - probably just the Swords Hill Climb on Wednesday and hopefully a couple of commutes, meaning I'll eat further into the headroom.

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Another quiet week ahead as I won't be back from Cornwall until Tuesday evening - probably just the Swords Hill Climb on Wednesday and hopefully a couple of commutes, meaning I'll eat further into the headroom.

Must try to co-ordinate some Tuesday commutes back...

If you can get out Sat am would fancy some extra miles at the end, would help you get some credit in the bank :rolleyes:

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

Must try to co-ordinate some Tuesday commutes back...

If you can get out Sat am would fancy some extra miles at the end, would help you get some credit in the bank :rolleyes:

Where are you coming from on Tuesday's Rob? Now the League is drawing to a close, I'll be aiming at commuting as often as I can (Champions League permitting - not an issue for you this season, I know Rob)

In terms of Saturdays, I will be bringing the "family committments" back from Cornwall on Tuesday, and they tend to tie up Saturdays, as I'm driving them round to various events. I'll try and get on the Swords spins when I can, but have to pick and choose my times, particularly as I'd like to do the vets 50mTT in a couple of weeks, and the IVCA track championships a couple of weeks later. It tends to be mainly school hols when I can get out on a weekend (except for dark and icy winter evenings:rolleyes:).

shotgunmcos

Beasty wrote: »

It was actually about 156 or 157 laps when the ones that were not counted are included

If you scan back through the thread (I know, it's painful) you will see my references to 3 hour and 100km non-stop sessions on the turbo...:D

Ah yes, did one of those earlier this year myself and while not as painful as the hour TT, it certainly bored me so much I lost the will to exist

Beasty

Final Swords League race of the season tonight - report here

In terms of the stats -
Distance 3.6km
Time - 9m 14s
Speed - 23.3kph average, 45.3kph max
Power - 316w average, 321w pedalling, 317w normalised, 742w max
Work - 174kj
HR - 173 average, 186 max
Cadence - 86 average, 88 pedalling, 111 max

CP Curve:


I've not been on a bike since last Thursday, and spent all yesterday driving back from Cornwall, so I wasn't expecting anything spectacular and wasn't therefore disappointed!

I experimented with a 16-27 cassette - I may have lost a bit of speed on the flat and the short bit of downhill, but it gave me plenty of options on the uphill. I felt I was spinning a bit too much up the final slope, and should probably have gone a gear higher. The gradient for the last 100m was just under 13%, and my cadence was by then 100. However I was pushing out nearly 630w, and had an average speed of 19.7kph - I'm not sure I could have gone much faster, particularly as I was by then equalling the maximum HR I have ever recorded.

Anyway, that's the end of the Swords League for this season - 14 races plus another 2 marshalled amounted to 32 (16 x 2) points - next year I plan to get an extra point somewhere along the line ...

Lumen

Where did you get a 16-27 cassette from?

edit: I see bike24 have them

Beasty

I actually got it from Wiggle, but they are out of stock at present. It's only ever going to get used in hill climbs, and I will probably only do a couple of those a year, so if you ever want to borrow it let me know

Beasty

I set a new record for the commute this morning, smashing 2 seconds off my previous best set on 6 May. This was my first ever sub-39 minute commute at 38m 58s, for an average speed of just over 34.4kph. Wind speed was a legal 16kph northerly, so this qualifies for entry in Beasty’s World Book of Records.

I set off knowing a record was on, but having re-set the Garmin before last night’s hill climb, I only had the power data to go on. I did not know my time until I pressed the stop button at the office car park entrance.

This proves the new boards jersey does make you faster ...

Beasty

As anticipated, just the Swords Hill Climb and a couple of commutes this week. Total distance 121.5km at 29.7kph and 218w

Total YTD now stands at 6,894km at 29.4kph, with 3,106km to go.

Next week, if we manage to get the Boards 10m TT off the ground, I'll be aiming at trying out the new TT bike (Mr Skeff's old one), and if all goes well, hopefully it will be given another outing at the vets 50m TT:eek: on Sunday - it will be my first 50m TT, based on the shorter ones I have done, I should target somewhere around my age standard, which is just under 2h 17m. However I have done very few rides of this distance all year, and suspect I will be struggling by the end - I would guess my time will be nearer 2h 30m (and probably the wrong side of that!).

I should get a few commutes in also, so hopefully will regain some of the advantage over YTD target I have lost over the past couple of weeks

Planet X

I did it two years ago and was destroyed at the end of it. The pain in my right foot was exquisite. Lasted a good ten minutes after. Neck and shoulders were terrible for the last half hour or so. Pain pain pain.
Two hours plus in that position............lol. It's a ripper!


Apart from that, a piece of cake. Good luck. I'm off the bike till November.

RobFowl

I last did a 50mile TT as part of a duathlon 1n 1992.
2:16 on a rolling course :cool:. (fastest on the day was 2;08 by a guy on a relay team)
Shame about the fact that I went from 8th to 100th on the final run though
As painful an experience as I've ever had on the bike.
Enjoy......

Beasty

Thanks guys - I feel those family commitments coming back;)

I'm certainly not going to be winning this one as I will be riding off scratch (which could well be sub 2hr:eek:)

However if I set a time this year, that becomes my handicap for next year - maybe I should be aiming at 3 hours or so;)

I would like to see what I can do with the TT bike - won't have any special wheels (in fact I'll have the PowerTap on the back) - but if I can set a reasonable time, I'll maybe look for some aero wheels for next year

Beasty

Stats from tonight's TT:

Time 24m 49s,
speed - average 38.9kph, max 49.1kph
power - 275w average, 276w pedalling, 280w normalised, 533w max
HR - 167 average, 175 max
cadence - 94 average, 95 pedalling, 119 maximum

This was my 4th 10m TT, and I've managed to improve my time on each occasion.

The first one was in the Swords League - a hilly course, and it was quite windy - my time was 27m 8s at normalised power of 297w, and I had the benefit of TT bars.

The second was a flat Vets TT, slightly windy, at Moy Valley/Enfiled - this time I had an aero helmet and skinsuit, contributing to a time of 25m 39s at normalised power of 290w

The third was another vets TT, on the same course we used tonight. It was slightly windier than tonight, and I set a time of 25m 6s, at normalised power of 291w

Tonight I had the benefit of a proper TT bike for the first time. However I had not had time to try it out beforehand, and so the set-up was not ideal - I need to look at the saddle set-up in particular. Power was slightly down on previous attempts, but I was taking a bit more care as I was trying to get used to the bike, and in partiular the bar-end gears (which on a few occasions I switched in the wrong direction!) Cadence was much higher than in my other TTs, which, I think, reflects the easier gear-changing

Just need the wheels now...

shaungil

how many bikes do you have now? a new track and TT bike this season.....

ROK ON

Beasty.
Nice bike and well wear. The wheels look very wrong on it. You NEED new wheels.

Raam

ROK ON wrote: »

Beasty.
Nice bike and well wear. The wheels look very wrong on it. You NEED new wheels.

Get something understated...


No one will notice those wheels :rolleyes:

Beasty

ROK ON wrote: »

Beasty.
Nice bike and well wear. The wheels look very wrong on it. You NEED new wheels.

Don't I know it!! - It's part of the winter upgrade plan, but it's not simply a matter of wheels, I need something that can measure the effort I'm putting in to turning them;)

ROK ON

Beasty wrote: »

Don't I know it!! - It's part of the winter upgrade plan, but it's not simply a matter of wheels, I need something that can measure the effort I'm putting in to turning them;)

A private 25 mile road for your own TT sessions. You know it makes sense.

Beasty

ROK ON wrote: »

A private 25 mile road for your own TT sessions. You know it makes sense.

Now that's a bit excessive, when I can simply hire the Team GB training facility, throw them all off the track, and have it to myself for a couple of hours!

(still couldn't dip under the hour though:()

RobFowl

Ireland needs a velodrome any way.

Why not build your own and then rent it out the odd time to Cycling Ireland?

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

Ireland needs a velodrome any way.

Why not build your own and then rent it out the odd time to Cycling Ireland?

But it will take up a lot of the garden - where would the kids play (I wouldn't want them spoiling my shiny track)?

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

But it will take up a lot of the garden - where would the kids play (I wouldn't want them spoiling my shiny track)?

Teach them how to play chicken with the traffic out front

Beasty

shaungil wrote: »

how many bikes do you have now? a new track and TT bike this season.....

2 Road bikes – Cayo (for racing) and Scott CR1 Pro (which I’ve converted from a triple to compact, and will be used mainly for sportives and the like)
2 hybrids – a Trek 7.6 which will probably see out the rest of its days on the turbo (it must be nearly 3 years old now;)) and a mid 1990s Dawes, which is only used to pull the kids around on the trailer bike
2 fixies – the Dolan for the track, and the Bianchi which I need to start using on the odd commute
Plus Skeff’s old TT bike

You know me – It's always worth having a spare just in case, and your question highlights a deficiency in the stable – I need to start thinking about a spare TT bike – perhaps one for the track!

tbh I was originally looking to get a TT bike next year, but Skeff’s old one was too good an opportunity to miss.

I should probably try and post a picture of them all at some time (when I get the new wheels!)

Speaking of wheels, I do have quite a lot of them – at least 21 at the last count ....

shaungil

Pah no recumbent or a sniff of a mountain bike (now that Ardgillen is cycle friendly)

Also you'll need a bmx to use the half pipe we're going to put in the middle of the track in your garden.

Beasty

Someone from around these parts has been suggesting doing cyclocross also ...