Fast or Slow over lumpy tarmac?

Unregistered.

I have recently changed my bicycle from a front suspension Raleigh with MTB tires to a Trek Hybrid with 32c's.

Was just wondering what the general consensus was about cycling over patches of road that which is very rough? The type that appears the tarmac was mixed with big stones resulting in it being noticeably bumpy under road tires, but grand with the wider ones. Feels like I'm going over a washboard sometimes
Any thoughts?

Lumen

Fast is never wrong.

Unregistered.

Lumen wrote: »

Fast is never wrong.

Interesting.

CianRyan

It's going to be bumpy with smaller tyres, best is to just get use to it and stay fast.

Unregistered.

I'm not talking about the odd bump or comfort. I'm talking about the really rough washboard stuff. Any need to be careful to avoid damage to tires or rims?







Not sure if this picture captures what Im talking about. If anyone has cycled on the main road passed phibsboro shopping centre, that's what Im talking about.

niceonetom

You should be aiming to hit the rough stuff at ~50kph, soft hands on the bars and elbows bent, big gear to minimise chain bounce.

About 1 minute in is a good demonstration:
http://www.wat.tv/video/paris-roubaix-2010-passage-2fbgj_2f1o9_.html

smacl

32c tires is still pretty wide, most of the roadies ride on 23c or 25c. I'm also on a hybrid, also 32c tires, and haven't ever got any tire damage through riding through rough roads quickly. Arse damage is something else again mind you, so I'd tend to put more weight on the pedals, elbows bent, and little to no weight on the saddle over rougher sections. I also wear padded shorts, as do most, and wimped out recently and got a sprung Brooks saddle. Only reason I'd slow down on rougher sections is if I felt I wasn't fully in control of the bike, or the pot holes were turning what should be a straight run into a slalom. Or most likely of all, I'm just plain knackered.

I also find keeping more weight on the pedals on rougher ground reduces the risk of inadvertently unclipping when you hit a bump, but then I tend to keep my cleat tension very loose, so this may not pose a problem for most people.

daragh_

There is a section of road between Rathnew and Newcastle that has that really rough Tarmac which goes straight through your bike and into your spine. I find it really difficult to get up any kind of speed on it at all. It's like it just sucks the energy out of my wheels.

Myself and Gasco where struggling along on it last Sunday, feeling very proud to be maintaining a 27kph average, when we were overtaken at a much higher speed by a few guys from Bray Wheelers. Didn't seem to slow them down in the slightest.

Idleater

Lumen wrote: »

Fast is never wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QSpuhIQg1A