The Official DMF Bicycle Thread

[desmopr]

Need some training advice guys.  After getting a stress fracture on my right shin from running I've found myself on top of my bike a lot.  I'm planning on doing the 50 miler at the Centurion race in Wisconsin.  I'm currently riding around 50-60 miles weekly.  Just want to finish, not looking for competitiveness here.  Thanks....

[cokey]

About 7 of us from work are going on a 20m ride in a few min.. started rding everyday to work.. 8m n change round trip..  6 days a week.. gonna be tired tomorrow

[Randimus Maximus]

Need some training advice guys.  After getting a stress fracture on my right shin from running I've found myself on top of my bike a lot.  I'm planning on doing the 50 miler at the Centurion race in Wisconsin.  I'm currently riding around 50-60 miles weekly.  Just want to finish, not looking for competitiveness here.  Thanks....

Here's a training plan that I saw in the most recent issue of Bicycling:

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/your-training-plans

This is geared towards a century, so you'll just need to cut the distances down a bit.

I looked at the route map for Centurion Wisconson, and there's a fair amount of elevation gain on that course (2,750ft over the 50 miles).  It looks like there are a number of smaller climbs (300-400ft each) along the course.

You'll want to include some interval climbling training in your regimen for sure.

[fastwin]

+1  Train on the hills and the flats are easy.

[Stella]

I can has Yeti?   
I can has yeti with aluminum chainstays instead of carbon?

Wheeeeee............

[cokey]

Free seat from a friend..

Next I'm picking up cf full fork, seat post, handle bars and head stem.. gotta make this thing lighter..  still haven't decided on wheeles..  alum ones I have are kind of light, I forget the weight..  but with road conditions here, not sure..  like the nashbar rd1 20 spoke..   

[desmopr]

Here's a training plan that I saw in the most recent issue of Bicycling:

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/your-training-plans

This is geared towards a century, so you'll just need to cut the distances down a bit.

I looked at the route map for Centurion Wisconson, and there's a fair amount of elevation gain on that course (2,750ft over the 50 miles).  It looks like there are a number of smaller climbs (300-400ft each) along the course.

You'll want to include some interval climbling training in your regimen for sure.

Thanks RM!  Yeah, it's hilly...I've rode through the Cross Plains area of the ride.  Thanks again for the information...

[triangleforge]

Free seat from a friend..

Next I'm picking up cf full fork, seat post, handle bars and head stem.. gotta make this thing lighter..  still haven't decided on wheeles..  alum ones I have are kind of light, I forget the weight..  but with road conditions here, not sure..  like the nashbar rd1 20 spoke..   

The fork swap alone probably won't save you much weight, but going threadless should (?) lighten things up a tad bit, and will definitely make the front end easier to work on. You'll need to add a threadless headset to your shopping list.

As for wheels, there's no good reason to go with anything but aluminum alloy something, unless you're looking to replicate the $59 Department Store bike look. I'll state my bias up front -- I've never been a fan of super-low spoke count wheels (unless you're talking extremely expensive, carbon fiber, race-only wheelsets, and you're not) for training or everyday riding. If it's affordable and has fewer than 28 spokes in the front & 32 in the rear, it's going to be boat-anchor heavy or extremely fragile, and quite possibly both. Yeah, they look cool.  Just to be a snot, I used to build my race wheels on 36-spoke tubular rims (anyone else remember Fiamme Ergals and Mavic GEL 280s? I think I've still got a few relatively straight ones stashed here & there) that were built with very light components. Light, strong, reasonably priced, and fairly easy to repair.

The Nashbar 20/28 spoke ones you're looking at have a claimed weight of around 1600 grams (typically, actual weights are a smidge higher), which is lighter than I expected, but  I'd wager they carry a lot of that weight out at the rim where you'll feel it most. They're probably not significantly lighter, if at all, than the wheels you've got now.

[cokey]

Thanks for the heads up.. yea I def need something strong..  ill try n weigh the ones I have.. they are alum alloy.. I've bent them a lot of times in the last 10 years..  any suggestions for them?  Change hub etc..?   The back end is significantly heavier.. guessing the gear set has some say in that..

[triangleforge]

If the hubs are high quality & in good shape, it might be worth rebuilding the wheelset -- new rims, spokes & nipples and some cash for the local bike shop that has a good wheelbuilder.

But looking again at the Nashbar wheels you mentioned, I'm inclined to eat my words just a little -- for $150, that's not a bad wheelset. They're not going to be as durable, repairable & light as a retro-grouch like me might like, but you'd probably get a bunch of good miles out of them. Does your current bike have Shimano indexed shifting, at least 8 speed cassette in the back? If so, your current cassette should swap straight over. With most new wheels you'll need new rim strips as well, to cover the spoke holes inside.

[cokey]

Rim strips they have..  cassette has 7..  the front rd1 was only 29$ after the discount.. ill dou le check the cassette n take pics of the wheels when I get back to base..

[Fresh Pants]

I can has Yeti?   
I can has yeti with aluminum chainstays instead of carbon?

Wheeeeee............

Not quite here Yet(i)?

[Stella]

No pictures yet(i).   

Well, on zee zell fone I can has fotos.

Tonight, I can has pictures of zee yeti on zee dmf.

[cokey]

Yup 7 gear cassette.  Also just realized, front and back wheel are different makes..  its been so long I had forgotten I changed the front after a crash.  The bike is a Royce union under the nyc messenger tape.

[Stella]

From one beauty in its own right, to another.