Tag Archives: bikes

2014-07-23 CCC IBC

Posted by xaminmo

Today was the day for flats. Some before, some during, some after.
Hot and humid, but the sun was blocked.
We missed the rain though.

http://app.strava.com/activities/170127007
24.7mi
Distance
1:27:58
Moving Time
633ft
Elevation (?)
46
Suffer Score
218W
Weighted Avg Power
1,069kJ
Total Work
115
Training Load
84%
Intensity
Show Less

I think my HR zones are off… Compare them to my power zones, which seem more accurate based on fee.

Heart Rate Analysis

Z1 Endurance < 106 2:43 3% Z2 Moderate 106 - 141 1:01:05 69% Z3 Tempo 141 - 158 20:51 24% Z4 Threshold 158 - 175 3:19 4% Z5 Anaerobic > 175 0s 0%

Power Zone Distribution

Z1 Active Recovery 1 – 142 W 24:56 28%
Z2 Endurance 143 – 194 W 16:52 19%
Z3 Tempo 195 – 233 W 13:04 15%
Z4 Threshold 234 – 271 W 11:19 13%
Z5 VO2Max 272 – 310 W 7:25 8%
Z6 Anaerobic 311 – 388 W 6:59 8%
Z7 Neuromuscular 389+ W 7:11 8%

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/548240591
Summary
Distance: 24.67 mi
Time: 1:27:21
Avg Speed: 16.9 mph
Elevation Gain: 633 ft
Calories: 1,161 C
Avg Temperature: 96.5 °F
Details
Timing
Time: 1:27:21
Moving Time: 1:26:51
Elapsed Time: 1:59:06
Avg Speed: 16.9 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 17.0 mph
Max Speed: 28.7 mph
SpeedPace
Elevation
Elevation Gain: 633 ft
Elevation Loss: 656 ft
Min Elevation: 466 ft
Max Elevation: 609 ft
Heart Rate
Avg HR: 133 bpm
Max HR: 168 bpm
Zones% of Maxbpm
Power
Avg Power: 205 W
Max Power: 869 W
Max Avg Power (20 min): 218 W
Normalized Power (NP): 244 W
Intensity Factor (IF): 0.942
Training Stress Score (TSS): 128.0
FTP Setting: 259 W
Work: 1,072 kJ
ZonesWatts
Cadence
Avg Bike Cadence: 81 rpm
Max Bike Cadence: 106 rpm
Temperature
Avg Temperature: 96.5 °F
Min Temperature: 93.2 °F
Max Temperature: 100.4 °F

Weather
95°
Feels like 100°
5 mph NE wind
Humidity 42%


AVERAGE SPEED

Posted by xaminmo

Bicycling average speed is an important thing to know when joining groups. If you can’t keep up with a group speed, then you may feel embarrassed, the group may feel resentful, and you might get dropped in the middle of nowhere.

Rough estimates are:
* Average speed is about 80% of your flat&level speed.
* Add 15% for group speed vs solo speed.
* Subtract 10% for each consecutive hour of riding.
* Subtract 50% or more for uphill speed.
* Add 100% or more for downhill speed.

The easiest way to figure all of this out is to use a GPS device, a calibrated speed computer, or a smartphone app to figure your average speed for a route.


Rolling Resistance is more than just tires

Posted by xaminmo

If you haven’t re-centered and/or adjusted your bike’s brakes lately, now is the time. I found my pads were dragging a little.

Basically, if you clamp the brakes, release, and the wheel won’t spin freely without stopping for 20+ seconds, then it needs to be fixed.

Cantilevers have tension screws at each post to re-center them. There’s a barrel adjuster for gap.

Calipers just unscrew the center screw half way, clamp the brake lever, and tighten the screw before letting go. Magic, I know. They also have a barrel adjuster for gap, but there’s also a cam on the side (for wheel removal).

If your pads touch the rubber, or are not in the same place on the rim at both tips of the pad, then that needs adjusting too.

If your brakes are not dragging, and the wheel still doesn’t spin for a long time (on the bike), then your bearings are gunked up. If it’s a cheap wheel, replace it, or have fun taking it apart. If it’s an expensive wheel, then have it serviced at your local bike shop.

Speaking of expensive wheels, I got some EA70 road wheels.. I know, in the grand scheme of biking, these are still cheap, but they are a massive upgrade for me. In reading up on maintenance, I found that wheel truing is different for these. Easton tightens all of the drive-side spokes to maximum, yet even tension. THEN, they tighten up the non-drive-side spokes to obtain the proper dish.

If you need to do anything to the drive-side spokes, you have to de-tension the entire wheel first, do your thing, and then re-tension it the same way they do. If you don’t, you’ll break the spoke nipples due to them being at a higher tension than you can actually set by hand. Also, Easton says, at least for their wheels, even tension is more important than 1-3 thousandths wobble.

Also, they have no weight limit for their wheels (stated clearly on their website) and they have a 2 year warranty against defects. If you hit a pot-hole and dent/bend/break the rim, tough patooties. But if you ride over a little crack and the wheel breaks or tacos because you’re too heavy, they will take care of it (through your LBS or through them, but not for ebay or random-internet sellers).