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Thread: Today's Bike Ride

  1. #7861
    Senior Member Marco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noel View Post
    Presumably I'd need to do this without Mrs Noel knowing about, otherwise she'd realise she was being manipulated into pedaling faster.
    The affordable option I mentioned was to increase the length of your cranks; this would move your cadence 'sweet spot' downwards a few revs, and give you slightly more torque. Best of all, you wouldn't have to tell Mrs Noel and she wouldn't notice anything different

  2. #7862
    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    Women always find out the truth in the end, according to Indiana Jones.

  3. #7863
    Member SCOOT's Avatar
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    Maiden ride on the tandem went well. 35 miles with a variety of hills and flat. the route was a familiar one and was covered in more or less the same time as on our own bikes. The tuition from the shop sunk in and we managed without any issues.
    The most important thing to remember is to change down to the smaller front chainring before it is absolutely necessary otherwise you loose too much speed when you start to go uphill and it will be too late. Also the one on the front ( captain) can't see the gears
    The one we test rode had a triple chainring which was too much of a faff so ours has a 2 X 11 set up with a compact 50/34 on the front and 11/43 on the rear which gives a very wide spread of options.
    The bike also has 3 brakes. A disc front and rear and a v brake on the rear rim although we were told to only use that one as a parking brake or if the discs got too hot and faded on a long decent.
    So it all looks promising for riding up and down the French cols this summer.

    Apparently the Captain (me) has to issue the instructions to the Stoker (Kate) That was what we were told so fingers crossed on that one.
    Last edited by SCOOT; 28-03-2022 at 09:08 PM.
    One step beyond.

  4. #7864
    Senior Member Marco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SCOOT View Post
    Maiden ride on the tandem went well. 35 miles with a variety of hills and flat. the route was a familiar one and was covered in more or less the same time as on our own bikes. The tuition from the shop sunk in and we managed without any issues.
    The most important thing to remember is to change down to the smaller front chainring before it is absolutely necessary otherwise you loose too much speed when you start to go uphill and it will be too late. Also the one on the front ( captain) can't see the gears
    The one we test rode had a triple chainring which was too much of a faff so ours has a 2 X 11 set up with a compact 50/34 on the front and 11/43 on the rear which gives a very wide spread of options.
    The bike also has 3 brakes. A disc front and rear and a v brake on the rear rim although we were told to only use that one as a parking brake or if the discs got too hot and faded on a long decent.
    So it all looks promising for riding up and down the French cols this summer.

    Apparently the Captain (me) has to issue the instructions to the Stoker (Kate) That was what we were told so fingers crossed on that one.
    Glad to hear your 35 miles ride went well.

    I think you've made the right choice going for 2 x 11 rather than a triple, as I've never liked them. More trouble, more weight, and you end up with the pedals a long way apart for the stoker.

    Totally agree with what you said about changing to the smaller chainring early. Where I live it's pretty flat, with the occasional short hill, so you can ride up them in either chainring depending on how fit you are, how large your rear sprockets are, and how big a chain angle you are happy to pedal with.

    I mention this, as I was talking to a neighbour on Sunday who was just cleaning his carbon fibre Specialised bike with lower to mid-range Shimano kit (2 x 9). He's had it 5 years, from new, and only rides it occasionally. He went on to say, however, that he has broken two new chains on it. I couldn't understand this, as I've only broken one chain in 40+ years and it was my fault; I put the chain on the wrong way around (there's a directional element to fitting modern thin chains). On further discussion I discovered he tended to use the big chainring with the biggest sprocket - some bike shops will say this is ok, but then they'll be replacing the chain at regular intervals. The reality is, this is not ok and is a real chain destroyer.

    Lovely range of gears, should be great for riding up French cols. No idea what the top speed going downhill will be, but you'll know doubt hear from behind - well in advance

  5. #7865
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Glad to hear your 35 miles ride went well.

    I think you've made the right choice going for 2 x 11 rather than a triple, as I've never liked them. More trouble, more weight, and you end up with the pedals a long way apart for the stoker.

    Totally agree with what you said about changing to the smaller chainring early. Where I live it's pretty flat, with the occasional short hill, so you can ride up them in either chainring depending on how fit you are, how large your rear sprockets are, and how big a chain angle you are happy to pedal with.

    I mention this, as I was talking to a neighbour on Sunday who was just cleaning his carbon fibre Specialised bike with lower to mid-range Shimano kit (2 x 9). He's had it 5 years, from new, and only rides it occasionally. He went on to say, however, that he has broken two new chains on it. I couldn't understand this, as I've only broken one chain in 40+ years and it was my fault; I put the chain on the wrong way around (there's a directional element to fitting modern thin chains). On further discussion I discovered he tended to use the big chainring with the biggest sprocket - some bike shops will say this is ok, but then they'll be replacing the chain at regular intervals. The reality is, this is not ok and is a real chain destroyer.

    Lovely range of gears, should be great for riding up French cols. No idea what the top speed going downhill will be, but you'll know doubt hear from behind - well in advance
    Today whilst going up a gradient of approx 12% quite comfortably in 3rd, I popped it into 1st to see what it was like. Our legs were spinning like a washing machine and we were just moving fast enough to stop us from keeling over but it's good to know that it's there. At the other end of the scale 23mph can be sustained for a lot longer on the flat with an extra pair of legs.
    I'll pay a lot of attention to the chains. The shop supplied a spare split link just incase, which makes me think that they will be more vunerable.
    One step beyond.

  6. #7866
    Senior Member Marco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SCOOT View Post
    Today whilst going up a gradient of approx 12% quite comfortably in 3rd, I popped it into 1st to see what it was like. Our legs were spinning like a washing machine and we were just moving fast enough to stop us from keeling over but it's good to know that it's there. At the other end of the scale 23mph can be sustained for a lot longer on the flat with an extra pair of legs.
    I'll pay a lot of attention to the chains. The shop supplied a spare split link just incase, which makes me think that they will be more vunerable.
    It's always nice to know that you've still got another gear left, and it can be very useful. The greatest amount of torque I have ever applied on a bike wasn't pedalling up Alpe d'Huez or Hardknott pass. It was on the flat stretch at the very summit of the Col du Mont-Cenis in stormy weather when I was hit, head on, by a constant 50mph wind. Bottom gear, standing on the pedals and going less than 1mph for about 20 metres.

    In the list of 'stuff you should take on every ride', the spare split link has been added in recent years. I think this is because the modern, very thin, chains have the rivets flush to the plates rather than overlapping by nearly 1mm. When flexed sideways, in a diagonal chain path, with torque applied the risk is that the plate will 'ping' off the rivet.

    On a 2 x 11 setup I wouldn't recommend using the two extreme gears for both the large and small chainrings. I appreciate that from the front position you can't see this, so the 'change early' to the small chainring approach is especially important. I have noted that there are special chains for e-bikes; I don't know if they are any stronger, or if they would be suitable for a tandem.

  7. #7867
    The weather forecast was for rain and bitingly cold winds but knowing that could not possibly deter a fell runner off I set.

    After 16 miles of rain and bitingly cold winds I remembered that I am retired and had no need to ride in etc... so I turned for home. Still, I am now over 600 miles for this year.

    Anyway it was Dwars Door Vlaanderen today and I have Eurosport - so why ride when you can watch?

    It was a great race and I will not reveal... other than to say that when Tom Pidcock was wondering why on his 53 he could not catch Victor Campenaerts going downhill he was told that VC was riding a 58.

    "That's the reason then!" said local-lad Tom.

    Although he didn't clarify if he could actually push a 58!
    Last edited by Graham Breeze; 30-03-2022 at 04:41 PM.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  8. #7868
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    I may have mentioned this before... but has anyone done the Dun Fell Road from the Eden Valley up onto the top of the Cross Fell Range....? Seems to have a reputation on the internet as one of the toughest in England.

    It's approx 5 miles and 2000-something feet once turning off the road linking the villages together. Road to nowhere (except a radar station) and a popular haunt of cyclists.

    It's actually been a favoured training run of mine, a good hard 10 mile race up and down where you can just get head down and go at it without worry (except for cyclists coming down at 50mph!)

    Have had some good races up against cyclists, they murder me up the lower section, but when it really pulls up in the 2nd half i have the upper hand.... i haven't beaten many cyclists down though!

  9. #7869
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    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    I may have mentioned this before... but has anyone done the Dun Fell Road from the Eden Valley up onto the top of the Cross Fell Range....? Seems to have a reputation on the internet as one of the toughest in England.

    It's approx 5 miles and 2000-something feet once turning off the road linking the villages together. Road to nowhere (except a radar station) and a popular haunt of cyclists.

    It's actually been a favoured training run of mine, a good hard 10 mile race up and down where you can just get head down and go at it without worry (except for cyclists coming down at 50mph!)

    Have had some good races up against cyclists, they murder me up the lower section, but when it really pulls up in the 2nd half i have the upper hand.... i haven't beaten many cyclists down though!
    Alston lad Laurie Lambeth "Everested" that road a while back which was 15 laps and 140 miles. A tough day out.
    I suppose it saves you from going up Hardnott Pass 30 times to get the same result.
    One step beyond.

  10. #7870
    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    I may have mentioned this before... but has anyone done the Dun Fell Road from the Eden Valley up onto the top of the Cross Fell Range....? Seems to have a reputation on the internet as one of the toughest in England.

    It's approx 5 miles and 2000-something feet once turning off the road linking the villages together. Road to nowhere (except a radar station) and a popular haunt of cyclists.

    It's actually been a favoured training run of mine, a good hard 10 mile race up and down where you can just get head down and go at it without worry (except for cyclists coming down at 50mph!)

    Have had some good races up against cyclists, they murder me up the lower section, but when it really pulls up in the 2nd half i have the upper hand.... i haven't beaten many cyclists down though!

    I may have said before...but I won a race (against other runners) up L'Alpe d'Huez which was organised for tourists. On the flattish section leaving Bourg d'Oisans every cyclist shot away and they were all out of sight by the first turn but slowly as I kept grinding away at a steady pace to my surprise I started to overtake (some of) them, one by one.

    I went back down by car.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

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