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Greg2015

Cruising
Mar 8, 2015
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I waited with patience and finally got back out today to test the new fit.

I didn't want to overdo it like last time so I just went out for an hour to see how things felt. I took it somewhat easy, hoping the knee would hold. I ended up doing 40 km. I was spinning at around 90. I actually felt really good on the new set up and had no noticeable knee pain. I plan on tweaking a few things.

I guess the plan will be to up it 25 km each time I go out until I can finally ride the 120. I'm also going to be trying for a gradual increase to race speed, which will be 50-55 km/h for me with a faster spin.

I have a few questions about this last ride.

Are the cleats suppose to give you a little wiggle left and right? I had to position my cleats facing outward a bit due to how my feet set. What I noticed was that my back heel would hit the ultegra circle, near the chain, at times. I never had that before when I set my cleats straight forward. So I'm wondering if your cleats should lock you in absolutely without wiggle.

I'm also wondering about the Assos gel that I bought. I have a set of pearl izumi's and a pair of under armour boxerjacks that are like tight briefs. I put the gel on, then the boxerjacks, then the pearl izumi's. Should I just skip on the boxerjacks? I was worried about the gel messing up the pearl izumi's.
 
Depends on the cleats but a lot have a degree of "float". You can get zero float if that's your bag.

50-55kph?

No jack the boxers. Undercarriage armour? You planning on abusing you downstairs that much.

Glad the fit is working out and the pain is gone.
 
I guess the plan will be to up it 25 km each time I go out until I can finally ride the 120. I'm also going to be trying for a gradual increase to race speed, which will be 50-55 km/h for me with a faster spin.

I have a few questions about this last ride.

Are the cleats suppose to give you a little wiggle left and right? I had to position my cleats facing outward a bit due to how my feet set. What I noticed was that my back heel would hit the ultegra circle, near the chain, at times. I never had that before when I set my cleats straight forward. So I'm wondering if your cleats should lock you in absolutely without wiggle.
.

What cleats and pedals?

Glad you are feeling no pain in the knee. BUT you want to up distance and intensity at the same time? I would up the distance a bit less each time, depending on frequency, and then work on fart legs to up your aerobic capacity and your legs ability to speed flat out. You don't need to cycle 120kms in training to have a good result but if you want to be at the pointy end of the race you'll definitely need to balance your intensity with distance, what are your goals for the race? . Others will chime in but take it easy on that knee for a bit longer.
 
Cleats - yes, they have wiggle room (known as 'float') for the most part. You should try to set them so there's no heel rub on the crank arms, but it's not always possible if you have an Ian Brown Manc stance.

Assos chamois cream -> balls/crack. Don't wear undercrackers with cycling shorts, unless you're using cycling shorts without any pad. If that's the case, get some proper cycling shorts with a pad. Your nether region will thank you.

Interesting speed goal.
 
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Thanks guys.

I will definitely ditch the under armour and stick with just the pearl izumi's... Hopefully the Assos cream won't ruin the pad over time...

I'm using DHB triathlon shoes with Shimano 105 cleats. The cleats are yellow. I don't really know much about float. I may adjust them slightly to keep the heel from hitting the arm.

When I got into triathlons I had to split up my time and didn't learn much about cycling. The reason for this upcoming 120 km race is definitely to get a good grasp on cycling, everything from fit to repairing/adjusting my bike... I would say my
knowledge as of now, is maybe 50%. I'd like to learn a lot more. This group has been great for me, so I appreciate all of the advice.

When I was racing in the triathlons, I was pretty comfortable at 50-55 km/h, I have a heart rate monitor to make sure I'm not going to blow up my heart for my age.

My first goal for the race is to just finish. It will be my first long distance race.
That's usually never enough for me though, subconsciously, I want to do my absolute best.

So I guess I'm thinking I will push for an average of 50-55 km/h. It also depends on the turns/hills and not getting lost. I'm actually going to email the coordinator an see if I can get the gps route for my garmin.

George5, you are probably right on my training. Not going up so fast so soon. That could be my downfall if i were to run into another knee issue.

Thanks again everyone.
 
Average of 50 to 55kph? That's faster than a flat stage of the TDF me thinks.
 
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You should go for the world hour record with those speeds. On a track you'd dominate.
 
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Do you think 50-55 will keep me at the top of the pack for a 120 race? It would be great if my speed would keep me somewhere in the top 25. Although, I'm sure I will be shooting for top 10.
 
And I mean averaging that on flat runs, not hills or several tight turns.
 
I guess I really can't compare the triathlons to this longer distance... What speed do you think is reasonable for a 120 km? Am I way out of the ball park?
 
LOL, so you mean 50-55kmph will be your top speed, not your average.
 
I guess I need to get out there and see what kind of speed I can maintain at longer distances... What are you guys thinking for a 120 km race... If I want to stay near the top of the pack?
 
Show us a map of the course, with details of the climbs.
 
120 km with some bumps and turns the pro peloton would probably finish with speeds of around 45-47kph. You won't.
 
Yeah exactly, and that is on closed roads too, with years of top level racing, support, nutrition, 'supplements', proper drafting, etc. to aid their speed.

120km race, on open roads, with winds all over the place, and loads of other non-pro mongs to get in your way. 34kmph average, max, I reckon, on a relatively flat course, if you really go for it. If there are any climbs, that will drop down to about 30, or less, especially on open roads.

But yeah, if you can prove us wrong and hammer out a 55kmph average speed 120km race, then that would be amazing.
 
You'd be the n the wrong profession.

Am I right in thinking that triathletes are not allowed to draft and so have little to no experience of riding in a group? Group riding skills are not something you can just bluff or pick up on the fly. There are tactics to be aware of, too. You may have under thought this.
 
@Greg2015 Bradley Wiggins won the 2014 UCI world time trial championship - on a time trial bike - with an average speed of 50kph. The course was 47km long with a total elevation gain of 458m.

Unless you've been at the performance-enchaning drugs in a way not seen since the days of Dolph "I must crush you" Lundgren from Rocky IV, you will not be averaging 50-55kph over 120km. Without even looking at the course, I'd say 30kph tops.
 
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