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Race The Training Thread

Big ride today.

I did the local gravel rindos on my way out to explore some ridgeline rindos in Tokamachi.

Mostly asphalt in Tokamachi unfortunately. They must have a bigger rindo budget!

But I kept the tyres at 2.5 bar to get the full training benefit.

Finished the legs off on the R353 'Rollercoaster' and Mt. Ogami.

135km, 3,500m up. Like days of old!

The usual training blog link and cut and paste below.

Cheers, Andy



「100 / 3,000」

last week's training blog

this year I do a big ride each weekend
100km, 3,000m climbing
was the target

but recently
130km, 3,500m climbing
is becoming the norm

a million miles away
from two years of training for flat 10km TTs

I joke that it's Tokyo~Itoigawa every weekend

I joke that I don't need to train in the week

it's partly true!

last week's training:

・monday: recovery (20km)
・tuesday: gravel (45km, 700m)
・wednesday: gravel (30km, 400m) / shuttle run x 117 / strength
・thursday: kenno rindo downill x 3 (15km, 350 m)
・friday: gravel (80km, 1,700m)
・saturday: rest / strength
・sunday: (135km, 3,500m)

keep fit
keep motivated
ride on!

#imezi #imezi167 #167grv #imezisealant #プロジェクト167
 
On my first ride on my new bike I finally got the KOM for the segment I made and have been shooting for several years...hahaha. Although I did have a bit of a leadout for the first km or so.
I wish every day were new bike day! How did it feel? Was the ride smooth? Was it a marked improvement over your old bike?
 
I wish every day were new bike day! How did it feel? Was the ride smooth? Was it a marked improvement over your old bike?

It was a market improvement in pretty much every category except for being a few hundred grams heavier (but I've got GP5000s with latex tubes on my old bike at the moment). Now I'm starting to wish I had the carbon version of my power meter so I could save those 200 grams. Haha.

Most notable was the absurdly high rigidity of the frame (in the directions you want it to be stiff) thanks to the stout bottom bracket and thru axles. The extra two teeth in the back was also a welcome change.

The braking was, of course, miles better, although occasionally noisy (it was raining).

Debating whether to switch the tires or just buy some tubeless 28s... or just keep riding on the Rubinos for a while.
 
It was a market improvement in pretty much every category except for being a few hundred grams heavier (but I've got GP5000s with latex tubes on my old bike at the moment). Now I'm starting to wish I had the carbon version of my power meter so I could save those 200 grams. Haha.
This is only the beginning of your journey. And @saibot will help you for sure to attain any weight you want, provided you have enough ¥ ;)

Probably I'd upgrade the wheels first, though. Enve released some "cheap" wheels ($1,600 for 45 mm or 60 mm deep wheels), which look like a great deal in terms of price and performance.
Most notable was the absurdly high rigidity of the frame (in the directions you want it to be stiff) thanks to the stout bottom bracket and thru axles. The extra two teeth in the back was also a welcome change.
Sounds like heaven. What gearing do you have now? 52:36 and 11-32 in the back?
The braking was, of course, miles better, although occasionally noisy (it was raining).
Have you bedded in the brakes?
In any case, when it is really wet, disc brakes can be a bit noisy.
Debating whether to switch the tires or just buy some tubeless 28s... or just keep riding on the Rubinos for a while.
Why not ride them until they have done their job and then replace them with something else? Unless you really feel a difference in performance, that is.
 
This is only the beginning of your journey. And @saibot will help you for sure to attain any weight you want, provided you have enough ¥ ;)

Probably I'd upgrade the wheels first, though. Enve released some "cheap" wheels ($1,600 for 45 mm or 60 mm deep wheels), which look like a great deal in terms of price and performance.

Sounds like heaven. What gearing do you have now? 52:36 and 11-32 in the back?

Have you bedded in the brakes?
In any case, when it is really wet, disc brakes can be a bit noisy.

Why not ride them until they have done their job and then replace them with something else? Unless you really feel a difference in performance, that is.
The GP5000s are practically new and are significantly faster, lighter, and possibly grippier.

my old bike has a 52:36 and 11:30, though it came with a 50:34 and 12-25 originally.
New bike has a 52:36 (my power meter, although the stock chainrings were the same size) and an 11-30.
 
I went ahead and changed to the GP5000s and put the Rubinos (which were 50 grams heavier each!) on my old bike, which I might use for commuting. It turns out the butyl tubes that the bike came with were actually 10 grams lighter than the latex tubes I had....haha.

Some $1,300 aero wheels would save me about 450-500 grams...

I still can't believe the 56 is 300+ grams heavier than the catalog weight of the 54...
 
Yeah, bike weights are like weights and height on online dating platforms, I guess … ;)

But I didn't know you kept your old bike. In that case, swapping tires was an excellent move.
 
I guess 300 grams (after roughly accounting for the crank, pedals, bottle cage, and Garmin mount?) is just the difference between a 54 and a 56? Seems excessive, although the FR has size-specific front end parts.

I did some math and found I could save 155 grams on top of whatever weight savings new wheels will provide by getting Dura Ace rotors and a Red 11-speed cassette.... should only cost....about $500. Haha.
 
I did some math and found I could save 155 grams on top of whatever weight savings new wheels will provide by getting Dura Ace rotors and a Red 11-speed cassette.... should only cost....about $500. Haha.
Quick question: do you have IceTech rotors? If you don't, these are actually a worthwhile upgrade. You don't need the DuraAce-level ones, though.
 
Quick question: do you have IceTech rotors? If you don't, these are actually a worthwhile upgrade. You don't need the DuraAce-level ones, though.

They're IceTech, but I think they're the SLX M7000 rotors. So they're like 36 grams heavier than DuraAce and much heavier than the super light rotors out there. Rotors are relatively cheap, so I might splurge on some good ones if I ever buy new wheels. A $300 Red cassette would save something like 119 grams, though... and supposedly they last a long time.

Some Tubulito S-Tubos could also save me 100 grams for about $80...
 
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Rain, rain, rain!

Started running this week. Visited Kakuda trail again too for CX. I have good base fitness but my lack of top end is apparent. Time to tweak the training. I wrote a blog about it here.

Cheers, Andy

 
I broke the crank on my CX bike yesterday, so took the road bike out today.

Rarely ride it these days so it feels like I stole it. I ride an aluminium CX bike and a carbon TT bike, but nothing beats the feel of titanium!

Such was the fun that I copied Japan champ Eri Yonamine's 30s interval menu.



Although in the rain...

The usual weekly training blog and cut and paste below.

Cheers, Andy



「rainy season」

last week's training blog
先週のトレーニングブログです
変な日本語!すみません!

japan gets hit with heavy rain at this time of year
temperature in the mid 20s
like riding in the shower!
この時期、日本は大雨になる
暖かい気温で
シャワー浴びている間に走っている感じ!

washing the bike
stuffing the shoes with newspaper
the daily ritual!
自転車を洗う
シューズに新聞紙入れて
リピート!

it's time to make the training more specific
I added some running
some CX
and some intervals
トレーニングを具体的にする時が来ました
ランニング入れて
CX入れて
インターバルも入ります

last week's training:
先週のトレーニング:

・monday: recovery run (5km) / strength
・tuesday: recovery (30km, 700m)
・wednesday: gravel (40km, 500m) / strength
・thursday: kujiranami rindo full gas (40km, 900 m)
・friday: gravel (60km, 1,000m)
・saturday: run / CX
・sunday: road intervals (60km, 1,000m)

I have a good engine
now is the time to tune it
here we go!
良いエンジンがあると思う
これからエンジンをチューンアップしたい!
がんばります!

#imezi #imezi167 #167grv #imezisealant #プロジェクト167
 
Think it's the 4th (!) time to happen. I was in need of a new crank anyway, so I got a GRX 40T 175mm single.
Well, I did the same thing — with a mamachari I bought during my first stay in Japan. And if you think about it, that's decidedly less impressive.

By the way, why did you go for a GRX crank? AFAIK there is no option for a power meter currently.
 
Well, I did the same thing — with a mamachari I bought during my first stay in Japan. And if you think about it, that's decidedly less impressive.

By the way, why did you go for a GRX crank? AFAIK there is no option for a power meter currently.

Just on word of mouth that they are good. I don't intend to use a power meter so no worries there.

Cheers, Andy
 
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