[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Just 4 days of July left and I'm still a little less than 500 km short of my 1250 km target for the month.

Cheers, Doc

We both have a very similar goal. Mine is 800 miles (1280kms) and I am still around 180kms short. Might still be able to get there with one 100K ride tomorrow and then commutes on Monday and Tuesday.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amitoj

We both have a very similar goal. Mine is 800 miles (1280kms) and I am still around 180kms short. Might still be able to get there with one 100K ride tomorrow and then commutes on Monday and Tuesday.

Yeah you're close. Go for it! The last couple of weeks of bike issues have really sapped me.

My baby got a new heart today ( or more like valves replacement surgery).





It's a wonder the crank was still turning with hardly an imperceptible rocking play (I actually went to the workshop just to get it tightened ....)

Lesson learned. A sealed bearings bottom bracket is not a fit it and forget it bombproof deal as I thought it would be compared to the balls and cone races and axle bottom ends of older cycles. It's just easier to replace and does away with the expertise needed to adjust the races just

[Axe77]

Some new wheels for my ride.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Some new wheels for my ride.

Is this 2013 model?
What's the price for these new wheels?

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Yeah you're close. Go for it! The last couple of weeks of bike issues have really sapped me.

My baby got a new heart today

Nice! You work a lot on your bike!

I was relying on commutes on Monday and Tuesday to take me over the 800 mark. Unfortunately, my Tuesday plan got hosed because there is an event at work that requires me to get my mark.

I had to take a 5 mile detour on the way to work today and will have to do the same again on the way back to take me over the 800 mark. It doesn't help that two long rides over the past 3 days have sapped me of energy.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Nice! You work a lot on your bike!

I was relying on commutes on Monday and Tuesday to take me over the 800 mark. Unfortunately, my Tuesday plan got hosed because there is an event at work that requires me to get my mark.

I had to take a 5 mile detour on the way to work today and will have to do the same again on the way back to take me over the 800 mark. It doesn't help that two long rides over the past 3 days have sapped me of energy.

Leading up to my brevet I'd actually prefer to be riding more and working on my bike less. But it is as it is.

I'll finish the month tomorrow with probably just a bit over 500 miles. Looking forward to now cranking it up in August.

I'm resisting the obvious easy fix of taking the CAAD out and letting her loose. I'm keeping her for the new season that starts from October.

Do you do a lot of climbing? What does you average training week and month look like ramping up to a brevet series? Weekday rides, routes, loops. Weekend rides. How do you ramp up the volume and intensity? Do you cross train (running, swimming, any strength work)? Any injuries you are nursing or being careful about?

Have you cracked the 600? How did you manage the sleep? That's my biggest unknown.

Always nice to compare notes with Randonneurs!

Cheers, Doc

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I'm resisting the obvious easy fix of taking the CAAD out and letting her loose. I'm keeping her for the new season that starts from October.

Do you do a lot of climbing? What does you average training week and month look like ramping up to a brevet series? Weekday rides, routes, loops. Weekend rides. How do you ramp up the volume and intensity? Do you cross train (running, swimming, any strength work)? Any injuries you are nursing or being careful about?

Have you cracked the 600? How did you manage the sleep? That's my biggest unknown.

Always nice to compare notes with Randonneurs!

Cheers, Doc

Yesss I would love to compare notes!!

What is your next brevet? I am thinking of doing the Randonneur USA's 20th anniversary special 300K on 18th August. I am yet to crack the 600. That's my goal for next year. 400K was my goal for this year and I was able to meet that last month. Many people say 600K is easier than 400K because you can get a sleep break. I will see next year how it pans out for me.

My riding season starts from spring to fall and I rely on my commutes 3-4 times a week and a 60-70 mile ride over the weekend to keep my legs spinning. My commute is almost 20 miles one way with 800-900 feet of climbing and weekend rides have 3000+ feet of climbing. Here in New England, 3000 feet of climbing for every 100 kms is par for the course. I don't know whether that's a lot of climbing. It is nothing compared to Tour de France rides All these rides I try to go as hard as possible so that on brevets, all I have to do is just keep reminding myself to go easy.

My brevet preparations are more focused around my diet and sleep than my riding. I make sure that I am drinking enough water 5 days prior to ride, reduce my alcohol intake to minimum and eat a proper diet 3 times a day. I also reduce my caffeine intake 2-3 days prior and that really helps in getting a good night's sleep. No caffeine at all a day before the ride and I sleep like a log!

I am currently nursing a rather troublesome corn on my left foot, which makes me put more emphasis on spinning than mashing, which is actually a good thing. But it is also making me put more weight on my left hand, which is definitely not a good thing.

Now your turn

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Yesss I would love to compare notes!!

What is your next brevet? I am thinking of doing the Randonneur USA's 20th anniversary special 300K on 18th August. I am yet to crack the 600. That's my goal for next year. 400K was my goal for this year and I was able to meet that last month. Many people say 600K is easier than 400K because you can get a sleep break. I will see next year how it pans out for me.

My riding season starts from spring to fall and I rely on my commutes 3-4 times a week and a 60-70 mile ride over the weekend to keep my legs spinning. My commute is almost 20 miles one way with 800-900 feet of climbing and weekend rides have 3000+ feet of climbing. Here in New England, 3000 feet of climbing for every 100 kms is par for the course. I don't know whether that's a lot of climbing. It is nothing compared to Tour de France rides All these rides I try to go as hard as possible so that on brevets, all I have to do is just keep reminding myself to go easy.

My brevet preparations are more focused around my diet and sleep than my riding. I make sure that I am drinking enough water 5 days prior to ride, reduce my alcohol intake to minimum and eat a proper diet 3 times a day. I also reduce my caffeine intake 2-3 days prior and that really helps in getting a good night's sleep. No caffeine at all a day before the ride and I sleep like a log!

I am currently nursing a rather troublesome corn on my left foot, which makes me put more emphasis on spinning than mashing, which is actually a good thing. But it is also making me put more weight on my left hand, which is definitely not a good thing.

Now your turn

Coincidentally, I've developed sore big toe tips too in the rains, due to near-blistering in soaked feet and wet socks and shoes. Soft feet is the termmany elite Randonneurs use, which is basically soaked wrinkle skinned cold feet after a day long ride in torrential rains with every small turn of the handlebar sending a plume of muddy water straight on to either left or right feet from the bottom of the plastic mudguard. Many have attached a rubber flap to the bottom of the mudguard, but that's so ugly that I'd rather brave soft feet! Lol

So you're averaging 240 Kms before your weekend long ride.plus the 100 km on the weekend, that brings you to 350 km a week, or 1400 km a month. I would definitely love to do that. Sadly I'm a cager to office, and ride early mornings and then come home to get ready for work.so 50 km is stretching it (have to start by 5 am for that, and I need an hour 10 minutes on an average from alarm and coffee machine on to Strava on). 40 km is more comfortable. And even though I try for 4 training weekday rides, I usually for some reason or the other manage just 3.

Weekend rides are 100 to 150 km. Anything longer means a significant chunk of the weekend is over (once done with easing bike, stretching, bathing and eating).

The next scheduled brevet is 11 August. A 400. Then a 300 on 2 September. Then the 600 on 29 September. But I'm planning a sequential 200, then a 300 and then a 400 on my own days instead of registering for the Audacity homologated ones coz the 400 is too early for me and it frankly makes no sense to me to first do a 400 and then follow it with a 300, with no 200 at all. I can manage the 200 on my own solo, probably even the 300 though company would-be preferable, but for the practice 400 I'll definitely need at least one or two co-riders along with me.

My 40-50 km weekday rides usually have 300-400 meters on the easy/normal days to 600-700 meters on the climbing days. The 100s are usyally700-800 to 1000+ meters. Most 200s are 1800 to 2200 meters for the easier faster flatter ones to 2600-2800 or even 3000 meters for the really tough climby ones with big hills and rolling terrain in between. Pune is blessed by having hills all around, with rolling terrain everywhere. I see the Strava feeds of my friends in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and I truly think our sawtoothed elevation profiles with big canines are so much nicer looking that the bone flat ones with tiny ripples in the coastal or plain land cities.

Cheers, Doc

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Coincidentally, I've developed sore big toe tips too in the rains, due to near-blistering in soaked feet and wet socks and shoes. Soft feet is the termmany elite Randonneurs use, which is basically soaked wrinkle skinned cold feet after a day long ride in torrential rains

I don't wear socks while cycling. Longest ride I have done so far is 72km in rains. No socks, no blisters.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Sadly I'm a cager to office, and ride early mornings and then come home to get ready for work.so 50 km is stretching it (have to start by 5 am for that, and I need an hour 10 minutes on an average from alarm and coffee machine on to Strava on). 40 km is more comfortable. And even though I try for 4 training weekday rides, I usually for some reason or the other manage just 3.

Weekend rides are 100 to 150 km. Anything longer means a significant chunk of the weekend is over (once done with easing bike, stretching, bathing and eating).

The next scheduled brevet is 11 August. A 400. Then a 300 on 2 September. Then the 600 on 29 September. But I'm planning a sequential 200, then a 300 and then a 400 on my own days instead of registering for the Audacity homologated ones coz the 400 is too early for me and it frankly makes no sense to me to first do a 400 and then follow it with a 300, with no 200 at all. I can manage the 200 on my own solo, probably even the 300 though company would-be preferable, but for the practice 400 I'll definitely need at least one or two co-riders along with me.

My 40-50 km weekday rides usually have 300-400 meters on the easy/normal days to 600-700 meters on the climbing days. The 100s are usyally700-800 to 1000+ meters. Most 200s are 1800 to 2200 meters for the easier faster flatter ones to 2600-2800 or even 3000 meters for the really tough climby ones with big hills and rolling terrain in between.

Many people here drive to a certain point and then ride their bike to work, specially if they work in a metro where riding a bike is actually faster than driving your car!

Those are a lot of solo miles you are planning! All the best!!

Your climbing seems similar to mine. Hills are more fun than plains

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

I don't wear socks while cycling. Longest ride I have done so far is 72km in rains. No socks, no blisters.

That's an interesting thought. I am afraid I will end up with a lot of blisters. Both my big toes have shed one full nail already

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by amitoj

That's an interesting thought. I am afraid I will end up with a lot of blisters. Both my big toes have shed one full nail already

Oh that's bad. Take care.

As for me, I have done 12 hour treks through mud and slush in heavy rains in the Sahyadris wearing shoes without socks. It has helped me complete the treks blister-free. Applying coconut oil on feet also helps avoids blisters as water can't stay and feet don't become soggy.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Oh that's bad. Take care.

The one thing that keeps bothering me is this handlebar palsy thing. My left hand pinky has been at 50% sensation for almost two months now. And last weekend's long rides with corn on left foot has made it come back with vengeance I was compensating for the foot by putting more pressure on the hand.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Is this 2013 model?
What's the price for these new wheels?

You mean the bike? Yes - it is 2013 / 14 maybe if I recall correctly.

The wheels retail in India for about 75k if I'm not mistaken although I bought them unused off from a friend who did not need them.

[ninjatalli]

Quoting from the US car thread to bring it on the correct thread

Originally Posted by amitoj

What bikes were they?
A used Specialized Sirrus was my first bike. I bought it for $450, rode it for many miles and brevets and then sold it 2 years later for $375. I would call that a profit
The other bike that I disposed was Cannondale CAADX. Returned to REI for a full discount.
Currently enjoying a 1980s Bianchi and a 2018 Diverge

Used bikes in the order of purchase & sale - courtesy of Craigslist
Specialized Crosstrail: $250 / Sold it for ~$220
Cannondale Quick 5: $200 / Sold it for ~$250
Retrospec Mantra Fixie: $200 / Sold it for $250-$270
Some local hybrid: $100 / Gave it to my roomie for ~$70

and

Colnago Strada SL : $1550 / Still have it 4 years later


I used to enjoy doing this - I actually traveled over 100 miles to pick up the Cannondale; it was a STEAL! Less than a year old bike; with zero usage (was rusting actually). Brought it home, serviced it myself and used it for about ~4 months before selling it to a local fellow. Purchased the Fixie in Charlotte; brought it over to New York; and found out people were ready to purchase it even for $300 when I put up the ad!

And I suck at negotiations (lol).

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

I don't wear socks while cycling. Longest ride I have done so far is 72km in rains. No socks, no blisters.

I've never worn shoes without socks. Just does not feel good.

Cheers, Doc