Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 3247 Location: North Devon
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:24 am Post subject:
Spike wrote:
Iain wrote:
Will Planet X wheels help you when you're weaving from side to side doing 3mph? Do you get any aero advantage at that speed?
I go way faster than that. The first time I did Yorkshire Dales I remember looking at the computer and it was deffo flicking between 4 and 5 mph. So does that mean I would get an advantage from Planet X wheels?
Not as much as I'll get from my ZIPP 404's.
I've done research and it appears that if I put spokey dokeys on them they'll actually grab that air and push it back wards while I'm charging up Kirkstone..
Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 911 Location: in a warm happy place watching the baby P4F's in very small trikit on very small tribikes
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:34 am Post subject:
sorry guys ... unless you've something highly incredible in ya bag of tricks for Helvellyn ....... (this is taken from a report on the training wknd on the sat / sun just gone) ..
Helvellyn Triathlon Recce Weekend Saturday July 22nd Sunday July 23rd 2006
You've missed it. And a great weekend it was too. Weather was just about perfect. Hot and sunny for the bike on the Saturday, perhaps a bit too hot for The Struggle, but we all made it. Fantastic swim late Saturday afternoon. I would go as far as to say the lake was warm. As we were all waiting to re-group on the far side it was absolutely perfect. Floating there in the sunshine under a blue sky surrounded by the most beautiful scenery imaginable; brilliant. The Saturday evening barbee on the campsite was very sociable and comfortably warm. Beer and burgers never tasted better. It even cooled down a little and clouded a bit for the run on Sunday. 20 degrees in the valley and 10 on the top. You could even see the view from the summit. Most ran and dived in the lake at the end of the run. The intended 10 minute ordeal of standing waist deep in bone crushing cold water to help out the leg muscles a la Paula Radcliffe turned into a pleasant 1/2 hour cooling down and splash about.
Undoubted star of the weekend was Will (Rickshaw) Barker. He turned up at the start of the bike ride on his mountain bike complete with panniers, wearing a t-shirt, baggy shorts and flip-flops. The real 99p article not your rigid soled hiking sandals. I thought "Oh no, this guy is going to take all day". But he was still on my wheel doing 20mph along the edge of Thirlmere and and only lost it a bit on the decent into Grassmere when we all had our noses on our front wheels. At the top of The Struggle he took his wetsuit out of one of his panniers so that he could find his sandwiches. He offered us all a fig roll before necking a pint of Stella from the Kirkstone Pass Inn. One to watch out for if he brings his road bike in September.
The weekend ended standing in the lake reflecting on what had been a pretty arduous but thoroughly enjoyable couple of days.
_________________ the psychotic one is alive n kicking ....
& has just signed up for his first double IM (arghhhhhhhh) ... enduroman 2011 here we come
If I hear of you using them at Alp d'Huez now I'm going to claim a breach of copyright.
Don't worry - I already have my race plans sorted for that. I don't want to give too much away at this stage but think of the words "bungee cords".
_________________ "Spike you are a true genius" - littlefatwelshman 23 Sep 2006
"You soft southern jessie" - Toyota_Crown 24 Sep 2006
Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 3247 Location: North Devon
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:28 am Post subject:
In all seriousness, my big secret for getting up Kirkstone in 7 weeks time is riding up hills hills hills and more hills (presuming my back get fixed).
Porlock Hill is a short jaunt down the road so I'm planning on a couple of trips out there. From now on every hill I ride up is going to be ridden up as hard as I can manage (which isn't very hard).
I've been down that hill (came up from the other direction) on a very heavy tandem. Had to stop halfway to let the rims cool down. And yes, we did have the drum brake on all the way.
_________________ "Spike you are a true genius" - littlefatwelshman 23 Sep 2006
"You soft southern jessie" - Toyota_Crown 24 Sep 2006
Will Planet X wheels help you when you're weaving from side to side doing 3mph? Do you get any aero advantage at that speed?
They are very light so less rotational weight than my clinchers, I'd use them if I was doing it.
No really technical descents en route so no worries about braking on carbon rims.
PS - I am well aware that this is all relative. When I first came down the Kirkstone to Glenridding it was the most frightened I'd ever been on a bike. Now, I find it quite straightforward but then again I've been down Hardknott and Wrynose which are much more scary _________________ At what point did Mr T learn about ultra-running?
"Make friends with pain and you'll never be alone" - Ken Chlouber, creator of the Leadville Trail 100
"‘You do that again, you'’ll meet my friend Pain" - BA Baracus
Only been up in the car before now. 'Think' I'm looking forward to lackling it on the bike a few times
Iain, the main thing to remember about the struggle is how long it is. Steep hills are hard work at the best of times but most aren't that steep for very long.
The struggle is over 3 miles, average gradient 13% I'm told and listed in some stats that somebody posted a while back as the second hardest climb in England after Hardknott. My advice is [unless you are very strong] to conserve your energy by getting into your smallest gear straight away and make every pedal stroke as easy as possible. This will feel easy at first but believe me it won't feel easy after 2 miles of out of the saddle climbing, especially if you get a few cars coming down that prevent you from weaving across the road. _________________ At what point did Mr T learn about ultra-running?
"Make friends with pain and you'll never be alone" - Ken Chlouber, creator of the Leadville Trail 100
"‘You do that again, you'’ll meet my friend Pain" - BA Baracus
When I first came down the Kirkstone to Glenridding it was the most frightened I'd ever been on a bike.
That comment scares me more than any thought of the climb.
Rightly so.
You have a narrow A road (i.e. reasonably busy) with dry stone walls on either side and brakes full on to keep speed below 25 mph. Leave off the brakes and you'll hit 40 before you know it - OK if you're an experienced roadie but I don't do bends at 40 _________________ At what point did Mr T learn about ultra-running?
"Make friends with pain and you'll never be alone" - Ken Chlouber, creator of the Leadville Trail 100
"‘You do that again, you'’ll meet my friend Pain" - BA Baracus
"There is another vicious 1 in 4 hairpin bend halfway up Porlock Hill but due to the nature of the hill it would not be possible to walk or cycle to it to take a photo, and stopping a vehicle on the escape pit there is not recommended - just in case of runaways!"
Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 911 Location: in a warm happy place watching the baby P4F's in very small trikit on very small tribikes
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject:
i guess god catered for things like kirkstone pass (aka the struggle) & prolock with beer ... proof of this devine intervention would the The Kirkstone Pass Inn which is (drum roll) smack bang at the top of the struggle ... is T2 in the pub carpark by any chance ????
_________________ the psychotic one is alive n kicking ....
& has just signed up for his first double IM (arghhhhhhhh) ... enduroman 2011 here we come
No, but the crowds are _________________ "Spike you are a true genius" - littlefatwelshman 23 Sep 2006
"You soft southern jessie" - Toyota_Crown 24 Sep 2006
There is a pub on the run course as well. Actually, there are two thinking about it, one of which you pass twice, just outside transition.
Thinking a little more, there are about 4 between the Kirkstone Inn and T2. You could be completely rat-arsed if you wanted. _________________ At what point did Mr T learn about ultra-running?
"Make friends with pain and you'll never be alone" - Ken Chlouber, creator of the Leadville Trail 100
"‘You do that again, you'’ll meet my friend Pain" - BA Baracus
Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 911 Location: in a warm happy place watching the baby P4F's in very small trikit on very small tribikes
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject:
based on concensus then it would sem not to have to walk at all on the landing strip of god's earth otherwsie known in the trade as "the struggle" , i need
1) to be on a pub crawl so observers will not catch on to the walking - seeing it more as a drunken mount and dismount
2) switch to 12-25 cassette
3) both maybe ???
4) stabilisers
5) my grandad is told as having reversed his car up the struggle in the 1930's as the gearing otherwise was too high... if only kuota had a reverse
_________________ the psychotic one is alive n kicking ....
& has just signed up for his first double IM (arghhhhhhhh) ... enduroman 2011 here we come
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