Is it just me?
cyclopsbiker
Posts: 516
or is anyone else finding riding *really* hard at the moment? I have no energy. If I do a short sprint (like really short) to get through some lights for example I feel totally wiped out. recovery is slow. the miniscule bumps in the road (no where near hills) are tough. and I'm not enjoying it. bottom lip is well and truly stuck out.
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My times are definitely a couple of minutes longer than the summer months (over 6 miles between west London and Soho), for seemingly the same amount of effort. Still enjoying it though.FCN - 10
Cannondale Bad Boy Solo with baggies.0 -
Tyre pressures?0
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Wearing 15kgs of warm winter gear...?0
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Cold air is more dense.0
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cyclopsbiker wrote:or is anyone else finding riding *really* hard at the moment? I have no energy. If I do a short sprint (like really short) to get through some lights for example I feel totally wiped out. recovery is slow. the miniscule bumps in the road (no where near hills) are tough. and I'm not enjoying it. bottom lip is well and truly stuck out.
I'm glad its not just me! I thought it was the gym using up all my energy but its probably just the cold and extra kit.
It could also be dehydration, I'm definitely not taking on enough water because its cold.0 -
my chain was a rusted pile of poo when I checked it on Tuesday - there may be grit and 'stuff' getting in there.
I've given it a thorough cleaning and it spins MUCH more easily now.Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
taking me a good 10 minutes more for the 17 miles, especially in the morning. Feels like I'm cyclling through treacle most of the time, no power in the legs, only pain. Still better than PT thoughFCN 8/9 (I think)0
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nich wrote:Tyre pressures?
they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.0 -
Gussio wrote:Wearing 15kgs of warm winter gear...?
I'm only wearing bib tights and a thin fleece more than I usually do...and an extra buff of course! in fact that probably weighs less than the bag I usually carry but have been avoiding carrying0 -
iPete wrote:cyclopsbiker wrote:or is anyone else finding riding *really* hard at the moment? I have no energy. If I do a short sprint (like really short) to get through some lights for example I feel totally wiped out. recovery is slow. the miniscule bumps in the road (no where near hills) are tough. and I'm not enjoying it. bottom lip is well and truly stuck out.
I'm glad its not just me! I thought it was the gym using up all my energy but its probably just the cold and extra kit.
It could also be dehydration, I'm definitely not taking on enough water because its cold.
mmmmm dehydration. maybe. will have a slurge on consuming more....water of course0 -
london_scottish wrote:taking me a good 10 minutes more for the 17 miles, especially in the morning. Feels like I'm cyclling through treacle most of the time, no power in the legs, only pain. Still better than PT though
treacle ... that's it. its invisible innit! can someone please get rid of it.0 -
Not as bad as I'd have thought. I reckon I'm about 6-8 minutes slower over 25 miles. And that includes changing from the Dawes tourer to the stud shod MTB.
Mind you, add changing time onto that and it's a different picture! Seems to take an age to change now what with all the extra bits of kit.....Faster than a tent.......0 -
cyclopsbiker wrote:nich wrote:Tyre pressures?
they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.
Quite the opposite for me.
I went from a set of slick 1.5" 60TPI tyres (Conti city contact) to a set of Panaracer XC pro 1.8", maybe 20TPI?
The rolling resistance of those is actually higher than my set of Schwalbe Ice Spikers (2.1" 60TPI knobbly studded tyres!).
Freewheeling down the same hills shows without a doubt the cheapy Panaracers to be around 20% slower. Downhill!
And if anything, the weather conditions have improved.
The knbblies are so bad, I am tempted to put the studded tyres back on!0 -
I thought my times were getting slower, and then on Tuesday evening I managed my 4.7 miles in just over 15minsFCN 2 to 80
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Bike/Tire Downhill Uphill Specialized/Pro Race 60kph 30kph Orbea/Stratius 55kph 28kph Roadrat/Rubino 50kph 25kph Roadrat/Marathon+ 45kph 22kph Roadrat/Marathon Winter 40kph 15kph
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cyclopsbiker wrote:they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.
Nobblies will make it noticeably harder IMO - the rolling resistance shoots straight up compared to slicks or even treaded tyres.FCN 4 - BMC CX020 -
hfidgen wrote:cyclopsbiker wrote:they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.
Nobblies will make it noticeably harder IMO - the rolling resistance shoots straight up compared to slicks or even treaded tyres.
Definitely, I reckon it could make as much as a 25% difference IME.FCN 2 to 80 -
Mr Plum wrote:hfidgen wrote:cyclopsbiker wrote:they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.
Nobblies will make it noticeably harder IMO - the rolling resistance shoots straight up compared to slicks or even treaded tyres.
Definitely, I reckon it could make as much as a 25% difference IME.
I've switched between slicks and knobblies before and it was not this difficult. think it's just a combination of things and a depleted stock of MTFU0 -
cyclopsbiker wrote:Mr Plum wrote:hfidgen wrote:cyclopsbiker wrote:they're ok. but I have gone on to knobblies last week....but that doesn't account for it being soooo much more difficult.
Nobblies will make it noticeably harder IMO - the rolling resistance shoots straight up compared to slicks or even treaded tyres.
Definitely, I reckon it could make as much as a 25% difference IME.
I've switched between slicks and knobblies before and it was not this difficult. think it's just a combination of things and a depleted stock of MTFU
I get what you're saying, but there's a difference between riding on nobblies like THESE, and nobblies like THESE
Big fat XC or DH tyres are an energy sapping nightmare on the road.FCN 2 to 80 -
Actually, in answer to the original question:
Yes, it is just you. The rest of us are finding it incredibly easy and are just saying otherwise to make you feel better 8)Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
_Brun_ wrote:Cold air is more dense.
But contains more oxygen. Driving an even moderately sporty car on a cold day will demonstrate this.
The extra oxygen should give you a little boost.FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
I agree with K_B. I'm faster now than I am during the summer. Taken 10 minutes off my commute to work and 5 mins on the homeward journey.
This may be an outright lie, but who cares?0 -
Its the extra oxygen!FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
Knobblies, + cold, dense air + winter gear + longer route/harder riding + traffic levels rising towards Christmas = drained MTFU reserves
No excuse for Londoners in their micro climate.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
defo find the commute harder in winter, no need for gear changing it's 39 - 24 all the way0
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45rpm wrote:defo find the commute harder in winter, no need for gear changing it's 39 - 24 all the way
Same here. 48x17 for me. Then again that's what I run all the time... :roll:.
Beep Beep Richie.
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FCN +7 (Hanzo Fixed. Simple - for the commute)
FCN +10 (Loud and proud PA)0 -
I genuinely feel faster on a cold crisp day - yet to verify this with a computer, but really feel like I am.FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0