Help I have agreed to to L2P and never ridden a rode bike
Comments
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Perhaps I should interject here that i am not a girl, but appreciate that whizzing in bib shorts to be tricky. Met a guy today who did London 2 Paris 24hr race last year, which put my 5 day pootle into perspective. He had a Spesh Allez for sale with extra kit, it was a bargain for someone but just not for me. So will keep looking.0
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coriordan wrote:It is possible to swim as fast through syrup as through water.
PLAUSIBLE
Adam and Jamie began by digging two long trenches and lining them with plastic sheeting to serve as swimming pools. They filled one with water and the other with high-viscosity syrup made from 750 pounds (340 kg) of guar gum and 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L) of water. Adam and Jamie each swam three lengths in the water to establish their average times, then did the same in the syrup. Adam’s time in syrup was 28% slower than in water; Jamie tired quickly and withdrew from further testing. They also performed tests with other syrup formulas with lower viscosity. Adam again swam three lengths in each pool and found that his syrup time was now only 2.8% to 5.4% slower than in water. Next, they invited Olympic gold medalist swimmer Nathan Adrian swim through each substance. Nathan’s times were erratic because his technique was so highly honed for pure water, and his results were thrown out. Based on the results for light and medium syrup, which they considered to be within the margin of error for their testing method, Adam and Jamie declared the myth plausible.
I love Adam and Jamie, but they didn't do Tate and Lyle did they?0 -
cougie wrote:Bibs are easy to pee in anyway - they manage it on Le Tour - just pull the top down a bit and hoik the old fella out. No trickier than normal shorts.
If the bib shorts have quite a tall front (Assos Mille S5 have a high front for instance), the other alternative is to roll up a leg (depending on which side sir dresses) and pop the old chap out the bottom. Certainly my preferred technique.
Can be done one-handed, which can allow you to just stop the bike, roll up a leg, pee on the verge and off you go with little time loss.0 -
keef66 wrote:cougie wrote:Muffintop wrote:I like the idea of bib shorts but just don't fancy getting in and out of them every time I go for a pee. I don't get on with padding at all, it's not that it just gets caught in the saddle, I do find a larger area of my bum gets sore when wearing them. I did the Etape Caledonia last year without padding. I had decided to stop wearing padding the week before. Whilst my seat bones got sore, I found I was much cooler, and overall a lot more comfy without it. Now I don't get sore at all and those with padding seem to be in alot more pain than me at the end of a ride.
Well if you did the Etape Caledonia - you wont have any problems. I thought you were a new rider.
Bibs are easy to pee in anyway - they manage it on Le Tour - just pull the top down a bit and hoik the old fella out. No trickier than normal shorts.
Muffintop isn't the OP, who in turn isn't a new rider, but new to road bikes. And bibs ain't so easy if you're a girl!
To be fair, when he said 'hoik the old fella out' I did think about how I would go about that, if I had one. To ensure not having to get completely naked for peeing, I'd have to wear a bib tights over my base layer, cycle shirt and winter jacket, but at that point it'd be less of a bib and more like dungarees.0 -
Aah yes for ladies it would be a bit trickier. I've no first hand experience of that.
You could do it triathlon stylee - and go as you er, go. But that's disgusting !0 -
For my two-penn'th I'd suggest getting some mudguards, particularly if you are riding in a group. The bikes mentioned so far will not come with any but don't worry about fixings either, Crud RoadRacers are easier to fit and much lighter anyway.
Padded shorts! Blimey I am attached to mine.
Finally from me, enjoy the ride.0 -
Muffintop wrote:keef66 wrote:cougie wrote:Muffintop wrote:I like the idea of bib shorts but just don't fancy getting in and out of them every time I go for a pee. I don't get on with padding at all, it's not that it just gets caught in the saddle, I do find a larger area of my bum gets sore when wearing them. I did the Etape Caledonia last year without padding. I had decided to stop wearing padding the week before. Whilst my seat bones got sore, I found I was much cooler, and overall a lot more comfy without it. Now I don't get sore at all and those with padding seem to be in alot more pain than me at the end of a ride.
Well if you did the Etape Caledonia - you wont have any problems. I thought you were a new rider.
Bibs are easy to pee in anyway - they manage it on Le Tour - just pull the top down a bit and hoik the old fella out. No trickier than normal shorts.
Muffintop isn't the OP, who in turn isn't a new rider, but new to road bikes. And bibs ain't so easy if you're a girl!
To be fair, when he said 'hoik the old fella out' I did think about how I would go about that, if I had one. To ensure not having to get completely naked for peeing, I'd have to wear a bib tights over my base layer, cycle shirt and winter jacket, but at that point it'd be less of a bib and more like dungarees.
OT but I thought ladies' bibs usually have a catch to release the bibs so it should be as bad as that. As for the idea of riding unpadded - ouch!!!0 -
I work at a school and a colleague and I took five 17 year old pupils on a L2P last summer. We did it over four days and the pupils did not own road bikes until about 6 months before the trip and most had only cycled in a limited way previous to the trip. They were fine, although they did get a fair few miles of training in during the months leading up to the ride, and they all did a fair amount of school sport any way.
I would support comments about not worrying too much about getting the lightest bike, and you might have a look at the Merlin Cycles website as they have two own brand bikes within your budget and with decent specs. You will certainly need to budget for clothes, and clipless pedals and shoes are a must IMHO. Try Aldi or Lidl for shoes, I bought a pair with two bolt cleat compatibility for £10 at Lidl recently and they are fine. They also have clothing at good prices in these German discount stores and the quality is solid. It does rain in France, so clip on mudguards are, I think, a good idea. Crud Roadracer 2s seem excellent and are easy to fit.
The trip last year must have been seen by the pupils as a success. We are repeating the trip this summer with fourteen pupils and three staff and I have had to turn colleagues away, so the road cycling bug is well and truly biting at my school, which pleases me.
Good luck, and enjoy the ride. French drivers are much more courteous and understanding, and dropping down hills at good speed into little villages on roads with corn fields on both sides in the shade of lovely trees on a sunny day is as good as it sounds. Just don't forget that villages are usually in valleys, so there will probably be a climb on the other side.0 -
"OT but I thought ladies' bibs usually have a catch to release the bibs so it should be as bad as that. As for the idea of riding unpadded - ouch!!!"
Unless it's baby grow style it's going to be a faff - though wardrobe malfunctions would get you arressted, or paula radcliff style (just shoving clothing asside) though you'd need both hands for that, and the abillity to squat on the bike. Even if you didn't get any on you or your bike you probably would get person behind you - an extra dimention to the womens races? - I'm going to stop talking out loud about this now.
And try cycling for 1 month with out padding, once you go flat you won't go back - another thing that sounded better in my head.
Mx0
