Chris Froome Lookign at Stems

frenchfighter

Hushovd showing him how it is done properly

markhewitt1978

Maybe Froome needs some google glass or something so he has the stats beamed right into his eyeballs?

Richmond Racer

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Maybe Froome needs some google glass or something so he has the stats beamed right into his eyeballs?

He's not looking at his data

ITS A TIC

adamfo

I remember at one of last years TdF stages Porte was asked how often he looked at his meter when leading Froome up one of the climbs. He said none. When I watched the highlights of the stage that did indeed appear to be true. Presumably the pace is monitored over the radio.

Richmond Racer

adamfo wrote:

I remember at one of last years TdF stages Porte was asked how often he looked at his meter when leading Froome up one of the climbs. He said none. When I watched the highlights of the stage that did indeed appear to be true. Presumably the pace is monitored over the radio.

EDIT
They pace themselves. They're pros and plenty experienced enough to know what they're riding at. To illustrate they ride in the same way in races where there are no race radios e.g Pais Vasco, Andalucia last week etc. And besides, race radios as a mode of effective communcation in a race are dodgy, to say the least...

This is Charly Wegelius on the subject: 'These radios are very temperamental, and the peloton is not an easy place to hold a conversation. The fans, helicopters, and wind often make it very hard to understand the riders. I have lost count of how many times a rider has angrily told me he wanted a rain jacket, and not a bidon, as I have sped up to the bunch fully convinced that I have understood their requests. Most of the crucial info is given in the bus, also because it can happen that other teams can hear what I am saying. There are 22 teams in the race, and the lines are busy. The other day, Luca Scinto [DS at Vini Fantini] came and told me that they could hear none of their riders, but that he could hear everything I say. Luckily he can’t speak a word of English, but still I try to keep things simple off the radio.'

rick_chasey

Richmond Racer wrote:

adamfo wrote:

I remember at one of last years TdF stages Porte was asked how often he looked at his meter when leading Froome up one of the climbs. He said none. When I watched the highlights of the stage that did indeed appear to be true. Presumably the pace is monitored over the radio.

They can pace themselves. They're experienced enough to know what they're riding at.

It's not difficult.

I can manage on club runs.
















Sometimes. But I'm rubbish.

Lanterne_Rogue

I can pace myself - start slowly, go slower, fall off sideways. That's three paces right there (and I'm only going over the railway bridge on my commute...).

I'm a compulsive top-cap watcher. It's going to take me just as long to winch my way upwards if I stare at the end point, and it'll feel much longer, so I keep my head down, watch the road slipping under my wheels in my peripheral vision and stare at the minute scratches in the top cap instead. Even when I'm out of the saddle on a hairpin or ramp, I'll never look much more than two or three metres up the road to pick my line, although I'll take the odd peek up the road every hundred metres or so. At the risk of sounding like Sky personified, I reduce it to a process.

I suspect Froome may well be doing something similar. Except much, much faster than me...

No_Ta_Doctor

underlayunderlay wrote:

I can pace myself - start slowly, go slower, fall off sideways. That's three paces right there (and I'm only going over the railway bridge on my commute...).

I'm a compulsive top-cap watcher. It's going to take me just as long to winch my way upwards if I stare at the end point, and it'll feel much longer, so I keep my head down, watch the road slipping under my wheels in my peripheral vision and stare at the minute scratches in the top cap instead. Even when I'm out of the saddle on a hairpin or ramp, I'll never look much more than two or three metres up the road to pick my line, although I'll take the odd peek up the road every hundred metres or so. At the risk of sounding like Sky personified, I reduce it to a process.

I suspect Froome may well be doing something similar. Except much, much faster than me...

I do hope when you attack the bridge you slip down a couple of gears and then spin your pedals round at 5000 rpm

ddraver

I'd be lying if I said that I'd never tried the head nodding thing out on climbs before now...

outcastjack

I must say, this is a worthy sequel to "Kim Yong Ill looking at things"

takethehighroad

Art Vandelay wrote:

C'mon people, It's got nothing to do with marginal gains airway maximisation and nothing to do with SRM slavery. Giro 2009 riding for Barloworld:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEGpv0xn0E8
(from 5:15 to 5:41)
It's not pretty but hey ho.

Evidence there, that Simon Gerrans is a dirty wheel sucker...

Anonymous

Richie Porte said at the 2012 tour that sky didn't have power meters with compact cranks. Probably changed now with stages...

Allez Mark

Has anyone suggested Froome may have a problem with pain in his upper back or neck. I have the early stages of spondylosis and have had to change my set up to a much more upright position on the bike. I also have to keep looking down to stretch the back of my neck and prevent soreness on longer rides. Just a thought.

Richmond Racer

Allez Mark wrote:

Has anyone suggested Froome may have a problem with pain in his upper back or neck. I have the early stages of spondylosis and have had to change my set up to a much more upright position on the bike. I also have to keep looking down to stretch the back of my neck and prevent soreness on longer rides. Just a thought.

Hmmm. He did have a back problem towards the end of the season last year, and pulled out of Lombardia - reported as an inflamed sacroiliac joint.

napoleond

Liked this tweet from sky today:

@TeamSky: Here's @chrisfroome's bike for #VoltaCatalunya day one. At least time spent looking at his #stem will be educational! http://t.co/OqSJnSgzLP

The_Boy

Richmond Racer wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Maybe Froome needs some google glass or something so he has the stats beamed right into his eyeballs?

He's not looking at his data

ITS A TIC

Surely the two aren't mutually exclusive? I do the same thing and had to buy myself a cheap Bryton GPS jjust so I had something more interesting to look at.

Paul 8v

NapoleonD wrote:

Liked this tweet from sky today:

@TeamSky: Here's @chrisfroome's bike for #VoltaCatalunya day one. At least time spent looking at his #stem will be educational! http://t.co/OqSJnSgzLP

At least they can have a laugh about it!

ai_1

This thread isn't half a load of navel gazing...oh wait that's different.

I do something not too dissimilar when I'm climbing or sprinting. It feels a more natural position to apply power but obviously you can't see where you're going so it has to be intermittent. I've found I tend to do it for longer periods doing intervals on the turbo when I've no need to look anywhere in particular. Never really analysed it any more than dozens of other things I do on the bike, nor do I intend to really!

tailwindhome

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound · 16m
.@albertocontador admiring @chrisfroome's stem “@AinaraHernando: pic.twitter.com/v04yxGRUdQ”

Richmond Racer

TailWindHome wrote:

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound · 16m
.@albertocontador admiring @chrisfroome's stem “@AinaraHernando: pic.twitter.com/v04yxGRUdQ”

Ha!

Talking of the Cound, word is that she paid the Asylum a little visit today and pwnd a few of the regulars

RideOnTime

Is he not just doing research;

http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.org/

Macaloon

Obviously no bad blood between them. Nice to see.

Warrior's prayer breakfast at the church of man love top left.

Pross

TailWindHome wrote:

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound · 16m
.@albertocontador admiring @chrisfroome's stem “@AinaraHernando: pic.twitter.com/v04yxGRUdQ”

Lightweight Sky factory boy Froome in knee warmers whilst Heavyweight True Champion TM Contador is riding in shorts. Panache.

The lighting on that photo is shockingly bad too!

(Sorry, I appear to have been briefly body snatched!)

tailwindhome

Macaloon wrote:

Obviously no bad blood between them..

*chuckle*

RichN95.

Froome is on A Question of Sport this evening if you like that sort of thing.

Richmond Racer

RichN95 wrote:

Froome is on A Question of Sport this evening if you like that sort of thing.

Oh noes! No 'home' questions re cycling pre-2010

Yellow Peril

RichN95 wrote:

Froome is on A Question of Sport this evening if you like that sort of thing.

Was he kidnapped against his will and transported to a country that was completely alien to him for this?

Macaloon

Richmond Racer wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Froome is on A Question of Sport this evening if you like that sort of thing.

Oh noes! No 'home' questions re cycling pre-2010

Froome cleaned-up for years on the pub quiz circuit. Just because he has no background as an elite athlete doesn't mean a victory here should raise eyebrows.

ddraver

It's never on iplayer that will have to swing buy somewhere with a TV cable...

RichN95.

I expect some areas of the internet to get very excited about Froome's whereabouts as they come up with doping related theories as to how he can be in Catalonia and Salford on the same day.