2014 Worlds

ddraver

EPC06 wrote:

This photo is superb.
A picture is worth a thousand words..the look on Martin's face

From the amazing Kare Dehlie Thorstad:

[/quote]

Teutonic equivalent of

Paul 8v

bompington wrote:

FocusZing wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Ha, nice one FF shows it means a lot. The look of relief after.

Brilliant clip. With all the irrational favouritism (and that's not a criticism - what would any sport be without it?) it's easy for us armchair fans to forget that each and every rider is giving everything - Wiggins's look vividly shows how little there is left in the tank.

Absolutely mullered!

andyp

frenchfighter wrote:

tom3 wrote:

Martin looked to be spinning more than Wiggo to me, which is strange as it is normally the other way around.

Completely at odds with a 58T, what I saw and what the French commentators mentioned several times.

I think Martin rides the 58t more because it gives him a good chain line in the middle of the block, rather than because he's monstering it along in the 11 sprocket.

ddraver

...see that's why you need Dr Hutch commentating on TTs

Grill

andyp wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

tom3 wrote:

Martin looked to be spinning more than Wiggo to me, which is strange as it is normally the other way around.

Completely at odds with a 58T, what I saw and what the French commentators mentioned several times.

I think Martin rides the 58t more because it gives him a good chain line in the middle of the block, rather than because he's monstering it along in the 11 sprocket.

He also rides a lower cadence than Wiggins. Quite a few riders in the local TT scene ride 60T+.

darkhairedlord

FocusZing wrote:

EPC06 wrote:

This photo is superb.
A picture is worth a thousand words..the look on Martin's face

From the amazing Kare Dehlie Thorstad:

Even in Das Boot they didn't express that much dispair.

Lanterne_Rogue

andyp wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

tom3 wrote:

Martin looked to be spinning more than Wiggo to me, which is strange as it is normally the other way around.

Completely at odds with a 58T, what I saw and what the French commentators mentioned several times.

I think Martin rides the 58t more because it gives him a good chain line in the middle of the block, rather than because he's monstering it along in the 11 sprocket.

Also the slightly bigger rear gear puts each link through a slightly more open angle, reducing some of the inefficiencies there. It does raise the question why bog-standard off-the-shelf bikes are usually 50 (compact) - 53 tooth with a 25-27 max at the rear, rather than a huge front chainring and massive mountain-bike rear. Weight? Glamour? Tradition?

ddraver

"cos that's what the Pro's use"

The reality is that 99% of bikes bought in shops should come with a compact or less and a sticker saying "No you don't use the 53x11, you re a fat dentist who'd pussy out WAY before you'd ever needed a 53x11"

If you turned up at an MTB club with the same gears Nino Schurter uses you'd go deaf from the howls of laughter. It's only roadies that think they need a 53/39*

*clearly this excludes the 3 or 4 people who post on BR who are genuinely good enough to use a bigger chainset

rick_chasey

underlayunderlay wrote:

Also the slightly bigger rear gear puts each link through a slightly more open angle, reducing some of the inefficiencies there. It does raise the question why bog-standard off-the-shelf bikes are usually 50 (compact) - 53 tooth with a 25-27 max at the rear, rather than a huge front chainring and massive mountain-bike rear. Weight? Glamour? Tradition?

Difficult to get good shifting on the rear mech if it has to span very large sprockets with a lot of chain.

Fwiw I ride a standard (39, 53) chainring with 2012 ultegra and I bought a 12-30 sprocket for the back for Flanders - if I cross chain 12-39 the chain falls off, or 53x30 doesn't fit, even with extra chain.

rick_chasey

I normally ride 11-25 on the back which is fine for Surrey.

As much as there is a fashion for low gearing, having no bail out gear also can force you to mtfu and ride harder.

I've noticeably had slower strava segments when riding a 30 sprocket. Just too easy to take it that bit easier.

Daz555

Wallace and Gromit wrote:

As an aside, Rob Hayles was highlighting on the BBC commentary yesterday that full on TTs are never comfortable, despite the top exponents looking like they're out for a training spin in the early stages. (This accords with my own experience, without the "top exponent" element.) The official BC approved term for how the effort should feel is apparently "sustainable".

I like Chris Boardman's addition to the "sustainable" aspect:

"The key equation I had in my head was: how far is it to go and is my current pace sustainable? If the answer is yes then you’re not going hard enough, if the answer is no then it’s already too late. So the answer you’re looking for is.......maybe"

DeVlaeminck

ddraver wrote:

"cos that's what the Pro's use"

The reality is that 99% of bikes bought in shops should come with a compact or less and a sticker saying "No you don't use the 53x11, you re a fat dentist who'd pussy out WAY before you'd ever needed a 53x11"

If you turned up at an MTB club with the same gears Nino Schurter uses you'd go deaf from the howls of laughter. It's only roadies that think they need a 53/39*

*clearly this excludes the 3 or 4 people who post on BR who are genuinely good enough to use a bigger chainset

I reckon anyone that races can justify a 52*39 - personally I prefer a 50*36 just for the little bit extra when I go to the Alps or the Lakes but a standard double wouldn't be a deal breaker buying a bike. Not a fan of a 34 inner just a bit too much of a jump down from the 50.

disgruntledgoat

A lot depends on style. Om a "normal" gradient, I've never needed less than a 39 x 25 to keep a good rhythm. On the really steep stuff, normal people only have a survival speed so I use the same for that.

r0bh

DeVlaeminck wrote:

ddraver wrote:

"cos that's what the Pro's use"

The reality is that 99% of bikes bought in shops should come with a compact or less and a sticker saying "No you don't use the 53x11, you re a fat dentist who'd pussy out WAY before you'd ever needed a 53x11"

If you turned up at an MTB club with the same gears Nino Schurter uses you'd go deaf from the howls of laughter. It's only roadies that think they need a 53/39*

*clearly this excludes the 3 or 4 people who post on BR who are genuinely good enough to use a bigger chainset

I reckon anyone that races can justify a 52*39 - personally I prefer a 50*36 just for the little bit extra when I go to the Alps or the Lakes but a standard double wouldn't be a deal breaker buying a bike. Not a fan of a 34 inner just a bit too much of a jump down from the 50.

I ride 50-36 too, slightly lower gearing than a standard double but without the big jump between chainrings you get on a 50-34. Normally have an 11-28 on the back

philbar72

Rick Chasey wrote:

I normally ride 11-25 on the back which is fine for Surrey.

As much as there is a fashion for low gearing, having no bail out gear also can force you to mtfu and ride harder.

I've noticeably had slower strava segments when riding a 30 sprocket. Just too easy to take it that bit easier.

12-27 rear. 27-24-21 teeth in the last 3 from memory, was epic in Flanders, double front....

Anonymous

39-23 is my smallest gear. 25 is nice and used a 27 for a mendips audax. Just means you're in the granny gear a lot earlier and there's no bail out!!

hamish_mctavish

I use a 60-10 fixie for all my riding which is fine until the gradient goes above 25% at which point I have to get out of the saddle.

salsiccia1

Hamish McTavish wrote:

I use a 60-10 fixie for all my riding which is fine until the gradient goes above 25% at which point I have to get out of the saddle.

RichN95.

On my bike I've got the gears that were on it when I bought it. I have no idea what they are. Campagnolo though. So I'm cool.

wallace_and_gromit

Daz555 wrote:

Wallace and Gromit wrote:

As an aside, Rob Hayles was highlighting on the BBC commentary yesterday that full on TTs are never comfortable, despite the top exponents looking like they're out for a training spin in the early stages. (This accords with my own experience, without the "top exponent" element.) The official BC approved term for how the effort should feel is apparently "sustainable".

I like Chris Boardman's addition to the "sustainable" aspect:

"The key equation I had in my head was: how far is it to go and is my current pace sustainable? If the answer is yes then you’re not going hard enough, if the answer is no then it’s already too late. So the answer you’re looking for is.......maybe"

If there was certainty, then life would be dull!

It's the sudden shift from "Yes" to "No" without any appreciable time in the "Maybe" zone that gets me.

frenchfighter

Why did Dowsett do such a sh*t ride?

Daz555

frenchfighter wrote:

Why did Dowsett do such a sh*t ride?

Knackered from ToB: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... red-137551

I love this quote:

“I was looking at my power meter all the time. Unfortunately I was looking at it hoping it would say a bit more than it did.”

frenchfighter

Ok thanks.

Paul 8v

He did muller himself in the TOB to be fair

Paul 8v

Hamish McTavish wrote:

I use a 60-10 fixie for all my riding which is fine until the gradient goes above 25% at which point I have to get out of the saddle.

Pah, pussy!

FocusZing

Deleted.

FocusZing

Daz555 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Why did Dowsett do such a sh*t ride?

Knackered from ToB: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... red-137551

I love this quote:

“I was looking at my power meter all the time. Unfortunately I was looking at it hoping it would say a bit more than it did.”

I can understand that, he did try damn hard in the Tour of Britain.

No_Ta_Doctor

My bike's got 9 gears. I don't know what they are and I don't use most of them. Oh, and it's got 26" wheels as well.

I'm not really cut out for this part of the thread. I should be on a commuter forum.

rick_chasey

All I was saying is that's why only big tone rides a 58 on flat TTs

heavymental

Is Millar in the team? Saw he was in the squad on his twitter. Also no congrats to Wiggo on his twitter?

Edit... just looked on BC. Yes, and he's captain. Nice way to end even if they don't manage much.