wahhhh already v6 ... reporting in as well

Have recently gone for a bike fit and must say it was worth every penny. Flexibility and past injuries (if any), feet (pronation) etc were recorded. Little did I know that I had the saddle at the wrong height all along and this was after a basic fit at the bike shop. The seat was raised almost 15-20mm !! Riding in the drops was a lot more comfortable compared to before and I could sustain higher rpm for a much longer period. Previously I could only do a short burst of 110-120 rpm but now can maintain it for a few minutes.

Also got to test a selle smp saddle and must say my ass loved it but my wallet didn't so it was given a miss

hahah that's Chris; a cyclist, coach and frame designer Chris Steffanoni

Finally managed to spend some long hours on the saddle and completed a 100km ride (with breakfast stop in between). Previously, the furthest distance done was around 70km. So in a way this was a big deal and I guess I wasn't really prepared for it. Finished 1 bidon during the first 50km, then stopped to have breakfast (banana cake + hot latte). Ride back was fine and was drinking water occasionally; by 70+ km my left calf got a cramp while trying to unclip and I couldn't unclip in time and fell. Left calf started pulsating and I had major cramps. Stretched a bit and was feeling better.

Rode for another 20km and that's when all hell broke loose. Both calves starting to cramp, left thigh was twitching. Was left with 1/4 in the bidon and finished it all. Limped/rode to the nearest petrol station and bought isotonic drink and filled one empty bidon and the other with water. Felt better and slowly paddled back, the last 10km felt really long and the crazy head wind did not help at all.

Question, is there a general rule of thumb on how much water to consume based on no of hours/distance riding ? What about food intake ? Some told me that I will need to bring along power bar/gel/energy bar etc etc and it's to be consume every hour on the saddle.

I have a big ride in Oct and in the midst of training for it (200km in two days) but it's supported so I guess there'll be stop areas along the way and I can refuel/eat along the way.

Here's the ride gradient for the day



This post has been edited by yolk: Apr 29 2013, 01:08 PM

thanks for the info guys. That website makes a really good read. Guess at the end of the day everyone's body/needs are different and it's something that is figured out along the way with more rides as you learn the limits of your body. More time in the saddle and always bring extra even if not needed. Better more than less

anyone interested in getting a cannondale ??

Does anyone here have experience riding on the velodrome ?? Tried it for the very first time yesterday and managed to do a couple of laps. Was bloody hard work and felt really awesome, got dizzy after a while though lol .. where is your eye suppose to focus on when riding ?? directly in front of you ?? Managed a top speed of 40+km/h but only for two laps .. legs and lungs cursing me after that

btw this an outdoor track and not indoor

This post has been edited by yolk: May 6 2013, 11:42 AM

Hmmm I personally feel size 54 is rather small for someone 190cm. I'm only 180 cm with an inseam of about 33-34inch (86cm) and can ride a size 54/56/58 bike with adjustments to the stem length and saddle height. Depending on manufacturer this could be either a size medium or medium large.

Best is to do your own measurement first to make sure you have a general idea on what size you'll need

bike fit calculator

This post has been edited by yolk: May 13 2013, 12:49 PM

It's been a while since I last posted so here's an update from me.

Have successfully completed a 100 km ride without getting cramps, proper/frequent hydration/fuelling certainly helps. I took a long a few breakfast/yoghurt bars along and despite it providing some much needed energy boost, I found them too dry .. pfftsss so now looking into getting some powerbars/powergels.

Have also finally received my pro-lite wheels and manage to get it all fixed over the weekend.





Encountered quite a number of issues

- brand new tyres are freaking hard to put on !!
- Never knew that bike tyres has direction. Only realised it after putting the wheel back on the bike
- The tube that I got was the standard one and I only realised that it's too short (30mm profile wheel) after fixing the tube/tyre on the wheel.

So in total I think I removed the tube/tyre about 4-5 times (front and rear)

I can really feel the difference running 25mm tyres now instead of previously on 23mm, but then again I'm not sure if the change of wheels have contributed to the ride feel/comfort. Now I can run 10-15 psi lower air pressure as compared to before and get a much smoother/comfier feel/ride.





This post is not posted in hopes to incur the wrath of vinann

well it would certainly be nice to have vin_ann come all the way here with his bike !! heh got lotsa "pro" here for him to play with. I'll just show the way on a bike with motor !!

Yeah, never took into account the valve stem when getting the tubes. Didn't know/think 30mm profile would make such a big difference as compared with the stock wheels. Went to the nearest LBS and wanted to get extension valves but in the end it was cheaper to just get new tubes with longer valves.

Yeah could be, plus the new wheels have much better bearings ? so it definitely rolls a lot smoother too. There's certain parts of my route that has wooden planks/bridge and previously I could feel each and every bump. Now it's smooth sailing most of the way.

Too much hassle just to know which ultimately made a difference .. wheels or tyres. Plus the old wheels are buckled and has a broken spoke, hence why I couldn't put off the purchase for a new set of wheels any longer.

no I haven't. This is the first time I've tried removing/installing tyres/tubes and boy was I surprised on how hard it was. Thumbs hurt like fark


I've also installed brand new brake pads (swisstop) but no matter how much I adjust the front brakes it feels soft (no bite) to me. The rear feels absolutely fine and it's loads better than my previous brake pads. Upon further inspection I noticed that I've installed the front pads with toe in whilst the rear is flat to the rim. Did some reading from other forums and apparently the reason why people toe in is to reduce squeal and also since the front of the pad hits the surface of the rim first, it clears any muck before the full face of the pad touches the rim.

This initial contact causes me to press in the brake more to get full contact which makes it feel like the pads are not really biting that well, especially when compared with the original pads.

Should I install it flat without toe in or try swapping with the rear brake pads and install it with toe in ? Ideas/suggestions welcome. Isn't much fun flying down the hill after a climb to not have the confidence in the brakes.

yeah ended up using more than just the palm

of course got la levers but most people asked to avoid using levers when fitting the tyre back as this might pinch the tube and cause flats easier.

Will go back and play around with the brake pads and see if installing flat or a little toe feels better and which doesn't cause squeal. Thanks

adjusted the brakes this morning and have placed the pads flat without toe in. Totally impressed with the difference !! Now I can justify paying for the swisstop

Now the brakes have the bite that I need/want. Some final fine tuning/adjustment to find the sweet spot and I'll be all set. Currently, I have to be aware of the bite difference compared to before and to make sure that I don't press/pull the brake lever too hard, pretty sure I'll fly over the handle bar if I were to suddenly grab the brakes with the same pressure as before especially when flying down the hill

why yolk kena attack ?!?!

Story of Keirin cycling school in Japan with Shane Perkins

part 3,4,5 will be released daily until the 31st.

Was looking at some handlebars and noticed so many variants. Some are ergonomic, some are oversized etc etc. Does it really improve ride quality/comfort especially when doing long distance riding ?

most have gone brazilian though

no, not yet but used to get numb before I got gloves. Now with gloves the numbness has reduced considerably.


so many things to take into consideration. Thanks

sometimes can overhear girls in cafe comparing notes as to which wax centre is better for brazilian lol


yes that's the one


there's one that's being sold (2nd hand) bar,100mm stem + ultegra 6600 flightdeck shifters. Still contemplating but worried about longevity of carbon bars especially when 2nd hand

woohoo my winter bike n+1 is slowly coming together




Attached thumbnail(s)

that's what cycling caps are for heh but I personally use sweatband

can't get used to the idea of the top of my head being under a cap (hot) maybe the cycling caps are more breathable/thinner ?

that's the one I'm using but i got the Anti-Freeze - pullover instead in preparations of winter