Mark O

Should be rolling past Miller Street around 09.30 en route for the Bowfield and then onto Fenwick and a scone at the Lairds Table. Two, possibly 3 in group with a further body joining us at Howwood. Unofficial splitter group. What’s your proposed route?? M

Darryl, I have 2 spare cassettes, both Shim and 10 speed. 1 x 12t - 30t and 1 x 12t - 32t. The 32t looks used possibly for the La Sufrida trip a few years back - (could do with a clean), the 30t still in a box with a zip tie - appears to be new. Would either be of use? Get in touch if you want to have a look see. M

Might have something lying about Darryl. Will have a rummage in the parts bin and let you know. M

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts and comments. All appreciated. I had looked at Hunt wheels previously, so the comments on these are reassuring. Paul, no clearance issues per se with this frame. Currently have 30mm tyres on. Will soon be time to switch to my winter bike, so highly likely I might be able to stash some cash and look at the budget for new wheels in the spring. M

The topic title speaks for itself and I'm looking for the usual sage advice to the tech savvy among the forum. I have a set of 2012 Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, which have proved to be bombproof over the last 8 years. The rims are pretty much done now and need replaced. I have sourced a set of new, still tagged, replacement rims from the US. I reckon I can acquire, ship and have the wheels rebuilt for about £450-£500. Being environmentally aware these days and not wishing to bin otherwise good solid hubs etc., do I A: do the re-rim, or B: buy a new wheelset, at a similar or slightly increased budget. If so, any recommendations as to which wheelset. Currently riding 10 speed ultegra. Cheers M

Galston! Not Glastonbury- predictive typo grrrr

Was introduced to a very nice and very cyclist friendly cafe this morning called the Heron. Located on the eastern most reaches of the transmitter hills route (detour may be applicable). Worth a google for the discerning cyclist ‘cafeista’. Heron cafe and farm shop out between Glastonbury and Strathaven.

Although written with a certain cohort of athlete in mind, and I wholly get the point and context of that approach, I think what Andy is saying does resonate across all levels of participation, and is as relevant to the coach/trainer/instructor as much as the coached and other engaged supporting 3rd parties. The paper does raise questions of a duty of care. I don't think that duty of care starts and/or stops based solely on the level of the athlete or the level of competition - although this may be subject to an element of degree. There was an interesting article recently I stumbled across on over training. May have been in Bicycling - can remember the details. However part of that article addressed the idea that over training in elite program athletes and the impact on their performance was more likely to be picked up in their numbers, due to a higher exposure to comparative analysis of their benchmarks, than those outwith elite programs due to a lack of opportunity to carry out the same comparative analysis and bench marking. Consequently, over training could be spotted and addressed quicker and better in the elite program athlete than the non elite. It went further to suggest that for the non elite athlete, resting would be a less likely suggested solution, even if spotted, due to a prevalent approach of - 'I'm/you're not hitting my/your numbers, therefore I/you must up my/your game', as opposed to WHY am I/you not hitting those numbers. Also talked about external factors - work/study/social/family pressures - impacting non program athletes more than elite program athletes, simply as a result of elite program athletes benefiting from a degree of shielding from such factors. Hence my view that Andy's article has a potentially wider audience. Nonetheless, I agree it should prove useful reading to Mul's Jets and their parents.

Brilliant article. Definitely thought provoking. Well done Billy for spotting it and posting a link. Worthwhile reading for everyone, coaches (face to face or virtual), trainers, those in a training program, athletes (budding or established at whatever level) and/or weekend warriors and those just in it for the enjoyment. My reading is that Andy Kirkland is pointing towards and advocating a 'no fear' culture in sport and something I'd recognise as psychological safety, probably physiological safety too - given he is talking about sport and the likelihood of injury, overtraining and unfortunately abuse (in light of recent reports coming out of gymnastics among other sports). Being flippant for a moment, does this mean Rule No 5 gets retired?

For those on Zwift back to back rides of The Bigger Loop and Out and Back Again Will clock up 93.9km and 1018 m of climbing. Close as dammit me thinks.

Glad you approve Paul. Dunno about importing a route to Zwift- doubt it very much. Other platforms do allow it. I guess a boffin could work out a watopia route based on distance and ascent details. (I took mine off an unverified website, so I cede to your strava data. pot holes, gravel, twists and turns are one thing, 20mph head/tail wind another. Probably evened out by 3 hours of a sweatfest.

Would it be wrong to suggest a Virtual Arran? - A VA if you like. For when the ferries are off, the weather is howlin' or lockdown is reimposed and Paul can't contain himself. 90.12 km and 853 m of climbing all in 3 hours (Paul, can you confirm the time window). Rules - single, uninterrupted session, publicly verifiable on Zwift activity feed or some other indoor platform. Ergo mode on and set to 100%, where applicable. Just think of the possibilities - VA of the month, head to head VAs, all time fastest VA leaderboard.

Agreed G IRL nobody does get left behind and as you said we all got a ride. I don’t think there was anything wrong about having the sprints, I enjoyed it and it served to show where I’m at in comparison to some bunch regulars given my extended time away from the road. so from a personal point of view - all good - I’m still pants 😕 Fi, I wouldn’t worry about the guys who may have dropped off to offer a tow back. In my experience we’ve all been there, both offering and getting that tow. 🥵 All part and parcel. Viva la sticky, non?

Comment on this evenings session. Having no sticky does make it difficult to balance the variances in power across the group. Usual bunch issues of too fast vs just right vs not fast enough were evident enough. It happens. If no sticky I’d suggest Iain makes the rule for the session and every one looks(as best they can) to the -/+ times between riders to keep the group together. If more than -0.10 off the front then ease up, if Rider more than +0.20 off the back then group ease up with provisio dropped rider put in an effort to catch on or drop out a lap if possible on lap route. If you want to do your own thing text and do it Fi, I don’t believe anyone was intentionally being horrible. It’s pants getting shelled. The stronger guys dumped me on the last lap. I couldn’t get on and watched the gap grow til I burst. That’s bike riding. Just my view and shouldn’t be seen as anything else. M

I almost stopped to chat Darryl, but had a 3 hour window to get some miles in before returning to base. Catch up soon.

Double spot this morning on only my 4th outside ride of the year! Darryl, in civvies and on an MTB? Just coming off the track at Elderslie. Jann (JWCC Zwift leader) IRL, going through the junction on George Street Paisley.

Ok I get that. Cheers Iain.

Zwift query - does the sticky real have such a significant impact on actual output? Take this evening. sticky on and circ 30km/h; sticky off and circ 40km/h for same relative effort on same route. Didn’t really expect that. Just a bit curious as to how the rate of knots is worked out. Slowest rider? Average calculated speed? Something else? Doesn’t matter? as it was billy and I shaved nearly 3 mins off reverse flats time from earlier in session.

OMG George! My guess is inside one of the skips at the community waste facility half way up the Haylie

G, Apple TV seems to be the way to connect up to a smart tv with Zwift. I use it on my set up. There are some issues regards more than 3 bits of tech running off you phone or iPad. Might cause an issue with HR strap if you have Zwift, your turbo and Apple TV connected to your phone. I did read some work around on the Zwift forum - beyond me. had no issues connecting it all up. Zwift seem to have gotten that spot on. if I’ve got the wrong end of the stick in my understanding I’m sure one of these young people you talk to will take me to task with a suitably acidic public tech-shaming episode. Thank the lord for lock down if that is the case.

Glad to be of service ensuring you are kept in tip top condition George. Had I realised the sticky was genuinely off I might have attempted a wee kick to make the chasers work for another 10 seconds more. Still in the dark over how the individual rider watts work. No way I was doing much over 270 for any length of time on the flatter sections but the respective w/kg figures do seem to even things out. Can’t be down to pure power as suggested on another thread, otherwise I’d get dropped early doors on the flat. just an observation - I do find I filter back through a bunch on descents even with the ergo boost. at the end of the day the break rarely lasts once the peloton sort themselves out and send in the big guns. Good to know everyone else found it a tough work out M

Was going to ask if the sticky was indeed off. Hard chase to catch on during first lap before the ramps - a few matches burnt. Half expected G to come through and drive on the increase the gap on the 2nd. Felt a bit more like racing.

Never eat on turbo. May have something an hour beforehand depending on time of day. Usual fluids during and after. Will do 1 bottle per hour. I get slightly bored after 2 hours, so no need for anything during turbo session anyway. ‘ride ons’ never returned during ride - same eyesight issues. Usually give a bunch of these to riders who I follow or who follow me if they are on Zwift whenever I log into Z companion app. Don’t get hung up on this.

Neo T2, Alan. You know it makes sense. 😁

Solid 30 minute climb! What else is one going to do on another lockdown Friday evening before the wine gets opened? Nice.