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Biking '10 part 2

#301
My name is Mudd said:
I've done a LOT of touch-up with, seriously here, fingernail polish. If you can find a color match, or at least a close shade, simply brush it on the scratch and go on with your life.
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Found the exact color match (#902 «hot for chocolate»; the lady actually took the time to sample several colors on a piece of paper for me to compare) and I even topped it with a metal flake clear coat (Revlon were on sale 2/1 :D )... I used a little strip of 2000grit water sandpaper to flatten the job out :ninja:

I tried to take a pic, but the touch up didn't show :bassist:
and I'm sure planning to go on with my life. Thanks !
 
#303
I'm considering getting Lasik to address my near sightedness. My issue has always been poor vision at about the 20' range, which is key for trail riding. I've worn expensive 'scrip sport glasses for years and I'm tired of not being able to ride in the rain or switching lenses for nightime riding.

Anyone have experiences with Lasik and riding?
 
#307
Etienned said:
...and I'm sure planning to go on with my life. Thanks !
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You're quite welcome...glad it worked for you.

spade2you said:
Most magnetic and wind resistance units get very loud when serious power is thrown down.
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+1 on that.

Something to consider with stationary riding in general - trainers will help with 'strength'-based form and help with your spin some, but if you want to work on your overall...how to put this...'gracefullness' on the bike, ain't nothin' like rollers. Trainers, by their very design, do little for smoothness (IMO, here), balance, etc, since the bike is locked in place (this is not a dig at trainers, btw, not at all). Rollers, however, essentially force one to be smooth and fluid while on them as you are literally balanced atop them. A fluid smooth spin is also an efficient spin. That said, rollers are not something that you take out of the box and just start riding...learning rollers can be a somewhat-scary time for awhile, as you are literally balanced atop them...it takes practice to learn rollers.

Understand that I'm not trying to push you toward rollers only here, I'm simply suggesting them for sometime down the road as another form of grinding to nowhere - each (rollers and stationary trainers) can and will help you, just in different ways. A lot of people will use both just for that reason, although that can get pricey...good rollers aren't cheap, and inexpensive rollers are pretty much a contradiction of terms.

Another suggestion specifically for stationary trainers - you might want to eventually consider a cheapo rear wheel, or at least a cheapo tire, solely for use with the trainer...since the bike is locked in place, the rear tire's actual tread area will eventually end up being literally squared off from contacting the trainer's roller, and you do NOT want to be out on the road with a square-shouldered tire.
 
#309
Trainer tires are good in the sense that they're cheap and designed to take trainer abuse in stride, but I usually will just rely on a set of last year's well worn tires.

In the trainer vs. roller debate, both are still around and for good reason. Rollers are great for longer rides, but there are many strength building intervals that I don't consider terribly feasible or safe. Stomps are a sprinting interval that involves trying to spin your hardest gear for your max for about 15 seconds from a complete standstill. Power intervals are feasible, but if you're doing your 30 second power intervals at their fullest, you might be a little tired and could wipe out.

Trainers are great for resistance based training, but the fixed and rigid position of the stationary bike is lame for longer distance. It's certainly more comfortable when the seat post isn't so rigid. You lose a little core strength when not having to maneuver the bike. Quite frankly, trying to maintain endurance pace and steady state on a trainer is mentally very difficult since it's simply boring. Rollers force you to maintain a certain speed to stay upright.
 
#313
My name is Mudd said:
That's too bad...it's a good way to both maintain form and bring folks into the shop during the cold and damp winter months.
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Actually, in my shop's case, the roller races were such a big deal that they had to hold them in a bigger location like a local mall. I thought the occasional famous cyclist would show up or something.

The roller races sounded interesting, but not the type of event for a TT/climber like me. :p
 
#318
Yeah...that seems awfully pricey. Check around, there are other options besides the CyclOps trainers. I usually don't recommend this place, but I think Performance sells in Canada, and they have house-branded stuff that may be a better option for you. - edit - check [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] out.

Block-wise - they're nice, but you can also simply use a phonebook, which a LOT of people do. Keeping the bike level in general isn't mandatory, but it is nice.
 
#319
Ziltoid, do you have any sources for 2.25" rollers? Obviously takes a little while to get the hang of them, but perhaps they're more of an option than the lack of deals on trainers. I'm not bashing 3" rollers (or bigger), but the smaller rollers offer you more resistance, as odd as that might sound. They're easier to hop on because the bike isn't as high off the ground and since it's harder to maintain higher speeds, they're not quite as twitchy. It's a lot harder to hold your line at 200w going ~18mph on the 2.25" rollers than 30mph on the 4.5" rollers.
 

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