bikemonster

Oi! You've clearly forgotten the First Rule!

This is what you need...and it's not even banned by the UCI: http://www.skepdic.com/news/graphics/jesusbracelet.jpg (Lights blue touch paper and retires...)

Ironic sig for the topic dude! (Ride it like it's stolen indeed...)

Yes, but noisy in a lovely, solid, rifle-bolt snicking home* sort of way. I love my Campagnolo to bits. It helps my don't-be-average approach that it's a slightly unusual choice. * Not that I have ever fired a rifle in my life.

What I expect you meant is "per revolution of the crank". The linear distance per revolution of the wheel does not change...unless you move from a 26er to a 29er...which is why a given gear ratio on a 26er has a larger development on a 29er.

I see what you did there!

...was worth a try. Brand specifics: I've been very pleased with my Scott CR1 which I've had for the last 4 years or so, and have no inclination to change anytime soon. But really, get your friend to look at lots of bikes. When she finds one that moistens the tufty clump, that's the right one. You can't go trusting a bunch of wise asses on the internet! (Well, 'cept for me of course!)

amoryns I am really surprised that this thread has gone as long as it has without anybody asking the really serious question: Can you post a pic of your friend, ideally on a couch of some sort?

Cannondale is positioned as a premium brand, so your friend may be able to get better bang for buck by looking at other brands. Nothing wrong with alu at all. Somebody will be along shortly to spin the BS that carbon makes for a cushioned ride and alu makes for a harsh ride. It's utter rubbish in the real world. The right bike is the one that makes your friend's heart go pitter patter, and a 105 groupset is an excellent level...for anybody, newbie or experienced cyclist.

What an utter numbnuts. His argument collapses with "monitor it and make sure people don't hurt themselves". As I understand it that is igzackerly what the current anti-doping rules are there to do. Doping doesn't mean swallowing tablets or getting injections, it means nothing that's on the banned list.

There's this thread, and there's the pointing out (hoping?) that the person doing a handstand on the beach might be a dude. Somebody have a chat with Mrs Woofie and prepare her.

Technically the energy consumption would be the same. One technique uses less energy per pedal stroke (and covers less distance per pedal stroke), while the other technique uses more energy per pedal stroke (and covers more distance per pedal stroke).

So when you go to sleep, to improve the quality of your sleep, set you alarm clock to wake you up two hours earlier and at the same time, set the time back by two hours. You'll wake up at the same time, but you'll be scoring more of that magical before-midnight kip!

If you're in the city (see-tee), you should visit the Clarence Street Cyclery, if you haven't already done so...

If you find you go out on a strenuous ride and do in fact die, remember next time to take things slightly easier.

At last a sensible post on the Hub. Had to happen sooner or later. Fangs four VAT.

Forgive the pedantry but here goes... If you are spinning faster for any given speed, that is a lower gear, not a higher gear. Just like in your car, the engine spins faster at 20km/h in first than it will in third. When talking about a "big" gear or a "small" gear, a big gear is one with a large "development", i.e., you travel comparatively far for one turn of the cranks. Gear development (or size) is often expressed in terms of inches. Thus an 88" gear is one where for one turn of the cranks, the bike moves 88 inches forwards. And a large gear is high gear ratio and a small gear a low gear ratio. I feel so much better now.

Indeed! Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? And also... Semper ubi sub ubi!

Luke has raised two points which had been missed previously: 1. Cadence. Everybody's optimal cadence is different, although I think you can train yourself to move your optimum slightly. For most newcomers to cycling, raising cadence will prolly bring benefits in terms of speed and knees not exploding. 2. Crank length. Longer cranks give more leverage, but make for larger circles to be pedalled, and hence more difficulty in keeping cadence high.

If you are carrying extra weight, it's the hills where it will punish you. Climbing a hill, you are constantly accelerating, just to prevent slowing down. On the flats, once you are up to speed your mass is irrelevant. This is why guys are not shy to bring out the heavy-ass aero wheels for flat races, but want skinny-ass lightweight wheels for the steeps.

My length is irrelevant, and I don't wish to boast, so if it's all the same to you, I'll list my height instead. Height: 1.70 Weight: 66 Rear: 12/26 Front: 53/39 (I think) PowerBalance Magic Pixie Dust Bracelet: Not installed But this is going to be less than meaningless, as you don't know how fast any of us go up hills. And even if you did know how fast we went up hills, it's not the gear ratio selection that gets us up the hill.

When the road points upwards everybody suffers, but some people suffer at a higher velocity than others. The answer is not in equipment. The most important thing is to choose your parents carefully. As you may have left that part a bit late, if you want to get better at hill climbing, there is only one option remaining: climb more hills. Answered it...you can close the thread now.

Are you happy with the Joplin?

Nope. I greet everybody who is either on a bike, or out exercising. Labourers on shiny Spez's heavy dikwiel bikes with crinkle cut wheels almost always greet. This thread is taking a long time to arrive at the conclusion that some people are knobs and some aren't. How much your bike cost and whether it has skinny or fat tyres has no bearing on your knobbiness. Once again, it's not about the bike.

On Sunday I rode the Cape Cobra. My height throughout remained a constant 1.70m. Is this too short for a ride like the Cobra? Like height, heart rate is only a number. Learn what works for you and train around that.