Spirog

The figures might not be scientifically correct. However, if the maths behind the numbers is consistent, then you should be able to use them as a basis for comparison for yourself over time. So if on day 1 your reading is X and on day 31 it's Y, you will be able to see your improvement.

The gospel truth.

I'll always struggle on the climbs, I don't want o look like I struggle with the chicks...

That's what scares me too. It's tough enough to have a life without throwing Iron Man into the mix.

So I can change from being a wheel sucker to be a toe sucker??!!?

So, I've been riding quite seriously for about a year. I've been training really hard on the bike and my IDT fro the last 6 months. I've now dropped 2 kilograms and my legs are getting stronger. But, my upper body is starting to look like Chris Froome's - white, pasty and without any muscles or definition. Yuk I'm currently doing cycle training 4 or 5 days a week. Does anyone have any brilliant suggestions with regard to training my upper body so I don't look like a wimp, when I take my shirt off? I'm 50, done some weight training previously and spent some time in the gym.

So, I've cracked a spot on a team for the DC So I've found accommodation So, I've booked plane tickets to Cape Town and rented a car Now all I need is someone to take my bike to Swellendam from Jo'burg, I know I can rent a box and put it on the plane, but it just seems like a huge pain. Any companies or individuals who are interested in providing this service?

I bought a Cycleops Jet Fluid Pro for 4.5k. Added the Ant+ usb thingy. Using their Virtual Training software. I love the trainer and I do most of my training with Sufferfest videos which are brilliant. Not wild about the VT software, but it gives me feedback. A trainer without software is going to get real dull real fast.

I'm assuming constant cadence of 90 rpm. Imagine that up a 12% grade...

So, using this site, http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm I came out with this. FTP 136.0 SPEED @ 20 KPH GRADE WATTS 0% 68 1% 109 2% 152 3% 194 4% 237 5% 280 6% 322 7% 364 8% 406 9% 448 10% 491 11% 532 12% 574 I now have a relative figure to aim towards to make my VR training more realistic.Thanks hubbers!!

Geez, that got complicated. Amazing, nearly 5 times that watts required to maintain the same sped at 7% as at 0%!!! This was the answer I was looking for. Now if only someone had it in a nice Excel spreadsheet, it would be perfect.

I'm now worried that I'm asking a really stupid question. And asking it badly. So, I'll try again. My programme is Virtual Training. It uses cadence and speed from the Garmin sensors to tell me what my theoretical wattage is. I ride on a virtual courses that I've downloaded off the net. When the gradient changes, I should(?) be changing gears to create the feeling off riding up a steeper gradient. Now, the watts reading on the VT programme changes, but I don't know how much it should change by. (Again, I'm not sure the question makes sense) What I want to be bale to do is have a factor that the wattage should change by for every pecent (or whatever) of dradient that changes. Then, when my FTP improves over time (hopefull), I will always be pushing the same amount of increase per grade even though at a higher theoretical wattage. This is so convoluted that I'm now confused as to why I even started the thread!!

Spend the money once and get a ride on Thule tow-bar mounted rack. They work, they're secure and if you don't buy one now, you'll end up buying one later.

I agree with what you're saying. However how do I determine what those watts should be on a particular gradient? I want to make them consistent. I ride with HR and my VR programme uses cadence and speed to determine a wattage. Or asked another way - If 0% gradient is say 100 watts, what should 3% be in watts? Or 5%? etc. Is there a spreadsheet that determines what the correlation is?

Yes, but if I'm riding at a constant pace how does that change with the grade. Let me try another way. I'm riding on the flat at a RPE of say 3.0. The grade kicks up to 5%. What is the correlation in watts or RPE between these. Am I making sense?

I'm really loving training on my new Cycleops Jetfluid IDT. It is an upgrade from a spinning bike I had and the ability to see real effort (read watts) instead of perceived effort is fantastic. I'm sure that I'll see real benefits very quickly. I'm using the Virtual Training software on PC Dave from Bicycle Power gave me a great spreadsheet to convert RPE to Watts for the Sufferfest videos and this is a great feature. It looks something like this: RPE Watts Percentage 3.0 100 50% 3.5 111 56% 4.0 123 61% 4.5 134 67% 5.0 146 73% 5.5 157 79% 6.0 169 84% 6.5 180 90% 7.0 191 96% 7.5 203 101% 8.0 214 107% 8.5 226 113% 9.0 237 119% 9.5 249 124% 10.0 260 130% My question: When riding a downloaded route on VR is there a corelation between Grade/Slope and Watts? So, for example when VR riding a 7% gradient, what should the RPE or Watts be? I'm not sure the question is logical or intelligible.

I've got a speed/cadence sensor and HRM for my Garmin on my bike. Will the laptop/iPad pick this up or do I need the ANT+ key?

So, basic CycleOps Fluid2 plus my existing iPad or laptop and I'll have all I need? I've got uncapped ADSL and a bluetooth connection to laptop/iPad - so data is no problem. Do I still need a subscription to their software? Are their training rides really more fun than Sufferfest? Is it a much nicer ride than on my spinning bike?

Sounds like good advice. Thanks.

I like to train early mornings. I'm not concerned about racing yet (maybe later). Is the actual Cyclops trainer better than the TacX?

So, I've had a spinning bike for a few months and get up 3 or 4 days a week and train for an hour or two. I use the Sufferfest training videos which are addictive. There are a couple of TacX IDT's on offer on the hub.which look quite interesting. Questions: 1. Would I get a better riding experience on one of these IDT's? 2. I want to use the Sufferfest videos, so what IDT software do I need to integrate? 3. Is it worth the upgrade, or am I just wasting money?

Having achieved an underwhelming 1034 points, my fantasy team management is exactly the same as my real world riding. Bottom third and going nowhere fast...

So, my missus has to go to Marbella on business early in August. I thought I'd go with her and have a bit of a holiday We're going to be away for a week and I've found a few companies who will rent me a carbon road bike for around Euro 30. http://www.marbellarentabike.com/bikes-prices/ I thought I'd take the opportunity to ride on one or two or three of the days she's working. Has anyone done a bike rental in Europe? What advice do you have? I've been told to take pedals, shoes and helmet. Has anyone ridden in this area? Any advice on routes? Is it safe to ride alone? And, I see they rent Vespa's as well. That looks like fun...

Thanks, will get some new ones. I bought the brakes off the Hub, and maybe they'd been lying around for some time.

I have older Campagnolo Record brakes on my bike and the brake pads have plenty of miles left in them, but they feel awful. They feel like they're too hard and are either on or off. And, even when they're on, they feel like they have no give. I guess the solution is new/different pads. Any ideas and advice would be appreciated.