Cycling

Looks like you've got a passenger!

How well does the road bike stand up to cobbles like that? My arse is wrecked after doing some rough stuff on a hybrid.
Yeah, there was someone close behind me, here is a pic taken from the 2nd photographer on the other side of the road
12-55-11JJC13B.jpg


It was just a small stretch of cobbles, one climb of lesse than a kilometre. No problems, it could be more comfortable, but it's not really bad.

I did Paris-Roubaix on this bike, that's a lot worse.
 
For 'fun'
The day before the race they have a sportive. You can do 170 km, with all the cobble sections, 155 km, with 35 of the 55 km cobbles, or 75 km (or so), with just the final 4 sections.
I did the 155. And had blisters on my hands afterwards.
It was dry, if it was raining I wouldn't have done it. I really 'enjoyed' it. It was about as hard as I expected. The last cobblesections were truly the 'hell of the north', because my hands were hurting so much.
Finishing In Roubaix was:1st:
 
Don't usually go out for evening rides, about 1mph faster than usual, but not worth it for the endless swarms of midges going through thier own arses on my face.
 
Once you eat a few midges you stop caring. It is the downside of cycling along a canal, no matter the time or heat you can't avoid the buggers. I do remember a severe infestation of the little blighters a couple of years ago, the air was thick with them, would hate to cycle through that!
 
Finally changed my crankset, went to a single ring and removed the fron derailleur and left shift. Of course I can't ride it yet as I have misplace the non-drive side fixing bolt. :givemestrength:
 

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It's a 32t tooth (with an 11-34 cassette I think). I don't really need more for what I do (commute when I can get out of bed early enough and canal/light off-road use).

Ideally I'd like to build a cross country hardtail and do some XC racing. But I'm skint.

I was actaully slightly proud of myself after changing the bottom bracket and crankset last night. Never done any sort of bike maintainence in my life and never had anyone to teach me, so it was pretty satisfying to do it by myself. A great excuse to just sit down after and enjoy a nice cold beer anyway! :cheers:
 
What's the benefit of just having a single chain wheel. Surely more gears is good. The front derailleur can't add that much weight?
 
If you don't want all the gears, or need them. With a lowest gear of 32:34 and highest of 32:11 no-FIAt-please has adequate for his needs. Marginally lighter, yes but also less to go wrong.
 
I want more gears. 21 isn't enough for me. I've been on flat or downhill sections where I wish a had another set to go to. I like the low range of gears too for the uphill sections.
 
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