Cycling

[Titch]

I suppose you can’t actually fall of the bike and actually break bones !

 

[gethinceri]

I've fallen off mine a couple of times indoors on the trainer after hard efforts Titch.
But then, I don't have a good safety record in any form of cycling...see avatar.

 

[Titch]

Yes I appreciate you have a record of cycling disasters. I just thought that it might be safer indoors.

 

[The Pits]

There is a common denominator Titch

 

[Bill Boddy]

As a matter of interest how many calories do you consume in half an hour on your indoor machines?

 

[gethinceri]

Depends on the particular workout, Bill Boddy but The Pits and I did this on Tuesday, his numbers may differ and the calories expended is based on an algorithm that I don't depend on.
In fact, I don't take any notice of calories, ever, otherwise I'd need to track intake as well as expenditure and life's too short for that.

 

[gethinceri]

Here's somebody else's data from the same session:

 

[Bill Boddy]

Thanks gethinceri, I can start to work out how much old age is costing me now. I bought an exercise bike from a Sue Ryder home eighteen months ago for £10. The main drawback is that it does not say whether it is in mph or km but I am working on that.

 

[FB]

All the gear, no idea... | Tourist Trap | We all know someone with all the gear and no idea. 🤷‍♂️🚴‍♂️ | By BBC Cymru Wales | Facebook

We all know someone with all the gear and no idea. 🤷‍♂️🚴‍♂️

fb.watch

 

[FB]

HUUB: Thunderbirds Mens Cycling Tops [Official Licensed Product]

The Official Gerry Anderson Store is excited to offer our cycling fans a new way to show that you are a Thunderbirds fan too. These HUUB jerseys are available in your choice of Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 2 or Thunderbird 4 and in either long or short sleeve. Make your family and friends...

shop.gerryanderson.com

 

[FB]

This looks so cool. I wonder if it is as efficient as they claim - Own a Piece of Driven

 

[The Artist.....]

FB - I've been intrigued by Driven - in part because the reason that there's been little to no innovation in bike mechanics is simply because the cog chain cog arrangement is so efficient in translating power from the legs to the rear wheel (about 98% efficiency)

 

[The Pits]

Solving a problem which does not exist, and adding complication in terms of gear shifting etc

 

[The Artist.....]

Solving a problem which does not exist, and adding complication in terms of gear shifting etc

Couldn't agree more. I just can't see how, by adding in extra complexity, this will lead to a more efficient delivery of power. It's almost unbelievable!

 

[FB]

Is it that there is not a problem, or the companies making the existing stuff have so much invested that they can't afford for something new to come along? The most efficient system for motorcycles is belt drive, but still most motorbikes have chains. The lowest maintenance system for motorbikes is shaft drive, but this is limited to tourers and cruisers mainly from a cost perspective.

I think you can get belt drive bicycles now, but limited availability.

This certainly wouldn't be the first time an industry has resisted innovation because of vested interest, and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last.

 

[gethinceri]

The bicycle innovation is in some way controlled by UCI, the governing body for most forms of cycle racing. They stipulate most of the constraints that manufacturers have to adhere to in order to ensure their product is seen in the top races, beneath the top riders.
If this were not the case then everybody would swiftly realise that perfection has already been attained in the Bianchi Specialissima with Campagnolo Super Record EPS, wouldn’t they The Pits ?

 

[The Pits]

Personally I agree that innovation has been stifled, and replaced with marketing. But we all fall for it in many ways. Difficulty is that when these new things come out, there is not a true barometer of whether it works well or not. Most of the noise has been either semi sponsored guff from GCN or other cycling journos who know that they need to be nice about things or they wont be invited back, few cycling journalists are truly objective, and those that are tend to be very polarising.

With that in mind I have to say I like the thinking behind it, but, there have been many alternatives tried, hub gears, belt drive etc, and none have taken off fully. possibly because of being late to the party (a al Betamax) some because they are shite, and some because they dont fit in with peoples ideals about cycling.

Personally, current gearing is fairly simple, parts are relatively cheap (although this is changing, along with availability) and would therefore need a significant reason for me to change, as I can guarantee that the new system will be more expensive, and still needs to be time-proven. It is also not fully clear how much better the system is likely to be. Smoother shifting? less power loss? more durable? I think the biggest benefit I can see would be in mountain biking, no dropped chain, no low hanging gear mech etc. But I know that they had issues with gear changing, so I am still cynical, and dont see me getting one.

Oh, and if the Specialissima comes in chameleon green, with disc brakes and Shimano Di2, I would agree gethinceri

 

[gethinceri]

Shimano? You can fuck off.
And you know it.

 

[FB]

You MAMILs do get competitive, don't you

 

[gethinceri]

Yes, you should see the pair of us when we cycle together, all sorts go on.