Cycling Thread 2

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Any other decent alternatives to Zwift? It's about a $20 a month subscription? It adds up quickly when the Wahoo Kickr Core itself is $1299 and that's the cheapest model in the range.

I picked up a Wahoo Kickr Snap (essentially just the wheel-on version of the Core) for $740 during Black Friday 2019. Since then I've put 5,385 km on it, so I think I've gotten my money's worth out of both it and Zwift. I look at it as an investment in my fitness, especially during the winter months.


There's also Rouvy, I haven't tried it yet but it costs about same, maybe one or two dollars less. I don't think Rouvy has structured training workouts though.

[Northendzone]

yesterday i made the somewhat painful decision to clean up the summer bikes and get ready to move them down the basement and bring up the fatty.

my decision was partially driven by wondering how much longer i would have access to my outside water, as i hate putting my bikes away if they are not thoroughly cleaned and degreased

[simmer2]

TrainerRoad has fantastic pre-built workouts.

It is not as 'fun' as Zwift our Rouvy but I think a lot more functional.

[Ryan Coke]

Zwift is what I recommended for people just getting into it though. Just for doing some interesting virtual riding, group rides, races, and it has training plans too. I’ve also used what used to be sufferfest and is now wahoo SYSTM, more for dedicated training. I’ve just started on TrainerRoad, and for several reasons I really like it, but it is really for dedicated training. For most people just getting into it I’d probably still suggest Zwift for the flexibility.

For trainers, I have the Kickr core. It’s been great, and I’m glad I spent the money for the use I’ve gotten out of it (bought it in March of Covid starting). For direct drive like the core you also need a cassette to mount on it, so some extra cost there.

I debated the snap as well, but then you may need to buy a dedicated trainer wheel on the back, because I have heard of issues where the tire and tube get worn so much from the trainer that it will need to be replaced anyway.

I think Ktrain went from the snap to a direct drive, so maybe he can shed light on the pros and cons from his experiences. But overall, for me, it has been an extremely well worth it investment.

[Ryan Coke]

Also, I should add, I only subscribe to a training app from October to April or May. Once Im outside regularly I don’t keep paying for a virtual training platform typically.

[KTrain]

I went from a Snap to a Core last season and, in my opinion, it's worth the extra money. You get more accurate power readings and it doesn't require the amount of calibration the Snap does. With the Snap I would often get a little bit of tire slipping if I put too much power into sprints or steeper hills. The Core can also simulate gradients better than the Snap. The max incline for the Snap is 12%, the Core is 16% and the Kickr is 20+%.

I'm a big fan of Zwift for the social aspect of it. I know enough local guys who use it that we're able to do morning rides together and we also host weekly races. The training programs, events, group rides are all pretty solid as well. There's lots to keep you engaged over the winter months.

I've been on Zwift since late 2016 and just passed 25,000km on it this morning.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

yesterday i made the somewhat painful decision to clean up the summer bikes and get ready to move them down the basement and bring up the fatty.

my decision was partially driven by wondering how much longer i would have access to my outside water, as i hate putting my bikes away if they are not thoroughly cleaned and degreased

That’s why I have a bike/only bucket and soft car-brush for cleaning my bikes year round. I just fill it with hot soapy water, wheel the bike(s) outside against a planter box or vehicle, wear warm enough clothing and gloves, and go to it. Once done just bounce the bike a few times to drop most water off then inside they get the wipe down and spot clean. It’s good enough for 95% of cleaning, takes about 10mins/bike, and helps me pro-actively spot upcoming repair/replacement work.

[J pold]

Does anyone have any tips on winter cycling?

I've heard that you should a separate bicycle for it as your summer one can get damaged pretty quickly. I've been looking for a used mountain bike to ride once the snow starts flying.

Cheers!

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by J pold

Does anyone have any tips on winter cycling?

I've heard that you should a separate bicycle for it as your summer one can get damaged pretty quickly. I've been looking for a used mountain bike to ride once the snow starts flying.

Cheers!

I transitioned my hybrid into my winter bike a few seasons ago. Benefit is that I don't have to decide when to switch to studded tires, I can simply keep both bikes ready to go. So I'm still rolling the summer bike this week and if something goes south weather wise I simply switch up to the winter bike.

Lots of folks do handle it all with only one bike though.

As for other tips, dress in layers and only dress for the temperature and not the windchill. You'll find you warm up very quickly once you start pedaling. For hands and feet I just use my standard winter mitts (Swany toasters) and boots. I find that lets me stay nice and warm even when things hit -30.

Ski goggles and balaclava for headwear.

Oh and get a really good front light if you are riding in the dark or twilight. You definitely want to see any sketchy ice/snow areas before you hit it.

Fenders, get them if you can. Helps keeps the snow/melt from coating everything on the bike.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by J pold

Does anyone have any tips on winter cycling?

I've heard that you should a separate bicycle for it as your summer one can get damaged pretty quickly. I've been looking for a used mountain bike to ride once the snow starts flying.

Cheers!

I am debating fixing up an old mountain bike and adding studded tires to it for winter cycling.

The biggest thing for me is the right mix of clothing as cycling makes you sweat but then you are bundling up so all the sweat stays in your clothes. I'm going to have to experiment.

I'm going to wear a snowboarding helmet that has the ear flaps and extra insulation in the helmet to keep warm.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I am debating fixing up an old mountain bike and adding studded tires to it for winter cycling.

The biggest thing for me is the right mix of clothing as cycling makes you sweat but then you are bundling up so all the sweat stays in your clothes. I'm going to have to experiment.

I'm going to wear a snowboarding helmet that has the ear flaps and extra insulation in the helmet to keep warm.

I find I have clothing layers for each 5 degree shift or so. Once you figure out which layers to combine for which temperature, you can mitigate the overheating issue. If you get too cold, pedal faster! On big snow days, you will overheat. But those are often the most fun days.

[Northendzone]

clothing is definitely something you need to experiment with to figure out what works for you.

only rule would be no cotton.

[Bigtime]

Also depending on how cold you plan to ride in consider getting a Heat Exchanger mask:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I finally got one this last winter after seeing some winter cycling doctors talking about the benefits of them on twitter. A huge plus to me using it was it pretty much eliminated any issues with goggles fogging up, and breathing in warmer air on those cold days was very nice. Plus you look like Darth Vader when you wear it.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I am debating fixing up an old mountain bike and adding studded tires to it for winter cycling.

The biggest thing for me is the right mix of clothing as cycling makes you sweat but then you are bundling up so all the sweat stays in your clothes. I'm going to have to experiment.

I'm going to wear a snowboarding helmet that has the ear flaps and extra insulation in the helmet to keep warm.

If you ski/snowboard or maybe you're a runner, just dress like you would for that -- generally speaking, there are similar effort levels and issues to deal with (other than hands, get some bar mitts because hands seem to get colder cycling than they do for other activities).

And as Northendzone said, avoid cotton. Cotton kills...

[Wormius]

I dunno if they changed their sizing for North America, but I remember Small at Decathlon in The Netherlands being more like Extra Small here.

[KTrain]

With the weather finally turning, it looks like the outdoor road cycling season is coming to an end. Once the snow falls the shoulders start getting really sketchy.

It's been a pretty solid year though. I'm up 2000+kms outside this year over last. I don't remember getting out this much in November before.

I said it last year, I really should get a fat bike for when the snow falls.

[Ryan Coke]

Of course the tricky part is finding one, like all bikes. I know of 2 people who have bikes on order and are hoping for December delivery, but no guarantees. And decent used fatbikes are going fast.

But I haven’t been looking myself, so maybe there are some around. Good luck if you decide to get one, it’s good fun and gives me something to look forward to as winter settles in.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Of course the tricky part is finding one, like all bikes. I know of 2 people who have bikes on order and are hoping for December delivery, but no guarantees. And decent used fatbikes are going fast.

But I haven’t been looking myself, so maybe there are some around. Good luck if you decide to get one, it’s good fun and gives me something to look forward to as winter settles in.

I also have to be honest with myself about how much I'd actually ride it. If it's only going to be a few times a year, it's probably better to just rent a bike.

[Northendzone]

i packed my summer bikes away two weeks ago. i was worried about not having access to my outside water and i hate putting my bikes away if they are dirty and the drivetrain is not degreased.

took my fat bike for a test drive and the first few rides are hard as it is like going from a sports car to a tank.

i thought about getting out for a spin yesterday; howver, i flopped on the couch and dozed off and then for wahtever reason, work seemed appealing......

[combustiblefuel]

So this atmospheric river has been fun. See bc storm thread.