Cycling is not only a hobby. It is a passion, a way of life.
This site contains information on the experiences i have encountered in my life as a cyclist.
Bought a compact drop bar by FSA, also a 130mm stem from Control Tech.
After long consideration, finally i've made the change from 26.8mm to Oversize 31.8. I can't feel the stiffness that most people claim. But, i've certainly felt what compact bar can do. FSA compact are well made. The compact design meaning less drop, enables me to stay in the drop more comfortably and longer. Then of course, the trade off is the lost of aerodynamic position, staying lower means more aero.
After the change, my guess is, aero vs comfort, i will go for comfort. A race will not end in 10 mins, staying in the drop for 10 more minutes is what i have been looking for.
Go for compact if your current set up makes you feel uncomfortable in the drop.
Mavic Ksyrium is one of the top end product in Mavics product line. It is a aluminium wheelset. Its main feature is its weight, it is very light.
Experience on the wheels
This wheels accelerate very quickly. It reacts very quickly to any pedal activities. Its smooth sealed cartidge bearing spins fast and holds its speed easily at 35 km/h to 40km/h range. On this wheels, climbing is easy and comfortable. The bladed spokes are not tight thus giving it a very comfortable ride quality.
Truing this wheels requires special mavic spokes key. Truing is easy and fast. The wheels goes out of true fairly frequently. I guess it is because of its light weight. In comparison to 35mm profile rims, this 25mm profile rims are so much faster.
In my opinion, this is one of the better road racing wheels anybody can have. If you ride in groups, on road with lots of start, stop due to traffic lights, i recommend this pair of wheels to you.
1. Aluminium - Aluminium's density is 2700 kg/m3, it is a relatively light metal. Pretty high corrosion resistant. The disadvantage is low strength and fatigue life. The advantage includes its low weight, relatively easy to weld and join. Its modulus of elasticity is estimated at 10 000 000 psi.30 2. Steel - Steel's density ranges from 7850 kg/m3 on average. From the comparison with aluminum, it is heavier. When steel is used to make frame, the tube can be made smaller in diameter, thus reduce its weight. Steel can be welded quite easily. Older bikes have their tubes connected by lugs. Classic frames can be made with high quality steel. The disadvantage of steel is its high density and rust. A well taken care steel bike can last a lifetime. Its modulus of elasticity is estimated at 30 000 000 psi.30 3. Titanium- Titanium density is 4506 kg/m3.It have a high strength to weight ratio. It is highly resistant to corrosion. However, its disadvantage is its difficulty to weld. Thus, high cost of workmanship. It is the chose of material if cost is not a factor to consider. Its modulus of elasticity is estimated at 16 000 000 psi.30
4. Carbon Fibre - Carbon fibre density is lowest at 1780 kg/m3. It is easily molded into various shape, thus aerodynamic super bike are almost made of carbon fibre. It can be manipulated to be compliant and stiff and any direction depend on its weave. The disadvantage is cost of molding and should be not expose to direct sunlight for long period of time. carbon fiber heated from 2500 to 3000 °C (graphitizing) exhibits a higher modulus of elasticity (77,000,000 psi or 531 GPa or 531 kN/mm²).
One of the most effective method to compare gear ration is by the use of gear inches.
In the day of high wheeler bicycles, there is no gearing. The rev per min of pedal equates to the rev per min of the wheels. The load on the pedal is determined by the diameter (radius) of the wheels.
How to do it? 1. Measure the circumference of the wheel. There are a few methods a. you may measure the radius of the wheels with tires and multiply by 2xpi. or b. you may roll the bike on the floor starting from the valve and end at the valve. The distance travelled on the ground is the circumference.
2. Count the teeth on the cogset. For all sprocket
3. Count the teeth on the chain ring. For all chainring
4. Make a chart of chainring divided by sprocket and multiply by wheel circumference.
5. It is done.
The choice of bicycle used is predominantly determined by the format of ride chosen.
Road cycling is one of the most common format locally, bicycles used usually comes with 700c wheels, drop handlebar and double chain ring. Deviation such as triple chain ring, flat handlebar and 650c wheels are also available. Road bike comes with thin tyres ranging from 18mm to 25mm commonly. The seat angle is somewhere between 72 degrees to 74 degrees. It is suitable for smooth surfaces.
Above: An example of road bike
Another format of road cycling is Time Trial. Some of the cyclist call it Tri bike, however, the difference between the 2 is the seat angle. Sporting pursuit bar (bullhorn) with aero bar. wheels are either in deep V, trispokes or disc. The position of Time Trial bike make it every aero dynamic. Seat angle for TT bike is generally 72 degrees to 76 degrees, Tri bike usually spot a seat angle of 76 degrees to 80 degrees.Tri bikes are not UCI legal. While TT bikes are not Mass start legal.
Off Road riding is sub divided into a few discipline. Cross country, downhill, 4X, trial, etc
In this post i shall only describe cross country cycling. Cross country cycling or XC bikes are typically lighter then other off road bikes, it primary function is to participate in races traversing cross country terrain. Typically a cross country bike comes with a suspension fork. Some models come with suspension frame.
Frame with suspension is known as full suspension (full sus/ FS), frame without suspension is known as Hardtail (HT).
Fork is usually telescopic fork, in some models multiple linkage fork. Its travel ranges from 63mm to 100mm. Travel means the amount of verticle movement made by the lower of the fork.
Wheels are typically 26 inches, with the new standard of 29 inches. Tyres are fat ranging from 1.75 inches to 2.25 inches, with studs and patterns known as treads.
The drivetrain is usually 3 triple chain ring, with huge gear ratio. Sporting either a flat handlebar or riser bar.
Mountain bikes are meant to be ridden in cross country terrain. I am only exposed to cross country cycling in 2001. 5 years after I had my mountain bike. The experience is so memorable, I can still vividly remember the day and the scar it left.
My virgin ride is in T15 mandai. Some call it Gangsa trail. It is near the Singapore Zoological Garden and Night Safari. The road leading to the zoo, look the right, you will see a tarmac road leading to T15.
Cross country isn't easy. I rode my then Specialized Hardrock and meet up with a guy, i think his nickname is Fuzzybear in Togoparts. We met at the Seletar Reservoir park, there he showed me the way to T15.
T15 is perfect for beginners, not a lot of tight turn, just a couple of climbs. I would grade it as 2 stars out of 5 stars in terms of difficulties.
There i met a few other cyclists, whom I can still recall his nickname Fisher (Riding a Gary Fisher).
Unfortunately, the gathering ended very soon. The group went their separate ways. The group became too competitive as we get more and more experienced in cross country.
Honestly, I missed them and the rides with them.
Current bike setup
Frame: Cervelo Soloist Team Wheelset: Karbona Neo T2 Crank: KCNC with Rotor Q rings Pedals: Shimano Durace Drive train: Full Shimano Ultegra Handlebar: Bontrager X lite Stem: Unbranded Brakes: Shimano Ultegra Chain: KMC gold 9X Saddle: San Marco Bottle cage: Unbranded Computer: Polar S510 and Cateye Velo 8
Born in 1979 in a not so rich family. My family cannot a afford a car. My Father (who passed away in 2009)owned his only vehicle- a road bicycle. His way of showing the world to me as a kid is on his bicycle. As a passenger on his top tube.
My Father brought me far from home. In 1993, my Father bought a chinese made BMX at $80, even though the family is poor.
The joy of cycling is about freedom and independence. There is no better way for a young boy to go so far, all alone. The joy of cycling- remember how do you feel when you were a kid, riding all alone exploring unfamiliar places?
I hope i can rekindle the kind of feeling, that i had as a kid.
Bike fitting is probably the most important thing in cycling. Without a proper bike fit, a light weight super bike can be hard to ride.
There are a few contact points worth mentioning in bike fitting.
1. Saddle top to pedals 2. Stem length 3. Handle bar width 4. Handle bar drop 5. Saddle fore and aft 6. Cleats fore and aft (For clipless pedal users)
How to calculate saddle height. (Saddle top to pedals) 1. Wear you cycling shoes and stand against a wall and measure you crouch to the floor. 2. Take the measurement and multiply by 0.883 3. Make minor adjustment from there, it should be within 2cm of the most efficient seat height
Stem length. Drop a straight edge (plumb line) from nose. It should bisect the stem. If the position to too much forward, then the stem is too short. If the position is too aft, then the stem is too long.
Handlebar width. The handlebar should be the same as your shoulder width. Handlebar drop Handlebar drop affect comfort and airway. Therefore it is one of the most important measurement. As a guide, it should be 1cm top 2cm below the saddle. No doubt lower handlebar position improve aerodynamics, but, can you sustain in that painful crouch position for long?
Saddle fore and aft As a guide, when the crank is at the 9 o'clock position, a plumb line dropo from the knee cap should be inline with the axle of the pedals.
Cleats fore and aft As a guide, the broadest part of the feet should be on the axle of the pedals. Some individuals prefers extreme position. Personally, i love to have the axle nearer to the heels. It feels more stable and powerful.
Equally important is the geometry of the frame.
Personally, i had experience with different geometry. I can tell you, the difference is really significant. With a steep triathlon geometry of 77 degrees seat angle, i feel good in the aero position, however, on the climb, the quadriceps is unable to exert enough force onto the pedals, thus, on the climb, a steep seat angle is a disadvantage. On a 74 degree seat angle bike,the climb is easy, however, staying in aero position is painful.
Attack - An aggressive acceleration taken to open up a lead on other riders.
Blocking - Attempt to slow the progress of the pack in order to assist a breakaway group to create and secure a lead.
Blow up - To be unable to maintain a fast pace due to over exertion.
Break, or Breakaway - A rider or group of riders who sprint away from the pack.
Bridge, Bridge a Gap - An attempt to catch up with a breakaway.
Chaser - A rider who attempts to bridge a gap.
Drafting - Taking advantage of the slipsteam created by another rider by riding close to his rear wheels. Also called wheel sucking, sitting in and riding in tow.
Field Sprint - A mass sprint towards the finish line by the front of the pack.
Jam - A period of hard pedaling. Also called Hammering.
Jump - To accelerate rapidly, in a sprint.
Leadout - A tactic where one cyclist rides at his fastest pace to help his teammate in a tow. The second rider then jumps around the first rider at an even faster pace to sprint towards the finish line. Sort of like a catapult.
Mass start - A race which begins with all riders leaving the starting line in a group.
Motorpace - A training method where a rider rides behind a motor vehicle which breaks the wind.
Peleton - The main group of riders in a mass start race, also called bunch, group or pack.
Pull - To ride at the front of the group, to break the wind for the riders in the Peleton or Paceline.
Pull Off - To leave the front of the group so the next rider can take over.
Reel In - When the Peleton catches up with the Breakaway group.
Snap - To accelerate quickly.
Soft Pedal - to ride without apply pressure to the pedals.
The site is for all cyclists and cycling enthusiast. I hope to provide all cyclists with the most relevant information on cycling, as a sports, a hobby, a passion, a way of life.
In this site, hope to include
1. Equipment reviews 2. Science of cycling 3. Experiences in training, group rides and races 4. Bike repairs and links to bike repair sites 5. Races
Hope you can enjoy this site and its information useful to you.
