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Roadie comments

Alex M Lewis

3/11/10 07:25:07 AM

Shaved Legs

I shaved my legs for the first time about a month ago. The sensation of smooth skin even under dress pants in cool weather was something. It took about a week before my wife noticed the nice muscle defined calf’s.
Haven't yet ridden with the club to see what the reaction of my fellow riders will be, suspect some comments.
Why did I do it? I thought I might try some racing this year at age 58 why not.
Only problem is I seem to need a touch up shave every day, maybe I'm picky.

Alex M Lewis
Ottawa
Canada

maude

3/11/10 08:19:03 AM

scott's spin

What nonsense! Who cares about this drivel?

Chuckles

3/11/10 09:35:59 AM

Spin & Grin

I do! Maybe because I'm afflicted with a sense of humor.

Try some, you'll like it.

Adam Martin

3/11/10 08:22:40 AM

Compact Doubles

Guys,

After reading your article on compacts, where you state that a 39/53 is for stronger riders and "To these strong riders, smaller chainrings are a disadvantage because they don't need the lower gearing."

I disagree. I ride a compact crankset with an 11-23 cassette in criteriums and road races because it offers a wider spread of gears. A 34x23 is smaller than a 39x15, and a 50x11 is bigger than a 53x12.

With ten in the rear, it makes sense to spread them out a bit.

Jim Langley

3/11/10 12:08:18 PM

compacts in crits

I'm glad you've found the gearing that works and wouldn't tell you to change. But for the benefit of others, I would point out that making that shift from the 50 to the 34 in a criterium is something that would worry a lot of racers due to the possibility of dropping the chain. I know you can add a chain keeper to deal with this, etc. - but it's one of the reasons standard cranks are more popular in races FYI. To repeat, though - you should definitely use what works for you.

Chuck B

3/11/10 09:04:30 AM

In praise of the lowly triple

I have a triple and, at age 55, feel no reason to be ashamed of it. Apart from the ego issues, there continue to be reasons to like triples:

1. "Weight savings". EVERYONE who uses a triple or a compact can lose the that weight by just pushing back from the dinner table a bit sooner.

2. Confidence. I don't need those low, low gears much anymore, but for bailout purposes they'll get you on difficult climbs sooner and with more confidence.

3. The triple I have is a 30/39/52, so it is exactly the same as a standard double, with a 3rd front ring that I rarely use. A compact modfies/compromises gear ratio on the two standard rings.

4. http://www.cyclingdoubleheader.com/mountains-of-misery-elevation-profiles. I RIDE up those climbs of 18%, while many walk.

5. Knees. Mine are getting marginal and I baby them.

6. Cross chaining. On a moderate climb of 6-8% I use 39/25, but get the same gear ratio on the 3rd ring and the middle of the freewhwheel. Much nicer.

Cathy

3/11/10 09:43:37 AM

compact Cranksets

Looking for one with 167.5 arms, suggestions?

Jim Langley

3/11/10 11:55:56 AM

167.5

Yes, Cathy. Shimano Dura-Ace 34/50 cranks FC7950 are available in 167.5 arms. Your shop can order them from QBP who has them in stock as of now.

Hope this helps,

Rez Roadie

3/11/10 09:44:35 AM

Google Mapping

Directions do not distinguish between paved roads and dirt roads.

Tony

3/11/10 09:59:48 AM

Compact 50/36 or 50/34

A standard chainring (53/39) has a smaller distance to travel than a compact (50/34) when shifting up front. The standard has a 14 tooth jump and a compact has a 16 tooth jump when shifting the front derailleur. I know front derailleurs can be finicky if out of adjustment even just a bit. Would it make more sense to go with a compact 50/36 to make the jump equal to a standard 53/39, thus a shorter travel distance for the chain? In relative terms, how much low gear am I losing by doing this? My cassette is 12/25, should I go with a wider cassette to make up for the loss of the 34x25 or should I man up and learn to use the 36x25 as my lowest gear? BTW, I don't have any mountains around to ride, just bridges and short hills.

Jim Langley

3/11/10 12:14:54 PM

compact

There's only a 2-tooth difference between the 34 and 36 so the shifting will only improve a little and if the der is adjusted right, you should be okay with either. I would think if you went to the 36 you would want to go to a larger cassette too to maintain the same lowest gear you had before. But, overall, if what you have now works, it would be a lot of expense to end up with the same gearing, so it's probably not going to be worth it. By the way, to calculate your gearing so you can compare, I have an Excel gear chart on this page on my site (on the left/scroll a bit). You can download it and save it to your PC and use it to easily create gear charts and compare different gearing: http://jimlangley.net/wrench/wrench.html

Matt R

3/11/10 10:43:50 AM

Garmin Training Center - Calorie Count

I read with interest your opening statement about eating as much as possible on long rides, what struck me was the calrie reading on your Garmin (9240). I to use a Garmin Edge705 and am always amazed at the number of claories it says I have burned. I have all the settings correct on the rider and bike profiles so is it accurate or is the software just making a wild guess>

Charlie Johnson

3/11/10 11:04:45 AM

Caloric Expenditure During Cycling

There has been a lively debate about the subject on a weight control website (Loseit.com). The consensus has been that, barring the use of a power meter, most of the calculators on the web, the Garmin products and the HRMs all grossly overestimate the calories burned while cycling.
Experienced roadies claim 31 to 35 calories per mile which flies in the face of effort (speed, slope, head/tail wind).
I have purchased what is supposed to be the seminal engineering work on cycling, "Bicycling Science" by D.G. Wilson to try and get a handle on this.
What say all the roadies here?
Charlie

Roy

3/11/10 11:06:41 AM

Crankset Considerations

I was an avid triple user for 25+ years. I resisted the change to a compact very hard. BUT... this year, I made the switch to a compact (34/50 - 11/28). I have to say, I am very pleased with the performance. I do notice an improvement in shifting performance. It is still winter hear in Utah so I have not had a chance to get on any super steep climbs, but I am anticipating it will be fine. First blush early season... There is nothing wrong with compacts. I'll still keep a triple on my mountain bike though.

John, Spokane, WA.

3/11/10 11:07:26 AM

Lance Passport Issues in SA

Your reporting of LA's difficultly getting into SA is not only NOT NEWS, but its so negatively biased ("Armstrong's arrogance and stupidity..."), like all your LA reporting. The vast majority of comments to LA were positive and supportive, unlike the ones you chose to print. Its pretty obvious you don't care for the man, but you're losing readers and subscribers in reporting as such. Haters lose. Give it a rest, Ed.

Ed Pavelka, RBR editor/publisher

3/11/10 11:27:12 AM

Fact not fiction

Just reporting what we find in the news, whether pro or con. We don't make it up.

Read the Allen Lim "Overheard" quote. Read the piece about the South African situation. One positive, one negative. That's the way it played out this week.

Funny that we get mail accusing RBR of being "in love" with Lance and taking us to task for that.

He's a polarizing guy, wouldn't you agree?

old dude

3/11/10 11:10:41 AM

It's the pantyhose

I think some of my friends are shaving because the hair looks bad under their pantyhose.

Chris L.

3/11/10 11:15:28 AM

what about "tight"?

A minus for the compact sets is that for normal road use you have only 50 x 11-21 with more 2-tooth jumps, so you have less in the way of tuning the gear to the group speed. The road triple gives you the "classic road" selection, with the granny for long climbs.

David Olmsted, Aspen, Colorado

3/11/10 11:31:40 AM

Cycling and prostate issues

I'm 62 and an avid road and mt. biker. For the past 15-20 years I've had blood in my urine each and every time it's tested. Further lab work finds nothing but I've undergone two excruciating cystoscopes. Again nothing. I've insisted to my urologist, who is also a biker, that common sense would suggest that 10 hrs. or so a week of pounding on a gland is bound to cause some trauma. He always asks what evidence I have. Despite exhaustive efforts (anything to avoid another scope)I've been unable to find any research on the issue. More on point to the article, we've also discovered that staying off the bike for 3-4 days before a PSA test makes a .5-.8 (downward)difference in the results.

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 02:08:39 PM

cystoscope exams vs. biopsy

Shoot, a cystoscope is nothing. Wait until you have a biopsy. Of course, it too is "minimally invasive."

GlobalCyclingSupply

3/11/10 11:50:13 AM

Shave Before Your Race

I love the nice clean feeling of freshly shaved legs in clean sheets the night before a race. The comment about not shaving before a race seems rather silly to me as that's one of the best things about shaving your legs!

Then, when you do crash you won't have to worry about the hair when cleaning out your wound(s). Since you're more likely to crash in competition I would recommend shaving before.

Ed Pavelka, RBR editor/publisher

3/11/10 12:14:40 PM

Emphasis added

Don't shave for the FIRST time on the eve of an important event.

The weird sensation of sheets touching bare skin has been known to cause unsettled sleep.

To avoid this problem, do an INITIAL shave about 3 days before the event.

bradley bleck

3/11/10 11:51:09 AM

compact crank

My 50th birthday present to myself was a compact crank and it's much more enjoyable to ride than a triple (which I have on my commuter and mountain bike) or the 53/39. I just don't have it anymore to grind away with the 39/27 on steep and long climbs. However, some of the shift's are "too big." When I drop from the big ring to the small, I generally have to drop to higher gears at the same time otherwise I end up spinning out. It's not always, or often, a smooth transition.

Ed Pavelka, RBR editor/publisher

3/11/10 12:20:56 PM

Smaller drop

Good point, and true. That's why I prefer a 50/36 chainring combo over a 50/34. With a 36 you'll find the need to double shift is significantly reduced, but you'll sacrific only a couple of gear inches in low gear. For example:

34x28 = 32.8 in.

36x28 = 34.7 in.

Tony

3/11/10 04:20:58 PM

What cassette with 50/36

Is there a cassette that is preferred in with the 50/36, I am using a 12/25 with my compact 50/34 and would like to change out to the 36 when that one wears out. I'm wondering what I should change my cassette to, if at all?

Glenside Geoff

3/11/10 12:02:32 PM

Google maps for Bicycles

Like you I gave the maps a try on one of my routes and it put me on US Rte 1 (6 lane highway) for a short distance. Also as you noted it was easy to drag points and change route. I did find a route different than one I was using which looks interesting.

Google has a link on the map which easily allows you to report a problem with the map. I did a report about the highway portion of the trip and hopefully Google will be able to make these maps even better.

Cary

3/11/10 12:05:06 PM

Google maps

If they can add an elevation feature, then I would use it more.

Susan

3/11/10 12:05:10 PM

Fridgid riding

How, oh how, do you keep your hands warm in those freezing temps?

Ed Pavelka, RBR editor/publisher

3/11/10 12:25:48 PM

Warm hands

I rode in Pearl Izumi PRO Barrier gloves all winter with very few minutes of frigid finger discomfort. The detailed review of these gloves, and a very good model from Craft, is now in the Premium Site's Product Test archive.

Greg P.

3/11/10 12:23:12 PM

compact vs. triple

I had a compact and changed to a triple. I'm so much happier. Its not so much the uphill climbing, but the decending. With my compact I was spun out on BIG decents. Now I spin through 40 M.P.H.
Greg P. age52
In Utah's Big mountains

DadHyink

3/11/10 12:35:17 PM

Guns and Roadies

It is not insane for a cycler to afford himself protection by whatever legal means he deems prudent. Gun owners are well aware of "gun safety" issues, many of which are marginal at best and fantastical at worst. For every "gun safety" issue which might be imagined for a biker, I can relate a real life assault on a biker which would have been prevented if the biker had provided for even the most modest means of self defense. Best to leave the choice of those means up to the biker.

Quing

3/11/10 12:54:11 PM

cyclist safety

I always carry pepper spray velcroed to my headset, but there have been times when I wished I had a firearm. Two female cyclists encountering 8 burly, leering rednecks on ATVs on a rail trail was SCARY. They wouldn't move so we had to dismount and walk around them, feeling their eyes admiring our biker butts and legs. Had they made a move, I truly think "Do you feel lucky, punk" would have been far more effective than aiming a can of cayenne at them. We've never ridden that trail alone again.

GJ Peters

3/11/10 12:51:34 PM

Prostrate cancer

If any cyclist has prostrate cancer by all means search out Proton Therapy. I was treated at Loma Linda and riding durall days of treatment. My PSA was 5.0 with cancer and is now 0.46! I'm 66 and going strong!

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 02:14:17 PM

Prostate Cancer

What was your gleason score?

NCrider

3/11/10 12:55:03 PM

Scott's spin

Scott's suggestion for cyclists to avoid non-cyclist partners may have been in jest, but seriously, how many RBR riders are married to people equally into cycling? (Maybe that could be the next poll question.)

Hans in Minneapolis

3/11/10 01:09:46 PM

Google mapping for bikes

It is important that we not just take information. We need to GIVE information as well. If Google is unaware of a bike trail, it is up to US to let them know so the info will be available to others.
Related note: Here in Mpls/St Paul, we have a site called "cyclopath" that let's us choose our preference on a range between "slow and bike friendly" vs "fast but dangerous with traffic". All maps are works in progress, especially with bike trails which have a long way to progress.

Scott Murphey

3/11/10 01:46:41 PM

Prostate Cancer, cycling and rising PSA

In the New York Times, the doctor who discovered the PSA says the test is "hardly more effective than a coin toss." "Instead, the test simply reveals how much of the prostate antigen a man has in his blood. Infections, over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen, and benign swelling of the prostate can all elevate a man’s P.S.A. levels, but none of these factors signals cancer. Men with low readings might still harbor dangerous cancers, while those with high readings might be completely healthy."

So don't worry too much if cycling or anything else causes your PSA levels to rise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10Ablin.html?src=me&ref=general

joe cannondale

3/11/10 01:48:45 PM

shaved legs

i started shaving my legs after i got bit by a dog and had to change the dressing 3 times a day for about a week. it only took me 2 times of pulling the bandages off of hairy legs before i grabed a razer and shaved that area. changing the dressing hurt more than the bite. now a year later, it seems cleaner and more cyclistish.

Paolo

3/11/10 01:56:42 PM

real reason for double cranks

let's be real, the reason so many people ride doubles is because the pros do. Double crank = tough guy, triple = wuss. What they don't realize is that that double the big boys ride up that big col has the gearing of a triple. check out that interview in road magazine with Felice Gimondi

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 02:17:43 PM

Prostate Cancer and bicycling

Having been down the TURP and prostatectomy route in the last three years I can speak from first hand knowledge. Not to drag out a long medical problem in a bicycling page, if you are interested in some things I have gleaned from my exercise, contact me off line at charles_e_voigtsberger@yahoo.com

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 02:33:14 PM

Scott's spin/shaving

You don't know hurt until you have had your leg hair caught between the chain and the chain ring on a fast downhill descent. Hey, IMO, Scott's Spin completes the newsletter. A little levity makes all the tech stuff go down better.

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 02:39:31 PM

Some more thoughts on prostate can.

When people look to bicycling in regard to various pelvic problems, it always makes me wonder "What about 3rd World countries where poor people are on a bike for way more time than us here in the USA. Do pedicab drivers in Saigon or Mumbai have higher rates of prostate problems? They certainly don't have erectile problems as most of them have large families.Is the incidence of prostate cancer much higher in China? How many men had a bicycle as the only means of mechanized transportation and carried their whole family on a bike? I have never seen any correlation between bicycling and prostate cancer in Third World countries, just western countries.

Bruce Andersen

3/11/10 02:45:22 PM

PSA higher for runner also

Hi, I'm 69 yrs. old and my PSA is around 10. I had three bio's and they were negative. About ten years ago I started training to run in races. I have been a rec. runner for years and did a couple of races and it seems that after I started serious running my PSA went up. I've done two marathons including Boston and have done tri's, my PSA has stayed about 10. Makes you wonder. Do these test really mean anything. Bruce Andersen Florida

Chuck in Ventura

3/11/10 05:13:52 PM

PSA and runners

Bruce, contact me off line if you would like my take on the results of my research on PSA exams. My address is earlier on this forum.

Jon P

3/11/10 02:54:24 PM

P2P

Just finished Coach Fred's Power to the Pedals program. And my wife is currently in week 7. I had to skip the recovery weeks to fit it in so I might not have reeped all the benefits but I am still highly impressed.
I was fortunate enough to do the time trials on my bike and they were unbelieveable. Climbing Coal Bank pass and Hesperus Hill here in Durango were easier in March this year than at my peak last summer.

Best 4 bucks I've ever spent.

Thanks
Jon P.
Durango, Colorado

Daniel

3/11/10 02:58:24 PM

Submit corrections to Google

When you map a route and you know a better path than what Google maps returns submit a correction.
You'll see a yellow box on the left side of the page when you get your map which reads "Bicycling directions are in beta.
Use caution and please report unmapped bike routes, streets that aren't suited for cycling, and other problems here." You can explain the correction there.
By submitting errors those of us who know our areas can make sure people who don't ride regularly will get better directions when they try to use the system.
I noticed that on my ride to work a big section of off the street paved trail was missing from the map and I submitted a correction. The more people submit corrections for a give area the sooner it will be fixed and the better our results will be when we try to find new rides.

TriDork

3/11/10 03:03:21 PM

Shaving Legs

For initial leg shaving, try dipilatory cream (Nair and similar)

Quicker than intitial shaving, cheaper and leaves the legs silky smooth.

With all the scars on my legs, I use dipilatory cream all the time, about every 2 weeks and I'm good to go.

eddie

3/11/10 03:04:32 PM

compact chainring

I am considering changing from a standard to a compact. Will I have to change out the bottom bracket as well?
Also is there an easy way to tell if the BB is english or Italian threaded?

Phil

3/11/10 03:07:47 PM

Google Mapping for Cycling

Great tool. I hope it doesn't take Google too long to make it available on mobile smart phones.

flitch

3/11/10 03:17:22 PM

prostate cancer

at the end of the article, the final high risk category for prostate cancer reads 'being African American.' Whats up with that? Do blacks in south america or the islands or europe have different results? Is it genetic to blacks world wide or just those that reside in the US? Shouldn't it read 'being of African descent.'?

Roger

3/11/10 04:21:03 PM

Google Bike Map

The first route I tried routed over a dirt road known for deep sugar sand. Beware.

aytchkay

3/11/10 04:42:02 PM

Cycling after injury.

I understand your comments for the guy who was in a conflict with at car. I recently had a total knee replacement. Does the same advise pertain to me? At week 10 I was able to pedal a spin bike with a bit of pain. Now it's week 14 and there's little to no pain. I'm so looking forward to spring riding (in Chicago) but I don't want to produce a "new" injury.

aytchkay in chicago

longinthetooth

3/11/10 04:43:20 PM

Compact vs Triple

In your survey last year Triples were as popular as Compacts, implying growing trend towards them not away from them.
I am one of them, with a 52/40/30 and 25/12, pretty much std campag.
They are marvelous, and the supposed extra weight and complexity is bulldust as far as I can see. We are talking about a small variance in the amount in the water level in my bottle!
I can still spin while climbing unlike any of my Compact buddies, who are grinding their knees to death.