Documenting my experiences with cycling training, and then putting it to good use and doing some riding!
Trying out training plans, kit, bikes, gear, tech, apps - pretty much anything on two wheels.
And getting it all on camera.
Why? Life Is Better On A Bike - what else would we be doing! 🚴🏼 😎
Пікірлер
Hi thanks -you have my sympathy. I'm 60 and reasonably fit but I find the other Canaries a little intimidating. I agonised over Lanzarote for a Christmas break and, for precisely the reasons you cite, went to Nice instead. I accept that I'd need warmer gear but for me, the trade off was well worth it. The cafes are open and there is plenty to do off the bike, the climbs are varied and verdant.
That's a great option. Maybe I will also check out mainland Spain. Trouble is - if it's over Christmas it'll be a family vacation (that i sneak my bike on) - not sure my wife will say yes to having to wear 'warmer gear' by the pool ;)
Not enough camel toe we need more camel toe
Solar version for Great Britain?? It's a kind of irony or? 😂😂
You don’t need the sun for solar 😝😉
the chamois is terrible, the front does come up too high, and the material isnt great. the pro team training jerseys are even worse.
I didn’t really get in with the pro team kit so sold it. Still have one skin tight jersey though 🤣
pro team training is trash
Yep. Not my preference
Is there something enjoyable about riding with 8,000 other people? Sounds like a disaster.
Good and Bad, but overall I’ll pass next time (famous last words!). I didn’t like the early 5am start and queuing up with 8k others. Rolling out and hitting the first climb was pretty cool but then the number of riders descending around you wasn’t so enjoyable. Food stops (including local stores) was carnage.
Wonder what your gear set up was? Ideally would be good to do these in Zone 2. I am a heavier rider and definitely wouldn't be able to do those climbs at threshold or under.
I was on my Aethos - 52/36 front and 11-34 cassette. Looking at the HR zone for the full ride, I was in threshold Z4 for just 4% (so maybe I could have gone harder!) 45% at Z3 25% each Z1/2
Is it me or does the Core stuff actually look a lot better and you get a zipped pocket for that credit card... Kinda funny when you said 8:36 "stand out from the crowd" are you sure? 🤣 Because everyone is a Rapha rider these days.
I don’t mind the core jerseys - plain and functional. Agree, there’s a lot of rapha kit out there these days. I’m always in the lookout for something else, but not found another brand that hooks me yet.
You definitely need a size smaller
Pretty sure I don’t 😝
If you can't stitch in the pad without making the shorts look like a man-diaper, how can you claim to be a premium brand?
Which brands are worth a look? I haven’t found an alternate that I would move to yet.
@@PEDALLERS 7mesh... their MK3 bibs work well for me. Pad stitching is discrete and edges are chamfered for a low profile look.
Thanks. Will keep an eye on 7mesh - looks nice, minimal. Need them in blue, and not cargo 👍
@@PEDALLERS They have non-cargo version... for some reason they are not as easy to find on the UK website. No blue color tho.
Another pair of bibs with comically stitched bullseyes on the private parts and chamois that sits like a brick turd on the backside. I swear bib makers are trolling us to see how ridiculous they can make us look. Except 7mesh... who actually have discrete stitching and chamois with chamfered edges for a smooth transition.
Thumbs up for putting them on! Very helpful for potential buyers like me!
No worries. Hope it was useful. The one tip I don’t think I mentioned - wait for the Rapha sale to buy 🤣
Ditched all my Rapha kit
For what ? I keep looking for another brand but can’t quite find the right one … yet 👍
What did you switch to? I'm currently running the PMCC line.
I’m still looking. I keep getting adverts for Pedal Mafia but … I just don’t like the branding for some reason. Will keep looking 👓
Siroko
I bought a Castelli jersey and the zipper is really so much better than Rapha core jersey. It’s a bigger plastic zipper and so smooth. Love it 😍.
Ring of kerry in Ireland 10k riders around some of the most beautiful roads in the country, and pretty good food stops particularly in kenmare before the big climb up Molls Gap
Thanks - I do fancy another trip to Ireland - with the bike this time. 10k riders sounds … a lot 🤣👍
Rapha recently destroyed their "brevet" line with a new cheaper version...no front pocket and cheaper material on the brevet now
Think I had one brevet top a few years back but didn’t get on with the thicker material
My favorite are the "classic flyweight"(which they barely make anymore) and the "pro-team flyweight" which is discontinued and replaced by a cheaper product named "light weight"...
Agree. My go to is also the classic flyweight. Pro team I’m not as convinced by the fit
Best video I have watched on 312 prep and knowledge upload, thank you. Also very good video for general endurance riding. Cheers Tim B
Appreciate if - thank you ! I just tried to put together the things I’d learnt by taking part in this event - and riding in general 😀
Dartmoor classic? 100 miler. My son did the 312 this last 3 years and compared with last year he said the stops were much improved. Last years were terrible apparently. The wrist bands this year at least were distinguishable and no band only water. The guy with the puncture before it began that you saw did the 167 and apparently had 3 punctures in all that day! The atmosphere in the village was wonderful. My son every year has got better at his fueling strategy and getting it right is so important. Styrker? Bars (I've probably spelt that wrong) which have a one handed tap your handle bar opening helps.
Dartmoor sounds good will check it out - could do with a target, thanks ! Sounds like the 312 this year improved with lessons learnt. About styrkr bars - yes I tried them and they are tasty and a decent amount of carbs- big though ! Cheers.
Never did that ride but I have traned there in the 90s great place to ride I remember the drivers were very friendly and respectful
Yes, it’s an amazing place with great rides. I will be heading back soon for sure, just not when theres 8,500 other riders there 😝
Super review. Better events (safer) and nicer locations out there - personally, I’d avoid
Absolutely. I need another event to focus and train for, but something a little less chaotic 👍
Very interesting info.
Glad you think so!
Too big you should wear a M size or even S I argue
Sure 😉
Hi there are 5 main climbs in Lanza. Femes to the south, Timanfaya in the middle, Haría and Tabyesco are two different ways up same climb and Miridor del Rio in far North which can also be ridden from sea level at Orzola. The wind helps your bike handling skills and it’s the main reason why the Ironman there is the toughest in the world. Give it another try.
You lost me at Ironman 😝. Honestly it just wasn’t my kind of place. Prefer GC and Tenerife, or Mallorca. Hoping to try Girona next. 🤞
Awesome video! 👏 very detailed and informative. I really enjoy it. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Did you have front lights?
Good question! Hopefully Yes. We had a ~2km ride to the start line in the dark but it was quiet … until we hit the queue. By the time we actually left the start line it was light and no need for lights. We did go through at least one tunnel (top of Puig Major) and legally you have to have lights on in road tunnels - but it was closed road so i dont think the Police would be stopping any cyclists there. Other than that our ride was in decent weather and no need for lights. Basically, i would say yes you should have a front light, but you can prob get away without one
You must already have a really good foundation if you've only done 5000km in 7 months leading to the event. I've already done over 5000kms of riding this year already though 90% of that has probably been junk miles and not structured training 😅 For what it's worth, I find the best pacing strategy is going by the power values found on your power curve in Strava. My 20 to 30 minute power in the last 6 weeks is around 235 watts. So on long climbs that last over 30 minutes, pace your power at 235 watts and when your going fast on the flats try and stay/surge up to 235 watts. 312km is long so save your legs.
I probably had a reasonable foundation beforehand but my training was so unstructured up till the point i started to focus on training for the M312 event. Good advice on power and pacing - i tended to go on HR for pacing strategy. But - as i bought a power meter it would be good make use of that and focus on power. I will try it out and see how it goes. Thanks :)
They look awful ! What do you expect when Rich privileged accountants run companies
Which ones - all of them?! I dont like the Core much. I just haven't found another brand I prefer yet
Castelli?
way too big for you
Which ones ? My go to is Classic and no way I’d want to go smaller than Large 😝
@@PEDALLERS both in my eyes, try the medium, classic fits the ‘most’ loose…
Well, I'm not convinced yet about that, but next time i'm passing a rapha store i'll try on the Mediums. Having had to go up a size when trying the Cores' I'd be concerned a smaller Classic size would have the same issue. We shall see!
These ones? Really? You British murder the English language
I learnt it from the Queen 😝
I was there in late February and the wind was horrendous at times. I was on an ebike so headwinds weren't a major issue, but the crosswinds were terrifying and took the pleasure away from the cycle. To be fair, I've been there on several occasions before and haven't had anything as bad as the last time. However, there is always the risk.
Absolutely. The sidewinds and especially the gusts were awful. One moment you think yep all good, let’s go! Then a blast of sidewind and it’s oh jeez.
agree , my impression was , Lanzarote is like cycling on a windy moon. Gran Canaria and especially Teneriffa are much better.Better climbs, nicer landscape more wind protection in the mountains
Agreed! Actually I just got back from Tenerife, and it was good, but … really windy although i think that was more isolated to the location (there’s a hint when it’s a big coastal destination for windsurfers, kitesurfers, etc.). Climbing was great though. But … still Gran Canaria is my favourite destination in the Canaries. :)
@@PEDALLERS when you go to Teneriffa for cycling avoid El Medano as starting location, even though it's a nice spot with great vibes due to the hang loose surfing culture. It's much better to stay in south west, less wind, less traffic and a greater selection of climbs. Yes GC is very beautiful and in former years I preferred it over Tenriffa, but over the years the Island Government has done nothing and now most of the roads on GC are oil bad shape and the condition of Roads on Teneriffa is much, much better. If you visit Teneriffa and you have a rental car even try to explore the cycling routes in the north and north west. It's rally great
@@amdeichgescheitert5779 Ha. El Medano was exactly where we were staying (never again!) - too windy (but a nice vibe). Somewhere near Los Cristianos seems a better option? And yes, you are right about GC - I really like the environment and the variety of rides, but the roads, in some parts they are not so good.
@PEDALLERS From my experience it's even better to go more in direction of Alcala (a nice, calm fishing Village) /Los Gigantes because you get rid of the horrible overtourism around Los Cristianos and Playa Las Americanas , you can avoid the crowded part of the costal road between Americanas and Playa San Juan and you have the great variety of costal climbs , roads up to Teide, and the area around Masa /El Palmar. The only thing yo miss is the great climb to Villaflor and beyond, which is better from Los Cristianos and Playa Las Americanas
Only go in winter to escape UK weather. Rides are tough in the wind but hey ho better than freezing your nuts off back home.
Absolutely, I’ve tried to flip my vacation time around so we go away for ‘winter sun’ and stay at home in the summer. 👍
Lanser-Roti
I prefer naan 😝🤣
Nice video, thanks! Next time you should come over here, to Algarve!
Thanks. I will Definitely be heading to Portugal!
Go to cyprus Paphos. I was there once last year and fell in love. The moment u leave the city and start to get behind the first small mountains ur complete alone it’s so beautiful. Nearly no cars or anything.
Sounds amazing. Cyprus hasn’t been on my radar but I will check it out for sure. Thanks ! 🤞
Welcome to Thailand! hope you had a great time. I would have loved to meet!
Thanks - it was a good time. I heard Chang Mai was also good for cycling - so maybe one day !!!
Excellent summary. Many thanks. Preparing for the 24 event.
Best of luck! Enjoy it 👍
Looks great. How humid was it, looked mental.
Not crazy but still hot and was defo sweating more than usual. It was breathing that seemed much harder than normal and trying to get enough air in your lungs. Nice to experience something different to Europe 👍
Focus point please ;)
Next time! Just figured it out on the camera 🤣
Are they polarized or no?
This specific model are not polarized but PV do a range of polarized in different styles 👍
Ok thanks
The irony of the event is that even though it's a closed road event, the day of the 312 is actually the most dangerous day of the year to ride it. Those roads are mostly quiet with little road traffic for every other day of the year, but 8,000 riders, many with much more enthusiasm than talent are hurling themselves down descents and taking innocent bystanders out in the process. It's fun to be part of a big event, but ride it any other day and it will be safer, quieter and you'll have 100+ euros to spend on lunch.
100%. You have no idea who is descending with you. Or their ability level. This event is far too stressful for me. I go to Mallorca to enjoy the riding and so will now avoid booking up at the end of April for sure 😝
2023 ride was my first and loved every minute of it. I set a reminder on my Wahoo for drinks and food. Easy to forget about it in the event. I took my own nutrition and Electrolyte tabs. Fold up water bottle was handy for extra fluid. Watch out or the tramline in the approach to Soller, we saw a bad crash there.
Sounds like you had your strategy nailed on - nice one ! The small details can make it much less stressful on the day 👍
Lol at Point Break mention. "BOHDIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Watch out for the 50 year storm 🤞👍
Any issues with the muc off spray getting on the discs?
Not that I noticed. I could have taken more care, maybe covered the discs but I didn’t seem to have any issues
nice bike...how much in AUD?
Wait - are you my wife in disguise ? 😝I got it direct from Canyon (obvs!) so check their site for latest models and prices. This models a couple of years old now.
You should be adding sealant every 6-8 weeks. Going 2 years with no sealant you have been lucky. And, I never clean the tires out.. That is an extra layer of protection you are removing..
Absolutely. Lesson learned for me. Good tip on not cleaning the tires - saves a job. Thanks 👍
I liked the bit when your video came in to focus.
🤣 yep working on it !