#cycling plus

[lezyne]

Lezyne Hecto 300XL and Strip Drive Rear Most Wanted in Cycling Plus

Lezyne Hecto 300XL and Strip Drive Rear Most Wanted in Cycling Plus

Lezyne Hecto300XL and Strip Pair Most Wanted in Cycling Plus Along with our new GPS cycling computers, our new Y9 LED line went off with a blast! Here’s the latest review of not one, but two within that line. Both the Hecto 300XL and Strip Drive Rear (available as a pair) were warded “Most Wanted” by Cycling Plus with a solid 4.5/5 star review. “Making sure you’re clearly visible in dark and…

View On WordPress

[themamil]

Electric shifters

I've been looking into electric shifters. They are "all the rage" at the moment, but more than just hype, they do seem to provide an extremely resilient way of upgrading your component set and at the same time remove things like chain rub, chain slips etc. Shimano have just released the Ultegra Di2 component set which comes in a LOT less than the only previously available Dura Ace based set, and although it's a step down in terms of supposed component quality (and don't get me wrong, the Ultegra is a very neat bit of kit), the Di2 benefits from better available technology than it's more expensive predecessor. Cycling Plus reviewed the set in the May 2012 edition of the (excellent) magazine and summed it up as 4 stars. "Superb shifting, simple to fit" with the only negative being "Shift buttons too close together". My Specialized Roubaix Expert 2011 came with the Ultegra component set which means the upgrade to electronic shifters means I don;t have to upgrade the whole lot. So there's a bit of saving to be made there (as well as the opportunity to sell the replaced parts on eBay). All good. So after much research, I have now determined what I need to do to upgrade from standard Ultegra to the electronic variant. I will need : UDi2 Braze on front mech' - ULTEGRA Di2 FD 6770 - £199.99 UDi2 rear mech' - ULTEGRA Di2 RD 6770 - £219.99 Shifters - ULTEGRA Di2 ST 6770 - £289.99 Battery - ULTEGRA Di2 SM BTR1 - £59.99 Internal UDi2 wiring kit  & Battery Mount (See Below) - £209.99 + £74.99 Charger & Power Cable - £69.98 TOTAL COST : £1124.92 (minus whatever I can get on ebay for the replaced components) Further Notes: The bike has full internal cable routing so I will need to purchase the internal UDi2 wiring kit and a mount for the battery on one of the bottle cages.  Shimano's  website is very helpful http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/. Internal Wiring Kit Specifics

Internal wiring kits are only intended for use with frames designed specifically to support Di2 internal wiring

Internal wiring kits feature one of two types of battery mounts: long, which is the same mount that external wiring kits utilize, and short, which eliminates the water bottle cage mount allowing for alternative battery placement

EW-7972:

Short battery mount

Utilizes an internal front segment with external junction box and battery mount as well as rear and front derailleur

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=1280mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=250mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=230mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=485mm external

EW-7972-B:

Long battery mount

Utilizes an internal front segment with external junction box and battery mount as well as rear and front derailleur

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=1280mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=240mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=230mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=485mm external

EW-7973:

Short battery mount

Utilizes an internal front segment with external junction box and battery mount as well as rear and front derailleur

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=900mm internal

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=330mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=540mm external

EW-7973-2:

Short battery mount

Utilizes an internal front segment and derailleur wires with external junction box and battery mount

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=1280mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=250mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=330mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=570mm external

EW-7975:

Long battery mount

Internalizes all wires as well as the junction box with only the battery mounting externally

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=950mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=630mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=275mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=720mm external

EW-7975-A-1:

Short battery mount

Internalizes all wires as well as the junction box with only the battery mounting externally

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=950mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=400mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=275mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=720mm external

EW-7975-A-2:

Short battery mount

Internalizes all wires as well as the junction box with only the battery mounting externally

Features a 1010mm battery mount wire for battery placement under the saddle

Length of front wire segment from junction box to front of bicycle=950mm internal

Length of battery wire segment from junction box to battery mount=1010mm external

Length of front derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=275mm external

Length of rear derailleur wire segment from junction box to derailleur=720mm external

[themamil]

Sneaky lunchtime outing

Managed to get a swift 16.74 mile outing today during lunchtime. Felt good to get out again and feeling stronger again after the Sportive really took it out of me 2 weekends ago. Need to build on this and my strength to prep me for the London Revolution which is only 5 weeks away.... GULP. Takes me to 24% of my 2012 mile target for 2012.

[themamil]

Group or Companion Riding

Like most MAMIL's (according to Cycling Plus) I ride alone. I do this because I don't have the time and inflexibility to commit to club cycling, so the only person I let down if I don't go out is me. I am also somewhat petrified about turning up at a club, and being the poorest cyclist in the group by a long way.  The London Revolution experience, which I rode with my friend Ash, really showed me some of the very clear benefits of not riding solo, and it's made me re-think how I could ride with a companion or companions .more often  Some of the benefits of riding with another person which I personally experienced during the challenge are:-  1) Motivation. By all accounts, riding with someone else really gets the most out of your effort. There were times during the London Revolution where, had I been riding solo, I am pretty sure I would have taken the pace back and focussed on enduring rather than performing.  2) Companionship. Although there were long periods of silence, the odd conversation, observation, switching of position, really can break up the brains thought processes and stop you focussing solely on the task at hand, which in turn helps alleviate the pain you are experiencing.  3) Drag. It's more pronounced when riding in a group, but there are benefits even to be had with just 2 riders, in that the following cyclist really doesn't have to work as hard as the lead rider, allowing the following rider to take a break. There were times, on the flat, where I was free-wheeling, being almost dragged along by Ash, at speeds of up to 22 mph. Doing that at a sustained rate when riding solo really takes a lot more effort. However, it's not equitable to have one rider doing all the hard work as you tick in behind them for the whole ride, so make sure you share your duties equitably.  For the first 100 miles of the London Revolution we averaged (not including stops) 16.8 mph. For the 2 of us, slightly serious but classed as solo hobby riders, this was quite an achievement, but only an achievement that was made possible by riding together.  As an aside, and I didn't mention it above, but it made the experience even more fun.  So my recommendation would be to find someone who cycles at the same level as you and try it. You'll be amazed at the results, and how different the riding experience can be as a result. I know hope to find like-minded, occasional, flexible, partners to go cycling with. I appreciate it means it won't happen that often, but when it does it will add an extra angle to riding my 2012 miles this year.

[goshyesnedboulting]

Lovely delightful @cyclingplus sent us this! Ned, doing PUNDITRY on the Giro! With some tasteful roses. Just as we were PINING away and everything after #NoNed on the Classics coverage. How thoughtful! #gosh #wow