I have one of those Sachs Blocks on The Butler.  Really freaks people out to coast in silence.  Most just think it’s about to pack up.  It’s great to just hear the hum of the Tubs.

The true work of art with those old sew-ups was the hubs they rolled on.  I have this set of Mavic 501s which took a freewheel and a sachs freewheel on that hub that coasted in silence.  Loved scaring people as I passed in silence while coasting.  Eventually I found the Mavic axle made of ground up unicorns and updated the hub (and dish) to 130mm spacing and sadly the 9 speed freewheel was not the stealth bomber its 7 speed predecessor had been.  A bit quieter than a Shimano freehub, but no match for the old one.

The new NSW hubs give me hope that maybe we’ll go back that way someday and my current I9s which violently remind one to resume pedaling will be old school some day.

I’m an American living in Italy (for 3 years now). I’ll be moving back to the States soon and bringing all of the Euro-pro snippets that I’ve learned to my fellow Americans.

I noticed a bit of talk about choosing to get of the bike when put into difficulty. This is a bit off topic but I’ll use the previous mention among comments as an excuse. I haven’t seen it in my several readings of the rules over time but tweaking with this situation could be a valued addition.

Something along the lines of: “One shall not dismount the bike during a ride except for the following reasons… 1. A planned stop to refill bidons, 2. A group bathroom break on an exceptionally long ride, 3. Upon successful completion of a righteous ride where plenty of V has been laid to the pavement.”

Merely a suggestion.

I’m a huge fan of the site and refer all new cyclists in my midst here for valuable education.

yikes. Maybe train enough that you’re not grimacing so much at a club pace?

@itburns

yes.

I’m content to ride clinchers, for now, but someday I will make the move to tubulars. Something to dream about for the time being. A wonderful piece to keep me dreamin’, Frank.

I have had lots of problems with my newest wheelset. Thankfully I at least have an idea how to sort out one noise issue. Now I have to figure out why there is a slight “chugging” when I brake. Brake track feels perfectly smooth, wheel is true. Hmm.

Got in 4.5 hours on Saturday. Very nice to be out solo enjoying the wind and the KMs ticking by. Did get caught in three different rain storms, but still had a nice time.

I do enjoy solo rides but I find myself getting a bit “bored” (not the right word, but something like that) between the 3-4 hour mark. With groups I can ride longer and not notice it, but still really haven’t found a group I totally dig riding with. Anyone else love a three hour ride but begin to lose the thrill around four? Could be that I have plenty of work to do and know such long days in the saddle are not good for productive. Also could be that I’ve been riding light and not eating at all. Despite what the Lion says, I think I simply gotta take in some calories when I head out for many hours.

Recently tried Vittoria Open Pave CG III clinchers. They have a 320 TPI casing, and they run @ 120-30 psi. I’ll be damned if they aren’t the quietest and smoothest clincher I’ve ridden.

What cages can maintain the sound of silence? The only noise my steed makes is the bidon rattling in the cage over rougher roads and it is driving me insane. I need, no must, rectify this post haste!

Arundel Mandibles are blessedly noise free.

@wiscot

@Ron

I’m content to ride clinchers, for now, but someday I will make the move to tubulars. Something to dream about for the time being. A wonderful piece to keep me dreamin’, Frank.

I have had lots of problems with my newest wheelset. Thankfully I at least have an idea how to sort out one noise issue. Now I have to figure out why there is a slight “chugging” when I brake. Brake track feels perfectly smooth, wheel is true. Hmm.

Got in 4.5 hours on Saturday. Very nice to be out solo enjoying the wind and the KMs ticking by. Did get caught in three different rain storms, but still had a nice time.

I do enjoy solo rides but I find myself getting a bit “bored” (not the right word, but something like that) between the 3-4 hour mark. With groups I can ride longer and not notice it, but still really haven’t found a group I totally dig riding with. Anyone else love a three hour ride but begin to lose the thrill around four? Could be that I have plenty of work to do and know such long days in the saddle are not good for productive. Also could be that I’ve been riding light and not eating at all. Despite what the Lion says, I think I simply gotta take in some calories when I head out for many hours.

Dear Ron,

I hear you. Long rides require almost as much metal prep as physical prep.I did 7 hours on Saturday. It was very good and I knew I could do it as I did just over 6 he previous week in much harsher conditions. It’s all in the build-up. As for eating, in the 7 hours I ate two Oatmeal to go bars, four gels and probably about 6 bottles. I should have drunk more. I prep with a big bowl of raw oats, yogurt and raisins. Bland as hell but easy on the stomach and nice slow release of carbs and energy. I eat it about an hour before I ride and don’t go into the pockets until about 25 miles in.

East Maui Loop; 170km, 2200km. Bidons: 2. Food: none. Pace: moderate. Lost one bidon on the bumpy section but did refill the other one once.

That’s training.

What cages can maintain the sound of silence?  The only noise my steed makes is the bidon rattling in the cage over rougher roads and it is driving me insane.  I need, no must, rectify this post haste!

Don’t know why, but I hate the loud noise of the expensive/flash hubs these days. I can’t remember where, but I read an article where a rider joined some pros for a training ride. After discussing prior with one of them about ettiqute and style, on the first downhill his mentor chided him “PROS DON’T FREEWHEEL!”

Descents aren’t for recovery, they’re for going faster…

And if you feel the need to freewheel in the group, how about jumping on the front and using up all that conserved energy champ?

i believe that was cyclingtips who mentioned that. he rides with pros pretty regularly.

the only time you should hear a freehub is when you’ve reached escape velocity.  and then it shouldn’t matter anyway, since the wind in your ears is all you’ll hear.

and you’re right; there’s nothing worse than hearing freehubs in the paceline.  if you’re riding a wheel, soft pedal.  if i hear your freehub (or you being too chatty) and i’m on the front, i’ll up the pace.

@Sauterelle

@Cyclops

I’m not obsessed…

I went to go to bed last night and saw this. This is not a staged picture. This is what it usually looks like, if not worse.

Where’s your box of Kleenex?

No need, those magazine pages are all stuck together.

I really think less of people who don’t like dogs. I think even less of people who don’t have facial tissues in their homestead. (Sauterelle, go easy on your eponyms. It’s unbecoming of a Syracuse gal.)

Gianni – can’t you easily dismiss an inquiry about those pages with, “It some energy gel. I swear, it’s not my Gu.”

Fixed that for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkmeP8s8W4

ROPE A DOPE

@eightzero

But jeebuz h merckx, every time I look at those profiles for the stage cogal, I ask myself, “what have you done?”

We’ll chow the whole elephant down, one bite at a time. It’ll be fabulous.

Merckx be praised; may I be worthy of The V.

@Cyclops

I’m not obsessed…

I went to go to bed last night and saw this. This is not a staged picture. This is what it usually looks like, if not worse.

Where’s your box of Kleenex?

No need, those magazine pages are all stuck together.

Can’t believe no-one’s posted this yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hUy9ePyo6Q

Fixed that for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkmeP8s8W4

But jeebuz h merckx, every time I look at those profiles for the stage cogal, I ask myself, “what have you done?”

We’ll chow the whole elephant down, one bite at a time. It’ll be fabulous.

@Cyclops Why did you swap out the Idaho State Road Champion bedspread for that quilted one?

Hahaha! Nipple lube!

No Kleenex but the “wonder sock” is hidden under the bed.

@Cyclops Racing Weight in the mix there. “I need to find that one at my house.”

Too bad it has been more effective as a paperweight than getting me down to where I want to be.  On a brighter note, I have lost 5.5kg since the beginning of March.  Only 12 more.

I’m not obsessed…

I went to go to bed last night and saw this. This is not a staged picture. This is what it usually looks like, if not worse.

Where’s your box of Kleenex?

@eightzero

This is fine, fine writing. Indeed, the Principle of Silence is of primary importance to me. I’ve found I like listening to all the subtle sounds of my bike. I’ve even discovered some of the noises are related to the expected flex of the components, and are not indicative of pending failure. I also do appreciate the difffrent sounds made by different tyres, and have found different road surfaces make huge differences.

Yeah, and I’ve been wanting to say that the better clincher tires also have a great sound, and that if you pair them to some nice wheels, you’re on your way. Supple clinchers on 3x box section rims is a great sound. Carbon clincher will give you a hardon any time you ride alongside a wall and can hear the roar of the wheels.

But tubs and carbon together…ohmama.

As far as long term suffering, I’ve found that my thoughts involving the longest upcoming rides haunt me. Will I be able to survive the next Cogal? I’ve 6 complete centuries planned this year (not counting the uber-gruelling V-to-V Stage Cogal in late July) so I question my committment to suffering. Will I be worthy of The V? These thoughts along the white line distract me from my current work.

I suggest an adjustment of attitude. First off, you organized what could be the most ambitious Cogal to date, and that is saying something. A Stage Cogal? Yes please. Chapeau.

The question you should be asking yourself is not can I do it, but how long will it take me? There is no quitting, but it might take you for fucking ever. I remember climbing off my bike on a long ride in France when I was 14. That shit haunts you. Don’t climb off. Just slow down if you have to.

Now, this starts getting tricky with these really long days, but my most valued training technique is to train to ride farther/harder than the ride you are training for. I’ve done that my whole life. If you are doing a 200km ride, train to ride 250km. Knowing you’ve gone longer/harder etc will walk in like Guido and knock those pesky doubts right out of your mind when you hit 125km and start to wonder.

You are on your way, the next step is to learn to eradicate those doubts and replace them with strength. Strength comes from knowing you can do more.

VLVV, mate.

To quote Dr. Smith, “oh the pain. The pain.”
Moahr milez this weekend. Moahr.

But jeebuz h merckx, every time I look at those profiles for the stage cogal, I ask myself, “what have you done?”

I went to go to bed last night and saw this.  This is not a staged picture.  This is what it usually looks like, if not worse.

I have an ’07 Centaur gruppo on one bike, an ’09 Centaur gruppo on another bike. The latter shifts very nicely, very smoothly, very accurately. The former is just a bit less nice all the way away. Smooth, but not as precise, always have a bit more trouble putting it right in gear. (maybe I just can’t shift?)

All things being equal (shitty shifting cyclist, new cables, properly adjusted) is it possible that the newer one has been redesigned just enough to make it smoother and more precise?

The ’09 gruppo is the one with the redesigned shifters. I’ve also had more than one mechanic adjust the ’07 and feel that is was tuned up properly.

I had a rule when I was a platoon commander – I don’t care if you go slow, but if you ever quit, you’ll be in a world of hurt.

Goes the same for the ride.

Pain is temporary.  Quitting lasts forever!

Goes the same for the ride.

@G’rilla

When riding Campa, creaky cogs are a feature, not a bug.

You might have noticed that creaking when I dropped you the other day, were it not for the bend in space/time it caused. In fact, it has been reported that Google bought a quantum computer in order to measure the rate of V being sucked from you when I came by. My seat post grew two cm that day.

You don’t need a  quantum computer, you need a torque wrench.  And if you don’t have  a high-range one, don’t worry, it’s not a SRAM lockring, you can tighten it till the veins pop out on your arms.  That will be about right, and disabuse @G’rilla of this “feature” crap.

They come lose. Massive. V.

@Blah

@G’rilla

When riding Campa, creaky cogs are a feature, not a bug.

This makes about as much sense as @frank’s article extolling the virtues of a silent bike ending with a paragraph that says the silence allows him to hear the sound his bike makes.

It’s called the “Sound” of “Silence”. Get it?

@G’rilla

When riding Campa, creaky cogs are a feature, not a bug.

You might have noticed that creaking when I dropped you the other day, were it not for the bend in space/time it caused. In fact, it has been reported that Google bought a quantum computer in order to measure the rate of V being sucked from you when I came by. My seat post grew two cm that day.

I just went back and reread your post. Why the fuck would you need “locktite” on your lock ring? Tell me it doesn’t require the red version.

@frank

@Bespoke

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

I’ve never stopped pedaling, so I’ve never noticed the sound of my freehub.

Definite plus one on that reply.

I’m filled with equal parts pride and shame at how many times this joke was made before I finished reading the thread. We are a sick lot.

When riding Campa, creaky cogs are a feature, not a bug.

This makes about as much sense as @frank’s article extolling the virtues of a silent bike ending with a paragraph that says the silence allows him to hear the sound his bike makes.

When riding Campa, creaky cogs are a feature, not a bug.

You might have noticed that creaking when I dropped you the other day, were it not for the bend in space/time it caused. In fact, it has been reported that Google bought a quantum computer in order to measure the rate of V being sucked from you when I came by. My seat post grew two cm that day.

@frank

If the cassette is not 100% tight, the spacers will creak and my Campa cassettes have this problem consistently as unless I locktite the lockring, they always seem to come loose.

I have never ever had this problem with a Shimano cassette. That is all.

Shimano is so crappy, it doesn’t even require unnecessary maintenance or precautions!

If the cassette is not 100% tight, the spacers will creak and my Campa cassettes have this problem consistently as unless I locktite the lockring, they always seem to come loose.

I have never ever had this problem with a Shimano cassette. That is all.

@scaler911

@frank

@mcsqueak

@Ron

Frank – grease the spacers. I’ve cleaned my cassettes but never done this. Grease whether plastic or metal or just metal? A light coating of a general lube? I don’t think something like the Park Tool grease would make the chain/cogs that happy. I guess if you are careful you can put it just on the spacers and the inside of the cogs, but not really have it getting on the chain?

Yeah, I’ve never greased the spacers either. I’ll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.

AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside.

Grease the spacers whether they’re metal or not, by the way.

I’ve never in my life greased spacers. Rather than flame on about wether I think it’ll work or not (I can just call you if I want to do that), I’ll drop over, hell, I’ll quit beer for 3 months (’cause there’s no need to get stupid with the betting), if that solves the problem.

You apparently need to learn how to push on the pedals. Fabian and I can show you how to do that after I show him how to snap the pawls off the Zipp freehub body.

Admittedly, laying down massive wattage is not likely to be the Squeaker’s issue (sorry mate). If the cassette is not 100% tight, the spacers will creak and my Campa cassettes have this problem consistently as unless I locktite the lockring, they always seem to come loose.

Don’t quite beer for three months because you’re wrong (you are) – lets just get shitfaced together after my super secret Festum Prophetae celebration once that gets cemented.

Oh, and don’t ever question me. EVAH.

PDX Cogal. We’ll see………….

@frank

@mcsqueak

@Ron

Frank – grease the spacers. I’ve cleaned my cassettes but never done this. Grease whether plastic or metal or just metal? A light coating of a general lube? I don’t think something like the Park Tool grease would make the chain/cogs that happy. I guess if you are careful you can put it just on the spacers and the inside of the cogs, but not really have it getting on the chain?

Yeah, I’ve never greased the spacers either. I’ll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.

AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside.

Grease the spacers whether they’re metal or not, by the way.

I’ve never in my life greased spacers. Rather than flame on about wether I think it’ll work or not (I can just call you if I want to do that), I’ll drop over, hell, I’ll quit beer for 3 months (’cause there’s no need to get stupid with the betting), if that solves the problem.

You apparently need to learn how to push on the pedals. Fabian and I can show you how to do that after I show him how to snap the pawls off the Zipp freehub body.

Admittedly, laying down massive wattage is not likely to be the Squeaker’s issue (sorry mate). If the cassette is not 100% tight, the spacers will creak and my Campa cassettes have this problem consistently as unless I locktite the lockring, they always seem to come loose.

Don’t quite beer for three months because you’re wrong (you are) – lets just get shitfaced together after my super secret Festum Prophetae celebration once that gets cemented.

Oh, and don’t ever question me. EVAH.

@mcsqueak

@Ron

Frank – grease the spacers. I’ve cleaned my cassettes but never done this. Grease whether plastic or metal or just metal? A light coating of a general lube? I don’t think something like the Park Tool grease would make the chain/cogs that happy. I guess if you are careful you can put it just on the spacers and the inside of the cogs, but not really have it getting on the chain?

Yeah, I’ve never greased the spacers either. I’ll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.

AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside.

Grease the spacers whether they’re metal or not, by the way.

I’ve never in my life greased spacers. Rather than flame on about wether I think it’ll work or not (I can just call you if I want to do that), I’ll drop over, hell, I’ll quit beer for 3 months (’cause there’s no need to get stupid with the betting), if that solves the problem.

This is fine, fine writing. Indeed, the Principle of Silence is of primary importance to me. I’ve found I like listening to all the subtle sounds of my bike. I’ve even discovered some of the noises are related to the expected flex of the components, and are not indicative of pending failure. I also do appreciate the difffrent sounds made by different tyres, and have found different road surfaces make huge differences.

Yeah, and I’ve been wanting to say that the better clincher tires also have a great sound, and that if you pair them to some nice wheels, you’re on your way. Supple clinchers on 3x box section rims is a great sound. Carbon clincher will give you a hardon any time you ride alongside a wall and can hear the roar of the wheels.

But tubs and carbon together…ohmama.

As far as long term suffering, I’ve found that my thoughts involving the longest upcoming rides haunt me. Will I be able to survive the next Cogal? I’ve 6 complete centuries planned this year (not counting the uber-gruelling V-to-V Stage Cogal in late July) so I question my committment to suffering. Will I be worthy of The V? These thoughts along the white line distract me from my current work.

I suggest an adjustment of attitude. First off, you organized what could be the most ambitious Cogal to date, and that is saying something. A Stage Cogal? Yes please. Chapeau.

The question you should be asking yourself is not can I do it, but how long will it take me? There is no quitting, but it might take you for fucking ever. I remember climbing off my bike on a long ride in France when I was 14. That shit haunts you. Don’t climb off. Just slow down if you have to.

Now, this starts getting tricky with these really long days, but my most valued training technique is to train to ride farther/harder than the ride you are training for. I’ve done that my whole life. If you are doing a 200km ride, train to ride 250km. Knowing you’ve gone longer/harder etc will walk in like Guido and knock those pesky doubts right out of your mind when you hit 125km and start to wonder.

You are on your way, the next step is to learn to eradicate those doubts and replace them with strength. Strength comes from knowing you can do more.

VLVV, mate.

@Ron

Frank – grease the spacers. I’ve cleaned my cassettes but never done this. Grease whether plastic or metal or just metal? A light coating of a general lube? I don’t think something like the Park Tool grease would make the chain/cogs that happy. I guess if you are careful you can put it just on the spacers and the inside of the cogs, but not really have it getting on the chain?

Yeah, I’ve never greased the spacers either. I’ll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.

AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside.

Grease the spacers whether they’re metal or not, by the way.

hub noise is not included, though it can be annoying.

Don’t know why, but I hate the loud noise of the expensive/flash hubs these days. I can’t remember where, but I read an article where a rider joined some pros for a training ride. After discussing prior with one of them about ettiqute and style, on the first downhill his mentor chided him “PROS DON’T FREEWHEEL!”

Descents aren’t for recovery, they’re for going faster…

And if you feel the need to freewheel in the group, how about jumping on the front and using up all that conserved energy champ?

I always thought the advice regarding eating throughout the day was more about curbing binge cravings due to spikes/valleys in blood sugar as opposed to halting metabolism.

If that’s what it is, then I suggest a regimen of Rule #5 adherence and exhibiting some fucking self control.

Frank – grease the spacers. I’ve cleaned my cassettes but never done this. Grease whether plastic or metal or just metal? A light coating of a general lube? I don’t think something like the Park Tool grease would make the chain/cogs that happy. I guess if you are careful you can put it just on the spacers and the inside of the cogs, but not really have it getting on the chain?

Yeah, I’ve never greased the spacers either. I’ll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.

As far as long term suffering, I’ve found that my thoughts involving the longest upcoming rides haunt me. Will I be able to survive the next Cogal? I’ve 6 complete centuries planned this year (not counting the uber-gruelling V-to-V Stage Cogal in late July) so I question my committment to suffering. Will I be worthy of the V? These thoughts along the white line distract me from my current work.

@Bespoke

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

I’ve never stopped pedaling, so I’ve never noticed the sound of my freehub.

Definite plus one on that reply.

@wiscot She’s wearing a heart rate monitor strap “” of course.

No, in front of her wrist.

@Blah

@Chris

That’s disco corner. The lady in the powder blue slacks had meant to pull her top up but the speed of Merckx caught her out.

No way is she going to be able to pull that top up. It’s all pretty packed in there and those pants aren’t going to let go of the hem without a fight.

And what about the kid in the jump suit? Re-posting because it got buried. I have a feeling blue pants has some sweet shades on.

Ok, I don’t want to come across as too pervy (but given some of the issues covered on this site, that’s unlikely),, Ms Blue Slacks is of an undetermimed age, but look next to her left wrist; is she showing excitement at the Prophet’s exertions?

@wiscot

@frank

@Ron

Everyone gets bored on a long, solo ride. The trick is not minding that it hurts. Training alone is about exploring the darkest corners of yourself. On a 12 hour solo ride, things get very musty in the ol’ mind. Doubt, obsession on the inconsequential, highs, lows. Its a beautiful thing that inspires one to become a better person.

I don’t do those rides solo for the enjoyment of it, I do it because of how I feel afterwards. I do enjoy them, but at this point I can’t separate the reward of having pushed myself to do something like that from the enjoyment of a long day on the bike. A group ride of that length gives you other things, but when you drop the flashlight deep in the pain cave, you would be alone even if you were riding through Times Square.

I agree with all of this except your food intake. My 7 hour ride was about 190kms. If I hadn’t eaten I’d be dead by the side of the road. There’s something great about committing yourself to be so far from home knowing that there’s only one way back – your own effort. Yes, the rides are hard but there is immense satisfaction at the end. 8kms from the end I passed a friend walking their dog. I yelled “hi” and kept going. I was too close to the end to slow way down and chat. It’s funny how you can keep going when you need to but if you give yourself a break, it’ll be 100 times harder to finish.

To be fair, I brought cliff bars and shots, but didn’t want to use them unless I had to. I wouldn’t normally do that, but for a long winter training ride, it is a great way to lose weight. Wouldn’t dream of that in the summer.

People disagree with me on my approach to food, but Museeuw and I agree and I like those odds.

Well that makes me feel a wee bit better. It was pretty warm here on Saturday when I did the 7 hours. Started off cloudy at 11am but warmed up fast. I was overdressed. And, as you know, SE WI isn’t flat. My route was perpetually lumpy. I needed the food!

Only when pedaling? Take the cassette off, clean it, grease all the spacers, and put it back on, tight.

Oh, and whatever you try, just try ONE THING AT A TIME. Don’t change too many variables at once.

As far as I can tell… the ratchets make a nice clicky whir while coasting, so it’s hard to hear if the noise is still there or not.

I always thought the advice regarding eating throughout the day was more about curbing binge cravings due to spikes/valleys in blood sugar as opposed to halting metabolism.

I have to snack on fruit and veggies all day long, it helps with the cravings and keeps my blood sugar consistent. If it gets too low I become even more insufferable than normal.

My #1 is a touch of a weenie with very light contact points and with my too fat too climb mass aboard sometimes tests the upper working safe limits of the components. It teaches me that I need to work harder to be worthy of riding her on the best days.

The #2, being the newborn, is currently impressing the nuts off me. A repeat 170km sportive with 2,500m of vertical, 500m greater than a year ago, saw me completing in a time 20 mins quicker than before. I was less “dark” than before in the later stages where the man with the hammer comes knocking, I was astonished may how much better I felt. It also wears golden tickets laced and tried by my own hand to Royce hubs stuck to FMB 25mm Paris Roubaix tubs. I’m tempted to put my Enve 6.7  on to see how it is but worry that a classic lugged bike logged bike might look shit with such modern hoops.

Is there a rule that says you shouldn’t put modern components on classic skinny steel ???

A timeout article Frank, can’t believe how important the principal of silence is now that I have it in spades.

 

Same with halting metabolism by not eating. Like I said before, if that were true starvation would be a non-issue.

I always thought the advice regarding eating throughout the day was more about curbing binge cravings due to spikes/valleys in blood sugar as opposed to halting metabolism.

Regardless, since I rarely get to ride anymore since become a parent, I never bring food.  Since the rides I do get in are much shorter than they used to be, I need to burn all the calories I can.  Anyone need a 10 gallon pail of quick dissolve maltodextrin?  I’ve got two in my cycling gear closet going unused.

@frank

@Ron

Everyone gets bored on a long, solo ride. The trick is not minding that it hurts. Training alone is about exploring the darkest corners of yourself. On a 12 hour solo ride, things get very musty in the ol’ mind. Doubt, obsession on the inconsequential, highs, lows. Its a beautiful thing that inspires one to become a better person.

I don’t do those rides solo for the enjoyment of it, I do it because of how I feel afterwards. I do enjoy them, but at this point I can’t separate the reward of having pushed myself to do something like that from the enjoyment of a long day on the bike. A group ride of that length gives you other things, but when you drop the flashlight deep in the pain cave, you would be alone even if you were riding through Times Square.

I agree with all of this except your food intake. My 7 hour ride was about 190kms. If I hadn’t eaten I’d be dead by the side of the road. There’s something great about committing yourself to be so far from home knowing that there’s only one way back – your own effort. Yes, the rides are hard but there is immense satisfaction at the end. 8kms from the end I passed a friend walking their dog. I yelled “hi” and kept going. I was too close to the end to slow way down and chat. It’s funny how you can keep going when you need to but if you give yourself a break, it’ll be 100 times harder to finish.

To be fair, I brought cliff bars and shots, but didn’t want to use them unless I had to. I wouldn’t normally do that, but for a long winter training ride, it is a great way to lose weight. Wouldn’t dream of that in the summer.

People disagree with me on my approach to food, but Museeuw and I agree and I like those odds.

@paolo

@scaler911

mavics by any chance? Just curious.

No, Revolution Wheelworks. It’s like a combo click/creak, and it seems to happen at the same time on each revolution of the wheel, and under load as well – I did a bit of climbing with them on Sunday to test them out again and got a constant click/creak on hard out of the saddle climbing.

Last time we rode together scaler spent a bit of time checking it out as I pedaled, since it’s hard to tell what’s going on from the saddle.

Super frustrating, but at least my other wheelset doesn’t make any noise so I’ve been riding those in the mean time.

Any ways, enough of that!

Only when pedaling? Take the cassette off, clean it, grease all the spacers, and put it back on, tight.

Oh, and whatever you try, just try ONE THING AT A TIME. Don’t change too many variables at once.

@Dr C

@Chris

@Bespoke

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

A true Velominati would not have a problem with such hubs. Since the ratchets can only be heard when freewheeling, any sound is either a sign of Anti-V or an an indication of whether or not Rule #23 is being observed.

Jinx!!

Great minds think alike…

Pro 2s are great hubs, keep it. I’m pretty sure that the Principle of Silence does not apply to hooning around in the woods and I can’t think of anything else you’d be doing on a mountain bike with the exception of racing when you’d be pedalling all the time anyway.

This is correct; hub noise is not included, though it can be annoying. I happen to like the nice, crisp click of a hub, and both my Royce and Hope hubs have this characteristic.

I base this on spinning the wheel in the VVorkshop, as I don’t stop pedaling, per the above. Of course.

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

I’ve never stopped pedaling, so I’ve never noticed the sound of my freehub.

Thus far next year’s planning consists of remembering to enter, being a bit more organised in travel to the start, sleep, kit checking and losing half our body weights.

Start with solid foods, but as you carry on, you can switch to gels. Find some with less sugar but not chewing helps a lot. Plus, on a ride that long, chewing starts to be too energy-intensive anyway. I’ve been so burned that chewing caused a lactic acid fire in my jaw.

By the way – when the Strava map shows an entire country to get your ride in – you know you’ve gone a long way.

This.

@ChrisO

@G’rilla @T-Bone I agree, it is an awesome photo.

It’s the girl’s hair and her expression that make it for me – she is trying to resist being sucked into the V-ortex of Merckx’s slipstream.

You can see that the smaller child behind was also being pulled in but has been grabbed by an adult, who presumably had taken the precaution of tying himself to a tree, just out of shot.

As for the woman, she’s well fit, with signs of nicely developed guns. It is in fact Marianne Vos’s grandmother, and a genetic fusion has occurred spontaneously as drops of Merckx’s sweat found their way into those delightfully clinging slacks. But as we saw with Axel, even Merckx’s DNA doesn’t work fully in the next generation.

A masterpiece.

I’m less worried about my body consuming muscle during a ride – I train to avoid that. More concerned with replenishing glycogen afterwards.

Spot on, replenish afterwards but consuming muscle is, in my opinion, a modern myth by hobby nutritionists. I’m sure at some point you can start to consume muscle, but not so long as you are fit enough that you body knows HOW to burn fat and that you have fat left to burn.

Same with halting metabolism by not eating. Like I said before, if that were true starvation would be a non-issue.

@Chris

That’s disco corner. The lady in the powder blue slacks had meant to pull her top up but the speed of Merckx caught her out.

No way is she going to be able to pull that top up. It’s all pretty packed in there and those pants aren’t going to let go of the hem without a fight.

And what about the kid in the jump suit? Re-posting because it got buried. I have a feeling blue pants has some sweet shades on.

@frank

East Maui Loop; 170km, 2200km. Bidons: 2. Food: none. Pace: moderate. Lost one bidon on the bumpy section but did refill the other one once.

That’s training.

I see another big volcano to the NW on that island……so, you weren’t tempted to tag it on to the end for shits and giggles?

There is a guy Rob who does what he calls “The Corkscrew”, which is to then ride up Haleakala after doing the East Maui loop. That’s a real ride. Did it for his 50th birthday this year.

The Volcano on the west side doesn’t have a road up it, but there is a hefty loop around the west side of the island.

@Ron

Everyone gets bored on a long, solo ride. The trick is not minding that it hurts. Training alone is about exploring the darkest corners of yourself. On a 12 hour solo ride, things get very musty in the ol’ mind. Doubt, obsession on the inconsequential, highs, lows. Its a beautiful thing that inspires one to become a better person.

I don’t do those rides solo for the enjoyment of it, I do it because of how I feel afterwards. I do enjoy them, but at this point I can’t separate the reward of having pushed myself to do something like that from the enjoyment of a long day on the bike. A group ride of that length gives you other things, but when you drop the flashlight deep in the pain cave, you would be alone even if you were riding through Times Square.

I agree with all of this except your food intake. My 7 hour ride was about 190kms. If I hadn’t eaten I’d be dead by the side of the road. There’s something great about committing yourself to be so far from home knowing that there’s only one way back – your own effort. Yes, the rides are hard but there is immense satisfaction at the end. 8kms from the end I passed a friend walking their dog. I yelled “hi” and kept going. I was too close to the end to slow way down and chat. It’s funny how you can keep going when you need to but if you give yourself a break, it’ll be 100 times harder to finish.

@Ron

If I take a break over 5 minutes during a ride my legs take a very long time to get going again. Anyone else encounter this? And have a solution? Sometimes I’m riding in small groups and people want to stop, or sometimes I go out all day and decide to take a rest. The problem is that the second half is usually grueling because I cannot get my legs churning again.Also, I’d like to try rice cakes. Anyone have a good method? I’ve seen Lim’s online but that seems kinda involved. I like to cook, but not so much for cycling, as I’d rather be riding.

The local club rides tend to have a tea and cake stop midway round which can be as long as forty minutes. Like you my legs tend to think that they’re done for the day if they’ve had much more than five minutes. It hurts but getting back on the front and working hard is the only solution that has worked for me although it’s backfired on more than one occasion when I’ve then got comfortable, spent a bit too long there and subsequently got dropped.

I quite fancy trying rice cakes as well. I found some sushi rice in the super market the other day so I’m going to give that a go.

One of the reasons I do mostly solo is so I can set my own pace and schedule. In other words, stops at gas stations for liquids are as short as they need to be. Even when I do organized rides, I stop, piss, eat, refill pockets and leave. No hanging about. A forty minute break would kill me.

Just sayin’

I’m sure you guys have checked…not trying to piss Scaler off, but when I have had consistent clicking underload I found that the lock ring on the cassette was just not quite snugged up. 

As you say…enuff of dat!

I found some of their recipes a bit tricky to get the right consistency – the rice and banana pancakes were a disaster, and their granola is also dubious. However I do like the book particularly for what JACD214 describes – the descriptions and the information that come with the recipes.

I’ve settled on a slight variation of their rice cakes which is 2 cups of cooked rice, a mashed banana and a beaten egg (they cook the egg first and then mix in, whereas I use it to help bind the cakes). Mix together with a good handful of grated parmesan and some lardons or bacon cubes and a swig of maple syrup.

Put in a loaf or slice tin (use a little of the bacon fat to grease the tin) up to a depth of about one knuckle and bake in moderate oven for 15-20 mins.

I tend to use them post-ride rather than mid ride but then that’s because I rarely want or need to eat that much mid-ride.

@scaler911

mavics by any chance? Just curious.

No, Revolution Wheelworks. It’s like a combo click/creak, and it seems to happen at the same time on each revolution of the wheel, and under load as well – I did a bit of climbing with them on Sunday to test them out again and got a constant click/creak on hard out of the saddle climbing.

Last time we rode together scaler spent a bit of time checking it out as I pedaled, since it’s hard to tell what’s going on from the saddle.

Super frustrating, but at least my other wheelset doesn’t make any noise so I’ve been riding those in the mean time.

Any ways, enough of that!

Also, I’d like to try rice cakes. Anyone have a good method? I’ve seen Lim’s online but that seems kinda involved. I like to cook, but not so much for cycling, as I’d rather be riding.

I’ve made Lim’s recipe on multiple occasions.  I’ve tried other variations of it, but I still like the bacon, parmesan and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos version the best.  I don’t find them terribly involved to make and they’ll keep in the fridge for a few days.

Dr. Lim’s book “The Feed Zone” covers a myriad of recipes and food types and at the same time discusses ways to speed up the time spent in the kitchen. The online recipes are just recipes, but the book shares much, much more about cooking and food preparation.

The VMH, VMN (Velominipper – our son – I think I just made that up; it’s not in the Lexicon) and I have yet to find a disappointing recipe.

In any event, if you like cooking, it’s full of day-to-day recipes that serve The V quite well, I think. And it tastes awfully damn good.

If I take a break over 5 minutes during a ride my legs take a very long time to get going again. Anyone else encounter this? And have a solution? Sometimes I’m riding in small groups and people want to stop, or sometimes I go out all day and decide to take a rest. The problem is that the second half is usually grueling because I cannot get my legs churning again.Also, I’d like to try rice cakes. Anyone have a good method? I’ve seen Lim’s online but that seems kinda involved. I like to cook, but not so much for cycling, as I’d rather be riding.

The local club rides tend to have a tea and cake stop midway round which can be as  long as forty minutes. Like you my legs tend to think that they’re done for the day if they’ve had much more than five minutes. It hurts but getting back on the front and working hard is the only solution that has worked for me although it’s backfired on more than one occasion when I’ve then got comfortable, spent a bit too long there and subsequently got dropped.

I quite fancy trying rice cakes as well. I found some sushi rice in the super market the other day so I’m going to give that a go.

If I take a break over 5 minutes during a ride my legs take a very long time to get going again. Anyone else encounter this? And have a solution? Sometimes I’m riding in small groups and people want to stop, or sometimes I go out all day and decide to take a rest. The problem is that the second half is usually grueling because I cannot get my legs churning again.

Also, I’d like to try rice cakes. Anyone have a good method? I’ve seen Lim’s online but that seems kinda involved. I like to cook, but not so much for cycling, as I’d rather be riding.

indeed, maybe with MTB hooning, one should be encouraged to make as much noise as possible – certainly couldn’t contemplate using one on a road bike

By the way, about to build my THIRD set of wheels – indeed, I cannot stop visiting the hubs and rims shops online – seems I have lost all perspective yet again – class!

@TBONE On what distance/time rides would you consume all that ? Seems quite a lot.

Anything over 4 hours. I ride solo a lot so there’s no tucking in on other people’s wheel(s). Also lots of hills and headwinds here in Vancouver. It’s not that much, mostly strategically placed in my jersey. It should be noted that I eat Alot.

@Chris

@Bespoke

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

A true Velominati would not have a problem with such hubs. Since the ratchets can only be heard when freewheeling, any sound is either a sign of Anti-V or an an indication of whether or not Rule #23 is being observed.

Jinx!!

Great minds think alike…

Pro 2s are great hubs, keep it. I’m pretty sure that the Principle of Silence does not apply to hooning around in the woods and I can’t think of anything else you’d be doing on a mountain bike with the exception of racing when you’d be pedalling all the time anyway.

@Ron

Everyone gets bored on a long, solo ride. The trick is not minding that it hurts. Training alone is about exploring the darkest corners of yourself. On a 12 hour solo ride, things get very musty in the ol’ mind. Doubt, obsession on the inconsequential, highs, lows. Its a beautiful thing that inspires one to become a better person.

I don’t do those rides solo for the enjoyment of it, I do it because of how I feel afterwards. I do enjoy them, but at this point I can’t separate the reward of having pushed myself to do something like that from the enjoyment of a long day on the bike. A group ride of that length gives you other things, but when you drop the flashlight deep in the pain cave, you would be alone even if you were riding through Times Square.

Cool! I thought I was the only one. Feel much better now that I have a nice support group sag wagon!

I guess that is the key – are you out riding just to ride or are you out to train, push, inspire, test yourself? I forgot to consider this. I guess just like any other sport I’ve played – I might always love the sport, but individual practices, training sessions, lifting, stretching, rehab – not always fun.

Maybe since I have a lot of work right now the key for me is to use cycling just as an outlet and not put too much energy into training rides. In a few weeks I should have pushed through a lot of the work and then will still have a whole lotta summer to just ride, ride, ride. I know some folks take time off to recharge or must when work gets heavy, I just feel weird and guilty if I’m not riding 4-5 times a week. But in the long run, scaling back for just a few weeks would be good for me in the long run, both with work and cycling.

@Bespoke

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

A true Velominati would not have a problem with such hubs. Since the ratchets can only be heard when freewheeling, any sound is either a sign of Anti-V or an an indication of whether or not Rule #23 is being observed.

Jinx!!

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

As for the pic with that snugly clad woman, the seemingly unfortunate birth defect that precluded the young man having arms, likely saved his sister from getting pushed in front of the bike.

I’m with you on this – my LBS recently replaced gratis, the 29er rear wheel on my Epic, with a Hope 2 hub – I was indebted, as despite the four spokes shearing on the one that came with the wheel, they didn’t need to upgrade me
and could have replaced shite with shite

However, the Hope 2 is louder than I ever managed to get my wheels, with a full complement fore and aft if cardboard and peg clackers, as a child – why do they do this with the freehub??

The only good reason is to prevent you freewheeling, which helps your fitness I guess

I fear I am going to have to strip it down and stick a silent hub in instead (one of the spin offs of being able now to lace and true wheels)

What say we that these auditory abominations should be beyond the bounds of the V-Book?

I find that some freehubs are obnoxiously loud and ratchety sounding, while performing as designed, while others (thankfully mine) are virtually silent. I would think that loud freehubs would be avoided by Velominati.

A true Velominati would not have a problem with such hubs. Since the ratchets can only be heard when freewheeling, any sound is either a sign of Anti-V or an an indication of whether or not Rule 23 is being observed.

As for the pic with that snugly clad woman, the seemingly unfortunate birth defect that precluded the young man having arms, likely saved his sister from getting pushed in front of the bike.

It’s the girl’s hair and her expression that make it for me – she is trying to resist being sucked into the V-ortex of Merckx’s slipstream.

You can see that the smaller child behind was also being pulled in but has been grabbed  by an adult, who presumably had taken the precaution of tying himself to a tree, just out of shot.

As for the woman, she’s well fit, with signs of nicely developed guns. It is in fact Marianne Vos’s grandmother, and a genetic fusion has occurred spontaneously as drops of Merckx’s sweat found their way into those delightfully clinging slacks. But as we saw with Axel, even Merckx’s DNA doesn’t work fully in the next generation.

@TBONE On what distance/time rides would you consume all that ? Seems quite a lot.

@Ron Certainly on long solo rides it is hard to maintain concentration – the mind wanders and I have had a couple of times when I’ve suddenly found myself about to ride into sand, or into the middle of a road. Eating helps maintain concentration, just with a bit of variance if nothing else.

For an up to 4 hour ride I would have:

Before – a banana smoothie (with soy milk and a weetabix thrown in)

During – water and energy drink, a couple of dried figs

Halfway – a date-filled biscuit (or an oat bar/flapjack)

After – immediately, a bowl of cereal if at home, or if out I will pack some wraps with rice and sweet Potato.

I’m less worried about my body consuming muscle during a ride – I train to avoid that. More concerned with replenishing glycogen afterwards.

Over 4 hours I would eat more regularly, but a little bite every 45-60 mins – no more than a mouthful. Home made rice cakes or flapjack squares and figs or dates. The roast potatoes sound nice.

What helped to finish me off at the end of me and @upthetrossachs big 360km London to York day out (ably supported by @mrsEngine) was that after about 12 hours I couldn’t eat without nausea – wasn’t cramping or anything so I was well hydrated but I just couldn’t eat anything. If I took a little recovery time I could get back to some sort of speed but it was difficult to sustain. I also noticed that I was finding it impossible to get my heart rate up to what I’d consider normal for a ride.

Training had been disrupted in the run up by having a couple of colds so I wasn’t on my best form but nevertheless I’d like to finish the ride next year (that’ll be another 360kms the following day then) and eating is challenge I need to overcome otherwise the experience will be disappointing again.Obviously I’d like to hear from anyone who’s had the same problem and solved it.

Thus far next year’s planning consists of remembering to enter, being a bit more organised in travel to the start, sleep, kit checking and losing half our body weights.

By the way – when the Strava map shows an entire country to get your ride in – you know you’ve gone a long way.

@wiscot

@Ron

I’m content to ride clinchers, for now, but someday I will make the move to tubulars. Something to dream about for the time being. A wonderful piece to keep me dreamin’, Frank.

I have had lots of problems with my newest wheelset. Thankfully I at least have an idea how to sort out one noise issue. Now I have to figure out why there is a slight “chugging” when I brake. Brake track feels perfectly smooth, wheel is true. Hmm.

Got in 4.5 hours on Saturday. Very nice to be out solo enjoying the wind and the KMs ticking by. Did get caught in three different rain storms, but still had a nice time.

I do enjoy solo rides but I find myself getting a bit “bored” (not the right word, but something like that) between the 3-4 hour mark. With groups I can ride longer and not notice it, but still really haven’t found a group I totally dig riding with. Anyone else love a three hour ride but begin to lose the thrill around four? Could be that I have plenty of work to do and know such long days in the saddle are not good for productive. Also could be that I’ve been riding light and not eating at all. Despite what the Lion says, I think I simply gotta take in some calories when I head out for many hours.

Dear Ron,

I hear you. Long rides require almost as much metal prep as physical prep.I did 7 hours on Saturday. It was very good and I knew I could do it as I did just over 6 he previous week in much harsher conditions. It’s all in the build-up. As for eating, in the 7 hours I ate two Oatmeal to go bars, four gels and probably about 6 bottles. I should have drunk more. I prep with a big bowl of raw oats, yogurt and raisins. Bland as hell but easy on the stomach and nice slow release of carbs and energy. I eat it about an hour before I ride and don’t go into the pockets until about 25 miles in.

East Maui Loop; 170km, 2200km. Bidons: 2. Food: none. Pace: moderate. Lost one bidon on the bumpy section but did refill the other one once.

That’s training.

I see another big volcano to the NW on that island……so, you weren’t tempted to tag it on to the end for shits and giggles?

@Ron Certainly on long solo rides it is hard to maintain concentration – the mind wanders and I have had a couple of times when I’ve suddenly found myself about to ride into sand, or into the middle of a road. Eating helps maintain concentration, just with a bit of variance if nothing else.

For an up to 4 hour ride I would have:

Before – a banana smoothie (with soy milk and a weetabix thrown in)

During – water and energy drink,  a couple of dried figs

Halfway – a date-filled biscuit (or an oat bar/flapjack)

After – immediately, a bowl of cereal if at home, or if out I will pack some wraps with rice and sweet potato.

I’m less worried about my body consuming muscle during a ride – I train to avoid that. More concerned with replenishing glycogen afterwards.

Over 4 hours I would eat  more regularly, but a little bite every 45-60 mins – no more than a mouthful. Home made rice cakes or flapjack squares and figs or dates. The roast potatoes sound nice.

mavics by any chance?   Just curious.

 It’s in the hub. Really

That’s what she said.  Or was it a he?

That’s disco corner. The lady in the powder blue slacks had meant to pull her top up but the speed of Merckx caught her out.

No way is she going to be able to pull that top up. It’s all pretty packed in there and those pants aren’t going to let go of the hem without a fight.

@mcsqueak

Check the spokes, as @paolo suggests, but also the skewers and the spacers between cogs, though those generally seem to emanate as creaks more than clicks. The skewers are a deadly thing as well; they can really creak, especially after a rainy winter. Take them apart, and grease them before any further panicking.

Oh, and axels should have a little play in them – you don’t want them perfectly tight.

Yep, all of that and this:

I had a creaky front end on the CX bike for ages. Caused me to pull down and regrease the headset twice in 3 weeks. (Forgot I’d done it the first time.  i’m a bit dim)

Found a sand grain in the QR interface that once cleaned out seemed to do the trick. 2 days later, the sound was back.

Turns out that i had some water get into the bearing outer surface.  There was a bit of corrosion on the outer side of the bearing race where it sat in the aluminium hub shell. Once I gave it a bit of a buff with a scotchbrite pad and greased the bejesus out of it, it’s been silent ever since.

Good Luck!

@paolo

I like the fact that my minds wanders on a solo ride but I love that state of meditation on a group ride when following a wheel or going to the front and nobody is talking. Just concentrating on the job in hand and not thinking about anything else. 4 hrs can vanish in no time at all doing that.

Absolutely right, matey. Silently suffering together, it is a beautiful thing.

 

A few year back I did a group charity ride – 1000km’s over 5.5 days  at ave 30 kmph – about 36 riders. My most memorable moment from that ride was the sound of the collective wheels – a dull roar really – no one talking, just “silently suffering together”, but remembering that rumble coming from the group still sends a shiver through me. Great article!

I tried to relate that

Check the spokes, as @paolo suggests, but also the skewers and the spacers between cogs, though those generally seem to emanate as creaks more than clicks. The skewers are a deadly thing as well; they can really creak, especially after a rainy winter. Take them apart, and grease them before any further panicking.

Oh, and axels should have a little play in them – you don’t want them perfectly tight.