Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
What are other folks experience with this? When marking out a 25 miler, is it done on the smooth tarmac type of road?
"One Step Beyond" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
snip
Must agree. Can't say I've yet got to your lofty heights on a good level road surface. My normal cycling is on Milton Keynes "Redways" - dedicated cycling and pedestrian paths - unfortunately, they're criss-crossed by tree roots and the surface is now quite corrugated, and 8 -12 mph is about my norm!
-- M Stewart Milton Keynes, UK www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm
Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
What are other folks experience with this?
On a bike, particularly with skinny little road racing tyres, you notice _every_ imperfection of the surface. If you're really suffering from this it may be worth fitting _slightly_ fatter tyres - they'll increase your rolling resistance and take a bit off your top speed and distance, but they'll be less affected by the less good surfaces.
Absolutely!!! I did 45 miles early this morning and I am walking like a gunslinger.....
OSB
"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
One Step Beyond said:
Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are
cycling
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I
can
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac
stones
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
(the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed
drops
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
What are other folks experience with this?
On a bike, particularly with skinny little road racing tyres, you notice _every_ imperfection of the surface. If you're really suffering from this it may be worth fitting _slightly_ fatter tyres - they'll increase your rolling resistance and take a bit off your top speed and distance, but they'll be less affected by the less good surfaces.
"One Step Beyond" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Absolutely!!! I did 45 miles early this morning and I am walking like a gunslinger.....
OSB
"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
One Step Beyond said:
Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are
cycling
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface
I
Quoted message said:
can
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac
stones
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
(the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed
drops
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
What are other folks experience with this?
On a bike, particularly with skinny little road racing tyres, you notice _every_ imperfection of the surface. If you're really suffering from this it may be worth fitting _slightly_ fatter tyres - they'll increase your rolling resistance and take a bit off your top speed and distance, but they'll be less affected by the less good surfaces.
;; Women are from Venus. Men are from Mars. Lusers are from Uranus.
...and I've read something recently, sorry, can't remember where, that not runnng high pressure tyres too high can help. Apparently running at 80-90, rather than 120psi helps absorb minor irritations like this kind of tarmac and doesn't adversely affect rolling resistance to the degree you might think..... Comments from anyone please .... Dave.
> I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a > tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles > an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on > the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference! > > What are other folks experience with this?
I agree that surface makes a real difference. I tend to stick to main roads when in town partly for this reason. It's too much of a sacrifice to avoid beautiful country lanes, though, until the bones are getting very badly shaken anyway.
What about those green on-road cycle lanes? They can be ok when freshly laid but become very rough and uneven. It's like the authorities are deliberately punishing us. Horrible! And if you're feeling smug because there aren't any in your area, they will get round to you eventually :-( Not too many where I am, actually, but I'm dreading them coming. There are a lot in east outer London now.
Quoted message said:
...and I've read something recently, sorry, can't remember where, that not runnng high pressure tyres too high can help. Apparently running at 80-90, rather than 120psi helps absorb minor irritations like this kind of tarmac and doesn't adversely affect rolling resistance to the degree you might think..... Comments from anyone please ....
Certainly letting them down a bit helps but 120 to 80 is a huge drop. My tyres are sluggish at such lower pressures. One trick (and good normal practice) is to have the front softer than the rear. This has a minimal effect on RR because less weight goes on the front.
"Pete Biggs" <pbiggmelons2000{remove [email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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>> I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a >> tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles >> an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on >> the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference! >> >> What are other folks experience with this?
I agree that surface makes a real difference. I tend to stick to main
roads
Quoted message said:
when in town partly for this reason. It's too much of a sacrifice to
avoid
Quoted message said:
beautiful country lanes, though, until the bones are getting very badly shaken anyway.
What about those green on-road cycle lanes? They can be ok when freshly laid but become very rough and uneven. It's like the authorities are deliberately punishing us. Horrible! And if you're feeling smug because there aren't any in your area, they will get round to you eventually :-( Not too many where I am, actually, but I'm dreading them coming. There
are
Quoted message said:
a lot in east outer London now.
Quoted message said:
...and I've read something recently, sorry, can't remember where, that not runnng high pressure tyres too high can help. Apparently running at 80-90, rather than 120psi helps absorb minor irritations like this kind of tarmac and doesn't adversely affect rolling resistance to the degree you might think..... Comments from anyone please ....
Certainly letting them down a bit helps but 120 to 80 is a huge drop. My tyres are sluggish at such lower pressures. One trick (and good normal practice) is to have the front softer than the rear. This has a minimal effect on RR because less weight goes on the front.
~PB
Answer: Moulton, 120psi for low rolling resistance, suspension to absorb bumps and roughness of surface.
"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
...and I've read something recently, sorry, can't remember where, that not runnng high pressure tyres too high can help. Apparently running at 80-90, rather than 120psi helps absorb minor irritations like this kind of tarmac and doesn't adversely affect rolling resistance to the degree you might think..... Comments from anyone please .... Dave.
Depends on the tyres you use. My Conti Gatorskins do work much better at 90 psi than 120 psi, both in speed and comfort. However on my race wheelset the Michelin Pro Race work better at 110 psi than lower, yet still feel more comfortable than the lower pressure Gatorskins. Some experimentation with your own wheelset required methinks.
"Pete Biggs" <pbiggmelons2000{remove [email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
What about those green on-road cycle lanes? They can be ok when freshly laid but become very rough and uneven. It's like the authorities are deliberately punishing us. Horrible! And if you're feeling smug because there aren't any in your area, they will get round to you eventually :-( Not too many where I am, actually, but I'm dreading them coming. There
are
Quoted message said:
a lot in east outer London now.
Thankfully they are normally quite narrow (a couple of foot or so) and are not the part of the road where I would normally cycle, but it is very annoying when you get the wider ones which encroach on the "primary riding position".
Hello, I am a new road biker. I have noticed that the road surface you are cycling on makes a tremendous difference to your speed. On the smooth surface I can get a right bat on, 23 miles an hour. On the surface with the tarmac stones (the blue green type), it jiggles you round on the bike and my speed drops to about 15 miles per hour - I cannot believe the difference!
What are other folks experience with this? When marking out a 25 miler, is it done on the smooth tarmac type of road?
If you have a car with an instantaneous mpg readout, have a look at what's happening on rough roads. Mine can read in the low 50s at 60mph or in the low 40s if the road is potholed, uneven and/or concrete. Making all that noise and vibration takes energy...and that's on a vehicle with fairly sophisticated suspension, unlike a road bike which has...er...tyres.
