Crazy Road Ride - also need advice - JP Fitness Forums

Kaiser · 06-30-2003, 12:50 PM

Well, I had a great road ride yesterday, but not for the usual reasons. I went out on our usual group ride and about 1/3 of the way into it, it starts raining. I mean driving rain with wind. Before that I was struggling to keep up with the group when they were riding the flats at 22-23 mph and I couldn't figure out why. I had a cold the day before, but this was really difficult. Well, at the turnaround point, I notice that my wheel seems stuck. Turns out I popped a spoke before the ride even started (I remember when we started hearing it and thinking I had blown a spoke, but I didn't see it and didn't get off to check). So I had been riding my brake the entire time! Well, the wheel was crazy warped, but I opened up the brakes and loosened them some more and rode the ride back on a wobbly wheel, feeling like I was flying while getting gritty water in my face when I wasn't up front. The difference in effort was night and day. And I still had a lot left at the end, which is why it was a great ride: showed me that I am a stronger rider than I was last year, and than I think I am. I was able to keep up while riding the brakes, and then keep in front when I found the problem.

So my question: when you have a busted spoke, besides loosening up the brakes and twisting the broken spoke around another to make sure it doesn't get caught, what else do you need to do to make sure you can get back home? Someone mentioned taking it easy on the climbs, but what else? Thanks in advance for your advice guys.

sarah · 06-30-2003, 01:09 PM

dug up a little information for you from bicycling.com. http://www.bicycling.com/qanda/ 0,5110,235,00.html?category_id =365&article_type_id='qa' I've never had this happen to me- Although if you ever trash a rear derailleur, snap a chain, or pull an endo on a rocky decent and thrash your new easton bars; I'll be able to help you a little more. I do love my road bike though (Low-end Raleigh R400)It serves it's purpose well.here's a picture: http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=87.

Kaiser · 06-30-2003, 01:49 PM

Thanks. I hadn't had a blown spoke for the last 15 years, so it's been a while. Endos are another story....usually 2 or 3 a year. Already got my first one out of the way for the season. That one had more to do with new disc brakes though. [img]tongue.gif[/img] I'd be crying if I trashed a new Easton bar. I did snap a chain at the end of last season and couldn't work around it with a chain tool for some reason...luckily I was less than 1/10 mile from the car.

I don't have an expensive road bike either (a Performance branded bike), but it's a solid aluminum frame performer with all 105 compenents and a decent carbon fiber fork.

For father's day, my wife and (ostensibly) my two young sons got me a new jersey, which I returned and got a Park Consumer repair stand instead....if you don't have one, I highly recommend it if you take care of your 'babies' the way I do. It makes doing the job a LOT easier. I treat my bikes way better than I do my car.

sarah · 06-30-2003, 09:22 PM

aaah, endo's suck, bad. I don't have disc brakes on my bike. I heard they rock, but I'm afraid I use my "v brakes" a little too much as it is. I can see me hurting myself with more efficient brakes. Maybe when I get a little more experience under my belt, I'll try them. Kaiser, how do you like your disc brakes?

Jean-Paul · 06-30-2003, 10:13 PM

So far Disc breaks for me ROCK . They will stop on a penny! Plus, they don't get slowed down my mud like standard.

Falling asleep... must retire for the evening.

Sarah, how are you enjoying working with Josh? Is he not everything I don't about and more? He is IT when it comes to training... don't you agree!

Kaiser · 07-01-2003, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sarah:
Kaiser, how do you like your disc brakes?

I like 'em a lot. My discs are Avids and they are supposed to be pretty good. The mechanicals seem to be pretty reliable. The endos usually come at the beginning of the season, when I am braking like I do on my road bike - can't do that with discs; you really need to modulate the braking pressure much more because they are so much more efficient. But as JP pointed out, where they really shine is when you need to brake in muddy or wet conditions, or when you need to stop really fast. They weigh more, but since I'm not racing on my mtb, it's not a factor for me.

If you are satisfied with the power of your v-brakes, I say leave them on. You'll know when you need more braking power (like when you go out with JP and his adventure racing team) and can add the mechanicals then. I probably don't need them, but they were standard on my bike.

JP, I've said it before man: you lead my dream fitness life.
-You run your own gym (I pay for membership in two [yes, 2] different ones).
-You get to go away for a week and climb (I get to go to Disneyworld and visit your brother and haven't climbed since December due to the wrist problem).
-You get to adventure race (I can't seem to find anyone interested in doing this with me since literally all of my friends are tri-geeks).

On the positive side, we do have a lot of places to get great deep-dish pizza here in Chicago.

Faster coronaries for me!

Kaiser · 07-01-2003, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sarah:
aaah, endo's suck, bad.

I got my current mtb last year, and my second ride out, I endo'd by hitting the front brakes too hard on a downslope. As I flipped and my back hit the ground, knocking the wind out of me, I noticed my bike coming at me in slow motion from the sky...unfortunately, I was still clipped in with my left leg. When it hit me, it hurt not only my torso, but my leg as well. I am lucky that I didn't break the leg the way the bike came down still attached to it. I disattached my cleat and learned a valuable lesson that day: mtb cleats should be pretty loose compared to ones on road bikes.

Kaiser · 07-01-2003, 11:03 AM

Kaiser · 07-01-2003, 11:04 AM

oops. Sorry JP. Delete these for me.