The Cycling Thread

pierrequiroule

pierrequiroule

Well-known member
As It says on the tin, a thread for all those bits of cycling info/videos (not necessarily racing) that will no doubt pop up during the season. Contributions from all those interested would be really welcome.

I’ll start it off with today’s fiasco in Algarve.

tinyurl.com

‘Riders have gone the wrong side’ – Watch the CHAOTIC finish to Stage 1 of Volta ao Algarve

Watch the bizarre scenes as the peloton goes the wrong way in a crazy finish to Stage 1 of the Volta ao Algarve. Enjoy top cycling action live on discovery+.
tinyurl.com tinyurl.com
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
Just got stuck into 1923 by Ned Boulting which so far is proving really entertaining. The story of how buying a hundred year old bit of reel to reel tape led to him discovering all he can about that years race and the story of it.
Click to expand...
Cool. I just picked his Yellow Jumper book from a charity shop, which is something that I have been meaning to read for ages.
 
Good discussion on the Geraint Thomas podcast on
WVA v GregVA
Laurens Deplus was the guest and put up quite a fight in favour of GVA lasting his impressive palmares.

Thomas was mystified saying it was WVA all day long.

Tom Fordyce played peacemaker suggesting GVA had an unbelievable golden period whilst WVA has had a longer career doing great things.


Not sure that stacks up tbf in terms of road cycling alone
 
We are talking about Wout van Aert and Greg van Avermaet I assume?

Like Thomas I'm mystified why it was even up for discussion. No contest even ignoring WVA's three cyclo-cross world titles. In Deplus's defence, he put up a good ride today.
 
Last edited:
pierrequiroule said:
We are talking about Wout van Aert and Greg van Avermaet I assume?

Like Thomas I'm mystified why it was even up for discussion. No contest even ignoring WVA's three cyclo-cross world titles. In Deplus's defence, he put up a good ride today.
Click to expand...

That’s it
Deplus did have a good ride and when listing road palmares only (outside cyclocross) GVA has a lot to be proud of

Good work from Tom yesterday too
 
Anyone read Chris Froomes Biography? I picked that up recently too, and its in my pile of books to read.
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
No, but given he's the worlds most boring man I'm unsure how good it could be ?
Click to expand...
We all like watching cycling, which most the time makes us pretty boring too, huh? I am intrigued into his background and childhood which is pretty unusual and of course his rapid emergence from domestique to multiple GT winner.

I have read a few cycling bio's over the years.

David Millers was very interesting indeed, in his drug cheat turned whistle-blower / commentator position. Definitely worth a read if you want the inside scoop into all the EPO cheating and how they did it, and the pressure to do it, and the pressure within the peloton to conform to that as a normal, and his downfall and redemption.

Geraint Thomas's is great and written very much in his light and breezy persona. Although the one I read came out before his TDF win.

Cav's was great just because he is Cav.
 
Steer said:
and of course his rapid emergence from domestique to multiple GT winner.
Click to expand...

Not sure it'll really cover his emergence from not even very good domestique to multiple GT winner, in the same way that Armstrong's multiple books didn't either.....

I've read Millar's books, as I like him and think his story is interesting, particularly his redemption arc. Whilst I like Thomas I expect his book is similar to most footballers autobiographies in terms of many words about very little.

For me the best books about cycling are probably (just off the top of my head, I've probably missed loads):-

* Wild eyed & legless & Field of Fire both by Jeff Connor and focusing on ANC Halfords in the 1987 tour, as well as what happened to them afterwards.

* Tour de France - Graeme Fife, charting the history of the TDF to the present day

* The Extra Mile - Simon Mottram, founder of Rapha talks about the journey of the brand but covering a lot about the history of the sport and how they harnessed it to build the brand up (not everyone's cup of team I know)

* It's all about the bike - Rob Penn, one mans quest to build his dream bike (also made into a BBC documentary from memory)

* The Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree, a story about one of the sports most quirky, and inspirational figures

* Domestique by Charly Wegeilus which is the story of the less glamorous side of the sport, when someone decides to give everything for others rather than personal glory
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
* Domestique by Charly Wegeilus which is the story of the less glamorous side of the sport, when someone decides to give everything for others rather than personal glory
Click to expand...
Ah, another book I'll have to get hold of. I used to always look out for Charly's results, particularly in Italy. I can't remember why now, but maybe because he went to Bootham school when I was living in York and occasionally delivering books there. I think he could have been a real top rider if it wasn't for his accident.

My claim to fame, I literally bumped into Obree. At a national track championships in Leicester he was running up the steps as I was running down. We did that little jig before laughing and moving on. I also photographed the bike that Mike Burrows built for him for one of his hour record attempts. He didn't ride it, preferring his old 'washing machine' steed. I wish i still had those negatives.
 
pierrequiroule said:
Ah, another book I'll have to get hold of. I used to always look out for Charly's results, particularly in Italy. I can't remember why now, but maybe because he went to Bootham school when I was living in York and occasionally delivering books there. I think he could have been a real top rider if it wasn't for his accident.

My claim to fame, I literally bumped into Obree. At a national track championships in Leicester he was running up the steps as I was running down. We did that little jig before laughing and moving on. I also photographed the bike that Mike Burrows built for him for one of his hour record attempts. He didn't ride it, preferring his old 'washing machine' steed. I wish i still had those negatives.
Click to expand...

My brother in law, who does full Ironman events in around 10 hours (so very fit) knows Charly through a mutual friend. He's been out on a few social rides with him and is blowing out his **** after 45 minutes with the pace he sets, even in retirement.
 
More of a mountain / fell runner than a cyclist but can't run as much now due to Arthritis so try and road cycle 2 or 3 times a week to cross train for the last few years. The hoover thread and the upstairs hoover thing reminded me. Do many of you cyclists also have a winter bike to protect the good bike from the winter elements and mainly the salt on the roads. I did and used use a old bike in winter but it is knackered now so just using my summer bike now and give it a good clean after every ride to get the salt of and will make sure it gets a good service at the end of winter but just bit worried I will knack the good bike riding through winter?
 
Fattyfoggon said:
More of a mountain / fell runner than a cyclist but can't run as much now due to Arthritis so try and road cycle 2 or 3 times a week to cross train for the last few years. The hoover thread and the upstairs hoover thing reminded me. Do many of you cyclists also have a winter bike to protect the good bike from the winter elements and mainly the salt on the roads. I did and used use a old bike in winter but it is knackered now so just using my summer bike now and give it a good clean after every ride to get the salt of and will make sure it gets a good service at the end of winter but just bit worried I will knack the good bike riding through winter?
Click to expand...

I do, or rather I have a couple of winter bikes, one of which is my gravel bike with 28mm road tyres, and the other my older "do it all" bike that is about 13 or 14 years old now and I keep up in North Yorkshire for riding up there.

Having said that I'm currently riding my former "best bike" in the winter, which has full SRAM Red Etap and Zipp 303's (I hate myself for doing it) because I'm in the process of building a new best bike, and so in my mind it's already been relegated to a second choice.

As long as you clean your bike, maybe get a service as it comes into summer you'll be fine - Merckx didn't have a winter bike, he'd just fit mudguards to his summer bike and do a cyclo cross season on it too (probably!).
 
Fattyfoggon said:
More of a mountain / fell runner than a cyclist but can't run as much now due to Arthritis so try and road cycle 2 or 3 times a week to cross train for the last few years. The hoover thread and the upstairs hoover thing reminded me. Do many of you cyclists also have a winter bike to protect the good bike from the winter elements and mainly the salt on the roads. I did and used use a old bike in winter but it is knackered now so just using my summer bike now and give it a good clean after every ride to get the salt of and will make sure it gets a good service at the end of winter but just bit worried I will knack the good bike riding through winter?
Click to expand...
Afraid I take the wimps option in the cold
Invested in a Wattbike Atom next generation for winter cycling in the house
Great bit of kit and tons of options
 
Fattyfoggon said:
More of a mountain / fell runner than a cyclist but can't run as much now due to Arthritis so try and road cycle 2 or 3 times a week to cross train for the last few years. The hoover thread and the upstairs hoover thing reminded me. Do many of you cyclists also have a winter bike to protect the good bike from the winter elements and mainly the salt on the roads. I did and used use a old bike in winter but it is knackered now so just using my summer bike now and give it a good clean after every ride to get the salt of and will make sure it gets a good service at the end of winter but just bit worried I will knack the good bike riding through winter?
Click to expand...
Yes, it was the norm to have a winter bike when I was riding with a club, but that was some 50 years ago. I do sometimes wonder what modern-day club riders do with the cost of equipment these days. In the past when most riders were still using steel bikes it was not too expensive to buy a cheap winter frame and use some of the older equipment from your summer bike. Recycling before it became a word.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top