bmcphx

Woah, those guys are trying to suck all the fun out of everything!

Wylde06

twss

furiousferret

Which hill is it?

Real Everesting takes 2-3 days, so bike Everesting should involve a nap somewhere .

rkwaki

Interesting read:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/op...ting.html?_r=2

Doge

"In excess, however, EPO causes the blood to thicken, which can lead to heart attacks and is suspected by some to have played a role in the deaths of as many as 100 cyclists since the early 1990s."

100 cyclists died from EPO? Anyone know where the data (names) can be found?

Its very difficult to regulate a sport using a "moral line"...

Hermes

I have my next pre-race meal planned - an expresso from Starbucks and a Costco hotdog.

rkwaki

I can remember in the early 90's when EPO made a huge presence in the peleton, Belgians were dropping like flies. If I'm not mistaken I remember 6 dying within a few months of each other. When to sleep and never woke up.

rkwaki

That as well will give you explosive diarrhea...

grolby

Correct.

And which one are you?

rkwaki

I don't mind riding a compact (which is funny because I ride a 54/39) as I never have to come out of the big ring and tend to spin a little better.

spectastic

I don't get the big deal with compact chainrings. all it does is lower your range of gear ratios, and allow you to stay in the big ring more, which should always be the case anyway unless you're climbing. how does it make you spin better?

bmcphx

wat??

so if you're in 39-28 and mashing 50rpm up some stupid steep section, you don't think having a compact would be an advantage there? that's what compacts are for, is **** like that, not for winning the cat 5 sprint.

Ygduf

compact means I can run a 11-25 most all the time without getting too destroyed by longer steep climbs.

jsutkeepspining

wimps, i just roll a 53/19 up all the climbs. I never drop below 100 rpms either.

spectastic

I never leave my 53/11

shovelhd

TBD. I have no plans to change my race bike. I can see the pros and cons beyond the theoretical now.

grolby

Chill, you guys. It's just a crankset.

I didn't ride a compact when I was still in Nashville, but it would have made a certain amount of sense. But I was happy enough with a 39x25 low gear, as I never really did any of the super-climby races. In these parts, a compact just doesn't make sense on a day-to-day basis, but there are enough events around the wider region with really steep climbs that I can understand why some people would use one. Though if I'm dumb enough to do Hilltowns again, I'll probably swap out my cassette and deal with the bigger gaps rather than buy a whole new crank.

EDIT: Ah, I see what you mean shovel. FWIW I suspect I would not like a compact, on my race bike anyway. But if I were to go full Fred and quit racing, I can pretty easily see myself going to a compact crank.

TheKillerPenguin

Around here at least my training loops involve multiple km climbs in the double digits, and the races go up even more ridiculous stuff. 50RPM just doesn't work well for me when putting out tons of power, leads to huge spikes and valleys and tires me out. Is why I'm shopping for a compact right now while I pretend to be working.

spectastic

they also come in 52/36. probikekit is selling out 6800 grouppos for like $600, standard as well as compact. I don't know how desperately you need 34/28 on a compact in your steep climbs, but I would think 36/28 wouldn't be too far off.

shovelhd

I think at some point it is going to be inevitable. When is the question.

bmcphx

SpideRing is the answer, you can have standard on Monday, compact on Tuesday.

Wylde06

I had a compact on my bike. Then I bought a quarq and got a standard...there really isnt much need for a compact around here.

Gramercy

I may be one of the only people on here with a 50/39/30 triple. I like the 30 to climb up hills longer than 1/2 mile so I can spin at 80-90rpm, and I rarely use the 50. Riding on flats I'm in the middle of the rear cogs and even on rolling terrain I rarely use the 50, since I can easily go 25-26mph in the 39. When racing I have never used the 39, only the 50, but for every other ride I rarely use it.

gsteinb

I figured a compact was an expensive solution to a problem I don't run into very often. 39x28 is a very good gear for me to ride whiteface. other climbs necessitate an easier gear, but I don't ride them very often. I can put a 30 on now, and if I get a longer cage derailleur I can get a 32 or 34. That should get me up most anything cheaper.

mattm

With the long distance riding I did, I would think that "extremely boring" is all part of their training plan.

I can't imagine anything more boring than RAAM. The hill repeats they did were probably more exciting!