Fifty Plus (50+) - Half Century Training continues...

(I hate the title "Newbie")...but for now I guess it's appropriate.

Todays ride was a nice and easy (well most of it) 14 miles round trip through the country around my house. Rolling hills. They came alittle easier today and I finished with energy to spare. I lost my flat tire "virginity" at the half way point. So it was time to pull out the spare tube, take the back tire off, (it just had to be the back one...) and replace it. I discovered that I don't care too much for the small pump I have on the bike..maybe I'm just using it wrong..but my trainer recommends carrying CO2 cartidges for a quick repair. I could only manage 50 psi in the tire.

Had a day off yesterday..probably accounted for the easy feel today. Tomorrow's ride will be with the group. My long ride this week will be a 30 miler (I did 20 last weekend),

Noticed that the chain was making some noise in certain gears that I am not acustomed to after I put the tire back on. Taking a closer look at the cassette and chain I see that they are starting to get grimy from the use. Only had it about 2 months and have put about 143 miles on it.

A question for the over 50 crowd... How often should I clean my bike and what's the order of priorities for cleaning..(chain..cassette...rear/front derailleurs..etc?

I generally just wet a shop towel with chain lube and run the chain through it after a ride to wipe it clean. About every 500-700 miles I'll put the bike up on the rack and use WD40 to clean the chain, let it dry for a couple of hours and then lube each link with my current fav - ProLink ProGold. I'll also run a shop towel through the cassette between the gears at that time.

Keeps my chain and cassette nice and pretty looking.

If you have chain noise, could be an adjustment is in order. Are the gears shifting normally? You may have some cable stretch issues at this point.

(I hate the title "Newbie")...but for now I guess it's appropriate.

. I lost my flat tire "virginity" at the half way point. So it was time to pull out the spare tube, take the back tire off, (it just had to be the back one...) and replace it. I discovered that I don't care too much for the small pump I have on the bike..maybe I'm just using it wrong..but my trainer recommends carrying CO2 cartidges for a quick repair. I could only manage 50 psi in the tire.



Flats always seem to happen on the back wheel:(

I have a Topeak road morph pump and love it. It allows me to get very close to the recommended tire pressure. I also carry some CO2 but like the pump for those times when I don't have enough CO2 to handle all the flats (I once had 5 flats on one ride:mad:)

http://www.topeak.com/products/Mini-Pumps/RoadMorphG

90% of flats are on the back tire. The front tire kicks the items to the back tire. Wet roads will give you more flats. Makes the items some what stickey.
Tighten your rear dérailleur cable. They stretch for a time.
Count the number of times it take to pump up the tire to pressure.
My small pump takes 150 pumps to reach 120 psi.

Congrats on getting closer to your goal...more miles. hang in there, and have fun.

+1 on the Topeak road morph. I carry it along with an inflator.

I wipe the chain after every ride. That substantially reduces the need for yicky deep cleaning.

Cheers!

...oh and I think you can change that Newbie name by either posting lots and lots, OR going to the User Control Panel and clicking on Edit Profile.

Cheers!

There was a thread here a few weeks ago on chain cleaning (you might find it via the search clinic).

As I recall, about half of the 50+ crowd confessed they never clean their chains at all...maybe a simple wipe, and then replace 'em when they wear out. The other half employ a range of methods from using a chain cleaning tool (that's what I do) to taking off the chain and soaking it in degreaser when it needs it.

Topeak mini morph

Putting the curse on now- but mostly get flats on the front

Tip from my LBS- wipe the tyres clean after each ride and look for the thorn- Flint or glass that is on the tyre- prise it out before it penetrates the rubber and the tube.

Noise in some gears is probably some adjustment necessary due to cable stretch---Unless you are crosschaining (Haven't heard from him lately Either)

And cleaning the chain- I use a chain cleaning device and about every 100 miles or so- I clean the chain. After every ride I wipe the chain with a cloth aswell and I use a "Dry" chain oil- Unless its raining and then I clean the chain after every wet ride.

A question for the over 50 crowd... How often should I clean my bike and what's the order of priorities for cleaning..(chain..cassette...rear/front derailleurs..etc?

As often as it gets dirty. :p

Every couple of weeks I apply a heavy coating of Pro-Link to the chain at night. The next morning I grasp the chain with a shop rag and turn the crank to pull the chain through the rag, removing the excess lube and much of the crud that had been accumulating on the chain. Usually I can go for months without a more thorough cleaning than that. If the chain needs more cleaning, I remove the chain and clean it in a plastic jug with degreaser.

I wipe the rest of the bike down once a week more or less with a dry rag, adding Bike Lust or 409 if something won't wipe off easily. I include the wheels in this wipe down. I start at the air valve and work my way around the rim and then wipe each spoke, especially on the rear wheel.

The mountain bike gets the same treatment but tends to need it more often and sometimes it has a lot more dirt to remove. When it is really caked in mud I may use a soapy rag to wash it and a clean rag to rinse, using a soapy water bucket and a rinse water bucket. I don't like to use a hose on my bikes. I make sure to dry and lube the chain after a wet wash.

Usually it only takes a few minutes to wipe down the whole bike if it is not especially dirty. In addition to having a clean bike, it also helps me notice anything that is not quite right with the bike, needing attention. :D

I think it's funny to "train" for a half-century. I use centuries to train for double centuries, but a half-century is so short; just get out there and do it!

That said, I guess it's really a matter of where you're starting (and coming from) in terms of fitness and bicycling experience. So whatever works for you is good!

Thinking back, I rode my first "half century" over 50 years ago. Now I really feel old . . .

Rick / OCRR

I think it's funny to "train" for a half-century.

It wasn't so long ago that I thought 50 miles was a long ride. Although I didn't "train" for them, my first 50-miler, metric and imperial centuries were all pretty easy. The 50 and imperial were unplanned even. The 50 happened just four months after I'd started riding. But by then I was doing 35-40 miles regularly.

Now what I am having to train for are hills. I have a century coming up in August with 6,800 feet of climbing between mile 20 and mile 50. Where I live it's pretty flat. Did 43 miles before work yesterday with a whopping 807 feet of climbing. Must find hills...

Now what I am having to train for are hills. I have a century coming up in August with 6,800 feet of climbing between mile 20 and mile 50. Where I live it's pretty flat. Did 43 miles before work yesterday with a whopping 807 feet of climbing. Must find hills...

Hi tsl,

Plan a short vacation to SoCal. We've got plenty of mountains out here and one of our easy training rides has 5,000 feet of climbing in 44 miles, so that would be good for you!

Rick / OCRR

Mikey:

Supposed to be a fairly nice Saturday in our part of the world.

Haul (or better yet, depending on where in the Albany area you live) ride over to Lebanon, ride out the the east end of Foster Lake and back, and you will probably have 50+ miles in.

Hopefully you checked out the course maps, so can print the 50 miler out and follow it along. It's pretty basic.

We both know it's FLAT from Albany to Lebanon, and there's just a few tiny hills the last few miles going out to Foster Lake. The BIG one is going up to the dam level from below it. Trust me, it will be easy. Just take your time, carry 2 water bottles, and some snacks. If you do this now, you'll be eyeing the 70 miler come June 14, since the 50 will be a cake-walk.

I (and the other forum memebers) expect a report come Sunday or Monday.

Good luck and have fun.

I have to admit that I am considering the 70 miler after all the comments I'm getting on "just get out there and do it". I'll be riding with my group (6 "newbies" all starting to get back into cycling) and our trainer. I did 20 miles twice this week already with no problem. On Sunday I had planned to do 30..but perhaps I'll do 40 just to see what it's like. If 40 isn't much of a deal...I'll do 50 a week before the century. If that isn't much of a deal...I'll go for 70 miles on the magic day.

Oh yes...I finally broke down and bought a pair of bike shorts this week. Soooo much better than the cotton gym shorts I was wearing.

Chain: Many opinions. I use one cassette, 2 chains with quick links. Pull dirty off, lightly wipe down cassette & rings, put dirty in plastic jar. When second one is quite grimy, pull it off and put in jar. Then really clean cassette & rings. Place mineral spirits and good lube in jar. Shake around (floats the links nicely). Drain, repeat, hang chains up to dry, install one. Seems to work very well. About the time the cassette gets sloppy worn the chains are stretched and I get a cassette and 2 new chains. Looks like the rings will go 2 or 3 cassettes.

Training: Make sure fit is good, then start throwing in "intervals." Doesn't have to be formal, just some real hard 2 to 5 minute bits at the end of every other ride or whatever. Will have a surprising effect on endurance.

Riding skill: Watch good riders and copy. Ride efficiently. Shift at the right spots, don't waste energy, figure out how to use your body and legs, learn to corner without losing speed. You'll use lots less energy. Simple hint - no need to push down on the pedals, that's automatic. Think about a little push at the top and pull at the bottom, very smooth. Nothing much, just a little. And unloading the rising pedal just a bit. Can really add substantial fluidity building efficiency and increasing range.

Have fun.