genejockey 

Basically, you're pulling them and they're *****ing that you're not pulling them hard enough? Screw that noise.

Mojo31

Can I get an "AMEN!"

Preach it my brother!

BillyD

Basically all the people that were drawn by Lance and his success, to Road cycling in general and this forum in particular, soon departed after his fall from grace. There's no doubt in my mind that this Road forum lost all of it's energy and excitement once there was no LA to follow, discuss, and idolize. He crushed so many souls with his cheating and fall from grace, and many of these people just left the Road forum. Some may have drifted to other BF forums, surely some drifted over to General and breathed some life into that place, but the Lance fans and all that energy are permanently gone.

Mojo31

I max out at 141. Not 140 or 142, but 141.

#Betablockervictim.

Trsnrtr

One would think so, to get an accurate reading.

BillyD

Right now at 1:30pm eastern time, when even the west coast folks are up and alert, the number of active viewers per forum are:

238 Bicycle Mechanics
195 C&V
143 Road
61 General

It seems people are really interested in keeping their bikes running.

genejockey 

I will admit I stopped paying attention to bike racing after the Lance era. I also stopped participating on BF for about 10 years, but I didn't stop riding. I wonder how many Lance-era cyclists kept with it, and how many just dropped out after that?

Velo Vol 

Oof.

BillyD

If you're serious, use kerosene instead of gasoline. I can see the headlines now: "Pilot Burns Down Neighborhood Trying to Kill Wasps". Subtitle: "Do you want this man flying you anywhere?"

MoAlpha

I tended to get dropped no matter what I did.

MoAlpha

Dehydration definitely impairs cooling.

MoAlpha

From their point of view, it's you failing to respond to an attack or simply failing to stay on the wheel in front of you. Either way, it strands them with one more bike length than you to make up and it can suck.

genejockey 

Then they can pass you. They're essentially exhorting you to burn your matches so they don't have to burn theirs.

big john

btdt. No race needed.

MoAlpha

Happens to me almost every ride these days. Some of these guys I ride with are two and three months younger than me!

big john

Of course. Impairs everything else, too. Some people are more tolerant of heat than others. I'm like that after some acclimation but if I don't have enough water I suffer.

I was wondering if those who tolerate heat are better at keeping their core temp down or is it that they aren't bothered by a high core temp?

abshipp 

big john

I could never climb with the climbers but I used to be able to make them work a bit on the flats. Once in a while I can catch them napping but my sprint is mostly gone.

I'm not always the biggest and oldest rider but often I am.

MoAlpha

Yeah, that's a good question. I think the people who tolerate heat are efficient coolers due to small body size, high sweat rates, efficient cardiovascular systems, etc. My guess is there isn't much variation in the tolerance of true hyperthermia.

MoAlpha

My excuse is bad genes.

Mojo31

https://throwflame.com/flamethrowers/

Thank me later.

big john

I've used that one numerous times! When I joined the club I was 220# . I had a friend who rode 20-25K miles per year and had great endurance @180 pounds. He showed me how he wore people down by sprinting away from every stop. Everyone wanted to sit on his wheel so they would chase back on.

For a couple years we had a group of regulars who would follow him around the whole ride. Like literally never pull in a ride. Of course, as soon as the first hill came I was dropped and rode alone until a rest stop or regroup. I would propose a ride where we all rode in the wind. Nope, they were unapologetic wheel suckers.

genejockey 

Poor choice of grandparents.

genejockey 

What keeps happening on every single Monthly C&V Ride is that once we get to a downhill segment, even just coasting I roll away from the group and find myself 50 yards ahead. I don't know if it's that I'm heavier and have better hubs, or that the other riders are braking, but it's the same no matter how unaero I get.

Bah Humbug

I have a harder time getting there of late, but I usually get to 182-ish on a long race, and have gone above that on hot Texas tris. Yes, that was a few years younger, but we'll see in December what my current max is.

I do believe it's difficulty getting there because of other issues with run fitness, because I get tired/ sore/ achy before I've gone long enough to thoroughly smash myself. A couple of months of 30+mpw will help. This morning was already the best in a long time.