Biking: Catch-all

I think we got a riser along with the trainer when we got ours (maybe we just ordred at the same time). Do you have a mat for underneath to catch additional sweat? Are you up-to-date on your Netflix subscription so you have something to watch while you're on the trainer? Or are you going to buy some of these?

With a Road Machine and its known power curve you can get something like Garmin's GSC10 speed and cadence sensor and an ANT+ USB receiver for a laptop and log your power output. It's not as good as an actual [expensive] power meter but I've seen testing charts and it's surprisingly close. The only "video game" like program I've found requires a CompuTrainer, unfortunately. There are videos you can get but nothing as interactive as an actual video game.

Yeah, the Road Machine doesn't come with a riser but I think it came with a skewer.

LiquidMantis wrote:

With a Road Machine and its known power curve you can get something like Garmin's GSC10 speed and cadence sensor and an ANT+ USB receiver for a laptop and log your power output.

You know, I've never gotten into the data-heavy side of training. Given that a power meter costs more than my entire bike (woo-hoo second-hand bargain!), and I'm pretty budget-conscious when it comes to gear, that's been a cost-prohibitive exercise.

And my bike already has a (cheap and functional) Cateye speed and cadence sensor on it, and don't have any of the hardware to work on the back-end of what you suggest, I'll be taking a pass.

But I'll definitely bear it in mind for the future...

Katy wrote:

I think we got a riser along with the trainer when we got ours (maybe we just ordred at the same time). Do you have a mat for underneath to catch additional sweat? Are you up-to-date on your Netflix subscription so you have something to watch while you're on the trainer? Or are you going to buy some of these?

No mat, although I might repurpose an old towel. Not really sure it's necessary - the trainer will live on the concrete floor in the basement, so sweat on there isn't really a biggie.

Wasn't going to spring for Sufferfest or any of that nonsense either, although I was thinking about seeing if I could find some spin-class-style audio podcasts to use.....

I use a Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer. I usually do an episode of Breaking Bad when I hop on in the evening. I've found that regular road tires will leave you smelling rubber. A have a cheapy red trainer tire that works much much better.
Without a very cold room/extensive ventilation/fans you will generate more sweat than you ever dreamed was possible in 50 minutes. It's also fairly noisy. I use headphones wrapped in plastic wrap (for sweat repellence).

I plan to sign up with Trainer Road this winter and try to use their training programs to increase my fitness and keep up with the small group I ride with. They've all been riding for some years but I only started last summer. It's been a hard road in duathlons getting passed by all my training buddies in the cycling portion. I have a Garmin 410 and will be picking up a cadence sensor for the real time data.

Jonman wrote:

Gearing up for (a) winter and (b) impending birth of my firstborn, by investing in a trainer. Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer is in the mail!

Any other necessary bits of kit for happy trainer funtimes?

Got a trainer-compatible skewer coming with it, already have a little sweat-catcher thingy (like this), and can improvise a riser for the front wheel. Have a couple of old tires that have been retired from road riding to put back on the bike so that I can finish the job of killing them.

A fan, for sure. Don't even think about trying to get by once or twice without one.

I just ordered this saddle:

IMAGE(http://www.selleanatomica.com/products/titanico-x/files/stacks_image_195.png)

And matching bar tape! Also some new Maxxis Raze CX tires for my commuter. Now that the crappy weather has hit, I figure it's finally time to upgrade a couple of the crappier and/or worn out parts of the bike. I also need to replace the bearings in my front hub. Possibly my bottom bracket as well, but I'm going to try to hold out on that one until next summer.

Man, gnarly ride home tonight. 35F and light rain.

Impressed with the GORE jacket. Totally dry and stayed very warm. The DZR h2o's and Levi's Commuter 511 trousers did great too. Wouldn't want to ride out there in this weather for very long, though.

gore wrote:

Impressed with the GORE jacket.

You would be, you corporate shill!

Minarchist wrote:
gore wrote:

Impressed with the GORE jacket.

You would be, you corporate shill!

Those fools capitalize their name entirely incorrectly!

A hidden benefit of the DZR h2os I realized this morning: stepping in dog crap isn't nearly as big a deal. Just need a quick rinse with the garden hose, and you're golden.

(Though, when the shoes are covered in water at 25F, your feet *do* still get cold if not wet)

Late night ride tonight with a temp of 28 degrees, but I'm ready! Bring it on, winter!

IMAGE(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/serengeti000/ididaride_zps54f5db31.jpg)

I want to say that's too intense, but man-- riding in to work this morning at 20° (weather app says "feels like 8°")

I had my balaclava and layers, but I'm thinking I need to get me some warmer socks than the Smartwool ski socks I've got now. New gloves, too-- mine just don't cut it in this kind of cold.

So cold. Transportation Alternatives was handing out free coffee for bikers coming off the 59th St. Bridge. It's always fun to be doing what most others won't, though!

Serengeti wrote:

Late night ride tonight with a temp of 28 degrees, but I'm ready! Bring it on, winter!

Man, I won't ride for "fun" when it's below freezing. More power to you

WipEout wrote:

I want to say that's too intense, but man-- riding in to work this morning at 20° (weather app says "feels like 8°")

I had my balaclava and layers, but I'm thinking I need to get me some warmer socks than the Smartwool ski socks I've got now. New gloves, too-- mine just don't cut it in this kind of cold.

I need some danged socks too.

I finally bought some nice gloves earlier this year which are pretty great so far and they live up to their water resisting claims. I paid a lot less than MSRP though. Think you might need some of those silk liners to go with them below about 20F though.

A friend of mine is a dedicated bike commuter, pretty much if it isn't icy or snowy he's riding to work. He swears by these things:

Bar Mitts

IMAGE(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dks59YA7Z7Y/S2b-rMTA34I/AAAAAAAABMU/4Ul_GvhnqKc/s400/BarMittsRoad.jpg)

Not sure if he uses that particular brand or something else, but supposedly they are super warm.

Edit: I just walked outside and looked at his bike, they are in fact Bar Mitts brand. Last spring on a mountain bike ride, his wife used them, I think it was in the low 50s or so. She had to take them off because her hands got too warm.

Yeah, I'd say that anything thicker than these can probably be too much for 50+ degrees. Hell, I've been fine with those gloves even at 30°. But this morning I could feel the cold biting at my fingertips...

fleabagmatt wrote:

I think it was in the low 50s or so. She had to take them off because her hands got too warm.

I always ride with full fingered gloves and I haven't noticed any chill down to the mid-40s and wind.

WipEout wrote:

Yeah, I'd say that anything thicker than these can probably be too much for 50+ degrees. Hell, I've been fine with those gloves even at 30°. But this morning I could feel the cold biting at my fingertips...

Hey, I have those gloves. Happy with them between about 35-60F, but below that I go GORE.

Before getting the GORE gloves this year, I used some hilarious cheapo rubber gloves with silk liners added under them when it got below freezing and/or wet. They were incredibly windproof and insulating, but they didn't breathe at all and my hands became super clammy. This is one area where paying for quality really has meaningful results.

Mind linking to the GORE gloves you wear? I'm thinking I should probably get proper gloves this winter, rather than the cool weather ones I just linked. Otherwise, I might just go with snow-glove liners and try to fit them underneath the Cyclones. Probably will be too tight a fit, though...

My wife bought me some winterized cycling gloves a few years ago. They ended up underperforming, markedly, against some winter gloves from Walmart or Target. Not sure what brand at the moment, but they were purchased from a reputable LBS. When I wasn't lame like I am now and was riding in the winter (or at all), I was shorts + long-sleeve wicking top + short-sleeve jersey + gloves for 35-50F. For <= 20F, a set of winterized stretchy bike pants + similar jacket, each breathable + a thermal hood + same gloves. The tough part was 20F < temp < 35F: too cold for the warmer attire and too warm for the colder attire.

I hope this becomes relevant to me again in the near future.

Bar mitts are awesome, but they don't fit on my butterfly bars My gloves get the job done, but the chemical warmers are required gear when it starts getting much below freezing.

My boots are great, but I guess they don't make them anymore since the only links I can find are to expired eBay auctions...

WipEout wrote:

Mind linking to the GORE gloves you wear? I'm thinking I should probably get proper gloves this winter, rather than the cool weather ones I just linked. Otherwise, I might just go with snow-glove liners and try to fit them underneath the Cyclones. Probably will be too tight a fit, though...

GORE gloves! The only gloves endorsed by gore.

I paid $50-ish for them in the off season, and I dunno if they can be found for less than MSRP now that winter's rolling up. They're pretty thick relative to my lighter PI gloves; I wouldn't want to go much bigger than these without risking shifting problems.

EDIT:

Here's a review.

I'm amazed at the number of gloveless folks I saw riding this morning in 30 degree NYC.

We got up to the mid 60s again today (!) so I got out and got a good ride here at the neighborhood trail. Got back just in time to run to pick the kids up from school, and then got back just in time to get on a conference call. Now I'm stuck sitting in my own funk. Hurray for telecommuting at least.

Slumberland wrote:

I'm amazed at the number of gloveless folks I saw riding this morning in 30 degree NYC.

Man, that's seriously crazy. I guess I can see it if you're going a very short distance and taking it slow, but once you hit a decent speed below freezing it just feels brutally cold. I use full fingered gloves for anything below 50. Man.

... but maybe I'm just a wuss? Living in the south has perhaps made me weak.

gore wrote:
Slumberland wrote:

I'm amazed at the number of gloveless folks I saw riding this morning in 30 degree NYC.

Man, that's seriously crazy. I guess I can see it if you're going a very short distance and taking it slow, but once you hit a decent speed below freezing it just feels brutally cold. I use full fingered gloves for anything below 50. Man.

... but maybe I'm just a wuss? Living in the south has perhaps made me weak.

If you're a wuss then I'm a wuss.

You are not a wuss.

If anybody wants to try out the Levi's Commuter pants, the 511 "Indigo Rigid" are on sale for $48, and there's a 30% off coupon that drops them to ~$35 shipped. That'd be a pretty solid price for regular 511s, nevermind the commuters.

The rest of the Commuter series is worth a look too. I got the trucker jacket and it's pretty nice (though I learned a medium is just a little too small for me right now, in another ten pounds it'll be great).

gore wrote:

If anybody wants to try out the Levi's Commuter pants, the 511 "Indigo Rigid" are on sale for $48, and there's a 30% off coupon that drops them to ~$35 shipped. That'd be a pretty solid price for regular 511s, nevermind the commuters.

Well that is just fantastic. Thanks for the tip... ordered!

gore wrote:

If anybody wants to try out the Levi's Commuter pants, the 511 "Indigo Rigid" are on sale for $48, and there's a 30% off coupon that drops them to ~$35 shipped. That'd be a pretty solid price for regular 511s, nevermind the commuters.

The rest of the Commuter series is worth a look too. I got the trucker jacket and it's pretty nice (though I learned a medium is just a little too small for me right now, in another ten pounds it'll be great).

I have a couple pairs of jeans/pants from levi's commuter series, also just picked a jacket from that line too. Really do like their stuff.

WipEout wrote:

I just ordered this saddle:

IMAGE(http://www.selleanatomica.com/products/titanico-x/files/stacks_image_195.png)

And matching bar tape! Also some new Maxxis Raze CX tires for my commuter. Now that the crappy weather has hit, I figure it's finally time to upgrade a couple of the crappier and/or worn out parts of the bike. I also need to replace the bearings in my front hub. Possibly my bottom bracket as well, but I'm going to try to hold out on that one until next summer.

Careful with this seat. Make sure you round up from their weight recommendations for this saddle. The leather can stretch / the the rails can bend. Both have happened to a friend of mine who purchased this one.

My daughter seems to dig the DZR Concubines (finally found some extra cleats for them; slip-on bike shoes are weird but they work surprisingly well):

IMAGE(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rrzc9V2Dzv0/UolocukWTvI/AAAAAAAAOg8/A_65La2WcMM/s800/IMG_20131117_192838.jpg)

I love the reflective badges on DZR shoes, which make every direct flash shot of them look something like that