Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

[80mileshigh]

Great videos, thanks!

I actually fell over on my third clipless ride. I forgot to unclip before stopping, didn't get them out on my first attempt, then had just enough time to think about how to fall. I remembered to ride the bike down and spread the impact across my shoulder and back. No damage to me or the bike but real comic value for a few bystanders!

Have you ever played with Veloviewer.com? You enter your Strava ID and it gives you another world of stats. I really like the segment visualisation it provides, which seems better at conveying the gradient of climbs than Strava. I mean, it looks like it feels. The site's chart feature is useful too.

Here are two segment visualisations:

Allendale is the one I mentioned conquering a a few pages back. 'The Monster' is one from Cadel's old training ride. I didn't get over this one, and I won't attempt it again until I'm closer to my ideal climbing weight!

 

[Tex]

Wow, that's pretty trick! I plugged in the biggest climb we have here, the Fred Hartman bridge. Here is my stats for it:

http://veloviewer.com/SegmentDetails.php?athleteId=374120&segmentId=865226

 

[80mileshigh]

Check out the O'Keeffe site too, which links from the veloviewer segment page:

http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/segmentDetails.php?segmentId=865226

Cyclists can never have too many statistics!

 

[FADEC]

Good to see your recovery is progressing, although slower than you had hoped I'm sure.

Yes. Initially I thought that after a few weeks I simply take off the bandage and start cycling again. I never expected that my arm would become that much useless. It didn't feel that bad at all until the 7th week, when I took off the bandage to check my arm for the first time. I was rather surprised. It's the strangest body experience I've had so far. You want to lift up your arm, but no matter how strong you try it, it simply won't move. I figured out that stretching it first for a few minutes, by putting it onto a shelf or desk, does help a lot.

I did some reading online about collar bone breaks because one of the guys in our cycing club also took a spill and broke his CB. Doctors avoid surgery if possible because as I understand it can be risky.

What I read actually revealed that the list of risks is way longer of a surgery than the risks of a conservative treatment. You might get into trouble with the metal plate and the scar. Some people say it always feels like you have a dustpan in your shoulder. In some cases it causes pain or your tendons even can get caught to the screws. Ouch. In case the metal plate bends you have to get another surgery because you might get a pseudarthrosis. And you have to get another surgery anyway for removing the metal plate again.

Everyone is different though in the time it takes for the bone to refuse, so on average one can expect between 6-12 weeks for healing. This would be devistating for me as I would be unable to work. My job is quite physically demanding, especially with my arms. I'm not sure what I would do and it leaves me with some serious considerations before I start racing next year...

Yeah. I am in fact unable to work. I still can't even use both arms for working at a computer for more than about one hour until my right arm needs a break.

Well, in my case it took 5 weeks until I felt that the two bone fragments are more or less stuck together finally. The radiographs confirmed my feeling (except there is no bone callus visible). I think this is only because I always took care that they are in contact whenever I took a seat or got to bed. I luckily was able to feel whether they are together or not. The distance between the fragments was 1.5cm (on top of each other). Or like the doctors said, it was "completely instable". Whenever I moved my shoulder down in front of a mirror one could see the site of fracture through the skin. For about 3 weeks it's not visible anymore. Instead, the entire collarbone finally moves again.

But the story isn't over yet. The second demanding part now begins: get the arm working again. On Monday it will be 8 weeks already since the accident.

It's the most irregular healing progress I've ever experienced. It does not become better constantly. There are days on which you think everything is fine. The next day it can feel worse again. After 5 weeks I thought that soon I can take off the bandage and that's it. But that was a huge fallacy. Now it's painful again as long as I don't rest. And that's dangerous. Because in case you just rest, your arm won't become usable again. You have to withstand the pain and do exercises. I'm glad I'm not very sensitive to pain. For some other people it might be hell.

But don't worry. I cycle for two decades, more or less. And it was my first bone fracture ever although I had some crashes already. But I never participated in a race though. I'm not nearly as professional as you became

And thanks for the videos!

 

[Tex]

I met up with the group mid-route today which gave me a chance to film them with my phone. I got them 3/4 of the way up the Kemah bridge climb:

 

[FADEC]

Just returned from the hospital. I got the radiographs today.

For reference, this is how a collarbone should look like:

This is the front view of my collarbone from day one (October 8):

From below (I think 45° or something like that):

Front view today (8 weeks later):

From below:

Still no bone callus visible after 8 weeks. But they said one just has to be patient. Radiographs often lag behind.

 

[80mileshigh]

Here's a great Wiggins documentary, in full, on youtube:

He's such a refreshing character - really good for cycling I reckon.

 

[80mileshigh]

So I went to a nearby bike shop today, with the aim of choosing a new bike. The store stocks Specialized, Cannondale and BMC. Seems like I'm getting down to a choice between the Specialized Tarmac and Roubaix (in the Sport-Elite bracket). Going to test ride them both tomorrow. I like the BMC SL01 too but I just can't justify that kind of expense!

I'd been saving most of the year to take glider lessons this (southern hemisphere) summer - but it seems my money is going to get thrown at a bike now. It's a tough decision.

 

[Urwumpe]

I think about going to the bike shop as well during my winter holidays... my girlfriend has parked the remains of her bike in my basement, think about using the dark days for repairing it. But I would need to buy quite many replacements parts, the only thing that really looks good is the frame. With some luck, the brakes and transmission only need disassembly and cleaning. The chain looks aweful, but I had not found damages there. One pedal is missing, the wheels are well...looking at least like wheels. The handle has seen better days, the saddle belongs into a microbiology course. And it must have had electrical stuff once.

Could still be cheaper than buying a new bike, especially since it has a pretty good and light frame. Sadly, it is too small for me, but at my parents house are still the remains of my old bike (Last used about ten - twelve years ago).

---------- Post added at 11:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

I'd been saving most of the year to take glider lessons this (southern hemisphere) summer - but it seems my money is going to get thrown at a bike now. It's a tough decision.

Sail plane, hang glider or paraglider? I have never really flown in my life except the 2-3 meters altitude achieved as kid with a self-made hang glider before it had structral collapse (we used aluminum tubes from an old tent, light, but not really sturdy). :lol:

 

[80mileshigh]

Sail plane, hang glider or paraglider?

Segelflug! Here: http://www.glidingclub.org.au/

It's 200k from where we live. If I do blow the cash on a bike my girlfriend and I might cycle out there and just take joyflights. Hopefully that will satisfy some of the urge to fly.

 

[Urwumpe]

We have quite many gliding clubs in 50 km radius around my place, no need to drive so far. :lol:

But sail planes are already too much technology for my taste, especially the high performance types are pretty complex. The university team here has designed some really exotic designs:

http://www.akaflieg-braunschweig.de/prototypen/sb13/

I remember seeing an Orbiter add-on of this one, not sure where it went.

 

[FADEC]

I have never really flown in my life

You really missed something! I would actually even prefer it over sex.

except the 2-3 meters altitude achieved as kid with a self-made hang glider before it had structral collapse (we used aluminum tubes from an old tent, light, but not really sturdy). :lol:

Nice

As a kid I always wanted to build my own parachute. In the end I just jumped from our 3m double garage without any parachute (we used old foam mattress), together with other kids from the neighbourhood. We did it basically because I had a friend who was rather inspiring for such adventures. He was American. Matthew Peterson, from Phoenix. Awesome times. Never had such a neighbourhood again. It completely turned into a usual, boring German neighbourhood once they went to the US again :thumbsdown:

 

[80mileshigh]

The university team here has designed some really exotic designs: http://www.akaflieg-braunschweig.de/prototypen/sb13/
I remember seeing an Orbiter add-on of this one, not sure where it went.

Before I go back to bikes, let me just post this, on-topic for the off-topic digression

This is an Orbiter screenshot. The Blanik glider is a scenery object from one of my unreleased FSX sceneries. The tiles are the Bundaberg region of Queensland, Australia (thanks Csanders for the base maker add-on).

This was a proof of concept for a Condor sim user, to see what a Landsat scenery of Bundaberg might look like (Condor is also DX7). There are some more shots in my Orbiter gallery ...




... bikes! Today I road an S-Works Roubaix and Tarmac Sport, as well as a Secteur which narrowed the choice to carbon!

The shop can do a Roubaix Comp with SRAM Rival groupset for basically the same price as the Tarmac Sport. I like both bikes, but the Roubaix does suit my riding intentions for the next year. I'm still weighing it up.

Tarmac Sport:

Roubaix Comp:

 

[Tex]

I would actually even prefer it over sex.

I don't know if I'd go that far! :lol:

The shop can do a Roubaix Comp with SRAM Rival groupset for basically the same price as the Tarmac Sport. I like both bikes, but the Roubaix does suit my riding intentions for the next year. I'm still weighing it up.

Without seeing the full specs for the bikes you're looking at, I would probably choose the Roubaix with Sram. Personally I prefer Sram over Shimano. However, the components offered vary from one bike shop to the next, so what I saw on the Specialized website may not be everything you will get on your bike. For example, Specialized shows the Roubaix coming with Shimano Ultegra. Do you have a link or list of the specs for the bikes you're looking at from your local bike shop?

Purely from a visual side, I never liked the way the front fork and the seatstays looked on the Roubaix, with that strange kink in them. However, it's still a quality bike and I would base my decision on the quality of the components between the two. If I'm not mistaken, the Tarmac sport comes with Shimano 105?

 

[80mileshigh]

However, the components offered vary from one bike shop to the next, so what I saw on the Specialized website may not be everything you will get on your bike. For example, Specialized shows the Roubaix coming with Shimano Ultegra. Do you have a link or list of the specs for the bikes you're looking at from your local bike shop?

That's right, the Comp comes with Ultegra by default. They had already heavily discounted the bike in its stock configuration. I was hesitating at the price, so they offered to switch out the Ultegra for Rival (or 105), to knock the price down further. They'd be changing the wheelset too - can't recall which type. All this stuff is going to be dazzling compared to what I've been riding!

Purely from a visual side, I never liked the way the front fork and the seatstays looked on the Roubaix, with that strange kink in them.

I know what you mean, and I think the classic lines of the Tarmac are very attractive. Supposedly it makes the Roubaix not just more comfortable, but more rugged too. This is a drawcard for me, riding on some rough hewn back-roads where the city meets the country.

I asked them why the Tarmac was regarded as a better climbing bike - a concern for me with climbing being the defining experience of this area. They said it was really just the weight penalty of the Roubaix's ruggedness. I don't think the kind of weight difference that exists between the bikes means anything to me at this point.

They did tell me a funny story about the Roubaix-riding guys at the Specialized factory, taking out the Zertz inserts on their lunch time rides to save weight. I'm not that hard core, yet.

 

[Tex]

1+ pounds of weight difference is huge when you're talking about climbing, so I would carefully consider the weight difference between the two bikes. I'm not sure what each of those bikes weigh though. If they're within a pound or so of each other, then a more rugged choice might be better for your roads. Anything over 2 pounds of difference would make it difficult for me to choose the heavier option. The Tarmac should still be tough enough for any road you'll use it on. I took mine off-road as you saw earlier in this thread with no problem, though I wouldn't make a regular habit of that, lol. Also, the wheels are very important, so I'd hate to downgrade from what is offered on both bikes (both come with the same wheel set from what I can tell and are pretty descent wheels).

If the weight difference between these two bikes isn't very much at all, I'd go with the Roubaix with Sram, but keep the better wheels on it. Out of every upgrade I made to my bike, better wheels made the most significant and noticeable difference. Hope it helps your decision, but you should certainly go with your own gut on this one. :thumbup:

 

[80mileshigh]

Hope it helps your decision, but you should certainly go with your own gut on this one. :thumbup:

Yes, you've absolutely helped, in this instance and more broadly. I probably wouldn't be about to get a quality bike if it wasn't for this thread and your riding videos.

The other big inspiration for me has been the realisation of how the body can be trained. When you find you can do something you couldn't previously do, it's a pretty amazing feeling. It begs the question - 'how much further can I go?' I'm discovering athletic potential I never knew I had - kinda wish I'd realised this ten year ago, but better late than never.

 

[Tex]

kinda wish I'd realised this ten year ago, but better late than never.

You and me both! :thumbup:

 

[FADEC]

I don't know if I'd go that far! :lol:

Either depends on the girl or kind of aircraft I guess :lol:

Yes, you've absolutely helped, in this instance and more broadly. I probably wouldn't be about to get a quality bike if it wasn't for this thread and your riding videos.

Same here!

Except a quality bike. But I am satisfied with my bike nevertheless. It looks nice and drives flawlessly.

By the way, I can sit on my bike without any pain meanwhile. But I won't ride until January. I want to be in a better shape first. I already can lift my right arm up to an angle of 90° sideways and forward. That's a huge success for me if I consider how different the situation was only 2 weeks ago. 3x20 minutes of exercises a day are really helpful.

 

[80mileshigh]

If the weight difference between these two bikes isn't very much at all, I'd go with the Roubaix with Sram, but keep the better wheels on it.

I pulled the trigger.

The wheels are somewhat of a downgrade from The DT Axis with Fulcrum 6, which is an OEM wheelset made of Fulcrum 5 rims and Fulcrum 7 hubs and spokes. It'll still be like magic to me!