Stats for the Hills Feb 3

[Plawless]

see: http://connect.garmin.com/player/23854065

10 x Tolmie with fastest time 3:08 and slowest 3:20.

[mlawless]

10x Tolmie? BY CHOICE! That is indicative of a secret hyperbaric chamber and a serious psychological condition. I thought this was a coffee club; but with Saturday death marching, and Wednesday ascension, the Easter Egg vibe is getting a bit cultish (how is that for layered interpretive speech)

I went out and did a few slow caddy bays and was feeling generally pleased with myself until this post reared its ugly head and shattered my fragile spirit Maybe I need a new bike; say under 12lbs - any suggestions?

[Josh.E]

For weight savings:
-saddles and seatposts add quite a bit of weight to the bike, and make you weak by allowing you to sit.
- anything over 16 spokes is overkill
- less teeth on cassettes saves weight..11-21's are the lightest
- front shifter, as well as small chainring both add weight. I'm not sure why anyone would want anything more than a 53-21 for climbing, unless their bike is unnecessarily heavy
- a single brake on the back will stop you safely 98% of the time. Them's good odds.
- a drill is your friend. most components are overengineered, and up to 50% of the material could easily be removed. This includes frames.

[Roland]

- a single brake on the back will stop you safely 98% of the time. Them's good odds.

Single front is better than single back. Less heavy brake cable.

I commuted last week with no brakes since I had no usable hands. I was fine.

[mlawless]

Roland,

Good job on the commute - will you do that again after you are released from the ward - you know the one with all that extra padding!

[Rolf]

I think the most impressive thing about these stats is that in the 1:30 it took you to whiz down to the bottom to start all over again, your heartrate went from 173 to under 70! That's one good pumper you got there.

I've been riding my old mountain bike to work these days. It's got industrial gauge stainless steel rims and a cast iron fork (original replaced after losing it and two teeth to the back of parked station wagon when I was 16). Not to mention the rusty, partly-seized chain and about three non-powdered bearings left in the bottom bracket. I ride it because it makes me less frustrated that I'm wearing flappy MEC commuter raingear.

I find the more things I have to blame for going slower, the less frustrated I am and the more I just creak along, noticing the buds in the trees and feeling zen.

I pity those poor cyclists drilling out their seatposts and dreaming about carbon fibre chains; they must be so unhappy.