[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Ah ok so there's still hope. A little over 2 weeks and about 300-350 kms here.

Still setting my steel MTB up to optimize it. Put Prabuddha's advice on pedal clips (with straps) on the backburner for now because they are way too pricey for the moment. A Suncross guy I am speaking to in Delhi has them on his website at around 1400 bucks. Decathlon would cost around the same.

I would definitely like nicer tyres ASAP - nylon, thinner, and which can be filled harder with more pressure - less rolling resistance. Heard most cyclists pick up as much as 3-4 kmph in the average speeds on their MTBs with just thinner slicker tyres. I may not get as much because I'm not exactly running my original 2.1 inch knobbies anymore, but I'm hoping to at least be closer to 25 kmph than I am now by this relatively low cost "cheating." Indian tyres and tubes (1.5 inches) should come to around 700 bucks a pair.

Hopefully next week.

Cheating or no cheating, as you clock more miles, you can see your average speed also going up. 2 weeks and you starts worrying, in that period I was averaging 18 I believe.

I think you should add the time/distance also as goal. 25Kmph for 50Kms, etc.
Right now, if I push hard, I can maintain 25+ Kmph for 30 to 35 mins tops and then I have to wait for quite some time to push harder again .

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

2 weeks and you starts worrying, in that period I was averaging 18 I believe.

Well, I used to be a competitive cyclist many many (blue) moons ago. High school. Mid to late 80s to be precise. LOL

I think you should add the time/distance also as goal. 25Kmph for 50Kms, etc. Right now, if I push hard, I can maintain 25+ Kmph for 30 to 35 mins tops and then I have to wait for quite some time to push harder again .

Yup, that's the plan. Our group leader is sadly the by-the-book slow and steady incremental interval training type ....

[alfafan]

Originally Posted by anshuman965

Hullo friends, Newbie to cycling. Been following this thread eagerly. Recently transferred to Pune. Went to Surender cycle store , getting bianchi duel pro for 20k. Other options are montra series.. Please suggest if bianchi deal is decent. Usage is going to be for fitness purpose consisting road and little trails. Should one check out Giant showroom? Budget is 25k at a stretch. Thanks.

Hi Anshuman - Do have a look at lifecycle store near Swargate ( http://www.lifecycleonline.in/ ), wonderful array of cycles including the ones in your budget.

The owner and staff are friendly and would guide you on appropriate purchase. Do take a test ride before your purchase.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Well, I used to be a competitive cyclist many many (blue) moons ago. High school. Mid to late 80s to be precise. LOL

Damn, I should be getting advise from you then. I did a 6 Km sprint, today after typing about the average speed, 27 it was. My legs were crying towards the end .

Would be nice to hear about your cycling experience in 80's. Do pen down if you get some time.

[miharbe]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I meant what is their thickness. If you look at the side wall it would be written there 28 x _._ _ or _ _/_

Just got around checking this today. It is 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8. I know 28 is the rim size of the tyres what do the other 2 signify? Please advise.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Damn, I should be getting advise from you then. I did a 6 Km sprint, today after typing about the average speed, 27 it was. My legs were crying towards the end .

Would be nice to hear about your cycling experience in 80's. Do pen down if you get some time.

Well, I used to love cycling. And Jamshedpur a lot like Pune has rolling roads and surrounded by hills. I had a Raleigh Roadster. In the seventh standard I won a few cycle races for fun (school sports day, and a few sponsored events - Agfa Camera, etc.) and was noticed by the coach of the Bihar Cycling Team (whose son also stidied in our school and was my senior at the time and was also training for the nationals).

Mr. Amar Singh (represented India at the Asiads) had a talk with my parents to allow me to come and train with him and the team. Since I was still in the seventh and studies pressure not a lot they agreed. He helped me convert my roadster into a racer. Drop bars, no brakes, stripped in clean to reduce weight, a big crank up front (I think 50 or 52) and a small fixed wheel to replace the standard freewheel behind. A old racing saddle which he donated to me completed the picture. I remember we used the same roadster wheels with thinner tyres.

Two other school cyclists were also selected and we started training. One had a similar roadster and one an SLR. Used to wake up early and cycle from home to the Jubilee Lake where we would do lap after lap of the 5.4 km lake circuit, before rushing back home to bathe have breakfast and rush to school.

Won a few more races, some against bigger boys age groups as well (coach got the organizers to allow - I was a sub-junior then) and finally the main BIG one. Qualifiers for the State team for the national at Bikaner next year. Boys (many with fancy cycles) from around the state came. I remember getting a mild sunstroke that day as well. Three guys made the qualifying mark. I was one of them.

The event we were selected for was the sub-juniors 100 km Team Time Trial. 4 guys set out. The timing of the third guy to cross the finish line is taken as the team time. Since there were only 3 of us, all 3 of us had to finish.

I remember we dismantled the bikes and packed them in the same jute gunny bags they use for packing 2 wheelers at the station. The bikes were kept near the door chained together. We had a gala time in Bikaner (my first trip out without my parents). Our senior guys with the professional bikes did very well on the velodrome events. Even 1-2 girls from north Bihar were very good (Manipur used to dominate women's cycling those days). Then it was our turn.

I remember how proud we were to wear the white team t-shirt with Bihar written in big red font! We did not have professional tights like our seniors so we wore tight thigh hugging cotton above knee shorts which our mom's had stitched for us (I guess the bums and inner thighs and groins of the young are a lot tougher LOL). We wore those padded strip type helmets which skaters and boxers wear. All our seniors were there at the start to cheer us.

The route was 50 kms one way, do a U turn and race 50 kms back. I do not remember the timing we did or any details. I just remember the Rajasthan sun, the reflection off the sand (no goggles), the eatherware glasses of water given along the way (which you chuck by the side), and the feeling of elation when we made the turn (sped automatically went up just to look good to the crowd).

What I also remember is that we were not lapped by a single team in spite of being the only team with normal bikes. And the last 20kms as one of us 3 started flagging and the remaining two of us having to coax him along as without him we would get a DNF! We finally made it. I think we actually were middle of the pack and coach had a lot of cyclists coming up to him and admiring our guts.

For the next nationals we really wanted to podium. I would be in the ninth standard and up against bigger boys now (juniors). We needed to get better bikes. Months passed trying to get old second hand racers. But in those days, they were like gold. This was pre liberalization India. Importing needed tons of paperwork and licenses and permits and months and sometimes even years would pass before one could get a bike into India. Never mind the cost.

But we tried that route as well. Coach contacted a team abroad (his friends from his Asiad racing days) to get some old Team Raleighs (red color). But finally my parents decided that it was getting too close to the tenth standard and my ICSE exams. Plus my studies and Brilliants tutorials and tuitions and extra classes (I had already started prepping for Medical entrances by then). Not to mention that the cycle itself would have cost over 10-15000 bucks landed cost eventually (my Raleigh cost 700 in those days).

So that was the end of my 2+ years of serious cycling. I remember even asking my dad once to allow me to become a professional cyclist and the look of incredulous amazement on his face! Anyways all was not a waste. I made it through a ton of top medical colleges, and the one we finally decided on, AFMC, in the interview (panel comprising of Brigadiers and Generals) there was a Brigadier Aiyanna (his son was to be a senior of mine in college - is an elite paratrooper today) who when he found out I was a cyclist, the entire 20 minute interview instead of being on Biology or Physics or Chemistry or GK/current affairs, was on cycling, gear ratios, team time trial tactics, etc. (hardly anyone else spoke) And it helped me with my final top 5 rank (I think at 3rd or 4th, I was the highest civvy ranked student all India in my batch).

So that's my story from another century.

Originally Posted by miharbe

Just got around checking this today. It is 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8. I know 28 is the rim size of the tyres what do the other 2 signify? Please advise.

1 5/8 inch tyre wall height. 1 3/8 inch tyre width (of carcass without tread). Both measures of tyre carcass without tread.

[LonelyPlanet]

I have used Endomondo and Strava for logging my bike rides. While both give similar stats on distance/ speed/ time, I found huge difference in the calories consumed !!

Which is more accurate and why ?

Any insight into this matter from fellow BHPians is appreciated.

[ebonho]

Can someone please help me out with deciphering the size marking on my rims please?

Both have close to the valve stamped "TI Cycles 26x1.75/1.95"

The rear rim has additionally "B" after the above.

The front rim has additionally what looks like either 0 or II followed by 99 after the above.

Haven't been able to find anything on Sheldon Brown etc. which talk more in terms of tyre than rim size.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Can someone please help me out with deciphering the size marking on my rims please?

Both have close to the valve stamped "TI Cycles 26x1.75/1.95"

The rear rim has additionally "B" after the above.

The front rim has additionally what looks like either 0 or II followed by 99 after the above.

Haven't been able to find anything on Sheldon Brown etc. which talk more in terms of tyre than rim size.

Most probably it gives the sizes of tyres that you could mount on this rim.

But the way I have used Sheldon Brown table is to check the inner width between rim walls using a scale and then decide what is the lowest tyre I could mount there. My bicycle (hybrid) came with 700x35c but with that table I could figure out I can go down till 700x28c. So when I had to change a tyre I changed it with 700x32c.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by shipnil

Most probably it gives the sizes of tyres that you could mount on this rim.

But the way I have used Sheldon Brown table is to check the inner width between rim walls using a scale and then decide what is the lowest tyre I could mount there. My bicycle (hybrid) came with 700x35c but with that table I could figure out I can go down till 700x28c. So when I had to change a tyre I changed it with 700x32c.

Yup that's what I thought too. But the original tyre the bike came with was a big fat extreme knobby that was most definitely 2.125 at the very least. Hence the confusion.

The B probably refers to "Beaded" type in terms of the type of tyres it can take (wire beaded).

The II or 0 99 I thought was a date or something since I bought the cycle in 2002 but it was old stock which the dealer was hoarding as it had an export gear set.

The markings are probably different because one rim (can't recall which one now) was replaced when a moron biker T boned me and bent my wheel completely.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by ebonho

So that's my story from another century.

Awesome, doc. Nice read, I hope you will reach 25kmph for 50Km(or more) goal faster, meanwhile, I have set 25kmph for 25Kms as my goal.

[mail4ajo]

Chennai boys, where do you ride? We must have a Tbhp bike ride soon. Can be fun, long or just coffee ride. It should be Tbhp and bike ride.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Well, I used to love cycling......

So that's my story from another century.....

That made for some nice reading. Thanks for sharing. I so wish sports in India were more accepted as a way of life. Your life might have been different.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

That made for some nice reading. Thanks for sharing. I so wish sports in India were more accepted as a way of life. Your life might have been different.

Might have. But in 1985-86, very unlikely. Maybe now, if someone is really dedicated. That said, how many top level Indian cylists do you know of? Even one in the Tour de France?

[download2live]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

For a shorter distance, it could be worked up to 25 kmph on a short 10-15km stint.

Shame on me. My 11km ride takes gets done at 15km/hr. Only mitigating factor will be that the terrain is not flat. A bit hilly. But even on flat terrain I will not be nearing 20+ km. Mine is not a road bike. A steel commuter bike - Jamis Coda Sport.