Avatar for NickS

NickS

Member since May 2015 • Last active Sep 2022

taking cycling a bit more seriously now. I like hills, and time trialling. Hilly time trials doubly so.

Most recent activity

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    Welcome Agnes,
    On Sundays routes vary from 40-50km for people looking for an easier day or who need to be back by lunchtime, all the way up to 160km+. 100-120km is pretty typical for a B pace ride. Longer rides are available but tend to be on a one-off basis, advertised on the forum with people expressing interest in advance. There have recently been 200+ km routes on offer if that is what you are after. I think you need to be a member to see those posts though.

    For the first ride with the club we recommend joining a C ride which tend to be on the shorter side. Hope that helps.

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    It might be worth surveying interest by resurrecting one of the relevant threads like this or this. I don't recall Tuesday 6 am sessions happening for a while but it seems likely that you could get a group together, especially this time of year. In the meantime if you are looking for company for something ad-hoc there are also threads for mid-week daytime rides or general last minute rides.

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    I'm in for Wednesday, if there's space?

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    Sorry, just seen this! Welcome Wai, it was great to ride with you in the park last Sat. Look forward to seeing you again.

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    +1 to the above.
    FYI if these things are important to you, the climb as described in the 100 Climbs book (and thus the 'OFFICIAL 100 Climbs' strava segment, which you need to get the veloviewer tick) starts from a bit further down Swain's Lane than your route, see here: https://www.strava.com/segments/6691038

    Enjoy and good luck with your project!

    edit: basically what Tim said

  • in An introduction to club cycling
    Avatar for NickS

    Great to meet you, @redfalo and all the others on the ride, glad you had a good day out. Welcome to the club.

  • Avatar for NickS

    Hello, I'll be helping to lead the ride on the 9th, looking forward to it :-) If you haven't seen it, GCN is usually a good source of advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGyTdklpnVM

    To third the other suggestions, a couple of decent mid-weight base layers are really versatile, and can extend the use of your summer gear well into autumn and even winter if you layer them. With the recent weather (ie windy but not actually that cold) I have found a windproof layer really important, either a jersey with windproofing (usually expensive) or you can get baselayers with windproof panels on the front which work really well (cheaper and you can wear under anything). Most of my kit is intended for cool-weather spring/autumn riding, for the really cold days I just put it all on at once :-) Cycling being the new golf, you can spend an unlimited amount of money on expensive garments specialized for very a specific set of conditions - but I think basing your clothing around layers is a better solution than spending a lot on eg. a really warm jacket that you only ever use a couple of times a year. If you are really dying to invest in something nice, the Castelli Gabba really is wonderful in wind/rain, but you would still want to layer under it for the cold.

    Keeping knees warm - your options are shorts + leg or knee warmers (the versatile option), 3/4 length or full length tights. This year I have got the most use out of shorts + knee warmers, but it has been mild. Look for something made from roubaix fleece, and possibly windproofing. dhb (Wiggle's in house brand) are great value for money in this department.

    Don't forget your extremities, I find my body runs quite warm once I am moving but the bits that get really cold are my hands and feet, so I nearly always wear overshoes, and double them up and add thermal gloves on the really cold days. I've recently experimented with oversocks, and been impressed - work well on their own on dry windy days, and as a layer under overshoes on really cold or wetter days.

    I have found Planet X a very cheap source of basic but functional staples - base layers, overshoes, etc - probably not the best in terms of breathability but perfectly adequate and great for layering up to add a bit more warmth on cold days.

    Specifically for the intro ride, I am going to err on the side of dressing too warm, we will try to keep moving whenever possible but it might be a bit more stop/start than on regular club rides - as the focus is on learning skills and riding as a group, we might stop to talk about things and will always wait to regroup at the top of hills.

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    Hi @nicknumbernine, I did the intro to club cycling ride on Sat so I am all signalled up :-) I have done a few sportives and group rides before that though so happy enough riding in a group. I'm happy to do my bit on the front but I am new to through and off etc so might need a bit of instruction if that is what you are doing. Speed wise, I would be looking to sustain around 30kph solo for an hour in regents park, how does that compare to A pace? I wouldn't want to hold anyone up obviously so happy to be dropped if I am too slow.

  • in Getting started with ICC
    Avatar for NickS

    Does anyone mind if I tag along to Regents Park tomorrow (Tuesday) morning? I've just joined but waiting for my forum membership to be approved (I think) so can't post on the relevant thread. Is it ok just to turn up at the zoo entrance at 6am?

  • in An introduction to club cycling
    Avatar for NickS

    Hello! Been lurking here for a while, and finally managed to get a space lined up with a free saturday! Look forward to meeting you all tomorrow, please send me the info on when and where?

Actions