Introduction from Hilly

The frame is Ti, it's a Burls, and english steel frame builder, but he works with a russian Ti frame producer. Everything else is bits from the internet, am putting it together my self, first bike build so a bit of a learning experience.

Burls reviews well on the net. New one on me but they seem well screwed together. You'll have a whale of a time on that. Perfect choice for our sodding Surrey potholes and bad surfaces. Are they Fulcrum 7 wheels?

Fulcrum Racing 5 Wheels 2012

Pro-Lite Forks - Road Giralba Carbon Forks 2013 Carbon 1.1/8"

Shimano 105 Groupset

Selle Italia Saddles SLR Kit Carbonio Flow Saddle 2012 Black - Carbon Rails

5's will suit that quite nicely.

Well its been a few days, bottled the weekend long ride, combination of being too busy and no bike, also skipped wednesdays ride. But the bike is now complete, had it fitted today, attempted to tape the handlebars, not the neatest i have ever seen but there appears to be tape in most places there should be.

So, took it out for its first ride, nothing too special, did reasonably flat route covering just over 18 miles in 1 hour 14 min. Was reasonably good with keeping my HR down, although I really need to confirm the zones i am supposed to be traning in are right for me.

Nipped out for a reall short run, set out with the aim of not setting of my HRM alarm for the run. I failed, normally i bounce off the upper limit, but i did manage to only set it off twice and immediatly slow my heart back down. A nice bonus when i got home was finding i ran at 8.5kmh which is a marked improvement for me.

So dusty does an average of 14mph make you want to retract your offer for that ride?

Nope, not at all. That's not a bad pace. We might even tempt a few others out with that as the pace. Without giving exact details on tinterweb, what sort of area-ish are you. I am Woking.

Dustboy wrote (see)

Mmm, could be persuaded to 20 miles Pirbright, Normandy, Merrist Wood then up and over the Mytchett Ranges and back via Frimley. Nice steady ride, nothing too onerous, and mostly flat. Bit parky to do long rides at the mo. There's a pub on Pirbright Green for afters too, lunch whatever.

Anyone else provisionally?

You rang? I'm in for the pub dinner afterwards. 20 miles is a long ride nowadays...

Dustboy wrote (see)

Don't worry about slow. Some of my rides have people who are more "stop and wail" and that's downhill. You know who you are!

Oi Soupy - guess who's dissing you  

Would that be the pub we ate in last winter??????

Think so, but I had to shoot off that day, Siggy ate I think? Are we tempting Podds out as well then?

I'm Farnham based, so not all that far away. Life is busy this weekend and next but from then on i'm all free.

I only have one worry, the fixie i spotted on eBay, if i buy it i'm a dead man, but its too good to turn down. If thisis my last post it was good knowing you all.

training hill wrote (see)

I'm Farnham based, so not all that far away. Life is busy this weekend and next but from then on i'm all free.

I only have one worry, the fixie i spotted on eBay, if i buy it i'm a dead man, but its too good to turn down. If thisis my last post it was good knowing you all.

Castle hill reps then .

Good luck with the fixie.

IronCat5 in the Hat wrote (see)

Castle hill reps then .

Good luck with the fixie.

When the training calls for some higher intensity work Castle Street/Hill would be a great place i guess, for now though I have a nice flat 4-5 mile loop to practice on, i have a nice hill on the way to and back from the loop though.

Are you reasonably local to me then Ironcat?

Local-ish, Berks nows (just) but used to live in North Camp years ago.

Dusty - when were you thinking going for this lttle ride then? I could be tempted to come and play

Dustboy wrote (see)

Think so, but I had to shoot off that day, Siggy ate I think? Are we tempting Podds out as well then?

I'm a definite maybe Dustie dependent on the usual things  I never turn down a good meal even if I have to drive and bike for it!!

Next few weeks probably. Pretty open to dates I think. I'll have a nose at the diary and come back.

No update for a few days, everything seems to be going well, got my long run upto 50 min now. The new bike has been a lot of fun to ride, and its looking like my training totals are all going past nice numbers this week, should hit 10k swam, 100k cycled and 50k ran since my training started. The cycling is so low as a lot of the early turbo sessions were done with no sensor on the rear wheel so i have no data on how far i would have covered.

Some how i have a slightly tense left knee today, yesterday being a rest day i find that a little odd, am tempted to blame it on how i sit at work sometimes. Will take the run today easy and pop a support on for a couple of days. Think i will try a swim session with Farnham Tri on wednesday evening, not sure how i'll get on with that as all my swims this far have been the wrong stroke and only 35 min long.

A question for any one local to me, can you recommend a good shop to get myself a wetsuit from, my body shape is pretty consistant so would like to take advantage of any old stock clearance if i can.
Any advice on swim cloathing for the pool, have always stuck to nice baggy shorts, am i fine training in these or should i be looking at something that offers a bit less resistance.
Finally a big question, my plan was to use Fink's competitivt plan, but i started ~20 weeks early, the logic behind this is starting from nothing week 1 even of the base phase was more than i could realistically manage. I'm now, after 3-4weeks training, upto around 7 hours training a week. Would I be best simply extending the base phase, and sticking to a 10 week build and 10 week peak, or should i look to extend all parts of the plan? If it helps i am happy to share either the last few weeks records, or my current plan, which only really extends for the next three weeks.

Dusty, after this weekend i should be free for a ride when ever is convinient for you, my mother in law is visiting this weekend so training has to fit in around that. If you had a google maps or something like that or the rough route you had in mind i would be interested in seeing that as i used to work over in Pirbright so may know some parts of your route.

Farnham Tri are excellent and have superb swim coaching. I am a member there. I might even be tempted out tomorrow evening as well (ain't been for ages) if you want to touch base there, fine. 9pm start. Think tomorrows coach is Dan, very helpful guy and might even video analyse you if you are lucky! Usually they give you the first swim as a freebie, but it's only a few quid anyway.

Re clothing, I use £4.99 sports direct trunks in the pool. They only last a couple of months before the chlorine kills them but better that than a 40 quid pair of tri shorts. Baggys not really suitable as a permanent solution. Farnham have graded lanes so the crap swimmers go in the slow lane (like me). You can then upgrade as you get better.

Re wettie, personally I used triuk in Yeovil and tehy also do ex hire suits around about now. Snugg do an excellent made to measure online service but you can probably get properly fitted at the TCR show at Sandown in Feb and get a show discount.

Re training, better to ask the ones that train (ie don't listen to me)

Might be clear weekend after this? Any use?

I have drawn on a bit of printed map. No idea how to post it up here but if you PM me your email, I'll scan and send it back. Anyone else, it's nothing we haven't done before and it's 90% flat. 2 minor 1/4 mile lumps, not even out of the saddle. Plus that orsum ziggy zaggy descent in Mytchett.