Cycling Gods, Creekster, Goose, Mike, Dirty
 

What can I do about my wheels always coming out of true. My bike mechanic says I'm a 160 pound body riding like a 200 pounder.

What does he mean?

After each race I need to retrue the race wheels, and my training wheels are always out of true. I guess I'm going to learn to true my spokes. My friend says bunny hopping and ramming through everything might have something to do with it.

Sitting at 240 lbs I have had the opportunity to taco more than my fair share of rims...

I have done two things.
1- Spent more money on lightweight but "tougher" rims even though I've sacrificed some rolling weight.
2- Tried to make a conscious effort to take it easy on the rims. In stead of riding "balls to the wall" all the time I tend to relax on bumpy sections and pay more attention when going downhill.

i weigh more than you. use ksyrium elites. they are fine.

maybe i don't ride as hard as you. i dn't bunny hop.

I'm telling you guys wheel building is an art. Find yourself an experienced wheelbuilder and get him to re-build or true your wheels. I weigh, shall we say, significantly more than you, yet I have not trued a wheel on any of my bikes in over a couple of years. I know a guy here in the area that builds wheels very, very well (and charges for it) but it is worth it to me.

DHU has a point too. Sometimes, esp with lightweight wheels, you gots to be careful.

Why the bunnyhopping?

Bunny hopping is to clear cracks, RR tracks, get onto sidewalks and sometimes for something to do.

The first two shouldn't be a problem. IN the future, however, you should look for a curb cut instead of hopping onto it, IMO.

Which brings up a point that I'm not sure about...

How hard is 'hard riding' on road bikes? These machines are getting to be so fine tuned and so strong, yet delicate...what is considered "hard riding" on road bikes?

Don't ask me, I'm a newbie just like you.

They tell me I ride hard, whatever that means.

Arch - in comparison to me...you are one of the "Cycling Gods"

To be a God, you must break five hours for a century, only

Creekster, Goose, Mike, and of course Q who has broken four hours, qualify.

I qualify as a pussy.

You must have me mistaken for some other Goose that you know. My best century is about 5 1/2 hours with about 4,000 feet of climbing.

Whats the next step below God status? Because I'm probably 11 or 12 steps below that one.

It is true.

You are a pussy...

cracking 5 hours on a flat panhandle course with 75% drafting ain't that tough. :)

True, and I iwll confess that is pretty much what I did, except with more drafting invovled.

Well the one time I tried to break it, I did all the pulling, didn't eat and was out of shape. Boy did I blow up after mile 90. I sucked, so I haven't come close, because some of the others had too much climbing.

I'd like to arrive at the level of you cycling Gods, but alas, that may be a wish beyond my dreams.

I might do ULCER for people to laugh at and to laugh with.

To the Cycling Gods
 

Is the definition of the magical "Under 5 Hours" for a cetury:

a) total time from start to finish
b) just riding time

...methinks the answer is (a). And if you classify yourself as you say...then that must relagate me to the outer regions of whimp oblivion.

Yes it is total time. Including potty breaks, water refills, etc.

I start my clock when I cross the start line (it actually takes a good chunk of time to get to the start line when there are 9000 riders).

Oh boy...I don't think I'll ever be able to crack a 5 hour 'total' time. My ride time on the last century was 5.5....but that was only 'ride time'

Where in the world do you ride with 9000 cyclists?

Hotter N Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, TX. In late August.