Guess what (mostly) has been going through my mind, since my last post.
I think people must know quite a bit about me, just by reading this blog, to correctly guess that I have been thinking (OK, and dreaming) about how I am going to prepare myself and how I am going to tackle my next race - the Paris-Roubaix Challenge.
Some of the questioning is like this:
- How am I going to train for something like that in SE Queensland?
- What sort of bike should I take for a race on the cobbles?
- How am I going to get such bike?
- Should I put some FMB tubular on my old 303s, or should I go the old style with Ambrosio or Mavic rims? - check them all here.
- Should I do a training camp in Germany, Belgium or Holland before the race?
- Could I get a sponsor for all that?
At the moment, the general answer is like this:
"OK, it is not that complicated. I will figure out those things in the next couple of months."
I already know through my own experiences that the Cervelo S2 is not going to be the best ride on the cobbles. I will be looking for something a little supple and compliant for the ride, like a Cervelo R3. Perhaps a different material would do a good job, even...
Also, I started to work on fixing my body, this time with Victor Popov, one of the best physios in town. The "hit" two years ago and all the stress I have put my body through over the years created a fairly imbalanced skeletal framework which has been giving me a good amount of pain, not to mention the loss of power in my right leg.
I can't reinvent myself to become a Boonen, a Cancellara or a Stuey on the bike but I still believe that with a bit of help and smart training (on and off the bike) I can become a stronger, faster rider. I am planning to do just that.
And talking speed, who said the colour red made bikes look faster? What about black, or white?
In the last three weeks, a project of reinventing the S2 took place. It got reinvented into pure speediness.
I reckon!
Training for the cobbles next.
Cheers!
I think people must know quite a bit about me, just by reading this blog, to correctly guess that I have been thinking (OK, and dreaming) about how I am going to prepare myself and how I am going to tackle my next race - the Paris-Roubaix Challenge.
Some of the questioning is like this:
- How am I going to train for something like that in SE Queensland?
- What sort of bike should I take for a race on the cobbles?
- How am I going to get such bike?
- Should I put some FMB tubular on my old 303s, or should I go the old style with Ambrosio or Mavic rims? - check them all here.
- Should I do a training camp in Germany, Belgium or Holland before the race?
- Could I get a sponsor for all that?
At the moment, the general answer is like this:
"OK, it is not that complicated. I will figure out those things in the next couple of months."
I already know through my own experiences that the Cervelo S2 is not going to be the best ride on the cobbles. I will be looking for something a little supple and compliant for the ride, like a Cervelo R3. Perhaps a different material would do a good job, even...
Also, I started to work on fixing my body, this time with Victor Popov, one of the best physios in town. The "hit" two years ago and all the stress I have put my body through over the years created a fairly imbalanced skeletal framework which has been giving me a good amount of pain, not to mention the loss of power in my right leg.
I can't reinvent myself to become a Boonen, a Cancellara or a Stuey on the bike but I still believe that with a bit of help and smart training (on and off the bike) I can become a stronger, faster rider. I am planning to do just that.
And talking speed, who said the colour red made bikes look faster? What about black, or white?
In the last three weeks, a project of reinventing the S2 took place. It got reinvented into pure speediness.
I reckon!
Training for the cobbles next.
Cheers!
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5 comments:
Interesting article on tyre and wheel prep for Paris Roubaix.
How are you going to determine your race goals?
Hi Faizel,
Although planning to ride as fast as possible, I have very limited idea of how it is going to feel like at the day. We will be in Europe for a couple of weeks before the event, I hope to find lots of cobbled roads to train on and decide how I am going to ride on the day. "Follow the old French guys, if you can." I've been told...
PS: Saw some of your results on a SA site, well done!
Thanks AMR.
Your & Groover's blogs inspired me to start my own.
Love the look of your "new" bike! Tip from Nils for Paris-Roubaix: find a dirt road with heavy corrugation. It has to be very bumpy but steady, to simulate the impact on your pedalling performance. You will find that the corrugated road forces you into much lower cadence than what you're used to. Further it will allow you to find a happy medium for cadence and muscle fatigue. The ongoing vibration coming from the cobbled road will increase muscle fatigue at an earlier stage. If you're interested in specific training tips, Nils is happy to share his thoughts!
Many thanks Anke and Nils! I will look for some roads around the SE. Thanks for the offer, it will be great getting some advices from you guys. Cheers!
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