Pacers Sunday 4th January

[Andy H]

Can't make it Sunday, still not well enough.

Please post your route suggestions if you're out.

See you soon

[Steven]

Good forecast at the moment.  I'd say The Mumbles but I think it may be an Easterly.  Other options are the Aberdare circuit in reverse or the 100km reliability ride course.

Get well soon Andy, I'm rubbish at this !

[xrayspecs]

Easterly. My suggestions.
Option 1; Miskin St Fagans Newport Road Flats Gaer Road Machen stop Caephilly. Longer
Option 2; Coast / Rhoose / airport road / wenvoe etc stop Duffryn Gardens. Shorter.
930 start so don't want to get back mid afternoon.

[Jason T]

^Option 1 Sounds Good.

I might join you in the morning as Option 1 & 2 are appealing in case the group opts for one of these, they are fairly flat so it shouldn't have me breathing too hard.

[Steven]

Allan, Chris, Jason, Mark and I.  Ogmore, Llantwit, Rhoose, Culverhouse Cross.  Aroma in Cowbridge for coffee ( would recommend!). Then Pontyclun, Brynna, Heol -y - Cyw and back via Coity.  61 miles at a brisk average just short of 18mph. Mark and Jason both strong. Lots of cyclists out this morning!

[wardhaugh]

Mark and Jason were indeed strong, but Mr Madeley was a revelation - a good advert for structured training. I always struggle at this time of year, and I was barely hanging on today.  I made average speed just over 18mph - felt like it should have been much higher. Good training, now for the other important bit - recovery💤

[Davey C]

Cold air affects the speed I find, avg speed not always a good reflection of effort!

[Rob Jones]

Cold air affects the speed I find, avg speed not always a good reflection of effort!

Any evidence that cold air affects speed? I certainly find I am slower in winter. As I don't have a power meter I don't know if that's simply cos I'm putting out less watts due to lower fitness level or using more energy simply to keep warm etc... So many other things like additional clothing, heavier bike and presumably interrupted airflow of mudguards must play a part too.

[Mark Pope]

Rob,

I've just been talking to a meteorologist mate at work who is also a cyclist and he says that cold weather definitely reduces cycling performance. The two specific reasons are: greater aero dynamic drag caused by higher air density, and less efficient tyre rolling resistance caused by cold air and cold surfaces. A rough rule of thumb is that a 28 minute, 10 mile time trial at 20 degrees, could be up to 30 seconds slower at about 1 degree C. As we have all found to our cost, it is also scientifically much harder to remove a tyre from a rim when the tyre is cold and wet. I'm sure that Christmas indulgence and 5 layers of clothing don't help with cycling speed either!

Only last week when Chris Reed was out with the Amblers, he pulled over to check his bike saying that he thought he was riding through treacle. As we were all busting a gut to stay on his wheel we know how he felt. However, it was freezing cold and the above reasons explain why we were working so hard to ride at speeds that were very comfortable last summer! I felt a bit better after this conversation as I have been training harder and harder recently but getting slower and slower (or is this just age).

Mark

[Rob Jones]

Thanks for sharing that Mark. A very direct answer I wasn't expecting anyone to  have. Its not a huge difference then in that over say a club run it only equates to 2-3 minutes. Average speed wise I haven't worked it out but must be between 0.5 and 1mph. I reckon there may also be depleted ability to process oxygen when the air is cold. If this is the case then  even power meters have limitations in monitoring performance year round.

[Davey C]

Not really - power is power. Speed doesn't come into it, if it's too cold to be in your target range you +/- 5% it's too cold to be out on the bike!

[Rob Jones]

Ok Davey - I will of course continue to try and devalue power meters until I can afford one!

Going back to the cold versus speed topic -

According to the below source "...it takes 19% more watts to ride 17mph at 40 degrees F than at 60 degrees F..." for exactly the reasons that Mark P mentioned...

http://www.cptips.com/energy.htm

See section on ENERGY REQUIREMENTS IN A COLD ENVIRONMENT

Now that is significant (if correct) and explains why long winter rides are so much more exhausting!

[Davey C]

This has all been very interesting!! Always found cold rides harder and every time I've done our NYD '10' I've suffered for little reward. Knew it was something to do with air density but this has been very illuminating!