Le Peloton #114

I got impressed, so late of the year and still so many people. Kudos to all of you coming to Le Peloton 😀

I had a borrowed bike today, so three Peloton in a row with different bikes 😉 Never had a bike that got so much attention on a single ride as today. Rode an Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS

You may say what ever you like about the stem and brakes, but it will pass you. Never ridden a faster bike that feels so tight with nothing loose or soft. When I tried the Pinarello F8 I said it was stiff, this is rocket fast.

My legs wheren’t the best after yesterday evening but I was able to pass the group and go up in front any way. Didn’t go around 100% but I never done that before either. With a 53 teeth ring on front in Nickel Boron I didn’t find the limit.

Going up Österviksbacken or up to Hellas felt better than I thought, not as snappy as my Tarmac but the cockpit is so stiff so everything you push down goes out to the wheel.

It was still a super hard ride but I felt the aero advantage. And I saw the power for the first time as it has a Quarq powermeter. Was fun but not awesome to see that my legpower isn’t even 😦

Map and stats: Strava

Ended like this, full house at café Le Mond:

first and this picture by Magnus

And company with matching Gelatosocks:

Rapha 12 Hills

The weekends trio, Damian, Magnus and me went down to Mullsjö on friday. Slept at the best place (my dad’s house) and got ready for the Saturdays Rapha 12 Hills. All on Specialized Tarmac of course and me and Magnus matching in Glassigt kit 😀

Rapha 12 Hills is a ”race” around Jönköping by La Lepre Stanca and Rapha with 12 climbs riding in teams of  2 and stamps on top of every climb. You can do them in which order you like but we did it in the recommended order and original route with one shortcut and one detour that almost went as fast as the recommended.

Many rider that rode out from Spira in the masterstart including Hagen who took some of the pictures riding just after me:

It all started with a long gravelclimb where I had to step of my bike a little because it was so much people all over the road. Except that it felt good and me and Magnus pushed on well down to Huskvarna and got some company by a few others. Rode a bit wrong in Huskvarna but didn’t loose much until we got back and headed to the second climb. A gravelclimb that was really steep and I thought about getting the power forward and keep the grip of my 26mm Specialized S-Works Turbo tires. Rode alone in front of our group so was easy to see the right lines. On the way down from their I had an average of 70,6km/h for a 1km, fast bike 😀

Then it was time for Norra Klevaliden. A climb with an average of 16% the way we did it. I’ve done it many times before but was long time ago and not with a single 46T chainring in front. Felt massive and 46-28 was hard, went all over the road to make it easier in the end but did make it without stepping of. stamped and waited for the rest of the group:

Me and Magnus continued towards Kaxholmen and found Philip and a couple of other guys from Malmö. Rode up to Gestra together which is a really nice but straight climb with a magnifique view:

The 5 of us rode together down to Huskvarna and met a lot of riders on the way down, pretty cool. We rode pretty easy but with good pace, 40km/h in average down to Huskvarna and a little over 30km/h through Jönköping along the beach 🙂 Felt awesome to ride with ok pace and with nice people. Rode up Prinseryd that was easier than I remember and then to Ebbarp. That climb was hard, straight and hard. And met Ricky from Rapha on top:

Great pacing towards the next climb:

The last one before the lunch/coffee break was long but knew about it and not so steep. Felt good and I could keep a steady pace with one guy on my wheel that missed the view 😉

No pictures from the coffee break but we took it easy and when rolling out with got a lot of company and was around 20 guys traversing to Bottnaryd and Mulseryd. Fredrik from Sumo took a great turn at 40km/h and we dropped more that half of the group, including his teammate so he dropped to his teammate 😉 Also dropped the Musetteguys there.

6(?) riders left and the pace was good and everyone took their turns, some more than others. Fredrik and some others came back to us and at Mulseryd we was a good group coming up to Emil and Peter who took a short lunchbreak.

A long climb or uphill to Mulseryd which I hate in a way, feel too weak to ride hard uphill for 8km. Back down it went better and Magnus pushed on well. He may not be as strong as me uphill but stronger on flats and downhill, great partner.

And we hit the gravel again and a gravelclimb I missed, tried to take it easy and didn’t go with Emil on his ”attack”. Stamped and waited for the rest before we sat of to Taberg and the climb I had been afraid of since Klevaliden.

Great work in our group and the speed was good.

Then it came, the climb. Is said to be 7% for 1,2km but when it gets steep the last half of it I was ready to step of my bike many times and walk up. It was super hard when the gradient went over 20% but I did it, all exhausted. 691Watt average according to Strava, 170 in average heart beat so going on power.

The downhill was nice and Tabergsdalen is very easy. Up Georgslid I had done before. Knew it was steep but not so long. But it was way steeper in the beginning than I remember, like a wall. Came up, almost cramped on the way but was okey. Waited for Magnus and then we rolled easy to Jönköping. Took a wrong turn as I used my head instead of watching my GPS 😉 Lost so much time so the others got just ahead of us and we were back together.

The last climb felt easy and was happy to make them all. Back down to Jönköping city and full speed over the bridge to Spira. We did it and I was in the best team (if you ask me). We didn’t win but we had a great day in the saddle.

Todays favorite gear and highest average for an kilometer.

 And my awesome Tarmac. Some may say the Tarmac is just boring allround, some would say 40mm high wheels is nothing. I would say the Tarmac is the funniest bike I’ve ever ridden and the Roval CLX40 makes the ride feel like cheating. Rolling so well with great comfort.

Love this type of rides. Asphalt and gravel on a racebike. With lovely people with racing taking not too serious. And hopefully more pictures from this to share soon 🙂

Map and stats how I destroyed my legs: Strava

Le Peloton #98

Vätternrundan is over and maybe some stopped riding their bikes. But not in Le Peloton. Awesome group today with a lot of fast guys, really fast. I felt tired after a Sumo after work yesterday and not even 5h of sleep. But Aero Is Everything they say and my Evade Skinsuit helped me 🙂

Adam, Rille and Magnus got some great pictures. When we started riding it felt pretty good, I knew many of the fast ones and knew where to be in the right moments. Was in the front a bit, as much as I managed. At Storkällan after the climb there it was a small group that got a gap, I felt good and thought of while not being able to drop I others I can drop myself attacking up to the group. I came halfway just before the others caught me, but we got up the first ones at the next roundabout.

It was hard today but a lot of riders so places to rest and far to fall after being in front. The funniest was almost at Skarpnäck where I sat behind Joakim in the fast lane and thought why isn’t he just passing the first one. He did and then I tried to do the same, felt impossible 😉 but was saved by a redlight. Pushing limits is fun and getting closer to be as stylish on my bike as Daniel. Great with rolemodels when you want to get better and keep on trying and doing your best.

Did I mention that my Tarmac felt awesome and I got a PR on the route? Just have a look here: Strava

Ended the day with an after work ride to Älgö with Camilla and Peter. Was tired but love riding in the sun with great people 😀

Le Peloton #57

Today it was such a day where I thought I would drop first and be alone thinking of just skipping it and go straight to Le Mond. Heavy legs and it all started with Magnus sailing away in the first climb. hmm.

We caught him and became a little peloton even sharing the pace a bit. Then we caught Calle who went of early with Per (who is faster than everyone). Felt a bit easy out to Erstavik but knew that I wouldn’t be that all the way. On the way back up the long climb where I got dropped a couple of weeks ago after being in front a little I thought I would drop. But I didn’t and on the top of the climb I even went up in front and lead the group down the sandy downhill. Best way to make the pace not to high is to sit in front 😉

There somewhere the group got smaller and it was me, Christian, Calle and Fredrik and a new guy left. Fredrik attacked and dropped us a bit later. Me in front down to Hellas and a bit after. Christian and Calle came in front after and shared the pace. Just the new guy not doing anything. Christian and Calle got a bit of a gap at the end but not many seconds.

A new personal record on the CX loop, for many of us today 😀 So well deserved breakfast at bikecafé Le Mond.

a picture from the start:

Map and stats: Strava

Was so happy of my Crux so it got a new better chain. And I’m thinking if it would be good sitting like on my roadbike on my CX. New CX saddle and a little more setback than this morning. S-Works x2 😉

Le Peloton #33 and Kessiakoff

First things first. Today in beautiful weather and first morning in short-short kit for me on Le Peloton. A big group:

Including Johan who took a picture from above:

Big 1st group but was okay to Fisksätra. A bit stiff legs up the last climb there. But on the way back it happened. The front of about 8 riders got away and was a bit lucky with the redlights and we who got dropped wasn’t as lucky. Was around 25 riders that worked pretty good together and in one way it got better. Now the fastest was alone and instead of having a long tail we (the tail) got to work together. Was really hard but was up in front some times until Flaten where I got dropped at 52km/h. Got up at a turn and passed some guys on the last straight 😉 Super hard, super fun, super good training.

And full house at bikecafé Le Mond:

At work we had a bookrelease for Fredrik Kessiakoff’s My Own Race with some cycling as a start. A fun time in the forest with the guy who indirect got me interested in Cannondale, in Pro XC Racing and in lightweight parts:

Talked, answered questions and signed his book. All after some food from a food truck and great talking at Specialized Concept Store Stockholm 🙂

A long but fun day.

Map and stats of Le Peloton: Movescount

When fast becomes perfection

As I written before my Camber is awesome,  it’s flying. But there has been one thing, when using the smaller cogs on the cassette there has been a sound like once a lap of the chain. Thought it was a stiff link or something but today after I washed my bike and checked the gears at work I found it. One ring that rolls against the cog and chainring in the chain was broken and lost. That’s why it sounded and felt strange. So instead of a KMC X11 chain I mounted a Sram XX1 chain instead.

All ride with Magnus afterwork the bike worked flawless 😀

Rode a bit on some small not so well used singletracks for a bit more than 20min today before we rode back to Hammarbybacken and Magnus planned 10 1min intervalls with 2min rest. 1min is a odd time, it’s not so short so you can just sprint up nor it’s long so you can find a pace and go at that. Best in the beginning of some intervalls where I stood up and accelerated, feels like my bike just flies, nothing except me who stops it. Let’s just hope my bike will get satisfied with me too going faster and not just me satisfied with it. Love both ways 🙂

Map and stats: Movescount

Rode with my lovely Gelatosocks today. Thought of taking a picture with them and the new chain but missed it. So instead an old picture from last year:

On cobbles with love!

I don’t need to say much about this but my friend Johan did a video from our trip to Belgium 😀 Watch, enjoy and share:

THE Belgium trip

Came home late yesterday after the weekends nice trip to Belgium. First time there riding and it was as hard as I imagined, but also a bit easier. Here are some random pictures by me, Kalle, Mario and others from the first day when we rode the last 45km of Paris-Roubaix with 9 cobblesections including Carrefour l’Arbre which is said to the tuffest:

The cool guy with a Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc and white Prevail helmet is the Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw. Really cool to ride with him, a nice classy guy 🙂

The man that make it all happen:

Around 40 riders, 3 motorbikes in front stopping traffic, 1 car and 1 van behind with wheels, things and food. Got into the Roubaix Piste which isn’t open usually and got to see the showers that usually aren’t open either. Johan Museeuw is great to have with you riding with good connections 🙂

Yesterday we where out and watched the Ronde van Vlaanderen pass Izegem where we stayed as we went to early to be able to travel to the climbs and watch it more:

Awesome weekend and a big thanks to David Schwieler and Mario Bulckaert who made it possible 😀

Le Peloton #16

Today it should have been cold again and it was announced to ride CX on the CX-loop. As I’ve sold my CX I asked Patrik if I could borrow his, and he said yes 😀

Specialized Crux Pro Carbon with Sram CX1, Roval Rapide CLX 40 disc wheels with Specialized Terra mudtyres, S-Works saddle, CG-R seatpost, stem and handlebar.

So top of the line and first ride with CX1 and with hydraulic disc brakes. I am used to a great cx frame like my Cannondale SuperX and can’t say I felt any difference. The difference was round and fast. Wheels are important and these ones where very stiff and the ceramic bearings helped me as they never stopped rolling.

So the start looked like this:

With many riders going on road and Magnus taking a picture from the other side. Where just 5 who was riding the cx loop, a lot less percent than it was on the Facebookside.

Anyway the Crux was fast and I felt pretty good too. Beat my record of keeping up with Nils. fter trying to ride fast alone I ended up going slow and waiting for Magnus who some meters behind and then riding with him the rest. We kept the pace up much better than I would manage alone and as he’s strong I suffered like the Peloton is meant to do.

In the end there is a Strava section called Last Woodsection and is about 500m. Slighty uphill mostly and a small downhill in the end. Today I left Magnus and aimed for a PR there and did it with 9 seconds 🙂 10th overall of 206 riders now.

Ended up doing a PR on the complete loop too, beat my record with 5min 36seconds 😀 Great ride ending with a great breakfast at Le Mond, today with a new/another girl working there.

Map and stats: Movescount

Have to get a really good wheelset for my roadbike after Belgium next week. Today I felt it again. Roval Rapide CLX40 and Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate have made me feel difference between good and not so good wheels for real.

Faster Le Peloton

Spring is getting closer and closer and the speed gets higher and higher. Today I had the same problem as last sunday, my gears are to easy and I had problems keeping up. Not the fastest guys today so could hang on wheels longer time than earlier and when I got dropped I continued to ride until we came back to Enskede so never any easy riding. Great training but shorter trainingtime than usual 😉

From this morning outside Urban Deli:

Map and stats: Movescount 28,7km/h average on the Le Pelotonpart.