Just a note this is for Road Bikes

Hi

Do you think I could do it on my Hybrid bike - a Specialized Sirrus about 4 years old)
http://www.bicycletherapy.com/produc...il.php?pid=116

Also I am not that used to climbing so I mail bail out at some point - but will try not to (I guess that's a pride versus leg power thing)

I will also be coming straight from work - do you know if there are lockers at the nearst train station - I carry a lot of crap on my commute which I wouldn't want to carry up a big hill. If not I'll go via Enge (as it is on my way home)

See you there

You can give it a go on the Hybrid, more important is what kind of gearing you have on it. The climbs are kind of steep sometimes, can try a more gentle route but not much is gentle if you don't just go around the lake which I won't do out of principle.

Umm, Does anyone know if Tiefenbrunnen has lockers as that would be the closest one?

what kind of gearing on that thing? Do you only have eight speeds?

Its ok, I think Salsa has the impression that by putting a compact or triple on a road bike it turns it into a mountain bike!

Well actually it is !

I could put some knobbly tires on it as well

Hi

It's a 24 speed - that is to say 3x8. When it comes to it it I guess it will be the rider not the bike that isn't up to scratch. I guess I'll take the advice given last week - climb and you can climb (in summary anyway)

See you Thursday

Then it would be closer to a cyclo-cross (radquer) bike, but still not a mountain bike.

We can send Salsa down some mtb trails just to test the theory?

Don't worry the theory has already been tested on the Uetliberg trail by another forum member!

He did survive to ride the trail another day, all be it on a more appropriate bike!

Ok, so the seller confirmed me this morning he has sent the A-Post package with the full shimano triple 6603.

I should then receive it tomorrow morning, the postman comes allways at 8am to my home.

If I get the package then I'd take the morning free, go to Veloplus in Wetzikon with the bike and try to change the group on the bike.

I expect to finish before noon. Maybe litespeed would come to help.

If I am succesful I'll be set for the Thursday ride with the newly setup mountain bike ( no knobbly tires , but I could put a suspension fork on it ).

If the package arrives on Thursday I'll try to do the same on the Thursday morning but then It'd me more problematic with the work.

If I fail to do it. I would probably not have the bike ready to come on thursday.

Let's hope everything goes ok.

OK, I got the package.

It is in great condition, no surprises, all in perfect order.

I am going now to Veloplus !, more to follow.

Don't worry about the forecast on the road you can go rain or shine.

Don't fancy going into a wet corner at 70kph!

I've only been on a wet descent on the road bike once, and pulling on the anchors from about 65-70kph before a corner was possibly the scariest thing I have done on a bike (road or mountain).

There are these things we have on a ride bike called brakes, you can use them to slow your descent

But that's no fun... besides I did use the brakes... just to get rid of enough speed to make the corner, and in the wet there is so much more speed that you have to loose!

Unfortunately you can't just use road bike brakes in the wet.... you have to make an appointment with them first.

I remember in the 2005 Zürich Metzgete it bucketed down. I couldn't see much and got caught in a group on the first downhill and the first corner caught me by suprise. Brakes were completely saturated and useless...still don't know how I got around the bend. Scary, scary stuff.

Talking about braking. I am still not very sure how the hell does one go down a mountain braking continuously with the dropped handle bar. You obviously have to hold it from the bottom bar, which requires one to bend abnormally.
This week's descent from the Klausen pass was for me far worse than the climb. I was continuously moving my hands from the top to the bottom bar so I can manage braking without tiring my hands and breaking my back.

Yip.. I know that feeling...

Pull the brakes, nothing happens, pull harder still nothing happens, suddenly the rim dries a little and its the coefficient of friction between the tyre and the road that's lacking.

Before you know it your letting go the brakes again! But that corner is still getting closer!

Fortunately for me I did judge longer braking distances... I just wasn't aware of exactly how long I would need!