French climbs with the least technical descents?

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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chunky666
Posts: 128
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 12:01 pm

by chunky666

Shrike wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:11 am
Thanks guys, haven't been posting and replying but I have been reading intently. And agree about the technical aspects re: kit. Had the whole braking/reach saga with the missus already. She has small hands, they just don't really design high end performance kit around women's sizes/reach that well.

Will be checking out the suggested climbs this weekend, cheers, keep 'em coming if possible :)
My Missus is also equipped with tiny tiny hands(Rapha XXS gloves and still too big. I started her on the latest Tiagra levers on rims brakes with the reach adjustment screw and it's wasnt great but she coped. Now she has Dura-ace Disc brakes and loves them. So much confidence in the brakes now she wont go back to her old bike meaning I have to keep cleaning it as its the old one with full winter mudguard set up!!! Lol

Thanos
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:49 pm

by Thanos

My wife uses Bontrager XXX carbon bars in 36cm with Dura-Ace, so the brakes/levers are adjusted for her reach and hand size. Have you had all that done/adjusted for your other half?

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Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

Thanos wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:13 pm
My wife uses Bontrager XXX carbon bars in 36cm with Dura-Ace, so the brakes/levers are adjusted for her reach and hand size. Have you had all that done/adjusted for your other half?

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Moved her to some Canyon Ergo bars, shallower drops, shorter reach, 37cm, H31 maybe they're called, and eTap. She loves the new setup, but she wants disc brakes now. Think she doesn't really need disc brakes for where we are now, it's just hilly, but yeah I can see the sense in making the move if we relocate this summer.

jasjas
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:15 am

by jasjas

With my GF and daughter, learning to descend confidentially, relaxed and with minimal & correct use of the brakes is something easily mastered in the UK on a quiet road, with a few corners, both can now fly down Mallorcan and Pyreenian descents.

If you descend within your limits rather than on them, you can avoid that unexpected bus/sheep/goat/gravel etc.

As said by Mr Gib, bike set-up is crucial and with my daughter (who is very tiny) found the reach adjustment on 6800 levers and Mavic Exialth wheels gave easy braking and aload cheaper than a disc bike! i guess disk may be better still, dont know how much adjustment is available? the modualtion changes a bit as reach is minimised though.

We found the wider Pyreenees climbs such as Ax 3 Domains, Col de Porte and Col Agnes wide, well surfaced and relatively quite, though not France, Mallorca is a nice place to practise descending too, if she has never been there, its a must.

wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

Shrike wrote:
Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:42 am
She loves the new setup, but she wants disc brakes now. Think she doesn't really need disc brakes for where we are now, it's just hilly, but yeah I can see the sense in making the move if we relocate this summer.
Not being funny but why does it matter what you think? I don't get the impression that you're short on money so if she wants it why doesn't she just buy it?

I really don't understand the antiquated dynamic of female riders having equipment choices dictated by their male partners...

Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

wingguy wrote:
Shrike wrote:
Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:42 am
She loves the new setup, but she wants disc brakes now. Think she doesn't really need disc brakes for where we are now, it's just hilly, but yeah I can see the sense in making the move if we relocate this summer.
Not being funny but why does it matter what you think? I don't get the impression that you're short on money so if she wants it why doesn't she just buy it?

I really don't understand the antiquated dynamic of female riders having equipment choices dictated by their male partners...
Yeah I agree with that, men really shouldn't dictate to their partners. And that's definitely not how anything works in our place. She's a successful woman with a great career. Would be a woefully poor mischaracterisation that could only be made on an internet forum snipe to think I have the ability to force her to into a decision :oops:

Like many grown up households however we're financially tied and make all purchasing decisions together, and most important right now is a home move and relocation.

With or without my opinion, she wouldn't actually buy a disc brake bike. I'd love a TT bike now, but the chances of me buying one right now that we're looking to move? Sure, I can see that getting approved :lol: Took a bit of charm just to get TT extensions signed off on.

I do think men should help and inform their partners and get them into cycling. You're simply mischaracterising casual chat as a man dominating his partner. You got no clue about my relationship or anyone elses. You're just off on one on the internet, you like to do that. Score internet points here.

I'm by far a bigger SJW than you Ive no doubt in reality though, I just don't bother on the net anymore :lol:

What I don't understand is guys who don't really try to bring their partners into cycling. Took a lot of effort, a spot of ingenuity at times and personal sacrifice but it has been worth it. I could write a book on it by now, it's been quite consuming. Consider the results so far though - she's made cycling friends, travelled for cycling, without me, loves her bike like it's a pet or something and even has some interest in professional cycling. She's been to a couple of races, met Geraint Thomas taken pics with him, all that jazz. Chatted to some Conti guys over Instagram :lol: She's looking towards 3.8w/kg this summer and has only been riding, what, over a year? She loves her Zwift racing and RCC and all that. She's really got into aspects of it that I'm not a part of. She's pretty hardcore actually - her work hours are ridiculous right now - in first thing but handling a US client means working their hours on top (hence part of the reason for the want to move) but even so - she will get back and be on that trainer and have a proper dirty dig at her TR workout. How many nights can you handle getting home at 9.30pm or later and doing 115% to 120% intervals? For months on end? It's so messy and ugly to do that workload on the bike at that time of night.

That's serious hardcore in my view. I'm the one trying to moderate the situation, but she's into it. I just made the push and it's went way further than I could have imagined. Cycling tapped into that aggressive competitive side of her that she loves. She has her own thoughts on that stuff, personal exploration etc.

Either way, no she's not buying no pointless disc brake bike right now, and I'm not getting no pointless TT bike right now and we're quite content with 'dictating' to each over that, thanks very much :lol:

Enjoyed writing that, and although that was heavily lacking in detail and nuance and it's definitely not plain sailing, but I do hope maybe someone reads it and considers getting their other half into the sport on the back of it.

jfl
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 2:48 pm

by jfl


Shrike wrote:
wingguy wrote:
Shrike wrote:
Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:42 am
She loves the new setup, but she wants disc brakes now. Think she doesn't really need disc brakes for where we are now, it's just hilly, but yeah I can see the sense in making the move if we relocate this summer.
Not being funny but why does it matter what you think? I don't get the impression that you're short on money so if she wants it why doesn't she just buy it?

I really don't understand the antiquated dynamic of female riders having equipment choices dictated by their male partners...
Yeah I agree with that, men really shouldn't dictate to their partners. And that's definitely not how anything works in our place. She's a successful woman with a great career. Would be a woefully poor mischaracterisation that could only be made on an internet forum snipe to think I have the ability to force her to into a decision :oops:

[...]

Enjoyed writing that, and although that was heavily lacking in detail and nuance and it's definitely not plain sailing, but I do hope maybe someone reads it and considers getting their other half into the sport on the back of it.
This was indeed an interesting aside. Thanks for sharing it.

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