does your bike ever feel sluggish? like you're riding through 1/2 inch of mud?

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Catagory6
Posts: 612
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:36 am

by Catagory6

all variables being equal... or maybe not?
does your bicycles feel, and respond differently on different days?
i went out on a 35 mile ride today, and while my average speed didn't indicate anything was suspiciously out of norm, i felt like i was pedaling through mud.
it was a very humid day, if that matters
wind wasn't anything out of norm
just had a new rear wheel built up, and it was its first ride. went from a Pacenti SL23 (cracked) to a Forza. same hub, same spoke pattern/count. same rear tire even.
i don't know. sometimes i go out and a headwind absolutely kills me. then other days that exact same headwind feels like a light tailwind.
who knows?
mysteries of life, i guess.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

When I've overtrained or if I try to do near threshold one day after high-intensity work.

Also when I've just ridden over fresh tar.

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AJS914
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Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

Rough roads make my bike feel like that. It's been really noticeable lately since I just moved to a place with very rough roads.

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wheelbuilder
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Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:10 am

by wheelbuilder

Yeah, I know exactly what you are talking about. Fitness/road/weather being equal, my bike occasionally feels sluggish to accelerate. Have no explanation, but I'm guessing it is a build up of fatigue, as frames and wheels can't go soft one day and fix themselves for the next.
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Stendhal
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by Stendhal

What was it that Greg Lemond said? "It never gets easier, you just pedal harder"?
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themidge
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by themidge

AJS914 wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 4:23 am
Rough roads make my bike feel like that. It's been really noticeable lately since I just moved to a place with very rough roads.
+1, except that it's smooth roads that make it feel really fast. Unless I've got my tyres a bit soft for particularly rough roads, for me soft tyres feel really sluggish on smooth (and sometimes bit so smooth) roads.

Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

My bike always feels good, but my body doesn't.

BdaGhisallo
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by BdaGhisallo

Stendhal wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 5:56 am
What was it that Greg Lemond said? "It never gets easier, you just pedal harder"?
"It never gets easier... you just go faster"

alex1987
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 4:03 pm

by alex1987

That's happened to me a few times too. Lately more often than usual and I had been doing my best to stay off the snacks and junk food, watch my portions etc. Started being a bit more indulgent again and feeling a lot better for it...! I'd been off the bike a few months for a knee problem and guess I was trying to get back to my previous riding weight a little too quickly, now I'm just accepting it will take some time!

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nycebo
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Location: New York, NY

by nycebo

Marin wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:55 am
My bike always feels good, but my body doesn't.
This!

surfinguru
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:16 pm

by surfinguru

Yep. It does happen occationally. Oddly enough, those tend to be the days where I put down my best times/numbers. Go figure....
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ParisCarbon
Posts: 1914
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:39 am
Location: Winnipeg Canada

by ParisCarbon

Yeah... everything is great then it just feels like the brakes are dragging and the wheels are sinking.. then of course you could do what I did at the last local TT.. took off and my disc wheel slipped in the frame and I rode the entire TT with the left brake pad rubbing the disc wheel.. as Im wondering why can I not get this thing moving tonite when the night before with just training wheels I was going faster...

ToffieBoi
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Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:54 pm
Location: Krakow, Poland

by ToffieBoi

Do you store your bike somewhere the temperature changes a lot during the day, or get direct sunlight for sometime for example?

JeanMarc
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2018 12:34 pm
Location: Montbrison, France

by JeanMarc

Yes, i do have this mud feeling after I pay a visit to some friends of mine along the ride , especially when they have me tasting the special white wine bottle they had for years in the cellar (what? yes ! I am French :beerchug: )

AJS914
Posts: 5392
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

I was thinking about this on my group ride. Some combination of extra rough road, a slight imperceptible headwind, or a slight uphill grade can all give you this feeling to stuck in the mud. On the other hand, the reverse conditions can make you feel like you are ready to turn pro. I had a tailwind on a slight downhill recently and I felt awesome pushing an extra 4-5mph. It felt effortless. I didn't realize I had the tailwind until I came back the same way.

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