Quote:
Originally Posted by look 171
Garp,
What's it really like riding over the pave? I have never done it here because there's just none. I have ridden over some smooth river stone imbedded in concrete somewhere. Feels like my fork's going to break. Back when I was riding a lot, I use to take a pull up front and purposely run over the rough and broken section of the road just so I can shake em' up a little. I immediately get a lot of screaming in the back. I go for the water to rooster tail up their face to clean up their snot too. My favorite had to be Flanders. One day, when I grow up, I will see it in Belguim. When I was in Italy and France once in early April, I really was hoping to see some racing even crit, but there weren't any. I was thinking people would be riding and training through out the cities. But again, none. Too bad. Saw a couple of guys in Spain, that it.
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For me there are two ways of riding it, in winter on the MTB and in summer on the racing bicycle. MTB gives no issues, don't mind at all. With the road cycle it's a different matter. I ride a full carbon Stevens (German brand) for the record.
A stretch of cobbles will make your fillings rattle, your eyesight will go blurry, you will have no water because your bottle has jumped out of it's holder, your arms will go all itchy from the continuous vibrtaions, your ass will feel like as if you had a wrong timing to pick-up a bar of soap in a prison shower.
I go out riding with a small group of enthusiasts, many of them well in their sixties (my neighbour just bought a new racing bike at age 86) and all of them are very experienced. I like to watch how they deal with cobbles and try to imitate, the secret is in a very loose grip and composure, something I'm not mastering yet unfortunately.
I will sometimes have good a experience but in general I avoid cobbles like the plague.
