# newbie training and developing



## brett sleger (22 Jul 2013)

Hello everyone my names brett from southend in Essex. 
Iv ridden bikes all my life but not so much over the last few years so iv been training to loose weight recently. Dropped a lot of weight over the last few months, almost 2 stone now.
Iv been riding a full suspension bike iv stiffened up the rear shock the whole way up added some schwalbe city jet road tyres.

I started off on 7 miles worked up 10, 12, 15, 18 and 24 mile rides. Last week I completed a total 65.31 miles. Top speed of 29mph avg speed around 12mph. 5min miles avg pace.

I have entered for the 28mile southend bikeathon on 1st sept

Looking to get more into it ideally get a road bike I must admit I did like the look of the retro racers thread on here i like the idea of an old peugeot or similar


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## DaveyM (22 Jul 2013)

hope that you continue to enjoy it, it can become a little addictive


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## Gravity Aided (23 Jul 2013)

French road bikes can be a bit dicey for parts and how those parts are threaded. Some of the older British bikes can also be rather eccentric as to how they are put together. (Thinking about Viscount/ Lambert and the "Death Fork") . But many Raleighs and Dawes are very fine bikes , from what I've seen here in the States. You might also consider some old Schwinns and Giants. Some of the Schwinn Road bikes from the mid-to-late 1980's were made of Columbus Steel, excellent steeds.


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## brett sleger (23 Jul 2013)

Haha yes i must say i am fairly addicted to it already @DaveyM . 

Ahh excellent thanks for the advice @Gravity Aided. There is a fairly local shop to me that recycles bicycles in the way they take an older bike give it a service and a good check over and replace any broken parts then they sell it on. They said they do occasionally get what i class as a retro racer in there late 60s up to 90s bikes. So i am keeping my eye out there. They are usually around £70-80 and can be rode away!


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## Gravity Aided (23 Jul 2013)

That is a nice resource to have, especially with bicycles at that price.


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## brett sleger (23 Jul 2013)

Yeh it is. it is just random as to the stock that they might have in!


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## brett sleger (23 Jul 2013)

Just done a ride tonight 16.52 miles in 1:14:30. My avg speed was 13.32mph and my avg pace was 4.30min/per mile. My fastest mile was 3.40min slowest mile was 6.48min but thats a 30sec improvement on that same mile compared to last time which im happier about!


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## Paul Gee (23 Jul 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Haha yes i must say i am fairly addicted to it already @DaveyM .
> 
> Ahh excellent thanks for the advice @Gravity Aided. There is a fairly local shop to me that recycles bicycles in the way they take an older bike give it a service and a good check over and replace any broken parts then they sell it on. They said they do occasionally get what i class as a retro racer in there late 60s up to 90s bikes. So i am keeping my eye out there. They are usually around £70-80 and can be rode away!


 
Which bike shop is that Brett? I am going to buy a road bike shortly and will want to dispose of my old Raleigh tourer, which I have had for a few decades now!

Wasn't aware of the Southend Bikeathon - it looks good. Unfortunately I live in Wickford so a round journey of about 35 miles, plus the bikeathon distance of 28 miles may just be a bit far for me at the moment. I am up to Sunday rides of around 30 miles at the moment. Will have to see if I can push on a bit.

Paul


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## brett sleger (23 Jul 2013)

Oh right ok Paul. It is called the southend recycle centre they are down progress road off the a127 near eastwood.
There is a 14 mile on the bikeathon you could go from wickford station to southend east I guess then a few miles to shoebury east beach would cost you tho!
Theres a few other rides on if you check southend wheelers I think they have some other rides going on but I dont know too much about them!
http://www.cyclesouthend.co.uk/index.php?c=6
http://www.southendwheelers.org/index.html

There are some links for you Paul


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## brett sleger (23 Jul 2013)

What condition is the tourer in then Paul?


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## Paul Gee (24 Jul 2013)

Brett, it is a Raleigh Stratos, have had it from new and bought from Bates in Westcliff (now gone) some 37 years ago. It is in ok condition for it's age. There is a thread on this forum about the Stratos, if you search..

Thanks for the info. I have been out for a couple of rides with a local CTC that rides from Wickford on sundays. If I can up my mileage I would rather cycle down to the Bikeathon if fit enough. We shall see! The Stratos weighs 15kg, if I bought a decent road bike I would cut that weight by a third. My average speed at present is 13.7mph and will be interesting to see what effect a lighter bike will make. I took early retirement last year and moving to a flatter county like Essex has rekindled my interest in cycling, can't get enough of it !!

At least you have (relative) youth on your side ... good luck with the bike hunt, rides and the bikeathon.

Just a thought, do local auctions sell bikes, there was one in Bucks that did when I used to attend it. (Unclaimed stolen bikes the police were selling mainly I think)

Cheers Paul


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## brett sleger (24 Jul 2013)

Ohh right i dont know how much the full suspension bike im riding at the moment weighs.
Thats not a bad average speed i dont think anyway. 
How long have you been regularly cycling for?

Iv developed a lot in the past few months iv noticed a big improvement in avgs.

Yeh i will have to look for some auctions i checked out some local second hand shops but nothing really going on in the way of road bikes there tbh!


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## Paul Gee (24 Jul 2013)

Cycling regularly for about 3 months. Improved from very slow during that period, though cycling round the Hanningfield area there are a lot of very fast guys and gals to show me up. Practice makes perfect hopefully, I have only just started noting averages.

You could check ebay and gumtree also for bikes. Local bike shops may take in p/ex bikes possibly.


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## brett sleger (25 Jul 2013)

Haha there are a few speedy riders out in wakering i always pass one guy almost every ride i go on there! Still three months and going at an avg of 13mph cant be all bad! I weighed 16.5stone at the beginning of the year, started riding again in april lost a month due to other commitments but im down to 14st now n im feelin much much better for it!


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## Paul Gee (26 Jul 2013)

Great weight loss Brett - the less you weigh the faster you go ! And it will be lifestyle not diet that will keep the weight off.

Got overtaken today by a guy on a Dawes tourer, with 2 big panniers. My weight isn't a problem (well a few lbs maybe) but I suppose age means I won't be tearing up the roads any time soon. But the joy of cycling is in the journey, not the arrival - as it were.

I may treat myself to a new bike, about time, in which case I will do the Southend Bikeathon. Do they restrict the numbers do you know?


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## brett sleger (28 Jul 2013)

I am not 100% sure to be honest. They have given us a specific time to get there by to do it. We were i think 84-86 but i cant remember now. 

I tell you what though its good as my two brother in laws and my dad have started cycling as well. Because theyv seen how much i have lost and they want to loose similar. They problem they all have is lifestyle. They eat all the wrong foods and too much of them and apart from my dad they all drink every weekend sometimes two nights in a row. 
I did work as a vehicle technician so i had an active job. However i was made redundant so i now worl in an office. Which is what they both do and i must say it really promotes lazyness and over eating. Every week its someones birthday or something so theres all manner of cake and snack picnic food brought in for people to eat. So it has made me pick up my game a bit since starting there as well. 
I walk to work everyday which is around 4 miles then i do at least 45miles a week on the bike now.

i got one of the brother in law's out for a ride yesterday as he had just bought his bike. He had been doing upto 22 miles in the gym. But we got him on the road and he really struggled. I kept to a 9mph pace for him. But i think he was really shocked by the complete difference out on the road!

Southend bikeathon http://www.southendbikeathon.co.uk

They had 620 riders last year so there should still be space for you!


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## SpokeyDokey (28 Jul 2013)

brett sleger said:


> I am not 100% sure to be honest. They have given us a specific time to get there by to do it. We were i think 84-86 but i cant remember now.
> 
> I tell you what though its good as my two brother in laws and my dad have started cycling as well. Because theyv seen how much i have lost and they want to loose similar. They problem they all have is lifestyle. They eat all the wrong foods and too much of them and apart from my dad they all drink every weekend sometimes two nights in a row.
> I did work as a vehicle technician so i had an active job. However i was made redundant so i now worl in an office. Which is what they both do and i must say it really promotes lazyness and over eating. Every week its someones birthday or something so theres all manner of cake and snack picnic food brought in for people to eat. So it has made me pick up my game a bit since starting there as well.
> ...


 


I do think that work on static bikes and treadmills in gyms is better than nothing and in bad weather it is a boon. But they are very different propositions to 'real life'.

My mate and I who mountain hike regularly took someone up into the mountains 2 years back. He is a gym addict, all pumped up and he does look in good shape. He said he was 'great aerobically' and we took him at his word.

We planned a fairly modest route but it was obvious from the get-go that he was going to struggle as the day wore on. We suggested an easier route his pride refused but 4 hours later we aborted and came down via a much quicker/shorter route than intended.

I am pretty 'hill fit' and whilst some of it translates into my cycling it is a world of difference really and I am still a long long way from being 'cycle fit'.


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## brett sleger (28 Jul 2013)

He isnt really gym fit either tbh. But i think its sport specific as well if your quads etc are not used to the extra requirements of cycling it can make it very hard. 
I remember when i started doing fitness a few years ago in a gym i used cycling to develop my aerobic capacity before i got on the treadmill. But it is soo different when your outside though unless you have some of the specialised training equipment but you dont have any other variants really i.e. gradient, surface, wind/weather, knowledge of the bike, traffic and others im sure.

Watching some of the people ride around the roads and some of the stats on strava show how cycle fit some people really are!


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## brett sleger (29 Jul 2013)

Wow set my fastest near flat mile tonight which was 3.24. I also set a few other fast times a 3.28 minutes per mile with a 3.36 and a 3.51 as well i was really happy with the pace and speed. Then i hit the sea front and with extreme winds both head and side winds my average dropped a lot. It moved me a metre over when i came past one building and i almost lost it. It was soo bad i had to use a lower gear than i would usually use to go up 10% hills!


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## Nigelnaturist (30 Jul 2013)

@brett sleger
I guess you have read about spinning in a higher gear rather than grinding a lower one.
I can echo a lot of what you have said, about the gym and the real world, I have never used a gym, I cant really understand it when to actually get fit is to work your body in the really world, I used to drive a truck, and you you get an image of a lot of truck drivers being overweight due to a lack of activity, well I used to rope and sheet my wagon, and it is physically intense (especially in high winds), there is a lot of climbing and up and down on the bed to position things prior to sheeting and each knot you do on the bed means you have to walk round to the other side, but you get the picture.
Since I have been cycling I have lost 2-3 st dont really keep much watch on it. My avg started about 10mph I am now pushing 16's out over different terrains, up to about 50ft per mile. For the record I am 50 next, my bike is 5-6 years old, and having used this compared with retro bikes I wouldn't go back to down tube shifters by choice on a road bike. I would have an older bike as 2nd bike if space allowed, having said that they can be converted, though it may take some doing.


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## brett sleger (30 Jul 2013)

Haha oops i meant a higher gear! Yes i was in a higher gear spinning over trying to keep my cadence nice and high. I have been looking at some older bikes as i would like a racer but dont have the funds to buy an expensive one so i thought if i did get an older bike that was good value for money if it did have downtube shifters i would get used to it i guess itd mainly be for the riding position and getting used to it!


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## Nigelnaturist (30 Jul 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Haha oops i meant a higher gear! Yes i was in a higher gear spinning over trying to keep my cadence nice and high. I have been looking at some older bikes as i would like a racer but dont have the funds to buy an expensive one so i thought if i did get an older bike that was good value for money if it did have downtube shifters i would get used to it i guess itd mainly be for the riding position and getting used to it!


No your right lower gear for spinning I wasn't awake really meds take some time to wear off. Waht is you absolute top end you are willing to spend and do you want a triple or double.
My Viking Torino cost £300 in 2008, I avg 16.4mph today over 31miles weight of bike and panniers was 16.5Kg trimmed down it comes it around 12-13Kgs, and I scalped a cannodale today.


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## brett sleger (30 Jul 2013)

Nice how have you found it? How many gears does the torino have? I have seen the viking range but wasnt too sure on their quality and value for money.

I dont know my budget Exactly yet as im still saving. I think it would depend on the number of teeth for usability with climbing hills. The bike im running at the moment is a full suspension bike which i have put road tyres on so the ratios im working with are no good for speed tbh!


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## Nigelnaturist (30 Jul 2013)

With you riding already I guess you will have some cycling fitness.
The bike I have has 21 3x7, there are two things to consider with gearing the range (hi to low) and how close the grouping is on the rear. The closer the grouping the better control you will have regarding cadence (the rate at which you pedal), in this respect the closer the grouping the better. If you are likely to be doing much climbing you will want range (Lower to high). The length of a gear is measured in gear inches (or meter development), we will keep to inches as most in the U.K understand this. To work out the basic gear inch divide the teeth on the front by those on the back i.e. 52/13 gives you 4 or a ratio of 1:4 (one rotation on the front to 4 of the rear) multiply this by 26.3 and you end up with 105.2" (that happens to be my longest gear by the way).
Now this is where you have to decide what you want, whilst a compact double 10 speed may have a range from 31.94" (31/28*26.3) to 109.58" (50/12*26.3) you can get a 7 or 8 sp to cover the same range and actually get a slightly lower first gear my set up currently goes from 30.35" (30x26 I will just use the cog sizes from now assume the x26.3 for the inchs) to 105.2" (52x13) if it was an 8sp I could match the compact, for range however because the compact double is in this example a 10 sp the closer grouping would make the stepping better, the rear being 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-28, mine is set up 13-15-17-19-21-23, the draw back to the double would be a bigger drop on the front from the 50 to 34 th, a triple usually goes 52 (or 50) 40-30, so you get a closer grouping.
I hope that is clear.
I hate to say this but I really don't rate the current range of Viking bikes, as the the last time I looked they only offer full doubles, i.e. 52-39 on the front and usually only 8sp, though it does vary. The bike itself is nothing outstanding, but having not ridden anything else I have nothing to compare it with, but as I have said I can manage avg's of 16+ which for an aluminium bike with steel forks isn't too bad, but I do do a lot of miles, and its took me a year to get to this level.

Hope this helps.


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## Paul Gee (1 Aug 2013)

Yes Brett, have just entered for the Southend Bikeathon, let's hope for a dry day!

Just bought a new road bike, well almost new, from Ebay. The good news is it weighs over 5kg less than my old tourer. Have you looked on there for a bike for yourself? I was going to buy new but have got a good as new bike for less than half what I was prepared to pay. A lot of people on the forum advise buying secondhand and they have a point.


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## brett sleger (2 Aug 2013)

Excellent Paul hopefully it is dry maybe a bit cooler than today and yesterday though! Well im actually bidding on a raleigh team banana at the moment which im looking forward to getting on which isnt hopefully going to cost me the world so I can get a fairly decent but cheap road bike just so I can see if I get on with it!


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## Paul Gee (2 Aug 2013)

Just googled your 'banana', looks good. If successful and you ride that at the Bikeathon you will be easy to spot I guess!
I have a soft spot for Raleigh, having owned one for over 30 years, though it will now share time with my new road bike. On my first timed run on new bike it was about 2mph faster than my old Raleigh, though having caught up and followed a slightly slower group of riders for some of the route I will try that timed run again. Few aches and pains from new bike, and haven't yet set it up for my height etc (cos not sure how!) but all in good time.


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## brett sleger (3 Aug 2013)

Ah well that sounds great it went past my bidding budget so I couldnt afford it unfortunately but I would like a nice old raleigh theres not many local to me again at the moment so im still on the lookout.
Im glad your bike is quicker what one did you get in the end paul? Will have to say hi on the bikeathon. I may still be riding a bright orange and blue bike at the moment!


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## Paul Gee (3 Aug 2013)

I got a Fuji Roubaix 3.0, it is a couple of years old, The owner had bought it, done a few training runs and a triathlon and then left it unused. It looks brand new, got it for £325. As a bonus it has gatorskin tyres, but does need decent pedals. Just wondering what sort to get. Below a link to it:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/roubaix-30-2010-road-bike-ec022172

Keep looking, hopefully something local will come up for you soon, maybe in time for the bikeathon. Just waiting for my entry pack which will presumably give me my entry no and start time. Yes, I will be the guy wearing a bikeathon tee shirt, you are bound to spot me!!


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## brett sleger (4 Aug 2013)

Yes entry number and start time along with your check cards and sponsorship forms! I am number 84 I think!? It should be good! 
Yeh the annoying thing is I have been offered more money to spend since I lost out on that one haha! Typical ahh well!


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## brett sleger (5 Aug 2013)

Wow theres been a change i was given some money towards a bike as its my birthday coming up. So I had £150 sat there so I added another £50 and got a carrera tdf for £200. The guy had ridden it for 10meters then left it in his garage it had the cellophane still on the badge and the cable tie with the handbook still on the handlebars. With a slight scratch to the top tube it was perfect. 
It weighs 11.7kg which I know in bike terms is deemed as heavy but compared to what im used to it feels light as. 
I went for 20 mile ride yesterday afternoon after adjusting the saddle and I was very impressed! I must admit it took me sometime to adjust to the shifter/brakes being combined. I am looking at taking it out for a real test tonight. I had my two brother in laws with me last night which was like I was baby sitting constantly bringing them back into line one of them even hit a bloody parked car dopey boys haha. Was a fun ride just too slow of a pace for me!
Il add some info of my ride tonight im having to change my route for I am not going to even consider taking this baby onto gravel!


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## Nigelnaturist (5 Aug 2013)

Don't get to hung up on weight, my Viking weighs about the same stripped down but with guards rack ect it can weigh up to 18-19 Kg's though 13-14 is more the norm, also it will be tougher than it looks, I took mine with the original Weimann XR18 wheels on really rough gravel with no ill effects, not what I ride on as a rule but just shows what the wheels can cope with.


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## brett sleger (5 Aug 2013)

Yeh I have the double wall rims it was such a smooth fast ride im looking forward to going back out on it tonight!


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## Nigelnaturist (5 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Yeh I have the double wall rims it was such a smooth fast ride im looking forward to going back out on it tonight!


Look forward to hearing more of your progress Brett.


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## Nigelnaturist (5 Aug 2013)

@brett sleger
If you want you can export from endomondo as a tcx file and upload that to strava


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## brett sleger (5 Aug 2013)

Excellent I will have to look at that later then do you do that on your phone or on the pc? I know my acceleration is soo much faster which will help my average and I was riding along at a steady 23mph along one section of road. Got my fastest previous miles to beat now though!


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## Nigelnaturist (5 Aug 2013)

You can get strava for some phones.
If you go to more options tabs just above the map on the right. choose more options->export->tcx (the tcx will retain more info than a gpx usually), download that to your computer, create a folder and download all your rides and you can upload to any site you want, plus you have your own personal copy of your rides, I know a bit of a faff but once you have them you can back them up, as you can guess I dont trust on-line storage.

I guess any phone that has web browsing you can do the same, I dont use mobiles so I am guessing.


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## Paul Gee (5 Aug 2013)

Congrats Brett, got yourself a real road bike now, good result. I am sure your average speed will show great improvement. And a banana colour as well I presume. Yes, when I tested my new bike I didn't even know how to change gear - what a klutz. My old tourer has the gear changes on the down tube.
I certainly felt the difference in speed etc with my new road bike, but managed to strain my ankle on my first long ride! Suppose I had better check it is set up right for my height etc.
The problem when you get bike fit is that noccasional bikers are all much slower - though they don't all ride into parked cars!! Enjoy your ride tonight ...... watch out for speed cameras .......


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## brett sleger (5 Aug 2013)

Yes not everyone hits a parked car, the one that does it is the one who rides his bike almost as often as me which is scary he just wasnt paying attention though! i will have a go with a speed camera i dont think i will be big enough for it! I was thinking earlier could you get a speeding offence on a push bike?
Well i didnt go out for a ride tonight call me a fairweather rider but I decided not to go out in the thunderstorm with it being my second ride on my new bike as well but i have a free pass tomorrow night as the lady indoors is off out for the night so i will have a ride then if its nice! in the good news though i have taken this time to update my strava thanks to @Nigelnaturist i am all updated!


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## brett sleger (7 Aug 2013)

Had a fairly positive ride last night with an average speed of 14.19mph and avg pace of 4.13 min per mile. I also achieved a pb of 10 miles in 39.26mins as well as 15.19 miles in an hour and a 48.37min 20k which was all positive figures really. Im still gettin used to the gearing on the bike but it is improving! At least this time I went out on my own so I could ride at my pace!


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## Nigelnaturist (7 Aug 2013)

@brett sleger
Well done.


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## brett sleger (7 Aug 2013)

@Nigelnaturist
Thanks im hoping to improve on that its interesting using strava to see how I compare to others locally I saw a large group of riders out last night which I was intrigued by I imagine they would be a group/club or something there must have been at least 20 of them!


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## Nigelnaturist (7 Aug 2013)

@brett sleger
Probably, the local club here has a regular tues evening ride, and other days, apert from the wkend rides. You will improve Brett, it really is a matter of perseverance, don't let wind or rain put you off. If you need cycling gear ALdi/Lidl do pretty reasonable gear at decent prices through the year.


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## brett sleger (7 Aug 2013)

I wasnt sure about how well I will be able to ride in the wet its on standard duro tyres atm but I was going to look into some other tyres after these ones wear out. I spose the only way il know is going out in it! Yeh I do need to get some gear i noticed they had some when I was in there the other week but it was pre payday unfortunately!


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## Paul Gee (7 Aug 2013)

Yes, there is an Aldi right near where I live, and I have picked up some useful things from there during the past month, saving money.

I have yet to ride my new bike in the wet, it has 23mm gatorskin tyres and they are certainly a lot skinnier than the tyres on my old tourer. In fact the new road bike is a whole different thing to ride and will take some while to get used to. I am keeping the old tourer and may use it as a winter trainer. Being 50% heavier than the new bike it will help keep me fit - and slower!


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## Nigelnaturist (7 Aug 2013)

The only time a 23mm tyre as slipped on me was on some ice last winter, not really designed for ice.


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## Hill Wimp (7 Aug 2013)

Nearly fell of my chair on the train just now when I opened a Map my ride email. Apparently I'm Queen if the Mountains for one of my local hills and one which had totally defeated me until Saturday when I had my bike fit. Before somebody says it, no I'm not the only female on MMR that's done it either .
Not bad for a Hill Wimp and thank heavens for the bike fitter.


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## ianrauk (7 Aug 2013)

Hill Wimp said:


> Nearly fell of my chair on the train just now when I opened a Map my ride email. Apparently I'm Queen if the Mountains for one of my local hills and one which had totally defeated me until Saturday when I had my bike fit. Before somebody says it, no I'm not the only female on MMR that's done it either .
> Not bad for a Hill Wimp and thank heavens for the bike fitter.


 


Which hill?


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## Hill Wimp (7 Aug 2013)

Grover Hill West Peckham. Not huge I know but now conquered by me in one go and no stops. :-)


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## brett sleger (7 Aug 2013)

Haha well done @Hill Wimp ! My second to last mile on my ride last night is up a constant hill for around a mile I dont know the incline but its the third time iv ridden it and iv got quicker everytime!


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## Hill Wimp (7 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Haha well done @Hill Wimp ! My second to last mile on my ride last night is up a constant hill for around a mile I dont know the incline but its the third time iv ridden it and iv got quicker everytime!


 

Well done to you too. Feels great to beat yourself doesn't it


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## Nigelnaturist (7 Aug 2013)

This is the last two miles ( I do this one quite a bit)
http://app.strava.com/activities/72904472#1436717274
I set my best time back in Mar, even though my avg speed is higher now than it was than.
This I used to hate it's not long but quite steep and a set of lights half way up, just at the steepest bit
http://app.strava.com/activities/72952235#1437628754


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## brett sleger (7 Aug 2013)

@Hill Wimp yes it really does haha I am up halfway on most of the strava rankings in my area which isnt all too bad as there are up to 900 on some of the segments. 
My hill was an avg of 4.5% for a mile the segment starts after the first set of lights!


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## Nigelnaturist (7 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Haha well done @Hill Wimp ! My second to last mile on my ride last night is up a constant hill for around a mile I dont know the incline but its the third time iv ridden it and iv got quicker everytime!


I dont know if this will work Brett if it does its the climb you do, which is 0.6miles @ 3.7%avg grade 118ft elevation gain
http://app.strava.com/activities/72989216#z840|885


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## Nigelnaturist (8 Aug 2013)

14 p.b's Brett well done.


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## Nigelnaturist (8 Aug 2013)

I used to live on the other side of the estuary to you a place called All Hallows.


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## brett sleger (8 Aug 2013)

Ahh right wicked! Il check the link on the lappy later! As long as I keep improving then il be a happy rider! Haha. Im glad with progress so far im finding myself less tired after rides. Although I am gettin moaned at by the missus for being out the house soo much with cycling and all the other things iv had to do recently. Might have to change my cycle times im not sure yet! I originally started this to get fitter but now i think im addicted! Haha


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## Nigelnaturist (8 Aug 2013)

@brett sleger
The O.H. will get used to it.


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## brett sleger (8 Aug 2013)

@Nigelnaturist at least its something health related haha she will have to get used I guess haha I enjoy it too much to stop now!
Im looking at another one tonight then a long one on the weekend when she is at work! I spent half the night last night helpin her clean for brownie points!


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## Paul Gee (8 Aug 2013)

Brett, just checking your Strava, you must be cycling round the area of the Bikeathon. Is that a fairly flat route they will use?
Must look into getting Strava some time, looks very interesting and seems to give comparisons between you and other riders. Unfortunately I would have to upgrade my phone to use that, though my wife has the latest bells and whistle one so could download onto that, if permitted haha


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## Nigelnaturist (8 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> Brett, just checking your Strava, you must be cycling round the area of the Bikeathon. Is that a fairly flat route they will use?
> Must look into getting Strava some time, looks very interesting and seems to give comparisons between you and other riders. Unfortunately I would have to upgrade my phone to use that, though my wife has the latest bells and whistle one so could download onto that, if permitted haha


You could try endomondo Paul, it runs on lower spec phones, once you have uploaded, you can download a tcx file and upload that.


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## brett sleger (8 Aug 2013)

Yes paul iv been using endomondo then uploading onto strava! Then I have it on both apps.
Yes paul it is a fairly flat ride most of the ride I do is on the route for the bikeathon with the exception of the 'tip roads' as they are always closed its all fairly flat with some steady hills roads arent too bad some bits are fairly smooth tarmac. 
The path under the royal artillery way is a loose gravel bridlepath which I actually had the 6th best time for on strava using my old bike hehe. Its not part of a checkpoint so my idea was to ride to it then around it as I dont feel id be safe to ride as fast along there with my skinny tires on my new bike.
I join the route at royal artillery way then follow the outside of it up until east beach at which point I join the sea front and head down to the end at chalkwell


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## Paul Gee (9 Aug 2013)

Thanks Nigel, but my phone is stone age, will need a new one to run endomondo.

Up early this morning, big bowl of porridge (not too hot, not too cold!) with the intention of doing a longish run to start getting some prep for the bikeathon. With a 17 mile ride to the start don't want to be lacking by the end of it, and pleased it is not a hilly course. Now the heavens have opened so no ride yet.
The upside is I can shoot off and collect the spd pedals and shoes I ordered. My new road bike only had plastic flat pedals so hopefully I will feel the difference once I have mastered them.I went for mtb rather than road so I don't have to hobble around when not on the bike.

I'm glad I bought a second hand bike because that was only the start of the expenditure ..........


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## Claud Roubaix (9 Aug 2013)

Yesterday I developed from a cyclist who will fall off to one who has fallen off! Bit of a pedal unclip malfunction. 
Very sore hip and elbow this morning. 

Valuable lesson learned - unclip in good time approaching major road junctions!


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## Nigelnaturist (9 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> Thanks Nigel, but my phone is stone age, will need a new one to run endomondo.
> 
> Up early this morning, big bowl of porridge (not too hot, not too cold!) with the intention of doing a longish run to start getting some prep for the bikeathon. With a 17 mile ride to the start don't want to be lacking by the end of it, and pleased it is not a hilly course. Now the heavens have opened so no ride yet.
> The upside is I can shoot off and collect the spd pedals and shoes I ordered. My new road bike only had plastic flat pedals so hopefully I will feel the difference once I have mastered them.I went for mtb rather than road so I don't have to hobble around when not on the bike.
> ...


Well the N95 wasn't new, I have SPD a lot of people do. I got these shoes from Halfords last week.


with these pedals


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## Phoenix Lincs (9 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Had a fairly positive ride last night with an average speed of 14.19mph and avg pace of 4.13 min per mile. I also achieved a pb of 10 miles in 39.26mins as well as 15.19 miles in an hour and a 48.37min 20k which was all positive figures really. Im still gettin used to the gearing on the bike but it is improving! At least this time I went out on my own so I could ride at my pace!



Well done. If you copy the address line of your strava data for a particular ride, and paste it into a message, we can all see your data without you having to type it out. Watch out, it can get addictive!


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## Phoenix Lincs (9 Aug 2013)

Hill Wimp said:


> Nearly fell of my chair on the train just now when I opened a Map my ride email. Apparently I'm Queen if the Mountains for one of my local hills and one which had totally defeated me until Saturday when I had my bike fit. Before somebody says it, no I'm not the only female on MMR that's done it either .
> Not bad for a Hill Wimp and thank heavens for the bike fitter.



Woo hoo. Very well done. My bike fit and a service (after a bit of an off a few weeks ago) is making a massive difference to my bike and the experience of riding it


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## brett sleger (9 Aug 2013)

@Nigelnaturist how are you finding the pedals then?
@Phoenix Lincs thanks! yes I will do that after tonight's ride off out for it in a min itl take up less room as well!
@Claud Roubaix thats not too great nothing too permanent I hope? I havent got the clips on mine atm!
@Paul Gee did you get out for a ride in the end today at all? It really did open up this morning id usually walk to work but it was soo bad I ended up driving in!


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## Nigelnaturist (9 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> @Nigelnaturist how are you finding the pedals then?
> @Phoenix Lincs thanks! yes I will do that after tonight's ride off out for it in a min itl take up less room as well!
> @Claud Roubaix thats not too great nothing too permanent I hope? I havent got the clips on mine atm!
> @Paul Gee did you get out for a ride in the end today at all? It really did open up this morning id usually walk to work but it was soo bad I ended up driving in!


No problems, if I get another bike I will get the A520 which are just single sided cleats, as I very rarely use the flats, even if I dont clip in first time ( it does happen more often than I want to admit. ) there is enough surface on the pedal to go round one revolution.
The A520 pedal.


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## Hill Wimp (9 Aug 2013)

Phoenix Lincs said:


> Woo hoo. Very well done. My bike fit and a service (after a bit of an off a few weeks ago) is making a massive difference to my bike and the experience of riding it


 

Fantastic news i'm really pleased. Hurrah for bike fitters and many happy hours in the saddle.


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## themosquitoking (9 Aug 2013)

Nigelnaturist said:


> No problems, if I get another bike I will get the A520 which are just single sided cleats, as I very rarely use the flats, even if I dont clip in first time ( it does happen more often than I want to admit. ) there is enough surface on the pedal to go round one revolution.
> The A520 pedal.
> View attachment 27445


 
M530's are the same but double sided.


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## Paul Gee (9 Aug 2013)

Nigel, I got the M520, which is double sided. Just thought it would be easier having 2 'options' at connecting.
Fitted them tonight but not yet ventured out. The shoes I bought are Shimano MO64 MTB. As with most Shimano shoes they come up small so I got one size larger and they fitted perfectly. Hopefully have a go tomorrow. Not looking forward to the inevitable fall at some stage, as detailed by Claud above! Hopefully the combination of new bike and clipless will have a positive effect. What did clipless do for you?

Brett, managed to squeeze in a ride this evening, on my old bike as the new one is nearly clipless. Just edged up the average a tad, though nothing to write home about. Do need to up the distance though.


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## themosquitoking (9 Aug 2013)

Don't forget, you won't join us cool people until you've had three pedal related offs.


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## brett sleger (9 Aug 2013)

Iv gone clipless for now to allow me time to get used to the bike and avoid falls for now!
My ride tonight was a bit slower than usual had a real excess of headwind! I took a de tour to my usual route but managed to set a couple of good times with a top10 on one segment and a pb for fastest mile
I hope this works!
http://www.strava.com/activities/73422760


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## Phoenix Lincs (9 Aug 2013)

themosquitoking said:


> Don't forget, you won't join us cool people until you've had three pedal related offs.



Yay, I get to be one of the cool kids!


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## Nigelnaturist (10 Aug 2013)

Phoenix Lincs said:


> Yay, I get to be one of the cool kids!


Dam, what am I missing.


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## Nigelnaturist (10 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Iv gone clipless for now to allow me time to get used to the bike and avoid falls for now!
> My ride tonight was a bit slower than usual had a real excess of headwind! I took a de tour to my usual route but managed to set a couple of good times with a top10 on one segment and a pb for fastest mile
> I hope this works!
> http://www.strava.com/activities/73422760


Yea it was a little breezy yesterday.
It works fine, you can also do the same on segments it you want to show people like this.
http://app.strava.com/activities/73361730#1447810370


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## brett sleger (10 Aug 2013)

Nice @Nigelnaturist some strong figures there how long have you been regularly cycling now?


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## Nigelnaturist (11 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Nice @Nigelnaturist some strong figures there how long have you been regularly cycling now?


about 14 months.


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## Paul Gee (11 Aug 2013)

Tried out my clipless for the first time this morning. Rode to the electronic gate release, unclipping left foot before arriving there. released gate and pushed off to the right, right foot still clipped in, result - down I went. So total distance without an incident is 50 yards. Anyone beat that?

My chain came off and putting that back on left me greasy handed so walked the walk of shame back to the flat. After that a short ride showed me what an advantage clipless will be, first serious ride will be tomorrow morning.


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## brett sleger (14 Aug 2013)

I have been a bit naughty over the past few days. As its been my birthday I havent been out cycling and I have eaten some very bad foods! However when iv eaten something like indian for dinner I only had a light salad for lunch! But no alcohol even though it was my birthday! However I have eaten healthy today and I plan on going for a good ride tonight to try and burn some back off!


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## Paul Gee (14 Aug 2013)

Good luck, it's looking good out there now. I don't know if what you eat affects your riding the next day, but after eating half a farmyard at a BBQ on Saturday I had a very slow ride the next day, maybe weighed down by all that protein.

I have just returned from a ride to Shoeburyness to judge whether I would ride down to the Bikeathon, a distance of 16 miles. But it's such a crap ride I think I'll drive down. Look out for entry no. 201 Brett - as in overtaking me!


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## Gravity Aided (15 Aug 2013)

I think a lot of food weighs one down the first day, and accelerates you after that. Provided you eat light after the big meal. Keep enough carbohydrates in you so you do not "Bonk". We used to call that " hitting the wall" where I was, growing up.(_ Another prominent local family was named Bonk- Didn't wish to offend_)


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## brett sleger (18 Aug 2013)

Well I done my fastest ride so far on weds then done another speedy one today which im very happy about. Went out for a different route today to try something new!

Haha I will keep an eye out for you! You do get a parking permit in your pack so you can use that! How are you getting on with sponsors?

Set a few pbs and 6th overall on one segment!

http://www.strava.com/activities/74960290

http://www.strava.com/activities/75665856


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## Claud Roubaix (18 Aug 2013)

Well another huge personal milestone met. Today I ride 52.9 miles. I frankly cannot believe that I have managed to do this! 
Only blight on the day was bulging tyre finally blew on the final run to home. 2 miles home but local pub was passed en route - well it would have been rude not to celebrate; wouldn't it?


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## brett sleger (18 Aug 2013)

Haha excellent @Claud Roubaix well done! I like the way we have got this into a personal achievement log haha its great we are all sharing our pbs and rides.
Unfortunately I have been short on time so the rides are having to be short but fast haha!


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## Paul Gee (19 Aug 2013)

Brett, looking at your Strava data makes me realise I need something like that. Does it use much data on your phone during rides? I may download it onto my wifes phone for now. I assume it compares your times on certain sections to other riders to give you a ranking? There are a lot of cyclists on the country routes I take so that may prove interesting.

Yes, I have a car park pass. As I am going by car Mrs Gee is coming to take photos of her hero of the day (thats me!!) Here's hoping for a fine and wind free day ... well if you don't ask you don't get .


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## brett sleger (20 Aug 2013)

Haha we can only hope for good weather really!
Well I have unlimited data use on my phone so its free for me to use. It was free to download the basic version. If you Have certain garmin units you can upload it from them onto strava from them on your pc.

It does take your times through certain sections that are called segments. It then measures yiur time against others that use strava which can get addictive to look at haha. There are quite a few riders on some of my routes as well!


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Haha we can only hope for good weather really!
> Well I have unlimited data use on my phone so its free for me to use. It was free to download the basic version. If you Have certain garmin units you can upload it from them onto strava from them on your pc.
> 
> It does take your times through certain sections that are called segments. It then measures yiur time against others that use strava which can get addictive to look at haha. There are quite a few riders on some of my routes as well!


All garmin ride data can be uploaded, as can that from almost any gps system I know, they are usually saved as TCX, FIT or GPX files and these can be uploaded direct to Strava, Bryton once uploaded to their site an icon sends it to strava.

Also if you set starva to show those you are following to default view(in the settings), and you follow people in your area of similar abilities to how you are at the moment, you can view over time how you compare with them, which in my mind is more rewarding than being in the bottom 50 of 150 riders


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## brett sleger (20 Aug 2013)

Excellent thanks for the extra information @Nigelnaturist as always very helpful mate!haha


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Aug 2013)

brett sleger said:


> Excellent thanks for the extra information @Nigelnaturist as always very helpful mate!haha


Pleasure.


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## Paul Gee (20 Aug 2013)

All good Strava information on this thread and others. I downloaded the app to my wifes phone this morning and went out determined to get a first good strava run - for me anyway! Unfortunately I didn't set it going correctly so got no data - doh !! My bike computer was a backup fortunately so at least my efforts weren't in vain, new fastest average is some consolation. And a lovely day for a ride.

Now about to reward myself with an indian and cold beer, it's a hard life innit ...


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> All good Strava information on this thread and others. I downloaded the app to my wifes phone this morning and went out determined to get a first good strava run - for me anyway! *Unfortunately I didn't set it going correctly so got no data* - doh !! My bike computer was a backup fortunately so at least my efforts weren't in vain, new fastest average is some consolation. And a lovely day for a ride.
> 
> Now about to reward myself with an indian and cold beer, it's a hard life innit ...


This is why dedicated gps unit are better but still not fool prove, as this demonstrates.
http://www.strava.com/activities/76173111


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## Paul Gee (20 Aug 2013)

Nigelnaturist said:


> This is why dedicated gps unit are better but still not fool prove, as this demonstrates.
> http://www.strava.com/activities/76173111


 
Well Nigel, you wouldn't have knocked yourself out doing that ride


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> Well Nigel, you wouldn't have knocked yourself out doing that ride


not really.
but i then went and did this
CTS Bucket List Challenge Day 2 second attempt.


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## Paul Gee (20 Aug 2013)

Nigelnaturist said:


> not really.
> 
> CTS Bucket List Challenge Day 2 second attempt.


 
That's more like it Nigel. Amazing amount of data now I look at it properly. All makes me feel proper tired. Looking forward to seeing myself on Strava - minus the HR data for now. Don't you ever feel you suffer from information overload?


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> That's more like it Nigel. Amazing amount of data now I look at it properly. All makes me feel proper tired. Looking forward to seeing myself on Strava - minus the HR data for now. Don't you ever feel you suffer from information overload?


Not really, I don't take much notice of strava other than to see my p.b's and how they improve over time, as they are very effected by weather mainly the wind, you could set a p.b. one day with a tail wind the next be 5-6mph slower because of a headwind. So the only real way of telling how your improving is to keep your own log miles time ridden elevation cad hr. the draw comparisons over time, for example this is a rolling 30day record of my data (dont have full hr or cad so it's not included)





This is from when I started June 2012.
You can see I got up to the lofty avg sp of 14mph quite quickly but it was pretty flat a little like todays ride.
Then about Sept I started to do some hills and my speed plummeted. Then it steadily rose again, till it's pretty much just below 16mph whatever I do (Yesterdays morning ride was 15.8mph over 42.1 miles with 2222ft or 52.8ft/mile climbing.) so 3mph faster than last Oct time.
You may also see the first two have less per avg climbing per mile than the previous two, and also an increase in speed.
This is how you see improvements over time, consistently improved figures that because they are over time, will take into account variables in the weather to some degree.


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## Paul Gee (21 Aug 2013)

Very interesting Nigel thanks, I have been wondering how my progress will be as I get fitter, having only started some 3-4 months ago, and whether the improvement will continue for months or a year or more.

The best thing for me is that being fitter makes it easier to push harder, whereas when you are at the beginner stage life on a bike is just one big battle on every upward slope. I just hope I am up for riding in the colder months. I am keeping a very sketchy spreadsheet of my progress, which will be much improved when I get going with Strava.


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## Nigelnaturist (21 Aug 2013)

Paul Gee said:


> Very interesting Nigel thanks, I have been wondering how my progress will be as I get fitter, having only started some 3-4 months ago, and whether the improvement will continue for months or a year or more.
> 
> The best thing for me is that being fitter makes it easier to push harder, whereas when you are at the beginner stage life on a bike is just one big battle on every upward slope. I just hope I am up for riding in the colder months. I am keeping a very sketchy spreadsheet of my progress, which will be much improved when I get going with Strava.


All the above data can can be got without strava or gps, if you use gpsies to plot the ride you did it will give you the elevation, speed and time from a simple computer, the rest is just the spreadsheet. It's all really thats needed, the mapping can take a little bit of time.


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## brett sleger (2 Sep 2013)

Well both paul and myself completed our 28 mile bikeathon.
After the first 14 miles everyone everyone disappeared thank god so it wasnt as congested as the first lap. 
I didnt get to meet @Paul Gee unfortunately. 
I ended up riding 40 miles with my ride to and from the event!


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## Gravity Aided (3 Sep 2013)

Well done. Keep up the good mileage!


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