Company is nice!

[Batgirl]

I do that, however I am off the saddle, and the push lifts me back onto the saddle, and I still have the odd wobble.
Just try practising around the yard, I presume you have the space as you have horses.

Yeah it's sand at the yard mainly or too bumpy but I keep the bikes there as there cycle track starts there, and there is a country park to ride round too - we ride on the tarmac mostly not the forestry yet but we're lucky there is a lot of facilities (for horses and bikes). I'll try and be mindful to use the pedal to get me going..

 

[Batgirl]

I did raise my seat twice yesterday and I think I just reached the highest point possible. It feels much more comfortable. In total I did raise it 5 cm during this week.



According to Sheldon that is the one correct way to mount a bike: http://sheldonbrown.com/video/start-stop.ogg

That is kind of what I do so that's great I think I 'push' a bit more with left leg as it's not flat to the ground, but the angle of the pedal I have right!
well done putting up your seat! I'll try putting mine up again soon.

 

[crdf]

well done putting up your seat! I'll try putting mine up again soon.

I raised it about a cm at a time so I had time to get used to it. I think raising it at once would have made me panic.

 

[Batgirl]

I raised it about a cm at a time so I had time to get used to it. I think raising it at once would have made me panic.

Thats my reckoning.. I raised it a fair bit at first and am going to give it a good few rides before raising again but slowly does it and our brains won't likely send us into shock! lol

 

[bloodlett]

I just purchased my bike but I intend to ride solo only because I will be training with cadence and heart rate now if I can convince the misses to get a bike I would love to take leisurely rides with her

 

[jonny jeez]

Being fairly new to this cycling lark I go out alone but sometimes think that if I had some company I would cycle further and maybe faster.
I see the local club, Macclesfield Wheelers, out on rides but at the speed they move I couldn't keep up so this has stopped me joining them.
I'm sure I will find someone to cycle with although I do tend to call it on the day as to whether I'm going out for a ride.

I used to ride like that too, sort of last minute,no commitments.

Then three things changed, I convinced some mates to start riding, I bought a new road bike (my old one was an MTV/hybrid...and I found strata.

Those three things all combined to allow me to commit to riding a lot more. I didn't want to join a club with a hubrid, would choose not to ride at the last minute without friends expecting me...and had no targets or measurement of my progress without strata.

A year or so later I had changed from a "commuter" to a full on cycle bore and did this
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lands-end-to-john-ogroats.155855/

Then six months later did this
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/london-to-brussels.155837/

And a week or so ago, this
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/london-to-paris-day-one-unlucky-13.165730/

Riding with friends has that effect,, if those club riders are a little intimidating to you (they are to me too) then try and start your own group with mates and commit to riding each Saturday morning. Even when it's wet and cold and you just don't fancy it, you will still find yourself smiling over a coffee and a wedge of cake at the halfway tea stop if you are with mates.

 

[jonny jeez]

I don't even have a road bike. There is very few people out there slower then me but I'm enjoying it so much! I actually feel the 3 miles each way daily commute in my legs all the time, but I am trying to go fast.

If you find that your legs hurt a lot, especially the next day, then maybe take a look at your cadence.

Pedalling too slow and grinding the pedals will build up lactic acid in your muscles, which hurts like hell the next day.

Don't be ashamed to drop the gears and spin a little more...not so much that your bum bounces out the saddle but at a faster rate than you may think "normal".

Also don't be afraid to use both (or all three)chain rings (front cogs) uninitiated riders often consider it wrong to drop to the small ring (granny cog )...but if you watch pro riders they move about the group set all the time to maintain their cadence at a level and fast rhythm .

This fast rhythm ...or cadence...stops the build up of acid.

Sorry if you already know all of this, just thought it may help others reading.

 

[crdf]

Sorry if you already know all of this, just thought it may help others reading.

Oh no, thank you for the information and advice. I am learning slowly so any information is welcomed.
I do go to the smallest chain ring if the hill is bigger or the gradient goes on for some time. The third front feels too difficult for me. I know it is to be used on a downhill only, so that is not very often, but I do change the gears quite a lot.

BTW apologies for high jacking the main topic!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

If you find that your legs hurt a lot, especially the next day, then maybe take a look at your cadence.

Pedalling too slow and grinding the pedals will build up lactic acid in your muscles, which hurts like hell the next day.

Don't be ashamed to drop the gears and spin a little more...not so much that your bum bounces out the saddle but at a faster rate than you may think "normal".

Also don't be afraid to use both (or all three)chain rings (front cogs) uninitiated riders often consider it wrong to drop to the small ring (granny cog )...but if you watch pro riders they move about the group set all the time to maintain their cadence at a level and fast rhythm .

This fast rhythm ...or cadence...stops the build up of acid.

Sorry if you already know all of this, just thought it may help others reading.

Not always as it is believed that the ache the following day is due to the muscle repairing the damage the exercise did.

I use all three on mine, usually on the inner ring and the middle on the back where the middle would put me at the low end of the cassette, this gives me much more choice on gear selection and cadence, however road triples are not seen as the thing to have.

 

[Big_Dave]

I always cycle alone nowadays, kids are grown up, my wife no longer cycles, I'd like to join a club but I wouldn't be quick enough with my average speed @12.5mph. My dog (border terrier cross jack russell terrorist) comes out with me on the mtb and I go at the dog's pace, even he has his own sprint sections especially when we get near the café he is always the first to get there as I buy him a sausage, in cooler temperatures he can run over 25 miles, over the summer I just walk him as he's not good in the heat. I don't know anyone that cycles but I don't really mind, I go at my own pace and go for a few strava PB's if I feel like it or just plod along

 

[ScotiaLass]

I cycled for the first time with company today.. with my husband who now had a cheap new bike - very cheap halfords bike.
We did 3 miles around the country park (Pembrey) really was lovely. I had to get off for a couple of slopes but managed one of them and can work on progression. Bike is back down my horses yard as that is the easiest place for me to leave and return to - still enjoying and despite nerves after 10 days gap I am defo getting better at setting off.

Company is so nice we're planning to ride out twice a week on my days off while the kids are in school.

do you all ride in company?

My husband and I used to ride together several years back.
I got back into riding last year but he didn't return to it.
My son (20) was keen, and we ride together once or twice a week, as he is now at college.
I'd say now, most of the time I'm on my own. Sometimes I wish I had company, but most of the time I'm happy by myself

 

[ScotiaLass]

If you find that your legs hurt a lot, especially the next day, then maybe take a look at your cadence.

Pedalling too slow and grinding the pedals will build up lactic acid in your muscles, which hurts like hell the next day.

Don't be ashamed to drop the gears and spin a little more...not so much that your bum bounces out the saddle but at a faster rate than you may think "normal".

Also don't be afraid to use both (or all three)chain rings (front cogs) uninitiated riders often consider it wrong to drop to the small ring (granny cog )...but if you watch pro riders they move about the group set all the time to maintain their cadence at a level and fast rhythm .

This fast rhythm ...or cadence...stops the build up of acid.

Sorry if you already know all of this, just thought it may help others reading.

I always ride one gear under what I'm comfortable with, so spinning a little more. It's rare my muscles ache, even after 20+ miles.
Of course, if I venture 'off road' and am climbing and fighting my way through woods etc then I will suffer the next day!

 

[Big_Dave]

If you find that your legs hurt a lot, especially the next day, then maybe take a look at your cadence.

Pedalling too slow and grinding the pedals will build up lactic acid in your muscles, which hurts like hell the next day.

Don't be ashamed to drop the gears and spin a little more...not so much that your bum bounces out the saddle but at a faster rate than you may think "normal".

Also don't be afraid to use both (or all three)chain rings (front cogs) uninitiated riders often consider it wrong to drop to the small ring (granny cog )...but if you watch pro riders they move about the group set all the time to maintain their cadence at a level and fast rhythm .

This fast rhythm ...or cadence...stops the build up of acid.

Sorry if you already know all of this, just thought it may help others reading.

Lactic acid build up largely depends on heart rate zones, and the amount of carbs left stored for immediate use, in threshold zones the body cannot break down fats enough to be turned into carbs, as the fats are being broken down they are in an acidic state which then gets transported to the muscles still as acid, as the muscles are needing carbs faster than they can be produced, you will feel lactic acid build up as you are riding (burning feeling in your legs) you can burn off the acid pretty quickly by bringing the heartrate down and spinning, not really at a fast pace but easy, you can still get lactic acid build up by spinning if your heartrate is too high and burning more carbs than you body can produce. it is a very complex subject lactic acid and muscle recovery, oxygen in the blood etc and it's effects to explain without writing an essay,

 

[crdf]

Lactic acid build up largely depends on heart rate zones, and the amount of carbs left stored for immediate use, in threshold zones the body cannot break down fats enough to be turned into carbs, as the fats are being broken down they are in an acidic state which then gets transported to the muscles still as acid, as the muscles are needing carbs faster than they can be produced, you will feel lactic acid build up as you are riding (burning feeling in your legs) you can burn off the acid pretty quickly by bringing the heartrate down and spinning, not really at a fast pace but easy, you can still get lactic acid build up by spinning if your heartrate is too high and burning more carbs than you body can produce. it is a very complex subject lactic acid and muscle recovery, oxygen in the blood etc and it's effects to explain without writing an essay,

I'm not sure I understand everything. So fats breaks down to acid and then converts to carbs for muscle use if heart rate is higher? Would consuming more carbs (as food) help muscle recovery?

 

[young Ed]

incredibly i ride with company, i like drafting and depending on who it is there can be some good convo if you can ride 2 abreast on a smaller, quieter road. oh and i like the drafting part!
but it is almost always by myself as i have to try and fit it in around farm work for local farmers and my own sheep and fixin' sh*t that broke! also most o my rides are planned and decided that i will go in 5 minutes so garmin is always charged and water bottle is always kept clean and ready
Cheers Ed