Hi from East Yorkshire

[quassleberry]

Hello,
Just found this forum but have been cycling to work for the last 4 years, can't drive & buses too inconvenient.
They all think I'm mad at work because I also cycle the 4 miles home & back in my lunch hour to see to our dogs.
I have improved my time over the years but I still think 15 - 20 mins is too slow for 4 miles, what could I try that would improve it?

 

[Arch]

Hello,
Just found this forum but have been cycling to work for the last 4 years, can't drive & buses too inconvenient.
They all think I'm mad at work because I also cycle the 4 miles home & back in my lunch hour to see to our dogs.
I have improved my time over the years but I still think 15 - 20 mins is too slow for 4 miles, what could I try that would improve it?

Welcome! Keep an eye on the Informal Rides section, as the East Yorks Posse will probably arrange a few rides over the year.

15 mins for 4 miles, 16mph. Not bad, way faster than me! The only way to improve, I think, is to just push a bit harder as often as you can!

 

[2shedsphil]

Hello,
Just found this forum but have been cycling to work for the last 4 years, can't drive & buses too inconvenient.
They all think I'm mad at work because I also cycle the 4 miles home & back in my lunch hour to see to our dogs.
I have improved my time over the years but I still think 15 - 20 mins is too slow for 4 miles, what could I try that would improve it?

Yes I know the feeling, I've been cycling 10 miles a day to and from work for the last 5 years, my work colleagues think i'm a bit mad.We can't afford 2 cars, and I have become addicted to biking.I thought buying a light weight bike would improve my speed but it didn't make much difference. About the only thing that makes much difference is the wind direction !!! I would say 15 mins for four miles is pretty good , it takes me 20 mins to go 5 miles and I haven't improved much over the years.

 

[cyberknight]

Welcome !!

What sort of bike are you riding and what sort of route?

You maybe able to make the run easier with better tyres/ locking the suspension etc dependent on what sort of bike you have and what you carry, but if you live in a hilly area then your doing well !!

16 mph average is nothing to be sniffed at while commuting .

I do 10 miles each way on a hilly route and the best i ever got was 35 mins, more like 40 average so that's an average of 17 on a good day ! cruising speed around 20-21 ish and down to 8 mph on the steep bits .

My route profile..

 

[quassleberry]

Thanks for the warm welcome, at the moment I have just a bog standard town bike complete with a rack for panniers which I only use when shopping etc won't fit into my rucksack. Suspension is non existent and to be truthful the technicalities just whoosh over my head, diagrams are incomprehensible but having said that, as a teenager I used to clean, and basically maintain my brothers' scrambler - air/oil filters, pistons etc and could manage that because I was shown how it all worked. Now I'm lazy and just mention that I need to look at the brakes, gears etc and my partner does it for me.

As for the journey I have to go into Hull and my route must have the Hulls only hills on it there are 3 of them. In any other part of the country (Fens excepted) they would be considered gentle slopes, only on 1 hill in each direction do I change down to what I consider 3rd (but could be 15th) unless I am busy fretting about life or work then I forget to change and suddenly realise I'm at the top.

I have also considered filling my Ipod with the childrens music, the few tracks of theirs I have always make me pedal faster, at the moment it could pick Hadouken, the Clash etc then skip to Rolf Harris or the Ronettes! My poor legs don't know whether to pogo or polka.

Phew thats quite a few confessions there, will I get kicked off for being 'uncool'?

 

[cyberknight]

I have also considered filling my Ipod with the childrens music, the few tracks of theirs I have always make me pedal faster, at the moment it could pick Hadouken, the Clash etc then skip to Rolf Harris or the Ronettes! My poor legs don't know whether to pogo or polka.

Phew thats quite a few confessions there, will I get kicked off for being 'uncool'?

Uhm that's a big can of worms , sure an ipod may give you some motivation but there is a divided camp whether you reduce your traffic awareness if you wear one, i am in the "keep all my senses free" camp but there are whole threads on the good and bad points .

And uncool.....
Your a cyclist so you automatically are super cool , but you want some of this on your ipod


[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJzE1m9aELk[/media]

 

[quassleberry]

Never heard them before but will look out for more of their stuff. Definitely would have to pedal faster to them!

I have a foot in both camps for the ipod, only wear the left ear plug so I can hear traffic, sirens etc from the right. Only on 1 stretch of road do I consider using both earplugs and then I compensate by looking around more, although the traffic cannot go fast because of 3 pedestrian crossings all light controlled and two places where the cars congregate to park so they have to wait to go around.

Thanks for the cool vote, not sure my teenagers would agree, my daughters' highly disgusted that I've now joined 'facebook', my son tweaks the settings and adds photos for me (only ones with him in though).

 

[cyberknight]

Just dance when their friends come round .......


[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FLIpNmQ65M[/media]

 

[quassleberry]

Even the dogs would leave home if I embarrassed them that much!! What was the music? Where do I get a copy & do I help them pack?

 

[Shaun]

Moved to General Cycling to continue the chat and advice ... welcome quassleberry.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Another E Yorks rider............yee haaa

 

[cyberknight]

Even the dogs would leave home if I embarrassed them that much!! What was the music? Where do I get a copy & do I help them pack?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/r...ias=digital-music&field-artist_id=pa300570966


And you really want ...

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L_G5fGYU9k&feature=fvsr[/media]

 

[Piemaster]

from an east Hullite

I'm mystified as to where you are finding the hills though

 

[HelenD123]

from an east Hullite

I'm mystified as to where you are finding the hills though

County Road South flyover?

 

[zacklaws]

Chanterlands Ave?