mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Depends what they're trying to begin?A racing or porn career maybe.
How long are you a "Beginner"?
- Thread starter Subotai72
- Start date
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Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
A shorts wearer writes: My knees are too far gone to let a little bit of cold make any difference. I don't think the cold would damage my already decrepit knees. Mind you, I'm not, and never have been a racer.
I see my legs as important radiators in helping to maintain body temperature. It was about 10 degrees on Saturday (colder in the morning). I generate a fair bit of heat and can overheat quite easily. If I start to get cold, putting on a hat and/or a buff and/or my rain jacket (zipped up or not) and/or arm warmers and swapping between full finger and fingerless gloves will adjust my insulation. Not stopping helps, too, as does putting in a bit of extra effort if cold. And yes, I do carry all that stuff with me.
Also, if rain is forecast I'd rather that it bounce off my waterproof legs than end up with soggy cycling trousers.
I see my legs as important radiators in helping to maintain body temperature. It was about 10 degrees on Saturday (colder in the morning). I generate a fair bit of heat and can overheat quite easily. If I start to get cold, putting on a hat and/or a buff and/or my rain jacket (zipped up or not) and/or arm warmers and swapping between full finger and fingerless gloves will adjust my insulation. Not stopping helps, too, as does putting in a bit of extra effort if cold. And yes, I do carry all that stuff with me.
Also, if rain is forecast I'd rather that it bounce off my waterproof legs than end up with soggy cycling trousers.
RoubaixCube
~Tribanese~
- Location
- London, UK
Personally for me. I stopped being a 'beginner' when i dropped a lot of coin on a Hybrid and started commuting to work on the busy roads of London.
I had a few forays into the world of cycling on public roads with the rest of traffic with the guidance of a friend of mine but getting a new job pretty much put an end to that. my Bike stayed indoors though and i occasionally took it out for a little weekend trip around the marshes.
The bike was some £300 Apollo MTB which i completely regret buying, It was heavy, it was cumbersome and the gears jumped randomly and chain would slip on the teeth of the cassette which would make a loud crunching or grinding noise as the chain attempted to bite in a get some grip. I took the bike around to Halfords multiple times, even took it around to Evanscycles to get a second opinion and both of them told me it was what it was and you get what you paid for.
I didnt feel safe taking the bike on the road with it so it was pretty much confined to the darkest corners of the garden shed where it still is today.
I wanted to sell it and get some money back but mum put an end to that idea saying that she would like to ride it. She took it out 2 or 3 times during the summer for a short ride with a friend and thats it - back in the shed it goes for another year.
People were calling me silly for paying £80 for a pair of proper cycling shoes so i can clip into my pedals with. Buying and wearing 'cycling clothing' instead of just any random pair of shorts,T-shirt or jacket. more than £80 on lights, almost £200 (if not over) on luggage systems such as a carrier, trunk bags and panniers.
I am no means an expert or even an amature for that matter, None of the things i have makes me a good, amature or pro-cyclist. But Cycling should be fun, and I have set myself up in the way where I have half decent equipment to go out there and have fun rather than leaving me with a negative experience and making me wanting to toss the bike in the shed with the other one.
Am I a beginner? Yes, very much so. but through cyclechat and also buying my new bike I have slowly started to take off the blindfold and learn about all things cycle related.
Right now Im dipping my feet into bike components/upgrades and learning about wheels, chainsets, groupsets, shifters and the like. Because one day in the future i would like to upgrade my bike. When i finally complete that goal I will be able to say that I am an amature cyclist. Pro is when i drop money on carbons and do all my own maintenance
I had a few forays into the world of cycling on public roads with the rest of traffic with the guidance of a friend of mine but getting a new job pretty much put an end to that. my Bike stayed indoors though and i occasionally took it out for a little weekend trip around the marshes.
The bike was some £300 Apollo MTB which i completely regret buying, It was heavy, it was cumbersome and the gears jumped randomly and chain would slip on the teeth of the cassette which would make a loud crunching or grinding noise as the chain attempted to bite in a get some grip. I took the bike around to Halfords multiple times, even took it around to Evanscycles to get a second opinion and both of them told me it was what it was and you get what you paid for.
I didnt feel safe taking the bike on the road with it so it was pretty much confined to the darkest corners of the garden shed where it still is today.
I wanted to sell it and get some money back but mum put an end to that idea saying that she would like to ride it. She took it out 2 or 3 times during the summer for a short ride with a friend and thats it - back in the shed it goes for another year.
People were calling me silly for paying £80 for a pair of proper cycling shoes so i can clip into my pedals with. Buying and wearing 'cycling clothing' instead of just any random pair of shorts,T-shirt or jacket. more than £80 on lights, almost £200 (if not over) on luggage systems such as a carrier, trunk bags and panniers.
I am no means an expert or even an amature for that matter, None of the things i have makes me a good, amature or pro-cyclist. But Cycling should be fun, and I have set myself up in the way where I have half decent equipment to go out there and have fun rather than leaving me with a negative experience and making me wanting to toss the bike in the shed with the other one.
Am I a beginner? Yes, very much so. but through cyclechat and also buying my new bike I have slowly started to take off the blindfold and learn about all things cycle related.
Right now Im dipping my feet into bike components/upgrades and learning about wheels, chainsets, groupsets, shifters and the like. Because one day in the future i would like to upgrade my bike. When i finally complete that goal I will be able to say that I am an amature cyclist. Pro is when i drop money on carbons and do all my own maintenance
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
Ben Reeve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, UK
I'm maybe not a beginner, but very definitely an amateur!
adamangler
Veteran
- Location
- Wakefield
As a very rough guide, riding less than a couple of years or averaging less than 15mph over about 50 hilly miles
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Or thinking ordinary speed means someone's a beginner 
Or thinking ordinary speed means someone's a beginner
I've never even ridden an ordinary bike, but I think they used to achieve over 20mph on them.
OP
OP
Subotai72
Well-Known Member
- Location
- North Wales
Looks I'm going to remain a Beginner a while longer then!
Nonsense. You can be a very accomplished cyclist but maybe speed isn't your thing.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Or perhaps you just aren't in a hurry.
Nomadski
I Like Bikes
- Location
- LBS, Usually
As long as I see at least 65% of cyclists passing me, I'll consider my self a beginner! I don't think I'll ever climb out of that category tbh!
