lucksmith
Active Member
- Location
- Manchester
Sooo...
I decided to start commuting by bike earlier this year. It was about 4miles each way. I moved job/house now and still commute by bike and it's about 7.5 miles each way. Both distances daunted me at first an dboth turned out to be not be a problem for me at all.
I've been wanting to actually ride to somewhere for a long time now, but I'm the kind of person that has to have something to aim for, and I couldn't pick a destination that fitted my criteria of: not being too far, not being too hilly (or hilly at all!), and not being difficult to navigate to (I don't have a sat nav or anything or a phone with that gubbins on it and I didn't to be stopping every mile to check a map.
So yesterday I decided to ride to Glossop, which is about 17 miles, I even used Google Maps to help me find a less hilly route. I wrote down key landmarks/direction on the back of a brown envelope and set off, With no spares, tools, money, wallet, water or food.
It wasn't long before I was lost, but I didn't have anywhere to go so I figured if I got really lost or stranded with a flat or something I could at least phone my partner and beg her to pick me up (I had my phone & keys, nothing else).
Buxton was the only place on the roadsigns that I'd heard of so I figured just keep following those signs, I was a bit worried about the distance, but moreso about the light going (I do have lights on my bike but novice on a rural road in the dark and rain etc.) so I finally called it quits when one of the signs finally told me that Buxton was still another 9 miles away.
What I discovered, to my great surprise was that the hills didn't really bother me too much. I've desperately tried to avoid hills since I've been riding regularly and will happily ride a longer route if it's flatter. My bike only has 3 gears, and I'm sure I've not quite set them up correctly so I just use one gear all the time and sort of forget that I even have the option to change. And even on the edge of the Peak District I had no desire for another gear.
Frankly, I'm amazed I managed any of the hills at all!
Anyway, as I said, I kind of have to aim for something otherwise I can;t get around to doing it, so as I had another day off today I decided to ride to Buxton.
I was a little bit achey and worried that I wouln't be able to manage it at all. I still didn;t take any spares, just a pump. But I did take water, snacks, and cash in case I decided to sack it off and get the train from somewhere.
Happily, I made it to Buxton (GoogleMaps says it's 22.2 miles, and 1,190ft up). when I got there I was a little worried I'd be too pooped to make it back, so I went to the train station and enquired about a ticket (£9.90, no thanks!), decided against having a potter around the town in case it wore me out just that little bit too much, had some water, a snack and turned back for home.
I was half expecting to have to find a station along the way and get a train, but I was quite happy riding back, and though I'm not sure I would have thanked anyone if they told me I had to ride any farther, it wouldn't have killed me to.
I'm well aware that I'll be sore as hell tomorrow, but I reckon that'll get easier with practice. Gonna have the day off riding tomorrow, then back to commuting as normal.
I really enjoyed my ride(s) and sort of thinking that with a bit more practice I might be able to feasibly use my bike to somewhere farther afield. Across the country to visit friends, or perhaps even abroad.
I know I shouldn't try to run before I can walk, and I'll not plan anything to extravagant soon, but frankly I'm feeling quite chuffed with myself at the moment :-)
[Sorry for going on a bit, I'm a bit excited and haven't spoken to anyone all day cos I've been on my bike!]
I decided to start commuting by bike earlier this year. It was about 4miles each way. I moved job/house now and still commute by bike and it's about 7.5 miles each way. Both distances daunted me at first an dboth turned out to be not be a problem for me at all.
I've been wanting to actually ride to somewhere for a long time now, but I'm the kind of person that has to have something to aim for, and I couldn't pick a destination that fitted my criteria of: not being too far, not being too hilly (or hilly at all!), and not being difficult to navigate to (I don't have a sat nav or anything or a phone with that gubbins on it and I didn't to be stopping every mile to check a map.
So yesterday I decided to ride to Glossop, which is about 17 miles, I even used Google Maps to help me find a less hilly route. I wrote down key landmarks/direction on the back of a brown envelope and set off, With no spares, tools, money, wallet, water or food.
It wasn't long before I was lost, but I didn't have anywhere to go so I figured if I got really lost or stranded with a flat or something I could at least phone my partner and beg her to pick me up (I had my phone & keys, nothing else).
Buxton was the only place on the roadsigns that I'd heard of so I figured just keep following those signs, I was a bit worried about the distance, but moreso about the light going (I do have lights on my bike but novice on a rural road in the dark and rain etc.) so I finally called it quits when one of the signs finally told me that Buxton was still another 9 miles away.
What I discovered, to my great surprise was that the hills didn't really bother me too much. I've desperately tried to avoid hills since I've been riding regularly and will happily ride a longer route if it's flatter. My bike only has 3 gears, and I'm sure I've not quite set them up correctly so I just use one gear all the time and sort of forget that I even have the option to change. And even on the edge of the Peak District I had no desire for another gear.
Frankly, I'm amazed I managed any of the hills at all!
Anyway, as I said, I kind of have to aim for something otherwise I can;t get around to doing it, so as I had another day off today I decided to ride to Buxton.
I was a little bit achey and worried that I wouln't be able to manage it at all. I still didn;t take any spares, just a pump. But I did take water, snacks, and cash in case I decided to sack it off and get the train from somewhere.
Happily, I made it to Buxton (GoogleMaps says it's 22.2 miles, and 1,190ft up). when I got there I was a little worried I'd be too pooped to make it back, so I went to the train station and enquired about a ticket (£9.90, no thanks!), decided against having a potter around the town in case it wore me out just that little bit too much, had some water, a snack and turned back for home.
I was half expecting to have to find a station along the way and get a train, but I was quite happy riding back, and though I'm not sure I would have thanked anyone if they told me I had to ride any farther, it wouldn't have killed me to.
I'm well aware that I'll be sore as hell tomorrow, but I reckon that'll get easier with practice. Gonna have the day off riding tomorrow, then back to commuting as normal.
I really enjoyed my ride(s) and sort of thinking that with a bit more practice I might be able to feasibly use my bike to somewhere farther afield. Across the country to visit friends, or perhaps even abroad.
I know I shouldn't try to run before I can walk, and I'll not plan anything to extravagant soon, but frankly I'm feeling quite chuffed with myself at the moment :-)
[Sorry for going on a bit, I'm a bit excited and haven't spoken to anyone all day cos I've been on my bike!]
you will soon be flying up alpe d'huez, probably best taking levers, pump and tube though!
excellent effort.
from another cyclechatter.
