Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]

[Supersuperleeds]

Well done @Mo1959 and @Supersuperleeds

I rode a mere 668.2 miles but with a respectable 24,808 ft of climbing
However I am in the top half of the table

If the table is now fully up to date I finished 3rd on the night riding table and 9th overall, 2487.6 miles and 62,874 feet of climbing - not bad for flat Leicestershire

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Well I have decided that I am going to try to get 304km in this week to complete the Spring Classics challenge...
So I decided that I would ride with my OH to his work this morning which meant getting up somewhat earlier than normal. I was regretting it at 6am I can tell you. Dull, overcast, misty, dark grey clouds in the distance... and cold as well... seems we have a different weather system here to everyone else.
Well it brightened up before we got to his work, then it clouded over and got that dull, cold, dark look back, then it cleared and repeated a few times... 61km of the 304km I need to get done by Sunday (Friday & Saturday I can't ride)... I'm currently committed to 70km tomorrow, 70km Wednesday, 20km Thursday, 70km Sunday... which by my reckoning means I only need to get lost (aka explore new routes ) a couple of times on Thursday and I should make the distance... hopefully...

I have faith. You will do it.

 

[BrianEvesham]

How did you get on reindexing the gears,

Fail!
I did nip up the barrel adjuster a bit so it would change onto the granny but the first time I went from large to middle out on the road, nothing! Grrrrrrr
I'm about to buy the R501's so will sort them all out when I fit these (or the LBS will ).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn we will both do this Emma. I lost nearly two weeks.

I have faith. You will do it.

Fingers crossed. Hopefully the hospital won't run off with too much of my blood this afternoon... (fingers crossed). I will be pushing what I can manage in a week (what with all the health issues etc)... but with 2 days off (Fri & Sat), I should be able to make up for anything lost on Sunday, though am committed to having lunch with my Grandfather on Sunday at my parent's home and I'm doing the cooking... Tomorrow & Wednesday should be interesting, that main road is closed again for resurfacing so I am going to try to find an alternative which may add a few extra km's onto the day... it will all help.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Fail!
I did nip up the barrel adjuster a bit so it would change onto the granny but the first time I went from large to middle out on the road, nothing! Grrrrrrr
I'm about to buy the R501's so will sort them all out when I fit these (or the LBS will ).

Front, right drop it on to the inner ring (hate the term granny, as even on my inner ring, the gearing is about the same as some compact doubles, and I have never heard that reffered to as a granny ring), anyway then release the F.D. cable clamp bolt this will release the tension on the mech, put the R.D. on your biggest gear and check clearance on F.D. cage (frame side) adjust low stop if needed, adjust the barrel adjuster so its its in, and you able to adjust to take up a little slack, pull cable back through the clamp finger tight and tighten bolt, go through the gears it now should go on to the large ring if not adjust barrel adjuster having checked the high limit screw. I sometimes use long nose pliers to help pull the cable a little tighter, but it can damage the cable.
It really is easy, make sure when on the middle ring the outer cage is parallel with the outer ring.

Edit, if you tighten the cable with the adjuster it moves the cage out from the frame, so I am guess you went the wrong way, turn it the other way and see what happens

 

[Nigelnaturist]

If the table is now fully up to date I finished 3rd on the night riding table and 9th overall, 2487.6 miles and 62,874 feet of climbing - not bad for flat Leicestershire

You still did more ft/mile than I logged on strava.

 

[Stonechat]

Just noticed since I have had the road bike (Felt Z95) - late January 2014 I have now done over 1000 miles - in fact 1110 miles and 41,000 feet of climbing
Needless to say it is faster average speed 14.0 mph compared to 11.6 mph on hybrid, though some of the improvement is due to better fitness

 

[Mo1959]

Well, the sun was too nice. It would have been a shame not to make the most of it so just a wee 16 miles on the hybrid before lunch. Breeze has picked up slightly but it was mostly behind me on the way back for a change.

Some lunch now, then second dog walk at 1.30, hopefully still in the sun if it stays out.

 

[Melv]

I've spent the last couple of years commuting (12-14 miles) on my Hybrid. I signed up for a 50k bike ride in June with no idea of whether I could cycle 50k or not. I'm not particularly fit and I'm about three stone heavier than I would really like to be. I purchased a Carrera TDF a couple of months back as my first road bike and I've been trying to get it out most weekends since. Initially I was doing 10-20 mile rides but I'm now doing 35 miles in one go at the weekend. It's taking me just under three hours so I guess I am averaging about 12 mph. This is probably about my limit until I lose some weight get fitter as the steeper climbs are killing me at the moment !! I do like the idea of going for longer rides but need to build up fitness first.

 

[Mo1959]

I've spent the last couple of years commuting (12-14 miles) on my Hybrid. I signed up for a 50k bike ride in June with no idea of whether I could cycle 50k or not. I'm not particularly fit and I'm about three stone heavier than I would really like to be. I purchased a Carrera TDF a couple of months back as my first road bike and I've been trying to get it out most weekends since. Initially I was doing 10-20 mile rides but I'm now doing 35 miles in one go at the weekend. It's taking me just under three hours so I guess I am averaging about 12 mph. This is probably about my limit until I lose some weight get fitter as the steeper climbs are killing me at the moment !! I do like the idea of going for longer rides but need to build up fitness first.

Well done. Sounds like you should manage the 50k in June no problem if you keep at it. Most of us averaged about 12mph when we started and some of us are still not that much faster. As long as you are enjoying it and it is keeping you fit, speed isn't that important. Agree though, that carrying any extra weight does make the hills harder so if you can drop a bit it will certainly help.

 

[welsh dragon]

I've spent the last couple of years commuting (12-14 miles) on my Hybrid. I signed up for a 50k bike ride in June with no idea of whether I could cycle 50k or not. I'm not particularly fit and I'm about three stone heavier than I would really like to be. I purchased a Carrera TDF a couple of months back as my first road bike and I've been trying to get it out most weekends since. Initially I was doing 10-20 mile rides but I'm now doing 35 miles in one go at the weekend. It's taking me just under three hours so I guess I am averaging about 12 mph. This is probably about my limit until I lose some weight get fitter as the steeper climbs are killing me at the moment !! I do like the idea of going for longer rides but need to build up fitness first.

Hi. Welcome to the forum. There are some great people on this thread who can and will give you great advice. Mo1959 and nigelnaturist are the people here you need and wnt to talk to. They are a font of all knowledge. Have fun

 

[Mo1959]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. There are some great people on this thread who can and will give you great advice. Mo1959 and nigelnaturist are the people here you need and wnt to talk to. They are a font of all knowledge. Have fun

Shucks, now I am embarrassed. I still consider myself a relative beginner having only been cycling about 18 months but thank you for your vote of confidence.

 

[Melv]

Thanks Mo,

To be honest the extra weight was partly the reason for starting off with a relatively cheap bike. It seemed pointless worrying about a few extra kg off the bike when I really need to shed about twenty myself !! I am definitely being bitten by the cycling bug, really enjoying it at the moment. I normally cycle really early (5-6am) on a Saturday/Sunday morning and get home just as the wife and kids are getting up so it really sets me up for the day. Can't wait for my first sportive ride in June and already planning my second !!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Shucks, now I am embarrassed. I still consider myself a relative beginner having only been cycling about 18 months but thank you for your vote of confidence.

Who's she kidding (@welsh dragon ) .

@Melv , dont know why your worried you covered the 50Km all ready or is that since the TDF, either way you have covered the distance so you know you can do it. My avg sp in Jul 2012 was 12.07mph not much faster these days, but I can do the hills a little better, though @Mo1959 is the one to watch there.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I've spent the last couple of years commuting (12-14 miles) on my Hybrid. I signed up for a 50k bike ride in June with no idea of whether I could cycle 50k or not. I'm not particularly fit and I'm about three stone heavier than I would really like to be. I purchased a Carrera TDF a couple of months back as my first road bike and I've been trying to get it out most weekends since. Initially I was doing 10-20 mile rides but I'm now doing 35 miles in one go at the weekend. It's taking me just under three hours so I guess I am averaging about 12 mph. This is probably about my limit until I lose some weight get fitter as the steeper climbs are killing me at the moment !! I do like the idea of going for longer rides but need to build up fitness first.

Melv, you sound like a mirror of myself 18 months ago. I was commuting 10-12 miles (round trip) each day on a hybrid and was a good 3-4 stone overweight. After some advice I upped the mileage on my commute to 15 miles each way and the weight started to slowly drop off. I got myself my first road bike last January and by the June I had done my first 100 miler.

Fitness wise it is catch 22 - the easiest way to get fit is to get out and ride

I now regularly commute 60 miles a day and am now 3 1/2 stone lighter. I still hate the hills though, I reckon I need to lose another 3 stone before I will be happy on them!