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

[Nigelnaturist]

I'm guessing you have 8 speed 2300? If so, 9 speed Sora would do (the 2013 version with thumbshifters is now available online in a few stores) I believe your chainset may be able to take 8/9 speed, but I can't promise that. Depends which one it is, but you can check on the manufacturers website. That's if you want to save a bit on not buying a chainset though, otherwise I'd go for 10 speed. I've seen that the new Sora shifters are £10 dearer than the 105 black shifters

I dont even have that luxury, though it a Sora set front and rear (well I changed the rear for an Acera, when I had lower gearing) I am looking at getting some Tiagra's front and rear, and shifters, though they may have to wait, I might get couple of 8sp's of ebay if i drop on a Sora right 8sp for the time being, I can then rearrange my gearing a little better.
Chain set is a touring set from spa cycles, http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s109p200, i have still the original chainset which was a prowheel, but it has a really odd B.C.D. on the inner ring, reason for the purchase of the chainset last year,
I do need a front mech and thought about this tiagra as mine has suffered a little damage (it still works, just a bit bent), I think the 3000 miles from June to Dec took it out of the bike, well components.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Great news Andy

 

[simmi]

Well done, you've beat my times, well most, but then I ride them often bound to get the odd good day, but you have done it at 25 mile + so much credit to you. You were less than a mile from the house.
at the lights at the end of this section turn right 1 mile my house.
http://app.strava.com/activities/38954844#635617481
I would be happy doing that distance in these winds at that speed.
I only nipped to the shops, but I had an ulterior motive too, to get a K.O.M. back (not much of one since not many riders on it) I was only 2's quicker but almost 2mph faster.
My first ever timing for it was back in Oct I did it @ 12.5mph and 39's, today I managed the heady speed of 21.3mph in 23's
http://app.strava.com/activities/38960256#635694706
I set some local sections up so I could see, how I improve general after a ride, I always find the first 10 miles or so hard work, after that I seem to cycle better, to point, anyway some guy went round all my segments and broke most of my times, good for him, but when I looked at the ride he did I had a feeling he had just gone out to get the K.O.M.'s, I felt oh well, for a day or so, I never thought I would get it back, (what with knocking on 50 next year), so I thought today, since I wasn't going to get out much (bike maintenance) I would take the panniers of and give it bash, so I went to the shop at the bottom of the hill, climbed up Mayors Walk (short steepish climb) to get the hart pumping and went for it, I cant say that the panniers being off makes much difference, though that could have been the wind today.

Cheers Mate, nice undulating roads very enjoyable, wouldn't read too much into my strava times with a strong wind with me for the first few and then a strong wind against for the rest it don't really prove anything good or bad.
My garmin managed to send me up a one way street in the middle of Ponty I think it was called mill hill lane, I didn't know where I was going so went for it anyway.
Thats the first time I have ridden in your area but I will be back when the weather is better, I will check my route with more care next time!

 

[RWright]

I had a good ride today. A little windy but not too bad, I was protected from the direction for most of the ride.

I saw another rider today, one that looked real , Lycra, helmet, race bike, shoes, everything! He was coming down the access road I had just used to access the road I was taking, he was on my track.

He was above me on the access road and could see me, I waved and he did wave back. I have seen him before once when I was on my comfort bike, he didn't wave that time. I don't know if he is fast or anything about him. I did know that I was on the Red Rocket today (my Trek 2.3) and that if he ran me down he was going to work for it. I am not fast but I was far enough ahead that he wouldn't be catching me in the next 7 miles at least. That is when I return, coming back the other side of the highway.

I went at it harder than normal, I was wishing I had topped off the air in my tires before I had taken off but they were good, I did pinch them. I never saw him again. I am not even sure he went the same way I did. I did find that having someone coming up from behind, no matter how far can be a great motivator. I got a KOM on my longest "tougher route" today. Not really all that fast, but faster than normal for me.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Cheers Mate, nice undulating roads very enjoyable, wouldn't read too much into my strava times with a strong wind with me for the first few and then a strong wind against for the rest it don't really prove anything good or bad.
My garmin managed to send me up a one way street in the middle of Ponty I think it was called mill hill lane, I didn't know where I was going so went for it anyway.
Thats the first time I have ridden in your area but I will be back when the weather is better, I will check my route with more care next time!

The trees cause a problem there, many a track is off the road when checked later, also as you come from Womersley to Darrington, depends on cloud cover as well. Still well good on the times, especially with the winds.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I had a good ride today. A little windy but not too bad, I was protected from the direction for most of the ride.

I saw another rider today, one that looked real , Lycra, helmet, race bike, shoes, everything! He was coming down the access road I had just used to access the road I was taking, he was on my track.

He was above me on the access road and could see me, I waved and he did wave back. I have seen him before once when I was on my comfort bike, he didn't wave that time. I don't know if he is fast or anything about him. I did know that I was on the Red Rocket today (my Trek 2.3) and that if he ran me down he was going to work for it. I am not fast but I was far enough ahead that he wouldn't be catching me in the next 7 miles at least. That is when I return, coming back the other side of the highway.

I went at it harder than normal, I was wishing I had topped off the air in my tires before I had taken off but they were good, I did pinch them. I never saw him again. I am not even sure he went the same way I did. I did find that having someone coming up from behind, no matter how far can be a great motivator. I got a KOM on my longest "tougher route" today. Not really all that fast, but faster than normal for me.

Nice one Rocky, could be snobbery. Well done on the K.O.M.

 

[Kins]

So much for the weather forecast. Cold and belted down with rain when I left work so rode home sharpish. Not long after an almighty hale storm that left everything white for about an hour.

 

[RWright]

Nice one Rocky, could be snobbery. Well done on the K.O.M.

I really should just say personal best since I am the only one that does my segments. I have done it a little better back in the late summer or fall I think it was. This was my best time since I got my Garmin and started on Strava.

There is one segment on one of my routes that others have done a while back. Some of the others were very fast but they put the segment on one of the worst areas I could think of. Intersections, driveways, convenience store parking lot entrances, commercial entrances, a narrow bridge that requires a lot of care in the best of times. I don't push on the segment, I am happy just to get thru it some days.

 

[Billy Adam]

Not wishing to bore you with the details of my health but I have just got back from a stunned doctor who was giving my lungs a checkup. She was gobsmacked at the change in my functional breathing capacity and force, so much so that I am now categorized as normal. What magical treatment had brought about this significant improvement? Of course you know, "it's CYCLING", and that's what my Doc said too

Great news Andy, but normal?! You cycle for heavens sake! 8o)

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I really should just say personal best since I am the only one that does my segments. I have done it a little better back in the late summer or fall I think it was. This was my best time since I got my Garmin and started on Strava.


There is one segment on one of my routes that others have done a while back. Some of the others were very fast but they put the segment on one of the worst areas I could think of. Intersections, driveways, convenience store parking lot entrances, commercial entrances, a narrow bridge that requires a lot of care in the best of times. I don't push on the segment, I am happy just to get thru it some days.

I got a few of them
I have set some up that cover regular rides I do, like to the hospital and the photo group, this way I can see if there is a general improvement, sometimes though, lights are against me, or accidents as last Friday.
When I first started I used to try and avoid this segment Baghill Climb but there is no way I can get to the house with out some sort of climb, but this one is difficult as it has a traffic control over a weak bridge, this is about a 1/2 of the way up the climb section if you stop you then have to start again on a 10% gradient, it also becomes a signal track over the bridge so there isn't much room, there is a cycle path to the left, but it awkward at slow speeds, I will admit when I first started I stopped and walked over the bridge section. These days I usually use the cycle path section, but again its awkward if pedestrians are on it. If it was a normal road it wouldn't be so bad, I would still be slow, but from a safety point of view much safer.

 

[Psyclist]

Did a 12 miler today, too much headwind, but it was fun riding back with wind pushing me home.

 

[Mo1959]

Did a 12 miler today, too much headwind, but it was fun riding back with wind pushing me home.

Great when it works out with the wind behind you coming back. Just had an email to say my Forme is being despatched so hopefully get it in a few days. Did a quick 13 miles on my hybrid this morning. Bit puddly and breezy but nice to get out.

 

[Psyclist]

Great when it works out with the wind behind you coming back. Just had an email to say my Forme is being despatched so hopefully get it in a few days. Did a quick 13 miles on my hybrid this morning. Bit puddly and breezy but nice to get out.

Ha, definitely, it gave me a restful ride back after feeling knackered in the headwind. And nice, I'm looking forward to seeing the new steed.

I like the Longcliffe over my old Giant Defy, and Kinesis T2 it feels much better in comparison, so no doubt you'll like yours.

 

[Mo1959]

Ha, definitely, it gave me a restful ride back after feeling knackered in the headwind. And nice, I'm looking forward to seeing the new steed.

I like the Longcliffe over my old Giant Defy, and Kinesis T2 it feels much better in comparison, so no doubt you'll like yours.

Problem with new bikes......I hate getting them all mucked up right away. lol. Really must get over that because I end up reverting back to the old Dawes hybrid on nearly every wet, mucky ride.

 

[Psyclist]

Problem with new bikes......I hate getting them all mucked up right away. lol. Really must get over that because I end up reverting back to the old Dawes hybrid on nearly every wet, mucky ride.

Get some Muc Off bike cleaner, best bike cleaner out there. I find cleaning my bike quite therapeutic. But that's just me