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

[Elybazza61]

Just had a look at my commutes on Strava and the first one I did this year averaged 22.9kmh,last Thursdays was 29.6 so pretty chuffed with that;think trying to keep up with an ex-veteran world champion on club runs

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I would look at the scenery if there were anything scenic to look at! Hopefully I will soon be be able to build up my stamina so that I can get to the slightly further away scenic cycle routes and not just sticking on dull cycle paths next to main roads.

I have already managed to cycle further, faster and with less ill effects than I could a few days ago, so fingers crossed I will be able to go for longer, nicer rides soon

There is always something to look at no matter where you are, urban can be the history of buildings or how it has changed.

Dewsbury Viaduct Sketch by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

All Saints Feb 2012 by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

or even cars

Old Timer by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

Details you may see in buildings

Smile by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

or both

Berrimans Carpets by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

 

[welsh dragon]

There is always something to look at no matter where you are, urban can be the history of buildings or how it has changed.

Dewsbury Viaduct Sketch by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

All Saints Feb 2012 by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

or even cars

Old Timer by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

Details you may see in buildings

Smile by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

or both

Berrimans Carpets by nigelnaturist, on Flickr

NIce photos Nigel.

 

[Mo1959]

Just back from visiting the orthopaedic surgeon at Ninewells Hospital and have agreed to go ahead with an op on my collar bone on Wednesday afternoon providing there are no medical emergencies that take precedence. Hope not as I have struggled as it is to psyche myself up for this. It is a 2 hour op with the prospect of 2 to 3 days in hospital in quite a bit of pain but if it means the bone can be plated into a position resembling what it should look like rather than an L shape with a piece nearly poking through my skin here's hoping it is worth it. He said 6 - 8 weeks in a sling with some physiotherapy. Could maybe be back on the bike in 3 months. Seems like a long way away, and not even sure at this stage that I even want to cycle again. If I do, it will be much more sedately. Might even cancel my Strava as my competitive personality makes it so hard to resist challenges, segments, etc!

 

[welsh dragon]

Just back from visiting the orthopaedic surgeon at Ninewells Hospital and have agreed to go ahead with an op on my collar bone on Wednesday afternoon providing there are no medical emergencies that take precedence. Hope not as I have struggled as it is to psyche myself up for this. It is a 2 hour op with the prospect of 2 to 3 days in hospital in quite a bit of pain but if it means the bone can be plated into a position resembling what it should look like rather than an L shape with a piece nearly poking through my skin here's hoping it is worth it. He said 6 - 8 weeks in a sling with some physiotherapy. Could maybe be back on the bike in 3 months. Seems like a long way away, and not even sure at this stage that I even want to cycle again. If I do, it will be much more sedately. Might even cancel my Strava as my competitive personality makes it so hard to resist challenges, segments, etc!

I hope nothing interferes with your op Mo, and I hope you are soon on the mend. Give it time Mo. Don't give up on the cycling yet. Let it heal. Get yourself mentally in a better place, and then think about slowly getting back on your bike. Take your time, pootle around, and see how things go. Take care Mo and I'll be thinking of you.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just back from visiting the orthopaedic surgeon at Ninewells Hospital and have agreed to go ahead with an op on my collar bone on Wednesday afternoon providing there are no medical emergencies that take precedence. Hope not as I have struggled as it is to psyche myself up for this. It is a 2 hour op with the prospect of 2 to 3 days in hospital in quite a bit of pain but if it means the bone can be plated into a position resembling what it should look like rather than an L shape with a piece nearly poking through my skin here's hoping it is worth it. He said 6 - 8 weeks in a sling with some physiotherapy. Could maybe be back on the bike in 3 months. Seems like a long way away, and not even sure at this stage that I even want to cycle again. If I do, it will be much more sedately. Might even cancel my Strava as my competitive personality makes it so hard to resist challenges, segments, etc!

Best wishes for the OP Mo, I am really glad that they have decided to go ahead. Hold fire on the cancelling the strava or giving up cycling. It will give you something to aim for in the recovery and that, as I know all too well, is really important and goals in recovery do help. you will learn to be less competitive afterwards honest, and if you don't, well we will remind you. Ask yourself would you stop walking if you fell over the curb (or in my case down 5 steps) and broke your leg, or would you stop driving if you had an accident and broke your collar bone. Cycling is no different and you know how much you like it and how much better you feel for it normally.

 

[Effyb4]

Good luck with your operation Mo. I hope it won't be too painful for you.

 

[Goonerobes]

Just back from visiting the orthopaedic surgeon at Ninewells Hospital and have agreed to go ahead with an op on my collar bone on Wednesday afternoon providing there are no medical emergencies that take precedence. Hope not as I have struggled as it is to psyche myself up for this. It is a 2 hour op with the prospect of 2 to 3 days in hospital in quite a bit of pain but if it means the bone can be plated into a position resembling what it should look like rather than an L shape with a piece nearly poking through my skin here's hoping it is worth it. He said 6 - 8 weeks in a sling with some physiotherapy. Could maybe be back on the bike in 3 months. Seems like a long way away, and not even sure at this stage that I even want to cycle again. If I do, it will be much more sedately. Might even cancel my Strava as my competitive personality makes it so hard to resist challenges, segments, etc!

Best wishes for Wednesday @Mo1959, it sounds as though surgery is the best option in this case. As @SatNavSaysStraightOn says hold fire with the thought of not cycling again or giving up Strava as it will give you something to look forward to. As an equally completive person the reason I enjoy cycling so much is that I don't find it as competitive as my previous sports, football (2 x knee ops) & cricket (broken foot!), its more about the exercise & fresh air & if I go further or faster than a previous ride then that's just a bonus.

 

[morrisman]

End of Month Report
Clipless Moments - 1
536 miles
Average of 14.99mph
15252 ft of climbing

On the whole happy enough, down a bit on last month but had a few days off for holidays.

 

[Learnincurve]

20 miles today, really really annoyed with the anonymous coward who has flagged lord knows how much of the pennine way/national cycle network on strava. It may just be someone with a bee in their bonnet with bikes being allowed on chesterfield canal but, anonymous coward, you did not realise that it's also a bridal path (I double checked after a discussion on here) with a few specific separate sections for cyclists/'osses and walkers, which you also flagged.

I also don't understand how strava have made this a thing, among the flagged segments were nearly 2500 attempts of a cyclist/bridle path and then over 2700 attempts from a "cyclist cafe" to the hub on a bridle/tow path and one person gets to ruin all the fun? I don't think they understand what "flagged" means, person should flag with a reason, then a mod has a look at the section and says yes or no, not click Flag and then *blam*

edit: here's the absolute indisputable bridal/cycle path http://www.strava.com/segments/2504508

 

[morrisman]

20 miles today, really really annoyed with the anonymous coward who has flagged lord knows how much of the pennine way/national cycle network on strava. It may just be someone with a bee in their bonnet with bikes being allowed on chesterfield canal but, anonymous coward, you did not realise that it's also a bridal path (I double checked after a discussion on here) with a few specific separate sections for cyclists/'osses and walkers, which you also flagged.

I also don't understand how strava have made this a thing, among the flagged segments were nearly 2500 attempts of a cyclist/bridle path and then over 2700 attempts from a "cyclist cafe" to the hub on a bridle/tow path and one person gets to ruin all the fun? I don't think they understand what "flagged" means, person should flag with a reason, then a mod has a look at the section and says yes or no, not click Flag and then *blam*

edit: here's the absolute indisputable bridal/cycle path http://www.strava.com/segments/2504508

Not a great fan of Strava segments on shared paths. On a shared path we should be going along at nice steady pace to allow the environment to be 'shared' with walkers, dog owners, fishermen etc, but if you make it a Strava Segment there will always be people trying to achieve KOM. So, yes you can ride there, but please be considerate and don't race.

YMMV

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Not a great fan of Strava segments on shared paths. On a shared path we should be going along at nice steady pace to allow the environment to be 'shared' with walkers, dog owners, fishermen etc, but if you make it a Strava Segment there will always be people trying to achieve KOM. So, yes you can ride there, but please be considerate and don't race.

YMMV

It's really not that different from strava segments on roads with traffic lights or junctions or cars even you have to use common sense.

My return journey home on Saturday night was that quiet that I was able to use the local NSL dual carriage way for around 2-3 miles. Normally I would not use it (and certainly won't in the rush hour or dawn/dusk/poor light/rain etc) and divert through the town adding several miles to my journey because there is no alternative and the cycle path (sometimes shared sometimes not) only goes so far. This last Saturday night at 9:30pm we had a total of 11 cars pass us during those 2-3 miles. Would I say the road is safe to cycle? If you knew which road it was you would say no and tell me I was mad, but on Saturday night it was not a problem. Yet earlier on along one of the segregated sections of the cycle path alongside the dual carriage way, someone has flagged an uphill segment as being dangerous because (I assume it is because of this) it crossed an entrance to a small patch of land used for parking when people dog walk! It is not dangerous IMO.

And the dual carriageway I cycled on Saturday night. The main road between Manchester and Chester - the A556 on the west side of the M6. And yes, there are strava segments on it in that direction, and the shared cyclepath/footpath which only runs so far is that far away that they don't apply, so you know those who are in that segment list have cycled the dual carriageway.

 

[Kins]

Just commute today, puncture fairy hit, of course while there was a mini rain shower. Someone shoot the Fairy!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Just back from visiting the orthopaedic surgeon at Ninewells Hospital and have agreed to go ahead with an op on my collar bone on Wednesday afternoon providing there are no medical emergencies that take precedence. Hope not as I have struggled as it is to psyche myself up for this. It is a 2 hour op with the prospect of 2 to 3 days in hospital in quite a bit of pain but if it means the bone can be plated into a position resembling what it should look like rather than an L shape with a piece nearly poking through my skin here's hoping it is worth it. He said 6 - 8 weeks in a sling with some physiotherapy. Could maybe be back on the bike in 3 months. Seems like a long way away, and not even sure at this stage that I even want to cycle again. If I do, it will be much more sedately. Might even cancel my Strava as my competitive personality makes it so hard to resist challenges, segments, etc!

You will be back Mo, it does knock your confidence I felt that in April, and I know its a different situation, but after last Nov, I felt like not riding much and went through similar thoughts re strava.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

20 miles today, really really annoyed with the anonymous coward who has flagged lord knows how much of the pennine way/national cycle network on strava. It may just be someone with a bee in their bonnet with bikes being allowed on chesterfield canal but, anonymous coward, you did not realise that it's also a bridal path (I double checked after a discussion on here) with a few specific separate sections for cyclists/'osses and walkers, which you also flagged.

I also don't understand how strava have made this a thing, among the flagged segments were nearly 2500 attempts of a cyclist/bridle path and then over 2700 attempts from a "cyclist cafe" to the hub on a bridle/tow path and one person gets to ruin all the fun? I don't think they understand what "flagged" means, person should flag with a reason, then a mod has a look at the section and says yes or no, not click Flag and then *blam*

edit: here's the absolute indisputable bridal/cycle path http://www.strava.com/segments/2504508

I have flag a couple due to incorrect elevation and a couple of suspect times, but its only if something jumps out at me, like a cat4 up a slip road all of 1/10 of a mile and x000 feet. (I-phone/smart phone users)

@SatNavSaysStraightOn I wont mention using the A1 just prior to it becoming the A1(M) heading south to Doncaster on a busy Sunday afternoon last July.