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

[Arualsti]

Cycled almost 7 miles in one go today, my furthest distance yet. Got frustrated with MapMyRide for completely failing to actually map my ride, so I have switched over to Strava, which it seems is something a lot of you use, and i'll see how that works out for me.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

YEs all pretty tough. We viosited Haworth a year or two back doing the tourist thing

I don't do them often, we have a couple locally whilst not as steep or long they are still in the same sort of climb rate. http://www.strava.com/activities/160663933/segments/3725228815
I think this is the longest single climb I have done. http://www.strava.com/segments/5082686

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Cycled almost 7 miles in one go today, my furthest distance yet. Got frustrated with MapMyRide for completely failing to actually map my ride, so I have switched over to Strava, which it seems is something a lot of you use, and i'll see how that works out for me.

Welcome to the dark side! Don't forget to join the cyclechat club http://www.strava.com/clubs/cyclechat

 

[Exile]

So apparently the pads on the cartridge brakes I fitted two months ago were made of chalk. At least that's the only explanation I have for them needing changing so soon. It can't have anything to do with not cleaning the rims that often, can it?

That'll be another for the "Things I learned the hard way" list then...

I'm now getting dangerously close to N+1 territory too, as I frequently find myself wondering "if I can get this heavy hybrid to 25 mph on the flat, I wonder what I could do with something sportier...". Unfortunately all spare cash for the foreseeable future is in a pot named "House Move", so it'll have to wait a little longer.

 

[Mandragora]

Sooooo... the lesson for today is: 'Gravel. It's skiddier than you'd imagine'

Thanks to the encouragement from this thread and all fired up with enthusiasm, out for the evening 'round the block' and aiming for anything close to an average of anything near 12mph, I was bravely holding off putting the brakes on too soon as I went down the Big Hill (admitting to myself that 7mph is a little bit slow going downwards, even by my standards). At 14mph I cracked and decided to gently start applying the brakes, but stupidly hadn't twigged until today that if you keep away from the verges (drain covers; potholes; nettles and brambles) and if the road is narrow, you end up off the part of the road that cars use all the time and drift into the death trap that's known as the 'middle' where all the gravel gets flicked to and, I kid you not, it's a slippy beggar to deal with. Muy stupido, I know, and from now on I'll keep to the less treacherous parts of the lanes and deal with the occasional nettle sting.

There was also a bit of an adventure with a careering horse and a double-trailer timber lorry driven by a lunatic, but overall a nice enough evening to keep me fired up and ready to head out again tomorrow.. Average speed: 11.8mph. Average terror: 7/10

 

[Stonechat]

Got a phone call last night Emma. Arranged for 5pm today. Just getting organised and having my breakfast. Although it's not till 5 they always seem to want you in ages before it for paperwork, etc. Neighbour will take me into Perth and I will get the bus to Ninewells and get in there for just before 11 so still six hours to sit and chew my nearly non-existant nails!. Lol.

Good luck Mo we are thinking of you

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Stonechat this is the profile of the ride I mentioned earlier

http://www.strava.com/activities/55510153/analysis

 

[Mark1978]

Did a 20 miler tonight after 10 days off due to being on call. Got stitch after about 5 miles and never really recovered, summed up by being scalped by a somewhat older lady on her road bike. Its amazing the difference having this long off the bike has. Need to get a turbo trainer

 

[Stonechat]

I don't do them often, we have a couple locally whilst not as steep or long they are still in the same sort of climb rate. http://www.strava.com/activities/160663933/segments/3725228815
I think this is the longest single climb I have done. http://www.strava.com/segments/5082686

Had me trying to find my longest single climb
Reckon it is Ditchling Beacon
http://app.strava.com/segments/3493397

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Thinking of you @Mo1959

 

[mrcunning]

I was tweaking the saddle on Saturday when I was In town. Its still not quite right though. Not going out today as I have a headache. Whats the best way to mark the seat stem when I find the right height? Its a tight fit. If I use a marker pen, it will wear off quick. If I use some kind of tape, it will come off quickly. Would it be ok to make a slight nick in the stem? Nothing major, just a slight nick as a marker for future reference?

I nearly got arrested when i was tweaking the saddle on Saturday when I was In town..

 

[morrisman]

Today I am something I have not been for many years; 14 stone something. Albeit the something is 13 1/2 pounds

Achieved by lots of this - none of this and very little of this (that's cake in general rather than birthdays)

Onwards and downwards

 

[BrianEvesham]

No stopping OH at the moment.

http://www.strava.com/activities/163601411

 

[Learnincurve]

I'm an idiot. For weeks I've been struggling up and down the mother of all hills and navigating the town centre of death and then going 8 miles along the tow path to get to the area where all the nice cycling starts. Today I looked at a OS map. There is a cut through, I go right instead of left away from town and I'm there in what looks like under 2 miles. I am an idiot.

 

[Stonechat]

Getting cold Turkey
Not cycled since Sunday, but will make it out tomorrow