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

[Steady]

I've rode twenty miles quite comfortable for a while now, I thought I'd combine my usual hilly (for me!) route with a flat afterwards, funny how those flats don't feel so flat the further you go!

http://www.strava.com/activities/173432769 - 32 miles in total, furthest I've ever been.

Most of all, I didn't let the fear of traffic stop me from getting out there, and it really wasn't that bad.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

oops.... apparently not. I am now however after my 21 mile commute! though it did take me several miles to work out that it should not be that difficult and eventually when I pulled over I found my rear brakes totally jammed on...

I wonder if that was my problem yesterday nope checked just me

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I've rode twenty miles quite comfortable for a while now, I thought I'd combine my usual hilly (for me!) route with a flat afterwards, funny how those flats don't feel so flat the further you go!

http://www.strava.com/activities/173432769 - 32 miles in total, furthest I've ever been.

Most of all, I didn't let the fear of traffic stop me from getting out there, and it really wasn't that bad.

I don't know I did a ride last Friday and I couldn't wait for some hills well bridges, how any one cycles in North Lincs and enjoys I don't know.

 

[Steady]

I don't know I did a ride last Friday and I couldn't wait for some hills well bridges, how any one cycles in North Lincs and enjoys I don't know.

I couldn't live without hills, and I'm pretty certain my hills are more like mole hills, but they're mine. I think flat riding requires yourself to push yourself to exhuastion which is why those flats felt hard afterwards because they require a different kind of effort, where as hills have the combined effects of just wanting to get up them as quick as possible, and knowing you're hitting your limit and pushing on it every time.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Steady people think riding on the flat is easy it isn't as you say.

My stats so far still need to get out today.
its only a rough and ready table, the weather is from sportracks I used to get it from Garmin but they seemed to stopped doing it.

Last month

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Weighed the bike approx 12.5Kg. with rack and saddle bag one 500ml bottle of water and pump and mudguards.

 

[Stonechat]

@Steady people think riding on the flat is easy it isn't as you say.

My stats so far still need to get out today.
its only a rough and ready table, the weather is from sportracks I used to get it from Garmin but they seemed to stopped doing it.
View attachment 52075
Last month
View attachment 52076

See my last ride on Garmin @Nigelnaturist
Weather is there if you scroll down
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/552960100

Good mileage

 

[Nigelnaturist]

See my last ride on Garmin @Nigelnaturist
Weather is there if you scroll down
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/552960100

Good mileage

I know, but for some reason it stopped showing on mine. It was fine then it stopped, so I reverted back to sportracks, I can't be bothered going back through it again, its only really the wind that various a lot with garmin tending to be higher than S.T. which is closer the the max wind in S.T. than the avg in S.T.

 

[morrisman]

So end of month stats look like this:
752 miles
25193 ft climbed
Furthest and highest yet

A small snap from today's troll around the red routes in Milton Keynes. This is a bridge over a stream through a tunnel under the railway

 

[sutts]

I'm on 774 miles for the month and 5517 year to date. I hope to get 9000 this year! I did another PB today on my 31 mile route, came in at 17.4mph...I have done faster on another route, but this one...oh god, where does all of the bloody wind come from!!

I was out yesterday, just ambling along, how you do...and this cheeky ****** came past on a normal bike, he had jeans on, T shirt and a pair of shoes, yes bloody black leather shoes! I was most indignant, I couldn't believe the cheek of it...well, that was it, I taught him a lesson!! All those miles means I have the stamina to overcome! Mind you, some people who whoosh past me can get away with it, especially as I chase for about 100 metres and they fade into the distance (pah, better bike, younger, done less miles than me, I mutter to myself).

 

[Torvi]

nope I don't think those lights will be particularly good for long dark commutes (I am a

that sounds like it needs the my not ride today thread... or did you still manage to get out?
hope you get it sorted soon...

iam able to drive tough i have no outer gear on front and no front brake... well no risk no fun aint it?

Also did my first drift on wet slopey tarmac today just 10 minutes ago when i entered sharp corner a little too fast (around 20ish/h) and had to push rear to its limits, damn that shoot is scary haha


Edit:

Just ordered a small tools set with all i need, screwdrivers etc and cable cutter in a pouch that ill be able to attach to frame for roughly 15 pounds with postage for monday. Also got front derailleur off from amazon for another 13, that will come Saturday ill probably get those brake strings caps from halfords from 1pound and bib shorts for 30 from CRC and that will be this for my bicycle budget for this week, next week imma get better tyres and maybe a proper pump that will be able to pump over 100psi (ive heard that all those mobile pumps are good for nothing if it comes to roadie).

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@sutts you should do I had done 4691 at this point last year and did 8661, would have done the 9,000 but Nov was a pretty shitty month here.

Well my difficulty score formula seems to work these are the totals for my last 4 days riding

You can see (with a magnifying glass) that todays ride even though it was 5+ miles further and 63ft less elevation than yesterday, yesterday in total was nearly twice as difficult, also a correlation between ft/mile as speed most of my rides that avg 16+mph tend to be less than 38ft/mile there are one or two above that, thats for this year, as I mentioned previously, i think last years elevation is a little skewed.

You can also see that usually the more elevation the shorter the gear.

 

[Nomadski]

Thanks Damon. I,ve kind of resigned myself to missing out on what's left of the summer months. The plate is usually left in unless it is causing any bother, eg some people, especially if they are quite thin, find the plate can be quite irritating if they carry bags on that shoulder, seat belts, etc but they like to leave it in for six months to a year to give the bone a chance to fully strengthen. I would hate the thought of falling on it again as the plate may cause more damage but I don't particularly fancy another op either. Just have to be more careful in future. No more chasing Strava segments!

Very sensible. Best wishes.x

 

[ChrisEyles]

Newbie progress, eh...

Well, when I first joined this forum last winter, it was to garner advice on how to switch out the 52/42 crankset on my newly acquired 1960's ten speed for a more hill friendly triple. No clue about bike maintenance, no real appreciation of the bike I'd been given, and boy was I struggling up those hills.

Six months on, thanks to the fantastically friendly and helpful good folk on this forum, I've learnt how to keep the bike in great working order, and adjust/replace the various bits and bobs as necessary (wheel truing and replacing the BB is still on the list).

Then the C&V section inspired me to ID and date all the components on the bike, and gave me a much better appreciation and enjoyment of the bike and all its various quirks.

Best of all, I took the bike out on a 45 miler a couple of weeks ago with 4,000ft climbing including a few 17% gradients thrown in... and I made it up feeling pretty good ... ... Hehe, exactly like I was told when I first asked about swapping my crankset out for a triple

So, big thanks to everyone on the forum for all their help and encouragement!!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

MONSOON TODAY!