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

[Billy Adam]

I'm not a beginner, but a returner, but terribly overweight now so I may as well be a beginner. I rarely manage over 10mph average and hills are just awful (my slowest speed up a hill 2.8mph!), but I am dreaming of skinny tyres and even skinnier lycra tops and shorts in the summer so I'll keep plugging away . Having said that, I can get up a mighty speed downhill without too much peddalling.

It might have only been 2.8 but at least it was a speed. Well done.

 

[AndyPeace]

http://app.strava.com/activities/43780078

Got ten mile in tonight. Two of the descents in this were on sketchy surfaces (Holdings Lane and Hatfield Lane) I didn't go that fast down them but happy I took on the challenge.

 

[User16625]

Well I recently done a 38 mile ride through the brecon beacons. My moving average was about 16 mph. My max speed was just over 49mph going down one hell of a hill. Lots of fast downhill sections as well as some long climbs.

My longest ride so far is about 50 miles. Aint a clue what the average speed was but it wasnt particularly hilly. On flat sections with no wind I will do about 20mph if thats anything to go by. Am hoping to make 35+ mile rides more frequently in the summer.

 

[RWright]

I got a couple of rides in today. The first was a spin up town on the townie just to work the muscles a little differently. The second was on my drop bar bike and going to start out with a lap on my normal 16 mile track to give my legs a little break from the hills. At the absolute farthest point from my house my chain breaks. (don't try to use the pin you take out of a Shimano chain to put it back together, just buy some of the replacement pins and be done with it, better yet buy a KMC with a Missing Link or SRAM chain with a Power Link. I didn't listen and had to learn the hard way)

Since I had been an idiot I decided to walk home rather call a cab. I needed the exercise anyway. I took the cleats off my SPD SL's and took off, walking and coasting back home. After climbing a large bank up to a street overpass, climbing a fence and then climbing over the side of the bridge, done in the dark while carrying my bike, thankfully it was my lighter drop bar bike. I was able to knock off about 2.1 miles of my normal return distance. My Challenge chances took a dive after all that but I am still going to keep going ( if my knees say it's ok). If I don't make it that will be fine, it's not like I am going to win a prize or trophy or anything but completing it would be nice.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Awful weather here, not going to get above freezing until Tuesday dinner time per BBC weather, ice tyres gone back on the bike, think the miles will drop next week, but still determined to get the challenge done, though I think it will be close.

 

[Scotty1991]

Weather here is also not great!
Cold wet and very windy, don't think ill be doing many miles today but ill still go out in it soon!

 

[daddypaul3]

Feckin SNOWING again

 

[Reece]

Awful weather here, not going to get above freezing until Tuesday dinner time per BBC weather, ice tyres gone back on the bike, think the miles will drop next week, but still determined to get the challenge done, though I think it will be close.

Yeah forecast doesn't look good. Just hoping it picks up for next weekend for me.

 

[Billy Adam]

Head wind all the way round today nice to get back on the bike after 3 days . https://www.strava.com/rides/43847059

 

[Billy Adam]

No snow here just blummen cold.

 

[BrianEvesham]

No miles here this weekend on account of the new job in the factory. Two ten hour shifts stood at the lathe fri and sat have left me very stiff with sore feet, really need some quality boots. OH at work today so looking out for the two little Uns.
My Joe Blow Max 11 arrived yesterday form here;

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=4949

What a great bit of kit, I thought both my tyres were pumped up hard, well the most I could get out of my hand pump, but they were both at 60 psi With the new pump a few strokes had them up to 100psi. Can't wait to feel the difference when I get out for a ride, maybe mon morning.
It is trying to snow at the moment, light dusty stuff swirling about and chuffing cold.

 

[Mange-tout]

It might have only been 2.8 but at least it was a speed. Well done.

Thanks Billy, will be aiming for 3mph on that particular hill this week

 

[IanA]

Well here in Kidsgrove is windy cold and trying to snow....so, question was do I go out or not !

Need to go to see my parents anyway ( Mother's Day ) better not miss that, so, thought sod it lets go, so wife drove with the kids and I went...

Damn , only got out of our side road and hit straight into the head wind....first time for this newbie in headwind, my god I didn't realise how it knocks you back, felt like the entire ride was uphill...Anyway, stuck my head down, managed the same hill that I had to stop on the first time I tried it, without stopping, knocked down 2 cassette gears and stood up for the climb...ouch the burn !

Also fitted one of these computers, so, 2.8 miles, 17 mins and 9.something mph

return home a few hours later, determined to push hard coming home ! set off pushed hard, tried to hold 90 rpm.

Average speed 18 mph, max 35 haha, down the same hill that I have to climb on the way out...would have gone faster down hill, but some muppet pulled out on me, then did 30 mph ! Did he not see the high speed bright red streak! or maybe thought we couldn't go that fast, either way the air was blue at him...hehe!

Down side of pushing hard ? got off bike and collapsed , legs had totally turned to jelly ! haha.

Personnal improvement ? managed the damn bank without stopping, so either technic has improved or my legs have...but not by much, it still nearly had me !

 

[kerndog]

Interesting landscape you got there. That looks a tough first climb.

Hi -yeah it's lovely round these parts. I love my 20 mile route along the coast. That first hill is a bit of a killer, I'm learning to love it though, only problem is its right at the beginning of the ride and it takes me a good 10 miles to warm up. If im feeling strong after a 20 miler i sometimes takle it again at the end of the ride just for the challenge. There's a hill i went up last week that's just over a mile and quite steep in places, that's not fun after 15 miles!

Learning to appreciate the hills though, don't really dread them any more.

 

[kerndog]

Well here in Kidsgrove is windy cold and trying to snow....so, question was do I go out or not !

Need to go to see my parents anyway ( Mother's Day ) better not miss that, so, thought sod it lets go, so wife drove with the kids and I went...

Damn , only got out of our side road and hit straight into the head wind....first time for this newbie in headwind, my god I didn't realise how it knocks you back, felt like the entire ride was uphill...Anyway, stuck my head down, managed the same hill that I had to stop on the first time I tried it, without stopping, knocked down 2 cassette gears and stood up for the climb...ouch the burn !

Also fitted one of these computers, so, 2.8 miles, 17 mins and 9.something mph

return home a few hours later, determined to push hard coming home ! set off pushed hard, tried to hold 90 rpm.

Average speed 18 mph, max 35 haha, down the same hill that I have to climb on the way out...would have gone faster down hill, but some muppet pulled out on me, then did 30 mph ! Did he not see the high speed bright red streak! or maybe thought we couldn't go that fast, either way the air was blue at him...hehe!

Down side of pushing hard ? got off bike and collapsed , legs hard totally turned to jelly ! haha.

Personnal improvement ? managed the damn bank without stopping, so either technic has improved or my legs have...but not by much, it still nearly had me !

Keep it up mate! The way your going you'll be banging out 20 milers in a matter of weeks

Good work