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

[Typhon]

I normally do small training routes or cycle on roads that I know but today I decided to be bold and go in a big loop in order to break the 40 mile barrier. I knew that if I just did the same 10-17 mile loops I'd just give up and go home before I reached it so I decided to go further afield.

It was all going quite well and thanks to looking at google maps/streetview beforehand I managed to navigate my way until I was about 2/3 of the way in, then took a wrong turning at a confusing junction! To cut a long story short I ended up having to go through Evesham rather than more country lanes. I hadn't really ridden in a town before so it was a little bit unnerving but I was fine for the first 2.5 miles. I rode quickly in primary and managed to keep right up behind the car in front of me. I was being a good cyclist and waiting for all the red lights including when I got to a 4-way junction and I had to turn right. Then whilst waiting for the traffic coming the other way, I started to turn right as it clears and some idiot behinds me undertakes me as I am turning and practically knocks me off. No wonder so many cyclists jump red lights. The next mile and a half or so was uphill so I had to take secondary and got subsequently squeezed - not fun

Did a little mini loop on the way home to get exactly 40.0 miles on my trip but annoying strava seems to have lost signal half way around briefly and only recorded 39.2 miles. What's weird though is that it only recorded an average of 14.3 mph whereas I was busting my guts on the way home in order to hit my usual 15.0 mph, which I did. Normally the discrepancy between my trip and strava is only about 0.2 - 0.3 mph. I'm not sure if that was the GPS problem or the town riding.

http://app.strava.com/rides/25857184

All in all I'm glad it's over to be honest. I still don't feel right after my illness and I felt pretty much shattered all the way around. Still though, I am happy to have reached another milestone and been a bit braver with my route!

 

[Reece]

I normally do small training routes or cycle on roads that I know but today I decided to be bold and go in a big loop in order to break the 40 mile barrier. I knew that if I just did the same 10-17 mile loops I'd just give up and go home before I reached it so I decided to go further afield.

It was all going quite well and thanks to looking at google maps/streetview beforehand I managed to navigate my way until I was about 2/3 of the way in, then took a wrong turning at a confusing junction! To cut a long story short I ended up having to go through Evesham rather than more country lanes. I hadn't really ridden in a town before so it was a little bit unnerving but I was fine for the first 2.5 miles. I rode quickly in primary and managed to keep right up behind the car in front of me. I was being a good cyclist and waiting for all the red lights including when I got to a 4-way junction and I had to turn right. Then whilst waiting for the traffic coming the other way, I started to turn right as it clears and some idiot behinds me undertakes me as I am turning and practically knocks me off. No wonder so many cyclists jump red lights. The next mile and a half or so was uphill so I had to take secondary and got subsequently squeezed - not fun

Did a little mini loop on the way home to get exactly 40.0 miles on my trip but annoying strava seems to have lost signal half way around briefly and only recorded 39.2 miles. What's weird though is that it only recorded an average of 14.3 mph whereas I was busting my guts on the way home in order to hit my usual 15.0 mph, which I did. Normally the discrepancy between my trip and strava is only about 0.2 - 0.3 mph. I'm not sure if that was the GPS problem or the town riding.

http://app.strava.com/rides/25857184

All in all I'm glad it's over to be honest. I still don't feel right after my illness and I felt pretty much shattered all the way around. Still though, I am happy to have reached another milestone and been a bit braver with my route!

Nice one on the milestone of 40miles.

I'm not a fan of riding around towns on the road. Seems to be the hotspot for maniac drivers who think they own the road.

50miles next on the list then?

 

[Typhon]

Nice one on the milestone of 40miles.

I'm not a fan of riding around towns on the road. Seems to be the hotspot for maniac drivers who think they own the road.

50miles next on the list then?

Cheers mate.

Yep the half-century is next on the list. I may just extend the route I did today in order to reach it. Might be a week or two before I attempt it though!

Yeah I really don't like driving in town. To be fair though most of them were OK and the ones who got stuck behind me going up that hill were patient. It was just that one idiot that almost ran me over when undertaking me that was the problem!

 

[Eribiste]

Well done Typhon,
That sounds like really good progress to me. I have a couple of circular training rides that I use, both of which run through Evesham. the 9 mile job takes me home via Fladbury, while the 16 mile one takes in Wyre Piddle and Pershore. I know what you mean about repeating a circular route, it's too, err, repetitive. I'm much better on an 'adventure' ride if I want to clock up a distance.

 

[Typhon]

Well done Typhon,
That sounds like really good progress to me. I have a couple of circular training rides that I use, both of which run through Evesham. the 9 mile job takes me home via Fladbury, while the 16 mile one takes in Wyre Piddle and Pershore. I know what you mean about repeating a circular route, it's too, err, repetitive. I'm much better on an 'adventure' ride if I want to clock up a distance.

Cheers. Yep I get really sick of my training routes after a while. Even though my 17 mile one around Bredon Hill is pretty much perfect (almost no junctions/stopping, wide roads, very little traffic). With the circular routes it's just too easy to give up and go home after fewer laps than you had planned too.

I was intending to come home through Fladbury and Cropthorne rather than Evesham but took that wrong turn! They're quite nice villages but I wouldn't want to cycle through them when the schools are chucking out.

 

[Noodle Legs]

Squeezed in 21 miles this afternoon (as I finished work a bit early) for my first autumnal ride of the year....managed an average speed of 13.43mph, taking me 1hr 33. Considering that I had not ridden for two weeks due to work commitments I didn't think it was too bad. It was not a giant total ascent by any means but quite pleased with my effort today!

 

[Typhon]

Nice one Chris!

 

[Noodle Legs]

Thanks! A month ago I would've smashed it in maybe 1hr 20, but you know what it's like - you stop riding for a while and it shows!

As a footnote I would like to say that it was great just to get out again, and even more so that it's an autumn ride! There's something quite relaxing about riding at this time of year! :-D

 

[NickJ95GB]

Yeah I know what you mean about the sizing. I think for my next bike I'll have a professional fitting so that I get a bike that fits me perfectly. My Triban sort of fits me OK but I think it could be a lot better. I wouldn't want to spend a fortune on a carbon bike and it not fit me properly.

you can change a lot on the bike, such as handlebar rotation, seat height/forward lurch.
i have long arms/legs and am 5 foot 10, but am using a 23" triban 3 haha

 

[NickJ95GB]

old bike average speed - 11/12mph (17.5kg mtb)
new triban 3 first run, averaged 16 (41 miles)
second run first leg - averaged 18 (8 miles)
second run, return leg - averaged 20 (8 miles again)
will be doing a 60 miler this weekend, and another 40 miler on monday

 

[Eribiste]

old bike average speed - 11/12mph (17.5kg mtb)
new triban 3 first run, averaged 16 (41 miles)
second run first leg - averaged 18 (8 miles)
second run, return leg - averaged 20 (8 miles again)
will be doing a 60 miler this weekend, and another 40 miler on monday

I've got a hankering to go for a Specialized Secteur for a bit of a change from my Pashley Roadster, which is currently awaiting bids on ebay. It's very interesting reading the comparison of your av. speed stats. i'm doing around 14.5 mph average overall on the Roadster, which I believe weighs in at about 20 kg, so if and when I find the right Secteur, you've given me something to live up to!

 

[NickJ95GB]

I've got a hankering to go for a Specialized Secteur for a bit of a change from my Pashley Roadster, which is currently awaiting bids on ebay. It's very interesting reading the comparison of your av. speed stats. i'm doing around 14.5 mph average overall on the Roadster, which I believe weighs in at about 20 kg, so if and when I find the right Secteur, you've given me something to live up to!

after only 2 months of properly cycling, too. feels good i find that when i'm feeling tired I drop by .5mph and wait till i recover, then get back up. really works, and 14.5 on a 20 kg bike is incredible! good going man.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

After being laid low for 7 days due to illness managed a 6 miler this morning. Not a great comeback but at least it is a comeback.........

Glad to hear your getting better.

Squeezed in 21 miles this afternoon (as I finished work a bit early) for my first autumnal ride of the year....managed an average speed of 13.43mph, taking me 1hr 33. Considering that I had not ridden for two weeks due to work commitments I didn't think it was too bad. It was not a giant total ascent by any means but quite pleased with my effort today!

13.5mph is still my avg after 4 months, but then these days I dont like doing less than 30 miles and I am climbing almost twice the elevation I was two months ago, and whilst I am not flying up the steeper ones, I am not as slow as I was on the hills. 23/10/12 ride home from Wakefield. On a side note its been autumn for over a month.

I think I should have known better than to go down Hell Lane, got a puncture, well not really the tyre was down to the canvas I have been meaning to change it for a few weeks, but money has always been needed for other stuff.
I was going to post a picture, but I know what flack I will get, anyway a got a new tyre and tube in Wakefield, the kind people at cycle technology even fitted it for me, though there was no need. While I was there I felt some of the lightweight bikes, now I know my bike is heavy, but not as bad as I thought, I must strip it down sometime and go for a ride on it.

 

[Noodle Legs]

Glad to hear your getting better.



13.5mph is still my avg after 4 months, but then these days I dont like doing less than 30 miles and I am climbing almost twice the elevation I was two months ago, and whilst I am not flying up the steeper ones, I am not as slow as I was on the hills. 23/10/12 ride home from Wakefield. On a side note its been autumn for over a month.

I think I should have known better than to go down Hell Lane, got a puncture, well not really the tyre was down to the canvas I have been meaning to change it for a few weeks, but money has always been needed for other stuff.
I was going to post a picture, but I know what flack I will get, anyway a got a new tyre and tube in Wakefield, the kind people at cycle technology even fitted it for me, though there was no need. While I was there I felt some of the lightweight bikes, now I know my bike is heavy, but not as bad as I thought, I must strip it down sometime and go for a ride on it.

I'd like to be able to maintain that sort of level youve achieved on a more hilly route but where I live the roads are, in general,undulating at best with very few challenging climbs...perhaps I should dedicate a session solely to just climbing what hills there are local to me as practice....I struggle to find the time to travel to somewhere more hilly. You're right, it has been autumn just over a month now but this was my first ride in autumnal weather (the 8th doesn't count as it was warm and sunny!)
Punctures I've been lucky with this far, I tend to check the tyres as I clean them but it's purely in the lap of the gods.....

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I'd like to be able to maintain that sort of level youve achieved on a more hilly route but where I live the roads are, in general,undulating at best with very few challenging climbs...perhaps I should dedicate a session solely to just climbing what hills there are local to me as practice....I struggle to find the time to travel to somewhere more hilly.

You will get there, its just a matter of putting in the miles each time taking in as much hills as you can cope with, I used to hate even the small ones around here, but now they dont really bother me, mind I can change the gear ratios on the back if I want, I used to have a 34 tooth low gear and 26 up front, I tend to use a 28 rear and a 38 front unless its steep and longer than ( I was going to say sprint, but thats not quite right) I can climb at a good pace (this is increasing), I will then drop to the 26 front and if I have too drop to 28 on the rear.
I still have the option of putting a 32 on the back, but it disturbs the ratios jumping from 24 to 32 on the 7 speed, when I get an 8 sp shifter I will change it all again.
It depends how far from Swadlincote you are Chris, looking at a topographical map of the area it looks similar to where I live, I also seem to remember a few steepish hills there. Have a look here and have a look under the esri topo mapping, you may need to set it up a little its ride with gps but it is a good route planner, if you have a gps thing its gives you concise info about your ride too. Sat ride my ride on Saturday, not sure if you will need an account to see it, but its free. The only draw back is it doesn't export to the 500 very well the virtual partners times are wrong, I can correct the tcx though, though I does great turn by turn with the option of including summits valleys and other way points like waterstops or poi's, though in fairness I wouldnt totally relay on it on the 500, but that might just be my lack of experience with the unit.

Punctures I've been lucky with this far, I tend to check the tyres as I clean them but it's purely in the lap of the gods.....

Likewise and I have been over some rough ground too, though this was a matter of not checking before I left a little bit of running late, I have known for some time that it needed replacing just the funds haven't been there (though having to change the Bryton Rider 35 for a Garmin Edge 500 had something to do with that), I think it was the two rides last Fri/Sat the took the final rubber off the tyre to show the canvas.