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

[Nigelnaturist]

I was afraid of knee pain and tried to be very careful setting mine up. It is hard for me to imagine riding without them and climbing hard or accelerating hard now. They are also great in the rain. I haven't really started working on my pedaling technique to improve speed with them yet but that will happen soon I think. Give them a shot. I just got a new pair of shoes yesterday, haven't taken them out yet because it is raining.

Ditto your statement there Rocky.
I think this is what is happening to me, peddling at a high cadence lower gear is working (though the gear on average is higher than it used to be), I did find rough roads were a problem in clips, this isn't a problem any more.

 

[morrisman]

Whooo Hooooo! first 100 mile week and still a day to go :-)

 

[inkd]

I spent just over an hour this afternoon truing my wheels and I must say I was happy with the outcome. After watching several youtube videos and reading the thread on here I thought why not? two quid on a spoke tool and a learning curve is better than paying someone else to do it Down side is I have to replace stock pads as they are awful.

 

[MaxInc]

I've got my eye on some different tyres I want to change from the stock ones which I think might make my speeds/times a little better, cos let's face it, even though I'm riding primarily for fun and fitness it would be nice to see some improvements. I ride mainly on the road (I think I bought the wrong bike?) and I think the new tyres would be more suitable.

New tyres will be slightly faster although a bit harsher since they'll be on higher psi. Speaking from experience, is likely that you will outspeed them very quickly if you keep your training consistent. To give you an example, I started cycling a couple of months ago, pretty slow on the MTB. I decided to upgrade to road tyres. This improved my time but then started really enjoying it and committed to a full road bike. Yesterday I got the MTB with knobbly tyres out for a ride. To my surprise I managed to go faster on certain segments compared to what I was able to achieve on the Road bike only three weeks ago ... Just keep doing what you doing and progress will come inevitably.

 

[MaxInc]

I keep resisting changing from my flats, although I'm slightly tempted. Bit worried that having my feet fixed in position may lead to more aches and pains than I already have!

I was getting numb feet from the tow clips pressing on my toes when pedalling hard. Riding without toe clips was too slippery for my comfort. Also the relatively soft trainer sometimes I could feel pressure from the pedal's edge so I'm expecting all this to disappear with the new stiffer sole. Feet don't feel imprisoned at all, the only moment you realised you are clipped it is if you try to lift you foot from the pedal. All these people swearing by them are right. On the other hand, if flat's don't bother you at the moment, there's no point changing them.

 

[mfc1876]

Thanks for the comments and encouragement there Nigelnaturist and MaxInc, appreciate it. Any feedback like that is very helpful to me as a complete beginner. Absolutely love riding and learning more as I go each day. Completely boring the life out of the Mrs as cycling is my only topic of conversation at the moment.

Just got back off another jaunt there, did pretty much the same route as my last ride but the other way round. It seemed to be easier as there is a long straight that's on a climb but obviously tonight that all turned to downhill, had to use my brake most of the way down.

My time and average speed was more or less identical though, I'm using the excuse that I kept stopping to take a few snaps of the scenery on the way round, I was cycling over rough ground for a bit too to get nearer the sea to take some photos there.

Anyway, onto speeds, times and distance...

I travelled 10.68 miles in 59:44 at an average speed of 10.7mph. I'm chuffed that I wasn't knackered when I got in, tired yes but at least not knackered.

I get my stats off an app I have on my phone called 'Map my Ride'. It uses the phone's GPS to track my route and speed etc and gives an estimate of calories burned too. Don't know how accurate it is but that's what it's telling me anyway...

 

[themosquitoking]

Thanks for the comments and encouragement there Nigelnaturist and MaxInc, appreciate it. Any feedback like that is very helpful to me as a complete beginner. Absolutely love riding and learning more as I go each day. Completely boring the life out of the Mrs as cycling is my only topic of conversation at the moment.

Just got back off another jaunt there, did pretty much the same route as my last ride but the other way round. It seemed to be easier as there is a long straight that's on a climb but obviously tonight that all turned to downhill, had to use my brake most of the way down.

My time and average speed was more or less identical though, I'm using the excuse that I kept stopping to take a few snaps of the scenery on the way round, I was cycling over rough ground for a bit too to get nearer the sea to take some photos there.

Anyway, onto speeds, times and distance...

I travelled 10.68 miles in 59:44 at an average speed of 10.7mph. I'm chuffed that I wasn't knackered when I got in, tired yes but at least not knackered.

I get my stats off an app I have on my phone called 'Map my Ride'. It uses the phone's GPS to track my route and speed etc and gives an estimate of calories burned too. Don't know how accurate it is but that's what it's telling me anyway...

Right there with you on that brother.

 

[MaxInc]

... had to use my brake most of the way down ... my time and average speed was more or less identical though

For me this is good progress.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

A loop should work out the same both ways give or take a little, because the outcome is 0% grade, it may be steeper in sections one way but longer less grades the other.
There will come a time when you can recover even going up hill, albeit not a very steep one (but one that you currently have to work at), and maintain a reasonable speed

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Whooo Hooooo! first 100 mile week and still a day to go :-)

Well done.
I did my first 100 mile week on the 4th week. @ an average of 11.63mph an increase from the 2nd week of 10.94mph over 73.96 miles the 2nd week. The first week I only rode the Sat 8.53 miles @ 9.32mph

 

[DaveyM]

Sadly not a ride all week, to cut a long story short I had a few broken back and neck bones a few years ago

Every couple of years it flares up and I am currently a bit of a funny shape as I can't really stand up very straight at the moment.
It normally only lasts a short while so it could be a uphill struggle to get some good miles for the June challenge.

You guys are still all doing well and I can't wait to get back in the game

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Sadly not a ride all week, to cut a long story short I had a few broken back and neck bones a few years ago

Every couple of years it flares up and I am currently a bit of a funny shape as I can't really stand up very straight at the moment.
It normally only lasts a short while so it could be a uphill struggle to get some good miles for the June challenge.

You guys are still all doing well and I can't wait to get back in the game

Hope your feeling better soon.
I don't know about doing good miles, I seem to be doing less at the mo.

 

[themosquitoking]

Sadly not a ride all week, to cut a long story short I had a few broken back and neck bones a few years ago

Every couple of years it flares up and I am currently a bit of a funny shape as I can't really stand up very straight at the moment.
It normally only lasts a short while so it could be a uphill struggle to get some good miles for the June challenge.

You guys are still all doing well and I can't wait to get back in the game

I broke my neck when i was sixteen, those of us that have done it and can still ride a bike are part of an elite club. And better than superman.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Just weighed the bike kitted out with rack, mudguards and rear bag with drop down panniers and a saddle bag, it was 16Kg's took everything off and it now weighs 11 1/4 Kg's.
Again this is a cheap Viking.

 

[themosquitoking]

I reckon my GT saddle bag is 10% of my total bike weight.