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

[Supersuperleeds]

^^^ for route planning
also @Mo1959, you asked about the saddle on the ride today, I went out last night to try a ride with just a pair of lycra leggings on the thinnest I could find, did the 8 miles last night no problem.

Good luck with the ride, no photographs please!

 

[RWright]

I was up early today so I thought I would go for an early ride, temperature felt nice and cool. I spent about an hour looking for a riding glove I lost in the wash, how you lose a glove in the house I don't think I will figure that one out. It got late and the morning traffic started on the larger roads so I thought I would just do 10 miles or so in the local residential area.

My Garmin would not locate satellites so I got in one lap with no timing, then came back to get my heart rate monitor that I forgot to put on and try another lap. Restarted the Garmin at home and finally picked up the satellites. I set off again, bottom of the first hill and the cheap stitching on my Cree T6 case comes loose and rips the cord out of my battery when it gets caught in the cassette. I decided to finish that lap and try to stop the morning carnage. First results of my day are one lost glove, one ripped out light battery cable and only 10 minutes added to my Tour Tune-Up challenge. It did feel pretty good for a few minutes though. I also checked to make sure today wasn't the 13th when I got home.

I also looked at the seat height stuff. My seat is higher than the 109 or Lemmond numbers but I feel mine is a little low. Even though I can't touch well enough when I stop to feel safe without coming off the seat, so my method of sliding off is grab a hand full of front brake right when I want to stop. I don't think I am ready for group riding yet.

Speedy ride Mo, nice one!

 

[RWright]

Have a nice ride Nigel!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Good luck with the ride, no photographs please!

All my pictures are tasteful

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I was up early today so I thought I would go for an early ride, temperature felt nice and cool. I spent about an hour looking for a riding glove I lost in the wash, how you lose a glove in the house I don't think I will figure that one out. It got late and the morning traffic started on the larger roads so I thought I would just do 10 miles or so in the local residential area.

My Garmin would not locate satellites so I got in one lap with no timing, then came back to get my heart rate monitor that I forgot to put on and try another lap. Restarted the Garmin at home and finally picked up the satellites. I set off again, bottom of the first hill and the cheap stitching on my Cree T6 case comes loose and rips the cord out of my battery when it gets caught in the cassette. I decided to finish that lap and try to stop the morning carnage. First results of my day are one lost glove, one ripped out light battery cable and only 10 minutes added to my Tour Tune-Up challenge. It did feel pretty good for a few minutes though. I also checked to make sure today wasn't the 13th when I got home.

I also looked at the seat height stuff. My seat is higher than the 109 or Lemmond numbers but I feel mine is a little low. Even though I can't touch well enough when I stop to feel safe without coming off the seat, so my method of sliding off is grab a hand full of front brake right when I want to stop. I don't think I am ready for group riding yet.

Speedy ride Mo, nice one!

Still looking for some socks I lost a week ago, dont like riding in the rain in white ones.

Regarding saddle heat, I have found that instead of me (or hips) lifting, the bike is now being pushed forward, just need to get the motion a little smoother.

 

[Mo1959]

Just had my telephone appointment with the doc. There is narrowing between L4 and L5 vertebra so she is going to get me an MRI and check for disc pressure on nerves causing my leg and foot numbness. Mind you, the thought of back surgery doesn't exactly excite me if it comes to that! On the other hand, don't want to cause any permanent nerve damage I suppose. No doubt it will take a while for the scan to come through anyway so I will worry about it then.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Just had my telephone appointment with the doc. There is narrowing between L4 and L5 vertebra so she is going to get me an MRI and check for disc pressure on nerves causing my leg and foot numbness. Mind you, the thought of back surgery doesn't exactly excite me if it comes to that! On the other hand, don't want to cause any permanent nerve damage I suppose. No doubt it will take a while for the scan to come through anyway so I will worry about it then.

At least it's step in the right direction.

 

[RWright]

Good luck with it Mo. Do what the Dr. says

Edit: And what you think is best for you too. Back surgery would be a big decision for me. .

 

[Nomadski]

I was up early today so I thought I would go for an early ride, temperature felt nice and cool. I spent about an hour looking for a riding glove I lost in the wash, how you lose a glove in the house I don't think I will figure that one out. It got late and the morning traffic started on the larger roads so I thought I would just do 10 miles or so in the local residential area.

My Garmin would not locate satellites so I got in one lap with no timing, then came back to get my heart rate monitor that I forgot to put on and try another lap. Restarted the Garmin at home and finally picked up the satellites. I set off again, bottom of the first hill and the cheap stitching on my Cree T6 case comes loose and rips the cord out of my battery when it gets caught in the cassette. I decided to finish that lap and try to stop the morning carnage. First results of my day are one lost glove, one ripped out light battery cable and only 10 minutes added to my Tour Tune-Up challenge. It did feel pretty good for a few minutes though. I also checked to make sure today wasn't the 13th when I got home.

I also looked at the seat height stuff. My seat is higher than the 109 or Lemmond numbers but I feel mine is a little low. Even though I can't touch well enough when I stop to feel safe without coming off the seat, so my method of sliding off is grab a hand full of front brake right when I want to stop. I don't think I am ready for group riding yet.

Speedy ride Mo, nice one!

Chalk that one down to a bad day at the office @RWright! If I started getting so much go wrong in one day I would just pack the bike away, no idea what worse things lurk round the corner!

Just had my telephone appointment with the doc. There is narrowing between L4 and L5 vertebra so she is going to get me an MRI and check for disc pressure on nerves causing my leg and foot numbness. Mind you, the thought of back surgery doesn't exactly excite me if it comes to that! On the other hand, don't want to cause any permanent nerve damage I suppose. No doubt it will take a while for the scan to come through anyway so I will worry about it then.

I do hope the scans come out favourably, would be a very difficult decision to make on a back operation, but you will know yourself the right course if it comes to it. I would like to point out if your general bike performance is what it is with a spinal issue, goodness knows what you could do without it!

All my pictures are tasteful

Your pictures are awesome Nigel, but I'm siding with @Supersuperleeds on this one!!!

No rides planned today, just me and my rear derailleur are going to have a few words in a bit...

 

[MaxInc]

Did some maintenance early today and discovered a nice 4-5mm side wall cut on the rear tire starting to bulge a little So I need a quick replacement, and preferably not too expensive as I will most likely get the in pair. Original tyres are Schwalbe Lugano 700x25 and can get them online for about £12 each but won't come in time for the Sunday ride. Anything else I could find in a local shop like Evans or Decahtlon at similar price?

 

[Smotyn]

Quick quit yostion guys, if you don't have a fancy expensive Garmin how do you figure out where you going? Currently I plan it out on Map My Ride or similar and then write it down on paper. Only got lost once so far!

I use map my ride and have found you can plan a route and email it to your phone click on the link and it sends it to the app for you to do. I think if you leave the volume up it shouod tell you where your going but admit I havent actually tries this yet so not sure about that. Anyone else on here use map my ride? I also have strava as friends have it but only tend to put my bigger rides on that as I dont think they woukd be too interested in my 3 mile commutes lol

 

[Smotyn]

Just had my telephone appointment with the doc. There is narrowing between L4 and L5 vertebra so she is going to get me an MRI and check for disc pressure on nerves causing my leg and foot numbness. Mind you, the thought of back surgery doesn't exactly excite me if it comes to that! On the other hand, don't want to cause any permanent nerve damage I suppose. No doubt it will take a while for the scan to come through anyway so I will worry about it then.

Good luck with it x

 

[Mo1959]

Thanks guys for the well wishes for my back. It's aching a bit now as I have spent the last 2 hours bent over fitting mudguards

My least favourite job but the Longboards I had on weren't as sturdy as the chromoplastics and had started to break. Fitted the SKS chromoplastics this time and the strip of metal that runs through them seems to make them much stronger. It always takes me at least 2 hours with lots of things pinging in all directions and much unladylike language but that's it done.

 

[Goonerobes]

Well thanks to some wonderful encouragement & great advise on here I have now gone & done my 1st 30 mile ride in just over 2 hours @ 14.9mph.
The strange thing is I felt fine at the end but despite taking it easy at the start the hill (or was it a mountain) at 8 miles absolutely killed me!
How some of you do 100 miles in a day is beyond me, I've done 70 in 6 days & that is it for me this week, the winds can do their worst down here this weekend I'm putting my feet up!!

http://app.strava.com/activities/61880528

 

[Mo1959]

Well thanks to some wonderful encouragement & great advise on here I have now gone & done my 1st 30 mile ride in just over 2 hours @ 14.9mph.
The strange thing is I felt fine at the end but despite taking it easy at the start the hill (or was it a mountain) at 8 miles absolutely killed me!
How some of you do 100 miles in a day is beyond me, I've done 70 in 6 days & that is it for me this week, the winds can do their worst down here this weekend I'm putting my feet up!!

http://app.strava.com/activities/61880528

That's amazing for the length of time you have been riding. Really well done. If you take the weekend off your legs should recover nicely ready for the next one.