This is a thread I'll keep coming back to. Talk about inspirational. I picked up my new road bike about a week and a half ago now and have been out three times since then. The first ride out was to be about 12 miles to get a feel for the new steed. A momentary lapse in concentration saw me take my first spill since I was about 15! No real harm done, a few minor scratches on the levers and rear mech and a bit of road rash to my right knee and elbow. Lesson #1, pay attention! I cut the ride short to 8.5 miles.
Went out yesterday, determined to put some miles on her but was on a time constraint, so rode out about 7 miles or so and turned tail and came back. 4 PB's on strava. Very happy but another clumsy manoeuvre left me fighting to keep the bike on the road. Lesson #2, be gentle with it!
So, today. Gorgeous day, can't resist the temptation. 20 miles. I decided to ride the commute to work. Now I know it's 12 miles each way, but I was going to turn tail at 10 miles and bag the 20. In the end, feeling pretty good, I rolled into the car park at work, 12 miles in 46 minutes. Quick dismount to get some blood flow to the now numb seating area. Back on the bike and home. The return was almost immediately harder going. After about 15 miles, I didn't have a lot left and things were getting decidedly achy!. Right tricep, quads, posterior. Rule #5 Dave, rule #5!
It wasn't easy, but I've now done my commute, albeit in a single run. I'd previously cycled the home run on the MTB in late August and it near killed me. I think it timed at about 70 minutes. Today was about 57 mins. I think the bike needs some adjusting in the set up, but I loved this ride. The smell of the trees, the buzzard I saw, the sunshine. What a buzz.
http://app.strava.com/activities/27501116
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A nice surprise for you then Dave! And you can't beat coffee and cake mid ride. Can't wait for mine tomorrow lol!
insanely hard, and very happy considering last time out on my hybrid i stopped about 5 times, then it poured with rain. I've made it my goal to do that saturdays and sundays, gonna bloody kill me. 200km a weekend, then hoping to do another 14 or 21 miles during the week, depending on time to boost it to over 150 miles a week.
I used my remaining food but it didn't help. I was 15 miles from home and there was no quicker way back so I just had to struggle home. Average speed plummeted and I had to stop more often than I have since I first started cycling. But I made it home eventually:
