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

[Reece]

Well the 75mile ride went out the window today lol. Managed 60miles though, the rain/wind put an end to the 75mile plan and to be fair I think I would of been pushing with little energy left to do it.

The 9am Saturday club ride wasn't near as bad as I thought in terms of pace, although after the cafe stop it is a bit of a free for all to get home lol, with not much grouping. Unless you keep up with the 8.30am riders who are seriously quick haha.

http://app.strava.com/activities/29319469#

Will definantly be doing more Saturday rides to get my fitness up, just a bugger having to work every other saturday. Won't be doing tomorrows sunday early ride either if weather is still bad, plus Ive got the Defy 2 booked in for its free 4week health check which is needed as gears are very sloppy now the cables have stretched.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Have not ridden a bike for around 10 years due to climbing accident - everything fixed now (apart from 1 minor finger op' due).

Took delivery of Giant TCX 1 early last week. Feels much quicker than my mountain bikes of yesteryear.

Have registered with mycyclinglog so I can keep track of what I am doing. Have set up 5 routes (not many miles) which I will rotate around for the next 3 months doing 2 of the routes each week.. Will then have a rethink re routes/frequency etc.

First 2 rides (same route as I hadn't thought out my little plan at that stage) were very easy. The route had a couple of short sharp hills.and were 7.5 miles long me finishing with a just under 12 mph average.

Although these were very easy to manage - didn't sweat, didn't get out of breath, didn't try hard at all my backside was just starting to get slightly uncomfortable near the end.

I am concentrating on short regular rides until cycling once again becomes part of my life.

Like Reece says welcome, and you will be surprised what you can achieve, though sometimes you are going to wonder when the improvements will show. I am going backwards at the mo in therms of avg sp, but its not everything, I am climbing more on avg and further each ride.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well the 75mile ride went out the window today lol. Managed 60miles though, the rain/wind put an end to the 75mile plan and to be fair I think I would of been pushing with little energy left to do it.

The 9am Saturday club ride wasn't near as bad as I thought in terms of pace, although after the cafe stop it is a bit of a free for all to get home lol, with not much grouping. Unless you keep up with the 8.30am riders who are seriously quick haha.

http://app.strava.com/activities/29319469#

Will definantly be doing more Saturday rides to get my fitness up, just a bugger having to work every other saturday. Won't be doing tomorrows sunday early ride either if weather is still bad, plus Ive got the Defy 2 booked in for its free 4week health check which is needed as gears are very sloppy now the cables have stretched.

I was looking forward to you having done your 100Km, you were so close. I would have just tootled around the estate till I got it, weather or not. nice one on your p.b's by the way.

 

[Reece]

I was looking forward to you having done your 100Km, you were so close. I would have just tootled around the estate till I got it, weather or not. nice one on your p.b's by the way.

Cheers Nigel, I was really tempted to go for the 100km but the wind was getting up and the idea of a nice hot bath won the contest in my mind lol.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Cheers Nigel, I was really tempted to go for the 100km but the wind was getting up and the idea of a nice hot bath won the contest in my mind lol.

Happens to me sometimes, I sort of bailed a little yesterday, I was doing ok and I know I had may got a few p.b's so I went to see if I could improve on the last mile to home from Darrington, thing is when I did it, I had nothing really, and then ended up doing about 500-750m around the estate to get the 40Km.

 

[Reece]

Happens to me sometimes, I sort of bailed a little yesterday, I was doing ok and I know I had may got a few p.b's so I went to see if I could improve on the last mile to home from Darrington, thing is when I did it, I had nothing really, and then ended up doing about 500-750m around the estate to get the 40Km.

Yeah I bailed to lol. I think actually completing the Saturday ride with a decent average speed of 15.2mph. The thought of doing the few extra miles to get 100km just seemed a bonus I did t have the heart to get today.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Sometimes my grammar bails on me too.
Off the top of my head I think I have only ever managed more than 15mph 2 or 3 times, but I think it is improving again a little, then again it might just be a variation in weather.
You might be interested in this.
http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/sporttracks/?sid=ec4374232c3b4ad426eac5da37cf270e

 

[Kins]

Just back from a wee 5 miles. Chose a pretty flat circuit for round here. Roads were very quite and green lanes/tracks were very dark (must get better lights!) and besides nearly riding over a fallen tree it went quiet well. 3rd ride in a week on my new bike and besides the weather its been all good.

As a side note the quick clamp on my seat isn't extremely tight, any way to adjust these so it holds better?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Just back from a wee 5 miles. Chose a pretty flat circuit for round here. Roads were very quite and green lanes/tracks were very dark (must get better lights!) and besides nearly riding over a fallen tree it went quiet well. 3rd ride in a week on my new bike and besides the weather its been all good.

As a side note the quick clamp on my seat isn't extremely tight, any way to adjust these so it holds better?

You mean the clamp that holds the seat to the post? If so it should just need a turn with an allan key, more than likely a 5mm one.

 

[philinmerthyr]

I bailed out on my ride as well this morning. Rode from Abercynon to Cardiff Bay but the weather went from dry with a light wind to torrential rain and 20mph wind. Crossing the barrage was great fun. Took the train for some of the return journey or I wouldn't have got home and back out to the Wales v All Blacks. Got to the millennium stadium and that was just as disappointing.

I'll just have to try again in the morning. I have been averaging nearly 90 miles per week. So far I've done 50 so planning a 30+ mile ride tomorrow.

 

[Kins]

You mean the clamp that holds the seat to the post? If so it should just need a turn with an allan key, more than likely a 5mm one.

Thanks, plank that I am thought it was a dirty rivet head, but underneath the crud it is does take an allan key. Job done.

 

[RWright]

I am concentrating on short regular rides until cycling once again becomes part of my life.

Very good approach I think. Winter riding for me is more difficult. Go at an easy pace and do some tweaking to the bike as you see necessary, get a little saddle time in. HAVE FUN, then evaluate again around spring. I bet you progress very quickly.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I bailed out on my ride as well this morning. Rode from Abercynon to Cardiff Bay but the weather went from dry with a light wind to torrential rain and 20mph wind. Crossing the barrage was great fun. Took the train for some of the return journey or I wouldn't have got home and back out to the Wales v All Blacks. Got to the millennium stadium and that was just as disappointing.

I'll just have to try again in the morning. I have been averaging nearly 90 miles per week. So far I've done 50 so planning a 30+ mile ride tomorrow.

I just didn't get chance to get out sort of screwed my distances up for Nov, I am going to struggle to beat last months mileage, but to beat it I have to do 170 miles, I have done that 3 times and spitting distance 3 times in 22 wks riding (has it really been that long).
Heres an overlay of the roads I have been on since early August.

and one of the more local roads.

 

[Typhon]

Such a depressing weekend. Since yesterday morning I have been completely flooded in in every direction. My village is fine but I can't get out of it! There's even more rain coming tonight too, it's just relentless. I don't think there's any chance of getting to work or going for a bike ride this week. I am vaguely hoping it will have receded in at least one direction by Thursday but we'll see I suppose.

I only managed 20 minutes on the turbo trainer yesterday but.then I lost motivation. The TT is so much harder than cycling on the road it feels like 20 mins of sprinting though so it is beneficial. I'll go out for another session later tonight when it's cooled down (you get incredibly hot and sweaty with no wind to cool you down!)

It's good to read everyone's stories though and see that in other parts of the country people can still cycle as normal. Once again Nigel, fantastic distances covered and Reece, I got a shock when I saw your Saturday ride come up on my strava feed. That's about 2.5 mph faster than your normal Saturday ride! Great distance too.

 

[Reece]

Reece, I got a shock when I saw your Saturday ride come up on my strava feed. That's about 2.5 mph faster than your normal Saturday ride! Great distance too.

The normal pace on my strava for my Sunday ride is because we do the social and keep it slow for new beginners.

Yesterday's pace was around 16mph up until 45 miles but then suffered due to weather and tiredness lol. Really need to get out more or on the spinning bikes at the gym. Once a weekend rides are not getting the fitness up anymore.