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

[bororider]

Thanks for the comments. I haven't looked into that actually. I figured I'd be left for dead in whatever they do.

I am going to Norwich for a week soon with the family and my brother and brother in law are big road bike nuts so I'm gonna see how I fare with them first I think. If I can keep pace with them or not too far behind i may well consider it.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Thanks for the comments. I haven't looked into that actually. I figured I'd be left for dead in whatever they do.

I am going to Norwich for a week soon with the family and my brother and brother in law are big road bike nuts so I'm gonna see how I fare with them first I think. If I can keep pace with them or not too far behind i may well consider it.

Have a read of the thread about not joining a club. A lot of people on here are members of clubs and they all seem quite different. Post a thread to see who belongs to a club in your area and see if they will recommend them and if necessary have a chat with them offline. From what i can gather some are really quite big and have numerous groups that you can start with and build up, even if you only stay for a while it gives you some good advice, some pacing and some new friends. A lot of clubs don't subscribe to dropping the slowest but will go at their pace and bring them up. Can't hurt is the way i look at it. If its not for me i will take away the advice i get, use what i like and discard what i don't. Unfortunately my cycling mates don't live near me otherwise i would be out with them. I just meet them once or twice a year to cycle somewhere abroad.

 

[spooks]

First ride in 3 weeks today. I've been having PT sessions at the local gym and I've been to sore to walk let alone get on a bike!! My legs weren't 100% but I made myself do 30 miles and it wasn't too dreadful. Av speed was down on the last few rides but it was pretty blowy out today. I did nearly have a bit of a moment when a suicidal pigeon that had already been hit by a car (by the look of it) was determined to flap between my wheels!
Signed up for the Evans Ride Liphook next weekend and the New Forest Rattler the week after so fingers crossed for some more good weather.

 

[Hill Wimp]

First ride in 3 weeks today. I've been having PT sessions at the local gym and I've been to sore to walk let alone get on a bike!! My legs weren't 100% but I made myself do 30 miles and it wasn't too dreadful. Av speed was down on the last few rides but it was pretty blowy out today. I did nearly have a bit of a moment when a suicidal pigeon that had already been hit by a car (by the look of it) was determined to flap between my wheels!
Signed up for the Evans Ride Liphook next weekend and the New Forest Rattler the week after so fingers crossed for some more good weather.

Well done 30 miles is not to be sniffed at.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Bugger I'm 9 years too late.

I forgot to add that I am not fit in any way. I have a physical job and one that requires a lot of walking too but since packing up football 7/8 years ago I haven't done a thing

Is 15mph avg good, I weren't sure tbh. It's obviously good for me but not sure in general

Its a good pace, but it's difficult without more information i,e, elevation and weather to say, a fast pace on the flat opposed to one over a more hilly terrain, how much of it was into wind ect. I was finding myself riding at 14-15mph uphill (not a steep grade) into that strong s.w. yesterday morning/afternoon, the s.w wind would have been a strong sidewind on this http://app.strava.com/activities/71816686#1407281826

 

[Nigelnaturist]

First ride in 3 weeks today. I've been having PT sessions at the local gym and I've been to sore to walk let alone get on a bike!! My legs weren't 100% but I made myself do 30 miles and it wasn't too dreadful. Av speed was down on the last few rides but it was pretty blowy out today. I did nearly have a bit of a moment when a suicidal pigeon that had already been hit by a car (by the look of it) was determined to flap between my wheels!
Signed up for the Evans Ride Liphook next weekend and the New Forest Rattler the week after so fingers crossed for some more good weather.

Your speed is bound to down a little after three weeks, don't worry about it.

 

[ScottyManc]

Went out for 40 miles today, couldn't find a road sign for my next leg so went the way I knew and then back on myself. Turned the ride into 53! Feel a bit sore-kneed now but well happy with that. I can see me signing up for the Manchester 100 in the next week or so, if only to test myself and give another incentive!

Like most, I just wish I'd found cycling a lot earlier than I have!

 

[DaveyM]

Did the Coast to Coast this weekend, it was hard but great fun

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/one-chubby-lads-coast-to-coast-success.136773/unread

 

[bororider]

Its a good pace, but it's difficult without more information i,e, elevation and weather to say, a fast pace on the flat opposed to one over a more hilly terrain, how much of it was into wind ect. I was finding myself riding at 14-15mph uphill (not a steep grade) into that strong s.w. yesterday morning/afternoon, the s.w wind would have been a strong sidewind on this http://app.strava.com/activities/71816686#1407281826

http://app.strava.com/activities/72118637

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@bororider
To put in context I was riding similar shortly after I started last year and I got up to about the 14mph mark after a month or so, but they were pretty flat rides, I then made the choice that even though I was starting to get better avg's I still hated hills, so I went and did some and some more ect, but my avg plummeted from 14's to mid 12's but i worked at it, and now it doesn't really matter what I do I average above 14 and more usually high 15's.
I know it's pretty flat where you are I rode through Peterborough in 2008, but just keep it up the more you ride the fitter you will become.

 

[fivepence]

Finally back in the saddle after a few weeks of no motivation or urge to get out. I woke up this morning and really had to push myself to go out. Glad I did though as I felt great the whole way. The others in the group did a hard ride yesterday, so was meant to be a slow recovery ride. However I ended up on the front most of the time and felt on form so the others followed and surprised themselves that they actually felt better than yesterday.

http://app.strava.com/activities/72086395

Mojo and motivation is back and now to get training for the Tour of Britain - Stoke on Trent pro 100mile sportive on 1st Sept. I've heard its a killer with some huge hills!

Bout 2000m of ascent on the 100 route fark all flat ground in this area , Star Bank has bout 18% grade at one point, its brutal and out of my range especially when its 40 odd miles in , I ll be doing the wee 50 route

 

[bororider]

@bororider
To put in context I was riding similar shortly after I started last year and I got up to about the 14mph mark after a month or so, but they were pretty flat rides, I then made the choice that even though I was starting to get better avg's I still hated hills, so I went and did some and some more ect, but my avg plummeted from 14's to mid 12's but i worked at it, and now it doesn't really matter what I do I average above 14 and more usually high 15's.
I know it's pretty flat where you are I rode through Peterborough in 2008, but just keep it up the more you ride the fitter you will become.

Unfortunately (or fortunately! !!!) Peterborough and the surrounding fens etc arevas flat as they come. I will just keep at it and see what happens. My main aim is weight loss and fitness gain which I feel is improving each time I go out.
Thanks for your comments

 

[Reece]

Bout 2000m of ascent on the 100 route f*** all flat ground in this area , Star Bank has bout 18% grade at one point, its brutal and out of my range especially when its 40 odd miles in , I ll be doing the wee 50 route

I've seen the elevation data but never actually tells you just how bad it is as being there. Doing the box hill sportuve at start of October too. Plenty of hill training needed.

 

[Smotyn]

Unfortunately (or fortunately! !!!) Peterborough and the surrounding fens etc arevas flat as they come. I will just keep at it and see what happens. My main aim is weight loss and fitness gain which I feel is improving each time I go out.
Thanks for your comments

If you want hills head oundle Kettering way they have hills lol

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Unfortunately (or fortunately! !!!) Peterborough and the surrounding fens etc arevas flat as they come. I will just keep at it and see what happens. My main aim is weight loss and fitness gain which I feel is improving each time I go out.
Thanks for your comments

You could try this or variations of this in the future, I dont often get much higher around here.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2999991