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

[SpokeyDokey]

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

Decent average imo - as Nigel has said very terrain/condition dependent. I'm 20 years older than you so I'm not expecting great things tbh. It has taken me 6 months to start averaging 15mph albeit in very hilly terrain. There's lot's of 'ups' in Cumbria but they aren't always compensated with fast 'downs'. A typical hill is a floggy wind-y up thing to the top followed by a slow tentative twisty and gritty descent so not a case of swings and roundabouts for me.

Best way to reference things is to just record your own progress and see how you do and/or ride with a group where you'll quickly get a feel of how well you are doing.

Good luck with it all. Glad you are enjoying it. Acid test comes when winter kicks in and you can't get out etc!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

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

That's a really great achievement - every credit!

I know that's a birthday emoticon but at least it's cake!

 

[Mo1959]

@SpokeyDokey Agree with you on the climbing thing. I have a few around here too but there are several where you don't seem to get a nice payback on the way down as they are either into the prevailing wind or they are pretty twisty/potholed so you can't seem to gain back the speed you lost on the ascent. All good training though I suppose.

I seem to have been eating for Scotland this week. Will be putting weight back on at this rate soon if I don't stop. Unfortunately, rather than give me more energy I have been feeling pretty lethargic on the bike and have to push myself to a) get out and b) to work reasonably hard when I do. It was a perfect morning for cycling today, fresh, calm and dry but I still only went 25 miles rather than take advantage and do longer.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Good luck with it all. Glad you are enjoying it. Acid test comes when winter kicks in and you can't get out etc!

Even in winter you get good days, biggest problem to me are the darker nights, I have no worries about riding at night (just the same as I do daytime), but even with good lights my biggest problem are unseen potholes.
From Nov last year I rode 15 days, Dec 13 days (more due to Xmas and New Year), 18 in Jan 19 in both Feb and Mar, but as I wasn't working I could get out during the day.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SpokeyDokey Agree with you on the climbing thing. I have a few around here too but there are several where you don't seem to get a nice payback on the way down as they are either into the prevailing wind or they are pretty twisty/potholed so you can't seem to gain back the speed you lost on the ascent. All good training though I suppose.

I seem to have been eating for Scotland this week. Will be putting weight back on at this rate soon if I don't stop. Unfortunately, rather than give me more energy I have been feeling pretty lethargic on the bike and have to push myself to a) get out and b) to work reasonably hard when I do. It was a perfect morning for cycling today, fresh, calm and dry but I still only went 25 miles rather than take advantage and do longer.

Longer rides Mo are not always an advantage, working harder on shorter rides is just as good, if not better sometimes, also don't be afraid to take 3 or 4 days off, I promise you will come back with refreshed enthusiasm.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

OK everyone - just to let you know that I am now going stir crazy! Rained all day yesterday apart from a 2 hour afternoon slot and today it is absolutely POURING down - in fact I just saw Noah going by out there.

I am also bugged - my energy has totally dissipated from my body. Thought it was my thyroid med's giving me grief yesterday but I ended up loo-bound last night and I feel like a bag of nails today.

To alleviate (partially) said stir-craziness I have filled in a small piece of time by uploading my BB drainage holes for you all to look at. They are hefty beasts and there are two as you can see. Quite why there are two I do not know. Answers on a postcard (is this a relevant term in these forum-esque ages?) please.

Rest of my day looking like this:

Mainly reading on my hand me down first-gen Kindle (Mrs SD cast-off as she now has posh white-screen model) but interspersed with...

Turn dishwasher on, wait and empty dishwasher, make cup of tea for the very lovely Mrs SD when she comes home from work, cook tea as I will have been idle all day as Kindling counts as idling I think ergo tea cooking defaults to yours truly, reload dishwasher, watch Eastenders (sad I know) then who knows what as that is a long way off.......

 

[Ciar]

Well it's a bit slow for me at the moment, did 2 commutes last week back to back and did a small visit to my LBS on my 29er just to pay him for a shorter stem, but didn't get out on the Sunday for my usual off road fun, mum is still in hospital but doing well so hopefully going to be out and home in the next couple of weeks, on top of that our new extention has been built, but they have now gutted the kitcken and the bathroom so I have been living like a hobo at the mother inlaws, hopefully going to get a couple of commutes under my belt this week & my usual offroad, but that all depends if A) I can find anything B) get to the bikes past the building site that is my back garden ;-)

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Turn dishwasher on, wait and empty dishwasher, make cup of tea for the very lovely Mrs SD when she comes home from work, cook tea as I will have been idle all day as Kindling counts as idling I think ergo tea cooking defaults to yours truly, reload dishwasher, watch Eastenders (sad I know) then who knows what as that is a long way off.......

You could actually wash the pots and save the environment a little .
Better drainage.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

The Park Tyre Levers arrived, got the front tyre on much easier, good investment if your looking for new tyre levers,
Park Tools TL1C Tyre Levers

 

[boybiker]

I'm still off work as I have been really sick with one of these diarrhoea and vomiting bugs so no cycling. I have also got a job approx 2 miles from my home so no commute in by bike any more. I will have more free time to cycle at weekends and in the evening though. Hopefully I can get ride of this bug quickly and get back on the bike ASAP!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You could actually wash the pots and save the environment a little .
Better drainage.

Aw Nigel! At least I didn't buy a new Kindle when Mrs SD got her fancy one which I quite fancy too!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@boybiker
If its an option I would still cycle in.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I'm still off work has I have been really sick with one of these diarrhoea and vomiting bugs so no cycling. I have also got a job approx 2 miles from my home so no commute in by bike any more. I will have more free time to cycle at weekends and in the evening though. Hopefully I can get ride of this bug quickly and get back on the bike ASAP!

Sorry you are suffering. Same here, both ends like you overnight. Feel shocking today. Went down the woods earlier as I hate being housebound and even though they are adjacent to the house it was an effort walking to/from them.

Have managed to get some Beans On down now so no longer feeling ravenous.

 

[boybiker]

@boybiker
If its an option I would still cycle in.

The bike will have to be left outside so I would only taking the bso / shopping bike. However I will get home earlier so have more time to ride where I want to.

Sorry you are suffering. Same here, both ends like you overnight. Feel shocking today. Went down the woods earlier as I hate being housebound and even though they are adjacent to the house it was an effort walking to/from them.

Have managed to get some Beans On down now so no longer feeling ravenous.

Get well soon. It must be doing the rounds! Hopefully if I can hold it in for a bit I might go out for a short walk.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SpokeyDokey and @boybiker
Both you get better soon, I know how bad I was two weeks ago.