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

[SpokeyDokey]

Very wet again up here (or down here possibly) and drizzling away at the moment.

Wanted to get out and do a long ride as I have been away for a few days and have got itchy SPD's. Not keen on riding on slippery wet lanes at all though.

I'll see if it dries out later though otherwise it's the boring treadmill for me.

My August mileage is very low but at the end of the day it's just cycling and not my reason for living.

 

[Mo1959]

Very wet again up here (or down here possibly) and drizzling away at the moment.

Wanted to get out and do a long ride as I have been away for a few days and have got itchy SPD's. Not keen on riding on slippery wet lanes at all though.

I'll see if it dries out later though otherwise it's the boring treadmill for me.

My August mileage is very low but at the end of the day it's just cycling and not my reason for living.

Have to agree on the treadmill. I briefly owned one a while back and, as in many cases, it ended up as a clothes hanger. Really don't enjoy exercising indoors.

Also agree that the cycling is just for fun and fitness. Although I have surprised myself by completing the August challenge, I have seriously cut back on miles too and, as the mornings get darker and gloomier, I wouldn't be surprised if they get cut back a bit more.

Hope it dries up for you and you get a little jaunt later.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Very wet again up here (or down here possibly) and drizzling away at the moment.

Wanted to get out and do a long ride as I have been away for a few days and have got itchy SPD's. Not keen on riding on slippery wet lanes at all though.

I'll see if it dries out later though otherwise it's the boring treadmill for me.

My August mileage is very low but at the end of the day it's just cycling and not my reason for living.

Weather forecast is dry for you this afternoon and tomorrow, so hopefully you will get out

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Decided to brave the weather (walking the dog was just a damp one) and try and do some heart rate zone work done.

I aimed to stay within zone 2, and also tried to keep good form, with shoulders down, weight not on my hands, etc, all with mixed success.

It's a learning curve as when my HR hit 2.9 zone I tried to ease off and not hit zone 3, but often I took it down too far, hovering over 2.2ish, or even 1.9.

Looking at the graph, I counted 8 times going into zone 3, and 9 dropping into zone 1, although, the majority of these were after junctions, roundabouts or at traffic lights.

Still, I've set the bar to try and improve, so I'll try the route again at some point after more riding

Starving now so going to drag the hubby out for lunch!

https://www.strava.com/activities/77098750

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Please shoot me now to put me out of my misery

Why whats up

 

[welsh dragon]

Why do men have to be so precise. Why can't you say, about 12 feet or approx 10 miles, or about . What is it with men that they have to do that. Saying things like that take up half the conversation

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Why do men have to be so precise. Why can't you say, about 12 feet or approx 10 miles, or about . What is it with men that they have to do that. Saying things like that take up half the conversation

We're not precise all of the time, only 99.453 times out of 100

 

[welsh dragon]

I'm banging my head against the wall here. It is 1.236 inches wide and 7 feet 3 inches tall precisely.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Have to agree on the treadmill. I briefly owned one a while back and, as in many cases, it ended up as a clothes hanger. Really don't enjoy exercising indoors.

Also agree that the cycling is just for fun and fitness. Although I have surprised myself by completing the August challenge, I have seriously cut back on miles too and, as the mornings get darker and gloomier, I wouldn't be surprised if they get cut back a bit more.

Hope it dries up for you and you get a little jaunt later.

Knew you would, they arn't much of a challenge these days.

Why do men have to be so precise. Why can't you say, about 12 feet or approx 10 miles, or about . What is it with men that they have to do that. Saying things like that take up half the conversation

Because if something needs to be 12ft to fit and you got something about 12ft it might not fit, and buildings would fall down bridges collapse, then where would we be.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Knew you would, they arn't much of a challenge these days.

Because if something needs to be 12ft to fit and you got something about 12ft it might not fit, and buildings would fall down bridges collapse, then where would we be.

See all your mileage has come back on Strava - cyclechat table looks very good

 

[Nigelnaturist]

See all your mileage has come back on Strava - cyclechat table looks very good

Thanks. I left and rejoined again, worked this time. Thats also the reason I did the mileage I did last night.

 

[welsh dragon]

I know that but not everything needs to be so precise does it.

 

[AndyPeace]

I'm still struggling to manage my rehydration during a ride, switching subconsciously between guzzling a litre of water in the first hour of a ride, and not drinking anything until I stop. I think drinking at lights might help find that elusive happy medium I need.

It's well worth practising drinking on the move, you just need confidence which you will not get unless you try. Ideally you should not let yourself get to feeling thirsty, drinking sips as often as every 15mins. By doing this fatigue is lessened and it's better for your body. Some bottle cages are really stiff and awkward and when I first tried I had a bottle cage from Aldi. It held the bottle too tightly and it was hard to get the water bottle in and out. I swapped it for an old metal one, I had on an old bike that came off freecycle (where people post up junk for collection) That was much better. The best tip I can think of to mastering this skill, is look forward at where your going, not down at the bottle and trust your instincts to find and replace the bottle... it's all down to being confident. I practised this on very quiet wide country lanes. Having practised this I now happily drink, whilst travelling at 20+ mph but that comes with time on the bike, not overnight. Obviously check behind you before doing anything on a bike and practice at speeds that are comfortable to you.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

It's well worth practising drinking on the move, you just need confidence which you will not get unless you try. Ideally you should not let yourself get to feeling thirsty, drinking sips as often as every 15mins. By doing this fatigue is lessened and it's better for your body.
/quote]

One of the most important lessons I learned from my first Century was that I needed to practice eating and drinking in the saddle. I spent many a mile on a quiet country road taking bottle out and replacing it many times (working on improving my muscle-memory) and eating butties on the go. All at slow speeds, but it worked and I was much more hydrated and nutrient-filled for London.

 

[Biggler]

I'm tired... just done another longest ride, over 31miles! My phone and/or Strava messed up and stopped exactly on 24miles http://www.strava.com/activities/77129668 but this is the entire ride http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3183358 .

I got so muddy cycling down NCN1, some parts are just a mud track and one part is literally a farmers field. I'm so glad I have a decent outside tap and hose to give the bike a quick spray down.