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

[Nigelnaturist]

I dont think I'll get addicted to doing hills ! I hate them, I much prefer almost flats.

However, there's one hill on Blakeston Lane that always gets me walking. It may not look like much but it gets me every time - http://www.strava.com/segments/946351. I'll get it one day and i'm sure I'll be in here letting everyone know I beat my nemesis.

Just riding on the flat is really hard work, especially if you have open fields and it's a little breezy, or if you live North of the boarder, in which case it just blows a gale.

 

[Biggler]

Just riding on the flat is really hard work, especially if you have open fields and it's a little breezy

Aye, I hate the wind too :P A nice route takes me near the coast and very flat/open marsh lands and it can get pretty windy. I'd still much prefer that than hills

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Ha, ha...not yet. Will it be another 18.8 miles later to make your 41 miles for the challenge?

18.8 as request by Mo.
http://app.strava.com/activities/77441886

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Aye, I hate the wind too :P A nice route takes me near the coast and very flat/open marsh lands and it can get pretty windy. I'd still much prefer that than hills

The wind doesn't really bother me too much, just the frequency it been this year, the positive to a hill there is always an end to it. I really really used to hate hills when I started, loathed them did everything I could to avoid them, then I had got up to avg of mid to high 14's with a decent cadence mid 80's, but I still hated hills, so over the end of last year and the winter, I climbed what I could really low gears, so i could get up, got stronger and fitter, and there isn't anything around here thats a problem any more, it not hilly but there are a couple of nice short climbs, one it took me nearly 6 months to have the courage to do, but I was determined to do it before the year was out.
http://app.strava.com/activities/67240206#1486045149

 

[Stonechat]

I was never that good on hills when I was younger but could sort of ride over the smaller hills. I tried to ride up every hill and never walk. Ther was one hill always defeated me, Pewley Down in Guildford, can't remember the road name. Now with a little fitness coming back it's the hills that are lagging

 

[eevvee]

Friday night
http://www.strava.com/activities/76962471

Sunday morning
http://www.strava.com/activities/77379992

Sunday's ride - the last climbing section was painful, I had the opportunity at the 30 mile mark of taking a different course and completing 40 rather than 50, and my aching body tells me I should have taken it. A lesson learnt but .....likely to be ignored in the future. A pity as the conditions were good, cloudy so not too warm, and the wind hardly noticeable for most of the route.

As others have posted you get used to the hills and in a masochistic way go looking for them, but today I was well beaten.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Friday night
http://www.strava.com/activities/76962471

Sunday morning
http://www.strava.com/activities/77379992

Sunday's ride - the last climbing section was painful, I had the opportunity at the 30 mile mark of taking a different course and completing 40 rather than 50, and my aching body tells me I should have taken it. A lesson learnt but .....likely to be ignored in the future. A pity as the conditions were good, cloudy so not too warm, and the wind hardly noticeable for most of the route.

As others have posted you get used to the hills and in a masochistic way go looking for them, but today I was well beaten.

I dont think you ever get used to really tough ones, just ways of combating them, but then I can re gear my bike so I know I have a chance on any I do, it really is a matter of repeating and repeating those you can, and when those become easier, tackle more adventurous ones.

 

[Reece]

I dont think you ever get used to really tough ones, just ways of combating them, but then I can re gear my bike so I know I have a chance on any I do, it really is a matter of repeating and repeating those you can, and when those become easier, tackle more adventurous ones.

I've found tough climbs never get easier, you just recover faster at the top of them. Maybe a bit quicker up them though to.

 

[welsh dragon]

I wish I didn't livd in such a hilly area.

 

[Tolvar]

Only had the bike 3 weeks but feel good about the trip today.


http://app.strava.com/activities/77398945

 

[Hill Wimp]

"Just riding on the flat is really hard work, especially if you have open fields and it's a little breezy"

Fantastic quote Nigel its on my signature now

 

[BAtoo]

Well, my longest ride since I started recently.. 21.4 miles, slow average of 12.5 as I met up with GF for the last (sedate) 6 miles....

And I had a puncture on my new (puncture resistant) tyres.............

Felt good at the end and probably could have kept going for a bit more.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Well, my longest ride since I started recently.. 21.4 miles, slow average of 12.5 as I met up with GF for the last (sedate) 6 miles....

And I had a puncture on my new (puncture resistant) tyres.............

Felt good at the end and probably could have kept going for a bit more.

Slow - wash your mouth out thats a good pace

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You maybe right but it has become as much a community as anything. The thing is with this thread we can for the most part show how difficult our first rides were, and in my case I can show improvements week by week and month by month and what sort or improvements to expect over time, and also share what we have learnt.
Someone can ask anything in this thread, that in some others, you sometimes get non to pleasant reply's.
But if you or anyone feels I now no longer fit the profile, I am quite happy to move on.

No, don't do that - I like your graphs too much.

Was only thinking out loud - not aimed at you.

It's the best thread on here by a country mile imo. All I said was it may be a little intimidating for some.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Got out for short ride 11.99 miles at 15.48 mph av'.

Going for a longer ride in the morning.

Bit of a slack month for me - been away for 2x4 day breaks + several days of bad weather = only 5 rides.

Also when I was away (B&B's) I ate some of the biscuits on the tea tray and I am hacked off with myself as I have eaten none for about 4 months prior. Big weakness of mine - biccies and choccie. Not eaten any of the latter though for the same period of time.

Sweet dreams all.