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

[Nigelnaturist]

Ha, ha.....imagine you noticing a worthless piece of data like that Nigel

Well done on completing the challenge, and really well done to all the newbies knocking out some amazing rides today. Everyone seems to be progressing really quickly. Us old newbies are going to have to pull our socks up!

You have to keep a track of things , unlike my bank card which I thought I had lost, it's only ever in two place cycle shirt or desk. Searched as you do, on the verge of cancelling it and presto it's on the desk, it's not like the desk is untidy.

Ditto this.
I am going to take mine off, for a while, but first I am going out and get my 2nd greatest weekly total.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Hello everyone, 11 weeks ago, at the ripe old age of 60 I bought my first bike, this on the advice of my doctor to help lower my BP. My first attempt was 6 miles and I was a wreck.
I stuck at it, slowly enjoying it more and more, now after 11 weeks my longest ride has been 35 miles albeit on cycle trails and the main restriction has been aching backside. I now look forward to weekends when I can have another fix.
I never thought that cycling would be for me, but I now find myself checking out every bike I see.
If by this time next year I still have the bug I will look to invest in a road bike, thanks for reading and any help would be appreciated.
John

and well done John, welcome to the thread.

 

[Mo1959]

but first I am going out and get my 2nd greatest weekly total.

I am almost feeling guilty at my poorer mileage this month compared with everyone else, but not that guilty that I want to go back out in the wind!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I am almost feeling guilty at my poorer mileage this month compared with everyone else, but not that guilty that I want to go back out in the wind!

Dont blame you, I have to go to the supermarket, winds dropped a little, just much colder tonight, its just how the mileage worked out, I wouldn't do it if I didn't have a reason to go out, not that masochistic.

 

[DaveyM]

Put a nice ride in today with a pal who is recovering from a back injury.
Felt way cooler in the wind but still a stunning day out.
I think because I am struggling to get out regular at the minute I am actually enjoying the rides I get more

http://app.strava.com/activities/78895436
if your interested

True that some great miles seem to be going in at the moment.

 

[Jaco45er]

Hello everyone, 11 weeks ago, at the ripe old age of 60 I bought my first bike, this on the advice of my doctor to help lower my BP. My first attempt was 6 miles and I was a wreck.
I stuck at it, slowly enjoying it more and more, now after 11 weeks my longest ride has been 35 miles albeit on cycle trails and the main restriction has been aching backside. I now look forward to weekends when I can have another fix.
I never thought that cycling would be for me, but I now find myself checking out every bike I see.
If by this time next year I still have the bug I will look to invest in a road bike, thanks for reading and any help would be appreciated.
John

Hi John

New to forum, new to road bikes but had MTB's for years. Just had to say how impressed I am that you can cover 35 miles just after 11 weeks . I'm stuck on the sofa, aged 46, after my longest run today of 40 miles with legs that have been replaced by two thingies that feel like they are made of lead !!!

You're effort is very inspiring, I can see you down the bike shop for a road machine very soon

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Did it, 2nd highest weekly total. I am now going to hibernate for the winter.

 

[Mo1959]

Did it, 2nd highest weekly total. I am now going to hibernate for the winter.

Yeah, right.........why don't I believe you.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Yeah, right.........why don't I believe you.

I did I promise look.

 

[Mo1959]

I did I promise look.
View attachment 28585

No, I meant I don't believe you are going to hibernate, not that you did your second highest mileage.

 

[Stonechat]

Hello everyone, 11 weeks ago, at the ripe old age of 60 I bought my first bike, this on the advice of my doctor to help lower my BP. My first attempt was 6 miles and I was a wreck.
I stuck at it, slowly enjoying it more and more, now after 11 weeks my longest ride has been 35 miles albeit on cycle trails and the main restriction has been aching backside. I now look forward to weekends when I can have another fix.
I never thought that cycling would be for me, but I now find myself checking out every bike I see.
If by this time next year I still have the bug I will look to invest in a road bike, thanks for reading and any help would be appreciated.
John

We all done 61 myself but far from first bike, but first -after 20 years away. Keep at it

 

[Nigelnaturist]

No, I meant I don't believe you are going to hibernate, not that you did your second highest mileage.

I don't know it was a little nippy out.

 

[BAtoo]

Almost the end of my first calendar month since starting riding again..Strava tells me I've done 145 miles .. I'm on call tomorrow but might just have to sneak out and do a quick 5M+............

Did 18.2 miles to the pub tonight (ride back in the car) to make it to 145... 13.7 average & dont feel too bad, seemed to have a head wind a lot of the time and was probably riding a gear easier due to that.

Managed to sneak away for one of my short local loops, rode with my GF so a nice steady ride.... Strava makes it 152 miles during my first month riding at an average around 12.5mph.. Short& slowish by some standards but I'm fairly content for a beginner.

 

[RWright]

Windy here this morning, I could feel it blowing through my house before I even went outside. I haven't gone out yet but the wind has died down some now.

I was thinking about maybe trying out a mountain bike. Six miles or so from my house is what I have been told is one of the better mountain bike tracks in the state. I thought it might be fun to give it a go...until I saw a few recent races there on Youtube. The guy I bought my Synapse from asked me if I did any mountain biking and I told him no, just road. He knew a lot of local riders here in my town that I also know, and told me it was a lot of fun riding here. He said the track is great but kind of tough....from what I saw on the videos, he was definitely right. I think the videos were taken from vantage points of the worst sections on the course and it makes it look very extreme, hopefully much more so than the rest of the track.

There is a race coming up next Saturday there and I think I am going to go out and check it out. If there are sections out there that I feel like I could ride alone I may start looking for a mountain bike. I think the track is about 10 miles long, add 12 miles to get there and back, that might make for a nice little workout. My only concern is crashing and breaking one of my limbs out in the middle of the woods. I could be lost for weeks out there having to live by eating bugs and plant roots or something. Actually there are park rangers out there and I can yell pretty loud if I try.

The name of the race I saw on youtube is called Bouldergeist....yeah, I saw the name at first and realized this might not be what I was hoping for. Some of the ladies Cat 2 and 3 riders are below. They only cuss a couple of times. Also I got a kick out of seeing a couple of little tiny women riding 29ers. These are not expert level riders at all, they do try hard and stick with it though. There are higher level race videos but these showed me more what it would be like for a more novice mountain biker. Some other youtube videos showed the better riders and some also show the entire course. I haven't totally given up one the mountain bike idea, even though I am at the age now where the body doesn't heal quite as quickly as it used to.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JT0hwtwOfY

 

[Mo1959]

Windy here this morning, I could feel it blowing through my house before I even went outside. I haven't gone out yet but the wind has died down some now.

I was thinking about maybe trying out a mountain bike.

Having a couple of days off here due to the wind too Rocky.

Re the mountain bike, sounds like fun. I am half contemplating keeping an eye out for a cheap used one just for knocking about on over the winter to try and save the good bikes from the worst of the salt and muck on the roads. It's not worth while paying out too much though so my reasoning is that if I could pick something up for about £50 to £70 pounds I could use it and abuse it over the winter and it would be just as cheap then skipping it and doing the same next year rather than spend anything on it.