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

[Supersuperleeds]

A bit wet in Leicester as well this morning, but once you actually got going it wasn't that bad.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

My OH made it to work in the 1 dry hour we had this morning. Doubt he will make it home dry though... shall leave washing the cycling kit until he gets home - and no lift for him because my wheels are being serviced today (yeh I know I could have done it myself and will probably regret not doing it myself but I still have to go to the bike shop for a few bits (new bar tape included)).... and you know those mudguards I tried fitting... they will be going back on later on today for tomorrow's commute. looks like I will get out to my parents in the dry but think I will be coming home as a drowned rat. At least we scrapped the 100km monthly challenge in yesterday. Next weekend looks like it will be very busy on the roads around here - there is a RideIt sportive as well as at least 8 of the local (long) country lanes being resurfaced!

 

[Mo1959]

Well, weather wise it wasn't too bad. The wind eased to a breeze but it rained off and on. Worst problem is pain from the saddle again. No doubt increasing the miles has sparked it off. Spent more time wriggling about and standing up than pedaling so speed suffered a bit, not that I am too bothered about speed these days anyway, but I do like to be comfortable on my bike. I'll get one of the other saddles looked out. Even if it rubs a different bit it will be better I suppose

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Also, it was my fault the slime failed as i tried to top up the tyre with a co2 canister.

Just get some gatorskins and dump the slime. Nearly 5,000 miles and only two tube failures one a patch the other a pinch puncture so the tyre itself hasn't been breeched.

Well, weather wise it wasn't too bad. The wind eased to a breeze but it rained off and on. Worst problem is pain from the saddle again. No doubt increasing the miles has sparked it off. Spent more time wriggling about and standing up than pedalling so speed suffered a bit, not that I am too bothered about speed these days anyway, but I do like to be comfortable on my bike. I'll get one of the other saddles looked out. Even if it rubs a different bit it will be better I suppose

This really is what its about, if you are you will ride, and then it doesn't matter about speed distance its just nice.

A bit wet in Leicester as well this morning, but once you actually got going it wasn't that bad.

It never is Chris its just the thought of it that's off putting.

Well either I have found a new bunch of thigh muscles or the lack of riding over the winter is showing, though I dont understand why as never felt like this the the two weeks before I was in Hospital, though it is possible the change in the gearing has prompting a slightly different style of riding through the better cadence control the closer grouped ratios the cassette has, I have found I ride almost exclusively on the middle ring (42th) that gives me a range of 44-85 gear inches, and I really only need to change to the inner or outer ring when it is really needed.

Some nice rides everyone is doing,

 

[Nigelnaturist]

One nice inclusion Strava could do is a yearly best time, its a bit of a pain looking back to see if you have done your best this year, before strava changed the A.P.I.'s last year there was a link on veloviewer that gave a list by year, not found anything similier yet.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well bit peeved with that, newbie mistake if ever there was one, forgot to turn on the gps, I will have to dig out an old gps track of the same distance and route for strava, I might go do it again later and just double the distance for my data, it was meant to be a gentle ride to help easy my thighs some what, easy cadence low h.r. but really have no idea what I did other than high 70's and high 130's I guess.

Close as I can match it I think.
http://www.strava.com/activities/132987224
Taken from a file in Nov 2012 (which is why it shows the garmin 500), I might have to go to Hemsworth so I wont be able to do a repeat for H.R. and Cad. Speed is probably a little low though.

Edit
Not saying how you can do this, in case anyone is watching that wants to cheat on challenges ect... not that anyone would in here.

 

[Harv]

Where has the good weather gone. Was going to go out tonight but it's raining

Here's hoping for something decent later on this week.

 

[Mo1959]

Where has the good weather gone. Was going to go out tonight but it's raining

Here's hoping for something decent later on this week.

That little nice spell was just a tease I think. My ten day forecast is rain every day!

http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day...k&cm_cat=citypage&cm_ite=weather&cm_pla=10day

 

[themosquitoking]

Just get some gatorskins and dump the slime. Nearly 5,000 miles and only two tube failures one a patch the other a pinch puncture so the tyre itself hasn't been breeched.

They were gp400s but i expected the front one to go at some point as i put a bit of a hole in it when i stupidly followed a friends wife down a gravel track a couple of weeks ago. The slime held until i blew it out of place.

 

[stevey]

Still recovering from a chest infection.... bahhh.....

Glad your all getting the miles in though will join in soon (hopefully)

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@themosquitoking I still think slime is unnecessary, ask @Mo1959 what she rides on, I forget, I don't hear her having to many visits either.

 

[Mr_K_Dilkington]

First sub 20 minute lap of Richmond Park, beating my previous best by around a minute: http://www.strava.com/activities/133061830

Overall, I'm finding my cruising speed on the flat to have upped a lot - I find it pretty easy to maintain an average speed of 20mph+ on the flat now without having to expend large amounts of energy to do so. I can also maitain 25-26ph on the flat with a decent (but not insane effort) for shorter amounts of time (as you can see on the long flat section of the park before you get to the Sawyers Hill climb).

Upcoming goals - 3 laps in 60 minutes, a 100 mile ride (would be my first) and a decent time in my first time trial in a couple of weeks (it's a 10, and I'm hoping to do a 26 something, though this may be a little ambitious for my first time!).

 

[Nigelnaturist]

That little nice spell was just a tease I think. My ten day forecast is rain every day!

http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day...k&cm_cat=citypage&cm_ite=weather&cm_pla=10day

I wouldn't trust anything beyond two days and even the second one with a pinch of salt, when I worked on Skye i had to keep a close eye on the weather, and can to some degree read weather charts and forecast a little (but its only general is it going to be windy or not), its difficult at this time of year due to the position of the jet stream as its not settled into its summer position yet, the further this is north the more settled the weather will be as it brings in the warmer air from the continent, the further south it drags in weather from the Atlantic, usually wet and windy, what we need to do is encourage those butterflies in the Amazon to flap a little harder a few years in advance

 

[Nigelnaturist]

First sub 20 minute lap of Richmond Park, beating my previous best by around a minute: http://www.strava.com/activities/133061830

Overall, I'm finding my cruising speed on the flat to have upped a lot - I find it pretty easy to maintain an average speed of 20mph+ on the flat now without having to expend large amounts of energy to do so. I can also maitain 25-26ph on the flat with a decent (but not insane effort) for shorter amounts of time (as you can see on the long flat section of the park before you get to the Sawyers Hill climb).

Well done. The best I can seem to manage is about 18-19mph

 

[Mr_K_Dilkington]

Well done. The best I can seem to manage is about 18-19mph

Do you know what kind of cadence you are working to on fast flat sections? I found that spinning at a higher cadence (minimum of 90, very often higher), at maybe one cog below what I was pushing before had a big effect on my ability to sustain the higher speeds.