Show us your.......newbie progress!

[SpokeyDokey]

https://www.strava.com/activities/343494136
Fancied being adventurous, never been in 'proper' single track roads before but at this time in the morning it was almost empty, just two cars and a passing tractor.


I'm also a bit of a glutton for long distance walking, riding to places that I've previously 'walked' changes the perception of the whole area. In the distance is Wirksworth, Derbyshire one of my favourite places because I love walking the area for those that know it Black Rocks is just off picture to the right, the quarry in the middle is in Middleton-by-wirksworth/Middleton top and whilst heavily fenced off if one is persistent enough it's accessible and I've gotten some fantastic pictures from being in there in the past, it's been disused for the past twenty odd years and the way nature reclaims a place like that is breath-taking.

30 miles for the view is a good mornings job before breakfast.

Nice!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

30.1 miles / 14.4 mph av' / 1683' ascent

About as flat a route as I can find for this distance around here.

Very lovely it was too - bit of a (warm) wind blowing hard in places.

Profile thingy from RWGPS:

 

[digit]

cleats .... hhmmm. near enough recovered from my last off (knee still stiffens and lump still there) Anyway, decided to get some SPD's as my foot position
on the pedals keeps moving. First trip out went fine until I hear a tractor approaching from the village, I know I can get round the corner to the field gate and pull in ...
no, tractor the width of road beats me to it, pull in to hedge, lean, lean, oh shiiii, left foot finally clears with me near enough horizontal but clear of tractor.

Nettle stings, bramble scrapes .... wife wouldn't expect me back without something gone wrong

Cheers
digit

 

[Nomadski]

Since my bike fit got me back on the cleats I've never looked back, been doing times I never thought I could do on well worn routes. If people bought the quick release cleats by Shimano, instead of putting on the stock cleats that come with the shoes, they would never have a fall (unless they completely forgot to move their leg while falling!).

Some are very happy on flats so it's all good.

I had the old mountain bike pinned pedals after my silly saddle adjustment left my knee very sore, and tbh I did more damage to my shins carrying the bike upstairs than I can ever imagine falling due to clipless moments!


I did a little pootle up to town and back via Richmond Park today. Despite being stuck almost constantly behind packed saturday traffic (and the congestion causing masses of taxis and buses!) there was one car that I didn't mind seeing...

https://app.strava.com/activities/343788905

 

[sutts]

Since my bike fit got me back on the cleats I've never looked back, been doing times I never thought I could do on well worn routes. If people bought the quick release cleats by Shimano, instead of putting on the stock cleats that come with the shoes, they would never have a fall (unless they completely forgot to move their leg while falling!).

I don't know mate. I was at the crossroads today, where I had my little incident yesterday. I was behind another cyclist and he did exactly as I did, he de-clipped his left foot, stopped, made sure it was all clear and then turned right. If he had to emergency stop within a second as I did (as a car was also turning right, opposite and towards me) as he turned right (with the bike now leaning to the right) he would have no chance to de-clip. Each to their own, they are good for some people, but I now think they are potentially dangerous.

I suppose the answer is, to de-clip the foot in the direction that you wish to turn...that would be safer, but that's not what I did!

 

[Stonechat]

I don't know mate. I was at the crossroads today, where I had my little incident yesterday. I was behind another cyclist and he did exactly as I did, he de-clipped his left foot, stopped, made sure it was all clear and then turned right. If he had to emergency stop within a second as I did (as a car was also turning right, opposite and towards me) as he turned right (with the bike now leaning to the right) he would have no chance to de-clip. Each to their own, they are good for some people, but I now think they are potentially dangerous.

I suppose the answer is, to de-clip the foot in the direction that you wish to turn...that would be safer, but that's not what I did!

I nearly always unclip the right foot no matter what.. Just if filtering through on the left it is easier if narrow to have left foot unclipped.

The only time I nearly had a clipless moment lately was when standing outside the house, slight lack og balance when astride the bike with one foot clipped in.
Grabbed the fence and was thus ok.
At least noone saw my weird goings on

 

[Tankengine]

decided to ride back to my folks after work. It's a distance I've done before plenty of times and I figured I'd take a scenic route round to put it around 50 miles with a few small ups and downs.

vastly underestimated doing that after a day of work in 25 degrees heat and AM commute. tempted a few times to jump on a train or call and ask for a lift but made it in the end...!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

decided to ride back to my folks after work. It's a distance I've done before plenty of times and I figured I'd take a scenic route round to put it around 50 miles with a few small ups and downs.

vastly underestimated doing that after a day of work in 25 degrees heat and AM commute. tempted a few times to jump on a train or call and ask for a lift but made it in the end...!

A long way even without the working day - well done you.

 

[Nomadski]

I don't know mate. I was at the crossroads today, where I had my little incident yesterday. I was behind another cyclist and he did exactly as I did, he de-clipped his left foot, stopped, made sure it was all clear and then turned right. If he had to emergency stop within a second as I did (as a car was also turning right, opposite and towards me) as he turned right (with the bike now leaning to the right) he would have no chance to de-clip. Each to their own, they are good for some people, but I now think they are potentially dangerous.

I suppose the answer is, to de-clip the foot in the direction that you wish to turn...that would be safer, but that's not what I did!

Like I said, multi release cleats are the answer. It really doesnt matter if your prepared for a stop or not, a panic stricken pull of the leg will release the foot from the pedal and you will have foot on terra firma just as quick as with flat pedals.

I've had moments of sudden panic, but I've never ended up in a ditch, on the floor, or any other awkward / painful / embarrassing situations because I use these - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...Y_eqTarAQBRHdZk_6qZ7IaAthr8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm not trying to change your mind, or suggest you have to use clipless pedals, but every single time I've heard of an incident or seen with my own eyes (as happened with a friend on the London To Brighton ride twice) a fall with foot stuck in pedal, I just shake my head and mutter "SH56".

If you fall with these cleats, you would have fallen with flat pedals.

@Stonechat - I think when learning to unclip, its always best to brain train the left foot to unclip, for the reason you gave, when filtering with traffic, you want your left foot free where the pavement is, as opposed to the right foot where vehicle wheels are! Also your left pedal is clear of the footpath.

Unfortunately I naturally unclip right (like you) and find it far more difficult in balance to have left foot out. Just the way I have learned and brain trained myself, and its wrong.

 

[sutts]

Like I said, multi release cleats are the answer. It really doesnt matter if your prepared for a stop or not, a panic stricken pull of the leg will release the foot from the pedal and you will have foot on terra firma just as quick as with flat pedals.

I've had moments of sudden panic, but I've never ended up in a ditch, on the floor, or any other awkward / painful / embarrassing situations because I use these - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...Y_eqTarAQBRHdZk_6qZ7IaAthr8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm not trying to change your mind, or suggest you have to use clipless pedals, but every single time I've heard of an incident or seen with my own eyes (as happened with a friend on the London To Brighton ride twice) a fall with foot stuck in pedal, I just shake my head and mutter "SH56".

If you fall with these cleats, you would have fallen with flat pedals.

Thanks. If I told you I was using those, would you believe me? I don't think any cleat can be safe in an 'emergency stop' situation when the person is taking a turn and the bike is beginning to lean in that direction. You might well be right, I might well have hit the deck without cleats on...but we are talking 1/10ths of a second here and I feel confident my foot would have been on the floor on that occasion.

I'm not knocking them, not at all, but I have thought about this over the last couple of days and I can't actually see any advantage in them 'for me' anyway. I am not that interested in speed (and I am equally not sure that they gave me much more) and whilst there might be a slight advantage in hill climbing, it's not really an issue for me, the highest hill in Norfolk is mounting the pavement!

Appreciate the reply and equally, I am not trying to knock those who do wear them, or change their mind.

 

[Stonechat]

Club run to Arborfield today.
Outward leg was against the wind from which we were thankfully mostly shielded.
Stopped at garden centre in Arborfield for coffee etc.
Pace picked up a bit on return
Nice ride
50.86 miles @ 16.4 mph
1417 feet climbed it didn't feel like that not too hilly

https://www.strava.com/activities/344410482

 

[Effyb4]

I went on our 'easy' club ride today. It was unusual in that it was all women. We got slightly lost on the way to the café stop, so I took over navigation on the way home. Luckily we got home without incident. It was a slightly lower speed because one of us was on a hybrid, but it was a good ride with good company. My garmin decided to turn itself off a mile from home, so it was really about 47 miles at an average of 12.1 miles an hour.

https://www.strava.com/activities/344476835

 

[Leescfc79]

No great shakes on the mileage front but went to Hadleigh Park today which was the MTB course used for the Olympics which is now open to the public.

It was by far the most technically challanging thing I've ever done and I didn't go anywhere near the 'black' graded areas but really good fun.

Anyone in the South East who enjoys a bit of off road I'd highly recommend

Its only 15 minutes from me so will try to make good use of it.

 

[Eribiste]

I took myself off for a tootle over the Malvern Hills to try out part of the route that I'll be doing on the Aviva Tour Ride from Worcester in October. There's hilly bits there where you have to pedal a bit. Church Street in the middle of the town is a bit steep, but mercifully short. The climb up and over the Wyche Cutting is easy but goes on a bit, followed by a compulsory stop at the tea bar at British Camp Then there's the descent down to Welland, an absolute hoot! The ride was topped off with finally beating my previous best on Baker's Hill, a cheeky little Strava segment on my regular commute, jolly satisfying.

www.strava.com/activities/344565568

 

[SpokeyDokey]

No progress so far today - still raining and it has been on the go since the early hours.