No way would I go fixie! I like a challenge but that would kill me
Team BKool CycleChat
- Thread starter Peteaud
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theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
I understand the appeal of a single speed bike, I've had one and they make you work for your progressI have a track bike / fixed gear that I used around London in my late teens / early twenties. I’m now 38. That frame is stripped down and hanging up. Everything has its time and place
. I don't however see the appeal of a non freewheel bike in traffic. I just don't get it 
And maybe now is the time and placeI have a track bike / fixed gear that I used around London in my late teens / early twenties. I’m now 38. That frame is stripped down and hanging up. Everything has its time and place
I was 42 when I had my single speed, and only regret was not getting it earlier. And my gear selection is rubbish 
Aleman
Knees are FUBAR but I don't like to mention it
- Location
- Blackpool UK
Kudos TBA bit like my weight loss. Proportionally 1kg makes less of an impact at my current weight than it would @100kg. I've lost >10% of my starting weight. However it's taken nearly 3yrs to get here. My next 10% of my original weight I am hoping to get done by the end of September. That would put me with <10%, of my original weight, of being @ or < 100kg. It's a target I may not get to but I am going to try very hard.
I'm trying to loose weight myself and I know how difficult it can be, I just love rubbish food I'm lucky I guess, I've always been a skinny runt, and able to eat what I wanted (all the men on my dads side are 6 foot plus and bean poles, my son is the same, me I'm only 5'8"
). At my fittest I was 53Kg, but I was rowing for the Uni and running marathons (Sub 3 Hours). That didn't really change until I hit my 30's when I gradually put some weight on, Boy did I notice climbing in the alps carrying an extra stone, but with a young family couldn't find the time to do anything about it. Suffice it to say I was 79Kg 2 and a half years ago when I took up cycling again (a 20 year gap!). I know I'll never be down at my stripped weight ever again, and a good thing too, but I've lost 17% of my original body mass and I'm at 65Kg, and for the last 9-12 months I've not lost anything significant. I will get down to my target weight of 62Kg, but I can accept that it's going to take time. I had a Bodytrax assessment this week, which was quite good news, I'm carrying 10.5Kg of fat, apparently, which is 16% of my body weight, and trying to get a fat percentage below 15% is difficult for anyone, unless you are an elite athlete.I have promised myself that when I hit 62Kg and stay below it for 3 months I'm getting a new, probably carbon, bike, it's motivation of a sort. I'm really hoping that my Mallorcan Training Camp in May will make a big difference, although I've hired a Carbon Di2 bike for the 11 Days, so I may be treating myself well before hitting the target
Whereabouts are you in Mallorca?I have promised myself that when I hit 62Kg and stay below it for 3 months I'm getting a new, probably carbon, bike, it's motivation of a sort. I'm really hoping that my Mallorcan Training Camp in May will make a big difference, although I've hired a Carbon Di2 bike for the 11 Days, so I may be treating myself well before hitting the target
I'm there for the first week in May, based in Porto Pollensa.
Mallorca really does have some great varied terrain to ride.
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
I understand the appeal of a single speed bike, I've had one and they make you work for your progress
It might be an acquired taste TB. But after a fairly short period of time it starts to feel very natural. Braking is different but it’s still braking. It kind of teaches you how to judge traffic flow and braking distances in a way normal braking doesn’t too. The thing that puts me off now every time I get a little nostalgic. It’s having a single gear ratio that puts me off and that’s why it’s a ‘young mans game’ really. There’s just no need to batter your knees like that.
I'm same height as you but 83 kg and this is lightest I've been in over 20 years! My target is 75 kg.... This is nigh on impossible so goodness knows how I'd get anywhere near 65 kg. No wonder you climb better than meKudos TB
I'm lucky I guess, I've always been a skinny runt, and able to eat what I wanted (all the men on my dads side are 6 foot plus and bean poles, my son is the same, me I'm only 5'8"
I have promised myself that when I hit 62Kg and stay below it for 3 months I'm getting a new, probably carbon, bike, it's motivation of a sort. I'm really hoping that my Mallorcan Training Camp in May will make a big difference, although I've hired a Carbon Di2 bike for the 11 Days, so I may be treating myself well before hitting the target
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Aleman
Knees are FUBAR but I don't like to mention it
- Location
- Blackpool UK
We get there on May 5th Puerto Pollensa (Fergus Style Pollensa Park), Have the Big Daddy Ride from Andraxt to PP (Via the Ports) booked for the Monday, and Valdemossa To PP via Col De Soller and Orient Valley on the Wednesday.
I'll probably do a leg stretch Bike Shakedown on the Sat afternoon out to Formentor.
I'm considering doing the Tres Monasterios ride as well, but that would be three big rides with lots of climbing in the 11 days, not sure I'm up for it considering we'll be throwing in plenty of 50-65mile rides as well.
Aleman
Knees are FUBAR but I don't like to mention it
- Location
- Blackpool UK
My grandfather was riding his (Single Speed not fixie) at 83, from South Wales to North London, then to Liverpool, up to Heysham and over to the Isle Of Man before returning to Liverpool and back to South Wales. ... Took him about 3 weeks, but was the only way he could get to see his daughters and us grandkids.
Eventually, they had to take his bike off him
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
Kudos TB
I'm lucky I guess, I've always been a skinny runt, and able to eat what I wanted (all the men on my dads side are 6 foot plus and bean poles, my son is the same, me I'm only 5'8"
I have promised myself that when I hit 62Kg and stay below it for 3 months I'm getting a new, probably carbon, bike, it's motivation of a sort. I'm really hoping that my Mallorcan Training Camp in May will make a big difference, although I've hired a Carbon Di2 bike for the 11 Days, so I may be treating myself well before hitting the target
'kin' lightweights 
. Only jealous 
I'm 5 11 and a bit. I started work with a 36 waist. Over the next 5 or so years that went down to a 34/32 dependant to the trousers. I then changed to the company I now work for. Initially I was in a physical dept working 10-12hr days. So my weight dropped and my normal waist became a 32.
I then changed dept's. Since then it's been an upward trajectory of ever increasing waist sizes. Culminating in my soon to be max of 48
. Over the last 3 yrs I have gradually lost a little weight continually. There have been ups and downs, but more downs than ups. I am also changing shape. I have not apparently lost much off my waist, but my legs and arms have shrunk and I've moved almost 3 notches smaller on my watch strap
. Most of my clothes are now getting to the stage where they will need to be replaced because the are tooooo big 
, starting with the trousers.The big thing, I think, is getting into a habit of doing stuff a certain way or making the time to do cetain stuff. I used to watch a lot of TV series that were not available in the uk by getting them by other means. There's a lot of good stuff out there and quite a bit is not english language, but is available subtitled. Since I've been doing the bkool thing the time devoted to that has shrunk to less than 2 hr's a night, from 4-8. I'm now find it impossible to keep current on half the shows I watched or to discover new shows to add to the list. This is a good thing.
I now feel unhappy when forced not to use the bike, I can happily take a day off of the bike at any time, but time off due to illness or injury grates
. I also mostly do 1 1/2 to 2 hrs a time when doing a session in bkool or BRVR or a combination of both. 8-12 hrs a week of non work related exercise is more than I've done ever.I just need to keep on this route to keep seeing improvements.
We're there from April 29 to May 6, so doubt we'l get a chance to meet up. I'm hiring a bike and it's due back on May 5.
Was there last year as well and some of our group did the Andratx - PP ride and enjoyed it. Are you taking the coach out to Andratx from PP?
Col de Soller and Orient are also good rides. Climb up to Lluc and Sa Calobra also good!
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
Never keep a grand parent from the grand kids DAMHIK.My grandfather was riding his (Single Speed not fixie) at 83, from South Wales to North London, then to Liverpool, up to Heysham and over to the Isle Of Man before returning to Liverpool and back to South Wales. ... Took him about 3 weeks, but was the only way he could get to see his daughters and us grandkids.
Eventually, they had to take his bike off him
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
My grandfather was riding his (Single Speed not fixie) at 83, from South Wales to North London, then to Liverpool, up to Heysham and over to the Isle Of Man before returning to Liverpool and back to South Wales. ... Took him about 3 weeks, but was the only way he could get to see his daughters and us grandkids.
Eventually, they had to take his bike off him
There is a beautifully written piece by Paul fournel, in his book Velo, about his father and how his bike came to leave him.
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
My grandfather was riding his (Single Speed not fixie) at 83, from South Wales to North London, then to Liverpool, up to Heysham and over to the Isle Of Man before returning to Liverpool and back to South Wales. ... Took him about 3 weeks, but was the only way he could get to see his daughters and us grandkids.
Eventually, they had to take his bike off him
Crikey. Lucky we have the choice to use gears now. My knees are creaking just thinking about it... Rail cards come in handy too!
My bestest mate has just bought a villa today in Porto Pollensa.....plenty of good cheap cycling breaks to come me thinks!
