Cycling Challenge - January 2015 Biking Bike Bicycle

PaulHalicki

As Per Our Fearless Leader, CricketKate:

Welcome to our January Cycling Thread. If you are new to posting on this thread, or if you are new to cycling, We welcome you! If you are returning from a previous thread, We welcome you, too.

This thread is for anyone who rides a bike. Do you bike to work? Do you pull your children to the park? So you ride weekends? Do you spin, at home or the gym? Or, are you just starting out and remembering how much fun you had biking when you were a kid? However you choose to push your pedal, you are welcome on this thread.

I am a fairly casual person and, as such, have created a fairly casual thread. There are no rules to how or what you post. My only request is that you be kind. You may post miles, minutes, # of rides, what the scenery looks like, anything. Whatever will motivate you to get on your bike.

Please know that everyone who posts is welcome and encouraged, whether you’re riding a 100 miler on the weekend or just riding around the neighborhood.

....and now from me...

I'm returning to MFP after enjoying my holidays too much. I returned in the fall but it didn't stick and I just decided to come back January 1, so here I am. -Paul

Ohhim

Dropping to 250 as I'm racing a marathon mid-month, then off to Utah for movies & skiing (Sundance) at the end of the month.

rlmllem

Thanks for starting the thread. Did 8.6 miles on the stationary bike at the gym today. Looking forward to spring to get back to riding outside consistently.

SingingSingleTracker

January 1 - rode 8.3 miles for a duration of 1:05:00 (mountain biking)

January Totals: 8.3 miles - 1:05:00 hours

Noobette

Great idea! I'm starting training for my first sportive so I'm really glad to find this!!

meritage4

I'm in. I have my road bike downstairs and am going to set it up on wind trainer today.

CricketKate

Thank you for starting a new thread.

CricketKate

For anyone wondering who CricketKate is and why she never posts: I started this monthly cycling thread back in 2012. Last summer, I got cancer and I haven't been on my bike since. I just wanted to say that, when my health is back and the snow is gone, I will be back to pushing pedals. In the meantime, know that I'm here, in the back ground, cheering you on.

PaulHalicki

We'll be here for you, Kate!

I did my first ride of the year today. My wife informed that she *preferred* that I didn't ride, what with the sleet this morning and the ice in the trees. By the afternoon I couldn't stand it anymore; it had warmed up (to almost 40*) and the rain had stopped.

So I got out on the bike and put in 10 miles. The rain held off but it was so misty it might have well been raining. And by the time I got home the temperature was almost back to freezing. I finished the ride chilled but happy.

01/01 - 10 miles

Total: 10 miles



Then after I got home I took the dog for a 2 mile walk. Finally I could warm up after that.

ddmom0811

CricketKate wrote: »

For anyone wondering who CricketKate is and why she never posts: I started this monthly cycling thread back in 2012. Last summer, I got cancer and I haven't been on my bike since. I just wanted to say that, when my health is back and the snow is gone, I will be back to pushing pedals. In the meantime, know that I'm here, in the back ground, cheering you on.

Can't wait to see you posting here!

sajeffe

I'm in, but not with any specific goals since I don't like riding indoors and am chronically ill so I don't ride in the cold weather. I'm hanging right at my goal weight so I'm good with only going a few miles this month again.

emblu

Hello My road bike has been stuck in the cellar for the last few months; work, weather and a whole host of other excuses have managed to wipe out the whole reason I bought it: the sheer joy of cycling
Hopefully the wind shall die down at some point so I can get back at it and enjoy the scenery and hills again

usccyclist

Hi all, I have been a fairly fit cyclist I'm the recent past. Now I am trying to just stay on the bike with no real big goals. Ride for fun and help stay fit.

SingingSingleTracker

January 1 - rode 8.3 miles for a duration of 1:05:00 (mountain biking)
January 2 - rode 17.3 miles for a duration of 1:49:32 (singlespeeding)



January Totals: 25.6 miles - 2:54:32 hours

coxfamilytexas

I am new to the exercise bike, and new to mfp. I broke both feet and this is the only cardio exercise I can do in walking casts. Does anyone have any suggestions for easing the rear end ache? Lol I am a little sore. I know my 300+ lbs doesn't help, but I have to start somewhere

PaulHalicki

Are you riding a stationary bike with a seat, cox?

SingingSingleTracker

January 1 - rode 8.3 miles for a duration of 1:05:00 (mountain biking)
January 2 - rode 17.3 miles for a duration of 1:49:32 (singlespeeding)
Jnauary 3 - rode 31.2 miles for a duration of 2:24:56 (foundation road miles)

January Totals: 56.8 miles - 5:19:28 hours

meritage4

rode for 20 minutes on my indoor trainer yesterday.
LOL I realized that my cycling shoes-with clips- are at least a size too big- and I've had them (and used them) for about 12 years. There is room for my thumb to push down -the full width of my thumb-in front of my big toe. I use these shoes both on mountain bike and road bike. Guess I'll be watching for a sale on smaller ones.

ClareB13

Hi all,

I got into cycling last January when some colleagues and I decided to enter a team sprint triathlon in May.

I thought I might lose interest when the event was over but I'm now well and truly hooked.

I was so pleased to manage to clock up 1000 miles in 2014 and I'm aiming to do at least that if not more this year.

My brother and I are planning to do a two day coast to coast across England in July so I need to put in some serious training before then. He goes out on 80 mile club runs every Sunday so I've got a lot of work to do. My biggest enemy is hills and I know I really need to shift some weight to help with that.

I joined MFP in 2012 and lost 5 stone over a period of 19 months. Since then I've really let myself get back into bad habits and have put 3 stone back on. Anyway I'm back here logging again and determined to stick with it!

Went out for the first ride of the year this morning with my Dad. Just a leisurely one but taking advantage of a sunny, relatively windless day.

January total so far: 11 miles

bjfeigs

Just retired the first of November (very sedentary job, mostly) and am now able to rehab by left foot from an injury last spring in order to get back in shape. Bought a Nautilus R616 stationary recumbent bike and put the first 5.3 miles on it Saturday. I plan to use the bike 20-30 minutes each day, except weekends, so January will be a great start-up month for me... low and slow. It's nice to have these posts for encouragement.

cowbellsandcoffee

In for 350 this month.

1/4 - 19 miles

Total - 19

Remaining - 331

Sarah_Cycles

Sign me up. 1/1/15 40 miles @ 13 mph. Good start for 2015.

PaulHalicki

01/01 - 10 miles
01/04 - 28 miles

Total: 38 miles

Did my usual Sunday night pub crawl. About 20 of us braved the chilly temps.

My fixed gear bike (with the white handlebars) at the first stop


Heading over the 7th Street bridge into downtown


Verification of the chilly temps. (I'm not in the pic because I took it)

jayclock

I do tons of cycling, but my advice to new people is to do little and often. Will avoid you hurting your *kitten*! Build up slowly

meritage4

Jan 4 30 minutes on wind trainer

timberline

I have been road cycling for about 5 years now and I love it. In September I completed a race called LOTOJA it was my first double century. It was painful and miserable but I loved it. Some of you will relate to that comment. As much as I love to ride, it makes me want to eat like no other activity does. I finished LOTOJA on September 6 and I've been eating everything except the couch since then. I gained 30 pounds in 4 months!! My goal now is to lose that 30 and an additional 25 by the end of May before doing 3 months of heavy training on my bike. I should have about 4000 miles in by September and I don't want to waste the effort by gaining it back again at the end of the year.

PaulHalicki

It's kind of funny... I don't race and I don't do endurance rides. If I had to pick one, it would probably be endurance. Mostly I ride for enjoyment. I'd rather ride 30 miles on three consecutive days than ride a century all in one day. For me anyway, the key is in moderation... everything in moderation. So if I decide I don't feel like riding on a given day, I don't.

Also, to change things up I have several bicycles. Most of my miles are on my fixed gear bike, but I also have a two speed (kickback hub), and old English three speed, and a couple touring bikes (one pretty modern and tailored for bicycle commuting - pictured in my Jan 1 post, the other more of a throwback). So riding different bikes as the mood suits me also helps keep things fresh.

My wife barely rides, but she'll ride with me once in a while; we usually make it a "bike date" and either ride to a restaurant from our home, or carry the bikes on the car closer to some other area we want to explore a bit. If my wife isn't with me, though, I do almost all my rides from my house.

amcook4

My goal is to ride for 3x/wk and a to have over 100 miles. I'm still very new at this, and still obese, so I don't want to push it too much. I live in snowy Wisconsin and hate the cold, so I'm on the trainer until the snow melts.

Week 1 - Short week

• (2 rides in Dec during this wk, total 11.52 miles)
• January 3 - 5.02 miles

Running total miles for January - 5.02/100 miles = 5%

PaulHalicki

Good start! I admire those who live up north and manage to get miles in (even if it's on a trainer).

dehoyos5

What a great thread! I started cycling in May of 2013. It was pretty sporadic but I finished a 25 mile bike tour. In 2014 I did the same tour and had cut over an hour off my previous time. In November I took a tumble off a borrowed road bike in Florida (I'm from NYC). I literally mean a tumble. I wasn't going fast - just pacing as my husband ran alongside me training. I tore ligaments in my wrist! Tomorrow I'll start with indoor cycling on our Kickr trainer. I'm so passionate about this and not many around me understand the love besides my hubby, who is an avid triathlete. Lets get it! I'll post tomorrow after my first training session. I look forward to spring - or even a warmer Winter day!

PaulHalicki

When I started riding in 2008 I took one of those tumbles. Amazing how much damage you can do in a low-speed crash.