Cycling Challenge - January 2015 Biking Bike Bicycle

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  • Sarah_Cycles
    Sarah_Cycles Posts: 25 Member
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    Sign me up. 1/1/15 40 miles @ 13 mph. Good start for 2015.
  • PaulHalicki
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    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
    IMG_7840.jpg

    Heading over the 7th Street bridge into downtown
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    Verification of the chilly temps. (I'm not in the pic because I took it)
    IMG_7878.jpg
  • jayclock
    jayclock Posts: 51 Member
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    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
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    Jan 4 30 minutes on wind trainer
  • timberline
    timberline Posts: 2 Member
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    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
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    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
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
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    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
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    Good start! I admire those who live up north and manage to get miles in (even if it's on a trainer).
  • dehoyos5
    dehoyos5 Posts: 1
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    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
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    When I started riding in 2008 I took one of those tumbles. Amazing how much damage you can do in a low-speed crash.
  • TheBattleAxe
    TheBattleAxe Posts: 54 Member
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    Hey can I join? Promised myself to put in some time on the bike, usually run as it's easier, just put on trainers and go. But using the bike I'm faced with hills which ever direction I head in, which can put me off. More the coming down than the going up as I had a scare last year I thought I was going to crash, which shook me up a bit. Got to get over it. Went out last week and did 6-7 miles (very slow down the hill) really enjoyed it. Aim to get out couple of times a week when the evenings get a bit lighter.
  • knitwithpurpose
    knitwithpurpose Posts: 20 Member
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    What a great thread and how wonderful that its not full of semi-pro hammer heads. I've been cycling for almost 10 years, but started slacking off a couple years ago and now only get on the bike once a month for my lady's ride. I've decided that 2015 is my year to get back into cycling shape. I need to lose around 13 lbs which I know doesn't sound like much but when you are over 50, female and have a sedentary job with long hours it suddenly becomes a hard task. I've kicked off my get-back-into-shape program by riding my bike on the fluid trainer I bought as a christmas present. I'm going to start off with 30 minute sessions and will work on my cadence and aerobic threshold. My goal is to ride 5000 miles this year, counting both indoor and outdoor miles. I've had this goal before and have never attended it, so hopefully 2015 is the year!
  • Wooken3
    Wooken3 Posts: 635 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Hello All! I’m so glad I found this thread as I really enjoy the motivation and interaction from a previous MFP biking group that was disbanded.

    2124.gifRight now my bike is in the shop as I finished out the year with a major crash and burn. I tried to fit the open rear baskets between a fire hydrant and low bush resulting in injury to both of us. But the bike is repairable and I’m all but healed so it's time to get back in the saddle and ride!!

    bike3.gifSince I enjoy biking and am able to bike to most of my shopping, appointments, church functions, etc., I log ~200 miles a month without even thinking of it as “exercise.”

  • cowbellsandcoffee
    cowbellsandcoffee Posts: 2,975 Member
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    In for 350 this month.

    1/4 - 19 miles
    1/5 - 20

    Total - 39

    Remaining - 311
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
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    My goal is to ride minimum 3x/wk and to log over 100 miles. (newbie here)

    Week 1 - Short week
    • (2 rides in Dec during this wk, total 11.52 miles)
    • January 3 - 5.02 miles

    Week 2
    • January 5 - 9.02 miles

    Running total miles for January - 14.04/100 miles = 14%
  • Ohhim
    Ohhim Posts: 1,142 Member
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    Back up north in the freezing cold, so hit up an expresso at my old gym today as I didn't have warm enough clothing to brave the single-digit outdoor temperatures. Surprised that my power/wattage numbers hadn't improved (vs. heart rate) from a few months back despite putting in about 2000 miles oveer the last 4 months. May snag a power meter, and some workout videos once I wrap up my marathon next weekend.

    1/3 - 19 miles
    1/5 - 10 miles

    Total: 29 miles
    Goal: 200 miles
  • PaulHalicki
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
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    01/01 - 10 miles
    01/04 - 28 miles
    01/05 - 16 miles

    Total: 54 miles

    IMG_7915.jpg

    Another chilly ride. Tonight was the third ride of the year, and on my third different bike. Tonight's ride was my 1983 Raleigh Super Course.

    Tonight was dry, just a little chilly, maybe a bit warmer than last night, but quite a bit windier.
  • knitwithpurpose
    knitwithpurpose Posts: 20 Member
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    You folks are putting me to shame! I'm in southern CA and I'm riding indoors and people in much cooler climates are outdoors. Of course me biggest issue is lack of time and daylight.

    My goal for this month is 170 miles.
  • wobblybots
    wobblybots Posts: 52 Member
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    Can i join? I'm just getting back on the bike after a back issue and really looking forward to getting km's (I'm European!! :D ) under the belt.

    I'm running as well so will probably only do 2 bike rides a week.

    4th Jan - 22km
  • PaulHalicki
    PaulHalicki Posts: 576 Member
    edited January 2015
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    knitwithpurpose wrote: »
    You folks are putting me to shame! I'm in southern CA and I'm riding indoors and people in much cooler climates are outdoors. Of course me biggest issue is lack of time and daylight.

    My goal for this month is 170 miles.

    Don't worry, we don't expect much out of Californians ;)

    Clothing is a tough part. If you notice in the pic above, I'm wearing jeans. Yeah, dorky, but effective. On top I've got four layers (which was actually one layer too many)- a t-shirt, a long sleeve tee, a Merino wool sweater, and a windbreaker. I have cycling gloves, but I also have a pair of wool mittens that are surprisingly effective, even in the wind. I do have a balaclava for my head, but I don't need it until the temp gets to about 40*F. When I started riding several years ago, though, I made due with street clothes.

    Light? For me, I actually prefer to ride at night. If you look around you can get a good headlight for $50-100 and decent tail light for $25-50. The benefits of riding at night include lighter traffic (maybe not so much if you're in a major city) and, from a distance, if you have good lights you know that cars are going to see you from a long way off, perhaps even better than in daylight.

    But if you want to ride indoors, more power to you, I guess. :smiling_imp:

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