MFP Cycling Club
Replies
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Wow what a ruff week. Between Clare's bee attack and Barbie's hose accident, I am just shocked. I hope that all of you will heal quickly. I will be praying for your quick return. And for everyone out there cycling in our group, to remain safe in our travels.
Nice look Panda.
Thanks- looks like you started a trend, gwynh!0 -
BarbieCat, were you wearing gloves?
I know a lot of street riders who don't wear gloves, I always do, three reasons, the extra padding helps with hand fatigue, two, when or hopefully IF you crash, often you land on your hands, and they take a beating, and thirdly, on a street bike without fenders, if you are riding and your ride through glass (happens more than you may think) you can reach down and lightly touch the tire with your glove and knock off any glass.
Now that last one, is not something you will be seeing me do anytime soon, for one, my bike has fenders, and if I do run through glass, I'll be stopping to check my tires thank you
If you are riding in a large roadie group, like 70 riders, often it is just about impossible to stop, if you are in the middle of the group, so you would reach down and brush the glass off your tires..... no really we did this...... and it worked, no flats. Back then, the road tires did not have Kevlar in them and "sew up" or "tubs" while very light and fast were also fragile, I ran clinchers thank you.
Running over a regular garden hose is often no big deal, as it is fairly soft, but the kind of hose you are talking about, is usually very hard, and covered in muck at an angle without warning, yeah, I can see how that would put you on the ground in the blink of an eye. Again, thank goodness for the EMT fellow.
I had one really bad crash, off road, on the way to work one morning, there was this service road that everyone used instead of riding in traffic at the university, it was a regular dirt road, that was about 4 Km/2.5 miles long. I used this road every morning at the entrance of the road there were two steel posts and I guess at some time there had been a chain or rope across the entrance, but in the year and a half I'd been using the road I'd never seen any rope or chain etc on the posts, even lying on the ground. One morning in the winter, in the rain, I was going along on the regular road, and came up to this dirt road entrance, it was early and still somewhat dark, and raining, I was bombing along at my usual pace, the next thing I know I wake up in the hospital........
Some bozo Parks Board worker had taken it upon them selves to put a cable, yes a quarter inch cable across the entrance between the two posts. No flag on the cable, no waring sign, no nothing. I did not see it, not even sort of.
I had two busted ribs and a busted arm, I was picking dirt out of my hip and thigh for a month, each time I took a shower you could hear the tiny rocks hitting the bath tub. I was very lucky, but I was also prepared, I had on a good helmet that saved my life, for sure, I had on good cycling clothes for off road, these had pads in the elbows and knees, not much, but sure saved some road rash. I was also lucky because just down the road, in sight of the entrance to the dirt road was a favorite spot for the Mounties to set up a speed trap. The cops saw it happen, he was great, he came to the hospital and talked to me and let me know they were pursuing criminal charges against the Parks Board worker. My bike was wrecked, luckily it was not a good bike, but the case took a year until I got any money out of them, so I had to replace all my gear out of my own pocket. I ended up buying a really nice Cannondale Crit bike with the settlement
I kept my crushed helmet for years to show people who did not thing helmets were needed, the thing was in three pieces and was all smushed at the front and had blood on it too, I left that on to really drive home the point.
BarbieCat I hope you get well soon and have success going after this clod, imagine if it was little kid without a helmet, could be even worse outcome.
Some people just don't think!
Get better soon!0 -
I went to my chiropractor today, it is about a 9Km/5.5 mile ride, I was a bit late, so I was going at a fair pace, I was pleased to see the pace was 20.6 Km/h or 12.8 mph, not bad for city riding I think
When I went to go home I thought I should take the long way home
I ended up doing a total of 25.2 Km/15.6 miles and it is HOT, SUNNY and HUMID out there.......
At least here in Tokyo there is a vending machine on just about every corner, COLD water is so nice, I think I drank about 3 litres.
Total of 1 hour and 20 minutes, average speed was 19.1 which is 11.86 Mph, I know the clip in shoes/pedals sure helped!
Need to eat a banana, good for sore muscles, I still have my regular delivers etc to do, and my wife wants me to run into town to pay something at the bank.... More miles! 0 -
Hi guys, Julie from far off Australia here.
Helmets are compulsory here, I'm glad to say. Funny the arguments about not needing them when riding off-road. I knew a young boy who fell off his bike in the school yard, straight on to his head. In a coma for 6 mths, but survived because of his helmet.
I'm a dedicated roadie (although there are 11 bikes in my family of 3), so clipless pedals are the way to go for me. Although I have double sided ones (Crank Bros) because when I first used clipless I had a whole lot of difficulty clipping in. Actually, I found them much easier to get out of than toe clips (sideways action instead of pulling back).
Well, there was not much cycling for me last week because I've been sick: only 30 kms on Monday and 45 on Saturday. The weather here is horrible so no cycling yest, will have to see what it is like tomorrow. I will not ride in the rain because of safety and because it takes too long to clean the bike!
Hope those of you who are recovering from unexpected horizontal experiences recover quickly. I always say it is not the falling that does the damage, it is the quick stopping (in contact with the ground) that hurts.
GG0 -
Hi Julie!
Hope you get better soon and the weather turns for you!0 -
I only added another 9 Km to the total doing my regular deliveries, but I was pulling a trailer full of beer etc, so I hope that counts for something :bigsmile:
I am going to sleep well tonight!:happy:0 -
Found a nice 4 foot rattle snake fresh road kill. not damaged much at all. He will skin nicely for show and tell. Bummer part is... the killer got out of his car and cut off its rattles. :grumble: Oh well. .\
My 25 mile ride today was long and I wanted to be done at the 1/2 way point, but couldn't. :yawn:
Welcome Julie.0 -
Found a nice 4 foot rattle snake fresh road kill. not damaged much at all. He will skin nicely for show and tell. Bummer part is... the killer got out of his car and cut off its rattles. :grumble: Oh well. .\
My 25 mile ride today was long and I wanted to be done at the 1/2 way point, but couldn't. :yawn:
Welcome Julie.
Nice one gwynh! Why did the 'killer' get out and cut off the snake's rattle? Was he afraid it could do some damage to somebody?
I'm much better now and thank you everybody for your kind wishes. I've certainly seen enough of the ER department here, but they're keeping a close eye on me because I had such a swollen face and they were worried that I'd get swelling on the brain if they didn't get the swelling under control with antibiotics quickly. Back to the Drs again this morning ...
And Barbiecat. I was HORRIFIED to read of your terrible accident. I really hope you feel better very soon. I would say your helmet definitely saved you from much worse injury. It sounds like you've had some great help and advice from your hero. What a kind man. Anyway, get better soon and back on your bike as soon as you feel able.
I guess I need to get a photo with my helmet on up too!0 -
Clare, It must be a "'redneck" thing. You can tell the age of a rattle snake by the number of rattles it has. Kinda like rings on a tree. Many people like to collect the rattles as a type of trophy. No, they are not dangerous at all.0
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Well I'm down another pound today!!
I am sore, no long rides today, too freaking hot out there, and yesterday I forgot to put on sun block :blushing: <- that is not blushing, it's sunburn
I am celebrating, I'm going to buy some jerseys and cycling shorts, all MTB baggy types, don't want to scare the little children on the side of the road :blushing: <- OK, now THAT is blushing......
gwynh the rest of the snake could go to the Home Economics class, they can be good eating you know :happy:
@ClareRce Lots of people like to keep the rattles, they are kind of cool and they do rattle... :bigsmile:0 -
Crikey, people cut off rattles off rattle snakes, you really are in Kansas Dorothy! Only roadkill around these parts are possums, the only native species that has flourished in urban areas in Aust. (and they are a total pest).
Feeling much better today, and the weather was very kind this morning. A balmy 10 deg C, little wind and had about 10 of us out at 6 a.m. for a 30+ km ride. It was fast this morning, with an avg ~ 30 kms/hr (18 miles/hr). Felt pretty good, although I think we take off too quickly and there are some bumpy bits towards the start and I really struggled.
Great way to start off the day, and the rest of it has been windy and rainy. Good part is that the days are getting longer, so it is starting to get light towards the end of the ride.
Stu, you won't scare the little children in lycra as long as it is not white!
Bring on summer!! thanks for the welcome everyone!
GG0 -
Crikey, people cut off rattles off rattle snakes, you really are in Kansas Dorothy! Only roadkill around these parts are possums, the only native species that has flourished in urban areas in Aust. (and they are a total pest).
Feeling much better today, and the weather was very kind this morning. A balmy 10 deg C, little wind and had about 10 of us out at 6 a.m. for a 30+ km ride. It was fast this morning, with an avg ~ 30 kms/hr (18 miles/hr). Felt pretty good, although I think we take off too quickly and there are some bumpy bits towards the start and I really struggled.
Great way to start off the day, and the rest of it has been windy and rainy. Good part is that the days are getting longer, so it is starting to get light towards the end of the ride.
Stu, you won't scare the little children in lycra as long as it is not white!
Bring on summer!! thanks for the welcome everyone!
GG
Good to hear you are feeling better!
10C, heck that is t-shirt weather where I come from :bigsmile:
You guys are fast, avg 30 Km/h is certainly moving, are you out in the countryside? I think I'd have real trouble trying that in Tokyo, too many freaking stop lights :explode:
I hope your weather holds!
Cheers!0 -
Got in rides with 2 different clubs yesterday - both for about 30 miles but ENTIRELY different rides.
In the morning, my wife and I rode with a leisurely group that goes out every Tuesday morning - rides - eats breakfast - rides again. This ride was marked by a couple of significant hills to climb and a continual light to spitting rain to ride through. Stayed back with Andrea (my wife) for most of the ride even though they had a designated sweep rider. Andrea is learning to use her gears better for climbing.
In the evening, I met up with the riders from Lifetime Fitness for a route that was slightly less hilly (though there were more of them). We only had 5 riders counting the ride leader (3 men and 2 women). The women were riding with us for the first time. The plan was for Michael and I to ride out at 16 - 17 mph and the ride leader would follow with the women at 15 mph. It never happened that way. My legs were sluggish and we stayed together as a group for most of the ride, stopping occasionally to regroup. I got a phone call in the middle of the ride that I had to take and ended up chasing the group for a while (and burning my legs). I hit barriers several times but I was not going to embarrass myself with the group and rode through them. Toward the end Michael and I did break away and lead to the finish. Still the whole group finished with a respectable average of 15.5 mph.
I had a noticable hydration issue in my muscles last night which may account for the significant one-day weight loss that I'm still carrying today. We'll see how tonight's ride goes. I have to go back to work next week so will be back to around 3 rides a week (weather permitting).0 -
Got in rides with 2 different clubs yesterday - both for about 30 miles but ENTIRELY different rides
Maaaan, I feel like such a sissy when I read this kind of stuff! I am huffing and puffing after 10 miles ! My goal is to do a 20-ish mile, very hilly ride before winter. My other goal is to have AT LEAST 100 miles before Nov. 1st..... I know, I know, I have to work up to the point you all are at, but it just seems like its taking forever. I know I need to push myself a little more and stop being a chicken, too, lol.0 -
Pretty sure I asked this already, but I don't think I saw any answers to it- What do I do with hills? Do I kick my bike into an easy gear and pedal more???? Thanks!0
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Pretty sure I asked this already, but I don't think I saw any answers to it- What do I do with hills? Do I kick my bike into an easy gear and pedal more???? Thanks!
That is EXACTLY what you do! I wish that I was better at it as I end up "muscling" up hills and blowing my legs.
The key to efficient riding is a constant peddle speed. You use your gears to maintain that speed. On the flat and downhill you will want to pedal faster but you should shift gears instead into "harder" gears and enjoy the increase in speed. Going uphill you will want to pedal slower but you should shift into "easier" gears and save your legs. You're speed will decrease but not as much as in powering hills without tremendous legs.
The type of hill matters as well. If you are coming off the flat into a long climbing hill you will have to shift several times. If you are going from a flat to a short steep hill you will what to drop down a couple of gears on the initial shift as you don't want to be shifting while placing a lot of pressure on the pedals. (It can screw up both you and the bike).
If you are coming off another hill - resist the urge to glide as soon as you can. You want to pedal for a while and build momentum. When you feel like there is no pressure on the pedals then glide. You will want to shift down either at the bottom of the hill or on the flat before the next hill so you can both carry as much momentum up the hill as possible AND be in the right gear when you need to start pedalling.
And be patient! It seems (at least to me) to be as much of an art form as a science. I still don't like hill cllimbing but the world IS round and you will have to do it sometime! :-).
Don't worry about the distance - it will come. Once you feel comfortable at a given distance (or are not fatigued at the end of the ride) then you are ready to go a little further. Finding people to ride with helps a great deal for the peer pressure if nothing else.0 -
Ditto. I'm a little concerned about my ride on Sunday (profile map in my ticker), but I'll be doing pretty much everything tipusnr just said and take a break if I need to. I've done some really hilly rides, but not over such a distance. The first 40 miles look pretty tough, but the last 25 should go pretty fast :laugh:Pretty sure I asked this already, but I don't think I saw any answers to it- What do I do with hills? Do I kick my bike into an easy gear and pedal more???? Thanks!
That is EXACTLY what you do! I wish that I was better at it as I end up "muscling" up hills and blowing my legs.
The key to efficient riding is a constant peddle speed. You use your gears to maintain that speed. On the flat and downhill you will want to pedal faster but you should shift gears instead into "harder" gears and enjoy the increase in speed. Going uphill you will want to pedal slower but you should shift into "easier" gears and save your legs. You're speed will decrease but not as much as in powering hills without tremendous legs.
The type of hill matters as well. If you are coming off the flat into a long climbing hill you will have to shift several times. If you are going from a flat to a short steep hill you will what to drop down a couple of gears on the initial shift as you don't want to be shifting while placing a lot of pressure on the pedals. (It can screw up both you and the bike).
If you are coming off another hill - resist the urge to glide as soon as you can. You want to pedal for a while and build momentum. When you feel like there is no pressure on the pedals then glide. You will want to shift down either at the bottom of the hill or on the flat before the next hill so you can both carry as much momentum up the hill as possible AND be in the right gear when you need to start pedalling.
And be patient! It seems (at least to me) to be as much of an art form as a science. I still don't like hill cllimbing but the world IS round and you will have to do it sometime! :-).
Don't worry about the distance - it will come. Once you feel comfortable at a given distance (or are not fatigued at the end of the ride) then you are ready to go a little further. Finding people to ride with helps a great deal for the peer pressure if nothing else.0 -
Don't ever feel like a sissy!!!! We all started somewhere. I remember a time when I thought I would die on a 10 mile ride with a friend. You're out there doing it and that's more than a lot of people can say. Keep it up and you WILL get there! Plus, we're all here to support and encourage you. When I started this thread, I said it doesn't matter if you ride 1 mile a week or 1000miles. This is not competitive. We all have a common goal to improve our fitness levels. Let's just ride and have fun! You're doing great!Maaaan, I feel like such a sissy when I read this kind of stuff! I am huffing and puffing after 10 miles ! My goal is to do a 20-ish mile, very hilly ride before winter. My other goal is to have AT LEAST 100 miles before Nov. 1st..... I know, I know, I have to work up to the point you all are at, but it just seems like its taking forever. I know I need to push myself a little more and stop being a chicken, too, lol.
:drinker: :bigsmile: :drinker:0 -
Pretty sure I asked this already, but I don't think I saw any answers to it- What do I do with hills? Do I kick my bike into an easy gear and pedal more???? Thanks!
That is EXACTLY what you do! I wish that I was better at it as I end up "muscling" up hills and blowing my legs.
The key to efficient riding is a constant peddle speed. You use your gears to maintain that speed. On the flat and downhill you will want to pedal faster but you should shift gears instead into "harder" gears and enjoy the increase in speed. Going uphill you will want to pedal slower but you should shift into "easier" gears and save your legs. You're speed will decrease but not as much as in powering hills without tremendous legs.
The type of hill matters as well. If you are coming off the flat into a long climbing hill you will have to shift several times. If you are going from a flat to a short steep hill you will what to drop down a couple of gears on the initial shift as you don't want to be shifting while placing a lot of pressure on the pedals. (It can screw up both you and the bike).
If you are coming off another hill - resist the urge to glide as soon as you can. You want to pedal for a while and build momentum. When you feel like there is no pressure on the pedals then glide. You will want to shift down either at the bottom of the hill or on the flat before the next hill so you can both carry as much momentum up the hill as possible AND be in the right gear when you need to start pedalling.
And be patient! It seems (at least to me) to be as much of an art form as a science. I still don't like hill cllimbing but the world IS round and you will have to do it sometime! :-).
Don't worry about the distance - it will come. Once you feel comfortable at a given distance (or are not fatigued at the end of the ride) then you are ready to go a little further. Finding people to ride with helps a great deal for the peer pressure if nothing else.
+1 Ditto Great Advice!:bigsmile:
I'll add one thing, this is something that I had to teach myself NOT to do, DON'T get out of the saddle and kick unless you really have to. I'll do this if I hit a sudden steep short hill, but I'm talking about a max of 30 seconds.
When you are seated and pedaling correctly, spinning I call it, which means a lower (easier) gear and a faster cadence (speed you are spinning the pedals), like tipusnr said, you are NOT carrying your body weight on your legs, you are seated working, once you get off that saddle and start to kick, you legs have to not only do the hard kicking work to move you up the hill, but they also have to support your full body weight, which is my case is still way too much :laugh: You can very quickly spend all of your reserves and then you will be wobbly the rest of the ride. DAMHIKT
Panda, have you had your position on your bike looked at? This can make a big difference in you pedaling efficiency too, even if you are not using clip in pedals and shoes, if you seat is too low, when you pedal you waste a lot of effort, and if your seat is too high, you can hurt your knees, I did this once, I had new shoes and pedals on my crit bike and I went out for a 100 Km ride on a Sunday, the night before I changed my seat height a bunch, and I ended up with my seat set too high by maybe 3/4", don't sound like much, but when you feet are attached to the pedals, I was over extending my knees the whole ride, the next morning I was in such pain I could barely get out of bed to go to class, I hobbled around for a week. Lesson learned, I now only raise my seat 1/4" at a time, if I think it needs changing and then ride for a while, change, ride, change ride, until I get it right. Also, your seat position back to front can be adjusted. For example I need to move mine forward about 1/2", I noticed on my last long ride that every few minutes, I would have to slide back a smidgen to get back in the right spot on the seat.
I hope this does not sound to daunting to you, it is a funny thing, you can fiddle and adjust your bike for a month or so and then one day you will get it just right, and when you do, you will forget all about fiddling and just enjoy your ride!
The only time after that you will need to adjust anything is if you add something to your bike.
I'm sure the other more experienced riders here, can add to this, but your position on your bike is important to get the most pleasure out of your ride, but baby steps is what is needed.
and you are not a sissy, you are slowly but surely improving you fitness and your experience on the bike, and from what I read, you are enjoying yourself!
Cheers!0 -
Ditto. I'm a little concerned about my ride on Sunday (profile map in my ticker), but I'll be doing pretty much everything tipusnr just said and take a break if I need to. I've done some really hilly rides, but not over such a distance. The first 40 miles look pretty tough, but the last 25 should go pretty fast :laugh:
Don't forget to hydrate, and bananas, they are a great source of potassium which will help you muscles recover and they are a good energy source as well, they go down easy too, and as I said before, the wrapper is biodegradable :bigsmile:
Hydrate after your ride as well, this is important, and don't forget to stretch before and after you ride, even a 5 minute stretch will help, but I'm sure you know all of this stuff, and I'm sure you will enjoy your ride...... maybe the last bit more than the bit in the middle :happy:0 -
Thanks Stu.Ditto. I'm a little concerned about my ride on Sunday (profile map in my ticker), but I'll be doing pretty much everything tipusnr just said and take a break if I need to. I've done some really hilly rides, but not over such a distance. The first 40 miles look pretty tough, but the last 25 should go pretty fast :laugh:
Don't forget to hydrate, and bananas, they are a great source of potassium which will help you muscles recover and they are a good energy source as well, they go down easy too, and as I said before, the wrapper is biodegradable :bigsmile:
Hydrate after your ride as well, this is important, and don't forget to stretch before and after you ride, even a 5 minute stretch will help, but I'm sure you know all of this stuff, and I'm sure you will enjoy your ride...... maybe the last bit more than the bit in the middle :happy: I'm no stranger to endurance events(marathon, triathlons), just not one with so much climbing. Not worried about the prep so much (food & hydration). Just wondering how the arthritic hip and herniated discs are gonna fare. Injuries and aging suck! :laugh: 0 -
Skywalker, I figured you knew all that stuff, heck I have no doubt that you have forgotten more than I know about it :bigsmile:
I just wanted to put the info out there for others to read.
Speaking of that, I'd love to hear how you do prepare for such events, if you have the time, I'm sure it would be valuable reading!0 -
I was thinking while I was having a wonderful lunch prepared by my lovely wife, that there must be a video on the nest somewhere about setting your seat height etc. I did some looking around, and so far this one it the best one I've found....
http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-seat/
... well explained and documented, easy to understand.
(Sorry you will have to cut and paste it):blushing:0 -
Lisa, yes our possums (bushy tail and ring tail) are pretty cute, but I don't know about possum fur (merino is sheep), never seen it myself, if it is available probably just for the tourists. They are just such a pest here (i.e. having marital relations very loudly outside my window at night), making such a mess everywhere, cuteness doesn't cut it ;-)
Stu, where I ride is supposed to be the most popular cycling training route in the world - Beach Road in Melbourne Victoria. It is so popular because it is ~60 km long and very picturesque hugging Port Phillip Bay. There are not many traffic lights so there is not much stopping and starting. Having said that it is a major arterial, so you have to pick your times carefully.
Skywalker - having ridden a few events (memorably a stage of the Tour Downunder - 150 kms in 38C heat head-wind and a lot of uphill), the fun and enjoyment of riding with a stack of other people for an event gives you extra impetus, as long as you are not suffering too much (i.e. not adequately prepared). There is no shame in stopping if you need to to give yourself a breather. There are always people worse than you, and you are going to have some great stories to tell afterward!
Panda, it doesn't matter where you started or how much you are doing now, just focus on the enjoyment and it will all fall into place. When I first started I was sooo unfit, used to only do 10 kms at a time, now I don't balk at 90 kms on a Saturday, and I'm am the antithesis of a natural athlete! That's what makes cycling great, it can suit just about everyone.
GG0 -
You obviously know your stuff Stu, and I'm certainly no expert.Skywalker, I figured you knew all that stuff, heck I have no doubt that you have forgotten more than I know about it :bigsmile:
I just wanted to put the info out there for others to read.
Speaking of that, I'd love to hear how you do prepare for such events, if you have the time, I'm sure it would be valuable reading! I do these events as a form of motivation to stick to my fitness goals When I'm not training for something I tend to get lazy. It's also nice to have a few friends who are SERIOUS athletes (Ironman finishers:noway: ). I'm actually toying with the idea of training for an Ironman triathlon. I did a marathon at age 30. Why not Ironman at 40? :laugh: That's a gigantic 'maybe'. I have about a year to decide and then I better start training.
As far as my training goes, for running I just used a training program from Runners' World, followed it religiously, and got lots of advice from others who had done marathons. That's how I really learned what foods work best as fuel for me and what energy gels or drinks agreed with me and what didn't :sick:
As cycling goes, I'm confident that I'll finish the cancer ride. I won't come in first, I won't break any records. I basically try to get in one longer ride (40-50miles) per week with other smaller rides and I'm a firm believer in rest days. I'd like to do a century in the fall, so I just plan on increasing my longer ride gradually until I get there. No specific training regimen other than that. Around here it's hard to get in a long ride without some serious climbing though. The best and safest routes are the country roads and they always seem to be in the mountains
I don't have any great pearls of wisdom to offer. My best advice is to listen to your body and just keep plugging along. :drinker:
And btw... I think it's totally cool that you live in Japan. A relative of mine just took a short trip there and absolutely loved it!
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Sounds like a beautiful route. I'd love to visit Australia someday. You're right about the race day energy. It definitely helps fuel the motivation and I'm not ashamed to take a break and stretch if I need it :happy: . And, by the way, welcome to the group! :laugh: :drinker:Lisa, yes our possums (bushy tail and ring tail) are pretty cute, but I don't know about possum fur (merino is sheep), never seen it myself, if it is available probably just for the tourists. They are just such a pest here (i.e. having marital relations very loudly outside my window at night), making such a mess everywhere, cuteness doesn't cut it ;-)
Stu, where I ride is supposed to be the most popular cycling training route in the world - Beach Road in Melbourne Victoria. It is so popular because it is ~60 km long and very picturesque hugging Port Phillip Bay. There are not many traffic lights so there is not much stopping and starting. Having said that it is a major arterial, so you have to pick your times carefully.
Skywalker - having ridden a few events (memorably a stage of the Tour Downunder - 150 kms in 38C heat head-wind and a lot of uphill), the fun and enjoyment of riding with a stack of other people for an event gives you extra impetus, as long as you are not suffering too much (i.e. not adequately prepared). There is no shame in stopping if you need to to give yourself a breather. There are always people worse than you, and you are going to have some great stories to tell afterward!
Panda, it doesn't matter where you started or how much you are doing now, just focus on the enjoyment and it will all fall into place. When I first started I was sooo unfit, used to only do 10 kms at a time, now I don't balk at 90 kms on a Saturday, and I'm am the antithesis of a natural athlete! That's what makes cycling great, it can suit just about everyone.
GG0 -
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Sounds like a beautiful route. I'd love to visit Australia someday. You're right about the race day energy. It definitely helps fuel the motivation and I'm not ashamed to take a break and stretch if I need it :happy: . And, by the way, welcome to the group! :laugh: :drinker:
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Aw thanks for the welcome. It is so much fun to talk to other people passionate about riding bikes, I've been bitten by that bug and I'm totally addicted.
GG0 -
Thanks to EVERYONE for the hill advice and such... I feel a little less overwhelmed. And I know this isn't a competition, I just can't wait til I can say, "Oh yeah, I went for a nice 25-miler...." :laugh: You are all so great and encouraging and helpful! Thank you! @StuAblett- I think my seat is pretty good. I have a slight bend when my pedal is all the way at the bottom. That's how it should be, right?
Haven't gone out in the past few days :grumble: There's been so much going on in the evenings, which is the only time I can ride because my my bike trailer broke :grumble: so now I have to leave the kids home.... And I REALLY need to go on a ride. I have a lot going on right now and that's it my favorite way of thinking through things and clearing my head.
Happy cycling, all!
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:ohwell: I kinda lost touch for a bit here. But just wanted to check in. I biked 90K so far this week. 20K to work and 10K back (DH picks me up at the half way point). I have noticed that my huffing and puffing is less and I feel so much stronger. Today was a great ride because it was not as hot.
In my mind I really want to avoid the inclines, yet I push through because I want the workout!! Yay for me! Some of my ride I choose to ride on the road and some on a bike trail. The trail is surrounded with blackberry bushes. How handy is that :bigsmile: Quick stop to eat some of those!!!
On the way to work the 20K takes me 65 minutes. That pace seems to be consistent given the traffic lights into the city. The 10K back takes 35 to 40 minutes. Of course at the end of the day things get a little tougher. DH awaits me with freshly juiced fruits & veggies. How totally good. I am a lucky girl
Rebel0
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