MFP Cycling Club

skywalker

ClareRce, just take it easy and heal. So sorry to hear about that. We'll be here when you're ready to ride again :flowerforyou:

What I knew that they didn't was that I was wearing dress western boots with a underslung heel which would NOT be a part of my cycling attire! To quote Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon!"

So, wait.... they fitted you for your bike while you were wearing cowboy boots?:laugh:
I got set up on a trainer while clipped in. If any of you ever find yourselves in northeastern Pennsylvania, check out Around Town Bicycles (www.atownbikes.com). These guys are awesome :happy:

gwynh

Hi. This is my first post on this site. I have used my fitness pal for about one year or so. But just this past week, I decided to change up my exercise program and bought a bike. I had a bike in college to ride back and forth, but never have I done any long distance riding.

I have a set distance I drove my car on. It is 10 miles. It takes me about an hour to ride it on the bike. It is not flat in any place, just low hills mixed with some taller hills.

Anyway, I have set a goal for riding that part for my daily exercise. I have many questions. But I will only ask one today. Should I plan to ride every day?

I would like to join this group, but I don't really see myself joining any cycling competitions. I have gotten stuck loosing weight. I am a red/black belt in Taekwondo. I workout with my kids for about an hour/ three days a week. I used to walk my huskies 5 miles, but that took about 2 hours.

So, as I have said, I am a complete novice at cycling. I do wear a helmet though. I was just hoping to find some support for me.

skywalker

You'll definitely find support here! Welcome gwynh!!!:drinker:
I'm a strong believer in taking rest days. Muscle recovery is extremely important, plus too much exercise can lead to injury. Most of the group here is just trying to get fitter and healthier and supporting each other. I know I won't be winning any competitive events :laugh: I just want to continue to improve and lose weight. Like I said at the start of this thread, whether you plan to ride one mile a week or 1000, all are welcome! :happy:

And, yes... ALWAYS wear a helmet!

LisaKC

Welcome Gwynnh!
Really nice ride this morning. 35 miles of rolling hills with a breakfast stop at the halfway point. And my better half did not drop me on any hills this time. Based on my condition following the ride, this route has now been dubbed the "Wet Noodle Breakfast Ride." :laugh:

tipusnr

Welcome Gwynnh. I may sound aggressive in my cycling at times but only compete with myself. I used to study TKD with my son but the belts past purple were too hard on my hips (jumpkicks and sickle/hammer kicks tore me up). Look forward to hearing from you often.

anu_6986

This sounds really exciting! I used to cycle a lot when I was around 15-17yo(7-8km), after that moved to college and have never owned a bike since. Lately i have been thinking of getting one, and seeing this thread I am even more determined!

gwynh

Thanks all for the welcome. I actually look forward to going riding, even when I get back from riding. I would love to ride for a longer time, but I don't feel comfortable leaving my kids for that long. They are 12, 10 and 8. Old enough to know better, but just not old enough to stay gone for hours.

I must confess, I didn't go to any fancy bike shop to get my bike. I went to the local Wal-mart. I bought a goose neck bike men's 7 speed that allows me to side up more than being forced to lean over on my hands. It is only a 7 speed, which does fine going up the hills, but I have to ride out the down hill parts alot. Who knows, I may even learn how to fix a flat tire. I have been reading up, but havent' had the need to. (knock on wood).:explode:

I think my goal will be to try to get at least 60 miles a week. I am a school teacher. That means I have lots of free time for the next month. When I get back to work, I will probably have to ride in the afternoons, instead of in the early am before the sun rises too high to melt the tar off the road. I live in South Arkansas where it reaches 105 easily.

When do we start the week goal??

skywalker

When do we start the week goal??

You can start whenever you like. I think most of us post our results and/or goals on Sundays or Mondays. I restart my mileage on Monday, so I usually check in on Sunday evenings.

tipusnr

Had a great ride tonight though the humidity had be wondering. Started off with a large "B" group (16-18 mph) and rode in the group for most of the 32 miles. My avg speed was 16.5 mph though that may be low as I had a problem with knocking the spedometer out of alignment on an aggressively tight turn. Even at that it matches my high average speed for last year on rides of over 10 mph. And it was neat to be shifting positions within the "peloton" continuallly.

I was temporarily at the front of the pack and made a turn as per the route map with two other riders following me. About two blocks down the other two riders passed me and I looked back and found no one behind us! They had decided not to make the southern loop and were now well ahead of us. Two of the three of us joined up to chase them down but couldn't do it. Then I turned the wrong direction to follow another pair we had caught that I thought were adding additional miles. They were heading to their parking lot and I had to spin around and run down the lady I was riding with. I knocked the spedometer out of whack and had to stop and get it working again but caught her within four or five blocks.

Almost half way to my yearly riding goal and only 52 miles left to reach my weekly goal.

LisaKC

@tipusnr: Sounds like a great ride! My husband is leading one of the club rides in a few weeks, and it will be the first time in a long time I've joined a club ride. I'm not in the B group; usually with the Cs. Will let you know how it goes! He's gone off this morning with a group of retired guys (he's very recently retired) who bike around town and check out local coffee shops.:drinker:

LisaKC

@tipusnr: Sounds like a great ride! My husband is leading one of the club rides in a few weeks, and it will be the first time in a long time I've joined a club ride. I'm not in the B group; usually with the Cs. Will let you know how it goes! He's gone off this morning with a group of retired guys (he's very recently retired) who bike around town and check out local coffee shops.:drinker:

ClareRce

How far did you cycle tipusnr? Sounds like a fun ride, despite the confusions! I don't think I'm good enough to join a cycling club yet as I'm sure even the 'C' group (presumably that's the slowest category) would put me to shame!

Anyway my fellow friends and cyclists, I'm back on the bike after my coral catastrophe! I'm still on two lots of antibiotics (and got dehydrated on the ride tonight .. wonder if that's got anything to do with the antibiotics) for the next seven days but I managed 15.5 miles this evening so feeling pleased. I'm going to attempt a 21 miler tomorrow, which normally incorporates a swim in the sea, but I'm going to have to give that bit of the ride a miss :-(

Looking forward to hearing all your weekly escapades! Happy and safe cycling to y'all!

LisaKC

@Clare, glad to hear you are recovering. My local bike club has A,B,C and D rides. I started with D rides, and then gradually stepped up to C, so don't count yourself out!

I could use some advice from the lady roadies about a new saddle. Mine is about worn out and broken down, and I'm having some difficulty finding one. The gentlemen at my local shop don't seem to appreciate the anatomical differences, and I'm probably going to have to go to one of the other local shops. If you've got a saddle you really like, please let me know. Either post here or send me a message. Thanks for any help you can offer!

skywalker

I could use some advice from the lady roadies about a new saddle. Mine is about worn out and broken down, and I'm having some difficulty finding one. The gentlemen at my local shop don't seem to appreciate the anatomical differences, and I'm probably going to have to go to one of the other local shops. If you've got a saddle you really like, please let me know. Either post here or send me a message. Thanks for any help you can offer!

Hey Lisa! I'm just going to paste what I said earlier in this thread. Jax asked the same question...

"Great job, Jax!! As far as seats go, I have a Specialized Lithia women's specific seat and I love it! You'll still have some soreness until you're used to longer rides. My butt is immune to them at this point. However, I might be singing a different tune once I do a century Also, I ALWAYS wear padded shorts. Again, women's. The padding is shaped differently for men & women. I do feel your pain." :laugh:

LisaKC

@skywalker, I must have missed that post. Thanks for the info! I'll check it out. This morning I tried out a new saddle that I couldn't stand. I cut the ride short after only 20 minutes to get home and switch it back. I'm accustomed to rides of 1.5 hours, so there was no way it was going to work. Thanks again. Will let you know what I end up with.

gwynh

Ok, I had to measure the length of that monster hill I tackle every day. From the lowest point to the top, that hill is a gradual climb for 1 mile. I fight going up, but on the return trip home on the same road, I go WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. lol

Don't have a spedometer on my bike, so I can't say what my speeds are, but I try. It takes me about 1 hour to ride that 10 mile stretch of hills. I think it is a nice ride, lots of trees, and not much traffic. I didn't like not knowing what is behind me, and being a motorcyclist, I had to go install a rear view mirror on my handle bar. That made me much happier.

I saw to cyclist sitting outside a store waiting out a rain storm. I was thinking to myself, wow, real cyclists. But, i guess I need to change that, because I can do it too.

Lisa, I hope that you find a seat "saddle" that works for you. I am just one week into the rides, and wow does my rear feel it. lol

tipusnr

Finished Steve Barbour Memorial Ride at the 100K length this morning (and early afternoon). Rode with a lady from Lifetime Fitness. While holding me back at times she was a great pacer to keep me from burning out too soon. No big hills but a lot of long pull elevations. The ride was the first for this organization and was lengthened by a series of detours caused by missed turns. Steve Barbour was a dedicated cyclist and cycling instructor that was hit and killed by an automobile on the way to lead a ride a year ago. Thanks to a lot of maneuvering his killer hasn't been tried yet. This put my weekly total to 119.83 miles over 3 rides - over my weekly goal. I also just went over the halfway point of my yearly goal. I also need only 95.8 miles to pass last year's ride total.

BarbieCat1

Hi... I love biking and just noticed this group...

It's so beastly hot and humid here in South Florida ... I have to get out really early so I don't collapse from heat exhaustion, but I do it, twice a week. In winter [a relative term for here] it's much nicer. and I bike more often.

My DH rides too. He prefers road bikes, I have a Trek fitness bike which is a cross between a hybrid and road... love it, as it's somewhat more upright riding position is easier on my back, but it's not a "comfort" bike...

Someone was asking about seats/saddles ... it's really important to get one that feels right to you, not based on the prejudice of others. I think the best thing to do is find a good bike shop and confer. I'm lucky to have a bike shop guru who let me try out about 6 different saddles until I found the best one for my anatomy. It should be obvious that women are made differently from men, but some bike shop guys can't quite understand. Find one who does.

What kind of bike and kind of riding you do makes a huge difference, as well as your weight. Simply put, there is no one "right" saddle for everyone. And of course, padded bike shorts are the way to go! A couple weeks ago I rode my bike a short 5 miles in regular shorts... and my tush complained for 2 days. ouch.

skywalker

Welcome Barbiecat!!! :drinker:

P.S. Love your pic... and I love cats :laugh:

ClareRce

Welcome BarbieCat1! Our little team is growing nicely. Get out on your bikes folks!!!

And congrats tipusnr on your big achievement this week. Very impressive.

Simplicity

I haven't read through all the posts yet but last week I picked up a mountain bike which I will also be using for work everyday. I am a total novice but I start my new job on the 26th and intend to cycle at least one way a day to work (5.0miles/8km). So my goal each week will be 25 miles which isn't to shabby for a newbie. This week I did about 15 miles in all. Its fun and I love cyclign again. Last time I did it was my paper round years ago.
Anyways I have ditched my car on the driveway (£2140/year just to be insured and fill it with petrol). I have not renewed my insurance so i will have to get to work somehow lol.
So a big hello to everyone and I hope to keep it up!
Ben

skywalker

Welcome, Ben! The more the merrier.:drinker:

LisaKC

Welcome to Ben and BarbieCat!

@Ben - think it's very cool that you'll be commuting on your bike. Good for you and good for the planet.

@tipsnur - Awesome ride! Congrats on finishing the metric. Hope I'll be ready for the metric here in the Fall.

Tried out a new route today, which was a welcome break for my legs (I'm also doing Couch to 5K and 30-day shred). About 20 miles, a few rolling hills, but none too long or too steep, and a nice ride through the country. We encountered a deer on one road that was completely oblivious to us until we were almost upon her. Love it when we see wildlife along the way!

My better half is a also a better ride planner, so he'll be scouting out some new rides for us in the 30-mile distance range. I'm quite comfortable at 20 - 25 miles, so it's time to up the ante!

Hope everyone has a great week of fun rides. Post your adventures!

gwynh

Hi all.

@ Ben, I am new to this cycling too. I like the rush I get from cycling. I have never had that feeling from any physical activity before.

@ tipusnr, I am impressed with you stamina to do a long ride. Great!!

Ok, my goal for the next week will be 90 Miles. If I ride an average of 15 miles a day, it should be no problem. I will use Sunday (for now) as my rest day. I am happy to report that I have lost 2 pounds last week also.

I hope all is going well for everyone. Happy cycling.

kellybelly078

Hi everyone, I just found this thread yesterday and read through all the posts. Everyone is doing such a great job putting in the miles! I'd love to join in on all the fun! I recently got into cycling about a month ago, and have been averaging about 125 miles a week. My goal for this week is 150 miles, if the weather holds out that is.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Kelly :-D

LisaKC

Welcome Kelly!

tipusnr

Hi everyone, I just found this thread yesterday and read through all the posts. Everyone is doing such a great job putting in the miles! I'd love to join in on all the fun! I recently got into cycling about a month ago, and have been averaging about 125 miles a week. My goal for this week is 150 miles, if the weather holds out that is.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Kelly :-D

What did you do for exercise before cycling? To put in that kind of mileage after only a month can shread muscles and joints and lay you up for quite a while. Welcome to the group!

skywalker

Checking in late tonight... Ended up with only 90m for the week, but that was in 4 days. I took 3 days off from cycling this week. My stupid hip made me :grumble:
Oh well. I can live with that. I had a 41m ride on Wednesday and my hip is paying for it :laugh:
Happy pedaling, everyone!!!!:drinker:
Welcome, Kelly!:happy:

Simplicity

@LisaK, Thanks for that I'm looking forward to saving a little bit of the planet too lol

@Gwynh, I too love the rush from cycling. I like it when I have the energy and the roads are quiet. Top gear all the way to work at 5.30am this morning. Shame it was only 1.3 miles lol but hey its another 75 calories I burnt in 5 minutes ha ha:laugh:

By the end of work today though I will have completed 5.7 miles so happy days.

Next stop is to get down the bike shop adn spend a little cash making the bike nicer. Speedometer next. I want to know how fast I'm going!!!

dinos

Hey cyclists. I'm back from a short vacation and I'm very glad to see that a lot of new people have joined the thread.
No bicycling for me last week, even though I managed to burn almost 1,000 cals daily by hiking & swimming. The different exercise mix helped me lose a couple of pounds and 1/2 inch off my waist, without any diet whatsoever. Yesterday noon I rode 20k in under 70 minutes. The 100k week seems within my reach, so all is well.
Have a good week.