May Cycling Challenge 2014

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  • fatninja111
    fatninja111 Posts: 24 Member
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    5/1 - 7.3 miles/8.9 avg. speed
    5/2 - 5 miles/8.7 avg. speed
    5/3 - 5.5 miles/8.9 avg. speed
    5/4 - 0 miles
    5/5 - 6.5 miles/8.9 avg. speed
    5/6 - 0 miles
    5/7 - 6.1 miles/9.2 avg. speed
    5/8 - 7.4 miles/9.6 avg. speed
    5/9 - 0 miles
    5/10 - 6.1 miles/8.9 avg. speed
    5/11 - 6.4 miles/9.2 avg. speed
    5/12 - 5.7 miles/8.5 avg. speed


    May Goal 100 miles total
    MTD - 58
    Left - 42
  • Bocch
    Bocch Posts: 191 Member
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    May 1: 12.70mi spinning
    May 4: 25.00 mi road
    May 7: 12.50mi spinning
    May 9: 12.70mi spinning
    May 11:41.20mi road
  • iamaviking007
    iamaviking007 Posts: 23 Member
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    Hello fellow cyclists!! I love riding my bike!! I am just getting warmed up here in Ohio, the weather hasn't been very nice yet but I've been out in the cold a few days. Yesterday I rode 8.39 miles with my son in the park for Mother's Day and it took us 52 minutes with quite a few uphills....... I hate uphills!! lol ....... I'm also about 80 or 90 pounds overweight, so I'm carrying some baggage on that bike ;) ......... I just have a cheap Schwinn mountain bike from Walmart and I'm wondering if a better bike would make my rides easier so I could go farther, what do you think? and what kind of bikes do you have? ....... Last year the farthest I worked my way up to was 23 miles in October, it was alot of fun :)
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Hello fellow cyclists!! I love riding my bike!! I am just getting warmed up here in Ohio, the weather hasn't been very nice yet but I've been out in the cold a few days. Yesterday I rode 8.39 miles with my son in the park for Mother's Day and it took us 52 minutes with quite a few uphills....... I hate uphills!! lol ......... I just have a cheap Schwinn mountain bike from Walmart and I'm wondering if a better bike would make my rides easier so I could go farther, what do you think? and what kind of bikes do you have? ....... Last year the farthest I worked my way up to was 23 miles in October, it was alot of fun :)

    Yes, bike quality makes a huge difference. As does the fit. If you want to become serious about cycling, you need to get fitted appropriately and be ready to spend some coin.

    If you want to do it for fun around the neighborhood, throw some road tires on that mountain bike and be done.

    I have a 2014 Giant Propel Advanced 3 and I love it. Definitely won't fit everyone though.
  • Austinetc
    Austinetc Posts: 74 Member
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    Month to date: 205 miles, including 87 miles Saturday, my longest unsupported ride ever! I have the San Diego Century on the last day of the month.

    Year to date: 1,562 miles.
  • theecatt
    theecatt Posts: 31 Member
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    Hello fellow cyclists!! I love riding my bike!! I am just getting warmed up here in Ohio, the weather hasn't been very nice yet but I've been out in the cold a few days. Yesterday I rode 8.39 miles with my son in the park for Mother's Day and it took us 52 minutes with quite a few uphills....... I hate uphills!! lol ....... I'm also about 80 or 90 pounds overweight, so I'm carrying some baggage on that bike ;) ......... I just have a cheap Schwinn mountain bike from Walmart and I'm wondering if a better bike would make my rides easier so I could go farther, what do you think? and what kind of bikes do you have? ....... Last year the farthest I worked my way up to was 23 miles in October, it was alot of fun :)
    A better bike will indeed make it easier, and help you go farther. But, ask yourself what your goal is? If it's to get in better shape, you can do that on any bike. Yes, a better bike will carry you farther on the same effort, but is that your goal?

    Like Hornsby said, some different tires than you can swap on and off if your tires have high rolling resistance may be a factor.

    Imho, the most important factor is to enjoy what you are doing, I rode a $300 hybrid bike until I could average 16 mph for a few hours (starting at barely doing a 6 mile ride, 2 years ago). Recently upgraded to a fancy carbon road bike, and that got me about 2 mph faster. But, I lost 50 pounds on that cheaper hybrid first :)

    Goal this month: 300
    5/5 - 19
    5/7 - 9 (MTB)
    5/10 - 56
    5/12 - 35 (119)
  • sajeffe
    sajeffe Posts: 850 Member
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    5/1 - 0 miles.
    5/2 - 1.5 miles.
    5/3 - 2.4 miles at 9.5mph listening to Haim on the Walkman (totally safe cuz I don't use headphones/earbuds).
    5/3 - 2.5 additional miles at 9.5mph listening to a variety.
    5/4 - 3.6 miles at 9.9mph listening to B.B. King and Badfinger.
    5/5 - 1.1 miles at 8.4mph.
    5/6 - 1.7 miles at 8.5mph.
    5/7 - 3.5 miles at 10.6mph listening to The Black Keys.
    5/8 - 4.0 miles at 10.4mph listening to Trombone Shorty & others. Need more days like this to reach my goal.
    5/8 - 1.2 more miles at 9.1mph.
    5/9 - 1.7 miles at 10.5mph.
    5/10 - 4.0 miles at 9.7mph listening to MGMT and others.
    5/10 - another 1.4 miles.
    5/11 - 3.1 miles at 10.2mph listening to Fitz & the Tantrums and others.
    5/12 - 3.3 miles at 9.7mph listening to Grouplove.



    Goal for May is 75.0 miles.
    MTD = 35.0 miles.
    Yet to Ride = 40.0 miles.
  • sajeffe
    sajeffe Posts: 850 Member
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    MapMyRide does seem quite generous with Cals. if you average above 12 mph it credits you roughly 300 KCal per 30 mins. Anyway I don't eat back more than a fraction of exercise cals so it's just a guide.

    Are there any other cycling apps that are worth looking at?

    Edited to add - As an example I rode 100 minutes on Friday at 13 mph average and it granted me 1300 Cals

    It gave me 100 cal for 18:20 minutes. 3.1 miles at 10.2mph on mostly flat roadways.
  • gpwalling
    gpwalling Posts: 22 Member
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    For roadies in my area, tomorrow is a very exciting day because on this day the Amgen Tour of California finishes on Mt. Diablo after beginning in San Jose, CA and climbing Mt. Hamilton. It will be in the 90's and the pros will be tested on Mt. Diablo. This mountain is where I train. Adding to my prior May total are 20 miles on 5/11 and 20 miles on 5/12 for a total of about 100 road miles.
  • sajeffe
    sajeffe Posts: 850 Member
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    Hello fellow cyclists!! I love riding my bike!! I am just getting warmed up here in Ohio, the weather hasn't been very nice yet but I've been out in the cold a few days. Yesterday I rode 8.39 miles with my son in the park for Mother's Day and it took us 52 minutes with quite a few uphills....... I hate uphills!! lol ....... I'm also about 80 or 90 pounds overweight, so I'm carrying some baggage on that bike ;) ......... I just have a cheap Schwinn mountain bike from Walmart and I'm wondering if a better bike would make my rides easier so I could go farther, what do you think? and what kind of bikes do you have? ....... Last year the farthest I worked my way up to was 23 miles in October, it was alot of fun :)

    I have a 21-speed Schwinn mountain bike (about 17 years old). I ride on mostly flat roads, part residential and part rural. I know I could ride faster if I could spend money on a good road bike. But I'm happy with getting a workout without having to spend that money. If I were you, instead of buying a different bike to ride outdoors, I'd put my money into a trainer for indoors. I know of Ohio weather. Indoor options are a must, particularly if you are trying to lose weight. Good luck and have fun!
  • Cherylllyn
    Cherylllyn Posts: 114 Member
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    Bump
  • faugsu
    faugsu Posts: 330 Member
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    Well, I've spent my vacation visiting 5 bike shops in 2 states - success!! I got my bike back today, repaired, and rode it without any problems.

    5-1-14 19 miles
    5-2 21
    5-3 40
    5-4 32
    5-6 25
    5-8 24
    5-12 10 MTD 171
  • gpwalling
    gpwalling Posts: 22 Member
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    There is some sage advice in this thread. If all you do is ride around the neighborhood, then an inexpensive bike is all that is necessary. On the other hand, if you enjoy cycling and ride regularly in a semi-serious manner then by all means visit a good bike shop, have them fit you and purchase a bike which fits you. It will make a world of difference. Cycling is a bit like any other sport--the more serious you become the better equipment you will need and therefore demand. It is like golf however; a really fine set of clubs in the hands of a novice is an expensive waste and can be counter productive. The people best suited to advise you are the people who operate a good local bike shop (LBS). I would avoid buying a bike at a warehouse store or general sporting goods outlet. I am at the other end of the spectrum--I have done a great deal of cycling over the years and ride a bicycle that was custom fabricated for me. I visited a professional bike fitter, submitted the fit specs to the manufacturer, chose the actual frame maker and selected the parts that suited my needs. I will not disclose how much all of this cost me but suffice it to say, for me (because of the level of my involvement in cycling over the years) it is well worth it. My bike fits me like a glove and is a dream to ride.
  • cowbellsandcoffee
    cowbellsandcoffee Posts: 2,975 Member
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    5/4 - 20.1 miles @ 16.6 mph
    5/5 - 15.6 @ 16 mph
    5/6 - 26.1 @ 15.3 mph
    5/7 - 17.6 @ 16.4 mph
    5/8 - 36.3 @ 14.7 mph (WINDY lol)
    5/10 - 25 @ 16.1 mph
    5/11 - 19.3 @ 17.4 mph
    5/12 - 30.2 @ 17.5

    May total - 190.2
  • Bocch
    Bocch Posts: 191 Member
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    May 1: 12.70mi spinning
    May 4: 25.00 mi road
    May 7: 12.50mi spinning
    May 9: 12.70mi spinning
    May 11:41.50mi road (corrected)
    May 13:31.60mi road
  • cowbellsandcoffee
    cowbellsandcoffee Posts: 2,975 Member
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    5/4 - 20.1 miles @ 16.6 mph
    5/5 - 15.6 @ 16 mph
    5/6 - 26.1 @ 15.3 mph
    5/7 - 17.6 @ 16.4 mph
    5/8 - 36.3 @ 14.7 mph (WINDY lol)
    5/10 - 25 @ 16.1 mph
    5/11 - 19.3 @ 17.4 mph
    5/12 - 30.2 @ 17.5
    5/13 - 31.5 @ 15.4 (WINDY...)

    May total - 221.7
  • hopper602
    hopper602 Posts: 204 Member
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    5.2.14 - 11.3 @ 14.6
    5.4.14 - 15.9 @ 13.8 (stupid traffic lights)
    5.9.14 - 4.73 @ 16.8

    I ride a hybrid style bike (Giant Escape 3) that I got as a gift. Its been a great starter bike as I get more into road cycling but has wider 700x32 tires on it. I now ride with two friends with full road bikes and I can still hang but that wont last as they get better. Love my bike though and love riding.
  • faugsu
    faugsu Posts: 330 Member
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    5-1-14 19 miles
    5-2 21
    5-3 40
    5-4 32
    5-6 25
    5-8 24
    5-12 10
    5-13 22 MTD 193
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    May 1 - rode 26.9 miles for a duration of 1:29:58
    May 2 - rode 21.58 miles for a duration of 1:46:48
    May 3 - rode 6.41 miles for a duration of 52:55
    May 4 - rode 16.4 miles for a duration of 1:47:03 (MTB race)
    May 6 - rode 20.1 miles for a duration of 1:17:05
    May 7 - rode 25.4 miles for a duration of 1:51:38
    May 8 - rode 28.8 miles for a duration of 1:48:56
    May 10 - rdoe 14.55 miles for a duration of 1:38:38 (MTB race)
    May 11 - rode 34.5 miles for a duration of 2:00:58
    May 13 - rode 17.3 miles for a duration of 1:27:15

    May totals: 211.94 miles - 16:01:14 hours

    13935589928_4ba050b128.jpg
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Not being consistent yet, need to get on my bike more often. With the weather improving and maybe not needing to work as late the next several days, I hope to make up some ground, ideally by adding in a bike commute.

    5/3: 21 miles (2 rides)
    5/13: 17.5 miles
    Total to date: 38.5
    Remaining to 150 goal: 111.5

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