Bicycle Fans - official thread for people who love riding th

Eithr

Cycling! Yay! I'm a huge cycling enthusiast. I used to be a runner until I let myself get way out of shape after college. When I first started to move back toward getting in shape I found that my body wouldn't let me run. I couldn't handle the extra weight. My joints and shins and everything hurt and it was one injury after another, so I tried out cycling. At first it was stationary bikes at the gym, then spinning bikes, then road bikes and now I have a lightweight road bike that I've basically custom built. I try to ride 4-5 days a week and usually do 20-30+ miles a day. My biggest reason for using MFP is to trim off the last bit of extra weight so that I can finally get back into racing. I'm really hoping to do my first bike race this summer. It's been almost ten years since my last running race. I'm excited to see what it's like to race bicycles.

baldzach

Cycling! Yay! I'm a huge cycling enthusiast. I used to be a runner until I let myself get way out of shape after college. When I first started to move back toward getting in shape I found that my body wouldn't let me run. I couldn't handle the extra weight. My joints and shins and everything hurt and it was one injury after another, so I tried out cycling. At first it was stationary bikes at the gym, then spinning bikes, then road bikes and now I have a lightweight road bike that I've basically custom built. I try to ride 4-5 days a week and usually do 20-30+ miles a day. My biggest reason for using MFP is to trim off the last bit of extra weight so that I can finally get back into racing. I'm really hoping to do my first bike race this summer. It's been almost ten years since my last running race. I'm excited to see what it's like to race bicycles.

Find a century or a good group ride first. It will give you a taste of what racing is like without the pressure and carelessness that sometimes happens when racing. Make sure you're good in a peloton, then go have a blast! I love racing!

badblood

Just got back from a 15 miles ride on her, she handles sooooo smoothly! My old bike is a steel frame bargain bike, this one feels like a 'proper' mountain bike. So nimble and light, and you can go so much faster on her as well! Did about 5 miles on roads, and about 10 miles off-road, including some pretty steep hills I'm in love! Though the back end did step out on me a couple of times on the roughest part of the trail! I think she was just trying to scare me (I was only averaging about 12mph...)

On a side note, has anyone used Endomondo? Its an application for Android phones (maybe iPhones as well, I don't know), which uses the GPS in the phone to track your exercise activity. Its a great application, since it gives you mile by mile updates (via speech), telling you what the total distance you have traveled is, along with your time for the last mile. Keeps you on track if you have a set goal (eg 1 mile/6 minutes). It even tells you calories burned, though I take that with a big pinch of salt! (metaphorical salt, since we all have to watch our sodium level LOL).

I use Endomondo and yes, it is available for iPhone, I like the fact tells you how many trips around the world and trips to the moon you have done! I use it to log walks etc as well as it works out calorie burn based on your weight and height so it is more accurate than the generic figures that are on here, which are great if you don't have any measuring facilities.

samcee

What do you girls wear when cycling?

The stuff you get in bike shops aren't exactly very flattering. I want something practical yet chic! It's so lovely outside and its great not having to wear so many layers. Cycled for five miles the other day and almost had my clothes caught in the chains a couple of times. Not impressed. So maybe some cute shorts for when I cycle later today? Or above the knee skirt?

What app do you guys use?
I've been using mapmyride but going to try cyclewatch later because it has calories burned info that might be helpful.

janesmith1

@samcee - what about Pearl Izumi stuff, and she now makes it in plus sizes?

@rainman - love your funny bike quotes!

@Bryan - fun, keep us updated on your bike ride goals!

I used to bike every day in SF, it's how I got around! I hated the bus system - slow, smelly, awful and filled with drama. Bike riding was how I got around and I never worried about my weight at all then. Now...it's a different story though I'm riding a lot more & doing cardio. I find that I'm being more "local" if you know what I mean. I don't want to drive my car, in fact I'm hardly driving it at all for our food. We live near a great WF like store & a hardware store, so it's wonderful, and we both ride our bikes almost daily to this store, they know us and expect to see us in our bike helmets, bike gloves, etc. Too funny, the cheese person was shocked to see us today out of our regular bike stuff. She said "you guys come here every day" , well, yeah we do, but usually in our bike gear.

rydn4h2o

What do you girls wear when cycling?

The stuff you get in bike shops aren't exactly very flattering. I want something practical yet chic! It's so lovely outside and its great not having to wear so many layers. Cycled for five miles the other day and almost had my clothes caught in the chains a couple of times. Not impressed. So maybe some cute shorts for when I cycle later today? Or above the knee skirt?

What app do you guys use?
I've been using mapmyride but going to try cyclewatch later because it has calories burned info that might be helpful.

Here's a couple of websites with great choices of clothing!

http://www.terrybicycles.com

http://www.teamestrogen.com

rydn4h2o

Let's all sing along "bi--cycle, bi--cycle, bi--cycle, I want to ride my bi-CYCLE.... " if you don't get it, search "queen" and "bicycle race" on youtube...classic stuff.

Sign me up, I have fallen in love with my new bike, a fixie road bike. I was a nay-sayer for sooo long, about fixies, but wow was I wrong. So much fun and what a workout too. I'll hang out here too, I've got a garage full of em and ride all year.

My name is Ray, and I am a bicycle addict

Ray - nice to meet you! :drinker:

sassylilmama

I just started riding, had to find a bike my short self could ride that was not a kids bike lol. Only been out once due to weather but I loved it and am looking forward to more rides!

samcee

Here's a couple of websites with great choices of clothing!

http://www.terrybicycles.com

http://www.teamestrogen.com

Thanks for the links. I'm kinda looking for something that doesn't scream 'bike gear'. lol. I'm not a pro but just wanted to know what type of casual clothes people wear when they cycle. I found a link more to my liking for anyone who is interested. I don't think all the cycle fashion on it is all that practical but looking pretty on a bike normally helps motivates me :P

http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

andyj1984

I just got back from a ride, did approximately 23 miles, not as far as I was hoping to do, but I was starting to get really tired in the legs! Its so hot as well outside, sweating buckets! I'll be taking it easy tomorrow... c25k and that's about it! Though I'll have to work out hard on Monday since I think I have been bought an easter egg for tomorrow. LOL

janesmith1

@samcee - the Tweed Run looks great but impractical for me for every day riding. I get sweaty, those look fun if you're not doing long stinky rides, kind of like the awesome Electra bikes which are huge, made for comfort but only 1 - 7 gears. I have 21 gears, I go up and down hills, and I'm fully stinkified when I get off my bike, in fact I feel like collapsing.

whiskey9890

i fell in love with my bike yesterday, i do every summer for a couple of weeks and then the motivation slips and its back to gathering cobwebs, which is why the bike i own is now 16 years old at least, just a basic 18speed thing like you get in supermarkets theses days, no suspension shimano index sysem gears (just to show its age), i'd love to get a new one but i can't justify the expense if the motivation slips.

but last week the weather picked up and i started riding to the store and back at a nice gentle speed about 10 mins there and back, and it felt good, so yesterday i decided to just go out for a nice ride in the afternoon i had worked the route out to be 4.75 miles and i was expecting it to take about 40 minutes as i'm not a cyclist i'm not fit and i just wanted to enjoy it. by god it was great fun!!! it took me 27 minutes in the end so a lot faster than i expected, i was knackered red faced and sweaty but on top of the world!! i even peddled at over 16mph!!! ok so it wasn't for very long but i did it and it wasn't downhill, average speed was 11.6mph which for a begginer i don't think is too shabby.

so this week i am going to attempt to commute to work a couple of times, its a 6 mile round trip downside is that the route there is up hill with a bit of a monster to climb, thankfully i work alonr so don't have to worry about being sweaty (no shower facilities) so will be a quick wash and a squirt of deoderant. wish me luck!

samcee

wow janesmith1, you sound like a hardcore cyclist! My bike doesn't have that many gears and I usually cycle at a leisurely pace. Although I would consider serious cyclist clothes if I go cross country or do something a bit more strenuous.

I have a question for cyclist! How do you lock your bikes?
I've seen people take their front wheel off and lock it with their rear wheel. Is this the most practical way of making sure someone won't run off with your bike? I'll need a quick release cable for my bike if thats the case. I've also read that its better to carry two different types of locks. I'm not a big person so carrying one heavy lock is already a struggle for me! lol. How do you guys lock it? Any advice?

whiskey9890

samcee, i chain mine up depending on where i am chainingit too, i normally try and go through the front wheel and the frame if possible. i just have a cable lock but it came with a bracket to attach to the frame so the bike carries it not me, (also means i don't forget it)

cloggsy71

What app do you guys use?
I've been using mapmyride but going to try cyclewatch later because it has calories burned info that might be helpful.

I use CycleMeter; brilliant app and it measures calories too!

samcee

whiskey9890, thanks, I just get a bit nervous leaving my dear bike unattended! touch wood it won't go running off.

What app do you guys use?
I've been using mapmyride but going to try cyclewatch later because it has calories burned info that might be helpful.

I use CycleMeter; brilliant app and it measures calories too!

Do you need to attach anything to cyclemeter? I used cyclewatch and mapmyride yesterday but you need to buy an additional kit to monitor your heart rate and calories burned

yvonnej1

OK so I have to admit there are many days that I don't love riding my bike but I wouldn't be without it. I bought my Giant hybrid 18 months ago and it is my main form of transport, it has already paid for itself in saved bus fares. However the fact that I have to ride it Monday to Friday for my commute to work in all weathers (apart from a couple of days of very heavy snow this winter) is why sometimes I don't enjoy it, but get me on a good day with the wind behind me, sun shining and zooming down the hill from work and nothing beats it.
My son is 6 and we cycle together to his school (just under 1.5 miles) before I head off to work and I collect him every day so we cycle home together, I'm starting him off young!
I just wish the roads around here were quieter though, I'm lucky enough to have a cycle path along the main road most of the way to work but the noise of the traffic passing by is nasty, I've also had a few near misses on the road where I've been cycling straight on past a turning and the car coming from behind has tried to turn off, not seen me and nearly knocked me off.

I guess I'd just like cycling better if there were no cars on the roads :happy: It will be easier as my son gets older though and is able to cycle further, we'll be able to get on our bikes at the weekends for leisure and there are some nice cycle paths around the area.

novatri

I have grown to use cycling as my main form of exercise. I prefer being outside, riding at the park. But if I can't the gym works too I guess. I'd love to get into touring someday. Long rides that focus on the experience and scenery, not the speed. Finding videos of people that ride around the world and meet so many new faces. Especially Daisuke Nakanishi, who saved up and quit his good paying job to follow his dream. So I'm riding around the world myself, mileage wise. Just crested 200 miles today. Hope to get my new saddle this coming week.

gtm124

I ♥ this thread so much. Just wanted to quickly add something, in case there's some lurkers out there. If you can't afford one of the bikes from a real bike shop Walmart has bikes that are like $89 and $99 made in China I think. Heck my Marin bike was made in Taiwan....

Here's the direct link
http://www.walmart.com/browse/Bikes-Riding-Toys/Bikes/_/N-5l80?browsein=true&ic=48_0&path=0:4171&ref=+260784&refineresult=true&fromPageCatId=133073&catNavId=133073

And now with petrol going up in the USA to $5+ it's a good time to start riding! )

Personally, I would disagree with the Wal Mart bike route. I would pay for a well used Bike Shop bike before I bought a bike from Wal Mart. If I couldn't afford that method I would save up until I could.

cloggsy71

Do you need to attach anything to cyclemeter? I used cyclewatch and mapmyride yesterday but you need to buy an additional kit to monitor your heart rate and calories burned

Nope; just register the app, enter your weight in the settings & away you go... You can configure it however you want it & it even e-mails the results to yourself and whoever else you nominate!

It costs £2.99 in the UK and it's worth every penny!

Have a look & read the reviews in the app store.

I've also got a Dahon iPhone mount to sit the phone in as I cycle, so I can watch my stats...

yvonnej1

Do you need to attach anything to cyclemeter? I used cyclewatch and mapmyride yesterday but you need to buy an additional kit to monitor your heart rate and calories burned

Nope; just register the app, enter your weight in the settings & away you go... You can configure it however you want it & it even e-mails the results to yourself and whoever else you nominate!

It costs £2.99 in the UK and it's worth every penny!

Have a look & read the reviews in the app store.

I've also got a Dahon iPhone mount to sit the phone in as I cycle, so I can watch my stats...

I bought the nike + gps iphone app a while ago, only £1.19 and tracks my route and distance really well, I use it to track walks and the occasional run too but Ideally I would prefer it if it was less set up for running and more for other activities too.

janesmith1

We rode 10.55 miles today. And for all the Walmart bike haters, my comment really wasn't for you. It was for people who can't afford a bike and would like one. You can stop making neg comments about it now, ty.

I have online friends who live in a trailer in the deep south & are flat broke but would like to ride a bike. Their only access to any shop is Walmart. There are no "bike shops" near them. Plus all kinds of people are broke these days. No reason to *not* *ride* especially when they're broke, can't afford petrol, etc. There is no "craigslist" for a lot of rural area and poor area people, and plus getting a used bike for people that are regular bikers is dodgy, so my comment was for people who Would Like To Ride and have about $100 or less to spend on a bike.

Anyways, carry on...sorry to disrupt this wonderful thread, just getting sick of person after person saying neg things about what I said about buying a bike at Walmart. There's nothing wrong with buying a bike there!

RunRideRay

I'll climb in some spandex and cape to save the day.... haha

OK, this bike dilemna, money, where, and everything else is pretty simple......

If you've got $10, or $100,. or $4000 buck for a bike, whatever, just ride.

I have built a complete, sweet bike, from parts that are to be thrown away. I salvage tons of parts, and took an old steel frame and built a sweet ride out of it. Envy of my bike club actually, a true hard-core bomber. Investment is mostly love.

I know people who comb garage sales for that 15 year old panasonic, or schwinn, or anything that rolls well, slap a $20 on the table and roll into the sunset....happy.

My kids ride walmart bikes, smiling the entire time and have no clue they are riding a 40lb tank with substandard parts. They ride them till the wheels fall off....happy.

Then... what I learned, is that spending more on a bike is a worthy investment. I also buy every bike from my LBS (local bike shop), because bikes need maintenance and I like the extra attention I get from buying at the shop. I also learned, for me, it is a better investment to get the bike I want instead of upgrading every few years. I am happy.

SO, the moral of the story is get some wheels under you and roll. If you learn that a cheap bike wears out, who cares, that's a cheap lesson to learn. If you prefer a high end ride, fantastic, just stay ahead of the walmart bike....hehe.

Hope everyone got in some good rides, but a goose egg for me. I was out of town seeing family for Easter which was a true blessing. This week should allow me a few turns of the ole chainring.

Ray

janesmith1

Heh, happy Easter everyone! I just ate a good chunk of my Lake Champlain Easter Bunny. It's without it's head & ears now! Good stuff!

And I only buy from our LBS, local bike shop!

sempernova

I love my bike! But I have to confess I am a Fair Weather Cyclist..you won't find me out there in the cold and rain!

whiskey9890

i'm still alive after cycling to work only took me 20 mins which isn't bad as i allocated 40 for it, the hill almost killed me but i got to the top and kept on going (used to stop at the top for a breather) my legs still feel like jelly almost 2 hours later, thank heavens its downhill on the way home, just got to remember to watch out for the dead badger ewwwww

j3nic3

just got to remember to watch out for the dead badger ewwwww

LOL!

bunny hop it!

sillygoose1977

Here's a couple of websites with great choices of clothing!

http://www.terrybicycles.com

http://www.teamestrogen.com

Thanks for the links. I'm kinda looking for something that doesn't scream 'bike gear'. lol. I'm not a pro but just wanted to know what type of casual clothes people wear when they cycle. I found a link more to my liking for anyone who is interested. I don't think all the cycle fashion on it is all that practical but looking pretty on a bike normally helps motivates me :P

http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

I wear the cycling gear because most if it is for practicality. I wear shorts with good padding but they have over shorts with them because I am not so cool with wearing spandex. I love jerseys because they keep me nice and cool. A good pair of shorts is worth the investment. My SheBeest shorts are actually the most expensive article of clothing I own, but I found a cheap jersey at ****'s for $15. I admit, I like to look cute when I ride and flash a little cleavage. :blushing:

sillygoose1977

No ride this weekend because of crappy weather. :grumble: I did manage to hike a few miles and break in my new boots. I love to bike but I also have to get in shape for backpacking this summer.

gtm124

Just found out last week that my fitness center has finally added some spinning classes. I have wanted them to get a class(es) started for a couple of years now. This should really help supplement my road mileage workouts. Yippee!!