MFP Cycling Club

If you have a cell phone that you can download apps for, you can download a biking app. My husband uses one for our rides, and it works really great.

Morning everyone, just checking in. I went to my spinning class yesterday morning and whilst I felt pretty good during the class, my legs were like lead this morning. I cycled in to work and it was the single hardest journey ever! My legs were so achey that despite being on a level road and cycling with the lowest gear, it felt like I was going uphill the entire way. It's only 9.20 am here and I am already dreading the cycle home just a little bit! The good thing is that I have to get home somehow as I can't just leave my bike at work

RAGBRAI sounds amazing - I have always wanted to try the London to Brighton bike ride (85 km) or the London to Paris bike ride (500 km over 5 days) but at the moment I am just waaaay too chicken!

RebelRenny - Good luck - a 40km round trip commute sounds mean, but your heart will love you for it!

Clioandboy - 15 km doesn't say nothing to me, it's something I'm working towards so you should definitely be chuffed. Hope the downhill part was fun

I hadn't thought of using an app but I think I will give it a go.

Nice to see a cycling thread. I've been training with my team for Pedal to the Point in August. I try and do
about 150 miles a week, which depends on whether I commute or not. I'm not to crazy about riding my
bike at 10 o'clock at night, but still try at least one or two times a week.

BTW, if anyone wants to donate for Pedal to the Point, which goes toward the fight for Multiple Schlerosis,
here's the link...

https://secure3.convio.net/nmss/site/Donation2?idb=1116196728&df_id=27879&FR_ID=13681&PROXY_ID=7745866&PROXY_TYPE=20&27879.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=dt6yiktpv1.app326b

The minimum donation is only $5.

This past weekend I did 80 miles by myself and at least another 25 tonite with my team.

Doug

And for the rest of you who are commuting to work, I'm jealous. Since I work out of my house most of the time, that won't work for me.

You can go biking in the morning and then call yourself commuting lol. I would have to leave 3 hours in order to get to work, but the kids would not like me coming in hot and sweaty. Now way to shower, plus, I have 3 kids to deliver to various other school drops. :laugh:

Thunderstorm chance scared me into not riding this morning. :frown: Will have to make up the difference over the next couple of days.

I live in a non third world country, yet, the USA is about the only country left still using the customary measurement system. I teach metric, but I am not good at visualizing miles to KM and vice versa. So when everyone is talking about km distance i have to revert back to my trip to canada . We drove 60 mph and the speed limit sign said 100 KMP. One you think I should be better, my goal for the future, to watch my car speedometer and think distance and speed in km. Trival: did you know that Benjamin Franklin tried to present the idea for our country, just forming, to use the metric system. Then we would not have to deal with all that fraction stuff. 1 inch 9/16. :grumble:

Anyways, I am proud to say I went to MapMyRide.com. I liked looking at the diifferent map types, and the elevation feature is cool. Cool, someday, I may just past a fellow cyclist. I found saved routes for cyclist in my area too. And who knows, I may even enter an event....maybe...

I managed my first bike ride this week [it's been a family visiting overload for the past two weeks !!] and boy, it felt good. I don't know the exact mileage, as my odometer bit the dust months ago, but I keep track of how long I bike and subtract an estimate for stops [ drink of water, traffic lights]

So, this AM, my friend and I rode about 80 solid minutes. I learned a lesson last week when I biked early on an empty stomach and felt the dreaded fade. Not today... I ate a piece of Ezekiel toast with a tbsp of peanut butter and a handful of fresh cherries, which are at their season peak right now. Of course, I also drank a big glass of water. This was just enough... complex carbs and some protein. I managed the hills [ok, ok,... bridge overpasses] just fine.

It's a hot and very humid summer here in FL, and I believe other parts of the country are experiencing major heat too. I can only bike early in the morning and early evening yet still come home drenched... we southern ladies supposedly don't sweat, of course ... we merely "glisten". :blushing: Well, I glisten to the point of being completely drenched and dripping! Drinking plenty of water is absolutely essential when exercising, but in this climate, more so than ever. I go through about 12 oz before setting out, 22 oz during and another big glass before heading home, if possible.

I was reading that in heat, drinking a slush type frozen drink can keep athletes performing longer than just cold water. I wonder if that applies to a frozen margarita? Probably not. :laugh:

BC1

Can anyone suggest something that will help me track how far I go on my bike? I have looked at bike computers, but most are really expensive... is there something smaller and similar to a pedometer that a runner wears that would work??? And hopefully affordable.... Thanks

There are some inexpensive odometers out there. Cateye makes models that range from $30-50.00. That's what I use for now. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some of the Garmin models, but it keeps track of my miles, which is all I'm really looking for right now. Maybe I'll put a Garmin on my Christmas list :happy:

Thanks a bunch, I will look into that. Right now I am just tracking time, but that can vary so much depending on my energy level, and pretty much everyone else aims for a distance.... What would be a good over-all goal for the summer, distance-wise? I am a beginner and not sure what I should make my goal for the summer (in miles).

Panda that is a good question.

The answer depends on a lot of things, but I'd say the simple answer is to not worry about an overall goal, just try to improve every week. It would also depend on where you live, if you live in a very flat place, with lots of good space for bicycles you can put on a lot of nice steady miles, but if you live in a really hilly place you will work a lot harder for those miles.

My advice for you is to get a map, or even google maps and try to figure out a route. I imagine you know your own area well, after all you live there, so avoid the congested areas with lots of traffic and peds, try to map out a route that skirts these areas.

I think that 10 mph is a decent pace to aim for to start, so how much time do you want to spend, if the answer is an hour, then I'd map out an 8 mile route, that way with traffic lights etc, you should be able to complete your route in an hour. Don't go at it like it is a race, it is not, try to be consistent, remember what gear you are in, if the route goes up hill, be in the right gear to tackle the hill.

Take your time, figure it out.

Now some generic cycling tips.

People driving cars cannot see you, you are the invisible cyclist to them. I've been hit 4 times in my life while riding my bicycle, thankfully nothing more than stitches, but each time the first thing out of the cager's mouth was "I did not see him" :explode:

Ride like everyone in a cage is out to kill you, to run you over and then back up and make sure they did the job :bigsmile:

I know it sounds extreeme but you have to watch your own (ever decreasing in size) *kitten* out there.

Wear a helmet, and wear it correctly

I don't know if I can post a pic here......



or

http://www.bicycleapparel.com/images/helmets/helmetfit2.jpg

but there is a good and bad way to wear a helmet.

Wear gloves, if you do take a tumble, even a small one, your hands will take a beating, gloves help with hand pain too. I have never liked the gel filled ones, good old leather for me thank you.

Make sure your bike is in good shape, check the tires for cracks etc and make sure they are pumped up to the right pressure, this will make flat tires less likely and the bike will roll along much faster and easier, making the ride more fun, which will make you ride more.

If you ride at night or even dusk, get a light for both the front and back of your bike, the new LED flashing lights are great, they are cheap, the batteries really last and they can be seen from a very long ways away.

Equip your bike with a bell, and use it, nothing freaks out peds more than a bike wizzing by them from behind, ring your bell as you approach and then as you get closer, if they move over, say "Thanks" and smile, this is good etiquette for cyclists. Watch out for peds with their iPods on or texting, they are dead to the world, they have to be treated like blind deaf 3 year olds with impulse problems :noway: :bigsmile: give them a wide berth.

I may be going a bit over kill here, but if you are prepared and you are aware, you can avoid most trouble and really enjoy your cycling while getting fit.

PS when I say "Ped" I mean "Pedestrian" I'm not saying it in a derogatory manner, it is just short hand, same for "Cagers" I get this from years of cycling and motorcycling, we call those stuck in their cars while we ride Cagers, because they are stuck in their cages :laugh:

I'm also aware that may call motorcycles "Donorcycle"

Enjoy your cycling!

Stu

Still taking the week off from cycling as we brought the dog with us for this trip. Doing a lot of walking (about 5 miles a day) and killed 2 pair of athletic shoes. (I think they died more of old age than hard use - the timing was just humorous.) Stopped posting my exercise and nutrition as well due to time contraints with a slow wi-fi but I'm NOT veering from my hard won eating habits.

We are staying in Ludington, MI and the area is really bike friendly. The bike shops are utilitarian and don't carry kits and socks or do-rags. The terrain is a lot nicer than the map shows. Most of the bikes used are of the "fat tire" variety and I would definitely consider one if you are going to vary your route a lot. Really wish we would see more helmet use but these are not racers running pace lines so danger is minimalized.

Will let you know when I'm "back in the saddle again".

P.S. I have been religiously reading the posts and all of you are doing impressive work.

Hi I'm new from Australia, so metric all the way for me.
I am a serious recreational cyclist, so usually get up early 2-3 times a week (5.30 or 6.00) to go for a 30 km ride with friends, and then longer rides on Saturday.
Last Saturday was the longest ride for me for a long time - 94 kms, but after a really horrible week weather wise, it was mild weather and little wind, unfortunately it started to rain just at the end, but that is OK.
My advice for newbies: get your bike checked out for safety, and get a basic kit and some training on how to change a tire, you'll be glad you did. Oh and bike shorts are definitely worth the money.

Also for the person on an earlier page saying that she needs to get gloves because her hands are sore - might be worth asking a bike shop if your set-up is OK, as on short rides your hands shouldn't get sore, you might have too much weight resting on them.

Looking forward to reading some more great bike stories.

GG

My bike with the skinny slick tires on it

I hope the pic worked!

Ride like everyone in a cage is out to kill you, to run you over and then back up and make sure they did the job :bigsmile:

This the best advice for riding. I see a car coming at me, whether it is on a bicycle or a motorcycle, as not seeing me and am always prepared to an escape plan. The moment I take it for granted that they will see me is probably the moment before a crash. Just keeping that thought in you mind will help you remember to be careful just in case they don't really see you.

I haven't gotten a bell for my bike, as I don't ride in walking areas for Peds. But, I laughed at the thought of the Comedian, Jeff Dunham. One of his bits is talking about police cyclists. He said "Cops on bicycles. How intemidating is this? Ching Ching. "Alright buddy, pull it over". What are they going to do when they arrest somebody? "Ok, in the basket"

I'm in Europe (not in the UK) so it's euros, meters, kilos and commas for decimals here. Found a free iPhone application that converts units and use it all the time. The Cateye speedos are very reliable and cost-effective.

Hey Stu I'm going to ask mfp to set a word limit per post :laugh:

Dino, I'm a Canadian....... eh..... so I grew up with both systems, metric and imperial, but yeah, I too have a conversion app on my iPhone :bigsmile:

Sorry about the verbal diarrhea Sometimes....... OK......... "OFTEN" I get on a roll and just keep pounding away on the keyboard. My wife and I run her family's liquor shop, I work from about noon to 1 AM most days, and from about 8PM until midnight, I'm usually by myself sitting in the shop waiting for customers to come and buy beer or smokes, so I have free time to surf the net.

Cheers! :drinker:

Panda86, no worries, this is something that I just happen to know a bit about, although I will admit my knowledge of the technology is 20 years out of date, as I'm still riding that 22 year old MTB :bigsmile:

For the basics, well that stuff really has not changed in a while.

Don't worry about becoming a "Serious" cyclist, just enjoy yourself and have a good time.

When it come to basic maintenance, you can do a lot on your own, the biggest thing is to keep your tires properly inflated and to oil that chain! I happen to like the dry teflon lube, I find it easy to apply, just drip it on, and as it sort of dries out, it is not so messy as some can be. Then just check you brakes to make sure they are working right and not rubbing your rims. If you do those three basic things, your bike will last a long time and you will only have to take it in to a shop maybe once a year, for things like having the bottom bracket greased, and maybe getting a new chain and chain wheels.

If you really do start to put a lot of miles on your bike (new on or the one you have) be aware that some things on you bike are wear items, obviously the tires, but also the brake pads and the chains and chain wheels. IN the long run, these will not cost you a lot of money, I would expect that if you put 6000 miles a year on a bike, I would think you would need a new chain, chain wheels and tires, plus maybe two sets of brake pads. If it is road miles, then your rims will last a long while. I used to go through a set of rims just about every year, but I rode a lot of off-road miles, in the mud and rain (hey, it was Vancouver!) so the grit acts like sandpaper on your rims, and wears them thin. I would put on 10,000 Km (about 6,000 miles) a year on the three bikes I owned, I did not own a car at the time, could not afford one

The cycling pants are for sure worth it, but you do not have to go with the tight stretchy Spandex ones, a pair or "Trail Shorts" or such will be fine, they look like regular hiking or walking shorts, but they have an inside liner and chamois for comfort.

Something else as yet mentioned is shoes, good shoes make a difference, they do not have to be cycle specific, but they need a good solid sole to them. Regular sneakers are usually too soft, and your foot kind of flexes around the pedal, this is a waste of effort and often you feet take a beating. For bad weather commuting I used to have an old pair or work boots, they had a 3/4 shank in the sole so they were nice and solid and I did not really care how muddy or wet they got, they were work boots :happy:

Your 80 mile trip, in two days, that is 40 miles a day, only go 10 miles an hour, which is an easy pace, it would only take you four hours. If you plan a 15 minute off the bike break every hour, that means a nice easy pace and it will take you all of five hours if you factor in an hour light lunch break, including a nap you are only at 6 hours, that is not a long day on the bike at all, if you are going a pace you can do and having fun. I think as long as there were not really huge killer hills, you will be able to do that and have a good time. If you can find others that will ride with you at your pace, it is a really fun way to spend the day. I did a lot of bike camping, up the coast of Vancouver Island one summer, it was great, there were 5 of us and we just road along at a good pace, and chatted and looked at stuff, we would stop and take side roads when we wanted and just enjoyed the great outdoors.

Whoops.......... sorry I did it again....... ramble ramble ramble........... :blushing:

@Stu, you might want to write a blog, and then just insert the blog link into the cycling thread messages. :flowerforyou:

:ohwell: Change of plans. Not riding tomorrow. Have to drive into work instead. So far this week I biked 100k. Yay for me!

And I feel GREAT!

Rebel

100 Km in a week, that is some good mileage!

I'm bummed out today because it rained a lot, I was only able to sneak in my deliveries on the bike, but that was a short 6Km :grumble:

I don't mind riding in the rain, but my customer don't want to get their product soaking wet

I hope to get out and do more tomorrow.

Cheers!