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  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
    earlier in my ride report I mentioned the "yellow bikes"....

    well - one that stood out for me was "the one that didn't make it around the chicane"

    14266798500_8043bd48eb.jpgtheonethatdidntmakeit by The Big Yin, on Flickr
  • tristan299
    tristan299 Posts: 2,537 Member
    Ride from Saturday

    http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/607072875

    Does anyone else use Map my ride, if you want to add me please do. e nice to have some more friends on there.
  • Lukejacksmum
    Lukejacksmum Posts: 30 Member
    Done my first ride in company today!! The West Wales Bike Ride for The British Heart Foundation. Decided on the long route at 46 miles(gulp) but have to say I loved it and was very well run :) The start was a bit hairy and I didn't clip in for the first few miles as there were sooo many cyclists but after that was great :happy:
  • KitTheRoadie
    KitTheRoadie Posts: 641 Member
    So on Sunday I took part in a local Hill Climb, up one of the more iconic climbs near me. This is Porlock Hill, on the North coast of Somerset just up the road from the town of Minehead.

    It really is a stunning climb, roughly 6.4km at an average gradient of 5%, not too steep but long enough to know about it! :wink:

    I did it in a time of 20m48s which isn't too shabby but definitely lots of room for improvement. I went off the start too quick, caught up in the excitement of having crowds of people cheering me off, and paid for it later on. There was a fair bit of support along the hill which is always nice, and the riders who had finished already waited at the top and cheered riders over the line.

    The reigning champion won again this year in a time of 14 minutes something which is crazy! Mind you he was a stick so not surprising I suppose! :laugh: Also representing the ladies was Wendy Houvenaghel, former World Champion and Olympic medalist! Needless to say she beat me too with a time of 17 minutes something....

    And for some pics....

    My dossard...

    15309066311_18877cb1ab_o.jpg

    My trusty steed...

    15125500730_66b1ab17f0.jpg

    My bro's ride...

    15125668767_f5f3795b87.jpg

    I was number 21...

    15125443629_557ae9c067.jpg

    My results board...

    15311839242_af588cdd37.jpg

    And my bro's - he's number 52 - and quicker than me! :frown:

    15125477630_3930a99ed9.jpg

    They had a start ramp! I was more nervous of this than the blumming hill!:wink: Although my bro said I looked good going off it :wink:

    15125503020_55e0f89b19.jpg


    All in all a fantastic morning out! Next one's not till Novemeber now so plenty of time to strengthen up and shed some excess weight! :wink: That one is shorter but much steeper! :ohwell:

    Edited to include my Strava link.... http://app.strava.com/activities/197565667
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    What a great ride report, Kit. Sounds like it was a lot of fun :)
  • KitTheRoadie
    KitTheRoadie Posts: 641 Member
    So on Sunday I took part in a local Hill Climb, up one of the more iconic climbs near me. This is Porlock Hill, on the North coast of Somerset just up the road from the town of Minehead.

    It really is a stunning climb, roughly 6.4km at an average gradient of 5%, not too steep but long enough to know about it! :wink:

    I did it in a time of 20m48s which isn't too shabby but definitely lots of room for improvement. I went off the start too quick, caught up in the excitement of having crowds of people cheering me off, and paid for it later on. There was a fair bit of support along the hill which is always nice, and the riders who had finished already waited at the top and cheered riders over the line.

    The reigning champion won again this year in a time of 14 minutes something which is crazy! Mind you he was a stick so not surprising I suppose! :laugh: Also representing the ladies was Wendy Houvenaghel, former World Champion and Olympic medalist! Needless to say she beat me too with a time of 17 minutes something....

    And for some pics....

    My dossard...

    15309066311_18877cb1ab_o.jpg

    My trusty steed...

    15125500730_66b1ab17f0.jpg

    My bro's ride...

    15125668767_f5f3795b87.jpg

    I was number 21...

    15125443629_557ae9c067.jpg

    My results board...

    15311839242_af588cdd37.jpg

    And my bro's - he's number 52 - and quicker than me! :frown:

    15125477630_3930a99ed9.jpg

    They had a start ramp! I was more nervous of this than the blumming hill!:wink: Although my bro said I looked good going off it :wink:

    15125503020_55e0f89b19.jpg

    An action shot! :wink:

    15125041198_ffafabb96c_z.jpg

    All in all a fantastic morning out! Next one's not till Novemeber now so plenty of time to strengthen up and shed some excess weight! :wink: That one is shorter but much steeper! :ohwell:

    Edited to include my Strava link.... http://app.strava.com/activities/197565667
  • bdgfn
    bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
    I started riding seriously at the beginning of the summer. I do road cycling on a hybrid bike - couldn't afford a road bike at the time. My rides then were 8-10 miles, and I gradually built up to 12 miles. I was stuck between 12 and 15 for a long time. There are a lot of cyclists here in Northern Colorado, and I had seen them riding on CO Hwy 66 between Longmont and Lyons, and some even climbing the mountains up to Estes Park. I set a goal for myself to eventually ride to Lyons, which is about a 12 mile 1-way ride going direct. One day I just decided to go for it, and hit 25 miles, about a month or so ago. I started extending my ride at the beginning, adding distance gradually. Last week I went over 30 miles for the first time, and felt good at the end. I saw a poster for a 50-mile ride in a neighboring town about 10 days ago, scheduled for this coming Saturday. I decided to go for it! Yesterday, the last day I have time for a practice ride, I extended my ride even further, and rode a little over 35 miles in 2 hrs 43 mins, which is not bad on a hybrid, especially since I was not going for time but rather distance. I felt like I could have easily gone another 15 miles, but I actually ran out of time due to a prior commitment. I feel as if I am ready for this upcoming 50-mile ride, and I'm really stoked about the prospect of doing it!
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    Excellent bdgfn. Let us know how the 50mi one goes!
  • GrindGravel
    GrindGravel Posts: 49 Member
    That hill climb looks like a blast!
  • GrindGravel
    GrindGravel Posts: 49 Member
    I started riding seriously at the beginning of the summer. I do road cycling on a hybrid bike - couldn't afford a road bike at the time. My rides then were 8-10 miles, and I gradually built up to 12 miles. I was stuck between 12 and 15 for a long time. There are a lot of cyclists here in Northern Colorado, and I had seen them riding on CO Hwy 66 between Longmont and Lyons, and some even climbing the mountains up to Estes Park. I set a goal for myself to eventually ride to Lyons, which is about a 12 mile 1-way ride going direct. One day I just decided to go for it, and hit 25 miles, about a month or so ago. I started extending my ride at the beginning, adding distance gradually. Last week I went over 30 miles for the first time, and felt good at the end. I saw a poster for a 50-mile ride in a neighboring town about 10 days ago, scheduled for this coming Saturday. I decided to go for it! Yesterday, the last day I have time for a practice ride, I extended my ride even further, and rode a little over 35 miles in 2 hrs 43 mins, which is not bad on a hybrid, especially since I was not going for time but rather distance. I felt like I could have easily gone another 15 miles, but I actually ran out of time due to a prior commitment. I feel as if I am ready for this upcoming 50-mile ride, and I'm really stoked about the prospect of doing it!
    It's great once you make that break through with distance. If you did 35, you can do 50. Might be a bit tired at the end, but you can do it. Next stop is a Metric Century! Signing up for a ride is a great motivator, that is how I made my best gains early on.
  • derrickyoung
    derrickyoung Posts: 136 Member
    Saturday I took part in a group ride that broke a number of milestones for me. I have only been on a Bike Since July and at that time 5 km on the Trek Liquid 20 MTB i picked up used just about caused me to throw in the towel thinking there was no way I could get into shape no matter how much weight I lost.

    The ride was advertised as an advanced ride through rolling hills totaling 55km. I had no ridden over 30km yet. A few 27 km and 29 km rides recently that I left me feeling I could have kept going more or at least should have ridden faster during. This would be my 3rd ride on a Specialized Allez that I picked up used. I figured the switch from MTB tires to Road should be good for a few KM gained.

    I finished the ride. So I guess that is my first milestone getting in a PR for distance. My GPS shows the ride coming in at 53.47 km and in my true to form fashion I did not start it till I was on the road. So it was probably very close to 55km. The Rolling Hills felt more like a 27km Climb out and 27km Climb back. I know that is not Possible but it sure felt like it at the time. Total elevation gain came in at 227 Meters. Looking at other ride reports on Strava this does not seem like much but it sure knocked me on my butt. Each climb was followed with another with barely anytime to get the heart rate back down. 227 meters is another PR for me in elevation gained in a single ride. On the ride out there were a few other first timers in the group jumping off their bikes and walking part way a few of the hills. I managed to stay on the bike getting out of the saddle and pushing myself to the top. I could feel myself getting a little gassed by the turn around point so while the others were eating butter tarts and drinking Coffee I had a Gatorade and a Cliff Bar. I usually hate Gatorade but figured I should put something other than water into my body. The cliff bar which I normally do not mind had to be choked down. after a 10-15 minute break we started the ride back. The first couple of climbs on the way back I literally was saying "Shutup Legs" trying to hammer the last 1/3 of the hills. Then we hit the 3rd climb out and I had to get off. My legs were not having any part of this. The walk up the hill gave me a bit of a break and was probably a good thing for my body even if my brain felt otherwise. Somewhere after that third climb I guess the Cliff Bar finally kicked in. I felt great. A couple of fast downhills and managed to pull away from the group I was with and catch the group ahead of us. Then somewhere about 45km the effects of the cliff bar disappeared, I had no water left and fell off the pace and ended up back with the trailing pack again. But at least I knew it was mostly downhill to the car park from this point. So I plotted along with a group of 5 riders determined to finish this. During one of these final descents I managed to set a PR for top speed at 55 km/h which was pretty fun until I had the thought what happens if I fall. But I had started to figure out by getting up to max speed on the decent the next climb was allot easier and shorter, so i just let it roll.

    By the finish when the bike was put away I was no feeling so hot. Left the car park and started heading out to do some errands and really felt like I had over did it. about 2 hours post ride I forced myself to eat a sandwich and that made all the difference in the world.

    Ride Detail
    Moving time 2:38.38 - Personal Record for time in Saddle for me
    Average Moving Speed 20.2 km/h
    Total Distance 53.47 km - PR for distance
    Elevation Gain 227m PR Record for Single ride elevation
    Top Speed 55km/h PR for speed

    ele_zpsd65a12bf.png
  • Thats hell of an Average Heart Rate for a ride of that length (compared to what I do anyway!)
  • wolf_tickets
    wolf_tickets Posts: 29 Member
    I started riding July 25th to burn calories because I found walking excruciatingly boring. I live in New York and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I ride a 45-pound 3-speed CitiBike sharebike because I can't afford anything else. The highest cadence I can muster produces about 17mph on these beasts. And since there's a 45 minute CitiBike usage time limit I have to check the bike back in and get a new one intermittently on longer rides. But I've still grown to love these blue monstrosities.

    hlzVXH5.jpg

    In the beginning I could only ride a mile or two before my legs got tired and I'd have to rest. I kept at it and steadily my strength and endurance increased. I started riding up and down East River Park but gradually extended my route until I was circumnavigating lower Manhattan (about an 8.5 mile loop). I started to really enjoy riding. It's incredibly exhilarating even on a clunker. I've ridden every day except 3 since I started. DOMS was a major issue in the first two months. I learned the hard way about bonking and now make sure to fuel up and hydrate before longer rides. I always wear a helmet and endorse the "be dead sure or be dead for sure" credo about riding in the city--I've seen some awful things happen to careless riders in the ~1,000 miles I've ridden so far.

    I'm still a Clyde at 6'2" and 212lbs (I've lost 21lbs so far). Yesterday I rode 20 miles (twice around the tip of Manhattan with a loop around East River Park). Today I did a personal best of 30 miles. My legs felt good afterwards, but my *kitten* was a little sore. Here's the GPS track of the ride.

    I wanted to share my story. I'm hoping my circumstances change so I can get a real bike. Until then call me The Blue Bomber.
  • great story wolf_tickets and goes to show you don't need a big budget and an expensive bike to reap the benefits of cycling, long may you continue!
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
    it's surprising what you can do on one of those citibikes... down in london we have the "boris bike" which is pretty much exactly the same, apart from the usage cap is 24 hours. Three lads took one from London, drove over to france, climbed Mont Ventoux and got back to London before they were deemed to have stolen the bike...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWCeAzkc2Q
  • wolf_tickets
    wolf_tickets Posts: 29 Member
    edited October 2014
    Thanks for the fantastic video. I can't imagine the guts and determination (and wattage) it took to make that climb on a citybike. I tried climbing the WIlliamsburg bridge a while back and it took me almost 10 minutes to recover at the top. I turned around and came back home, unable to face the return climb. Manhattan is pretty flat in sharebike territory so I don't get much practice on gradients. I'd like to try it again but was kind of embarrassed by all the "real" cyclists zipping by me (seemingly without breaking a sweat) on the way up. And Brooklyn's overrated anyway.
  • spdoman7
    spdoman7 Posts: 121 Member
    Anyone riding? Took out the 29"r single speed today on the snow covered gravel trails.
    70 minutes riding in the snow at 24F or -4 C for the Big Yin.
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    spdoman7 wrote: »
    Anyone riding? Took out the 29"r single speed today on the snow covered gravel trails.
    70 minutes riding in the snow at 24F or -4 C for the Big Yin.

    Still too cold for me in my area in the northeast of the USA; it is in the low single digits (Fahrenheit). I really miss getting outside. Spring will come at some point...I think?

  • kriles76
    kriles76 Posts: 70 Member
    edited March 2015
    We had an intense summer storm last evening (Melbourne, Australia), so there was plenty of puddles and debris from trees on the roads and bike lanes. At one stage I must have picked up a small stick in the wheel, which made a whining noise. I thought I busted a spoke but fortunately the stick was spat out and all spokes were intact.

    I rode down by Altona beach and there was lots of sand on the road. The wind whipped up the sand so I copped a nice sandblasting.

    I was hoping to ride a 100 km today but while the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. The legs just didn't want to be part of it. There's always next weekend....
  • Climbing, climbing, climbing...
    Keep those doggies climbing ...
    https://sites.google.com/site/aweekofbicyclingonmountevans/
  • DarkArwen
    DarkArwen Posts: 4 Member
    Got in a little over twenty miles today. I think I'm ready to do twenty five or thirty. So happy to be improving. I want to be doing fifty mile rides by summers end.
  • derrickyoung
    derrickyoung Posts: 136 Member
    Weather here in Toronto is improving but not quite to ride levels this week. Although a few days of Rain and above freezing temperatures has gotten rid of most our snow we are back in a bit of a cold snap for the next week with freezing temperatures again. I can live with it as I know spring is just around the corner and I found this

    20150309_172955_zpspna22gh6.jpg

    20150309_173018_zpsni0bge7o.jpg

    And no post would be complete with out the bike

    Omnium.jpg[img][/img]
  • mwhite61451
    mwhite61451 Posts: 209 Member
    edited April 2015
    Completed my first century of the year on Saturday. 100.6 mi; Time-6:01; avg speed 16.8; 6,195 calories burned; Elizabeth City, NC; Tarwheel Century
  • Just_Ceci
    Just_Ceci Posts: 5,926 Member
    Completed my first century of the year on Saturday. 100.6 mi; Time-6:01; avg speed 16.8; 6,195 calories burned; Elizabeth City, NC; Tarwheel Century

    yvowiq04uf5i.gif

    Some day, I will do that.
  • Just_Ceci
    Just_Ceci Posts: 5,926 Member
    Saturday was the grand opening of the Razorback Greenway, 36 miles of multi- use paved trails connecting 6 towns in Northwest Arkansas. I rode from end to end and back. Ended up with almost 75 miles in just under 6 hours in the saddle. There were thousands of people out on their bikes or walking. It was great!

    Here's a pic of my bike at the end:
    ptsc5f1usl2w.jpg
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
    edited July 2015
    Here's a sort-of video ride report from a charity ride I did with a buddy on July 4, 2015.

  • patioq
    patioq Posts: 22 Member
    last mile and half got caught in a downpour.
    https://strava.com/activities/348155679
    Friend me on Strava if you want.
  • TheChangingMan
    TheChangingMan Posts: 73 Member
    ntnunk wrote: »
    Here's a sort-of video ride report from a charity ride I did with a buddy on July 4, 2015.

    What video settings do you use on the VIRB? It's a lot clearer than any of my efforts :-)
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
    ntnunk wrote: »
    Here's a sort-of video ride report from a charity ride I did with a buddy on July 4, 2015.

    What video settings do you use on the VIRB? It's a lot clearer than any of my efforts :-)

    Sorry, not sure how I missed this but I managed to do so.

    I'm not sure exactly what the Vid settings on the VIRB are but I can definitely look for you later tonight if you wish. I think it's set to the standard 30fps and 720 resolution. Any more specific than that I couldn't say without looking.
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
    A video recap of my Cyclocross race on Saturday, 10/10/2015.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC-MLYExjUs