Cycling Thread - pleasure peddlers to serious cyclists sign in here!

Hello! I've been lurking here for a bit, but thought I'd actually post now that I have my 'new' bike & have gone out this morning for the 1st proper ride!

Forced dd to get up early so we could get in a good run before ds had to go to football... She wasn't pleased, but we managed a big loop which ended up being 19.7 miles so I'm pretty pleased with that! :)

The bike is a Giant FCR3 & I got it second hand at our LBS. Very happy with it so far, but am still coming to terms with the thumb gear changing! DH's MTB (which I was riding) has the normal twist action, so this is taking some getting used to but I think it will be easier!

This may be it for the week as our forecast is rain, rain & more rain with wind! Today was perfect weather so glad we did get out!

Hope everyone is enjoying some cycling this weekend!

I was shouted at a year ago was on a path in a park and a man shouted that it was a pedestrian Path and I was being bloody unresponsible, I slowed down and had went on the grass so to give them room, I cycled off and didn't say anything but saw him on my way back, so shouted at him that anyone could use the path as long as they were responsible for their or their dogs actions, he said nothing and I was very pleased with myself

Got up early today and did my first ever 15 miles.

Got shouted at by a pedestrian as well so feel like a fully fledged cyclist.

Was on a shared cycle/walkers path. Going slowly as there were people and dogs, 3mph slow. Sme suicidal dog that was sniffing another dogs bum swerved infront of me and nearly made me crash as I couldn't clip out fast enough. I didn't shout at anyone but in shock quietly muttered "bloody dog". The owner didn't hear me as that wasn't the intention but another dog owner started shouting at me that it wasn't a bloody dog and the incident was my fault. I shouted back it wasn't and cycled off.

I mean I have a dog and I don't let it run out of control on the cycle path. When I see a cyclist I hold the dog till the bikes gone by.

Theres that tricross again.. keeps cropping up in conversation in RL too. 2nding putting pannier rack on it if you carry loads, even sometimes.

Tour of Britain Devon Stage today - Hurrah. We went to Merrivale , near the top of KOM section. Rode a hilly 5 miles each way in from postbridge. 6 yr old gets big respect for doing it sensibly on his own bike. Also went tto teh Cycle circus crazy bike session in Princetown. 6 yr old managed to crash a kids tandem and drop his stoker off the back - oooops.

Happy - join the Tricross quiche. Looks like a road bike but you can stick a rack and panniers on.

Thanks Thistle, I've been out today and done 8 miles and managed to clip out OK each time.

I'm planning if its not too windy to try for my first 15miler on Monday!

Viva sorry but that's too funny you clinging to a wall and having to take your shoes off! Did the brickies laugh?

Happy could you get a tourer style road bike that you could put a rack on so you could use panniers on it. Good for commuting so you don't get a sweaty back.

I am en route to Pyrenees. Too exciting.

Viva - I've been clipless for 5 or 6 years now and I still fell off them leaving Sainsburys the other day. Yes, technique helps, but you'll still have off days!

Happy - I'm an advocate for road bikes, so would advise one if you're riding on roads, but they can feel unstable when you're new to them. Can you get the bike to work scheme? The savings can make a massive difference in the purchase price of a bike - up to £420 if you're a higher rate taxpayer. When it comes to buying a bike buy the best you can - normally your money is spent on the frame as components can be upgraded in time. An entry level road bike, if you want to step up from a hybrid, may be a great starting point for you - and if you can get it on the cyclescheme more's the better!

Hi, I'm new to this thread but reading it was wondering if you'd all mind me picking your brains? I've started cycling to work aiming to do it at least once a week but sometimes making twice (I only work 3 days). It's just under 10 miles each way and is quite hilly so I feel I get quite a work out (for me!).

I've been thinking of getting a new bike but have no idea what to go for. There seems to be such a huge range in price and I'm not sure what I need or what I would benefit from. Mine is a (very cheap) hybrid about 10 years old which is quite heavy but good for potholes and bumping up pavements when necessary.

Any ideas?

Think I've sorted my problem. It was just technique, I was just trying to rotate out rather than heel up and out/forward at the same time. God I am dim!

UniS - I wanted a Dawes Tourer but even their smallest size was too big for me. Its funny because the Tricross is a bigger size on paper but fits better.

Anyway, I am back from a terrible, terrible ride. Only my 2nd ride clipped in. Last ride I spent 5 miles clipping in/out, in/out the whole time - no probs.

Coming along the cycle path today and some brickies are building a wall by the side of the path, wood and bricks everywhere over the path. Path is 3ft wide max and right next to a busy A road with lorries going past my elbow.

I thought I better clip out.......couldn't clip out. Really couldn't. Had a choice between the wall and under the wheels of a HGV so choose the wall. Managed to stay upright. Then I'm leaning against the wall for five minutes, still can't clip out. Had to take my feet out my shoes.

Home now, still unable to clip out. Bike is in the hallway with shoes on pedals!

How come it was so easy last time and this time impossible? How hte hell do I get my shoes off?

Hello- only just spotted this thread.
Are any of you doing "30 days of biking " this month?

I'm giving it a go. normally I guess I'd be on my bike 4 or 5 days a week but this sept I'm aiming for every day. Have managed it so far with a little help from a brompton on the trickiest day.

My stable of bikes is a
Dawes Horizon tourer with schwalbe Marathon plus tyres, mudguards, full racks ,dynamo lighting and trailer hitch.
Dawes Galaxy with skinny tryes. mudguards and a back rack.
Brompton , no rack, 6 gears.

The bike I use most is the heavy but bombproof Tourer. but the light one is fun for longer rides, it climbs hill rather better.

That's pretty, Thistledew! Before I read the blurb with it I thought it looked like DH's roubaix - indeed they're similar! Very pretty!

I've gone for campag veloces on it - I have campag mirage on my old road (now commuting) bike and have soft spot for them. I expect I'll upgrade to chorus over time. Probably because I'm contrary! I've gone for a compact so hills aren't quite as horrific, but I look well'ard as I don't have a triple

I agree re the layers - particularly the base layers. You don't have to spend a bomb, Lidl have base layers in for around £8 this week. They also do cycle specific kit twice a year, and their long line cycling vests are super. I wear them for bootcamp in the park (I teach so I stand around a lot), skiing, cycling, running when it's cold and they're a fiver each. Sign up for the Aldi and Lidl special emails and you get around a week's notice for the kit coming out. You've sadly just missed Lidl's autumn kit.

One thing with technical base layers - add a scoop of Vanish Anti-Bacterial (the one with a green lid) to your wash to get rid of that technical fabric pong.

Thanks for the tips on the hills and the warm welcome, I usually try and peddle in the higher gear till it gets too "stiff" then start dropping down and tire myself out quicker in the process, so will try the lower gear and keep spinning at the same speed, it makes sense :). Fox trot your bike looks lovely, enjoy it! I feel quite lucky where I am, there are quite a lot of cycle paths and a new one just opened so you can cycle from our town to the next town 7 miles away, right alongside our beautiful beach.

This is probably a silly question but what do you wear as the weather is getting colder, I always think if I wear too many clothes I will get too hot, then end up freezing.

I've just this second brought it home and expect to ride to Brighton on Saturday (we're in London). Even the ride home from the bike shop was bliss, particularly as I rode my old road bike over because I couldn't get the pedals off - DH kindly rode it home for me, looking like he was on a child's bike.

Bring on Ditchling Beacon. My new bike and I are going to kill it

Woah Foxtrot! Just had a look at your new bike! Wow! I hope you have blocked out some weekend time to ride that as soon as you do get it! You don't want to just confine that to the indoors turbo, it MUST be shown off :)

Summer, thanks for the info, I think we might make a weekend of it next time we need to be in Thetford area. Ruby, roof rack required!

It looked quite nice from the photos. Plus I'd need to get to London to get a train anyway.

I read that it got a bit ugly and dispiriting once you get past reading (and can catch a direct train home from there) so gave up once we hit central reading. The ncr 4 does go all the way into town so you can follow it right into the centre of London.

The blog I read they went all the way to London, I think they joined NCN 4 at Reading. I might do that, in which case I need more than 3 days. They had a 9yo with them and if a 9yo can do it then I can!

Three days seems much more sensible. It's the better part of 100 miles so 35/35/30 makes a nice split. The last bit when you're in reading is smooth Tarmac, which is bliss!