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

upahill Doing a tri isn't nearly as hard as getting to Everest base camp Just find one, enter it and have a good time. If you want any triathlon advice I can recommend the tri forum on the Runner's World website here. They're a friendly bunch although they do have a habit of encouraging people to do Ironman!

Bettymum my club is based in Stockport. It caters for all ages and abilities, and there's quite a few women! Several members are doing the Manchester 100 ride this weekend - I can't this year as I'm going on the club weekend the week after. My dad rides with his local CTC group, but he says numbers are dwindling and there's hardly any women (I think my club is the exception rather than the norm).

I'm just back from holidays in Skye. No cycling for me there unfortunately (DH needs to get on and sort a bike rack for the car) so really looking forward to getting back in the saddle at the weekend.

upahill triathlons are brilliant fun! I have done a few - mostly pool swims but one lake swim (brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr never again), there is always a really good atmosphere and the great thing is that you are only racing against your age group, so if a snakelike 18-year old lad comes sprinting past it doesn't matter, you're not racing him (unless you're another 18-year old boy). I'd love to get back into it but I think I'll have to wait till the DCs are a bit bigger.
paddington where is your club? I used to belong to quite a big road club, I loved it and learned loads. It forces you to get fit trying to keep up! There weren't many girls in the club. I have done the Etape du Tour three times, only finished one but I did get a silver medal for that one and it was long - 120 miles through the Massif Central - so I'm quite proud of it :).

Hi, can I join?
I've been cycling on and off since I was a child. My dad is still a keen cyclist at the age of 74, and he still beats me up the hills!
I currently have 4 bikes -
My old road bike, which I've had since I was 16. My dad made the frame for it.
A Brian Rourke road bike, which used to be Mum's - Dad did it up for me
A Scott hybrid, which I normally use for riding to work
A Kona Cinder cone mtb - got this recently off ebay.

I always cycle to work, whatever the weather - it's a 14 mile round trip. Dh works further away and takes the car.
I do belong to a cycling club and go out with them when I can. Dh isn't really into cycling - he has one really old bike, a Jack Taylor which could do with a bit of work!
I'd like to do a bit more mountain biking but I'm rubbish at downhills!

I'd also recommend the Minx Girl website - I got a great top from there. Also Wiggle has been OK.

I'd like to do the C2C or end-to-end - some of my club have - but I just can't really until dd is older. Do all of your kids ride? If so what bikes?

That's interesting nocake

I think doing a triathlon is something that has been on my to do list, like going to the base camp of Everest, stuff of my dreams!

i have been out on the mountain bike this morning and got 7 1/2 miles in over the west Pennine Moors with my mate.
Me and Dh might get an hour on the road bikes tonight but the cinema is beckoning as well (not enough hours in the day)

I'm trying to get big son whose 15 out with me for a few hours but he is too busy chopping fire wood ready for winter !

CardiCorgi My DW has a Bianchi Dama which is a lovely bike. I upgraded part of the groupset on it a couple of years ago and bought some Mavic wheels, which made a huge difference.

upahill I do triathlons up to Ironman distance (well, have done. I'm not racing at the moment for various reasons). They're great fun and you don't need much specialised kit for your first one. Find a race with a pool swim and you just need something to swim in then some clothes you can pull on over the top for the bike and run. You can spend a few quid and buy some tri shorts to wear for the whole race then swim in a sports bra (I'm assuming you're a girl?) and pull a vest or shirt on for the bike and run. Once you're hooked you can get loads of extra kit. They do say that the fourth triathlon discipline is shopping

Who was asking about glasses? I have a pair of Endura glasses with photochromic lenses so I can use them in all conditions.

In fact Lidl have got a new lot of bike stuff in from Monday 5th September, here.

Keep an eye out in Lidl - every so often they do glasses with interchangeable lenses (and a neat wee case) which are very good. I bought them for skiing and the yellow lenses were good for "flat light" but would also be good for cycling or they would be if I could find them

Re glasses I got a set from Altura with interchangeable lenses - sunnies, yellow and clear. As I'm a contact lens wearer I dread getting bits in my eyes.

I went out on a new route this weekend which involved going up the steep side of the Downs...which I used to be able to do! Not any more though,so that is my new goal,to get better at hills. My downhill route took me straight down on a byway,and I got partway down and thought "I can't ride this!" so I sympathise with regard to the downhills mountaingirl
Normally I just aim to keep my speed at the level where I'm unlikely to need to slam on the brakes,and am careful about not overusing the front brake.

Thistledew,I think some people have never thought how invisible they are to cars and how vulnerable that makes them - I passed a runner the other evening,they were all in grey/black and the light was just beginning to go - they were pretty much invisible till you were right on top of them.It made me think,as black/grey is my colour set of choice!

Regarding lights, I always have a set of knogs frogs on my bike, even when I am doing a triathlon, just in case it should suddenly get dark. I've tested them in several thunderstorms and they do seem to be properly waterproof. Clearly if I'm going to cycle at night I have proper lights too, but the knogs are a great back-up.

upahill I've done sprint and olympic distance triathlons and would like to do a half-ironman some time. For the first one I followed a "six weeks to your first tri" training plan and it worked out surprisingly well. It involved two swims, two bike rides, one run and one bike-run combination each week so fitted round work and life too.
Regarding kit, you don't actually need to spend loads of money for the first one. I used my old peugeot bike and DH was on a city bike (complete with luggage rack), I swam in bikini bottoms and sports bra and just put a pair of shorts and a top on over the top when I got out of the water. The problem is that triathlon is very popular with the 30-40 age group, especially men who then like to spend all of their disposable income on kit and think that you should too.
I started a triathlon thread a couple of months ago but I think it's dropped off the first page.

Thank you, will look for some yellow glasses here somewhere!

Thanks so much upahill, that has helped enourmously and just stopped me buying a bike that was masses too big for me.

Got my eye on another now, who knows maybe I'll turn into a budding Mark Cavendish and come and join you lot in a few months

patthehammer Hopefully this will help with your question to bike sizes.
www.evanscycles.com/help/bike-sizing

geet If I'm mountain biking on dry days I wear a pair of baggies with a loose top, usually a Paramo reversible. If it is cold I'll have a soft shell with it.

If I'm road biking I'll just wear a pair of tight fitting capri's.

I only tend to wear glasses when I'm mountain biking because I'm nervous of thorns on twigs getting in my eyes or grit when I ride through puddles.

Cardi Hello!!
Tell me about Triathlons you've done. I would like to do a beginners one next year but it seems very complex especially what things you have to wear.

Hello, can I join in?
Occasional triathlete, not doing as much cycling as I would like nowadays because of baby DD (she is worth it, though). I have three bikes:
80s Peugeot bought with pocket money when I was a teenager. I haven't ridden it for ages, but am emotionally attached to it,
Bianchi dama bianca road bike,
Corratec mountain bike, currently has the trailer hitch attached to it for DD's trailer even though she has only been in it once so far. I am a real wimp at mountain biking anyway although I would like to improve bike handling skills in general.

Hi, was thinking of posting a thread but then saw this one so just thought I would ask here for some quick advice as you guys seem in the know!

Need to buy a fairly cheap but in good working order bike to cycle to the gym and back (its only about 2.5 miles each way but walking takes too long and if I run it I'm too knackered to do my classes properly) to try and cut down on pertrol useage.

So I'm looking on ebay at the moment and there seem some really good ones in the local area but I am confused about what sort of size I need as some say 'girls/ladies bike' or 'suit a smaller lady'.

What is the general frame size/wheel size I would need (I am 5 foot 6)?
Anything else I should look out for? I am looking at ones that say VGC or hardly used as I don't want to replace the tyres and such after a few weeks.

Thanks to anyone that can help!

mountaingirl I am with you - I could happily cycle up hill all day (well in my head anyway) but I hate fast downhills. I'm a real wimp. Do you have a local CTC club near you? They might give you some pointers. Otherwise just watch videos of the pros hurtling down the Alps .
Geet I wear yellow glasses if it's a bit gloomy, I always wear eye protection of some kind ever since a bee flew right into my eye - no sting or anything but it was like a boulder hitting my eyeball. Ouch.

Id like to know what you wear for cycling on dry days?
I'd go out in the evening and in rain but as it gets dark here quite quickly not sure what to wear in evening rain!
Do you all wear yellow glasses?

Yesterday I achieved one of my goals set by me for this summer. I did an ascent of 800m (though my cyclometer iPhone app says 989m). I only stopped 4 times on the climb up and had to choose the odd flattish area otherwise I'd never be able to clip my left foot in! It was steep in places +9%. What I'd love to know is although I don't mind cycling uphill how will I ever get to love the downhill? Although I am getting faster my naturally pessimistic side sees me flying over the handle bars. Anyone have any advice on technique please.

Oh oh oh! When i started last year I started a thread asking advice and there was a poster who told me all about her "cycling song" are you on this thread? Also, another poster wrote this great post about how she had cycled home that day through the pouring rain and still arrived home with a big grin on her face. She was in Bristol I think. If that was any of you, I still think of that post every time I cyclemin the rain and it makes me smile.

Hi all, can I join in? I cycle to work every day, it's about 13 miles ish a day. I have a battered hybrid, just a cheap one from toys r us but will definitely need to upgrade in the new year.

I started cycling to work a year ago after I lost one job, got another but didn't get my pay from last job so couldn't afford the bus fare to work. The habit stuck.....

I stopped cycling around the end of October last year and started again in feb this year just due to weather and not being able to afford winter gear. My aim this year is to cycle through unless it is too icy to be safe.

My route is a mix of road, gravel and field, I commute in a smallish town.
It is a good combination of long steep hills and a little flat stuff.

I've definitely noticed a difference in my figure since starting, have had lots of comments about how trim I am looking which is quite nice really.
Still have a wobbly tummy though