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

I've been biking quite a bit over the summer. Am finding though that at 25 miles I'm sore. Even on my daily 15 mile commute by hands are sore, shoulders ache, etc. thought I'd have toughened up by now but it doesn't seem to be happening. The distance of my weekend rides is restricted by niggles and aches rather than fitness.

So I'm going to test ride a recumbent trike at the weekend. 2k plus of recumbent trike. I haven't told dh yet! I might not tell him and see how long before he notices it in the shed.

Just clocking in - this thread fell off my Threads I'm On but I've found it again :)

I've been very lucky to get a new MTB a couple of months ago, and it's really added to my enjoyment of riding. There is a newly formed women's biking club here, and through that I've had some free or very cheap skills training and met a lovely group of people. My fitness is slowly improving and I'm going to do a race next month, so it's all good!

Off on my first training ride for next years AIDS/LifeCycle on Saturday, it's the route I've done a million times but I haven't done a full on ride since June so it'll probably be hard work!

Just got the bike back from being serviced and cleaned and it is GLEAMING! can't wait to get out again

Gosh, it's quiet around here! Mind you, I've only been on my bike once this month - far too hot for my taste

Hi there,is anyone doing the London to Southend bike ride on sunday?Lets hope it's not too hot!!

Yay, welcome!

This is great - getting back into cycling after going everywhere on my bike in my early twenties. Marking my place to read up later then barrage you all with questions before i buy my new bike!

I do makeup (I only wear foundation) and have breakfast before leaving.

No showers at work so I have a strip wash and reapply antiperspirant. To be honest I don't get that sweaty....it's 8 miles on the flat and I pootle quite steadily.

Put my hair in a ponytail and I'm good to go.

Thanks Thistle, Chops and Americas! There is a sign on the door already, I think it's just ignored as there aren't any women who use the facilities at the moment but yes I'm sure if I start using them regularly word will travel fast that they need to keep their bits to themselves!

Ok I think I'll try showering and doing my hair at home, then having a mini shower and doi g makeup at work. The idea of keeping spare shoes at work is genius, and a kit bag there too. I'll just have to pack a jersey dress and tights then and will be good to go. Oh and can't forget bra and knickers! Breakfast at home then maybe a small midmorning snack at work. Thanks again, all!

Also I now keep spare shoes at work so I don't have to lug the in with me I. I'm using my clips

NotGoingTo I never had option of shower at work so I would shower and wash hair at home, take a different tshirt and knickers to change into (my days before Lycra entered my life and I work in a very casual environment) but wouldn't do make up til at work

Mirai, could he try it out? Mine is described as lightweight aluminium but still weighs in at 15.3kgs, and more by the time you consider paniers, etc. I also frequently load it up with shopping and still have no problems getting up the hills.

notgoingto, I'd rather shower afterwards. Surely if the lockers are unisex, men should be keeping their bits packed away?!

Just found this thread and loving reading through it as I've just started cycling to work myself. It's 12 miles each way, mostly off road with one bit on fairly busy roads. Because of that bit I like to leave early in the morning to beat the rush and then leave work a bit early to avoid heavy traffic in the afternoon as well.

For those of you who cycle commute, how do you organise your mornings? I've started by having a shower at home, then having breakfast, then putting on makeup and then cycling in to work, then having a mini shower at work without washing my hair. Then I touch up my makeup. But maybe that's crazy! Is it better to get out of bed, put on my cycling clothes and cycle in, then have a full shower at work, get dressed put on makeup and do my hair, then have breakfast at my desk. Only problems with that are I might keel over from hunger and also the locker room at work is quite blokeish and although the shower cubicles at work are locked I'm afraid of hanging around the locker area for fear of running into a male colleague with his bits out! All the other cyclists where I work are men. What to do?

if he has proper gym gear - running tops or anything like that he would be fine, just not cotton!

Puncture kit is a good idea, I had forgotten that. I don't really carry a puncture repair kit, but I do carry a spare inner tube, a pump, a couple of spanners and a cycle muli-tool thing. A good multi tool will include a chain breaker in case your chain snaps.

Cycling shorts, or MTB style shorts with a padded liner as a basic requirement. MTB style if he isn't into lycra then go for lycra shorts with baggies over the top. You don't want to be cycling with underwear on under normal shorts ideally - nasty chaffing as a minimum.

Will he be carrying work clothes with him ? 7.5km isn't far, but he will need a change of clothes especially if hot.

As for tops, yes the pukka kit is best, but he could manage with any 'technical' gym tops, or indeed a proper football top. Cotton t shirts will be horribly sweatty and absort sweat, so will need something that breathes.

He will need two pairs of kit to be safe - wash kit after each day's commute, and dry it between uses (i.e. hang to dry at work).

Other than that he won't need too much. Puncture kit and pump and a couple of spare tubes to carry with him - so he can fix it on the way rather than call you out to collect him. Waterproof jacket in case of heavy rain.

Don't bother just yet with clipless shoes and pedal combinations. Just get the basics.

If you were local, I'd say go to sports direct or aldi, but it is a bit tricky with you being in Japan! None of it is essential, especially for only 7.5 km. Does he have any normal sports wear that is light weight? The shorts do tend to be padded which is nicer, but really for such short distances he def doesn't NEED them.

OW! VivaLeBeaver that sounds nasty, hope you are ok! I frequently fall off when mountain biking, but don't go too fast off road so maybe a scratch and a bruise and that's about it! I have been hit by cars twice though when much much younger, once resulting in head being glued back together and concusssion!

If he gets some proper shorts and a jersey, he'll probably enjoy it more and therefore it's more likely to last as a hobby, I'd say. Appropriate kit makes a huge difference to both comfort and speed.

Wiggle do some fairly cheap padded shorts - a pair of those and a jersey should be fine to start with. If it's warm he could probably manage without a base layer t-shirt to go under the jersey, and get one later on if the fad lasts.