Cycling topic anyone?

DON'T get a gel cover - it can be counter productive on long trips.

Better to invest in some padded shorts (they're very reasonable in Decathlon and/or Lidl/Aldi offers) - you can wear your own shorts over them if you're self-conscious.

Also, consider buying a good female anatomical saddle - they do make a difference.

But even if you don't, you'll find your bum gets used to it (at least for shorter distances).

Hi Pileoflaundry. I got back 5 mins ago actually. I played about with the gears going uphill and downhill and I think I've got it sussed. My bum is killing me now though. Need to invest in a decent gel pad cover or something. Also going to download an app so I know how many miles I cycle. I loved every minute and have definitely caught the bug

Oohh, cyclists' sofa sounds spot on!

Lavender, I already eat more but am only cycling 4 miles per day... Which may explain why my diet has stalled.

I've never thought of wet wipes for cycling. I did use to take plastic gloves, so that I could get the chain back on and complete the journey without smearing grease on my face. But now I have small DC, and the grease barely shows beside the dribble, snot and possets.

Dolly, have you managed to get out on your bike today? How did you get on with the gears?

Would love a cycling topic that wasn't in exercise!
We have mountain bikes( DD, 8, has a bmx) and we go off road a lot. DD did 17 miles last summer on the Monsal trail.
Hopefully getting her an adult sized bike with gears for Christmas. She fits on a 13" cube but is going to grow some more between now and Dec!

Thank you CoolWheelsPan. I will do that and see how it goes

Dolly - on just about every bike the left hand gear change is for your front big chain ring, or the 'front derailleur'. The right hand gear change is for the small cogs at the back, the rear derailleur. They make small changes, but they work with the front chain rings to make things nice and easy.

IF your setting on the left hand side is '3' it means you are in the big of 3 front change rings, which means it will be harder to turn over. From the sounds of it you need to drop down into '2' on the front, which gives you an easy pedal experience.

Thanks LammilyDoll. I will go out tomorrow and play about and hopefully I will pick it up quick

I spend most of my time on the middle cog (2).

Do you have gears on both the left and right hand side? If both, then set the left to 2 and the right to whatever the middle number would be.

Then cycle a bit and see how it feels. If you've get gears on the right hand side, then move them to higher numbers when you are cycling easily and want to go faster and to lower numbers if it's getting a bit more effort (eg going up a hill).

Change the left hand one to 1 of you need your pedals to spin more easily when you're going up a hill or to 3 if you're going down a hill and want the pedals to "bite" and make you go faster.

Dolly, just get on your bike, and try the different settings. You'll soon get the hang of things!

Seeing as we don't have a topic yet, I thought I'd ask here in the hope someone will help me...

I have just received my bike and I haven't a clue about gears. I have looked on the Internet and I'm none the wiser. What should the left hand gears (1,2,3) be set to? I have it on 3 right now as that is what it came like but is that right? Does it matter that much just for going smallish bike rides? Thanks

Maybe a web chat with someone from Breeze Network?

This was the 10th time in 11 years that we've been to the same place.

As soon as ds was big enough to get on to the smaller bikes (ie when he was 11) we started hiring bikes (tried to find some the year before but failed). The lady now recognises us

Dh did really well with the dismantling/reconstructing the bike - and learnt a lot in the process. He even took a wee bottle of Swarfega - and I took plenty of wet wipes (my mum taught me that wet wipes were an essential accessory when cycling ).

Yes to a cycling topic! I'm on the thread but it always drops off my list and I forget about it.

I'm a terrible cyclist but thank you to the pp who mentioned me I just know a hell of a lot about it because of my obsessed DP. I am getting there though, very slowly...

Oh wow PB that sounds epic I am seriously impressed at your taing the bike to bits and putting it together again! That's quite amazing.

Was it lovely in Greece? I have never been.

I'm just back from a week in Greece. We took my the most suitable bike with us - a 2nd hand Specialized Allez (ds' bike is too expensive new, dh's bike - a B'Twin - is heavier than mine). Technically it was for ds to ride and for dh to use in the mornings/evenings instead of going for a run (his knee is shot) but I went out one night for a short circuit on principle as it was my bike

Dh and I hired bikes out there - mine was a City type bike with 7 gears and dh's was a mountain bike with 21 gears - both heavy compared to mine

Dh learnt a lot about taking apart and putting together bikes . We borrowed a bike bag from my db and our Local Bike Shop gave us pipe lagging and foam. Lots of cable ties and some cardboard from IKEA packaging and it was successfully transported between Manchester and Preveza Airport and the taxi down to Nidri.

It cost us £50 extra - but it was worth it for the extra pleasure it gave us. Next year we might even take 2 bikes.

What do you think HQ? Can we have our topic?

POL - it was me who did 35 miles earlier this week - I am the biggest amateur there is, in the whole wide world. I am hoping that I won't forever need the half way pub to entice me to ride more than the 12 mile journey I have to do for fitness a few times a week.

Simple for me - ride more = eat more .

Bump bumpy bumpy road there

I'm going to look for a women's cycle club in my area on the back of this thread.

Please please please! I'd love one and yes to cycling being too male dominated in other forums, I love women's racing and somewhere to post about it!

It's me, Sophie, just checking in to see what news.

Are you still reading, MNHQ?

The......wheels on the bike go round and round, round and round, round and round..