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

[Thistledew]

Hi All

I thought I would start a cycling thread. It would be great if we could make it all inclusive, so whether you currently just enjoy bike rides but are interested in taking it further, or already train seriously, please post what you are up to and what your aims are. By sharing knowledge and experiences, hopefully we can spur each other on.

If you want to, please post a quick biog of how long you have been cycling, how much you currently cycle, and what your goals are.

And for those who wish to engage in a bit of bike porn, please feel free to post what sort of bike you ride!

Happy peddling!

Hello all I like this thread!

I'm just getting into cycle commuting, got a speedy new road bike after several years of riding a clunky heavy hybrid. I'm building up slowly, it's 14 miles each way, or 8 if I take a train part of the way. This week I've just 'upgraded' to do the full distance each way on two days. Will do it again tomorrow.

Got very sore legs at the moment, mostly quads and the muscle just above the knee on inside of the leg (no idea what it is!). Will this wear off soon do you think? I've been commuting since April so should be toughening up, not hurting.

Also, I am scared of going in the drops, I feel wobbly and insecure. Anyone got any tips?

Happy cycling!

HellonHeels The pain could just be your muscles adapting, or it could be partly that and partly a poor knee/foot/something position so you're putting extra stress on an area you don't like. The quad pain is almost certainly just your muscles adapting.

Are you using clipless pedals (confusingly pedals where you clip your shoe into them) if so it could be the position of the cleat is off and you need to rotate the knee in your pedalling action which is extra stressing it. Or it could be your position is wrong and you're not extending the knee too much or not enough, it would be impossible to diagnose via mumsnet.

However when you say the drops make you feel wobbly and insecure, that does make me wonder if the saddle is a bit low, since that can cause both symptoms. Normally the drops should make you less wobbly and more secure because your center of gravity is lower. Have you got anyone who can give a good eye to your position?

One other suggestion I would make Mousey, is to get out on the bike and do a long ride - at least 50 or 60 miles, and then a couple of weeks after that, do one of at least 80 miles. Do this as soon as you feel you have a basic amount of fitness, and as soon as possible.

There is something psychological about riding a long distance, and you always imagine that it will be far harder than it actually is. Once you have done it though you will realise that it is well within your capabilities, and this will actually allow you to train harder and longer, as your appreciation of what your body can cope with will shift dramatically.

HellonHeels - I second what Fred says about getting someone to check your position on the bike. If you don't have an experienced friend, then you can go to a specialist bike shop and ask about a 'bike fit'. They can be costly, but if your position is wrong and it is causing you an injury, then prevention is better than cure.

I think the type of pain you are getting would indicate whether it is a position issue or whether it is a fitness issue. Does it hurt whilst you are cycling, or is it just muscle soreness once you are off the bike? Feeling a burn in your quads when you are riding is quite normal and just a sign that you are working hard. Feeling a sharp pain or cramp is definitely an indicator of a poor position.

Also, remember that when it comes to cycling and training, it never gets easier- you just go faster!

Hi Everyone,

I have just bought a second hand mountain bike and want to start cycling. I am a real beginner, I havnt cycled since I was a child apart from I once cycled in the park for an hour when I rented a bike.

My work place is about 10 mins drive in the car and my dd's school is about 20mins walk from home, so I was thinking I could start taking dd to school (I would walk and let her scoot) then cycle to work.

I feel quite nervous as I live in london and the roads are very busy. So any tips would be great.

Also I am thinking about getting one of those trail gaitor things for taking dd to the park on the bike as her little legs get tired quickly. Are they easy to use? Or am I likely to fall over with dd on the bike?

notsurewhy - how far is the park you want to take your daughter to? I would start with walking with her cycling and then you can push her on the way back if you need to. My DS1 is a very good cyclist and will happily go for several miles (he's 5 but has been cycling on a proper bike for over a year) but still needs the odd push on a steep bit.

I took DS1 out on the tag-a-long for the first time on Saturday. Normally I have DS2 in the baby seat on the back of mine and DS1 has been tagged-a-long by his dad, but it was just me and DS1 this time and we had to be somewhere by a certain time so the tag-a-long seemed like a good idea. Has anyone any experience of these? I found it frankly scary, wobbly and was not confident at all. DP helpfully told me afterwards that you can't coast, you just have to keep pedalling or the wobble is worse. Any tips, even its as basic as stick to lower / higher gears?

notsurewhy and tourdefrance trailgators and tagalongs (or towbars) are different.

I use a tagalong and it did take a couple of times out for us both to get used to it (and DS still conveniently forgets to pedal at times!) Now commute with DS1 on tagalong and DS2 on front seat with no trouble.

We've just bought a trailgator but not had chance to use it yet - weather :( Everyone I know who has one loves them, as you only need to hook them up at end of ride when they're tired. Don't know anyone who regularly uses them on road though - is anyone else doing this?

I think I meatna trailgator, well i have just bought myself a fold up bike and i am really happy. The mountain bike was massive and i would never have been able to ride it.

Is there anything I can buy to measure my speed and time when cycling? So that I can see how many calories I have burned? But only looking to spend a couple of pounds on it.

notsure if you have a smart phone you can use something like mapmyfitness, which covers running and cycling. Otherwise cateye do a range of odometers; I'm sure some have calorie counters, but they might be more than a couple of pounds.

notsure - most bike shops will sell you a basic bike computer which records distance and time. Other than using a heart meter and a more complex computer which measures your power in watts, this gives you a (very) rough guide to how much you will be burning.

I have downloaded mapmyfitnese

I'm (weather permitting) doing a 50km sponsored ride on Sunday. I've done similar distances before but never anything quite so organised... and generally I dislike cycling with anyone else much to DH's annoyance!

Is there anything I need to know?

Bike has been checked over and I will have spare tube, pump, tools, food & water etc

It's on minor roads with marshalls at junctions etc - though I have a map too!

Anything you need to know? The most important thing you should not forget is

...

To enjoy yourself!

All of the charity rides I have done have been really well organised and signposted, so you need not worry about getting lost. There will be other riders to follow as well.

I always like to wave and say thank you to the marshalls, as it reminds me to be cheerful, even if I am tired and my arse legs are sore.

Ride at a pace you are comfortable with and you will make the distance no problem.

In terms of other people, don't get too close behind people you don't normally ride with, and allow yourself space to stop if they stop or slow suddenly. If you need to stop, try to pull into the left and check there is no-one behind you before you do so. If you need to walk up a hill, keep over to the left of the road so that people who are able to cycle up can keep going. This may sound obvious but there are always a number of people who don't seem to think about this who then nearly cause pile-ups by suddenly stopping to walk up steep sections.

As to the positives of riding with other people: these events usually have a great atmosphere, and although it is not a race, it is surprising how much of a boost you will get to tired legs by seeing someone ahead of you and thinking "I can catch you up and overtake you"!

Afternoon Thistle

Plea for help! Where o where on the internet can I see the Tour de France? I have recently made the disasterous decision to get BT Vision and the Freeview section does not carry ITV4 where le Tour is covered in highlights - I can see their highlights but only the following day on ITVplayer.

Surely in this day and age their should be a site which carries current coverage and/or highlights??

tia.

there obv.

Hi Pan

Can't help with footage, I'm afraid. The official page has some short clips but nothing like the ITV coverage.

On that note, did you see Andre Greipel yesterday? I thought he looked really crooked on the bike after the first crash- they were saying today that he had dislocated his shoulder! . It shows what amazing mental as well as physical strength they have.

I am going to try to emulate a bit of that attitude on the club run tomorrow - if my lungs aren't bursting and my legs aren't screaming, I will obviously not be going fast enough!

Evening! ( I have been told it's on ITV4 site live so we'll see tomorrow)

yes I saw the Cav-Greipel finish but not the crash. I know that a lot of crashes happen in the early stages, esp when the wind gets up on narrow roads but we seem to be getting a lot this year.

and yes if you haven't puked and cramped up there's room for improvement. Good luck.

Thank you thistle, that's all really helpful.

It's stopped raining so no excuses!

Signing in!

I'm an ex-couch to 5k runner with a dodgy medial collateral ligament so I'm on the bike for now. I used to cycle loads when I was younger, but as a means of getting around rather than for pleasure or exercise. DH is a keen mountain biker and we live in the midst of perfect biking routes so I've been going out for an hour or so once our twice a week. It's much more fun than I remember!

Can't tell you much about the bike I'm riding -it belonged to DH's ex and he sort of had it included in his divorce settlement(!) so I know it's about fifteen years old and was, at the time, a good bike. It's got front suspension and a rack for a water bottle

I'm looking forward to hearing about everyone's two-wheeled escapades :)

If you go [url=www.cyclingfans.com]Cycling Fans[/url] there are links to all the places on the internet you can watch video coverage of the tour.

Doh, wrong forum... Cycling Fans

Yo poachedeggs in a similar boat here - have been running but just picked up an achilles problem. Must dig out bike rack and bring my bike to work for lunchtime bike rides so I get some exercise. Used to cycle more but DS1 is getting too big for trailer but still learning to ride his bike, and won't be up to the sort of cycling I want to do for a bit.

Ooh I've found a cycling thread! I'm a runner at heart really but love cycling too. I've been borrowing DH's Boardman hybrid and love it, but am ready to invest in a road bike for me

There is a good on line deal at Halford's for a Boardman women's specific carbon road bike. I am drooling over it, does anyone have any experience/advice? My DH who is Mr Bike Fanatic thinks it's a fab deal and as he has far more bikes than me I think I might take the plunge!

Well I took the plunge and I picked it up today and saved the best part of £500 off the list price .

If you're after a bike upgrade Halfords have some fab deals online until Weds. Also if you join British Cycling you get another 10% off.

I had a quick whizz tonight and although the different riding position and gears will take some getting used to, I love it.

Hello,

Have been watching this thread off and on since it started.

I've recently updgraded from my hybrid to a Felt Ladies road bike (ZW95 I think). Which is fabulous.

Took the jump at the weekend and invested in clipless pedals (road shoes and cleats rather than SPD). Can anyone tell me any magic tips to not fall over??? Is it just a case of training yourself to de clip before you brake etc? I've had to stop myself going out today on a lovely sunny day just because my legs can't cope with any more bruises!!