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!

Hi Neverme, I'm thinking of doing the same, but am a bit nervous! DH uses them and fell off three times, twice at junctions and once going uphill . He hasn't fallen off for well over a year now.

I'll watch to see if someone experienced comes up with some pearls of wisdom .

Lemoncurd have been looking around online and there are various articles/youtube vids on it. I suspect it's practice practice practice and making it habit i.e. when you approach a junction in a car you automatically start braking/de-clutching - the same thing needs to happen with de clipping the pedals before you need to stop on the bike. Thing is, I've got myself a bit worried about it now, so probably being tense isn't the best thing in the world!

Hi Lemoncurd and Neverme - There is no magic secret to riding clipped in; as you guessed it is just a matter of unclipping whenever you think that you might have to stop. I just got into the habit of unclipping whenever I think I might have to stop, so well in advance of actually having to do so. I also started off with SPDs, which you can adjust to be quite loose, so even on a few occasions when I have had a near-miss because I have had to do an emergency stop, my natural reaction of trying to get your foot on the floor has been enough to release the mechanism.

I am lucky that I have only been hit by the Topple Goblin (close relation of the P*ncture Fairy) twice. The first time was when I took my cyclo-cross bike off road for the first time, and learnt the hard way that my bad roadie habit of only unclipping my left foot is not such a good idea when riding across a hill, where gravity is already pulling you to the right! The other time was when I had a sudden mechanical issue and my chain jumped and jammed when I was standing up to get up a steep hill. Falling off lots is not inevitable if you think ahead and are mindful of being clipped in.

It is a good idea when you first use a new clipless system to practice clipping in and out with the bike stationary - holding onto a wall or fence for balance. Then find a quiet bit of road, and just spend 10 mins riding up and down practicing unclipping with the pedal in various positions (although it is easiest to unclip when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke). If you feel nervous about unclipping in time, it is better to unclip early even if you are not sure you will need to stop. You should be able to move your food a little to the side or forward or backwards, so that it is still resting on the pedal but not clipped in. You can used the leg still clipped in to keep pedalling with so you don't have to put pressure on the one that is out of the clip and risk it skidding off. This makes it easier to keep moving, and change your mind and re-clip if you need to. The only thing to watch out for is inadvertently clipping back in without realising it.

I hope this helps a bit!

Hi again folks :)

I had a great ride yesterday, just went out for an hour but I'm really starting to get the hang of it I think. I set off on a local long distance route (an old railway line)but got totally bored so I cut back through into the woods. I amazed myself that I went for hills and hard work by choice, so I think this mountain biking bug has properly bitten me

I'm feeling much braver and tackled a couple of really fast downhill bits, had so much fun I did a big loop and tried it again. It was a case of forgetting about all the rocks and roots and just hanging on and hoping to avoid big obstacles, which got DH all excited when I told him because apparently that's proper mountain biking

I felt a bit silly, an overweight Lycra-clad thirty-something woman wobbling along happily, and I kept thinking 'I'm someone's mother!' but what fun I had!

Sounds fabulous Poached! You're braver than me, I tried mountain biking a few years back and it scared me witless ! My rule now is wheels for the road and feet for the tracks! Sounds like you have been bitten by the bug

I've managed two rides on my new road bike, 20 miles on weds eve and 15 last night . It's amazing and I'm really getting used to the gears and riding position already and managed to average 17mph. DH was a bit taken aback by this as he's quite competitive. He is going to do the same route and see if he can beat me (I did run a marathon 4weeks ago so am fairly fit).

Er, slightly embarrassing question here .... How does one protect one's lady garden? The saddle is comfy while riding but there is a certain amount of soreness afterwards . I would like to do some longer rides but would also like to be able to have sex again! Any tips? Or will it just toughen up!!

Thanks for the advise on cleats, I think I will see how I go, and maybe put shoes and pedals on my Christmas list.

Are you wearing padded shorts Lemon? A pair with a decent pad is a must.

Other than that it may just be that the saddle is not suitable for you. A saddle with cutout sections in the middle is usually better for women. I had a ride on a bike with a Selle Italia saddle the other day, and although it was a decent saddle it was really uncomfortable after about half an hour.

Pressure on your sit bones is normally just something you have to get used to, but pressure on your lady bits requires changes. Some local bike shops have seats you can borrow and try, or you can buy a seat on eBay and if you don't get on with it, stick it back on to sell and get another one.

Thanks Thistle. I didn't wear padded shorts for the first ride but did for the second, but they are only cheap Aldi ones. I might invest in a higher spec short! The saddle is a women's design as the whole bike is. I'll pop back to the shop where I got it and see if they can make some adjustments/recommendations first. The pain isn't while riding it just feels sore afterwards. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

Is it a pressure pain or chafing pain? Cycle shorts are designed to be worn without any underwear. You could also try chamois cream, if the issue is chafing.

17 mph is a good speed btw- please tell me that your route is pretty flat?

Cool thread. I hate most forms of exercise, but I do quite like cycling. My BIG problem with it though is that it HURTS MY ARSE SO MUCH. I used to go off with DH and the kids for a few miles, but my bum was so sore after just a really short distance, I have given it up.

Can anyone recommend a good W-I-D-E wide saddle?

I only want to do fun rides - noting too far and certainly not competitive.

Marge- it's a bit counter initiative but you are better off with a firm saddle than a really big squashy on. I forget the reasoning behind it, but have heard this advice again and again. The most important thing is that it is the right width for your sit bones to be properly supported, and to wear a decent pair of padded shorts. A specialist bike shop will be the best place to get a seat that is the right width for you.

Other than that, you just need to toughen the F up! The more you get out on the bike, the less uncomfortable it will be. 18 months ago I was getting a sore arse after 7 miles. Now I can get to 70 before it starts feeling uncomfortable.

*counter intuitive
*squashy one

No shorts - too fat - can you imagine the view from the back?? Doesn't bear thinking about.

Jeans and a loongg top for me. I know jeans probably makes it worse, but I ride horses in jeans and chaps and that's fine - and the saddle is definitely very firm.

It's the sit bones that kill me on a bike. I have to perch on one or the other as the saddle just goes up the (uh-hum) middle nowhere near any bones if I don't.

Jeans are really not good for cycling in. You can buy what are essentially padded pants for cycling that you can wear under ordinary leggings, track suit bottoms, or loose fitting cotton trousers (although you would then need bicycle clips to stop the trouser leg catching in the chain) or even a skirt if you want. You can wear a long top as well if you are worried about scaring the horses.

It does sound like there is a problem with your seat though, as you should definitely feel you are bearing the weight on your sit bones. Have a try in jogging bottoms or leggings first to rule out it just being the jeans causing you discomfort, and if that does not help, get yourself down to the bike shop and get a new saddle. If you cycle to the shop they will almost certainly fit the new one for you.

these are an example of the padded undershorts I mentioned.

gel saddle covers are also nice.

Oh My Thistledew - I just couldn't wear those. I'd be too embarrased. - Don't you look like you are wearing a huge sanitary towell?? when you get to the pub

A really wide gel saddle sounds good. We need to get DS1 a new tyre and inner tube, before we go away at the weekend, as his are knackered . I'll see what they have in the shop.

Thanks for the link Thistle, I'm not sure about going commando though! I think it is a chafing problem so I'll nab some of DS's sudocrem.

My route is quite undulating so for every up there is a down. I do like digging in to a good hill though and I am finding it so much easier on a proper bike . hoping to get a 30 miler in later.

I am a recent convert to going commando under cycling shorts after a long time not wanting to try it, but it really does make a big difference and is definitely to be recommended.

Hello! I've had a road bike for a few months now and I love it almost beyond all reason. It's so much more fun than any bike I've had previously - shockingly fast acceleration and I can get up to a decent speed too. I'm trying to ride as much as possible as I really need to lose weight, so doing exercise that is also fun is probably a good idea.

DH is very much a "get all the proper equipment" sort of guy, so we're both kitted out in lycra - going commando in padded shorts on a hard saddle definitely works! Marge - yes it is like a giant sanitary towel at first, but the more you wear it the better it fits, and in any case when you're on the bike it doesn't feel like that at all - just while walking! Think of it as motivation to stay on the bike? I'm a good deal overweight so not speaking from the point of view of a pro cyclist by any stretch, if that's at all useful.

My bike is getting shiny new cleat pedals this week - they're mountain biking easy-escape type ones as I've never tried cleats before. Does anyone have any advice for getting used to riding clipped-in? I'm a bit scared!

Hi evil giraffe. You might have seen my posts earlier re clipped in pedals. Think the key is practice whilst leaning against the wall, don't be afraid to fall and clip out before you brake.

To that end I've got a question for le peleton .... I've now got clip less pedals, but do you think I can ride on them just wearing my trainers rather than cleats? Because I don't think falling off whilst pregnant is a good idea ....

Orange glasses for dusk, clear for dark - I have prescription inserts so if intending to be out through dusk I'll often just go for clear all the way.

mountaingirl You're very lucky to be somewhere with 800m ascent! (and only a max of 9% would be nice too) Descending - get low so your center of gravity is lower, this makes cornering much more secure, so use the drops on your handlebars - if you can't reach the brakes in that position get some shims for them so you can. The drops also mean a bump or similar cannot knock your hands from the bars.

Then it's just very relaxed and practice, following someone who knows the lines to take and just follow them nice and relaxed.

Evilgiraffe - re: cleats. If you are going for straightforward SPD cleats (rather than road bike ones) then you can adjust the amount of tension in them with an allen key on either side of the pedal - just loosen them off. For some reason all the ones I've ever bought seem to be set to max tension as default.

Don't release so much tension that you have to twist your ankle too much though - you might want to keep adjusting while practising leaning up against a wall to find the right level for you.

They're sooooo much better when you get used to them (and it won't take long at all). I have my children in a bike trailer and I am sure I would not get up the hill to our house if I didn't wear clipless pedals.

Neverme - what pedal system do you use? Tbh, I would not ride in trainers with any clipless pedals other than just to pop to the shop at the end of the road. It won't give you any decent sort of grip, and you are far more likely to fall off through your foot skidding off the pedal than you are through failing to unclip. If I were you I would either switch the pedals back to flats, or as Elejo has said, switch to SPDs, which you can adjust to being so loose that you practically step out of them.

Whilst we are on clipless systems, does anyone use Speedplay? I want to upgrade from SPDs, and like the double-sided nature of Speedplay, as opposed to having to flip the pedal around with Look, etc.

P.S Fred - are you alright there, my dear? I was wondering what you were on about, but I realise you were responding to questions posed in posts from last August! Were you caught in some sort of MN time warp for a while?

Thanks everyone! I have now tested out my shoes and shiny new pedals while wobbling from one wall to another in my hallway - I think it's going to be okay. I'll have a ride on them tomorrow and report back!