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! Can I join in please?

I've just started to get back into cycling, having dabbled for a few years, but recently went on a couple of rides and remembered how much fun it is - certainly more fun than running - so have been bitten by the bug again. DH and I did the Kennet & Avon Canal from Bath to London over the bank holiday weekend on our mountain bikes and I now have lots of plans for more cycling weekends/trips. The K&A canal was fun, but was trail rather than mtb territory, though a road bike wouldn't have been appropriate it was hard lugging the weight of an mtb up the hills! I find that saying to myself "just keep spinning, just keep spinning" a la Dory from Finding Nemo gets me to the top! I totally agree with going for a lower gear so you spin at a higher cadence - there's no shame in the granny ring!

I've now converted my road bike for commuting, so mudguards, flat pedals, lights, heavy duty lock and am excited about getting on it every day. Particularly as DH has just bought this for my birthday as my new fun bike! I cannot wait to pick it up from the bike shop and get out on it. There are plans to ride to Paris and to North Germany next year.

For those who are interested in going clipless - it is amazing! I have SPDs on my mtb and Look Keos waiting to go on my shiny new roadie. They took a while to get used to - on one memorable occasion I fell over in the car park at the end of a ride as I relaxed too much when I'd finished - but they become second nature once you've got them. It becomes a bind to be on flat pedals as your feet slip off/you can't pull through the pedal stroke uphill, and the only reason I've put flats on my commute bike is that I can't be bothered with having to carry my bike shoes with me everywhere. I prefer the road pedals to the mtb ones as you get more power and fewer hotspots!

Sorry for the epic first post, am just excitable tonight!

Ooooh, I've been thinking of the Avon and kennet canal next spring. Did you camp? I was reading a blog last week about doing it and it looks very nice.

foxtrot (love your user name) - how spangly does your new bike look? very nice...not surprised you are excitable!

Couldn't manage without clipless pedals these days. Though I do have dual sided ones for commuting in case I want to go to the pub and don't want to wear my biking shoes. Am also thinking of trying to get used to flats for downhill mountain biking but need to get some proper pedals and shoes.

Going uphill I find spinning and high cadence helps plus being generally used to the pain and knowing you can do it. There is a hill near my parents that it took me years to ride up, after having DS I was desperately unfit but I found I could still ride up it (just), as I knew how to spin slowly and how it would hurt but I could do it. I nearly threw up at the top though.

No, I don't camp! We stayed in the 3 Swans in Hungerford for about £75 B&B, which I thought quite reasonable. To be honest it was probably a bit too far for the split - we started in Bath - but it gave us a lovely easy second day! I'd really recommend it, but not on a road bike as the first section is really uneven! We didn't even get a proper map, just printed the route from here and followed that, aside from a small detour when we came onto the roads and got lost. Thank goodness for iphones!

Yes, the new bike is sex, isn't it. I wonder if DH will be super-cruel and not let me ride it for the 3 weeks until my birthday. I may have to pout and cry if he does! Hopefully we can collect it early next week

You know what ruby - I would be worried that it wouldn't feel THAT much different to your mtb? Why do you want a new bike are you expecting it to be faster? The road tyres will make it faster than the myka maybe? I may be just biased as I have a similar hybrid bike for getting around town/ ferrying the kids and I would much prefer to ride my hardtail mtb even on the road! (but it doesnt have a pannier rack and looks more expensive for leaving in town so I don't)

I agree with SummerLightning. I'm not a huge fan of hybrids anyway - they're less than the sum of their parts imho - but it looks quite heavy and clunky, like a mtb, so wouldn't feel much different. I'd also shy away from buying a bike in Halfords - I went to look at the Boardman bikes there at the weekend and their lack of understanding of bikes made me uneasy as if there was a problem I think it'd be a struggle.

I love my road bike, and am considering a full on affair with my new one, so would suggest that if you want something for town/city riding going for something with road geometry wouldn't be a bad idea. Entry level road bikes start at around £400, but you might be able to pick up a bargain in last year's colours, or something barely used second hand locally or on ebay.

Can you get to a local bike shop to try the different set ups and work out if you're comfortable on a roadie?

Hi all,
A newbie to this thread here.

I have 4 bikes but mainly use my cheap sturdy one as I use it to cycle the kids to their activities twice a week (tandem Tagalong or single Tagalong and trailer if we have luggage/ it's further/ on busier streets). I only do about 3 miles max each way but I definately feel it!
I have used my road bike twice this year :(.

I've used my mountain bike a little more, but we do family cycle riding so I have a 3 year old on a seat and really have to concentrate on not dropping her on some rough ascents! I did manage to get out on my own for an hour and a half in Afon forest this year, glorious! The uphill was as technical as the down and I was so shattered but happy! Dh then went off for about an hour (he took a short cut) and for both of us that will be our personal highlight this year, but we were also really pleased with ds (5) doing his first solo singletrack this year :).

As we come towards winter, once I've caught up on work and house after the summer hols, I'm really hoping to get out locally on the MTB. However, I am getting a regular run in (with or without pushchair) so hopefully won't struggle too much with fitness when I get on it again!

Yeah I see what you are saying. It probably is fine as these things go. Also just not a fan of hybrids but can't argue that they aren't practical for putting panniers/mudguards on/pootling around town. I have one after all and am sure it will be good for its purpose just if you are anything like me don't expect to get excited by it!

As an alternative could you save your pennies a bit and put a rack and mudguards on your mtb?

Hello Sacha x posts and hurrah for another mtber! I love afan forest not been for ages (years) though!!

Yep true! I suppose we always need another bike

Only 2 Ruby?:) I've also started stealing hubbies bike which is the same as mine but purely because of not wanting to keep changing over kiddy fittings. I can see this being the same with panniers etc!

Do please put mudguards on your Myka if you haven't. Mud in your eye is not fun! And there are some racks that wouldn't detract from the MTBing. Okay they will look slightly uncommon, but my cousin and his wife both MTB with racks on. (Bridleway riding, not specific MTB courses, but can't see that my cousin would bother taking racks of for that either if he had the opportunity). In the summer I would ride with semi slicks anyway and there are some you can get which have a raised but smooth central section to reduce road friction.
www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-land-cruiser-mtb-tyre/

But of course, bikes wanted ALWAYS equals n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned....

Summer, have you been cycling in Thetford Forest? I believe there is a dedicated MTB area (well, when orienteering there last year we were told we must avoid certain areas). I was wondering if you had any views on it?

I will wave as we drive past you Sunday morning on our way to Mildenhall for orienteering (the family friendly competitive sport!). Unless you are already in the Pyrennes by then (lucky you!).

Yes thetford is quite near me. It is flat but has fast flowy singletrack and some fun bomb holes. There are a couple of way marked routes which have very large warning signs about how difficult they are but it really isn't (much less technical than afan). It's really excellent for thr kids as well with ginormous playgrounds, family bike routes and easy bits of singletrack for them to try.
But I am not the biggest fan for adult mountain biking! It could do with some more hills!

Foxtrot, thanks for the link of the route info. I think I'll do it in 3 days as I'm wanting to camp.

Three days seems much more sensible. It's the better part of 100 miles so 35/35/30 makes a nice split. The last bit when you're in reading is smooth Tarmac, which is bliss!

The blog I read they went all the way to London, I think they joined NCN 4 at Reading. I might do that, in which case I need more than 3 days. They had a 9yo with them and if a 9yo can do it then I can!

I read that it got a bit ugly and dispiriting once you get past reading (and can catch a direct train home from there) so gave up once we hit central reading. The ncr 4 does go all the way into town so you can follow it right into the centre of London.

It looked quite nice from the photos. Plus I'd need to get to London to get a train anyway.

Woah Foxtrot! Just had a look at your new bike! Wow! I hope you have blocked out some weekend time to ride that as soon as you do get it! You don't want to just confine that to the indoors turbo, it MUST be shown off :)

Summer, thanks for the info, I think we might make a weekend of it next time we need to be in Thetford area. Ruby, roof rack required!

I've just this second brought it home and expect to ride to Brighton on Saturday (we're in London). Even the ride home from the bike shop was bliss, particularly as I rode my old road bike over because I couldn't get the pedals off - DH kindly rode it home for me, looking like he was on a child's bike.

Bring on Ditchling Beacon. My new bike and I are going to kill it