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!

[nocake]

Pirdeofchanur The correct number of bikes any person should own is n+1 where n is the number of bikes you currently own

[upahill]

Is this any good for you Pride

www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html

[Thistledew]

steamedtreaclesponge I agree that actually roundabouts such as Trafalgar are not too bad. What I am finding worst as a novice commuter is queues of traffic stop-starting at traffic lights. It is fine when there is a big enough gap to cycle up the inside, but when the gap is narrow I get quite nervous trying to squeeze past busses or vans, as I don't trust them not to narrow the gap even further when they pull off. The trouble is that when you make the decision to stop and wait for the traffic to move, you find there is a moped or another cyclist on your tail who is expecting you to keep going through the gap.

Being behind a bus is also not fun as you never know if they are braking to slow down or actually stop. I think I need I need to loosen the bindings on my pedals so I can unclip a bit more easily to make sudden stops a bit less scary.

[Thistledew]

nocake

[Bettymum]

My bikes have names too :)
I have Gary (a Gary Fisher mountain bike)
Lance (a Trek carbon fibre racer) and
Blue Steel (a gorgeous metallic blue Bianchi racer)

They live in the garage and once in a while I get them out. Used to do loads of cycling - met my DH on a mountain biking weekend away - but since having DCs I don't get out much. Whenever I do it makes me sooooo happy. I'm 30 miles from work so too far to commute although DH does it sometimes - he is braver and bigger than me .

[nocake]

My road bikes have names

The Argon-18 Radon is called The Baby.
The Planet-X Kaffenback is Katie.

My On-one Pompino used to be called Billy Jean. That will only make sense to anyone who speaks slang Italian.

[GeetTallBird]

Can I join? I've been cycling for about 3 weeks now, my bum is just stopping being tender!

[Thistledew]

Welcome GeetTallBird. This thread is for anyone who is keen on cycling.

I remember the first few weeks of having a sore bottom- when you sit down, only to spring up again immediately with a surprised look on your face .

[PrideOfChanur]

nocake
Thanks for the link,upahill It is annoying,I have the lovely new bike,it feels fantastic to ride - when I first rode it,I was amazed how much more comfortable it was than my old bike. But I worry about my knees,I don't want to soldier on and mess them up.

And,um,Hi Treacle! Pogle in new incarnation here..... how are things? Glad you haven't been squashed on the Elephant and Castle gyratory!

[Thistledew]

Pride - I was reading something on this website - sorry I can't remember which article it was, but there is loads of good advice if you search - which put knee pain down to having your seat too low. Do you use clipless pedals? Having your cleats in the wrong place can also put unnecessary stress on your legs and joints.

[nocake]

I had surgery on a knee a couple of years ago and when I got back to cycling I had to do it without putting too much stress on the knee. I did this by using a lower gear and pedalling faster. That means you push less hard with each pedal stroke, which is easier on your knee.

[GeetTallBird]

Haha! Are padded leggings the way forward?
Also....can cycling tone up anything else like mummy tummies or just give us all fabulous legs and buns?

[nocake]

Padded leggings or shorts are great but you also need to find a saddle that suits you. Excessively padded saddles are a big no as they make you less comfortable, not more comfortable. After that you just need to HTFU

[GeetTallBird]

HTFU am stumped at that one

[PrideOfChanur]

H TFU? I can think of words that fit all but the H! (Could be wrong,of course!)
Thistledew,I don't use clipless pedals - I thought I'd get into riding more before I tried,as I've never used them.I do have toeclips,and I've noticed I walk with my toes turned a bit in- I did wonder if the toeclips were holding my feet too straight!
I'll have a browse through the website later - thanks.
nocake,that's interesting.Maybe I am pushing too hard - that is quite possible,I may have got carried away in my desire to go as fast as possible!

Thanks so much for all the advice,I've only been talking to DH about it,not having any cycling friends,and while he does care about my knees he can only offer sympathy!

GeetTallBird-padded leggings/shorts really help!

[Thistledew]

I'm guessing that H is for harden?

ie stop being a wimpy soft-bum!

[GeetTallBird]

I have quite a lot of bum to harden up

[Thistledew]

My new Gore leggings arrived. I am very happy with them. The padding seems very substantial but not at all bulky. If anyone else is a size 38 have a quick look on Amazon because they are less than half price.

[Thistledew]

Having said that they do seem quite a bit thinner than my Altura leggings, so I don't think they will be so good for cold weather.

[miniwedge]

Hi all, can I join in? I cycle to work every day, it's about 13 miles ish a day. I have a battered hybrid, just a cheap one from toys r us but will definitely need to upgrade in the new year.

I started cycling to work a year ago after I lost one job, got another but didn't get my pay from last job so couldn't afford the bus fare to work. The habit stuck.....

I stopped cycling around the end of October last year and started again in feb this year just due to weather and not being able to afford winter gear. My aim this year is to cycle through unless it is too icy to be safe.

My route is a mix of road, gravel and field, I commute in a smallish town.
It is a good combination of long steep hills and a little flat stuff.

I've definitely noticed a difference in my figure since starting, have had lots of comments about how trim I am looking which is quite nice really.
Still have a wobbly tummy though

[miniwedge]

Oh oh oh! When i started last year I started a thread asking advice and there was a poster who told me all about her "cycling song" are you on this thread? Also, another poster wrote this great post about how she had cycled home that day through the pouring rain and still arrived home with a big grin on her face. She was in Bristol I think. If that was any of you, I still think of that post every time I cyclemin the rain and it makes me smile.

[mountaingirl]

Yesterday I achieved one of my goals set by me for this summer. I did an ascent of 800m (though my cyclometer iPhone app says 989m). I only stopped 4 times on the climb up and had to choose the odd flattish area otherwise I'd never be able to clip my left foot in! It was steep in places +9%. What I'd love to know is although I don't mind cycling uphill how will I ever get to love the downhill? Although I am getting faster my naturally pessimistic side sees me flying over the handle bars. Anyone have any advice on technique please.

[GeetTallBird]

Id like to know what you wear for cycling on dry days?
I'd go out in the evening and in rain but as it gets dark here quite quickly not sure what to wear in evening rain!
Do you all wear yellow glasses?

[Bettymum]

mountaingirl I am with you - I could happily cycle up hill all day (well in my head anyway) but I hate fast downhills. I'm a real wimp. Do you have a local CTC club near you? They might give you some pointers. Otherwise just watch videos of the pros hurtling down the Alps .
Geet I wear yellow glasses if it's a bit gloomy, I always wear eye protection of some kind ever since a bee flew right into my eye - no sting or anything but it was like a boulder hitting my eyeball. Ouch.