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, was thinking of posting a thread but then saw this one so just thought I would ask here for some quick advice as you guys seem in the know!

Need to buy a fairly cheap but in good working order bike to cycle to the gym and back (its only about 2.5 miles each way but walking takes too long and if I run it I'm too knackered to do my classes properly) to try and cut down on pertrol useage.

So I'm looking on ebay at the moment and there seem some really good ones in the local area but I am confused about what sort of size I need as some say 'girls/ladies bike' or 'suit a smaller lady'.

What is the general frame size/wheel size I would need (I am 5 foot 6)?
Anything else I should look out for? I am looking at ones that say VGC or hardly used as I don't want to replace the tyres and such after a few weeks.

Thanks to anyone that can help!

Hello, can I join in?
Occasional triathlete, not doing as much cycling as I would like nowadays because of baby DD (she is worth it, though). I have three bikes:
80s Peugeot bought with pocket money when I was a teenager. I haven't ridden it for ages, but am emotionally attached to it,
Bianchi dama bianca road bike,
Corratec mountain bike, currently has the trailer hitch attached to it for DD's trailer even though she has only been in it once so far. I am a real wimp at mountain biking anyway although I would like to improve bike handling skills in general.

geet If I'm mountain biking on dry days I wear a pair of baggies with a loose top, usually a Paramo reversible. If it is cold I'll have a soft shell with it.

If I'm road biking I'll just wear a pair of tight fitting capri's.

I only tend to wear glasses when I'm mountain biking because I'm nervous of thorns on twigs getting in my eyes or grit when I ride through puddles.

Cardi Hello!!
Tell me about Triathlons you've done. I would like to do a beginners one next year but it seems very complex especially what things you have to wear.

patthehammer Hopefully this will help with your question to bike sizes.
www.evanscycles.com/help/bike-sizing

Thanks so much upahill, that has helped enourmously and just stopped me buying a bike that was masses too big for me.

Got my eye on another now, who knows maybe I'll turn into a budding Mark Cavendish and come and join you lot in a few months

I cycled home for the first time in the dark today. I didn't manage to get out of work until gone 7.30pm, so was very thankful that I had my lights with me or I would have had to put the bike on the train. Not that lack of lights stopped several other people cycling home. They must have a death wish.

Thank you, will look for some yellow glasses here somewhere!

Regarding lights, I always have a set of knogs frogs on my bike, even when I am doing a triathlon, just in case it should suddenly get dark. I've tested them in several thunderstorms and they do seem to be properly waterproof. Clearly if I'm going to cycle at night I have proper lights too, but the knogs are a great back-up.

upahill I've done sprint and olympic distance triathlons and would like to do a half-ironman some time. For the first one I followed a "six weeks to your first tri" training plan and it worked out surprisingly well. It involved two swims, two bike rides, one run and one bike-run combination each week so fitted round work and life too.
Regarding kit, you don't actually need to spend loads of money for the first one. I used my old peugeot bike and DH was on a city bike (complete with luggage rack), I swam in bikini bottoms and sports bra and just put a pair of shorts and a top on over the top when I got out of the water. The problem is that triathlon is very popular with the 30-40 age group, especially men who then like to spend all of their disposable income on kit and think that you should too.
I started a triathlon thread a couple of months ago but I think it's dropped off the first page.

I went out on a new route this weekend which involved going up the steep side of the Downs...which I used to be able to do! Not any more though,so that is my new goal,to get better at hills. My downhill route took me straight down on a byway,and I got partway down and thought "I can't ride this!" so I sympathise with regard to the downhills mountaingirl
Normally I just aim to keep my speed at the level where I'm unlikely to need to slam on the brakes,and am careful about not overusing the front brake.

Thistledew,I think some people have never thought how invisible they are to cars and how vulnerable that makes them - I passed a runner the other evening,they were all in grey/black and the light was just beginning to go - they were pretty much invisible till you were right on top of them.It made me think,as black/grey is my colour set of choice!

Re glasses I got a set from Altura with interchangeable lenses - sunnies, yellow and clear. As I'm a contact lens wearer I dread getting bits in my eyes.

Keep an eye out in Lidl - every so often they do glasses with interchangeable lenses (and a neat wee case) which are very good. I bought them for skiing and the yellow lenses were good for "flat light" but would also be good for cycling or they would be if I could find them

In fact Lidl have got a new lot of bike stuff in from Monday 5th September, here.

CardiCorgi My DW has a Bianchi Dama which is a lovely bike. I upgraded part of the groupset on it a couple of years ago and bought some Mavic wheels, which made a huge difference.

upahill I do triathlons up to Ironman distance (well, have done. I'm not racing at the moment for various reasons). They're great fun and you don't need much specialised kit for your first one. Find a race with a pool swim and you just need something to swim in then some clothes you can pull on over the top for the bike and run. You can spend a few quid and buy some tri shorts to wear for the whole race then swim in a sports bra (I'm assuming you're a girl?) and pull a vest or shirt on for the bike and run. Once you're hooked you can get loads of extra kit. They do say that the fourth triathlon discipline is shopping

Who was asking about glasses? I have a pair of Endura glasses with photochromic lenses so I can use them in all conditions.

That's interesting nocake

I think doing a triathlon is something that has been on my to do list, like going to the base camp of Everest, stuff of my dreams!

i have been out on the mountain bike this morning and got 7 1/2 miles in over the west Pennine Moors with my mate.
Me and Dh might get an hour on the road bikes tonight but the cinema is beckoning as well (not enough hours in the day)

I'm trying to get big son whose 15 out with me for a few hours but he is too busy chopping fire wood ready for winter !

Hi, can I join?
I've been cycling on and off since I was a child. My dad is still a keen cyclist at the age of 74, and he still beats me up the hills!
I currently have 4 bikes -
My old road bike, which I've had since I was 16. My dad made the frame for it.
A Brian Rourke road bike, which used to be Mum's - Dad did it up for me
A Scott hybrid, which I normally use for riding to work
A Kona Cinder cone mtb - got this recently off ebay.

I always cycle to work, whatever the weather - it's a 14 mile round trip. Dh works further away and takes the car.
I do belong to a cycling club and go out with them when I can. Dh isn't really into cycling - he has one really old bike, a Jack Taylor which could do with a bit of work!
I'd like to do a bit more mountain biking but I'm rubbish at downhills!

I'd also recommend the Minx Girl website - I got a great top from there. Also Wiggle has been OK.

I'd like to do the C2C or end-to-end - some of my club have - but I just can't really until dd is older. Do all of your kids ride? If so what bikes?

upahill triathlons are brilliant fun! I have done a few - mostly pool swims but one lake swim (brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr never again), there is always a really good atmosphere and the great thing is that you are only racing against your age group, so if a snakelike 18-year old lad comes sprinting past it doesn't matter, you're not racing him (unless you're another 18-year old boy). I'd love to get back into it but I think I'll have to wait till the DCs are a bit bigger.
paddington where is your club? I used to belong to quite a big road club, I loved it and learned loads. It forces you to get fit trying to keep up! There weren't many girls in the club. I have done the Etape du Tour three times, only finished one but I did get a silver medal for that one and it was long - 120 miles through the Massif Central - so I'm quite proud of it :).

I'm just back from holidays in Skye. No cycling for me there unfortunately (DH needs to get on and sort a bike rack for the car) so really looking forward to getting back in the saddle at the weekend.

Bettymum my club is based in Stockport. It caters for all ages and abilities, and there's quite a few women! Several members are doing the Manchester 100 ride this weekend - I can't this year as I'm going on the club weekend the week after. My dad rides with his local CTC group, but he says numbers are dwindling and there's hardly any women (I think my club is the exception rather than the norm).

upahill Doing a tri isn't nearly as hard as getting to Everest base camp Just find one, enter it and have a good time. If you want any triathlon advice I can recommend the tri forum on the Runner's World website here. They're a friendly bunch although they do have a habit of encouraging people to do Ironman!

Is anyone else watching the Vuelta? Bradley Wiggins is winning (yes, that Bradley Wiggins, broken collarbone and all); and I wouldn't even know about it if I didn't tune in each night to coverage (no Brit has ever won the overall in a Grand Tour stage race, BBC broadcast media can't be bothered to mention what's happening ).
Tomorrow's stage should be especially exciting; Wiggo will consolidate or lose his hold on red jersey on especially steep mountain climbs. Froome (another Brit, Sky teammate of Wiggins) is currently lying in 2nd place, too.

I have been cycling myself, today, too, just enough to be smelly & tired now :).

Good discussion here about this year's Vuelta.

Hi ragged

I have been watching it sporadically, and am so pleased that not only is Wiggins doing so well but that Froome is as well. I hope that Froome gets the recognition he deserves not only for supporting Wiggins but for his own potential as a lead rider.

It is such a shame that cycling is not given more prominence in the UK. It is all very well promoting cycling as a form of transport, but it should not be at the expense of treating it as a serious sport.

This is also a great weekend for cycling. In and around London there is the Sky ride around London, the Richmond to Windsor ride and a women only ride on the Sussex Downs starting at Ditchling.

DP and I are doing the Richmond to Windsor ride. What have the rest of you got planned?

ragged the Vuelta always seems to attract scant coverage for some reason. I was thrilled that Cavendish in the TdF got so much coverage in mainstream media this year, and then ended up in the green jersey. I think there's a lot more prominence given to cycling than there used to be, Victoria Pendleton seems to get quite a lot of airtime although not sure why Nicole Cooke doesn't get more. I'm really hoping we do well in the Olympics cycling events next year.

No real cycling for me this weekend - a group from my club are doing the Manchester 100 ride, which I did a few years ago. I can't do it this year though as I'm away on a cycling weekend next Sat.