Cycling Thread - All Peddlers and Pedallers welcome.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Have started a new thread as the other one is very nearly full.

Glenlivet Trail Centre Review

We had a great day. After 7 year old ds2 headed off with his mountain bike club, I took 2 year old ds3 out for a short run on the trails. I used a Trailgator as he cannot manage the uphills - I was going to let him loose for the downhill bits but decided I better see what it was like first!

We only did a short loop of the blue (the whole blue is 9km) - instead of starting at the beginning of the trail we went up a forest track to join the blue near the end. I think it took less than 30 minutes.

It is a fantastic flowing trail with some great rollers and some twisty bits and one big berm. The downhill seems to go on and on for much longer than the uphill seemed to suggest IYSWIM. Our faces were like when we got to the bottom.

Ds2 also had a fantastic time. He did the whole of the red trail (22km) and some of the black features (he says ). It took them somewhere between 2 and 2 and a half hours, but I think they stopped a lot to discuss tactics.

The cafe was great, if a bit busy at times. Nice cheap bacon rolls (£2) as well as more expensive burgers (£7). Lovely hot chocolate, and a good selection of cakes and traybakes. I didn't sample the cakes as they didn't have chocolate but the traybakes were nice. The staff were lovely :)

We were planning to go back and do the wee loop of the Blue again after lunch, with ds3 doing the downhill bits solo, but ds2 was so tired after the mornings' efforts that we decided just to head home.

We will be back!

Should have said even though the car park was jam packed, the trails didn't seem that busy. We were only passed by one person, and it seems that everyone was spread out.

That sounds like a good day out.

I took boy to a cyclo race today. His home work says " the mud was extremely gooey and sticky and lots of people fell off" Thus he has used one of his spelling words and some descriptive words and a (boring) connective in a sentence.

That sounds ace Not although no chocolate cake??!! Black mark!!

Notinthe, I hope you have all recovered from last Sunday exertions, that sounds great.

It was a lovely, cold, bright day here and have been for a longer than ancipated ride - I found it really hard going today . Does anyone find that your fitness level seems to vary A LOT from one day to the next? Plus I struggle with my throat in the cold.

Anyway, I decided to blame it on my clumpy old mountain bike and I finally did it - came back and ordered a bike today! . And this, ladies and gents, is my new bike. Drumroll please... www.ukbikesdepot.com/m18b159s18p7064/RIDGEBACK_Velocity_Open_Frame_Red_2013/RS_GB/20507?gclid=CMzwnfmfwroCFRDItAodMCEAXw - a shiny new 2013 Velocity in red.

I got what I thought was a great deal too (130 quid off 400). I got some silver mudguards too but no rack. I really like the colour of this year's model (green!), but cannot justify spending an extra 130 quid on what's really the exact same bike. Plus I much prefer the red to any of the current colours for all the other models I was considering.

The only downside is that I ordered online as my LBS could not get hold of this one. Hope I don't have any trouble with assembly.

How exciting "sticky" :)

Well I'm back in the saddle calf is getting better thank goodness but taking it steady. Cardio fitness back to square 1 - also found it very hard yesterday sticky. I am supposed to be doing c2c next May over three days. I really feel I have no hope at the moment as I'm just not getting anywhere - I don't think I'll be ready :(

It's 2 steps forward 1 step back every time I gain a tiny bit of fitness I have an injury to contend with. I'm still stuck with 11 MPH average speed and about 13 miles distance - some way to go!! Would love to hear any encouraging stories of fitness improvement - I can't get up a minor hill at the moment and just don't see how I'll ever climb the pennines!

Sorry for mega whinge!

Oh on the positive front though have just booked tickets for Festival of Cycling at Harewood House - The Grand Depart goes through - there is a whole weekend of events and camping for those interested. We live locally fortunately but glad to have the tickets and know we have parking (if we don't go on our bikes) and a place to watch the event. Excited already!!

Oh Crappy, well done for getting back on the bike! Like you say, you have to take it easy, you don't want to aggravate your injury.
It can be discouraging when you feel you are not making progress, but you are - miles more than you would if you didn't get out there. I am sure you'll be fit as a fiddle come May!

Well done on getting the tickets for the Grand Depart, how exciting. Where did you get them? I have not looked into it seriously, but I'd really like to take DD to see the Tour as we are not far. I naively thought we could just plonk ourselves somewhere along the route and take a peek, but I don't know if it's as simple as that these days. It was when I was young...

My shiny new red bike hasn't turned up yet - getting impatient now! Am pinning my hopes on the bike change, I have been imagining myself flying by on this one - as if! In reality, I can't get up the slightest hill without knackering my knees. The more I think about it, the more I suspect that my old MTB is not that heavy anyway, it's more the knobbly tyres and the fact that I haven't really been maintaining it properly that slow me down. That and the fact that I could do with riding more frequently.

Speaking of which, I am in the market for a good head cover. Something that can keep my head warm, but also my face. Not that bothered about the neck, as my jacket covers that nicely. The Mountain Warehouse make a head tube that seems good for what I need. Any recommendations?

Hi all. I've created a blog to share the stories of cyclists to try and show that we are just people trying to get from A to B. Sick of victim blaming when it comes to accidents and people just seeing cyclists as an homogenous mass rather than human beings who just happen to ride a bike.

iamacyclistblog.wordpress.com

Hope you don't mind me sharing it here, I'm trying to get as many stories as possible. Only started yesterday so only 2 stories on at the mo. Realise this will out me but oh well, I need to do something.

Would be really grateful if you would be happy to share your story. Does not need to be connected to your MN username in any way to preserve anonymity.

Does anyone else use a turbo?

DH and I have just purchased one, as a joint Christmas present to each other. We went for a fairly basic Tacx Blue Matic. Apparently, the main difference between this and the pricier ones is the noise, but as we will be using it in the shed at the bottom of our garden that is not really an issue for us. We also just happened to see a rather gorgeous classic steel road bike for sale in our local bike shop, which will now sit permanently on the turbo. I was a bit nervous about using any of our other bikes and knackering out the rear tires.

We are probably going to download some of the Sufferfest videos. Does anyone use these? I am determined to improve my climbing!

Hi all, glad there is a cycling thread on here :)
Can I pick some brains? I've done a couple of through the night 100k's, but have signed up for a weekend long 300k next July
My ds is in school, and I work at lunchtimes, so I have no real opportunity to go out for 100k rides.
I'm umming and aching about getting a turbo, but I don't have a spare bike to put on it.
I'm also umming about getting an exercise bike, but I find when I use these at the gym I don't enjoy riding them iykwim?
I know I need to train really hard for this, I'm doing it with a lot of very fit people so I'll need to keep up. I've got a hybrid bianchi, I'm wondering if I should get a proper road bike, although my bianchi is fabulous and lovely to ride.
Any training ideas and hints are very welcome :)

Afternoon All!

Sticky has it turned up yet? I hope it has and you've been for a ride!

I got the tickets online if you google festival of cycling you will find it.

For the head covering I'd recommend a "buff" - very expensive tube of fabric but versatile and you can use for various, hat. scarf, snood combos.

Hi Kelper

How many days are you riding the 300k over?

I think the question of whether you should change bike depends on how fast you are intending to ride. If maintaining a fast-ish speed is important, then you would be better off with a road bike. You could get something lighter, and more aerodynamic than what you have. Having a road bike would also give you the option of different positions on the handlebars, which means that you are not stuck in just one position for the whole distance.

On the other hand, a 'pure' road bike as opposed to a tourer or cyclo-cross bike will put you in a more aggressive position (making you quicker) but it will also be more tiring for you to maintain that position if you are not used to it. You may find, if you have a decent hybrid Bianchi, that it would not actually be lighter than a tourer or cyclo-cross.

In terms of training, the best bit about cycling for me is being outside and watching the world go by as you train. I have only invested in a turbo as I have some very specific training goals and strength work that I want to focus on. If you can't get outside for long rides then a turbo is better than nothing, although I think they are more use for doing short but high intensity sessions, rather than long endurance rides. It will get your fitness up, but won't give you the psychological advantage of knowing you can ride for hours at a time.

Don't worry about not having a spare bike. So long as you keep a close eye on your rear tyre it is perfectly fine to use one bike for road and turbo. On the other hand, DH and I only paid £150 for the bike for our turbo.

I love cycling outside, don't get me wrong, but I'm trying to work out how to do decent training rides when I only have about 3 hours spread out over the day.
I think the ride is over two days, it's from London to Stafford.
I've got a couple of old mountain style bikes I could put on a turbo, the logistics of bringing my bike in and out are just annoying!
I'm not sure what the other riders will be on, or the average speed they do is, so I guess I need to find out this info :)
Also make sure dh comes home from work at a sensible time, or stick my ds tag along back on my bike, and use ds for resistance training ;)
Thank you for your fab advice

I definitely recommend using small children for resistance training. This year's Women's National Hill Climb Champion does a fair proportion of her training towing a trailer with her two year old in it!

Welcome kelper.

I have been lugging DD around in her child seat and do not feel like I got any faster or fitter, but I must have done to some extent. I don't practice enough anyway. Having said that, I am convinced I have the strongest thighs in the West!

Squeamish I have taken a look at your blog. Looks interesting, not sure I have anything to contribute but will have a think.

Will take a look at the buff thingy, Crappy, thanks. And the tickets.

Well, the bike has not turned up yet , but there have been some very exciting developments today. I ordered it over a week ago, so I rang the shop and asked where is my bike. They've been short staffed and I'll have it tomorrow, they said. They then emailed later to say sorry but they made a mistake with stock and they don't actually have my size available in that colour.

I was getting increasingly annoyed by then but guess what! They offered to send this year's model for the same price! Am and . Am so pleased. Apparently, I'll have it on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!

If it makes you feel any more confident , I, as a 52 year old, did a 100km day trip just over a month ago on zero training ok, I had cycled about 16 miles in total during the previous 8 week - 2x4 mile return trips to a Pilates class . So it is possible. Dh was brilliant and did a 2012 Chris Froome/2013 Richie Porte job and let me sit on his wheel the whole way there and back (we were in St Malo for a wedding and made a day trip to St Malo).

Thanks Sticky :)

You don't need anything specific to contribute, it is basically just narratives on people's lives and what is important to them. You can talk about your work, family, whatever basically. I just want to show that cyclists are people with a whole life story attached to them.

I have a cycle trainer cyops turbo which I used on maternity leave mostly when baby would nap during day but too small to go out on bike. I would just do half hr flat out listening to dance music :) will set it back up in winter as its gd to keep fitness ticking over if weather too bad to get outside. Not looked into training videos for it. It didn't seem to damage my tyre? My hubbie used it too it was 1min to swap bike on and off it.

Cycled to work Tuesday brrr 3c dark then rain started coming in at 45' angle oooh what fun!! Got blown home though its 18mile round trip.

Yey Sticky!

Newsflash! My new shiny bike just arrived!

Unpackaged it in the garage. Looks great, if darker than it looks in the catalogue. I just need to rotate the handlebars, no idea how. There is no way I'm taking it outside and get it all muddy!

You lucky thing :)

Yay Sticky! Nothing better than a new bike.

I am not too familiar with hybrid designs - on a road bike there would be a hole for an allen key in the top of the steerer that you would loosen to alter it. I can't see from the picture you posted whether this is the same, or whether there is some sort of lock nut at the top of the frame?

If I were you, unless you are confident about setting up a bike yourself, I would take it to your LBS to ask them to do a mini-service just to check that everything has been set up properly. You don't know the skills of the person who put it together - did they set it up, adjusting the brakes and indexing the gears properly, or was it just literally assembled?

I'm still looking for a new bike. I am very keen on the Scott Contessa Scale 720 which is £6.99. Or even the 710 which is £100 cheaper. However we can afford neither atm.

I keep stumbling across awesome 24" bikes which would do 7 year old ds very nicely. But we didn't really want to get him a bike until he turns 8 in the summer. And they're expensive too!

Well, I haven't tried my bike yet. I worked yesterday and today I was too busy getting very cross with myself for having gone against my instinct and got it online . Nothing mayor, but you know when you really could kick yourself and just can't let it go? Well, exactly that.

As far I was told, it has been assembled and set up properly. Thistle, I have now established that it has just a big locknut on the stem, but I haven't got the massive spanner needed for the job. I could buy one (although they are expensive! I'm sure they used to come with the bike when I was young and I don't really know if I'd do the job right) or take the bike to an LBS. The trouble is, my LBS is the place I did not buy it from, but they know me because I went to have a look at the other models in the flesh. I feel so embarrased that I couldn't bring myself to taking the bike today .

Am I being silly? Would they hate me for turning up with my brand new bike I didn't buy from them? They couldn't source last year's model for me, which is why I went online, but it's not my fault I've been given a free upgrade. Gosh, I am being stupid.

Notinthe, the Contessa looks good, but it is expensive!