Cycling Thread - All Peddlers and Pedallers welcome.

[VivaLeBeaver]

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

Hello Baking, Crafty and Sunshine!

Baking sorry to hear about your accident. The MTB man sounds like a right arsehole. Glad you managed to get out this morning it sounds like you did well! I've still not been out on the road yet because I'm too chicken and I'm blaming the weather. DP is out with his club tomorrow doing a 105 mile route

I'm the same with exercise. I can't ever motivate myself to do it but once I'm doing it/afterwards I enjoy it. I'm dragging my bum on to the turbo again tonight. Only managed 40 minutes the other day so I'm aiming for the full hour tonight. I only had to stop because my arse was killing!! I am very lazy and hate all exercise, but I think cycling is perfect for me as I get to sit down whilst I'm doing it

Crafty well done on your ride too. Making it a regular thing sounds great.

Sorry I'm not sure about a hi-vis that will fit but hopefully someone else will. I find cycling gear sizes all over the place (even with the same brand) so I think it's just a case of trial and error. Do you have a big bike shop near you where you can try some on? It's worth a look rather than having to order and send stuff back all the time.

Sunshine my DP has just got some SealSkinz winter gloves on sale which he really rates. I think they were about £30. He did have Castelli ones but they got ripped when he came off his bike the other week. I think SealSkinz do women's ones too and you should get a good deal in the sales at this time of year.

Thanks Felix I've looked at those but the ones I've seen we're leather (which I don't wear) so ideally I'm looking for synthetic ones if poss. I know it's a pretty big ask

I mostly use my bike for pooling around/commuting/weekend bike rides on cycle paths and knackered my knee in August do just trying to get back into the swingof things. I got my bike through cycle to work and it's a mans frame - it felt super comfy when I trialled it but now a bit worried that actually the frame is too large. It's fine height wise but I feel as if a lot of my weight is thrown forwards cos my handle bars are too low/far away. Twas bought from a specialist local bike shop but I'm a bit disappointed and worried about this

Sunshine what frame is it? Also what size frame and how tall are you? I've just had smaller handlebars and shorter stem on mine and it feels loads better now. It would be worth going in to a good shop and getting a proper bike fit. They will check your positioning and adjust anything (saddle height etc) and suggest any smaller/larger bits you need to make your bike a better fit.

Also these were the gloves I saw. I believe they are fully synthetic. If you Google them there's a few shops with them on sale if you're looking for a specific size.

I'd like to join as well.

DH and I started cycling again after many many years in the autumn after my daughter gave me her 3 year old hybrid bike which she had hardly ever ridden.

We are very much amateurs, and DH has some health problems which mean we take it pretty easy out riding. However, we have really enjoyed going out on our bikes and even went out Christmas Day for a 10 mile ride round the local villages.

Everywhere here involves some hills but luckily it is always downhill coming home, we have also discovered loads of cycle paths we didn't know about. We tend to only ride 12 - 15 miles and today got lost, despite using a cycle app, but it is helping DH health and hopefully we can gradually build up the distance.

Thanks to MN advice I got DH a Cateye cycle computer for Christmas which has encouraged him as well. Really looking forward to longer rides in the spring.

To keep my motivation up, I have just booked two sportives - a 50 miler for March and a harder 50 miler for May. Hopefully that should give me motivation to train.....

Not done a sportive since 2011......

Elliptic welcome sounds like you're both really benefitting from cycling. I've only taken it up after seeing how fit and healthy DP has become after starting last May. He started off struggling with a 3 mile commute and now he's almost 3 stone lighter and regularly cycles 100 miles, and does a 30 mile round commute Monday - Friday. I am amazed and will probably never do that well but it's worth a try

Baking that's great, something to aim towards!

Thank you Felix . I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying cycling, I'm even getting withdrawal symptoms if I can't get out for a few days .

Hello all, once again this has disappeared off my followed threads.... Anyway great to hear how everyone's doing!
Baking, I went out yesterday too and agree it was so cold! Was freezing towards end of ride and of course, the colder you get, the slower you get...
Never mind, hope to make up for it tomorrow with a more consistent 70k plus route (two layers of merino socks plus overshoes!)
Glove suggestions- Planet X are pretty good and very reasonable budget wise.
Just remember ladies, any miles you're doing now will set you in great stead for your spring/ summer plans! Anyone here for Velothon Wales? Have seen it mentioned on another thread and wondered if it may be worthy of one of its own - Rapha 100k will no doubt be started ( I'll be looking to stare a 'fred if nothing appears before March)
Anyway, New Years been a great motivator it would seem!

Can someone explain Rapha 100 please?

Hi baker, rapha 100 is the event that the brand run in conjunction with strava ie,on a certain date ( will be a Sunday this July) you will need to do a 100k ( anywhere/ any route/ on your own/ whatever and upload to strava -can be individual or as a group- taken on trust- and will be awarded a strava badge if completed)
Rapha did organise a couple of training events last June in London and chesterfield, I went to the chesterfield one - recommended if you're not a hill dodger, some good (challenging!) climbs and more so for their amazing hospitality.
O

Hi pipkin. It dropped off my threads again and I remembered and had to seek it out. I just totally misunderstood the 100k thing and thought it was a challenge to do 100,000 miles in a year Don't think I'll be doing 100km anytime this year, maybe 2016.

Speaking of Rapha, DP got me a lovely green essentials case for Christmas (would be better in celeste obviously) and I can't wait to use it, because I'm sad like that!!

Thanks for explaining the Rapha 100. Makes sense now.

Does anyone have any suggestions of good places to meet cycling buddies? Everyone I know who cycles fits in to one of two categories: (1) the 100 mile plus rides / average speed 20MPH hard core crowd (such as DP and his mates) or (2) those whose idea of going cycling is 4 miles along a canal towpath wearing jeans and flip flops.

Not that there is anything wrong with either (1) or (2), but I find that I cannot keep up with (1) but am looking for something a bit more challenging than (2)......... My ideal would be someone to do rides of between 30 and 60 miles, starting off at an average speed of about 13mph but building up.

There is a local cycling club that does a ladies' ride but it is at 6.45am (so I would need to leave the house around 6am to get there) and it's on Saturdays which is my one lie-in day (and trust me I need that lie in as I work horrendous hours with a three hour round trip commute Monday-Friday) so not really sure that would work for me on a regular basis!

Baking where in the country are you? Someone on here (possibly pipkin) once suggested looking if there's any Breeze rides in the area. You may have some near you.

Are there any other cycling clubs where you live? I think we are quite lucky where we are as we are overrun with cyclists I know DP's club do an A and a B ride on their Sunday social. The B ride is shorter and a much slower pace.

Hi Felix, lovely gift your DP gave you! I think you'll find you'll be doing 100k by the end of the summer - seriously, it's amazing how quickly your endurance builds up.
Hi Baking, yes, was me suggested Breeze. The ride profile you describe is very much the sort of thing that will be on offer and if you want a faster pace, some Breeze champs run closed rides (ie: not open to anyone via the website) that will aim to step up the pace. Just google British Cycling Breeze and you'll be able to use the find a ride near me facility to see if there is anything nearby.even if not a Breeze, there's likely to be a SkyRide which should have a ride level/ distance that suits.
Also, which sportives have you signed up to?
Hello Elleptic, glad to hear you and DP are enjoying your bikes, you'll both be what the cycling community prefer to as billy goats if you keep up your climbing!
Hello Sunshine, hope you've had some joy finding gloves, I've always found Planet X to be fab for sourcing stuff like that and great value too. Is it worth considering a shorter stem for your bars? My frames a 55cm but I found fitting a shorter stem and narrower bars with a shallow drop really helped ( that's of course if you're on a road bike) and is comfy enough for me to stay in the drops for pretty sustained periods.

I'm in Surrey.
Have signed up for Dartmoor and Ashdown Forest sportives.
I did the old 'Tour of Dartmoor' a few years ago - there were some killer climbs!
Thanks for the recommendation, will check out Breeze rides

Could anyone recommend some padded pants to wear under capris, currently I have padded cycling trousers but I think padded underwear would be more versatile. I think there was some in Sweaty Betty but it was £££ and I can't find it online anyway. Had a quick look online at some other sites but some reviews weren't very good.
Many thanks.

Elliptic you can buy padded undershorts which I think is what you're looking for. They sort of look like mens boxers but are short shorts which you could wear underneath your capris. I only have experience of the Rapha ones which are horribly expensive but most websites have customer reviews so you should be able to find some decent ones if you google them. Sorry can't link as I'm on the app.

I've got a stinking cold which has put a stop to my turbo sessions. Gutted as I was really getting in to it

Thanks Felix, the ones in Sweaty Betty were actually pants but I think the idea of a boxer short would be better for staying in the right place! Some of the reviews on the net for various makes suggest the padding is not always in the best place for women, so I think rather than rush into things and buy on the internet I'm going to visit some stockists over the next couple of weeks and try some on.

Sorry to hear about your cold, what a pain. It was horrible here this morning so I decided to go for a swim to try and increase my stamina, couldn't believe how knackered I was when I got home .

I have this and like it (paid full price for it too, although a year or two back). Not for anything more than 10 miles when I wear padded shorts but this isn't bad. Not very thick though but neither is leather.

www.rohan.co.uk/All-Womens-Sale-Bumper-Liner?ocode=03289C42

I find I get too hot in padded shorts and most of mine feel like maternity pads.

I don't cycle a lot though - 2 x 10-14 miles a week. I would like to do more as I would like a tourer for my birthday. Married to a life long serious cyclist whose opinion I don't always want about cycling.

I have always cycled 20-30 miles a week, I just like getting out.

Lavender that looks great, I didn't know you could just buy a liner.

It stays put quite nicely (and of course you can whip it out when you get to your destination)!

I just happened to see it in Rohan in Cambridge a couple of summers ago and thought it was worth a try. It was, I was feeling particularly sore that day having cycled into town without shorts on because it was so hot.

Hello new faces :) it's good to see more cyclists on here. Thanks for the cycle west tip jen it's helped us plan our summer holiday camping cycle trip with the DDs in France.
I made a commute into work last week but it was tad hairy. I set off in the dark and it was 7c and no frost but within a couple mile stretch temperature dropped to 1c and was thick white slippy frost brrrr my legs got cold and I unclipped as was scared of slipping wheels. Last 5miles in I was very nervous! Hoping to cycle Thursday if weather not too windy. I tend to go if it's above 5c, I love my cateye commuter as it has temp gauge in it
I've been looking at finding a couple of sportives to do. I've signed up for 100k in June that I did last year but I'd like one earlier but bit shorter to build training upto. It took me 12weeks last year to build up to the 100k /60miler having only cycled 20miles previously. I find the hardest thing is finding the time to cycle with two young DDs and work, for a 40mile ride I need 4hrs not being "mummy" time. Both our girls will do about 20miles with us on tagalongs and seats but we have to stop a lot for play stops.

I think the Dartmoor ride baking is the week before the Nello one we are doing. I may look at the mad March Devon one but not sure I can get back upto the 100k level in time if the weather stays windy.

Thanks smile, I have looked for a cycling thread before but only came across it today.

I will do more this year. My bike is on my husband's trainer in the barn (he works away), but it is too cold for me in there right now so I am sticking to my cross trainer this week!

We bought our 8 year old daughter the new lightweight ridgeback for Christmas, I can't believe she has 24" wheels. She would happily do 6-8 miles before on her smaller bike so I think that we will be able to manage 8-10 easily when it warms up a bit.

My horses are 5-7 miles away depending on which way I ride so I usually ride there. It is just hard finding the time to do more in the winter, dark nights and being a home alone parent doesn't give me much leeway.

Lavender I've just been on the turbo in the garage and could see my own breath! So cold. My dd has only just turned 1 but I've got my eye on a balance bike with drop bars for her birthday next year