StickyMicky

Mine was £999.99 though mate

StickyMicky

Me too

Seriously though, while my legs packed in due to a lactic acid overdose, a lot of my pain came from my ****, i have adjusted the seat tonight and on the way home from work i called in to Lidl (cycle gear on sale from today) and picked up some gel filled shorts, it helped a load, did another 3/4 miles tonight and it was a doddle, so i will put yesterday down to just being a posture n00b.


I had planned to take it a little easier tonight anyway as i want my hoop to be pain free for the weekend, tomorrow night i am going to have another bash at my previous 4.33 mile route and i am confident will bring that time down.

StickyMicky

Our place does not seam to have read the new guidelines at all from what i can gather.

This is a bonus.

StickyMicky

Actually, i forgot to add, i picked up another pump tonight with a gauge fitted and it turned out i only had the tyres pumped up to 40psi, so i was probably dragging myself down a bit for no real reason, pumped another 10 psi in after i got home after tonight's ride, hopefully its a little better tomorrow

The gel filled shorts are a bloody godsend though.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

This thread reminds me I promised to post a vid of one of my rides home - the one with the fit girl on it (skip to 3:40 for that bit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjWK9Gl2PAI&hd=1

(better clipping on the link and expanding - easier to see everything)

(please excuse my squeal when we scalp the roadie - this guys legs were like the bloody nano-suit out of Crysis)

We held over 20mph the whole way and on the last section I never saw the speedo go below 25 (when I was leading).. some days the Gods are just with you

StickyMicky

I have lost 2 stone since the start of the year and i am heavier than that

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Don't forget that link to the guy that was 39 stone when he started. He's now down to 13.

StickyMicky

Ewww, i couldn't handle 13 stone, my target was always 16 to 16.5, i am a big bulky fella anyway and i would not suit the rake look.

Just need another 2 stone

Funkii Munkii

Did you read B2Z's initial post ?

Just being helpful, he wants a cheap bike smart ****.

Flaps

iTrader: (1)

That's not my kind of cycling route at all, i'd much rather do those roads in my Impreza. I like bombing through forests on my bike, I don't feel safe riding on the main roads. It looks a decent camera though

It's true what everyone's saying about fitness. I have markers each time I go out and make sure that I go further the next time before having a rest, it happens surprising easily!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Always had you down as a slim lad Micky !

Got my new phone and it has a tracking app, its brilliant, had to get back quick so took the shortest route, 6.5 miles in 23. something mins, 16.8 mph average with a bit of a headwind and a backpack with laptop, full route and elevation profile, brilliant as you can record your performance and compare like Michael Schumacher in the pits scrutinising laps.

Determined to get this podge off as I have been told I am fairly fast but am let down by my ability to climb hills, an extra 40 pounds is a great training aid but not ideal, just think how fast I will be up hills minus that !

MacDaddy09

try asking the specialist bike shops to keep an eye out for any second hand bikes (they will nearly always have something somewhere) as there are lots of people who started out on £500-£600 bikes and will now be looking to upgrade, especially this time of year. you should be able to pick these up for around £250 and well worth the extra bit of cash

davyboy

You might want to read a few more pages dim wit.

StickyMicky

Nahh, i was always around 16 - 16.5, i have always done free wieghts at home now and again as never wanted to be "skinny" i think i was born 16 stone until i took over the car wash, and the huge amount of sitting around in an office just took its toll. especially with an asda across the road


I have been using "Cardiotrainer" on android, its seams pretty good to be honest, i cant fault it so far at all.

davyboy

Do you mean 3 or 4, or three quarters? Three quarters would take about 6 mins max right?

I used to think I was a natural 15.5 stone after slimming from 17.......I then lost another 2 stone through balanced diet and cycling.

davyboy

He seemed to doing more work than you!

Clarebabes

I used to think I liked a "big" bloke, now I like them slender

StickyMicky

It was 3 or 4, approx, i forgot to start the app so it never logged


Anyway, tonight i have attcked the route i did on wed night (the "epic" 4.33 mile one)

Took 28 mins on wed night, it took me 22 mins tonight, so that should be a little more respectable? i held off a little more on the downhill bits and saved some energy for that bloody killer uphill struggle

I dont feel half as knackered now to be honest.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I tend to lead for longer than Rob - the section he led on was downhill the whole way, my section at the end was flat (and we went faster )

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Micky, secret with climbing is not to go flat out, find a rhythm, even if really slow, just spin away.

Worked from home today, missed my ride but need to talk about stuff I cant shout out in the office, cycling is wierd, really gets under your skin, in many ways it is so much more satisfying than driving if you puh through the pain, ignore the weather and just enjoy it.

davyboy

This is my cycle home tonight (well, not quite home...a pub!):

http://j.mp/mrhSzE

I also had my first crash! I'm not used to riding in busy areas, and looked down to change my computer and didn't see the Merc stop in front to let a parked car out. I just clipped the near side rear and toppled over the boot. Oddly he just drove off leaving me in a heap on the road! Just damaged pride, and wont put me off. I'll learn from that!

dpb

What sort of aero dynamics are going on here ?

id be very happy to achieve that average in my sprint tiathlon in august


you really finish work at 3pm ?

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Nice pace

I see you ended up near Rushden................now that takes me back a bit


Shaun

I guess that's an I phone app or android app?? Someone has offered me the predecessor to the garmin 800 for £125. hMM

davyboy

Finish at 3pm on Friday if I can....usually just sit at home waiting for wife to come home before going shopping. At least this was I can get some miles in.

Wind was quite kind tonight. WSW.

No aero, just tight fitting lycra and effort.

iPhone app. I'd get the Garmin or let me have it.

I hate having to get BB or iPhone out of pocket to see where to go, where I could just be looking down.

StickyMicky

I really dont feel that safe at the moment on the roads, the last time i road a bike on the roads i dont recall so much traffic.

3rd night in and some bellend just pulled out from a drive in front of me while i was coming down the road at around 18mph (according to the gps)

Its ok though, he put up his hand to say sorry, i never saw him at all, the walls completely hid his car till he drove forward, and then stopped blocking the road, mehh, i can see why the "lycra louts" on you tube get all camera`d up now.



FWIW my normal finish time on a friday is 2.47pm

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Your spidey sense will improve with practice, and please remember it is VERY safe to cycle on the roads; despite what people say - the stats clearly back up the fact that is safe.

Get something bright to wear and have a small flashing led light front and rear if you think you need it.

Pulling out of junctions and the SMIDSY effect is something you need to look out for (obviously) and don't think that just because someone is looking at you, it means they've seen you (google smidsy and looming effect)

Really though, when I'm cycling out on the roads I find I relax way more than when I drive.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Ok, here is my advice, borne of the last three years (on June the 6th) of communiting on my bike.

I just assume that everyone is out to kill me and that someone will jib out of every driveway, junction or whatever, Every car door will get flung open, ever road has a brick on, pothole or oil on it.

I try to use quiet roads, use Google maps to find routes that are free of traffic, bridle paths, country roads, single track roads and assume every corner has a sat nav addled idiot yapping into a phone coming the other way (it happens quite a lot)

I ride with hi viz on, you need to clash with the surroundings.

Avoid scummy areas, ******* either dont understand, deeply mistrust or hate cyclists, they see you as either something to taunt or beneath them as you arent in a ten year old BMW, the only agro I have had is cycling through a really manky council estate, kids shouting stuff, ******** trying to make you fall off shouting out of cars (one was a Scoob ), kids throwing stuff.

Get a rear view mirror, looks a bit gimpy but is a god send.

Use lights all the time, might seem pointless in summer but if you are coming out of a tree lined road into sunlight sometimes drivers dont see you, again, clash with the surroundings.

Dont worry about riding in the dark, spend a decent ammount on lights, I find I am actually more visible, more lights the better, always have a failsafe for front and rear, especially the rear, have two going as sometimes if one fails you wont know about it. To ride unlit roads you need lights better than the £9.99 Halfords led types, £100 - £200 is a realistic budget for year round quality lights.

Make your intentions very clear to drivers, exagerate your movements, make eye contact and use gestures to communicate, if someone waits and makes a wide slow overtake, a quick hand up to say thanks I think is usually appreciated, I always feel good if a cyclist or biker lets on with a wave of thanks.

Try to keep in so cars can pass, if it looks dicey, say on a blind bend and they just cant help overtaking despite risking you and a head on with a car coming the other way, move out a bit to make the decision for them, generally they like having the responsibility removed and not having to either consider or make a stupid move, dont make it look blatant or like a blocking tactic, pretend you have not seen them and edge out before they get there, beauty of the rear view mirror, then if they wait without being an **** give them a wave, if they are an **** (revving, close, fast pass) ignore them as they cant cope with slowing down for 15 seconds and would rather have a head on, ignore them again three minutes later when you pass them sat, perfectly happily behind 8 or 10 other cars for several minutes....

Look after your bike, amazing how many dangerous heaps I see in the bike sheds, there is one with loads of play in the crak, big, fat dope who rides it, doesnt carry a spare tube, lent him one, never got it back ! can f*ck off next time !

If doing any distance always carry 2 tubes, tyre levers, pump. spare batteries for lights and a mobile, practice changing a tube with the tools you carry, no point having it if you cant get the tyre off or the pump doesnt work. Check for and remove what caused the puncture before putting the tube back !!!!

Use your ears, never ride with headphones on the road, if you hear a load stereo, fart can exhaust or dump valve, there is a bell end in the area.

Vehicles to watch out for, Girls in Minis (too busy reading Heat or Texting), Mitsubish "Raging Hard On" or whatever manly pickup trucks, Tipper trucks with shirtless ******* with feet on dash and a broom standing upright in the frame of the tipper bed. HGV drivers are usually good but just keep the f*ck away from them, drivers cant see you but when they pass you get a lovely draft that pulls you along, especially welcome in winter as its all warn and diesely !

If you dont like the look of a situation, slow down, stop, walk, whatever rather than chance it.

If you dont like a junction or section of road , like the one on my route, I jib onto the pavement (slowly), go about 50 yards and turn from a driveway, quicker and avoids certain death at an offset junction across an A road near a Stobart depot, plus I dont get in the patiently waiting drivers ways.

Rain wont kill you, you get wet, you dry, we are waterproof but you and cars cant stop as quickly, grids are a menace when wet, dont generate any cornering forces if you can help it.

If its Icy, forget it, stuff that cant stand up on its own is rubbish on ice, collar bones take ages to heal as well. Dont use cold as an excuse, I have ridden down to minus 8 and its fine as long as ther eis no ice on the road, I use an outdoor thermometer with an inside readout to gauge the temp and base what I wear on that, no such thing as too cold, just the wrong gear, I wear Ski gloves and my hands are fine.

Dont leave your bike anywhere, someone will nick it, always lock it and assume if someone cant pinch it they will damage it if left long enough, I have a bike specifically for leavign at the leisure centre that is worth sod all, not leaving a grands worth of specialized Road Bike outside there.

Wear a helmet, gloves and some eye protection, a Bee in the eye at a combined 40 plus mph hurts, cars fling stones up and if you do come off, head on concrete isnt good, I dont understand why people dont wear them and think they make matters worse, they seem to think it makes you take risks ? wtf, it still hurts a lot if you fall off despite your plastic hat, but for me, I think its the difference between death or not being able to wipe my own **** any more. GLoves as well, first thing that hits the floor usually, might as well ruin a pair of gloves than skin, still going to hurt but might as well at least off up some protection.

Lycra, I said never when I started but its fantastic, i wore normal t shorts and jogging bottoms at first but they ride up, pull down and flap about, lycra is comfy, aerodynamic and moves with you, doesnt get caught on the crank and ladies can help but look at your groin, I have to carry a decent sized Courgette and tow boiled eggs so they arent dissapointed.

Get clipless pedals (spds), daunting at first and you will forget at least once and have a nice liee down at a junction but they really help with pedalling efficiency.

Set the bike up properly, get some expert help.

Dont bother with the gel seat covers, just get the padded shorts and get used to it, your **** will not always feel like that and look like you are an in season female Chimp.

Drop bars are great for different positions, not so great for braking or use in town.

Get a computer, but try not to stare at it unless you want to end up in a skip or on the bonnet of a car.

Keep your tyres hard, less punctures and they roll better.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

noted, must swap my runner bean and two petit pois for a courgette and boiled eggs....................

StickyMicky

Actually, if you lot had a puncture when out and about, would you just change the tube, rather than patch the leak, maybe patching the leak at home and using the fixed tube as a new spare?


Not actually patched a leak for about 16 years and the unbranded/unexplained repair kit i now have is not the same (where is the glue, chalk, sandpaper, yellow crayon?)

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Still the same yeah......my little kit has sandpaper, glue and patches LOL.

I have a little bag under the seat for multitool, spare inner tube, bits and bobs, and a very small pump of a fiendish design

Shaun