As you can tell from my username, avatar and the thread title, I'm James, I'm in Coventry, and I have an old rigid mountain bike with road tyres.
I used to cycle quite a lot, but then I got a car and got unfit. Then around this time last year I weighed myself and discovered I was two stone heavier than I expected, so I stopped eating biscuits and pork pies at work, and dropped down to twelve stone by February, at which point I started doing 'couch to 5k'. I did my first 5k run at the start of April. Then in July I went camping in the New Forest with my wife and children, and we took our bikes. Having not really cycled for ten years or so I'd forgotten how much fun it is being on a bike, so when I got home I decided to start commuting on my bike.
My ride to work is only 2.5km, so it's a really easy ride. Or would be, if I didn't live at the top of one of the only hills in Coventry. Fortunately, that means I get to roll down the hill to work in the morning, and only have to put effort in on the way home. I've also extended the ride home to include going through some woods and round a park to make it more interesting.
I'm now looking at getting myself a new bike on the cycle to work scheme. My current mountain bike is too small for me, and I'd like to get something with drop handlebars so that it's more comfortable on longer distances. I have a couple in mind, but I should probably discuss that in the 'What Bike?' section.
I used to cycle quite a lot, but then I got a car and got unfit. Then around this time last year I weighed myself and discovered I was two stone heavier than I expected, so I stopped eating biscuits and pork pies at work, and dropped down to twelve stone by February, at which point I started doing 'couch to 5k'. I did my first 5k run at the start of April. Then in July I went camping in the New Forest with my wife and children, and we took our bikes. Having not really cycled for ten years or so I'd forgotten how much fun it is being on a bike, so when I got home I decided to start commuting on my bike.
My ride to work is only 2.5km, so it's a really easy ride. Or would be, if I didn't live at the top of one of the only hills in Coventry. Fortunately, that means I get to roll down the hill to work in the morning, and only have to put effort in on the way home. I've also extended the ride home to include going through some woods and round a park to make it more interesting.
I'm now looking at getting myself a new bike on the cycle to work scheme. My current mountain bike is too small for me, and I'd like to get something with drop handlebars so that it's more comfortable on longer distances. I have a couple in mind, but I should probably discuss that in the 'What Bike?' section.