1 hour 15 mins for only 6 miles :(

[david k]

Hi all
I am new at cycling. I live in barking and work in Canary wharf. It took me a disappointing 1 hour and 10 mins for just 6 miles. it is my second day and man my legs are killing me and even my bum is hurting :/
I have a crappy mountain bike which i bought from tescos for around 50 quid on sale.

I traveled from barking underground station to A124 Barking Road till i reached blackwell tunnel and from their i entered canary wharf.




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stick with it, it gets easier

 

[jefmcg]

Check your tyre pressures too mate,pump em up to just below the maximum recomended pressure (shown on the tyre wall),that should help a fair bit,good for you at having a go mate and we're all behind you,keep us updated on your progress

If the OP is still out there: Evans at Canary wharf have pumps outside. Take your bike down there and check you have as much air as allowed in it.

A lot of your problems could be your bike, and that's the easiest thing to fix.

I had a bike really in need of a service, and after a full (£150 including parts) service I went from being passed to mostly passing people on the bicycle paths. Unfortunately, servicing a £50 Tesco bike probably doesn't make sense

 

[uphillstruggler]

Don't listen to any of them.

Keep it up and it will cost you a fortune in bikes and kit, you'll get fitter and healthier, meet new people and REALLY start to enjoy it.

What could possibly be worse.

Good luck and instead of spending £100 quid getting the tank serviced, spend an extra oner and buy a decathlon something. That way, at least there re-sale value when you decide you actually enjoy this mallarky and want to upgrade.

 

[marafi]

You have a similar jounrey to me. Seriously though, hot showers help ease the pain or painkillers.

 

[Nosaj]

Lazy,
Not sure if you are still about or not but I was in the same position as you. I was given a cheap mountain bike (BSO). Went out on it a couple of time and it then sat in the garage.

I then bought a cheap road bike from cycle king, I think or similar. It was about £170. Matt Black Gear change on the down tube I had to change the tyres as the cheap Kendas supplied were horrendous. I almost immediately joined the local CTC and was soon riding in excess of 30 miles on that bike each week. I had the bike about a year and sold it on for £50 as I got the bug and wanted a proper road bike. You can alter bikes and keep it cheap ecpecially if you are not sure if cycling is a long term thing for you.

As regards your time Barking to Canary Wharf is extremely busy, heavy traffic, queues, plenty of lights and lots of people. You would probably cover double the distance in the same time along nice quiet country roads so do not be disheartened. This would give you a circa 12 mph average and would be just enough to keep up with our particular CTC's slow group to elevenses. Some of these people have been riding a few years. So already you have commuted to work and would be able to join your first bike club. Not bad for a days riding !

 

[Nosaj]

Alternatively you could buy a second hand road bike and get a more spec for your money albeit it will be used. (My edit option did not seem to work)

 

[DresdenDoom]

Not many people here will have actually ridden one of those Tesco cereal packet bikes, but I have. They are inexplicably unrideable. They induce a mental exhaustion as much as anything, with steering so unstable that a straight line is virtually impossible, added to the permanent neurosis over which bit will break/fall off next. Mine was stolen. I was overjoyed. See if you can borrow a proper bike from a friend, just for the experience. Happily you're near the river, as fitting an end for one of these anti-cycles as any.

 

[Nosaj]

Not many people here will have actually ridden one of those Tesco cereal packet bikes, but I have. They are inexplicably unrideable. They induce a mental exhaustion as much as anything, with steering so unstable that a straight line is virtually impossible, added to the permanent neurosis over which bit will break/fall off next. Mine was stolen. I was overjoyed. See if you can borrow a proper bike from a friend, just for the experience. Happily you're near the river, as fitting an end for one of these anti-cycles as any.

Second the above. I had one of the Mountain Bike BSO's though not a cereal packet one but very close. Two rides on it and that was it - in the garage. It was free and I actually sold it for £30 though so not all bad. I only actually realised how bad the cheap road bike was (the cheap road bike Viking or something like that not the BSO m. bike) after purchasing a decent road bike. I remember test riding the CAAD and all of a sudden one pedal turn I was zipping along smoothly over the tramac rather than bumping and vibrating over the tarmac like I was riding a pneumatic drill on speed and with anger issues. I specifically remember someone asking me if I got fed up constantly having to reach down to shift gears. At the time I didn't know why he was actually asking that question and why he was making such a fuss surely it is not that much different if you switch gears from the bars to the down tube it is only a matter of few inches. I didn't know any better at the time of course.

With hindsight the best advice is go out and test ride a properly speccd mountain bike or road bike as it only then that you can actually get a glimpse as to what it is all about. This will explain why there are so many people on here saying that is the best thing since sliced bread (apologies for the cliche).

Having said all that I can appreciate why these things sell. For me at the time it didn't make sense to go out and spend +500-600 on an entry level road bike when I may or may not like it. Luckily I persited in spite of the rubbish bike. If I had my time over I would do things differently as I have also moved on from I am not gonna pay £ 60 for them when I can get them out of decathlon for a tenner. Not rubbishing everything out of decathlon but switching from their £20 Jersey to a £50 Gore one was an eye opener.

 

[lazy]

So many wonderful people here thank you all..yes I can do the same distance in half the time now

 

[Ciar]

It will only improve mate, i myself live in south woodford and commute into the wharf, still only twice a week, but each time I can feel the improvement, so keep it up and eventually your time will shrink without you realising it and your fitness will improve.

just make sure to enjoy riding

 

[s7ephanie]

when i started in May i couldnt even get to the end of the road (1.5Km ) my goal was to be able to get to shops (10Km) now i do up to 60Km, still got a long way to go but just keep at it xx

 

[DWiggy]

Now watch that time shrink, along with the waist line

 

[snorri]

I thought this was an old thread revival, instead it is a fitter, faster OP back with a progress report.
Congratulations, well done on persisting.

 

[lazy]

yeah it gets better practice makes a man perfect

 

[lesley_x]

Don't worry about time, just enjoy yourself. You're getting out there and that's the main thing. If you get bogged down in times and miles you'll never just be and enjoy yourself. I'm going through the same phase as you trying to get back into cycling and feeling puffed out after hardly any time, but I've come a long way in a few weeks and you will too

It gets easier.