GentlyBenevolent
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Wigan-ish
Hello to you all. After lurking for a couple of weeks I thought I'd best create an account say hello and try to be useful about the place.
My story is one of cycling to improve fitness, but in an enjoyable way. After years of me getting virtually no exercise, a good friend took it upon himself to whip me into shape. He thrust upon me a Sun? road bike, a few essentials (track pump) and even a turbo trainer at the start of last year. Come September and it all fell out of my routine.
Fast forward to about a month ago, and the intervening period has seen whatever improvements I made converted back into long term beer and pie storage facilities. It's all come to a head where I feel unfit, and I don't like it. No one else can sort it out, so it's time to get back on the bike and put some graft in.
After a false start with a boardman race which was returned after 2 short rides (only a display model available, after 5 miles the wheels were binding on the brakes, the front brake adjust sheared off, other niggles), I went to see the chaps at Winstanley Bikes. They were pretty helpful, spent a long time sizing up, built up two bikes for me to try, and I'm now the happy owner of a felt z85. Still tinkering with the setup, getting used to SPDs (never had them before last weekend!) and trying to remember the gears are on the levers, not the downtube(?).
On the road I'll be the daft looking one on a shiny (well, matt black actually) bike, doing it no justice by racing snails up the wonderful rolling hills to the west of Wigan and out to Southport. First aim is to get back some fitness and find some local cycling folk of a similar ability. My mate, while patient, isn't that local.
I seem to have waffled quite a bit, so that'll do. Back to your regular programming!
My story is one of cycling to improve fitness, but in an enjoyable way. After years of me getting virtually no exercise, a good friend took it upon himself to whip me into shape. He thrust upon me a Sun? road bike, a few essentials (track pump) and even a turbo trainer at the start of last year. Come September and it all fell out of my routine.
Fast forward to about a month ago, and the intervening period has seen whatever improvements I made converted back into long term beer and pie storage facilities. It's all come to a head where I feel unfit, and I don't like it. No one else can sort it out, so it's time to get back on the bike and put some graft in.
After a false start with a boardman race which was returned after 2 short rides (only a display model available, after 5 miles the wheels were binding on the brakes, the front brake adjust sheared off, other niggles), I went to see the chaps at Winstanley Bikes. They were pretty helpful, spent a long time sizing up, built up two bikes for me to try, and I'm now the happy owner of a felt z85. Still tinkering with the setup, getting used to SPDs (never had them before last weekend!) and trying to remember the gears are on the levers, not the downtube(?).
On the road I'll be the daft looking one on a shiny (well, matt black actually) bike, doing it no justice by racing snails up the wonderful rolling hills to the west of Wigan and out to Southport. First aim is to get back some fitness and find some local cycling folk of a similar ability. My mate, while patient, isn't that local.
I seem to have waffled quite a bit, so that'll do. Back to your regular programming!
enjoy the banter
