Another Newbie from Bristol

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tadpole

Senior Member
Location
St George
Nutshell:
Bristol based, old and unfit.
More details Started cycling to work in the early 90’ not far 6 or 7 miles. Lived in Southmead worked in Pilning. Hell of a hill on the way there and its ugly twin on the way back. I had a bad argument with a car and this kept me from cycling for 10 years. Lots of thing happened in between including a move to a better part of Bristol, and a change of Jobs.
Long and no-doubt boring
I re-started cycling 3 years ago on a £50 bike from a second hand/junk store (bought just after my accident which saw my specialized bike trying desperately to support the weight of a car which was slowly crushing my right side). It had 10 gears and only three worked. Rode to work 8.5 mile each way once a week for a year, twice a week for the following year. Christmas last year made the decision to ride to work three times a week (back then it was to save money) I did so and hated it, the hellish 45 minutes slogging up and down the (so I thought at the time) huge hills. Mid January B-I-L mentioned Strava for android. Downloaded it, and have not looked back since, 45 hate-filled minutes is now an all to short 28 power fuelled minutes to work.
Replaced my battered and slightly dangerous old Raleigh Mistral, with what I felt was a great bike another Raleigh. (One, that I didn’t know, was considered just about the worst bike on the planet, no one seems to have a good word to say about it) SO here goes, my bike is a 1992 Raleigh Mustang AT in pink and white. It’s heavy, yes, but strong, I guess I am lucky as who ever owned it before me looked after it, and changed the front cogs/pinion/chainset to a more road suitable size. I’ve put on some semi slick puncture resistant tyres and pumped them up to max+20%. Since then I’ve done 1000 miles. And I love it. So Ok it’s a long hated BSO made of WDS (white dog S**t). but it’s mine and I love to scalp roadie on my way home from work.
That's me, I've lost lots of weight and gained lots of speed. I now ride to work 4 days a week. I'm booked to go on the Bath skyride on the 5th August, It's a 25 mile ride, I plan to cycle there and back, which will give me 54 miles for the day. Which will be my longest this year.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
Welcome tadpole:welcome: , surely where ever you live in Bristol there is always a hill in between where you are and where you want to get to (in my last house - it was at the top of a hill meaning a great start but knowing whenever you were near to home the last bit would be uphill).
 
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tadpole

tadpole

Senior Member
Location
St George
Welcome tadpole:welcome: , surely where ever you live in Bristol there is always a hill in between where you are and where you want to get to (in my last house - it was at the top of a hill meaning a great start but knowing whenever you were near to home the last bit would be uphill).
You are right of course, but they don't seem so steep as they did 6 months ago. Oh and thank you for the welcome. I live in St George, so I'm half way up a hill.
 

Kiwiavenger

im a little tea pot
You are right of course, but they don't seem so steep as they did 6 months ago. Oh and thank you for the welcome. I live in St George, so I'm half way up a hill.

st george is good fun! when i was unfit i managed to go from the centre to air baloon in 15 minutes! would love to attempt it now! i have lots of family in the area (st george, kingswood and willsbridge) and a few mates there too (RSclio 83 lives just off church road somewhere too!!)

glad to see your enjoying the cycling again though!
 

Spartak

Powered by M&M's
Location
Bristolian
Yep, nothing beats an early morning ride down the cycle/old railway track to Bordeaux Quay for a coffee & pastry sat in the sun watching the world go by ;]
 
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tadpole

tadpole

Senior Member
Location
St George
Yep, nothing beats an early morning ride down the cycle/old railway track to Bordeaux Quay for a coffee & pastry sat in the sun watching the world go by ;]
Not tried that yet, might do as I've a few days off coming up. I cycle the other way, to Yate which does not have fashionable bistro cafes or the like. Not sure it has even unfashionable cafes
 

Spartak

Powered by M&M's
Location
Bristolian
Not tried that yet, might do as I've a few days off coming up. I cycle the other way, to Yate which does not have fashionable bistro cafes or the like. Not sure it has even unfashionable cafes

Yate has a few unfashionable cafes !
Try Hamptons in Sodbury High St. if you want a fashionable cafe - GREAT CAKE !!!!!!
 

Spartak

Powered by M&M's
Location
Bristolian
[QUOTE 1950774, member: 45"]I do the hill at the end of Long Cross on my commute. Not great first thing in the morning.[/quote]

I sometimes come down it at 5 in the morning :eek:

Ok unless you meet somebody in the traffic calming near the pub !!!
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
[QUOTE 1950774, member: 45"]I do the hill at the end of Long Cross on my commute. Not great first thing in the morning.[/quote]
I agree not one of my favourites (apart from going downhill), but my friend does it with a trailer coming back from her allotment at the bottom of that hill (in the trailer is her dog!!!).
 
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tadpole

tadpole

Senior Member
Location
St George
Welcome, Tadpole, it's good to have you here. I went through Bristol twice on my recent LEJOGLE tour and got lost both times :laugh:
Easy to do if you follow the road signs, they make no sense.

When I live'd in s’afmead. I’d cycle up the Hallen Road to ‘enbury, then up knowle lane, often after working a 12 hour night shift. If I was feeling Brave/stupid, I’d turn off on to the lane that runs behind the Seabank Power station, and cycle up Hollywood lane. Not often was I that brave ;)
 

Spartak

Powered by M&M's
Location
Bristolian
Easy to do if you follow the road signs, they make no sense.

When I live'd in s’afmead. I’d cycle up the Hallen Road to ‘enbury, then up knowle lane, often after working a 12 hour night shift. If I was feeling Brave/stupid, I’d turn off on to the lane that runs behind the Seabank Power station, and cycle up Hollywood lane. Not often was I that brave ;)

'enbury after dark is best avoided !!!
Especially past the shops on Crow Lane, I go via Shirehampton late at night !
 
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