Does the way you dress effect your riding ?

[peanut]

I know this is going to sound a little strange but please bear with me ok.

Every time I go out on one of my road race bikes I put my lycra shorts/tights team jerseys etc on and off I go.
Even though sometimes I am determined just to take a nice easy pootle around the lanes I always end up racing round my loops at top speed.

I leave my cottage switch the computer on set off at an easy pace round the village to warm up and after 3-4 minutes its head down and we're off. The moment I get back I make a note of my time and average speed etc in my log and compare with the last run.

I reckon its partly because I am riding a race bike and am wearing team clothing I mean whoever saw someone on a lightweight racer in the full kit, hands on the hoods pootling along at 12mph taking in the scenery ??? you'd look stupid wouldn't you ? well any other roady passing you would certainly think you a bit odd. wouldn't they ?

I've thought about building up a spare frame into a town bike and wearing trackie bottoms and a T shirt but to be honest I love riding my lightweight racer too much.

Does anyone else ever feel compelled to ride flat out when they would rather be taking a real easy laid back pootle ?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

It's true. Full kit makes for a much faster ride

 

[Keith Oates]

Part of the fun of riding a roadie is going fast and taking on other bikes. I very often go out looking for a slow(ish) ride just for excercise and end up having to give it some wally. It's one of the fun parts of owning and riding a good roadie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shaun]

I pootle on my roadie.

 

[dickothedrafter]

I try to race around on my roadie, but unfortunately i'm just not fit enough yet so its a slow 13 mph pootle everytime

Hopefully when the weight comes off i may be able to set a 20mph average

 

[peanut]

I try to race around on my roadie, but unfortunately i'm just not fit enough yet so its a slow 13 mph pootly everytime

Hopefully when the weight comes off i may be able to set a 20mph average :troll:

blimey 13mph av I'm lucky to do that flat-out around here

 

[ComedyPilot]

I try to race around on my roadie, but unfortunately i'm just not fit enough yet so its a slow 13 mph pootle everytime

Hopefully when the weight comes off i may be able to set a 20mph average

The fact you are out there is plaudits enough. The speed (if you like that sort of thing) will come along with fitness and nice legs.

 

[Joe24]

Ive been for pootles on my fixed.
When im on holiday i will go on it in the evenings for a nice pootle in the sun.

I do now have a seperate fixed for pootling on/cruising around on though, so ill use that if i fancy a nice ride in the sun/to the shops/college, and ill be in normal clothes.

Lycra is only for going fast for me.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Inmy case, its not the outfit, but the bike. I have a fast tourer/audax bike which I am more than happy to pootle around on, but I cannot, simply cannot ride my road bike slowly. I have no explanation for it.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Inmy case, its not the outfit, but the bike. I have a fast tourer/audax bike which I am more than happy to pootle around on, but I cannot, simply cannot ride my road bike slowly. I have no explanation for it.

I can ride my road bike slowly in lycra, and have an explanation.

I am an old, fat, unfit, giffer.

But I am trying

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I can ride my road bike slowly in lycra, and have an explanation.

I am an old, fat, unfit, giffer.

But I am trying

Perhaps I should qualift my post. "Slowly" is a relative term

What I mean is that I can pootle around on my tourer all day without breaking sweat, but I always completely knacker myself out on my road bike.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Perhaps I should qualift my post. "Slowly" is a relative term

What I mean is that I can pootle around on my tourer all day without breaking sweat, but I always completely knacker myself out on my road bike.

Perhaps I should qualify my post also.

I can ride all day on my MTB hybrid loaded up toury-stylee, but 3-4 hours on the road bike at 15-25mph (alone, no chaingang to help) will see me reaching for the Soreen and Nutrigrain.

 

[fossyant]

"Pootling".....it's not in my vocabulary

 

[Gerry Attrick]

"Pootling".....it's not in my vocabulary

What is life, if full of care,
We have no time to.........pootle?

W H Davis (maybe slightly modified by GA)

 

[Joe24]

My pootling is still pretty fast though mind.
I pootled over to my GFs today jamming along to Bob Marley, and averaged 17.5mph for the 13 miles