Hello from Swanley

[MaxInc]

Hi everyone!

Found this comunity while searching for various tips and I was well impressed by how friendly everyone is.

Biking was a great passion in my late teen years but the arrival of the car meant abandoning it for 15 years and accumulating quite a bit of reserve energy. Got myself a mountain bike a couple of years back which has been preserved very well in the shed. I could't ride it at all, back pain put me off as well a a general fear of traffic and lack of control.

Last few months I've been doing great progress in the lifestyle department and finally got to a manageble weight where I can really start enjoying biking. Been out for a week now, first ride was a pathetic 2 mile exhausted journey to the grocery store but managed to ride about 4-5 miles in one go later in the week hehe ... and had a couple of punctures already ... Slowly building up my fitness levels and I hope to get to ride for 10 miles, 4-5 times a week in next month or two. This is getting increasingly fun every day (minus the puctures) and I think I got the bug this time.

Best, Andy

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi Andy, and welcome to CC!
Great progress you got there, well done.
Get yourself some puncture resistant tyres, like the Marathon Plus and keep them at the pressure indicated on the tyre wall.
It helps an awful lot to keep the puncture fairy at bay!

 

[ianrauk]

HI Maxinc.
Just down the road from you in salubrious Orpington.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi Andy and .

It sounds like you've made a good start of getting back into it. I second Pat's advice about getting some puncture resistant tyres, although it's the standard Marathon I like. (2700 miles without any unplanned deflations )

 

[MaxInc]

Thanks for the advice! I'm actually considering having different tyres since at the moment I run 2.35 chunky off roads which are probably inefficient on tarmac and more prone to puncture. Inefficiency doesn't bother me because I would just have to work harder, which is the main focus for building strength and burning more calories. Haven't decided yet if I should go for a road only set or something in the middle. I'll probably end up with two sets and see which one I like more.

Today I made it to a nearby forest but energy drained and legs died before having a chance to explore further. Pretty happy with a 8 mile roundtrip to conclude my first week but I'm really looking forward for some off-road experience.

 

[Ciar]

Welcome Andy, sounds very similar to myself, I quit cycling when i got a car which was a long time ago!

 

[biggs682]

 

[paul04]

Hello Andy

 

[Ern1e]

Hi andy well done good start ! you will go further and faster in a little time,all I will say is take it easy and biuld it up nice and steady there are no medals for over doing it lol.

 

[RiflemanSmith]

 

[Easytigers]

Hi! Well done and keep it up!!!

 

[i hate hills]

Hi Andy keep up the effort and you'll son see the miles add up. All the best Mike.

 

[MaxInc]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and for sharing your experiences on the beginner's forum! It's very uplifting to read that I'm not the only one struggling to make a start and also about the great progress that will naturally follow.

Although my legs are still hurting after yesterdays experience, I couldn't sit in the sofa so went out for a gentle ride. I tried to take it slow, like 10mph slow and just enjoy the sun and the breeze. All of the sudden I felt like I could ride for hours with no discomfort or pain, so discovering the meaning of "take it easy" was a major milestone.

Had my first SMIDSY and had a change to test my emergency brake skills on a bicycle. Ordered some puncture resistant road tyres so looking forward to trying them out. This thing is growing on me every day and I'm already dreaming about my first road bike, hopefully this summer.