How times have changed

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Paul Gee

Well-Known Member
Location
Essex
Hi all.

What a shock it has been reading here about the current state of bikes/riding/clothing etc. I am certainly a cycling fish out of water!

Let me introduce myself and my bike. I took early retirement last year and moved from hilly Bucks to flatter Essex. With time on my hands and a rarely used bike to hand I recently decided to get cycling and get fitter.

The good news was that at least I have not put on too much weight over the years, the bad news is that my bike has made up for that. I own a Raleigh Stratos tourer, which I bought new some 37 years ago and only used spasmodically in the intervening years. Over the past 2 months I have enjoyed getting (slightly) fitter cycling around the local country lanes.

But my bike has had to go in for a service (its first), as now only 8 of the 10 gears engage, and there is a crunching noise from the front as I cycle - hopefully not my knees! I have a nice circuit or two around the local reservoir (Hanningfield) which is very popular area with cyclists a third of my age, riding bikes half the weight of mine, going at double my speed. There must be time trials around there also as sometimes they wear numbers.

I think I am the only cyclist who still wears cycle clips, and suppose I need to embrace the clothing fashions of cycling, perhaps when I can drag the bike to slightly less embarassing speeds. Talking of which I am amazed by the gizmos now available to measure performances. My bike has a cycling mileometer which works on the front wheel and turns a cog every revolution to measure distance covered. Now for upwards of a fiver I can measure distance/speed/averages etc etc with a little computer gizmo. I have ordered one. Any information gained from it will be carefully analysed, compared to others on this forum, and secretly wept over :cry:

When every cycist and his dog/snail/glacier stops overtaking me at such staggering speeds I hope to get a new bike which (with more fashionable clothing) may earn me a few more nods and hi's from passing lycra lads and lassies. And hopefully one which has some better gearing than my current steel stallion, but at least I will be fit for it by then.

Great forum everyone .......

Paul
 

thegravestoneman

three wheels on my wagon
How do...

Welcome to the site, Things have certainly moved on, I came back to cycling after 25 years in February and found that I basically had to forget everything I knew and start again. It has been fun getting up to date but I still like my 'old' stuff.

Keep cycling and enjoy!

Gaz
 
I still use cycle clips occasionally Paul, I ditched the front wheel mileometer some years ago though. You haven't still got the big Ever Ready lights as well have you?
 
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Paul Gee

Paul Gee

Well-Known Member
Location
Essex
No, I am a daylight cyclist now, at least I am saving weight without lights! I guess also light technology has moved forward in the intervening years. Nuffink says the same forever, even I'm out of date now!

Paul
 
I bet you have a modern phone though, Android perhaps? If you do there are many applications you can get to track your mileage and speed and route. Then you can join something like Strava and the Cyclechat group and then......a whole new world of fascination opens up.
 
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Paul Gee

Paul Gee

Well-Known Member
Location
Essex
I bet you have a modern phone though, Android perhaps? If you do there are many applications you can get to track your mileage and speed and route. Then you can join something like Strava and the Cyclechat group and then......a whole new world of fascination opens up.

That's a thought, my wife is androidphonewoman, my phone is sooooo old. I will have a look for apps. Thanks

Paul
 

kedab

Veteran
Location
nr cambridge
:welcome:
 

Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
No, I am a daylight cyclist now, at least I am saving weight without lights! I guess also light technology has moved forward in the intervening years. Nuffink says the same forever, even I'm out of date now!

Paul

Bikes have changed in the 37 years since you bought your one....but last time I looked bikes still have 2 wheels and pedals and handlebars so keep on enjoying your trusty machine as long as it still works..
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Hi Paul, welcome to Cyclechat.

Whilst part of me wants to shout NOOOOO dont change a thing, its wonderful that your bike, its attachments and ...well...you....have so much heritage.

But I guess there is the other side of me that will admit that much of the modern "stuff" that's available today is there for pretty good reason,which is to make cycling easier. So well done for adopting modern conveniences like GPS, I look forward to seeing you on Strava some time soon

What's that?, you haven't heard of Strava, you soon will.

Nice to meet you.

John Gee
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
:welcome: Paul: no worries, stick with us, all will be revealed!
Enjoy your cycling, no need to compare yourself with others - yet ^_^
 

wisdom

Guru
Location
Blackpool
Welcome Paul.
Yes things have changed but your bike is still your bike,It works the same way as the new ones.It was certainly a lot better made than the supermarket bikes and as its age proves is still going strong.
Just enjoy cycling and when the time is right look for a new bike.If you need to of course.
 
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