Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]

[Nigelnaturist]

Due to the train strike I had my first ever commute today!
http://www.strava.com/activities/135820511
and on my way back.
http://www.strava.com/activities/135820516
Not bad 12.8 mile round trip!
Liam

Thing is was it quicker than the train. I have to go to Wakefield some times (and its the same going to the hospital on a Friday), by the time I have walked to the station 15mins the train 25mins and another 10min walk I am there on the bike, fridays its 40mins on the bus plus a 5min walk, I am there on the bike in 20mins, and I save £4 on Fridays and about the same if I go to Wakefield, thats a lot out of what I have each week.

 

[Reece]

Well the new stead is here. Just waiting on the mavic ksyrium elite wheels and ultegra spd sl pedals to be delivered tomorrow.

Can't wait to get out and ride on it.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Well the new stead is here. Just waiting on the mavic ksyrium elite wheels and ultegra spd sl pedals to be delivered tomorrow.

Can't wait to get out and ride on it. View attachment 43801

Nice looking bike Reece

 

[Reece]

Cheers @Supersuperleeds can't believe the weight difference and that's before I've put the mavic wheels on. Came in at about 8.5kg on my fishing scales compared to the 11kg the defy2 is. Hoping for some pb's when I get out in it

 

[Biggler]

Tonight's run on my hybrid - http://www.strava.com/activities/135885003 . When cycling I feel like it's getting easier after 5 miles or so, is that just me warming up?

I am looking at buying some pedals & shoes. If I would still like to be able to wear normal shoes and also be able to walk in the cycling shoes is an 'SPD' type the best? I keep seeing recomendations for Shimano A520/M530 are there any others I should be looking at?

Keep up with the good rides all!

 

[Reece]

Tonight's run on my hybrid - http://www.strava.com/activities/135885003 . When cycling I feel like it's getting easier after 5 miles or so, is that just me warming up?

I am looking at buying some pedals & shoes. If I would still like to be able to wear normal shoes and also be able to walk in the cycling shoes is an 'SPD' type the best? I keep seeing recomendations for Shimano A520/M530 are there any others I should be looking at?

Keep up with the good rides all!

Spd are the ones that you get shoes that can be used to walk in too. I don't use them but sure others will be able to help you.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well the new stead is here. Just waiting on the mavic ksyrium elite wheels and ultegra spd sl pedals to be delivered tomorrow.

Can't wait to get out and ride on it. View attachment 43801

Not saying I am with envy, hope you have many happy miles together.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Bit of a weird day for a ride. Spent ages looking for my heart rate monitor so I could go for an early morning ride, wasn't in its usual place, wasn't in its usual 'abandoned' place. Emptied the wash basket to see whether I had bundled it up with my cycling top - nope! Checked the floor, drawers I never put it in and all over the flipping place! "Oh well, I'll have to ride without it" thinks I. Put my dog walk clothes on top of cycling gear and bumped into hubby coming in from his run while I was going out, via rummaging through some more stuff I could have left my HRM with. "What are you looking for?" Says he, "can't find my HRM" says I. "Ah, I brought it downstairs thinking it was mine" says he! Mystery solved.

Came back from my walk, got everything ready, Garmin on, but displaying something about validating software. Left it doing it's magic while I fished everything out the garage and when I came back the Garmin was off - and wouldn't switch back on! "Oh well", thinks I, (but wondering if something was trying to tell me not to ride) I'll have to use my phone, without HR or cadence data. By this time, I only have about 40 mins to ride but have to call to see a friend who is going through a bit of a tough time. Temporary traffic lights hold me up for a bit, then, when I arrive at my friend's I forget to stop my Strava app. Quick chat then have to cycle home and I forget to stop my app again!

Hey Ho, legs and wheels were turning, and burnt a few more calories than doing the washing which I could have been!

I'm hoping for a longer ride tomorrow, but in he meantime, I need sleep. Hope you've all had a good Wednesday. Happy Thursday ahead folks

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Tonight's run on my hybrid - http://www.strava.com/activities/135885003 . When cycling I feel like it's getting easier after 5 miles or so, is that just me warming up?

I am looking at buying some pedals & shoes. If I would still like to be able to wear normal shoes and also be able to walk in the cycling shoes is an 'SPD' type the best? I keep seeing recomendations for Shimano A520/M530 are there any others I should be looking at?

Keep up with the good rides all!

There is quite a few, I use a more road orientated spd pedal the A530 these have dual sides flat on one and clip on the other, though I would go far on the flat side, there is also the A520 which is single sided but a better looking pedal in my mind.
You then have the M520 which really is just the clip. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-m520-clipless-spd-mtb-pedals/rp-prod3759
Then there is the M324 which has the look of a classic pedal http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-m324-clipless-spd-flat-mtb-pedals/rp-prod5937

The list goes on.
Its you warming up, I find I cycle best after about 10 miles, unless tired like tonight.

 

[AndyPeace]

Tonight's run on my hybrid - http://www.strava.com/activities/135885003 . When cycling I feel like it's getting easier after 5 miles or so, is that just me warming up?

I am looking at buying some pedals & shoes. If I would still like to be able to wear normal shoes and also be able to walk in the cycling shoes is an 'SPD' type the best? I keep seeing recomendations for Shimano A520/M530 are there any others I should be looking at?

Keep up with the good rides all!

I currently use Mavic tour shoes, which are spd shoes. they have a deep central recess to help walking off the bike. When walking the cleats do not touch the ground and I have even walked over sport floor surfaces without leaving a mark. They are a cycling shoe and as such are fairly stiff but I don't feel uncomfortable walking.
I have some basic MTB shimano shoes too, though the cleats on those are not as well recessed as on my mavics and tended to cause the occasional slip. The shimano shoes were not as stiff as my mavics but felt less comfortable to walk in, I guess because the cleat protrudes and sets me off balance.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Phoenix Lincs your the third person in 24 hours i have heard has had a problem with their units

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Biggler Shoes these were my first ones, though only a couple of months with cleats, they were ok a bit heavy http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_892695_langId_-1_categoryId_228873
these are what I use currently http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_892637_langId_-1_categoryId_228873 I little like a football shoe, very stiff sole and can take front studs, I have walked 5 miles in them though and felt fine, like @AndyPeace with the shimanos they are a little slipy but not dangerously so, again a little heavy as road shoe due to the plastic studded sole.

 

[Stonechat]

My Shimanos are fine on absolutely flat surfaces, on rough paths they do clonk a bit
They are fine though if you need to go in shops/cafes

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well my month started as you may remember with me being in hospital, and the docs saying I wouldn't be riding again for up to three months, seems they think cycling is a soft pastime, at this point I though there goes the spring challenges, ok i didn't get the one done on veloviewer, but i did start late on it by about 16 days I think, but I did manage 2/3rd's of it.
I had also though the one on strava was possible unobtainable too even when I did get back on the bike after just short of two weeks, it wasn't till last Tuesday I even entertained the idea I could still do it, so suffering stiff thighs from Sunday I started believing I could do the remaing 564Km 11 days or so 30+ miles every day, well here I am just a week later with only 44Km's to do. Though to be fair its not been difficult riding at an avg elevation of around 32-35ft a mile.
For April I rode 552.24miles (888.74Km) @ 15.45mph with a cad of 82.5rpm in 16 days (ride time 35.73hrs) avg 34.52 miles a day ( I haven't done that since Oct) bear in mind I only did 92 miles for the whole of Feb
The last 7 days I have done 290.82 miles (468.03Km's) @ 15.49mph cad 83.6rpm (ride time 18.78hrs) avg of 41.55 miles a day nothing like @Mo1959 or @Supersuperleeds can do mind, but compared with that Sunday in hospital, I am a little chuffed though a little achy and tired.

Finally I think I have sussed the on and off persistent creak I get, chain ring bolts, I was out this aft and it suddenly got worse, so pulled over and thought I will just check them and it went.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

@Phoenix Lincs your the third person in 24 hours i have heard has had a problem with their units

Hubby made up for the 'HRM-hiding' incident by forcing a restart when I didn't manage to get it going at all, even by plugging into laptop, which I thought might work. First he used a cocktail stick with the little thingy on the back, but then he held down Power, Menu, Reset buttons for several seconds. It didn't work first time, but it did the second.


It may all be down to updating Garmin connect the previous time I logged on?