Friends and I signed up early this morning. Fingers crossed now.
Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]
- Thread starter Typhon
- Start date
- Status
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stevey
Guru
- Location
- sutton coldfield
Only just gone and signed up to the ballot....
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Haven't you got a coat?
I have got 3 Gore-tex and 1 Soft Shell but I'm a fair weather person!
Leaving for Fort William tomorrow for long awaited mega-day on Ben Nevis with my mate; forecast not brilliant but I will be committed! Two different coats packed!
Also - I probably should've bought a bike that can take mudguards!
Tcr4x4
Veteran
- Location
- Gloucester
I started riding again after a 13 year or so break about 3 weeks ago,because my ever reliable landrover broke down again.
The weather was lovely, so rather than using my wife's ford focus, I decided to dig out an Apollo phase mtb I bought on a whim but had never actually used in Halfords last year.
Bearing in mind this bike weighs a smidgen less than the titanic, my first ride was from home to my work office
It was a staggering 0.9 miles, which I completed in 5.37, including stopping for traffic lights. My average speed was 10.1 mph, which wasnt to shabby.
My next few rides were from home to work, a 1.4 mile trip, which took around 8 minutes, again including traffic stops. My average speed seemed consistent around 10mph
I then did a 4.3 mile trip, with a 5kg bottle of power steering fluid in my rucksack for the car! I did this in 26 minutes and averaged 9.6 mph. It was a mix of road and canal tow path, I was well chuffed though, after only 3 days riding.
I'd gotten the bug again, and quickly realised the Apollo just wasnt cutting it, so I bought an old but well spec'd carerra zelos mtb. It weighs about 13kg, so considerably lighter than the Apollo.
My first ride on it was a 10 miler down the canal towpath and I was averaging around 11.5 mph
From then on I've increased my distance each time to 13.6 miles averaging 12.2mph
Then 16 miles but my phone turned off, so I lost the GPS data
My next ride was only 12.4 miles, but for the first time I actually did some proper hills, max elevation was 387ft up 381 down. Not much for some, but for me it was like conquering Everest! I even averaged 12.6 mph, probably because of the 25mph descent!
My last ride which was on Friday was only 11.2 miles, but I wasn't feeling great, it also involved a fair bit of offroad, still averaged 10.3 mph though.
I'm now on the look out for a road bike so I can increase my distances and averages, and just save the mtb for proper off road tracks rather than fitness rides.
Since I started riding on the 15 July my total distance is 80 miles and duration is 7 hours 31 minutes.
Plus I've gone from 13 stone to 11st 12lbs which I'm very pleased with!
Loving riding again and can't wait to get out every time I get home from work.. Sucks today as I seem to have come with something and have no energy whatsoever, so I'm in bed looking on eBay and forums for a road bike to buy!
If anyone wants to see my data, I'm now using garmin connect because I've just bought an edge 800, but I started with runtastic on the iPhone, which I do still use too, but the garmin seems more accurate.
http://www.runtastic.com/en/users/tom-radford-2
http://connect.garmin.com/profile/tcr4x4
The weather was lovely, so rather than using my wife's ford focus, I decided to dig out an Apollo phase mtb I bought on a whim but had never actually used in Halfords last year.
Bearing in mind this bike weighs a smidgen less than the titanic, my first ride was from home to my work office
It was a staggering 0.9 miles, which I completed in 5.37, including stopping for traffic lights. My average speed was 10.1 mph, which wasnt to shabby.
My next few rides were from home to work, a 1.4 mile trip, which took around 8 minutes, again including traffic stops. My average speed seemed consistent around 10mph
I then did a 4.3 mile trip, with a 5kg bottle of power steering fluid in my rucksack for the car! I did this in 26 minutes and averaged 9.6 mph. It was a mix of road and canal tow path, I was well chuffed though, after only 3 days riding.
I'd gotten the bug again, and quickly realised the Apollo just wasnt cutting it, so I bought an old but well spec'd carerra zelos mtb. It weighs about 13kg, so considerably lighter than the Apollo.
My first ride on it was a 10 miler down the canal towpath and I was averaging around 11.5 mph
From then on I've increased my distance each time to 13.6 miles averaging 12.2mph
Then 16 miles but my phone turned off, so I lost the GPS data
My next ride was only 12.4 miles, but for the first time I actually did some proper hills, max elevation was 387ft up 381 down. Not much for some, but for me it was like conquering Everest! I even averaged 12.6 mph, probably because of the 25mph descent!
My last ride which was on Friday was only 11.2 miles, but I wasn't feeling great, it also involved a fair bit of offroad, still averaged 10.3 mph though.
I'm now on the look out for a road bike so I can increase my distances and averages, and just save the mtb for proper off road tracks rather than fitness rides.
Since I started riding on the 15 July my total distance is 80 miles and duration is 7 hours 31 minutes.
Plus I've gone from 13 stone to 11st 12lbs which I'm very pleased with!
Loving riding again and can't wait to get out every time I get home from work.. Sucks today as I seem to have come with something and have no energy whatsoever, so I'm in bed looking on eBay and forums for a road bike to buy!
If anyone wants to see my data, I'm now using garmin connect because I've just bought an edge 800, but I started with runtastic on the iPhone, which I do still use too, but the garmin seems more accurate.
http://www.runtastic.com/en/users/tom-radford-2
http://connect.garmin.com/profile/tcr4x4
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
@AndyPeace
You can always use flash with a slow shutter to crate motion blur as well.
I think the creaking is the seat post, turns out its too short so yet another new bit to buy, in the mean time I have greased the collar and bolt see if that helps.
You can always use flash with a slow shutter to crate motion blur as well.
I think the creaking is the seat post, turns out its too short so yet another new bit to buy, in the mean time I have greased the collar and bolt see if that helps.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
The Garmin is more accurate, but I wont go into that, welcome aboard, and you really need to upload you rides here http://app.strava.com, there wont be any stopping you then.Or maybe I shouldn't have given you that link.
Bawheidbob
Regular
- Location
- Scotland
Well today was the first time on a bike in around 18 years give or take and I will be honest I thought I was going to die. I did not remember it being quite so hard going, only went 3.5 miles as well and will no doubt be sore tomorrow.
Still its a start I suppose
Still its a start I suppose
Tcr4x4
Veteran
- Location
- Gloucester
Hah, yes, I've already started uploading to strava aswell, but my efforts are slightly embarrassing compared to other local riders!
There are a couple of segments I've compleated unknowingly where I'm actually not last in the leader board, which is nice!
http://www.strava.com/athletes/2600314
There are a couple of segments I've compleated unknowingly where I'm actually not last in the leader board, which is nice!
http://www.strava.com/athletes/2600314
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
@Bawheidbob and @Tcr4x4
It gets better, the main thing about strava is about you own personal improvements, its nice to see your p.b.'s improving.
It gets better, the main thing about strava is about you own personal improvements, its nice to see your p.b.'s improving.
Tcr4x4
Veteran
- Location
- Gloucester
@Nigelnaturist
It will certainly be interesting to see how I improve over certain segments in the coming months.
I think its best to ignore the leader boards, I know I'm not going to be anywhere near the top and there is little point trying, but as a tool to see self improvements I believe it could be very useful!
It will certainly be interesting to see how I improve over certain segments in the coming months.
I think its best to ignore the leader boards, I know I'm not going to be anywhere near the top and there is little point trying, but as a tool to see self improvements I believe it could be very useful!
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
@Tcr4x4
What you can (this is what I did), follow some local people that have done the same segments (you will get more over time), and set the leader table to show those I follow as the default view, it helps give it a little more competitiveness.
I set a p.b. on this yesterday
http://app.strava.com/activities/73975761#1464507252
This is the table of those I follow some on really expensive bikes, well compared with my Viking.
What you can (this is what I did), follow some local people that have done the same segments (you will get more over time), and set the leader table to show those I follow as the default view, it helps give it a little more competitiveness.
I set a p.b. on this yesterday
http://app.strava.com/activities/73975761#1464507252
This is the table of those I follow some on really expensive bikes, well compared with my Viking.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
I bought an easton EA50 for £26.00 deliverd from Wiggle and it is excellent - nice infinitely adjustable 2 bolt design for maximum levelness!
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Hello you Newbie Newbies! Hope you stick around.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
Thanks for that I was looking at a ritchey to match the bars and stem, but I think it might have to wait a fortnight.I bought an easton EA50 for £26.00 deliverd from Wiggle and it is excellent - nice infinitely adjustable 2 bolt design for maximum levelness!
They have the EA50 for £17.50
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Crikey that's a mad deal Nigel esp' as it is delivered. They show the older version on their site (ie pinched neck) but they delivered me the newer version (straight neck).
- Status
