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

[Stonechat]

Did a run up various hills and around the top end of Windsor Great Park. Back home via Chertsey

Did similar ride once before (from Staines not from Ashford), and without the detour.
I find that I am very comfortable with this and don't feel I have pushed myself that hard, in fact I think for similar effort my heart rate is now lower which is very good indicator of progress

http://www.strava.com/activities/121475556
34.8 miles at 14.4 mph (good for the amount of climbing - though Garmin made it 14.8 mph)
1355 feet of climbing
Even Mrs Stonechat remarked that I didn't look like I had had a hard ride

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Did a run up various hills and around the top end of Windsor Great Park. Back home via Chertsey

Did similar ride once before (from Staines not from Ashford), and without the detour.
I find that I am very comfortable with this and don't feel I have pushed myself that hard, in fact I think for similar effort my heart rate is now lower which is very good indicator of progress

http://www.strava.com/activities/121475556
34.8 miles at 14.4 mph (good for the amount of climbing - though Garmin made it 14.8 mph)
1355 feet of climbing
Even Mrs Stonechat remarked that I didn't look like I had had a hard ride

Different sites interprate the data differently, Bryton will give moving and overall time and speeds, I am only really interested in moving avg, however unlike the garmin 500 which had auto pause which could be set to stop once you reached a certain sped say 3mph, the Rider 20 doesn't but the web site does. Strava shows the overall avg so my ride Friday I made @ 15mph strava shows it as 14mph, but to be honest these days I just log it for future reflections when I cant pedal no more.

 

[Triban5riderGD]

Unlikely, it's a 10+ year old Dawes Kalahari, well I suppose it may be the rarity value

It cant be that rare, as Ive got one. Its a good hybrid if not a little heavy compared to my Triban 5. But I still like to ride them both.

 

[MattMM]

Getting back to normal distances now on my 3rd ride post-flu. Had a decent 23 miler along the A77, weather started poor but improved, hit some decent PRs and the old average speed is creeping up. Is it wrong after only 3 and a bit months to be thinking how much faster you'd be on a roadie compared to your hybrid...

http://www.strava.com/activities/121474313

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Getting back to normal distances now on my 3rd ride post-flu. Had a decent 23 miler along the A77, weather started poor but improved, hit some decent PRs and the old average speed is creeping up. Is it wrong after only 3 and a bit months to be thinking how much faster you'd be on a roadie compared to your hybrid...

http://www.strava.com/activities/121474313

Only having riding road bikes I cant comment, but it might be more to do with after 3 and a bit months, as to how much faster you will become, It took me 10 months to get 15-16 mph avg's, but than my road bike isn't he lightest of bikes.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Getting back to normal distances now on my 3rd ride post-flu. Had a decent 23 miler along the A77, weather started poor but improved, hit some decent PRs and the old average speed is creeping up. Is it wrong after only 3 and a bit months to be thinking how much faster you'd be on a roadie compared to your hybrid...

http://www.strava.com/activities/121474313

Nope, not at all x
But don't tell anybody I said so!!!

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Ordered my new saddle last night for my lovely princess. I've had an email to say it has already been despatched. Fab service from Chain Reaction, who have £17 off today (til midnight) if you spend over £99 and quote PADDY17 at the checkout for St Patrick's Day.
Happy shopping folks

 

[Middleton Mouse]

I did a pitiful 2.8 mile ride along the canal by my house as my first bike ride in about 2 years. Had to go along at 5mph as I had my dog with me and he's 10 (though my oh assures me Jake can run at 20).

We went out again last week and I did 11 miles but really struggled with the uphill bits no matter how gentle the incline was.

 

[Mo1959]

I did a pitiful 2.8 mile ride along the canal by my house as my first bike ride in about 2 years. Had to go along at 5mph as I had my dog with me and he's 10 (though my oh assures me Jake can run at 20).

We went out again last week and I did 11 miles but really struggled with the uphill bits no matter how gentle the incline was.

Stick at it....it really does become easier reasonably quickly. Try and get out more than once a week if you can manage it though and you should progress quicker. Two or three short rides per week would probably benefit you more at this stage. Oh, and 2.8 miles isn't pitiful. I bet it is 2.8 miles more than 90% of the population did!

 

[Mo1959]

Dismal and wet here but better have a wee run as the next two or three days look bad for strong winds and probably won't get out. My Forme bottom bracket is on the way out and I can't get it to budge so I'll give it a good wash when I get back and maybe pop it into the bike shop in Perth and get them to do it.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

I did a pitiful 2.8 mile ride along the canal by my house as my first bike ride in about 2 years. Had to go along at 5mph as I had my dog with me and he's 10 (though my oh assures me Jake can run at 20).

We went out again last week and I did 11 miles but really struggled with the uphill bits no matter how gentle the incline was.

Stick at it....it really does become easier reasonably quickly. Try and get out more than once a week if you can manage it though and you should progress quicker. Two or three short rides per week would probably benefit you more at this stage. Oh, and 2.8 miles isn't pitiful. I bet it is 2.8 miles more than 90% of the population did!

Well put @Mo1959 , and @Middleton Mouse, keep at it, you will soon improve and be saying "inclines? What inclines?"

 

[L14M]

Cousework is in now.. Shall be getting out more!
Liam

 

[BrianEvesham]

I did a pitiful 2.8 mile ride along the canal by my house as my first bike ride in about 2 years. Had to go along at 5mph as I had my dog with me and he's 10 (though my oh assures me Jake can run at 20).

We went out again last week and I did 11 miles but really struggled with the uphill bits no matter how gentle the incline was.

Keep at it @Middleton Mouse it will get easier with time. Less than two years ago a stretch of road near me I thought was flat until I cycled, forced me to stop for breather a few times. I now ride up the same stretch continuously averaging 16 mph.
Good luck with it.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Oh dear - just back from consultant as I am feeling dreadful now that I am officially under-active following radioiodine treatment last Nov' for over-active thyroid. End of a four year saga!

Can hardly walk up the (steep) drive to the house. Everything's aching. Feeling pretty lack-lustre and demotivated.

He has advised no vigorous activity for 4 weeks and we have talked through my hiking/climbing activities (very important to me) and cycling (pleasurable and I like it but no comparison to my hill activities) and basically he has said no chance for the next month or two - really hacked off.

Then I have to slowly bring myself back up to speed once the replacement thyroxine hormone that I start shortly gets my levels into the normal range.

So that's that then until (hopefully) around mid-May - June.

Still, worse things can happen.

 

[Mo1959]

@SpokeyDokey That doesn't sound too good Hopefully if you can take it easy for a few weeks you will start to gradually see improvements though and at least you should be starting to feel good again at a nice time of the year. Hope it all becomes more controlled and stable soon.