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

[welsh dragon]

Back from my ride this morning. Started well, then it went decidedly darker the longer it went on. Eventually managed 8 miles before the rain started. Now relaxing with a cup of coffee. Hope everyone enjoys they're ride today.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Mo1959 doubt it very much, just look at what you ride, the miles you do I can be faster because the rides at the moment are a lot easier than I was doing then in the region of 10 to 15 ft/mile avg distance down by 8 miles and about half the days out, so don't you kid yourself.
My overall avg for the year is 14.64 yours 14.15, your distance 1994.4 mine 820.3 your elevation 61,138ft mine 21,316ft your ft/mile 30.65 mine 25.99, so tell me Mo who is the better rider, I know where I would put my money. Mo I seriously think you forget how well you ride.

 

[MattMM]

@Nigelnaturist cheers. The gout has occurred in an old injured joint from football 25 years ago, quite common. Just need to watch the diet, the attack came on the back of an untypical weekend of overindulgence. I'd agree on the speed thing, my average for the ride is nearly 13mph which for a 17 stone large guy on a hybrid I'm pretty pleased with as there's a fair bit of steady climbing as well as flat bits. This would be about 1-2 mph faster at least than my time in winter/crap winds, bearing in mind though that my ability is gradually increasing also.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@MattMM for all my figures ect.. (they really just a curiosity thing), I am happy if I avg 15mph which I am doing this month albeit as i said over easier riding than last year, the biggest thing i found is the ability to keep riding, and for longer, speed really isn't to important, its nice setting p.b.'s but there will come a time you need to either do some serious training or have one hell of a tail wind.
The worst section of road I ride is surley the first 1 1/2 miles on a Friday morning. This section http://app.strava.com/activities/124647093/segments/2794140696 as I am cold and I have to do it every Friday, when I started I hated it, but now its ok, to be honest hardly really notice apart from the first section to the main road always seems a drag, still nearly 40's behind my best time (this year) but it has a double junction at the main rd (right and then a left, then some lights after the short flat bit) this shows just what a bitch the first bit is really.
http://app.strava.com/segments/4451510

 

[Cold]

Went for just over a 50km this morning didn't plan to go that far as it's been threatening to rain all morning.
Quite happy that my average speed is starting to creep up I think I need to start adding in some more hills.
I also have an annoying creaking noise coming from my bike no idea what it is but it's loud and starts after about an hour of riding.
http://www.strava.com/activities/133287827

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Went for just over a 50km this morning didn't plan to go that far as it's been threatening to rain all morning.
Quite happy that my average speed is starting to creep up I think I need to start adding in some more hills.
I also have an annoying creaking noise coming from my bike no idea what it is but it's loud and starts after about an hour of riding.
http://www.strava.com/activities/133287827

Does it happen when you pedal if so, unlikely to be the wheels , after that see if it happens per revolution of the pedals if at the same part of the rotation, try tightening the crank bolts mine come a little undone (not loose) but enough to make the crank maybe creak a little, an noises on bike can be amplified through the frame. Other possible causes saddle, headset, pedals it is likely to be one of these.

 

[Cold]

Does it happen when you pedal if so, unlikely to be the wheels , after that see if it happens per revolution of the pedals if at the same part of the rotation, try tightening the crank bolts mine come a little undone (not loose) but enough to make the crank maybe creak a little, an noises on bike can be amplified through the frame. Other possible causes saddle, headset, pedals it is likely to be one of these.

It only happens when I pedal so I removed the pedals and put some lube on them I will look at the cleats next I had a look over the bike and everything seems to be tightened ok.
The bike is only a few weeks old now could it be a lack of lube on the bottom bracket area?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It only happens when I pedal so I removed the pedals and put some lube on them I will look at the cleats next I had a look over the bike and everything seems to be tightened ok.
The bike is only a few weeks old now could it be a lack of lube on the bottom bracket area?

I generally put grease on most things I assemble (depends what it is though), could be shoes these have been known to creak, thought when I changed mine last year it might have cured one I had, still do actually and much like yours after a while on the bike, mind you my bike is nearly 6 years old and over 12,000 miles so it can be forgiven the odd one or two now and again

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Right I am off to Hemsworth, not difficult but a couple of short steepish climbs 60ft in 1/4 mile or so http://www.strava.com/activities/118438127/segments/2625936631

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It only happens when I pedal so I removed the pedals and put some lube on them I will look at the cleats next I had a look over the bike and everything seems to be tightened ok.
The bike is only a few weeks old now could it be a lack of lube on the bottom bracket area?

I finally tracked down an annoying tick that I had on my old Triban 3 and that had followed me to my new bike at the weekend. I took the pedals & wheels over from the old bike and had sussed it was 'pedal' related and definitely from the right hand side. Well on Monday, I worked out that the clip for the toe strap (I can't use clipless) was tapping against a metal stud in my boots (but only on the right foot).... just moving the clip every so slightly has removed the annoying click. It is the little things in life really!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn I had a similar one on the left when I worse shoes with laces, but only every so often. Well that went ok, defiantly ride better than I can walk.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well an avg of 15.29mph over the 17.46 miles increase in 12-14ft/mile more than the last weeks, I wont bore you with the rest
http://www.strava.com/activities/133360101

 

[Nigelnaturist]

There was a thread about someone getting a real deal at a car boot on some Shimano kit, the thread went along the lines of how dodging buy cheap kit can be (not that this was), anyway I have been looking on ebay for an edge 705 and I wonder how many of those sold just as base units may well have been stolen, I am not implying anyone is just crossed my mind.

 

[Triban5riderGD]

Todays ride was a hilly route of 25 miles over the North Downs, bringing our total mileage to 714 miles. Everything was fine, the sun was shining, it was warm but not too hot, bluebells were in full bloom. Then much to the delight of my son, I swallowed a very large blue bottle. It wasn't long before the contents of my stomach and I parted company. Other than that it was a great ride.

 

[fivepence]

I might dry out by the weekend - Wet ride is one way of putting it

http://www.strava.com/activities/133448010