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

[Stonechat]

Out this morning for 13 miles around Savill Gardens/Ascot/Virginia Water at an average of 16 mph. Finally getting the saddle height right so more speed, less hurty knees. I always seem to think it is too high when it's not high enough. Resorted to marking current position with some tape on the seat post and hoicking it up a 1/4 inch, go for ride, repeat til it gives no benefit then drop to last marked position.

Ah my neck of the woods @morrisman

 

[Leescfc79]

Not been out for a week, been really busy at work and just not had the energy in the evening, as it's calmed down I've taken this afternoon off work to go for a ride with a friend in Kent.

He has just sent me the route and I've just realised how flat Essex is, we are going to attempt Yorks Hill in Sevenoaks which peaks at 20%, should be fun....wish me luck!!

 

[Triban5riderGD]

Not been out for a week, been really busy at work and just not had the energy in the evening, as it's calmed down I've taken this afternoon off work to go for a ride with a friend in Kent.

He has just sent me the route and I've just realised how flat Essex is, we are going to attempt Yorks Hill in Sevenoaks which peaks at 20%, should be fun....wish me luck!!

Welcome to the Garden of England, its full of hills down here mate. Sevenoaks is a lovely area, enjoy your ride and the hill.

 

[BrianEvesham]

A different loop this morning

http://www.strava.com/activities/128730425

With twice the elevation as Monday

 

[morrisman]

A different loop this morning

http://www.strava.com/activities/128730425

With twice the elevation as Monday

My problem with riding round your neck of the woods would be avoiding going to the Fleece in Bretforton, absolute hot bed of morris dancing. Must come up and ride the area sometime as spent some of my formative years living in Evesham in Port Street.

 

[MattMM]

And back to my favourite circuit, the clockwise Cluncher as it's affectionately known. Very little wind on hilly return leg, so managed to bag a couple of PRs

http://www.strava.com/activities/128730028

 

[BrianEvesham]

My problem with riding round your neck of the woods would be avoiding going to the Fleece in Bretforton, absolute hot bed of morris dancing. Must come up and ride the area sometime as spent some of my formative years living in Evesham in Port Street.

Could make it up here for the Asparagus festival

http://www.britishasparagusfestival.org/?p=174

You know it makes sense!
Port street has to many pot holes to ride down, IMO.

 

[Stonechat]

Big Ride for me today
Another ride over 50 miles and took in two big (for me) hills - Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey and White Downs

Garmin / Strava have made it just under 3000 feet of climbing, but in the planning in should be over.

Went past Box Hill without going up, did about 32 miles before I got to the serious hills, approaching from the south (I am well to the north of them)
Leith Hill seemed not too bad to me - hard but not crippling.

Going up White Downs I passed a sign with an 18% gradient marked on it.
THere were two really steeper bits, and I did the hill in three sections. Had to get out of the saddle more than I normally do
One of the stops was caused by a van decided to overtake me on the very narrow road on the very steepest section, holding straight would have been too hard so stopped.
Also ate a small lunch on the way up make a break.

THink I have done pretty well, a bit achey at the end but not running out of steam.

Strava says 56.1 miles 2943 feet and average of 13.5 mph
As usual Strava is a bit mean and seems to take a bit away

Weather was OK and was in shorts
The North Downs was beautiful today and passed many bluebell woods, saw some butterflies including a holly blue, and a sparrowhawk flew in front of me for about 100 yards.

All in all a good ride
http://www.strava.com/activities/128778669

 

[morrisman]

Been out and sorted out two hills that have always scared me too much to try them, the ride from Ivinghoe village up to the beacon carpark with bits of 7% and the Upper Icknield Way up towards the Wendover Woods turn off up to ~6% but for some reason harder than Ivinghoe. Managed both with gearing to spare so should not have worried about going from a triple on my hybrid to a compact double on my Defy.

Still they are ticked off and no longer on the too scary list. Still hate hills though.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477057195

 

[Stonechat]

Been out and sorted out two hills that have always scared me too much to try them, the ride from Ivinghoe village up to the beacon carpark with bits of 7% and the Upper Icknield Way up towards the Wendover Woods turn off up to ~6% but for some reason harder than Ivinghoe. Managed both with gearing to spare so should not have worried about going from a triple on my hybrid to a compact double on my Defy.

Still they are ticked off and no longer on the too scary list. Still hate hills though.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477057195

Well done
I think keep going at them and they lose a little of their scariness (until you try harder ones)

 

[Triban5riderGD]

Stonechat
Nice ride Bob, I would be more than happy to have completed that, well done.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Stonechat & @morrisman nothing left scary round here, not that anything was really, just a state of mind. Well done both of you @morrisman any site you use interpretates data differently. strava from what i understand only includes elevation gained if its above a certain climb rate (not sure what it is though), basic gps units and most phones take the elevation data from the gps fixes which is interpreted in software, gps units with barometric readings need setting from the start position and for best results require the units to get to ambient air temp first, even then sudden drops in air pressure will effect the readings as can stopping for any length of time and going into and out of warm buildings. One other thing to point out is that units not connected tp spd sensors can sometimes throw up anomalous reads whilst at stationary at lights/junctions.
And this is with a sp sensor fitted but no auto pause.

 

[Leescfc79]

Welcome to the Garden of England, its full of hills down here mate. Sevenoaks is a lovely area, enjoy your ride and the hill.

I am not going to lie, I was woefully unprepared for that! Lovely ride but some really brutal hills and Yorks had me walking the last third of it as I stopped and it was so steep I couldn't get clipped in to start again!!

http://www.strava.com/activities/128832928

Pretty much bottom of the strava table as I had to stop for about 10 minutes at the top for my lungs to start working again!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I am not going to lie, I was woefully unprepared for that! Lovely ride but some really brutal hills and Yorks had me walking the last third of it as I stopped and it was so steep I couldn't get clipped in to start again!!

http://www.strava.com/activities/128832928

Pretty much bottom of the strava table as I had to stop for about 10 minutes at the top for my lungs to start working again!

just remember you are out trying which is far more than most other people are doing! keep at it, it will come.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Leescfc79 as @SatNavSaysStraightOn says its better to be at the bottom of a table than not having tried it and be nowhere.
I managed a woping great distance of about 200yards on a cheap bottom end M.T.B. I rescued from a skip, used the old 8sp chain from the Viking just to see if things work, needs a few links out of it though, and even though it was only 200yards or so I missed the cleats, having to remember to take your foot off the pedal and put it under the pedal to adjust it just so you can set off again is a right pain.