Show us your.......newbie progress!

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GuyBoden

Guru
Location
Warrington
Thanks mate. Yeah, that second pic is pretty much how I have it but I just think my bars are too low relative to the saddle and putting too much weight where it shouldn't be.

Once you have the height sorted, bent wrists is a common cause of wrist pain. I make a conscious effort to ensure that they are straight.
 

Goggs

Guru
I went out & bought myself one of these..

http://bbbcycling.com/bike-parts/stems/BHS-25

Fitted it just now & it's dark outside and no lights but sitting on the bike in the shed it seems much, much better. I was right too. Although it's still technically 90mm reach it is actually closer than the original flat stem. Time will tell but I'm optimistic that it's sorted now.
 
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OP
OP
Nigelnaturist
Location
Pontefract
I went out & bought myself one of these..

http://bbbcycling.com/bike-parts/stems/BHS-25

Fitted it just now & it's dark outside and no lights but sitting on the bike in the shed it seems much, much better. I wa right too. Although it's still technically 90mm reach it is actually closer than the original flat stem. Time will tell but I'm optimistic that it's sorted now.
Cree T6
£12

Sorry meant to post this about 3 hrs ago.
 

sneaky beaky

Active Member
Location
Lancaster
Hello, went to watch Graeme Obree's film 'Battle mountain' , he was there for Q&A's after the film and mentioned a sportive up in Ayrshire he was running called 'The Beastie' - so thought to my self, I'll ave a go at that :rofl:

Been training hard since May, was in reasonable shape but wouldn't call my self fit or a cyclist. I do physical work during the day and find it difficult to get the right training information for people doing heavy manual work, so sometimes I'm learning the painful way when not resting enough.

Got an old Raleigh 531 with a nice old shimano groupset - such a lovely bike to ride, I live up near cumbria and the roads around me are have some great hills, also bought a turbo trainer and it's been an absolute blessing for mid week training - although having just the one bike can be a bit of a pain setting up etc

Anyway, just found this thread so thought I'd say hello - i'll be reading some of the older posts THANX for the inspiration :bicycle:

old Raleigh made good bikes from what I can tell - this is from the light weight division (although not the lightest) - thinking of doing the sportive on it in a few weeks

Best wishes

20160610_153909.jpg
 

Goggs

Guru
Cree T6
£12

Sorry meant to post this about 3 hrs ago.

I like the price but I don't want the hassle of a separate battery pack. I'm just looking for a rear that will keep me safe & a front that's powerful enough for me to see on the road in the dark. Budget is next to nothing sadly which is why the Cree is so attractive.
 
OP
OP
Nigelnaturist
Location
Pontefract
I like the price but I don't want the hassle of a separate battery pack. I'm just looking for a rear that will keep me safe & a front that's powerful enough for me to see on the road in the dark. Budget is next to nothing sadly which is why the Cree is so attractive.
I have used one of this since 2012, generally pretty reliable and lets say 15-20mph on dark country roads is easy, the battery on fully (depending on light out put and battery size) is usually about 2 hrs on fully and upto 10 hrs on low, some have different settings, there are a couple of adaptations you can make like a wide angle lens and a fixed swivel mount, the basic light tends to have quite a hot spot light. Here is a short review I did in 2012
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lights-cree-xml-xm-l-t6-u2-etc-thread.117285/ and don't let the separate battery put you off as if you have two its much easier to change (usually) and lasts longer.
 

Buck

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
A ride with the family yesterday clocked up 14 enjoyable miles.

More to the point I have now done just over 1000 miles this year. My original target was 500. Now revised to 1500 :okay:
 
OP
OP
Nigelnaturist
Location
Pontefract
A ride with the family yesterday clocked up 14 enjoyable miles.

More to the point I have now done just over 1000 miles this year. My original target was 500. Now revised to 1500 :okay:
I have always found I tend to do more in the later part of the year, so you never know 2,000 might be a possible target.
 

Goggs

Guru
It's Friday!

That's my first full week in with the bike & I feel great! Distance haven't been high but comfort is improving as is my stamina. I'd say (in the absence of a computer) I've covered maybe 60km this week with no one ride being more than around 20km. There are places I want to visit that are around 20km away but they can wait for now. I want to get my basic fitness up to a level where I'm not falling off the bike on arrival. I love hub gears. Although I still try to get into the right gear before stopping there's been the odd occasion in traffic where I've failed to do that and just being able to twist into the right gear before setting off again is a god-send. The spacing of the gears is a bit odd, particularly the jump from 5th to 6th.

Negatives? Not many. I had to change the handlebar stem because of wrist pain but now it's been replaced my wrists feel much better. The downside is that the already questionable comfort of my saddle has been amplified because it's taking even more of my weight. I think so anyway. I'm in less pain now than when I started but I fear that may be down to my arse moulding to the saddle rather than the other way around. It's a very firm saddle & quite sporty looking which tends to make it look uncomfortable to start with. I'm wary of going for one of the plush gel types though because I know they're not necessarily any more comfortable in practice. I'll give this one another week before commiting to a replacement.

Anyway, so far so good. Thanks for all the help & encouragement you folks have provided. It means something.
 
OP
OP
Nigelnaturist
Location
Pontefract
@Goggs the saddle does get easier, it took me months to get it all setup, one of the biggest improvements I made was with the bars (drop) I never liked the originals never felt right, however a thread in the headset stripped (cheap alloy I guess, its only a cheap bike) anyway i replaced that only to find it the wrong size for the bars (diameter) so I got new bars, they have a short drop and a different profile and immediately noticed a difference and was much more confident on the drops.
 
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