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

[Buck]

It occurred to me today that I've now had my road bike exactly one year!

From 8th July last year to the end of 2015 I rode 620 miles and to date this year I've clocked up 878!

Thoroughly enjoyed my time on the road bike and have come to be realise that effort in absolutely equals results out. I use Strava to log my rides and it helps me track my distances as well as my progress on repeated routes. I love it when I can see my progress in numbers (seconds).

I bought my bike from a guy on here and the forum has helped me lots with advice, guidance, humour and even a forum ride last year with @ColinJ which was challenging but rewarding.

I set out this year to do 1000 miles. Looks like I'll do that and some so who knows, it might be 2000! Regardless, I'll keep riding despite odd days of "heavy legs" or feeling the post ride aches!!

PS. Am resisting the N+1 but might reward myself later in the year if there's a good deal to be had

 

[ColinJ]

I bought my bike from a guy on here and the forum has helped me lots with advice, guidance, humour and even a forum ride last year with @ColinJ which was challenging but rewarding.

I set out this year to do 1000 miles. Looks like I'll do that and some so who knows, it might be 2000! Regardless, I'll keep riding despite odd days of "heavy legs" or feeling the post ride aches!!

PS. Am resisting the N+1 but might reward myself later in the year if there's a good deal to be had

Keep it up!

There is a chance that I will be doing a shorter, less hilly Yorkshire Dales ride than last weekend's monster. That would be mid-August, if you are interested ... (35-40 miles)

 

[Buck]

Thanks Colin.

Interested in the ride so will keep an eye out for the date as we are away in August so hopefully it won't clash!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

To those that come to this thread and may be concerned with their apparently low mileage and or speed don't be, for I have just come across data from when I first got the bike in 2008 (at least I think thats when it is from. maybe 2009), I then stopped and started more seriously in 2012 of which I do have full data but won't bore you with it.

As far as I can make out this must have been over a 12 week period but it might have been longer, the bottom averages are worked out from the totals to give an overall figure opposed to averages of averages, as a quick comparison these are figures from the first 6 months after I started ( I know I said I wouldn't ....) I did get faster in later years

I don't even come close to that mileage at the moment and hardly any faster

The two periods compared next to each other

The biggest difference is the elevation (though it might not be what it seems as I have used different gps units but all corrected with rwgps) and of course the mileage.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Finally passed 800 miles for the year, just short of 300 being this month

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Finally passed 800 miles for the year, just short of 300 being this month

Well done Nigel!

If it helps I am stuck on 846 up to the start of June due to health scare and subsequent med's.

By the weekend you will be past me!

I did 2400 last year but will be down by a fair way by the end of the year.

Still - there's always 2017!

Good to see you back in the swing of things!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SpokeyDokey its because of the health thing I have been doing the miles to and from the hospital 6 or 7 times so far, seems it may have been the hormones I got off the net, its not certain but .... and the other thing is the social group I go to and the job club thing, though I can't get a job till I get some i.d.
I can't see me hitting 846 for the week end, besides I am not bothered I just enjoy riding, I am slower but there are two reason extra weight usually i.e. my d-lock, a book to read ect and about a 25% increase in elevation / mile up from an average 37 to 48-49 ft/mile

 

[sutts]

Hi all, haven't been here for a while! I've been cycling this time around for 3.5 years now and I'm on course for 7k this year, deliberately down on the 10.4k from last year.

It doesn't bother me exactly, but I'm just so slow and I do wonder why! My best ever speed was ony 17.7mph over 30 miles (and that was a staggering effort!), but nowadays it is a rarity to get 16 mph, the norm is about 14.5! I hear tales of people doing 20 mph as an average and I just can't compete. Well, I cycle alone, with all the wrong gear on, on a hybrid bike, so what's to be expected? That plus the fact I am approaching 60 now (how the hell did that happen?)!

Oh well, who cares, I occasionally overtake the odd newbie and then I feel all good inside.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@sutts I beat you 13.8 ish at the mo, I did do once over 18 but I would need to confirm that, that was over distance I think a few 17 pluses, but I think best average for a month was over 16, but again would need to look it up.

 

[sutts]

@sutts I beat you 13.8 ish at the mo, I did do once over 18 but I would need to confirm that, that was over distance I think a few 17 pluses, but I think best average for a month was over 16, but again would need to look it up.

Hi Nigel. I do wonder how much difference a road bike would make? My bike is fantastic, I truly love it, it's a Specialized Sirrus expert and it's gorgeous, but being carbon doesn't automatically make it faster, I guess. I'm still eating for 10K miles a year and have put on about 3kgs in the last few months, so that's probably part of the reason....and that damned wind around here, doesn't help!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Hi all, haven't been here for a while! I've been cycling this time around for 3.5 years now and I'm on course for 7k this year, deliberately down on the 10.4k from last year.

It doesn't bother me exactly, but I'm just so slow and I do wonder why! My best ever speed was ony 17.7mph over 30 miles (and that was a staggering effort!), but nowadays it is a rarity to get 16 mph, the norm is about 14.5! I hear tales of people doing 20 mph as an average and I just can't compete. Well, I cycle alone, with all the wrong gear on, on a hybrid bike, so what's to be expected? That plus the fact I am approaching 60 now (how the hell did that happen?)!

Oh well, who cares, I occasionally overtake the odd newbie and then I feel all good inside.

@sutts

I'm 60 in November and generally average around 14mph although it ranges anywhere from around low 13's - to high 15's here in the hilly Lake District.

Very few people pass me btw so I guess a) I'm doing ok and b) most of the 20mph plus brigade must be invisible.

 

[sutts]

@sutts

I'm 60 in November and generally average around 14mph although it ranges anywhere from around low 13's - to high 15's here in the hilly Lake District.

Very few people pass me btw so I guess a) I'm doing ok and b) most of the 20mph plus brigade must be invisible.

....or maybe they are creative with the truth?

 

[Stonechat]

Hi all, haven't been here for a while! I've been cycling this time around for 3.5 years now and I'm on course for 7k this year, deliberately down on the 10.4k from last year.

It doesn't bother me exactly, but I'm just so slow and I do wonder why! My best ever speed was ony 17.7mph over 30 miles (and that was a staggering effort!), but nowadays it is a rarity to get 16 mph, the norm is about 14.5! I hear tales of people doing 20 mph as an average and I just can't compete. Well, I cycle alone, with all the wrong gear on, on a hybrid bike, so what's to be expected? That plus the fact I am approaching 60 now (how the hell did that happen?)!

Oh well, who cares, I occasionally overtake the odd newbie and then I feel all good inside.

You can get your speed up, but you need to ride regularly and Ideally following a training plan

A couple of years ago I was on this forum, doing 14+ mph, remember I was on a group ride in one Jan truoble keeping up at that speed

Now I have done 50 miles at over 17 mph, and 80 miles at over 16 mph, also a group ride of 50 miles at 18 mph.

Does it matter to you, your speed? If so do something about it.
Yes a road bike makes a big difference.
BTW I am 64 soon to be 65, so age is not a limiter, though I think it may be harder to build up as you get older

So decide what you really want and act on it!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@sutts as @Stonechat says road bikes (or more importantly drops) make a difference I think at least 1/2 to 1 mph, I know why I am slower weight and increased elevation but I am not worried about it. I do the 10 miles to Wakefield in about 40 mins ride time so say inside 50 mins door to door, I can't do that on public transport and doubt I would be very much quicker in a car, plus the expense of fuel and parking. I still have costs on the bike, but what I save in theory covers the difference.

 

[Biff600]

I'm quite pleased with myself, I got my Cannondale on the 7th July

And to date since I have got the bike I have totalled 376.2 miles.

Something that I never thought I'd achieve after the years of debauchery I subjected myself to in the Royal Navy !!

In that time I have also done 6250 sit-ups (250 per day, rain or shine !)

I was going to the gym 5 times a week,(8 miles on the cycle, 10km on the rower per session) but have binned my membership as I prefer to be out clocking the mileage up on the roads

I will be away for a fortnight as from Tuesday (a well-deserved holiday for the pash)

But then I'll be back in the saddle !!