DRHysted
Guru
- Location
- New Forest
Started cycling again two years ago after a few years off (read nearly a decade), because I was tired of all the aches, pains, and generally annoying body.
Well actually I started with a rowing machine to build up some muscle, and then three months later I went out for a run (I used to do long distance 2 decades ago), and promptly pulled my calf muscle resulting in me limping for two months. So I decided to get the MTB that the insurance company had paid for back in 2001 out and start gentle riding (out on the New Forest for a 12 mile loop, is my idea of gentle), manged it alright (as long as you don't count the half hour lying on my back in the car with the world spinning). Started getting better, on both time and recovery, and then a work colleages wife was diagnosed terminal at the begining of last year, and in order to cover him I had to give up free time to ride.
So I cleared it with the Maintainence department for me to use their showers (and later I got a locker off them as well) and started commuting 8 miles in and 8 miles out. May time last year I noticed that I was not getting any better on the MTB so I got a cheap Viking road bike (changers are on the down tube), I went cheap because I wasn't sure how I'd get on with drop bars, as the last roadie I had was when I was 14. But (after I got padded shorts) we got on well, completing 1300 miles last year, nearly all commuting as leisure time was hard to come by.
Now this year I'm already at 709miles, mostly on the road bike but I get the MTB out every now and then to get used to the effort of using it. My colleages at work think I'm serious (well I've got the whole wardrobe now, and only stoped commuting for one day during the minus temperatures whilst I waited for some new (better) gloves to arrive).
To motivate myself I'm entered into the 56mile Spring Sportive at Brockenhurst, and this has made me get the leisure milage in (I'm up to 56.14 so far).
I haven't done any group work, (mainly due to my shifts meaing joining a club would be pointless, and because everytime I see riders in the distance they always turn onto a different road before I catch them), so this Sportive could go one of two ways.
I found this forum using google, because I was looking around for people passing on their winter hacks (time to get a better road bike, and move off the down tube changers). After reading the what do I wear under my shorts (I already knew that answer, I use assos chamois creme). This forum felt like some of the 4X4 forums I'm on (yes I used to own one of those dreaded things before fuel priced me out of the market), so I thought I'd join. I do tend to read much more than I post, so don't expect to see my name much, but I tend to visit all forums at least once a day, so I'll be around.
Hope you managed to survive the essay.
Duane
Well actually I started with a rowing machine to build up some muscle, and then three months later I went out for a run (I used to do long distance 2 decades ago), and promptly pulled my calf muscle resulting in me limping for two months. So I decided to get the MTB that the insurance company had paid for back in 2001 out and start gentle riding (out on the New Forest for a 12 mile loop, is my idea of gentle), manged it alright (as long as you don't count the half hour lying on my back in the car with the world spinning). Started getting better, on both time and recovery, and then a work colleages wife was diagnosed terminal at the begining of last year, and in order to cover him I had to give up free time to ride.
So I cleared it with the Maintainence department for me to use their showers (and later I got a locker off them as well) and started commuting 8 miles in and 8 miles out. May time last year I noticed that I was not getting any better on the MTB so I got a cheap Viking road bike (changers are on the down tube), I went cheap because I wasn't sure how I'd get on with drop bars, as the last roadie I had was when I was 14. But (after I got padded shorts) we got on well, completing 1300 miles last year, nearly all commuting as leisure time was hard to come by.
Now this year I'm already at 709miles, mostly on the road bike but I get the MTB out every now and then to get used to the effort of using it. My colleages at work think I'm serious (well I've got the whole wardrobe now, and only stoped commuting for one day during the minus temperatures whilst I waited for some new (better) gloves to arrive).
To motivate myself I'm entered into the 56mile Spring Sportive at Brockenhurst, and this has made me get the leisure milage in (I'm up to 56.14 so far).
I haven't done any group work, (mainly due to my shifts meaing joining a club would be pointless, and because everytime I see riders in the distance they always turn onto a different road before I catch them), so this Sportive could go one of two ways.
I found this forum using google, because I was looking around for people passing on their winter hacks (time to get a better road bike, and move off the down tube changers). After reading the what do I wear under my shorts (I already knew that answer, I use assos chamois creme). This forum felt like some of the 4X4 forums I'm on (yes I used to own one of those dreaded things before fuel priced me out of the market), so I thought I'd join. I do tend to read much more than I post, so don't expect to see my name much, but I tend to visit all forums at least once a day, so I'll be around.
Hope you managed to survive the essay.
Duane
