Whatever happened

[totallyfixed]

To the time when you just got on your bike and rode it, either hard training, gentle pootle or racing. Now you have Garmin, Strava, Apps, Endomondo - don't even know what that last one is or even if I spelt it correctly. I feel very "old school" yet at the same time don't feel as though I am missing out on anything. I have always thought cycling is a pleasure in itself without anything else needing to be added. I pore over maps looking at contours, terrain and places of interest, spend long days in the saddle just enjoying. If I want to race then I train hard then enter a race. Now it seems that just riding a bike isn't good enough any more, there has to be a challenge, a set of stats to compare with others. Skills are being left behind in the rush to purchase a sub 9kg carbon pro team lookalike in the belief they will go faster.
A few weeks ago while out riding I came upon a rather large chap wearing Sky team kit with his carbon bike stood at the side of the road staring at his bike, I asked him if he needed help, he told me somewhat disbelievingly that his rear tyre had punctured [he thought they were puncture proof] and that was his race over as he now had to ring a friend to come and pick him up, he was doing a Sportive. I welcome the new influx of cyclists but have some misgivings about the lack of basic skills. Am I alone in feeling this way?
I was going to talk about helmets too but I think that has had a mention elsewhere.....

 

[Night Train]

I know what you mean, I have no idea of what some of the technical terms are for all the different ways of 'going for a ride'.

The only thing I have on Tiddles, apart from my tool kit, is a computer to tell me how fast and how far just to see if i am improving my fitness. I'm not even that fussed about maps as I ride either roads and areas I know or with others in areas they know.
I do wear a helmet and gloves though as I have a history of falling off my bike at standstill or low speeds.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Thankfully I never joined the competitive rat race. I track rides on Strava just for the fun of it, and to share rides with a friend.
Endomondo does the same as Strava, but I draw my routes manually on that then export/import into Strava as it has no manual input.

 

[ColinJ]

The best thing that happened to my cycling was my computer packing up mid-ride. The first half of the ride had been spent staring at its screen every few seconds to check my speed, distance covered and so on. The half with a dead computer was spent enjoying the scenery!

I usually ride with a GPS unit on my bike now and that can display more comprehensive data than any bike computer but that is all hidden away on another screen page so it isn't distracting me.

I know the roads round here very well and I can remember what gear ratios I need for certain hills when fit so all I need to do to check my fitness is to see if I am forced to drop down a gear or am able to go up a gear on them. I can think of at least 6 or 7 local roads and bridleways that have steep dips in them that I power down into and see if my legs are strong enough to keep the big gear turning all the way up the other side. These days I can't, but in past years I can remember the excitement of finally getting to the top of one of those slopes without cracking.

 

[postman]

To the likely Lads they live on my bookcase along with Rene of 'Allo Allo.Two comedy classics.

 

[potsy]

Technophobe alert

 

[threebikesmcginty]

To the likely Lads...

Remember The Great Race?

 

[fossyant]

Luddites. I love the techy side. Got two garmin devices now. If you like the 'data' side of things then they are great. Strava is a bit of fun.

Now your reference to this guy at the side of the road. Shouts MAMIL and a real beginner. Who in their right minds goes out without a puncture kit/tubes etc ? Race - it's a Sportive - it's an organised ride you pay through the nose for .

TBH the Garmin is just an added extra - great if you like that thing.

I do see where you are coming from.

 

[Night Train]

The best thing that happened to my cycling was my computer packing up mid-ride. The first half of the ride had been spent staring at its screen every few seconds to check my speed, distance covered and so on. The half with a dead computer was spent enjoying the scenery!

The only times I have looked at the cycle computer whilst riding has been to check calibration against Arch's computer. I fall off if I look at it for too long or mess with the buttons.

I only have a look at the end of the ride or to check the time when stopped at lights.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I love Endomondo, my Holux and Strava, but it's mostly because I'm a cartographille! My body has had far too much neglect for me to ever reach an impressive level of fitness. I was about to say I've had a lot of fun abusing myself, but I'm sure it would be taken the wrong way...

 

[snorri]

. Am I alone in feeling this way?..

Not at all, all the oldies I speak to say much the same.







Joke joke, I'm probably older than you are!I

 

[swee'pea99]

My wife got me a computer for my birthday about three or four years ago. It's still here on my desk, looking at me reproachfully. I did get the fitting instructions out once, but they looked awfully complicated, so I decided to leave it for another day...

 

[defy-one]

I only look at the distance covered on my Garmin, the rest can be drooled over at home on the pc.

 

[User269]

Chacun a son gout!

 

[Shaun]

I don't mind all the "gear" (being a 'geek' it has a natural appeal) - but I also equally enjoy a group bimble and having a chat and some cake at the cafe and catching up and being nosey and having a laugh, and on those type of rides I don't even bother turning the computer-a-thing-a-me-bob on.

I've also found that my average speed/time are pretty constant on the commute these days so don't worry too much if I don't turn the comp on for the work ride.

Everything else, yes - I like to know how far and how fast I went.