Getting into cycling

Axe_meister

Well I took it out for a spin yesterday (only 30mins), have to get used to changing gears with my fingers rather than reaching down like I had to in my youth. Yes after 10mins my arse hurt, leg strength was surprisingly still there, no huffing and puffing.
Found a localish club but have yet to hear back from them about bringing my 15 year old son for the Sunday adult rides (this is also supposed to be about father/son bonding and getting him to feel comfortable around other people given he is autistic)

joneve

JohnnyPlectrum said:

Can I just throw in a word of warning...
Back in 2012 I responded to a dig from my wife that I was getting a bit 'porky' and started riding to work and easing off on the crisps and sweets.
Last year I completed IronMan Wales and I've just dropped £10k on a new bike.
I'm far from alone...

Haha! What bike have you got mate? 

Fair play for doing Wales and voluntarily doing that swim in Tenby! Fuck that for a game of soldiers! Got any more IM lined up? 

crunchman

SouthpawMark said:

JohnnyPlectrum said:

Can I just throw in a word of warning...
Back in 2012 I responded to a dig from my wife that I was getting a bit 'porky' and started riding to work and easing off on the crisps and sweets.
Last year I completed IronMan Wales and I've just dropped £10k on a new bike.
I'm far from alone...

Blimey. You could buy 12 Veloster’s for that. 

Just imagine Emp's what bike thread.

JohnnyPlectrum

joneve said:

JohnnyPlectrum said:

Can I just throw in a word of warning...
Back in 2012 I responded to a dig from my wife that I was getting a bit 'porky' and started riding to work and easing off on the crisps and sweets.
Last year I completed IronMan Wales and I've just dropped £10k on a new bike.
I'm far from alone...

Haha! What bike have you got mate? 

Fair play for doing Wales and voluntarily doing that swim in Tenby! Fuck that for a game of soldiers! Got any more IM lined up? 

Just done Mallorca 70.3, LCW next (that swim again!) and then Dubai 70.3, Vichy 140.6 and Lanzarote 70.3 next year. 
Quintana Roo PR6Disc and I'm pacing the floor waiting for it.

joneve

JohnnyPlectrum said:

joneve said:

JohnnyPlectrum said:

Can I just throw in a word of warning...
Back in 2012 I responded to a dig from my wife that I was getting a bit 'porky' and started riding to work and easing off on the crisps and sweets.
Last year I completed IronMan Wales and I've just dropped £10k on a new bike.
I'm far from alone...

Haha! What bike have you got mate? 

Fair play for doing Wales and voluntarily doing that swim in Tenby! Fuck that for a game of soldiers! Got any more IM lined up? 

Just done Mallorca 70.3, LCW next (that swim again!) and then Dubai 70.3, Vichy 140.6 and Lanzarote 70.3 next year. 
Quintana Roo PR6Disc and I'm pacing the floor waiting for it.

Christ, bit of a brand whore like me then I wanted to do Challenge Roth is my first (only) full distance, but it sells out in less than 5 minutes, so impossible to get a place. Same with IM Austria...so settled for Copenhagen this year. 

I don't plan on doing any more (not sure my body can take it - despite building a good run base over the winter, I now cannot run more than 5 miles a week as the recover on the pain in my leg is 3-4 days, so the mara leg will be interesting. At least it's flat )...BUT if I did get the bug to do another I'd probably settle for Outlaw as Copenhagen has cost me over £2k currently and I've not even got there yet  

Heard great things about Vichy. Assume you're doing Lanza 70.3 as a practice for the full in 2021?  

Good luck at LCW, got some friends doing it and don't envy you one little bit! 

Pics when the bike arrives please! 

JohnnyPlectrum

joneve said:

Heard great things about Vichy. Assume you're doing Lanza 70.3 as a practice for the full in 2021?  

Good luck at LCW, got some friends doing it and don't envy you one little bit! 

Pics when the bike arrives please! 

I said just the once. Haven't yet pulled the trigger on Vichy 2020. If I do it'll be just the twice! Don't fancy Lanza full - haven't heard a good word. I like the 70.3s, totally doable and a marvelous beer tent afterwards!
The training for a full is not easy to squeeze in and I'm no spring chicken.

joneve

JohnnyPlectrum said:

joneve said:

Heard great things about Vichy. Assume you're doing Lanza 70.3 as a practice for the full in 2021?  

Good luck at LCW, got some friends doing it and don't envy you one little bit! 

Pics when the bike arrives please! 

I said just the once. Haven't yet pulled the trigger on Vichy 2020. If I do it'll be just the twice! Don't fancy Lanza full - haven't heard a good word. I like the 70.3s, totally doable and a marvelous beer tent afterwards!
The training for a full is not easy to squeeze in and I'm no spring chicken.

Understatement of the century. 

I've got an 18 month old and have just moved house. Couple that with my knee problem and my training has gone to shit the last 4-6 weeks Save for my B race at the Cotswold 113 a few weeks ago. 

But I'm not deferring, simply due to the commitment I've already made to training and booking everything else (I'm doing it with two other guys and we have a party of about 10 supporters coming with us!), so I'll have to make it round one way or another. 

IF I can give myself 6-7 hours for the run, I should be able to run-walk the marathon and still finish inside the cut off. Next 8 weeks training is going to be horrible. 

Lanza is horrible all round I think but one for the die hards to say they've done it if they've conquered everything else. But I don't fancy all those hills, all that wind and all that heat. Just doing the distance is hard enough. 

JohnnyPlectrum

joneve said:

 Couple that with my knee problem and my training has gone to shit the last 4-6 weeks Save for my B race at the Cotswold 113 a few weeks ago. 

But I'm not deferring, simply due to the commitment I've already made to training and booking everything else (I'm doing it with two other guys and we have a party of about 10 supporters coming with us!), so I'll have to make it round one way or another. 

IF I can give myself 6-7 hours for the run, I should be able to run-walk the marathon and still finish inside the cut off. Next 8 weeks training is going to be horrible. 

Lanza is horrible all round I think but one for the die hards to say they've done it if they've conquered everything else. But I don't fancy all those hills, all that wind and all that heat. Just doing the distance is hard enough. 

I made the big mistake of doing an Ultra 6 weeks before Mallorca - lost 4 weeks of training and wasn't a happy bunny.
Signed up for the Conquest of Avalon at the end of August too (50 miles) so I guess that's the rest of my 2019 training down the pan. 
If you can make the bike cut-off you can always walk-run a marathon. It's not pretty but plenty just scrape in at the end.

benecol

Not much to add here, except: enjoy! Embrace the lycra, stick Strava on your phone, remember to drink, and on rides longer than an hour, eat a jelly baby every 20 minutes.

joneve

JohnnyPlectrum said:

joneve said:

 Couple that with my knee problem and my training has gone to shit the last 4-6 weeks Save for my B race at the Cotswold 113 a few weeks ago. 

But I'm not deferring, simply due to the commitment I've already made to training and booking everything else (I'm doing it with two other guys and we have a party of about 10 supporters coming with us!), so I'll have to make it round one way or another. 

IF I can give myself 6-7 hours for the run, I should be able to run-walk the marathon and still finish inside the cut off. Next 8 weeks training is going to be horrible. 

Lanza is horrible all round I think but one for the die hards to say they've done it if they've conquered everything else. But I don't fancy all those hills, all that wind and all that heat. Just doing the distance is hard enough. 

I made the big mistake of doing an Ultra 6 weeks before Mallorca - lost 4 weeks of training and wasn't a happy bunny.
Signed up for the Conquest of Avalon at the end of August too (50 miles) so I guess that's the rest of my 2019 training down the pan. 
If you can make the bike cut-off you can always walk-run a marathon. It's not pretty but plenty just scrape in at the end.

Aye, this is my fallback plan if I really can't run much for the next 8 weeks. 

It's more annoying and disappointing than anything, as I'd really put a lot of time and effort into my running and had made massive improvements over the last 4 or 5 months and really, REALLY enjoyed it. 

the swim I like and I can give or take the cycle due to back pain issues, but Copenhagen is pan flat so can saunter along at 16mph average and still make the cut off relatively comfortably as long as the swim goes according to plan. I'd like to do it as much justice as I can, but am playing the hand I've been dealt and will see what the next two months bring. 

Ultra marathons are really something I can't get my head around, but then I said this about Ironman distance events too....soo....

Axe_meister

I've had a look at the cyclestreets app. Never seen such a slow app.
So Bluetooth headphones to hear navigation or rely on phone speaker so you can hear traffic around you?

BeardyAndy

Axe_meister said:

I've had a look at the cyclestreets app. Never seen such a slow app.
So Bluetooth headphones to hear navigation or rely on phone speaker so you can hear traffic around you?

I've always been anti headphones on the road but as my commute is mostly cycle paths now I've started listening to podcasts on the way in and I can still hear most of whats going on. Best to rely on your eyes what with all those bloody electric cars now!

jimmyd

All good advice - the only thing I would add is consider replacing the tyres with something more robust. A lot of bikes come with pretty thin tyres that have no puncture protection. In terms of replacements Schwalbe Marathons are heavy but bomb proof, Conti Gatorskins are lighter but still pretty puncture resistant. Conti 4 seasons are lighter still but roll really nicely..

strtdv

I've just started to get back into cycling again.

I was going about 150 miles a week, then my cycling buddy who I did a lot of fairly long (70-80 mile) weekend cycles with got diagnosed with a brain tumor and died about 8 months afterwards. To be honest although I did a lot of solo cycling, I lost a lot of interest/motivation after that and hadn't been on the bike since he died, which is about 13 months ago now.

As well as that, most of last summer was spent landscaping the back garden, which meant even if I'd had the motivation I'd have had very little time. 

With the pounds piling on again, and needing the de-stressing that cycling provided, I've bought myself a turbo trainer and a Zwift subscription for my birthday.

Really enjoying it again, although it's starting from scratch as far as fitness goes. 

Zwift is great as I can get some fitness back in a structured way without looking like a pudgy guy in Lycra until I get some of the pounds off again, and it means I can get a good workout in when the weather is horrible and if I've only 30 minutes or an hour to spare.

Once I get back in reasonable shape (fitness and size) I'll be able to get out and simply enjoy exploring the local countryside again, and may even join a club.

Axe_meister

I am now officially a Puffin (Pathetic unfit fat fucker in Nappies) Lol. Did a 6 mile ride with some minor hills and felt surprisingly fine. Lots of mini breaks mind to allow my son to catch up.

ThePrettyDamned

Axe_meister said:

I am now officially a Puffin (Pathetic unfit fat fucker in Nappies) Lol. Did a 6 mile ride with some minor hills and felt surprisingly fine. Lots of mini breaks mind to allow my son to catch up.

Nice one - less of the negativity though. I'm fat as fook, and am negative because right now I'm doing nothing about it. You're taking a huge positive step - be proud! 

I'll be starting up cycling again once I've moved house. Bike is in pieces at the moment

crunchman

I've got to get fit.

I work for London Transport, and they had a ballot for staff members to do the shorter (46 mile) version of the Ride London.  I got a place.

I do cycle to work but that's only 2 miles.  I did cycle a 16 mile round trip a couple of weeks ago at a very gentle pace.

I don't think I've ridden the road bike so far this year!

BigLicks67

crunchman said:

I've got to get fit.

I work for London Transport, and they had a ballot for staff members to do the shorter (46 mile) version of the Ride London.  I got a place.

I do cycle to work but that's only 2 miles.  I did cycle a 16 mile round trip a couple of weeks ago at a very gentle pace.

I don't think I've ridden the road bike so far this year!

I know the feeling I've managed a paltry 160k this year to date.

joneve

BigLicks67 said:

crunchman said:

I've got to get fit.

I work for London Transport, and they had a ballot for staff members to do the shorter (46 mile) version of the Ride London.  I got a place.

I do cycle to work but that's only 2 miles.  I did cycle a 16 mile round trip a couple of weeks ago at a very gentle pace.

I don't think I've ridden the road bike so far this year!

I know the feeling I've managed a paltry 160k this year to date.

if it makes either of you feel better, I've only managed 1000km this year and I'm supposed to be competing in a fucking Ironman in 8 weeks. To put that in perspective, the guy I'm doing it with has done 3600km already this year. 

MooseAboot

Lots of good advice here.  
If you are planning on road biking, I recommend watching some of the head cam footage on youtube.  It is a good education on hazard perception and anticipation.  Learn from others as it can be sore to discover some things for yourself!