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My hands/wrists get quite sore when cycling for any distance, does anyone have any tips for reducing the pain?

Don't have a w**k before you go out. I noticed a big difference once I stopped. :ph34r:

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Don't have a w**k before you go out. I noticed a big difference once I stopped. :ph34r:

It was only a matter of time. I normally have one when I come back.

Cheers for the advice guys,I do try and move them about as much as I can. I've got a hybrid and can't adjust the height of the handlebars, at least I don't think I can.

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Cheers for the advice guys,I do try and move them about as much as I can. I've got a hybrid and can't adjust the height of the handlebars, at least I don't think I can.

You might be able to invert the bar stem though? Most modern bikes have an angled stem, check to see if this is an option. You also can buy stems with steeper angles that will raise the handlebar height.

There are also bar stems available that can adjust the angle, they're a bit clumsy and heavy, but you do get them for older syle forks as well as the more modern integrated fork layout.

Also, have a wee look for alternative handlebars. There are loads of designs and widths to suit, especially if you fit bar ends..

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Looking for a bit of wheel advice looking to buy a set of either or the below but can’t decide on which I know they are in a pretty similar price bracket but don’t want to go above this as with whats left of the budget I’m going to get some gatorskins, I’m swaying towards Fulcrum should add it's pretty much a halfords deal

Fulcrum Racing 5 or 7

Campagnolo Khamsin or vento

RS11

I've got the Fulcrum 7's on one bike and they're a decent set and can cope with rough roads.

The RS11's are ok too, they make a slight whirring noise which is strange at first! Overall, I prefer the 7's.

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Just signed up for Pedal For Scotland in September. Glasgow to Edinburgh, and so far, I've not cycled this far in one trip, but plenty of time to get in practise.

What route is it taking?

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Pedal for Scotland has 2 routes. 47 miles straight route and a 110 challenging route.

47 mile routes goes Glasgow Green, out Duke Street/Alexandria Parade, Easterhouse, Coatbridge, Airdrie, Caldercruix, Avonbridge, Linlithgow, Kirkliston, onto the cycle path to Murrayfield.

110 starts at 6.30am, goes down toward Killie and cuts across Lanarkshire before heading back up towards Edinburgh from the south west. It was lengthened last year and by all accounts even some experienced guys say is brutal in a head wind.

47 miler is fairly straightforward and a good run, tends to be a good atmosphere on it. Slight cautionary word, can be busy with inexperienced cyclists and every year I've seen accidents- including 2 bad ones a couple of years back. Don't mean to worry but keep alert and watch speeds.

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I did 40ish miles today. Paisley into Glasgow and down to Killie, across to Irvine and down to Troon. The cycle track from Newton Mearns to Fenwick is good although it unnecessarily squeezes you at Mearns Cross and the busiest bit at J5 of M77 had no cycle track. There are some strange cross-overs at J5 and at J6 before dumping you on the pavement before Fenwick. At Roundabouts you have no priority which is disappointing. Would be easy-ish to fix.

At Fenwick the path gives up because it was built by the M77 guys and that is the limit of their works. You have no signage and I had to help an older guy on my smartphone by showing him where to go. It is just country roads from there but they could have provided a better route to Killie, feels 2 sections that could have been joined up.

The path between Killie and Irvine was good apart from me swallowing a fly! Irvine is a disaster. No signs, got lost, ended up on the wrong track which was barely narrow enough for a bike and went through a pitch and putt and one point. Gave up, found a road and went to Troon.

All in all a good day, but cycle infrastructure still needs a wee boost here and there. Kilwinning/Irvine parts are a disaster IMO.

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The original post in this thread makes me laugh now. I'm getting really into cycling... Picked up my new hybrid today and it's a belter. This one. I cycled the 20 miles home this evening and it was just a brilliant ride. So light and smooth. Need some gel padded shorts though... Ouch.

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Pedal for Scotland has 2 routes. 47 miles straight route and a 110 challenging route.

47 mile routes goes Glasgow Green, out Duke Street/Alexandria Parade, Easterhouse, Coatbridge, Airdrie, Caldercruix, Avonbridge, Linlithgow, Kirkliston, onto the cycle path to Murrayfield.

110 starts at 6.30am, goes down toward Killie and cuts across Lanarkshire before heading back up towards Edinburgh from the south west. It was lengthened last year and by all accounts even some experienced guys say is brutal in a head wind.

47 miler is fairly straightforward and a good run, tends to be a good atmosphere on it. Slight cautionary word, can be busy with inexperienced cyclists and every year I've seen accidents- including 2 bad ones a couple of years back. Don't mean to worry but keep alert and watch speeds.

-------------

I did 40ish miles today. Paisley into Glasgow and down to Killie, across to Irvine and down to Troon. The cycle track from Newton Mearns to Fenwick is good although it unnecessarily squeezes you at Mearns Cross and the busiest bit at J5 of M77 had no cycle track. There are some strange cross-overs at J5 and at J6 before dumping you on the pavement before Fenwick. At Roundabouts you have no priority which is disappointing. Would be easy-ish to fix.

At Fenwick the path gives up because it was built by the M77 guys and that is the limit of their works. You have no signage and I had to help an older guy on my smartphone by showing him where to go. It is just country roads from there but they could have provided a better route to Killie, feels 2 sections that could have been joined up.

The path between Killie and Irvine was good apart from me swallowing a fly! Irvine is a disaster. No signs, got lost, ended up on the wrong track which was barely narrow enough for a bike and went through a pitch and putt and one point. Gave up, found a road and went to Troon.

All in all a good day, but cycle infrastructure still needs a wee boost here and there. Kilwinning/Irvine parts are a disaster IMO.

I'm from Kilwinning and I cycle the Kilmarnock - Irvine - Kilwinning route quite a lot. I agree it needs to be a bit clearer as to where you should go. The first time I used the route I got totally lost and I've lived in the area my whole life.

Kimarnock to Dreghorn (start of Irvine if you're not local) is great. Irvine to Troon on the front is good too but Kilwinning is poor.

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I'm from Kilwinning and I cycle the Kilmarnock - Irvine - Kilwinning route quite a lot. I agree it needs to be a bit clearer as to where you should go. The first time I used the route I got totally lost and I've lived in the area my whole life.

Kimarnock to Dreghorn (start of Irvine if you're not local) is great. Irvine to Troon on the front is good too but Kilwinning is poor.

Yeah, I got completely lost near the BP garage on Long Drive. I should have gone left, but followed the 'New Town Trail' cycle signage which was right. The stuff between south of Irvine through the Shewalton forest and over a railway line isn't bad (despite the horrific smell from all the factories/landfill). It all feels a bit bitty though like each wee bit was done separately and they've not quite joined it all

Killie to Dreghorn is a good route though- most of the ex-railway stuff is although points felt like they could do with trimming the trees and bushes. They could link the other ex-railway stuff there to the cycle path running between Glengarnock and Kilwinning although that bit of the route should be a lot better too. Really liked the Newton Mearns to Fenwick ride, just a shame there is about 1/2mile gap to Killie!

Cycle provision is so frustrating here, bits of good stuff, but then poor signage, lack of joined up thinking and sometimes the purely tokenistic stuff that if anyone had ridden, they'd tell you it was crap. Sadly councils just don't have any money, know a lot of councils have good plans, but no cash to do it, esp if you need land to be bought.

Edited by flyingscot
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The path between Killie and Irvine was good apart from me swallowing a fly! Irvine is a disaster. No signs, got lost, ended up on the wrong track which was barely narrow enough for a bike and went through a pitch and putt and one point. Gave up, found a road and went to Troon.

All in all a good day, but cycle infrastructure still needs a wee boost here and there. Kilwinning/Irvine parts are a disaster IMO.

I think the Kilwinning part is ok, although I rarely go through the part which is just the '7' route. Normally either carry on along the 73 past the factories towards Stevenston, or if i'm starting my cycle there and heading north, join the 7 route just at the edge of the Woodwynd at the top of the town.

The 73 in Irvine towards Kilmarnock after it branches off from the 7 at the low green is a bit of a disaster though. There's one sign just after the Bailey Bridge which is very easy to miss, and it's at a bit where there are a few paths heading off in different directions. About a couple of minutes later there's a short section right beside the river which is prone to flooding and can be very muddy in the winter. By the way, the path through the pitch and putt at the hotel is actually part of the 73!

Anyway, I was out on what was only my second real cycle of the year today, about 35 miles all in. Glasgow southside - Balloch, whizzed around there for a while then train back to Queen Street before the last couple of miles home. Absolutely glorious day, joined the canal path at Firhill and it's pretty much a flat easy cycle all the way. Been a couple of years though since I was cycling regularly and I've put on 2 stone in that time, so I'm knackered now that I'm home!

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I think the Kilwinning part is ok, although I rarely go through the part which is just the '7' route. Normally either carry on along the 73 past the factories towards Stevenston, or if i'm starting my cycle there and heading north, join the 7 route just at the edge of the Woodwynd at the top of the town.

The 73 in Irvine towards Kilmarnock after it branches off from the 7 at the low green is a bit of a disaster though. There's one sign just after the Bailey Bridge which is very easy to miss, and it's at a bit where there are a few paths heading off in different directions. About a couple of minutes later there's a short section right beside the river which is prone to flooding and can be very muddy in the winter. By the way, the path through the pitch and putt at the hotel is actually part of the 73!

Anyway, I was out on what was only my second real cycle of the year today, about 35 miles all in. Glasgow southside - Balloch, whizzed around there for a while then train back to Queen Street before the last couple of miles home. Absolutely glorious day, joined the canal path at Firhill and it's pretty much a flat easy cycle all the way. Been a couple of years though since I was cycling regularly and I've put on 2 stone in that time, so I'm knackered now that I'm home!

That part is cycle route 73? You're joking! It's really crap, overgrown and barely 0.5m wide. Don't know where the Bailey Bridge is (I thought that was the bridge that got replaced that carried the A71?). Looking at the map- I've followed the 73 round over a bridge over the river Irvine to Merryvale Road and that's where I've got lost- should have gone left to continue on 73, but I've shortcut it, so just taken A737 to join up with 7 again, cutting out the section at the Magnum and Marine Drive. Turns out I took the wrong way at the end of the path on the A77- should have cut through a cycle only bit under the motorway to Fenwick. Another person made that mistake so I'm gonna assume the sign doesn't stand out or is small!

I know you can cut round Irvine though Eglinton Park and get onto the 73 at Dreghorn. Sign said 6 miles to Kilwinning from there.

Did see a good article about bike provision in the UK being designed for pedestrians with tight turns and narrow paths where as in Holland it is designed to vehicular standards.

I've never got up to Balloch- always meant to do that run- I've only ever done the section from the Squinty Bridge to Erskine Bridge which joins the canal path at Clydebank.

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Had a play about with the gears and adjusted the saddle height before taking my bike out for 11.4 miles last night. Much comfier but still not totally right, needs to be higher still.

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That part is cycle route 73? You're joking! It's really crap, overgrown and barely 0.5m wide. Don't know where the Bailey Bridge is (I thought that was the bridge that got replaced that carried the A71?). Looking at the map- I've followed the 73 round over a bridge over the river Irvine to Merryvale Road and that's where I've got lost- should have gone left to continue on 73, but I've shortcut it, so just taken A737 to join up with 7 again, cutting out the section at the Magnum and Marine Drive. Turns out I took the wrong way at the end of the path on the A77- should have cut through a cycle only bit under the motorway to Fenwick. Another person made that mistake so I'm gonna assume the sign doesn't stand out or is small!

I know you can cut round Irvine though Eglinton Park and get onto the 73 at Dreghorn. Sign said 6 miles to Kilwinning from there.

Aye, the Bailey Bridge was the one that got replaced but if the new one has a name I don't know it!

I've never cycled the A77 route from Glasgow-Killie, but I've done the back road from Newton Mearns-Stewarton which, on an unexpectedly windy day, was all sorts of horrible. Much like the A77, it's pretty much all a gradual climb until Ayrshire, but on a worse surface.

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Had a play about with the gears and adjusted the saddle height before taking my bike out for 11.4 miles last night. Much comfier but still not totally right, needs to be higher still.

Here's a wee guide

When sitting on your saddle with your HEEL on one of the pedals , turned so it's on the 6 o'clock position, your knee should still be slightly flexed

Make sure your leg isn't straight , or under flexed

This offers maximum leverage and will stop you possibly injuring your knees

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