Unleash The Nade Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Went out this morning and cycled from Larbert to Culross and back, which was first time out for over a week. First 11 miles with the wind,second all straight back into it and I was totally humped when I got back. I dont mind cycling in the rain or cold ,but the wind is a b*****d! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I dont mind cycling in the rain or cold ,but the wind is a b*****d! Aye, for some weird reason the wind seemed to be in my face for most yesterday. 40 km in 3 hrs isn't that good I suspect. Be interesting to see what speeds I would get if I wasn't on a Tescos mountain bike. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingscot Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 (edited) Aye, for some weird reason the wind seemed to be in my face for most yesterday. 40 km in 3 hrs isn't that good I suspect. Be interesting to see what speeds I would get if I wasn't on a Tescos mountain bike. Depends on a whole load of things, like wind, hills, your fitness. 4.5min per km isn't fast but if you are only getting fit, it is ok esp if you aren't trying to make record time. If you are serious, change to smoother road tyres- even on a rubbish bike, makes a huge difference. I did the M74 thing today- so easy on the way out to Carmyle. Did it in less than 20 mins despite having to fight my way through the crowd, and kids etc., Way back was more difficult- into wind, long slow gradients and the climb from Polmadie up onto the viaduct over the railway was touch going. 25 mins for that 7km, then back to Paisley. All in all a good day and enjoyable ride. Most depressing moment was thinking I was going well, getting 3.5-4km in, 10 mins riding and seeing the club cyclists coming back already! Need to get a new bike though- saving up already to replace the 15 year old plus mount. Went into Decathlon in the Fort and liked the flat bar Fitness road bikes a lot. Just no funds Edited May 22, 2011 by flyingscot 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 On the tarmac, the difference between a mountain bike wth knobbly tyres (or even semi- or full slicks for that matter) and a genuine road bike is huge. I alternate between my commute-adapted MTB - a good bike with very decent components - and a stripped back road bike for my journey to and from work depending on weather and a few other factors. The road bike flies in comparison, I mean really flies. To the guys that are trying to measure how well they're getting on, and how fast they are cycling, when using a MTB (especially cheap, heavy bikes with pretty basic to duff componentry - or BSOs as they are often unkindly known....bike-shaped objects) I'd say you are undoubtedly doing yourself a dis-service. I'm not a racing-snake, super-fit, heart-monitoring obssessive, by any manner of means, but hitting 40 mph on a push-bike has to be one of the most exhilirating experiences you can have without breaking the law. If you have a mate who has a road bike, ask for a shot. It feels pretty skittish and can be a nervy experience at first, but get a few miles under your belt and you'll be amazed at how quickly you will shift in comparison to using your old bike. It's night and day, and this is coming from someone who has used a MTB for the past 10 years and only recently started road cycling. I'm totally hooked now, to the extent that I've incurred the wrath of my missus by splurging out £1K on a shiny new bike. You don't need to spend anything like that kind of money to experience the benefits of a proper road-going bike. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Sounds like good advice. I'd say I'm fairly fit, I'm in the gym often enough but at forty-cough my knees are still aching from that 40km. The mountain bike is really annoying me - I'm never out of the top 3 gears and even in top gear with my legs fair birlin', I don't make much progress. Can't afford a new bike just now, so it might just have to be ebay for me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingscot Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/fitness-3-54-57-69568382/ It's a smidgen under £500 but I've saved that amount in June. For a holiday but I think I might just take the bike... Any thoughts? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm ever-so-glad I was roped into a bit of house sitting this morning, which meant it was impractical to cycle. It's blowing an absolute gale out there and it keeps changing direction. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm ever-so-glad I was roped into a bit of house sitting this morning, which meant it was impractical to cycle. It's blowing an absolute gale out there and it keeps changing direction. Wise man. It's insane out there. We passed numerous trees down on the road home. Not a day to be biking it at all! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/fitness-3-54-57-69568382/ It's a smidgen under £500 but I've saved that amount in June. For a holiday but I think I might just take the bike... Any thoughts? For £500 I'd seriously consider a 2010 bike from one of the bigger stores. You could pick up a bike that would cost at least 1/3 less than the 2011 version, so would be looking at either saving a few quid, or significantly upgrading your options. There doesn't look to be a great deal wrong with the bike you're looking at right enough. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Just received a text from my daughter to say that my new bike has been delivered Poor lassie. She is on study leave for her highers but I woke her up at 8.45am to make sure she was conscious in case the bike arrived early, and then called her from work after I arrived to make sure she hadn't went back to sleep I'll post a review once winter passes and I can actually get out on the fecker! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingscot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 For £500 I'd seriously consider a 2010 bike from one of the bigger stores. You could pick up a bike that would cost at least 1/3 less than the 2011 version, so would be looking at either saving a few quid, or significantly upgrading your options. There doesn't look to be a great deal wrong with the bike you're looking at right enough. Not 100% sure what to go for and at £500 that seemed to meet the right spec. The older model isn't bad though, and is near 1/2 price now, so v. tempting although I didn't like the gear shifters. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Taken the plunge,contacted local cycling club and am going out with the "novices" for a 25-30 mile run on Saturday. Confident enough about my fitness and pace,but much of the training is based around riding as a group with your front wheel a few inches from the bike in front and the one behind you doing the same. I'll either love it,or make a tit of myself by wiping some bugger out,or smacking someone in the puss if they do it to me! If all goes well,looking forward to their 120 mle training runs each Sunday ..................I think!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) Taken the plunge,contacted local cycling club and am going out with the "novices" for a 25-30 mile run on Saturday. Confident enough about my fitness and pace,but much of the training is based around riding as a group with your front wheel a few inches from the bike in front and the one behind you doing the same. I'll either love it,or make a tit of myself by wiping some bugger out,or smacking someone in the puss if they do it to me! If all goes well,looking forward to their 120 mle training runs each Sunday ..................I think!! I've been swithering about joining a club. The whole etiquette thing gives me the heebeegeebees just thinking about it. I just can't be arsed with the effort of learning what is accepted practice, and what isn't on. I quite like the solitary element of a long bike run. Time to clear your head and enjoy the peace. It would be good to have a mate or two who were into road-biking, so we could have a sociable run now and again, and I'm currently working on that. In other news, I've had my maiden ride on the new bike (Cube Attempt). Super-skinny race tyres (Schwalbe Ultremos) inflated to 120 psi, off-set a bit by the carbon fork. Fantasic shifting with the Shimano 105s (though I spent about 3 hours swearing at them setting them up last night - one of the perils of buying online as opposed to using your local bike shop), and it goes like stink! Early days, but it feels good....very good. All going well, I hope to do a 40 mile or so run at the weekend. I'm sick of this shitty weather, though. It's harder to drag myself away from the wine aisle on a Friday when the forecast is for wind and rain on a Saturday monring, but hopefully a long ride on my new steed will do the trick. Edited May 26, 2011 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Sensible Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'm just getting into cycling now after having to give up running just over 2 years ago. My dodgy knee seems to tolerate it quite well. I doubt I'll get into it the same way as I did with running but at least it keeps me fit. At the moment I struggle to cycle faster than my 10k running pace! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Taken the plunge,contacted local cycling club and am going out with the "novices" for a 25-30 mile run on Saturday. Confident enough about my fitness and pace,but much of the training is based around riding as a group with your front wheel a few inches from the bike in front and the one behind you doing the same. I'll either love it,or make a tit of myself by wiping some bugger out,or smacking someone in the puss if they do it to me! If all goes well,looking forward to their 120 mle training runs each Sunday ..................I think!! My mate was heavily into cycling for a while. He used to come round and visit me at work on his way home for a run down to Stranraer and back I'm from Ayr BTW. He would do that two or three times a week just to keep in practice for his weekend club races. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'm just getting into cycling now after having to give up running just over 2 years ago. My dodgy knee seems to tolerate it quite well. I doubt I'll get into it the same way as I did with running but at least it keeps me fit. At the moment I struggle to cycle faster than my 10k running pace! Watch the old knees if you use (or decide to change to) clipless pedals. They make a huge difference, but you need to make sure that you set them up correctly. I used to run, too, but wear and tear has resulted in me chucking it now. The last half marathon I finished in 2009 bored me shitless, and I actually enjoyed the training more - something else that leads me to believe that I'm a solitary beast at heart when it comes to either running or cycling. I love cycling. It keeps you fit, saves you money (if you know when to stop buying bikes and bits ), and gives you an excuse to feel a bit smug about the weightloss, fitness, and your environmental credentials - ie: all the things that people hate cyclists for feeling smug about, which is all the more reason to enjoy and flaunt them . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Sensible Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Watch the old knees if you use (or decide to change to) clipless pedals. They make a huge difference, but you need to make sure that you set them up correctly. I used to run, too, but wear and tear has resulted in me chucking it now. The last half marathon I finished in 2009 bored me shitless, and I actually enjoyed the training more - something else that leads me to believe that I'm a solitary beast at heart when it comes to either running or cycling. I love cycling. It keeps you fit, saves you money (if you know when to stop buying bikes and bits ), and gives you an excuse to feel a bit smug about the weightloss, fitness, and your environmental credentials - ie: all the things that people hate cyclists for feeling smug about, which is all the more reason to enjoy and flaunt them . I'm a solitary beast as well and loved to train. I used to run to work in Glasgow and back home again quite a lot to save money (18 mile round trip). Could do it quicker than any other mode of transport! I enjoyed the racing though because I was still at the stage where every race was a PB. I've looked at the times of some of the guys I was racing with a couple of years ago and they are still getting faster. The problem is though that I was far too competitive. I'd become very very skinny in order to get faster and would have gone even skinnier to get better times. It wasn't a good look - I looked like a a concentration camp victim. Ironically, I probably ate twice as much food then as I do now! I don't plan to become obsessed about cycling. I could get my running training done by running to /from work, a couple of lunchtimes and a Sunday morning. It was minimal time as I had to get to / from work anyway and would have just sat at my desk at lunchtime. I just don't have the time to do enough cycling to train seriously. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Kowalski Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) My son and 3 pals are cycling from Scotland to Holland trying to raise money for Arthritis care Scotland. They are on day 3 of their task and have covered approx 190 miles. If anyone has any spare sheckles to spare they would appreciate if you would be kind enough donate some at http://www.everydayhero.co.uk/endurance500 Thank-you Edited May 26, 2011 by Walt Kowalski 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'm a solitary beast as well and loved to train. I used to run to work in Glasgow and back home again quite a lot to save money (18 mile round trip). Could do it quicker than any other mode of transport! I enjoyed the racing though because I was still at the stage where every race was a PB. I've looked at the times of some of the guys I was racing with a couple of years ago and they are still getting faster. The problem is though that I was far too competitive. I'd become very very skinny in order to get faster and would have gone even skinnier to get better times. It wasn't a good look - I looked like a a concentration camp victim. Ironically, I probably ate twice as much food then as I do now! I don't plan to become obsessed about cycling. I could get my running training done by running to /from work, a couple of lunchtimes and a Sunday morning. It was minimal time as I had to get to / from work anyway and would have just sat at my desk at lunchtime. I just don't have the time to do enough cycling to train seriously. I've no intention of getting too heavily into it either. It has always been a leisure pursuit, though I now cycle to work most days and that is a great way of keeping the fitness up while not having to find too much additoinal time elsewhere. I try to vary my commute route at least 2 or 3 times a week to keep it interesting. A long ride at the weekend (ooh err missus!) to round off the week and I'm happy. I'm too old to get competitive about anything - I'll inevitably let myself down. Now on the wrong side of 40, I'd rather not make a monumental cunt of myself by trying to keep up with the young lads and the racing snakes. That's one of the things that puts me off the club scene, though I hear they can be pretty relaxed about things. It's like 5s, though - you invariably get invited along for a game on the promise that it's just a kick-about and a bit of a laugh, only to be subjected to fat, red-faced fuckers abusing you for misplacing a pass or dislocating their kneecaps I was never a skinny runner. I've lost more weight since I started cycling regularly. It's an odd one, that, because I trained quite religiously when I was running the odd half-marathon. Maybe I just ate more shite. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Took a wander into Smith's in Falkirk today and they've pointed me in the direction of these beasts - http://www.evanscycl...ampaign=froogle or possibly http://www.evanscycl...=sirrus%20sport Hmm. Dunno. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.