When the hell did this happen?

Kieran_Burns

When I was younger I remember seeing these 'pro' cyclists whizzing 'round at ridiculous (to me) speeds without any effort while I was spinning like buggery and basically going nowhere. (I was TINY when younger! now I'm 6' tall and 14+ stone)

Then, in my teens I would be bimbling around on my crappy cheap 5-speed 'racer' and again see these pro-cyclists just belting past and there was no way I could ever catch them.

Now after taking up cycling again after a good decade hiatus, I see your tales of speed and derring-so. I watch these roadies belting off and nothings changed.

Only....

Only today - I was cycling in, going through the next village and there's a road train of lads going to school (staying on the pavement as it's a busy road.. and only popping out when they got near a pedestrian). I'm holding 18 up the slight incline and just swish past the lot of them - probably going twice their speed

After the bridleway I get to the shared cycle / footpath and there's a bloke on a road bike in a suit (rack and panniers) in front as we get to the gate. He just got right out the way as he saw me come up and let me through first. I didn't ask, he just took one look and cleared a path (I DID say thank you )

Then there's a stretch on a great smooth road after a downhill, I'm holding 24-25 and keeping up with the traffic (in fact being held UP by the traffic). I'm cruising, alternating with pushing on the pedals and just letting them spin slowly... it occurred to me that I was doing the ONE thing I always was jealous of.... flying along with no seemed effort.

When the hell did I come good? (well... goodISH) It was bizarre - here I was being everything I was jealous of as a kid / teenager and I still think I've got a long way to go.

I LOVE this cycling lark!

blu3cat

it's great that slow gradual improvement that you don't notice until you have an epiphany and wow.

for me it's when I moved to a road bike, and realised I could cruise to work faster than the traffic as well.

jonginge

Chapeau, Kieran. I'd blame SCR if I were you. S'all good

Happy 1000th post BTW

Kieran_Burns

Thank you (for both!)

I realised after I posted that I'd hit the 1K mark. Good post to hit the landmark with


(incidentally - PLEASE understand that I'm not bragging, nor do I think I am ANY good - it's just one of those moments when you realise that you ARE getting better)

andy83

well on my commute i find NOONE to race, and i finish work at 9pm so once again only boy racers about at that time.

however working 12.5 hours shifts has its advantage, i conviniently sometimes go out when others may be commuting just so i can feel part of it all when i overtake someone

althought there doesnt seem a lot of cyclists around where i live which as a result if i see ANYONE on a bike be it a really old rusty bike with bloke older than my dad on it to someone in lycra on full carbon i want to compete with them (admittidly i dont too well against the full carbon lycra people )

even found on my sunday ride there was a couple on a leisurely ride although the lad looked like he was into cycling and i waited for it to be safe and overtook the pair of them, but i felt quite bad after. should i feel bad or is a scalp a scalp??

thing i have noticed now to when i was younger is once i go up a steep hill i no longer nearly day at the top, instead i just pick up the pace and start cruising again

all this cycling aint all good though, went swimming with bro the other day and my shorts were VERY tight around my thighs :shock:

Kieran_Burns

I did it again tonight :shock:

Last village before mine I was overtaken by some daft bint in a Rover 200 who then held 25 through the village centre.

I was being held up by her.

Now okay - it's a slight downhill through the village... except I kept the speed on as we came out the other side and I'm having to sit in the primary (due to speed bumps), keeping up with her (quite happily). I pulled back in and the traffic behind then went past only when we got to the 40 zone.

Then when we got to the t-junction I shot past the lot of them and made the turn just as the afore mentioned bint pulled out. :twisted:

She was so slow pulling away that I was forced to brake for her which lost me some momentum. :roll:

The last van that passed me in the village didn't get past again until I was 1/4 mile down the last 1 mile stretch. 8)

Speaking of which - normal speed down there 16-17. Tonight: 23+ and held it all the way to the 40 limit where I **slowed** to 21.

As I get into my village I realise I really should be warming down so I bimble along (and it felt like it as well) glanced down: 17mph... my normal cruising speed. :shock:

I attribute it to a combination of a mild tail wind AND I fixed my front brake which has been rubbing for AGES and I'd not noticed!! :roll:

I had a very positive feeing about tonight and that WAS one of best commutes homes.

Kieran_Burns

Oh, yeah - and I was carrying a pannier full of shopping which REALLY weighed down the bike - it felt like it weighed as much AS the bike. :?

fossyant

I have a couple of stretches - both flat, but not on the commute where it's easy to maintain a good 30....had a few 'WTF' looks from car drivers and especially big motorbike riders..... :twisted: