Ego boosting time

mask of sanity

Ok, we all know that roadies have massive egos (at least when it comes to biking) so here’s an opportunity to boost your ego by telling us all about your proudest cycling moment to date, whether it be furthest distance, quickest time or hardest climb etc.

Let’s hear 'em!

Rich.

AGNI

Just a few months ago, cycling over 80 miles to barmouth. Hilly route including hellfire pass. Only been riding a few months at that stage.

mask of sanity

Nice, 80 miles is a fair old slog!

There must be more people with some impressive cycling feats!!

bompington

I think the time I covered the 20 miles to work in 50 minutes is my best ever. Of course there may have been a teeny weeny tailwind...

Anonymous

Getting on the bike on the trainer and managing to pedal hard enough to feel breathless in April.

freehub

123 miles @ 18.9mph is a PB for average speed for me over a long distance.
16.8mph avg over 175 miles hilly is a pb for my distance
60 miles @ 19.9mph avg is a pb for average speed over a medium distance with a breeze.
25:41 for a 10mile TT is currently my pb maybe next year I might be faster I dont know.
20.8mph avg over 28 miles is my pb for a short distance.
21.1mph avg is my pb over 15 or so miles, might have being able to do it faster if I got into TT mode.

I've done what the OP asked, I think I'm one of those roadies that does not have a massive ego. I've being cycling just over a year, weather those figures are good, bad or **** I dunno.

skyd0g

My first "true scalp."
I had popped out for a ride and en-route had stopped to post a letter. As I was getting the letter out to post, I spotted a flash of lycra go past on the oppsite side of the adjacent main road. "Game on!" I thought! I posted the letter, put my mini ruck-sack back on and saddled back up.

I had to wait a short while to carefully cross the main road and by the time I'd crossed the road, I just saw my target in the distance. I clipped-in and quickly got up to speed. I "crossed the gap" in what seemed like no time flat! I caught him just as he approached an old railway bridge. As I got closer, I thought "nice bike" (a Felt) and noticed he was in the local clubs colours. I passed him as we were about a third of the way up the bridge and said "hello" as noncholantly as I could muster (with the remaining breath I had left). I yomped up the rest of the bridge & saw he was still a good way from the top by the time I got there.

I then had to keep going at the best pace I could muster for the next mile as it was a pretty straight road, rather than peter-out & get caught.

He was probably at the end of a long ride, on a "wind-down", but it felt good to me. 8)

brainsys

Going on my first club run and not falling off.

maxandpaddy

I had not been on a bike since I was 20 now being 46, I bought a Mountain Bike for cycling along the canal at weekends to help with my photography with a friend from work.

He then said how about doing the Manchester to Blackpool Ride for Christies it will be doddle I have cycled to Blackpool before. So we decided to enroll it was then It all came out he was 18 when he cycled to Blackpool (tool). So six weeks training later we was at the start a bit apprehensive we set off.

Another item I purchased was a box for the back of the bike which when weighed on the morning of the ride weighed a stone plus my 15 stone a lot of weight we completed the 66 mile ride in 4 hours 42 minutes with a head wind for the last 10 miles. I was chuffed to bits and not as tired as I thought I would be.

So now I have bought a Ribble Road Bike off Ebay and it is in Excellent condition. Doing about 15 mile a day rides after work longer at weekends weather permitting. Life could not be better so much fitter and only 13 .7 stone really enjoying my life change.

SBezza

Doing a 12 hour TT at the weekend, with an average speed of over 20 mph (still not sure of the total distance achieved, but over 240 miles)

Doing a 21:02 10m TT in my first season
Doing a 57:55 25m TT in my first season (hopefully lower that in a couple of weeks)

Not bad for only riding a bike for 18 months, and being 18 stone 18 months ago

hopper1

SBezza wrote:

Doing a 12 hour TT at the weekend, with an average speed of over 20 mph (still not sure of the total distance achieved, but over 240 miles)

Doing a 21:02 10m TT in my first season
Doing a 57:55 25m TT in my first season (hopefully lower that in a couple of weeks)

Not bad for only riding a bike for 18 months, and being 18 stone 18 months ago

Now that is impressive, mate!

SBezza

hopper1 wrote:

SBezza wrote:

Doing a 12 hour TT at the weekend, with an average speed of over 20 mph (still not sure of the total distance achieved, but over 240 miles)

Doing a 21:02 10m TT in my first season
Doing a 57:55 25m TT in my first season (hopefully lower that in a couple of weeks)

Not bad for only riding a bike for 18 months, and being 18 stone 18 months ago

Now that is impressive, mate!

Thank you

freehub

What sort of training do you do to build performance so you are able to do a 12 hour TT at over 20mph? Doing 12 hours TT's would be awesome but anything over 180 and not at a steady pace atm and I'm dead.

SBezza

I haven't done any real training as such, basically done one sportive a month since Feb, and a 300km Audax in July as my long rides. There isn't alot of training you can do for a 12 hour, just build up your base fitness.

I have been concentrating on normal distance TT's as my main source of riding. I average over 25mph for a 25, about 25mph for a 50, and 23mph for a 100, so 20 mph for a 12 hour is about right.

It can be a painful experience, I still have a knee pain since doing it, and had the pain for about 7 hours of the race, but with a bit of determination, and encouragement, you would be surprised at what you can manage. You will go through a low patch somewhere during the event, but just pick yourself up and push on.

I was flying towards the end on the finishing circuit doing 1:10 25 miles for the last 70 odd miles.

pickled

SBezza wrote:

Doing a 12 hour TT at the weekend, with an average speed of over 20 mph (still not sure of the total distance achieved, but over 240 miles)

Doing a 21:02 10m TT in my first season
Doing a 57:55 25m TT in my first season (hopefully lower that in a couple of weeks)

Not bad for only riding a bike for 18 months, and being 18 stone 18 months ago

Yeah, but you're only eighteen, right? RIGHT?

Surf-Matt

Entering an off road tri for the first time and winning has to be my finest hour to date (yes there was cycling, but it was an MTB course).

Not had the road bike long enough to rack up anything exciting yet!!

SBezza

pickled wrote:

Yeah, but you're only eighteen, right? RIGHT?

I wish LOL, I am 39

pickled

Balls. I'm 38.
Guess I've got a long way to go....!

peanut1978

freehub

what sore of level are you competing at?

punctureboy

for me it was yesterday. i took my mate out mountain biking along a canal towpath. we rode at half the pace i would hit it at and only rode 16 miles. he bonked after about 10 at which point i made him stop to eat some of my fig rolls.

if it sounds like i took pleasure from this i did! he has been taking the p**s out of me for months because i do triathlons when i'm 'fat'. although i didnt intentionally go out to break him i did enjoy seeing him nearly collapse when he got off the bike lol.

he is training for a half marathon and recently ran a 10 miler in 80 mins so i really didnt think a steady flat 16 miler would be a struggle for him. looks like i'll have a bit more support on my upcoming triathlons now lol.

freehub

SBezza wrote:

I haven't done any real training as such, basically done one sportive a month since Feb, and a 300km Audax in July as my long rides. There isn't alot of training you can do for a 12 hour, just build up your base fitness.

I have been concentrating on normal distance TT's as my main source of riding. I average over 25mph for a 25, about 25mph for a 50, and 23mph for a 100, so 20 mph for a 12 hour is about right.

It can be a painful experience, I still have a knee pain since doing it, and had the pain for about 7 hours of the race, but with a bit of determination, and encouragement, you would be surprised at what you can manage. You will go through a low patch somewhere during the event, but just pick yourself up and push on.

I was flying towards the end on the finishing circuit doing 1:10 25 miles for the last 70 odd miles.

You must have some awesome natural fitness? I havent done any proper training but you are leagues above me, I dont know if it's TT training maybe? I mean I've only done 2 TT's this year on and off and when I did a 10mile doing 23.4mph avg that was extreamly tough for me.

SBezza

I said I haven't done any real training for the 12 hour TT, I have done winter training for short distance TT's with tempo rides, intervals and the like, though not alot since April due to racing.

I race sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, that is where improvements are made, my first 10m TT was a 25:32, I have just got faster as the year has progressed. I also take days out to recover.

You seem to do long hilly club rides, now this will limit top end speed to a certain degree, as your body is not used to pushing at the LT for 20 mins plus. Doing the likes of 2 x 20 mins, hour of power, 4 to 5 mins intervals, allowing plenty of time between sessions to recover, and your body will adapt. I targetted my training for TT's and topped off with a couple of sportives for the distance work. It is the TT training that has got me the speed.

CyclingBantam

My proudest day on the bike was back in June when I managed a 90 miler in the Yorkshire Dales with two (According to my Garmin) 25% climbs in there.

CyclingBantam

freehub wrote:

123 miles @ 18.9mph is a PB for average speed for me over a long distance.
16.8mph avg over 175 miles hilly is a pb for my distance
60 miles @ 19.9mph avg is a pb for average speed over a medium distance with a breeze.
25:41 for a 10mile TT is currently my pb maybe next year I might be faster I dont know.
20.8mph avg over 28 miles is my pb for a short distance.
21.1mph avg is my pb over 15 or so miles, might have being able to do it faster if I got into TT mode.

I've done what the OP asked, I think I'm one of those roadies that does not have a massive ego. I've being cycling just over a year, weather those figures are good, bad or **** I dunno.

They are really Impressive Will. Unfortunately your pal Bhima will be along to blow them out of the water when he is back from his one man peace keeping mission he is on or whatever it is! :roll:

LorneC

This years highlights (so far):

- Knocking over 3 minutes off of last years PB for my office commute of 16.5 miles
- Completing my first Century Ride in June (Trossachs Ton in 6hrs 13 mins)
- Being one of 570 riders to ride on the Champs Elysees the day before the Tour finished, after cycling Route 4 of Action Medical Research's L2P (highly recommend people doing this [well organised / great friends made / avg speed INCREASED each day / the emotions of having everyone on the Champs cheering, clapping and taking photos of you)
- attempting my first timed 10mile and recording a time of 26mins 35 seconds (challenge now is to knock at least 30secs off before end of the year)

sonny73

Climbing the Col des Aravis (OK not the greatest, steepest or highest Alpine climb but still 1498m and 18.9k) and doing the Annecy TT route this July, both in decent times, having come back to riding from a prolapsed disc in my neck last October, which kept me from riding properly until mid May.
And my lower back was palying up at the time, what a mess
Made me mega happy beyond words and proves that hard bloomin graft and sticking at things pays off

eh

Cycling to the shops and back to pick up a paper and milk, only 1 hour after coming back from a 120mile road ride.

timb64

Finishing the 75 mile Essex Orchidcycle in June and feeling I'd enough in reserve to wish I'd entered the 100 mile sportive(Next year's target)

irvini

Wearing lycra shorts and not feeling ashamed