Taking it easy on a roadbike

JonEdwards

How...?

I know this sounds like a daft question, but every time I go out on my good bike I end up leathering myself into the ground, which OK, brings it's own results, but takes the pure pleasure out of riding.

Part of it is that I can't justify pootling along on a Record/Ksyrium/EC90/blah equipped bike. Ok it's all 5+ years old, but if I'm going to ride that level of kit, I have to ride it HARD - otherwise I don't deserve it.

Part of it is greyhound mentality. If I can see someone in the distance, I have to chase them down and overtake, then keep going until they're very properly dropped. Scooters, transits, buses - all fair game (the latter 2 good for free speed once you catch them ) On the other hand nobody is going to get past me without a fight either. Even if I'm out on my commuter there's a constant "chase" thing going on. Cruising past the fully Assosed guy on the Pinanago with the deep section wheels on a grubby fixie, wearing baggy shorts and a peaked lid is always good for a (cheap, immature :twisted: ) laugh.

Part of it is that b@st@rd little piece of evil technology "the bike computer". The constant fight just to try and get the average speed 0.1mph higher, knowing that if you slack off just for a fraction of a second, it'll take seemingly 1/2 hour of agony to get it back up again (why is that???).

So how do you just back off and enjoy it....? Hell even doing a recovery ride is an impossibilty, because I can't go slow on the good bike, and the commuter is a fight as soon as there's a hill.

Yes I do have "issues", before anyone comments!

Bradders87

I can empathise with that completely. If you want to go out for a slower ride, go with a friend who's not quite as fast as you. It's the only thing that works for me.

amaferanga

Self control. And if you have an easy recovery ride instead of battering yourself then the following day you can ride harder for longer.

rick_chasey

Ride somewhere pretty..

seanoconn

Try cycling to a place you don't really want to end up in, like work.

I'm twice as fast coming home from work as I am going.

edhornby

that's why they're called racing bikes ;-) I love cruising past other cyclists and giving the cheery 'morning!' whilst trying not to cough up a lung from the effort of getting past in the first place

try replacing the speedo with an HRM, the trick is to go as quick as you can whilst keeping in a heart rate zone

Zachariah

Ride behind an attractive girl.

saturnfive

It's easier on a mountain bike...something about road bikes demands "full tilt" all the time

ut_och_cykla

use a HRM & stay below certain limit- for my part I have to leav the Ipod at home otherwise I end up thrashing myself!
Sad innit?

thiscocks

take off the computer for a start. Maybe take off large chainring?

slunker

Zachariah wrote:

Ride behind an attractive girl.

Or ride the behind of an attrictive girl..............

SBezza

Enter a race, when you are knackered from that, doing a recovery ride is easy.

tobermory

where a balaclava or paper bag ans go incognito

kettrinboy

saturnfive wrote:

It's easier on a mountain bike...something about road bikes demands "full tilt" all the time

Agree with this, you will probably never be happy riding your roadbike slow, i save my roadbike for faster rides and when ive had enough of that get the MTB out and i am happy at 12-14 mph,and if other riders pass,i just let them go,which i probably wouldnt on my roadbike.

Airwave

Enter some TTs then you can justify it by calling your fast riding training &as Sbezza said you might enjoy a slow recovery ride now'n'then.

P_Tucker

Christ, sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. Are you Welsh by any chance?

vorsprung

JonEdwards wrote:

How...?

I know this sounds like a daft question, but every time I go out on my good bike I end up leathering myself into the ground, which OK, brings it's own results, but takes the pure pleasure out of riding.

Part of it is that I can't justify pootling along on a Record/Ksyrium/EC90/blah equipped bike. Ok it's all 5+ years old, but if I'm going to ride that level of kit, I have to ride it HARD - otherwise I don't deserve it.

Part of it is greyhound mentality. If I can see someone in the distance, I have to chase them down and overtake, then keep going until they're very properly dropped. Scooters, transits, buses - all fair game (the latter 2 good for free speed once you catch them ) On the other hand nobody is going to get past me without a fight either. Even if I'm out on my commuter there's a constant "chase" thing going on. Cruising past the fully Assosed guy on the Pinanago with the deep section wheels on a grubby fixie, wearing baggy shorts and a peaked lid is always good for a (cheap, immature :twisted: ) laugh.

Part of it is that b@st@rd little piece of evil technology "the bike computer". The constant fight just to try and get the average speed 0.1mph higher, knowing that if you slack off just for a fraction of a second, it'll take seemingly 1/2 hour of agony to get it back up again (why is that???).

So how do you just back off and enjoy it....? Hell even doing a recovery ride is an impossibilty, because I can't go slow on the good bike, and the commuter is a fight as soon as there's a hill.

Yes I do have "issues", before anyone comments!

ok

I know exactly what you are saying. On the Tour de Commute we cannot take any prisoners. Beating the time home is important. Buses (in my case tractors) are there to provide a high speed drafting facility etc etc

All you have to do is do a insanely difficult event at the weekend and your legs will be jelly most of the week. Cruising along in the sun at 12mph will be all you can do

Another trick is to simply get another bike. Although I've found that getting a single speed bike with Marathon Pluses up to 30mph then becomes the new challenge....

rjh299

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ride somewhere pretty..

This helps me, especially if the weather's good. Ipod on, all the gear and cruise round Cornish coast enjoying being out. Managed an average of 12-13mph for just over an hours ride the other day.
Also I go out riding with my girlfriend sometimes. The aggro on dropping her on every hill isn't worth it so it makes me slow down.

nottscobb

Ask yourself... Really, what difference does it make if your average drops or if you do or don't catch up with the bus?

I have a 'cross bike for the basic commute and use the road bike for longer rides and personally I find recovery rides much easier on the road bike because it goes that bit quicker with less effort. As long as I take the time to look left and right to enjoy the view across the fields I end the ride with a smile, which surely is the point of everything we claim to enjoy.

If you still need some sort of challenge I find that trying to end the ride not dripping in sweat works. If I've let the adrenaline get the better of me and I've worked up an unnecessary sweat then I've failed in the purpose of that ride. If I've done really well the wife won't recoil and point at the shower when I try to kiss her when I get home

Mike67

rjh299 wrote:

Also I go out riding with my girlfriend sometimes. The aggro on dropping her on every hill isn't worth it so it makes me slow down.

This definitely works (Wife in this case)

My definition of slight rise is her definition of a mountain pass

boggybrn

I think that some bikes just nag you to push hard! I've been happily tootling around on a mid '80s steel framed bike for most of the winter, but now my CAAD9 is out of hibernation I'm ridding like a man posessed. Every time I come to a hill it just tells me to go for it!

So for a relaxed ride get a retro-steel bike, and chill.

Oh yes - down hill over about 34mph the steel bike likes to shimmy at the front end. This is a good hint to slow down a bit...

sampras38

Bradders87 wrote:

I can empathise with that completely. If you want to go out for a slower ride, go with a friend who's not quite as fast as you. It's the only thing that works for me.

Unfortunately I'm the same as the OP, and whenever I do ride with slower riders I just feel frustrated all the time. I'd much rather ride with people who are quicker than me. Always been like that...even as a kid. I hate it and sometimes wish I could just poodle along and take in the scenery. Never works like that though for some reason.

The only thing I can think of is I don't get a massive amount of time to ride, with family, work, 2 kids etc, so every ride turns into a training ride.

I'll take days off to recover so as to not overtrain, but just poddling doesn't do it for me.

edhornby

most importantly - do you enjoy riding your bike ?

if so - carry on doing what you enjoy

pauldavid

Easy answer to this, I'm so glad I came across this post it is the only thing i may be able to offer advice to someone else on.

This method definately works I have just proved it conclusively myself.


Stay off your bike for roughly ten years, then after also putting on a vast amount of weight decide to start again.

This method has made me infinately slower than I ever was and unable to cover distances that some years ago would have been seen as easy.

Although I won't be giving up and will regain some level of form it will take some time.

One question, if you enjoy riding your bike as you do at the moment and your fit enough to ride as you suggest why do you want to rode slowly?????