First 100km+ ride
Retrograde
Posts: 4
Did my first 100km+ ride on Saturday, actually 110km. Feels good to have reached that mile stone!
The best thing that I have done for my cycling is joining a local club. I got my bike about a year ago and last year only cycled on my own and didn't know the good routes (being completely new to my area) - to be honest I wasn't that enthusiastic about it at that point. Joined the club this Spring and it's been great. Different routes each week, progressively harder, through fantastic scenery and away from the traffic of the main roads. Even got a free lesson in drafting from the old guy who kept cycling up behind me and pushing me on the a*se to get me closer to the wheel in front.
The ride was tough, mainly due to 1500m of height gain, rather than the distance itself and I had to did deep a couple of times to get round but I'm glad I did it. Even at the end of the Autumn last year I didn't think I would have been able to do such a ride. For me, joining the club has been a great experience and made me ride harder and further than I have before. The other riders I've met have been great too. So, I really recommend joining a club as it has at least tripled my enjoyment of cycling!
Think I need to look at my position on the bike though, as my knees are pretty stiff now...
The best thing that I have done for my cycling is joining a local club. I got my bike about a year ago and last year only cycled on my own and didn't know the good routes (being completely new to my area) - to be honest I wasn't that enthusiastic about it at that point. Joined the club this Spring and it's been great. Different routes each week, progressively harder, through fantastic scenery and away from the traffic of the main roads. Even got a free lesson in drafting from the old guy who kept cycling up behind me and pushing me on the a*se to get me closer to the wheel in front.
The ride was tough, mainly due to 1500m of height gain, rather than the distance itself and I had to did deep a couple of times to get round but I'm glad I did it. Even at the end of the Autumn last year I didn't think I would have been able to do such a ride. For me, joining the club has been a great experience and made me ride harder and further than I have before. The other riders I've met have been great too. So, I really recommend joining a club as it has at least tripled my enjoyment of cycling!
Think I need to look at my position on the bike though, as my knees are pretty stiff now...
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Comments
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Good achievement and well done 8)
Agree with joining a club, and your post is very similar to my introduction to road cycling
Share The Road Event http://www.sharetheroadride.co.uk
Lancashire Cycle Link Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/126682247491640/0 -
brilliant - well done - old club guys are the best - they have nothing to prove and enjoy passing on knowledge, why not ask them about the bike set up - go even further then.
The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0 -
Amazing experience, makes me wanna join a club aswell! I might start looking for one in my area... but whats drafting?0
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Thanks for the replies chaps!
Yeah, one of the club guys told me he thinks my saddle is a little too low so I'm going to take his advice and raise it a bit. To be honest I have been starting to feel like it was a bit on the low side.
Drafting is slip-streaming, i.e. when you get really close to the rider in front and therefore shelter yourself from a bit of wind resistance. Takes a bit of getting used to as you need to be quite close for it to really work, but it does make a difference when you get it right.0 -
drafting is when you cycle close to the guy/gal in front, effectively they are shielding you you from the head wind - so where as they, in front, are using all their energy you, at the back are using about 30% less simply by being in their slip stream.
thats why in races you see the riders strung out in long lines
The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0
