60k today
Sprool
Posts: 1,022
Managed my first 'big' ride today, 60k, approx 38 miles, something I felt was a long way off being able to achieve 2 months ago when I got my first road bike. It was bought during a period of redundancy for me when I needed something positive to do to get a bit fitter and blow away the cobwebs and despondency spending a morning jobhunting on the internet. It's been brilliant therapy for me and I've lost nearly a stone in 8 weeks.
The traffic on the way out was very heavy but I found virtually all road users courteous and patient. Roads round Kirklees area (Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Wakefield) are generally shocking. Lots of potholes and broken glass at traffic lights to avoid. On the way back the route goes from urban to countryside but the headwind was vicious. Still managed 13mph average and set a new Strava section record on the home run after 35 miles.
I'm now confident I can complete a 50-mile charity ride in a couple of weekend's time and that will be a big goal for me.
Any other newbies out there struggling with fitness after getting a bike, I can only tell you how quickly the fitness starts to build and how much more positive it can make you feel, if you have the time to do a few sessions a week. I've made the most of all my free time and managed to clock up nearly 650 miles in the last 8 weeks. The hard part will be keeping the fitness going into the winter and when I start back at work again. For this a set of rollers in my garage will come into play.
The traffic on the way out was very heavy but I found virtually all road users courteous and patient. Roads round Kirklees area (Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Wakefield) are generally shocking. Lots of potholes and broken glass at traffic lights to avoid. On the way back the route goes from urban to countryside but the headwind was vicious. Still managed 13mph average and set a new Strava section record on the home run after 35 miles.
I'm now confident I can complete a 50-mile charity ride in a couple of weekend's time and that will be a big goal for me.
Any other newbies out there struggling with fitness after getting a bike, I can only tell you how quickly the fitness starts to build and how much more positive it can make you feel, if you have the time to do a few sessions a week. I've made the most of all my free time and managed to clock up nearly 650 miles in the last 8 weeks. The hard part will be keeping the fitness going into the winter and when I start back at work again. For this a set of rollers in my garage will come into play.
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Comments
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Good stuff
I am close to this area and try get out quite often. But ride the MTB in winter OUTSIDE, bores me to tears the roller/turbo lark.0 -
nice one,thats a goal achieved so congrats.Im a newbie too,7 weeks got to 35.5 longest then had to stop due to getting knocked off but cant wait to get new bike and ride again.
Its a buzz isnt it.
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori0 -
it is a buzz - sorry to hear about your accident. Hope it hasn't put you off and you'll be back in the saddle again soon.
Round our way it's pretty hilly everywhere - not always easy to get into a good rhythm, but if you cycle off east the terrain starts to flatten. On the road from Dewsbury to Wakefield there's a fast flat dual carriageway where you can really get your head down and go for it over a couple of miles. First time I've experienced it today, great feeling, almost hypnotic and quite exhilarating.
I must say taping the shoe vents up with gaffa did a great job at keeping the feet warm - first time in a month I've not come back with frozen toes.
Found some numb bits in the gentleman area after about 25 miles this morning. Not sure if I should try tweaking the saddle position a bit or look at a different design. Question is, how do you know what sort of saddle to try out, what works for someone else may not work for you?0 -
Nice one Sprool and good luck with the 50 "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul0
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Hi mate, I'm from Ossett, will you post your strava link so I can check your route out please. Sounds like a route I can try.0
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Here you go, bypasses ossett, the route thru Hudds and on to Dewsbury is a pain; heavy traffic, potholes, crazy amount of traffic lights, doesn't give you much chance to get into a rhythm, but then out of Wakefield and back to Holmfirth is a good run, but a long long climb with a savage headwind.
http://app.strava.com/activities/271614150 -
If you get out Saturday or Sunday Morning give us a shout!.0
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Been doing the road bike thing about 4 months now. started out just throwing myself out and doing as many miles as poss til i was completely worn out, then realised about the importance of cadence! Did a 54 mile charity ride and it just flew by! Its just so nice being out and about, and it gives me my own time away from the Mrs..........0
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zx6man - you are very welcome to join us, there's 3 or 4 of us get out on a Saturday morning for 2 hours around Holmfirth area, are you based close by? It's quite a sedate pace!0
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Great stuff. Next up you'll join a club, then your first metric century (100km), then imperial century (100 miles). Then you'll start racing. All of this whilst spending more and more on the bikes, having adopted N+1 as your mantra
Good luck with the charity ride.FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.0
