First three rides - Really enjoying my bike

Danny_B9
Danny_B9 Posts: 55
edited December 2012 in Road beginners
Well I have had my bike for around three weeks now, I have had a week off ill and used the bike a couple times for commuting to GF's house which is 7 mile there and 7 mile back and I have manged to get in three reasonable rides with my mate who has also just started.

I can say I am really enjoying riding my bike, Got myself a cannondale supersix and once christmas has come I will have finally built up enough gear to go out for more rides making sure I am well enough equipped and comfortable.

SO I need a little bit of feedback from the following of how my first three rides have gone as I have no experience to what sort of avergae speeds etc you guys are hitting, obviously weather and terrain play a part etc. On the following rides I have not been going flat out, it is really flat round here in lincolnshire so no hills on these routes but it was pretty windy on all three occasions.

Ride 1: 24.99 miles, Duration 1 hour 30 mins, average speed 16.6mph, max speed 27.8mph
-The ride felt good, took some getting used to clipping in at junctions which we tried to avoid but took a wrong turning anyway and my lower back about half way into the ride started playing making pushing through wind really hard work.

Ride 2: 19.79 miles, Duration 1 hour 12 mins, average speed 16.5mph, max speed 29.0mph
-This ride was the day after the first ride so kept it a little shorter as my lower back hurt the first time (positioning, seat etc needed adjusting) and my mates knees hurt so he also needed to do a little adjusting.
-Did not have time to adjust the seat and thought maybe my lower back hurt due to first ride but it came back about half way into this ride so that indicated maybe i need to adjust my positioning etc for next ride.
-(I felt like I could have gone a bit faster too when sprinting but my chain slipped so I switched down a gear and stopped the sprint to be on the safe side)


Ride 3: 24.02 miles, Duration 1 hour 19 mins, average speed 18mph, max speed 28.3mph
-Before I went out this time I spent the night before reading on bike fitting, positioning etc etc so adjusted my seat slightly and this time my back was much better, still got a small amount of aching towards the last third of my ride but nothing like the first two rides I will continue adjusting in very small amounts untill I find what feels the best. The difficulty of this route was harder than the first two rides as the first 3rd I had back wind but from then on I had side wind or head wind all the way home which made mainting the average of 19.1 very difficult but I kept it at 18mph by the end so I was very happy with that.


So how do my rides sound? I literally dont have a clue. I was not flat out for these rides but I knew my fitness would be rubbish and it showed. Im 5'11 and weight 91kg, have done weight training for last couple of years and this has done me no good for fitness! So far I get that feeling of really can't wait for my next ride :) . I intend on joing the local club next year just need alot more experience of road cycling first and get used to clipping in which is still frustrating!

Thanks for reading.
Cannondale Supersix Apex

Comments

  • MTBUK
    MTBUK Posts: 146
    Just keep banging out the miles.... also, if you have a smart phone... download Strava for it.... and log your rides.....
    Orange 5 Pro 650b 2014
    Orange Crush 650b 2014
  • Danny_B9
    Danny_B9 Posts: 55
    MTBUK wrote:
    Just keep banging out the miles.... also, if you have a smart phone... download Strava for it.... and log your rides.....

    I will increase the miles soon once I have found a position that stops the lower back ache, still doing my homework though on bike fit. I also get in 4 sessions on the turbo first thing in the morning to try and increase fitness.

    As for the smart phone, got an Iphone, I am currently using mapmyride as I was using maymyrun and already had an account. Not tried any other but have read plenty of good reviews of strava. If I get any problems with mapmayride I will have a look.
    Cannondale Supersix Apex
  • elderone
    elderone Posts: 1,410
    Those times look very good and well respectable so no need to worry at all.If you really want to judge your performance then go and find some hills and then compare your flat rides(which will always have a higher speed)
    against a hilly ride.
    More important is just get out and ride and get the miles in.
    Enjoy.
    Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
  • Danny_B9
    Danny_B9 Posts: 55
    My GF's dad has been riding for the last two years and is in the local club, he is going to take me out on their routes into the hills so I can get some practise in with him before I join the club. I can imagine I am going to struggle up hills but we will see.

    I have not ridden flat out yet, yesterday I pushed it in the wind trying to keep my average up but that is the most I have really tried so far, still gaining confidence on the road and trying to concentrate rather than being so nackered that I am all over the place.

    I am really enjoying it though, Get rather excited at the thought of going for a ride which is how I was hoping I would feel. It is the only enjoyable cardio I could possibly do, hate running thats for sure. My next ride if i have the time will hopefully be around 30 miles in distance and goal depending on how windy will be my best average or under that last time if doing a route I have already done.
    Cannondale Supersix Apex
  • TheSmithers
    TheSmithers Posts: 291
    We have the same bike Danny_B9 :D

    Don't seem to be many supersix owners on here. Glad you're enjoying the bike. I certainly enjoy mine!
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/2086404
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    Forget about average speed; it's a fairly unuseful number as it is, but don't compare your numbers with others. Just get out and enjoy cycling to begin with; you will need to build up base fitness and that takes time. Have fun. :)
    Retro(ish) TT 2017-
    Fixed TT 2015-2016
  • boxxer750
    boxxer750 Posts: 33
    Where abouts in Lincolnshire are you? I live in Lincoln itself and have just bought a CAAD10. I got the Cyclemeter app (£2.99) It seems really good! Tells you everything a normal cycle computer does and also maps out your ride. Also shows graphs of speed and elevation and logs all your rides and details of each ride on a calendar.

    Your average speeds seem very good in my opinion. Faster than me anyway! lol :mrgreen:
  • Danny_B9
    Danny_B9 Posts: 55
    TheSmithers wrote:
    We have the same bike Danny_B9 :D

    Don't seem to be many supersix owners on here. Glad you're enjoying the bike. I certainly enjoy mine!

    I don't think there are many cannondales in the Lincolnshire area where I m as we don't have a stockist, my nearest stockist of connondale is the Gorilla firm cycling at oundle, just outside of Peterborough.

    I couldn't be happier with the bike tbh, I have no comparison due to this being first road bike but I am happy with it.
    Where abouts in Lincolnshire are you? I live in Lincoln itself and have just bought a CAAD10.

    Your average speeds seem very good in my opinion. Faster than me anyway! lol

    I live in Boston, my general average would be terrible if I biked 15 mile to the nearest hill! I think in Lincoln you have a bit more challenging terrain!
    Forget about average speed; it's a fairly unuseful number as it is, but don't compare your numbers with others.

    I have read a couple of posts in regards to average speed and everyone says the same and that it is not that useful and I understand why, currently can't afford a cadence sensor etc so I only have my bontrager trip 5w which does not do cadence. Is cadence what I need to be looking at in the future to use as info improved fitness and performance on my bike?
    Cannondale Supersix Apex
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    If you're looking to get approximate measures of improvement, average speed isn't as useless as you might think - but you do have to ensure that you're making valid comparisons.

    For example, it only makes sense to compare average speed on a route you do lots... under similar wind conditions... at similar times of the day and energy levels (I'm a lot slower for instance, first thing in the morning with no breakfast, than I am mid afternoon, loosened up and fed).

    Provided you expect significant variation, ignore the average speeds of others whose routes and other conditions you know next to nothing about, and look at trends, rather than obsessing about it from one ride to the next, it's a helpful indicator, in my limited experience anyway.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • Danny_B9
    Danny_B9 Posts: 55
    ChrisAOnABike wrote:
    If you're looking to get approximate measures of improvement, average speed isn't as useless as you might think - but you do have to ensure that you're making valid comparisons.

    For example, it only makes sense to compare average speed on a route you do lots... under similar wind conditions... at similar times of the day and energy levels (I'm a lot slower for instance, first thing in the morning with no breakfast, than I am mid afternoon, loosened up and fed).

    Provided you expect significant variation, ignore the average speeds of others whose routes and other conditions you know next to nothing about, and look at trends, rather than obsessing about it from one ride to the next, it's a helpful indicator, in my limited experience anyway.

    Well just from my first three rides I already have a good idea of what speeds I can hold comfortably in certain strengths of wind. I am still trying to workout a good route near my house then I can then look at improving the time and avergae speed of that route.
    Cannondale Supersix Apex

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