After my first ride in Derby...

aaronspeight

Finally got my brand new Specialized Allez yesterday and got home and acted like a giddy child getting everything ready and going for my first ride.

On my first ride i found out Derby isn't as flat as I thought and Uttoxeter New Road isnt a bike friendly place (if your from around Derby you'll probably realise why - buses everywhere!) during my ride i occasional got pins and needles in both my hands and toes - is this normal??

Also last night and this morning I've had a very sore bum - how long does it take to get use to your saddle?

Thanks all,
Aaron

mbthegreat

Hands could be from gripping to bars too tight, or from road buzz. Change hand positions more often, keep a relaxed grip, bend your elbows and consider padded gloves.

Feet is likely to be from shoes that are too tight.

Bozman

My advice, get out of Derby City centre.
You don't have to cycle far out of the City to get to plenty of countryside(probably 2 or 3 miles from Uttoxeter New Road), plus you'll enjoy the ride more and you'll live a lot longer.

rhext

Re the traffic on Uttoxeter New Road, it might be worth logging on to cyclederby.co.uk which has detailed cycling maps for Derby and surrounding area, plus a link to a route planner. They might help you find a low-traffic alternative.

The sore bum should disappear after a week or so, depending on how far you cycle and how frequently. And you'll find the hills flatten out a bit a week or two later :-)

The pins and needles are probably a sign that you've not got the bike quite set up to fit you properly yet. I'd give it a week or two to see if they subside and then perhaps take it back to the shop or do a bit of trawling on the internet to see if you can get some advice about adjusting saddle and handlebar positioning and reach to make it go away. I do sometimes get pins and needles in my hands, but only on one of my bikes - which leads me to think that quite minor adjustments (which I haven't been bothered to make) can help make it go away.

aaronspeight

Bozman wrote:

My advice, get out of Derby City centre.
You don't have to cycle far out of the City to get to plenty of countryside(probably 2 or 3 miles from Uttoxeter New Road), plus you'll enjoy the ride more and you'll live a lot longer.

I unfortunately cant - I live just off Uttoxeter New Road and have to ride on it

I went to the far side of Mickleover yesterday for 10 miles towards Ashbourne

Bozman

aaronspeight wrote:

Bozman wrote:

My advice, get out of Derby City centre.
You don't have to cycle far out of the City to get to plenty of countryside(probably 2 or 3 miles from Uttoxeter New Road), plus you'll enjoy the ride more and you'll live a lot longer.

I unfortunately cant - I live just off Uttoxeter New Road and have to ride on it

I went to the far side of Mickleover yesterday for 10 miles towards Ashbourne

That's the area I was thinking of, there's plenty of good routes around there with very little traffic and you can make your ride as hilly as you want, plus once you get used to the bike you can push a little further on beyond Ashbourne.

aaronspeight

Yeah, really didnt realise how up and down the roads were around Derby, there was about half a mile of flat road!

It's just a real pain though having to ride on Uttoxeter New Road just to get out of the city! Nearly went in to the back of a bus yesterday as it pulled out of a bus stop and didnt see me!

supermurph09

Head the other way towards Matlock, peaks etc. Fantastic for cyclists.

aaronspeight

Once i get my confidence up on the road then im going to start heading towards the peaks.

stewie10

Bozman wrote:

aaronspeight wrote:

Bozman wrote:

My advice, get out of Derby City centre.
You don't have to cycle far out of the City to get to plenty of countryside(probably 2 or 3 miles from Uttoxeter New Road), plus you'll enjoy the ride more and you'll live a lot longer.

I unfortunately cant - I live just off Uttoxeter New Road and have to ride on it

I went to the far side of Mickleover yesterday for 10 miles towards Ashbourne

That's the area I was thinking of, there's plenty of good routes around there with very little traffic and you can make your ride as hilly as you want, plus once you get used to the bike you can push a little further on beyond Ashbourne.

+1 for what Bozman says' head out of Mickleover onto Radbourne Lane or Long Lane nice quiet roads and you'll meet plenty of other cyclists.

nochekmate

stewie10 wrote:

Bozman wrote:

aaronspeight wrote:

Bozman wrote:

My advice, get out of Derby City centre.
You don't have to cycle far out of the City to get to plenty of countryside(probably 2 or 3 miles from Uttoxeter New Road), plus you'll enjoy the ride more and you'll live a lot longer.

I unfortunately cant - I live just off Uttoxeter New Road and have to ride on it

I went to the far side of Mickleover yesterday for 10 miles towards Ashbourne

That's the area I was thinking of, there's plenty of good routes around there with very little traffic and you can make your ride as hilly as you want, plus once you get used to the bike you can push a little further on beyond Ashbourne.

+1 for what Bozman says' head out of Mickleover onto Radbourne Lane or Long Lane nice quiet roads and you'll meet plenty of other cyclists.

Long Lane has some quite nice undulations, but the road surface is shocking!

nik6158

i usually head towards matlock or ashbourne or you can go the other way towards melbourne, ticknall and breedon theres some nice quiet roads in that direction.

aaronspeight

I rode along Radbourne Lane yesterday was i thought that was quite undulating too!

rhext

Generally speaking, north of the city = hilly (and the further north you go, the hillier it gets), south of the city = flat (ish, you can find hills, but there's a lot of nice flat bits). Uttoxeter New Road seems a bit of a trap as regards easy escape for cycling: I'd almost be tempted to head into the city and out again along the Kedleston Road (or cut across on the back streets). The A6 is OK too: you can avoid the large roundabout over the A38 if you want to by going via Cavendish and Devonshire Ave. If you go inwards, you can also head South along the Riverside and/or Canal cycle paths and there's lots of flatter but still nice stuff around Elvaston, Swarkstone etc!

elderone

Congrats on the new bike,its a great feeling.If you have a car drive some where quieter and park up and ride better area and save the dangerous roads hassle.
Good luck and enjoy.

Bozman

If you ride anywhere between NE and NW of Derby there's no need to ride on any of the major roads, A52, A6 and the A515, there are tons of lanes that run parallel to the major routes, these offer better cycling and better climbs than any of the major routes.

nochekmate

nik6158 wrote:

i usually head towards matlock or ashbourne or you can go the other way towards melbourne, ticknall and breedon theres some nice quiet roads in that direction.

There are indeed - this is often my sort of circuit. I also like to get out to Charnwood/Bradgate as well as the Peaks if I have bit more time on my hands.

Kieran_Burns

Forget cycling up Uttoxeter New Road, the alternate is to pop down U OLD Road and up Slack Lane, Cheviot St, left under the A38 left onto Greenwich drive and straight onto the cycle path which takes you behind Murray Park school and onto Onslow Rd in Mickelover.

If you turn right on Onslow Rd, you're now at the far end of Station Rd in Mickleover and can pop down the bridleway if your bike lets you (turn right then left at that HUGE junction down to the old station.)

If you go to the end of Station Rd, turn left and left again which is Radbourne Lane and that takes you all the way to Etwall if you want.

If you want directions to Ashbourne, give me a shout. I have a 100 mile circuit that ends at Parsley Hay, so I can direct you down a section of it. (not following the route 68 directions which take you down a real nasty multiple climb section)

aaronspeight

I HAVE to ride on Uttoxeter New Road though as I live on it....

I actually went down U Old Road and up Slack Lane, Cheviot Street, under the A38 but then i went onto Prince Charles Avenue then took a left on to the A38 (which was quite scary with lorries etc) until Radbourne Lane then to Lees etc.

Bozman

If you go through the Mackworth estate it'll bring you out on Radbourne lane, have a look on google maps.

We're spoilt for choice. Cubley, Cheadle, Ilam and Ashbourne for me tomorrow, as soon as you're up to speed the world's your oyster.

aaronspeight

I know ive just had a little look on google, will know for next time now!

I cant wait to just get the miles in the legs!

Kieran_Burns

Looks like I have another excuse to show off this vid again

http://youtu.be/7Ke2R4TJauA

Alkmonton towards Derby - if you follow the road through Longford that is another gorgeous stretch to cycle on.

smidsy

@Kieran - Have you ridden it the other way?

Kieran_Burns

Yup, bit of a grind so I prefer to come at it from Boylestone - you basically hit 2 sharp hills that way rather one 2 mile one

Bozman

Rose and Crown at Boylestone, top pub.

smidsy

Bozman wrote:

Rose and Crown at Boylestone, top pub.

I am not entirely sure you have your priorities right

gaddster

Kieran_Burns wrote:

If you turn right on Onslow Rd, you're now at the far end of Station Rd in Mickleover

While you're in mickleover I heartily recommend Steve's fish bar for a doner meat and chips..

Kieran_Burns

Bozman wrote:

Rose and Crown at Boylestone, top pub.

I know that place. I had my most spectacular clipless moment there :oops:

I wasn't sure if I'd sorted out my phone properly, so leaning back to check I overbalanced and tipped into the patch of nettles directly opposite the pub.

I was stung so badly I was feeling faint and the only thing that stopped the pain was cycling along with the cool breeze keeping the worst of the pain away.

I got home and my (now ex-) wife freaked. I was COVERED in welts from the nettles. Nice ride 'til that point

R0B75

If I want a flatish ride I head towards Long Eaton and then mix it up a bit heading through Castle Donington, Melbourne and back to Derby via Willington/Mickleover sometimes. But if I want bigger hills then I head out up Kedleston Road way and up towards Turnditch and Belper and over to Holbrook via Milford. Neither route is particularly long, both around 20-30 mile loops with half decent roads and easy to ride from Derby City Centre (where I live too). Long Lane as mentioned before, the road surface is very poor which is a shame, because its great other than that. The truth is, there's LOADS of riding around Derby/Derbyshire and a lot of it is epic.

aaronspeight

I went on my longest ride yet at 5.30am on Monday morning as i wanted to get through Derby City Centre without too much difficulty but i took everyone's advice and headed south to finally have some flat roads and headed to Melbourne then Swadlincote - which in no way was flat! between Melbourne and Swadlincote it was just a permanent hill!!! but I have to say i had a lovely ride between Swadlincote and Derby, going through Repton and Willington (i enjoyed it as it was mainly downhill or flat)

So just wanted to say thanks for people advice on where to ride

A

Kieran_Burns

aaronspeight wrote:

I went on my longest ride yet at 5.30am on Monday morning as i wanted to get through Derby City Centre without too much difficulty but i took everyone's advice and headed south to finally have some flat roads and headed to Melbourne then Swadlincote - which in no way was flat! between Melbourne and Swadlincote it was just a permanent hill!!! but I have to say i had a lovely ride between Swadlincote and Derby, going through Repton and Willington (i enjoyed it as it was mainly downhill or flat)

So just wanted to say thanks for people advice on where to ride

A

Next time, when you leave Ticknall take the right to Foremark and Milton. That's basically flat all the way into Repton. The route you took has two of the worst hills in the area and that one up to the Clock Garage is just stupid

If you don't mind the first hill out of Ticknall (which is just a complete grind), once you've gone belting down the other side and are in Woodville, there's a turn on the right (on a left hand bend) which you can take to Repton as well but that's a bit of a rat run and cars go belting down there at stupid speeds. You can cut through Findern after Willington and cut up Bakeacre Lane up to Blagreaves Lane