Small steps...

PaddyG68
PaddyG68 Posts: 34
edited September 2014 in Road beginners
I acquired my roadbike just over a month ago and have been cycling home once or twice a week since. It's a shade over 38 km and pretty flat and my quickest time till now was 1:54. Last night, however, I managed to shave a full 13 mins of the trip without killing myself :shock: . Three things I changed though; I replaced my saddle with a Rido Rlt saddle to combat numb-nuts syndrome, which helped a lot, I dropped a couple of cogs, and upped my average cadence to 80 rpm (previously it was around 70), and made a concious effort to "boot-scrape" on the upstroke. It might not seem much to most of you, but for a 40-something, 15 kg overweight desk-jockey, I was pretty chuffed with my achievement. Next goal: 1:30 :wink: .
Tips and stories from this board have been a really helpful resource, so thank you guys.
2011 Scott Spark Team 29er
2014 Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora

Comments

  • Colinthecop
    Colinthecop Posts: 996
    Where's the Strava link...?

    8)
  • simonhead
    simonhead Posts: 1,399
    Keep up the good work
    Life isnt like a box of chocolates, its like a bag of pic n mix.
  • PaddyG68
    PaddyG68 Posts: 34
    Colinthecop wrote:
    Where's the Strava link...?

    8)
    Garmin Connect mate :wink:
    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/576390457
    2011 Scott Spark Team 29er
    2014 Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Nice one, keep it up. :)
  • ashleydwsmith
    ashleydwsmith Posts: 693
    congrats - how do you focus on the 'boot scrape' i try so hard to do it and then feel im over focussing on it. and then stop doing it as i feel im over doing it!
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    PaddyG68 wrote:
    It might not seem much to most of you, but for a 40-something, 15 kg overweight desk-jockey, I was pretty chuffed with my achievement

    Sounds like a pretty good improvement by anyone's standard and plenty to be proud of, anyone tells you it's not much might as well change their name to bar humbug
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • deanflyer
    deanflyer Posts: 52
    Nice part of the world,Fribourg is lovely.
  • PaddyG68
    PaddyG68 Posts: 34
    deanflyer wrote:
    Nice part of the world,Fribourg is lovely.

    It's beautiful; lived here over 19 years now.

    Managed to edge my time down to 1hr 36 now. Would have comfortably beaten it last week if not for a rear blow-out, completely ruined my rear tyre.

    Interestingly, as my road times have gone down, my MTB times have gone up.
    2011 Scott Spark Team 29er
    2014 Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora

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