What do you say to cycling noobs?

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Comments

  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Don't buy upgrades, cycle up grades.
    Yer - but there's nothing like a new bit of kit to encourage you to go out and use it ....
    PBlakeney wrote:
    That, and it is all about the cafe stop with mates, not speed.
    Only if you're faster than them - otherwise it's all about the speed - to enable you to comfortably ride to that cafe stop without arriving as a pile of quivering jelly....
    Mates don't drop mates on a café run. End of.
    That is racing, or being members of a dick club.

    Didn't say anything about dropping ... just busting a gut to keep up ... or getting a bit fitter so you can ride within yourself.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    Wider grey area between busting a gut and getting a bit fitter. My group ease up if someone is toiling. It may be you one day after all.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Slowbike wrote:
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Why is speed important to them? Isn't the.enjoyment of being out on a bike enough? I.enjoy my 6mph rides with junior as much as my head down, nothing left in the.tank solo rides. There's only the one.connection between those extremes and that's me, sat on a bike pedalling along.The best part about it IMHO.
    If your solo rides were at the same speed (because you couldn't get any faster) you'd get frustrated I'm sure- especially when you're overtaken by me with my 2yo on the back ... ;)
    Seriously? 8mph is my partner's average speed. No frustration at all even though primary school kids overtake her. I keep saying that our 4 year old is matching his speed to her so he doesn't leave her behind. Speed isn't everything. Being out on a bike is. YMMV!
    Some people have no competitiveness or drive ... Look at Angelica Bell in Tour de Celeb - quite happy to sit at the back and coast ... so yes - just being sat on the bike can be enjoyment enough. But for many, there is a desire to do things just a bit better/faster ...
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    PS I'm back from holiday and had the choice of car or bike. I'm usually taking the car but today it's the bike. I'm glad I did that even though my legs wouldn't work. Struggled to keep over 10mph. Still enjoyable.
    I came back from holiday (all day driving) and did a TT the following morning - bit slower than last years same course but not much ... helps that I did a couple of rides on holiday :) I didn't "enjoy" the TT - but I was happy that I'd come close to my time - better than I thought I'd achieve given lack of training ... it was a tad over 10mph though ;)
    My holiday was riding every day. Plus got home very late. Then into a week of commuting without the touring load. Cue over exuberant time trialling to and from work without a rest day. Legs of lead this morning before getting on the bike.

    Still it's all good fun.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    PBlakeney wrote:
    It may be you one day after all.
    It usually is! ;)

    Actually - that's not quite true - I haven't done a group ride for some time now (excluding rides with the 2yo or with my wife)
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    My holiday was riding every day. Plus got home very late. Then into a week of commuting without the touring load. Cue over exuberant time trialling to and from work without a rest day. Legs of lead this morning before getting on the bike.

    Still it's all good fun.

    Ah - well at that point I'd not "enjoy" the riding - but I'd be glad I've done it ... a bit like the ride home on Tuesday - wet wet wet - didn't enjoy the ride - but it was nice to have done it and I'd rather have done that than got in the car - although I did enjoy the last few hundred yards because my 2yo had come out on his balance bike to meet me... :)
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    2 yo? I seem to remember a few posts about you expecting a first child (unless I'm mistaken). Was that really over 2 years ago? Time really does fly by at times.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Best thing last night was meeting the family at a pub for dinner on the way home. We both set.off from opposite ends and met at the pub. 2 benefits...always nice to.ride with the lad (pure entertainment with.his.antics, chatting and stunts). Plus I had no washing up to do.
  • Midlands Grimpeur
    Midlands Grimpeur Posts: 340
    Just from personal experience most people who say they have £ to spend just want to spend some money, they never actually want training advice so I don't tend to waste my breath. If they want wheels/buying advice I just point them in the direction of a few online shops and tell them to pick what they like the look of.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Some bizarre responses - especially amongst the early stuff. Last couple of "noobs" I spoke to at work are now Cat 3 racing where, of course, no-one cares how fast or how long you can ride...

    Some people just need a bit of encouragement and setting on the right path to avoid the mistakes some of us made when we were "noobs"
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    2 yo? I seem to remember a few posts about you expecting a first child (unless I'm mistaken). Was that really over 2 years ago? Time really does fly by at times.

    yup - he's 2 now!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Best thing last night was meeting the family at a pub for dinner on the way home. We both set.off from opposite ends and met at the pub. 2 benefits...always nice to.ride with the lad (pure entertainment with.his.antics, chatting and stunts). Plus I had no washing up to do.

    Hmm - must do this ... although if he's going to be on my bike then I'll have to lay off the beer ... I can drink and ride - but not with him on the back! :)
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Non-alcoholic beer in my case. Don't drink and drive so can't reconcile drink and cycle. It doesn't seem much different other than the potential for damage to yourself and others with a car. Although I don't believe there's anything wrong if your opinion is different. I'm not criticising anyone who has a bit to drink and then cycles to a point.

    BTW it's nice just relaxing with the family in the pub beer garden, knowing you've still got a nice canal ride home with them afterwards. I'd do it even if you have to drink soft drinks or something like Erdinger Alkoholfrei or Bavaria 0.0%. Although it's coke before cobra 0% or bud blue!

    BTW I was drinking fentimann's dandelion and burdock. It's not bad at all.
  • yiannism
    yiannism Posts: 345
    My advice is to work harder, and find a group little faster than them to push them, and i try to explain them that cycling is not an easy sport after one point. They have to understand that they have to suffer to become better. A lot they dont like it and they are getting disappointed, but thats how i did it.
  • Big Geordie
    Big Geordie Posts: 49
    Tell them to ride a lot.

    And on the days when they don't feel like going out on the bike....

    Tell them to go out on the bike.

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