Newbie and am i really that unfit?

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  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Nice work !
  • Cheeseface22
    Cheeseface22 Posts: 133
    Great news, well done and thanks for sharing your achievement! Quite chuffed for you.

    Lots of PRs, Silver and Bronze "medals" on your Strava this morning?
    ave 9.5mph is a good pace for commuting, well done. You can work out your optimal pace from there.

    Keep us posted and keep cycling!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    :) nice one - now you know what you can do ....

    get strava going (if you haven't already) and work out which segments you can smash ... try short ones at first ;)
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    Good stuff. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be amazed how quickly you'll improve.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    Remember, its a marathon not a race, unless your in a race then its definitely a race not a marathon unless its its snickers.

    As said keep doing what your doing an you'll start getting quicker without realising it.
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  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    chigwellben wrote:
    Does anyone have tips on what to eat for breakfast and fueling to ride?
    How long before leaving etc? Its only 7 miles but i definitely noticed i struggled doing it fasted and badly hydrated

    eat & drink whatever youd normally eat & drink for breakfast if you werent riding a bike, doesnt have to be anything specially fitness focussed or bike focussed.

    Ive always really struggled to eat breakfast, combination of not being a morning person really, so for a commute I just ride fasted because thats how I start every work day regardless, I always carry a water bottle though just in case, but might find only use it when I reach work. but its key to realise not everyones the same, so just because that works for me, might not work for you or anyone else.

    weekend rides where I go much longer, then I pay a bit more attention to it, but its just normal breakfast, cereal, maybe some fruit, coffee
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    Imposter wrote:
    Webboo wrote:
    YiannisM wrote:
    I did several 70+km without breakfast just a coffee, with couple of surreal bars and water during the ride. 7 miles shouldnt be a problem.
    Are surreal bars what milemuncher uses when he’s doing his 100 milers with the 45kg rucksack.

    Either that, or those 'special' bars that you get from Amsterdam coffee shops...

    He’s certainly spethal
  • Klaus B
    Klaus B Posts: 63
    cougie wrote:
    Cycling shouldn't be that hard so you're doing something wrong.

    I'd also pick up the bike and spin the wheels to make sure nothing is rubbing. And is the chain oiled ? Are the tyres pumped up hard enough ?

    Put it in a gear that lets you pedal at a cadence greater than 60rpm.

    Keep at it. You'll get there.

    That's a great advice.
    7 miles of commuting and 7 back again are not a joke, basic checks as the ones written above by cougie are GREAT. You are gonna enjoy a lot more your rides.

    Inflate your tires 1 a month.
    I would say top up oil (4£ and it'll last for months) on your chain at least 1 time a month too and not before you ride your bike if not that oil is going everywhere. Put a piece of cardboard under your bike during and after you put the oil to avoid that'll drip on the floor. There are different ways to top up your oil, I personally put one drop in every link of the chain taking as reference my chain link. It takes 2/3 min.

    If you want to step these maintenance even further check if your chain has got a chainlink (you can spot it on if you spin slowly your chain, if your chain links are all the same you don't have it nothing wrong with it, just different type of chain) get a chainlink remover (less tha 10£) and after your chain is off the bike you can clean all the black dirt off with a strong brush wherever the chain is meant to pass through (cassette, rear mech and chainrings). If you help yourself with detergent just put it on the brush not directly on the bike, then rinse it afterwords using a soaked cloth in water (squeeze the excess of water if too soaked, you don't want that water going on your bearings). If you are using 7, 8 or 9 rear speed this chain link should be reusable; with 10 and 11 rear speed it's better that you change the link as often as you can afford. Then put the chain back where it is supposed to pass through.
    it seems complicated written like this but you don't have to do this often (every 3 months I say). Just do it outside your house in a sunny day and is gonna be more enjoyable. I reckon 15-20 mins job.
  • ayjaycee
    ayjaycee Posts: 1,277
    YiannisM wrote:
    I did several 70+km without breakfast just a coffee, with couple of surreal bars and water during the ride. 7 miles shouldnt be a problem.
    Yiannis - If the coffee was a good strong Cypriot sketo, you could probably have gone another 70!
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  • yiannism
    yiannism Posts: 345
    ayjaycee wrote:
    YiannisM wrote:
    I did several 70+km without breakfast just a coffee, with couple of surreal bars and water during the ride. 7 miles shouldnt be a problem.
    Yiannis - If the coffee was a good strong Cypriot sketo, you could probably have gone another 70!

    Nah, just simple nescafe, that double Cypriot sketo coffee its on the coffee break (actually thats the name of my team, coffee break riders :D )

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