Taking it easy on a roadbike

JonEdwards
JonEdwards Posts: 452
How...?

I know this sounds like a daft question, but every time I go out on my good bike I end up leathering myself into the ground, which OK, brings it's own results, but takes the pure pleasure out of riding.

Part of it is that I can't justify pootling along on a Record/Ksyrium/EC90/blah equipped bike. Ok it's all 5+ years old, but if I'm going to ride that level of kit, I have to ride it HARD - otherwise I don't deserve it.

Part of it is greyhound mentality. If I can see someone in the distance, I have to chase them down and overtake, then keep going until they're very properly dropped. Scooters, transits, buses - all fair game (the latter 2 good for free speed once you catch them :D ) On the other hand nobody is going to get past me without a fight either. Even if I'm out on my commuter there's a constant "chase" thing going on. Cruising past the fully Assosed guy on the Pinanago with the deep section wheels on a grubby fixie, wearing baggy shorts and a peaked lid is always good for a (cheap, immature :twisted: ) laugh.

Part of it is that b@st@rd little piece of evil technology "the bike computer". The constant fight just to try and get the average speed 0.1mph higher, knowing that if you slack off just for a fraction of a second, it'll take seemingly 1/2 hour of agony to get it back up again (why is that???).

So how do you just back off and enjoy it....? Hell even doing a recovery ride is an impossibilty, because I can't go slow on the good bike, and the commuter is a fight as soon as there's a hill.

Yes I do have "issues", before anyone comments! :D

Comments

  • I can empathise with that completely. If you want to go out for a slower ride, go with a friend who's not quite as fast as you. It's the only thing that works for me.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Self control. And if you have an easy recovery ride instead of battering yourself then the following day you can ride harder for longer.
    More problems but still living....
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Ride somewhere pretty..
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,318
    Try cycling to a place you don't really want to end up in, like work.

    I'm twice as fast coming home from work as I am going.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    that's why they're called racing bikes ;-) I love cruising past other cyclists and giving the cheery 'morning!' whilst trying not to cough up a lung from the effort of getting past in the first place

    try replacing the speedo with an HRM, the trick is to go as quick as you can whilst keeping in a heart rate zone
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • Zachariah
    Zachariah Posts: 782
    Ride behind an attractive girl.
  • It's easier on a mountain bike...something about road bikes demands "full tilt" all the time :D
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    use a HRM & stay below certain limit- for my part I have to leav the Ipod at home otherwise I end up thrashing myself!
    Sad innit?
  • thiscocks
    thiscocks Posts: 549
    take off the computer for a start. Maybe take off large chainring?
  • slunker
    slunker Posts: 346
    Zachariah wrote:
    Ride behind an attractive girl.

    Or ride the behind of an attrictive girl..............
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    Enter a race, when you are knackered from that, doing a recovery ride is easy.
  • tobermory
    tobermory Posts: 138
    where a balaclava or paper bag ans go incognito
    Never trust anyone who says trust me
  • kettrinboy
    kettrinboy Posts: 613
    saturnfive wrote:
    It's easier on a mountain bike...something about road bikes demands "full tilt" all the time :D
    Agree with this, you will probably never be happy riding your roadbike slow, i save my roadbike for faster rides and when ive had enough of that get the MTB out and i am happy at 12-14 mph,and if other riders pass,i just let them go,which i probably wouldnt on my roadbike.
  • Airwave
    Airwave Posts: 483
    Enter some TTs then you can justify it by calling your fast riding training &as Sbezza said you might enjoy a slow recovery ride now'n'then. :lol:
  • P_Tucker
    P_Tucker Posts: 1,878
    Christ, sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. Are you Welsh by any chance?
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    JonEdwards wrote:
    How...?

    I know this sounds like a daft question, but every time I go out on my good bike I end up leathering myself into the ground, which OK, brings it's own results, but takes the pure pleasure out of riding.

    Part of it is that I can't justify pootling along on a Record/Ksyrium/EC90/blah equipped bike. Ok it's all 5+ years old, but if I'm going to ride that level of kit, I have to ride it HARD - otherwise I don't deserve it.

    Part of it is greyhound mentality. If I can see someone in the distance, I have to chase them down and overtake, then keep going until they're very properly dropped. Scooters, transits, buses - all fair game (the latter 2 good for free speed once you catch them :D ) On the other hand nobody is going to get past me without a fight either. Even if I'm out on my commuter there's a constant "chase" thing going on. Cruising past the fully Assosed guy on the Pinanago with the deep section wheels on a grubby fixie, wearing baggy shorts and a peaked lid is always good for a (cheap, immature :twisted: ) laugh.

    Part of it is that b@st@rd little piece of evil technology "the bike computer". The constant fight just to try and get the average speed 0.1mph higher, knowing that if you slack off just for a fraction of a second, it'll take seemingly 1/2 hour of agony to get it back up again (why is that???).

    So how do you just back off and enjoy it....? Hell even doing a recovery ride is an impossibilty, because I can't go slow on the good bike, and the commuter is a fight as soon as there's a hill.

    Yes I do have "issues", before anyone comments! :D


    ok

    I know exactly what you are saying. On the Tour de Commute we cannot take any prisoners. Beating the time home is important. Buses (in my case tractors) are there to provide a high speed drafting facility etc etc

    All you have to do is do a insanely difficult event at the weekend and your legs will be jelly most of the week. Cruising along in the sun at 12mph will be all you can do

    Another trick is to simply get another bike. Although I've found that getting a single speed bike with Marathon Pluses up to 30mph then becomes the new challenge....
  • rjh299
    rjh299 Posts: 721
    Ride somewhere pretty..

    This helps me, especially if the weather's good. Ipod on, all the gear and cruise round Cornish coast enjoying being out. Managed an average of 12-13mph for just over an hours ride the other day.
    Also I go out riding with my girlfriend sometimes. The aggro on dropping her on every hill isn't worth it so it makes me slow down.
  • nottscobb
    nottscobb Posts: 147
    Ask yourself... Really, what difference does it make if your average drops or if you do or don't catch up with the bus?

    I have a 'cross bike for the basic commute and use the road bike for longer rides and personally I find recovery rides much easier on the road bike because it goes that bit quicker with less effort. As long as I take the time to look left and right to enjoy the view across the fields I end the ride with a smile, which surely is the point of everything we claim to enjoy.

    If you still need some sort of challenge I find that trying to end the ride not dripping in sweat works. If I've let the adrenaline get the better of me and I've worked up an unnecessary sweat then I've failed in the purpose of that ride. If I've done really well the wife won't recoil and point at the shower when I try to kiss her when I get home :lol:
  • Mike67
    Mike67 Posts: 585
    rjh299 wrote:
    Also I go out riding with my girlfriend sometimes. The aggro on dropping her on every hill isn't worth it so it makes me slow down.

    This definitely works :D (Wife in this case)

    My definition of slight rise is her definition of a mountain pass :D
    Mike B

    Cannondale CAAD9
    Kinesis Pro 5 cross bike
    Lots of bits
  • boggybrn
    boggybrn Posts: 29
    I think that some bikes just nag you to push hard! I've been happily tootling around on a mid '80s steel framed bike for most of the winter, but now my CAAD9 is out of hibernation I'm ridding like a man posessed. Every time I come to a hill it just tells me to go for it!

    So for a relaxed ride get a retro-steel bike, and chill.

    Oh yes - down hill over about 34mph the steel bike likes to shimmy at the front end. This is a good hint to slow down a bit...
  • sampras38
    sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    edited April 2011
    Bradders87 wrote:
    I can empathise with that completely. If you want to go out for a slower ride, go with a friend who's not quite as fast as you. It's the only thing that works for me.

    Unfortunately I'm the same as the OP, and whenever I do ride with slower riders I just feel frustrated all the time. I'd much rather ride with people who are quicker than me. Always been like that...even as a kid. I hate it and sometimes wish I could just poodle along and take in the scenery. Never works like that though for some reason.

    The only thing I can think of is I don't get a massive amount of time to ride, with family, work, 2 kids etc, so every ride turns into a training ride.

    I'll take days off to recover so as to not overtrain, but just poddling doesn't do it for me.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    most importantly - do you enjoy riding your bike ?

    if so - carry on doing what you enjoy
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • pauldavid
    pauldavid Posts: 392
    Easy answer to this, I'm so glad I came across this post it is the only thing i may be able to offer advice to someone else on.

    This method definately works I have just proved it conclusively myself.


    Stay off your bike for roughly ten years, then after also putting on a vast amount of weight decide to start again.

    This method has made me infinately slower than I ever was and unable to cover distances that some years ago would have been seen as easy.

    Although I won't be giving up and will regain some level of form it will take some time.

    One question, if you enjoy riding your bike as you do at the moment and your fit enough to ride as you suggest why do you want to rode slowly?????