Newbie weekly achievement thread

Since i now work in retail with my new glorious job of answering phones at a best buy there wasn't a whole lot of riding for the past 2 and a half months. Which made me very sad, since i like being active.

I did however go out for a ride on my day off. It was almost 60 degrees outside! My bf had bought be a nice long-sleeve craft jersey for Christmas with wind blocking panels so i was excited to try it on and use it. Even though I hadn't been on my bike much (twice on my trainer before this outing) I felt pretty good. Though i was not very fast, avg 13 mph.

The only interesting thing that happened on my ride was that I got into a higher gear to sprint past 3 slow going guys... narrowly missing the oncoming path goers. (it was clear when i decided to pass). I weaved to the right and back left to pass another guy on a bike who, even though I yelled out to him, tried to pass the same person on the right. So, because he didn't see me he almost sideswiped me! So... i guess i just felt proud that I didn't lose control of my bike! Didn't even wobble!

I feel a little guilty about being reckless on the bike path, but... hey... i didn't hit anyone!

Congratulations on the new job, Funsize, there's not much out there at the moment. How lovely to get out on your day off, and well done on the wobble-free passing! I'd love to have an average speed of 13mph, but don't think that will happen on any of the off-road rides I do at the moment.

Kerry, great stuff on a solo tyre change, did you repair the puncture or replace the tube? I think this has to be one of my nursery-morning tasks, especially now that I can learn on the comfort bike.

BikeWriter, at least your bike is in the shop during the worst of the weather. After January, February is a nice short month and then March is almost spring (not that I'm wishing away the year at all!)

Thanks everyone for all the lovely comments. My asthma seems a bit better today so I think the exercise helped. I just love off-road riding, it gives me time on my own and a mind completely cleared of errands, family stuff and so on. I'm feeling it a bit today in the very tops of my arms and my quads, but thankfully the new saddle seems to be a huge improvement. It's been snowing again this morning so I'm very happy I got out yesterday.

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Originally Posted by hebe

Kerry, great stuff on a solo tyre change, did you repair the puncture or replace the tube? I think this has to be one of my nursery-morning tasks, especially now that I can learn on the comfort bike.

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I replaced the tube! :)

Excellent!

I took the saddle (still on the seatpost) from my Marin to the lbs yesterday and asked for something like the Sonoma that's on my Spesh. I came out with another Sonoma that was fitted on the seatpost while I waited. I put it on the bike today and finally worked out how to adjust the tilt of the saddle :D It was pouring with rain so I didn't get out to test it, and there is snow forecast again for tomorrow, but hopefully I'll get out on one of the bikes on Saturday or Sunday. I need to work out if I can live with the original plastic pedals from the Spesh, that are now on the Marin. I didn't think I liked them, but I had normal shoes on today and they didn't seem too bad for a bike that will only be gently off-roading.

I'm also hoping to go on this: a novice ride that's coming up at the beginning of February. I need to get my mileage up a bit through January. but that should be do-able. I'm hoping to go on one of their ladies days later in the year too, sadly I can't make the one this weekend.

I've bought a metal basket for the front of the Marin, so I can use it for shopping and start getting my mileage up that way. I was catching my feet on the panniers :(

Had a friend over for dinner so, Christmas Tree came down and after dinner I drug out the trainer, which is now in it's place. I got on for a quick look-see to make sure things were right and before I knew it I had done 4 miles in about 15 minutes. Put new Brooks saddle on the bike, so tonight I'll give it a go and give it a real test run, this time without three glasses of wine in me!! Defiantly out of the norm for me, but hey, live once in a while right?

Shannon

Brooks saddle, very nice! And your verdict?

I didn't get out this weekend :( I was all kitted up and ready to go this morning, pulled up the garage door and somehow caught the other side on a set of glass shelves which should have been safely out of range. You can guess what happened. 20 minutes of sweeping later I set off with the bike, slid across the black ice coating the road, and decided that we didn't actually need a bottle of gin and a pack of frozen peas that badly. I'm a little bit gutted, it was going to be my first ever proper errand run on the bike, with the new basket. Oh well.

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Originally Posted by hebe

Brooks saddle, very nice! And your verdict?

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I'll withhold verdict for the moment. First time I got on the bike with the new saddle, my back-side barked and wasn't happy, this was just sitting on the bike and doing some light spinning. Felt a lot of pressure on my sit-bones. My old saddle is about the same width, but is a gel padded saddle, so while the Brooks wasn't NEEDED Santa brought me some Christmas money.

I found that my leg was flexing/bent too much with this new saddle, so when I raised the saddle about a half inch the discomfort was much less, or non existent. May not have been connected, but my position was much better, which I think did help.

I did seven miles on the trainer with my padded shorts and felt pretty good (my arse wasn't yelling, but my calf that kept cramping up on my and getting tight WAS), even tho I could tell there was some soft tissue bruising or something going on because even off the bike I could feel a little discomfort, depending on how I was sitting.

I climbed on the trainer with just my jeans yesterday to feel how it felt and could barely sit on the bike due to the achy back-side. I kept shifting my position and trying to find a comfortable with no luck. I'll try and get some more trainer time in tonight or tomorrow and see if I can work through these issues!!

Shannon

Not much of an accomplishment yet but it's a start. Got my bike hooked up on my trainer and began to ride again yesterday. Yeah, it's not like outside riding at all and it's kind of sucky but it is far better than no activity and I feel confident that continued use will give me a leg up when the biking season is back in the spring. Yay! It sure feels good to have the wheels going round again.

I hope you can bend that saddle to your will/butt soon, Shannon.

Good luck with your trainer Bike Writer.

There is rain forecast for the next five days here :( I don't mind a bit of mud but I do mind rain, so it looks like no riding until the weekend. Who knows what shape the trails will be in after 5 days of rain, so I might plan for a road-based ride rather than off-road.

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Originally Posted by hebe

I hope you can bend that saddle to your will/butt soon

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I did eight miles last night in about twenty five minutes and felt pretty good. No cramping in the legs and once I found a comfy spot on the saddle my backside was OK.

I should have this saddle nice and broken in by spring at this rate. Looking forward to nicer weather!!!

Shannon

Last month I got a flat and changed my first tire. Fortunately, it was in my kitchen! :) I inspected the tires on my bike, as it was used, and decided it would be a good idea to go new. So, I ordered Conti GP4000s from Amazon and they arrived yesterday. Tonight I changed out my tires. So, when I have a flat on the road (it is inevitable, right?) and need to do a roadside repair, I can at least take comfort in the knowledge that I have successfully changed 3 tires.

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Originally Posted by Kerry1976

So, when I have a flat on the road (it is inevitable, right?) and need to do a roadside repair, I can at least take comfort in the knowledge that I have successfully changed 3 tires.

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Great for you. I am looking at attending one of the Saturday morning clinics at my LBS basic bike repair/maintenance.

Still bitter cold here, so no outdoor riding, just me and the trainer logging a modest 26 miles this week.

Shannon

The rain has stopped! We have two days of sun forecast, then it clouds over just in time for my two mornings of childcare :( Hopefully I will be out on Thursday though! My garden is like a quagmire after 10days of rain, and all the snow beforehand, I dread to think what state the bridleways will be in.

26miles still sounds pretty good to me. I have pretty much cleared the ironing pile, set up my new sewing machine, repaired some pillowcases and chosen some curtain poles. Productive, but I'd still rather be on a bike!

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Originally Posted by Roadtrip

...I climbed on the trainer with just my jeans yesterday to feel how it felt and could barely sit on the bike due to the achy back-side. I kept shifting my position and trying to find a comfortable with no luck. I'll try and get some more trainer time in tonight or tomorrow and see if I can work through these issues!!

Shannon

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Perhaps it would be a good idea to wait until your discomfort has left first? You were probably planning on this, but I wanted to make that suggestion.