so what are YOU built for?

**DeniseGoldberg** · 07-09-2005, 05:11 AM

Me? I'm an endurance and distance rider, no speed at all! But happily staying on the bike all day and maintaining the same strength at the end of the day as I had at the beginning supports my touring habit very well.

--- Denise

**Technotart** · 07-09-2005, 05:19 AM

Downhills scare me to death too - I don't like the feeling of uncontrolled speed. I have the same problem waterskiing - no problem getting up and going, but once the boat planes and we take off, I have to give it up. It makes me feel like my heart is in my throat. I wouldnt be a good mountain biker because heights scare me even more!

I have gotten my bike up to 37 on a downhill....once, even that is too fast for me. But I do love spinning those pedals into 22 to 24 mph runs on the flats. Yep LOVE that! And I love climbing the hills. And I love riding for hours.

**betagirl** · 07-09-2005, 06:29 AM

"you are fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on our local climb we all practice on.. i'm lucky if i can do 10 mph up it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Caligurl, I live in IL so my idea of a moderate hill may be different than your idea of one

I'd love to see what I'd do in some mountains, I suspect I'd be slower. We do have a few big hills up north of me, and on a century I did this year the last 10 miles had about a 2 mile climb at about a 7% grade. I did about 14 up that thing. Riding up to it it just looked like a big wall lined with trees. You don't see that a lot around here so I was like oh this should be fun.

On a related note I would love to do the Seattle-Portland ride, but I'm curious as to how I'd train for that other than going up to WI or something to get in some decent hills.

**SJCzar** · 07-09-2005, 08:09 AM

I guess that I'm more of a distance kind of gal. I finding that I'm getting better at hills (or maybe just less intimidated by them) but I really love to get on a stretch of freshed paved flat country road and ride for hours.

I think that I've been getting too hung up on increasing my average speed. I find myself constantly checking my computer on my commute to work. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm out there to have FUN, get exercise, save gas....not to be race training.

**wingsonwheels** · 07-09-2005, 09:27 AM

As in Long, Slow, Distance. Same thing when I ran. Nice and easy, keep going for hours, stay light on the pedals...

**yellow** · 07-09-2005, 09:58 AM

Oh, this is soooooo easy....

sleeping

**skibum** · 07-09-2005, 11:49 AM

I'm mainly an endurance kind of person. I can usually get in a groove and ride all day if I want.

I'm not the best climber but I love descending -- bring on the speed. I don't mind a tough climb if I get rewarded with a fun descent on the other side.

**BikingAt50** · 07-09-2005, 01:13 PM

Hey KSH...what part of Texas are you in? I am in the Dallas area. Do you ride the Hotter n Hell 100? How about the Waco Centry?

I have been riding for several months. It appears I am meant for endurance. I too am like the turtle, sloooow but steady. I would love the speed and I do continue to increase, but I guess that will come with time, training, and strength. I am getting better at the hills, but they still kick my behind. I can take a few, but if there is too many, I am spent quickly. I may have to accept that I am 50 and may not be a speedy hill climbing demon...LOL! I love to ride and sight-see. So maybe the endurance for distance is my thing.

**JanT** · 07-09-2005, 01:18 PM

No one would ever say I'm built.

... But my body likes to do LSD, the old Long Slow Distance term from my running days. That's mainly because my body doesn't do any distances Fast!

**Crankin** · 07-09-2005, 05:42 PM

I guess I would have to say that I am an endurance type. My problem is that I have done no riding in a place that is really flat. I can maintain 17-19 mph during the few places/times I have been on a real flat, but it's never been more than 15-20 minutes. Most of my riding is at an average of just under or at 15 when I'm by myself or with my husband. This includes rollers and small climbs. If you add in bigger hills, my average goes down to about 14 or 13.5. There are some good climbs and hills around where I live. The highest grade I've gone up is 20 %, in Vermont. It was short, though. I've done a few 15 % ones, too. Most of the time on big hills, I'm going around 6-8 mph. On shorter or less steep climbs that I am familiar with, I might get up to 12. I hate descending, I feel like I'm going to crash every time, especially if it's curvy! My fastest has been at 32. My depth perception sucks and I know this has something to do with the feeling I get going down a hill. I feel the same way when I drive in an unfamiliar spot.

**CR400** · 07-09-2005, 08:25 PM

I can hold my own on hills but not as fast as the women that are much lighter. Even though I love the challenge of a long steep hill. I love decents and have been known to pedel faster to get up more speed. Can hold my own at a distance did a ride today of almost 70 miles with an average of around 15. I did better on the first half of the ride with and average over 18. But on the way back a strong wind picked up and got dropped back to 12-14mph most of the way, didn't help I did most of it solo. What I love the most is speed, I try to hang with the fast pack of men as long as I can.
I guess I consider myself an all around cyclist at least I try to be.

**bounceswoosh** · 07-10-2005, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by bikerchick68

I have been cycling for about 3 yrs now and I have finally accepted that I am built to go the distance...

I am NOT built for climbing, I am NOT built for speed or racing... but once in my groove I can just go forever...

so what are YOU built for? and are you happy with where you're at or do you want more of yourself?

Me? I don't think I'm built for any of it. Okay, I'm talking mountain biking here, but it's all a struggle -- climbs, sprints, technical stuff, you name it.

Then again, I've just been riding for two years, and I'm starting to notice that I'm getting much faster at downhills. It's possible that I'll eventually find that I'm built for downhills, because as I ride more, taking obstacles at speed is getting less scary and far more exhilirating. I was amazed to ride with some friends a few weeks ago, friends I hadn't ridden with since last year, and see that I can keep up with them, and in places even feel comfortable riding faster than them.

**singletrackmind** · 07-10-2005, 09:55 AM

Endurance. 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100 miles. I'll go and go at a decent pace but no sprints, please, and rollers, not hills. I love to pass people, it's like hunting without all the blood and guts. Hunt them down, pick 'em off, keep them from catching up again. I love to fly down hill. Dirt, road, whatever.

**cruziegirl** · 07-10-2005, 10:06 AM

I guess I'm a climber although having said that I certainly don't go flying up them! But I get into a pace that I can hold and just keep on climbing. I lost about 15lbs about a year or so ago and I found that has really made a difference. 5'1" and 100lbs - makes a lot less to haul up some hill.

**KSH** · 07-10-2005, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by BikingAt50

Hey KSH...what part of Texas are you in? I am in the Dallas area. Do you ride the Hotter n Hell 100? How about the Waco Centry?

I live in the Dallas area too. I just got my bike in October 2004, and I bought it so I could do triathlon's.

I have a sprint tri July 30th... and then I am doing the swimming portion of a 1/2 Ironman Sept. 11th... after that, the only bike rally I am doing is October 1st in Corpus Christi (I grew up there).

Have you checked out the ride with the Plano Bicycle Association, or the Greater Dallas Bicyclists? I ride with those groups Wed/Sat/Sun... tons of fun!

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