Newbie weekly achievement thread

[Roadtrip]

Thought I'd post a quick update. First, I lost 1.1 pounds last week and down 11.2 pounds in eight weeks.

Been busy lately. Took DH Friday to pick up new bike (in the rain) and it looks really, really nice!! I looked at the new old stock bike again while we were there and I've decided to just stick with my 2008 and be happy with it. It's silly.

Hit the small local trail on Saturday and did about 5 miles at a pretty slow pace trying to get us both dialed in with saddle positions and the like. It was pretty cold (lower 40's, but sunny) and my nose was cooperating leading to a little difficulty breathing when we stepped up the pace. I don't know why my nose leaks like a old faucet when the temp gets below 50. OY!!

I ended up swapping out the saddle, put on some nice Ergo-grips with bar ends, and installed a new wireless bike comp. I'm really happy with how it's feeling (after being scared silly with the 700C tires at first) now that I'm getting pretty dialed in comfort wise. I "assumed" that the big cushy seat would be MORE comfy then the road/hybrid saddle. I had serious issues with it on this bike, but I am pretty happy (looks better too) with the smaller saddle with less padding... odd, but hey.. if it works I ain't complaining!

We rode to the grocery Sunday and I changed into the wrong gear heading up the hill and killed the forward momentum I had and ended up walking the hill. Got a few things we needed and I bombed down the hill on the way back and didn't even touch the breaks until the bottom. I was FLYING and went to look at my bike computer and realized it was in my pocket. LOL. If I wasn't nearing 25-30mph I'd be surprised. I loved it too.

Shannon

The trusty steed in the trainer:

[hebe]

COngratulations on the weight loss! I have about another 7lbs to go, which hopefully will be gone by Christmas.

That bike computer thing is infuriating isn't it? My last ride I had the Garmin working ok, but the chain came off my bike and I had to walk home. The ride before was excellent, but the Garmin was in my seat pack and switched itself off.

The weather here has turned miserable, and my dh was home for a week before flying out to Berlin yesterday until the weekend. I'm hoping to get out on Wednesday if the rain stops. I ordered a bundle of clothes from minx-girl.com and it has all come, I need to exchange the jersey for a larger size but everything else looks pretty good and comfy.

[Bike Writer]

... but the chain came off my bike and I had to walk home...
.

Oh Hebe, that stinks when it happens. Happened to me twice recently, the first time a couple of bikers came along and helped me out and I was really grateful because I was a few miles out from my vehicle and I was really struggling with it, the second time I tried it myself and after a bit of a work I got it back on. It's a wee bit harder because I have a chain guard but turning the bike upside down really helps instead of being all hunched over and trying to do this we me upside down. If you put your hand behind the derailur and push it foward, it moves forward a couple of inches and gives you the necessary slack to get the job done. It is a VERY messy process but beats walking back.

[hebe]

Thank you for those tips, I'm glad it's not just me. It came off the largest cog on the rear deraillieur and got wedged under that pie plate thing at the back, so even with as much slack as I could get it wasn't coming unstuck. Wheeling it home did seem to help though, I got it sorted in the back garden.

Weather is sunny but cold tomorrow, so I'm going out in my new tights! I'm starting to worry that I'll forget how to ride if I leave it another week.

[hebe]

Well, my new tights worked, I made it all the way up one of my nemesis hills (singing "Straighten up and fly right" in an effort to keep focussed). I did better on the other one too. It was cold - 41, so I was properly wrapped up, and it was great not to feel the chill.

Can anyone tell me about riding in mud? I was going up a new bridleway which ended up with my wheels making squelching and sucking noises as I went through ankle deep mud and puddles. I headed back when the mud started going uphill as I wasn't sure my comfort bike was up to it, but I do want to head back that way when I have my mountain bike. Any tips would be very welcome.

Today was 6.22miles, top speed of 16mph. I'm just over half-way to my 25mile target for November.

[jelee1311]

Good job! I love that you sing that song going up an evil hill,my hill climbing efforts usually result in four letter words

[Roadtrip]

Hebe - Have you considered a Cross Bike when your ready for your next new boke? Does it have to be a Mountain Bike? Will you be doing trails where your doing stump jumping and that sorta stuff??

Sorry no suggestions on the mud. I'm a little too chicken to try slogging through the slippery stuff

Shannon

[Bike Writer]

Well, my new tights worked, I made it all the way up one of my nemesis hills (singing "Straighten up and fly right" in an effort to keep focussed). I did better on the other one too. It was cold - 41, so I was properly wrapped up, and it was great not to feel the chill.

Can anyone tell me about riding in mud? I was going up a new bridleway which ended up with my wheels making squelching and sucking noises as I went through ankle deep mud and puddles. I headed back when the mud started going uphill as I wasn't sure my comfort bike was up to it, but I do want to head back that way when I have my mountain bike. Any tips would be very welcome.

Today was 6.22miles, top speed of 16mph. I'm just over half-way to my 25mile target for November.

Great job on the hills and mileage goal! It sounds like you are having a lot of fun in the process. I sometimes sing up hills also. One of mine is to the tune of "here we go a caroling" "here I go a pedling - up the hill I go" then it morphs into "row, row, row your boat" "pedal, pedal, pedal - life is what I know". Goofy but it helps, it makes me laugh and not think so hard about the hill.

Riding in mud? Sorry, don't have experience and don't want to, you're brave to traverse it!

[hebe]

Thank you! I did wonder about a cross bike, but they seem quite pricey here and I can get a Specialized Myka for rather less. It's easier to avoid mud than hills, I suppose, and I can talk to the bike shop about the best bike for the type of riding I do. I absolutely love getting away from it all, up a track that has just the odd dogwalker or horserider, and my time fellrunning in the Peak District left me with a deep appreciation of the views that you get after slogging through all that mud and up those hills. Also, as a fairly reluctant exerciser, I found that concentrated hill work brings real benefits to muscle tone and cv fitness, and I'm finding the same with cycling. I'm not sure about getting to technical tracks Roadtrip -maybe in the future, but at the moment my riding time is only in 60-90minute chunks and there aren't any trails close enough to fit in with that. It is something that I'm thinking about for the future though.

There was a lovely hill song posted on here, I can't remember who by , but it went "We are climbing, We are climbing, Yes we are Yes we are, This is not a real hill, This is not a real hill, No it's not, No it's not" (to Frere Jacque).

How are you getting on, Kerry?

[jelee1311]

Hebe I'm so happy for you,a new bike how exciting! What a great thing to look forward to. I'm strictly a roadie but maybe next spring.......

[Kerry1976]

Not much new on my end....just passed 100 miles for 5 weeks on my Trek Pure Lowstep. Getting the fever though and wanting a road bike....