Newbie weekly achievement thread

[KatzPajamas]

This week I...
- rode 15 miles which is my longest ride so far
- learned how to use my cleats with my clipless pedals
- learned to ride with one hand to signal with the other

baby steps

This is awesome. I have been riding since May and can do about 27 for longest ride. Tried the clipless thing on my first week and wiped out too many times. Now use regular old pedals and have no desire to try clipless again. I still have trouble taking one hand off the handlebars. So you are way ahead of me in a very short time! Rock~n~Roll!

[Fontinalis]

I have gone with clipless pedals and cleats yesterday!!!!
Rode about 8 km in town (lots of stops, red lights, and a couple of minor hills). And today did my usual early morning 14km loop, also in town, but with no traffic in the streets. I absolutely LOVE it.
It is a very different way to pedal. And muscles who apparently had not been working for three years (this is my third season bicycling after 30 years off the bike) were a little sore last night, and again today. But no falls and really no fears I must say. I do have a new mantra (as I approach a stop/red light/or anticipating a situation calling for a stop) : unclip! unclip! unclip! LOL
I feel good about this. Just like when you get to hang with the older kids in that other schoolyard. ;-)
I have decided to go with clipless pedals as I am going for a cyclotouring trip in a month, and figure that it might do a difference then. I thought that a month would give me a good idea if I want to do my trip clipless or not. So far, I'm liking this. If the sore muscles are less and less sore as days go by, as I do my various commutes this week and the next weeks, then, it's a go!

I have no preconceived ideas about this. There isn't, in my mind, a better way to ride per se. It is each person's doing their thing, and what is good and best for each person. But I feel good having tackled something new about bicycling, and I am curious of what it will bring on. I'm not into speed, performance, etc. But I would love to gain stamina. So anything that may help me improve my pedaling, in longer rides, is welcome.

[Nick]

I have gone with clipless pedals and cleats yesterday!!!!

Congrats on that! Glad to hear you are having a good experience. I recently switched to clipless. They have definitely changed the "feel" of my ride.

[MVines]

Hi All - Have had my bike for a week now and just completed my first 10 mile ride. Rode it in 46 minutes, including 3 short breaks. Got a new saddle yesterday and it has made a world of difference. Bontrager Affinity 1 WSD = BAD, Specialized Lithia = Much Better

[Velocivixen]

I purchased and installed a Velo-Orange polished aluminum chain ring guard on my new bike. Well, the front derailleur (which is the harder of the two derailleurs to adjust) was very slightly rubbing on the new chain ring guard. I watched some online videos about front derailleur adjustments and so I moved my front derailleur slightly higher so it wouldn't rub. I must have also inadvertantly rotated the derailleur cage, so then I had to adjust that as well as the limit screws. That, in turn, slightly affected the cogs in the back and shifting so I had to adjust that. All in all things shift well and work, but things seem just a tad more noisy than when compared to before I made these adjustments. I have my one month free tune up on my bike this week and I will definitely tell them what I did and have them "fine tune" my work. So that's my achievement.

[roo4]

Well, poo! I signed up for an organized ride and opted for the $20 long sleeve T-shirt. As near as I can tell, the ride is composed of three loops, kinda shaped like Mickey Mouse. The loops are 50, 25, and 25 miles, and riders can do any combination. The (minor, I know) problem is that I am planning to ride 50, maybe 75 miles and the shirt proudly proclaims that it is a century ride.

I don't like wearing the shirt under false pretenses. Yes, I realize that only about 3 people will ever notice this and comment. Yes, I realize that I am married to one of them. Yes, I understand that this is trivial compared to pretty much everything else in the world.

Signed,

Century Ride Poser

[Velocivixen]

Hey roo4, good job for riding any of them! You do know, don't you, that you wear the shirt After the ride (not before or during)?

[tealtreak]

Well, poo! I signed up for an organized ride and opted for the $20 long sleeve T-shirt. As near as I can tell, the ride is composed of three loops, kinda shaped like Mickey Mouse. The loops are 50, 25, and 25 miles, and riders can do any combination. The (minor, I know) problem is that I am planning to ride 50, maybe 75 miles and the shirt proudly proclaims that it is a century ride.

I don't like wearing the shirt under false pretenses. Yes, I realize that only about 3 people will ever notice this and comment. Yes, I realize that I am married to one of them. Yes, I understand that this is trivial compared to pretty much everything else in the world.

Signed,

Century Ride Poser

no worries! Plenty of 18 yr olds wear rolling stones ts that were not born "in the day" lol

[MojoGrrl]

I purchased and installed a Velo-Orange polished aluminum chain ring guard on my new bike. Well, the front derailleur (which is the harder of the two derailleurs to adjust) was very slightly rubbing on the new chain ring guard. I watched some online videos about front derailleur adjustments and so I moved my front derailleur slightly higher so it wouldn't rub. I must have also inadvertantly rotated the derailleur cage, so then I had to adjust that as well as the limit screws. That, in turn, slightly affected the cogs in the back and shifting so I had to adjust that. All in all things shift well and work, but things seem just a tad more noisy than when compared to before I made these adjustments. I have my one month free tune up on my bike this week and I will definitely tell them what I did and have them "fine tune" my work. So that's my achievement.

That's great! I am still too afraid to do any real "mechanical work" on my bike, but it's an invaluable skill to have.

[MojoGrrl]

65 miles today, pretty much climbing the whole damn time....and my "bad" knee did not hurt AT ALL. Not even a moment of fatigue or discomfort. This is a FIRST!!

[sunsfan]

65 miles today, pretty much climbing the whole damn time....and my "bad" knee did not hurt AT ALL. Not even a moment of fatigue or discomfort. This is a FIRST!!

Impressive. And hurray for no pain!