Newbie weekly achievement thread

**ShubieGA** · 10-02-2011, 07:36 AM

Way to go MojoGrrl! I guess the answer to hills is practice! You are giving me inspiration!

First longish ride for yesterday after cracking my ribs 6 weeks ago - 20 miles, with some walking up hills involved. It was also my 2nd time in traffic (since some eye stuff over the last few years). I wasn't afraid this time. Yay! So glad I was able to ride in the Tour de Pink, but I need to get after the inclines...it was sad! But I know I can improve. Keep on peddling!

**MojoGrrl** · 10-02-2011, 09:05 PM

For those of you who do a lot of riding around town - I find that a pretty notable accomplishment! I do most of my riding out on country roads where traffic can get kind of scary because they're going fast, but I HATE riding in the city - city traffic and pedestrians make me very nervous. They're unpredictable but at the same time, predictably stupid and unsafe.

**Bike Writer** · 10-08-2011, 07:33 PM

More of an annual achievement than a weekly achievement but today I crossed over 1,000 miles for this outdoor bike riding season! Many riders here are able to triple and quadruple that figure easily. For just over 27 weeks in this season from April to October it's a biggie for me.

Tomorrow I do my second ever chairty ride in the Tour de Livingston. Excited for it!

I don't ride far and I don't ride fast but I do ride often.

**jelee1311** · 10-09-2011, 12:04 PM

Good for you Bike Writer! Have a fun ride

**hebe** · 10-09-2011, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by jelee1311

Good for you Bike Writer! Have a fun ride

+1! Congratulations, Bike Writer!

**Titania** · 10-10-2011, 06:48 AM

Last week we were on vacation, and took quite a bit of time to ride. I broke my personal longest ride (21.5 miles)...twice!!!! Did a 22.7 mile ride on Monday, a 21.9 mile ride on Friday and a 13.1 mile ride on Sunday. I've never ridden that far in a week, ever!

I'm still battling saddle soreness, but each ride it gets better.

**pixiegloss** · 10-11-2011, 12:22 AM

Hi ladies! I found a link on my local bike shop website for a local riding group and I emailed the organizer. He in turn introduced me to a great website where you can join groups of other riders if you're interested in that kind of thing. Check out Meetup.com--being new to the Tampa area, it's been a great way to see what kinds of cycling events and casual meet-ups happen each week.
As a newbie also, I'm not ready to go out and take on a 30 mile ride at 20 mph, but I joined a couple local cycle groups on the site and found that one of them does a ride at my speed every other weekend or so near my house. So I think I'm going to try my first distance ride this weekend--wish me luck!

**Bethany1** · 10-22-2011, 08:55 PM

I did 23 miles today with DH. Normally I give out at 8-10 miles so this was a surprise. However; it wasn't 95 degrees out with grueling hills and trying not to get blown over by semi trucks down the highway. It was overcast, around 65 degrees and no wind.

the local bike trail opened up now that the flooding on the Missouri has stopped. No cars. No hills to crawl up and no stopping for traffic. Just a nice flat limestone trail through cornfields (literally) and then goes through the woods to the starting point. We started in the middle and headed north.

However; cycling on a limestone trail can be dangerous. We almost got ran over by a deer. We must have scared him coming down the path as he bounded right in front of us out of nowhere. I had visions of that guy that was hit by an antelope while racing his bike for a couple of seconds until he ran up into the hills.

We also saw a coyote further down running across the trail and a hawk flew over us through the trees. Wow. He was pretty.

So does all this hill climbing all summer equate to 23 miles of straight limestone trail each time I went out?

**Roadtrip** · 10-23-2011, 05:39 AM

Thanks for sharing everyone!!! I hadn't dropped by in awhile, but happy I did, I was a little discouraged at the ride yesterday. It included more hills then I'm normally used to and I have logged only 20 miles in the last month or so. Perhaps I was jumping the gun, but felt really bad during the ride-- lungs on fire and legs of lead... Felt like crying so turned around and limped back.

Thanks for giving me something to smile at

Shannon

**Catrin** · 10-23-2011, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by Roadtrip

Thanks for sharing everyone!!! I hadn't dropped by in awhile, but happy I did, I was a little discouraged at the ride yesterday. It included more hills then I'm normally used to and I have logged only 20 miles in the last month or so. Perhaps I was jumping the gun, but felt really bad during the ride-- lungs on fire and legs of lead... Felt like crying so turned around and limped back.

Thanks for giving me something to smile at

Shannon

Glad you are smiling, even if it isn't from the ride. It is understandable that it seemed a bit harder than normal since you've not been able to ride like you would like since your injury. It is hard to come back after being off the bike for a while, but it WILL get better

As for me, I didn't ride yesterday since my neck was troubling me after checking out a couple of indoor trainers at my LBS. I am going to try a nice little MUT ride this afternoon, hopefully it will go well. I figure if it isn't on the actual road that I will be less likely to push too hard, I just want to have a nice gentle birthday ride - though if my neck flares will bail from the ride. Trying to balance out my desire to ride and allowing my neck/throat to heal.

**Titania** · 10-24-2011, 08:15 AM

Went for my longest ride ever on Saturday, 26.4 miles and 2 1/4 hours on the bike. I was pretty beat by the end of it...my quads felt like sausages in casings about to split, but it was a great ride. Might very well be the last outdoor ride for me this year.

Weather is getting super cold fast now.

**Giantgirl** · 10-24-2011, 06:08 PM

Nessa, I am 52 and just started riding a few months ago. I keep wondering about the first fall. Hasn't happened yet. Maybe I am being to cautious. My husband and I rode 30 miles Sunday. Our longest ride to date. I too am loving it. Although not the view you have ridden. I live in low country SC. Might take on the new Arthur Ravennel bridge soon. Nice water views of the Charleston harbor.
We have a few good paved trails close by. I like practicing there rather than on the road. Sure wouldn't want my first fall to be in the middle of a busy road.
Can you or someone tell me what is a good average speed, and how many revolutions do you spin in half a minute? Just wondering if I am being a Grandma rider, which I am in real life. Proud Grammy of an 8 month old. Hope to be pulling her behind me soon.
Until

**Owlie** · 10-24-2011, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by Giantgirl

Nessa, I am 52 and just started riding a few months ago. I keep wondering about the first fall. Hasn't happened yet. Maybe I am being to cautious. My husband and I rode 30 miles Sunday. Our longest ride to date. I too am loving it. Although not the view you have ridden. I live in low country SC. Might take on the new Arthur Ravennel bridge soon. Nice water views of the Charleston harbor.
We have a few good paved trails close by. I like practicing there rather than on the road. Sure wouldn't want my first fall to be in the middle of a busy road.
Can you or someone tell me what is a good average speed, and how many revolutions do you spin in half a minute? Just wondering if I am being a Grandma rider, which I am in real life. Proud Grammy of an 8 month old. Hope to be pulling her behind me soon.
Until

Congrats on 30 miles! That was a mental barrier that took me a while to break. (Like...a year. Then it took me another year to do it again and consistently.)
As for your second question, there's no right answer. Speed depends on so much--wind, terrain, road surface, your conditioning, and how you're feeling. Ride as fast or as slow as you want. As long as you get home, you're fine.

Cadence...that depends on your physiology. Some of us are mashers, some of us are spinners. As long as your knees are happy.

**Crankin** · 10-25-2011, 02:22 AM

Titania, we still have a few weeks of good riding left! Get some tights to wear over your shorts, long fingered gloves, wool socks, and any kind of thermal/wool top to wear under your jacket.
I saw your comment in the other thread about the pasture near the hill in Groton. That is a beautiful spot!

**Giantgirl** · 10-26-2011, 04:16 AM

Thanks Owlie,
I will learn all the proper terms for what I am doing, or trying to do!! Well I think I am a Masher, Maybe a wanna be spinner. I love the speed, just a little scary when I get over 20 mph. 20 is a stretch for any length, flat roads, no little hills to help. I am going to Colorado Springs in 2 weeks. Visiting some bike shops. We want to rent road bikes. The thought of Colorado hills makes me have butterflies in my stomach. Never ridden on a hill, a mountain looks like Goliath at this point.
Thanks for any hill riding advice.

Thread: Newbie weekly achievement thread

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