Some Questions

[MomOnBike]

Sometimes I think that our bike computers should show some sort of happiness value number. We (you know, the anal must-chart-everything types) could chart and compare & discuss to death our happiness values & everyone would be satisfied.

Perhaps if we were to just chart that anyway? 'Most any random number would do..

I may have mentioned it before, but it's a little known fact that bicycle tires flatten hills. It takes quite a few repetitions, though... Just find a hilly route & compare average hilly speeds with each other. Comparing hilly & flat averages is much like comparing apples & oranges.

[Sheherazade]

We (you know, the anal must-chart-everything types) could chart and compare & discuss to death our happiness values & everyone would be satisfied.

I certainly know that type- I am an accountant with a number/trend fixation! This morning I got ten miles in without fixating on the numbers other than wanting to do the ten. It was an extremely enjoyable ride; there were a couple of club groups out there who just ran off and left me but I was really happy doing the best I could do. I am getting a lot of satisfaction out of cycling- more than I thought I would. It's becoming hard to imagine a day without the bike. I am thinking of buying an inexpensive hybrid for grocery store/neighborhood sorts of runs. Or maybe a mountain bike

[Geonz]

Think E-bay and something like a vintage Schwinn... I have a wonderful 1968 Racer that does not ask to be stolen, but has big old fenders and big old baskets (well, smaller ones now since the truck hit us and bent the big ones and Stan only had small ones in his garage) and actually, Racers were designed to go pretty fast. (I believe it's a higher gear than the other bikes of that vintage, and maybe a teeny bit lighter.)

[DirtDiva]

Nah... Buy the mountain bike.

[tulip]

Former racer here...you would think that I would obsess over speed and cadence. I probably would if I had a computer on my bike. My solution is to have no computer. I just ride.

LSD--not that kind! Long Slow Distance is key to building endurance. The first year go for LSD and next year you can build on the base for speed.

The hills will come with time, but proper form and technique will also help. One of these days we'll go for a ride and I can help you with that. Although at 13 MPH, you're not too shabby, and I hope I can keep up!

[Geonz]

Thnk twice about going out with other riders who say they are doing LSD... their definition of "slow" can be pretty intense :-) I get mine in leading a slower ride on a heavy bike.

[RoadRaven]

Forget averages... while interesting to look at, they do not take account of head or tail winds, or hills and should not be how you measure your overall performance

Train according to time; do not make every ride a fast one - long, slower paced rides (eg, 90 minutes at 65% if you have a heart rate monitor), and slow active-recovery rides are vital in your training programme. Time you set yourself will depend on the type of riding you do.

Have a couple of courses you do that you can record PBs on... eg an 18km flat course, or a 25km hilly course. Record weather conditions and try to ride that course on similar days/conditions. I find that the best way to measure personal improvements.