Getting Started.....Tips!

keano007

new to boards lads so ye'll have to bear wit me, I just want to start a new thread for anyone who has just started cycling or who are thinking of starting.........any tips on what clubs are out there and where to get started would be appreciated.

I just bought a trek 1.2 road bike and im looking to join a club in the dublin area (close to blackrock if possible) and start doing a few spins to build up my time on the bike!!

Planet X

Orwell Wheelers, Dundrum. http://www.orwellwheelers.org/

Bray Wheelers, Bray. http://www.braywheelers.com/

Sorrento CC, Dalkey/Dunlaoighre. http://www.sorrentocyclingclub.com/site/

All have websites.

jimshady101

Great thread to start. I am in the exact same boat as you. Just bought a Trek 1.2 myself a few days ago.

blorg

Possibly try coming out on a Boards spin which can maybe be a bit more relaxed than a typical club spin. Having said that I'm in Orwell myself, mainly to race, and they are good guys, very helpful and willing to impart advice. One thing to bear in mind if you really wanted to join a club (a must if you want to race) is that I think many close their memberships at some point in the year (they prefer to get new members up to speed with group riding over the winter/earlier in the season.)

keano007

cheers for the info lads, how often do the boards spins happen?

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

Possibly try coming out on a Boards spin which can maybe be a bit more relaxed than a typical club spin.

Eeeerr depends who is there because the boardsies have gotten much better since the spin started last year. I wouldn't recommend it if you have never cycled 100k before.

Lumen

I've only been on a couple of Sat boards spins as I'm not really up to 100+kms over the mountains yet and have to be back by midday to be with the family.

I usually head out early from D15 on Sat or Sun morning , and would welcome company, although 80km @ 25kph is about my limit right now.

FrankGrimes

Lumen wrote: »

although 80km @ 25kph is about my limit right now.

25kph riding solo is not to be sniffed at - I'd say with the right course you could break that mental 100km barrier very soon and once you manage that it really is a case of onwards and upwards from there.

The Martin Earley Tour Of Kildare follows a relatively easy (bar 2 climbs which admittedly caused me trouble last year) 100km route starting from Naas. Actual route last year was 92km due to flooding but here is the intended route. Might be worth a go?

I might be on for doing that route sometime soon (maybe even this weekend to notch up my 100km ride for March) - we could make it into a Boards spin?

blorg

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Eeeerr depends who is there because the boardsies have gotten much better since the spin started last year. I wouldn't recommend it if you have never cycled 100k before.

We have had a few guys out who have never done that distance and we have got them around. Some have even come back! Lumen is well up to 100km over the mountains I reckon, especially on that lovely new bike he has.

Lumen

FrankGrimes wrote: »

25kph riding solo is not to be sniffed at - I'd say with the right course you could break that mental 100km barrier very soon and once you manage that it really is a case of onwards and upwards from there.

LOL, the mental barriers are the easy ones. Right now the only barriers are physical - today I'm in a bit of pain after the 80km on Sat and an 8km run on Sun. I think too much distance too quickly is a recipe for injury (been there before).

I don't really have great ambitions for distance - just need to be able to do Sally Gap and back, which is about 85km. Doing that in three hours would be brilliant. I just want to be fast enough to own a Cervelo.

The main challenge is getting the boardsies on the road by 9am on a Saturday morning. Now that's a mental barrier.

Chips Lovell

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Eeeerr depends who is there because the boardsies have gotten much better since the spin started last year. I wouldn't recommend it if you have never cycled 100k before.

I'd tend to agree with this. The beginner and intermediate spins at my club are at a far more relaxed pace than the average boards spin and avoid any serious climbing.

P.S. Lumen isn't half as bad as he let's on to be.

keano007

Ummmm i think i'll have to go out and push myself to see how much i can do, im only cycling with 2 weeks and the most ive done is 40km.

saying that i wasn't all that tired after it, im sure i could of done alot more but it was a fairly flat route.

R the boards spins very hilly?

Raam

keano007 wrote: »

Ummmm i think i'll have to go out and push myself to see how much i can do, im only cycling with 2 weeks and the most ive done is 40km.

saying that i wasn't all that tired after it, im sure i could of done alot more but it was a fairly flat route.

R the boards spins very hilly?

If we go into Wicklow, yes.
If we head into Meath, no.

The decision on where to go is entirely random.

rottenhat

The longer this conversation goes on, the more I'm inclined to recommend that you head out with the Orwell beginners' group some Sunday. Departs Joe Daly Cyles in Dundrum at 9:30 on a Sunday morning, 60-80km, pace won't kill you, not too hilly. It's generally a pretty easy-going group, and you will get an introduction to group riding skills that will stand you in good stead later. They'll be running until mid-April.

Caroline_ie

Raam wrote: »

If we go into Wicklow, yes.
If we head into Meath, no.

We had a few Meath Midweek spin last summer

keano007

rottenhat wrote: »

The longer this conversation goes on, the more I'm inclined to recommend that you head out with the Orwell beginners' group some Sunday. Departs Joe Daly Cyles in Dundrum at 9:30 on a Sunday morning, 60-80km, pace won't kill you, not too hilly. It's generally a pretty easy-going group, and you will get an introduction to group riding skills that will stand you in good stead later. They'll be running until mid-April.

i actually went down to joe daly's last sunday but it started snowing so they decided not to head out so i might go down there again this week, r u a member of orwell....?

rottenhat

Yes, I joined this year, and you might have seen me there on Sunday along with Mrs Rottenhat. It stopped snowing on our way home so we cut down to the coast road and went out to Shankill then up through Rathmichael. I decided a detour up Puck's Hill was in order...and then the heavy snow shower hit when we were half way up. Crappy morning all in.

Anyway, I'll be out on Sunday - I'll be riding a fairly old-fashioned looking green bike, so introduce yourself if you see me.

Chips Lovell

rottenhat wrote: »

Yes, I joined this year, and you might have seen me there on Sunday along with Mrs Rottenhat.

Aha, another Orwellian. There's heaps of them now on Boards. I'm often along on Sunday mornings.... on my evil carbon bike.

DirkVoodoo

I still haven't joined Orwell yet, my mum's cousin is a member and keeps telling me to head out. Unfortunately sunday is becoming "mountain day".

Chips Lovell

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I still haven't joined Orwell yet, my mum's cousin is a member and keeps telling me to head out. Unfortunately sunday is becoming "mountain day".

What's mountain day?

rottenhat

el tonto wrote: »

Aha, another Orwellian. There's heaps of them now on Boards. I'm often along on Sunday mornings.... on my evil carbon bike.

Somehow I suspect you're not to be found in the lowly step up group though.

DirkVoodoo

I go up the mountains on a mountain bike...sorry, I thought I threw in "bike" there.

Chips Lovell

Well, if you start now, you could get a few spins in before the club league starts.

DirkVoodoo

Hmm...just looking at the route for this weekend, I might give the "mountain day" a rest so.

I'll see how I feel after this weeks saturday spin.

keano007

rite i had my first fall off my bike yesterday, 2 weeks into cycling it was always going to happen sonner or later. i think it was better to get it out of the way anyway. the ppl of lucan got a rite laugh:)