Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

12 element

Not today but over the weekend I did my longest cycle since I got my bike an amazing 27km! It was unfortunately ruined by a car flying past me on a straight section road with a broken white line with inches to spare. I'm sure they did it on purpose and it's put me off a bit to be honest. I got their reg but not sure what can be done really.

I guess the best thing to do is get out there again and get on with it.

Would anyone have advice on some cycling shorts or underwear I was feeling it for about 2 days later! Not sure I'm ready for the whole lycra look yet though.

Felloffmebike

Thought I could fit in a quick spin between the heavy showers this evening. Wrong. 34k under the same big black wet cloud all the way around. Soaked to the skin. And the sky cleared just as I got home. Hurray! Summer is here...

Inquitus

Some fun Howth repeats with some lads from the club, followed by a severe drenching in some nasty weather, short sleeves, short legs, no rain jacket......brrrrrrr

godtabh

650m climbing over 40km. Slower than I would have liked but its was windy. The plan for the next six weeks is more of this and a couple of 100/150km plus spins around wicklow in advance of the Evil 200

PrzemoF

12 element wrote: »

[..]
Would anyone have advice on some cycling shorts or underwear I was feeling it for about 2 days later! Not sure I'm ready for the whole lycra look yet though.

From my own experience: go for "the whole lycra look" . I was in the same situation last year and I consider every single ride that I had without the "lycra look" and padding to be unnecessary self inflicted pain. Same applies for clip-on pedals - if you don't have them yet, get them asap.

smacl

12 element wrote: »

Would anyone have advice on some cycling shorts or underwear I was feeling it for about 2 days later! Not sure I'm ready for the whole lycra look yet though.

Learn to love the lycra! Face it, you can't put off the inevitable. And once you've got the padded shorts, chamois cream also become an extra option for the longer spins.

rollingscone

Inquitus wrote: »

Some fun Howth repeats with some lads from the club, followed by a severe drenching in some nasty weather, short sleeves, short legs, no rain jacket......brrrrrrr

So much character building I'd be surprised if you didn't get back with a full fledged manly moustache.

godtabh

smacl wrote: »

Learn to love the lycra! Face it, you can't put off the inevitable. And once you've got the padded shorts, chamois cream also become an extra option for the longer spins.

Thats for wimps

smacl

godtabh wrote: »

Thats for wimps

Guilty as charged. I find it makes a big difference on the longer spins, and my style of cycling is all about comfort over performance*

(*that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

godtabh

smacl wrote: »

Guilty as charged. I find it makes a big difference on the longer spins, and my style of cycling is all about comfort over performance*

(*that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

Didnt know it existed until a couple of weeks ago. Was recommended for an event I am doing later in the year.

shaka

Got 64 km in with club yesterday , tough head wind for first half and a very fast return from Castletown hill..

Did 12 km with dog in morning before work

shaka

Got 64 km in with club yesterday , tough head wind for first half and a very fast return from Castletown hill..

Did 12 km with dog in morning before work

rollingscone

Today's 25k was both terrible and not terrible. Pretty standard loop of Cruagh Road, Viewpoint, Stocking Lane.

Terrible:
1. It rained until I got home at which point it became a sunny day.
2. Sucky climbing, stopped 3 times coming up Cruagh road.
3. Tea Party levels of Conservatism on the descents.

Not Terrible:
1. No flashbacks, adrenaline spikes or freakouts despite it being very close to the optimum type of weather.
2. Even on the steepest windiest bits of the descent I was level and calm.
3. The weather created an opportunity to try out my Decathlon Bib tights and my new Aldi convertible Jacket/Gilet. Both performed pretty well.

It really showed me that I need to start getting out for shorter spins near enough to every day if I want to make progress instead of just suffering slowly through 100k odysseys every few weeks.

irishrover99

Nice spin today despite the wind and rain. Felt really good doing 21.8 k around Pheonix Park at 28.1 average speed.
Got back to the job and the sun came out as usual.

Felloffmebike

godtabh wrote: »

Didnt know it existed until a couple of weeks ago. Was recommended for an event I am doing later in the year.

Get it. It might be for wimps but at least you won't be a wimp with a sore ass. Great stuff.

smacl

Felloffmebike wrote: »

Get it. It might be for wimps but at least you won't be a wimp with a sore ass. Great stuff.

Yep, of the ones I've tried I find the wiggle stuff the best. Been using the assos more recently and can't quite fathom why you would want minty arse cream, which has the singular effect of making you feel colder in places you really don't want to feel colder while cycling.

Sarz91

Got a miserable 20.4km done this morning. Got cold and wet and couldn't face going back out again after work. Made up some excuse in my head walking home from work as to why it would be a great idea to stay at home instead of heading out on the bike. I'm a weak willed man. http://www.strava.com/activities/138756314

Daroxtar

Decided it was time to get clipped in so I bought a pair of Aldis finest spd shoes and pedals from Crc for €25. Pedals arrived today so after getting all fired up on YouTube videos I took the brave step and went for it. Practiced against the wall for about 10 minutes beforehand just to make sure I wouldn't make a complete tit of myself and then finally set off.

I fell off 6 times just in my garden. Twice were absolutely spectacular, the first was after my first turn of the pedals. My daughter thinks it is hilarious. She's 5.

Not really bothered uploading the Strava. Having a cuppa now and going out again in twenty minutes.

Unknown Soldier

Daroxtar wrote: »

Decided it was time to get clipped in so I bought a pair of Aldis finest spd shoes and pedals from Crc for €25. Pedals arrived today so after getting all fired up on YouTube videos I took the brave step and went for it. Practiced against the wall for about 10 minutes beforehand just to make sure I wouldn't make a complete tit of myself and then finally set off.

I fell off 6 times just in my garden. Twice were absolutely spectacular, the first was after my first turn of the pedals. My daughter thinks it is hilarious. She's 5.

Not really bothered uploading the Strava. Having a cuppa now and going out again in twenty minutes.

I don't know if you are doing this... But the following worked for me and might be of some help..only clip in/out the foot you mount/dismount with. The other foot stays clipped in all the time unless your getting off the bike.

Best of luck. You'll never look back!

RonanP77

A very short ride today, just home from the bike shop. I tested out the main hill I'll have to run up twice and cycle up once on the Duathlon at the weekend.

4.55km with two nice hills. It says 78m elevation if that makes sense to anyone. Is that me total climb on my spin home?

godtabh

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I don't know if you are doing this... But the following worked for me and might be of some help..only clip in/out the foot you mount/dismount with. The other foot stays clipped in all the time unless your getting off the bike.

Best of luck. You'll never look back!

thats what I do but it is important to be able to clip out of both if needed

Felloffmebike

smacl wrote: »

Yep, of the ones I've tried I find the wiggle stuff the best. Been using the assos more recently and can't quite fathom why you would want minty arse cream, which has the singular effect of making you feel colder in places you really don't want to feel colder while cycling.

Yip that's the stuff. Also known as moo moo cream in my group... Haven't tried the Assos.

blobbie

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I don't know if you are doing this... But the following worked for me and might be of some help..only clip in/out the foot you mount/dismount with. The other foot stays clipped in all the time unless your getting off the bike.

Best of luck. You'll never look back!

As you are starting off, make sure you adjust the tension on the pedals so as you can clip out easily. Youtube "adjusting spd pedal tension" to see some vids by weirdo bike mechanics.

As mentioned above try only clip out your "standing" leg unless dismounting.

A couple of days and you'll be grand (and sore)

Daroxtar

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I don't know if you are doing this... But the following worked for me and might be of some help..only clip in/out the foot you mount/dismount with. The other foot stays clipped in all the time unless your getting off the bike.

Best of luck. You'll never look back!

Ya, that was fine until I fell to the left
I'm fine when out on the road and have a few seconds to unclip. Need more practice around the garden though. Can't see myself mountain biking clipped in just yet

Unknown Soldier

Daroxtar wrote: »

Ya, that was fine until I fell to the left
I'm fine when out on the road and have a few seconds to unclip. Need more practice around the garden though. Can't see myself mountain biking clipped in just yet

You'll be grand. I think like most people, before we go clipped in, we over think it and read all the "horror" stories. I'm only a newbie btw and clipped in since January or so. But again, I think we over think it.

I don't think practising in your garden will help you? The actual clipping out is a simple thing. Twist ankle, foot is free. (Do make sure you have the pedal set to easy clip out though, as someone mentioned above) tbh tying a shoelace is way more complicated IMO. Practising the process of clipping out is kind of useless. You can practise that when not moving, with one foot.

It's not about releasing your foot. It's about when you release your dismounting foot, when cycling and remembering to do it tbh. In advance of stopping/dismounting.

You only need to unclip the foot you dismount with.

That's where I went wrong at first, trying to take both of them out

The hardest thing to learn, I found, is actually clipping back in, when taking off again! Especially going from MTB pedals etc to road ones.

Again, I'm only a newbie but that has been my experience/learning curve so far. It's more about the "head" than the feet.

Sarz91

Cold and soaked after this mornings ride. Wanted to get up earlier and do more but my bed was too warm. http://www.strava.com/activities/139091424

Alek

Wanted to get up earlier and do more but my bed was too warm.

I'm guilty of this too...:pac:

godtabh

Sarz91 wrote: »

Cold and soaked after this mornings ride. Wanted to get up earlier and do more but my bed was too warm. http://www.strava.com/activities/139091424

Alek wrote: »

I'm guilty of this too...:pac:

This should be in the wimp list!

DId 37km. The wind made it very difficult. Still got 640m of climbing done which is the main thing

Alek

This should be in the wimp list!

No! I still happily commuted 10k.

godtabh

Alek wrote: »

No! I still happily commuted 10k.

You're excused