Shouldn't it get easier???

corblimey · 10-07-2011 2:07pm #1

I was out today for a spin. The road I was on was fairly hilly, nothing too drastic (I don't know where I was, so I can't map it in bikeroutetoaster), but I found myself in the granny gears most of the time. It's been a while since I've been out, but not that long, and the tyres were nice and pumped, so is there anything else I should be looking at that would cause the bike to be sluggish?

Yes, the bike, not me. I am sleek.

It really felt like the first time out on a bike and even a hill near the end that I can scale with ease felt just that little bit harder than usual.

petethedrummer · 10-07-2011 2:23pm

I got very run down during the week and now have a cold. There's something going round at the moment. You could have caught it.

If you're not going well it always feel like there's something rubbing or extra friction on the bike.

ednwireland · 10-07-2011 2:40pm

check the brakes

either that you just sometimes get days like that

corblimey · 10-07-2011 2:56pm

The bike is due a service anyway, so maybe I'll mention the brakes but it's possible it's down to the nut between the saddle and the handlebars.

JacksonHeightsOwn · 10-07-2011 3:08pm

Greg Lemond has a famous saying regarding cycling

"it doesn't get easier, you just get quicker"

Eamonnator · 10-07-2011 5:41pm

If it's getting easier, you need to train harder!!!!

ROK ON · 10-07-2011 6:40pm

@Corblimey

Sometimes you will be stronger than others.
I often find that I can vary between super strong and weak as an old cripple within a matter of weeks. It can be a mental thing (form, attitude, interest) or a physical thing (catch a bug, strain a muscle, tired legs).

When I hit a lull I tend to focus on doing a relaxed cycle with a coffee stop. Focus on something enjoyable.

CianRyan · 10-07-2011 6:56pm

At the start of my spin today I was close to giving up about 10k into it. I've had a bit of a bug. Bit chesty, sore troath and a manky eye. Mix that with a late night and I thought I was done halfway up my first climb.
Kept at it though and by the end of my spin I felt like I could have done another 10-15k.

It's weird and I'm not very experienced but I just try not to get disheartend.

nomdeboardie · 10-07-2011 7:01pm

Do the wheels spin freely when you hold up the bike and rotate them? If yes and you have this expression on your face :rolleyes:, ignore the following... I’ve a few spins over the years where I felt a moumental drag and then discovered that either one of the brake (sidepull) callipers had rotated sideways so that one of the pads was rubbing off the wheel (maybe that was what ednwireland was referring to above), or one or wheel axles had worked a bit loose and the tyre was rubbing off the frame (chainstay).

Shouldn't it get easier???

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