How/why do you cycle?

Billy-no-Money

Most of my riding is commuting - 80 to 100 miles a week, missing out only the really wet days. At the weekends if the weather's decent I like to get out into the country lanes just to relax; and I use a bike for trips to the local shops unless I'm getting something big or doing the weekly shop.

I'd been commuting for a couple of years, averaging 3 trips a week (60 miles) when I decided to get a 'pedelec', or an electrically-assisted bike. I'm now happy to use the bike even when it's windy (I'm in Blackpool) so I'm getting much more use out of it, and while its top speed is no quicker than an ordinary bike the acceleration is superb, making riding in traffic much more pleasant.

I still use the unassisted bike for some weekend rides, or for those local errands, but I've now done 1000 miles on the electric in two months.

I'm definitely not a lycra wearer, but I do use SPD shoes and I've invested in a good quality cycling jacket which has made a world of difference.

Helmets - I don't like them, but apart from errands I do wear one - my mileage is quite high so sooner or later I'm going to crash. The helmet might help, if only by not giving lawyers something to wriggle out of.

Rosanna79

I learned to cycle at a very early age, taught by a father who considered stabilisers a real NO No! Growing up in North Lincolnshire it was the usual way to travel and we never owned a car in my childhood.

At various times during the 37 years I lived away from my native Lincolnshire in the capital , I cycled / owned or used bikes including as a pupil midwife in East London in the early 1970s. A brief flirtation with owning a mountain bike left me with an intense dislike of derailleur gears. Like my father before me I'm dyspraxic, having poor hand / eye co-ordination so have never really been able to get on with anything other than a good old fashioned 3 speed bike with 'proper' mudguards' etc!!

Now retired and living back in my hometown I have what I would call a 'proper bike. I refuse to consider anything with 27 1/2 gears as my Father would call it and whenever possible I cycle both for pleasure and around town instead of using my car for short journeys. Baskets back & front do afford a variety of shopping options as well.

I've turned my life around health wise, having almost ended up in a wheelchair. I've lost over 4 stones in weight and love to cycle.

Sadly my arthritic state makes for being a fair weather cyclist so otherwise I walk a lot with the right kit. I manage better on foot in poor weather for some reason.

My GP tells me that a 64 year old woman like myself who rides such a basic 3 speed bike, will definitely get fitter than someone having an electric model or masses of gears, simply because it's more effort. Interestingly whilst I have no choice but to walk with either poles or a stick due to my tendency to falling I am absolutely fine on my bike. It's the wonderful sense of normality that being on my bike gives me that I enjoy so much. I aim to cover a minimum of 3 miles exercise a day - 21 miles a week. Cycling really ups my exercise totals in the most enjoyable way. I use a GPS Garmin sports watch to monitor my mileage etc.

My late father gave my brother & me a real love of cycling. My brother was registered blind and had to be educated away from home. He did, however, have sufficient vision to learn to ride a bike accompanied by a fully sighted person. Later in life when he lost all his sight he would ride on the back of a tandem with his partner. He shared my love of cycling and told me not long before he died not to let anyone dissuade me from getting back on my bike.

Now as I use the wonderful cycle lanes & Sustrans paths which we could never have dreamed of in my youth, both my father & brother ride with me again in spirit. As my brother used to say . one feels immortal after a bike ride! Especially in this fabulous weather.

Rosanna79

I do wear a helmet and fluorescent strip but no Lycra. My cycle trousers tucked into boot socks or cropped trousers in good weather. I hate cycle clips as they dig into my skin. What's a cycling jacket folks?
I carry waterproofs but ordinarily would wear a hoodie and a fleece. I'm still learning about modern exercise kit, particularly for walking. What do the younger cyclists consider essential and why?

Cycrow

Rosanna79 wrote: »

What's a cycling jacket folks?

wouldn't that be a jacket made for cycling ? :P

i have a waterproof cycling jacket that i use during the winter. The main difference is that it has a pocket at the back instead of the sides like normal jackets. As a back pocket is easier to access while cycling

Rosanna79 wrote: »

What do the younger cyclists consider essential and why?

i would consider proper cycling clothes to be essential when im on longer rides, but not so much on shorter rides. Wearing padded lycra shorts when doing 40+ miles certainty makes a difference.
One thing i would consider essential on all rides would be glasses, if you get a pair of cycling glasses, they often come with changable lenses for different levels of light

DKLS

Currently ride an old beater bought from the tip for pennies after selling an ultralight carbon lycra lout special.

Its heavy, slow and battered around the edges but it has brought the pleasure back of cycling exactly the same pleasure as I had as a kid, a bicycle meant freedom as a kid.

Marauder999

I occasionally commute (38 mile round trip). I would do more but due to my shifts and picking kids up from school I can't .

On the weekends I normally go for a 50+ mile ride to keep me in shape.

Mythical

I ride mostly because it's convenient and (supposedly) cheap. I passed my driving test, got a car and realised within a year that I hate paying for petrol, I despise paying for parking and I don't like paying "road tax" either. So I dusted my bike off and now I use that for everything. (the one thing I don't hate paying for is insurance - luckily though it comes free with BC or CTC membership)
(ETA: I do occasionally pay for parking but it comes with free coffee:D)

I have a couple of MTBs, a skiny lightweight road bike, and a beach cruiser but the bike I use every day is my tourer. She's taken me across Germany, and through Switzerland and Austria, around Wales more than a few times and she happily takes on my short errands, my commute and any weekend rides I thow at her without a single complaint. She even pulls a trailer when I need to buy horse feed or shavings.

Not sure I can say I'm a "younger cyclist" but the only thing that's essential to me is my bike. For long rides, I have all the gear (and no idea, lol!) so padded shorts, SPD shoes, cycling jersey, etc and it definitely does make a difference. But for short rides, I just wear whatever I feel like wearing that day.

Hanky_Panky

I got back into cycling last year after booking a skiing holiday and realising that I absolutely had to get fit to go. Whilst I already had an old mountain bike it wasn't much good for doing any sort of distance other than up to the pub or rugby club so invested in a road biased hybrid off ebay for a couple of hundred quid. Absolutely amazing ! Started to rack up the miles and did a couple of 100k rides too. Clothing wise I couldn't bring myself to wear lycra on the outside so invested in MTB baggies with thee shorts on the inside, a couple of tops, gloves, helmet etc.

Ironically I nearly didn't make the skiing holiday at the beginning of this year as came off the hybrid in the ice early December and fractured my elbow - doh ! My Wife was not impressed however just MTFU and went anyway with some elbow pads on.

Now I have also bought a carbon fibre road bike which due to the more acute lean angle to the bars meant I simply couldn't wear the old MTB baggies without experiencing some serious chafing in areas where chafing really shouldn't happen. Painful ! Have now invested in some bib shorts which I really enjoy parading around in just to give Mrs HP a treat .

Also mileage wise, regular routes are 20-30 miles with the odd longer one thrown in at weekends to Ivinghoe Beacon etc. Last Friday also achieved my first 100 miler - now just need to do that two days back to back and can start thinking about a LEJOG or L2P

chucknorris

I cycle just under 30 mins most days for exercise either off road with my dog (about 5 miles) or on the road without my dog (7.5 miles) on a mountain bike, sometimes I cycle 17 miles (about I hour and 5-10 mins). I just wear a tee shirt and track suit bottoms. I don't see the point in wearing lycra as I am doing it for exercise if the lycra made it easier then it wouldn't be as good exercise, but I must admit I haven't really considered the possible advantages of lycra at all, perhaps someone could enlighten me?

EDIT: I would also be interested if getting a road bike, nothing too expensive about £750-£900. I wonder how it would differ from my mountain bike on road experience (which is an old Giant Boulder Alu-Lite and weighs 13.5kg), anyone know?

Cycrow

chucknorris wrote: »

I cycle just under 30 mins most days for exercise either off road with my dog (about 5 miles) or on the road without my dog (7.5 miles) on a mountain bike, sometimes I cycle 17 miles (about I hour and 5-10 mins). I just wear a tee shirt and track suit bottoms. I don't see the point in wearing lycra as I am doing it for exercise if the lycra made it easier then it wouldn't be as good exercise, but I must admit I haven't really considered the possible advantages of lycra at all, perhaps someone could enlighten me?

There are quite a few advantages to wearing lycra. Cycling shorts are generally padded so are more comfortable, also being tight fitting they dont have anything lose to catch on parts of the bike and are just generally more comfortable over long rides. Lycra tops being tight can prevent them from flapping about in the wind and reduce drag. They also wick away the sweat and are more confortable to wear. Cycling tops usually have pockets in the back as well, which are easier to access while on a bike

chucknorris wrote: »

EDIT: I would also be interested if getting a road bike, nothing too expensive about £750-£900. I wonder how it would differ from my mountain bike on road experience (which is an old Giant Boulder Alu-Lite and weighs 13.5kg), anyone know?

Road bikes are generally lighter and faster than mountain bikes. But they are also less forgiving on rough terrain. It takes less effect to ride a road bike as less of your energy will be absorbed by the tires/suspension