Aren't Bicycles Great.

esuhl

^^ The soil round here is really sandy, so the most important thing (other than not sliding) is to stay perfectly balanced.

You can slide across the sand with both wheels losing traction, but if the bike is perpendicular to the ground, you can kind of flick it back is you start drifting sideways a little.

I ride pretty fast, but I'm not "adventurous"! I don't throw myself off the side of cliffs like some of the MTB riders round here!

Johnmcl7

I decided to have a go at cycling up the A9 between Perth and Inverness as it's a road I've been up many times in the car and now I know I can do the range on the bike, fancied giving it a go as there's a cycle path all the way. I picked a day when the wind shouldn't have been too bad and only light rain so set on with booking a train ticket to take me there and I'd cycle home.

It was one of those days which just wasn't meant to be it felt, the train was not good, the cycle route had been torn up at the starting point and several chunks of the cycle route were off road on gravel or forest track and some of the on road sections were old damaged tarmac. The weather forecast was wrong and it varied between light and heavy rain most of the way with a westerly wind. Pedalling over the main summit on an off road section into a head wind with the rain lashing down was unpleasant and same again on the next summit as well.

On the plus side at least I finished it and despite some of the rough sections, no punctures and the bike mostly survived at least long enough to complete the ride. I was planning another long ride this weekend but the weather isn't looking good, I think I'm going to need to replace the rear pads on the road bike (already had a new BB) and knee is a bit sore after a minor mishap on the MTB last night.

scd3scd4

I cycle about 280 miles a month. 14 times to work and back as I work 12 hour shifts. Plus what I ride to the shops and the like and have been for about the last 4 years. Winter and summer. I suppose I am saving one gallon a shift in petrol.

I can now cycle the 10 miles to work in about the same time it use to take me to drove the 18 miles in a car. About 45-55 minutes. Depends on the shifts, head wind and how I am feeling on a hybrid. The time is over my average as I have to stop to use the Woolwich foot tunnel/lifts under the Thames. 3/4 of the journey is on the Thames foot paths. A lovely no car ride.


Best thing I ever done. Still over weight but that is properly down to the beer but fitter than I have been in years. I have some envious legs now... ;-]


On a side note, I really see my bike as I did my car. I enjoy the ride but I kind of neglect the bike. its just a work horse. I clean it now and again and spray a bit of oil when I remember. I suppose I get around this by putting the boy in my respected local independent twice a year for maintenance and repair. I always seem to get a bill for a couple hundred but then again. 3500 miles plus does wear the gear set, rings, brakes and the like.

Johnmcl7

It's just passed six years since I properly got into cycling with the purchase of my Trek hybrid:



I thought the turbocharger on my car was failing as it was making a distinctive whining noise so I decided since it was a costly item I'd buy a really nice bike and then have to use it to avoid short trips in my car. With the maze of options out there I bought myself the Trek Soho Dlx which appealed to me for its lack of rim brakes, the hub gears, the carbon belt drive and the full metal mudguards with pannier mounts.

The push to buy the bike had been a charity cycle at work which was running for the first time and offering a 26 mile and 49 mile option so I went for the 26 mile option which would be far more than I'd ever cycled when I was younger. Despite thinking I was in good fitness my muscles ached and were sore for a good few days after but as I cycled along in the countryside under the blue sky, it was the first time I actually enjoyed cycling.

The next year I cycled back and forth to work all through the winter and that was fine, I was saving the car but it wasn't until nearly a year later I realised how much I liked the bike when it had to go away for repair. Suddenly popping into town wasn't so easy as I couldn't just go straight in and park in the centre.

I did the same charity event again going for the same route as I didn't I'd be any better at it having only cycled short distances but I was wrong, not only did it feel far easier but I was half an hour faster as well. At that point I decided I was going to do the 49 miler the next year so bought myself a mountain bike and joined a newly formed MTB group riding at night (since it was going into winter) and then getting a road bike in the spring and did the 49 mile route.

Since then each year I've progressively built up the miles although never doing anything strict, just what I enjoyed so did my first 24 hour race and several more, gave CX racing a go, went round Loch Ness on the road (something I'd never even have thought possible before then) and made it round Loch Ness off road which was a tough challenge.

Last week I decided to do a 114 mile cycle and wasn't at all worried about it which again seems odd now given how panicked I was about riding 26 miles just not that long ago.



I always like coming back to this thread as it's a great reminder of how good cycling is and the cyclists as well. I've made so many great friends through cycling and it's great to hear what people are doing here as well. Physically my fitness is much better as I'd always go out regular walks with the dog and so forth but nothing like the challenge of an endurance cycle however it's the mental benefits I particularly appreciate. There's been times I've really need to clear my head and destress from work and I've not found a better way than hoping on the bike and attacking the track or the road and just letting everything else drift away.

The best part is after all that the turbocharger on the car wasn't failing at all, I was driving along and I noticed a slight fuzz to the whine as I changed gear so I switched the stereo off and the whine disappeared. I'd been listening to very quiet piano music and it was amplifying the background noise which jumped in pitch when the turbo spun up. For all the hassles the DPF caused me, at least it's one of the main pushes that got me into cycling.

MaxPerwer

Bikes are amazing! So mechanically simple but so much fun! I've sadly just had to get rid of my Trek Remedy XC bike as had some major car trouble and needed the money (the bike was never used anyway!) but I've still got my Trek Session 88 which I ride on the downhill trails when I can get out

marks87

I thought I should finally post on this thread because today was a revelation as to how great my bicycle is for carrying stuff.

I've had a rack for 18 months now but always used a top bag that barely took a change of clothes. I'd been put off the idea of side panniers because I didn't want to risk being unbalanced.

But yesterday I bought 2 side pannier bags that are as big as rucksacks. I used one today which, after stopping at Tesco on the way home from work, was feeling pretty heavy in my hand. But I noticed no difference in handling at all. Tomorrow I'll take the other one (empty) and get even more shopping.

I can also now carry my laptop instead of relying on a steam-driven one that I keep at work, that had Noah as a previous owner!

Such simple machines but their cargo-carrying capability (try saying that five times fast!) is immense.

esuhl

marks87 wrote: »

I thought I should finally post on this thread because today was a revelation as to how great my bicycle is for carrying stuff.

I've had a rack for 18 months now but always used a top bag that barely took a change of clothes. I'd been put off the idea of side panniers because I didn't want to risk being unbalanced.

But yesterday I bought 2 side pannier bags that are as big as rucksacks. I used one today which, after stopping at Tesco on the way home from work, was feeling pretty heavy in my hand. But I noticed no difference in handling at all. Tomorrow I'll take the other one (empty) and get even more shopping.

I can also now carry my laptop instead of relying on a steam-driven one that I keep at work, that had Noah as a previous owner!

Such simple machines but their cargo-carrying capability (try saying that five times fast!) is immense.

It's amazing what you can carry by bike.

I was getting back pain from my overloaded backpack, so I got a decent rack and panniers. It's incredible. I can transport three times what I could physically carry in a (casual-style) backpack. In total comfort!

Johnmcl7

It's not really a proper CX race unless the bike gets into a mess as even in dry conditions, the large number of bikes generally tear up the track and stuff starts to get clogged on the bikes as they pick up the loose material. When it's wet it's certainly a lot messier but at least it's only an hour and then you're done.

There was a local CX race here the last few years which wasn't too serious (well apart from some of the riders) and there was a reasonable range of riders which I took part in and thought was good, just turn up, do a few laps and off home again. They didn't run last year though nor this year which is a shame, there is another new local one but it's being run by a local road bike group who are quite serious about it so I don't think they'd be too impressed at me taking part with my fat bike. Even though it's pretty good in the heavy mud.

John

Johnmcl7

We celebrated the fifth year of our local mountain biking group which when I'd seen starting I decided I'd give this mountain biking thing a go as I wanted to take my cycling beyond just commuting and wasn't good enough to go with road bike groups. It seems a crazy idea now heading off into the darkness without any MTB ability, nowhere near fit enough and not even suitable lights. I guess at the time I just didn't really know what mountain biking involved and was ready to pack it in on the second ride until I was encouraged to keep coming back.

For a while I kept finding excuses not to go out until we went out in the snow, it was an incredible feeling gliding along the untouched snow with the moon so bright and the snow reflective the bike lights weren't even needed.

I'm very glad people did me to stick with it as now I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't get out on the bike particularly this time of year it's great knowing even though it's cold, wet and muddy, it's still fun to get out for a ride. The new mudguard has certainly made it a lot easier going:

knightstyle

The main problem is the lack of safe cycle routes where we live. Just looked at the sustrans map so few routes. Why not more?
I used to cycle to work, about 5 miles direct but 18 miles on what I thought of as safe routes but now, several years later there is no way I would venture out on these roads.
The few cycle lanes disappear as soon as the road gets unsafe.
Look at A156 heading South from Gainsborough, nice cycle lane in places but it at one stage it seems to be on the pavement, no cycle lane and high metal fence on narrow bit under the railway. Then the lane ends with an arrow directing cyclists to turn left up a private driveway??? This is just before a couple of bends where the road narrows.
Total chaos as this is meant to be a two way cycle lane, Obviously all the cyclists ignore it and cycle sensibly on the road.
Almost forgot my reason for posting on here was to ask if anyone has had their bike for a long time?
Mine is a Dawes Nomad, bought in 1974. a few modifications and rebuilt wheels but still ridable and fun if a bit heavy by todays standards.