Cycling Advice

Trevor Morley's Tache said:
I went out after work today and managed to get in 9.5 miles and 90m of ascent. It took me 40 minutes, and considering it was a bit gusty it wasn't too shabby. It must be doing me some good because I've managed to get my resting heart rate from 61bpm down to 55bpm

I'm only doing three rides a week at the moment, but I'm planning to start riding to work once I'm up to it (7.3m and 80m ascent outbound, 7m and 60m ascent return), so I probably need to up my mileage a bit because I'm not quite sure I've got a 70+ mile/700m ascent week in my legs just yet.
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That’ll come mate, first week or 2 you’ll feel it but after that it’ll be a breeze.
 
idahoblues said:
giant-full-e-plus-1-electric-bike-review.jpg

Took one of these for a spin the other week, holy shit I want one!
Only $5k
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$5k, and no fuckin' mudguards!
 
I’ve had a bicycle for about a year but only really started been riding when we went into lockdown.
I’ve been out fairly regularly on it.

Other than giving it a bit of a clean a few times, I haven’t really done anything to it. Is there anything I should be doing regularly to keep it in the best shape it can be and to extend its usage life?
 
shevtheblue said:
I've only ever used my Mountain Bike for going on the odd Mountain Bike trail every year, which is brilliant. However, during lockdown and have the inability to get fit at home due to the kids, i have been going on rides. Reminded me a bit of being a kid and just going out with your mates on long bike rides and not coming back for hours. I've found places i never knew existed, which is a bit sad tbh, but it's been great and i've put in some good miles. However, i do wish i had an easier bike to ride on the paths as it's so annoying peddling like a fucker to catch some speed on the mountain bike but getting overtaken by some nobhead on a roadbike who's hardly even peddling. I'm even considering taking my bike with me to work, when it opens again, and going on some rides around there.
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I have a single speed bike (no gears). I can be working so hard going up-hill that my legs are burning like I’m doing Olympic bar squats but I’m barely moving. And then I too will see someone barely struggling up the hill at all on a bike suited to uphill climbs.

But then, we’re having a better workout them. We’ll see more muscular gains than they will because we’re working our muscles harder.

Workouts aren’t particularly about distance and time, they’re about stress put on muscles and the cardiovascular system.

In three months of cycling, my quads are unrecognisable to what they were pre-lockdown when I wasn’t cycling.
 
Trevor Morley's Tache said:
I went out after work today and managed to get in 9.5 miles and 90m of ascent. It took me 40 minutes, and considering it was a bit gusty it wasn't too shabby. It must be doing me some good because I've managed to get my resting heart rate from 61bpm down to 55bpm

I'm only doing three rides a week at the moment, but I'm planning to start riding to work once I'm up to it (7.3m and 80m ascent outbound, 7m and 60m ascent return), so I probably need to up my mileage a bit because I'm not quite sure I've got a 70+ mile/700m ascent week in my legs just yet.
Click to expand...
It will come along quickly. I did just shy of 60 miles last Sunday. Wind was strongly against most of the way back and about 50 miles I bonked. Thighs were painful and I felt like shit. Didnt take enough to eat with me and ended up on empty. As you get better and your rides get longer, remember to take enough out to keep your energy levels up
 
Uncle Wally One Ball said:
It will come along quickly. I did just shy of 60 miles last Sunday. Wind was strongly against most of the way back and about 50 miles I bonked. Thighs were painful and I felt like shit. Didnt take enough to eat with me and ended up on empty. As you get better and your rides get longer, remember to take enough out to keep your energy levels up
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That’s virtually 100km isn’t it? My longest rides have been about 105km taking between 4 and 5 hours depending on terrain, and I would normally have to stop at some point to buy a couple of cans of coke, as the water bottle would easily get used up in first 2 hours in the summer.
One thing I have found is I get sick of eating energy bars / gels so I’ve started stuffing a cheese sarnie in the back pocket to vary things a bit. To have something non-sweet to eat after 3 hours or so tastes so good!
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
I’ve had a bicycle for about a year but only really started been riding when we went into lockdown.
I’ve been out fairly regularly on it.

Other than giving it a bit of a clean a few times, I haven’t really done anything to it. Is there anything I should be doing regularly to keep it in the best shape it can be and to extend its usage life?
Click to expand...
Regularly clean and lubricate your chain, and make sure your pivot points on your front/rear derailleur are lubricated. That should keep your drivetrain tip-top, and prevent chain issues. Last thing you want is your chain giving way as you push down hard on the peddles. Also clean and lubricate your brake/gear cables where they meet the cable outer to keep them running freely.

Always wipe off any excess oil as it will attract grit and dirt.

GCN have loads of videos on the subject.

 
Psychedelic Casual said:
I have a single speed bike (no gears). I can be working so hard going up-hill that my legs are burning like I’m doing Olympic bar squats but I’m barely moving. And then I too will see someone barely struggling up the hill at all on a bike suited to uphill climbs.

But then, we’re having a better workout them. We’ll see more muscular gains than they will because we’re working our muscles harder.

Workouts aren’t particularly about distance and time, they’re about stress put on muscles and the cardiovascular system.

In three months of cycling, my quads are unrecognisable to what they were pre-lockdown when I wasn’t cycling.
Click to expand...
When I was in my early teens I had a Dawes 5-speed racing bike. I mainly used only the 1st and 2nd cog, smallest gears, and I was doing upwards of 80 miles a week. My quads ballooned, and I ended up with stretch marks at the top of my thighs. I pretty much gave up cycling once I got my first car, and only took it up again about 5 years later when I got a mountain bike. I've been cycling on and off for years now and I am starting to get back into it a bit more seriously now. Just need to get my miles up.
 
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