Cycling Advice

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Slowly getting back after 2 or decades away from cycling. The way the weather is going I might have to get my winter bike out !

But is a winter bike still a thing ?

When my lad was starting getting into cycling about 2007ish, he didnt know any other cyclist so I suggested he join a cycling club the one his grandad was in.
So we checked their web site to see if the Sunday rides where still on. They were abd said they cater for all abilities.
So one sunday morning in feb we went along.
Not one 'winter's bike in sight, no mud guards !!.

I have my old 'winter's bike which weighted a ton and my lad had a halfords Carrera not really light weight lol.

Some of lads recognised me so I felt my son would be ok with them. Anyway by the end of the first road I was blown 20mph on a Sunday club run what the f**k. Use to be a gentle 15mph average!. I told my lad I was done and was going my own way, he wanted to stay with the club. He lasted about another 6 miles before being blown out the back.

What I was a little annoyed about was they left him to find his own way back he was only 14 or 15 and didnt know the roads. Ok he wasnt a member but the web site all are welcome on their sunday club runs.

So as I ramble on the point I was asking is do most clubs insist on 'winter's bikes on the winter club runs ?

I always looked forward after doing winter training on my heavy winter bike to getting onto my light weigh summer bike. But it seems to me that riding a light weight bike is done all year round now.

I commute by bike and ride the same bike all year round. With my bag I'm anywhere between 15 and 16kg.

I've ridden lightweight bikes and it's night and day. I know it's subjective but I felt 25 to 30% quicker/easier up hill, and way faster from a standing start.

I think the old training methods of riding heavy and with higher gearing during winter definitely has its merits in building strength and endurance that can be taken into the summer. You can do this on the same bike by riding with a weight belt or bag.

 

[Bluemanc100]

Retired at the start of the first lockdown at 56… I’ve been cycling regularly for about five years but decided to make the effort and do a regular weekday ride (around 16 miles but pushing that up slowly) as I have more time on my hands.

I’m also playing golf at least twice a week and I’ve gone down from my highest weight of 17.5 stone to under 14 and now people are suggesting I get checked out in a doctor .. I’ve never felt better :-)

 

[discopop]

Slowly getting back after 2 or decades away from cycling. The way the weather is going I might have to get my winter bike out !

But is a winter bike still a thing ?

When my lad was starting getting into cycling about 2007ish, he didnt know any other cyclist so I suggested he join a cycling club the one his grandad was in.
So we checked their web site to see if the Sunday rides where still on. They were abd said they cater for all abilities.
So one sunday morning in feb we went along.
Not one 'winter's bike in sight, no mud guards !!.

I have my old 'winter's bike which weighted a ton and my lad had a halfords Carrera not really light weight lol.

Some of lads recognised me so I felt my son would be ok with them. Anyway by the end of the first road I was blown 20mph on a Sunday club run what the f**k. Use to be a gentle 15mph average!. I told my lad I was done and was going my own way, he wanted to stay with the club. He lasted about another 6 miles before being blown out the back.

What I was a little annoyed about was they left him to find his own way back he was only 14 or 15 and didnt know the roads. Ok he wasnt a member but the web site all are welcome on their sunday club runs.

So as I ramble on the point I was asking is do most clubs insist on 'winter's bikes on the winter club runs ?

I always looked forward after doing winter training on my heavy winter bike to getting onto my light weigh summer bike. But it seems to me that riding a light weight bike is done all year round now.

Cycling club attitudes can vary massively but the habit of blowing riders away on club runs really is annoying and one of the reasons I stuffed them off, Manchester Wheelers being the main culprits, I am a member of a FB cycling group someone posts a ride and it’s we all get round together.

As for winter bikes mine is now my turbo trainer bike and I ride my two best bikes all year and just wash the one I have ridden down after each ride, micro fibre cloth on the drive train to clean the crud off and a little lube and away you go.

 

[give it to gordon]

I commute by bike and ride the same bike all year round. With my bag I'm anywhere between 15 and 16kg.

I've ridden lightweight bikes and it's night and day. I know it's subjective but I felt 25 to 30% quicker/easier up hill, and way faster from a standing start.

I think the old training methods of riding heavy and with higher gearing during winter definitely has its merits in building strength and endurance that can be taken into the summer. You can do this on the same bike by riding with a weight belt or bag.

A mate of mind use to to put house bricks in his saddle bag on his winter trainer !. After a winter of riding the heavy winter bike the summer bike felt so light and quick. I will be going to my winter bike in the winter .

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Retired at the start of the first lockdown at 56… I’ve been cycling regularly for about five years but decided to make the effort and do a regular weekday ride (around 16 miles but pushing that up slowly) as I have more time on my hands.

I’m also playing golf at least twice a week and I’ve gone down from my highest weight of 17.5 stone to under 14 and now people are suggesting I get checked out in a doctor .. I’ve never felt better :-)

Your route clearly doesn't take you past any decent cafés ;-)

 

[give it to gordon]

Cycling club attitudes can vary massively but the habit of blowing riders away on club runs really is annoying and one of the reasons I stuffed them off, Manchester Wheelers being the main culprits, I am a member of a FB cycling group someone posts a ride and it’s we all get round together.

As for winter bikes mine is now my turbo trainer bike and I ride my two best bikes all year and just wash the one I have ridden down after each ride, micro fibre cloth on the drive train to clean the crud off and a little lube and away you go.

Back in the late 80's early 90's if you didnt have mud guards you couldnt come on the Sunday club run. Plus we went at the speed of the slowest, it was a social think. We would have a mad dash to the cafe lol.
Now they dont even stop at the cafe its flat out for about 60 miles . I am nor in a club no its seems clubs like grassroots football seem to think they are all pro clubs !

My dad was in Manchester Wheelers ( I think ) in the 50's

Edit couldnt * not could come on a club run ;)

 

[johnnytapia]

Back in the late 80's early 90's if you didnt have mud guards you could come on the Sunday club run. Plus we went at the speed of the slowest, it was a social think. We would have a mad dash to the cafe lol.
Now they dont even stop at the cafe its flat out for about 60 miles . I am nor in a club no its seems clubs like grassroots football seem to think they are all pro clubs !

My dad was in Manchester Wheelers ( I think ) in the 50's

I was in both ABC Centreville and Abbotsford Park Road Clubs. The Abbots rides were fantastic. They weren’t ridiculously fast but they weren’t slow either; you had to be able to ride later 16-17 mph and do anything between 60 and 100 mph ; the rides were usually around the 85 mile mark, one week flat the next hilly; they’d wait for the slowest but you had to be able to do that 16/17 mph average and you knew that before you started. ABC Centreville once left outt to kid stranded on his tod in the peaks. He was only 15 and they treated him like shit on the first hilly run he’d ever done with them. They thought it was hilarious and were all laughing their bollocks off on the club night. So we both fucked them off. I’ve not been in a club for over ten years now; I miss the great long cafe runs to places like Audlem but they took up half the weekend so now do my own thing. And love it

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

Three solid rides to and from work this week and starting to get some endurance back in my legs.

Just a slight issue with my chain jumping/slipping when on gear 3 & 4 (big ring is 1). Worn cassette?

How often do you change the chain ? Rule of thumb is roughly every 2,000 miles and then the cassette should last at least 3 times as long. The cassette will last longer if you change chains at the right time.

 

[chesterbells]

Back in the late 80's early 90's if you didnt have mud guards you could come on the Sunday club run. Plus we went at the speed of the slowest, it was a social think. We would have a mad dash to the cafe lol.
Now they dont even stop at the cafe its flat out for about 60 miles . I am nor in a club no its seems clubs like grassroots football seem to think they are all pro clubs !

My dad was in Manchester Wheelers ( I think ) in the 50's

60m/100km - wow, that would be a bit long for me as a regular training ride. I do ride that far but only occasionally. I’m trying to do a Tour de France 25% at the moment, doing a quarter of each stage distance every day, and that is long enough. Longest ride for that was a quarter of yesterday’s stage, about 63km.

 

[chesterbells]

How often do you change the chain ? Rule of thumb is roughly every 2,000 miles and then the cassette should last at least 3 times as long. The cassette will last longer if you change chains at the right time.

Cheers for that reply - I’ve got the same issue and was hoping a change of chain might do the trick - it’s a quite straightforward and low cost job isn’t it?