Have to prepare for 50 miles? I could do that shitfacedHaving a 300m ascent in my commute that helps maintain a base level of fitness is good
Have to prepare for 50 miles? I could do that shitfaced
I'm sure you could, and I even joked about that specific distance in another thread, which you probably saw.
I need something to motivate me to ride more often. I think having an event like this to get ready for will help me roll out of bed earlier in the morning so I can get to work earlier, get home earlier, and then jump on the bike for a five or ten mile ride some weekdays after work. It will also make me sure to ride on Saturdays and Sundays rather than just intending to and then letting the weekend slip by with only riding to the park with the kids, or not riding at all.
I also need to ride my bike to the train station on Friday mornings, get on the train with the bike to get to work, and then ride the approximately 22 miles home. That works better on Fridays, since I can sometimes sneak out early on Friday afternoons. I did it only once last year, because I'm a slacker, I guess, but I enjoyed it and keep meaning to do it again now that the days are longer and the weather is warmer.
It's not so warm here yet that we've stopped getting snow, however. It snowed yesterday morning and it still hasn't all melted away. It also snowed all day Saturday and the kids' football games were cancelled, so I used that time (ironically) to take the snow tires off my car for the summer months ahead.
You can do it George!
acket.
*flexes muscles in body-builder pose*
Oh, yeah!
I received some cool stuff in the mail yesterday. I bit the bullet and bought the derailleur alignment tool, which I know will save me money and especially time in the long run, vs. going to a LBS (an LBS?). On a whim, I ordered a bike repair book as well. Both came from my favorite online parts supplier: www.bikeparts.com. They're in Golden, CO, which is just across town, and their free shipping option gets to me the next day.
I like bike repair videos on YouTube. "RJ The Bike Guy" has some cool how-to stuff on YT, including drop-bar conversions and how to make your own tools for some repairs. I've also learned from and laughed at videos from "bikemanforu" with his awesome New York accent and attitude that reminds me of my father's side of the family.
But, sometimes I think videos are too much talk and too little action. Sometimes I just want to see How The Thing Is Done and not sit through some long, rambling backstory first. This is a problem I've found when trying to looks up toilet repair, washing machine repair, headlamp replacement for these darn newfangled cars, and other "one time" things more than the two bike guys I mentioned.
Yes, I realize what a hypocrite I am, being such a long-winded person myself. I don't mind wasting your time, but this is my time we're talking about here!
Anyway, I love books. John Muir's famous book "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive For The Compleat Idiot" and similar books for guitar setup and home repair are well-worn old friends. I hope this one will be too. And, unlike a video, I can read a book straight through and learn a lot that way in addition to referring back to it for specific tasks, such as the headset overhauls I have planned next. That's actually what Muir suggested in the intro to his VW book that has educated and entertained multiple generations by now: "Sit down and read this book straight through, like a novel."
Just thought I'd share in case anyone is considering a bike repair book.
Nice...I've got Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, and it's been pretty good as well.
For youngish people (like George) fifty miles is likely about four times what he could comfortably do without any preparation.
So if he set out for the turnaround, he'd be halfway there when a bout of exhaustion set in. Rest, and get to the halfway point. Then you just need to get home. Early in the season it's often your seat which needs the most rest. Plan to take all day, and you might need only the morning.
Really, it perhaps wasn't the wisest thing I ever did, but my wife's first real (and only about second at all) tandem (and bicycle) ride was 25 miles. We lived in northwest Toronto, and I just headed up on my route towards Maple (i.e. Canada's Wonderland). I kept asking "Are you okay", and she said "sure". But, oops. Once we got to Maple the tiredness (and some soreness) really set in, somewhat suddenly. So I needed to be really accommodating for the return trip, which couldn't be any shorter than the 12 or so miles we'd already ridden.
On the other hand, I never topped 65km last year. There's just a new level of exhaustion working at me.
Last edited by SportWagon; April 27th, 2018 at 11:29 AM.
I wanted to go riding Saturday too but got too crispy after being on a flag football field in the direct sun from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM with only a short break of maybe 20 minutes in the shade. I wasn't ready for more sun after that. Sunday I slathered on the suncreen I had forgotten the day before, and headed out with no particular idea of where I was heading, and I came home when I felt like it. I didn't want to overdo things on the first day after no rides worth mentioning all winter long.Originally Posted by SportWagon
I didn't know how far I had gone until I got home and looked at Strava on my phone: 12.3 miles. Had I known, I would have ridden another 0.2 so I could hit one-quarter of 50 miles exactly, but I think I lived up to SportWagon's expectations above.
I'm feeling great today. No aching muscles or saddle soreness, and the only prep I did was to fill a water bottle and pump up the tires.
On the one hand, I missed riding my MTB on the cool gravel trails that are all over the place here, but on the other, road bikes are fast.
An interesting picture I stumbled upon - check out the brakes.
Heh, I spent so long looking at the brake levers I almost didn't realise it was a tricycle.
The theory that stopping and starting are what's messing with Michele looks like it's panning out. We did 43 miles over the course of two rides a couple of days ago and she said it was entirely pain free.
Also found a nice place to do it.
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