Tips/critique for a new rider
Discussion
WhisperingWasp said:
deeen said:
To the OP, well done on your progress! Have you looked into social rides with local cycling clubs, etc?
Thanks. I haven't really considered that at all to be honest. It's not that I'm not interested in it as such, just that I haven't even given it any thought. Is it something you'd recommend? What do you get out of it?I've found new roads and new cafes, I've been encouraged to push myself a bit more, and enjoyed the results. My biggest ride this year was last week with the Club, day out around the isle of Wight, 65 miles and 4700 ft climbing, ferry there and back, coffee stop, lunch stop, 19 of us in 2 groups, best day out of the year! It's given a social side to my cycling, and a couple of new cycling buddies to go out with in 2s and 3s when we don't go with the group. Mutual advice, mechanical help, training tips, etc.
I still enjoy cycling on my own, probably 1 in 3 of my rides is still solo, and I find for me doing both group riding and solo riding is great, they enhance each other!
deeen said:
Well, i enjoy my cycling more since I joined the club! For context, they offer 4 levels of weekend social ride, from 20 miles/12mph to 60+ miles/18+mph, I just keep to the lower end social rides, I never race etc.
I've found new roads and new cafes, I've been encouraged to push myself a bit more, and enjoyed the results. My biggest ride this year was last week with the Club, day out around the isle of Wight, 65 miles and 4700 ft climbing, ferry there and back, coffee stop, lunch stop, 19 of us in 2 groups, best day out of the year! It's given a social side to my cycling, and a couple of new cycling buddies to go out with in 2s and 3s when we don't go with the group. Mutual advice, mechanical help, training tips, etc.
I still enjoy cycling on my own, probably 1 in 3 of my rides is still solo, and I find for me doing both group riding and solo riding is great, they enhance each other!
Interesting. I'd certainly be more than comfortable at that lower end sort of pace. Trouble is I imagine this sort of thing is Facebook-based? PH is about the closest I get to social media!I've found new roads and new cafes, I've been encouraged to push myself a bit more, and enjoyed the results. My biggest ride this year was last week with the Club, day out around the isle of Wight, 65 miles and 4700 ft climbing, ferry there and back, coffee stop, lunch stop, 19 of us in 2 groups, best day out of the year! It's given a social side to my cycling, and a couple of new cycling buddies to go out with in 2s and 3s when we don't go with the group. Mutual advice, mechanical help, training tips, etc.
I still enjoy cycling on my own, probably 1 in 3 of my rides is still solo, and I find for me doing both group riding and solo riding is great, they enhance each other!
I'm quite happy doing my own thing for the next 5 weeks or so until the wedding. After that I'll see how much I keep it up then will consider this sort of thing to inject the variety I need.
WhisperingWasp said:
Oh definitely not discounting it. Although I did see a lot of cyclists in a short space of time (so probably a club?) and they all had them aero helmets with the integrated visors… don’t think that will be for me tbh. Certainly would consider a more casual set up.
Sounds like a time trial? Our club does run them, but I stick to the social rides... they include a stop for coffee and cake!
okgo said:
Could be anything, one of the clubs near me all go out at 5am and all wear skinsuits and such just for their training rides! They do end up going quite quickly usually, a good 10mph AVG faster than we're seeing here 
Oi I thought I was fast. Like, Tour de France-fast…? Am I mistaken?WhisperingWasp said:
Oi I thought I was fast. Like, Tour de France-fast…? Am I mistaken?
I mean, I did a club 10 last year where I averaged 22 mph. Course record is 32.4 mph. Or a 50 miler I attempted, best result that day 27.5 mph.Those are amateur results. TDF TTs can hit 34 mph.
The P415 10 miler is so fast because it starts at the top of a hill, but doesn't go back up it. It's also fast dual carriageway.
Solocle said:
I mean, I did a club 10 last year where I averaged 22 mph. Course record is 32.4 mph. Or a 50 miler I attempted, best result that day 27.5 mph.
Those are amateur results. TDF TTs can hit 34 mph.
The P415 10 miler is so fast because it starts at the top of a hill, but doesn't go back up it. It's also fast dual carriageway.
My 10 PB is also about 32.7mph avg, as you rightly say, most of the time people are achieving those speeds, there's a very good reason for it beyond having a few watts, in my case, it's on the A3 and pretty busy! Those are amateur results. TDF TTs can hit 34 mph.
The P415 10 miler is so fast because it starts at the top of a hill, but doesn't go back up it. It's also fast dual carriageway.
To state the obvious, the clear difference with professional time trials is that there are no cars, very often many more corners, and as you say, they're still riding quicker than mostly even the quickest amateur/low level pro's who ride with the benefit of traffic! Even the lower level world tour guys that ride TT are madly fast, Harry Tanfield put a minute into my best time on a course in Surrey. He wouldn't even see which way Remco Evenepoel went in a world tour event.
p415 top 10 is littered with names from time trials I've done. Tim Cartwright got himself very quick for a couple of years!
Getting that long ride in this weekend OP?
Edited by okgo on Friday 8th July 12:11
WhisperingWasp said:
Oh definitely not discounting it. Although I did see a lot of cyclists in a short space of time (so probably a club?) and they all had them aero helmets with the integrated visors… don’t think that will be for me tbh. Certainly would consider a more casual set up.
Sounds like a time trial. My club runs them on Tuesday evenings with riders set off at one minute intervals. Participants range from semi pros on TT bikes, wearing skin suits and aero helmets to people on their regular road bikes, wearing regular cycling attire. Sunday mornings are more casual and relaxed. Steady, medium, medium fast and fast groups leave the town square at 9am, back at lunchtime. All but the fast group normally ride to a cafe.
okgo said:
Getting that long ride in this weekend OP?
I'll think about it! I'll have to plan a suitable route as I don't really fancy doing two laps of an existing route. Also, in this heat, I go through a bottle of water on my way round and I only have one bottle/one holder thingy. Might require more planning (and procrastination Edited by okgo on Friday 8th July 12:11
).Mark83 said:
Sounds like a time trial. My club runs them on Tuesday evenings with riders set off at one minute intervals. Participants range from semi pros on TT bikes, wearing skin suits and aero helmets to people on their regular road bikes, wearing regular cycling attire.
Sunday mornings are more casual and relaxed. Steady, medium, medium fast and fast groups leave the town square at 9am, back at lunchtime. All but the fast group normally ride to a cafe.
Do your club operate out of your home town Mark? I think Ampthill have a club, I saw some guys wearing tops that had something along them lines. I whizzed past them though! Sunday mornings are more casual and relaxed. Steady, medium, medium fast and fast groups leave the town square at 9am, back at lunchtime. All but the fast group normally ride to a cafe.
With okgo’s advice ringing in my ears I went out and did my longest yet. Tbh I could have done more but I only had one bottle of water and in this heat I didn’t want to push it.
Not sure if you know Woburn but I rode up the hill through the deer park and my god it just goes on and on and gets steeper at the top! First ride where I was wishing my little gear at the front worked!!
Not sure if you know Woburn but I rode up the hill through the deer park and my god it just goes on and on and gets steeper at the top! First ride where I was wishing my little gear at the front worked!!
okgo said:
Went to the Center Parcs there the other week. Can confirm it isn’t totally pan flat for sure! Good work.
I know the area best from riding between Oxford and Cambridge. A507 Ampthill to Shefford during an audax, which I did my best to avoid on an encore. Although it was probably a time of day issue.Also I had a really spectacular tailwind. Those hills were a drag though.
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