Fitness

Welcome to all who have an interest in anything cycling of any kind.( road, mountain, commuting, stationary, whatever).

This is the place to come to ask that question you have been wanting to ask,

or tell that story about your latest adventure riding your bike,

find out how to use cycling to get in better shape, or anything else you can think of.

So, to start, tell us, what you ride, where you ride and what type of riding you enjoy.

Come back often too check out what's going on and see what's on everyones mind or add your knowledge to the group. 

 

I hope to be back on my bike this weekend. I have spent the last 10 days getting over a pretty nasty sickness. My doc thinks I may have contracted West Nile. The test results won't be back for a couple of weeks so I cannot confirm this diagnosis as positive yet.  I am feeling better now but I sure felt like I was dying a week ago.

Hi Everyone! My name is Bethany and I just started using this site. I am so excited that there is a bike club! My husband and I are avid mt. bikers, I have a trek 4800 and he has a specialized FRS. I also am addicted to spin class at the gym and now I am looking into making the jump to road biking. I'm saving up money to get a Giant OCR woman's bike. I think I may have hit a platue though with weight loss. I have been doing the biking thing now for over a year and I haven't lost any more weight in about five months. I would like to lose another 20lbs (no time frame) and I am hoping by switching to road biking it will get me there. I've enjoyed the discussion in this group so far and look forward to getting to know y'all better!

Gmule: This has been a rough period for you.  One of the good aspects of all the riding you have been doing, you should have a strong constitution that will weather this storm.  Just in case, I am adding you to my prayer list.

MLB: Congrats.  I am sure that you will love your new bike.  It is too bad that so much energy was put into discussing ride comfort based on the material of the frame.  Most of us wouldn't give it a second thought, if it was never mentioned.  You get used to riding a certain bike and you can't really imagine riding anything else.  Try to just go out and enjoy your Dolce.  Specialized is a great company and the Dolce has gotten some great reviews.

I've got a big ride coming up Saturday so the plan this week was to take it easy.  That worked well on Tuesday but today, I left the house 10 minutes late and I only have about 15 minutes head room.  I guess I did okay.  When I checked this evening, my ride in was a minute faster than my previous best posted on July 11.  About 1:30, the sky started looking like the severe thunderstorms were actually moving in so I bolted out of the office and pushed all the way home.  It was another pretty fast ride but the thunderstorms didn't make it this far south.

JC343 thanks for the kind words of encouragment. I am choosing to use this little time of suffering to remind me of what it is like to be in good health. I think the only way you can truley appreciate the good is to experience the bad along with it. Sort of like riding on windy days. You never appreciate the calm days unless you have ridden a few stormy ones. 

Keep the wheels turning.

gmule you are definitely in my thoughts as well. Hang in there. What are they doing to treat it while they wait for the results?

This afternoon the thunderstorms let up and I headed to work on my bike. Not 2 minutes after I got there all heck broke lose. I have never seen the sky so dark. We actually had at least one tornado touch down not far from where I work. If I had left home even 5 minutes later, I would have been caught in it. Obviously I was worried about the ride home but by that time at was all clear.

Bethany, welcome. All my riding is road biking. Once I got over my initial fear of riding in traffic (and learned to show patience toward all the ignorant drivers, lol) I really got to enjoy it.

Well I better get back to my never ending fight with the Department of Health - sigh.

Jane

Jane: There isn't really anything they can do. My body has to fight this stuff off. That is why this stuff is really bad for the very young or very old.  If you have a weak immune system it can kill you. Good thing cycling boosts the immune system.

gmule, you must be miserable while this is going on. The immune system can be amazing in fighting stuff. Hopefully you will be back on the bike very soon. Lots of long distance best wishes.

Jane

mlbtracy, congratulations on the Dolce! Specialized brags heavily about their women-specific engineering in both their bikes and their apparel. It's good to hear that it's not just hype!

gmule, ugh. Fortunately, wikipedia says the fever version of West Nile usually resolves in 7-10 days, though you may still feel weakened for awhile afterwards. Surely, being fit will help you to come back faster. Hang in there.

It looks like insect repellents are the best way to avoid the virus. I favor DEET, though I know not everyone does. A friend of mine swears by loading up on B vitamins, which apparently changes the odor of the skin in a way that the bloodsuckers don't like. Eliminating sources of standing water near the home is also extremely helpful, and if that cannot be done, mild bleaching will kill mosquito eggs.

I finally felt well enough to go for a ride. I was able to knock out 15 miles today nothing hard or fast just a nice lesuire ride. It sure was nice to be back in the saddle.

Well in the test of endurance, strength and fortitude yesterday, I think I got a C-.  The Eat-A-Peach challenge offers a range of ride options from 12 miles to 100 miles.  The Century actually consists of a 67 mile metric century (with 7000 feet of climbing) followed by a trip around the 33 mile course.  But you have to complete the 67 mile course before 1:00 so that you have time to do the 33 mile course before the rest stop close up shop and the SAG wagons call it a day.  I finished the 67 mile course about 1:30 but I had already figured out that I didn't have another 33 miles in me.  So I survived one of the most challenging 67 mile rides that I have ever done but I am still looking for my first century.

Gmule: good to hear that you are back out riding.  You will be commuting again in no time.

Joe, that is awesome that you were able to go the 67 miles. I have yet to make is past 40 miles.

gmule, you are one stubborn person! Way to go on getting back on the bike.

I have not been able to ride at all since Thursday. i was supposed to go Saturday, but then my father-in-law decided to end up in the hospital (he is ok now) so I never got out there. Tomorrow I am riding to work. It is going to take a tornado touch-down smack right in front of my garage to stop me!

Jane

Yeah for me I am back to commuting.

gmule, you are awesome. You give new meaning to the word "dedicated". Hi five to you!

Jane

Well, it looks like it's going to take me a little while to figure out the whole clipless system.  I know how to ride a bike, I'm an avid spinner (using SPDs), but hopping on a road bike is a different story.  And it's not that I forgot to clip out -- I fell while trying to clip in.  Ridiculous.  I still haven't had a successful launch, and now I'm nursing some road rash and several bruises.  I straddle the top tube, hunt and peck with my right foot to clip in, then as I'm pulling back to 2 o'clock to push forward, I tip to the right and fall.  Of course, then my right foot is clipped in, and I don't have time to unclip before the ground rushes up.  I bought some pedals with larger platforms, so hopefully that will help.  But now I'm just frustrated about buying about $1600 worth of gear and not being about to get out there and ride!

mlb:  If you have a trainer, you can practice clipping in and out with the bike mounted on it or if not then practice in a doorway where you can hold yourself up while getting used to the motion.  Then practice clipping in and out on a flat road.  But don't worry it will quickly become second nature.

Where have all the bike club folks gone?  I assume that you are all too busy riding to get on the internet.  Personally I am continueing to ride and did my second solo century this weekend.  I was a good ride but I am definately looking forward to autumns cooler days.

TR: I had the same thought.  I have been posting on a couple of other threads.  We had our kitchen remodeled last week -- but the job isn't quite finished.  Even though I did nothing more than sit around in case I was needed for things like showing the crew boss where to find the breaker box and the water shutoff valve, I didn't feel like working out at the end of the day.  So last week was a bust.  I commuted to work on Tuesday and vegged out the rest of the week.  I did ride Saturday and Sunday (30 miles in under 2 hours) and at least 40 if not 50 of those miles were ridden using the 50T crank on my Quest.  Tonight I hauled out the rollers but could only manage 12 miles and 45 minutes before my control went to pot.

My goal was 2000 miles by Labor Day.  I doubt that I will make it.

I'm still here but bummed because I haven't been able to ride. That will all change on Wednesday when Christopher goes back to school. I am planning my first 50 mile ride on that day - gosh I can't wait.

I have some serious lobbying ahead of me this fall so I may be MIA from time to time.

I am still shooting for that century ride very soon.

Jane

I'm still here, but I haven't been able to get my pedals switched out yet.  The car I can use to transport my bike was in the shop forever, and neither I nor my husband can get the darn things off.  I have a pdeal wrench, and I greased them, but nada.  Just got the car back, but now we're leaving for vacation.  Shoot.  I've been spinning in the meantime, though, and practicing with my cleats as if the spin bike were a real one.  Now I just have to get my pedals on, get over my fear and ride.  I'm sure once I have a successful ride or two, it'll be like second nature.  At least that's my story for now, and I'm sticking to it.

Hi everyone, like I said I'll pop in from time to time!

Latest news is that I went out and bought a mountain bike, found that Ohio has some pretty epic trails for a mostly flat state.  Mohican state park has a 24 mile one and mohican wilderness has one as well, lots of climbing on both.  lot's of the state parks have trails for mountain biking and they are challenging.  I'm having a blast with it, nothing like having a bunch of trees in your way to improve your bike skills, LOL.

My son has really got into biking as well now, he's put in around 600 miles this summer.  My wife had over 1000 miles last month and she still countinues to impress me with her ability.

Me and the wife went on a really beutiful ride one weekend that involved 75 miles each day and an overnight at a real nice hotel, the scenery was magnificant and the food was great.  We did around 5000 ft of climbing each day and one of the hills had to be the steepest I've ever seen in Ohio.

Well just want to drop by and say HI to you all, tell next time.

DAN