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| Join in the fun; The Calorie-Count Cycling Club... |  leinad |
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| #901 |  carrihound |
Sep 12 2007 21:34 |
| sounds like a very good plan. you've got the option to do a hard pace if you're feeling it, but a buddy & an out & back course so you can limit your distance & have someone to pull you home if you don't have it in your legs. enjoy! | ||
| #902 |  jc343 |
Sep 13 2007 03:10 |
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Carrie: Did you change your look? I don't remember that hound in earlier posts but I haven't been checking lately. MLB: It can be tough and brutal on those club rides. There are a lot of complaints about pace. Some people have forgotten what the pace is supposed to be. Others like myself, try to hold the pace in the advertised limits when leading a ride. If I'm not leading, I feel free to go at my own pace. I led a ride last spring and about 10 of the 12 riders dropped me and a couple after the first mile. The three of us ended up with an AMS just above the 15 mph upper bound but we hit speeds higher than that in places. It's not hard to do when you get rolling. Even on that century last Saturday, when I was pretty well exhausted, I was riding at 18 to 20 mph in stretches and thinking I should slow down because I was going to have to stop for break somewhere up the road. But sometimes, riding at those speeds is effortless and comfortable -- you're just peddling along with a smooth motion at high cadence and that's what you end up with. By the way, if you are not doing so already, try using lower gears and higher cadence (pedal faster) to get more speed with less energy. |
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| #903 | carrihound |
Sep 13 2007 04:57 |
| yea, i changed to the Buttercup photo a while back (haven't been posting much lately for ya to have noticed). she put the hound in carrihound :-) she's not been around for a while now, almost a year, but still very dear to my heart. | ||
| #904 | mlbtracy |
Sep 13 2007 14:19 |
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Carrie: Did you lose Buttercup? She looks like a really sweet dog. We have two cats now, but I wish we had time/space for a dog.
Last night was pretty tough, but I rode faster and longer. Almost 12 miles at 10.9 mph average. That's with a very hilly course and me going extremely slow up the hills. Part of the problem is that I'm riding platform pedals, so I can only really get a good downstroke and I'm not confident getting out of the saddle on those, part is that my gearing experience is really lacking, and part is that I'm still really heavy. My ride partner rode his hybrid last night, so he was happy to have someone to ride slow with him. He also lost 85 pounds through cycling, so he's very inspirational and understanding of a newbie. I'm gonna take a break for the rest of the week for group rides and maybe just practice hills to get my gearing down this weekend. But the beginner group is already pinging me to make sure I join group again Tuesday! I had no idea how supportive and great cyclists are! |
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| #905 | mlbtracy |
Sep 13 2007 14:23 |
| Oh, I forgot to mention that cycling seems to have jump-started something in my metabolism. 3.5 pounds lost since Sunday! Woot! And I don't think it's water because I've been seeing a little come off each day, and I'm hydrating like crazy. It looks like the clothes I'm wearing will be in the Goodwill bin soon! | ||
| #906 | ohio45 |
Sep 13 2007 14:27 |
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Yesterday had the best day in ages. Drove to my first bike trail, then rode 20 mi. What a relief not to worry about traffic. It was beautiful, scenic, wildlife, wildflowers, great weather and so much fun. I spotted a buckeye, so stopped to scoop some up. I am very good at starting now. Not so good on stopping. I slow, I stand up on my pedals, I brake and almost toss myself over my handlebars. I made a cheat sheet of hints, and read it while pedaling and it helped. Also, it takes me less time now, to get out the door, tires checked, rack loaded, etc. I think it took me an hr or little more to go 10 miles. I like a leisurely pace, enjoying the view. I'm like the cow on the California cheese commercial, who is in a race, "I can do this, I can do this.....oh, look flowers" EDIT: yes, it was the Millersburg to Fredericksburg trail, but it was smooth. That's funny Dan, you knew the name of it just by me describing it. 1/2 is paved, the other side for horses is rough. I couldn't figure out why.........during long stretches, bikers were designated on one side (paved side) , but then it would change, and bikes (paving) were on other side, then, it changed again. What was the purpose? And, I'm in Tuscarawas county. |
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| #907 | carrihound |
Sep 13 2007 14:34 |
| mlbtracy, yes, cycling kills calories like crazy - a hard ride is a great workout. and we did lose Buttercup at only 5 years old to cancer in October 2006 after a 10 month fight. myxosarcoma - a soft tissue cancer on her back that had metastasized aggressively throughout her lungs & abdomen by the time any symptoms appeared. she was a bright light in our lives. we have another dog, and we love her dearly too, but she's no Buttercup :-) | ||
| #908 | mlbtracy |
Sep 13 2007 18:31 |
| Carrie, that's so sad! We had a really close call with my cat, Lily, a couple years ago, and she ended up with an e-tube for a couple of months, then it was touch and go for another 4 or so. I know how hard and draining it can be when a pet is really, really sick. ((hugs)) | ||
| #909 | leinad |
Sep 13 2007 19:55 |
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Ohio45, glad you had a good ride! I think my comment on the rough trail comes from the ones I ride, We have the northcoast inland trail near my house and it is really smooth by comparison. Don't know why that trail has the riders going side to side, maybe just to see if your paying attention, LOL!
BTW, if you go to www.ohiocycling.info click on rider resourses and then click on the ODOT link, it will open a page that is from the Ohio department of transportation, click on the map in the uppper right corner and it will open an interactive map of all the trails in Ohio. I know there are some nice ones a lot closer to you! Some I would suggest are kiksong (sic) gap in Mount Vernon, B&O in mansfield, greenway trail in youngstown, and of course you have to ride the Ohio and Erie canal trail in the National park(the best place to go for that one is in Peninsula) it is a limestone trail but is very well packed. It's really impressive to see how many trails we have in Ohio and we (my family) have ridden about half of them. DAN |
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| #910 | ohio45 |
Sep 14 2007 15:24 |
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leinad: thanks for the link, very helpful. I have my next two trips mapped out. Next week, on the towpath near Massillon, and then Munroe Falls, (where I have friends and have walked). I'm curious to see what the crushed limestone will be like to ride on.
I like knowing exactly how far I go. The towpath ODOT map has milage. But the Munroe Falls doesn't, just the total round trip is 33 miles. |
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| #911 | biker_chick |
Sep 14 2007 19:22 |
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You are all so inspiring! I'm having a blast on my new Trek hybrid, emerging from many years of couch potato status. Someone referenced a distance and elevation route planner and I can't seem to find the link now. Would someone be so kind as to re-post for me? I promise to bookmark it this time! Thanks. |
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| #912 | trhawley |
Sep 14 2007 19:24 |
| The one I've been using is mapmyride.com. | ||
| #913 | biker_chick |
Sep 14 2007 19:39 |
| Thanks - that was the one :) | ||
| #914 | cyclechick28 |
Sep 15 2007 22:29 |
| Hi everyone, I'm new to the calorie-count and I recently bought a new bike. When I was younger I rode and rode and rode. I went everywhere on my bike. Now I want to ride for pleasure and for a bit of exercise. I'm considerably overweight and out of shape so I'm taking this all VERY slow. I've been riding about 3 miles a day so far and then doing a bit of leisurely walking with some friends or family. I have a few questions. First, when I'm going up a hill should I shift gears toward the low end (1 or 2) or towards the other end? I've always moved into higher gears to get up a hill but my dad says he does it the other way. My other question is, is it better to count minutes or miles? I'm riding on some back roads here in Alabama and there are some tough hills so just the few miles I'm doing is leaving my legs worn out ( I have fun going up the stair in my apartment). Oh and one more question and this is kinda embarrassing. My bottom feels very bruised. I've been riding less than a week and I was wondering if this will go away. I have a very big seat. I have another seat that is gel but it is ugly, is it worth it to change? Thanks for all the help! | ||
| #915 | mlbtracy |
Sep 16 2007 00:03 |
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Hi, cyclechick! I'm a newbie road cyclist, too, and here's what I know. Yes, you should change your gears so the pedals have less resistance when you go up a hill (little rings in your cassette, not the big ones). The way we do it in my cycling club is to have your legs going at a certain speed (cadence), then as you go up the hill, change the gears so your legs are still going that speed. It may feel a little silly because your legs are going so fast and your bike isn't, but that's the best way to take hills. And don't worry! I'm a hill slug, and my friends say that it's half mental, half experience with your gears. Another good thing is to get as much speed going down the hill as you can control in your bike so you have a lot of momentum to take the next hill. It makes things a lot easier, and you can ride farther. Does this make sense? Regarding miles versus minutes, gosh, it's hard to say. I personally am working on average overall speed instead. You might see about installing a cycle computer so you can see how fast you are going, how far, how long. And about the tushy, yeah, it's pretty normal to get sore. Are you riding in cycling shorts? The kind that have padding in the middle and back? If you don't feel comfortable wearing tight shorts, you can get "baggy" style ones. If there's a bicycle shop in your town, the folks there can help you pick some out. A good rule of thumb for buying those is to spend about $1 for every mile you want to ride. And don't wear underwear under them! They are designed so you don't, and seriously, underwear under cycling shorts will eventually give you sores and blisters in places you really don't want sores and blisters! Another issue that can cause a lot of sore bottoms is a bike that isn't adjusted right. Take a look at this site to make sure your seat is at the right height: http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html A good bicycle shop can help you with adjustments, too. You can also try a different seat. I personally don't like a big, thick gel seat because I find that the gel makes my butt rock back and forth, and that hurts more. It does get better, though, as you ride and your muscles get stronger. I think you also notice it less over time, too. So glad you joined us! Be safe, and have fun out there! |
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| #916 | trhawley |
Sep 16 2007 00:32 |
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cyclechick28, you've got to start somewhere and minutes is as good a way as any. Just build up you minutes until you are comfortable riding 5 -10 miles. Then most riders do eventually switch to miles as a way of measuring rides, 10 then 15, 20 and so on but really mintues riding is what is important. Eventually you will want to do more miles in less minutes but more total minutes.
A sore bottom is typical for cyclists whether they are new to the sport or haven't been on the bike for a while. I also recommend good shorts. As for seats, here are lots of different styles out there because not everone's anatomy is the same. Finding the right seat is largely trial and error. What you want is a seat the is the right width so that it supports your sit bones but doesn't touch much else. A big cushy gel seat might seam like the answer at first but once your sit bones have toughened up that gel is going to be rubbing in all the wrong places. It's kind of like the shorts, the more miles you ride that more you spend on your shorts and the more miles you ride the firmer you want your seat. Anyway, welcome to the board, there are plenty of people here that are more than willing to share there experiences, and enjoy the bike! |
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| #917 | cyclechick28 |
Sep 16 2007 02:32 |
| Thank you!!! | ||
| #918 | mlbtracy |
Sep 17 2007 03:54 |
| I'm trying to decide whether to participate in my first organized event ride. It's Le Tour de Femme here in Cary, NC, and it's a half metric century. I just started group riding, though I've been spinning for a few months now, I'm still learning to handle traffic and hills and haven't moved to clipless yet. So far, the most I've done is 12 miles at about 10.9 mph on a very hilly course. LTdF will be hilly as well with a halfway point rest stop. I probably won't get much more than 2 group rides and a spin class per week now that most of the weekday rides are over. Do you think it's possible for me to do this given I have only about 7 weeks to train? | ||
| #919 | figurethefat |
Sep 17 2007 05:04 |
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Sorry I haven't got a clue about the half metric century. I'm just a beginner, but I did look it up and the website said about 32 miles, so it sounds like a great ride and a good cause.
cyclechick my butt was sore for about 5 or 6 weeks, but it mostly just hurt when I first got on the bike. I usually didn't notice it after I'd gone a few miles. I like my seat, it's nothing special, but it works for me. I will be getting some bike shorts though. And I use mapmyride.com too. It's amazing! |
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| #920 | trhawley |
Sep 17 2007 15:13 |
| mlbtracy, Bicycling used to (maybe they still do) run an article each spring giving a guide for training ten weeks to do a century. They would have you build mileage each week and most of the long rides were scheduled for the weekends. If one can train 10 weeks for 100 miles, I'm sure you can do 32 miles in 7 weeks. Just add a few more miles each week and work up to a ride of about 25 miles before your event. If your longest ride is 12 so far, try for 14 this week, then 16 next week and so on. Get a few shorter rides in each week as well and make sure you have some rest days built in as well. | ||