The cycling thread

[Cav]

Good on you mate! Shame about the seat post and 2 weeks to get it fixed.

I'm still waiting for mine to come back in stock

[Blade]

I had blood tests in March and then again in June. The nurse did a health check including weight and lve lost 6 kg in 3 months. The actual results are probably better than the figures as been weight training and although my pants went from a 32 to a 30 I've definitely but a little mass on up top. Pretty please as I'm no spring chicken but eating well and reducing the booze has helped massively.

Really gutted I can't go the gym though. I joined in March and had a few weeks before it all shut down. Luckily i can use a gym at work and got some dumbells at home but can't wait to get back in the gym full time.

[D41]

How tall are you?

[Blade]

I like to say 6 foot but honest answer is since the back injury 5'11".

[D41]

And a 30" waist??
I haven't had one of those since my teens.

[Blade]

Yeah my shorts are all 30. Jeans are still 32 but keep falling down without a belt.

[kiwikrasher]

I’m 5’8” and my 34’s are getting too tight. I jumped 8 kg during my spinal surgery recovery and I’ve slowly gained another 4 kg since then

[Blade]

I’m 5’8” and my 34’s are getting too tight. I jumped 8 kg during my spinal surgery recovery and I’ve slowly gained another 4 kg since then

Your always out partying with Jess

[kiwikrasher]

I’m 5’8” and my 34’s are getting too tight. I jumped 8 kg during my spinal surgery recovery and I’ve slowly gained another 4 kg since then

Your always out partying with Jess

It may seem that way but I’m at work for 3-4 weeks then home (normally) for similar. In my break home there is one weekend I don’t have the kids and I make sure it lines up with Jess’ kid free weekend. So that ends up being one weekend in approx 2 months, and yes we do make sure we capitalise on it. But that weekend drinking is rarely anymore than I’d do at home.

Which is really my issue. Constant drinking when not at work and no set exercise. I’m struggling to get a routine going, I have little spurts at exercise then life gets in the way and it all stalls again. Can’t believe 5 yrs ago I was running up to 80-90 km a week.

Since my physio has told me not to run due to the risk of damaging the fusion I have been thinking of getting a new mountain bike and getting back into that. I did MTB full on for about 5-6 years and really enjoyed it. But I have to do something soon.

[D41]

I struggle myself with the motivation to get back into cycling. My fitness level is nothing like it used to be, and ramping it back up to being properly "bike fit" is going to take more commitment than I seem willing to put in.
And then of course once I'm out, I wonder why I waited so long....but it's all road-riding around here...not like when I lived in Orange and the trailheads were just down the street.

[kiwikrasher]

I live on the side of a mountain range so road cycling from home is near impossible. I only have 1 km of residential road then it’s main road 80-100km speed limits with no verge so road cycling requires me to drive somewhere first. But Aussies have a crap attitude towards cyclists. I road 15km each way to work for the first 4 yrs here and got knocked off twice, cans of beer thrown at me, a door purposely opened on me to name a few incidents. Was a shock after the thousands of kms I road in NZ over the years with very little incident.

[StMarks]

I live on the side of a mountain range so road cycling from home is near impossible. I only have 1 km of residential road then it’s main road 80-100km speed limits with no verge so road cycling requires me to drive somewhere first. But Aussies have a crap attitude towards cyclists. I road 15km each way to work for the first 4 yrs here and got knocked off twice, cans of beer thrown at me, a door purposely opened on me to name a few incidents....

There is some resentment towards cyclists here, but nothing like that.!

[D6Nutz]

I live on the side of a mountain range so road cycling from home is near impossible. I only have 1 km of residential road then it’s main road 80-100km speed limits with no verge so road cycling requires me to drive somewhere first. But Aussies have a crap attitude towards cyclists. I road 15km each way to work for the first 4 yrs here and got knocked off twice, cans of beer thrown at me, a door purposely opened on me to name a few incidents....

There is some resentment towards cyclists here, but nothing like that.!

I dunno, I get passed pretty close on a regular basis because people can't wait a few seconds fit a safe pass. I've also read stories of things being thrown at cyclists here in the UK.

But well done Wales, championing cycle safety. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53338043" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[kiwikrasher]

The general MAMIL here in Aus doesn’t do anything to help that situation tbh. Some of their behaviour deserves a can pegged at them.

Back when I cycled on road a lot I did it mainly solo or two up at most, and we always road single file as it was the most efficient way. But here they don’t think blocking a whole lane 4-5 abreast is an issue because ‘they have as much right to the lane’ mentality

[duke63]

Everyone is always wanted to rush around at 100mph these days and has no patience for anyone.

If i was in charge, i would be using the pandemic situation to ban cars from all city centres for good. I watched a video of a city in the Netherlands the other day and they are already geared up that way to live without cars in the city - big bicycle parks at train stations, massive pedestrians areas, clean modern trains with plenty of room, rail travel done on trust - all so much better suited to urban living. We are years behind that here.

[C00kiemonster]

The French are amazing with cycles (and motorbikes for that matter). Tons of room, tons of patience and wait if they need to.

On a motorbike they generally move every time.

[Cav]

I don't think the road bike is gonna happen for me. 2020 bikes are all sold and the 2021 bikes are typically £75 more expensive.

It's got me looking at a hardtail 29er instead and fitting slicks for commuting. If I decide to go with that I'd look at doing trails in the Forest of Dean, I think... If I can find a buddy willing to go with me and hopefully tutor me a little.

Right now I'm not sure what's gonna happen.

[Cav]

Evans Cycles have agreed to allow me to choose a bike up to the cost of £900 for the price of the road bike I wanted. Unfortunately that still doesn't get me an equivalent bike so I've reconsidered my options.

I'm going to go for the Specialised Rockhopper Elite.
It has upper-entry-level componentry such as Rockshox Judy forks and Shimano Deore groupset with Hydraulic 180/160 brakes.

I'll do road riding for commuting only and take the bike up to the woods for fitness stuff. My mate (the ex road and downhill racer) is more than willing to show me some local trails - I never realised we had so many!!!

[D41]

Nowt wrong with that. Deore is not ideal...but nothing wrong with it either. A Rockhopper is a good frame....heavy-ish, but it won't ever give you any problems either. It's something you can upgrade a little bit as stuff wears out.
Or breaks.
Or shatters into a thousand shards.

[Cav]

Yeah like I say, it's upper entry level. It won't set the world alight but it'll be way better than what I have ever had.

The tyres aren't meaty but they'll do