The Fretboard Cycling Club

Koa

ewal said:

I've been a recreational road cyclist for about 20 years however I've found my enthusiasm wain over last few years, having cycled most of the roads in Perthshire more times than I care to remember.

To re-ignite my interest, i'm thinking of jumping on the gravel biking bandwagon, because there's loads of great route options nearby. Not sure though - I don't really have anywhere to securely store an expensive new gravel bike. So thinking of putting some suitable tyres on my hardtail MTB first and doing a few recce rides first.

Just thinking out loud really!

Similar story here, quiet roads but same routes on repeat on a road bike. After asking myself’what is a gravel bike’ I took the plunge last August and have ridden nothing but gravel since. My road bike and 29er haven’t been touched in months, Ragley Trig with ass savers fitted has been perfect. Mix it up, make it fun again…..

Mellish

@ewal ; ; that makes perfect sense to me.

There's a lot more going on off-road to rekindle the spark, so give it a go. 

 

ewal

I'm still toying with the gravel idea. Definitely getting out this weekend - either road or 29er. This is all on my doorstep, so might try one of these routes on the 29er. That's the main reason I haven't taken the plunge and bought a gravel bike - I think you could cover a lot of similar terrain on a hardtail. Another idea I had was to mod my 29er with rigid forks, faster tyres and maybe narrower bars. Reckon that would be a good compromise and I really don't need a more off-road capable bike.

MagicPigDetective

A 17 mile ride on the road bike this morning. I find myself back where I was when I bought the bike in 2015, quite slow and unable to complete smallish climbs. Back then it was the same, I struggled to start with but my fitness increased quickly after a few rides and I could do all the climbs on my local routes. I just hope now at 46 it will be the same and I can get back to where I was. 

I'm still unsure if I'm capable of stepping up to long distances and climbs... I would like to to the Tour de Mon sportive on Anglesey in August - the small route is 46 miles, far longer than I've ever ridden. I just need to take it one ride at a time I suppose. I've also bought some resistance bands to increase strength... and got the mountain bike too of course (booked a core skill course in Coed y Brenin next Saturday).

It was a nice morning up here:

 

Mellish

@MagicPigDetective ; what you describe is the result of being off the bike for a lengthy period

There's no reason why regular rides won't restore fitness. 

However, rather than a yo-yo effect, I'd aim at maintaining a level throughout each year.

EDIT: building up to a 46-mile ride by August? Doable. 

 

littlegreenman

@MagicPigDetective If you can do 17 you can do 46. Build up to it over the next few months and you're smash it.

I'd never done more than about 20 before I did my first Liverpool Chester Liverpool, which is 50+ and it was fine. Just pace it slowly to start. Tour de Mon might be a tad trickier if it's as hilly as I remember. Fuel up the day before and during and you'll be fine.

Yeah, and I'm over 50 now!

BRISTOL86

Had a nice ride this morning, though the gloss was taken off on the way home….standing water plus hidden pothole…actually more like a pot-well, how I stayed on the bike I’ll never know, felt like I was thrown about 10 feet into the air. 

Cut and bruised leg and a hole in an expensive pair of bib tights that I’ve worn twice  

Pretty though and enjoyed taking the Wahoo out for the inaugural ride, I like it!

Mellish

@BRISTOL86 ; that second pic looks like an interesting section of road.
Coming towards the camera, that looks a decent climb   

BRISTOL86

Mellish said:

@BRISTOL86 ; that second pic looks like an interesting section of road.
Coming towards the camera, that looks a decent climb   

This one wasn’t too bad but there were a couple much steeper that there was no way I was stopping at the bottom of to photograph!!

Mellish

BRISTOL86 said:

@BRISTOL86 ; climbs are fabbo
















Used to love them  

BRISTOL86

Yeah I’m a bit of a masochist myself  

Jaycee

Well done everyone for getting out.

I had a back problem, so today was my first in three weeks, kept it to 18 miles 11mph average on my gravel bike.

Consistency is the key   three shorter rides rather than one long one is better for building up the mileage, then chuck in a longer one and you will suprise yourself. I am 61 this year and hoping to get a 100 miler in, 50's I am ok with but doing a 100 will be task,  as will be cutting down on the beers .....

ewal

Time to ditch Zwift for a bit and get back outside. Kicked off today with a fairly easy off-road loop from Dunkeld up to Loch Ordie - just 26k. Going to keep doing a bit of off-road exploring on the 29er over next few weekends, while I procrastinate over buying a gravel bike 

@MagicPigDetective you've got plenty of time to build up fitness for an event in August. Just keep adding a bit of distance every week and your fitness will soon come back. 46 is no age!

Nikc

So tomorrow is a new dawn - life has conspired against me since last July and I haven't ridden since then - tomorrow having changed jobs I can start back commuting again and rebuild fitness who knows I might even manage a race before the end of the season

m_c

My cycling achievements for the past couple months have been completing the Strava Cycle Climbing challenges, which I hadn't managed to complete since March last year.
7500m of climbing each month, and I think less than 300m has been on Zwift, with the rest all being on the hardtail.

I'll hopefully find time to remove the road bike from the turbo this week, and start working on some distance rides rather than hours of off-road climbing. I'm wanting to get back to doing one road bike ride a week, along with a monthly 100k, as I find the longer relatively continual effort road rides help my fitness quite a bit more than the all or nothing mountain bike efforts.

Cranky

Good thread.  

MTB season is slow to kick off out here in the Sierra Nevadas due to a hellish but badly needed winter in the Western US.  I enjoy seeing these pics of UK terrain.

Does Peloton count, btw?  Maybe if one of you knows Sam Yo or Hannah Frankson you could tell them PantsDude would love an Ocean Wisdom ride?!?!

Jaycee

I did 18 miles on sunday and 35 today on my gravel bike. Today was 2,000 ft of elevation and I am cooked, weather was gorgeous though.

Mellish

@Jaycee ; you'll feel good about the climbing and the mileage...proud,too,and so you should be. Well done!

 

Nikc

Day three back commuting - firstly just loving it again - secondly I've already gone for the first extension option cycling home yesterday. Onwards and upwards

Mellish

@Nikc if you're.feeling really good, vary the ride home, throw in a couple of challenging climbs.