Progress, part 2

As my regular readers will remember (*cough*), a couple of
weekends ago, I beat my personal best distance with a ride
of 17 miles. Well, this morning I went on a ride to
Abercynon (6 miles there, 6 back). Got to Abercynon, felt
good, decided to carry on to Merthyr Tydfil (another 10
miles or so) and get the train back down the valley.

So, I got to Merthyr at 09:55 (the last mile killed me for
some reason), went in to Tesco, had a bacon and egg roll and
a cup of coffee, came out and went to the station. First
train down the valley is at 15:25.

Now, people who have been to Merthyr will realise how crappy
I was feeling when I say that I seriously considered
spending 5 hours in Merthyr on a Sunday. However, 20 minutes
slumped on a seat outside the station had me feeling much
better. So I cycled back. It was much easier dropping down
500 feet that climbing it, so there was plenty of
freewheeling, but I was still pretty tired when I got back -
but I made
it. 33 miles. Yay me. :-)

Things I have learned :-

The bike clothing I previously thought was for posers turns
out to be presumably a damned good idea. I could have really
done with sunglasses coming back south. And, I found I
couldn't remove either of my top layers when the sun cam
out, because my cotton t-shirt was sodden with sweat and I
froze everytime I removed a layer.

Despite this, of all the people I said 'good morning' to as
I passed, the only ones not to reciprocate were the ones
wearing lurid cycling jerseys and trendy shades, who looked
at me as if I were a nutter. (Two separate groups.
Presumably they weren't impressed with the jogging bottoms
and the cheap MTB)

I really want clipless pedals.

I really want non-knobbly tyres. The road noise was
driving me mad, and I could feel them holding me back on
down-slopes.

Laces should be tucked into shoes.

The Taff Trail from Ponty to Merthyr is pretty damned nice,
except for the stretch between Abercynon and Pontygwaith,
which doesn't deserve the description 'bike path'. I know
the real MTBers would laugh, but bouncing from stone to
stone with a drop of 30 feet into a river immedately to my
left isn't my idea of fun. I got off and walked. Next time,
I take the road for that stretch.

Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ Fair and Balanced
- http://blugg.com/stuff/foxs_view_of_the_bbc_player.htm

>Well, this morning I went on a ride to Abercynon (6 miles
>there, 6 back). Got to Abercynon, felt good, decided to
>carry on to Merthyr Tydfil (another 10 miles or so) and get
>the train back down the valley.

Excellent :-)

>The bike clothing I previously thought was for posers turns
>out to be presumably a damned good idea.

The Madness of the Lycra takes hold :-) You do realise
that by this time next year you will be a fully accredited
Lycra Lout :-D

>I really want clipless pedals.

I rest my case :-)

>I really want non-knobbly tyres.

And again ;-)

>
>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.

And it's enjoyable, isn't it!

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

"Keith Willoughby" <keith@flat222.org> wrote in message
news:3lqrh1-iba.ln1@flat222.dyndns.org...
> As my regular readers will remember (*cough*), a couple of
> weekends ago, I beat my personal best distance with a ride
> of 17 miles. Well, this morning I went on a ride to
> Abercynon (6 miles there, 6 back). Got to Abercynon, felt
> good, decided to carry on to Merthyr Tydfil (another 10
> miles or so) and get the train back down the valley.
>
> So, I got to Merthyr at 09:55 (the last mile killed me for
> some reason), went in to Tesco, had a bacon and egg roll
> and a cup of coffee, came out and went to the station.
> First train down the valley is at 15:25.
>
> Now, people who have been to Merthyr will realise how
> crappy I was feeling when I say that I seriously
> considered spending 5 hours in Merthyr on a Sunday.
> However, 20 minutes slumped on a seat outside the station
> had me feeling much better. So I cycled back. It was much
> easier dropping down 500 feet that climbing it, so there
> was plenty of freewheeling, but I was still pretty tired
> when I got back - but I made
> it. 33 miles. Yay me. :-)
>
> Things I have learned :-
>
> The bike clothing I previously thought was for posers
> turns out to be presumably a damned good idea. I could
> have really done with sunglasses coming back south. And, I
> found I couldn't remove either of my top layers when the
> sun cam out, because my cotton t-shirt was sodden with
> sweat and I froze everytime I removed a layer.
>
> Despite this, of all the people I said 'good morning' to
> as I passed, the only ones not to reciprocate were the
> ones wearing lurid cycling jerseys and trendy shades, who
> looked at me as if I were a nutter. (Two separate groups.
> Presumably they weren't impressed with the jogging bottoms
> and the cheap MTB)
>
> I really want clipless pedals.
>
> I really want non-knobbly tyres. The road noise was
> driving me mad, and I could feel them holding me back on
> down-slopes.
>
> Laces should be tucked into shoes.
>
> The Taff Trail from Ponty to Merthyr is pretty damned
> nice, except for the stretch between Abercynon and
> Pontygwaith, which doesn't deserve the description 'bike
> path'. I know the real MTBers would laugh, but bouncing
> from stone to stone with a drop of 30 feet into a river
> immedately to my left isn't my idea of fun. I got off and
> walked. Next time, I take the road for that stretch.
>
> Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.

Well done Keith. I too started off with jogging bottoms,
knobbly tyres, cheap MTB and plastic pedals, but had a lot
of fun along the way. Gradually got padded shorts and
tights, hybrid (and now road bike), proper Goretex tops and
jacket etc and things are much better, but I look back on
the early rides I did with great pride, like you. See:
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page17.html

I used to go for two weeks holiday to Merthyr in the late
1970s as my pal from work hailed from there. Very friendly
people and had a great time in Aberdare getting drunk. The
train journey from Hull was appalling though, 11 hours it
took and I once had to change at these stations. Hull -
Doncaster - Sheffield - Derby - Birmingham - Bristol - Cardiff-
Pontypridd - Merthyr. Yikes!

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

<dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers> wrote:

>>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.
>
> And it's enjoyable, isn't it!

It sure is.

The feeling has almost returned to my hands now, too . . .

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ "I was an angry
young man in need of an icon and Leonid Brezhnev fell short
on several counts" -- Mark Steel

Keith Willoughby wrote:
> I was still pretty tired when I got back - but I made it.
> 33 miles. Yay me. :-)

Good for you. You may find an energy drink helpful for
future rides. I used to use Isostar all the time, now I
prefer SiS Go, but I usually use TeknoFuel because it's
(relatively) cheap: url:http://www.teknofuel.co.uk/

Other people will have different preferences, of course, and
it's worth trying a few to find what works for you.

> And, I found I couldn't remove either of my top layers
> when the sun cam out, because my cotton t-shirt was sodden
> with sweat and I froze everytime I removed a layer.

May I be the first to recommend Parrot, both for quality and
VFM?: url:http://www.parrot-online.com/

I can particularly recommend the Baseline zip neck base
layer (a zip is a good thing to have) and the Zati-Lite
Gilet. Check the bike mags in your local newsagent for
Parrot ads before you order. There's usually an offer where
you can buy one item and get another free, which will be
worth knowing about.

> I really want clipless pedals.

Yes, you really do :-)

> I really want non-knobbly tyres.

Ditto.

> Laces should be tucked into shoes.

If you get clipless pedals then you'll also need cycling
shoes. If they have laces then they'll probably also have a
velcro strap that goes over the laces.

BTW, this is what can happen when laces aren't tucked into
shoes while riding a unicycle: url:http://www.speedy5.frees-
erve.co.uk/danny/unicycling/gallery/mwblood. jpg

> Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.

It's good to know you can do it, isn't it? (Not that I've
ever been a fat dude, but I was pleasantly surprised when I
did a 40 mile ride a week after buying my first adult bike).

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
Why I like OE6 - http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/misc/oe6.html
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Keith Willoughby <keith@flat222.org> of Society of Recidivists wrote:

><dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers> wrote:
>
>>>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.
>>
>> And it's enjoyable, isn't it!
>
>It sure is.
>
>The feeling has almost returned to my hands now, too . . .
Add padded gloves to the list of things you need.

Another fat dude on a bike

--
The standard of intellect in politics is so low, men of moderate mental capacity
have to stoop to reach it. - Hillaire Belloc
Steph Peters delete invalid from incm@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid
Tatting, lace & stitching page <http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/index.htm

<Steph Peters> wrote:
> Keith Willoughby <keith@flat222.org> of Society of
> Recidivists wrote:
>
>><dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers> wrote:
>>
>>>>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.
>>>
>>> And it's enjoyable, isn't it!
>>
>>It sure is.
>>
>>The feeling has almost returned to my hands now, too . . .
> Add padded gloves to the list of things you need.

Already on order!

> Another fat dude on a bike

Solidarity, brother.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ "Taffy was a
Welshman, Taffy was a thief"

<Danny Colyer> wrote:
> Keith Willoughby wrote:
>> Laces should be tucked into shoes.
>
> If you get clipless pedals then you'll also need cycling
> shoes. If they have laces then they'll probably also have
> a velcro strap that goes over the laces.
>
> BTW, this is what can happen when laces aren't tucked into
> shoes while riding a unicycle: url:http://www.speedy5.fre-
> eserve.co.uk/danny/unicycling/gallery/mwblood. jpg

I knew I wasn't going to like that when I saw the name of
the picture.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ Freedom is
slavery

<Simon Mason> wrote:
>
> Well done Keith.

Ta!

> http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page17.html

Inspiring stuff, thanks.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ Well you can keep
the punk rock Ska rap beats and house

Steph Peters <urcy@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid> wrote:

:>The feeling has almost returned to my hands now, too . . .
: Add padded gloves to the list of things you need.

Maybe. Padded gloves are a good thing, but shouldn't be
used to disguse problems with position. I'd suggest
raising the bars.

--
Arthur Clune

in message <192sh1-3qa.ln1@flat222.dyndns.org>, Keith Willoughby
('keith@flat222.org') wrote:

> <dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers> wrote:
>
>>>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.
>>
>> And it's enjoyable, isn't it!
>
> It sure is.
>
> The feeling has almost returned to my hands now, too . . .

Flat or riser barred MTB? Not nice for more than ten miles.
You really need to be able to change hand positions, in
order to rest the bits you were putting pressure on. Fit
'bar ends'; my preferred ones are 'Cane Creek Ergo Control'
<URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5220000162>

The other issue is road vibration affecting the nerves in
the palm of your hand (numb or pins-and-needly feeling). The
solution to this is better gloves (gell filled palms,
leather) and more shock absorbent grips - but frankly if
you're riding any sort of mountain bike the front suspension
ought to be dealing with this problem for you.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ /-\ You have discovered a
security flaw in a Microsoft product. You can
|-| report this issue to our security tesm. Would you like
|to
| | * Be completely ignored (default)?
| | * Receive a form email full of platitudes about how
| | much we care?
\_/ * Spend hours helping us fix this problem for free?

<Simon Brooke> wrote:
> in message <192sh1-3qa.ln1@flat222.dyndns.org>, Keith
> Willoughby ('keith@flat222.org') wrote:
>
>> <dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers> wrote:
>>
>>>>Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.
>>>
>>> And it's enjoyable, isn't it!
>>
>> It sure is.
>>
>> The feeling has almost returned to my hands now,
>> too . . .
>
> Flat or riser barred MTB? Not nice for more than ten
> miles.

Aye.

> You really need to be able to change hand positions, in
> order to rest the bits you were putting pressure on. Fit
> 'bar ends'; my preferred ones are 'Cane Creek Ergo
> Control'
> <URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5220000162>

I've been trying to avoid buying stuff for it in case I cave
in and buy a more suitable bike. I almost put a bid in for a
Dawes Horizon on ebay yesterday.

> The other issue is road vibration affecting the nerves in
> the palm of your hand (numb or pins-and-needly feeling).
> The solution to this is better gloves (gell filled palms,
> leather)

I've ordered some gel-filled gloves, at least.

> and more shock absorbent grips - but frankly if you're
> riding any sort of mountain bike the front suspension
> ought to be dealing with this problem for you.

Which it did, mostly, except for the few hundred metres I
rode on a horribly stony, rutted path before giving up and
walking. Trouble is, as I've mentioned - I'm way overweight.
I'd guess I'm putting a huge amount more strain on my hands
and wrists than anyone else here. I did raise the bars
before this trip, which helped, so I may try raising them
again. But, when I come down to it, I'd be better off just
losing some of the deadweight and increasing the strength of
my stomach muscles.

I really should take up some for of excersise. :-)

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ It's the only
language they understand

Keith Willoughby <keith@flat222.org> wrote in message news:<3lqrh1-iba.ln1@flat222.dyndns.org>...

> However, 20 minutes slumped on a seat outside the station
> had me feeling much better. So I cycled back. It was much
> easier dropping down 500 feet that climbing it, so there
> was plenty of freewheeling, but I was still pretty tired
> when I got back - but I made
> it. 33 miles. Yay me. :-)

Glad you made it all the way back. This kind of ride is
great for expanding your horizons. Now you know that 33
miles is well within your abilities you can start planning a
50, a 60... :-)

> The bike clothing I previously thought was for posers
> turns out to be presumably a damned good idea. I could
> have really done with sunglasses coming back south.

Glasses are a good idea. You don't have to shell out on the
high fashion ones either. I like Madisons with
interchangeable lenses.

> And, I found I couldn't remove either of my top layers
> when the sun cam out, because my cotton t-shirt was sodden
> with sweat and I froze everytime I removed a layer.

Cotton is rotten. A good wicking base layer is what you
need.

> Despite this, of all the people I said 'good morning' to
> as I passed, the only ones not to reciprocate were the
> ones wearing lurid cycling jerseys and trendy shades, who
> looked at me as if I were a nutter. (Two separate groups.
> Presumably they weren't impressed with the jogging bottoms
> and the cheap MTB)

There really do seem to be two groups. I've noticed before
that people complain about the miserable roadies, but as a
roadie myself I've always noticed how miserable the MTB
people seem to be. Other roadies always return my wave, but
MTB-ers very seldom.

> Even fat dudes like me can cycle 33 miles.

Fat dudes like you can cycle considerably greater distances
than that with a bit of practice. Keep it up!

--
Dave...

Arthur Clune wrote:
> Padded gloves are a good thing, but shouldn't be used
> to disguse problems with position. I'd suggest raising
> the bars.

I discovered the truth of this by accident - having cleaned
my headset I replaced the bars without thinking too much
about the height. But when I next went out for a ride I
noticed that the bars felt higher than previously. Rather
than change them out on the road I thought I'd leave it
until I got home, but by that time I was enjoying the fact
that I felt significantly more comfortable with the bars in
their new position so left them as they were - it wasn't
much higher at all, but I certainly felt the difference.

And I'm another cyclist who doesn't mind admitting to being,
ahem, somewhat above fighting weight...

d.

"david kenning" <david.kenning@which.net> wrote in
news:c2hk80$stv$1@titan.btinternet.com:

> And I'm another cyclist who doesn't mind admitting to
> being, ahem, somewhat above fighting weight...

Sod fighting, if you're big enough - sit on them! :-)

Graeme