Managed to lurk here for a bit then randomly posted this morning so figured a post in the Newbie Central was warranted.
There’s a few familiar names and folks from other forums I use here so I’m sure some will join the dots and think “damn that wanker’s everywhere, is he following me?”
Back to the story, Middle Aged (hitting 45 next year) and have been back riding for a grand total of 2 months. I bought myself a Merida Big Nine 40D and discovered that while I can walk 25+km a day, and average around 10000 steps most days I have zero cardio/bike fitness.
That first ride was awesome, the speed, the wind in the helmet, then I got to the end of the street and the burn started. Yeah the first 5km I rode was brutal I was winded, the legs jelly and my arse was sore. I really regretted that $1k purchase of bike and gear.
However then I let the Bryton 310 upload into Strava and discovered in my little loop near home I wasn’t the slowest on a few segments. It gave me hope and a comparison point to try better.
The next day I did it again.
Strava segments showed I was still not the worst in my neighbourhood.
It took a few days or so and I ventured further, along the Canberra cycle paths and working out the distance to the pub or to work was 15 minutes ride with virtually no time dodging cars.
Then I got adventurous and rode out to the trails along the Murrumbidgee River that I walk a fair bit and discovered that I’ve got a lot to learn. That was barely an 18km round trip punctuated with lots of stops and yet a feeling of great accomplishment.
See I’d been walking up those trails for kilometres to fly a drone, capture some aerial shots and generally work on my overall fitness but every time someone would ride past I’d be thinking just how much further I could go. 13km round trips with the occasional ankle twist and the iffy hip I picked up in Malaysia a couple years back had me thinking a bike would be smarter.
Then I sodded off in a holiday and 4 weeks later have had to start again.
So here I am, getting back used to riding, working out that a 20mm change in seat height completely changes arse pain level, that 109kg dudes and 160mm front brakes aren’t a match made in heaven, and that when the bike shop guy says “the spokes will need tensioning after a few rides” means learning to roughly true a wheel sitting in the dirt with a pair of pliers.
At least I haven’t bought Lycra, I’ll just be that guy serious riders fly past who’s just getting between point point a and b getting fitter and enjoying being outside.
So far 120km-ish logged and enjoying all the bits that don’t suck. I think the Bryton-Strava really are the difference for me, I know I’m feeling better in the bike but having a comparison point to both my previous performance and that of the true MAMIL’s is helping me understand the relevance of cadence (yeah I have a cadence sensor and probably should have heart rate as well considering the way it feels at times) to speed to distance and comfort.
There’s a few familiar names and folks from other forums I use here so I’m sure some will join the dots and think “damn that wanker’s everywhere, is he following me?”
Back to the story, Middle Aged (hitting 45 next year) and have been back riding for a grand total of 2 months. I bought myself a Merida Big Nine 40D and discovered that while I can walk 25+km a day, and average around 10000 steps most days I have zero cardio/bike fitness.
That first ride was awesome, the speed, the wind in the helmet, then I got to the end of the street and the burn started. Yeah the first 5km I rode was brutal I was winded, the legs jelly and my arse was sore. I really regretted that $1k purchase of bike and gear.
However then I let the Bryton 310 upload into Strava and discovered in my little loop near home I wasn’t the slowest on a few segments. It gave me hope and a comparison point to try better.
The next day I did it again.
Strava segments showed I was still not the worst in my neighbourhood.
It took a few days or so and I ventured further, along the Canberra cycle paths and working out the distance to the pub or to work was 15 minutes ride with virtually no time dodging cars.
Then I got adventurous and rode out to the trails along the Murrumbidgee River that I walk a fair bit and discovered that I’ve got a lot to learn. That was barely an 18km round trip punctuated with lots of stops and yet a feeling of great accomplishment.
See I’d been walking up those trails for kilometres to fly a drone, capture some aerial shots and generally work on my overall fitness but every time someone would ride past I’d be thinking just how much further I could go. 13km round trips with the occasional ankle twist and the iffy hip I picked up in Malaysia a couple years back had me thinking a bike would be smarter.
Then I sodded off in a holiday and 4 weeks later have had to start again.
So here I am, getting back used to riding, working out that a 20mm change in seat height completely changes arse pain level, that 109kg dudes and 160mm front brakes aren’t a match made in heaven, and that when the bike shop guy says “the spokes will need tensioning after a few rides” means learning to roughly true a wheel sitting in the dirt with a pair of pliers.
At least I haven’t bought Lycra, I’ll just be that guy serious riders fly past who’s just getting between point point a and b getting fitter and enjoying being outside.
So far 120km-ish logged and enjoying all the bits that don’t suck. I think the Bryton-Strava really are the difference for me, I know I’m feeling better in the bike but having a comparison point to both my previous performance and that of the true MAMIL’s is helping me understand the relevance of cadence (yeah I have a cadence sensor and probably should have heart rate as well considering the way it feels at times) to speed to distance and comfort.