Anyone else Cycling?

Wednesday wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:[email hidden]
::
::: I think you're doing really great!
::
:: Thanks 🙂
::
::: When I started, I rode loops through my neighborhood. Then I rode
::: in a nearby park. Then I rode at this old airport that I had a 7
::: mile loop, with no traffic lights and only 1 stop sign. Then I
::: rode on the open road. Baby steps wins out every time....
::
:: Where I ride is pretty close to home (about 2kms) so if I have a
:: breakdown/fall it isn't that far to limp home! Plus it seems to be a
:: relatively safe and quiet neighbourhood. Only one set of traffic
:: lights which is always green.
::
:: This morningI had my first real moment of "it's cold, I'm tired, I
:: can't be bothered". I made myself go out anyway, figuring even if I
:: only managed 2kms, it'd be better than doing nothing!
::
:: It *was* freezing. I couldn't find my windbreaker, so only had a
:: short sleeve shirt on, and definately felt it. My fingertips felt
:: like they were going to drop off too!

Yep...time to get some gloves that completely cover your hands...you might
be able to find some one sale this time of year....where in the world are
you?

I altered my course slightly
:: to sort of incorporate 2 loops I'd previously done, so it was a 4km
:: loop. In the end I did 20km! Yay! Took an hour and 4 minutes. I
:: don't think I will try an increase the distance again this week.. I
:: will stick with trying to get faster at the 20kms, although the way
:: I feel tonight I might be struggling to do 10kms in the morning.
::

Cool. That's a good idea...sticking to a distance and doing it faster (or
trying to). That will likely entend your range a bit, too.

::: After a bit more time, you might enjoy hanging out over in
::: rec.bicycles.misc, too.
::
:: I shall have a lurk 🙂

Yes, after you lurk a bit ask about proper gloves and clothing. You don't
want to over dress either.

As Pat mentioned, it's a good idea to be able to fix flats & things. I once
broke down about 10 miles from home....talk about a long walk!!!!

Quoted message said:

Boy...last winter I happened to underestimate how cold it was out side and
tried to ride in come gloves that had my fingers exposed. I only got
about 2 miles before I had to run around. By the time I got back to the
car, my fingers were ready to fall off!

I have gotten good mileage out of buying silk glove liners from an Army-Navy
store. I think they were $3 a pair. I pull them on and them pull on the
bicycle gloves over them. The silk is amazingly warm and leaves you with
finger-tip touch that disappears with full-fingered gloves.

Pat in TX

"Pat in TX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The conventional wisdom is to have the cycling shorts' pad next to your
skin. Some people put a layer of petrolatum jelly or a lanolin-based cream
in the creases of the skin where the legs join to the body to reduce

chafing

Quoted message said:

problems. There is a product having to do with udders that some people

use.

Quoted message said:

You don't want that area to be dry because of shear forces that can occur

on

Quoted message said:

the skin.

I haven't had any chaffing problems yet, but should probably start doing it
properly so I don't!

Quoted message said:

I would dress the upper body in layers. You probably know all
about that.

Um, no 😉 The reason I wear just a shirt is, I'm usually still warmish from
work, and I have problems usually from overheating. If I get too hot, I have
nasty sideeffects like diahrhoea (not something you want to have on a bike
ride!), and nearly passing out. So I tend to err toward the colder side of
things. I did find wearing the windbreaker got me abit hot, plus it billowed
up with the wind and I couldn't see behind me properly. I guess I don't want
the hassle of having to stop to remove clothing part way through, I just
want to go. I will make an effort though if its really cold to wear
something under my shirt to keep the chill off.

Quoted message said:

You are using cycling gloves, right?

Yes, but they're fingerless one's. 🙂

I know I probably sound like an accident waiting to happen lol, but I am
taking note of all of your tips!

W

"Pat in TX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

two things worry me about your post.
1.) do you have a pump, tube patches, and tire levers in a kit in case you
get a flat?

Um....... no. But I will get on to that one!

Quoted message said:

2.) are you paying enough attention to dressing for the conditions? I know
that under-dressing results in more calories used, but....

It's not so much that, as trying to find something I'm not going to be too
hot in by the end of my ride, something that doesn't constrict me and
something that I don't have to stop to take off or put on.

W

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

W - you'll have to learn to dress right for the conditions there. It's a
thin line between over dressing (the tendency is to do that) and under
dressing. But you'll definitely need some good gloves that cover your
fingertips completely as cold air will do you in once you start moving.
That will kill your motivation in no time.

I have fingerless gloves, but will see if I can find some thin one's to put
underneath them with fingers. I just don't like the feel of normal gloves,
never have.

W

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cool. That's a good idea...sticking to a distance and doing it faster (or
trying to). That will likely entend your range a bit, too.

Well, on friday morning I managed to shave 3 minutes off my time 😉 Making
it 1 hour 1 minute for my 20kms 🙂 I intend to have saturday and sunday
mornings off as my break for the weekend. A guy I work with didn't think
that was a very good idea, as then I might not want to get back on the bike
on monday morning, but isn't it better to give yourself a couple of days off
a week?

Btw, I think you asked in one of your messages where I lived (to be in the
middle of winter). I'm in New Zealand, and I'm not exactly in the coldest
part of it, just feels that way when it's frosty!

W

Wednesday wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:[email hidden]...
::
::: Cool. That's a good idea...sticking to a distance and doing it
::: faster (or trying to). That will likely entend your range a bit,
::: too.
::
:: Well, on friday morning I managed to shave 3 minutes off my time 😉
:: Making it 1 hour 1 minute for my 20kms 🙂 I intend to have saturday
:: and sunday mornings off as my break for the weekend. A guy I work
:: with didn't think that was a very good idea, as then I might not
:: want to get back on the bike on monday morning, but isn't it better
:: to give yourself a couple of days off a week?

I think the best answe to that can only come from you. If you feel as if
your body needs a break, then by all means take one. If not, don't worry
about it.

You may instead want to do a sort of "recovery" ride. That is, do some
riding, but keep it easy and short compared to what you did before. This
type if riding is supposed to help your body recover quicker, assuming you
don't overdo it. For exmaple, if I do 75 miles on a Saturday, I'll do 40 on
Sunday. A slower 40, however.

::
:: Btw, I think you asked in one of your messages where I lived (to be
:: in the middle of winter). I'm in New Zealand, and I'm not exactly in
:: the coldest part of it, just feels that way when it's frosty!

Well, when it feels frosty, it's frosty, IFAIC.

Wednesday wrote:
:: "Pat in TX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:[email hidden]...
::: two things worry me about your post.
::: 1.) do you have a pump, tube patches, and tire levers in a kit in
::: case you get a flat?
::
:: Um....... no. But I will get on to that one!
::
::: 2.) are you paying enough attention to dressing for the conditions?
::: I know that under-dressing results in more calories used, but....
::
:: It's not so much that, as trying to find something I'm not going to
:: be too hot in by the end of my ride, something that doesn't
:: constrict me and something that I don't have to stop to take off or
:: put on.

Cycling clothes!

Wednesday said:

"Pat in TX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The conventional wisdom is to have the cycling shorts' pad next to your
skin. Some people put a layer of petrolatum jelly or a lanolin-based cream
in the creases of the skin where the legs join to the body to reduce

chafing

Quoted message said:

problems. There is a product having to do with udders that some people

use.

Quoted message said:

You don't want that area to be dry because of shear forces that can occur

on

Quoted message said:

the skin.

I haven't had any chaffing problems yet, but should probably start doing it
properly so I don't!

Quoted message said:

I would dress the upper body in layers. You probably know all
about that.

Um, no 😉 The reason I wear just a shirt is, I'm usually still warmish from
work, and I have problems usually from overheating. If I get too hot, I have
nasty sideeffects like diahrhoea (not something you want to have on a bike
ride!), and nearly passing out. So I tend to err toward the colder side of
things. I did find wearing the windbreaker got me abit hot, plus it billowed
up with the wind and I couldn't see behind me properly. I guess I don't want
the hassle of having to stop to remove clothing part way through, I just
want to go. I will make an effort though if its really cold to wear
something under my shirt to keep the chill off.

Quoted message said:

You are using cycling gloves, right?

Yes, but they're fingerless one's. 🙂

I know I probably sound like an accident waiting to happen lol, but I am
taking note of all of your tips!

W

For biking, I usually make my windbreaker into something like one of the
more expensive ones with "Pit Zips", zippers to open up the jacket under
the arm pits to get good circulation.

I make "Pit Slits" about 6 inches or 15 cm long following the seams from
the arm down the sides of the jacket.

For a nylon or polyester jacket, I cut these "pit slits" with an old hot
knife to keep the unraveling problem down.

I bike in the winter as well here at 40 degrees north latitude in
Chicago type weather. I am comfortable with "pit slits" as I have "pit
zips" in a couple of winter (waterproof) shells that I also keep
unzipped in all but the most blustery cold wet conditions.

Get rid of the sweat and the heat of the armpit areas. I feel it helps
a lot. If you do the "Pit Slits", you might want to begin with small
slits first.

In this way, you are cooler even if the jacket is partly or fully zipped
up (and thus not billowing in the wind and making it hard to see behind).

Jim

--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplemental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)