2020 mileage, riding, days out update

[weeksy]

Spent an hour in the local woods with my lad. Jumping fun. Weirdly he squishes the last jump, but apparently he was just practicing his entry on the root section, not the final jump.

We've got about 5-6 smallish jumps in the woods there all together so it's a good laugh. I was dialling in my shock, so useful for me..

[Fruity]

Just did my first ride of 2020! Jeez going back to cycling sucks after a long break. The saddle!!

I managed just shy of seven miles on my mountain bike this morning, about half on road, riding to and from a local gravel/broken cobble public road that is impassable to cars.

My thighs are hurting, which doesn't bode well for a first outing on my road bike at the weekend

[Bigyin]

Only got back on the mtb about 3 weeks ago as i got my cardio at the gym and i was worried about the stability in my repaired shoulder but as it closed needs must. My shoulder feels ok even on some decent lumps and bumps so i was probably over cautious

Managing about 20 miles every 2 days so as to not take the piss about being out and about for exercise. I normally ride off road trails but as the roads are so quiet and i live out on the coast i have popped in a few road miles too....all on the trusty 14 year old GT Avalanche with knackered front shocks

I used runkeeper to record my mileage so got it back up and running again which shows 150 in total since i started back but noticed the total at the top since i started the app was 5393 miles

[weeksy]

Couldn't face Swift today, so went out on the G160.

It was brilliant. Saw some crazy jumps in the woods, not sure the pictures do it justice though. It was huge, big gap and lots of drop. The landing is between the 2 trees


2020-04-13_02-20-09 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode
H8216, undefined@4.4 mm, f2.0, 1/160s, ISO40

[Bigyin]

Couldn't face Swift today, so went out on the G160.

It was brilliant. Saw some crazy jumps in the woods, not sure the pictures do it justice though. It was huge, big gap and lots of drop. The landing is between the 2 trees


2020-04-13_02-20-09 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode
H8216, undefined@4.4 mm, f2.0, 1/160s, ISO40

Be sure to video the first attempt you try on that jump ....... best wait till A and E can cope though

[demographic]

Graphic illustration that shows my recent pushbike usage. Ahem...
I expect Weeksy will bar me from the forum after he sees the dust on the bike was so it's been nice knowing you guys.

[weeksy]

Bikes are meant to be used, my bikes are often filthy beyond words

[demographic]

Bikes are meant to be used, my bikes are often filthy beyond words

Aye, problem is that's not road dust.

Its dust accumulated from knocking on for a year and a half of disuse.

I've had a few years where every summer Ive been working quite a distance away from home so have been setting off for work at six and getting home at about six.
Doing that and a physical job usually means I just don't have much spare energy.
Been great interesting jobs and I've enjoyed doing them but I could do with work closer to home when I get back.

Just pumped my tyres up, wiped the dust off the bike and fancy using it for my exercise hour cos walking round the local park is starting to get on my nerves now.

[weeksy]

Good stuff. Any questions, feel free

[demographic]

Good stuff. Any questions, feel free

Push the pedals round one way, the bike moves. Think I've got it but I'll likely ask something when I get going.

I used to time trial years ago so I know I've got a long way to go before I'm even club level shite.
I considered asking about replacing my speedo but realistically I don't want much from one anyway, just speed,and average speed.
My bike could have the sensor in the rear stay for the Ant+ cadence thing but I've never really cared about cadence anyway so the speedo can be about as basic as they come.
Could likely get the pedalling watts measured but I know I'm shite so I have bigger fish to fry.

For me the most interesting information comes from my phone via Strava.
You know how it works, the KMI person isn't something that gets me working harder but that barsteward who did a segmant ten seconds faster than me gives me impetus to work harder next time, and so on.

[demographic]

Well, shoehorned my ass into my bib shorts (a sight to behold)and got myself out on the bike.
It's a 43 minute ride for me when I'm fitter and it's only taken me 52 minutes.
About two minutes of that were waiting at traffic lights like a plum, I reckon I cought five sets of lights bad and two good.
I was actually quite happy about the ride, despite being absolutely dog slow cos I've had an intermittent cough since just after crimbo that seems to have gone so I can get back to getting fitter again, plus with being off work I've got the time.

One of my workmates was a minute and a half faster over a 6.8 mile Strava segment of it and I reckon given another go I can piss that.
Then I'll see if I can find someone else just a few seconds faster to keep me pedalling.
Could do with a decent hilly route as well cos I've noticed the better way for me to to build up strength is the hills but there's nowhere close enough.

[weeksy]

Well, shoehorned my ass into my bib shorts (a sight to behold)and got myself out on the bike.
It's a 43 minute ride for me when I'm fitter and it's only taken me 52 minutes.
About two minutes of that were waiting at traffic lights like a plum, I reckon I cought five sets of lights bad and two good.
I was actually quite happy about the ride, despite being absolutely dog slow cos I've had an intermittent cough since just after crimbo that seems to have gone so I can get back to getting fitter again, plus with being off work I've got the time.

One of my workmates was a minute and a half faster over a 6.8 mile Strava segment of it and I reckon given another go I can piss that.
Then I'll see if I can find someone else just a few seconds faster to keep me pedalling.
Could do with a decent hilly route as well cos I've noticed the better way for me to to build up strength is the hills but there's nowhere close enough.

Sounds like a good start point, the only way from here is onwards again !!

[demographic]

Well, I've been out a few times now and yesterday was the first where I felt like I had some sprint in my legs when I wanted it so thats progress.
I've knocked about seven mins off my 11.3 mile ride which mostly goes to show just how bad I was when I started.
To be fair I'd had a virus of some sort and a persistant cough so even when I got back on the bike I was feeling very weak. Still not quite right but Im feeling less weak if you see what I mean.

Could do with having a hilly route closer to home cos I know that makes a massive difference to me and if I do a hilly few miles a few times then I'm way better on my usual route after it.

I've got masses of room for improvement but I'm not bothered by that, plus I'll not be giving anyone a lift to work for a while so can put the bike in the van and choose somewhere suitable to ride in my route home from work on a night.

[weeksy]

Went out and reprofiled the local jump area, well, only one of them...

[MingtheMerciless]

[weeksy]

Glorious day out there, didn't go hard or particularly far, but still, lovely

[weeksy]

2020-05-06_04-45-36 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr



fantastic to think i have this less than 400m from the doorstep.

[Bigyin]

I have about 1/2 a mile to get to my proper off road routes that include lovely bits like this



I keep tying to get all the way through it but even with spinning gears, all weight over the rear and trying to lift the front its still too deep in the middle area

Looking at the pic once you got over the dune to the left its beach and sea

[weeksy]

[MingtheMerciless]