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Cycling

Joe Mac

Arch Winning (36)
I just moved back to Sydney (Lower North Shore). My bike arrives from London in about 6 weeks. Can anyone on here tell me what it's like riding to work from the North side?

Any tips of ways to go etc? Is it too dangerous with all the cyclist haters?
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
I did Neutral Bay to CBD across the bridge. Thought it was a piece of piss

Missing the weather?
 

Moses

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
I just moved back to Sydney (Lower North Shore). My bike arrives from London in about 6 weeks. Can anyone on here tell me what it's like riding to work from the North side?

Any tips of ways to go etc? Is it too dangerous with all the cyclist haters?
It's pretty good, I've done it about 10 times.
There is a cycleway from the Hills to Narrenburn, then it stops so you have to ride through the North Sydney CBD which is shit, but when you get to Milsons Point you're good again.

Some maps here of my attempts: http://runkeeper.com/user/ozMoses/activity/18734929
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I used do it every day. There is traffic, but you're in a car mad city so that can't be avoided. Stay off the motor ways and watch out for buses (they often can't see you) and parked cars. I used love it though. Particularly going home - my mind was wiped clean of all work related thoughts by the time I got home.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Fellas, I have an issue of great importance to ask your advice on.

Drafting. What's your stance? I continually get people dropping onto my back wheel, especially in the afternoons on the way home. Ordinarily I wouldn't care, but when you're mostly riding into the teeth of a howling SW'er along the Swan River, it gets bloody annoying. I get to do all the work and they just get to cruise along. I've ridden a few times with mates like this so I have a pretty good idea of how much easier it makes your ride.

Well I've cracked the shits with it and started telling people to get out from behind my wheel and do the work. I gave a guy on a poxy fixed gear bike a gob full today. Not being a fan of hipster douches made all the more annoyed. He called me a prick and told me to lose some weight, which I thought was an amusing call.

Am I wrong? Am I breaking some sort of cyclists protocol?

I never draft off other people, so I don't see why they should do it to me.
 

Moses

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
Doesn't tend to bother me, but then I'm on a mountain bike so not hanging with the lycra crew. Can you do it for a few mins then pull out to the side, hit the brake and slip back in behind them?
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Have done in the past, but they just slow down too, the cheeky buggers. I mean it's not like I'm Eddie Merckx or anything, but it still shits me!
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
When you're cycling with a group in lycra, the strong ethos is to do your time in the wind. I refer you to THE RULES

RULE 67:
Do your time in the wind; nobody likes a wheel sucker. You might think you’re playing a smart tactical game by letting everyone else do the work while you sit on, but races (even Yellow Sign Sprints) are won through cooperation and spending time on the rivet, flogging yourself and taking risks. Riding wheels and jumping past at the end is one thing and one thing only: poor sportsmanship.

But I realise this can fall apart in commuting. One way to think about it though, is as a compliment - they dig your speed and are hanging on for dear life. You also get better resistance training and will be forming guns of steel that will enable you to drop them like a fucking stone in future. I ride with a guy who actually likes to to take point for this very reason. My only problem is if they try then to burn you off having ridden off you for a long way.

By the way - if you haven't yet, check out the rules I linked to above. They are true and fucking hilarious at the same time. One of my favourites:

RULE 51:
Livestrong wristbands are cockrings for your arms. You may as well get “tryhard wanker” tattooed on your forehead.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Gags, thank you for your wisdom on this important matter.

I rode home with one of the blokes from work one day. He remarked the following morning that I was relentless out there, which I took as a compliment. :) I am naturally a bit competitive and do enjoy trying to burn guys off who are tail gating me.
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
I'm after a bit of advice guys.
Am jumping on the mountain bike with the goal of getting fit/weight loss.I will be staying on the road in the short/medium term & cycle in a reasonably undulating area.
How long/how far/how fast/how often?
Don't mind flogging myself at the start.
Would appreciate any input,
cheers
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Someone else might have a more scientific answer, but this will get you going -

Map out a loop that should take you about an hour or a little more - so I'm guessing maybe 15-20kms, depending on hills and your guns. Try and avoid town centers and lights. Don't make it too grueling hill wise, but try not to make it flat. Use this fuckawesome site to do it http://ridewithgps.com/

Go around it anti clock-wise (faster at junctions) and most importantly TIME IT so that you get an idea of progress.

Make sure you get a cycle computer (either cheap wheel driven one or expensive GPS) so that you can keep track of your progress during the ride. You'll soon get a feel for what speeds you need to be doing at which points in the ride, and whether you're slacking or just imagining it.

Start doing this circuit about 3 times a week each time trying to best your time. Obviously you can break it up/interchange with other routes, but use this ride as your yardstick.

What you'll now have is a good ride that you can crack off in an hour, probably burn around 1300 calories in the process (half a day's intake), and know whether you're getting better or not. Within a few weeks you can start throwing in other longer routes, still keep this one as your stock-standard measuring stick.

And remember

RULE 10:
It never gets easier, you just go faster. To put it another way, per Greg Henderson: “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
 

MrTimms

Ken Catchpole (46)
Staff member
As someone who is going through something similar (Just got a new Mountain bike with the aim of improving fitness and getting out in the bush eventually), get a computer. I got a mid range wheel driven one and it has been awesome. I go for a bit of a pedal and with the computer know if I haven't done enough so extend the ride, head for a hill or try and crack out another lap. It gives you some meaningful facts and figure to really asses your progress and at the least you can try and top your highest speeds on certain hills.

I am a little geekier than most so I ride with a few gadgets, I have the computer, a smartphone running a GPS app that maps and records my rides (http://www.runkeeper.com) and I wear a heart rate monitor. I am seeing some differences already. even as simple as riding up a big hill, my peak heart rate is lower than it was two weeks ago. it all adds up to plenty of motivation to beat myself.

I try and ride at least 3 times a week plus one big one that is not time restricted.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I'll add my completely uniformed opinion as well.

Like any exercise, the key is to start slowly and build up. If you bite off more than you can handle to begin with, it's easy to get discouraged. When I got my bike I made sure to get a computer with it. I'm all about quality when it comes to exercise and you can't tell if your improving unless you can measure your performance.

It doesn't take long to build up fitness on a bike though. My commute is a 38km round trip, the ride home usually being into the Fremantle Doctor. When I first started doing it, the trip was taking me 108 minutes, which is pretty slow. Within a few weeks I got it down to 95, so if you can stick with it, the improvement can come rapidly. This week, after 10 months of doing it, I did the round trip in 87 minutes and wasn't even breathing hard.

I started off riding a couple of times a week with a rest day in between and slowly built it up. I now ride to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and again on Saturday and I feel fantastic for it. It's bloody addictive!

Gags is right about rule 10. You get so competitive with yourself that you just want to go quicker all the time. I'm a cranky man if I don't do the time I want when I'm out there.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Timmsy - have you got big assed knobbly MTB tyres on that? Great resistance, but you might want to look into getting some road ones if that's that what you do mostly.

BH - if you think you're addicted now, get a decent road bike and you'll know what a crack addict feels like.

By the way, here's a recording a mate of mine made of our recent conversation where I advised him what type of road bike to get http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8260947/
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
That's what I'm worried about Gags. I was at the bike shop t'other day and thought about how much financial trouble I could get myself into (let alone with the Mrs) if I spent too much more time there.
 

MrTimms

Ken Catchpole (46)
Staff member
Did he sell Alex and Joe or just stick to landfill in your way?

My last MTB I had two sets of tyres and changed accordingly, at the moment the resistance is good for me, I want my fat arse working. Might get new tyres down the track.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Nope, he got CARBON.

Dug out a mate who sold him a 4yr old Trek Mondane 5.0 with new components for £750. Total fucking bargain. That video was kind of a thank you (I think)

Give in to it BH. To deny yourself is a crime
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Ta very much for the advice guys.
it's comforting to see that there is consensus on the way I should do it.
Mr T can you tell the the brand/price of that computer thing you mentioned?
Where do I get an entry form for the Tour?
 
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