Dang....cycling is humbling
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Dang....cycling is humbling
I cruise along during the weekend on my new Sirrus huffing and puffing up and down the hills of Palos Verdes as roadie after roadie zip past me. :irritated
I try tell myself it's cuz I don't have a real road bike but I know the truth....
But I keep plugging away and having a good time. More water and less cramps this weekend.
Getting out in the morning during the week has been tough though
Overall having a blast.
Thanks all....
I try tell myself it's cuz I don't have a real road bike but I know the truth....
But I keep plugging away and having a good time. More water and less cramps this weekend.
Getting out in the morning during the week has been tough though
Overall having a blast.
Thanks all....
#2
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You'll get there. Never give up. I used to not make it up the top of the street on my MTP with many gears and now I big chain ring it up at 40km/h on my roiad bike
Brendon
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yeah you may be discouraged when competing with other people, but when you compete with yourself, you almost always win - at least, as long as you're faithful to your training.
It's so awesome to see progress in increased speed, increased mileage, less weight etc etc. That's enough to encourage me to keep going at it!
Just one month ago, this wimpy little hill would leave me panting and gasping for breath at the top... now that hill is like nothing to me!
It's so awesome to see progress in increased speed, increased mileage, less weight etc etc. That's enough to encourage me to keep going at it!
Just one month ago, this wimpy little hill would leave me panting and gasping for breath at the top... now that hill is like nothing to me!
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Passing is sooooo much fun. The only time it sucks is when the person you passed can hammer harder than you can.
Don't worry about it, everybody has their place in cycling, and there's no shame in being happy with your place. Thats the beauty of it, you can be happy where you are, or you can be happy pushing for a new level.
Don't worry about it, everybody has their place in cycling, and there's no shame in being happy with your place. Thats the beauty of it, you can be happy where you are, or you can be happy pushing for a new level.
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Originally posted by deliriou5
Just one month ago, this wimpy little hill would leave me panting and gasping for breath at the top... now that hill is like nothing to me!
Just one month ago, this wimpy little hill would leave me panting and gasping for breath at the top... now that hill is like nothing to me!
If I'd been told a couple of months back that I could reach the peak in anything other than my lowest gear I would have said, "Yeah - right."
I've now got a couple of cogs left to try before I need to slip it into the big ring to go up.
There are probably lots of other cyclist who could do that hill better and faster than me - but I know that I'm improving and that's what matters.
#6
Every lane is a bike lane
If you think cycling is humbling, try riding out here. Imagine launching what you think is a blistering attack on a hill, only to have the watching kookaburras literally laugh at you!
In all seriousness though, there's no real shame in being passed, and there's no real reason to gloat to the world about passing someone either. Fact is, you just don't know their circumstances. I, for one, am a lot easier to pass after 250km than I am after 2.5km. Here endeth the lesson.
In all seriousness though, there's no real shame in being passed, and there's no real reason to gloat to the world about passing someone either. Fact is, you just don't know their circumstances. I, for one, am a lot easier to pass after 250km than I am after 2.5km. Here endeth the lesson.
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Greg LeMond said something to the effect "it doesn't get any easier, you just go faster" He was absolutely right.
CHEERS.
Mark
CHEERS.
Mark
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Originally posted by Rats13
I cruise along during the weekend on my new Sirrus huffing and puffing up and down the hills of Palos Verdes as roadie after roadie zip past me. :irritated
I try tell myself it's cuz I don't have a real road bike but I know the truth....
But I keep plugging away and having a good time.
Overall having a blast.
.
I cruise along during the weekend on my new Sirrus huffing and puffing up and down the hills of Palos Verdes as roadie after roadie zip past me. :irritated
I try tell myself it's cuz I don't have a real road bike but I know the truth....
But I keep plugging away and having a good time.
Overall having a blast.
.
Jeff
Keep at it !!
#9
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I got passed a couple times in the last two days.
The first one yesterday was an old roadie on a Team Festina (I think?) Specialized. He came up along side me and said good morning, I smiled and said hi. He then tore my legs off. Damn! He had legs like Hemi's on him.
I was riding my MTB so he had an unfair advantage. Yeah that's it. Actually that's not a really decent excuse. My bike is a fairly light hardtail, 23 lbs w/discs. So I was just spinning, yeah that's it. It was an easy day for me. Ahh...whatever...
Then this morning, I another dude on his aerobars went cruising by me while I struggled along into a 16km headwind on my MTB.
Damn legs, hurry up and get BIG would ya!!!
The first one yesterday was an old roadie on a Team Festina (I think?) Specialized. He came up along side me and said good morning, I smiled and said hi. He then tore my legs off. Damn! He had legs like Hemi's on him.
I was riding my MTB so he had an unfair advantage. Yeah that's it. Actually that's not a really decent excuse. My bike is a fairly light hardtail, 23 lbs w/discs. So I was just spinning, yeah that's it. It was an easy day for me. Ahh...whatever...
Then this morning, I another dude on his aerobars went cruising by me while I struggled along into a 16km headwind on my MTB.
Damn legs, hurry up and get BIG would ya!!!
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This morning I passed a guy on the bike trail who was riding a nearly identical Trek 5200. Same set up, same wheels, same paint job even. As we go by, I say "Hey, nice bike!" The problem is that I was trying to catch the guy's eye to be friendly and as I swung my head, I drifted into my buddy. (We touched briefly but John's an experienced racer so it was nothing to him.) I was mortified that I almost caused a crash just trying to be cute.
Now that would have been humbling!
Now that would have been humbling!
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So I go out for my second road ride of the season, thinking some MTB riding kept me in good shape.
I am 15 miles out when I turn around to go home and see a lone cyclist ahead. I decide to push it and see if I can catch him. You know how you know how you're doing? I knew I was gaining on him and I felt good. As I passed a side street a fast group came around behind me. I picked up the pace. When I looked back I could barely see them. I felt great!
Seconds later they were passing, no effort, no hello, just here and gone.
The worst part? As they passed the lone cyclist I was almost on top off, he went "WOW" and took off with them.
Left in the dust.
I am 15 miles out when I turn around to go home and see a lone cyclist ahead. I decide to push it and see if I can catch him. You know how you know how you're doing? I knew I was gaining on him and I felt good. As I passed a side street a fast group came around behind me. I picked up the pace. When I looked back I could barely see them. I felt great!
Seconds later they were passing, no effort, no hello, just here and gone.
The worst part? As they passed the lone cyclist I was almost on top off, he went "WOW" and took off with them.
Left in the dust.