Bicycling

If you've been off the bike for that long, your position might of changed too, don't be afraid to raise the handlebars up if needed.

Yeah, I lowered the seat just a bit. Think I'm crazy but I think I shrank about an inch.

I've forgotten a lot of stuff in 2 years. I assume BMX style pedals have the same threads as MTB pedals. I can't remember as I've never used anything other than MTB pedlas with a SPD cleat.

Was thinking of something like this. Cheap and throw away. Basically right now I'm riding down the driveway (it's 1/4 mile long) and around the yard.

Dimension Basic Heavy-Duty Nylon Pedal Pedals | Jenson USA

Nevermind, went to walmart and got a pair for $7 and got them on.

Borzak_sl said:

Nevermind, went to walmart and got a pair for $7 and got them on.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty much all you need. Platforms work fine for the majority of riding, you only need clip less for racing/climbing.

Yeah not many hills here even tho it's called the hill country. More like bumps.

Anyway did a whopping 1-1/2 miles today lol. Not much compared to you guys that do 20,50, or even 100 miles in a day.

Pat myself on the back, not bad considering 18 months ago I was told I would never walk again and be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Man I'm beat tho. Being 98 here today and 80% humidity isn't helping.

You got this, 1.5 turns into 15 turns into 150.

Two weeks out from my biggest endurance race so far. 60 miles of MTB is going to hurt like hell.

Hampshire 100

I have the cardio for it, just hoping that I have the bike fit right. Generally 8 hours is a decent overall time for a first timer, so if I come in anywhere under 10 I'll be happy. An 8-10 hour day on a full suspension is a completely different animal than a road century.

Famm_sl said:

You got this, 1.5 turns into 15 turns into 150.

Click to expand...

This man is correct. Good luck dude.

So you're doing the metric not the hundy? Even a metric is no fucking joke for mountain biking. I've done a 40-45ish route for a regional mountain bike metric century and it gets murderous near the end. That's not even on shit likely as hilly as your area either. Its not like a road bike where you can just kinda hunker down and spin if you must. I'm sure you're aware of all that so good luck.

Famm_sl said:

So you're doing the metric not the hundy? Even a metric is no fucking joke for mountain biking. I've done a 40-45ish route for a regional mountain bike metric century and it gets murderous near the end. That's not even on shit likely as hilly as your area either. Its not like a road bike where you can just kinda hunker down and spin if you must. I'm sure you're aware of all that so good luck.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the metric. A lot of much-better-than-me riders that I know have bonked on it in past years, so the 100 is generally considered an elite/cat1 event. There's almost 8,000 feet of climbing in the metric alone, and on a bike with over 6" of travel it's going to be challenging to say the least, heh. What's nice is that it's two laps instead of a straight 60 mile loop, so I can take it relatively easy on the first lap to see how the course is, and then empty the tank on the second lap. I don't have any illusions of placing high, I'm just hoping to finish. (Besides, I'm sure a handful of people will drop out so as long as I hang in there I won't be DFL!)

On the upside I'm going to eat like the fattest fat kid you've ever heard of after the race, and that will be awesome.

Borzak_sl said:

Anyone know a source for SPD pedal inserts? The deal that turns them into a platform that just snap into the cleat. I'm just now trying to ride my bike after a 1-1/2 years and neurological issues. I'm not really ready to clip in tith my shoes now for safety reasons. Probably short term till I get my stamina back.

I tried google but apparently I'm not looking for the right thing. I had a pair when I first got the bike and every bike in the shop had them so people could ride the bike without shoes etc...

I should have made a video of me getting on the bike, would have been very LOL inducing. I rode about a mile on very flat ground without killing myself tho.

Click to expand...

Dunno your situation. but wanted to point out, have you considered stabilizer wheels? Have a friend how had some brain surgery, and refuses/is scared to bike again. I've suggested them, but she also won't do it.

No, not sure what that is to be honest. I really don't have any balance issues. I seem to ride OK, just the stamina isn't there at all. Googled them, basically training wheels. No I think I can do OK without those. If you saw me I wouldn't appear out of the ordinary. I've been walking a lot and some running. I thought a bike would be more of an aerobic work out and it was.

Now when this started I couldn't walk without a cane and the first doctor told me I would be in a wheelchair shortly and would require a strap to hold me in.

He was dead wrong to say the least. The platforms pedals helped a lot. Trying to pedal with the pedals I had made to clip in kind of was a pain.

LOL @ 150 miles. If I'm going 150 miles without a car/truck I'm backpacking for a week. I don't ride a mountain bike like most people. I normally use it more to sightsee and scout for hunting. Get on a forest service road and ride a while. Get off and dick around a while and repeat.

Seventh_sl said:

Two weeks out from my biggest endurance race so far. 60 miles of MTB is going to hurt like hell.

Hampshire 100

I have the cardio for it, just hoping that I have the bike fit right. Generally 8 hours is a decent overall time for a first timer, so if I come in anywhere under 10 I'll be happy. An 8-10 hour day on a full suspension is a completely different animal than a road century.

Click to expand...

Good luck. That sounds painful just thinking about it.

Finally got out this past weekend for my first downhill days of the summer. Couple days at Silverstar in Vernon. Forgot how much fun that shit is when your bike is behaving itself, you've got a good group to ride with, and you're feeling good about your riding. Strava tells me that the total descent in the two days was about 6,000 meters. Good times! Out of half a dozen of us, only one guy dinged himself up, with a sprained wrist. That's not too shabby either. We saw at least a few ambulances over the weekend.

The hard part of getting back in shape via the bike from zero isn't pedaling. It's the standing up to pedal during a small climb or to get going. That is what really kills me since I have so little strength. I coud pedal for miles on flat ground. Of course it wouldn't do much for getting my strength back.

Did 4 miles up and down Cibolo creek which is one of the creeks near the Blanco river that flooded so bad in Central TX this year. Lots of trees and crap in the way, probably will be until the next flood. I was tired I'm glad I had water and food on my bike cause I was too tired to drive the truk lol. I'm still huffing and puffing. Out of shape BAD.

The good news is I get tired before the 100F degree heat really makes an impact haha.

Eomer_sl said:

Finally got out this past weekend for my first downhill days of the summer. Couple days at Silverstar in Vernon. Forgot how much fun that shit is when your bike is behaving itself, you've got a good group to ride with, and you're feeling good about your riding. Strava tells me that the total descent in the two days was about 6,000 meters. Good times! Out of half a dozen of us, only one guy dinged himself up, with a sprained wrist. That's not too shabby either. We saw at least a few ambulances over the weekend.

Click to expand...

Sounds kind of like "fun". I bet you get some adrenaline going. I'm not sure I would be all up on a sport where you see so many ambulances. I ride for the most part to get away from such.

Do you have to a few after a ride to decompress so to speak from the rush?

Finished my endurance race today, and learned that competitive endurance MTB is HARD. Holy fucking shit am I smoked. I overcooked the first lap (2x34) and completely blew up at mile 40. I composed myself, drank a ton and ate my face off and managed to pull it together for mile 45-58, and then was cramped, dehydrated and unbelievably out of gas for the last 10 miles. 10 miles of fucking brutal climbs and pretty gnarly singletrack.

The course was relentless, I blew my 8 hour target by 4 fucking hours but.... I finished that bitch! If anyone's wondering "Hey, what's it like doing intense cardio for 11 hours straight?", I can confirm that it's glorious, terrible, and you spend a lot of time in a very dark place. Also, a raked out long travel AM bike with DH tires on it it not the right choice for 7500 feet of elevation on trails.

Here's the Strava.

Hardcore, grats. Told you that shit was a motherfucker. Just doing 45 on trails was enough for me. I was hike a biking hills a few times in the forties but I made it. Fuck a metric on dirt, I'll pass, heh.