There comes a time when it has to end (2000 miles ridden)

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:04 pm

Scam Patroller wrote:

my lungs were killing me, I could hardly breathe and I nearly came home at that point, that's down to me over smoking for the last couple of days Embarassed

I have been following you since you started this thread (that's the stalker in me coming out). I am really impressed with your progress, but can't understand why you would do all this to get into shape, but still smoke. I see the tremendous improvement in your heart rate and durability. Are you planning on giving up smoking?

(nothing worse than a reformed smoker, huh?)

edit: note to self: do NOT drink and post.

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:06 pm

Harry Bawls new name should be Harrier, Harrier than thou. Laughing

Those reformed smokers are the worst aren't they?

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:10 am

Scam Patroller wrote:

Total miles ridden = 614.56

Woo Hoo! Way to go! I am glad you are taking care of yourself.

@ the grumps above, SP did say that he is going to cut down on his smoking (which I applaud Thumbs up

).

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:13 am

Good job SP! Keep up the workout!

And if you need something to cheer you up calculate in kilometers, that's more. Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I missed out the 1 mile each way stretch of cycle path at the end of Bexhill, and rode directly to Pevensey castle instead, I carried on along the road that goes around the castle, turned left of at the mini roundabout and then you go past a train station, Pevensey and Westham I think it was, carried on over the level crossing and along that road until I reached the next big roundabout, turned left there and carried on until I hit Priory roundabout, there is a big sign in various languages there, saying, welcome to Eastbourne, I didn't realise it was that close, obviously, that is just the outside edge of it, but just another couple of miles past there is Sovereign Harbour, that is what I'll aim for next time I go over there, log for today:

May 9th

Top speed 23.2 mph (flat cycle path)
Avg speed = 13.0 mph
Distance = 27.06 miles
Time 02:04:08

Pulse before ride = 68 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 106 bpm's 8:53pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 96 bpm's 9:03pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 88 bpm's 9:13pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 82 bpm's 9:53pm

Total miles ridden = 641.62

@ Harry, I would love to quit smoking but it's not smething I could do just like that, I have tried cutting down but am probably smoking just as much again as I ever was, I'm a chain smoker and it's not easy for me to quit, I will try cutting down again but not sure I can stop all together.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I just went to make a cup of coffee, and as I always do, I check my tyres while I'm in the kitchen as that's where the bike lives, the back tyre was flat, virtually no air in it, I pumped it up and couldn't hear any hissing, I went round the tyre and notice a piece of glass is buried in the tyre, I wiggled it with a knife to get it out and hiss Evil or Very Mad

Going to have to go to Halford tomorrow to get a tyre and innertube and ask them to fit it, that's if they do fitting, it's one of the Halfords super stores so they might do, not sure what tyre to get now as I was going to buy a Continental Flow Protection tyre from CRC next week when my PayPal funds have cleared, but Halfords don't seel those, hmmm, what to buy now, rushes off to their website to see what else they have Confused

I suppose I should be thankfull that it didn't happen when I was over near Eastbourne, it would have been a damn long walk back as I didn't take my pump out with me Shocked

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

There is not much suitable tyre choice on the Halfords site, so I am going with these other Continentals, they are narrower than I wanted at 26 x 1.75 after using the 26 x 2.30 that are currently on the bike, but needs must, anyway, being slicker, they should get me moving quicker Very Happy

Continental Travel Contact 26 x 1.75

Quote:

Description
Continental Travel Contact incorporates all Continentals new puncture protection systems. Continental Travel Contact 26 x 1.75 Bike Tyre has a semi slick tread with knobbly "endless edge" shoulders, great on and off the road. Ideal for heavy duty cycling.

Features
Semi slick tread
Knobbly "endless edge" shoulders
Kevlar reinforced anti-puncture belt
Duraskin sidewall protection

They have some good reviews on CRC:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Reviews.aspx?ModelID=18822

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I had planned to ride the 3 miles to Halfords, I pumped the tyre up hoping it would keep air in it long enough to get some of the way before having to pump it up again, it was fine at first, but I decided to put a couple more pounds of pressure in to it, and then it started hissing out of the side of the valve where it goes in to the rim, so it cost me �7 for a taxi to Halfords instead, so, in all, it cost me �33.97 including a �1 tip for the cabbie, tyre �14.99, tube �4.99 and fitting �5.99 Sad

Got there and their selection of tyres was even less than on their website, they mostly had big knobbly tyres, apart from those, they had some city jets and other thin stuff around 1.5 in size, the only suitable tyre they had were these Continental Double Fighter II 26 x 1.9, so I had to get one of those:

I'll go out for a spin along the seafront tonight and do 10 miles or so to see if the new tyre improves my average speed at all, but having said that, my backside is a bit raw after yesterdays ride and I have a sore right between the legs on the part where I sit, and this tyre isn't going to be as comfortable as my old big tyre, I'll see how it goes, if it hurts too much, I'll leave it until tomorrow and try and do 30 miles quicker than the 27 miles I did yesterday.

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 6:32 am

When tires are underinflated the stem can get cut. When you see the valve stem at any angle, deflate the tire completely, rotate it on the rim to straighten it and then inflate. Have you considered tire liners? I use Mr. Tuffys on my mountain bikes. They are just a poly liner. Panaracer makes what looks like a better version.
http://www.cyclesuk.com/339-272147
I just installed some Panaracer tires on my aluminum bike. I don't ride it very often as its brutally painful with 125 PSI tires. The Panaracers are rated at 150 PSI and at that pressure level, the bike is an instrument of torture.
I suggest that you try changing your tires yourself at home. Buy some plastic tire irons, a patch kit, a tube, a underseat bag and possibly even a folding tire along with some sort of inflater.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ Connie, I always have my tyres pumped up near their maximum pressure, the old tyre that got puncured was running at 60 psi, as is the new rear tyre I had put on yesterday, that one has a max pressure of 65. I have got the kit for changing a tyre, I got a tool kit and bag for attaching to my seat post, it has tyre levers, hex keys, tube patches etc, not fitted it to the bike yet, also got another frame bag which fits in the triangle part of the frame, for carrying tubes, folding tyre and food etc, I'll have that on in the summer.

Quote:

I'll leave it until tomorrow and try and do 30 miles quicker than the 27 miles I did yesterday.

Nailed it

, the new tyre on my back wheel was a revelation on todays ride, it increased my average speed by a full 2mph over the whole 30 miles, the average speed being 14.9mph, compared with my recent rides on my old tyre over 25 miles, where the average speed had been 12.8mph - 13.0mph, and of course, as a result, my times were a damn site better, well, the time was similar but nearly 3.5 miles extra, which when I was doing them at about 5 minutes per mile, means I would have done the 27 miles the other day 17.5 minutes quicker had I had the new tyre on then, these were my last 3 rides over 25 miles or more which I did in around 2 hours each time, along with todays times/averages:

Quote:

May 4th
Avg speed = 12.93 mph
Distance = 25.85 miles
Time 02:00:02

May 7th
Avg speed = 12.8 mph
Distance = 26.54 miles
Time 02:03:56

May 9th
Avg speed = 13.0 mph
Distance = 27.06 miles
Time 02:04:08

May 11th with the new slicker tyre
Avg speed = 14.9 mph
Distance = 30.55 miles
Time 02:02:24

My trip today took me around Pevensey Castle, from there I did a loop through Westham along the road towards Soverign Harbour in Eastbourne, turned off that road and went towards Pevensey village, which brings me back to just before the castle, then home again, log for today:

May 10th: No riding, rest day as I was sore from the previous day

May 11th

Top speed 24.7 mph (flat cycle path & road)
Avg speed = 14.9 mph (personal best average speed Cool

)
Distance = 30.55 miles
Time 02:02:24

Pulse before ride = 72 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 102 bpm's 8:35pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 94 bpm's 8:45pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 84 bpm's 8:55pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 82 bpm's 9:35pm

Total miles ridden = 672.17

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Just been out for a quick blast up and down the seafront, there is a pretty strong buffering wind out there tonight, and the forecast for the next few days shows the wind going up and the temperatures dropping a bit Sad

, log for tonight:

May 12th

Top speed 21.9 mph (flat cycle path)
Avg speed = 14.7 mph
Distance = 10.28 miles
Time 41:47:3

Pulse before ride = 64 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 108 bpm's 11:03pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 84 bpm's 11:13pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 80 bpm's 11:23pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 76 bpm's 12:03am

Total miles ridden = 682.45

Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 3:09 am

For those that don't know, let me tell you that 24.7 and 14. anything on the flats on a mountain bike is simply incredible. You are turning yourself into a killer machine SP. happy crowd

That being said, I hate to be dash of cold water but the increased average speed could be from a smaller tire circumference. A thinner tire is also a smaller tire that will fool your trip computer into thinking you are traveling farther and quicker. Ummm... If you only changed the rear tire and your computer is connected to the front wheel, than everything should be OK.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Hi Connie, yeah, it's all ok, I have my computer on my front wheel and fork, with the old back tyre on it was exactly 11.20 miles from my front door to the Pevensey castle entrance, with the new tyre on the back, it's still 11.20 miles Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I have not been out for the last couple of days, it's been pretty windy here and I just couldn't be bothered riding in it.

The wind has dropped to virtually nothing today, so I got ready to go out and do my Pevensey loop about 20 minutes ago, I checked the tyre pressure in my front tyre, it was about 55psi, I always run them at 60, so I pumped it up a bit, just as I got to 60psi, there was a large rushing of air, I pulled the pump off and the damn innertube valve came away attached to the pump Evil or Very Mad

I'm proper annoyed now Mad

, I don't know how much I will get out over the next few days because it's forecast to be even windier, and I have got my mother coming over from Ireland on Saturday night for 3 days.

Anyway, it looks like I'll be going to Halfords tomorrow for a new innertube, and while I'm there, I might as well get a new front tyre to match the one on the back, that's if they still have any, they only had one Continental Double Figher II tyre left on the rack when I was there on Saturday for my other puncture, wish I had bought it then.

I see at Halfords that they sell SLiME Innertubes prefilled with slime inside them, they are £8.99 each, not sure if those tubes are worth the extra £4 on top of the price of a normal tube.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I had a ride today after getting a new innertube fitted, Halfords didn't have any suitable tyres to buy, when I asked if they had another Continental Double Fighter II trye, they said they don't stock those, I said, that's funny, I bought one off you on Saturday and you had another on the rack, he looked a bit puzzled.

I took it fairly easy for my ride today after not being out for a few days, my lungs felt a bit more breathless than normal, they usually get like that when I have not ridden for a while, plus, I have been smoking my damn head off again whilst not being out, I can't even seem to cut down for any period of time, I get stressed out and bang, light another roll up, and another Embarassed

, at least I passed the 700 miles rideen barrier, I might pop out later tonight for a few more miles if it isn't raining, as it's forecast to do, log for today:

May 13th + 14th + 15th: No riding due to windy weather, and a broken innertube valve which needed replacing

May 16th

Top speed 25.8 mph (flat cycle path & road)
Avg speed = 13.6 mph
Distance = 18.15 miles
Time 01:20:00

Pulse before ride = 64 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 102 bpm's 7:57pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 92 bpm's 8:07pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 84 bpm's 8:17pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 78 bpm's 8:57pm

Total miles ridden = 700.60

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:21 pm

Unbelievable SP!! Is your body starting to look as good as that pic you sent me a few years ago? Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Lotta, I told you never to mention that pic again Evil or Very Mad

The weather stayed dry tonight, so I went out for a quick run along the seafront, if it wasn't so late, I would have stayed out for longer, it's pretty nice out there, log for tonight:

May 16th (2nd ride of the day)

Top speed 23.8 mph (flat cycle path)
Avg speed = 14.9 mph
Distance = 10.14 miles
Time 40:43:9

Pulse before ride = 76 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 106 bpm's 11:26pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 94 bpm's 11:36pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 86 bpm's 11:46pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 82 bpm's 12:26am

Total miles ridden today = 28.29
Total miles ridden = 710.74

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:57 am

Your posting tonight has inspired me. It was 98 degrees F (37C) here today and I hid indoors. Its 80 F at ten PM with a nice moon out so I will go strap on a helmet and a few flashlights and go riding.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ Connie, 98 degrees, ouch, killer heat Sad

, don't blame you for not riding in that temperature, I felt bad enough last week when we reached about 80 degres here.

My last weigh in was on April 26th, my weight then was 12 stone and 8 pounds (176lbs). I stepped on the scales this morning, and I'm happy to report that I have lost another 4 pounds, I now weigh 12 stone and 4 pounds (172lbs) Cool

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:16 am

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I have not been out for the 5 days, reason being, I have had my mum over from Ireland, I have not seen her for over a year and a half, so I didn't think it was fair that I should go out riding whilst she was here.

I had a nice ride, I took it very easy after not being out for a while, did my usual route to Pevensey castle, then rode over to Herstmonceux castle, I was hoping to take some photos there, but you have to pay to get in and you can't see the castle from the entrance, so all I got was a shot of the observatories in the science centre part of their grounds, and a photo of my bike under the entrance sign to show I was there, then I gently made my way home. There was a nice little village church in Wartling on the way back, so I took a photo of that, it was very tranquil in the graveyard, apparently, the church is mostly from 13th century with parts of it from 1090, I do like old churches, I'll post some photos from my ride after I have uploaded them to my other computer, log for today:

May 17th + 18th + 19th + 20th + 21st: No riding due to having my mother over from Ireland

May 22nd

Top speed 26.6 mph (flat cycle path)
Avg speed = 12.9 mph
Distance = 31.28 miles
Time 02:25:29

Pulse before ride = 56 bpm's
Pulse after ride = 100 bpm's 6:13pm
Pulse 10 minutes later = 94 bpm's 6:23pm
Pulse 20 minutes later = 90 bpm's 6:33pm
Pulse 60 minutes later = 82 bpm's 7:13pm

Total miles ridden = 742.02

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I hope these photos from todays ride are clear enough, on this old desktop they look a bit dark and grainy, but on the new laptop they are excellent.

At the end of St Leonards promenade, the tarmac cycle path gives way to the pebbles, shingle and sand along this track, it used to be terrible riding along here when I first moved to the area, and again after the storms messed a lot of it up, but it's not too bad now with a lot of it compacted, though there are still some deep sandy/pebbley areas and uneven track:

At the end of that straight track, you reach this small cliff, around this bend is a short stretch of track before hitting another cliff, these are called Glynn Gap:

Looking back towards St Leonards in the distance:

After the second cliff, that brings you out at the bottom of Galley Hill, you can either go over it or go around the sea wall at the bottom of the cliff, I went over it today:

This is the view from the top of Galley Hill looking towards St Leonards:

This is the other side of the hill going down towards Bexhill On Sea promenade, which is where I was headed:

The white building is part of De La Warr Pavilion along De La Warr Parade:

After reaching the end of the promenade, you follow the road along until it turns in to Cooden Drive, follow that road to the end, take the next left which takes you along Herbrand Walk:

Carry on along there until you come to a level crossing, go over that and keep going until you hit a big roundabout which is around 4 miles away along quiet country back roads:

Turn left when you hit the roundabout, then carry on along that road, and about 3 minutes later you see the archway entering the outer keep of Pevensey castle:

A photo taken from the footbridge over the moat:

Crossing over the moat takes you to the inner keep of the castle, you can either view the inside from there, or pay to go in if you want to climb the battlements and look at things close up, I chose to take a couple of photos without going right in, some large cannon balls or projectiles for a catapault type machine:

A cannon from some time in history, I couldn't get to read the information plaque:

A photo of the castle entrance with my bike in view:

Photo from a different view showing the castle corner tower:

A view of the moat looking towards the footbridge:

A closer photo of my bike sporting the new saddle bag and frame bag to carry my camera, punture repair kit, tools, bananas etc:

I then rode over to Herstmonceux Castle, which was about 4 miles or so away, photo of the bike at the entrance:

This is as far as I got along the driveway, all I could see were the observatories and the science centre, if I wanted to see the castle which is hidden away behind a forested area down the track, I would have to pay, so, time to head back towards Pevensey and them home:

On the way back I passed through the village of Wartling, it's very quaint there, I had to go and take a lookat the old church, most of it is from the 13th century, with parts of it dating back to the year 1090:

From the opposite angle:

And lastly, the noticeboard outside the church:

Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 12:48 am

Nice job and thanks! Very Happy

Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 4:09 am

Beautiful scenery.

Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 11:46 am

Great pics love seeing them... hope my wife and I can get over there someday and see it for ourselves.

There comes a time when it has to end (2000 miles ridden)	View next topic View previous topic