Life
My journey in cycling a couple of years in
It’s been quite a while since I last posted. I have now learned much from my own experience and GCN is well a super-channel on YouTube. I have been researching and learning about bikes. But to mention all of the cycling mad creators on there too. I will post a couple of my recommendations at the end.
I would like to say that I have ridden more than I have but life gets in the way. The main points of concern have been wrist issues and clipless pedals.
Wrist issues.
I get a lot of discomfort from my wrists and this is on smaller bikes and mountain bikes big fat soft tyres etc…I had thought a better-fitting bike would be the answer but it’s not going to be. Still, a pair of carbon forks is on the list. I am looking for an Endurance Road Bike. The search is still on and I may just buy all my components and make it up as I go. This is the main thing holding me back from riding much longer than 2 hours at the moment. If I push through the discomfort then I start getting a sensation that the handlebars are separate and sawn in half in the middle and a shearing motion is happening. Bizzare right?
Clipless Pedals
I inherited a pair of older Shimano shoes with cleats having the 3 bolt system and yellow tips. These have more ‘float’ than the red and are supposedly easier to get in and out of. Yes, I have forgotten at times to unclip and at others not be able to and have fallen over. I’m in the club. Upon realising that I like road cycling I got some new ones courtesy of my loving partner. And so I thought I would invest in new cleats. Ebay let me down. I didn’t realise that the cleats came in poor quality too. So invest in proper Shimano cleats not copies. They simply aren’t safe. I just didn’t know and just bought a pair from eBay.
So what happened? I had to go looking for the adjustable screw in the pedal to slacken off the tension making them easier to get in but still, it was a real fight. My first ever ride I was never in the bloody thing on the right I believe it was. I kept persevering with them. On sorting the ability to clip in unclipping was not always easy and this is where it gets dangerous. Once coming toward a stop I got so frustrated I put so much force (twisting out) into unclipping that I tore the cleat plastic. Something I said is not right. I bought what appeared to be proper Shimano cleats and well no issues at all. That’s the end of that small cycling story, the moral is yes you can blame the tools.
Bike building and maintenance
I have interestingly started to build up an interest in the building of bikes. So there is a world of difference between putting together new clean components and working on dirty old messes that you can barely improve but that need maintaining. My TDF (Tour De France) is just developing a bottom bracket squeak. Man, they are annoying eh? I am hoping that it’s something that worked loose and needs a dismantle cleaned and put back together. The BB isn’t the easiest thing to work on without tooling though.
I now know all the components quite well, now own a bike stand and can index a derailer gear set and adjust my brakes.
An update on riding my bike
I had my longest ride maybe ever at the weekend on a Sunday. I feel the traffic is just better and the day feels different. I ventured out with a goal to do a loop rather than an out and back over the same road that would see me increase my distance. So that made me a little nervous.
No more pinch flats since keeping a higher pressure in the tyres.
It all went well nice weather- which has been a challenge of late.
I visited the village where I grew up and there was quite a bit of nostalgia.
First Experiences Riding Road Bike
Starting Road Cycling
I have a Carrera TDF road bike that is very different from anything I have ridden prior. Especially since having SPD clipless pedals. Lot’s going on all of a sudden.
The weather apart from the wind was good today and so I needed to escape my imposed lockdown. I needed the experience and decided to cycle part of the route I normally run. Quiet and devoid of much vehicular metal I felt more at ease though possibly had more potholes to deal with?
What happened
A decent start but the wind became apparent too quickly. Though what a lovely change of temperature and it was dry. So I would go out just a 30 minute ride.
I hit a pot hole due to wind and a lorry and lack of experience. A few meters more and I could feel lumps in the rear. So not wanting to damage anything more I unclipped and stopped. Yes the rear tyre was deflating us both.
At least I had grass verge where I could get fully clear. I had a spare tube and pump on me with a kit. I had debated taking the risk. Maybe a couple hours walking in SPD’s could have been the result.
Amazing coincidence that in my shed an old pump bracket that I happened to see would fit my pump that came from a different place. I now have my pump fixed to the frame. And is doing the job and saved me a problem walk.
I also left without my mobile and didn’t even realise until I had gotten home!
It all went ok apart from breaking a pathetic plastic tyre lever. I am borrowing the cycle repair kit from a friend and of course will replace it.
I am happier having done that (rear tube change roadside) for the first time. But is this going to always happen when hitting a pot hole? It’s going to make me carry 2 tubes if yes. But I simply feel that I didn’t have enough pressure in the wheels. Noob.
10 minutes later I was rolling again/ The tyre held ok but I found I had not put my back wheel on fully and so the lumps made sense. I only did 2 miles home and think I got away with not damaging it or buckling the wheel. Lucky remains to be seen.
Very silly would have been so simple to take more time to check the back wheel was fully in the slot/sprocket.
The other thing I noticed was the tyre was slightly out around the valve. Never seen that before. Increasing the pressure seems to have fixed that.
I also noticed that my rear tektro brake calipers were catching on one side and so a simple tightening now stops the caliper floating. And I thought they were supposed to float! Hence why I did not try to fix.
I also have no gauge on my mini pump and think I did not have enough air in it. An old car foot pump told me I had around 40-50 PSI estimated. The tyre suggests 115 PSI or around 6 Bar. That is really high. Is this why I got a puncture? A pinch flat they seem to be called. I have not inspected the damage yet. Wonder if patching a tube is even worth doing at the higher pressures.
I am worried it’s now over inflated. Should they really be rock hard?
Yes I am pretty new to all of this. And all of the above is the reason why you should start with a second hand road bike.
A Method To Help You Work Efficiently
Where Are You Putting Your Efforts?
Medium efforts lead to medium results. Harder efforts can lead to medium results. You have heard about working smarter well that one is true. It’s really important as an individual that you have a penetrative efficient quality about your daily work. It’s not easy when you are running your own business or working on the side to fund a dream job. You will be firefighting (and sometimes there is no choice). So even more then, it is crucial that the half hour you have that day is spent in the right way. Only the good talented people out there will be able to figure this one out. I can’t tell you what tools or smart methods will work for you but I can help you with some techniques.
“given a 10 minute task if you take 30 minutes to achieve it it takes 8. Given a 10 minute task and 10 minutes it will take you 12!”
A method to help you work efficiently and smart.
- Get off your phone and move away from any electronics.
- Meditate the evening before or in the morning
- Create a mental or physical list after meditation. The list outlines the most important task you WILL DO. Make the task achievable given the time you have.
- Don’t steal time away from this task for other tasks.
- Do the task.
Give this technique 3 days and observe the results. The reason for meditation is to declutter your mind and to help you see what is most important.
Takeaway and think about..
Think about the people you admire or aspire to. They might be sportsmen or women they may be business leaders. I am not about to tell you that for periods of time they would have not worked hard. What I want you to ask yourself is do they enjoy it, do they make it look easy? So that’s where you need to looking at your style. Are you flying round on the phone talking to people giving instructions..do they? Do they
It is important to take away the following:
You are an individual with a finite amount of time in the day, you can create a hero mentality and double up your efforts. Just like with fasting that CAN work short term. But if you try to sustain this it will crush you. So how do the successful people in your world do it? I would say you will find many of them because they are not running around and working too hard allow their minds to function much more efficiently. Also given a 10 minute task if you take 30 minutes to achieve it it takes 8. Given a 10 minute task and 10 minutes it will take you 12.
Realise what then is achievable in a sustainable manner you might need to realign your own expectations. Have you given yourself an unachievable goal? That will beat you over the head and take away your spirit.