Progress so far...

June 30th 2009 - 22 stone 4Ibs. Current weight - 17 stone 1Ib. Weight loss - 5 stone 3Ibs. Commuting miles - 3389.
Non commuting miles - 359. Mileage this week - 101 miles. Total mileage - 3748 miles.


Thursday 4 March 2010

Getting the hang of it now...

I seem to be getting the hang of the spindly beast now. Problems I had were ranging from the Wellgo SPDs seemingly very keen to keep my feet in them and very keen not to allow my feet back in. That seems to have stopped. Maybe a bit of wearing in was needed. I was always worried about the fragility of the wheels, especially with me being so heavy, after some of the pot holes I've hit, I'm not too concerned now.

On going issues, more me than the bike. Neck ache and upper arm ache which is a totally new one on me. Riding position seems ok so maybe the bike has got to break me in. I am still getting the numb hand thing but not as badly on this bike but the new Brooks Saddle is beating me up a bit as new ones always do. My Gentleman's area is a tad tender!

I found a new route home yesterday via Edgbaston and around the back of Harbourne bringing me out at the big Selly Oak lights which misses out Birmingham City Centre and Selly Oak itself, it's still 12 miles but with hardly any traffic or traffic lights. Consequently my ride home last night was done in 40 minutes, a time I find hard to believe I'll ever beat.

The pedal in this morning was through the City Centre, I overslept so I came the short way after planning to ride a 20 mile route in only over on the East side of the City. Maybe my ego was writing cheques my body couldn't cash, as I am feeling pretty tired today.

I know I'm going to have to extend the routes more regularly as time on the bike is absolutely crucial to weight loss, which maybe has got overlooked a tad amongst all of the 2 wheel excitement of the past few weeks. I mustn't lose sight of the purpose of all this.

Coaching tonight with the Bees which I'm looking forward too. We're running a contact revision session which is always popular, the lads just love boshing which is why people play rugby anyway. Happy Days.

19 comments:

  1. No yoof slang today, so hopefully my comment will be a bit easier to understand ;) though I have just finished a nightshift so won't promise.

    Glad you are getting the hang of the new beast, - enjoying hearing of your experiences, gives me something to look forward to when I get the roadie. As for your, ahem, gentleman's area, Rafe reccomends "Udderly Smooth" which quite honestly has done me wonders! Im sure Rafe will be along to big it up plenty! It's around a tenner from wiggle if memory serves.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ta for the heads up Matt, I'll bimble over to Wiggle and have a look. Usually with this though it's just a matter of cracking on and riding through it. I never knew you could get cream. Does it go on you or the shorts!?

    Thinking ahead here... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its very similar to "sudocream" and you just kind of slap it on direct, JB and Rafe suggest using it on longer rides but I "dab" a bit round when I'm going out and it definatly helps!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Do you need a mirror or does Mrs Matt help?

    STOP IT CLIVE...

    ReplyDelete
  5. she wouldn't get that close ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think I've stumbled across some homo erotic sex chat site...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oi, shouldn't you be recovering from a near death experience or something?

    ReplyDelete
  8. LOL. Perhaps I should - especially after the BMW driver who was desperate to beat me over a speedbump - silly old bitch. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I always thought speed bumps were meant to stop speed not encourage it...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Get the saddle wet.

    I very nearly gave up on my Brooks saddle. It was a horrible hard slippery thing when I first got it. I didn't like it at all.

    After a week or two of using it I had taken it off the road bike and stuck it back in its box ready to either ebay it or bin it.

    On the morning of a MTB ride my saddle broke as I was loading the bike into the car. In need of a saddle very quickly I grabbed the only spare one I had, the Brooks. The wet and horrifically muddy MTB ride changed the saddle dramatically. It came back MUCH softer and that glossy finish had been worn away by the mud. The saddle wasn't even the same colour anymore!

    The saddle had changed so much I was even tempted to put it back on the road bike. From here on it in the saddle just got more and more comfortable as it started to mould itself to my behind.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm dousing the thing liberally in a saddle dressing, that normally works for me.

    I nearly typed salad dressing then, at least it would taste nicer, I can't stand eating leather...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Matt has summed it up really. Underly Smooth works for me on longer rides.

    I've had the same conversation with Matt, Gaz and now you. Never thought I'd be discussing how to relieve chaffing of the sweaty groins of fat blokes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. How your life has turned out eh Rafe, your folks would be proud! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. haha!
    Rafe - stop lying - you knew your life would end up like that.

    I've seen your internet chat logs.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very similar experience for me this week, back commuting 4 days on the trot, very tired after the enforced lay-off. Undercarriage as well, must have softened up, need time to get back into the groove. Sorry wrong choice of words, there, chuckling to myself now. Well you've got to haven't you?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Clive u av sold me on a Brooks saddle think I am going to get one and the proofhide fit it on my Scott Sub 10 and give it a go tell u how I get on m8

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cool Les, they're murder for the first 100 miles or so, but stick with it. Your arse will thank you! Read the instructions you get with them too. Like I say they're very old school!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cheers Clive thanx for advice m8

    ReplyDelete