1 year today and the wonders it has brought
12 months ago today I was taking my first tentative ride on my new mountain bike along with the wife on her new mountain bike, the most memorable moments of that ride was the wife falling off (which she has carried on doing over the last 12 months). So here we are 12 months down the line, I have just got over a pain in the butt\back injury after a fall and the wife is off her bike after aggravating an old knee injury in a fall off her bike earlier in the year, nothing has changed?
Well the fact is a lot has changed, I think that first ride totalled about 4 miles (which was all on road\cycle paths), a few weeks ago I completed a ride of just under 31 miles of which 75% was off road and I regularly do one ride per week in the mid 20′s (off road).
The bike I bought 12 months ago was a Cannondale F5 2009 has changed quite a bit since I wheeled it out the shop, biggest change is a frame swap under warranty and as the old F5 frame was no longer available any more it is sporting an F2 frame. I have also upgraded the front forks, fitted different handle bars and saddle and many other items due to wear and tear.
One of the reasons for all the changes to the bike is that I have now got into mountain bike riding, 12 months ago I just wanted a bike to ride to help with the weight loss and fitness. Had I known I would become involved in mountain biking I think I may have done some research and possibly ended up with a different bike. Which is possibly why I now own 2 mountain bikes having obtained my Whyte E120 a few months ago.
Since getting the mountain bikes I have packed in my then main hobby which was kite flying, lack of flying facilities locally meant all my kit spent most of its time sat in the shed. At least with my riding I can start rides from my house and have forest, heathland and hills I can ride within an hour drive. OK they may not be mountains (don’t think I am ready to ride up a mountain yet) but at least I am out riding every weekend.
The question I guess must be has riding helped my weight loss and fitness? Well my weight when I bought the bike was 19st 1.5lbs and on Monday just gone I was 17st 3.5lbs, a 26lbs loss. Now I am not suggesting that all that loss is riding as I have been dieting as well but I am sure it has helped. One of the problems I am looking at now is the fact of fuelling myself before and during a ride, a lot of the ‘energy’ food and drinks out there are not exactly diet friendly. I am looking at what is available and will probably post what I find in a blog later in the year.
As for fitness, I can remember some of the hills on the local heath when I first tried going up them, regardless of walking or riding up them, I was a gasping panting wreck when I got to the top, the only difference between walking and riding was the intensity of my panting and gasping when I reached the top. Now I am able to ride up those same hills without much of a problem, it may not be fast or pretty but I am riding up them.
One good side affect of the cycling is the fact that I have discovered little corners of Hampshire and Dorset that I never knew existed. A lot of my school holidays were spent in my dads lorry doing deliveries (cattle food), so I got to see lots the Hants and Dorset countryside. But I have been to corners of both counties in the last 12 months I never knew existed. I have come face to face with Lama’s, Alpaca’s and deer…………well the deer was more face to butt but hey ho!! I have walked along paths where the weeds were that tall you could only just see the top of the front wheel as you pushed the bike through on its back wheel!! I have rested on the Purbeck hills over looking the blue waters of Poole and Swanage bays and looked at Corfe Castle ruins from the same height as the top of the ruins.
On the downside I have a great distaste for riding in traffic ( to be honest I think it is more like re-awakened) and will do what ever I can to avoid it and yes that will include riding on the pavement. OK I know thats is a big no no to some cyclist but I am responsible for my own safety and the pavement is where I feel safer.
So what targets do I have for my second year of mountain biking, I think the wife would like me to say spend less on cycling but we all know that would not be much fun…….. I want to improve my hill climbing, I would like to be able to do a 50 mile ride where at least 85% of the ride is off road and of course lose a lot more weight. It seems strange sitting here thinking that if I do the same as I have done in the last 12 months I could be sitting here in 12 months time stating that my weight is around 15st.
Well I have waffled enough, better leave something write about in 12 months time
Great progress Tim! As for the fuelling, don’t get too distracted by the choice. I’m a low tech kind of guy really, my Dad’s generation of cyclists swore by Jam sandwiches and Jelly Babies, that works for me fine!
You have had a remarkable year mate I have got to say cycling is such a drug once bitten there is no turning back.
For me cycling through traffic that is held up at the lights is such a buzz but not cycling through red lights, which is such a big bugbear to me when bike riders do that, there is a road near me because it is so narrow loads of big vehicles use it the the only safe place is on the pavement, but I give way to pedestrians and stop to let them pass has the pavement is so narrow.
Good luck with all your goals for the next twelve months Tim.
Thanks Guys, I try to stay focussed but boy it bloody is difficult sometimes