Doing things different in 2019?

[smiffy]

After a pretty dire second half to 2018, I'd just like a normal 2019, that allows more Zedding, more flying and a bit more smiling.

 

[Rha]

First ride of the year, didn't go far, if I'm honest good to be back on the bike though.
View attachment 94730

Nice one Andy, trek is good American bike builder, and your still riding which is great news, I finished riding at 60 after myself and son nearly had an accident with a 8wheel tipper on a A road.
Lovely bike.(which model is it )
Hears a couple of pics of my last two. First one is/was my daily commute,second was my club / weekend bike.

Peugeot frame only bought from cycle shop I did some part time wheel building for, these wheels were built using track hubs (campag record) front single cross spoked,rear double crossed, campag Atlanta rims. Usual Shimmano low gearing for this hilly area. This old gal was doing 40mls a week with the Trek doing w/e 50-60mls dry miles and time trial every fortnight. Best time was on Peugeot at age 51 a long 22.56 two up 10ml TT with a 19yr old and yes he did have wait for me at the top of the hill. Couldn’t get better than a long 25min on the lighter Trek but was getting older when I bought it, 57-58 I think. Only had it for a couple of years but loved it.

Trek complete bought at cost price from same shop owner.
Built a crashed wheel back up for local professional rider back then that he’d borrowed from Chris Boardman, not that Boardman ever knew,I bet. All wheel building tools a jig plus Trek went a month after near miss, Peugeot went to my nephew who still rides it to work in London along with every tool needed to service it.
Loved cycling in the early years but got too frightening in the end, plus couldn’t keep both hobbies financially so the car stayed and the bikes went. Miss it ??? Of course but at nearly 71 I bet I’d wobble a bit now.lol.
Keep riding Andy if you can put up with other road users antics, cos it’s one of the best exercises you can do, only not so safe IMO anymore.

RHA, Roy.

 

[andyglym]

Nice one Andy, trek is good American bike builder, and your still riding which is great news, I finished riding at 60 after myself and son nearly had an accident with a 8wheel tipper on a A road.
Lovely bike.(which model is it )
Hears a couple of pics of my last two. First one is/was my daily commute,second was my club / weekend bike.
View attachment 94852
Peugeot frame only bought from cycle shop I did some part time wheel building for, these wheels were built using track hubs (campag record) front single cross spoked,rear double crossed, campag Atlanta rims. Usual Shimmano low gearing for this hilly area. This old gal was doing 40mls a week with the Trek doing w/e 50-60mls dry miles and time trial every fortnight. Best time was on Peugeot at age 51 a long 22.56 two up 10ml TT with a 19yr old and yes he did have wait for me at the top of the hill. Couldn’t get better than a long 25min on the lighter Trek but was getting older when I bought it, 57-58 I think. Only had it for a couple of years but loved it.
View attachment 94854
Trek complete bought at cost price from same shop owner.
Built a crashed wheel back up for local professional rider back then that he’d borrowed from Chris Boardman, not that Boardman ever knew,I bet. All wheel building tools a jig plus Trek went a month after near miss, Peugeot went to my nephew who still rides it to work in London along with every tool needed to service it.
Loved cycling in the early years but got too frightening in the end, plus couldn’t keep both hobbies financially so the car stayed and the bikes went. Miss it ??? Of course but at nearly 71 I bet I’d wobble a bit now.lol.
Keep riding Andy if you can put up with other road users antics, cos it’s one of the best exercises you can do, only not so safe IMO anymore.

RHA, Roy.

Hi Roy. It's an Alpha 12 56cm model. Haven't been out on it properly for a few years to be honest. It's my mission to get back on it though. I used to do 100 miles a week up until about 6 years ago and then just stopped When I first started riding to work in 2008 it took 56 minutes to do the 12 miles blowing, big time after a few months I had it down to 36 minutes and 6 seconds, to be exact I was as fit as a butcher's dog, 'was' being the key word, I'll get it back nice selection of bikes mate

 

[Robert Wiles]

Nice Peugeot Roy. I love the old steel framed stuff. I bought this 1959 Condor to rebuild at some point. Aiming to get it done by the summer (along with a host of other projects....)

Mind you, now I'm officially an old codger, I've gone electric. Built this up last year using a 1970s Dawes Galaxy frame set and a Bafang 250W bottom bracket drive kit. I know it's cheating but it does ride well...

 

[andyglym]

Nice Peugeot. I love the old steel framed stuff Bought this 1959 Condor to rebuild at some point. Aiming to get it done by the summer (along with a host of other projects....)

View attachment 94857

Mind you, now I'm officially an old codger, I've gone electric. Built this up last year using a 1970s Dawes Galaxy frame set and a Bafang 250W bottom bracket drive kit. I know it's cheating but it does ride well...

View attachment 94860

Clever stuff enjoy.

 

[Rha]

Nice one Robert and eco/leg friendly too. Watch out for the idiots who don’t see you, stay safe.
Love your condor have something similar in my loft, bought it for a tenner in 1988 but has been hand painted by previous owner. Could be early sixties, got it to go on my trainer as didn’t want to stress the good road bikes, set it up in front of old tele with video recordings of Tour to cycle to in the loft. Next time I’m up there I’ll take a pic of it, been there 32yrs so it’s about time I chucked it out. Have vid somewhere up there of me on a hill climb event, and another of a tour of Isle of white. All other photos have gone with my good old road buddy who always took his camera but moved away some 15yrs ago, always meant to get some pics from him. May still try. Shame he’s gone, he owned the bike shop I did part time work for, he also taught me to wheel build, ha ha only a few years my senior must have been his oldest apprentice I reckon.
Good luck with your build keep us posted.

Roy.

 

[Rha]

Hi Roy. It's an Alpha 12 56cm model. Haven't been out on it properly for a few years to be honest. It's my mission to get back on it though. I used to do 100 miles a week up until about 6 years ago and then just stopped When I first started riding to work in 2008 it took 56 minutes to do the 12 miles blowing, big time after a few months I had it down to 36 minutes and 6 seconds, to be exact I was as fit as a butcher's dog, 'was' being the key word, I'll get it back nice selection of bikes mate

Alpha isn’t one I have sen before Andy but defo looks the bis. You certainly were doing the miles, hope you still enjoy it, best advice I ever got was to build your fitness back up nice and slow but regular, worked for me.
Keep us posted.

Roy.

 

[andyglym]

Alpha isn’t one I have sen before Andy but defo looks the bis. You certainly were doing the miles, hope you still enjoy it, best advice I ever got was to build your fitness back up nice and slow but regular, worked for me.
Keep us posted.

Roy.

Yup. 10k fast walk 5 days a week, one day rest then 1hr on the bike for a while mate. Weight loss and fitness increase = slowly slowly as you say mate

 

[Robert Wiles]

Nice one Robert and eco/leg friendly too. Watch out for the idiots who don’t see you, stay safe.
Love your condor have something similar in my loft, bought it for a tenner in 1988 but has been hand painted by previous owner. Could be early sixties, got it to go on my trainer as didn’t want to stress the good road bikes, set it up in front of old tele with video recordings of Tour to cycle to in the loft. Next time I’m up there I’ll take a pic of it, been there 32yrs so it’s about time I chucked it out. Have vid somewhere up there of me on a hill climb event, and another of a tour of Isle of white. All other photos have gone with my good old road buddy who always took his camera but moved away some 15yrs ago, always meant to get some pics from him. May still try. Shame he’s gone, he owned the bike shop I did part time work for, he also taught me to wheel build, ha ha only a few years my senior must have been his oldest apprentice I reckon.
Good luck with your build keep us posted.

Roy.

Wheel building. Now there's a skill I wish I'd had the chance to learn. It's funny, when you're young you don't really understand how important it is to learn new skills and then when you become old you wish you had learned more. Like you I had a friend/ mentor who took time to teach me pretty much everything I know about real world engineering.

 

[Rha]

Wheel building. Now there's a skill I wish I'd had the chance to learn. It's funny, when you're young you don't really understand how important it is to learn new skills and then when you become old you wish you had learned more. Like you I had a friend/ mentor who took time to teach me pretty much everything I know about real world engineering.

Yes indeed Robert, most of us owe a great deal to the older generation who were in our eyes very knowledgable and craft skill driven, they somehow knew that if they didn’t pass their knowledge on it would be forgotten. My friend built wheels for Tour de France riders and stopped building race wheels except for friends long befor he taught me, but he was a hard men to please, he praised me for effort every time but then told me to show him where it was not 100%, for the first 3yrs I was amazed just how little I could find wrong with my work and astonished how much he could show me. He never ever sold a wheel that I built that didn’t meet his standard, a year before he sold up he gave me his front wheel of his TT bike to rebuild after hitting a manhole, I was delighted as no one had ever built him a wheel befor. Sad to say his wife told me that he’d injured his right forfinger a week ago and just couldn’t use the spoke key and needed his wheel for a Sat TT. Didn’t need to tell me if it was good enough because I ferried him to the start and he asked me to put the wheels in, he then lifted the front wheel spinning it and nodding to himself. Never ever mentioned it since. Suppose it was just about good enough, probably better than he could do himself I’m thinking. Haha will probably never know cos I’ll never ask and he’ll never tell. That’s how real freinds are allowed to treat each other, all part of respect.
Hope I haven’t bored you too much. Just memories coming back, wife just read this and said “shame you can’t remember the year I was born”. Yes I can it was 51 wasn’t it. “No 52” (just no respect some people for their elders)

RHA,Roy.

 

[t-tony]

You amaze me Roy. I tried my hand at straightening bike wheels as a kid but could never get the hang of it. There were no YouTube videos to help in those days eh?

Tony.

 

[GazHyde]

So a quick update on my initial post, just so you don't think I've already bottled it and gone quiet. I actually started the process of getting in a better condition in November.

Started off with a big change in diet, mainly using meal replacement shakes for 2 meals and cutting out the bad stuff (except for the Saturday 'shed breakfast of course, a boys gotta live off something!). Started walking places, usually when I arrive at work and at lunchtime rather than sitting at my desk. Gradually increased the distances further, getting up to a 8km fast walks on a Sunday morning. Growing realisation at that point that I was going to have to kick the pace up so started running sections of the walk (badly).

The week before Christmas I manage a complete 3.5k with no cheaty walking sections, and I'm now at 5k which I'm completing in around 27 minutes. I'm now alternating 3.5k and 5k runs daily, with the occasional rest day when I need it. Although the weekend run may switch for a 30k bike ride if the local canal towpaths aren't too deep in mud. The old air base at Greenham Common is now a fantastic place to cycle now it's been given back to the community.

I'm down 20kgs which is about a fifth of my starting body weight . 5 inches off my waist line, and I'm down 3 trouser sizes and it's costing me a fortune in new clothes . Going off official figures I had a BMI (which is a poor calculation really) of 32.8 when I started and "obese", and am now down to 26 which is merely "overweight" although I don't plan on going any lower weight wise now.

I now feel quite good for a 46 year old! Come April I'll sort the Z4 out after an intolerable 18 months SORN.

 

[Grumps]

I've put over a stone back on in the last few months. My bike to is making a come back. A 2016 Cube Attention SL. It's a lovely bike and the best one I've ever owned.

 

[Grumps]

So a quick update on my initial post, just so you don't think I've already bottled it and gone quiet. I actually started the process of getting in a better condition in November.

Started off with a big change in diet, mainly using meal replacement shakes for 2 meals and cutting out the bad stuff (except for the Saturday 'shed breakfast of course, a boys gotta live off something!). Started walking places, usually when I arrive at work and at lunchtime rather than sitting at my desk. Gradually increased the distances further, getting up to a 8km fast walks on a Sunday morning. Growing realisation at that point that I was going to have to kick the pace up so started running sections of the walk (badly).

The week before Christmas I manage a complete 3.5k with no cheaty walking sections, and I'm now at 5k which I'm completing in around 27 minutes. I'm now alternating 3.5k and 5k runs daily, with the occasional rest day when I need it. Although the weekend run may switch for a 30k bike ride if the local canal towpaths aren't too deep in mud. The old air base at Greenham Common is now a fantastic place to cycle now it's been given back to the community.

I'm down 20kgs which is about a fifth of my starting body weight . 5 inches off my waist line, and I'm down 3 trouser sizes and it's costing me a fortune in new clothes . Going off official figures I had a BMI (which is a poor calculation really) of 32.8 when I started and "obese", and am now down to 26 which is merely "overweight" although I don't plan on going any lower weight wise now.

I now feel quite good for a 46 year old! Come April I'll sort the Z4 out after an intolerable 18 months SORN.

Making me look really bad Gaz. When I come down for the bike ride your going to make me look bad! Best get some training in

 

[Althulas]

Good effort Gaz. You’ve done it the best way gradually with the excercise. I don’t know if I could do the shake thing but better than skipping meals as I frequently do and fill up on liquid bread. Things are going to change though as being back at home soon and under house arrest by the wife

 

[GazHyde]

The shakes have helped with getting hungry and snacking, breakfast cereal was only getting me to mid morning and that’s when the sandwich van arrives outside the office. It’s slow release and kept me feeling full to lunch and then from lunch to evening meal. Then it was just discipline to stick to it, and always eating after excercising. Wasn’t all plain sailing of course, and the inevitable Christmas mince pie competition judging did me no favours. But overall it’s the change in attitude to eating and excercise that’s made the biggest difference. Had a lot of mental hurdles to get over in doing this, and of course in need to not give up!

 

[andyglym]

The shakes have helped with getting hungry and snacking, breakfast cereal was only getting me to mid morning and that’s when the sandwich van arrives outside the office. It’s slow release and kept me feeling full to lunch and then from lunch to evening meal. Then it was just discipline to stick to it, and always eating after excercising. Wasn’t all plain sailing of course, and the inevitable Christmas mince pie competition judging did me no favours. But overall it’s the change in attitude to eating and excercise that’s made the biggest difference. Had a lot of mental hurdles to get over in doing this, and of course in need to not give up!

Great stuff on those stats

 

[Mint]

So a quick update on my initial post, just so you don't think I've already bottled it and gone quiet. I actually started the process of getting in a better condition in November.

Started off with a big change in diet, mainly using meal replacement shakes for 2 meals and cutting out the bad stuff (except for the Saturday 'shed breakfast of course, a boys gotta live off something!). Started walking places, usually when I arrive at work and at lunchtime rather than sitting at my desk. Gradually increased the distances further, getting up to a 8km fast walks on a Sunday morning. Growing realisation at that point that I was going to have to kick the pace up so started running sections of the walk (badly).

The week before Christmas I manage a complete 3.5k with no cheaty walking sections, and I'm now at 5k which I'm completing in around 27 minutes. I'm now alternating 3.5k and 5k runs daily, with the occasional rest day when I need it. Although the weekend run may switch for a 30k bike ride if the local canal towpaths aren't too deep in mud. The old air base at Greenham Common is now a fantastic place to cycle now it's been given back to the community.

I'm down 20kgs which is about a fifth of my starting body weight . 5 inches off my waist line, and I'm down 3 trouser sizes and it's costing me a fortune in new clothes . Going off official figures I had a BMI (which is a poor calculation really) of 32.8 when I started and "obese", and am now down to 26 which is merely "overweight" although I don't plan on going any lower weight wise now.

I now feel quite good for a 46 year old! Come April I'll sort the Z4 out after an intolerable 18 months SORN.

Wow, great effort Gaz. You make me seem a bit of a couch potato but I do a fair amount of walking so I don't feel too bad

 

[GazHyde]

Wow, great effort Gaz. You make me seem a bit of a couch potato but I do a fair amount of walking so I don't feel too bad

It's all about what's good for you and there isn't any magic one size fits all fitness program so this became mine. I was just out of shape and wanted to be less fat and more active, it just grew in to where I am now. A full Saturday in the ZedShed would leave me knackered by mid afternoon (insert photos of me being slumped against the garage wall here...) and aching the next day. Last Saturday I got up at 7, ran 5k and then a full day in the 'shed and no lack of energy or fatigue the next day.

 

[Jack Ratt]

Well done Gaz, good effort mate. 20kgs weight loss is amazing, keep at it
That's around 3 stones isn't it?