Forums >Cross Training>Loving biking!
rectumdamnnearkilledem
If your shoulders are hurting (were hurting), the length between your seat and your hand grip is likely long. It could be the size of the bike which forces you to stretch out far. That could be adjusted by a shorter stem (which I'm guessing you received), but it could be a bike sizing issue. For example, if you have a 52cm bike, you may need a 50cm or a 48cm. My wife now rides a very small bike for her overall height. (She's 5'4" and rides a 48cm). Likewise, as Zoomy mentioned, you can flip the stem so the height of the stem is better and you're not riding too low. You'll be more upright, and won't need to lift your head to see. I haven't had those problems, but my wife has. It took her a long time to get comfortable on the bike and not have shoulder pain.
If your shoulders are hurting (were hurting), the length between your seat and your hand grip is likely long.
It could be the size of the bike which forces you to stretch out far. That could be adjusted by a shorter stem (which I'm guessing you received), but it could be a bike sizing issue. For example, if you have a 52cm bike, you may need a 50cm or a 48cm. My wife now rides a very small bike for her overall height. (She's 5'4" and rides a 48cm).
Likewise, as Zoomy mentioned, you can flip the stem so the height of the stem is better and you're not riding too low. You'll be more upright, and won't need to lift your head to see.
I haven't had those problems, but my wife has. It took her a long time to get comfortable on the bike and not have shoulder pain.
A bike with more aggressive geometry and/or increasing mileage can temporarily cause sore neck/shoulders, too. I get this every year for the first few weeks that I'm outdoors after Winter. During the Winter I rarely ride more than 90 minutes, so those first 2+ hour outdoor rides always hurt a little. By the end of Summer I don't have much in the way of upper-body discomfort unless I'm out for 80+ miles.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Bike nerd!
Guilty as charged...though less so than my DH. Every night he's checking his bike porn bookmarks. It's particularly bad this time of the year. Friggin' TdF.
Time to set your sights on a metric century, then 100, then ride across your state!
Great ideas for some new goals! I think the metric century and 100 miler might even be possible before the winter crap weather sets in.
PR's: 5k - 23:33/ 10k - 48:30/ 5 mi. - 39:21/ 13.1 - 1:53/ 26.2 recent - 4:34
Upcoming races: Resolution Run HM 1/1/13
Phoenix R&R HM 1/20/13
Totally!! If you can get up to 80 you can comfortably do a full century.
I did it! 50 mile ride yesterday. Just me, my bike, and the city greenway paths. I didn't anticipate getting hungry during the ride, so all I brought was a half pack of sports beans and some water. I never felt like I ran out of fuel, but I sure was hungry when I got home. Hubby asked if now that I got it "out of my system and proved that I could ride that far" if I'm done. Huh! Not even close, buddy. I can't wait to do another one.
Ooh, ooh...next year you must come and do the One Day Ride Across MI. I'm one of the organizers. I rode the past 2 years. This year my DH rode. It's about the easiest 143 miles you could imagine. Mostly flat...last 65 miles are a net downhill and the largest hill is pretty much an overpass. Generally a bit of a tailwind the entire way, too.
And, yeah, for 50 miles I might eat a larger bar or stop at a convenience store for some cookies and/or jerky.
zoom-zoom - That sounds like an amazing ride, and I would so love to do it! Hmm...maybe that's what DH can get me for Christmas. I'm starting to enjoy my cycling just as much as my running, especially the long rides.
I love long rides. I am totally tweaking because I've yet to get in a century this year. For the first half of Summer it was related to a wrist injury (busted it in late Nov.) that has been slow to heal. Then we'd planned to get in a century a few weeks ago, but we woke to pouring rain and temps in the 50s and bailed. So I think this Sat. we've finally found one that will work (well, for me...DH has done like 4 centuries this year, including one on mountain bike).
I hope you get the century in on Saturday! That's how I felt about my 50 miler - something I just "needed" to get done before the summer ended. Now the little voice in my head is saying "Hey, let's do another 50 next week."
I think you should do a metric century!!
A metric century is 80 miles, right?
Hip Redux
62!
No, it's 100 kilometers.
or 62.137 miles
Life Goals:
#1: Do what I can do
#2: Enjoy life
No, it's 100 kilometers. or 62.137 miles
Close enough. Most advertised "metric centuries" around here are anything between 61-67 miles.
I think I forgot the smiley face with my last post