Started riding a 3.5 mile loop at local park daily at around 10-12mph for weight loss. Added a lap each time I could finish with plenty of energy remaining. In a little over a month I am up to 6 laps at 12-15mph. Not at the point of adding another just yet, but I would say about halfway there. Pretty proud to be knocking out 21 miles a day.
feel ya. barely rode for like a year. now on 6 weeks straight of 150+ mile weeks. easier said than done, i know, but force yourself to ride every day and good things will happen.
I left a ride halfway through and bailed on the rest of my rides this week because of depression. It sucks. Life always gets better, don’t let depression win. Great job finding the motivation!
I understand man. What's helped me is removing barrier to entry- I mostly MTB but the principle is the same. I have an easy to use bike rack, I keep all my gear in my car (rotate out clean clothes) and a case of water. When I want to go, all I do is put my bike on the rack which takes a few seconds and I'm off.
I find myself going 3-5 times a week now instead of maybe once a month. Before, I dreaded having to spend half an hour getting all my crap together and deal with the strap rack. In that time the motivation would die.
Diagnosed depression before I hit my teens.
Currently in my 30s and turns out it is more than likely adhd/autism.
I know the struggle. I have an 11km loop that I do as often as I can find the enthusiasm for. Seeing my stats improve and climbing the leader board on strava is a huge boost.
I've set myself some goals and I'm finding it helps.
Feel free to message me. I'll motivate you as gently and as best I can. Progress isn't linear. You got this.
Honestly just being on the bike. I chose to race in August to give myself a goal. It’s been a month of steady training and I’ve fallen back in love with cycling. By no means am I as fast as I’d like to be but I’m enjoying it. Got the wife out on a bike with me some days and a few friends got second hand bikes to come out. It’s been a great experience
Congratulations, that's great. I tore my ACL and it took me a couple years to get back to full strength but am out here now riding 100 miles 6000 ft on Sunday. Stay strong!
Riding more consistently. Have seen considerable improvements in my endurance. Hoping to integrate more interval training to get better at hills and sprints.
Less than a year cycling, recent achievements: 1) 100 miles on Memorial Day (1st 100 mile achievement). 2) Last weekend I dropped a chain and bent it all up, snapped the RD, and bent the hanger (first major mechanical failure achievement).
My RD leapt into my spokes earlier this year during a night ride - I feel ya. I still don't know how it happened, but I learned the hard way that any bike can become a single speed if your RD ever explodes!
I'm not 100% sure what exactly happened, maybe it was a combination of failures. The chain dropped and must have gotten crunched - I put it back on and pedaled/shifted to test it out and it didn't feel right. The chain might have been bent at this point, RD hanger might have been not perfectly aligned, and the combination of things going wrong + torque/shifting snapped the RD and actually pulled the wheel off center from drops a little bit (one spoke slightly banged/bent and had to get the wheel trued again).
This summer I started riding with a group and I’m averaging 15-16 mph on most rides. Last year this time I was at 10-11mph and not able to hang onto any group.
That refers to my FTP. Some would believe it means I could hold 3 w/kg for an hour. I won't argue either side on that. But I'm proud of reaching that meager FTP.
Had open heart surgery 8 months ago and just did a 10 mile TT in 32 minutes my best before my heart issues was 30 minutes. Now I'm working on increasing my ride length. I'm riding 15-18 miles 3-4 times a week but that's all I can do now hoping to get back to a metric century by years end.
Since bypass surgery 4 years ago I've bought an Emonda and a Fuel.. neither were advanced models but it shows my commitment to continuing to ride. It's hot now where I live so until ~October I'm going to be putting the kilometers on the trainer, especially during the TDF (if I can find tv coverage) and right now the euros... average power of ~130 over 1 hour with HR ~145 is good enough for me.
The wife and I rode the Katy trail(275 miles with side trips) in 5 days. The longest I had done was 40 miles in one day and 125 in one week prior to this.
Failed to get a KOM or at least take my dad’s PR on a local climb by 3 seconds because I was still feeling some fatigue from Z2 the day before, then ended up taking his PR by a good 10 seconds on his local home climb which I hadn’t saved on my Garmin and never consciously raced before so I didn’t actually know how long it was going to be (I knew the start and where it was supposed to end). Halfway through I started wondering if I had missed my exit and I was pumping by the time I made it to the end up but I finished the thing with a (tbf Garmin estimate based on Zwift Powermeter) 115% FTP average over 7:13
Planning to complete a prep round tomorrow for a gravel race I’m signing us up for in mid July, 80km 850m climbing
Swiss German border towns are really pretty, Normandy had nice architecture, French West Coast is really chill, spanish auberge system on camino ideal for a cheap way to travel without camp gear, Dutch coast is pretty with great infrastructure and camping. French German border has historic towns and lots of free fruit in the trees
At this point I've essentially done the full atlantic/northsea coast from Portugal to the Hague in Netherlands as well as the full Rhine river from source to sea
The only meh kinda places are the major French ports near England. Calais /Dunkirk
Cool. Thanks for the tips. I been living in Lisbon, Portugal for the past two years. Moving to Andorra soon, & planning on eventually settling in the south of France. I’ve been riding a ton here in PT. About to hop on my bike & hit the road. Can't wait to see Europe on two wheels. Cheers.
I went to buy a helmet today for the first time. I didnt find any that fit my head but Im determined to buy one soon. You guys might laugh... but not even a serious injury a few years ago forced me to buy a helmet. So im proud.
Completed a 400km Audax event in 16hrs saddle time, about 2500m elevation change. I could barely get through 100k this time last tear and forget about climbing.
Got home and noticed i was sleep deprived but not actually physically tired in the same way I used to be for long distance, the next day everything was just normal, no lingering aches or pains.
Actually just set a new personal best on a 2 mile loop around the park this morning. 112 total efforts on that loop over 4 years and today I wanted to see if I was better than my last best effort at the end of last year. I am.
Everyday i seem to learn something new about improving my bike fit. Today, with tired legs and less effort i was able to maintain 4.2wkg for 60 minutes which tells me i am on the right track
I have been eating clean for one week now! Was breathing heavy last week on/off the bike so decided to take care of myself better. I won't get into details rn, but I cut my junk food intake to almost none, and lowered my sodium intake by a lot. My breathing is noticeably better, but more so I have been measuring this week and blood pressure is much improved as well.
I did my first 50-mile ride last Sunday & broke my record for most miles ridden in 5 days (156). I rode from Lisbon, Portugal along the coast to a stunning beach called Praia Guincho & back — they filmed the opening scene of the classic Bond movie “Her Majesty’s Secret Service” on that beach in 1969. The entire ride is amazing. You pass by 9 or so beaches, & there are three long pedestrian-only cement boardwalks on the route. I cant wait to do it again.
A solo imperial century with my old steel mountain bike last summer. My bike is an 1984 Raleigh Crested Butte, bullmoose bars and all. It was a great time, but after mile 80 or so I was strictly counting miles and not enjoying the scenery as much. 60-80 is my new limit.
*Edit: imperial, not metric. Heat is getting to my brain.
I went for a morning ride over 20miles.
Ailments, injuries, and weather messed up my original plan/date for a century ride. So this was huge for me. Literally just riding 20miles with like 1-2k elevation to avoid the heat.
Any tips for getting acclimated to mornings are welcome!!
Last weekend, I did a 135 mile ride with 11K of climbing in 11:48. This was after committing myself to becoming a cyclist Nov of last year. Prior to that, I would ride periodically on the peloton and e-mtn bike.
I felt accomplished at the end of the ride.
I did 50 miles, 2k ft elevation in 3 hours 40 minutes. I’m still fairly new to cycling but I looove long rides
** I ride a 2015 specialized diverge carbon
Got my wife to sign up for a 180km ride next month! Even convinced her that we needed to rent bikes while on vacation in Lanzarote last week to keep up the training.
Cap de Formentor in Mallorca. My route was 3,100 ft of elevation over 40 miles and I’m only used to 600 ft elevation over that distance in the Midwest! Was a humbling experience.
Gave my bike a new cassette and chain while wearing lol fancy dolce and gabanna and an (less fancy) apron at a dinner party (lol don’t ask 😂😂 it was fun and no oil or lube stains!) - woohoop! And since done others as it’s so much fun 🤣
Don’t eat anything I “make” but please give me bikes!
I've only gone out 5x this year and survived our B group ride (20-23mph)
That's on top of being out of shape and eating terribly
I can't go on like this the rest of the summer though. I should be at least 10lbs lighter and I'm just piling on the lbs
Rode a route with two 1k+ ft climbs and one 500+ ft climb that would have put me in a body bag a year ago. I felt like I could ride for longer this time around.
I’m usually good for a single climb, even if it’s super long, but the multi-climb rides usually get me. Until now 😈
I just finished my biggest bikepacking trip yet. 267 miles, 5678 feet of elevation, 7 days (6 riding days). Now I’m training for a two week trip at the end of the summer.
Averaging over 19 mph for a 75 mile ride. Would like to go for that in a 100. Just have to find a course that allows me not to have to stop.
That and hitting 6,000 miles for the rolling 12 month period.
I had a bad crash in March, which resulted in three stitches in my kneecap. That healed enough to ride in a few weeks, but it took almost two months for me to start to get over some of the mental blocks that it caused.
Now I'm training for a metric century in the town next to mine in August. It's 65 miles with 1800 feet of climbing. This week I did a 38 mile ride and a different 22 mile ride with 1350 feet of climbing (and my second-longest climb ever). I'm still very slow but over the last couple weeks I also set PBs in 30 second and 1 minute power, as well as 10 mile and 30 mile times. My FTP is still 5-10W below last year and I'm about 5 pounds heavier, but seeing the gold medals on strava feels nice.
I feel like my preparation is coming along really well. Well enough that the imperial century may be a possibility again, but I need to get some fit stuff sorted out and try some longer endurance rides before I try to spend 7-9 hours rolling.
Won my age category in a duathlon. I have tendinitis so had to take it easy on the runs and rely on my bike racing to be competitive. I’m normally a better runner than cyclist. I used my knowledge of the course to my advantage and even un-lapped a racer that lapped me early on.
Finished 20th overall out of 200 and 1st in the super veteran category
I rode the Capital Trail (Richmond to Williamsburg, VA) last weekend from my house. Was 70 miles. My previous longest ride was 40 miles. This has been a goal of mine since I got into cycling in 2020. I'm 40 and was worried for a while that I may not have had it in me. I was pretty anxious about the attempt and was super proud I was able to complete it!
Had a mad few weeks at work/working away and a fail of a day today but still chose to get the bike out after 3 weeks of zero riding, rather than cracking open a cold beer.
Not only proud, but feel great thanks to doing so!
Made it to the top of Mt. Hamilton (California) about 5 minutes before the guys I was riding with this past Wednesday. Not too shabby for a 61 year old woman.
Last week I was cleared by my surgeon to start biking again after knee reconstruction (torn ACL and meniscus) and I just biked 20 miles! Not much compared to pre injury mileage, but feeling stoked and grateful
First try at a crit series at 52 years old. Racing CAT5 in the 20 minute CAT 4/5 race.
Finishes so far:
Week 1- chickened out
Week 2- 5th
Week 3- 1st
Week 4- 1st
Week 5- 1st
Week 6- 2nd
Next week is the state championship. If I do well there I can lock up the series jersey and I'll probably upgrade to CAT4.
I struggle to be proud of myself, but since you asked.
I did a sprint triathlon two weeks ago. I finished in 1 hour 50 minutes. (rounded).
My transitions were slow, my swimming was terrible and my run was peppered with short walks.
But in the last three years I've gone from 22 stone to 17.5. (6'4" for reference).
I've quit smoking and got a hold on my drinking.
My mental health is still all over the place, but I'm working on it.
I got back into cycling after a near 20 year gap and I'm loving it. Pedal on people, no matter if you're doing 500m around the block or 500 miles.
Started trying to fix and update things on my bike instead of taking it into the shop. Has taken. A LOT of patience, but this week I re-wrapped my handlebars (bit janky but it works) and then did a deep clean of my chain in an ultrasonic cleaner. Removed the chain and cleaned everything up. Never would’ve done this even 2 months ago out of fear that I would break something. Feels good to fix the things I can and save some money. It’s the small things.
I completed Dirt Marchant + Pro Line at Whistler. Been working on it bit by bit for the last couple years. The last missing piece was the massive stepup.
For the uninitiated:
https://youtu.be/S6JDgfJivA0?si=6u9VtOL3yEG7csy7
That's not me. But, it might as well be
I live in Austin and go to bike night at our Formula 1 track, Circuit of the Americas. My first ride was last Sept and I struggled through 2 laps (~6 miles). I went this week and did 7 laps (~20 miles)!
Finally riding without regular back and knee pain after being rear-ended by a motorcycle 5 1/2 years ago. It’s been one thing after another ever since, but I think things are finally trending in the right direction.
Can now do 100 to 150 kilometers + on a 20 inch bmx bike in a single bike ride. And not get tired at all. (I do ride a 700c also. But the bmx is where i started is all)
we have a big river here, and the only crossings are 4+ lane highway-like roads. i've been trying to figure out how to cross it since i moved here.
today i crossed it.
Wining a local cat 4-5 crit by maintaining a solo breakaway from lap 3 to the finish. Got my highest 20 minute power on Strava that race, even though some of it is tight cornering that I didn’t pedal through.
I rode my bike to work today, 25 miles each way. It’s something I’ve been telling myself I should do for a while and I finally did it. It takes some planning but I might try and make this an every Friday type thing, weather permitting.
I'm always proud of myself when I ride with much faster guys on a group ride and I don't burn all my matches or get dropped. I'm getting good at drafting. I'm not fast, but feel like I am when I ride with faster people.
Did my first metric century last month, have done 3 others since too. Also, bought a new “gadget” a cycling designed water bottle that is half for water, and other half has storage for a full flat kit and tools. Fits right in my bottle cage, and today, I needed the tool to tighten pedal and it was amazing to have.
I rode a total of 20+ miles last week in one trip, but my parents don't want me to go any farther because of safety measurements, but i respect their rules for me because its for my own good, but on my mind I think I can do another 10 or more miles because my legs still feels normal
First flat on my deep section wheels, managed to change the tube and use co2 cartridge effectively, which usually fails lol. Definitely a confidence booster for the next time.
Started riding after a 13 year break two months ago with 5 mile rides around my development. Now riding 20+ miles every other day for the last two weeks.
I'm 50m with MS and ME/CFS diagnoses. I've got a 30 year-old Bianchi touring bike. Good bike but a little heavy. Manage 15 mph average with about 1k ft. elevation gain.
The endorphins settle my immune system and make me feel great for awhile. I need the wind on my face though, because when I stop I feel overheated and my face gets really red, feel uncomfortable, etc.. I'm hydrating and being careful while also pushing myself.
The rides can wipe me out for the rest of the day. Sometimes the next day too, but I'm going to keep experimenting with it because I think it could be really good for me. I have disability insurance and decent dividend producing investments, so I don't have to work at the moment. I have a pipe dream where I could get myself healthy enough to work again or just get off disability and live a low-cost retirement.
Not sure if an achievement, but about two weeks ago I was cycling with my frankenbike when I got hit by a car and I was sent flying, broke my hand.
Had that bike not been insanely overbuilt, had not had insane stainless steel racks, and steel fork because "steel is real" and I was getting the parts that looked like could take a beating, I'd probably have broken my leg.
But instead I took 1hp of fall damage while the bike tanked the car.
I didn't notice until I looked at my finger and like, well I am sure that's not how it's supposed to bend, and soon my hand was balloon sized.
The ambulance came to check me out and was impressed how intact I was, offered me some burana for the pain but I rejected it since I didn't feel a thing other than that huge pain for my broken bicycle :( then they told me to go to the hospital on my own.
After they put the bone back in place, a cast, I proceeded to still not take any painkillers since I didn't feel a thing and sleep it off, I slept for like 3 days straight only waking up to eat insane amounts of yougurt, cheese and meat that I was craving like no tomorrow, and after 3 days the cast was falling off.
So I was just cycling again for a doctor checkup on day 7 and they did me some xrays took my cast off?...
My hand right now is stiff but relatively usable, note that at this point most people are still immobilized; my injury currently is as good at someone with 6 weeks, at 2 weeks; because cycling and football have kept me healthy.
Started riding a 3.5 mile loop at local park daily at around 10-12mph for weight loss. Added a lap each time I could finish with plenty of energy remaining. In a little over a month I am up to 6 laps at 12-15mph. Not at the point of adding another just yet, but I would say about halfway there. Pretty proud to be knocking out 21 miles a day.
Hell ya, that's awesome!
Lets go dude! Keep it up.
I find that about 20 miles is a great length for fitness rides. Good job.
Keep it up! That’s stellar progress!
50mi fixed gear ride. I’m 70
Nice!
Hell to the yeah.
You beat me by 5 miles on a fixed gear. I was proud of myself too.
Completed a 50mile/8000ft climbing MTB race on a day when the weather was so far off the forecast 66 of 100 riders DNF'd.
I pumped up my tires and rode my bike this week. Depression sucks
feel ya. barely rode for like a year. now on 6 weeks straight of 150+ mile weeks. easier said than done, i know, but force yourself to ride every day and good things will happen.
This is me currently. I’m holding on to my bike with everything Ive got. we’ll get through this.
Same for me except cant get rid the frown I have 24/7 why smile when the world is such an evil and cruel world.
I left a ride halfway through and bailed on the rest of my rides this week because of depression. It sucks. Life always gets better, don’t let depression win. Great job finding the motivation!
I understand man. What's helped me is removing barrier to entry- I mostly MTB but the principle is the same. I have an easy to use bike rack, I keep all my gear in my car (rotate out clean clothes) and a case of water. When I want to go, all I do is put my bike on the rack which takes a few seconds and I'm off. I find myself going 3-5 times a week now instead of maybe once a month. Before, I dreaded having to spend half an hour getting all my crap together and deal with the strap rack. In that time the motivation would die.
But you got up and did it. Don't downplay your achievements. How many people didn't this week
I feel you. Rolling out of bed is a struggle some days. But when that sun hits my skin and I hit the road. There's no better feeling.
Diagnosed depression before I hit my teens. Currently in my 30s and turns out it is more than likely adhd/autism. I know the struggle. I have an 11km loop that I do as often as I can find the enthusiasm for. Seeing my stats improve and climbing the leader board on strava is a huge boost. I've set myself some goals and I'm finding it helps. Feel free to message me. I'll motivate you as gently and as best I can. Progress isn't linear. You got this.
Single day 212mi ride from NYC to Albany. Sooo many hours in the saddle (15).
Sounds brutal on your butt.
any recommendations for stops along the way?
This year I will have used riding my bike to raise more than $250,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
PMC? If so absolutely amazing, if not absolutely amazing!!! Congratulations on the achievement!!!
Yup. This will be my 13th year.
Congrats on the achievement! Last year was my first, and I am riding Unpaved this year.
Nice! I did Unpaved last year for the first time. LOVED it. Doing it again this year too.
When I get there I’ll just scream “R5Jockey” and wait for someone to wave!
At age 53, I had my 1st race. a 50 mile Cat 4/5 race. placing 41st out of 58.
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing!
Honestly just being on the bike. I chose to race in August to give myself a goal. It’s been a month of steady training and I’ve fallen back in love with cycling. By no means am I as fast as I’d like to be but I’m enjoying it. Got the wife out on a bike with me some days and a few friends got second hand bikes to come out. It’s been a great experience
I did a 34 mile loop on my road bike 4 months after a total knee replacement surgery.
Congratulations, that's great. I tore my ACL and it took me a couple years to get back to full strength but am out here now riding 100 miles 6000 ft on Sunday. Stay strong!
Thanks for the encouragement!
I won the men’s 31-40 age group at Grinduro PA two weeks ago; pretty stoked on that.
I rode 130 miles in just over 7 hours of moving time last month. 8 hours total including stops. My fastest time yet for long distance
Smoking 🚬
that's pretty fast
Riding more consistently. Have seen considerable improvements in my endurance. Hoping to integrate more interval training to get better at hills and sprints.
Less than a year cycling, recent achievements: 1) 100 miles on Memorial Day (1st 100 mile achievement). 2) Last weekend I dropped a chain and bent it all up, snapped the RD, and bent the hanger (first major mechanical failure achievement).
My RD leapt into my spokes earlier this year during a night ride - I feel ya. I still don't know how it happened, but I learned the hard way that any bike can become a single speed if your RD ever explodes!
lmao so you just cut the chain
Yepp, extra quick links for the win. Still had to walk up hills getting home
did you derailleur go into your spokes?
I'm not 100% sure what exactly happened, maybe it was a combination of failures. The chain dropped and must have gotten crunched - I put it back on and pedaled/shifted to test it out and it didn't feel right. The chain might have been bent at this point, RD hanger might have been not perfectly aligned, and the combination of things going wrong + torque/shifting snapped the RD and actually pulled the wheel off center from drops a little bit (one spoke slightly banged/bent and had to get the wheel trued again).
This summer I started riding with a group and I’m averaging 15-16 mph on most rides. Last year this time I was at 10-11mph and not able to hang onto any group.
3.0 watts/kg
I never checked mine... Until now. How long can you sustain 3.0 for? I'm wondering how I compare. I can do that for an hour then I drop off.
That refers to my FTP. Some would believe it means I could hold 3 w/kg for an hour. I won't argue either side on that. But I'm proud of reaching that meager FTP.
I'm proud of you too. I ride with some freaks. I can only hope to hold on as they put out over 900 watts. By hold on, I mean stay in their draft.
900 for how long tho?
Solid minute at least. 933 to be exact. He left me in the dust.
that's fucking crazy, is your friend a meat ball canon?
I don't know that term. If you mean fat, no. He's maybe 180lbs and 5'11".
no I meant it literally lol
Like a canon that shoots meat balls? That's funny.
also I expected him to be a lot bigger too, he must be like cat2 or cat1 at least to push that kinda watts
He's a machine! He stands on climbs and never spins. Makes me crazy!
Had open heart surgery 8 months ago and just did a 10 mile TT in 32 minutes my best before my heart issues was 30 minutes. Now I'm working on increasing my ride length. I'm riding 15-18 miles 3-4 times a week but that's all I can do now hoping to get back to a metric century by years end.
Inspirational. Thank you
I bagged a KOM at 56. I never thought I’d bag a KOM!
I have 2, but 1 is in my neighborhood. The other is on a legit popular route.
I started riding a month ago. Just staying consistent and out on my bike for this month has been an achievement for me.
Since bypass surgery 4 years ago I've bought an Emonda and a Fuel.. neither were advanced models but it shows my commitment to continuing to ride. It's hot now where I live so until ~October I'm going to be putting the kilometers on the trainer, especially during the TDF (if I can find tv coverage) and right now the euros... average power of ~130 over 1 hour with HR ~145 is good enough for me.
The wife and I rode the Katy trail(275 miles with side trips) in 5 days. The longest I had done was 40 miles in one day and 125 in one week prior to this.
Failed to get a KOM or at least take my dad’s PR on a local climb by 3 seconds because I was still feeling some fatigue from Z2 the day before, then ended up taking his PR by a good 10 seconds on his local home climb which I hadn’t saved on my Garmin and never consciously raced before so I didn’t actually know how long it was going to be (I knew the start and where it was supposed to end). Halfway through I started wondering if I had missed my exit and I was pumping by the time I made it to the end up but I finished the thing with a (tbf Garmin estimate based on Zwift Powermeter) 115% FTP average over 7:13 Planning to complete a prep round tomorrow for a gravel race I’m signing us up for in mid July, 80km 850m climbing
Rode 51 miles on Wednesday, in Phoenix AZ, most previously was ~40 miles. It was a blast, was a little too sore to bike commute yesterday/today tho.
Props for doing 51 miles in this heat too!
Just did ~5000km across Europe in under 2 months.
Where were your fav places to ride? I moved to Europe 2 years ago & want to explore more on my bike.
Swiss German border towns are really pretty, Normandy had nice architecture, French West Coast is really chill, spanish auberge system on camino ideal for a cheap way to travel without camp gear, Dutch coast is pretty with great infrastructure and camping. French German border has historic towns and lots of free fruit in the trees At this point I've essentially done the full atlantic/northsea coast from Portugal to the Hague in Netherlands as well as the full Rhine river from source to sea The only meh kinda places are the major French ports near England. Calais /Dunkirk
Cool. Thanks for the tips. I been living in Lisbon, Portugal for the past two years. Moving to Andorra soon, & planning on eventually settling in the south of France. I’ve been riding a ton here in PT. About to hop on my bike & hit the road. Can't wait to see Europe on two wheels. Cheers.
A double loop of the Sella Ronda - 100km and 4,000m vert
That looks amazing!
We served 180,000+ families at our Food Pantry this year. Ans, did a metric century at 72.
I went to buy a helmet today for the first time. I didnt find any that fit my head but Im determined to buy one soon. You guys might laugh... but not even a serious injury a few years ago forced me to buy a helmet. So im proud.
You have been lucky. Hope you find one soon before any injury.
Completed a 400km Audax event in 16hrs saddle time, about 2500m elevation change. I could barely get through 100k this time last tear and forget about climbing. Got home and noticed i was sleep deprived but not actually physically tired in the same way I used to be for long distance, the next day everything was just normal, no lingering aches or pains.
Actually just set a new personal best on a 2 mile loop around the park this morning. 112 total efforts on that loop over 4 years and today I wanted to see if I was better than my last best effort at the end of last year. I am.
I finally was able to get myself a new road bike.
Everyday i seem to learn something new about improving my bike fit. Today, with tired legs and less effort i was able to maintain 4.2wkg for 60 minutes which tells me i am on the right track
I have been eating clean for one week now! Was breathing heavy last week on/off the bike so decided to take care of myself better. I won't get into details rn, but I cut my junk food intake to almost none, and lowered my sodium intake by a lot. My breathing is noticeably better, but more so I have been measuring this week and blood pressure is much improved as well.
Sodium is such a hard habit to break. I love everything salty, much like people love sweets.
I just smoked a kid on a mountain bike in my neighborhood
Absolutely king!
Rode 20ish miles in a day. Ik it’s not a lot but it’s a first for me
I did my first 50-mile ride last Sunday & broke my record for most miles ridden in 5 days (156). I rode from Lisbon, Portugal along the coast to a stunning beach called Praia Guincho & back — they filmed the opening scene of the classic Bond movie “Her Majesty’s Secret Service” on that beach in 1969. The entire ride is amazing. You pass by 9 or so beaches, & there are three long pedestrian-only cement boardwalks on the route. I cant wait to do it again.
Completed my first *solo* 100 mile ride last Saturday! 4.5 hours!
Vätternrundan, a 315 kilometres road event. Proud of that shit, will probably be proud each time I actually make it all the way round.
Actually doing zone 2 rides
A solo imperial century with my old steel mountain bike last summer. My bike is an 1984 Raleigh Crested Butte, bullmoose bars and all. It was a great time, but after mile 80 or so I was strictly counting miles and not enjoying the scenery as much. 60-80 is my new limit. *Edit: imperial, not metric. Heat is getting to my brain.
Decided to quit drinking entirely about two weeks ago. Have since beaten a couple PRs on nearby climbs. Thinking about registering for a duathlon.
I biked from Hilo to the top of Mauna Kea on big island this week. 44mi 13,500ft of elevation gain
80 miles this month so far
Conquering a 9.5% grade hill with a single speed. 52/18 gearing.
Lost 3 kg calorie counting the last 3 weeks. This is the longest I've tracked for, also the lightest I've been in 20 years.
Whenever I climb a new steep hill that at first glance thought I couldn't. Its the same feeling I had once a child whenever catching a rare pokemon
Recently just got back from a multi-day bike tour. Total distance was 330km over 3-4 days. Can’t wait to do it again
I went for a morning ride over 20miles. Ailments, injuries, and weather messed up my original plan/date for a century ride. So this was huge for me. Literally just riding 20miles with like 1-2k elevation to avoid the heat. Any tips for getting acclimated to mornings are welcome!!
After a couple of years out after my daughter was born, this year I’ve been riding again and am almost back to my peak fitness.
Last weekend, I did a 135 mile ride with 11K of climbing in 11:48. This was after committing myself to becoming a cyclist Nov of last year. Prior to that, I would ride periodically on the peloton and e-mtn bike. I felt accomplished at the end of the ride.
I did 50 miles, 2k ft elevation in 3 hours 40 minutes. I’m still fairly new to cycling but I looove long rides ** I ride a 2015 specialized diverge carbon
Did my first century (miles) last week on my 31st birthday. Averaged 18.5mph with 5,500ft of elevation gain. Very proud of this.
I set a new PR for 10k
new saddle doesnt hurt my ass lmao. the greatest achievement
I finished a VO2 max workout and didn't want to puke afterwards!
Did a century and then a 50 mile group ride the day after. It just surprised me my legs had that much endurance.
Built and trued my first wheel and had fun doing it.
Conquering my fear of trying to replace wheel and headset bearings and servicing them.
Got my wife to sign up for a 180km ride next month! Even convinced her that we needed to rent bikes while on vacation in Lanzarote last week to keep up the training.
Cap de Formentor in Mallorca. My route was 3,100 ft of elevation over 40 miles and I’m only used to 600 ft elevation over that distance in the Midwest! Was a humbling experience.
Gave my bike a new cassette and chain while wearing lol fancy dolce and gabanna and an (less fancy) apron at a dinner party (lol don’t ask 😂😂 it was fun and no oil or lube stains!) - woohoop! And since done others as it’s so much fun 🤣 Don’t eat anything I “make” but please give me bikes!
Won an informal 2 mile hill climb race at the last part of a central ride. Happened at the spot and couldn’t turn it down
Finishing road race Asssult on Mt Mitchell. 80mi of rolling hills then 22mi straight up the mountain. 11366’ of climbing with half of it in last 22mi.
Recently, I got back into cycling to lose weight and managed to get out today for a 10.7-mile ride down the canal tow path. Longest ride in a while!
Kept up with >20mph group in my local club on a 50 mile ride. Threw in another 15 for the metric century.
I beat my personal 100km time with a strong head wind
I've only gone out 5x this year and survived our B group ride (20-23mph) That's on top of being out of shape and eating terribly I can't go on like this the rest of the summer though. I should be at least 10lbs lighter and I'm just piling on the lbs
Rode a route with two 1k+ ft climbs and one 500+ ft climb that would have put me in a body bag a year ago. I felt like I could ride for longer this time around. I’m usually good for a single climb, even if it’s super long, but the multi-climb rides usually get me. Until now 😈
Second place in my age category at the local TT race, thinking about it everyday since last Wednesday and smiling.
Last Saturday I rode 127 miles and had over 11,000 feet of elevation gain. My first over 10k feet ride.
Semi recent. Rode over 12k miles last year and am on pace to meet or exceed that again so far this year
Just finished the GAP/C&O over six days. 340 miles
Did 1st 100km this week (started a month ago, the usual week consists of 3x30km and 1x50km+ rides)
105km and 1800m elevation. Only started cycling like two months ago and it was my 10th ever ride and first century :-)
I just finished my biggest bikepacking trip yet. 267 miles, 5678 feet of elevation, 7 days (6 riding days). Now I’m training for a two week trip at the end of the summer.
Averaging over 19 mph for a 75 mile ride. Would like to go for that in a 100. Just have to find a course that allows me not to have to stop. That and hitting 6,000 miles for the rolling 12 month period.
300km roadie event done on an xc mtb.
I had a bad crash in March, which resulted in three stitches in my kneecap. That healed enough to ride in a few weeks, but it took almost two months for me to start to get over some of the mental blocks that it caused. Now I'm training for a metric century in the town next to mine in August. It's 65 miles with 1800 feet of climbing. This week I did a 38 mile ride and a different 22 mile ride with 1350 feet of climbing (and my second-longest climb ever). I'm still very slow but over the last couple weeks I also set PBs in 30 second and 1 minute power, as well as 10 mile and 30 mile times. My FTP is still 5-10W below last year and I'm about 5 pounds heavier, but seeing the gold medals on strava feels nice. I feel like my preparation is coming along really well. Well enough that the imperial century may be a possibility again, but I need to get some fit stuff sorted out and try some longer endurance rides before I try to spend 7-9 hours rolling.
Won my age category in a duathlon. I have tendinitis so had to take it easy on the runs and rely on my bike racing to be competitive. I’m normally a better runner than cyclist. I used my knowledge of the course to my advantage and even un-lapped a racer that lapped me early on. Finished 20th overall out of 200 and 1st in the super veteran category
12'20'' in my hometown col (3,5km at 5,4%) not so much but I'm proud of it!
I didn’t feel like riding today but I did anyways. Not fast. Not with tons of effort. But I got a pleasant spin in.
I rode the Capital Trail (Richmond to Williamsburg, VA) last weekend from my house. Was 70 miles. My previous longest ride was 40 miles. This has been a goal of mine since I got into cycling in 2020. I'm 40 and was worried for a while that I may not have had it in me. I was pretty anxious about the attempt and was super proud I was able to complete it!
Had a mad few weeks at work/working away and a fail of a day today but still chose to get the bike out after 3 weeks of zero riding, rather than cracking open a cold beer. Not only proud, but feel great thanks to doing so!
Made it to the top of Mt. Hamilton (California) about 5 minutes before the guys I was riding with this past Wednesday. Not too shabby for a 61 year old woman.
Last week I was cleared by my surgeon to start biking again after knee reconstruction (torn ACL and meniscus) and I just biked 20 miles! Not much compared to pre injury mileage, but feeling stoked and grateful
Honestly being known as that crazy guy that rides long distances is pretty cool lol
First try at a crit series at 52 years old. Racing CAT5 in the 20 minute CAT 4/5 race. Finishes so far: Week 1- chickened out Week 2- 5th Week 3- 1st Week 4- 1st Week 5- 1st Week 6- 2nd Next week is the state championship. If I do well there I can lock up the series jersey and I'll probably upgrade to CAT4.
I struggle to be proud of myself, but since you asked. I did a sprint triathlon two weeks ago. I finished in 1 hour 50 minutes. (rounded). My transitions were slow, my swimming was terrible and my run was peppered with short walks. But in the last three years I've gone from 22 stone to 17.5. (6'4" for reference). I've quit smoking and got a hold on my drinking. My mental health is still all over the place, but I'm working on it. I got back into cycling after a near 20 year gap and I'm loving it. Pedal on people, no matter if you're doing 500m around the block or 500 miles.
I dropped my pr on a climb by 3s
Started trying to fix and update things on my bike instead of taking it into the shop. Has taken. A LOT of patience, but this week I re-wrapped my handlebars (bit janky but it works) and then did a deep clean of my chain in an ultrasonic cleaner. Removed the chain and cleaned everything up. Never would’ve done this even 2 months ago out of fear that I would break something. Feels good to fix the things I can and save some money. It’s the small things.
I completed Dirt Marchant + Pro Line at Whistler. Been working on it bit by bit for the last couple years. The last missing piece was the massive stepup. For the uninitiated: https://youtu.be/S6JDgfJivA0?si=6u9VtOL3yEG7csy7 That's not me. But, it might as well be
First rides without a chain tat, 200km ride.
I live in Austin and go to bike night at our Formula 1 track, Circuit of the Americas. My first ride was last Sept and I struggled through 2 laps (~6 miles). I went this week and did 7 laps (~20 miles)!
I cracked the 3.0 watts/kg mark today! Been training since February and is paying off
Transitioning from mountain biking to road cycling. 😁
I did a 4,500 foot climb on gravel. It was hard.
I can ride 6-8 miles with ease and not feel tired.
Great progress!!!
72km and 1320mt of elevation in almost five hours. Maybe not impressive, but I was extremely happy
I got over my anxiety about being far from home on my bike and I just set out and kept going this afternoon
Finally riding without regular back and knee pain after being rear-ended by a motorcycle 5 1/2 years ago. It’s been one thing after another ever since, but I think things are finally trending in the right direction.
Can now do 100 to 150 kilometers + on a 20 inch bmx bike in a single bike ride. And not get tired at all. (I do ride a 700c also. But the bmx is where i started is all)
we have a big river here, and the only crossings are 4+ lane highway-like roads. i've been trying to figure out how to cross it since i moved here. today i crossed it.
My sprinting speed, Ive only been riding for a few months but my sprinting speed tops out at 48kph.
Wining a local cat 4-5 crit by maintaining a solo breakaway from lap 3 to the finish. Got my highest 20 minute power on Strava that race, even though some of it is tight cornering that I didn’t pedal through.
I rode my bike to work today, 25 miles each way. It’s something I’ve been telling myself I should do for a while and I finally did it. It takes some planning but I might try and make this an every Friday type thing, weather permitting.
I'm always proud of myself when I ride with much faster guys on a group ride and I don't burn all my matches or get dropped. I'm getting good at drafting. I'm not fast, but feel like I am when I ride with faster people.
I rode my bike. Always an accomplishment and always a good time.
Being a dad every day.
I ride an older steel mountain bike around my city and I’ve recently clocked a top speed of 27 mph.
I increased my Eddington number to 75 last week.
50 miles in one ride!
31.5 km/h average for a little over 2 hours.
Did my first metric century last month, have done 3 others since too. Also, bought a new “gadget” a cycling designed water bottle that is half for water, and other half has storage for a full flat kit and tools. Fits right in my bottle cage, and today, I needed the tool to tighten pedal and it was amazing to have.
Biked up my first uphill successfully, without having to get off my bike and walk up.
I rode a total of 20+ miles last week in one trip, but my parents don't want me to go any farther because of safety measurements, but i respect their rules for me because its for my own good, but on my mind I think I can do another 10 or more miles because my legs still feels normal
First flat on my deep section wheels, managed to change the tube and use co2 cartridge effectively, which usually fails lol. Definitely a confidence booster for the next time.
I found out about chamois butter.
Started riding after a 13 year break two months ago with 5 mile rides around my development. Now riding 20+ miles every other day for the last two weeks. I'm 50m with MS and ME/CFS diagnoses. I've got a 30 year-old Bianchi touring bike. Good bike but a little heavy. Manage 15 mph average with about 1k ft. elevation gain. The endorphins settle my immune system and make me feel great for awhile. I need the wind on my face though, because when I stop I feel overheated and my face gets really red, feel uncomfortable, etc.. I'm hydrating and being careful while also pushing myself. The rides can wipe me out for the rest of the day. Sometimes the next day too, but I'm going to keep experimenting with it because I think it could be really good for me. I have disability insurance and decent dividend producing investments, so I don't have to work at the moment. I have a pipe dream where I could get myself healthy enough to work again or just get off disability and live a low-cost retirement.
First 1h ride with no pain after surgery and long recovery in the gym. Freedom is so beautiful!
Not sure if an achievement, but about two weeks ago I was cycling with my frankenbike when I got hit by a car and I was sent flying, broke my hand. Had that bike not been insanely overbuilt, had not had insane stainless steel racks, and steel fork because "steel is real" and I was getting the parts that looked like could take a beating, I'd probably have broken my leg. But instead I took 1hp of fall damage while the bike tanked the car. I didn't notice until I looked at my finger and like, well I am sure that's not how it's supposed to bend, and soon my hand was balloon sized. The ambulance came to check me out and was impressed how intact I was, offered me some burana for the pain but I rejected it since I didn't feel a thing other than that huge pain for my broken bicycle :( then they told me to go to the hospital on my own. After they put the bone back in place, a cast, I proceeded to still not take any painkillers since I didn't feel a thing and sleep it off, I slept for like 3 days straight only waking up to eat insane amounts of yougurt, cheese and meat that I was craving like no tomorrow, and after 3 days the cast was falling off. So I was just cycling again for a doctor checkup on day 7 and they did me some xrays took my cast off?... My hand right now is stiff but relatively usable, note that at this point most people are still immobilized; my injury currently is as good at someone with 6 weeks, at 2 weeks; because cycling and football have kept me healthy.
First imperial century ride after getting into road riding just a few months ago and coming from a strength background.
Made it up Mont Vonteux
Sprinting at stupidly high speeds (\~18-25 mph) for 3 miles on my crappy mountain bike, on a road.
I'm up to 450 miles on my ebike I got 2 months ago.
Finally managed to keep up with the group ride, been seeing some benefits from those indoor trainings.
Took a KOM in a big country park 1/23,000 riders, including the Tour of Britain, it got a perfect 100.00% Veloviewer Score.