Monster’s diary

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Well it’s official. I’m addicted to cycling. I needed to buy new brake shoes ($12 a pair) so I bought 2 new pairs. I then decided I’d buy new tyres as mine are a bit on the thin side. I didn’t get like for like tyres. I bought one of the best sets the shop had $62 each. Fitted them when I got home and couldn’t resist a ride.

Even though my shoes are still soaking wet, it’s just past peak hour and the roads are very wet and slippery I headed out. Because the traffic was still quite busy I didn’t head up my normal hill, instead I did a quick loop around the block. Still got a couple of short steep climbs in but increased my highest average speed for that route by 3 km/h!

These tyres are MUCH more comfortable, much more stable and have much less rolling resistance than the old ones.

I can’t wait for the traffic to die down so I can tackle my hill climb!C31F653A-80FD-4D60-82A8-F7A065C1D66D.png
 
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Truffle Monster said:
Well it’s official. I’m addicted to cycling.
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It was official aaages ago :D
Good for you. I need to take a leaf out of your book & get back into exercise!
 
cate said:
It was official aaages ago :D
Good for you. I need to take a leaf out of your book & get back into exercise!
Click to expand...

Haha yeah probably was.

It’s really turned my life around though. I used to be really keen and always exercising then I let life get in the way and I must have convinced myself I didn’t enjoy it. I’m living it now.

Just went up the hill. Got to my street sign with an average speed of 21. Quick stop to take a screen shot of the speedo then up to the top. Got there with an average 20km/h. I didn’t notice how bad the wind was until I started to go back down. Terrible swirling gusty wind was blowing me all over the road so had to take it very carefully. E66FF73D-3326-4764-B6ED-BB2C5A4CB21B.png32A2A6A4-EC18-4410-A3F9-37EC9311E570.pngDD3615DA-F074-4CAB-91FD-DD4E474A858F.png
 
I started today thinking I wouldn’t ride tonight because it was to be very cold, wet windy and even hailing but it held off long enough to get a quick trip to the supermarket in (I’m making a big pot of potato and leek soup now) then when I got back I thought I might as well take a trip up the hill but ONLY to the streetlight so I don’t get caught in the cross wind again (it’s relatively sheltered until the light).

I didn’t bother with the speedo on the way to the shop because it’s onky a couple of k’s and the road was stopping wet so I had to take it very easy. On the hill run I used the speedo but I didn’t warm up before setting off and I didn’t check my tyre pressures. When I got back I wipes the bike down and checked the pressures. Both wheels were 40psi down so that explains why I was finding it so much harder than yesterday!

Anyway I’m back now, got 3 sets of my standard resistance training routine in and I feel good. Might head off for an early night to try get a sneaky ride in before work.
First screenshot is at the street light. Second is back at home. 4DEB5721-81A7-4F72-BBD2-1BA9779E2C45.png757F7C2C-A2F9-42D6-9CD4-DDD528C58D2C.png
 
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Another day another ride. My legs aren’t exactly fresh now so tonight’s trip up the hill wasn’t super quick but I got up there. It got quite hard in that first stretch. For a few seconds I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I need to work on my technique when riding out of the saddle. I seem to put all my power through my quads on the downward stroke and then struggle for the next 1/8 stroke until I can do the same with the other leg.

I must say I’m really enjoying these new tyres!

One more day then a day off.

Well I’m off to the bench press and then bed ... F6017220-9F60-4BAE-9027-102DBDC06F4A.pngF2E3E735-409C-4A85-923A-EFBCA3625F56.png
 
Tonights ride was going so well ...

Climbing up the hill my rear wheel started feeling wrong. Pushed in for a km or so and it was getting worse so I pulled over and checked it out. I popped the bead so the tyre wasn’t sitting on the wheel properly. It was too dark to fix it where I was even with my headlight held in my mouth so I started riding very carefully down the hill to the nearest streetlight. An almighty POP and that was all she wrote. Walked the rest of the way and changed the tube on the roadside by the street light and took it home.

Disappointing because I wanted to get to the top of the hill again tonight but fate stepped in. I might take my dog for a jog later tonight. Problem is all the cold air up the top of the hill plays havoc with my sinus’ and gives me a thumping headache every time I go up there.
 
Went for another ride up the hill last night after re checking the tyres and adjusting the gears. Much slower but went very well.

It’s amazing how much climbing takes out of you. My legs still hurt BUT day off today!
 
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Well the weather was gloomy today and I wanted to degrease and relive my chain properly so I cleaned it up in the morning and left it through the day to dry before relubing.

In the meantime I headed to waterfall gully for a hike up mount lofty. Today I SMASHED. Y personal best with 37 minutes up the mountain (previous best was 41 and 32 down (not quite my best time down hill but it was wet and slippery and a managed to job the whole way down without slipping so I was happy with that!)

Such a great feeling being able to watch all my old “breather spots) come and go without having to stop and even jogging past some of them in very steep sections!

No one has passed me going up the hill in at least 3 months now so I must be getting good!

It’s hard to believe that 8 months ago it took me 2.5 hours to get up the hill now I’m jogging up in almost half an hour.
 
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Turns out the biggest barrier to physical performance is really just mental.

The weather turned out pretty good tonight and I couldn’t resist a little ride through the hills.

Took my usual hill to the top, it was tough as usual but when I got there I turned left and took the hill road to Gawler. More climbs BUT the second I set off after my “tough” climb it was incredibly easy despite being almost as steep in places as the initial climb!

Also nearly got hit by an idiot pulling out of a drive way in the hills without looking but I’m starting to just accept that is part of life in the saddle.

Three screenshot of my speedo tonight; 1 at the top of my “normal” hill, 2 at Gawler where I turned and came home (via the highway not the hill road) and 3 when I got back to my driveway. 79B8C23E-370B-420C-A0A2-A94C51791213.pngBBC9A886-B93D-4528-8A7A-E14EC6848B85.png1985897D-4CDA-4A07-B52F-10E7952E6ACD.png
 
My legs hurt today so I didn’t go up the hill. Instead I took a slow recovery ride on flat ground just to keep the muscles moving.

3BA968AB-C0B7-4759-B64D-B9D882F50783.pngProbably a little silly but it was cold so I donned the tracky dacks so by the end I was too warm.
 
cate said:
I love your new profile pic :)
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That was taken on a ride at Port Elliot.
 
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