Exercise and Fitness: Keep On Keepin' On

[Loge]

14 hours ago, 3CityApache said:

Congrats!!! 

I can't believe it, but they cancelled my tonight's Berlin City Night race, just before the start, due to... rain! Fuckin rain!!! Ok, it was quite a rain at first, and we've even seen some lightnings, but after half an hour it was all over. And they simply cancelled a race for more than 10 thousand participants from all over Europe. Of course, like hundreds of other disappointed runners, I did run these 10 k anyway, and even mostly along the planned route, but pushing through the crowds on Saturday evening Berlin pavements was definitely not the same as running a race. Oh well. What can I say. 

Well, running in a thunderstorm isn't a good idea. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20787944/what-runners-should-know-about-lightning/

Maybe they could have postponed the race but you can keep the roads closed only so long. That's the downside of running through a central part of a big city.

[Starkess]

Ah that's so disappointing! Stupid weather. At least you got to run anyway, but it's definitely not the same.

[Iskaral Pust]

@3CityApache I can’t believe they just cancelled an event of that size.  Sorry they let you down like that.  Especially when you train in anticipation of a specific event like that. 

 

[Iskaral Pust]

My workouts are still going well, although the hiatus from leg weights continues.  

No chance for a midweek weights session but I played table tennis on Friday evening, got to the gym on Saturday for shoulder press, pull-ups, etc and then back to the gym today for benchpress, shrugs, etc.  

Usually I would look for at least one rest day between upper body sessions but my midweek opportunities have been limited for a while.  I made one concession to omit cable rows today because I could really feel my lats after pull-ups yesterday. 

All weight lifting is going quite well.  I’m surprised the long break from leg weights and the lower frequency at the gym has not yet detracted from my strength (such as it is). 

[lessthanluke]

 

Hit a deadlift PB of 385kg/848lbs few days ago. 400kg is within distance finally. 

[ljkeane]

6 hours ago, lessthanluke said:

Hit a deadlift PB of 385kg/848lbs few days ago. 400kg is within distance finally. 

Bloody hell. My joints hurt just watching that. Great effort though.

[lessthanluke]

8 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

Bloody hell. My joints hurt just watching that. Great effort though.

I'm a bit sore but not too bad! Going out to the Czech Republic in a few weeks to hopefully get the world record for my class.

[Ice Queen]

8 minutes ago, lessthanluke said:

I'm a bit sore but not too bad! Going out to the Czech Republic in a few weeks to hopefully get the world record for my class.

Wow, that's amazing.

If I tried to do that, I'd be like Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story where his arms pop off!

[Liffguard]

This may or may not be the right topic, but I’ll put my question here anyway. Is anybody here particularly knowledgeable about bikes? I’m looking for a new bike and I’m feeling overwhelmed by choice. Been into a couple of shops but I’m always a bit suspicious of being sold something that isn’t quite right for me, so I thought I’d pose the question to people with no financial stake.

 

What I’m going to be using it for:

Commuting, leisure riding, casual fitness.

 

Features I want:

• First off, reliability and minimal maintenance. I am not really someone who likes tinkering with machines. Too many of the bike-interested people I know seem to spend every weekend adjusting cable tensions, cleaning and greasing chains, and other assorted finicky stuff. I want a bike I can treat like my car; i.e. take it into the shop for a service once a year but otherwise forget about and still expect it to run well. This is going to be a piece of utilitarian equipment for me, not a hobby.

• Related to the above, robust and durable. Something that will last me many years without breaking.

• Needs to be able to fit mudguards and a luggage rack.

• Something that can handle a reasonable variety of surfaces. I’ll mostly be on paved roads, but possibly on dirt paths and light gravel as well. Though I don’t anticipate needing to go fully off-road.

• Reasonably fast. I understand that with the above conditions, I won’t be getting a super light high performance machine. But I would like something that isn’t a ridiculously heavy iron beast as well, if possible.

• This is me getting petty now, but aesthetically I’d ideally like something relatively simple and classic looking. Clean straight lines, simple shapes.

 

If there’s anybody who’s got a good idea about something that might fit the bill, that would be much appreciated, cheers.

[Loge]

 

48 minutes ago, Liffguard said:

This may or may not be the right topic, but I’ll put my question here anyway. Is anybody here particularly knowledgeable about bikes? I’m looking for a new bike and I’m feeling overwhelmed by choice. Been into a couple of shops but I’m always a bit suspicious of being sold something that isn’t quite right for me, so I thought I’d pose the question to people with no financial stake.

 

What I’m going to be using it for:

Commuting, leisure riding, casual fitness.

 

Features I want:

• First off, reliability and minimal maintenance. I am not really someone who likes tinkering with machines. Too many of the bike-interested people I know seem to spend every weekend adjusting cable tensions, cleaning and greasing chains, and other assorted finicky stuff. I want a bike I can treat like my car; i.e. take it into the shop for a service once a year but otherwise forget about and still expect it to run well. This is going to be a piece of utilitarian equipment for me, not a hobby.

• Related to the above, robust and durable. Something that will last me many years without breaking.

• Needs to be able to fit mudguards and a luggage rack.

• Something that can handle a reasonable variety of surfaces. I’ll mostly be on paved roads, but possibly on dirt paths and light gravel as well. Though I don’t anticipate needing to go fully off-road.

• Reasonably fast. I understand that with the above conditions, I won’t be getting a super light high performance machine. But I would like something that isn’t a ridiculously heavy iron beast as well, if possible.

• This is me getting petty now, but aesthetically I’d ideally like something relatively simple and classic looking. Clean straight lines, simple shapes.

 

If there’s anybody who’s got a good idea about something that might fit the bill, that would be much appreciated, cheers.

Not much of a bicycle person, but I was in a similar situation a few months ago. You probably want a trekking or city bike. There's a huge variety of them and also quite a price range. Spending more will usually buy you a  better drivetrain, disk brakes, better light, etc and also less weight. Some things are down to personal preferences. Do you want a sprung front fork? I decided against it but it might be nice on bumpy roads (e.g. cobble). Gear hub vs. derailleur gears? I opted for derailleur but if you want as little maintenance work as possible a gear hub might be better. Your remark regarding aesthetics suggests that you might be the type who prefers old school steel frames, as they were standard back in the 1980s and before. They seem to have a bit of a renaissance. Not particularly lightweight, though. And of course, bikes come in different sizes, just like clothes. Make sure you get one that fit you. It's a bit late in the year, BTW. I bought mine in May, and that was way too late already. Ended up spending twice as much as I had panned, because the cheaper models (that fit my requirements) were sold out in my size. It's a very nice bike, though, if a bit overkill for my needs. On the other hand, buying out of season, e.g. in the winter, might get you a discount... 

[Iskaral Pust]

@Liffguard My wife and I bought generic Trek mountain/city bikes 12-13 years ago that match your description.  I think they cost us only $300 each at the time.  Even back then a reasonably lightweight aluminum frame, good brake & gear system and sprung front fork were included in basic models.  We added luggage racks (and later a child seat) but didn't bother with mudguards because  it's pretty dry here in the summer.  We've used them all these years for casual cycling on paved and unpaved biking trails.  We got our son one two years ago when he was ready to step up from a BMX-style to a mountain bike, and the cost was still only around $300.  Each spring I do a quick clean and tune-up myself, which requires no more than five minutes each with a can of lubricant, a hex wrench (Allen key in England) and a tire pump.  If they get dirty during a cycle, then I wipe them down and spray some more lubricant.  They fit on a simple bike rack for a car if you want to drive to a trail head.

You can get much, much more expensive models but for casual use you don't need to go mad.  

I grew up on basic road/racing bikes as a pre-teen and teenager as my main mode of conveyance.  I loved that style for getting around faster, but they're less practical for casual cycling, especially if you want the option of unpaved trails.

[Starkess]

That sounds pretty similar to what I wanted for my bike. I've found that hybrid/commuter bikes work great. Light enough to not feel like you're lugging around a huge mountain bike but with big enough tires and solid enough that you can handle things besides perfectly smooth pavement. I've had the Giant 3 and the Specialized Crossroads Sport. I only replaced the Giant 3 because it was damaged in a fire and there wasn't a good Giant bike shop in my new area, but I actually am glad because I like the Specialized better. Both are in the ~$400 range IIRC. I have put racks and fenders on both and used them mostly for commuting but also for some rides for fun, found them both to be quite comfortable (after replacing the seat, ofc, because these are "men's" bike and those saddles are oof). Also both I was able to get in the "XL" size which is a must for me!

Good luck with the bike shopping. I've heard the saying before that it's less about picking a good bike and more about picking a good bike shop. If you have a decent local bike shop, I've found that to be very helpful, especially for someone like me who is pretty unfamiliar with biking. They should also be able to help you find the kind of bike that you're looking for. Just know that bike shops tend to carry only certain brands, so if you have a specific brand you want, you'll need to find a bike shop that carries it.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

I'm surprised they're that cheap. I get my bike tuned up every spring at Eric's and the bikes were super expensive. I was interested in buying one of those bikes with the thick tires, but they were over $2,500. 

[Squab]

6 hours ago, Liffguard said:

This may or may not be the right topic, but I’ll put my question here anyway. Is anybody here particularly knowledgeable about bikes? I’m looking for a new bike and I’m feeling overwhelmed by choice. Been into a couple of shops but I’m always a bit suspicious of being sold something that isn’t quite right for me, so I thought I’d pose the question to people with no financial stake.

 

What I’m going to be using it for:

Commuting, leisure riding, casual fitness.

 

Features I want:

• First off, reliability and minimal maintenance. I am not really someone who likes tinkering with machines. Too many of the bike-interested people I know seem to spend every weekend adjusting cable tensions, cleaning and greasing chains, and other assorted finicky stuff. I want a bike I can treat like my car; i.e. take it into the shop for a service once a year but otherwise forget about and still expect it to run well. This is going to be a piece of utilitarian equipment for me, not a hobby.

• Related to the above, robust and durable. Something that will last me many years without breaking.

• Needs to be able to fit mudguards and a luggage rack.

• Something that can handle a reasonable variety of surfaces. I’ll mostly be on paved roads, but possibly on dirt paths and light gravel as well. Though I don’t anticipate needing to go fully off-road.

• Reasonably fast. I understand that with the above conditions, I won’t be getting a super light high performance machine. But I would like something that isn’t a ridiculously heavy iron beast as well, if possible.

• This is me getting petty now, but aesthetically I’d ideally like something relatively simple and classic looking. Clean straight lines, simple shapes.

 

If there’s anybody who’s got a good idea about something that might fit the bill, that would be much appreciated, cheers.

If you want a flat bar, the commuter is probably the best way to go. Otherwise a Touring bike would be my bet. Good ability to put on a luggage rack etc. If you have to buy new, giant tends to be best value for money but even better is secondhand from a bike exchange or similar website. I got a cheap secondhand Malvern star Oppy as my commuter/touring bike and am very happy with it.

[BigFatCoward]

Hardtail mountain bike. You can swap from rugged to semi slick tyres easily. Mine has easily lock/unlock front suspension you just lean over and flick it on/off depending on surface. Mine has done well over 15000 miles and still going strong. 

[Ice Queen]

17 hours ago, Starkess said:

That sounds pretty similar to what I wanted for my bike. I've found that hybrid/commuter bikes work great. Light enough to not feel like you're lugging around a huge mountain bike but with big enough tires and solid enough that you can handle things besides perfectly smooth pavement. I've had the Giant 3 and the Specialized Crossroads Sport. I only replaced the Giant 3 because it was damaged in a fire and there wasn't a good Giant bike shop in my new area, but I actually am glad because I like the Specialized better. Both are in the ~$400 range IIRC. I have put racks and fenders on both and used them mostly for commuting but also for some rides for fun, found them both to be quite comfortable (after replacing the seat, ofc, because these are "men's" bike and those saddles are oof). Also both I was able to get in the "XL" size which is a must for me!

Good luck with the bike shopping. I've heard the saying before that it's less about picking a good bike and more about picking a good bike shop. If you have a decent local bike shop, I've found that to be very helpful, especially for someone like me who is pretty unfamiliar with biking. They should also be able to help you find the kind of bike that you're looking for. Just know that bike shops tend to carry only certain brands, so if you have a specific brand you want, you'll need to find a bike shop that carries it.

I have a mountain bike--it's solid steel and weighs a ton, to the point where I have a hard time lifting it onto the rack. I don't do mountain biking anymore and it's not made for trail or street riding, so...

I already picked out my next bike, a Jamis DXT dual sport hybrid for $549. Super light and has a Shimano shifting system. My mountain bike has that, too, and I love it. 

I am laid up right now with a IT band injury caused from rowing and exacerbated by the fact that my saddle is broken and needs replaced, so my biomechanics are a mess. I would add to anyone seriously thinking about buying a good bike to get specially fitted for it. You'll save a lot on back and knee problems down the road. 

[baxus]

Hey guys, I've been away for a week or so, getting some basic grip of my new parental duties.  

As you can imagine, with everything going on, my training has been postponed until further notice. It's a small price to pay but I miss it already, after one week only.

Hopefully, I'll manage to get back to it in a month or so, and until then I'll try to grab time for a short run along the river in my neighbourhood whenever I can.

[aceluby]

30 minutes ago, baxus said:

Hey guys, I've been away for a week or so, getting some basic grip of my new parental duties.  

As you can imagine, with everything going on, my training has been postponed until further notice. It's a small price to pay but I miss it already, after one week only.

Hopefully, I'll manage to get back to it in a month or so, and until then I'll try to grab time for a short run along the river in my neighbourhood whenever I can.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[baxus]

Thanks, man!  

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, baxus said:

Hey guys, I've been away for a week or so, getting some basic grip of my new parental duties.  

As you can imagine, with everything going on, my training has been postponed until further notice. It's a small price to pay but I miss it already, after one week only.

Hopefully, I'll manage to get back to it in a month or so, and until then I'll try to grab time for a short run along the river in my neighbourhood whenever I can.

Translation: Having a dad bod in t-minus six months.

Congrats!