Its tough to go slow...

[bikerboy337]

So today was a really really easy day for me, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I had a slight hamstring twinge on wednesday and i needed to just loosen the legs and take it really really easy... so i set out on a 16mph ride, keeping my HR around 100-115... just slow going, enjoying the cold weather...

all was well until about 2/3 of the way through my ride, another biker comes "flying" by (relative to my speed)... maybe at 19mph or so... as I'm sitting there barely pedaling, i found it next to impossible to just sit there, going slow, and not grab on to his wheel...

i guess its the testerone in me, or something like that...i had to keep talking myself down, "go slow, go slow, go slow"... i did it though, let him keep going within nary raising my speed... :banana:

[Ken Robb]

It takes years to develop one's going slow skills. At 69 I have mastered going slow. I first learned it from the Slow-Master Thompson but I have been honing my application of slowness for years.:banana:

[gforce]

A guy in our group has a Spring time mantra:
You have to go slow to go fast.

As you say, really hard to discipline yourself to do it
without boring yourself to death.

[Frankwurst]

This like bike handling skills can take years to master. I, like Ken, am proud to say that it is a skill I aquired/learned years ago and since then I have mastered it as well. :beer:

[Kylide]

I find myself having the same issue, I end up pushing too hard and turning enjoyable rides into races, especially when I am having to ride through commuter hour.

[jr59]

I never have that problem!

I go slow all the time!
:banana:

[TMB]

I probably will not even use the big chainring until end of May.

[Fixed]

I probably will not even use the big chainring until end of May.

what is that ?:eek:
:)cheers

[Ray]

Take a year or two mostly away from riding. Then start riding again. Slow comes REALLY easy after a reset like that. And you find going slow is actually kind of fun. I can still put in a turn of speed for short bursts and I descend as well (or badly) as ever, but I just don't even begin to have the fitness for those long harder rides I used to do a lot. And hills are a matter of just finding a rhythm and getting up at whatever speed your body allows. SPEED isn't even a possibilty so its not an issue.

I basically didn't ride last year or much after July of 2010. My first several rides this year have been a blast - great to start getting back into it. But slow is inevitable...

You can ride slow to be fast later. Or you can just ride slow because that's what you've got. Either way, its not a terrible thing.

-Ray

[soulspinner]

I probably will not even use the big chainring until end of May.

This. After 1000 miles or so let er rip. Helped my fast friend train and he won his first triathlon. Early on in the season he rides too hard. Cant understand the nagging injuries early in the season.:bike:

[bheight1]

Remove the computer. I have one bike that is used specifically to enjoy the ride.

[UKBROOKLYN]

When I was in school back in England they used to have a slow bicycle race every year at sports day. The object was to ride your bike the slowest over a short ground, the winner is the one who comes last. Every time you put your foot to the ground you are moved up (By an adult) to the front.
I am proud to say that I was undefeated in all my early years.

On another note.. I also play piano and the act of playing through pieces at excruciatingly slow but perfectly timed pace improves ones playing no end.

[tbike4]

My wife is pretty athletic but if I ride with her I have to get on the beach cruiser or the fixed gear. Slow is much easier then and I can hear her comments like, "look at that pretty house".

[Ken Robb]

On another note.. I also play piano and the act of playing through pieces at excruciatingly slow but perfectly timed pace improves ones playing no end.

Wife Leslie teaches piano and organ and getting some kids to slow down and get it right is one of her biggest challenges. They tend to want to play pieces at concert pace before they really learn them. The usual result is they never get it right until they finally slow down. Counting out loud really helps too.

[Andrewlcox]

my wife is pretty athletic but if i ride with her i have to get on the beach cruiser or the fixed gear. Slow is much easier then and i can hear her comments like, "look at that pretty house".

+1

[Bob Ross]

I probably will not even use the big chainring until end of May.
This. After 1000 miles or so let er rip.

Um... I had 1000 miles by the 3rd week of February.

(Global warming is my new friend.)

[soulspinner]

Um... I had 1000 miles by the 3rd week of February.

(Global warming is my new friend.)

Time for intervals:eek:

[veloduffer]

Take a year or two mostly away from riding. Then start riding again. Slow comes REALLY easy after a reset like that. And you find going slow is actually kind of fun. I can still put in a turn of speed for short bursts and I descend as well (or badly) as ever, but I just don't even begin to have the fitness for those long harder rides I used to do a lot. And hills are a matter of just finding a rhythm and getting up at whatever speed your body allows. SPEED isn't even a possibilty so its not an issue.

I basically didn't ride last year or much after July of 2010. My first several rides this year have been a blast - great to start getting back into it. But slow is inevitable...

You can ride slow to be fast later. Or you can just ride slow because that's what you've got. Either way, its not a terrible thing.

-Ray

I did something similar (hiatus to play golf) but took 11 yrs off. Boy, that was tough getting back. Lots of rollers where I live and I was struggling to use all my gears. Back in the day, I used to ride the same routes in a fixed gear. I'm back to that point but I was kind of annoyed with myself for letting my fitness fall so much.

Right now, I've been forced to go slow (and stay off for 3 weeks) due to a hamstring injury. It's ruining the fitness/base that I had from winter, since winter was so mild here (rode almost every weekend).

After watching the HBO show "Luck", I think I need a jockey to pace this old war horse. :help:

[Germany_chris]

There is too much to see to go fast..

[Fixed]

learn to go real slow so you don't go half fast
cheers
nothing worse than a half fast rider

[witcombusa]

Its tough to go slow...


Really?

It's one of the things on a bike I do really well :banana: