#What gets me is my local garage will charge me £180 to do the brakes EACH (aka front ones and then back ones) when it takes them pennies

[obaewankenope]

The trials continue!

Cars, y'all, are horrid things. Our car went and died via turbo on the engine quitting at life. Had to go and get another cheap car as an emergency buy with money we didn't have to waste. Little cheap car isn't too bad I guess. I got a manual for it and the desire to cause chaos.

Gotta spend nearly £50 on small parts like spark plugs and an air filter to replace them on engine which, yikes. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Car has MOT until 13th December which... Isn't ideal. Have a full 5 days before I get paid so even if it passes MOT, won't have it back until paid for it... Ugh.

Do have the front brake discs and pads so I can, hopefully, sort them out myself and not require them adding on top of MOT cost. Back brakes are a them problem however because shoes and drums are Not My Wheelhouse At All.

Anyway. This is more to complain about bad luck, bad timing, and spark plugs being lil binches that desperately want to cause me problems.

🙃

Will I kill this car tomorrow when I try and do the spark plugs and air filter? Maybe.

Am I going to do it anyway? Yes.

What happens if things go wrong? I cry from frustration and figure out how to pay for repairs and MOT.

What happens if things go right? I cry from joy and still figure out how to pay for MOT.

Do you think the universe likes to give me problems to deal with because it doesn't want me getting bored or... Ya know... Having a good, happy life?? Fucked if I know.

[a1coachingmaster-blog]

New Post has been published on A1 Coaching

New Post has been published on https://www.a1coaching.net/getting-started-in-cycling-a-guide/

Getting Started in Cycling – A Guide

“There’s no turning back once you’ve conquered your first hill or felt the rush of descending at high speed”

  By Guest Writer, Paul Norton

They say cycling is the new golf. Both are sociable, get you out in the fresh air and can be expensive!

However, that’s where the similarities stop. Unlike golf, cycling gives many choices and can take many forms for those not satisfied with just one discipline. You have options such as road, mountain, track, touring, commuting, sportives, and even triathlon.

But, which one is right for you? Well, if you’re unsure whether you might be a fat-tyre, baggy-clothes trail muncher, or a skinny-tyre, lycra-clad roadie, then get yourself to a bike shop, a local rental company or a trail centre. These may give you options to try a bike or rent one for the day or weekend.

This type or trial will give you a feel for which discipline might be the one for you. But don’t worry if you find that after six months that you should’ve chosen a different path – you can never have too many bikes! The perfect amount of bikes to own is n+1, with n being the current number of bikes in garage!

After you have decided you want to be the next Nicholas Roche, Aileen Reid or Julien Absalon, here are some pointers on Getting Started.

  1. Cash is King

There are a few crucial factors to consider before dropping the cash on a bicycle that could, perhaps, buy you a small car. The first is price. Spend what your budget allows.

You don’t need to have the latest and greatest when starting off: as a novice you won’t be able to tell the difference between your Ultegra and your 105 (these are some of the components that come on road bikes).

So, what determines the price?

When it comes to road bikes for example, the major factors include the gear components (called groupsets – the he most common brand is Shimano which has 6 levels of mechanical and 2 levels of electronic groupsets), followed by wheels and frame material (aluminium for an entry level frame and carbon fibre for more performance).

The same is true for mountain bikes but with the added choice of hard tail (front suspension fork only) or full suspension (front and rear shocks).

The Bike-to-Work scheme is well worth looking into and can save you up to 52% on the price of a bike and accessories if you pay the high rate of tax. Check with your employer if you can avail of this.

At a minimum, expect to spend €650 for an entry-level road or mountain bike.

  2. Brand Snobbery

If you are into your Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger then you’ll probably want the latest bicycle brand in vogue and clothing to match. For the rest of you, this might not be a factor at all.

However, you will still want to make sure you are getting quality and a good bang for your buck. A good rule of thumb is to check out which brands the professional teams ride and pick one of those. Invariably these brands get a lot of feedback from the pros which trickle down through the product range and you know you are getting a quality product.

  3. If the Shoe Fits

Just like a pair of bad fitting shoes which cause you blisters, a bad fitting bike will cause you discomfort and won’t do much for your motivation to get you out and ride on those wet and windy winter mornings.

There are two things to consider about bike fit – size and geometry. Size is the most important – you can adapt to the geometry of the bike but you can’t lengthen or shorten your legs. A good bike shop should be able to select the right frame size for you. Next is the geometry.

Most bicycle brands will offer the consumer a ‘relaxed’ or more ‘aggressive’ geometry depending on the use (leisure or racing) or personal preference. Once that is decided it’s just a matter of adjusting the saddle height and/or the handlebar stem length. Again, a good sales-person should do this for you free of charge.

Once you have achieved a good position on the bike it should feel reasonably comfortable and a natural fit. You can always improve your position by getting a professional bike fit to achieve the optimal riding position and maximum comfort and power. Expect to pay between €75 and €180 for a fit, depending of the system used.

  4. The Accessories and Clothing

After you have your shiny new steed, next come the clothes and accessories. First on the list is definitely a helmet. Some will argue that helmets are uncomfortable or sweaty or that drivers will take more risks when they see you wearing one. However, I am firmly in the pro-helmet camp because, on occasions, my helmet has saved me a trip to the ER!

Helmets will range from €40 to €300, the differences being in weight, comfort, materials used and varying levels of protection.

You’ll also need a few other essentials before setting off – a pump (a mini one for the bike and a floor pump for the garage), a ‘multi-tool’ for repairs on the road, a spare inner tube and tyre level, a saddle pack to put all those items into, and a water bottle and cage. All this should set you back in the region of €75 to €100.

One tip I will definitely give you when it comes to clothing – don’t be a cheapskate when buying shorts. Your bum will thank you for it. A quality pair of shorts (circa €100) plus some chamois cream makes a big difference once you start increasing your mileage. And please, for heaven’s sake, no underwear or GAA shorts! Not only does underwear look ridiculous under lycra, it will end up chaffing. And the GAA shorts: lads, you’re fooling no one!

In winter you’ll have to consider other extras, such as lights, mudguards and winter clothing. A good winter jacket and bib-tights are worth their weight in gold when the cold weather sets in. As Sean Kelly always says, “there’s no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothing”.

  5. To Shave or not to Shave

Onto that burning question, ‘do I need to shave my legs’? Well, if you’ve just bought a mountain bike and baggy shorts, the answer is ‘no’, but if you’ve invested in a lightweight road bike and lycra shorts – well, I’ll leave it up to you.

There are various logical reasons given for shaving. For example, if you take a slide off the bike the hairs won’t get into the road-rash, and it makes massages easier. There’s also a certain amount of vanity involved – shaved legs look better (to cyclists anyway). Mainly however, it’s probably as statement of intent – “I’m a committed cyclist” – and you have truly joined the club.

So, shaving doesn’t make you go any faster but you’ll look pretty pro when sipping your expresso outside your favourite coffee shop.

  6. Pedal Power

We’ve all been there – stopped at a red light and can’t get the foot out in time and down you go! This is followed immediately by swift remount and an investigative look around to see if anyone caught sight of our embarrassing tussle between forward momentum and gravity.

What I’m referring to here is whether you should go with clip-in style-pedals or stick with the more predictable, gravity-friendly, flat pedal.

Well, like the geometry of the bike, it’s your preference. If you choose a clip-in pedal you will need to buy a corresponding shoe (both will start at €125 combined). The advantage of going this route is that you will have more power and efficiency in your pedal stroke and, in the long run, you will have greater control over the bike.

Clipping in and out is daunting at first but becomes second nature after a couple of rides and this goes for both roadies and mountain bikers.

There are two main styles of pedal and shoe: a road shoe with a flat sole and three holes to fit the cleats and a mountain bike shoe with a recessed area to fit the smaller mountain bike cleat. The corresponding pedals (Shimano, Look, Time, SpeedPlay, Crank Brothers to name a few) will either be a larger, one-sided pedal for the road shoe or a smaller, double-sided pedal for the mountain-bike shoe.

Generally the road combination is lighter and your weight is spread over a greater area but the mountain bike combo has the advantage of clipping in on both sides of the pedal. In both cases, the cleats are supplied with the pedals.

  7. It’s Go Time

Now that you’ve got all the gear it’s time to hit the trails or tarmac.

If you haven’t ridden a bike in a while it’s a good idea to do a few short spins on a safe route that you are familiar with, in order to get used to the handling of the bike. Practice clipping in and out, cornering, accelerating and braking. Remember to take a mobile phone with you.

Once you feel more confident, the best way to improve you fitness and get the most enjoyment out of your bike is to ride with friends or a club. You can find you nearest club from the Cycling Ireland or Triathlon Ireland websites.

Don’t be put off by the perception that all club members are racing cyclists. Many clubs having leisure or touring sections within them and are split into groups with varying distances and speeds depending on your level or ability. You’ll find yourself moving up from the C group to the B group in a very short space of time. Riding in a club will improve your fitness and bike handling skills, as cycling in a group takes a lot more concentration and skill.

Once you get the hang of riding in a group there’s no better feeling than belting along in the slipstream of the rider’s wheel in front. If racing is your aim, then you will need to take out a Cycling Ireland (CI) or Triathlon Ireland (TI) competitive licence. You get a discount once you are a member of a club. You won’t be able to race without a licence.

Cycling Ireland offer a non-competitive licence that covers you in the result of injury while out training with you club. Some clubs look for this as a minimum. Whether it’s racing or non-competitive events (called sportives or sportifs), you can find a full list of events on the CI and TI websites.

  8. What’s a Watt?

Once you started you may want to improve – fast!

If you’re like me and you’re really bad at planning your weekly schedule but you want to improve your fitness and achieve a certain goal, then the best way to do this is to invest in a coach.

Your coach will help you build a structured training plan around your busy life to help get the best from your training and achieve your targets. Rather than going out doing the same old routes and the same old tempo, your coach will build variety into the plan and you will start to see results in a matter of weeks.

Coaches will use various methods to gauge how hard you’ve trained and how your fitness is progressing. The best tool is the power meter which measures your effort in watts. While these can cost anywhere from €700 to €2,000 and upwards, it can be a key investment in improving your performance.

Another tool would be to use a heart rate monitor which is less likely to break the bank. Your coach will help you identify your heart rate zones in which you will carry out different sessions. By varying your distances, speed and heart rate or power, you will start to see gains in both your aerobic (longer distance and less intensity) and anaerobic (shorter distance and higher intensity) fitness levels.

  9. Hang Sangers or Power Bars?

To get power out you have to put fuel in. But it can be a delicate balance.

Too little fuel and you can ‘Bonk’! We’ve all been there, riding along chatting away one minute and the next we’re weaving all over the road with blurred vision and hallucinating! ‘The Bonk’, ‘Hitting the Wall’ – call it what you like – is the one thing that cyclists starting off fear the most when doing a long ride. So how do you fend off the ‘Man with the Hammer’?

As you become a more accomplished cyclist, your body will adapt to the longer hours in the saddle without taking on as much fuel. For novices, however, it can be a real shock to the system once you start to push your body beyond what it’s used to.

A proper breakfast, such as a large bowl of porridge along and honey with toast and Nutella, can usually sustain you for up to two hours. If you know you will be out on the bike for longer than this you will need to bring food along. I would recommend something that’s easy to consume on the go and fits into you back pockets. If you don’t want to go down the energy bar or gel route, bring a banana and jam sandwich, fig rolls, jelly babies, fruit cake or dried fruits.

Avoid things that can melt like chocolate or ice cream – it makes a real mess of your jersey!

If you are bringing two bottles with you, take one with just water and add an electrolyte or electrolyte and energy sachet/tablet to the other bottle. It’s important to keep drinking even if it’s cold or raining.

Next on the dreaded list after hitting the wall is cramping. The electrolytes will help to keep those muscle cramps at bay. The big mistake people can often make is eating too much, either the night before, that morning, or throughout the ride. There’s no need to stuff your face with buckets of pasta as you’ll end up feeling bloated and sluggish. There is only so much food that can be absorbed into the muscles as energy and the rest is stored as fat.

Also avoid spicy and greasy foods the day before as they might send you looking for the closest WC or bush! Little and often is always a good guide to stick by.

  10. No Turning Back

Whether you are young or old, male or female, short or tall, fat or skinny, cycling is an all-inclusive sport that is healthy, sociable and highly addictive. There’s no turning back once you’ve conquered your first hill or felt the rush of descending at high speed.

You may as well re-mortgage the house, sell a kidney or trade in the BMW, because there’s a risk of you becoming very familiar with the inside of your local bike shop!

Go for it, and enjoy it!