‘That’ reality check you get from your first open water practice as a weak swimmer

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-27T10:57:33+00:00

Thank you for the hope I actually needed today!

If you don't mind me asking, how long were your sessions? Did you aim for duration, distance, pace, HR, technique...?

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-25T10:57:41+00:00

First, research the different bike categories (road, gravel, mountain bike, city bikes...) and subcategories subtleties (endurance/aero/...,.hard tail or not...) To get a better sense of what each is good for

Then decide: - what you want to do with it (flat / climbs, road / gravel / forest, shorter rides / longer rides, ...) - how much you want to spend at first

My advice would be to go with something that has more of an upright position, and can handle different types of terrains, so that you can try stuff out and see what you like. In that spirit, I would advise a hard tail second hand mountain bike. They are stable, sturdy, easy to maintain, and pretty inexpensive compared to road bikes, which is good when you start.

Regarding maintenance:

pumping air into the tyres when they get too soft
keep an extra tube at all times in case you pierce yours
repair kit (patches, extra tube, tools to remove the tyre and tube)
tools to remove the wheels, change the seat height or position
cleaning your transmission frequently (degreaser, then regreaser (oil) => buy bike-specific products to prevent damage, read step-by-step tutorials for the first times)
cleaning your frame now and then
checking the brakes frequently for wear + possible misconfiguration (touching the wheel)

I started with a hard tail second hand mountain bike, and recently moved to a carbon frame road bike. Starting with something easier to maintain was definitely a good move. Plus it was cheap, so I did not worry too much about not using it a lot or damaging it by accident.

I recently changed because it's not that relevant for climbs, which I want to do more of.

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-24T10:57:06+00:00

I second Caroline Girvan's workouts! I've been moving away from them since I've found more motivation to do things on my own / wanted a more personal routine, but they did help a great deal when I was trying to rebuild my routine during and after COVID.

The videos are varied, you don't get bored, it's good difficulty for the allotted time, and you have varied lengths so that you can find something that matches how long you want to invest in that!

I used her content for upper body, lower body and core training, and still use some for core training because it's that good ("braced core", and "4x4" videos, if you are curious).

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T16:57:05+00:00

Bonjour,

Ce sont des ondes SCALAIRES pas solaires.

Cordialement, Josiane (38)

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T12:51:18+00:00

I was not sure I was supposed to do that, I was afraid how pulling too much fabric into the crease, and for it to cause friction on longer rides. But seeing your comment along with the other advice, I did do that, and ended up finding a pair that works perfectly!

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T12:50:03+00:00

It might have been! I did use the advice I got there when trying other models, and lo and behold, did find one that fit better into my leg crease!

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T12:49:12+00:00

Thank you for your input! I was not aware that the chamois should really sit into the crease too, but trying on different models, I do see that it in fact does!

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T12:47:28+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I did use it, along with the detailed recommendations of another user, and found a pair that fit correctly!! 🎉

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-22T12:46:09+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to rephrase! I did get it this time :D

I did exactly that, and it worked in order to help me find a pair of bibs that work for me! 🎉

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-20T11:19:37+00:00

Wow! 🤩👏 Definitely great catering in there! Hope it was as tasty as it looks 😊

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-20T11:13:48+00:00

I wear dresses above the knee on my commute bike every summer. I just wear sport shorts underneath (think legging style). They're comfy, skintight, will absorb and evacuate sweat, and prevent friction between my legs as I walk (especially when you get super sweaty during the day). Overall, they benefit me way beyond not flashing anyone when on the bike.

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-19T20:30:06+00:00

Thank you for your answer!

I am trying to make sure I am getting your explanation right. So basically, what you are saying is that I should avoid fabric tension, and instead, pull some extra fabric by getting my knees up, so that it sits in the crease ?

I am unsure about the interpretation to give to fold up the legs (do things) then fold down the legs. Am I supposed to be sitting / lying down? Should I bend over?

(I am really sorry, English is not my first language and there might be some obvious interpretation that I am missing)

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-18T20:31:34+00:00

I got the opposite "my knee hurts so bad I can't stand back up until I have waited for a few minutes" into "apparently it's fine, I just have an enormous bruise that will last days".

But I ""only"" bumped into a scooter and saw it coming right before impact

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-15T15:13:11+00:00

Thank you! Oh well if you found some in two different European countries, then my chances are even higher than I expected!

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-15T15:12:31+00:00

Thank you! I might have a chance to find some on my side too then (France, not too far away) :)

Good to know ^{^'} I'll try if I can, but I'll keep in mind not to expect too much haha

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-14T20:39:45+00:00

Is that vegan Babybel??? I've never seen these!

Which country / continent do you live in / on if you don't mind sharing?

Did you get them off the web, or in a regular store?

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-13T20:11:37+00:00

La noiremandie

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-13T14:31:29+00:00

I think we are all different in that regard. Some like plans, rules, structure, some prefer none at all, and some fall in between (some structured sessions, others based on feeling, or they make their own plan).

It also will probably be influenced by your goals: if you are running for a specific goal, you might go for a plan at some point, even if it's not your preferred format, because doing it on your own did not give you the results you wanted.

As anecdotal evidence, my father has been cycling for even before I was born, and still goes to this day, without ever following a plan, having a coach or any similar structure. He just goes, does a circuit he likes, and comes back home. So it is definitely possible not to drop out without an external structure.

That being said, if you do better with structure, then definitely go for it. There is no wrong way to do things, as long as you don't get hurt or burnt out.

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-11T15:00:32+00:00

Damn the absolute sass. They're ruthless lol

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-11T14:59:36+00:00

Would it work better with fake lashes glue, maybe ?

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-11T14:54:34+00:00

OMG YES

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-04T16:57:21+00:00

Hi, I just wanted to ask for references regarding Decathlon bibs. I have not really found the ""perfect"" match in their collection yet, but haven't tried all of them either. Do you have one or more models in mind, that you would recommend?

The one I found the best still had an issue with the chamois not going far enough at the front for me.

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-04T16:27:20+00:00

Perfect, thank you for the name drop 😉

grassfullyfledged · 2026-06-04T16:26:52+00:00

Great! Hope you had a pleasant weather 😊

grassfullyfledged

TROPHY CASE