# Picked up my new bike today



## Jennywren (Apr 29, 2011)

Picked up my new bike today from Halfords , all built and ready to ride  I also bought a drinks bottle (for my lucozade )and cage to put it in and the nice young man fixed that on for me too  , went for my first ride and wished i'd done it years ago ,didnt realise how unfit i was but it was a good feeling knowing im doing some good , only downside was that by the time i arrived at mums my bllod sugar was 2.6 oops and having hypo unawareness didnt even realise  , never mind im sure i'll get the hang of exercise and lowering bs the more i practise


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## Copepod (Apr 29, 2011)

Many happy years of riding to come 

Even with full hypo awareness & plenty of cycling experience, it's still possible to concentrate so hard on cycling that I forget / ignore, very occasionally! Worth taking things you can eat with only one hand, so you can keep cycling as you refuel eg wrapped sweets squeezy pouches , which can be unwrapped with teeth & one hand. Your sports drinks bottle filled with lucozade will also work for refueling. You may find you want 2 bottles for longer rides, one with suger, the other sugar free.


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## Jennywren (Apr 29, 2011)

Thanks for the tip about 2 bottles copepod , was so worried about hypos didnt think about dehydration


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## Copepod (Apr 30, 2011)

It's another case of "not everything that goes wrong is due to diabetes" - and dehydration can feel very like hypoglycaemia, although I realise you've lost your hypo awareness. 

Another reminder - note your frame number, make & model and list on http://www.immobilise.com/ in case your bike is ever lost or stolen ie if your lock fails.


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## Jennywren (Apr 30, 2011)

Over done it a bit today   bloods better . eat luch before exercise but didnt inject for carbs ( maybe can get away with this as on pump ) and it work blood 7.1 after bike ride , but headache bit dehydrated ( is quite warm ) so stopped at garage bought a nice big bottle of cold water still have headache tho  my hubby suggested maybe a hydrapak camel pack which is where you have the fluid in back pack and straw coming round so have constent water if needed . Do any of you serious cyclists use these ?


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## Copepod (Apr 30, 2011)

I do have a water bladder with drinking tube, but have only used it for mountain marathons (moving for about 5 hours on each of 2 consecutive days) in hot weather.

I have never used it for cycling, as I can attach several bottles to bike, and fill up if I need. For a 30 minute regular commute up a hill, I drink before and after, but not during. For a 1 hour / 11 miles bike ride on Thurs evening (cool, dark by start of last bike trip), then 6km run, then 1 mile bike ride to pub for 1 pint of beer & casserole (chosen for salty fluid as well as potatoes & sausages), then 11 miles back home, I carried a 500ml bottle and drank some before running, a couple of sips during, and finished it after run, knowing we were heading to pub. 

It all depends how energetic you're being, for how long and how hot it is. The drawbacks with bladders & tubes is that they require more sucking than sports bottles and you have to wear them in a rucksack, which can be hot. Plus, if you put anything other than water in them, they need very careful cleaning and drying before putting away. Even with just water, they need to hang to drain out any drops. I would have used one if I had one when I did a 5 day kayak trip along Caledonian Canal, but just carried a couple of water bottles in the cockpit where I could grab them for a sip when convenient and drink lots at midday meal break on land.

While the water from the garage would have met your water needs, you might have needed salt, which is easiest to have in a packet of crisps, for example. Also, why pay for water? If you have a bottle, most places will let you fill it up if you ask nicely. Rural pubs are particularly helpful, in my experience - they often have taps in gardens / car parks, and will give water for passing runners / walkers / cyclists / dogs etc.


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## Ergates (May 3, 2011)

That's awesome news! Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff.  Can I suggest this link - it's free cycle marking.  Also good is the exchanging places video about how to pass lorries in traffic:

http://www.met.police.uk/transport/cycle_marking.html

I'm certain you're an experienced road user, but I wonder whether some cycle training won't help you progress as good cycle road positioning and so on is quite different to what most drivers and other road users expect?  For example I ride 7 feet out from parked cars to avoid being footed by a careless person opening a car door, and take the lane through pinch points and junctions.  Most councils do cheap or free BikeAbility cycle training which will cover how to do these, and this training made a big difference to me despite already being an experienced cyclist.

Another one is to get the book Cyclecraft by John Franklin, which is the equivalent to the police road craft manuals and corresponds fairly closely to the BikeAbility syllabus.


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## Ergates (May 3, 2011)

Oh, another tip is to join London Cycling Campaign as you'll get 3rd party insurance with that membership.

http://www.lcc.org.uk/


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## DickBarton (Jun 11, 2011)

How is the biking going? You still loving it? Hope it's all good!


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## Jennywren (Jun 11, 2011)

Just had bike serviced , hypos still a problem ,having to disconnet pump at mo when on bike ride .


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## Positivetim (Aug 7, 2011)

*Hi Guys I am v new  to this*

Dear fellows

I am new to all this I have to lose half m,y body weight have type two
I completed the marathon 10 years ago and was once a really fit person

A sedentry job and no exercise has seen my weight double
Now I have retired at 47 and run my own business I have discovered exerciise and engage a trainer twice a week to help me

I ahve also started cycling again which is how I lost the weight previously

I am really confused about all the conflicting diet advice 

Seeing that you can have lucozade has really confused me 

Please help


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## lucy123 (Aug 7, 2011)

HI Tim,

I like you am type 2 and at diagnosis probabaly needed to lose 9 stone to get my bmi to 25.

Since JUne 2010, I have managed to lose 56 lbs. I like you use a PT (twice a week now) and wouldn't have lost the weight without her. 

I started running - and at the weight I was it wasn't easy. But in May I ran my first 5k. Cycling is a great form of exercise - and you could also join a spin class which burns the calories. I also play tennis and visit the gym regularly too. This will change your life again for you so well done - you will feel so much better for it!

With regards to diet, I personally now follow a low gi diet, which suits me. I can recommend a book bu Rick Gallop called 'The express diet'. He also has a website where you can pick up some recipes and you can email him direct.

Failing that my advice would be to stay low carb and low sugar whilst keeping your calories low enough for you to lose weight - I am currently on 1300 cals but we are all different so it might be worth checking with your nurse.

I am not sure where you have read that we can drink lucozade - the only time I would consider lucozade is if I am hypo (don't worry I am a bit special as a type 2 with hypo's) - if you are not on any hypo causing drugs you should be fine and not need lucozade - where did you read you could drink it?  I am not sure if you could drink lucozade light - it is 50 cals a bottle but not sure on the sugar content.

Have you let your PT know about your diabetes - they shoudl be able to help with diet too - mine has been brilliant and has really read up on the subject to help me. Get your PT to help you - they charge us enough!!

Good luck with it all - it sounds like you are starting on the right path.

Also - why not join in with the weight loss group thread? We have lost almost 20stone since xmas (between us all that is). It is good even when you are struggling - lots of support etc.


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## HOBIE (Aug 8, 2011)

Love my camel back i hot weather !  Not a lot of money in the right places(the shop u said).   A few years ago i did the c2c and was on 4 injections a day and only needed took 2! but done in 3 camels of 2literes in day 1 and other stuff on way, and the screy bit was i never went "little boys room ". proper dyhidrated.  Blood was reasonably good.                                  Have since done Hadriens 170m and Coast & Castles 200m bike rides.     Good luck on bike & well done 4 getting into it !                                   ps poor camels never felt a thing !


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## Ergates (Aug 8, 2011)

Positivetim, the lucozade comments almost certainly relate to type Is on insulin.  I'm not sure that lucozade would be appropriate for type IIs in most cases.


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