- This topic has 28 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 7 months ago by
stepho.
-
CreatorTopic
-
December 19, 2012 at 7:36 am #17486
racefaceec90
apologies for cut/paste (have asked this on singletrackworld forum also).
since getting my road bike last month,i would like to start to be able to get fitter/faster,so i can ride it as it was intended.the problem is that i am really unfit/slow (partly due to depression/laziness).my last ride of 27 miles took me 3 hours :”( on the road bike (i know).
the thing i don’t understand also is when i used to drink/smoke i was a lot faster on my bike :O (i don’t ever plan on going back to drinking/smoking by the way i used to be able to ride 100 miles plus (this was when i did smoke/drink!) (around 2002-03 when i was 27-28).
i don’t plan on racing by the way,i just want to be able to ride my road/mtb a bit faster. thanks in advance for any help/advice 😀
-
CreatorTopic
-
AuthorReplies
-
I tried to get a decent level
I tried to get a decent level of fitness when i got into my late 30’s, its hard work just exercising to get fit.
Never really progressed much to be honest.
I then lived in spain for 2 years where i discovered the joy of road cycling.
i started of on 15k runs which would take me about an hour 15. I then progressed to going further afield and low and behold i started getting fit as a by product of the amount of miles i was putting in.If your main goal is to get fit and lose weight, just forget about all that other stuff for the time being.
Just get out on your bike, gradually increase the mileage/ time of ride and enjoy yourself. You WILL get fitter, you WILL lose weight. You wont even think about it, it will just happen.
Then when your fitness level is pretty good you can start looking at specific training or HR monitors or any of the other slightly more scientific methods.
Don’t rush it though, going too hard too soon and it will feel more like a penance than a treat.
B-)
nickobec
Ride as often as you enjoy
Ride as often as you enjoy it. Push yourself and try new things.I could tell you what worked for me, but it is finding what works for you is important.
Little story took up riding a few years ago to get fit to ride motorbikes again
Found I enjoyed cycling more. Never got a motorbike.
Also found the endorphins or whatever, released when riding meant I didn’t need to keep taking anti-depressants.
I did have a heart attack cycling, but I look at it this way. One of the people I worked with, same age, same bad lifestyle (except I rode 50 to 100km per week) also had heart attack, he died, I didn’t.
Change my lifestyle, stopped smoking, better food, lost 14kg & rode more (100 to 200km a week).
This year took up racing, I don’t worry too much about what I eat , drink in moderation and ride (200 to 300km a week). I am fitter and lighter (I could do with losing 5kg for climbing purposes) than I have been for decades I am 52 .
Just bought myself a TT bike for christmas and today in TT mode rode 22km at 38kph. Then rode to the nearest decent coffee shop 12km away, it was closed so 8km to the next, got a coffee and rode home 40km.
I have come along was in 5 years and still have some distance to go.
big mick
For sure cycling becomes a
For sure cycling becomes a joy that nothing can match but getting bike fit takes time and people don’t always reach the joy point.Every time some fool cuts me up in a car i pity them chasing their tale about watching football playing golf what a sad life and they think us cyclists are mad.What can you do?
Simon E
colhum1 wrote:Might even
colhum1 wrote:Might even invest in a ‘proper’ bike this year !Hey, you deserve one! Well done. B-)
Every person who writes here of how they took up cycling and has some measure of success – loses weight, completes a long charity ride or whatever – it’s really cheering to read each story. To read how lives are changed or the pleasure each takes in the act of riding is such a terrific endorsement for cycling as healthy way to happiness. It really is great to read, and is a great antidote to some of the ‘bad news’ stories.
Raleigh
(No subject)
😀Pitstone Peddler
Wise words Sir Velo
Wise words Sir VeloSideBurn
big mick wrote:Get the saddle
big mick wrote:Get the saddle height right keep your tyres at the right p.s.i.and spin the cranks.A common mistake with new riders is pushing big gears while sitting low in the saddle,just to watch makes my knees hurt! :”( Don’t shy from climbing just do it in an easy gear and the fitness gains will come fast.Cycling is all heart and lungs when your starting out your legs will improve by default+1 for the big gears. I drove past a rider recently, I wanted to stop and tell him to change down! But I did not; I did not think it would go down too well 😕
Get the saddle height right
Get the saddle height right keep your tyres at the right p.s.i.and spin the cranks.A common mistake with new riders is pushing big gears while sitting low in the saddle,just to watch makes my knees hurt! :”( Don’t shy from climbing just do it in an easy gear and the fitness gains will come fast.Cycling is all heart and lungs when your starting out your legs will improve by defaultSuper Domestique
colhum1 wrote:Have to agree
colhum1 wrote:Have to agree with most of the comments above 🙂I had to get radical 18 months ago ….approaching 50 (too fast)’ at least 4 stone over weight..!!
I sought advice from my LBS and invested in a decent hybrid….. and to make sure i kept to my own promise about cycling to work every day I SOLD my car.!!!!
(wifey has got one though….for the really wet days 🙂 )Now nearly lost the weight on my 6 miles each way to work….bought bits of kit as I could afford…some cheap but good winter stuff via Aldi etc etc….
I haven’t invested in a computer but time myself ( usually see the same people/cars at certain points on route but as I start out at 6am its dark…and country lanes for 4 miles)…I love it.
Might even invest in a ‘proper’ bike this year !
The advice and enthusiasm from the chaps here on Road.CC though is brilliant :)
=D> Nice one – you know there will be all sorts of suggestions as to which new bike to go for when that time comes from all road.cc faithful!
ilovemytinbred
colhum1 wrote:Have to agree
colhum1 wrote:Have to agree with most of the comments above 🙂I had to get radical 18 months ago ….approaching 50 (too fast)’ at least 4 stone over weight..!!
I sought advice from my LBS and invested in a decent hybrid….. and to make sure i kept to my own promise about cycling to work every day I SOLD my car.!!!!
(wifey has got one though….for the really wet days 🙂 )Now nearly lost the weight on my 6 miles each way to work….bought bits of kit as I could afford…some cheap but good winter stuff via Aldi etc etc….
I haven’t invested in a computer but time myself ( usually see the same people/cars at certain points on route but as I start out at 6am its dark…and country lanes for 4 miles)…I love it.
Might even invest in a ‘proper’ bike this year !
The advice and enthusiasm from the chaps here on Road.CC though is brilliant :)
Thats great, nice one.
colhum1
Have to agree with most of
Have to agree with most of the comments above 🙂I had to get radical 18 months ago ….approaching 50 (too fast)’ at least 4 stone over weight..!!
I sought advice from my LBS and invested in a decent hybrid….. and to make sure i kept to my own promise about cycling to work every day I SOLD my car.!!!!
(wifey has got one though….for the really wet days 🙂 )Now nearly lost the weight on my 6 miles each way to work….bought bits of kit as I could afford…some cheap but good winter stuff via Aldi etc etc….
I haven’t invested in a computer but time myself ( usually see the same people/cars at certain points on route but as I start out at 6am its dark…and country lanes for 4 miles)…I love it.
Might even invest in a ‘proper’ bike this year !
The advice and enthusiasm from the chaps here on Road.CC though is brilliant 🙂
Bedfordshire Clanger
I’d say just ride your bike
I’d say just ride your bike as much as possible. See where you can fit it in. If you can commute to work by bike then do it. It doesn’t have to be every day. Make time for the bike wherever you can, even if it’s just an hour here or there. Map out some routes that you enjoy and work things out so that the wind blows you home on the last bit if you can. There’s no shortcut to success on this but if you stick with it the results will be clear to see come the summer. The more hours that you put in, the faster and fitter you will get. It is as simple as that. If you’re ever in doubt about whether to go out just remember that there’s no such thing as a bad turn of the pedals and that every minute you spend riding now will pay you back in improvements later in the year. Good luck and enjoy that new bike.CraigS
pepita1 wrote:Get a heart
pepita1 wrote:Get a heart rate monitor. Read “Time Crunched Cyclist” by Chris Carmichael. You need to build a base which is done by riding at low intensity and will help body to use oxygen efficiently.A heart rate monitor and long, low intensity rides (65%-75% of threshold) is great advice. You’ll find it really slow to start with but as your body improves efficiency you’ll go faster and longer in the same heart rate zone, which will improve what you can do when you push yourself to higher intensity. As Greg LeMond put it, it never gets easier, you just go faster.
As well as long, low intensity rides, short bursts of very high intensity i.e. intervals are also great for improving your fitness. Most people without a training plan will naturally cycle in between those zones at a middle/high intensity and find it doesn’t improve their fitness much and that they plateau.
I’d personally recommend the British Cycling sportive training plans that are part of the membership packages.
OldnSlo
visit lvrc.org and download
visit lvrc.org and download the training pages book (its free) but only start on intervals etc when you have a good base also go to the gym (or swimming pool) to get and increase core stability/strength and flexibility. This latter will assist with comfort and positioning and help you to recover from longer rides.Leviathan
Hi,
I had only ever commuted
Hi,
I had only ever commuted until this year. I signed up and did the Great Manchester Cycle 26 miles and will be doing longer Sportives next year. You should set yourself some targets SMALL targets.Don’t get a HRM, unless you are a pro or really keen the data won’t mean anything. Just get a small bike computer like this:
bargain. Set it to Average speed, after 15 minutes down the road, every 0.1 is a point, push to increase your average.
I have a 40km route I do regularly and it can vary between 1h10 and 1h30 depending on the weather and traffic. I keep a note of the distance and speed, keep a dairy. Remember you are only trying to beat yourself, don’t worry if you get overtaken. Get comfortable with the distance and watch your speed climb.
Find a nice route that takes you out into the country and avoids traffic and traffic lights(where are you?) 5 miles with no stops will really get you feeling like you are moving.
Save going further for next spring, if your rides is taking too long make it shorter and try to go faster. You do need to get your speed up first before going for long distances or you will be slogging away in the cold for hours without feeling any progress. Oh, yeah and think in kph, the smaller units will give you a boost.
Well done on quitting the fags; if you never touched your bike again you’ve already done the best thing you could ever do for your health. Er, but, do get on your bike.
-
AuthorReplies
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.