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SideBurn.
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August 18, 2013 at 9:25 pm #19647
dunnoh
This sounds a little bizarre. I’ve got rid of the car, I commute by bike, I did 60 miles in the Peak District today with no problems and yet when the Macclesfield Wheelers passed me at supersonic speeds I realised how slow I really am. They also looked like cyclists should. I cant really invest any more time on cycling so the only thing I can do is drop some more weight. Is there anything else I could do?
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ilovemytinbred
losing weight very slowly is
losing weight very slowly is the key, that way you can always et properly which you need to do to perform well.
Your frame dictates whether you will ever be a lightweight, but most weekend warriors could lose a few pounds 🙂7 hours is doable, it just
7 hours is doable, it just means you will be most adapted to going quick for an hour or 2.
Three 1 hour long proper hard rides and two 2 hour steady (not easy) rides would be your best bet I reckon.
Personally I would leave the turbo for now. I use mine a lot, but only because I am goal driven at the moment. I would not touch it with a shitty stick if I was just starting and generally trying to get quicker. They are hateful.You sound similar to me when I first got going, focus on having fun but trying hard. You dont need too much structure yet.
Shanefutcher
Totally agree with
Totally agree with SideBurn,if you lose weight try not to lose power.also gain leg strength with running,squats etc.dont worry too much about hills as nearly all amateur cyclists aren’t built like a Froome or Contador.most cyclists are more like classics riderThanks all. I’m doing about
Thanks all. I’m doing about 7 hours a week – it sounds like I need to fit in more. I’ve thought of getting a turbo trainer but I’m worried it will sit in the shed – half the joy is getting out really. I got rid of the car 12 months ago so I’ve been riding solidly since then – all weathers including snow!. I’ve shied away from doing interval work as it sounds almost too premeditated – maybe I do need to think about properly training rather than mapping a ride and doing it. I would like to join a club eventually, but I cant commit to defined times with a 1 year old.SlowSPDRider
I am kind of at a similar
I am kind of at a similar stage myself.Most clubs have groups to suit all abilities and development/beginner rides that don’t drop people and stop for mechanicals etc. I have been doing that for six weeks (40 miles at around 14-16mph) at the weekend with a cycle commute each day plus one evening a week a 12-20 mile hilly route and have noticed some improvement. I vary the commute as its very short to incorporate a couple of short climbs.
But group riding has been key for me and you get good advice and tips from those you ride with.
I went from being tentative and full of trepidation on my first group outing to it being the highlight of my week. So in short go along to a club beginner group ride. You won’t look back.
Losing weight is a good way
Losing weight is a good way to improve your power to weight ratio which will help -a lot- on the hills. But it is difficult to lose weight without losing power as well.
A good training regime will have speed, strength and stamina sessions in it. To increase your speed you need to focus on interval sessions (short hard sessions) and strength sessions (weights or hills).
You sound like you have the basic stamina that you need, joining the right club will improve your ability dramatically.BBB
You didn’t say how much
You didn’t say how much cycling you’re doing but you’re not going to get fast if you’re not willing to invest your time.
8-10 hours a week (annual average including winter, bad weather, holidays etc…) of riding would be a sensible target but if you have less time available then you need to crank up the intensity of your rides.
Extending your commute would be the most time effective way of getting more miles in.If you want to get
If you want to get quick,
First have a look at how much time you can spend on cycling. Work out the most time efficient way you can do it and how much you want to do it. Can you squeeze rides into lunch ‘hours’ I get up at 5 a couple of days a week and jump on the turbo or it gives me more hours in the weekend to get a long ride done and still have time for everything else.Once you have a realistic number of hours (some v v quick people do less than 10 hours a week) divide it up into a few rides that really push yourself of an hour or so and a few that are still effort, but sustainable for 2-4 hours. Have at least 2 days off a week. If you have few hours drop the longer easier stuff and focus on being well rested for the hard stuff.- Maybe get some miles in for a few months first, it sounds like you are new so try a few months of just riding as much as you can to get general fitness before going mad. Once you start doing the shorter rides try to find a loop where you can measure improvement over time.
But do whatever is enjoyable for you. It becomes a chore for some. I love pushing myself though and would nor ride without a competitive aspect (even if it is just against myself a lot of the time)
msw
I was in a similar position
I was in a similar position to you I think, felt generally fit and did quite a few miles including a commute, but wasn’t getting any faster. Preparing for a sportive I borrowed a turbo trainer and started looking for bits of my commute where I could safely do properly hard sprints, and in just a month or so I could hold a higher average speed and turn over faster too. It doesn’t necessarily take that much more time either, certainly compared to 60 hilly miles (know which I’d rather do though). I also got hold of a heart rate monitor to keep an eye on how hard I was working.So one answer might be some boring, hard, repetitive interval training, maybe on a turbo trainer. In his book Graeme Obree talks about the difference between “training” and “just riding quite fast for a long time”; one of the differences between serious sportspeople and the rest of us is just how hard they’re prepared to work. I can’t remember the last time I had to stop and throw up and then do ten more sets of whatever horrible thing I was doing.
It’s true what others have said about making sure you still actually enjoy riding your bike. If you stop looking forward to it you just won’t go out, and that’s no fun. But doing some short intense intervals will probably help.
A V Lowe
Why worry – you are mixing up
Why worry – you are mixing up basic cycling for transport with leisure/sport riding.Many find averaging over 10-12mph ruins the enjoyment of a bike ride, where you have the ability to stop, look, and communicate with local people as you travel.
As for special kit – I don’t own a scrap of fancy technical clothing, unless you count Harris Tweed
My average over say 30-40
My average over say 30-40 miles is about 16mph with a few hills. But Im slow up hills and pretty quick down em so I think it skews things a littleAnonymous
Bedfordshire Clanger
Bedfordshire Clanger wrote:You shouldn’t compare yourself to the group that passed you. You’ve no idea how long they had been out, where they had been or what their racing category might be. They also benefitted from the aerodynamic advadtages of group riding that you just don’t get on out on your own. Stick with what you are doing, losing weight will help and inevitably follow from your lifestyle changes if you keep a lid on your diet. When you feel like it, push on and add some intensity to your rides, don’t bother when you are not up to it. Lots of people find the competitive aspect of Strava enjoyable and a source of inspiriation for pushing themselves a bit harder. If you get the chance to join a group ride then that might help too. Set yourself some realistic goals like adding 1mph average speed to a familiar route and see how you get on. If you can hack 60 miles in the Peaks you are already well on the way to getting good.Good luck with your riding.
This!
Just build up speed over
Just build up speed over time.have you a cycling computer/garmin etc.try and better your time commuting,try knocking a minute off every few weeks.what is your average speed?Bedfordshire Clanger
You shouldn’t compare
You shouldn’t compare yourself to the group that passed you. You’ve no idea how long they had been out, where they had been or what their racing category might be. They also benefitted from the aerodynamic advadtages of group riding that you just don’t get on out on your own. Stick with what you are doing, losing weight will help and inevitably follow from your lifestyle changes if you keep a lid on your diet. When you feel like it, push on and add some intensity to your rides, don’t bother when you are not up to it. Lots of people find the competitive aspect of Strava enjoyable and a source of inspiriation for pushing themselves a bit harder. If you get the chance to join a group ride then that might help too. Set yourself some realistic goals like adding 1mph average speed to a familiar route and see how you get on. If you can hack 60 miles in the Peaks you are already well on the way to getting good.Good luck with your riding.
rossi
join the club they will look
join the club they will look after you and eventually you will have enough speed and miles to enjoy a club-run -
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