# Training advice for a fat slow cyclist



## Steppylud (15 Jul 2014)

Hi, I am fat (19st) and I am slow, (avg 10mph for a 40mile ride)

Anyone got any tips to increase speed? Obviously losing weight would be a good start but, I wonder if I need to focus training in certain areas, i.e. glutes, quads and core? Help! I don't want TDF pace, just enough not to look like a wally! cheers!


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## uclown2002 (15 Jul 2014)

You don't need a specific training plan. You just need to spend more time in the saddle and the results will come. As you said losing some weight at the same time will definitely help your progress!


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## Saluki (16 Jul 2014)

+1 on @uclown2002 's advice.
Just ride a bit more and the weight will come down, as long as you are combining exercise with keeping an eye on you calorie intake. Muscle with toughen up and, hey presto, you will go faster.

When we started we would have lay down and died for a 10mph average. Now we average 15mph over a ride. It just takes time and pedalling.


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## Cubist (16 Jul 2014)

Don't worry about speed. 40 miles is a respectable distance! The mr you ride the better you will feel. If you need to concentrate on any one aspect in my opinion it is learning to suffer without making the whole ride a chore. I am very slow on hills. I can't avoid them, and as a result of the topography round here I have to climb on average 1000 feet per ten miles ridden. Consequently it has taken me a long time to get used to the thought of more than a couple of hours in the saddle at any one time. I now set myself little goals on certain climbs, forsaking overall ride speed for performance on certain nemesis sections. My average stays resolutely around the 13 mph mark.


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## Katherine (16 Jul 2014)

Pilates has made me stronger. So I can push myself and have more stamina. 
Keep at it and over time you will see a difference.


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## Berties (16 Jul 2014)

Make cycling enjoyable,if you put to much pressure to go fast you will start to no look forward,do a few shorter rides and concentrate on going faster from time to time,I personally mix up my week,morning commute go like stink for 13 miles average 20 mph,evening commute 28 plus miles 16 mph average taking in hills,fastish group rides 50 miles at 17 mph average, all with what makes you happy ,speed,distance and hills comes with Time spent in the saddle,but you must enjoy what you are doing,keep up the good workand stay safe


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## Ganymede (16 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Hi, I am fat (19st) and I am slow, (avg 10mph for a 40mile ride)
> 
> Anyone got any tips to increase speed? Obviously losing weight would be a good start but, I wonder if I need to focus training in certain areas, i.e. glutes, quads and core? Help! I don't want TDF pace, just enough not to look like a wally! cheers!


I'm that slow without being fat! Are you using your lower gears enough or grinding away in higher gears? Don't be too proud to change down, it gives you a boost, whereas staying in a high gear can just wear you out.

Basically, going cycling is a brilliant way to get better at cycling - your legs will get stronger and your fitness will improve, just give it time.


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## inkd (16 Jul 2014)

All of the above advice plus Strava! chose a couple of segments you like and attack them. It give`s me a little push on my commutes.


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## Joshua Plumtree (16 Jul 2014)

+1 to all of the above. Forget your average speed for now, just ride yer bike as often as you can and, every so often, have a little blast for half a mile or so, but don't make it a chore or something you feel obliged to do.


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## Profpointy (16 Jul 2014)

If you can do 40 miles at all, that's a good effort for someone supposedly unfit or at least a big lad.
Just keep at it and it'll get easier and / or faster / further


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## Over The Hill (16 Jul 2014)

I am no expert but -

We know that with weight training doing a few reps with a heavy weight builds muscle. Lots of reps with a lighter weight builds stamina and general fitness.

You are probably held back by you overall weight not overall strength. So you really don't need to build muscle too much and also the muscle you have will be plenty if you weight drops a bit (assumption there that you may be doing this).

So I would say - get the bike set up with a nice gear range (perhaps touring bike would be good as it is set up well for a bit of weight on it). Aim to get the pedal speed up rather than pushing hard on the pedal at lower rate. 

Really though if I stuck 6 stone of weight on my bike I would be pleased to get down the end of my road! You really are on the right track and nothing wrong with being a bit slower. There will always be faster cyclists around. 
Enjoy it and keep doing it is the main thing.


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## ianrauk (16 Jul 2014)

uclown2002 said:


> You don't need a specific training plan. You just need to spend more time in the saddle and the results will come. As you said losing some weight at the same time will definitely help your progress!




This ^^^ is all you need to do.
In a nutshell, just ride your bike and keep riding it.


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## Dogtrousers (16 Jul 2014)

ianrauk said:


> This ^^^ is all you need to do.
> In a nutshell, just ride your bike and keep rising it.


 Keep rising it? You meen uphill all the way?


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## ianrauk (16 Jul 2014)

Dogtrousers said:


> Keep rising it? You meen uphill all the way?




Thanks Mr Pedant  corrected


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## Hip Priest (16 Jul 2014)

Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike. Unless you're racing, you don't need a detailed training plan.


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## Steady (16 Jul 2014)

inkd said:


> All of the above advice plus Strava! chose a couple of segments you like and attack them. It give`s me a little push on my commutes.



As much as some people hate Strava for this reason I love it. There's certain little half a mile, or a mile segments that otherwise I'd just pootle along at the same speed on, but knowing there's a benchmark of my previous best times gives me a massive amount of motivation to tell the legs to shut up and go for it! It also helps limit that 'avg speed depression' post-ride, avg speeds are really never a good indication of anything in my opinion.


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## montage (16 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Hi, I am fat (19st) and I am slow, (avg 10mph for a 40mile ride)
> 
> Anyone got any tips to increase speed? Obviously losing weight would be a good start but, I wonder if I need to focus training in certain areas, i.e. glutes, quads and core? Help! I don't want TDF pace, just enough not to look like a wally! cheers!



As said before, just enjoy your miles and get as many in as possible. Online programmes such as strava are great for tracking your progress and hours - worth giving it a shot.


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## Fubar (16 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Hi, I am fat (19st) and I am slow, (avg 10mph for a 40mile ride)
> 
> Anyone got any tips to increase speed? Obviously losing weight would be a good start but, I wonder if I need to focus training in certain areas, i.e. glutes, quads and core? Help! I don't want TDF pace, just enough not to look like a wally! cheers!


 
As everyone has said riding your bike is the best training plan, though as you point out losing weight will also be a good start - have you tried a calorie counter (such as MyFitnessPal - other tools are available)? I was 17 stone when I started using it (now 12 stone), I have an app on my phone and log everything I eat but also exercise so it balances out (i.e. start with 1500 kcal available, burn 500 = 2000kcals available) and if you can keep under your calorie goal most days you will see weight loss and (hopefully) small improvements in riding speed the more you lose.

It's just a tool and relies on you being honest but I find it a good motivator and it has worked for me. All the best, Mark


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## michaelcycle (16 Jul 2014)

1 short ride of about an hour per week where you hammer it.
1 mid length ride of about 2 hours per week where you push it
1 long ride of more than 2 hours per week where you go at a comfortable pace

Or just ride more


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## fossyant (16 Jul 2014)

Ride. Also ride regularly. Can you commute on the bike. If you can get a ride in 5 or more days a week then your fitness will increase and weight drop. Doesn't gave to be mega miles either. Frequency is a key.


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## summerdays (16 Jul 2014)

I've been doing it for a number of years now and I'm still a slow cyclist. Speed isn't everything. Just keep at it, and be aware of pootling! I like pootling, and watching the world drift by, but I know I don't get any faster when I'm doing it. That's not to say it is wrong as it's part of my enjoyment of a bike, so I mix it up with doing faster bits! And I've started using Strava which shows I'm not always as slow as I thought, and gives me an incentive to push myself sometimes!

Just gone and checked my Strava average for a couple of rides and it's 11.5 (for a 6 mile ride).


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## Ganymede (16 Jul 2014)

Oh yeah, here's a thing: don't eat loads more because you think you've earned it by being on the bike! That tip about MyFitnessPal will help with this!


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## Steppylud (17 Jul 2014)

Wow. Thanks everyone for your responses. So ride ride ride! I just wish work was a ridable distance!


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## ColinJ (17 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Wow. Thanks everyone for your responses. So ride ride ride! I just wish work was a ridable distance!


How far is it?

If it is (say) 10-15 miles, that would be well within riding distance on a regular basis once you got fit enough.

If it is too far, (say) 30 miles, could you take your bike 1/2- 2/3 of the way by train or car and ride the rest?


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## slowmotion (17 Jul 2014)

Steppylud, just ride your bike. You don't need some hateful fitness plan that tortures you. Get on the bike and wander about enjoying the ride. If you find it to be be fun, you will do it more and more, and you will be on the way. That's it really.

BTW, 10 mph average is pretty good!


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## Steppylud (17 Jul 2014)

Cheers, work is 35 miles, and there is nowhere to shower either so even if I could stop after 20 and ride the rest I would be pretty stinky for the rest of the day!


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## ColinJ (17 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Cheers, work is 35 miles, and there is nowhere to shower either so even if I could stop after 20 and ride the rest I would be pretty stinky for the rest of the day!


Yes, you would have to pretty keen to tackle a 70 mile commute, even without the lack of showers!


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## Monsieur (17 Jul 2014)

I reckon doing a 40 mile ride is to be congratulated upon - wouldn't worry about the speed as the stamina involved in the length of ride would be more beneficial to weight loss than the actual speed would,

Anyway, what's wrong with 10mph? Sounds okay to me!


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## screenman (17 Jul 2014)

You have got too lose some weigh, not just to make the bike go faster but to hopefully make your life last longer. Certainly congratulations on the 40 miler, as that is a decent length of ride and one many in todays society would get tired doing in a car.

For anyone who may wonder what being 5 stone overweight is then pick up a 5 gallon container of water and see how far you can walk without putting it down.

Please for the sake of you and your family, do something about your weight.


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## inkd (17 Jul 2014)

Ganymede said:


> Oh yeah, here's a thing: don't eat loads more because you think you've earned it by being on the bike!


This is my downfall, This is why I cant shift those comfort bulges


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## the_mikey (17 Jul 2014)

I am guilty of trying to ride as fast as I can on every road I ride on, but on longer Audax rides I have learned to keep the speed down, below 26km/h ensures that I can sustain the quality of the ride without it becoming a battle of nerves, emotions and nutrition management.


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## suzeworld (17 Jul 2014)

If you think a plan would help you, make yourself a plan, but it has to be based on your actual life and opportunities, and ultimately add up to riding more, as everyone says!

Remembering to keep pushing myself rather than just pootling is the basis of what I do, though I'm not that bothered about speed I want to climb better, and I need to push my heart rate for that.

Intervals of some sort on the rides you already do is the obvious way to start. I don't use strava, but I do have a heart rate monitor and a cadence thing on my road bike, so I try to increase my cadence when my heart rate is at a good working rate (145 for me) so whatever cadence I'm doing I aim to round it up for the next few minutes of my ride.

I also train at the gym with a PT for ten weeks before my summer hols cos I want to do Alpine climbs, and I need focus for that. This is my third year of forking out for this, and it really helps me... The gist of what he does with me is increase the time I can work at a max heart rate (155 for me ... it is what i can sustain and climb at) in a high gear. We use a spin bike for that, increasing the resistance and time intervals each week to build my endurance, which I guess you need for speed as well as climbing. I also do single minutes in a medium gear @ very high cadence with minimal recovery time.

If you are a gym member, use a spin bikes on your own, not the static gym bikes, or do a spin class and work harder than the instructor tells you to! You can really see your progress with this.

We also do work on core stability, which helps keep your upper body stiller under pressure, useful for balance when climbing, and maybe to energy conservation at speed? My PT uses gym gadgets that make me wobble, but if you aren't a gym member you can do similar at home by doing planks on your elbows and pushing up to your hands, and back to your elbows again, without losing the stability of your plank posture. Over and over till you collapse. Also, from a plank on your hands, bring your knee in to your elbow on alternate sides, without losing your plank stability. I think they call that mountain climber. If you can't visualise what I mean, then a bit of looking in YouTube for core stability should find demos of the exercises which help.

I also totally agree with whoever suggested using *my fitness pal* app. It is brilliant. You have to get used to portion control, and weighing things so you really know what you are eating, but once you know what 10g of butter looks like you'll be much more aware of the calorie density of fats...
Otherwise, Aim to eat as much healthy stuff as you can and still lose weight!

I am in a constant battle with me weight, but all these things help. Good luck

This is me, up Galibier last year. It was slow, but I hauled this 12 and a half stones up there!


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## Joshua Plumtree (17 Jul 2014)

That's fantastic stuff suzeworld, but might be just a little OTP for the OP at this early stage.


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## JasonHolder (17 Jul 2014)

Deciding to 100% do everything you can to slim down and ride more will do it.


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## jarlrmai (17 Jul 2014)

I would not do planks to collapse you will lose good form in the plank way before that.


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## suzeworld (17 Jul 2014)

jarlrmai said:


> I would not do planks to collapse you will lose good form in the plank way before that.



That's true. I didn't mean literally collapse! Sorry!

As for the question of the OP's ability to do what I suggest, I can only say, I used to weigh 18 stone myself, and my first cycling was just the 3 mile round trip to work everyday.. which eventually extended to 20 mile rides after work, so I'm amazed he can do 40 miles at all. He sounds a strong bugger to me!

That starting cycling for me, was 22 years ago. In the last eight years I've kept my weight pretty stable, but had to keep coming back to fitness after bowel cancer, which had meant five operations and two long term chemo runs, which piles weight on, with inactivity and steroids...

Biking, and let's face it, Lance Armstrong,  has repreatedly inspired me to keep bouncing back, so I think the approach I suggest, increasing your own cadence and heart-rate works from wherever you start, can work for anyone. The idea is to push yourself against your own level, not to be a TdF victor! Btw, I only got into alpine climbs after my first round of cancer treatment finished. At one point I'd been very sure I'd never get on my bike again .. Those first ten miles along the Caledonian Canal a year after my initial diagnosis were the best EVER!


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## uclown2002 (17 Jul 2014)

Lance fing Armstrong! Why mention cheating barsteward?


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## suzeworld (17 Jul 2014)

I know I'm hijacking the thread, but here's a photo of me on that canal, probably about 15 stone and as happy as anything, riding my bike and excited to start getting into shape, again!


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## suzeworld (17 Jul 2014)

uclown2002 said:


> Lance fing Armstrong! Why mention cheating barsteward?



Because he DID inspire me, fact. Not saying it didn't break me heart to learn the truth .... Later. But I never would have gone up Ventoux if he hadn't come back that year and I decided to see him for myself on that climb. What ever else he did, he gave lots of us cancer patients confidence to fight our disease.


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## suzeworld (18 Jul 2014)

So, getting back on topic. 
A really simple bit of training advice from my PT trainer: 
*'Recover on the bike'. *

By which he means, even after a really hard climb or sprint, try to keep your legs moving, don't stop peddling! Or opt for a lazy gear, etc. It is simple and make a difference in lots of different contexts, even in a spin class, when resting a bit between tracks, I'm the one on a middle gear keeping up 100 rpms while I grab a drink and mop my dripping brow.


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## thefensman (20 Jul 2014)

Hi steppylud, +1 all the above, its not long since I was in a similar place to yourself, infact your probly doing quite a bit better than I was 2 years ago. I started at a little over 16 stones and would never have even contemplated doing 40 miles. I began with 10/12 milers 2/3 times a week and set my self targets on each ride to do say a specific section non stop which I hadn,t previously or nail that uphill that I always used to avoid and find a way round. I smoke and can recall I would always take my fags with me on a ride and would have a wee break somewhere and have a smoke then crack on again. But now it must be over a year since I last did that and i,m only now getting up to the miles that your already hitting. So all I can say is keep it up but maybe less miles more often rather rather than big miles. It worked for me and i,m at 13s2p at my last weigh in. Good luck.


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## Steppylud (20 Jul 2014)

That was a struggle this morning, forgot my water bottle and found 10.5 miles hard going. Not sure what was wrong with me. Sad cyclist


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## ianrauk (20 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> That was a struggle this morning, forgot my water bottle and found 10.5 miles hard going. Not sure what was wrong with me. Sad cyclist




We all have ups and downs when it comes to cycling.
Keep it up, there will be more better days then not.


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## Zofo (28 Jul 2014)

Steppylud said:


> Hi, I am fat (19st) and I am slow, (avg 10mph for a 40mile ride)
> 
> Anyone got any tips to increase speed? Obviously losing weight would be a good start but, I wonder if I need to focus training in certain areas, i.e. glutes, quads and core? Help! I don't want TDF pace, just enough not to look like a wally! cheers!


Just find a route that's all downhill!


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## BrumJim (29 Jul 2014)

As others have said, I'm relatively fit and can cycle some decent distances. Add another 6 stone into my rucksack and I won't be able to do 40 miles at 10 mile/h. You are doing well already. Sort out diet, keep riding, and you'll find a new bloke inside you.


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## galaxy (29 Jul 2014)

Hi, i was in a simmilar situation, being diagnised with Diabetes and following a diabetic diet along with cycling i have lost 4 stone since April, and i do not cycle anywhere near 40 miles.Perhaps have a look on line at Diabetic diets, and combine with what you are doing.To be honest i was horrified when i was told i had diabetes, but really the diet is not to bad, stop or drastically reduce sugar and watch calorie and carb intake, as un burnt Carbs turn to sugar.Straight away you feel more energetic, cycle better, so there for train harder.A win win situation.


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## Fubar (5 Aug 2014)

Steppylud said:


> That was a struggle this morning, forgot my water bottle and found 10.5 miles hard going. Not sure what was wrong with me. Sad cyclist



as @ianrauk says we all have up and down days - some rides can be up and down! Just keep it chappin' (as a wise man says ) and one day you will go out and nail it! Then you will be back to up and down days....


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