Distance or speed?

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nappadang

Über Member
Location
Gateshead
Hello everyone,

I've recently bought a new bike (MTB) with a view to a) get my sorry backside fit again, b) shift some of the extra timber I'm carrying and c) to get back into something used to really enjoy many years ago.
Bearing in mind that I'm a fully paid up member of the chubbster club (little exercise, poor diet and giving up smoking) I'm not exactly pushing for a start in next year's Tour De France. I've had the bike for just over a week now and can already feel some minor improvements in fitness etc. Not only that, I'm loving being out on a bike again, I'd forgotten how good cycling is.
my question (probably the first of many) is this..... for fitness I've started doing 6 mile stints (cue the snickering) at about 12.5 mph. Where possible twice per day. I feel ready to up the ante a little but would like advice as to whether I should be increasing the distance I cycle or stick with the distance and try to improve my times?
I really would appreciate any suggestions, especially if you could take a little time to explain your thinking.
please don't be too hard on me, it is my first post on here (apart from my quick intro).

thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing from riders with more experience than me (that will be pretty much everyone on this forum^_^)

mick
 

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
The key thing to keeping riding and getting fitter/thinner overall, is enjoying it!

A bit of variety should help to stop you getting bored, so why don't you go for a bit longer at the same speed some of the time, and then try to up the speed another time. This will also help to improve both your stamina (and get your bum used to the saddle for longer rides!) and cardio fitness.

And if there's a day where you really don't feel like pushing it, but the sun is shining/birds are singing/kids are playing up and you want to get out - then just go and bimble around and enjoy the air!

Good luck.
 

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
When you're just starting I think it's a good idea to gradually increase duration of the rides. Try to forget about avg speed but I know it is tempting to try and set a good pace. That can wait though. For now I would just get used to riding regularly and not overdoing it, risking potential discomfort, injury and demorilisation. When I was building up I started at something like 5 miles and added 3 mile increments until approx 25 miles then worked up in approx 5 mile jumps until 40. You should be able to step up in 10 mile jumps thereafter and when you can do 70, you can do 100! But that's a way off yet, so just keep going out regularly and listen to your body.
 
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nappadang

nappadang

Über Member
Location
Gateshead
Brilliant, sound advice and quick responses too. Thanks everyone, I'm really grateful you took the time to reply. A very friendly and helpful forum, sadly, few and far between these days.
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
You'll also find that if you just focus on distance and not speed, you'll be in the middle of a ride, having unexpectedly increased your speed without meaning to :wacko:. It's the bane of every cyclist: the unintended speeding up :laugh:.
 

Broadside

Guru
Location
Fleet, Hants
I agree with @Sittingduck, that is how I did it 5 years ago on a 20 year old mountain bike. Back then 8 miles was a huge achievement for me but you just need to keep on bumping up the miles and before you know it you will be knocking out 20 and 30 miles.

After I got to regular 40 mile rides I realised that I was making it unnecessarily hard for myself riding an MTB so switched to a road bike and that is when I really got in to it, but I don't regret how I got in to it because when I hit the road bike then the miles came more and more easily.

I also signed up for a 90 mile charity ride from Oxford to Cambridge in my first year and that got me totally hooked without me realising it, giving me a serious target to aim for. When that ride was done i actually planned to pack the riding in but very quickly realised that I loved doing it and I have never looked back since. The 2 stone that dropped off in the space of 6 months was also a nice bonus!

So to answer your original question just concentrate on building distance for now, the average speed will take care of itself. Then when you are happy with bigger distances you can look at conditioning yourself for higher average speeds.
 

Radchenister

Veteran
Location
Avon
Whatever takes your fancy Exile, you're obviously an Anglo Saxon (maybe, perhaps?) - personally, I usually end up finding a double Espresso and a Biscotti ;) .
 
Glad you're getting out there and enjoying it nappadang!!! Good things come to those who wait...in a couple of months you'll be looking at how far you can now cycle without problem and looking back thinking 'Why did I worry so much?'. Biggest thing for me when I started was stressing about cycling too far from home 'just in case' something happened...now I just enjoy (and take a phone...just in case!)
 

helston90

Eat, sleep, ride, repeat.
Location
Cornwall
Get lost.....
No literally- just keep heading out little and often, building it up at a time- I may even be tempted to ditch the computer so you don't get all caught up in av/ max/odo etc and just enjoy- then plot it online when you get back if you're that curious.
 
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nappadang

nappadang

Über Member
Location
Gateshead
A quick update. I followed the distance advice this morning and added an extra 2 miles to my ride. Most of this extra distance comprised of a 1.5 mile climb up one of the bigger hills in Gateshead, with only a minute rest at the top, (little acorns etc) .
It's fair to say that theI land speed record is safe for a while yet but the extra distance and altitude has only marginally effected my average speed .
Everyone who has offered advice, I'm really grateful your suggestions have and hopefully will carry on inspiring me to greater things.


Mick
 
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