First Cycle Ride - Near Collapse

[WeCloseOurEyes]

Hey Guys,

I'm 17 years old and I'm on my computer pretty much from when I wake up and sleep, especially now I've completed college and my main source of income is affiliate marketing so I work on my websites all day and night.

I bought a Carrera Crossfire 1 from Halfords at Christmas and I decided to go out for the first time today I cycled for about 5-10 minutes before I was overwhelmed, these weren't even hills I had to stop at the side of the road I was so out of breath and everything went white (Lack of oxygen to eyes?!) Anyway it was the most uncomfortable experience of my life so far I had to sit down next to the road for a good 30 minutes before I could even stand up and even then I was very dissey and found it hard to lift my legs as they were so heavy.

I eventually managed to get back home and drank about 3 bottles of water and sat on my sofa for an hour while I regained my thought and drowsy/dizziness.

Also my breathing smells metallic ever since that dreaded cycle ride, I've never felt so ill/dissey near collapse.

Does anyone know how long it will take for this to go? I really want to lose weight as I'm 16 stone all my friends are no where near that weight I have the perfect opportunity to lose weight as I don't have a job and would like to do this through cycling as there are no gym's near me and I'm not that self confident due to my weight.

 

[Sleeping Menace]

First, before you start riding, make sure you hydrate.. sip some water...for an hour or so ideally before the ride. When your urine is all but clear..you're pretty hydrated. Being dehydrated is often the source of feeling like death, and falling apart quick quickly into the ride.
Assuming you have no underlying medical problems.. eat healthy, hydrate.. and take your time.. do a few gentle rides at first.. and you'll quickly improve. Don't get discouraged and give up on it...you're making a big change, your body needs to adapt.
By the way, metallic taste in the mouth is usually bleeding of the gums or something. You might check with a dentist..

Best of luck

 

[Davidc]

Hello WCOE and welcome.

I'm a tad older than you but the principles still apply.

Those comments above are all good, especially about hydration and weighing. The thing that will go all over the place if you start exercising is your water retention, and that will send your weight all over the place.

Getting fat off takes time. A bike is a good way to do it, but you need a good few months if you're out of condition. I've never been unfit but have been overweight. I've always dealt with it by cycling.

I'm not qualified to suggest how you should approach getting fitter and thinner but there are people on here who know how and can I wish you well in getting there.

 

[Norm]

I'm three times your age and plenty heavier than you and I was doing 60+ off-road miles within 3 months of getting my bike 18 months ago. Regular exercise is the thing that worked for me, not too far, only doing about 9 miles a day 3 or 4 days a week, but that had a significant effect on my fitness fairly quickly.

As TMC says, there's little wrong with your weight, just your fitness. In broad terms, cycling will improve your fitness but, if you want to lose weight, you'll have to eat less.

It sounds like you pushed yourself too hard in your first ride. Can you walk for 10 minutes without a problem? If so, cycle slower and go further.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The metallic taste maybe from breathing hard on a coldish day or your heart and lungs not being used to the effort.
There's some stuff here and more on the web.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/322820-metallic-taste-in-the-mouth-during-exercise/

Sounds like you're pretty out of shape, hopped-on the bike with enthusiasm and overdid it. Your cardiovascular system may need some gentle warming-up and then building-up. As you're overweight your body is having to do some serious work to move you along, especially up hills. How do you feel after a brisk walk?

So. Advice -wise I'd say take it VERY easy to start with. Maybe even speak to your doctor about an excercise-plan. Your body's sent you a message and it needs heeding.

If you want to get back on the bike, choose a nice easy circular route, flattish and not too far. Just a few miles, just around a couple of blocks kind of thing. Start off gently, ride at a pace at which you could still have a conversation and relax. If the lap goes OK, then maybe do another. If you start to feel the least bit dizzy or sparkly-eyed, then stop and rest and even consider walking home.

It might take a while to start to build some basic cardiovascular fitness, but it will be worth it. A bike's a great way to get fit however and improvements build rapidly, but don't overdo it.

As you know, healthy eating and drinking is also required. Don't overestimate the calories that a bike ride burns, you need to work fairly hard to burn off a Mars-bar, but you CAN do it.

Start slow, Finish Strong.

 

[aberal]

Not much more to add to what has already been said, except here's something else to consider - were your tyres properly pumped up? On a hybrid bike, on the road they should be at least 65 psi, ideally more.

 

[snailracer]

I am reasonably fit, but there have been a couple of occasions where I have simply gone off too fast and had to stop and sit down to avoid fainting! It took me about 30 minutes to recover, just as you reported, so don't get discouraged - it can happen to anyone, quite commonly to club racers who misjudge the opening pace. Take it easy, build up slowly, when planning routes try to arrange the return leg to be downhill

 

[soulful dog]

I think it depends very much on the individual how long it will take, but there is no getting away from the fact that it will take time for it to stop being such hard work. That's not to say you won't notice a difference after even just a couple of weeks. If you just keep at it, try and get out as often as you can but don't necessarily worry about how long you are out for or how many miles you've done, you will gradually start to notice it's getting a little easier and that you are managing to go a little further without being so knackered.

As Fab Foodie says, take it easy to start with, know that every little bit you are doing is helping, and hopefully that'll get you by the really hard start and then you can enjoy it a bit!

 

[neil earley]

dont be put off , keep trying to do a little more than the last ride, and you willl crack it i,m sure

 

[Alan Whicker]

Make sure your saddle is at the correct height (probably higher than you think)! You wouldn't believe the difference that can make. Once you start cycling regularly, you'll be astounded how quickly your fitness levels rise.

 

[cyberknight]

Welcome to the forums !

As others have said take it easy and build up gradually and you will be amazed how much fun it can be !

Make sure your bike is set up correctly as it can be harder to ride if it is not, Carreras are cracking bikes for the price ( i have 2 of their "racing " road bikes ) but Halfords can be a bit dodgy at set up.

This is a good site for repair..

http://bicycletutor.com/

[media]http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-seat/[/media]

Saddle Height
All bicycles will come with adjustable seat posts to get the correct saddle height and pedaling efficiency when set to the ideal position. To find the right position, sit on the saddle with one leg hanging free and your hips square (not tilting to either side). Set the saddle high enough so that your other heel can just touch the pedal with your leg straight, and with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke, in line with the seat tube. For most people this results in a saddle height that leaves some bend in the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke, when you're pedalling with the balls of your feet over the axle of the pedals. It should also prevent you from having to rock your hips through each crank rotation. This should get you close enough to your optimum saddle height in the absence of a proper bike fitting.

 

[DTD]

I started cycling after a long illness (the only good bit about the illness was I lost 5 stone).



Agree with the 'get the saddle height right' – makes an unbelievable amount of difference.
It's also surprising just how quickly you can start going much further on a bike – you may not loose much weight, but you will be much fitter.

Don't want to alarm you, but you're not diabetic are you? I am, it's no big deal, but worth having a check-up.

Good luck with it.

 

[gbb]

Hiya WCOE and welcome.
Good on ya for trying. Anyone who hasnt been on a bike for a while feels it at first.
All the advice given is good, start steady (let your heart and muscles warm mup), keep your tyres well pumped up (poorly inflated tyres sap your speed and increase the exertion) , make sure your saddle is the correct height (if its too low, you get a burn in your thighs).
Springs coming, once you get some level of fitness, there'll be no stopping you.
Remember to rest, thats as important as getting fit. You can easily undo everything by overdoing it.

Well done and keep it going.

 

[PhunkPilot]

Welcome WCOE,

I remember my first ride last year, managed 2 miles and was promptly sick!! I rode 30 miles the day before yesterday with only a slight leg ache to show for it. The guys here offer fantastic advice stick at it and things improve quicker than you'd imagine.

Well done.

 

[pshore]

Congrats WeCloseOurEyes for taking the plunge !

I can see you are well into computers and that is going to be your career for life. I am a 37 and have had a computer career for all my life so far and what I can tell you is that this industry is hard on the body. Not in a physical sense, but the complete opposite as you are finding.

Sitting down all day is never going to be good for you so you have to build in some time for exercise into your lifestyle. I've seen a whole lot of people retire from this industry with health problems due to no exercise instead of leaving to enjoy their well earned retirement. It sounds like you've had your wake up call, and good on you for doing something about it. You've got loads of time to turn it around.

+1 for FabFoodles advice. Build up slowly and if you think you are experiencing abnormal symptoms get it checked by your doc.


Set yourself a goal and it'll help you get out and do more. I remember my first serious goal at age 30 - I just wanted to be able to jog 1 mile without stopping - a lifetime ambition. Bloody hard work but I felt super-human when I did it !