from zero to to hero

[reacher]

guys i'm conducting an experiment , i'v never owned a bike , just bought one , not ridden it yet , due to work/weather , i'm doing all my training in the gym , my buddy , a keen cycle fanatic has convinced me to get on the road as i use the gym for fitness work ,
its become a challenge of sorts , its supposed to be a race , but by all acounts 50 minutes is pretty good i'm told and that may be a stretch .
he does a 20 mile undulateing run in 50 mins , i reckon if i can do it in an hour would be pretty good , difficult but not impossible , any thoughts ?
he says it cant be done , not possible with out road work ,
i'v no idea as i have'nt been on a bike since i was a kid ,
age 52 now ,
any of you guys train in a gym ?

 

[Paulus]

Hmmm. To average 20 mph would be very good indeed. Your friend is obviously very good to do it in 50 mins. You will find riding that hard difficult as you are not experienced on a bike and it is a lot different from riding a static bike in the gym. You may well be very fit but don't know how use the gears, spin the pedals and generally ride fast on the road. Also, you will be using the muscle groups in a slightly different way so you may get tired quite quickly. Is the bike set up correct for you? I would practice a bit first before accepting the challenge to see what you can do.

 

[Alien8]

I reckon (based on my own experience) to be able to average 20mph for an hour is within the reach of many people if they have a reasonable bike, reasonable route, and are prepared to but in the effort to build up to what is not a too extreme level of fitness. However I'd say 20-miles in 50-mins, ie 24mph, is serious roadie territory and is a big ask for most of us.

 

[Ajay]

If you haven't got any experience of bike riding on roads, then doing a 20 mile time trial on a brand new bike as a first ride would be a bit daft to say the least imho! You need some rides to get a feel for how the bike handles/corners/brakes, understand how to ride in traffic, read the road etc etc etc. Going flat out on your first ride without this inbuilt awareness would be dangerous!

In terms of whether you could do it, then I am sure you could if you're in good shape, an hours not too long to put up with a bit of pain! It would be dependent on what bike you have, the profile of the route ie hills, and number of junctions / traffic lights etc which are big factors for a high average speed.

I do spin classes at the gym which are great for cardio fitness and keeping the legs strong when it's dark and wet outside, but road riding is a very different discipline. Day dreaming in spin class is fine, do it on the road and you're in a hedge or under a truck!!

Good luck

 

[e-rider]

I'd say you have no chance at all of averaging 20mph on an undulating course without any road riding experience (and being 52 years old)!

 

[surfdude]

you may be fit enough to do the ride but the big problem will be your bum .it will not have got used to the saddle and after a few miles it going to be sore and that will slow you down . any way good luck with it .

 

[Chris S]

a 20 mile undulateing run in 50 mins

I seem to remember reading that the average speed on the Tour de France was typically around 25kmh, or about 16 mph.

Are you sure that your friend has got his times right?

 

[martint235]

I'm afraid I agree with previous posters. Averaging 20mph is very difficult to do (I'd like to attempt it on a closed road someday) and I've certainly never managed it. Most of my riding is done with the speedo registering above 20mph but all those times it has to drop below: traffic; traffic lights; hills etc really do take their toll on your average.

That said though, good luck and I hope you do manage it.

 

[Alien8]

I seem to remember reading that the average speed on the Tour de France was typically around 25kmh, or about 16 mph.

Are you sure that your friend has got his times right?

For recent years its been about 40km/h so 24/25mph (including them big hills!).

 

[palinurus]

Perfectly possible, but it might take a little time to get there. You'll need find out how far off you are from your target first.

I don't think you'll do it first go, with only indoor work to go on.

 

[lukesdad]

I'd say you have no chance at all of averaging 20mph on an undulating course without any road riding experience (and being 52 years old)!

51 year old mtber.....have i got a chance ?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

51 year old mtber.....have i got a chance ?

You need to stop slacking and get some miles in, that mycyclinglog effort is dismal...

 

[lukesdad]

Well...I do, do the odd mile or two on the road as well I suppose

 

[reacher]

yep , forgot to say i'm allowing a few rides out first lol ,
just to get in the swing of it ,
its all a bit of fun , i know i wont beat him i know that but i wanted a target ,
figure i can get behind him then take him on the hill on the last part lol ,
he is good , he just text me after doing 25 k on a static bike at leval 19 , which is some going on the bikes in our gym ,
he trains down the velodrome as well ,

 

[reacher]

you may be fit enough to do the ride but the big problem will be your bum .it will not have got used to the saddle and after a few miles it going to be sore and that will slow you down . any way good luck with it .

lol , i'm planning on being up on the pedals if i have any chance of staying with him as its quite a hilly course , he has been takeing the piss out of my efforts in the gym standing up on the bikes , lol
i agree though actual road fitness will be the problem , but its got me motivated ,