How to build up Stamina?

[Pieface]

I'm looking at building up my stamina after not using the bike for a while and I was wondering would you go short sprints as fast as possible. Or don't go as fast but do more miles?

Thanks

 

[Herzog]

More miles; increase the length of the longest ride each week (by 10 - 20% depending on how you feel).

 

[Rob3rt]

Ride your bike more.

 

[Pieface]

Ride your bike more.

Wow I never thought of that...

I've got a good loop around where I live (Small one at the moment but can be extended) which is 2 miles around, so I will just try and do more laps as I go along then.

Thanks Herzog

 

[Mickthemove]

Forget speed, just get miles under your belt, increasing your effort as you see fit, i started with 4 miles 6 weeks ago and now consider my 9 mile loop as a warm up for the weekends, more tiome on the saddle pedaling and the stamina will increase naturally (imho)

 

[rideswithmoobs]

Agreed, More miles. Bananna stop when you feel like it, cafe stop for a brew and just enjoy. Before you know it you will have done 10miles then 20, 30 blah blah blah. I set of a few weeks ago after doing mostly 15-20 mile rides and was in Windermere having a brew before I knew it. 50 mile round trip by time I got home. Plan is to eventually ride to my parents in Yorkshire approx 109 miles away. Just keep riding and most of all enjoying it.

 

[Pieface]

Just went out on my bike ride and felt fine after 4 loops of the 2 mile trek than I did yesterday on the 1 loop so did just under 8 miles today. Might try and get another loop or two in later.

Only reason I stopped is my shoulder starting to hurt which I'm guessing is my seat post is to low and I'm to close to the bars?

 

[rideswithmoobs]

If you did 4 laps today and only 1 lap yesterday then see no reason to go back out again today for more. You have increased disatance and time which is the aim. Pushing too much too quick will only result in injury or pain and stiffness and thus miss days altogether. Build slowly and enjoy. It's not the TDF

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Wow I never thought of that...

Don't worry - it's easy to miss the simple things - we all do it.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Seriously - just go do as many miles as feels comfortable at a steady pace and take it day by day, week by week etc.

Are you able to vary your route? A 2 mile circuit may well fry your brain after only a short while.

 

[SamC]

My method is to pick a distance, which is further than my last ride, or something I'd consider challenging. If the distance is 40 miles, I pick a destination approx. 20 miles away and cycle there. I then have to cycle 20 miles back, whether I like it or not . I take a drink and a snack, stop when I think I need to and try and travel at a comfortable-but-not-killing-it pace on the way there to make sure I have enough energy to get back.

If I did a loop closer to home, I know I'd be tempted to give up and go home when I start to get tired or when my backside starts to hurt. I like to deprive myself of this option for my own good . I've gone from being knackered after 10 miles to being knackered after 40-odd miles, so it seems to be working.

 

[Louch]

Go slow, go longer, then try and get faster . Sprinting will make you fast, but not build stamina over distance. Take a bananna out for a pick me up mid way

 

[lulubel]

Just go out and ride, and gradually do longer and longer rides.

Riding faster will make you better at riding faster. Riding further will make you better at riding further.

 

[GrasB]

Doing shorter sustained effort hard rides can help out by increasing your ability to absorbe & distribute oxygen around your body (aerobic capacity). If you can do a highish miles in smaller higher intensity rides, sneaking in say 3-5 mile fast 5-10 mile rides a day, will in some ways will help you far more than doing a single ride of the same length in one go. It's a bit of a high risk strategy however & you'll need to be very good about recovery days (& how slow you'll be riding on those days).

 

[Pieface]

Woke up this morning with terrible cramp and pains on my stomach. I probably didn't keep hydrated enough or sitting too close to the bars again and leaning too much?