I thought I was moderately fit...

[malcermie]

I thought wrong!

Went for a bike ride earlier and I can't believe how out of shape I am. I did my 4 mile circuit in 20 mins. Now I know mountain bikes are all but 4 miles and I thought my legs were gonna fall off. I look around this forum and people talking about 50 & 100 mile bike rides like it's a stroll in the park and there's me struggling with 4 bleeding miles! It's enough to put you off.

How long before improvements kick in? How long before I feel like a proper cyclist rather than a pretender?

I'm not giving up cos I actually enjoy it (despite the pain), I'm just feeling a bit deflated that I can't manage 4 miles with pain.

Rode two miles on a friends mountain bike and couldn't believe how hard work those knobby tyres were!! I think I used twice as much energy as I do on road tyres it was like riding with suction cups on!!
Malc

 

[DeepBurn]

Rode two miles on a friends mountain bike and couldn't believe how hard work those knobby tyres were!! I think I used twice as much energy as I do on road tyres it was like riding with suction cups on!!
Malc

Very true - my current bike is the first I have ever ridden with road tyres and it makes such a difference.

And yesterday, whilst out riding, I had to pump my tyres up a bit becasue they were a little flat. The difference I felt going up the next hill was remarkable, just for having more air in them!!

 

[BalkanExpress]

I thought wrong!

Went for a bike ride earlier and I can't believe how out of shape I am. I did my 4 mile circuit in 20 mins. Now I know mountain bikes are all but 4 miles and I thought my legs were gonna fall off. I look around this forum and people talking about 50 & 100 mile bike rides like it's a stroll in the park and there's me struggling with 4 bleeding miles! It's enough to put you off.

How long before improvements kick in? How long before I feel like a proper cyclist rather than a pretender?

I'm not giving up cos I actually enjoy it (despite the pain), I'm just feeling a bit deflated that I can't manage 4 miles with pain.

Look at it this way : you were averaging 12 miles an hour which is not bad, so I guess your lungs are okay but your legs just need to get used to the cycling. After a week of 4 miles an evening you'll start to feel the difference and you can build up the distance after that.

As everyone else has said stick with it and it gets better, a few years back when i started riding again my first ride took me up a steep hill, I got to the top( having stopped once for a rest and some water ) and .... Every ride after that was an improvement.

 

[Rob3rt]

Gah - it's a bike not a run - 10% each ride !

Yes true, was just correcting the runners rule

TBH on a bike, I never bothered building up gradually. I seemed to be able to ~30 mile without feeling particularly tired from day one. Then I would choose a distance and do it. Like the recent Manc 100, I said I would come, and I did. My previously longest ride was about 60 mile and that was over a year ago, maybe longer (at the time of the Manc 100), I had been cycling minimally for a good 9 months and only recently got back on the bike a few weeks before that 100. I appear to have a pretty good baseline for endurance.

 

[Dayvo]

Don't worry about time OR distance! Do what you feel comfortable with and do it as often as you can/feel like.

Once you feel an improvement then you can think about upgrading to another bike (IF that is what you want: the important thing is that YOU do what YOU want to do: don't worry about other people).

Just get out and enjoy yorself!

 

[G2EWS]

morebiggins_lesswiggins keep it up, you are doing great for a newbie I reckon!

Started my 'commute' 12 rides ago! (couple of higher mileage than my commutes in there)

5 miles each way and the first day was 28 minutes and knackered. I am now at just over 20 minutes, average of just over 14 mph and loving it. Trying to beat my previous best using the Garmin software. So far I am 'winning' almost every day! Amazes me that it takes longer to cycle in that it does to get home and not that much difference in hills!

So morebiggins_lesswiggins just keep it up and it will get easier. Seems like there is a lot of sense spoken on this forum and a lot of great help the likes of you and I can tap into.

Best regards

Chris

 

[Davidc]

Don't worry about jargon, or clothing.

If it's a mountain bike (jargon = mtb) get the knobbly tyres off and smooth (jargon = slick) ones on and you'll go twice the distance!

All the best with it. Good way to stay fit, a cheap form of transport and an enjoyable activity with it.

 

[morebiggins_lesswiggins]

Don't worry about jargon, or clothing.

If it's a mountain bike (jargon = mtb) get the knobbly tyres off and smooth (jargon = slick) ones on and you'll go twice the distance!

All the best with it. Good way to stay fit, a cheap form of transport and an enjoyable activity with it.

"Cheap" ? It's costing me a bloody fortune so far.

In all seriousness guys thanks for the moral support. Gonna get me slicks (see I'm speaking the lingo already) on the bike and see how that goes. Now where's my credit card?

 

[Pato Donald]

Congrats on the ride! Don't be hard on yourself, it's always the earliest rides that are toughest!

Like everyone said, it gets easier the more you do it. Consistency is key, and if it is something you like, it will be easier to make it a part of your daily routune. Who knows, you may end up doing some longer rides before too long!

I think because cycling is a low-impact activity compared to running, you're able to increase mileage a bit more quickly. That said, it's critical to do this incrementally and to listen to your body. With a little persistence and patience you'll improve faster than you may think!

 

[barrymanifold]

Five months ago 3 mile could not get my breath now have done my 100km and my regular 25 mile takes a hour and a half .As they say you just have to put the miles in.

 

[morebiggins_lesswiggins]

When I stop and think that it was less than 9 months ago that I tore my ACL it makes me feel a bit better about how I'm doing. I've always had pretty strong legs from my swimming days but I guess my knee injury has affected me more than I'd like too admit.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Don't worry about time OR distance! Do what you feel comfortable with and do it as often as you can/feel like.

Once you feel an improvement then you can think about upgrading to another bike (IF that is what you want: the important thing is that YOU do what YOU want to do: don't worry about other people).

Just get out and enjoy yorself!

+1

Five months ago 3 mile could not get my breath now have done my 100km and my regular 25 mile takes a hour and a half .As they say you just have to put the miles in.

I could mirror this, first ride June 23 8 miles @ 9.3 mph, this last 8 days I have done 2x60Km rides 2x50km, a 40km 2x30+Km and a 20km (that was to test the new GPS thing) most I have done in a day was 85Km though that was three different rides really, a couple of commutes and a 50Km ride. Poor bike doesn't know whats going on, it had been in the shed the best part of 4 years with just the odd ride.

I suffered a compression injury to my right leg some years ago, cycling has strengthened it, I still get some sharp pains whilst out riding, though if I back off a little and spin gentle, it goes.

 

[morebiggins_lesswiggins]

Thought I'd give you all an update (not that I imagine anyone to care). Not been out for about 3 weeks due to an issue with an amazon vendor ( never order through bikemadness!!!) After advice on this forum I ordered some new tyres to put on the MTB but when I ordered off amazon I forgot to change the quantity to 2 ( idiot I know) so I ordered another tyre from amazon themselves as I was ordering something else anyway. I ordered the tyre from bikemadness on 20/09/2012 and it didnt arrive until yesterday!!!

Anyway I digress. After 3 weeks doing nothing ( considering I've only been out a couple of times anyway) I thought I would be alot slower than usual on my little route. Then when I was riding I seemed to get caught at every set of lights for a longer time than usual. I then had to stop to sort my saddle out (I really need to fiddle with the fit of the bike, I'm sure my knees aren't supposed to hit my gut!!) Anyway, as I dragged my fat arse down the 'home straight' I was thinking 'this must be the longest I have ever taken on this route'. Got home to find I'd done it in...exactly the same time with a top speed of 27 mph.

I know it probably means nothing to alot of you but its given me a boost. Finally got some lights now which means I can go out when my son is in bed now (couldnt get out alot before my lights arrived as I was fulfilling my role as family taxi driver!!)

Felt sick as a dog when I'd finished mind which shows how out of shape I am!!

 

[Berties]

I've rode 180 plus miles a week on carbon road bike all summer average speed always above 17mph,today took out my faithful mountain bike,did a 15 mile route a lot off road,the beast is heavy slow but a joy to get out in the mud,a mountain bike v a road bike is like night and day for distance,i did a 20mph mile but my legs told the tale,keep with it ignore the roadies,mountain bikes are fun but a little harder to ride over distance but you will become a stronger rider!!

 

[mrbadexample]

I've done the same thing as you today. I reversed a 14 mile route that I first did on Friday. Felt like I was dying all the way round, and arrived home in almost exactly the same time. I thought I'd taken about 15-20 minutes longer. How does that work then, eh?