I'm a complete beginner...........

[Roshan Varma]

I haven't cycled for many years and those years have taken thier toll on my fitness and weight. I'm 5'9, 18 stone, 42 years old and a walking heart attack. I have bought a bike and rode it today for the first time. Probably covered about 4 miles in 2 hours!!!!!!

My question is probably a stupid one, but here goes - upon reaching every little hill, i had to stop and walk the bike up it. I attempted a couple of smallish gradients (all on roads around north London) but I found i was so out of breath I just couldn't do it.

Please someone tell me this is normal for someone as unfit as me. And please tell me that this will get better. I so do not want to give it up.

Thanks for your time !

roshan

 

[ianrauk]

Welcome to Cycle Chat.

Getting off and walking? That's the way it is. There is no shame in walking up hills. You can't expect to jump on a bike and zoom up hills like you are in the Tour De France.

A heck of a lot of people on this site have been in the same situation as you, including me.
The main thing is you have got back on a bike and you are exercising , and no one says exercising is easy.

For some inspiration check out THIS thread.

Keep up the cycling, slowly build up your stamina and mileage and soon you will be flying up some hills you though impossible.

 

[col]

You will be fine, just keep at it. Short distances and go a bit further if you feel like it. Walking up hills is normal so dont worry. When your ready to cycle up the hill you will. If you get out of breath so you cant talk normally, ease of or stop for a few minutes, there's no hurry. Take it easy and enjoy.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Yes, it's perfectly normal. But some positive news: you have a good chance of improving your performance very quickly as your body gets used to the new challenge just stick at it. Remember where you are now and have a look back in a couple of weeks - I'm sure you'll be astonished how much progress you will have made.

 

[Roshan Varma]

thanks very much for your replies. Much apreciated. Those you tube videos are indeed inspirational. Thanks again

 

[BSRU]

We all have to start somewhere, my first commute was only four miles and felt like crap when I finished but being a stubborn git I just kept doing it.
My first attempt up a hill ended half way up as it was either get off and walk or collapse in a heap on the road.

 

[bucksgill]

You've got on the bike; that's the first hurdle beaten, so first of all a well done for that

As others have mentioned there is nothing wrong at walking up the hills to begin with (or for the rest of your cycling career if you enjoy it more that way), we all have to start somewhere. Just keep at it, little and often can be a good way of building up your base fitness. A good piece of advice I found on here was to leave yourself wanting more at the end of a ride; that way you'll go back out again the next day or whenever.

Also, you will find you get used to your bike which will make it far easier. By that I mean you will develop a pedalling technique that suits you and also you will use the gears better. On the gears front make sure you are not in too high a gear. Being in a low gear and pedalling faster (spinning) is far easier than being in a high gear and 'grinding' through and if you are not doing it already then it could help with the hills.

Keep at it, you seem to have the vital ingredient; determination. If you don't have people to talk about it (cyclists/fitness people etc.) in 'real life' then regularly post on CycleChat. You'll get advice, feedback and support from everyone.

Finally, enjoy it!

 

[Roshan Varma]

cheers for that! much apreciated all of your good advice.

 

[Nearly there]

Well done on your first ride I started cycling again this time last year and still remember my first ride and walking up hills that I now fly up stick in and the fitness will come

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Don't worry, you will soon cycle up the little hills .... also, inexplicably, you will soon purchase items made of lycra

 

[Talc1976]

I have recently got into cycling to get fit, When i started about 3 weeks a go i went out on a 10 mile ride and it nearly killed me, my legs hurt,my bum hurt and my lungs hurt. I have just kept going and slowly increasing my distances and i now feel fantastic, i have lost weight and feel a lot fitter.
On saturday i took a mate of mine out who also wants to get fit, we did the same 10 miles that i had done 3 weeks ago which hurt like hell, he struggled as i had done, yet i can now fly round the 10 miles, it reminded me of how i felt, looking at my mate sweating and in pain, the morale of the story is keep going it will hurt and you want to quit half way round but take it a mile at a time and i promise you in a couple of weeks time you will feel fantastic will have lost weight and will have the cycling bug.
Good luck.

 

[Peteaud]

Hills do get easier, trouble is you then start finding steeper ones to try.

I get off and walk, i couldnt care what others think, so dont let it get to you.

 

[Roshan Varma]

Lycra?????????????? Bloody hell! Do they do fat git size? That would not be a pretty sight at this stage in the game

 

[Peteaud]

Lycra?????????????? Bloody hell! Do they do fat git size? That would not be a pretty sight at this stage in the game

But you will buy some

 

[Roshan Varma]

again, thank you very much for all those positive comments. really great. (except the lycra one!!)