I'm slowly dying with this cycling lark.

[Crankarm]

Well another day done. Lasted again, took it a bit easier coming home and felt much better for it. Even took the kids for a 3 mile walk after dinner. This fitness thing could well agree with me!

Only another 2 weeks with the mountain bike and should have a Boardman hybrid

Going to stick with it. Can already notice the difference in my legs. Strange thing though, my stomach is already noticeably smaller, but the scales are telling me I'm getting heavier. On a diet too (which I'm sticking with). Anyone know why this would be happening? I had hopes to drop some lbs during this adventure.

Thanks again for all your kind words. I really appreciate them and feel motivated by you all.

What do you weigh and your height?

Cut out the pies, cakes, fizzy drinks and crisps.

Do some running.

Alternatively give up and take the bus.

 

[rodgy-dodge]

Stick with it, like most have said, if you can lock out the suspension, I had a scott with this type of suspension and it was murderous on the road! I feel your pain...When I first started riding I had a ten mile pain barrier, I don't know if anyone else experienced this, but either the first 20 mins or the first ten mile I found it really tough going. Once I'd gone over this it all became easy. Try doing some stretches before getting on. I think most of us just jump on our bikes with no warm up and don't go hell for leather when you set off, let your muscles warm up. It will get easier. Try not to tense up going up hill, get your breathing in control, low gears. Psychologically I like to keep a gear or two in reserve so I go as low as I can with a couple in reserve on a climb because you do have days when your more tired than others. Its getting to know your bike and how it works for you. hope this helps.

 

[benb]

My commute is a similar distance, and it took me 6 months before I felt able to do it 5 days a week. I started Mon, Wed, Fri. I managed to go to 4 days a week after about 3 or 4 months.

I probably could have done all 5 days sooner, so you may well find you manage it better than me. But my point is, don't be disheartened, and importantly don't push yourself so much that you do yourself an injury or get pissed off with the whole thing.

 

[Nearly there]

Like many have already said check your seat height try and lock out your suspension if possible make sure your tyres are pumped up to the max take a break have a day off once a week you'll find as the weeks go on you'll look back and laugh at those days when you struggled with your commute

 

[Globalti]

You need to understand that your body will need time to react to the extra stresses you're putting on it. Unaccustomed exercise will be taking a lot out of your reserves and doing damage to your muscle fibre; it is the rebuilding of the muscle fibre that increases bulk and makes you stronger and fitter. Make sure you are eating enough protein and fats and give yourself time to recover. If you took three days off cycling now you would be amazed at how strong you felt afterwards.

My first ride on a mountain bike was a mere five miles from the shop to my home; my tyres were too soft and I had underestimated my fitness. It nearly killed me, a neighbour told me afterwards that she drove past, saw me and considered coming back to offer me a lift, I looked so knackered! Now I regularly ride 40-50 miles without trouble and have done 100 as well as three 68 mile races.

 

[GilesM]

SoonToBeSkinny, as most have said, just stick at it, it takes a while to get to the point where your body can easily handle the daily commute, and take it easy, no point going at it like a nutter for the first few weeks and hating it so much you never ride a bike again. Do the simple things people have mentioned, check you saddle is the right height, pump your tyres up to the max pressure written on the tyre, and you may be able to do something to stiffen up the suspension, if you know the make and model of front and rear suspension, some here maybe able to help, or even a couple of pics posted could be useful, however there is sadly a good chance that if it's a cheap full sus bike (at 18kg I suspect it is, unless it's a fully specced downhill machine, although 18kg is heavy for one of those), there will be no suspension adjustment.
When you get the hybrid you will be fitter from your few weeks on the heavy bouncing bike, and you will really notice the difference, but if you put in the same effort, it will still hurt, you'll just get home quicker, I'm sure you'll be finding extensions to your journey home in a few months.
I have a full sus bike with big tyres, it weighs a bit under 13kg, and I can lock out the front suspension and tighten up the rear one on the move, but I still hate riding it on the road, it's just too much like hard work.

 

[Globalti]

Every morning I see a bloke riding to work on a FS mountain bike with knobbly tyres. He is a big, fit looking guy but he always looks to be making heavy weather; his flappy clothes are bulging like sails and slowing him down and even on a very gentle gradient he stands on the pedals and heaves like hell. If I was driving in the same direction as him I would wind the window down and tell him what a difference it would make if, in order of increasing effect, he:

1 - Wore closer fitting clothes.
2 - Pumped tyres up hard.
3 - Fitted slick tyres.
4 - Changed to a hybrid or road bike.

 

[Nosaj]

Soon to be skinny - keep at it and you certainly will be soon.

We all have days where our legs feel like lead and it can feel like a real hard slog

I know its not a commute but I did a 10 mile TT last night it started pouring down at the start. About 3 miles in I felt like either chucking the bike into the hedge and walking back (or giving up & turning around) at the halfway point I felt great and actually knocked 1 min 15 off my personal best (not a hard achievement because my best time wasn't great to start with)

The point is not my TT but after you have been riding a while it does take a bit of a time to warm up and get into the groove so to speak. We all get this and it is not unusual. Take it easy on yourself recognise it and ease up if you have to. If you have a long hard drag at the beginning of your commute drop a gear hell drop into the granny ring and spin up the thing even if you feel could walk up quicker.

Take a rest day if required but always recognise that you will have days where it feels harder than others and stop being so hard on yourself

 

[Andrew_Culture]

You are going to FLY when you get that hybrid! I road only MTBs between age fourteen and 35 (and that includes some serious road mileage), when I bought my first road bike it was like suddenly being able to talk a foreign language, really really easily!

 

[david k]

Evening all. Need a bit of advice.

I started the commute to work last week. It's not a long commute, only 7.2 miles round trip per day. Now I had done zero exercise in the last two years and expected it to be tough but it is really killing me. First three days were okay. Yesterday however I knew about a mile into the journey home that I was in trouble. My legs felt like lead. Its a gradual incline most of the way and there was a brutal headwind. I seriously considered giving up half way home but stayed the course. Better today but the legs are still like lead.

I have two things going against me. Firstly, I don't have a decent bike yet. I will be getting a bike to work voucher soon that will change that but I am currently using an 18 kg mountain bike with front and rear suspension.

Secondly, I am not convinced I am getting the most out of the gears. For the hill climb parts what gears should I be using?

Any other tips to help improve things. I am starting to get a bit miserable but am determined to keep it going.

spin mate, you gota spin. dont cycle with a walking tempo, try to spin the pedal faster than you would naturally. so go for a low gear and spin fast but easy, it will feel strange and you may look a bit silly for a while but its defo the bet way to go, dont worry about times, just getting there and feeling ok

goo luck to ya pal

 

[frayBentos59]

Stick at it pal!! it WILL get easier. The suspension is going to be brutal for you at first but you will get there. As someone (or probably everyone) has now mentioned try going on to slicker tyres too.
And also when nobody is looking, start doing a few sets of leg lunges each day, not too much and build up. you'll build strength in your legs very quickly and will notice an improvement quite rapidly. Just ask Chris Hoy, I trained him and look at his bad boys

 

[Nihal]

I have a fixed gear,no front suspension and can do 12 miles an hour without stopping on a goo incline but it took me 2 weeks to get past the 8 mile mark.just try pedalling with the center of your foot and try bending upper body low for good aerodynamics.helped me

And best of luck

 

[Sheepy1209]

Lots of really good advice - the first couple of weeks are the hardest, but you'll continue to develop for much longer. I've been commuting for two years now (10 miles each way) but even now I only average about three days a week - that's what I'm happy with, dictated mainly by wind strength and direction (I'm on the coast so it can get hairy).

As well as avoiding clothing that catches the wind you'll also eventually work out what to wear for the conditions - you should feel slightly chilly when you set off so that you can warm up without overheating. I find if I get too hot it's much harder.

 

[BC BOOTLE]

spin mate, you gota spin. dont cycle with a walking tempo, try to spin the pedal faster than you would naturally. so go for a low gear and spin fast but easy, it will feel strange and you may look a bit silly for a while but its defo the bet way to go, dont worry about times, just getting there and feeling ok

goo luck to ya pal

he's right,,spin ,,dont slog..

 

[SoonToBeSkinny]

Just an update for you all. Have persevered with it. Mountain bike was pulling the legs out of me bit I kept going. Worked in rest days like you suggested

Well, I got my Boardman Hybrid this afternoon. I cycled 8.5 miles in 45 minutes. My previous longest cycle was 3.5 miles and that was taking about 20-22 minutes. Windy day too.

I

AM

DELIGHTED



Thanks to you all.