Increasing cycle distance

[£Josh D]

ok, i am currently training to do a charity even late july, i am using an exercise bike in order to increase the distance i can ride, i tarted training 2 nights ago and i can currently only ride 12.5miles as i have quit football a couple of years back and my fitness level hve really dropped, the charity event is either 30miles or 54 miles in my case, they are the two i am considering doing and i will eventually choose one. the hlp i ned: in order to increase my distance better, is it better to do 12.5miles every night or do around 17 miles every other other night? thanks alot

 

[£Josh D]

forgot to mention : my step-dad thinks it is better to keep doing 12.5 every night to increase my stamina first, then worry about increasing distance, is he correct?

 

[rsvdaz]

personally I would get out on a real bike 2/3 times a week as soon as you can and look to increase your distance by 10% a week..on at least one of your rides..you should soon be able to get upto 30miles and want to aim for at least 80% of the longer ride.
what bike are you using?

 

[£Josh D]

personally I would get out on a real bike 2/3 times a week as soon as you can and look to increase your distance by 10% a week..on at least one of your rides..you should soon be able to get upto 30miles and want to aim for at least 80% of the longer ride.
what bike are you using?

diamond back mountain, i dont like riding it long distances it gives me no determination, i am soon getting a claud butler criterium 2010 road bike and once i get that i am definately going to be getting out on it, on the exercie bike from the above question, which is better?

 

[snorri]

i tarted training 2 nights ago and i can currently only ride 12.5miles

If you have not cycled for some time, then 12.5 miles after just two days is good progress.
I also think you should get out on the road, there is more to cycling than just leg power. On a real bike you will build up your confidence in dealing with other traffic etc. and I think you will gain a better sense of achievement as the miles go by rather than watching a meter on a turbo.
You will manage a 54 mile day in 3 months time no bother

 

[Tigerbiten]

I tend to mix and match my rides.
I'll do 3 short-ish ones, ~20 miles.
Then take a day off.
Then a long-ish ride, ~50 miles
Then another day off.
Then either back to short rides for 3 days or another longer one.
Etc, etc.
Due to bad knee joints, I'm limited on how far I can ride, hence the need for recovery days.
But I've found that if I can get ~120 miles in per week doing that then a 60-70 mile ride is do-able with ease.

Luck ..............

 

[£Josh D]

thanks for th help guys, ive decided i am going to keep doing 12.5miles until its easy then do 15 and son on, for th next month. hopefully i will thn have my road bike if not in 4 weeks, at the latest 6, from then on until the charity event i will be putting the exercise bike to leep and the real outdoor riding training will start, thanks again!

 

[Norm]

Not meaning to pee on any bonfires (but recognising that is exactly what I'm about to do!) don't confuse exercise bike miles with real miles. Without knowing what bike you are using, what resistance etc, it's difficult to say how they even compare.

Keep at it, it will be a huge help, but I don't think that doing 12.5 miles on an exercise bike means the same on the road.

 

[Mark_Robson]

Not meaning to pee on any bonfires (but recognising that is exactly what I'm about to do!) don't confuse exercise bike miles with real miles. Without knowing what bike you are using, what resistance etc, it's difficult to say how they even compare.

Keep at it, it will be a huge help, but I don't think that doing 12.5 miles on an exercise bike means the same on the road.

+1

As everyone above has stated you can't beat riding a real bike and here's a few reasons why,
It's fun, Riding a real bike is fun and stimulating, riding an exercise bike is really really boring.
It's varied, your speed and gradient are variable and you have to concentrate on the road rather than watching the miles count down on the exercise bike.
It's cooler, there's nothing better than the natural airflow caused by proper cycling to help keep you cool.
and last but not least, did I mention that it's much more fun?

 

[rsvdaz]

t;is what i said......sort of of

 

[Norm]

t;is what i said......sort of of

It was kinda, yes, but I wanted to be a bit more explicit about the differences.

Mine was more an addendum to snorri's post than a correction of anything which had gone before, all of which I think is good advice.

 

[£Josh D]

thanks for the advice guys, i didnt want to go out on my bike until i got my new road bike, but all these comments have set of a spark and i am going out tommorow to do a 8.75 mile start off cycle because i havent done one since god knows when. will this be hard if i can do 12.5 miles on exercise bike as i no that the wind etc decreases the mileage you can do?

 

[Mark_Robson]

Good for you, just take it easy and you will be fine.

 

[ianrauk]

15 years old?..... 8.75 miles?.... easy peasy lemon squeezy....
just get on your bike, cycle, and stop worrying Josh....

 

[£Josh D]

15 years old?..... 8.75 miles?.... easy peasy lemon squeezy....
just get on your bike, cycle, and stop worrying Josh....

ta dude :L im going into to much depth over this, you would think it was to win the olympics hahaha thanks guys