Is it better.......

[ChrisKH]

David, Now I don't know how to believe you as you said mountain and Essex in the same post and we all now Essex is flatter than american roadkill.

Someone might tell you different but I would start with the 10-15 miles a day and slowly build that up to your required distance.

I've never ridden a bent so can't really go much further than this so I hope this helps

Walker, I'll meet you at the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry and take you on a trip of the Essex hills! No seriously it's not known for it's up and down, but the trip South to North from many points along the estuary hits hills eventually. For example my trip home tonight which I'm doing on an individual time trial basis wind permitting will be flat(ish) for 16 miles from the City up to a line parallel with the Dartford crossing and then a further 16-17 miles east which will have some hills on it. You can actually go round them if you vary your route but it's worth mixing it up for the variety.

David, I would mix it up as much as possible as BTFB said. However I would keep the trips short(ish) initially as your body needs to adapt. When I came back to cycling six-seven years ago I was doing 10 miles a day max, five miles out, five miles back. When I was up to it and feeling strong I would try and beat my best time and really push myself. Towards the end of the week and when I felt tired I would slow down and listen to my body. The weight still come off. Over a period of six months continuous cycling I lost about two stones (and I've subsequently put on a stone, but that's another matter) and I ate pretty much what I liked.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I suggest that you go out for say, a 12 miler three times a week and do at least double that on one ride at the weekend. What I did in km (apologies, you'll have to convert it) was to do a 40 km route three evenings a week and steadily increase the weekend route until I was doing 200 km on a Sunday.

So build up your weekday rides to a sensible limit like 40 km (about 25 miles?) and build up your weekend rides as far as you can/wish.

 

[custardpie]

I'd go with the build it up gradually approach. Being pretty much a newbie myself I find hills very hard going -we seem to have some vicious ones (in my view!) in my part of Cheshire/N Wales! Did 14 miles round trip for the first time on Friday - great sense of achievement! Keep on trying

 

[davidwalton]

Just spent the last 2 hours fixing my PC , or would have replied earlier.

MapSource decided not to run, but in the process messed up Windows. Had to go through Restore, check for Viruses (just in case), ran everything I could think of. Eventually phoned Garmin and they gave me the info on how to remove MapSource (COMPLETELY) so I could re-install. Just completed it, and all APPEARS to be working OK now.

Pity MapSource won't run on MAC. A much more stable environment

As for distances, the runs I have been doing are between 15 and 30 miles so far. I think I could do up to 20 miles a day without dying, and still be OK for the next day.

1KM = 5/8'ths of a mile. (for info). I just prefer miles, as it is a measurement I know, rather than counting in 5/8'ths of a mile which means very little to me.

I have mapped out 10 routes of up to 20'ish miles (and a couple of over 30), so will see how they go over the next couple of weeks.

 

[Danny]

Believe me, there ARE mountains around here. I have only ridden 174 miles in total, been out in every direction from home, and there are mountains everywhere. Someone who has ridden for years may not see the mountains, but someone who has only just started does.

BTW- I know of at least 2 local roads where how steep they are is sign posted.

Having lived and cycled round Rainham Essex some years ago, I am still bemused by where these Essex mountain ranges are to be found. But I take the point about even gentle Essex undulations feeling like a mountain to someone who is new to cycling.

If you are really finding Essex "mountains" so taxing it does pose the question of whether you have low enough gears on your bike. Do you know what they actually are?

Anyway, back to the OP, I think it is far better to set a realistic target which takes account of your time commitments, than an unrealistic one which you fail to meet and then get demoralised about.

Cycling every other day should be a perfectly adequate way of building up your fitness, and you could even do just 10 mile rides during the week and a longer ride at the weekend.

 

[Dayvo]

David, Now I don't know how to believe you as you said mountain and Essex in the same post and we all now Essex is flatter than american roadkill.

No surprise that the Olympic Mountain Bike event due to be held at Weald Park (in my home town) is being re-located somewhere else in Essex (God knows where!) due to lack of, er, mountains!

I would suggest you do what you feel comfortable with. Having never ridden a recumbent, I don't know of the difficulties/demands the rider (driver) is put under. It depends on conditions, the route, whether your ride is a loop or just an A to B to A again, your form and mood etc.

As long as you feel comfortable and have supplies to fend off the dreaded bonk, there shouldn't be a problem. Good luck.

 

[davidwalton]

If you are really finding Essex "mountains" so taxing it does pose the question of whether you have low enough gears on your bike. Do you know what they actually are?

Gear range from 23 to 123. Something I looked in to carefully before deciding on gears. No point getting anything lower as I could not keep the recumbent upright going any slower than I do now. As I said before, I think it is more a case of me pushing 110% all the time, rather than relaxing and just getting up the inclines. However, when those inclines are steep, and there are a number around here, the legs don't stand a chance yet.

I am new to cycling, and to exercise in general, yes.

 

[Danny]

I am new to cycling, and to exercise in general, yes.

In which case don't be over ambitious and gradually build up your strength and stamina.

Years ago when I was unfit I used the Canadian Airforce exercise manual (which was published by Penguin) as a basis for an exercise programme. It started off incredibly easily - e.g. just one press up on Day 1 - and then gradually increased the amount you had to do. That approach certainly worked for me.

So if you are finding hills a really uncomfortable strain on a 10 mile ride, maybe you should start by doing 5 miles and slowly building up from there. The whole point is that cycling should be a pleasurable experience not an ordeal.

If you are new to exercise you would probably also benefit from going to a gym or a circuit training class as a way of building up your general fitness and stamina. Any good gym should have a trainer who can put together a suitable exercise programme for you.

 

[davidwalton]

In which case don't be over ambitious and gradually build up your strength and stamina.

Years ago when I was unfit I used the Canadian Airforce exercise manual (which was published by Penguin) as a basis for an exercise programme. It started off incredibly easily - e.g. just one press up on Day 1 - and then gradually increased the amount you had to do. That approach certainly worked for me.

So if you are finding hills a really uncomfortable strain on a 10 mile ride, maybe you should start by doing 5 miles and slowly building up from there. The whole point is that cycling should be a pleasurable experience not an ordeal.

If you are new to exercise you would probably also benefit from going to a gym or a circuit training class as a way of building up your general fitness and stamina. Any good gym should have a trainer who can put together a suitable exercise programme for you.

Exercise will always be an issue as I am limited by what my back allows me to do, ie. only exercise while on my back. I used to run 5 miles every morning, play local league Squash, play Tennis, play Cricket, do Athletics, etc, etc. Only stopped because of spine injury which I now have to live with.

It was only when I found I could ride a recumbent without pain that I took it up, once I saved enough to by all the gear and bike.

I don't mind a little discomfort in the short term at all.

 

[ChrisKH]

Having lived and cycled round Rainham Essex some years ago, I am still bemused by where these Essex mountain ranges are to be found. But I take the point about even gentle Essex undulations feeling like a mountain to someone who is new to cycling.

If you are really finding Essex "mountains" so taxing it does pose the question of whether you have low enough gears on your bike. Do you know what they actually are?

Anyway, back to the OP, I think it is far better to set a realistic target which takes account of your time commitments, than an unrealistic one which you fail to meet and then get demoralised about.

Cycling every other day should be a perfectly adequate way of building up your fitness, and you could even do just 10 mile rides during the week and a longer ride at the weekend.

Dannyg having ridden through Rainham recently (in fact it was last night through freezing sleet) that part of Essex is notoriously flat. The ride from Dagenham to Purfleet up to the M25 is a virtual timetrial as there are no undulations at all. Beyond the M25 it starts to undulate at Lakeside and if you stay north of the A13 and go through the country route through North Ockendon, Bulphan, Langdon Hills (clue; it's in the name), Basildon, Benfleet and Leigh you can go up and down some fairly big hills. The Langdon hill climb up to Dry Street, the climb from Basildon town centre to the Hospital (fairly gentle), Bread and Cheese Hill, Vicarage Hill, Church Road, Essex Way, Leigh station to Marine Parade to name a few I can think of.They're not Mount Ventoux but trial enough for the amateur. Go further north to the A127 and you can do the same route on an undulating but less hilly ride.

 

[ChrisKH]

No surprise that the Olympic Mountain Bike event due to be held at Weald Park (in my home town) is being re-located somewhere else in Essex (God knows where!) due to lack of, er, mountains!

I would suggest you do what you feel comfortable with. Having never ridden a recumbent, I don't know of the difficulties/demands the rider (driver) is put under. It depends on conditions, the route, whether your ride is a loop or just an A to B to A again, your form and mood etc.

As long as you feel comfortable and have supplies to fend off the dreaded bonk, there shouldn't be a problem. Good luck.

Having researched this recently, I think the money was on Epping Forest somewhere. Essex CC want the event kept in Essex for the kudos.

 

[Danny]

Exercise will always be an issue as I am limited by what my back allows me to do, ie. only exercise while on my back. I used to run 5 miles every morning, play local league Squash, play Tennis, play Cricket, do Athletics, etc, etc. Only stopped because of spine injury which I now have to live with.

It was only when I found I could ride a recumbent without pain that I took it up, once I saved enough to by all the gear and bike.

I don't mind a little discomfort in the short term at all.

Sorry I wasn't trying to teach you to suck eggs - but you did say in your earlier post that you were new to exercise.

Many sympathies about the back - I know from personal experience how debilitating a bad back can be.

 

[davidwalton]

Sorry I wasn't trying to teach you to suck eggs - but you did say in your earlier post that you were new to exercise.

Many sympathies about the back - I know from personal experience how debilitating a bad back can be.

Last time I did any real exercise was in 1994, so I am new to it. I am completely new to recumbent riding though, and limited experience with DF bikes. Last time I rode a DF bike, it was in a flat area.

 

[byegad]

Hi David. A couple of suggestions.
1) take off the cycle computer for a few weeks and just go at the pace where you can sing out loud for miles on end. You'll soon find that your average is higher and easier to improve on when you refit the computer.
2) A 23" bottom gear is not really low enough in my opinion. my Azub has a 15" bottom gear (and 81 speeds so top is 150"). It took me a couple of months to be able to ride at 4mph in bottom gear! But it is possible and gets you up almost anything without killing yourself. As you adapt to 'bent riding you will find your cadence goes up so you could afford to drop the whole range. I'm 56 and Asthmatic and when I got the Azub 3 years ago my cadence was 72 and had been for years. now I cruise at 82 and can spin at 95 up hill for long periods.

 

[davidwalton]

Hi David. A couple of suggestions.
1) take off the cycle computer for a few weeks and just go at the pace where you can sing out loud for miles on end. You'll soon find that your average is higher and easier to improve on when you refit the computer.
2) A 23" bottom gear is not really low enough in my opinion. my Azub has a 15" bottom gear (and 81 speeds so top is 150"). It took me a couple of months to be able to ride at 4mph in bottom gear! But it is possible and gets you up almost anything without killing yourself. As you adapt to 'bent riding you will find your cadence goes up so you could afford to drop the whole range. I'm 56 and Asthmatic and when I got the Azub 3 years ago my cadence was 72 and had been for years. now I cruise at 82 and can spin at 95 up hill for long periods.

23" bottom gear is about as low as I can go, while still remaining balanced on the recumbent. At 70rpm cadence, that is less than 5mph. 15" at same cadence is around 3mph, walking speed and not a speed I could stay on the bike going uphill. For an extra 2 mph, that I might be able to use in the future, we are talking a lot of extra money, especially since the bike is brand new and me being broke as a result.

Even with the gears I have, at 5mph, I am not exactly going in a straight line.

All academic as I have the gears I have now anyway. In the months ahead, I fully expect 23" to be more than low enough as I get fitter.

On a Trike, I would consider lower gears as balance is not an issue with them.

The computer is only on to be able to transfer the trip data once back home. Taking it off would have no benefit that I can see, and not change the way I ride. Apart from what is around me, the only other thing I pay much attention to is the GPS, which is set with the route I preplanned and following. I am a stranger to these parts, so GPS is required.

BTW- Apart from getting Hub gears added, the only way I could get the bike down to 15" is with a 20T front chainring. Would than have to lose a lot from the other end, which I do use.