New to Cycling and after Tips :)

[Heather]

Hi everyone

Up until recently I was a runner that owned a bike. Due to injury (plantar fasciitis) etc I'm going to spending at least the rest of 2011 on a bike

I had a high level of running fitness, I was a long distance type, running marathons most weekends. I'd like to translate this to the bike, so will be doing sportives most weekends instead as I like events

I've started ok with an 86 mile one 2 weeks ago, a 100k last weekend, and this weekend I will be trying the Chiltern Big Dipper which is 103 miles. Now I've not done much cycling before, and although my endurance is fine from running, the shock to the system is the hills!! And the Big Dipper will have lots I expect. My bike is ok, not the best in the world, just an entry level road one, I think it was about £500 so hoping I will be ok on this for a while.

Basically, any tips are welcome. I'm a complete girl in terms of mechanichy stuff, i've learnt to change an inner tube (go me lol) but thats about as good as it gets. I know pretty much nothing about cycling, and am too scared to try a club as although I was ok at running (3.24 marathon if anyones a runner) I'm slowwww on the bike. Both the sportives I did I averaged 14-15mph for the day, (the first wasn't very hilly) and I wasn't stopped for that long.

I am commuting to work every day which is 36m round trip at about 16-17 mph but its not that hilly so I'm not getting much hill practice apart from the actual sportives.

I'm basically just feeling all new and a bit daunted and all my friends are runners so I'm a bit lost and lonely lol and scared about my terribleness. Will I just get faster the more I do, or do I need to do/get anything specific?

Blimey what a lot of waffle!!!!

 

[sabian92]

I'm not a runner (or much of a cyclist at 16 stone and very unfit...) but cycling will exercise completely different muscles and the like, so don't worry if the hills kill you at first - you will get used to them, although it might frustrate you being a fit runner, not all of your fitness translates.

Either way, if you're cycling 100+ miles and find that OK, then it won't be long before you're climbing hills like you're a homesick angel.

 

[oldroadman]

First, keep cadence (leg speed) high. Don't force gears round, spinning a gear around 100rpm is much better for your knees anyway, and helps endurance, which at 3-24 for 42km run you certainly have. Be brave, look up clubs via the BC website and get in touch. It's not just about fitness, you will learn technique, etiquette, and how to ride close and safe in a group, all importnat. If you happen to be near West London, Hillingdon have women only sessions whcih may be a help, and will put you in touch with coaches. Once you get the riding bug, you might not want to go back to running. Any help, post again and doubtless lots of help/suggestions will appear. And there's likely to be little wrong with a £500 bike. Proper kit matters, and no doubt plenty of advice on that too, but women specific shorts (especially) will halp long ride comfort. Lots to learn, just enjoy, you have the "engine" which is a great start.

 

[Heather]

Excellent thanks, keep it all coming!

Have ordered some nice new kit (any shopping excuse........) and have got some nice new things arrived this morning.

I need to get some cadence monitor thingy to see how many RPMs I do- so basically, not too higher gear, just one I can do about 100 RPM in? I'll try and get one at the weekend, I've just been using my running GPS for distance/time so I need a bike computer wotnot.

 

[Ravenbait]

Excellent thanks, keep it all coming!

Have ordered some nice new kit (any shopping excuse........) and have got some nice new things arrived this morning.

I need to get some cadence monitor thingy to see how many RPMs I do- so basically, not too higher gear, just one I can do about 100 RPM in? I'll try and get one at the weekend, I've just been using my running GPS for distance/time so I need a bike computer wotnot.

You don't need a cadence monitor. Just spin faster than you think is right and keep doing that until it gets silly.

Oh, and that's an impressive cycling debut! I ruptured my plantar fascia last year and have been off running ever since, so I feel your pain.

Sam

 

[fimm]

Hello Heather, welcome to the forums!

I do the odd triathlon, so I get to run and cycle slowly! Never done a marathon, but have a couple of 1:42 halfs.

If you can change an inner tube, then you know the most important "get you home" repair task. It you don't already have a little bag under your seat with spare tube, tyre levers (and maybe a piece of string) in it, then get one. (Mine also has a chain tool in it, and I managed to impress the men in the office by having repaired a broken chain on my way to work the other day. Not so essential, though.)

In terms of hills - some people do hill repeats, ie, find a hill and cycle up and down it a lot (you may have done similar things while running, though I never have). Others will say that this sounds far too serious and you should just get out on your bike and have fun! I have noticed that my thighs have got more muscular since I've been taking my cycling more seriously, and you might see the same.

 

[Ravenbait]

Oh, and we have several mechanically competent ladies on the forum, so you might wish to revise your idea of what it's like to be a complete girl, mechanically speaking .

Sam

 

[Heather]

Thanks

Thats one thing I'm a little worried about.

Running means everything to me and its heartbreaking having a long period off, so need a little cycle encouragement. I'm worried that when I go back to running I'll have these whopping thighs lol and be very slow. But I guess its just one of those things i'll have to deal with!!

 

[lukesdad]

Nothing wrong with those sportive performances Heather. From your description of yourself and your running experience you might find climbing out of the saddle will work better for you ( and before everybody starts im not talking about grinding ) what height and weight are you ?

 

[Heather]

lukesdad- I'm 5'5 and about 9st5, just kinda averaged sized- size 10ish.

The only problem with getting out the saddle is that I can sometimes feel my foot injury if I do that- I feel nothing cycling sitting, but as soon as I get out off the saddle its a bit sore. Walking/running is horrible, but thats why the bike is feeling nice. No pain

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks

Thats one thing I'm a little worried about.

Running means everything to me and its heartbreaking having a long period off, so need a little cycle encouragement. I'm worried that when I go back to running I'll have these whopping thighs lol and be very slow. But I guess its just one of those things i'll have to deal with!!

I think most women who don't take drugs and do a lot of weights would find it hard to develop huge thighs. I've cycled with some very fit women and they were not particularly big. I suppose their legs might be chunkier than those of a long distance runner though.

I'd definitely recommend the higher cadences and lower gears route. That's putting the emphasis on leg speed more than leg strength.

It's interesting to see what a very fit person thinks 'terribleness' in a cyclist is! I know lots of people who have been riding for years who would struggle to match the riding stats you've just achieved!

 

[BrumJim]

Hill climbing is about leg strength (takes a while to build those muscles up), cadence (computer will help), cardio fitness (shouldn't be a problem for a marathon runner) and steady pace. I aim to climb the first half of any decent hill well within myself. Its only from the half-way point that you can start to increase your work rate so that you run out of oomph just after you reach the crest, not before. At which point you should be going downhill, and therefore can have a mini rest.

However you are probably faster than me up hills already, with your marathon fitness, so don't take too much notice of what I have written.

£500 is fine for Sportives. Improvements in mechanicals and reductions in weight start to get more marginal after than.

 

[Heather]

LOL, by 'terribleness' I just mean that in the 2 sportives I've done in the last fortnight, I've been right at the back and all alone as everyone has just cycled off into the sunset!!!! I'd just like to be able to keep up a bit!!!

 

[Globalti]

Hi, welcome. Check and let us know the gearing on your bike; it might help if you got a bigger hill climbing gear fitted. This would mean an inner ring about 34 and a cassette about 11 to 27. This gearing will get you up most hills without grinding too much though a triple chainring would be even better. It's the grinding that builds up muscle bulk as I'm sure you know. Grinding can also damage your knees. I'm sure you realise this but for a fit athlete suddenly to transfer to a new sport means risking injury - I remember the only time I went running, it crippled me for three days and I only did four miles!

From what I know about muscles, they respond pretty fast to however you stress them so I wouldn't worry too much about developing meaty quads.


For cycling kit, look at dhb, which is Wiggle's own brand. The quality is excellent and it's well priced.

On bike maintenance you will need to know how to adjust the indexing of the gears. It's such an easy thing to do and not worth taking the bike to a shop.

Added later: on keeping up with other cyclists, understand that wind resistance is a big factor and you can reduce your effort by 25 to 30% just by sitting on someone's wheel and enjoying the shelter they provide. Somebody called Bonj who no longer comes on this forum once wrote about the "finesse and subtlety" of road riding and only now am I beginning to understand what he meant by it. Drafting is part of it and the skill of riding in a group, as well as technique such as carrying as much momentum as possible down hills and up the other side so that you don't have to drop lots of gears.

If you're interested, get hold of a non-fiction book called The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton; it's small so you can read it in a couple of hours. It's about bicycle obsession, race lore and technique and it has a shock at the end, which I won't spoil for you.

 

[Heather]

OK so how/where do I ealrn about the gears?

Mine has 3 rings at the front- so should be easier on hills yes?