New to Cycling Legs are complaining.
- Thread starter Banjo
- Start date
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OP
OP
Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
"I'll be contemplating distances of 200 to 600 miles"
I get tired driving the car that far :-) Being realistic, I am hoping that in a few months I will be able to do 20 miles now and then without feeling like Ive been beaten up afterwards.
I get tired driving the car that far :-) Being realistic, I am hoping that in a few months I will be able to do 20 miles now and then without feeling like Ive been beaten up afterwards.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Banjo, I don't know your starting point but you may be surprised at the speed of improvement.
I started cycling to the station in Nov08, round trip of 7 miles. I'm 42 years old and was very unfit and 18 stone in weight. First few times I couldn't complete without a couple of walking spells. I'm now doing my full commute, round trip of 40 miles, 3 times a week. I also had most of Feb off the bike due to snow and illness. I've got a triple hybrid and without the granny ring would never make it up some hills. Some stuff I've learned:-
saddle height - I'd gone with the old idea of being able to touch toes to ground both sides simultaneously. Now I've got the height right I can only touch with one foot at an angle. It's actually easier to slide forward off the seat and stand over top tube.
hills - I'm getting better and find if I can stay in the saddle I get up them with less effort.
gears - initially I ground out too big a gear and felt some pain in the knees, I spin a lower gear more now and it's much more comfortable. My legs do ache but not in a bad way and I'm resting in between commutes as well. My gear range, in inches via Sheldons gear calculator, is 31.4 to 117.7. I actually have only been in the big ring once to see if it worked. The top gear in the middle ring, 95.1 inches, seems to be plenty for my needs. I am using less at the other end and haven't needed the 31.4 this week and only once used the next gear up. It has made me wonder about gears and so I've got a new wheel with a 9 speed hub gear. I figured I only used about 7 of my, alleged, 27 gears anyway.
improvements - I've lost 21lbs in weight, I've gone from an average of just under 10mph to 12.96mph(today) for my 40 miles. I no longer feel like I'm about to die at the end of the ride.
Beware - this cycling thing seems quite addictive, I've certainly been bitten by the bug. I resent my train commutes but do know that too much too soon could do me damage
I started cycling to the station in Nov08, round trip of 7 miles. I'm 42 years old and was very unfit and 18 stone in weight. First few times I couldn't complete without a couple of walking spells. I'm now doing my full commute, round trip of 40 miles, 3 times a week. I also had most of Feb off the bike due to snow and illness. I've got a triple hybrid and without the granny ring would never make it up some hills. Some stuff I've learned:-
saddle height - I'd gone with the old idea of being able to touch toes to ground both sides simultaneously. Now I've got the height right I can only touch with one foot at an angle. It's actually easier to slide forward off the seat and stand over top tube.
hills - I'm getting better and find if I can stay in the saddle I get up them with less effort.
gears - initially I ground out too big a gear and felt some pain in the knees, I spin a lower gear more now and it's much more comfortable. My legs do ache but not in a bad way and I'm resting in between commutes as well. My gear range, in inches via Sheldons gear calculator, is 31.4 to 117.7. I actually have only been in the big ring once to see if it worked. The top gear in the middle ring, 95.1 inches, seems to be plenty for my needs. I am using less at the other end and haven't needed the 31.4 this week and only once used the next gear up. It has made me wonder about gears and so I've got a new wheel with a 9 speed hub gear. I figured I only used about 7 of my, alleged, 27 gears anyway.
improvements - I've lost 21lbs in weight, I've gone from an average of just under 10mph to 12.96mph(today) for my 40 miles. I no longer feel like I'm about to die at the end of the ride.
Beware - this cycling thing seems quite addictive, I've certainly been bitten by the bug. I resent my train commutes but do know that too much too soon could do me damage
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
IME complaining legs are not an age thing! Even in my twenties and in Suffolk I can remember returning from rides and finding the stairs an obstacle
Aching muscles are a sign you have had some exercise
It may be that your saddle height is wrong, but be careful in making adjustments. I prefer to start off too low and very carefully raise the height. If too high, I get back of the knee pain (hamstrings) but there's no early warning as the problem occurs the day after the ride and takes a day or two to clear up. It takes only a centimetre to make a difference.
Aching muscles are a sign you have had some exerciseIt may be that your saddle height is wrong, but be careful in making adjustments. I prefer to start off too low and very carefully raise the height. If too high, I get back of the knee pain (hamstrings) but there's no early warning as the problem occurs the day after the ride and takes a day or two to clear up. It takes only a centimetre to make a difference.
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
Ah, you're welcome Banjo. Many of us here received advice from others when we started .. it'd be pretty poor if we didn't extend that to others.
I can endorse Fab Foodies hill climbing method .. tried it out late last year for the first time and it's MUCH less tiring than getting all tensed up.
I can endorse Fab Foodies hill climbing method .. tried it out late last year for the first time and it's MUCH less tiring than getting all tensed up.
Fab Foodie said:
dhague
New Member
- Location
- Virginia Water, Surrey
Thanks to everyone on this thread - I have been experiencing similar problems myself. I'm a few weeks into commuting, aged just over 40, and back on a bike for the first time in 20-odd years. I'm commuting 7 miles each way, every 2 or 3 days, and my thighs are getting gradually stiffer the more I commute. Cadence is getting better (started in the 60-70 range, up in the 90s for today's ride), so I'll try raising the saddle a little bit and see if that helps.
Cheers,
Darren
Cheers,
Darren
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
I'm about your age, Darren, similar distance commute and same time out of the saddle prior to that.
Getting the seat-height sorted has been the single biggest thing that's made my life easier. Followed by cadence, and then Fab Foodie's climbing technique.
All I did with the seat was put it up about 5-6mm (~1/4"), ride for a few days and see how it felt. It felt easier to ride. Then put it up again. Repeat. There came a point where it didn't feel easier any more and it started to hurt behind my knee .. I was feeling "stretched". At that point, I put the seat back down and have left it there since.
From doing the commute every few days, like you, I progressed to every day within a few months. It does get easier, if you stick at it. I now go up the hill out of my village at twice the speed I used to .. the first time I tried it I had to bail out halfway up. The trick is definitely to do a little bit at a time .. gives your nether regions and the seat time to get acquainted as well.
Getting the seat-height sorted has been the single biggest thing that's made my life easier. Followed by cadence, and then Fab Foodie's climbing technique.
All I did with the seat was put it up about 5-6mm (~1/4"), ride for a few days and see how it felt. It felt easier to ride. Then put it up again. Repeat. There came a point where it didn't feel easier any more and it started to hurt behind my knee .. I was feeling "stretched". At that point, I put the seat back down and have left it there since.
From doing the commute every few days, like you, I progressed to every day within a few months. It does get easier, if you stick at it. I now go up the hill out of my village at twice the speed I used to .. the first time I tried it I had to bail out halfway up. The trick is definitely to do a little bit at a time .. gives your nether regions and the seat time to get acquainted as well.
Iainj837
Guru
- Location
- Shepton Mallet Somerset
dhague
New Member
- Location
- Virginia Water, Surrey
Just reporting back: as I have raised the saddle (about 2" so far) my legs are getting better and better, so thanks again for the suggestions here.
I'm starting to think about drop bars on my hybrid now... :-)
- Darren
I'm starting to think about drop bars on my hybrid now... :-)
- Darren
Mike Rudkin
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Worle.North Somerset
Hi Banjo,where in S.Wales ? I'm on top of Llantrisant Hill,so my legs always ache by time I get home! I usually 'spin' on Turbo trainer the next day-seems to work for me.
By the way-I'm an unfit 71,working hard to ride like my brain remembers 50 yrs ago :-)
By the way-I'm an unfit 71,working hard to ride like my brain remembers 50 yrs ago :-)
Randochap
Senior hunter
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
dhague said:
Just be aware that this will require not just bars, but probably a new stem, shifters, cables and brake levers.
In most cases, this is not an economical way to get a "road" style bike. There is more to a road bike than just drop bars. I'd recommend taking some road bikes for test rides to see how you feel on one.
I'm guessing jumping from a hybrid to a road bike is not going to be something you'll take to right away and it would be wise to try something before you undertake a costly conversion or invest in a new bike.
If you do decide to go for a bike w/ drops, also resist being convinced from without or within that you should have a full-on racing bike, when you would probably be happier w/ a tourer or audax bike. Unless, of course, you discover you are a natural and want to try challenging yourself in the world of bicycle racing
Here's an example of the kind of bike that would serve most recreational cyclists better than the off-the-peg pretend racers they are buying.
dont forget the body repairs during times of rest, this is crucial in all levels of fitness. for me i find if i have a couple of days off with good quality sleep i get a real kick out of getting back on the bike and can quite litterally power through my local hills with the chain on the middle front sprocket, where on tired legs i can only do it in absolute lowest gear.
nearly 40 and fat and unfit but improving week on week, and loving it !!
nearly 40 and fat and unfit but improving week on week, and loving it !!
dhague
New Member
- Location
- Virginia Water, Surrey
Thanks for the tips about the drop bars - I may go for trekking/butterfly bars instead - they should fit the hybrid OK, and will give me the main thing I am looking for, which is alternative hand positions. What I'd really like to do is get something more in the audax mould for my daily commute, but given that my current bike is only a couple of months old, that will have to wait until next year. Maybe my employer joins Cycle2Work by then...
Cheers,
Darren
Cheers,
Darren
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
dhague said:
If you are just looking for alternative hand positions, then you should consider bar ends first, as this is the simplest and cheapest solution. If you are thinking of a complete change of bike, then the best thing to do is visit a few LBS's (have a look at the LBS Recommendations thread) and try as mean different bike as you can within you budget. All good bike shops should let you test ride bikes on the road, if they don't just walk away and never go back. When you find the bike that is right for you, you will know almost as soon as you ride it...
