newbie training and developing

[brett sleger]

I am not 100% sure to be honest. They have given us a specific time to get there by to do it. We were i think 84-86 but i cant remember now.

I tell you what though its good as my two brother in laws and my dad have started cycling as well. Because theyv seen how much i have lost and they want to loose similar. They problem they all have is lifestyle. They eat all the wrong foods and too much of them and apart from my dad they all drink every weekend sometimes two nights in a row.
I did work as a vehicle technician so i had an active job. However i was made redundant so i now worl in an office. Which is what they both do and i must say it really promotes lazyness and over eating. Every week its someones birthday or something so theres all manner of cake and snack picnic food brought in for people to eat. So it has made me pick up my game a bit since starting there as well.
I walk to work everyday which is around 4 miles then i do at least 45miles a week on the bike now.

i got one of the brother in law's out for a ride yesterday as he had just bought his bike. He had been doing upto 22 miles in the gym. But we got him on the road and he really struggled. I kept to a 9mph pace for him. But i think he was really shocked by the complete difference out on the road!

Southend bikeathon http://www.southendbikeathon.co.uk

They had 620 riders last year so there should still be space for you!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I am not 100% sure to be honest. They have given us a specific time to get there by to do it. We were i think 84-86 but i cant remember now.

I tell you what though its good as my two brother in laws and my dad have started cycling as well. Because theyv seen how much i have lost and they want to loose similar. They problem they all have is lifestyle. They eat all the wrong foods and too much of them and apart from my dad they all drink every weekend sometimes two nights in a row.
I did work as a vehicle technician so i had an active job. However i was made redundant so i now worl in an office. Which is what they both do and i must say it really promotes lazyness and over eating. Every week its someones birthday or something so theres all manner of cake and snack picnic food brought in for people to eat. So it has made me pick up my game a bit since starting there as well.
I walk to work everyday which is around 4 miles then i do at least 45miles a week on the bike now.

i got one of the brother in law's out for a ride yesterday as he had just bought his bike. He had been doing upto 22 miles in the gym. But we got him on the road and he really struggled. I kept to a 9mph pace for him. But i think he was really shocked by the complete difference out on the road!

Southend bikeathon http://www.southendbikeathon.co.uk

They had 620 riders last year so there should still be space for you!

I do think that work on static bikes and treadmills in gyms is better than nothing and in bad weather it is a boon. But they are very different propositions to 'real life'.

My mate and I who mountain hike regularly took someone up into the mountains 2 years back. He is a gym addict, all pumped up and he does look in good shape. He said he was 'great aerobically' and we took him at his word.

We planned a fairly modest route but it was obvious from the get-go that he was going to struggle as the day wore on. We suggested an easier route his pride refused but 4 hours later we aborted and came down via a much quicker/shorter route than intended.

I am pretty 'hill fit' and whilst some of it translates into my cycling it is a world of difference really and I am still a long long way from being 'cycle fit'.

 

[brett sleger]

He isnt really gym fit either tbh. But i think its sport specific as well if your quads etc are not used to the extra requirements of cycling it can make it very hard.
I remember when i started doing fitness a few years ago in a gym i used cycling to develop my aerobic capacity before i got on the treadmill. But it is soo different when your outside though unless you have some of the specialised training equipment but you dont have any other variants really i.e. gradient, surface, wind/weather, knowledge of the bike, traffic and others im sure.

Watching some of the people ride around the roads and some of the stats on strava show how cycle fit some people really are!

 

[brett sleger]

Wow set my fastest near flat mile tonight which was 3.24. I also set a few other fast times a 3.28 minutes per mile with a 3.36 and a 3.51 as well i was really happy with the pace and speed. Then i hit the sea front and with extreme winds both head and side winds my average dropped a lot. It moved me a metre over when i came past one building and i almost lost it. It was soo bad i had to use a lower gear than i would usually use to go up 10% hills!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@brett sleger
I guess you have read about spinning in a higher gear rather than grinding a lower one.
I can echo a lot of what you have said, about the gym and the real world, I have never used a gym, I cant really understand it when to actually get fit is to work your body in the really world, I used to drive a truck, and you you get an image of a lot of truck drivers being overweight due to a lack of activity, well I used to rope and sheet my wagon, and it is physically intense (especially in high winds), there is a lot of climbing and up and down on the bed to position things prior to sheeting and each knot you do on the bed means you have to walk round to the other side, but you get the picture.
Since I have been cycling I have lost 2-3 st dont really keep much watch on it. My avg started about 10mph I am now pushing 16's out over different terrains, up to about 50ft per mile. For the record I am 50 next, my bike is 5-6 years old, and having used this compared with retro bikes I wouldn't go back to down tube shifters by choice on a road bike. I would have an older bike as 2nd bike if space allowed, having said that they can be converted, though it may take some doing.

 

[brett sleger]

Haha oops i meant a higher gear! Yes i was in a higher gear spinning over trying to keep my cadence nice and high. I have been looking at some older bikes as i would like a racer but dont have the funds to buy an expensive one so i thought if i did get an older bike that was good value for money if it did have downtube shifters i would get used to it i guess itd mainly be for the riding position and getting used to it!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Haha oops i meant a higher gear! Yes i was in a higher gear spinning over trying to keep my cadence nice and high. I have been looking at some older bikes as i would like a racer but dont have the funds to buy an expensive one so i thought if i did get an older bike that was good value for money if it did have downtube shifters i would get used to it i guess itd mainly be for the riding position and getting used to it!

No your right lower gear for spinning I wasn't awake really meds take some time to wear off. Waht is you absolute top end you are willing to spend and do you want a triple or double.
My Viking Torino cost £300 in 2008, I avg 16.4mph today over 31miles weight of bike and panniers was 16.5Kg trimmed down it comes it around 12-13Kgs, and I scalped a cannodale today.

 

[brett sleger]

Nice how have you found it? How many gears does the torino have? I have seen the viking range but wasnt too sure on their quality and value for money.

I dont know my budget Exactly yet as im still saving. I think it would depend on the number of teeth for usability with climbing hills. The bike im running at the moment is a full suspension bike which i have put road tyres on so the ratios im working with are no good for speed tbh!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

With you riding already I guess you will have some cycling fitness.
The bike I have has 21 3x7, there are two things to consider with gearing the range (hi to low) and how close the grouping is on the rear. The closer the grouping the better control you will have regarding cadence (the rate at which you pedal), in this respect the closer the grouping the better. If you are likely to be doing much climbing you will want range (Lower to high). The length of a gear is measured in gear inches (or meter development), we will keep to inches as most in the U.K understand this. To work out the basic gear inch divide the teeth on the front by those on the back i.e. 52/13 gives you 4 or a ratio of 1:4 (one rotation on the front to 4 of the rear) multiply this by 26.3 and you end up with 105.2" (that happens to be my longest gear by the way).
Now this is where you have to decide what you want, whilst a compact double 10 speed may have a range from 31.94" (31/28*26.3) to 109.58" (50/12*26.3) you can get a 7 or 8 sp to cover the same range and actually get a slightly lower first gear my set up currently goes from 30.35" (30x26 I will just use the cog sizes from now assume the x26.3 for the inchs) to 105.2" (52x13) if it was an 8sp I could match the compact, for range however because the compact double is in this example a 10 sp the closer grouping would make the stepping better, the rear being 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-28, mine is set up 13-15-17-19-21-23, the draw back to the double would be a bigger drop on the front from the 50 to 34 th, a triple usually goes 52 (or 50) 40-30, so you get a closer grouping.
I hope that is clear.
I hate to say this but I really don't rate the current range of Viking bikes, as the the last time I looked they only offer full doubles, i.e. 52-39 on the front and usually only 8sp, though it does vary. The bike itself is nothing outstanding, but having not ridden anything else I have nothing to compare it with, but as I have said I can manage avg's of 16+ which for an aluminium bike with steel forks isn't too bad, but I do do a lot of miles, and its took me a year to get to this level.

Hope this helps.

 

[Paul Gee]

Yes Brett, have just entered for the Southend Bikeathon, let's hope for a dry day!

Just bought a new road bike, well almost new, from Ebay. The good news is it weighs over 5kg less than my old tourer. Have you looked on there for a bike for yourself? I was going to buy new but have got a good as new bike for less than half what I was prepared to pay. A lot of people on the forum advise buying secondhand and they have a point.

 

[brett sleger]

Excellent Paul hopefully it is dry maybe a bit cooler than today and yesterday though! Well im actually bidding on a raleigh team banana at the moment which im looking forward to getting on which isnt hopefully going to cost me the world so I can get a fairly decent but cheap road bike just so I can see if I get on with it!

 

[Paul Gee]

Just googled your 'banana', looks good. If successful and you ride that at the Bikeathon you will be easy to spot I guess!
I have a soft spot for Raleigh, having owned one for over 30 years, though it will now share time with my new road bike. On my first timed run on new bike it was about 2mph faster than my old Raleigh, though having caught up and followed a slightly slower group of riders for some of the route I will try that timed run again. Few aches and pains from new bike, and haven't yet set it up for my height etc (cos not sure how!) but all in good time.

 

[brett sleger]

Ah well that sounds great it went past my bidding budget so I couldnt afford it unfortunately but I would like a nice old raleigh theres not many local to me again at the moment so im still on the lookout.
Im glad your bike is quicker what one did you get in the end paul? Will have to say hi on the bikeathon. I may still be riding a bright orange and blue bike at the moment!

 

[Paul Gee]

I got a Fuji Roubaix 3.0, it is a couple of years old, The owner had bought it, done a few training runs and a triathlon and then left it unused. It looks brand new, got it for £325. As a bonus it has gatorskin tyres, but does need decent pedals. Just wondering what sort to get. Below a link to it:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/roubaix-30-2010-road-bike-ec022172

Keep looking, hopefully something local will come up for you soon, maybe in time for the bikeathon. Just waiting for my entry pack which will presumably give me my entry no and start time. Yes, I will be the guy wearing a bikeathon tee shirt, you are bound to spot me!!

 

[brett sleger]

Yes entry number and start time along with your check cards and sponsorship forms! I am number 84 I think!? It should be good!
Yeh the annoying thing is I have been offered more money to spend since I lost out on that one haha! Typical ahh well!