Tonight I discovered my ring

[2wd]

Only got back into cycling these last two months and at nearly 49 and lets say not as fit as I was the last time I rode a bike as an 18 year old, the big ring worried me a bit

Thought my legs would collapse and go wobbly, so I've spent most of the time in the middle ring and far too much time in the granny ring.

Tonight was a lovely night,moon out,nice temperature and tbh I felt full of vigour so I went for it and probably spent 60% in the big ring,experimenting with the different combo's on the rear and was well surprised how much easier it can be in these gears if used at the right time.

I did my normal 7 mile "keep fit" route and ended up powering up one of the hills in the middle ring, which I usually drop into the granny to do...was well pleased

What i did notice though was I wasn't out of breath as much and not pooring with sweat and could have gone on for miles.

What did spoil it and made me come home, was the top inner of my thighs were aching really bad,I have suffered this before in the easier gears,just not as bad

Would this be just my muscles working out or is this would this point to adjusting the seat height/other adjustments

My other query is, I am cycling to get fit and loose weight, so I assume I need to mix strength as I did tonight, with other nights in the middle ring to make me out of breath and sweat a bit?
Thanks for any advice

 

[MattHB]

Spin up the hills, it'll get your heart rate up and make you work harder. Stay bum in saddle as well, it'll work your quads better as you're not using your body weight as a lever.

My biggest tip would be to forget about the weight and enjoy the riding.. Push your miles up gently and the weight will naturally follow.

Its really easy to get caught up with the weight loss and get frustraited, particularly as you're likely to be increasing muscle which will offset fat loss.

The only was to measure your process is to measure fat loss. Get a cheap pair of those body fat calippers and take readings.

My weight is still all over the place but I've dropped 2 inches off my waist

Enjoy and keep going.

Oh, and stretch out properly after every ride, it'll help with those aches massively and speed up recovery.

 

[Nearly there]

Like many on here I started cycling to lose a few pounds I remember my first ride only 6 miles and with the combinations of hills it nearly killed me but I stuck at it and laugh when I think of the state I got myself in doing that first ride, 8 Months on I did a favourite 25 mile route of mine the other day and checked my Endomondo history and Ive shaved 20 minutes off the route time since the first time I did it in August so stick at it mate build up gradually the fitness levels do rise.

 

[2wd]

Many thanks for the advice.

Since I posted this I have moved the seat forward around 3/4" and it's made a massive difference.

I'm not suffering with the aching at the inner tops of my thighs and it feels like each push of the pedal is having twice the effect of before.

I even did an extra 4 miles and tackled 4 hills instead of 2

 

[Mozzy]

Like you I wanted cycling to be a keep/get fit pastime. Initially I used the gears quite a lot, but of late I tend to get up off the saddle and ride in a harder gear than normal, when my legs won't go round anymore I know I need to drop a cog or two. When I compare over say 20 miles vis, staying sat and using the gears or working harder by standing, I have found my heart rate rises extremely well when I stand to work those hills. I have also found (for me) I can maintain a much faster average overall speed. What I have found is I am really getting some strength going in my legs, and can do so much more than when I fist started.

Regular good quality grub, ongoing cycling will continue to ensure your weight falls. Burn more than you consume and you are bound to. I appreciate the earlier response suggesting staying sat and respect it; I'm just really thinking out loud again. Of course what works for one will not always work for another. What I do believe is, switch around the type of exercise you do on a cycle. As an example, today I rode well for a half mile, then as hard as could for a quarter, and so on over 20 miles. My legs are now aching and I know I have had a good session. Next time out will be a steady ride, but still exercise. There are lots of different ways you can switch it round.

I must point out that I am only a beginner on a cycle, and my words are only intended to be hopefully helpful or an option. I am no expert, but have many many years knowledge of working out, intentional weight gain and loss from running and weight training.

Good luck and when you feel down, don't force it, even take a break for a few days. You'll get to where you want ... you know you will