training advice ??

[kimz]

Ok im only new to this forum but ive cycled for many years but no great distance like ive said before i do 12 miles round trip to check on horses most days but not every day plus bits here and there adding upto 25 to 30 miles some days so........

i am wanting to do some sponsered rides but.... no idea where to start i have been looking at the london to bournemouth in july but if i started training in march is there anyway i can be reaady for july 4 months ???

and can anyone help putting a training schedule together for me ?

 

[nosherduke996]

Doing the sort of mileage you are already doing is a good start. Untill last June i hadn,t been on a bike for over 30 years, so i decided to do the London to Brighton and even rode back which totalled 76 miles. That was only riding a couple of 10 mile commutes to work for about 6 weeks before the LtoB.
Now theres no stopping me, currently putting in about 200 to 280 miles a month which i will increase when the light evenings are here. I am really feeling the benifit of all this now as i have just turned 54 years old and at the moment i have never felt better.

 

[kimz]

10 miles comutes to 76 wow slight difference

but at least i know it can be done though !

 

[nosherduke996]

I must admit the journey back home wasn,t as much fun as the trip down to Brighton because i was riding on my own and i was glad to see my front door.

 

[kimz]

did you have a racer ? i only use a mountain bike would this go against me ? no idea as ive never done anything like this before so its very daunting just thinking about it but no use doing a sponsered ride unless there is a challenge is there

 

[MLC]

Kimz,

I am in a similar position to you training for the although I am training for a 160km / 100 mile audax this year. I can only get out at weekends for any serious mileage.

I just set myself a plan of doing the commuting and upping my mileage by 5 miles every other week and completing a day ride of 40/50/60/70/80 miles in the months leading up to the event.

I only started cycling last year as a newbie (i.e. cycled as a kid but not an adult) at the beginning of May and by the end of August I had completed a 60 mile day ride and it was not too bad. I joined the CTC and I remember them telling me that 50-80 miles day rides (i.e. stopping a fair bit for lunch etc) after a few weeks bedding in would not be a problem. I didn't believe them at the time but they were quite right. I had a lay off over the winter hence my retraining schedule.

Mountain bike will be a lot heavier than a road bike but there are a couple
If you don't want to change Bikes, a change to slick and thinner (if poss) tyres would be agreat help.

On the ride itself just make sure you have tools, spare inner tubes etc and eat and drink plenty on the way round. Take it steady if you stuck at a 10mph average (whilst riding exclude stops) which is slow you can work out how long it will take you and then add on time for stopping. a 13/14mph average is not considered that fast and it is only when you exceed this average speed that real fitness starts to come into play (although you should have a base level for longer rides).

You will then probably look back and think it wasn't that bad.

But just build up slowly, surely and regulalrly and you will be amazed at what you could achieve.

Hope this helps

 

[kimz]

how many miles do you commute each day ? and do you just add 5 miles each weekend ?

even 50 miles seems a lot let alone 60 70 80 i am thinking of starting training beginning of march so want to work out what i need to do

i think i might have to change bikes somewhen before the ride but cant afford to just yet maybe in a month or two

i need to start doing 25/ 30 miles in one go i think not just bits and pieces see how i go

 

[powla]

Hey

I did the London to Brighton last year on a mountain bike (with slick tyres). My commute is about 12 miles each day and then I did a few longer rides (15 - 25 miles) to try and get a feel for it and off I went!

I think you'll be fine, def a good idea to try and do some longer routes though. You'll have a blast doing the ride. There will be lots of different riders with varying abilities so just pace yourself and enjoy it.

 

[accountantpete]

You should be able to do 70 miles straight off as long as you drink and eat well along the route and take it steady. The only possible fly in the ointment is going to be the wind - if it's a headwind all the way you are going to be thoroughly miserable -so I would make enquiries as to the prevailing winds along that route.

 

[marinyork]

I would say the "commute effect" is exaggerated, people are very supportive on this forum but the idea seems to be that anybody of incredible unfitness can go from zero to 75miles in a few months with a bit of effort. Some seem to manage this. Then again the many years of cycling may pay off on that front.

When I started doing longer rides a couple of years ago I found it had very little effect. To get better at 60-100 mile rides, you have to do 60-100 mile rides! They aren't as bad as you first think but progress at getting better at them is slower than you expect once you get over the initial euphoria of doing one. Best of luck.

 

[arallsopp]

4 months is enough time, provided you get out on the bike at the weekends and put some long(ish) days in the saddle. IMHO, you want to ramp up slowly, but get yourself to the point where you can ride half the event distance in about half your target time, without feeling knackered. YMMV, but I was really surprised to find how fast I went from 12 mile rides to 50 in a day, and from there to 50 in a morning, and well, then just quite a lot less sleep.

Am sure you can do it. Except for just getting out there and riding, there are a few things you can do that'll make things easier:

1. FREE: Make sure your saddle is the right height. Casual MTBers tend to have them a little low. If in doubt, google (or a reply here) is your friend.

2. FREE: Factor in a rest day immediately after any time you seriously extend your mileage. The day after is when your muscles raise their game and rebuild. If you're out on the bike again, they won't get the chance.

3. £3: Buy a six pack of muesli bars from a supermarket, and keep a couple on you as bonk rations.

4. ~£50: Fit slicks if you're riding on knobblies. Expect to pay £40 - £60 all round, but well worth it.

5. FREE: Learn how to fix common problems, pick glass out of your tyres, keep the gears tuned, fix punctures, etc. Lots of online vids and threads here to help you.

6. FREE: If you have front suspension, set it as stiff as possible. If you have rear suspension, lock it out. If you can't lock it out, consider another bike. Sorry.

7. FREE: Enjoy it. If its grim out there, it can put you off. (Unless you like it grim, then go for it). A bin liner is cheap, light, and will get you home dry(ish) if need be.

8: POSSIBLY ENDLESS EXPENSE: Get hopelessly addicted to it. Buy awesome lights so you can ride all day and all night. Live on a diet of energy gels. Have kit for every weather, a garage full of bikes, a lot of new friends, a social calendar that sees you travel overnight to the coast once a month, and no memory of ever thinking this was unusual.

You'll be fine. Welcome, and good luck!

 

[kimz]

I will make sure i do get fitter thats why im asking advice on the best way to train etc i may well cope with this distance but i want to get fitter and not just cope if you get me ,

although already im asking myself why as my family kids etc all think im nuts and want to know why i would want to do something like that
nothing like family support eh !

i can remember saying about 14 yrs ago i wanted to do the london marathon my then husband just laughed at me dont be stupid you'll never do that

well that put the end to that idea as he made me fell stupid just thinking about it !

i cannot run a marathon as my knees would not cope so as i have a love of riding then this is what i want to do so i will need support if i do it but i want to build my fitness up im 44 now and would really struggle if i had to do it next week so ........... training it is

 

[arallsopp]

All sounds very sensible. If you fancy joining a CC ride (we may come across like 'serious' cyclists, but most of us just pootle a lot of the time) I'm sure there'll be a local contingent happy to meet up.

Its how I got started.

 

[kimz]

1. FREE: Make sure your saddle is the right height. Casual MTBers tend to have them a little low. If in doubt, google (or a reply here) is your friend.

I have a comfortable leg position not too long and not to short

2. FREE: Factor in a rest day immediately after any time you seriously extend your mileage. The day after is when your muscles raise their game and rebuild. If you're out on the bike again, they won't get the chance.

thanks would not have known that

3. £3: Buy a six pack of muesli bars from a supermarket, and keep a couple on you as bonk rations.
good idea

4. ~£50: Fit slicks if you're riding on knobblies. Expect to pay £40 - £60 all round, but well worth it.

ok will have to wait till nearer the time

5. FREE: Learn how to fix common problems, pick glass out of your tyres, keep the gears tuned, fix punctures, etc. Lots of online vids and threads here to help you.

this is one thing i will have to improve on im not great at things like punctures etc and as for everything else i have no idea how it all works

6. FREE: If you have front suspension, set it as stiff as possible. If you have rear suspension, lock it out. If you can't lock it out, consider another bike. Sorry.

no worries dont like full suspension , and mines not got any suspension

7. FREE: Enjoy it. If its grim out there, it can put you off. (Unless you like it grim, then go for it). A bin liner is cheap, light, and will get you home dry(ish) if need be.

yes i hate rain so if it rains i will hate it !

8: POSSIBLY ENDLESS EXPENSE: Get hopelessly addicted to it. Buy awesome lights so you can ride all day and all night. Live on a diet of energy gels. Have kit for every weather, a garage full of bikes, a lot of new friends, a social calendar that sees you travel overnight to the coast once a month, and no memory of ever thinking this was unusual.

money will be limited unfortunatly i would love to travel to the coast say poole i live close to the coast any way but somewhere new would be nice shame i cant get family to join me be nicer if i had company

where do i get energy gels from ? ive seen them mentioned a few times

 

[mcshroom]

£50 seems a lot for tyres. I'd be more tempted to try something like the Michelin Country Rock at £8 (still on my MTB after a few hundred miles) or if you are going a little more off road something like a Schwalbe Landcruiser at £12. They really do roll better than knobbly tyres.

Energy gells are sold in some sports shops like Decathlon and online. I've tried a couple and I decided I didn't like the taste. I end to eat Jelly Babies or Jaffa Cakes while riding which taste nicer and are cheaper.