What have we taken on?????

[Nick Austin]

Hello everyone

My wife (Lynn) and I are early 40 somethings, unfit and overweight.

To rectify this Lynn has entered the 2010 Etap Caledonian challenge!!!

I have decided to train with her although I will not do the race myself.

Lynn has ordered a Felt Z80 and I have ordered an Orbea Enol as I wont need as high a spec bike.

Hope our bikes are OK!!

Can anyone suggest a good way to start training?

We are commuting to our local station every weekday on our cheap, present, bikes but want to train properly at weekends using the new bikes.

Best regards

Nick

 

[ACS]

Nick

Welcome. I know someone will be along soon with training advice, just wanted drop in a word of support to you both and hope you enjoy the sport of cycling.

More addictive that drugs and twice as expensive

 

[Nick Austin]

SB

Thanks!

We will need all the encourgement we can get.

Lynn was going to do the challenge on her Miss Marple style bike with a wickerwork basket on the front but I was able to talk her out of it!

Nick

 

[ACS]

Why did you want it for yourself?

Where abouts in the fair isle do you rest reside?

 

[Nick Austin]

Of course.

The basket is handy to carry the ciggies and beers in.

 

[RedBike]

The Etape Caledonia is an 81 mile cycle challenge taking place on traffic-free roads in the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire.

The event on 16th May 2010 is open to individuals between the ages of 18 and 80. To ensure that the roads are reopened to the schedule agreed with the authorities, participants will need to maintain an average speed of 13-14mph around the course. This gives at least 6h 15mins to reach the finishing line within the closure window. Even if you are unable to meet this average you can continue on open roads and complete the full circuit.

Basically you need to start putting the miles in. Several short quick paced rides mid-week then a long ride at the weekends.

Ideally before the event you should have got well accustomed to riding that sort of distance

 

[Nick Austin]

Thanks Redbike.

We have 10 months to train so should be OK.

One trouble is that I understand the Challenge climbs c6,000 feet. We live in North Kent which is flat!

Nick

 

[ACS]

Thanks Redbike.

We have 10 months to train so should be OK.

One trouble is that I understand the Challenge climbs c6,000 feet. We live in North Kent which is flat!

Nick

Oh!

 

[Nick Austin]

We'll just have to put the bikes on the car rack and drive to some hills. Sussex should be good.

 

[ACS]

I would worry about the base mileage first. Some targets always help. I returned to the sport in Sep last year and decided to take is seriously in Apr this year.

My personal targets are to ride 100 miles in as closed to 8 hours as I can manage before the clocks change and get rid of 2 stone by Christmas. (lost 1 stone)

Working towards the 100, I knocked off 10, 25, 40, 50 and 62 (100 km) leaving me with just 75 and 100 to succeed. However, I lost about 6 weeks through illness so the 100 mile target has become a bit of a race against time.

I do not think speed is an issue because that just happens as your fitness increases, it’s saddle time, mile munching call it what you like there is no substitute for getting the miles in.

 

[Nick Austin]

Thanks.

My record is 15 miles off-road. Road biking is new to me but hopefully the new bike will help. Not looking forward to the sore arse though!

 

[purplepolly]

How far away is work? If it's not do-able to cycle there and back every day you could ride home once or twice a week

 

[Nick Austin]

Hi!

We live in a village six miles from Canterbury from where we commute to London (65 miles - M2, no bikes allowed!).

We do use our present bikes to ride to and back from the station on work days but will do the longer runs on the new bikes at the weekend. On days off we will try to do more longer runs.

Nick

 

[simon_brooke]

Hello everyone

My wife (Lynn) and I are early 40 somethings, unfit and overweight.

To rectify this Lynn has entered the 2010 Etap Caledonian challenge!!!

I have decided to train with her although I will not do the race myself.

Lynn has ordered a Felt Z80 and I have ordered an Orbea Enol as I wont need as high a spec bike.

Hope our bikes are OK!!

The bikes will be fine. So will you (and you should get your entry in too).

Can anyone suggest a good way to start training?

We are commuting to our local station every weekday on our cheap, present, bikes but want to train properly at weekends using the new bikes.

It's a matter of getting the miles in. By April next year you want to be doing a thirty mile run (about two hours) every weekend. You should do at least one fifty miler (ideally more) in the month before the event itself. Choose hilly routes because the etape is not flat! You will need to keep your training going through the winter.

My advice would be to build up gradually from now to a fifty miler this October, then over the winter maintain your commuting and on dry weekends get out for a twenty or thirty miler - but if it's blowing a gale or tipping down or there's black ice around allow yourself the weekend off. Then, from March, go for your twenty miler every single weekend and in April increase that to thirty miles.

In addition to the bikes themselves you will need:

* A track pump
* clipless pedals and appropriate shoes, each
* a lightweight breathable waterproof the pa, eachcks small enough to fit in a back pocket
* obviously, spare tubes, tyre levers, and something to carry them in

You'll also need clothes you find comfortable for training in winter. Training in winter is fine if you have the right clothes and horrible if you don't (and if it's horrible you won't do it). You probably have some views about what works for you, but I strongly recommend a merino wool base layer as part of the mix. Fleecy lycra ('Roubaix') arm-warmers and tights are also extremely good.

Obviously if weight is part of the issue you will need to watch what you eat as well as getting the miles in.

Finally if you say where you live you may find there's someone here who would go riding with you.

Good luck!

 

[simon_brooke]

Thanks.

My record is 15 miles off-road. Road biking is new to me but hopefully the new bike will help. Not looking forward to the sore arse though!

That won't last long. The trick is to get a very hard saddle that fits you. I know this sounds counter intuitive but if the weight goes on your sitbones and not on your squishy bits, then after the first few rides you'll be comfortable. But if you get a padded saddle that your sitbones sink into, the weight gets transferred onto your squishy bits and that's when you get long term discomfort (as well as potential damage).

Bikes that sell 'specialized' (brand) saddles have a device that measures the width of your sitbones - this will help in choosing the right saddle for you.