When am I ready to join a cycling club?

[Psyclist]

Just thinking when I'll be ready to join a cycling club?
I've let myself put on a couple of stones in the past year due to not having a bike and the medication I take and have lost my stamina by a lot.
Good news is, I quit 11 years of smoking last Christmas (2011) so my lung capacity has re-grown.

I'm about 12 ½ stone now and have a beer gut. I can ride about 15 miles in which 3 quarters of that I ride pretty fast, then the rest I lose my stamina.

How long do you think it'd take to get my old stamina back? I know losing weight will take longer (especially with the meds I'm on) and also will my weight effect my stamina and performance.

Any doctors out there know which out of Quetiapine or Abilify makes you gain weight and if there's any way of me having reduced dose to help gain less weight?

Main question is, when will I be ready to join a club? How much stamina/how much should I weigh, before joining?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[judder]

Just contact a few of your local cycling clubs. They usually have a few rides going for different abilities..

 

[MattHB]

I went out for my first club run on Sunday. It was a social ride so no balls out stuff. They stuck to the advertised 13mph average like glue and it was highly enjoyable talk to local clubs and check pace/distance, you might be surprised

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

As has already been suggested, you should ask your local clubs.

Check with the local branch of the Cyclist's Touring Club, they don't usually ride too fast: it's difficult to smoke a pipe at speed!

 

[PpPete]

Quite a few beer-guts gentleman of larger frame on my local club rides. Go along and ask what rides they have at your club.
As for the medication.... a quick look at Wikipedia suggests that weight gain is a possible side-effect of both; but much more importantly, ask your doctor BEFORE you change your dose of either.

 

[amaferanga]

Most club runs are quite a bit further than 15 miles so I'd recommend you get your comfortable distance up to at least 30 miles. If you run out of puff towards the end of your 15 miles ride then you might want to try to ride a bit slower and concentrate on going further instead of faster.

Another option might be to do the first bit of a club run and peel off and head home when you think you've reached your limit or you start dropping off the back. Most clubs would probably prefer new riders to do this instead of soldiering on and getting slower and slower and slower.

 

[GrasB]

Main question is, when will I be ready to join a club? How much stamina/how much should I weigh, before joining?

Depends on what type of club you ride with, might be worth looking for your local CTC group. A number of clubs have a wide range of weekend run so a reasonably fit cyclist can find a group to ride with. That said there are pure race focus clubs which do group rides for pure training purposes. The way to build stamina is to go on longer slower rides, this is much easier to do on a social group ride than solo ride.

You'd probably be fine on the Sunday 'touring' ride that my local club runs, an easy 13mph paced ride over 60 miles or less relatively flat miles with a cafe stop at the mid point & they leave no one behind. However you'll almost certainly be off the back of the pack in the Italian club I ride with. They have 2 paces, vicious & wana-be-pro brutal, you will do your stint on the front & if you can't hold the pace you better know your way back home because you're dropped.

 

[GrasB]

Another option might be to do the first bit of a club run and peel off and head home when you think you've reached your limit or you start dropping off the back. Most clubs would probably prefer new riders to do this instead of soldiering on and getting slower and slower and slower.

But let the lead rider know when you're doing this else you can cause mayhem & have the entire group doubling back looking for you! I've not done this but have been one of the riders blasting off back down the way we came from to find the missing rider.

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

As others have said,ask around a few clubs and see how the operate. My club would have a few riders drop back and help you through the route. After all I only ride for the miles and not really worried about the speed so I usually drop back if anyone is having a bad day and we start another group. I would say though that riding in a group with all the banter going on you will find you can ride further than riding on your own.

 

[fossyant]

Many clubs have different paced rides, so go and ask. Phone the club secretary and have a chat.

With meds - speak to the doctor. 12 1/2 stone isn't heavy.

 

[MattHB]

12 1/2 stone isn't heavy.

Unless youre 3ft 6

 

[HLaB]

The only thing I can really suggest is try contacting a few clubs, some are race orientated and pretty speedy but others are just out for a banter or to encourage folk to cycle (more of a group of cyclists than a club).

 

[Fuzzball]

As others have said,ask around a few clubs and see how the operate. My club would have a few riders drop back and help you through the route. After all I only ride for the miles and not really worried about the speed so I usually drop back if anyone is having a bad day and we start another group. I would say though that riding in a group with all the banter going on you will find you can ride further than riding on your own.

I see you're from glasgow what club are you a member of?

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

Glasgow Green CC. Do a search for the website if interested

 

[Psyclist]

Have had a word with them before but not these questions. They said to come to a TT, but I had a bit of a mishap the day I went to go.

Bit of a concern is, my Abilify is what makes me put on weight, but I have to take the meds because of my psychosis.
The meds put me at risk of diabetes and a bad heart, so I'm buggered.

Will ask on their forum.

Cheers for the feedback.