new to cycling

spartacus74

Hi, i'm trying to get into cycling - a great way to improve my fitness and get out more i think. My aim will be to get out and get some mileage to improve my fitness and also to be able to commute the 8 miles to work and back again. I know that 8 miles isn't much and i'm hoping to be able to do a lot more miles than that, but i know i've to learn to walk before i can run so to speak.
I am 32 and using my old Kona hahana MTB that i got about 15years ago just to get my base fitness up - assuming i'm able to. Then i'll be looking into getting myself a new road bike. My question for today though is I went out on saturday and did a 5.5mile circuit in about 25 mins with out stopping. Naturally had a bit of a sore backside afterwards, but i'm guessing that's normal? Today though, I went to do the same cicuit but only managed to do a couple of miles before feeling like i was about to throw up. Is this normal when just starting out, and/or can anyone offer some advice. I know that getting mileage under my belt is my main concern at the moment and time in the saddle, but any other advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
Andrew

on the road

Did you have anything to eat before going out? Usually you shouldn't have a big meal immediately before going out, if you're going to have a big meal then have it at least 2 hours before going out, to give it time to digest.

spartacus74

no, i know not to have a big meal before excersise, just had a couple of slices of toast and honey about 1/2 hr before. This is what i found to be best when i was trying to start running before my legs objected too much.

Bronzie

Get yourself a decent pair of cycling shorts with synthetic chamois insert if you don't already have them - no need to go mad but £35 should get a nice pair.

Need to wear them next to the skin (no pants!!) to get the best effect.................your backside will thank you for it.

As for feeling sick.........maybe you are trying too hard at first...........need to start and finish any ride with a steady warmup/cooldown before putting any real effort in. Try and use easy gears and keep high pedal revs (cadence) for first and last 10 mins.

Eat My Dust

Sounds like you need to pace yourself a little. It's easy to go out and peddle like mad, but if you're not use to it, you will feel sick very quickly. Just take your time and build up your fitness, you'll be flying along in no time!!

Stwutter

As all the above really. I only started two years ago. At first I was doing 10 miles in about 50-55 mins at best, and I could feel it for days afterwards.

Now I ride 75-125 PW, time-permitting, and have done London-Paris. If someone had told me that 2 years back, I'd probably have hit them, that's if I'd not died laughing by then.

Just go at your own pace that's comfortable, and when that starts to get a little easier, try going a little further - maybe just an extra mile or so, and build from there. Fitness doesn't come overnight (sadly!). Remember, cycling is, at the end of the day, supposed to be enjoyable, and there's nothing worse that flogging yourself to death - you'll be put off for life if you do.

You say you had a sore backside - again, as above, good shorts will help, but if you continue to suffer, it may be worth making sure you're bike's adjusted & fitted correctly. That's really important for comfort. Even a 1cm adjustment can make a big difference. Your LBS will help, or you can do a lot of it yourself from a book or the net.

Dorian Gray

Eating anything just half an hour before a 100% effort will likely make you puke (it would me). That said, you're probably pushing too hard too soon. Build up the effort over a couple of weeks.

If by "sore backside" you mean sore sit-bones, then that's absolutely normal after a period of not riding. Your body will get used to sitting in the saddle after a couple of weeks and that pain will go away.

If you mean sore buttock muscles, that's also normal in new cyclists but you can improve things by raising the saddle. A too-low saddle position is almost universal among new cyclists (using a too-low saddle and a too-high gear are the most common early mistakes in my experience).