Can you help me please?

lolli

I'm new to cycling and have just signed up to do London - Paris in Sep 08 (280 miles over 4 days). There are a few questions I have:

1. Can anyone suggest a training programme?
2. I am using a hybrid bike - when I ride my wrists ache and my fingers go numb after about 30 mins. Can anyone tell me how I can avoid this or exercises that would help.
3. For the distance would people recommend I get pedals with clips?
4. Has anyone done this ride and can they give me any additional advice?

Many thanks for all your advice in advance

Lou

meagain

"1. Can anyone suggest a training programme?"

Might be useful if know from where you are starting in terms of fitness, cycling etc!

Rich Hcp

Training

Work up to a reasonable distance with a few days between

Then do two consecutive days, working up to the distance

It's not scientific, but workks for me.

Aching wrists, I have read elsewhere that this is caused by too much forward weight on to the wrists, but there are more qualified people than me to comment on that

Bronzie

1. You'll be riding 70 miles a day average so simply build up your ride distances so that you can achieve 50-60 miles a day on two consecutive days - this should be enough to get you through it. Your weekly mileage should increase by no more than 10% a week to avoid getting knee problems etc.

2. Could be your position (too much weight on your wrists) so check that out first. If there is nothing wrong with your position, maybe consider fitting drop bars as these give you another couple of hand positions so that you don't get fatigued so quickly.

3. Clipless pedals are probably more comfortable than clips and straps, and certainly more efficient than just using flat pedals, but they do take some getting used to. You'll also need to splash out on pedals and shoes, so maybe fit clips and straps to your flat pedals first and see how you get on. Once you've got used to clipless though, you'll wonder how you managed without them.

meagain

"maybe consider fitting drop bars as these give you another couple of hand positions so that you don't get fatigued so quickly."

Or try some longish "ski bend" bar ends if not already got some.

fossyant

Item 2 - get some good gloves and bar ends - i.e. extra bars that bolt on the end of your bars that give you some additional hand positions.

Training - as advised by the other folk.....

I'd recommend clipless pedals, but you need to get them asap and get used to them. Mountain bike SPD's offer the easiest clip in/out as they are double sided.

cannyscott

i think the clipless pedals are a must for those sorts of distance with proper shoes will help to stop your feet aching as they have a stiff sole.your aching wrists and numb hands could be down to your saddle being tilted forward putting weight on your wrists . as for the training i think the other posts are giving good advice

alfablue

I find with flat bars my wrists are angled in to a slightly uncomfortable degree, it makes it feel like I am rotating wrists inwards, much prefer drops for comfort - your hands / wrists probably naturally fall in the drop bar position, if you stand with your arms relaxed, to your sides, do your palms face backwards, or face your thighs? In my case the latter, so I think the drop bars fit better.

lolli

Thank you all for your advice - I'm definitely going to look into the drop bars and clipless pedals.

As for where I'm starting from - I'd say low to medium fitness and I haven't cycled for a long time and even then it was only short distances to and from work. The biggest hurdle I'm trying to get over at the moment is the stiffness in my back and backside but I know this will get batter the more time I spend on the bike.

Thank you all again