45 year old, fat, newbie commuter needs advise please

EKE_38BPM

Dudu wrote:

noodles71 wrote:

Rely a bit less too on the road laws and instead pay attention to the laws of physics. Just because they have to give way to you doesn't mean they will. Always assume they will pull out, pass or open their bloody drivers side door. And if you see someone hailing a cab on your side of the road then look out, the cabbie will be half asleep and not give a rats about cutting you up.

+1

Never trust a man with four wheels.

And be wary of a man with two.

UndercoverElephant

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Dudu wrote:

noodles71 wrote:

Rely a bit less too on the road laws and instead pay attention to the laws of physics. Just because they have to give way to you doesn't mean they will. Always assume they will pull out, pass or open their bloody drivers side door. And if you see someone hailing a cab on your side of the road then look out, the cabbie will be half asleep and not give a rats about cutting you up.

+1

Never trust a man with four wheels.

And be wary of a man with two.

Nor shalt thy trust those with three wheels, and one wheel is right out.

rhext

UndercoverElephant wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Dudu wrote:

noodles71 wrote:

Rely a bit less too on the road laws and instead pay attention to the laws of physics. Just because they have to give way to you doesn't mean they will. Always assume they will pull out, pass or open their bloody drivers side door. And if you see someone hailing a cab on your side of the road then look out, the cabbie will be half asleep and not give a rats about cutting you up.

+1

Never trust a man with four wheels.

And be wary of a man with two.

Nor shalt thy trust those with three wheels, and one wheel is right out.

And verily those that go about with no wheels are a bit shifty too!

dhope

rhext wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Dudu wrote:

noodles71 wrote:

Rely a bit less too on the road laws and instead pay attention to the laws of physics. Just because they have to give way to you doesn't mean they will. Always assume they will pull out, pass or open their bloody drivers side door. And if you see someone hailing a cab on your side of the road then look out, the cabbie will be half asleep and not give a rats about cutting you up.

+1

Never trust a man with four wheels.

And be wary of a man with two.

Nor shalt thy trust those with three wheels, and one wheel is right out.

And verily those that go about with no wheels are a bit shifty too!

But in the land of the no wheeled, the unicycled man is king.
What are we going on about btw?

Cafewanda

So.

Women on roads with 4, 3, 2 or 1 wheel(s) = good? :twisted:

Yay!!!

snailracer

Using the factor-of-3 rule of thumb, cycling 8 miles (at a sensible pace) requires as much energy and time as walking 2.8 miles, which you're already doing, so I don't hink cycling it will burn you out.

fatboybiker

snailracer wrote:

Using the factor-of-3 rule of thumb, cycling 8 miles (at a sensible pace) requires as much energy and time as walking 2.8 miles, which you're already doing, so I don't hink cycling it will burn you out.

Today feels like I died.

I'm only just starting out with this commuting lark and this is only my first full week (48 out of 80 miles done ) I'm not sure I am getting much enjoyment yet and it took all my will power to resist jumping on the train to make the journey home easier. I have resisted today but found it very very hard going both on the ride into and from work. into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes. I know these times are no where near good but it does take pretty much all I can muster (thats a good word) to acheive these times, and my legs still feel wobbley when I get off the bugger.

anyway.....waffling again...... :roll:

SpaceBadger

Hey fatboybiker, less of this negativity! You're doing brilliantly, don't worry about 'good' or 'bad' times for your commute compared to other people, just pat yourself on the back for doing it. Obviously if you see any other cyclists out and about you have to lay down some awesome 8) to scalp 'em as per the SCR bible, but otherwise you are only competing against yourself to bring your commute times down as you get the bug

It will get easier, and you will enjoy it more. The main thing now is to just keep going (although if you do skip a few commutes and get the train don't stress about it) and the rest will follow. Don't give up!

dhope

fatboybiker wrote:

snailracer wrote:

Using the factor-of-3 rule of thumb, cycling 8 miles (at a sensible pace) requires as much energy and time as walking 2.8 miles, which you're already doing, so I don't hink cycling it will burn you out.

Today feels like I died.

I'm only just starting out with this commuting lark and this is only my first full week (48 out of 80 miles done ) I'm not sure I am getting much enjoyment yet and it took all my will power to resist jumping on the train to make the journey home easier. I have resisted today but found it very very hard going both on the ride into and from work. into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes. I know these times are no where near good but it does take pretty much all I can muster (thats a good word) to acheive these times, and my legs still feel wobbley when I get off the bugger.

anyway.....waffling again...... :roll:

Sounds entirely expected. From nothing to 80 miles is a big change up. Maybe a day off then cycle on Friday, weekend off then you should be fresh for Monday.

EKE_38BPM

Remember what we all said?
Going to 80miles/week from a standing start will be very hard work.

If you push yourself too hard too early, you may be too busy putting in the miles to enjoy it. Then you'll get disillusioned and will either resent the ride or stop all together.

Good work so far though, so have a biccy and take a day off to recover.

clarkey cat

80 miles in your first week. Wow. That is extremely impressive.
Dont overdo it though.

sketchley

Took me well over a year before I did my first 100 mile week.
Took me nearly 2 years before I did all 10 commuted in one week.

You are doing fine, have a day off. Maybe a beer or two, you've earned it.

davis

Told you that you should have Wednesday off!

As a man who knows absolutely nothing authoritative about personal training and this sort of clobber, I hereby recommend you do the following:

Eat a lot of (fairly healthy) food tonight.
Have a beer or two if you fancy it.
Train/walk in tomorrow.
Ride in/home Friday.

Your legs will probably not enjoy the walking to start with; they'll be all tight and achy: you can gently stretch them past this.

You might feel like doing this for a couple of weeks; like I said then, no sense in destroying yourself

snailracer

fatboybiker wrote:

snailracer wrote:

Using the factor-of-3 rule of thumb, cycling 8 miles (at a sensible pace) requires as much energy and time as walking 2.8 miles, which you're already doing, so I don't think cycling it will burn you out.

Today feels like I died.
...into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes. I know these times are no where near good ...

That's because you've only just started using different muscles, differently. When you get used to it, you will feel much less tired.

fatboybiker wrote:

...into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes. I know these times are no where near good ...

The time seems a tad faster than I expected. A bit too fast for starters, maybe?

Also, use the gears to keep the pedal forces "light and fast" - mashing hard does not result in efficient use of muscles.

walkingbootweather

+1 wot snailracer said

pastryboy

fatboybiker wrote:

I'm only just starting out with this commuting lark and this is only my first full week (48 out of 80 miles done ) I'm not sure I am getting much enjoyment yet and it took all my will power to resist jumping on the train to make the journey home easier. I have resisted today but found it very very hard going both on the ride into and from work. into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes.

I went from 0 to 150 miles per week. The first few weeks were horrible - I had all but decided to only do 3 or 4 days per week and dreaded every journey but before you know it you suddenly realise you're actually not bothered and it just becomes part of your day.

It also seems to be a bit blustery at the moment (not windy but enough of a breeze to feel it and hear it) which doesn't help.

Just stick with it and eat loads - have some cake and know that it doesn't matter.

fatboybiker

pastryboy wrote:

fatboybiker wrote:

I'm only just starting out with this commuting lark and this is only my first full week (48 out of 80 miles done ) I'm not sure I am getting much enjoyment yet and it took all my will power to resist jumping on the train to make the journey home easier. I have resisted today but found it very very hard going both on the ride into and from work. into work took 38 minutes and getting home took 35 minutes.

Just stick with it and eat loads - have some cake and know that it doesn't matter.

I never gave up eating loads

Thanks for the encouragement guys...... I really want to make it through the week and do the whole 80 miles... I have the whole weekend to rest up (only got my BA(Hons) course work to do). I can get the bike cleaned and lubed, sort out a gear slipping problem and if they arrive, I'll get the new tyres on ready for another week.

Also I could do with checking seat height, front and back position, handle bar height etc etc....... any simple good advice or guides would be welcome. I think the bike is ok but how can I ensure it is set up correctly so that I am not making the ride harder than it is? ?

Please, tell me to shut up and bugger off when your fed up of all the questions...

walkingbootweather

That's the attitude.

There are some web resources that advise on set-up e.g http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/technique-how-to-set-up-your-bike-16694, you could ask your lbs or a fellow cyclist for pointers, or just check yourself out in a shop window.

Oh and good luck with your BA. When you have mastered that you'll have to start learning the other 24 letters, but try and get them in the right order next time. :?

Kieran_Burns

FBB? Where are you? You might be near a member here who could help with the bike.

fatboybiker

walkingbootweather wrote:

Oh and good luck with your BA. When you have mastered that you'll have to start learning the other 24 letters, but try and get them in the right order next time. :?

Made me chuckle......


@ KB... I'm in East Yorkshire

Initialised

As you develop it is going to hurt, probably for most of this year, especially if you forget to stretch. Fortunately it goes away when you get in the saddle. That's been my experience anyway.

You may well be pushing to hard to soon and the odd day off, maybe mid week or when the rain or wind is bad would be a good idea as you get used to it.

noodles71

Initialised wrote:

As you develop it is going to hurt, probably for most of this year, especially if you forget to stretch. Fortunately it goes away when you get in the saddle. That's been my experience anyway.

You may well be pushing to hard to soon and the odd day off, maybe mid week or when the rain or wind is bad would be a good idea as you get used to it.

I found over-cooking it doing other types of sport and the resulting aches all go away now when I get on the bike. Some days I've even felt more comfortable in the cycling position than lying in bed......

fatboybiker

still doing it....... 4 days from 5 done. 64 miles from 80 done.

I took the advice and geared down. pedalling quicker instead of grinding away (not sure of the right terms) made a difference. I was still huffing and puffing afterwards and both journeys where about 35 mins but it felt a little better. Legs still feeling shakey and weak when I get off the bike.

This is a really stupid question I know (prepares to be shot down in flames ) but....

is it only my thigh muscles that will develope as my fitness increases? and will they get bigger or trimmer ? can I look forward to a thinner waist ? or........ am I not actually doing enough to see any changes on that level ?..... (fire extenguisher at the ready :roll: )

SmellTheGlove

fatboybiker wrote:

is it only my thigh muscles that will develope as my fitness increases?

Piriformis FBB, piriformis.
I have discovered that they are the ultimate secret "muscle where you didn't know you had muscle"
Great effort BTW!

pastryboy

Cycling 80 miles a week will be burning a good few thousand calories and upping your metabolism so unless you're eating crazy amounts it's inevitable your waist will shrink over the next few months - bodyfat is just energy stored away for later use.

All the muscles in your legs should firm up and slowly get bigger - they won't get huge but they should be bigger than most people's.

deptfordmarmoset

fatboybiker wrote:

still doing it....... 4 days from 5 done. 64 miles from 80 done.

I took the advice and geared down. pedalling quicker instead of grinding away (not sure of the right terms) made a difference. I was still huffing and puffing afterwards and both journeys where about 35 mins but it felt a little better. Legs still feeling shakey and weak when I get off the bike.

This is a really stupid question I know (prepares to be shot down in flames ) but....

is it only my thigh muscles that will develope as my fitness increases? and will they get bigger or trimmer ? can I look forward to a thinner waist ? or........ am I not actually doing enough to see any changes on that level ?..... (fire extenguisher at the ready :roll: )

We're all different, of course, but from my experience it will be quite a while before you lose any weight, however, it's quite likely that you will have to tighten up your belt by a notch or so and, if you keep to a high cadence (=pedalling quickly) I'd expect your legs to become trimmer and more toned-looking.

dhope

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

fatboybiker wrote:

still doing it....... 4 days from 5 done. 64 miles from 80 done.

I took the advice and geared down. pedalling quicker instead of grinding away (not sure of the right terms) made a difference. I was still huffing and puffing afterwards and both journeys where about 35 mins but it felt a little better. Legs still feeling shakey and weak when I get off the bike.

This is a really stupid question I know (prepares to be shot down in flames ) but....

is it only my thigh muscles that will develope as my fitness increases? and will they get bigger or trimmer ? can I look forward to a thinner waist ? or........ am I not actually doing enough to see any changes on that level ?..... (fire extenguisher at the ready :roll: )

We're all different, of course, but from my experience it will be quite a while before you lose any weight, however, it's quite likely that you will have to tighten up your belt by a notch or so and, if you keep to a high cadence (=pedalling quickly) I'd expect your legs to become trimmer and more toned-looking.

I dropped a couple of inches on my waist despite only starting as 32" and doing 60 miles a week. My weight hasn't dropped but it looks like it has. If you're larger and doing more I'd imagine you'll certainly end up more trim even if weight doesn't change right away.

Initialised

noodles71 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

As you develop it is going to hurt, probably for most of this year, especially if you forget to stretch. Fortunately it goes away when you get in the saddle. That's been my experience anyway.

You may well be pushing to hard to soon and the odd day off, maybe mid week or when the rain or wind is bad would be a good idea as you get used to it.

I found over-cooking it doing other types of sport and the resulting aches all go away now when I get on the bike. Some days I've even felt more comfortable in the cycling position than lying in bed......

Depends on the position and company ;-)

fatboybiker

well TFI friday. half day today

Thats the whole week done... 80 miles to and from work.

Today was really horrible... not painfull but just extremely uncomfortable. I felt every bump or stone on the road... hated the journey into work although it was a 38 min ride, so the time was ok. One tosser pulled into the bike lane causing me to use advoidance tactics and one dozy b1tch decided to swing her door out as I was passing. (good job I was riding wide and owning the road as advised on here) The journey home was better though. All I could think about was that this would be the last time this week and turned in another 35 minute ride.. hopefully with a weekends rest I'll feel refreshed for monday.... a few beers tonight should ease my aching thighs (it only seems to be the big thigh muscle on the front that seems to be aching !) I was expecting my whole legs to be painful but they only seem 'tight'.

New Schwalbe City Jets arrived so they'll be getting fitted tomorrow along with a clean and lube. gotta sort the slipping gears out. I need a good guide on setup if anyone knows of one.


On the cr@p ride in this morning I couldn't get off my mind what some people had posted on this thread :? :? some people have said i'll see no weight loss for ages.
If thats the case then my only motivation to keep doing the 80 miles a week is saving a bit of cash.... I may as well do train/bike all the time....

Can I just ask one final question before I sit down and shut up...........

Ipod or NO ipod ?

clarkey cat

No Ipod.

Creative Zen all the way.