Advice needed.

pauldavid

New to this. I've taken up cycling for fitness/weigth loss.

Went for my first ride yesterday and did a little over 14 miles in just over an hour, so averaging about 13.9 according to my computer.

I was like the walking wounded afterwards for a short while but felt better for it.

The advice I am looking for is whether this is good,bad or indifferent for a newbie bearing in mind I am 5'8" and a liitle over 15 stone :oops:

Any advice gratefully received.

One Man And His Bike

The pain is a sign you did well.

I was where you are just over nine months ago, a little heavier and in a lot more pain. :P

Now I'm 2 and a half stone lighter and 6000 miles further down the road.

Keep at it, I promise you it gets easier and starts to become a lot of fun.

ALaPlage

Perfectly normal in my experience. I started riding about 18 months ago after a 20yr break. Did a couple of 8 mile rides to get started again which took about 35/40 minutes. Then stepped up and did 30 miles which was a bad move as the temperature of the day was a little over zero degrees. I was in agony for a couple of days and when I first got back from the ride had to spend an hour in the bath to get feeling back into my legs and hands.

Within three weeks of that however had built up to 50 miles and no after effects. By week 8 the weekend ride was up to 80 miles and at week 10 did my first 100. This was all in training towards the London to Paris ride with AMR last July.

First 6 weeks was weekend riding only due to dark nights but once clocks moved we were doing two 30/40 mile rides mid week and then 80/100 miles on a Saturday and a Sunday.

Stick at it and build up week on week. I went from 16.5 stone to 14 stone within 4 months. A lazy winter has resulted in a stone going back on but have started to get out there again from 3 weeks ago and already have lost 7 pounds.

rc856

Sounds fine mate but don't get hung up on your average speed at the moment.
That can be down to the weather/how you feel/the route etc.
Just get out, get some miles in.....and enjoy

Thought about joining a club?
Don't be worried about being slow etc. Good clubs cater for all.

pauldavid

I have looked at joining a club ut it's all a bit daunting at the moment, I don't want to get myself completely out of my depth at this early stage and be put off if I can't keep up etc.

Anonymous

Nah, just join a (good (good meaning catering for all abilities)) Club.

You'll soon be hooked!

Our club has an easy ride every Sunday where the group do 25-30 flattish miles at the pace of the slowest person.

One Man And His Bike

Keep an eye out for them on the road though and see about tagging along for a ride or two, which most clubs will openly welcome you on if you get in touch and ask about it beforehand.

Club riding can help you in many ways but if you are not comfortable with the idea yet, no worries, spend a little time looking up your local clubs though and seeing how active they are and how active their website is.

rc856

As above....I found my club did turbo sessions twice a week in their clubrooms so that gave me the opportunity to go along, do some of those but not worry about getting dropped!!

Also gave me the chance to meet people etc.

Likewise, my club has a 30 milers group, club pace and race pace.
Regroup on hills. Someone will have company if they're feeling bad etc.

ilm_zero7

NapoleonD wrote:

Nah, just join a (good (good meaning catering for all abilities)) Club.

You'll soon be hooked!

Our club has an easy ride every Sunday where the group do 25-30 flattish miles at the pace of the slowest person.

so very true - a good club has a spirit, its not just a grouping of the obsessed ! I ride for the crack and jokes during and after the ride - but increasing my average ride speed from 14 to 20 mph has just come naturally with more mileage and less weight

go out there, love it... enjoy it !

rick_chasey

It took years of my mum refusing to take me anywhere and forcing me to ride through awful weather, to meet my friends before I got remotely into decent enough shape to feel like I was going somewhere without dying.

Hang in there and it'll come.

pauldavid

Thanks for all the advise, I think I am going to persevere on my own for a short while just to get a liitle more comfortable and bike fit then may look more seriously to see if any of my local clubs is more friendly to newbies than the others.

pauldavid

Thanks for all the advise, I think I am going to persevere on my own for a short while just to get a liitle more comfortable and bike fit then may look more seriously to see if any of my local clubs is more friendly to newbies than the others.