new to road riding help needed

kierhanlon6

hello im new to road riding just brought a orbea onix t105 and have to wait 4-6 weeks to buy it. i was just wondering how far i should train for to start with as havent cycled a bike for about 6 years im 23 and 12 stone so want to get fit again im 6ft tall so im not fat just need fitness back. cant wait to get out on my bike. there is a few flat routes by me that varies in distance and there is a nice circuit that i will do when my fitness is up to scratch. how long would it take for me to ride a 25mile circuit 6months training?
cheers

stokepa31

id start off with a 10 mile loop and up it at 10% per week. speed will vary on wind etc but after 6 months of graft im guessing your average speed could be around 20mph on a flat course.

if 10 feels really easy then jump right to 15. just listen to your body and dont go crazy. once you have a basic level of fitness you will find that there are very few limits on distance. it comes down to making the training work for you. you could ride all day if you keep out of the higher heart rate zones. i tend to do a 20 mile loop if pushed for time and usually knock it out in just over an hour. at the weekend i will try and ride for 3 or 4 hours. much will depend on your latent fitness levels. you may be surprised how far and fast you can go on your existing fitness.

have a mooch through the fitness forum for training programmes and other useful tips..

oh and welcome to a very addictive (and expensive) pastime.

oldwelshman

2 to 4 weeks, your young.
Do couple of 15 mile rides every other day, Second week do 20 miles or even more if you like and you shouldbe upto 25 easily after 2 weeks.
Within a month should be capable to do40 to 50 easily.
Dont forget your young and reasonablyfit andnot fat.
It is notlike some one who may be 50 and 4 stone over weight.

kierhanlon6

cheers lads appricate this. what is a good road bike magazine to? cant wait to get out on my bike now. and thinking of getting the garmin 800 is it worth it? cheers

BelgianBeerGeek

Have you got a specific target you are aiming at eg a century ride, sportive etc? If not then just get out and enjoy it. I've found that cycling has taken me in different directions so see how you get on, you might end up getting competitive! Oh, and build up to it. If you fancy a day off the bike then that is allowed.

mattshrops

Its really tough waiting for the bike to come
All you want to do is get out and ride. I think cycling weekly is a good read if you want a weekly mag. Can you borrow an mtb to get a headstart- and it'll also make you appreciate your road bike when it comes .

At your age with no health probs you'll soon be flying. One problem you might get is sore bum, it'll get easier.
enjoy.

MattJPaul

Re magazines,

Cycling Plus (affiliated with this site) or Cycling Active are good monthlies with unbiased reviews on affordable to top-end products, in addition to a bunch of other good stuff like training tips and reports on sportives, etc.

I personally find Cycling Weekly too expensive and filled with pro-team information that I don't necessarily care about, but go for it if that's what you're looking for.

Edit: I started off riding at 28 years old for 20-25 miles on a low-end Giant Defy 4. I'd perhaps start lower to gauge what your legs can take but they can adapt quickly when you push them, and you'll soon know if you pushed too far.

kierhanlon6

Cheers lads thanks for the help. No Don't know what I want to get in to just want to get out and enjoy the bike. I test rode the bike with just normal shorts and it hurt a little bit. Looking at buying some gel shorts do they help and can u recommend any price isn't a issue for comfort so list any ones please. Cheers

mattshrops

padded bib shorts are an absolute must. if you want reasonable prices wiggle dhb is hard to beat. But in general if you pay more you get a better pad-more comfort. "reasonable" will be fine to start with with the distances and time you'll be spending on the bike. Have you got your pedals and cleats/shoes sorted?

MattJPaul

mattshrops wrote:

padded bib shorts are an absolute must.

Just to reiterate for emphasis.

BelgianBeerGeek

Whole new topic Yes the correct shorts really do help, but it's a personal thing and you can't try before you buy. IMO, some of the cheap ones are best avoided, I prefer Gore shorts. Others will no doubt have other ideas...

gadgets

padded bike shorts will help a lot but it will not eliminate the initial painful period of your bum breaking in to a cycle saddle , just keep in mind it will disappear the more you ride

You can check out wiggle for their DHB line.

kierhanlon6

Spot on will be have a look now then. Yea got my shoes or a pair of shimano shr190. Don't know what there like just got a good deal on them brand new for £30 when I brought my bike.

Rich Hcp

Padded shorts are very important!

Get some spare tubes and a mini pump, too.

I started off with a loop of about 10 miles, a fairly flat one, got me used to the environment.

Then I found a loop with some hills.

Now I have a few 10-20 mile loops that I can join for a longer runs of 40-50 miles.

Using loop routes means your not too far from home, important while you're learning how your body reacts to the bike.

Don't go mad, give yourself days off for your body to recover and you'll be fine.

Six months training, easy pushimh 17-18 average on the flat, or even 20 plus