Hello, can I ask a question ?

Dirty_Harry

Hi,

Joined a while ago but was reluctant to make a first post. This forum always seems friendly (hopefully that gets me in) so I just wanted to know a few things (couldn't find anything through the search)

Kind of new to cycling, had my uncle build me a bike and I'm absolutely loving it. I'd already been on an exercise bike for a while and done other exercises - so I wouldn't call myself unfit.

But I didn't realise how addictive cycling would be, and how scientific it would (appear) be. I do around 100 miles per week; long rides and (I think) intervals. But the thing is, I don't really know if they're intervals, I have read about riding at --% at threshold but that is all redundant to me as I don't have a clue how to measure these things. I also don't have the money to buy any equipment to do so. Trying to get over these terms, and what they mean is harder than riding

For instance, to improve tt'ing is the principle to maintain a relatively high cadence, progressing up through higher gears ? Do you go full out in a harder gear for 20 mins say at a slightly less cadence? How are you meant to feel after intervals?

It's probably all relatively simple, and I'm looking like a right beginner - "not one of these questions again". But any help would be great.

Cheers

Ben6899

Hi mate,

Erm I'm not the right person to answer your intervals/thresholds question - other folk on here have a much more scientific approach to training than I do.

But I'll welcome you to the forum and reassure you that it's "not one of these questions again"... it makes a nice change to the "What bike for £1000?" and "Spesh Allez or Giant FCR?" type threads!

Have fun!

MountainMonster

Interval training is going wide open for a set amount of time, with a short rest pause, then back at full whack for another set of time. Normally is 1 min training as hard as you can, then 30 seconds rest, then another minute at full whack........ Repeat the process until completely dead.

As far as measuring your pulse and everything, you can pick up some cheap watch versions of Heart Rate Monitors for relatively cheap. I picked mine up for 20 from my LBS, and has everything I need on it.

Dirty_Harry

@ MountainMonster Cheers, Checked a few out on internet, can't believe they can be that cheap - but then again I hadn't searched for simple 'heart rate monitors'.

@Ben6899 Thanks for the welcome.

MountainMonster

Yeah, mine does exactly what I need it to. Shows calories burned, average heart rate, max and includes zones and everything. Very practical for the cost.

Zachariah

In the absence of fancy gadgets to tell you how fast your money is escaping your wallet, just ride around the same loop and see if you get any faster. By the time you get to the point where the scientific approach will make any difference to your performance, you'll know all you need to through your own experiences.

Intervals should feel truly shattering - when they're done, you should not be able to do anything but a warm down. They are intended to push the body to breaking point so it rebuilds even stronger (so you need to rest adequately afterwards). Attempting them on the open road is not recommended.

Here's a simple cadence counting tip: Time yourself over ten seconds, counting how many times one foot goes round. 17-18 revolutions is about 100 rpm, 15 is 90rpm. Very quickly you'll get an instinctive feel for these rev levels.

Good luck, join a club, go as fast or as slow as you like!

Dirty_Harry

Should both the lungs and the legs feel 'shattered', or does one feel worse than the other?

Thanks.

Pigtail

Hi there - goodness knows if I can help, but I've been on a similar journey to you for about 6 months or so.

I've made a lot of gains, starting from a pretty low base, and the one thing I've discovered is that you don't need to just push yourself out of your comfort zone - you need to blow it away altogether. My lungs and legs hurt, I feel slightly dizzy and at times have felt sick when I've really pushed it.

I have a fairly basic polar heart rate monitor and I do a bit of time in the gym on an exercise bike, which most people here probably wouldn't recommend. I'm not very scientific, or planned about my training, but I try to do one interval session a week. Today I did 5 minute warm-up, 15 minutes hard, 5 minutes active recovery, 15 minutes hard then 5 minutes cool-down. The first 15 minutes felt difficult and the second felt as though I wouldn't manage it, however I kept watching the minutes and seconds and eventually completed it.

Dirty_Harry

All the replies have been top notch. Between the four replies I feel I've learned something - a lot more than various websites etc.

One day I'll understand them...maybe.

Cheers

sparkins1972

Welcome Dirty Harry - I tend to have a very unscientific approach to these things but worked out the quickest way to improve my riding was hill repeats. I have one hill at about 1:12 gradient that is about 400m long - takes just under 2 mins to climb it (all measurements are approx). I started out just doing the hill once and then carrying on with my ride but found my performance hat plateaud (sp??). I have upped this and now do up to 10 reps of the same hill, rest on the way down and turn straight back round and go up it again.

I tend to start off and spin up in a pretty easy gear and then the next couple of times I do it in one gear higher and the last couple of reps in another gear higher still. This way I feel like I get a good variety of spinning; at a high cadence, then grinding and then mixing the last few up with a couple of standing climbs.

This may go against all the very scientific approaches that some have, but I found it improved my all round cycling, my climbing, but also my mental approach to push myself past the previous plateau.

I hope this makes some sense -

MountainMonster

Cycling can be hard to understand, but at the end of the day only one thing matters:

You have fun!

If you're not having fun, its not worth it!

rjh299

Pigtail, you make it sound so much fun and inviting!

He is right though unfortunately, sometimes it's gonna hurt.

schweiz

You don't have to do intensive interval training sessions to improve though. It obviously depends on where you live but by avoiding pan flat routes and riding tempo and picking routes that don't shy away from hills you can usually find a nice circular route with enough variation to provide natural interval training. Just remember to push yourself on those hills. It's far more interesting than doing the same stretch x times and much easier to keep motivated.

Anonymous

Hello.

Don't listen to people who say cycling should be fun.

Cycling is about laying out masses of QuadPower(tm) and making the others you are riding with suffer. You have only truly mastered the sport when you have made a grown man cry from effort.

Hope that helps.

NapD

schweiz

NapD - does that include making yourself cry?

Anonymous

Only If you're the last one in the group to do so.

Pseudonym

Dirty_Harry wrote:

Should both the lungs and the legs feel 'shattered', or does one feel worse than the other?

Thanks.

if done correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell where the pain is coming from....

dreamlx10

If you're not having fun, its not worth it!

Surely you mean, "If you're having fun, it's not worth it" !!!

mattshrops

Dirty Harry ,
Not all of your intervals have to be 50% (recovery) to 100% (effort)
thats a sprint session
Equally effective is something like 50%- 85%

Theres loads of different heart rate zones and if you do a search for "cycling intervals" and also "heart rate zones" either on the main BR site or t'internet you'll get weeks of reading

Have to be honest if ive got time i'd prefer to be out in the countryside riding than sitting in the shed. You can add intervals into you ride- sprint 10 secs recover fully go again.
or go at threshold pace 5 mins recover then go again.

Invest in a good book and read what you can- try not to overcomplicate it to start with at least get out and ride.

Disclaimer-(read very fast like one of them there adverts) pleasenoteallfiguresusedareforillustrationpurposesonlyandshouldnotbetakenasliteralorevencorrect.otherpeoplesadviceisavailableandisprobablymorerelevantmoreusefulandjustbetter.infactidontevenknowwhyyourereadingthisrubbish.

Pigtail

rjh299 wrote:

Pigtail, you make it sound so much fun and inviting!

He is right though unfortunately, sometimes it's gonna hurt.

It is fun - particularly when you've finished!

It doesn't all have to be like that as someone else said - but sometimes really pushing it helps improvement in my view.

Mixing it up helps as well, if you're stuck try something else and then come back to it. I did my first club 10 mile TT last week. I thought I was pushing myself on some of my rides already, but that certainly took it to a different level.

MountainMonster

I may be a bit different then everyone else, but being near exhaustion and in pain is fun for me when cycling! Nothing better than really pushing your boundaries!

Dirty_Harry

MountainMonster wrote:

I may be a bit different then everyone else, but being near exhaustion and in pain is fun for me when cycling! Nothing better than really pushing your boundaries!

Was one of the reasons why cycling attracted me. I'd read somewhere that it was the hardest sport in the world (surely not), so I started reading books, watching races on eurosport and reading forums etc. It's not until you jump on a bike and go for it that you realise how hard it really is. Personally I love the individual challenge everytime you go out - setting times to beat etc. - so I agree with you.

I guess my next challenge is to reduce a fellow cyclist to tears...would be easy if it didn't have to do it on a bike.

All the posts seem to suggest 'just ride'. Since its my first year of cycling I'll just mix it up, then next year I might develop a more structured approach.

Thanks for all the responses.

MountainMonster

Yup, havn't yet reduced a man to tears,but since most of my rides are in the mountains, I have reduced a few friends to screaming agony while trying to keep up with me while climbing. Made a few of them push themselves so hard they had to stop halfway up, ride back down and go home. Now that is a satisfying feeling, especially when they have been riding longer than you!

Redhog14

Join a club or maybe two and stop playing it safe with friends. There is always someone better than you so keep hunting and trying.