Completely new, where do I start?

Sprockety

Hi all, this is my first post so please be gentle Its been a long time since I last cycled. A few years ago in an effort to get fit I bought myself a cheap Apollo mountain bike from Halfrauds (yes I know :roll: ) it was almost impossible to ride, heavy, had thick mtb wheels, difficult to change gears so I kept it in just the one gear no matter what I was doing. I just thought that cycling being hard and difficult was the norm tbh and eventually as many people do, it got consigned to the shed then sold four years ago.

However my boyfriend of three years who is a keen cyclist has been pestering me to come out with him on some pleasure cycle path type rides. He has a tourer a Dawes Horizon and an MTB a Haro Flightline. He assures me that cycling is not the walking through treacle with wellies on that Ive experienced before. So today with the help of a lovely family run cycling shop near here, my boyfriend and the owner have both found a bike for me that will be good for everything I would like to do on it and apparently it will be lovely to ride. Its a Claude Butler Windermere, ladies frame (of course lol) and I sat on the one in the shop and the shop are going to build it for me for the weekend. Ive also got to buy a cycling helmet before then too as my last one is in the shed and it was minus 18 here this time last year.

Which leads me to my questions. I am totally unfit, I had an abdominal op some three months ago and have now been passed fit by my GP. I want to be able to built up my fitness to be able to cycle on the cyclepaths round here in Cheshire with my boyfriend without feeling like Im dying or going to collapse in a sweaty heap. I am the sort of person that likes to follow a 'plan' is there anything out there available that does something like they do for interval training for running? How do I build up my strength and stamina properly without hurting myself. Im wanting to lose weight as well, Im about a size 18-20 :oops: and asthmatic so dont want to end up gulping in mouthfuls of cold air either.

Any advice of fitness plans for what I want to do? If I could find an android app for beginners to cycling that would be ideal but Im open to suggestions.

Thank you for your help.

sungod

you'll probably get several different suggestions, and they'll probably all be 'correct', there's no one answer

my suggestion...

if you're just starting and not used to hard exercise, then the best thing is to build up gradually so that your body gets used to riding, and you develop some base stamina/endurance

find a pace you can maintain for an hour or so, without laboured breathing, then ride at it, if you're ok doing, say, 10 miles (or 5 or 20 or whatever), then start with that and gradually build up, don't increase by more than 5-10% per week

if possible, identify a nice route you can do that's a loop of, say, 3-5 miles (anticlockwise on a road around a park is good as there are fewer side junctions), no hills that are too hard (learn how to use the gears!), then start with, say, 4-5 laps, do the ride 2-3 times a week, and add a lap every couple of weeks

you need to base the actual laps, distance etc. on what you are comfortable with when you start, if it stops feeling like fun then back off a little

keep an eye on your lap times and see how it goes for 2-3 months

make sure you keep hydrated, just water is fine, for this sort of riding you shouldn't need extra food/energy drinks

everyone is different, but i'm sure you'll find after 2-3 months that you're going faster for the same effort, hills are a bit easier to get up, and you can go further without tiring

once you've got some base fitness, you can decide if/how you want to take things further

stick to a healthy diet, spread food intake through the day, if you don't eat more than you do today then the extra exercise will start reducing your weight

make sure the bike is set up correctly for you, the shop should do this to start, if you find you are getting knee/other pain then it may be that saddle height/position or something else needs adjusting

if you'll be riding solo, get a puncture repair kit, levers and a pump, and learn how to use them

ted-on-tour

I've always found that goal setting helps, rather than saying to yourself I would like to cycle further, or faster or lose weight, give yourself a set target like lose a stone, cycle 10 miles, or figure out a route cycle it, then set a time that you would like to do it in.

I also use visual aids, I genuinely have 13.00st, blue tacked on the bathroom window above the loo and I see it everyday as thats the next weight goal i want to reach. I've writen dozens of personalized fitness programs, as up untill recently I was an Army physical training instructor but its very dificult to do one without a specific goal in mind that you would like to reach or without seeing initial fitness/robustness levels.

Hope that helps....good luck

ForumNewbie

The bike you are getting is a hybrid and will be an ideal bike for you to start cycling on roads or off-road paths. I would say your target initially should be to get out a couple of times a week with your boyfriend and just enjoy it. It's harder in this current weather but come spring you can have a really enjoyable time planning circular routes of say 20 miles or more and just taking your time, stopping for a breather when you need to and/or at a nice tea shop or cafe along the way, and gradually you will get stronger and enjoy cycling even more.

I think if you initially go with a rigid plan and set tough mileage or time targets, it could be easy to just give up if you are not enjoying it. As yout get more into cycling and start enjoying it you may well wish to set yourself tougher targets. Just enjoy it meantime.

FSR_XC

I read quite an interesting article about people starting running recently. It discouraged setting a plan until you started to get a little fitter and started to enjoy the sport.

Try riding little and often. It sounds like 10+ miles will be a lot for you initially. You might only want to do a mile or so at first and build up from there. Make sure your boyfriend goes at your pace and doesn't try to push you beyond your abilities as this will put you off.

dizzyblonde82

I would start off slowly and gradually increase your distance when you feel comfortable. I started off by going about 3 miles and thought I was going to collapse, within a couple of outings I was doing double that and within about 5/6 weeks my regular circle was 17 miles Just get out and enjoy cycling

jgsi

Yup, don't go diving into a 'plan' so soon and try to avoid the obvious perils of the other half pestering you to go faster....
You mention Cheshire, so if you access to the good, cleanish flat trails of Delamere or Whitegate way , you can start to get to cycling into your head away from traffic...

Diogenes

I am sure you will get hooked, the Claude will be fine. To start with, take a camera, go on short journeys and enjoy the ride. It won't take long before you make the decsision to go that bit further or up hill etc. Just remember, we are doing this thing called cycling for fun, travel , enjoyment. It is not compulsory for it to be a punishment!

Get out and ride, you will love it.

D

centimani

One thing i always recommend Sprockety is to make sure you enjoy your cycling, and that means not spoiling it by making wrong decisions when to ride at first.
It takes a little time to build up some strength so i always tell people to head into the wind at first. There's nothing worse than doing a few miles, getting tired...then having to get home against the wind which of course can really take it out of you. Even moderately light winds are hard work at first.
Don't try to beat the wind. Pick a gear that keeps your pedals spinning without too much effort...however slow that means you go. Once you've done the outward leg against the wind, getting home will be a lot easier. All this means you'll climb off the bike at home feeling much better than doing it the other way.

TBF, thats never changed for me. Once on the bike, i figure which way the winds blowing (or breeze), ride into it, get the benefit on the way home.

tiredofwhiners

Personally, I would sort out some decent gear for the nether regions first of all - good quality shorts/leggings and invest in in some chamois cream, otherwise you may find your self a little sore down there .....

rozzer32

Just build up slowly, start at slow speeds and short distances. As your fitness increases you'll be able to go faster and further.

Just remember to enjoy it and have some fun