Boardman team carbon first bike and training

Glasgowbhoy82
Glasgowbhoy82 Posts: 30
edited July 2012 in Road beginners
Hi I'm looking at starting road biking I'm sitting at 275lbs I use to do bodybuilding and sit at 210lb so looking to return to that weight. Was looking for some advice on training and weights required to be good on the bike.I was also wondering if this is an ok bike to start on or should I get a lower spec bike?

Any help would be great thanks

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Forget weights unless you want to be a track sprinter. Its allllll about riding your bike.


    Boardman bikes get great reviews. Make sure you get a good fitting for it and then get out and ride.
  • motdoc
    motdoc Posts: 97
    I can't agree with the 1st reply. For weight loss a mixture of weights and cardio is best (more evidence than cardio alone). That and calorie restriction. If you find you enjoy weights, free weights such as kettle bells are a good choice for weight loss, loads of DVDs on t interweb and I've enjoyed all I've tried.
    Arrrrr I be in Devon.
  • Glasgowbhoy82
    Glasgowbhoy82 Posts: 30
    Yeah i can loose quiet a lot of weight when I'm weight training only thing is I normally stay quiet muscley big arms shoulders and back. That won't help if I'm road biking will it
  • monkeydan
    monkeydan Posts: 95
    Weights don't seem to be required to be good on the bike, however as motdoc points out, they are greatly beneficial for fat loss so I would definitely recommend a mixture of weight training and cycling.

    I'm sure from your bodybuilding days that you know about the importance of diet, so this should come first.

    Boardman bikes are constantly recommended on here, they seem to be great spec for the money. Sounds like you need to make sure whoever sets it up knows what they're doing. Apparently not everyone who works at Halfords is a great bike mechanic...
    When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
  • Glasgowbhoy82
    Glasgowbhoy82 Posts: 30
    Yeah diet is 70 percent and training 30. I'll be keeping pretty low calorie intake but keeping carbs down and more proteins always worked in the past no quiet a keto diet tho. But on that note once I really want to get into it I take it's loads of simple sugars on big ride days? I ust to use dextrose tablets when I thought my sugars were running low lifting weights
  • motdoc
    motdoc Posts: 97
    Complex carbs better as a meal, would only ever really use simple sugars while in the middle of a session. Proteins are generally felt to work as per calorie consumed they make you feel fuller so for weight loss I completely agree.
    Arrrrr I be in Devon.
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    Take your time and get bike fit. You will find your first few rides pretty tough, especially if you have significant hills. Keep going and you will be surprised as how quickly your body becomes more atuned to the effort. Start short and start to gradually build up the distance. Don't get bogged down with stuff like lactate threshold and intervals at this stage, just ride fairly hard.

    A computer can help with motivation because it allows you to monitor you progress, just don't become a slave to it. Also useful to be able to check your cadence. A lot of people starting out tend to peddle a little too slowly. Given your background in weight training, you may be inclined to pedal hard rather than fast which is actually less efficient and will make you more prone to musculo skeletal problems. Try to aim for an average cadence of around 80 per min, but don't get too hung up about this stuff, just get out and enjoy your cycling.

    As far as weights go, as opposed to your weight, just ride more!
  • Glasgowbhoy82
    Glasgowbhoy82 Posts: 30
    Cheers mate when I'm cycling in the gym I'm trying to aim for high 90rpm does a comp tell me that? What kinda computer should I be looking for?
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    Most computers will tell you your cadence - You have to attach a sensor to the chain stay and then a magnet to the crank. The same sensor unit will also give you your speed using a magnet attached to your rear wheel. Computers vary in sophistication, some include a heart rate monitor which can help with fitness training and pacing and some include GPS. GPS is great because you can upload your ride to one of a few websites which will map your ride. A big favourite is a site called Strava which compares your data with others who have ridden the same stretch of road and you can see how you are getting on. However, you can also use a smart phone GPS for this if you don't want to fork out on a dedicated bike unit

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