How quickly did you get cycling fit?

djm501

Just wondering how fast others have progressed in fitness and endurance as I'm currently amazing myself weekly in just how well I'm doing.

I started cycling end of May last year after years of lay off from any kind of real exercise. I couldn't run because I was too heavy and it did my knees in - I got to 20 stone in weight and eventually caved in to badgering from the missus and mother about doing something about it. We got some bikes.
After commuting every day for a while I started lengthening my cycling at weekends and fell in love with the road - I got a second bike; a road bike. My weekend (and some commutes) rides went from 30 miles, to 50 miles to 70 miles and now my record stands at a 127 mile audax event.
I've entered another grimpeur audax that features 2280 m of climbing at the end of this month and in training for it yesterday I did 82 miles with over 5000 ft of climbing without stopping on any climb (and two or three of the climbs had near 20% slopes in patches). I also, since August have done >500 miles a month.
In march I'm planning a 300 kilometre audax.

When I stop and think about this, in seven months I've gone from being an unfit fat bastard to - well - to levels of fitness that I only ever dreamed about and certainly didn't ever expect to be capable of.

I am no longer 20 stone - although I'm still pretty hefty as cycling chaps go.

What are your tales of rapide transformation?

Mikey23

Excellent testimony... I came from a good level of fitness from years of running and it took me a long time to adjust to the demands of a different discipline. I'm not sure even now after 12 months and 3000 miles whether I would regard myself as cycling fit... But I enjoy the sport and the challenge

ShutUpLegs

Chapeau sir

djm501

Mikey23 wrote:

Excellent testimony... I'm not sure even now after 12 months and 3000 miles whether I would regard myself as cycling fit... But I enjoy the sport and the challenge

Thanks, I'm sure I'm not alone around here with such discoveries and achievements which is why I asked.

Yes 'cycling fit' is a relative term. I mean from 'mere mortal' perspective really. No point in trying to compare onesself to the pros for example. I would probably put myself in the same category as yourself I guess - I'm sure the Wiggo would do what I did yesterday in his sleep!

schweiz

After I moved to Switzerland, I enjoyed my life a little too much and let things go on the excercise front. I rose from 82-83 kg in September 2003 up to 105 kg in Spring 2007! I decided I didn't want to be fat on my 30th Birthday so I started cycling to work in May. By mid-september I had dropped to 90 kg and by August 2008 I was 83 kg again and completed the Alpen Challenge (220 km/4000 m of climbing) in 9 hr 59 min 50 sec just creeping in under my goal of 10 hours. So I guess for me, the answer to your question is about 14-16 months.

djm501

And so chapeau to you too then. 4000 m of climbing in 220 k is a fekkin lot! Roughly twice what I managed yesterday I think. Good work sir!

♠ChumBucket♠

djm501 wrote:

Just wondering how fast others have progressed in fitness and endurance as I'm currently amazing myself weekly in just how well I'm doing.

I started cycling end of May last year after years of lay off from any kind of real exercise. I couldn't run because I was too heavy and it did my knees in - I got to 20 stone in weight and eventually caved in to badgering from the missus and mother about doing something about it. We got some bikes.
After commuting every day for a while I started lengthening my cycling at weekends and fell in love with the road - I got a second bike; a road bike. My weekend (and some commutes) rides went from 30 miles, to 50 miles to 70 miles and now my record stands at a 127 mile audax event.
I've entered another grimpeur audax that features 2280 m of climbing at the end of this month and in training for it yesterday I did 82 miles with over 5000 ft of climbing without stopping on any climb (and two or three of the climbs had near 20% slopes in patches). I also, since August have done >500 miles a month.
In march I'm planning a 300 kilometre audax.

When I stop and think about this, in seven months I've gone from being an unfit fat bastard to - well - to levels of fitness that I only ever dreamed about and certainly didn't ever expect to be capable of.

I am no longer 20 stone - although I'm still pretty hefty as cycling chaps go.

What are your tales of rapide transformation?

Well done, nice story & inspiration to many I'm sure.

simon_masterson

I find that hard to judge exactly because I was a pretty fit and lean 21 year old, and it was a little while before I even considered the possibility that I might be remotely good at cycling, even if I did take it pretty seriously. I didn't have a computer for the first year. I used it for 9 miles each way commuting to begin with (which at first took me about 45 minutes, speeding up to 30), but about 7 months in I got a temp job that took the distance up to 18ish miles each way, which was probably the turning point. It wasn't very long before I could pretty regularly get the run down to 50 minutes when the traffic was good, and once I'd done it in 43 I started to get the idea that I could do this. That was about 10 months in.

musicville

Really good stuff thanks for posting this, im 5'8 ish 15 stone rugby player and i have just started riding aiming for 100 miles per week to start with. my commute to work is 16 mile each way through derbyshire countryside so am aiming to do this 3 times a week, hopefully il be able to do similar sorts of distnce riding come the summer/autumn !

feemackenzie

I've taken to cycling again; new bike in January, managing a steady 30 miles the weekend plus beginning to enjoy hill climbs. Fitness is improving but more importantly is the mental strength to go and get on with it.

Motivated by the odd trip to LBS to top up kit (ahem!) :-)

djm501

musicville wrote:

Really good stuff thanks for posting this, im 5'8 ish 15 stone rugby player and i have just started riding aiming for 100 miles per week to start with. my commute to work is 16 mile each way through derbyshire countryside so am aiming to do this 3 times a week, hopefully il be able to do similar sorts of distnce riding come the summer/autumn !

Good luck - I used to be a prop myself (albeit frutstrated number 8) back in days of youth. You can do it - I'm starting to think it's actually not that hard - I think it's going FAST that's hard.

Climbing's hard though - oh yes!

#david2012

Wow I started back in may last year and I'm nowhere near that level yet! Well done

teisetrotter

I found it easier to improve than I thought. Beginning of the year, March. I was 4 stone over the BMI limit, pretty damn happy with a sedentary life after years of exercise mania. Doctors orders were exercise and diet for a weird form of arthritis. Started in the gym with a diet and lost three stone, then bought the bike in September .......... doing about 150 miles a week and can keep up with most groups outside of the whipper snapper race training boys.

Amazed at my body, at 46 it can be this fit. If I push the speed and do over 50 miles the old knees take a little while to recover, but fitness wise I feel great and I want to get it higher. I just did my heart rate at rest, 54 ..... 11 months ago it was over 70.

annoyingtwit

I'm inspired by the stories here. I hope the fact that some of my cycling is cycling to the gym for sessions will help me gain fitness. I have already noticed that I'm experiencing less muscle burn when climbing hills.

wishitwasallflat

Four and a half years in and I'm still waiting