Freshmint

Revis

Good afternoon, I'm relatively new to cycling and only took part in an event over the summer when I took on the Etape part II. I'm interested in getting involved regularly in the amateur scene as I'm on 23 and have a decent engine. At the moment I am pretty big for a cyclist to say the least, a bit chubby but really just because I'm built like a flanker, however my intention is to lose about 7kg over the next few months and get sub 90kg working down slowly from there.

For reference my Etape placing was only top 2000, I crashed early on the first descent but really I was hindered by not being able to train around work and buying a house so my weight was too big an obstacle. As for my numbers I used to row so on a static bike (in this instance a watt bike) my long distance speed is decent. I can hit an average pace of 40km/h for 2.5 hours, or for 100km whichever way you view it.

Given my physique and preference for longer races what kind of events would suit me and does anyone have any tips on Teams in the Putney area or races around London to get stuck into?

Really appreciate any advice, thanks for your time.

Revis

Bobbinogs

Hello Revis, welcome on board.

So, some comments that are honest and not meant to be offensive...

1. No point quoting your speed as decent based on static bikes...in fact no point quoting speeds on here without all the factors such as ascent, wind, traffic...etc, etc...and if you list all the factors then no one really cares anyway 40kph over 2.5 hours on a real ride? Dream on.

2. You talk about long distance races and admit that you currently weigh 97kg. That's bloody big in any one's language and certainly not the typical weight of an endurance athelete. No excuses, you need to start losing weight sooner rather than later.

So, nothing wrong with having racing as an ultimate target but why not start with some simple cycling based ones, e.g. doing a 10mile ride in under 30 minutes, doing a 50 mile ride in 3 hours, doing that b@stard hill not once but twice in a ride, etc...doing a 100 mile ride in under 6 hours and finishing it with that ol' hill twice...

Static bikes are great for many things (interval training, HR zone work and recovery, etc.) but they are no real substitute for bike riding. So, get out and ride your bike as much as you can. Check out the BC website for clubs in the area (bound to be a few):

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder

...and then start working your way up the groups and learning the craft (when to eat/drink, what you can sustain, what you are good at compared to your peers, bike handling skills, ride tactics, etc.). Speak to your fellows at the club and use the rides to gauge your progress. Best of luck Revis, it's a great sport but blinking tough and it may take you a couple of years to get cycling fit (so be patient and try not to get an overuse injury, etc., bear in mind you get stronger in recovery not training).

Revis

Much appreciated Bobbinogs and cheers for the straight talking. Can't stand it when people beat around the bush. Understand I'm pretty heavy but I got up to international standard as a junior rower so it's not all flubber. Weight will be objective 1 as I have my first marathon in about 100 days. Does 3 ascents of Ventoux count as an 'ol hill though? :P Anyway I'll let you know how I'm getting on in 6 months and thanks agian.

cyclingsheep

Hey Revis. You could try having a look at the the Twickenham Cycling Clubs website http://www.twickenhamcc.co.uk/tcc. They're not far from Putney and do many regular rides as well as having a lot of lads who race so they can give you plenty of advice whatever direction you're looking at.