Building up fitness

danholmes

Hi Guys

At the moment doing a commute into work like 9 miles a day, 3 days a week.... (on my MTB)

getting a road bike ASAP really and then i want to get going out ASAP and doing some larger rides at the weekends. I wanted some advice really on how much to be doing a week to build up to some bigger weekend rides?

I was thinking as the summer comes, perhaps add some distance onto my ride home perhaps??

the main reasoning behind getting into biking is to lose some weight and get fitter again.

Thanks in advance.

Teece

You're probably doing more for your fitness slogging away on a MTB than you will be gliding past on a road bike!

When you do get your road bike, my advice is to do a comfortable weekend ride and then try to increase the average speed and/or distance just a fraction, each week.

You're gonna love it!

Inutero

I did the same thing a year ago. 6 mile commute 5/6 days a week on a mountain bike. I started doing some further miles on days off. Finally got a road bike and i'm now doing min 30 miles on days off/ Hols. And on the commute back from work i'm going as hard as i can. I've managed to knock off about 3-4 mins.

Definatly the best way to get fitter/ lose weight. Feel as fit now as i did when i did 20 years ago, pretty toned up too.

pride4ever

Cut your calories to about 1500 a day and do about 100 mile a week for a month.

simon_masterson

If you can do 9 miles at full pelt, you will find it distinctly easier to do longer distances at a slower rate, but endurance is built up by doing longer distances. I can't recommend you go out tomorrow and attempt 100 miles, but plan a route of 30-50 miles, give yourself a day, take some food and drink, and - pacing yourself - see how you get on.

Sprool

pride4ever wrote:

Cut your calories to about 1500 a day and do about 100 mile a week for a month.

I found this really really hard. First not getting the time to cover 100 miles in a week.
Second feeling famished every time I went out for a long hard ride, ending up eating more than when sedentary.
If I didn't restock with carbs, the day after I'd feel very tired and shakey.
I guess the body acclimatises after a few weeks but its a tough regime.

pride4ever

Ask Wiggins about this, you want gains youve got to be prepared to go to the Well. You wanna fly on a bike you need to be damned light. You can eat all the sugar you want when your out on the road doing the miles, the hard bit is saying NO when your off the bike. Cycling was never meant to be easy and like anything in life if its worth doing its worth doing right.