Bigger rides when??

lm_trek

Been a biker for quite a few years but mainly mtb, off road with mates slowish pace but tbh just enjoying the forests and company? thats what mtb'ing is all about?? and the sausage baguette at the cafe after!

Well i noticed every year we have a winter break, work gets too busy something called christmas gets in the way and then fitness disappears, so last summer i got a hybrid for those days i can't get to the trails and when the winter hits and im too busy to get to the trails, the hybrid comes out.

Ive been doing 10 miles give or take at a time at first it hurt but now i can breeze that, started cycling further and further until my furthest ride last week was 39 miles, got home and didn't feel too bad. Did about 30 this morning, went to visit my brother over in Redditch then headed home, again feel fine.

When should the bigger rides kick in, is it easier to just head out for one epic ride or keep building up distance like i have done, ive noticed my mph getting better each ride and ive brought a proper road bike, just waiting delivery.

Also noticed im carrying more each ride, first few times just a water bottle, today i took iphone, spare tube, pump, water bottle, energy bar (tasted awful), tyre levers and a mini lock just in case. Should i be carrying anything else?

Lycra-Byka

Forget speed until the distance is conquered.

Ride regularly, every other day if possible.
Try not to have many days between rides (4 days max if find )
Look to increase distance totalled in a week by no more than 10% each week( less percent over time )
Enjoy it

Most important thing is to enjoy riding, the second is being out regular.

You can substitute miles for hours in saddle if your terrain varies. Probably the best way to record to be honest.

lm_trek

Thats the tricky thing, work is bloody awful at the moment, luckily ive had a 3 day weekend, then back to work for 4 days before i can fit another ride in. Seem to have a set pattern, i can ride sunday and tuesday and very little in the middle.

Enjoy it? absolutely love being out on the bike.

Mikey23

Big question. I suppose the answer depends on you, what you want to get out of it and how well your body copes. I came from no cycling but many years of road running and found it hard to adjust. A year ago ten would have been hard but now my benchmark is thirty and I can do the same the next day. This at moderate pace and moderate hills in east Cornwall. I've just built up over time and given myself time to adapt both mentally and physically. My longest tend to be around 50 and my record is 60. I admire those who do 100s but have no desire at present to do them. My confidence and competence are improving. If you want to do long distances or to race or be very competitive then you may need to be more proactive than me.

Your kit level seems about right. Experience has taught me that its better to carry two tubes than one! I wouldn't take a lock as I have no need for it. A small amount of emergency cash and or a card might be sensible. I also have a chain tool and spare link and a small multitool. And a roll in a bag waterproof top that sits in back pocket if the weather seems changeable

lm_trek

I ride to get away from everything, i live in innercity birmingham so ride to warwick, or earlswood lakes, did a run to lickey hills the other day. Stratford is next on the list, i take my kindle enjoy the ride then when i get there relax with a book and bite then cycle back. Knowing im improving fitness and enjoying being out on the bike, just don't want to push it so far that i don't have energy or fitness to actually cycle home after.

lm_trek

Well did my biggest ride of the year, didn't plan on it. Home to stratford grabbed a sandwich had a nosy in the bike shop in stratford its a bit flash in there, but some nice bikes. Then i went from stratford to warwick and then back to home, approx 52 miles, my iphone died 10 miles from home.

Great ride, even though i ache a bit now, but could be worse!

Grill

Lycra-Byka wrote:

Forget speed until the distance is conquered.

Ride regularly, every other day if possible.
Try not to have many days between rides (4 days max if find )
Look to increase distance totalled in a week by no more than 10% each week( less percent over time )
Enjoy it

Most important thing is to enjoy riding, the second is being out regular.

You can substitute miles for hours in saddle if your terrain varies. Probably the best way to record to be honest.

You can disregard the advice in bold. For a runner it's quite important, but for a low-impact sport like cycling you can increase riding distance dramatically without hurting yourself.

g00se

You could go for some fast blasts, say, Tuesday and Thursday night for an hour. Then at the weekend, put the long, slow ride in. If you're near 40 miles at the moment, add 5-10 miles a week.

Long term, you could look to turning the evening rides into proper interval training but for now, just try to get out as much as you can - and when you can go for long, go hard.

Extras to carry - have some money on you, just in case.