The Truth

chiark

As others have said, don't get disheartened. I didn't do much riding at all last year, but this year I've set myself the target to just get out and ride. The first few rides were quite horrible as my heart rate was 170+ almost all the time and my speeds were crap. The strava suffer score for one was in the 200s: extreme.

I am (sort of) following a fitness programme published in cycling weekly a few weeks ago, which is encouraging me to do more interval-style training - back off a while, give it some welly up a hill for 5-6-7 minutes, rest 2, push again, rest... It does seem to be making a difference to what I did 2 years ago, which was just to ride everywhere as hard as I thought I could.

In 2 months I've noticed the limiting factor going from me thinking "I really can't do this, I have to back off before I die due to my lungs jumping out my body" to more of a "ah, OK, legs are hurting a little but I can push 'em more".

I really think my base fitness has jumped in 2 months, which is allowing me to actually start to think about putting more effort in. Without that fitness, I'd not be thinking of pushing myself harder. I found my fitness improved by spending 1-2 hours on the bike on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evening, and 3-4 hours on Saturday morning and perhaps an hour on Sunday evening. Bit of core strength on Wednesday evening, and some stretches.

Don't underestimate rest days. Don't beat yourself up if you can't get out. I had to have the weekend off due to family commitments, but going out yesterday I felt hugely fresh, and my average speed for a loop was up 1.1mph from the same ride last week...

That works for me. YMMV

I also find competing with myself on strava helps motivation .

slowbike

Grill wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

davebelushi wrote:

velvetytoast wrote:

One final point - your speed is directly proportional to the amount of money you have spent on your kit

I knew it!.....
Right, shopping tomorrow, that'll learn em....

Take no notice!! All the inspiration I need to go faster comes from trying (and succeeding) to show my boss that my £500 bike is every bit as quick as his £1700 bike!!

Your boss needs a more expensive bike :P

yer - upgrade from them SPDs to start with!

Schoie81

Slowbike wrote:

Grill wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

davebelushi wrote:

velvetytoast wrote:

One final point - your speed is directly proportional to the amount of money you have spent on your kit

I knew it!.....
Right, shopping tomorrow, that'll learn em....

Take no notice!! All the inspiration I need to go faster comes from trying (and succeeding) to show my boss that my £500 bike is every bit as quick as his £1700 bike!!

Your boss needs a more expensive bike :P

yer - upgrade from them SPDs to start with!

Don't get me started - all the gear, no idea!! He fixed a puncture last week, came back in the office all proud of himself and announced that it was the most practical thing he's ever done in his life!! And he turned his bike upside down to do it too!! :evil:

chiark

Copy of this for Christmas, with 49 in big letters on a post it note. Bonus points if you can do it as a secret santa thing...

MrSweary

elderone wrote:

There is a bit of willy waving on here but you soon learn that a lot of the riders on here,are actually,very good.

Yup. Cycling is great at humbling you and great at reminding you that there are no short-cuts and there is always someone faster.

What amazes me is that mere minutes after punishing myself to vomiting point, almost before I can feel my hands again I'm thinking "Can't wait for my next ride - it'll be great!" Stupid brain. :x

smidsy

Schoie81 wrote:

And he turned his bike upside down to do it too!! :evil:

This one has always puzzled me.

What is the problem with it and what is the alternative (assuming you have no one to hold it for you)?

MrSweary

smidsy wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

And he turned his bike upside down to do it too!! :evil:

This one has always puzzled me.

What is the problem with it and what is the alternative (assuming you have no one to hold it for you)?

The Rules.. The Rules dagnammit!!

markhewitt1978

smidsy wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

And he turned his bike upside down to do it too!! :evil:

This one has always puzzled me.

What is the problem with it and what is the alternative (assuming you have no one to hold it for you)?

It gets your saddle dirty, as well as scuffing your bars / shifters etc. Plus it's almost impossible to get your back wheel in properly, and that's tricky enough as it is.

Plus you don't need to. I'd do it on my kitchen floor however as it's clean enough.

Schoie81

chiark wrote:

Copy of this for Christmas, with 49 in big letters on a post it note. Bonus points if you can do it as a secret santa thing...

Don't worry - he had a link to Rule #49 waiting in his inbox before he got back to his desk! Some of 'the rules' (IMO) are stupid and some of them I go out of my way to break, but the 'rubber side up' I fully agree with.