A would be beginner....
berty wooster
Posts: 3
I am 46 and i used to ride a long time ago. I have revised my interest although i used to ride mountain bikes. I want to start riding a road bike for many reasons. Fitness. enjoyment but mainly fitness. I have a budget if on approx £300.00 What tips could any one give me in both what bikes to buy or avoid or how to go about building up my stamina (which is non existent. 46 yrs old , 2 stone over weight and gets out of breath running a bath) Any tips of any sort would be grateful for.
Thanks for taking the time to read,
Steve
Thanks for taking the time to read,
Steve
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Comments
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Build your stamina by riding a bike regularly. £300 will get you a new bike, but it might also be worth looking at secondhand for that budget...0
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One difference between road and mountain bikes is due to being in the same position a lot more of the time road bikes need to be more accurately setup. Apart from that just ride regularly and gradually build up the distance. Don't forget to eat well and have rest days with no cycling well to help improve your fitness.0
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HI, i too just brought a road bike, a carrera tdf, not the greatest bike in the world but suited my budget £249 allowing me to get spare inertubes,lights, tools, bag etc with the other £51. have had it 3 weeks and am really enjoying riding again. been building up 10 miles, 15 miles,25 miles and yesterday 45 miles.
for £249 with the discounts atm i think the carrera is a good choice0 -
Thank you for all advise given. I am going on holiday tomorrow. I will look for a bike when I get back - cheers every one..0
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I was you two years or so ago. I bought a Trek 1.1 second hand and started with 8-10 mile rides then found a local cyclist to buddy with and drag me round. I was soon doing 20 milers then I joined a club which had a Sunday ride of up to 35 miles. 100 mile rides are a challenge but within my capabilities.
Just keep riding the bike, your capability will increase faster than you can imagine.0 -
into my 1st year back on a bike im 54 i found building up steady nice and steady i got a carrera virtuoso a good starter bike i think got my self a good pair of bib shorts take your time and enjoy it0
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Don't forget you'll need some cash for stuff like a pump, clothes (decent bibshorts perhaps) and a helmet if you wear one.0
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Inspired by the Olympics in the Autumn of 2012 I bought a hybrid bike, but didn't do much straight away. I started riding regularly last April (2013) age 62, having not ridden since I used to ride to School as a teenager. I weighed 103kg
I live where on top of a hill, and almost where ever I go around me I have to go up a hill. I tried to go out each Saturday and Sunday morning, and for the first 6 to 8 weeks I couldn't make it up any hill without stopping 3 or 4 times to recover. Eventually though I was able to get fit enough to make it up each hill. (These are typically about 7% gradient with a few short sections of about 10%). A 4 to 5 mile ride was a good distance
That was when the weight started dropping off and my distance increased - by September I was down to 84Kg and I was able to do the occassional 40 to 50 miles (although I was completely spent and with a sore A**) - and as a present I bought my self a proper road bike. I continued to go out through the winter months when the weather was fair, and in April this year I managed first a 67 mile round trip and then a couple of week later 100 miles. No sore A** (The much thinner and harder saddle of the road bike is so much more comfortable - go figure).
Just recently I have tried deliberately changing down and increasing my cadence on all sections of the ride. This appears to be increasing my speed.
I am just starting to see leg muscle bulges on the legs above my knees. I feel much fitter, and I have lost at least two inches around the waist - so much so that last years clothes don't fit.
Some tips:-
1) Use Strava. I have the mobile App on my (Nexus 5 Android phone) and I record every ride. One I had got over the 4 to 5 mile limit I set up what I call my "Standard Training Ride". Its just short of 15 miles, and contains 3 big hills. I have Strava segments for each of them (and some other sections). I don't care about comparing my times with anyone else - but I do care about comparing against my previous runs.
2) Have some standard routes (Not exclusively), where you can compare over time. My "Standard Training Ride" has segments where I push, then a recovery gap, then another segment where I am interesting in beating my time. One such hill has my times last Summer at around 7:44 - where as now I go up the hill regularly in about 5:11. It also take just over 1 hour - which means in the summer its perfect for a mid week (or two) run before starting work.
I also have two other standard runs which I use by default at the weekends. Both are 27 miles long. My time on each of these is about 2 hours.
3) Don't over do it. After pushing hard on a run one day, I seems to need a day of recovery before trying again. The only exception is to utilise fully and spare time I have on a weekend to go out both Saturday and Sunday (but then not on a Monday).
4) Get some clip in pedals. Not only did it improve my speed, but it just seems easier to pedal at a higher cadence and for longer periods of time.0 -
Ive just bought my first road bike, its a btwin. Amazing bike for the money.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-s ... 06187.html
Just google triban 500 se road bike reviews mate and decide for yourself. Incredible reviews.0 -
+1 on the felt f95.
http://www.merlincycles.com/felt-f95-ro ... 72331.html
Use strava.com to look for routes around your house and start slow0 -
+ 1 for the B'Twins, as a friend of mine has one.
If you're the social type try and fin a local club, a social one, and have a look at going out with their 'steady' ride.
That's how I started with my local club. It helps the miles go by, you get to places you might not have gone, and you'll do more miles than you thought yourself capable of.
I have heard some horror stories about some clubs being overly competitive, but try before you buy, club ethos varies alot!0 -
berty wooster wrote:I am 46 and i used to ride a long time ago. I have revised my interest although i used to ride mountain bikes. I want to start riding a road bike for many reasons. Fitness. enjoyment but mainly fitness. I have a budget if on approx £300.00 What tips could any one give me in both what bikes to buy or avoid or how to go about building up my stamina (which is non existent. 46 yrs old , 2 stone over weight and gets out of breath running a bath) Any tips of any sort would be grateful for.
Thanks for taking the time to read,
Steve
Your first tip would be to up your budget as if you aren't buying second hand a road bike for £300 will be a piece of crap.
This is about the cheapest decent road bike you can get http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-sora-wiggle-exclusive/0 -
davidmt83 wrote:A little over budget but a great bike and a decent saving given the 2015 stock is around the corner:
£394.99 http://www.rutlandcycling.com/150511/pr ... -bike.aspx
Or
£399.97 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-sora-wiggle-exclusive/
Bit cheaper:
£349.99 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-s ... 06187.html
£329.99 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-roa ... 39801.html
£279.99 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-300-r ... 39800.html
Regarding tips - it's as simple as ride, ride and ride again. Read up on cadence and make sure you're not grinding big gears and you'll find you're able to go for longer and get up hills easier.
If you're getting back into cycling start with a short route of 5 - 10 miles and see how you feel. Look to do a similar mileage twice a week and when you're feeling full of energy increase it to 3 times a week. Slowly increase the mileage and make sure you eatting properly beforehand and after.
thanks david, because of your link and some research I found cycle surgery have a shop 9 miles from me with similar offers atm,
so today I put a deposit on a Defy 2
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueP ... CGIA0896KK0
