Sore legs even after rest day, I'm desperate...

angrod

Hi, first an introduction.

I'm almost 23yo, 176cm and 70kg.

I've been regularly cycling for ~8 month, and almost daily for almost 5 month.
For the first 3 month I had a MTB ( Trek Marlin 6 ), then for 4 month I had an electric mountain bike ( because I had to do a lot of km just to go to work ), it was a Rockrider E ST-500.
2 weeks ago, I got a Triban 520 with flat bars, 50x39x30 chain rings, and 12x25 cassette. Weights ~10kg.
I do food deliveries with my bike ( Deliveroo ) half a week 2h30, and the other half 3h30 ( almost no rest days since a 3 weeks ago, now 1 or 2 rest days where I do nothing ). It's not a hard ride everytime. I get to rest a bit ( when I wait for the food at the restaurant ), and sometimes there are "hard" climbs ( at least hard for me ) + little sprints when I feel like the red light is coming.

Here's my strava if you wanna check : https://www.strava.com/athletes/29520978
I can just record the 2h30 sessions for now.

Now here's the problem. As soon as I try to do a "big" effort, my legs get sore quickly. And even when they aren't sore, I'm not able to use my full potential, and put very little power. I shouldn't rely too much on strava estimated power, but it says I have an average of 95w, and an estimated ftp of ~150w. I can't believe I'm that low with all the cycling I do, even though on the bike I feel like I put low power.
I'm able to stay at ~25kmh for an hour, if it's a good day maybe 28kmh. I'm not very comfortable on this kind of effort though, I feel like I'm more of a puncher, being able to put some big power for a short time and being able to recover fast.

One week I had 4 rest days, and the next day I went cycling I felt a bit better, but the next day I felt soreness again.
The thing is I can't do that too much, because food delivery is my only job so I just rely on it to pay rent and stuff.
Before my cycling I take an Isostar Energy sport bar ( Vitamins and Fatigue reduction ).
During my cycling I drink water with Isostar's "Hydrate & Perform" ( Carb mix, Isotonic, Vitamin C antioxidant, Electrolyte ), and take a protein bar per hour.
After exercice I take a protein bar from Aptonia, and a recovery drink from Aptonia too.
Then I stretch, take a shower, sometime a cold bath ( no ice, just a cold bath ), and then massage my muscles, mostly my quads because they are pretty tight ( especially in the inside ).

My question is, is it me the problem ? Like am I just very bad ?
I just don't understand, I'm starting to think I'm just bad at cycling. And it makes me very sad, because my dream would be to start racing and maybe get a good level, like P/1/2.

Thanks a lot if you read all this and replied, I really need help right now.

sloppyschleckonds

Maybe just try and cycle for longer distances at lower intensity, what have you got Toulouse?

darkhairedlord

Your 23yrs old. Stop being a drama queen.

angrod

The thing is, I don't really have the choice of where I have to deliver. Sometimes I just have to ride on climbs and there's no way around. I have to not be too slow too.
But Toulouse is mostly flat. In general, I just get to ride 2/3 climbs per session. But there are some climbs that just kill me at the end.

Some climbs I ride regularly that are hard for me :
https://www.strava.com/routes/19130242 - https://www.strava.com/routes/19270168 ( same climb )
https://www.strava.com/routes/19086420
https://www.strava.com/routes/19334241
https://www.strava.com/routes/19159818
https://www.strava.com/routes/19130391 ( it's the easiest one )

What's demotivating too is that I feel like those climb are hard, and then for example I see it's about 5% all the way.
Which is pretty low, for a short duration too. Those aren't long climbs.

angrod

darkhairedlord wrote:

Your 23yrs old. Stop being a drama queen.

Sorry if it seems like I am.
I'm just inexpererienced and don't know anyone in the cycling community.

step83

I would look at some middle distance rides so 40-50k not going mad just focusing on building up endurance. Also you want some form of carb while riding. Protein bars all well and good but your body cant break it down as quick into usable sugars your muscles need.

If your riding that amount look at cycling diets youll see just how much the tuck away, an more importantly, what they are eating, your burning a lot an sounds like its not being replenished properly

jgsi

New to cycling.
Keep just cycling.
Forget forums.
Forget inane chatter about 'training'.
Eat some fish and chips for dinner and burn it off delivering.
(There is no such thing as a cycling community by the way, as in no driver would ever describe themselves as part of a 'motoring community'.)

sloppyschleckonds

JGSI wrote:

New to cycling.
Keep just cycling.
Forget forums.
Forget inane chatter about 'training'.
Eat some fish and chips for dinner and burn it off delivering.
(There is no such thing as a cycling community by the way, as in no driver would ever describe themselves as part of a 'motoring community'.)

Waiting for the inevitable 'have you got a power meter, have you tried trainer road, zwift etc etc'

Just ride as much as possible

keef66

Is the bike the right size for you and do you have the correct saddle height? Beginners who complain about painful quads often have the saddle too low.

angrod

Step83 wrote:

Also you want some form of carb while riding. Protein bars all well and good but your body cant break it down as quick into usable sugars your muscles need.

If your riding that amount look at cycling diets youll see just how much the tuck away, an more importantly, what they are eating, your burning a lot an sounds like its not being replenished properly

Sounds right. I'll look into that, thanks !
Carbs/refuelling may indeed be the problem.

JGSI wrote:

New to cycling.
Keep just cycling.

Well, that's what I do.
I totally agree with that way of thinking, but it's not relevant in my situation where cycling is my job and I have to keep cycling even when my muscles are sore. I feel like at some point, it won't be good to just keep cycling without trying to find a solution. And even if it's not damaging, I'm not able to train efficiently, and most importantly, I can't have a comfortable ride. Being sore every ride when you push just a bit isn't pleasant.

JGSI wrote:

(There is no such thing as a cycling community by the way, as in no driver would ever describe themselves as part of a 'motoring community'.)

I'm just thinking of people that are cycling. Like in clubs. I don't know anyone since i'm new to town, so I don't have reference points like "is this normal or not", etc....

keef66 wrote:

Is the bike the right size for you and do you have the correct saddle height? Beginners who complain about painful quads often have the saddle too low.

I bought it in a shop, it seems to be the right size on paper, but I feel indeed a bit small when i'm on it. Maybe i'll make the store check it out again just to be sure.
As for the saddle, I think it's at the right height. When the pedal is down, my leg is just slightly bent.

Thanks for the replies.

keef66

Angrod wrote:

keef66 wrote:

Is the bike the right size for you and do you have the correct saddle height? Beginners who complain about painful quads often have the saddle too low.

I bought it in a shop, it seems to be the right size on paper, but I feel indeed a bit small when i'm on it. Maybe i'll make the store check it out again just to be sure.
As for the saddle, I think it's at the right height. When the pedal is down, my leg is just slightly bent.

Thanks for the replies.

That sounds about right then

step83

Regarding bike clubs, local bike shop (not decathlon) or social media is usually your best bet to finding them

def_defyr

I'd say the best thing would be to do some "fun" riding on your days off -- build up to the point where you can comfortably go 80 km at a moderate speed and fairly high cadence. A lot of it is simply recruiting the right muscles, and stop/start red light sprints is very different from, say, doing a rolling metric century.

Not sure what your goals are, tho. Are you wanting to race, or just be a better Deliveroo rider? Those are two very different things...if I was a delivery rider I would get an electric bike.

cycleclinic

My legs were sore for nearly a week after a grass track afternoon. I normally ride 500km and a few Km of grass track took it out of me. Sometimes you more than a day of recovery. Sometimes your also trying too hard everytime you ride. today after yesterdays effort I rode for a couple of hours at 10 mph. Thats a slow recovery ride. More of an amble really but my legs ache less than they did this morning so it worked.

DeVlaeminck

You've got to think riding a Triban delivering food is not the same as training on a road bike - you aren't going to be going as fast - and yes if you are riding every day especially when you are relatively new to it your legs will feel fatigued.

Look if you want to race you need a bike and you need to get involved with whatever the racing scene is in Toulouse. I'm not really familiar with the cycling scene in France but I assume there are clubs you join much as in England?

Then as far as your job goes you can't view it as training. It's work and work which tires the legs - I think an electric bike is a good shout or else get a different job - or if you like the job carry on and see how things go. I'd probably cut down on all the bars and energy foods though and eat properly - just plenty of good healthy food. If you actually want to get into cycling though get that road bike and join a club.