Advice Wanted!

ndk229

Hello, Im Andy, and on the 23rd of march 2020 I bought a touring bike. I browsed the categories and theres no touring, Only road and mtb so I decided the closest to touring. If any1 doesnt like it feel free to move this topic. I am a 105.2 kg 30 year old man. When I fist got my bike I was 106.3 kg. Now I have been cycling around 20-30 km every day. My legs are literally killing me. How do I remove this pain? Or when does it start going away? (btw my legs hurt alot more after Im off the bike than when Im cycling).
I am near the beach 1.5 km away. The beach (shoreline) has two sides. The side I take is 3.5 km long. I cycle on the shoreline 6 or more times everyday thanks to covid-19 (alot of spare time). Is this length any good for a beginner or should I go for more km? I do my cycling usually from 11am that I get out to around 2pm until I return home. Is my time any good? More importantly. I have an old touring bike from molmo. Molmo.it
As most of u can understand The first 1.5 km are asphalt but once in the sand.... Well, its more like a dirt road. There is no suspension in my bike. There is a carrier in the back too. I would like to give u all a photo of my bike so u can better understand and advise me on how to improve my riding but dont kno how to do that here. I really need/want to know how to improve the bike I have instead of buying a new one.
Any ideas or shared experiences would b appreciated.
Thank You ndk.

navrig2

Is the bike setup properly for you?

If you cannot answer that then there is no point taking this any further.

Read on line or get advice from a friend or pay for a bike-fit when the virus issues relax.

ndk229

The saddle is fixed to a position where I can barely stand in my toes when im sitting and about to ride. The handles are in a position that dont make my wrists and neck hurt (barely). All my friends have cars and motorcycles, not one has a bicycle so I don't have anyone in my life to consult with, thats y I signed up here.

sungod

ndk229 said:

...on the 23rd of march 2020 I bought a touring bike .. I have been cycling around 20-30 km every day...

even if the bike fits you perfectly, you've only been riding about three weeks

if you weren't already a regular cyclist, going from zero to 20-30km/day is quite a leap

sounds like your body needs time to get used to the new range/level of exercise that riding involves, that's perfectly normal, give it a few more weeks

don't ride hard everyday, give your body a break every 2-3 days

there's loads of online info on setting saddle height etc., for instance...
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-fit.html

if you find new pains developing rather than what at the moment sound exercise induced aches, pain in knees for instance, this may help figure out why...
http://cptips.com/knee.htm

pblakeney

ndk229 said:

...As most of u can understand The first 1.5 km are asphalt but once in the sand.... Well, its more like a dirt road. There is no suspension in my bike. There is a carrier in the back too. I would like to give u all a photo of my bike so u can better understand and advise me on how to improve my riding but dont kno how to do that here....

I cycled along a beach once. It is bloody hard work even for a fit cyclist!
To post photos, just drag and drop.

imposter2.0

ndk229 said:

The saddle is fixed to a position where I can barely stand in my toes when im sitting and about to ride.

Being able to touch the floor when sitting on the saddle is not a consideration when setting saddle height. The saddle height is set according to the correct distance between that and the pedals when at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you want to stand, you need to get off the saddle and stand over the top tube.

ndk229

Yr right, I know. I meamt to say that I while I can touch the ground I cant maintain the equilibrium without standing up btw. Here is my bike.




The saddle is higher than the profile pic for I have been experimenting with it. As for the angle of the saddle is very leveled. I also went for less km today and the after-cycling pain is actually almost non existent. Thank you sungod for the links. They helped. I went for at least 20 km a day bcs when I was a kid my father would run for 50 km every morning. He isnt around anymore so I wanted/want to reach that distance too. To pblakeney... I meant black sand not white sand. The black sand is the part in the middle of the water and the "grainy" sand. Its actually not too different from dirt road. Anyway, thank you for yor tips. Gaining new insight is always helpful.
Edit... If im not mistaken is a 28 inch rim.

mrfpb

It's a heavy looking bike, and off road (whatever surface) will be harder work than tarmac. Try and do more hard surface riding to avoid some of the aches.

The "Road" forum is the place to be, and if you browse "Road beginners" you will find the answers to a lot of questions you may have in the coming months.I hope you enjoy your cycling. I wish I lived near a beach right now!

ndk229

It looks heavy but it aint. I can hold it with 1 hand and is slightly "heavy" if u lift it to your shoulder, although uncomfortable bcs of the frame shape. Any tips on "sport-like" fenders and carrier and maybe other stuff? Havent changed them yet only bcs postal service is closed and stores are closed 24/7. We're in lock down right now although I can make to the beach without legal trouble.

mrfpb

I'm not sure there is any advantage to be had changing the fenders or rack. "Racy" accessories on a flat bar touring bike would look wrong (and they don't fit so well). Also, the bar bag at the front looks odd. Spend your money on something you need, such as decent padded shorts or a cycling jersey. When you get out and about on longer distances, then take off the accessories you don't need to lighten the bike a bit. The biggest difference you can make without spending a lot is a narrower set of tyres.

If touring is your aim there is a Tours and Expedition sub-forum that will give better advice when you are more experienced.

ndk229

I agree on tyres. My aim is to reach and surpass 50 km/day. I started cycling after the covid 19 issue, I will cycle alot after the virus goes away but I dont think Ill have as much free time as I have now. So 50 km in a day is a goal I aim to reach while in lock down, its not anything important though, Just a goal ive set myself to keep my mind and body active and a way of wasting time i guess. The fenders need to b removed since its summer and their use is... well, useless pretty much. As for the carrier I was thinking of somethimg higher from the tyre and slightly wider. Also Im searching for good and stylish bottleholders that can b mounted sideways of the carrier. I need around 2 littres of water for 20 km so 4 bottles should doit. The bag is something like this....

Not the same bag tho. I just tied it there until i buy 1 for bikes so I dont haul keys wallet and phone in my pockets.

navrig2

Unless it is very hot 2 litres for 20km sounds a lot.

I am currently in the middle east and often cycle around a 10km track. I'll drain a 750ml bottle in 3 circuits (30km) or just over an hour. I will be partly dehydrated at the end not excessively. Typical temperatures are 25-32 degrees.

You will get a one litre bike bottle in Decathlon which will fit in the bottle holder on your frame.

Your saddle should be set at a height so your leg still has a slight bend when the pedal is at the bottom level. You should over extend your knee joint nor should you roll your hips up and down as you stretch your legs for each pedal stroke.

ndk229

Maybe its just my imagination but when startin getting thirsty i start getting knee pain that kinda goes away after drinking water. Therefore I stop often for water. When pedals are set vertically, and my feet on them the upper knee is still lower than my hips i have no pain in my hips or back, my bum is starting to get used to the saddle but knee pain today is almost non existent while yesterday was bad. My lower thighs upper knee area still hurts for a second or two when sitting anywhere and when standing up. (only the transition from standing to sitting and vice versa).

sungod

i'd think the pain is going away because you stop, rather than because you are drinking water

simple causes of knee pain are saddle a bit too low, or using too high a gear resulting in low cadence/high force on knees

aim for cadence greater than 60 (number of revolutions of the cranks per minute), grinding away at too low a cadence can lead to knee problems

ndk229

Hey, yeah I tested it and yr right stopping even for 10 seconds without getting of the bike actually helped alot. As for cadence, im not sure how to measure that for now, the bike has 21 speeds and it has 2 gear shifters, left one has 3 speeds and is always at 2. Right one I use somewhat differently, for example.... Speed 1 and 2 for going up on a mountainous road while 6 and 7 for going down, (sorry not sure about correct terms). About 3,4,5... I use 5 when starting and when wind is behind me with same direction as me, if its against me I use 4th speed. Now when returning I use same as 5 with 4 but instead using 4 with 3.
Now I have an idea about cadence meaning, if im correct is the cycling rpm right? If so I dont have a device right now to keep that in check but I plan buying such a device soon. In a week or so the lock down should b lifted (unless its lift is postponed again).

sungod

yes rpm

just count how many complete revolutions of the cranks you make in a minute - you can check against the time on your watch or use a timer app on a phone to tell you when the minute is up

try to adjust the gears to keep it reasonably high, if it gets down below the 30-40 range and you are pushing hard then you'll be putting a lot of pressure on your knees

tbh i wouldn't bother buying anything special to measure it, you don't need to be precise, you'll get a feel for it over time

ndk229

Hey, haven't written because had no feedback, till now. I made it today reaching 50 km.
Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/ynkNGnZ4F5
Sooo, I am torn, should I strive for more km/day or should I keep it to 50 but minimize time.? Thanks alot for all yrs help so far. 😁
Edit: Strava doesnt have all my recordings. I had no idea such an app existed until recently.
Edit2:bcs=because FIXED*

Darius_Jedburgh

What does bcs mean?

mrfpb

I'd look at doing as much as you can in a given time. Try and find different routes to try so that it keeps your interest up. Well done for upping your mileage so quickly.

fenix

FrankYates said:

What does bcs mean?

Because ?

I'm just amazed at the dad running over 30 miles a day ? Is that right ?