Training Advice

yimmin
yimmin Posts: 3
edited April 2008 in Road beginners
Evening folks

I'm after some help, I'm taking part in a charity event "Big Battlefield Bike Ride" for Help for Heroes. We're going to be traveling 350 miles up the coast of France over 5 days.

I've been getting out a bit on my mountain bike but have just acquired a new road bike and was wondering what sort of distances I should be planning bearing in mind we set off on the 26th of May.

Cheers

Ben
http://www.justgiving.com/ben_appleton-bbbr

Comments

  • feel
    feel Posts: 800
    As much as you can, as often as you can and make sure you're comfortable with that new saddle. :lol:
    Definitely think you need to be comfortable with three consecutive days of 40+ miles otherwise you are going to be very tired and sore.
    We are born with the dead:
    See, they return, and bring us with them.
  • yimmin
    yimmin Posts: 3
    Cheers for that feel.

    I got all the parts of my cousins boyfriend who's in the trade & he's said he's gonna get me some special ass cream which sound sumptuous. :wink:
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    yimmin wrote:
    special ass cream
    or did he say "Assos Chamois Cream" - same thing mind! :wink:

    Agree with Feel - you need to get the miles in. Ride to work if practical now the light evenings are back and you can really bump your weekly mileage up, but careful not to overdo it - I'd recommend no more than a 10% increase in your weekly total miles each week or you could end up with ligament trouble.
  • John C.
    John C. Posts: 2,113
    miles are important but don't forget the hills, that's where you will get your strength from. Hills hills and more hills, then the flat will look after itself.
    http://www.ripon-loiterers.org.uk/

    Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
    Hills are just a matter of pace
  • Cajun
    Cajun Posts: 1,048
    Your saddle has to be your absolute best friend before you begin the ride.. :D
    Here's some other tips:
    http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/nutrition.html
    http://www.ultracycling.com/training/pr ... uries.html
    Cajun
  • Hi guys,

    How do I know what saddle is good for me, I have been riding my scott sportster for one year now. I am waiting for my Cr1 to arrive but lately I have been having problems with my saddle or what should I say, always some pain in my testicles! Is it the saddle or is it my bib shorts with pad??
    I dont know what to buy because there are so many brands and so many types :)

    Greeting from Iceland,

    Sigmundur
  • John C.
    John C. Posts: 2,113
    Try the Specialized BG saddle, costs about 25 pounds I have them on two of my bikes and will be putting one on my posh bike as well, I should have got one in the first place but it didn't look cool enough :oops:
    http://www.ripon-loiterers.org.uk/

    Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
    Hills are just a matter of pace
  • Toks
    Toks Posts: 1,143
    John C. wrote:
    miles are important but don't forget the hills, that's where you will get your strength from. Hills hills and more hills, then the flat will look after itself.
    Hills wiil force you to ride at and above your threshhold which will improve your cardiovascular (aerobic) and metabolic (muscular) fitness which indeed will make you a fitter rider. Will they make you 'stronger' in Gyming terms absolutely Not. But then strength isn't the key determinant when it comes to endurance cycling otherwise Bradley Wiggins would probably look more like Chris Hoy.
  • trw999
    trw999 Posts: 9
    I too am doing the Big Battlefield Bike Ride.

    The saddle I fitted to my Focus Cayo is the Specialized BG Toupe Gel. It is amazing how something that looks so uncomfortable can keep me from feeling sore during and after a long ride. Expensive but worth it.

    I am a fan of the BG kit and have used their saddle on my MTB for two years without problem. I like their gloves too.