Newbie need assistance

[Marius26]

Hi all, we live in Mtunzini (it has a 'LOT' of hills) and decided to start cycling again after many years. We have been couch potatoes for many years and for some reason got bloated, off-course totally beyond our understanding.

 

My reasons for requesting assistance is as follows :-

1. We have not been exercising a lot except for doing some short hiking trails and not been on the bike's for a few years thus we have no idea where to start

2. All the newbie/start programs I could find when searching the 'Web' was as follows

     a. The program would start off with having to cycle 30' to 45' from day one

     b. They will indicate that you need to start with long durations in the saddle and for fat burning do speed frames of 1 minute every 3 minutes to be repeated a few times

 

We cannot do that from day one. Is there any reasonable program that you could perhaps share with me for my wife and I, we don't mind doing the cycle thing every day but need to build up the time in the saddle gradually as we all know whet the saddle effect is if you start out

 

I will appreciate any information

[Ashchest]

I also started cycling again a few months ago after not doing much related to exercise for some years.  When I started I followed a very complicated but high level training program which is only available to a few select people.   But since this forum is there to help and advise other where possible I will gladly share this program with you and then you can decide if you would like to try it?

 

Here is how it works, I did it and it and I think it worked well for me especially during the first 3 months just to get back into cycling again.

 

1st step.  Get on the bike and ride !!!

2nd step.  Enjoy riding !!!

3rd step. repeat steps 1 and 2 above !!!

 

Other than the above, don;t push yourself to hard on every ride, but do some very slow and relaxed rides in between.

[Ashchest]

Oh, forgot to say...   Welcome!! 

[Marius26]

I also started cycling again a few months ago after not doing much related to exercise for some years.  When I started I followed a very complicated but high level training program which is only available to a few select people.   But since this forum is there to help and advise other where possible I will gladly share this program with you and then you can decide if you would like to try it?

 

Here is how it works, I did it and it and I think it worked well for me especially during the first 3 months just to get back into cycling again.

 

1st step.  Get on the bike and ride !!!

2nd step.  Enjoy riding !!!

3rd step. repeat steps 1 and 2 above !!!

 

Other than the above, don;t push yourself to hard on every ride, but do some very slow and relaxed rides in between.

Thanks for the reply, started doing it but would like a program that would take me to a fitness level for part taking in an outride with others within a forecasted period, I need to work to a goal but cannot do it if I just get on the bike and ride. Surely there will be more people with valuable input and experience who have been through the same start-up as I am facing

 

Regards

[lechatnoir]

Firstly, welcome.

 

As a newbie, the first thing to expect to overcome is a aches and pains as your body gets used to the efforts it's not used to. As will all things in life, you'll be more motivated to push through these times if you're enjoying what you're doing. So my advice would be to not dive into training plans and the like... rather find places you can ride with a moderate effort while enjoying it, and ride there. Then, when that becomes an easy effort, try going a bit further. Ten further still... soon enough, you'll look back in wonder how far your riding has come.

 

I guess, figure out how much you can eat, then only bite off that much.

 

enjoy and let us know how you get on. and post pics of that wonderful area you call home. and if you ride a black bike, it goes in the black bikes only thread!

[Marius26]

Firstly, welcome.

 

As a newbie, the first thing to expect to overcome is a aches and pains as your body gets used to the efforts it's not used to. As will all things in life, you'll be more motivated to push through these times if you're enjoying what you're doing. So my advice would be to not dive into training plans and the like... rather find places you can ride with a moderate effort while enjoying it, and ride there. Then, when that becomes an easy effort, try going a bit further. Ten further still... soon enough, you'll look back in wonder how far your riding has come.

 

I guess, figure out how much you can eat, then only bite off that much.

 

enjoy and let us know how you get on. and post pics of that wonderful area you call home. and if you ride a black bike, it goes in the black bikes only thread!

Thanks, I will take the advice as it really seems the right thing to do. I appreciate the feedback from both of you and post some pics as we go.

[ChrisF]

Marius welcome the Hub, and WELCOME to the road to recovery 

 

 

somehow my size 34 turned into a 40-something .... dont know how that happened all by itself while I was eating in front of the tv for 3 decades .... 

 

 

My road to recovery started in the KITCHEN.  Out with the "processed foods", back to natural foods.  Nothing fancy, no diets or stuff, just a good old plain balanced meal.  That got rid of the first 15kg

 

I then started riding 800m on the bike ...  It took some time before I ventured into longer routes ....  Dropped another 5kg, and got some muscles back into action.

 

Since then my distances have increased, and I am now comfortable with a 50km ride, though I still enjoy a 30km ride most of all.  My body-fat percentage is still dropping, but the scale has gone up 3 or 4kg.

 

 

Numbers aside, all this happened over three years !!

 

 

MOST importantly - my rides are based around having fun, while gradually pushing the climbs etc,

 

 

Wishing you all the best on your road to recovery.

 

 

 

PS - dont fall for the marketing hype ... you certainly dont need the latest tech ...

[RobertWhitehead]

Welcome to the Hub, 

 

My suggestion is simple: 

 

Do you have an indoor trainer? 

Do you have a gym membership?

 

If you answer "yes" to the first question then get yourself a subscription to a training app like: Sufferfest, Zwift, Rouvy Trainerroad, Fulgaz etc. Then start one of their plans and build your fitness in the comfort of your own home

 

If the answer is "no" but "yes" to the membership then go and sit on the stationary bikes for a week or two and pedal for 20 min at a time, there after join a spinning class for a 45min session. 

 

If neither appeals to you and your wife you can always join the PEMBI group on vleisboek as they regularly post some newbie rides. 

 

Lastly if you don't feel too keen on any of the above, maybe this will offer you a plan to suit: https://www.cycling-inform.com/

[Ashchest]

It is also great to use Strave to log and monitor your rides.  A unit that can monitor heart rate and interface with strava or a similiar app that will show you distance vs effort and time + speeds can motivate you to increase performance , timing and distances.   When you can physically see progress on your logs and see how you ride quicker and with a lower average heart rate it really motivates.

[NicholasT]

It is also great to use Strave to log and monitor your rides.  A unit that can monitor heart rate and interface with strava or a similiar app that will show you distance vs effort and time + speeds can motivate you to increase performance , timing and distances.   When you can physically see progress on your logs and see how you ride quicker and with a lower average heart rate it really motivates.

+1 to that. Strava or Endomondo etc are great motivators.

[ChrisF]

It is also great to use Strave to log and monitor your rides.  A unit that can monitor heart rate and interface with strava or a similiar app that will show you distance vs effort and time + speeds can motivate you to increase performance , timing and distances.   When you can physically see progress on your logs and see how you ride quicker and with a lower average heart rate it really motivates.

 

Getting a bike computer that shows the following THREE things was one the best investments I made :

- Hart rate

- Cadence

- speed 

 

Especially when dealing with HILLS it is important to figure out what cadence works for YOU.  Dropping a gear, and going for a slightly faster cadence I find that my lungs work harder, but my hart rate slows down a bit.  You need to find that "sweet spot" where you can ride without running out of breath, nor over speeding your hart ......

 

 

okay, okay .... many figure this out without expensive computers .... having the numbers in front of me helped ME.  Once you understand the balance, it is possible to sit back and recover on a steep up-hill !!  And as your body recovers you will be able to push to the top of that hill.

[Veebee]

please stay away from indoor trainers and all the gadgets that you have to deal with...

 

Just go out and ride, enjoy the freedom and fresh air - its the reason we ride.

Build your base fitness, get your soft parts use to the saddle again, then only look at training plans and indoor trainers etc etc.

 

Really the best way is to just ride, stop along to way to enjoy scenery if any, and feel the wind in your face.

[Marius26]

This is the kind of experienced support anyone can wish for, thanks to all and I really appreciate it

 

Special thanks to ChrisF for sharing his story, it is exactly where we are at and it is encouraging to know that someone like us could turn things around and do a 50km ride whilst enjoying it, I really needed this kind of input.

 

The single most important tip I got out of this topic thus far is to get out there with what we have and have fun riding, fitness and endurance will build up gradually and off-course...'The softer spots will get used to the saddle"

 

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and knowledge, some day soon we will be able to share ours   

Edited July 25, 2019 by Marius26

[Robbie Stewart]

This is the kind of experienced support anyone can wish for, thanks to all and I really appreciate it

 

Special thanks to ChrisF for sharing his story, it is exactly where we are at and it is encouraging to know that someone like us could turn things around and do a 50km ride whilst enjoying it, I really needed this kind of input.

 

The single most important tip I got out of this topic thus far is to get out there with what we have and have fun riding, fitness and endurance will build up gradually and off-course...'The softer spots will get used to the saddle"

 

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and knowledge, some day soon we will be able to share ours   

 

I was gifted an old steel frame BSO (Bicycle Shaped Object) back in 2013, which led to me acquiring a new hardtail and starting on the journey of riding a bicycle properly for the first time since the early 90's.

 

I am now on a full suspension trail monster and hitting the odd downhill line. Where did it start? By just getting out and riding. As ChrisF said, at first it was 2km at a time, which quickly became 10, and then 20, and then 30, and then 65. I now ride average 200 odd km per week during the summer, and can do a ride in excess of 100km comfortably.

 

The thing is to start of slow, but steady. Get that HR monitor at least, and ride within your comfort zones at first, slowly building up endurance. The rest will come naturally.

 

Before you know it, you will be splurging on more and more bike stuff, newer, better gear, and entering more races, on varied terrain, and meet a bunch of great people, including the odd lunatic such as myself.

 

Enjoy the ride, both literally and figuratively speaking.

[V18]

Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride. Eddy Merckx

Words to live by.

[DJR]

I'm with a few peeps above that it should not be too terribly technical a programme in the beginning. It should rather be fun so that it becomes addictive..........THEN you can start getting more OCD about your training.

 

But, basically, you first have to start by building base fitness, Depending on how old you are and how unfit you are, that can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. During that time you just want to gradually increase your riding time from whatever you could manage initially, with no more than 10% per week. Rides should rather be slower and easier but longer. Occasional short sharp efforts are ok, but should not be too regular. Blood supply to the muscles will increase, your bum will get used to your saddle etc. This phase builds the endurance and the foundation you need for the next step.

 

Then, more regular short sharp high intensity rides can start, not more than 1 or 2 a week, with still a long ride or 2 thrown in. 3 hard weeks and 1 easy recovery week is the usual way. During this time you will become faster and stronger, but if you haven't built the base, it will not work well.

 

3 months of this will normally have you pretty sharp.

 

If you target a specific race on a specific date, then you can take another month for extremely short sharp 100% effort  repeats to help you peak at absolute maximum. 

 

After that you should back off a bit and let the body rest, before the process start all over, reaching a higher peak etc etc.

 

I know that is not a specific training programme, just a very rough overview of how it could be structured, mainly to help you understand the process.

Edited July 26, 2019 by DJR