Help with training for completely unfit cyclist

[Doug Newman - Birder]

Hey all. 
 

maybe you can offer me some advice. Many years ago I used to cycle a lot and in high school a group of us used to race to the top of northcliff hill and back with no major issues. 
 

ive spent the last 2 months trying to get back into it. 
 

i started the first month very light. Riding a mint isn’t bike slowly round nether farms in Joburg. 
 

first ride was 8k which I did in an hour. 
next week... 12 km in an hour and 15 minutes. 
then 22 km in 2 hours 18 minutes. 

harldy blistering over twisty stuff. In between that I’ve been doing a very light strength routine twice a week of lunges, to planks etc with no weights to increase my basic fitness 

parallel to that is walk once a day for 4 km at a casual pace In doing the 4km in 45 minutes  

i then for a second hand road bike an old Bianchi weighing in at 9.8kg  nothing like the 15kg of my mountain bike but not a carbon racer either  

the problem is despite riding short distances daily (I’m talking 10km and less) for three week... 

Outside my gate is a short 5% gradient hill of 250 meters in length  

my performance even in the easiest gear possible to n the road bike is basically going backwards  

i have absolutely no health issues. Fairly good lungs etc. last annual Health check I’m fine  

but I’m now at the point after the first easy month and then 3-4 weeks is riding the road bike short distances once a day, that my maximum speed up the 250m 5% gradient is about 7 km/h and my heart rate is reaching 155 with the effort it takes to even get the bike moving.  Once up that incline the roads around the suburb are so flat that the maximum incline is 1% but after that 250m hill my legs are burning so much with an almost lactic acidosis feeling burn that right now may maximum distance on the bike is about 7km turning back with completely weak and useless leave after about 1.5 km  

you know I’m physically capable of cycling as I did Hartebeespoort dam and back in 5 hours a bit 7 years ago I n a mountain bike  

how do you get beyond complete and utter beginner fitness when a 15km flat unfailing ride I did a week ago which dam near killed me as it is... leaves you so drained you can’t even do 4km  

any ideas how a completely unfit cyclists can get to break the magical 15km mark which right now seems like running the comrades ????

riding doesn’t seem to be the answer as if 15km is so draining I can’t see how riding 3km a day will get me anywhere 

age 50, height 172 and weight 81 kg so I’m not exactly old and morbidly obese. 
just out of shape and can’t seem get get the legs moving again at all unless I keep my average speed below about 12 km/h 

The other problem might be the Bianchi  beautiful but uncle but it’s using the old 9x2 campagnolo vloce group set  so my largest rear sprocket is 24 teeth. Compared to the giant I had years ago with an 11/34 cassette...

And with an 53/39 crankset maybe the Bianchi is just a bit to savage for a beginner ????

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Doug Newman - Birder

[ACE Cycles]

9 hours ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

Hey all. 
 

maybe you can offer me some advice. Many years ago I used to cycle a lot and in high school a group of us used to race to the top of northcliff hill and back with no major issues. 
 

ive spent the last 2 months trying to get back into it. 
 

i started the first month very light. Riding a mint isn’t bike slowly round nether farms in Joburg. 
 

first ride was 8k which I did in an hour. 
next week... 12 km in an hour and 15 minutes. 
then 22 km in 2 hours 18 minutes. 

harldy blistering over twisty stuff. In between that I’ve been doing a very light strength routine twice a week of lunges, to planks etc with no weights to increase my basic fitness 

parallel to that is walk once a day for 4 km at a casual pace In doing the 4km in 45 minutes  

i then for a second hand road bike an old Bianchi weighing in at 9.8kg  nothing like the 15kg of my mountain bike but not a carbon racer either  

the problem is despite riding short distances daily (I’m talking 10km and less) for three week... 

Outside my gate is a short 5% gradient hill of 250 meters in length  

my performance even in the easiest gear possible to n the road bike is basically going backwards  

i have absolutely no health issues. Fairly good lungs etc. last annual Health check I’m fine  

but I’m now at the point after the first easy month and then 3-4 weeks is riding the road bike short distances once a day, that my maximum speed up the 250m 5% gradient is about 7 km/h and my heart rate is reaching 155 with the effort it takes to even get the bike moving.  Once up that incline the roads around the suburb are so flat that the maximum incline is 1% but after that 250m hill my legs are burning so much with an almost lactic acidosis feeling burn that right now may maximum distance on the bike is about 7km turning back with completely weak and useless leave after about 1.5 km  

you know I’m physically capable of cycling as I did Hartebeespoort dam and back in 5 hours a bit 7 years ago I n a mountain bike  

how do you get beyond complete and utter beginner fitness when a 15km flat unfailing ride I did a week ago which dam near killed me as it is... leaves you so drained you can’t even do 4km  

any ideas how a completely unfit cyclists can get to break the magical 15km mark which right now seems like running the comrades ????

riding doesn’t seem to be the answer as if 15km is so draining I can’t see how riding 3km a day will get me anywhere 

age 50, height 172 and weight 81 kg so I’m not exactly old and morbidly obese. 
just out of shape and can’t seem get get the legs moving again at all unless I keep my average speed below about 12 km/h 

The other problem might be the Bianchi  beautiful but uncle but it’s using the old 9x2 campagnolo vloce group set  so my largest rear sprocket is 24 teeth. Compared to the giant I had years ago with an 11/34 cassette...

And with an 53/39 crankset maybe the Bianchi is just a bit to savage for a beginner ????

 

A compact crank and a wide range cluster will already make a big difference 

 

If money is not an issue, maybe look at an indoor trainer or get a coach

[Doug Newman - Birder]

Thanks ???? 

when I realized the gearing on that bike I kind of knew why I’m battling ????

[Mamil]

I dunno if kit is going to solve this. If you are training with the frequency that your post says, you really ought to have got a bit fitter by now. This would make me go to my friendly GP for a checkup.

Take the car to the top of that hill and ride on the flat for a few weeks before tackling the hill again. 

[RobertWhitehead]

We all have to start somewhere and my suggestion would be: Don't be too hard on yourself, forget about the days when you could manage to do something and start to focus on the here and now. Having a bike with a heavier gear ratio is a good thing, it means that you'll build power and not just spin up those hills. 

Then I know this may sound counterproductive: put away the stats and stop focusing on them for now, still record but don't worry too much about them just yet, enjoy the outdoors and being on the bike, tell yourself why you're doing this (to get back into shape) & accept the fact that you are only starting out again. You will see that the moment you start to change your approach that you will become stronger and faster with time. Congrats for chipping your way back to health ????

[ChrisF]

Doug you dont mention your activities in the last 20 to 30 years.

 

"Fitness" is one topic.

 

Regaining muscle trength after many years of inactivity is a different beast all together .... IF this even applies to you.

 

 

Ultimately it comes down to T.I.T.S.

 

Time

In

The

Saddle

 

 

Just keep on riding.  

[Doug Newman - Birder]

Thanks guys.  Encouraging sentiments ????

Will persevere. ????????????

[Doug Newman - Birder]

P.s. I google gear ratios and it appears 11/24 53/39 was a fairly regular setup used by Lance Armstrong. 
 

considering I haven’t touched a bike for about 5 years and the last time was light mountain biking only... 

it’s a pretty heavy way to start. As someone said though.. it’s not a bad way to go if I can defat this thing. I’ll get better legs for the higher ratios. It will just take longer to master from a fitness level 

[Frosty]

There’s nothing wrong with the bike or the gearing. A 39-24 gear is easy enough for you to get going.

You need to build an aerobic base, the rides that are slow (and eventually long). This is the foundation that everything else is built on. 

As some have suggested, forget the technical/statistical side of it and just ride, gradually increasing the time and distance. The more you ride the better it will feel. This foundation will also take time. It takes many days/weeks/month and years to build a really good base.

Most of all, have fun. Stop riding while you still enjoy it. That way you will want to come back for more.

[MudLark]

Doug, I've been there, done that. My first year every morning at 4am was the hardest thing I've ever done. Especially in the dark cold of the Highveld mornings. My first ride of 5km and like 20m of climb nearly killed me. For a long time there even the runners were faster up the hills than I was. The regular cyclists came past me like I was looking for parking. 3.5 years later I'm in a very different place. Very different. Its all about sticking with it and consistency. 

ChrisF is right. You've just go to keep riding. No other way really. A good coach can help though.

Re the road bike, if its Shimano, a mountain bike cassette and long cage derailleur can give you a lot more gearing. Useful, especially if you're a bit older and a bit heavier. If you have a compact 50/34 crank you can get a mountain bike cassette with a 34 tooth big gear. That gives you an nice 1:1 for the really tough and long climbs. It helps a lot if you're struggling in the early days. Or just stick with a mountain bike to start with. Get a set of fast rolling tyres (eg Continental Race King) and you'll be golden. 

Edited September 19, 2021 by MudLark

[DIPSLICK]

Doesn’t add up I stopped cycling for approx 6 years

i gained the same weight as a huge toddler and I got back reasonably fast I’m 48 now I started again in Jan I’m not a race snake by no stretch of the imagination but I can hold a semi decent average 

and I’m still a huge cyclist 

Another option/possibility or question

have you had covid and could you not be experiencing LONG COVID I have a few mates who are under DrS care and trainers trying to build fitness back

its not easy and if done incorrectly it’s actually very harmful long term to your heart and lungs

of my mates who are really battling are the ones who had minor symptoms ????????‍♂️

[FirstV8]

Ride , ride ,ride that's the way to go . TIME IN THE SADDLE is what its all about .

[Doug Newman - Birder]

So I’m making progress on the mountain bike but that’s easy. 
 

rode 36km on Saturday including you the water tower side of northcliff hill. Average speed for the total... 13,3 km/h. 
 

definitely haven’t had Covid. 
 

my problem is if I take the weeks by which on the mountain bike I make progress and the teeth ratios.. to reach being able to do northcliff hill in 39/24 I’ll get there in about 2 years an 9 months. 
 

so what I’m basically trying now is out of sheer frustration, I’ve found a 10% gradient 200m slope in the area. I’m hitting it flat out hard in 54 / 18 and beating the crap out of my legs trying to sprint up 10% gradient In that gearing. I go over and over and over again and don’t stop till I’ve pushed so hard I vomit. if I can walk without stiffness and limping for the next 2 days then I know I haven’t pushed hard enough. 
 

basically I’m demanding my body be able to do a 45 km/h sprint up 10% gradient for 200m in 54/18 and And pushing my body every three days until it totally fails. 
 

that’s the only way I can see it that it will take less than 3 years to get the bianci up northcliff 

 

is the beat my body into total brutal submission an approach that might work?

im saying this as that was how our rugby teacher was at school. On fitness day.. the ticket to go home was vomiting on the field. And even if your parents were waiting to fetch you and you were the last one there.. you were it allowed to leave the rugby field until you vomited. 
 

also planing on doing gym specially focused on legs and my goal is to be able to get to leg press 600kg 

[TNT1]

Forget about the speed and gear ratios and what-what.

 

Get a proper structured training programme and /or a coach.

[TNT1]

4 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

also planing on doing gym specially focused on legs and my goal is to be able to get to leg press 600kg 

That is definitely not going to help your cycling goal.

[Pure Savage]

On 9/18/2021 at 8:35 PM, Doug Newman - Birder said:

 

And with an 53/39 crankset maybe the Bianchi is just a bit to savage for a beginner ????

 

Savage approves of 53/39 with Rim brakes.