Help with training for completely unfit cyclist

[Pure Savage]

I would start doing some 100km rides, build up some endurance etc. speed will come etc.

[Sid the Sloth]

3 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

I would start doing some 100km rides, build up some endurance etc. speed will come etc.

Don't forget to slam your stem while you are at it

[Sid the Sloth]

5 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Savage approves of 53/39 with Rim brakes.

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/chainrings/502640/cannondale-opi-53-39t

[Frosty]

14 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

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

Definitely not.

[Pure Savage]

3 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

Don't forget to slam your stem while you are at it

Slammed and 140mm.

These would of course be fasted rides.

[Pure Savage]

3 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/chainrings/502640/cannondale-opi-53-39t

Would need to be mint condition

[Mamil]

33 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

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 

Surely you're taking the p1ss

[Steady Spin]

600kg?

[W@nted]

59 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

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 

Definitely what you should not be doing at this stage.

You need to do endurance rides. Many of them to build your aerobic engine. Those sprints are for much much later. If you cannot speak comfortably, you are going too fast.

My advice would be to get a coach and start with your objectives. The 600kg leg press target seems a bit strange...

[Spafsack]

I think if you can press 600kg then your legs are good to go standing uphill ????

[The Ouzo]

29 minutes ago, Spafsack said:

I think if you can press 600kg then your legs are good to go standing uphill ????

if he is pushing 51/18 up a 10% gradient at 45km/h I dont think he has any problems with power

 

[Nico van Loggerenberg]

My 2 cents is that maxing out and "vomiting on the field" is going to be counter productive. You can have a read on Zone 2 training if you like - there is a lot of benefit to keeping your heart rate fairly low and using those "easier" rides to build a strong base. Don't get caught in the trap of trying to upgrade your way to fitness with gear either. 

[TNT1]

8 minutes ago, Nico van Loggerenberg said:

Don't get caught in the trap of trying to upgrade your way to fitness with gear either. 

What?

 

All those plodders with R100k+ bikes got sold a dummy?

[eddy]

2 hours ago, Mamil said:

Surely you're taking the p1ss

@the OP

If you are not taking the p1ss, you could not be going about this more badly if you tried.

Stop worrying about gear ratios and average speeds, and contrary to what TNT suggested, I don't even think you need a  structured training program or a coach at this stage.

Just ride your bicycle. Do so regularly, mostly slowly and go further before you try and go faster. 

When you find that your weekly ride around the cradle is becoming easier, and you can do two laps without struggling, get a coach and get faster.

Your current approach, if you are not taking the p1ss, is just plain pointless.

 

 

[Doug Newman - Birder]

13 minutes ago, Nico van Loggerenberg said:

My 2 cents is that maxing out and "vomiting on the field" is going to be counter productive. You can have a read on Zone 2 training if you like - there is a lot of benefit to keeping your heart rate fairly low and using those "easier" rides to build a strong base. Don't get caught in the trap of trying to upgrade your way to fitness with gear either. 

My main problem is even on a 39 chainring no ride is in zone 2 for me now. 
 

i can manage northcliff hill and keep in zone 2 on a 36 km ride but most of the time I’m running on 20/18 (20t n the front MTB chainring) and 18t on the back casette.

i can’t do a zone 2 on 39/24 On a flat for more than 10 minutes but usually less as the quads start burning quite unpleasantly almost  immediately. 

so what I’m lacking is any strength at all. Keeping heart rate at 125 for 3 hours is easy. But I need 20t on the front to manage that. 
 

so how do I get strength to be able to use 39? That’s what seems to be very very slow progress unless I start doing serious leg days in the gym? So around Roodepoort (Hendrik Potgieter) ive managed to progress from 20/32 when I started to 20/18 for Slight up hill Sections of undulating roads in 5 weeks. But at that rate of progression 39/24 (easiest road bike gear I have) is probably 2 years away ???? 
 

 

[Doug Newman - Birder]

1 minute ago, eddy said:

@the OP

If you are not taking the p1ss, you could not be going about this more badly if you tried.

Stop worrying about gear ratios and average speeds, and contrary to what TNT suggested, I don't even think you need a  structured training program or a coach at this stage.

Just ride your bicycle. Do so regularly, mostly slowly and go further before you try and go faster. 

When you find that your weekly ride around the cradle is becoming easier, and you can do two laps without struggling, get a coach and get faster.

Your current approach, if you are not taking the p1ss, is just plain pointless.

 

 

Thanks Eddy. So the cradle road on the bianci with the leg strength I have would be just about undoable except for flats and down hills. I Will be able to do it on my mtb using the 20t in the front for most of the ride and not have an issue with keeping that up for 2 plus hours. 
 

I’m just not sure how I get the strength up without pushing hard. That’s the bit I’m trying to fix. Not speed but zero strength at all.