Help with training for completely unfit cyclist

[Mamil]

3 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

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. 

Are you absolutely sure you haven't accidentally used superglue instead of chain lube on your road bike?

 

You get your strength up by riding the bike you are comfortable riding often and enjoying it and forgetting about how fast or slow you are going. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Mamil

[Doug Newman - Birder]

2 minutes ago, Mamil said:

Are you absolutely sure you haven't accidentally used superglue instead of chain lube on your road bike?

 

You get your strength up by riding the bike you are comfortable riding often and enjoying it and forgetting about how fast or slow you are going. 

So stick to the MTB for now and forget about the road bike? 

[eddy]

13 minutes ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

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

Ride slower
 

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.

That is fine, but stop worrying about your heartrate zone. just ride easily.

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. 

Ride slower

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. 
That is fine, but stop worrying about your heartrate zone. just ride easily.

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?

Gym work at this stage is just about pointless. Ride regularly, mostly slowly and it will come naturally. 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. Have you ever heard of any race where the winner is determined by the gear ratio they used ? In any event, gear ratio is an irrelevant metric unless you add in cadence, But at that rate of progression 39/24 (easiest road bike gear I have) is probably 2 years away ???? Getting fit & strong is like Ernest Hemingway described going broke. Slowly at first and the all of a sudden. Wait for the first breakthrough. it is not linear. 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by eddy

[Doug Newman - Birder]

Thanks Eddy. Will keep persevering. All I want is to get up this Everest of a 380m stretch of 63m of elevation without needing to walk on a road bike in any gear. 
 

that’s my Mount Everest right now. 
 

when I come out of my gate on my road bike and see that my soul leaves my body ????????

Edited September 30, 2021 by Doug Newman - Birder

[MudLark]

Doug,

Have you had a proper bike fit done? Maybe go see Richard Baxter at Dunkeld Cycles. Makes a very big difference. Otherwise, as suggested, a good coach can help. And commitment and patience. Depending upon your genetics, it can take some time.

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by MudLark

[Doug Newman - Birder]

2 minutes ago, MudLark said:

Doug,

Have you had a proper bike fit done? Maybe go see Richard Baxter at Dunkeld Cycles. Makes a very big difference. Otherwise, as suggested, a good coach can help. And commitment and patience. Depending upon your genetics, it can take some time.

 

Thanks ???? will try that. 

[JRN89]

Doug. If you leg press 600kg, without squirting out your spleen - I'll show you at least one new bird for your southern african list ????

[MudLark]

11 hours ago, Doug Newman - Birder said:

Thanks ???? will try that. 

A proper bike fit can make a very big difference. It did for me anyway.

As for that 380m long hill outside your driveway, you should be able to work your way up that standing on the pedals and using your weight.

You might be better off starting out on a mountain bike though if you need or want to climb steep hills. At least until your strength and fitness is up and your weight down.

[Steady Spin]

Prep your heart first. Lots of base training before you start the HIIT work. Thank me later.

[Doug Newman - Birder]

9 hours ago, MudLark said:

A proper bike fit can make a very big difference. It did for me anyway.

As for that 380m long hill outside your driveway, you should be able to work your way up that standing on the pedals and using your weight.

You might be better off starting out on a mountain bike though if you need or want to climb steep hills. At least until your strength and fitness is up and your weight down.

That’s part of the strength / endurance issue. Up a hill... stand up time is about 30 seconds then the legs burn. Not the light burn you get riding up a hill.... full sit down and stop standing burn. 

[Doug Newman - Birder]

Hi all. Thanks for the advice and help. I’ve best kept plodding away at base rides on my mountain bike and one decent serious hill a week. 
 

took the Bianchi Out this evening. 20km ride in under 1 hour. More importantly didn’t hate every minute of it. Actually enjoyed it and even powers up a short hill standing up at the 19km mark. 
 

taken 6 weeks of a basic indoor strength training routine with light 5kg dumbbells twice a week and list of riding as well as very brisk walking to get aerobics up and keep the muscles loose. 

keep going I guess. ????

[The Ouzo]

On 10/11/2021 at 8:21 PM, Doug Newman - Birder said:

Hi all. Thanks for the advice and help. I’ve best kept plodding away at base rides on my mountain bike and one decent serious hill a week. 
 

took the Bianchi Out this evening. 20km ride in under 1 hour. More importantly didn’t hate every minute of it. Actually enjoyed it and even powers up a short hill standing up at the 19km mark. 
 

taken 6 weeks of a basic indoor strength training routine with light 5kg dumbbells twice a week and list of riding as well as very brisk walking to get aerobics up and keep the muscles loose. 

keep going I guess. ????

everybody has to start somewhere. And you'd be very surprised how much fitness you lose over time when not training.

Keep it up and in no time that 20km ride will feel like a gentle warm up