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2006-06-16 3:16 PM

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BR, Louisiana
Subject: biking for dummies
Howdy!

I am a terrible biker. Really. Terrible. I need to tri harder and more often and do more miles at once. I am so slow that it is embarrasing. And I can't go very far either. I can actually run further than I can bike. And Im not sure, but I think that the running is faster too. I am going to start biking to work on occasion, to get my milage up. Its not far so I think I can make it. But I am going to ride it on Sunday to make sure. To get to the point, are there any tips you expierenced bikers can give me? OTHER than just "Ride more" Like strengh training exercises to improve leg strength? Speed drills so that I am not being passed by the local critters? I need help, otherwise my sprint tri time is going to rival some ironman times on the second leg... 20 miles is WAY further than I am going now. ARRRRGGGGHHHH... this is SOOO frusterating.

Thanks
Monica


2006-06-16 3:26 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Champion
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Dallas, TX
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
Well, in all fairness, I don't see how you could be a great cyclist... seeing how you don't ever seem to ride.
------------------------------------------
June's totals:
Bike: - 9 Mi
Run: 1h 49m 07s - 7.5 Mi
Swim: 25m - 0 Yd

May's totals:
Bike: - 10.2 Mi
Run: 42m 55s - 25.4 Mi
Swim: - 1.5 Yd
--------------------------------------------

Everyone struggles when the first start riding. Honestly, there is not "majic" pill or exercise you can do to get better... you just have to ride. I know you don't want to hear that... but it's true.

For me to keep up my cycling fitness... here is what I rode in May and June (thus far):

June's totals:
Bike: 12h 16m 15s - 187.49 Mi

May's totals:
Bike: 29h 26s - 431.39 Mi


Doing those miles keeps me at a 15-17 mph average on the bike. But, it took me a year to get to that point. Mind you, I use to ride around 80 miles a week last year... but it wasn't until this year that I finally got better. Also, it usually takes me about 10 miles to settle into my groove. You might be the same? But you aren't giving yourself enough miles to tell.


Also, do you have cadence on your bike computer and do you know how to use your gears efficiently? If you know your candence, you will learn when and how to shift.

Now, I have noticed that really good runners also tend to be strong cyclist. I notice that you don't run that much... but maybe if you strengthen in that area... your cycling will improve.


Well, best of luck to you... and trust me... you need to put more time and miles on your bike.

2006-06-16 3:26 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Master
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Pulaski TN
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
Of course the ride lots like you said but trust me just spending the time riding will help. When I first started riding back in Jan uary I would get dropped fast on club rides now not so much. I have logged a little over a thousand miles and I keep getting better. The other key would be to make sure your bike is properly fit to so you are using your energy as efficient a manner as you can...oh and some say red bikes are faster so when all else fails paint your bike!! Best of luck!
2006-06-16 3:30 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Extreme Veteran
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Sturtevant, WI
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
I'll agree with what they said. I'm not a very fast biker either, but I've noticed that the more time I spend on the bike, the easier (and faster) it gets. Learn to love your bike.

My boyfriend struggled to get through just a few miles back in May, and now he rides his bike to work almost every day and LOVES it.

Just stick with it, and ride, ride, ride, ride, ride...
2006-06-16 3:33 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Veteran
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BR, Louisiana
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
LMAO- Bike computer, puh-lease... My bike is the cheapest one wal-mart sells... and no, i dont know how to use the gears correctly, I am sure
2006-06-16 3:38 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Subject: RE: biking for dummies

mingram - 2006-06-16 3:16 PM  To get to the point, are there any tips you expierenced bikers can give me? OTHER than just "Ride more"

Nope. Sorry. We call it "Ride Lots!" Other than that, at your stage, that's all that can help. 

Like strengh training exercises to improve leg strength? Speed drills so that I am not being passed by the local critters?

Sure. Ride Lots! on hills and pushing bigger gears will build your strength. Ride Lots!, fast, will help build your speed.

 

I need help, otherwise my sprint tri time is going to rival some ironman times on the second leg... 20 miles is WAY further than I am going now. ARRRRGGGGHHHH... this is SOOO frusterating. Thanks Monica

{{{{sigh}}}} Why is youth wasted on the young? Why are you in so much of a hurry? These things take time to develop, that's what makes them so worthwhile.

For the third or fourth time, Monica, adopt one of the plans on this site and follow it. You'll benefit from the structure and the timely increases in duration (=distance), and it will get you to your goal in great shape.



Edited by the bear 2006-06-16 3:39 PM


2006-06-16 3:40 PM
in reply to: #457019

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Veteran
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Worcester, MA
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
I got my not-terribly expensive bike computer at REI, and put it on my CheapA$$ bike. Not hard to do, and gives you immediate feedback.

(now, I just need to dig said bike out of storage, and ride it... )

-another Monica
2006-06-16 3:54 PM
in reply to: #456981

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A very cool place in Colorado :)
Subject: RE: biking for dummies

i know for me when i first started riding bikes (couple of years ago) i started doing it to lose baby weight. and i started off slow. i think i rode for about 15 minutes a couple times a week. but then i got bored of the route i did and so i would try a different route, which kept me out on my bike for 20 minutes. when i was done, i was like, WEW-HOO! i just rode further! and so would ride that route for a while but then after i got bored with THAT one, i tried another direction that took me out longer - and so on. and through those accomplishments i developed a relationship with my bike and the road. i grew to love it and started taking pride in what i was doing and how i was improving! i came to WANT to be on my  bike everyday, i was addicted! i would even have my baby in tow with packed lunches, stickers and blankets and rode to the furthest park i could get to just so i could ride. nowadays, as a result of loving it and putting on thousands of miles, i am very pleased with my average speed and STILL enjoy my rides. unfortunately, it's my best sport and so i spend the least amount of time doing - if only i had fins and gills, i could spend more time out on the road. but it was tough for me in the beginning. it was tough, it was kind of intimidating and even though i was beginning to have fun i still had days where the LAST thing i wanted to do was get out on my BIKE. BUT!! every SINGLE time i got out there anyway, i have never regretted it. and have even become a "cyclist", ha!! crazy, i never would have thought.....

so - hang in there. PUT ON SOME MILES, find your groove, listen to music or enjoy the silence and remember to have fun!!! you will improve your speed as well as your fitness in NO time!! let us know how you are improving!!

2006-06-16 3:56 PM
in reply to: #457011

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Subject: RE: biking for dummies
mingram - 2006-06-16 3:33 PM

LMAO- Bike computer, puh-lease... My bike is the cheapest one wal-mart sells... and no, i dont know how to use the gears correctly, I am sure


Well, you can get a computer with cadence for about $40 (Cateye), and put it on yourself.

Cheapest bike from WalMart?

That might be part of your problem. It might be very heavy, poor shifting, and not fit for your body (going back to what someone said about the bike needing to be a perfect fit to get the most power out of your pedaling).

All of that... coupled with you not understanding your cadence and what gears to use when... would make for a very miserable biking experience. I see why you ride so few miles a month.

The solution? Aaaahhhhh... sell some stuff and get a nice entry level road bike for $500-$600.

This is what a lady on other site I frequent had to say about her WalMart special bike:

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of going out and grabbing a Wal-Mart special just because they're cheaper. The bike will almost surely not fit you well, won't shift or brake properly--at least not for long, and you'll be so unhappy and uncomfortable with the the bike that you might think you just don't like cycling, when it's really the bike that's at fault, not the sport.

A decent bike is a good investment, so bite the bullet and make it--and, oh yeah, have fun.




Edited by KSH 2006-06-16 4:00 PM
2006-06-16 4:20 PM
in reply to: #457011

Elite Veteran
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Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Subject: RE: biking for dummies

mingram - 2006-06-16 3:33 PM LMAO- Bike computer, puh-lease... My bike is the cheapest one wal-mart sells... and no, i dont know how to use the gears correctly, I am sure

I understand where you are coming from, I really do.  Sometimes it seems like everyone here has a fancy, high dollar bike and all the goodies and can ride 100 miles at the drop of a hat and probably as fast as we can drive it in our car.  I got my bike off of e-bay for $325.

Bike riding, if you are new to it later in life is...I am sorry... NOT just like riding a bike.  Knowing how to shift to maximum benefit is not intuitive.  It takes a lot of practice to figure it out.  Stamina in other types of training does not translate directly to the bike.  Biking is what builds biking endurance.

And I don't care what anyone says, the bike does make a difference.  Mountain bikes are slower and more work on the road than road bikes, for example.  Make sure you at least have road slicks on your bike and that they are pumped up to their maximum air capacity.  And keep an eye on this, when the air goes down it slows you down.

When people tell you to ride a lot, though, they are not just chanting a BT mantra.  I just started biking a couple of years ago (when I was 40) and I sucked at it.  Then last summer we had a Ride Lot's challenge on here and I rode my a$$ off and at that point, I honest to God turned a corner in my abilities and my enthusiasm.  I'm no Lance, and I never will be ('cuz I'm a girl don't 'cha know), but I consider myself to be a pretty good rider.  I can hold my own against people who used to smoke me, and it only took me 3,000 miles to get here .  But I really love it, and that has something to do with it, too. 

If you love it, keep at it.  You'll get there. 

2006-06-16 4:47 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Subject: RE: biking for dummies

Until you ride enough to get a good cycling base, all the drills won't really help you. IMO, you need to be riding at least 3x a week for probably a minimum of 20-30 minutes at a time to start seeing improvements. If you are not doing this, you will not be fast and you will probably hate riding. I usually end up taking a couple of months off from riding in the winter and I'll tell you that the first few rides back on my bike really, really suck. But once I get used to riding 10 miles at a time, then all of a sudden, I want to do 20, 30 or more.

And, I remember WHY I love to ride.

Seriously, just get out there enough to start liking the sport. Don't worry about miles or how fast you're going, just worry about getting the time in at first, the rest will come.

And, don't get so obsessed with being slow. I'm STILL slow, but I am sure faster than I was a couple of years ago when I first started out. It takes time to get fast and strong, you need to give yourself that time. There is no magic pill.



2006-06-16 7:31 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Clayton/Raleigh, North Carolina
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
Two things...

first the good news, they sell a bike computer at wal-mart, over with the biking accessories like helmets and stuff, it is $9. It won't tell you cadence but it will at least tell you mileage and time and all that good stuff.

Secondly, the bad news. Unfortunately, I can tell you from experience that what everyone else was saying about the WalMart bike is correct. It is a lot slower. The walmart bikes do not have slicks on them, and they do not have the true road bike shape (aerodynamic?). Honestly, I can't really tell you why they are not faster, but I can tell you from personal experience that they are not. I have stepped myself up in bikes as I could afford them. Each step got me a few more mph. From Walmart bike to decent mountain bike (they are cheaper than road bikes), from mountain bike to mountain bike with slicks, from that to entry level road bike.

Don't concentrate on the speed for now, just concentrate on the distance per ride. Try to increase it a little every week. If you want to be fast and competitive, go buy a road bike when you can afford it (and yes, ebay will have better deals than the LBS, just make sure you get the proper fit). If you are not worried about placing in your age group or anything like that, just concentrate on increasing mileage and let the speed come naturally even if you are riding the Wal-mart bike.
2006-06-16 10:02 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Champion
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Subject: RE: biking for dummies
Ride lots is the general answer, but isn't as helpful as you'd like.

If all you have is a Wal-mart bike, then try to get the fit "reasonable." Adjust the seat until your leg is almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. You probably have a mountain-bike style bicycle, with fairly flat handlebars, a heavy frame, heavy wheels and tires, and a fairly cushy/wide seat. This doesn't lend itself to "fast" (or "far"), but plenty of people put hours and hours on exactly this type of bicycle.

Air up the tires (road "slicks" would be good, but you can ride with the knobby tires as long as you care). The recommended pressure is molded into the side of the tire.

Check to make sure the brakes aren't dragging. If you lift the tire off the ground, does it spin easily? (Check both wheels.)

It may not shift as nicely as more expensive bikes (that is part of the reason they are more expensive), but this may not matter much because you'll probably want to:
1) start with the chain on the smallest (or maybe middle) gear in front
2) start with the chain on the larger gears on the rear

When you start riding, you'll want the pedals to be easy to push and you'll want to pedal "fast" (80-90 revolutions per minute). At first, you may only be able to pedal this fast for a minute or two, but keep working in the "easy" gears until you can pedal fast for 10-20 minutes at a time. (Keep it in the same gear, and slow your pedaling down to 60-70 to "rest" which may still be faster than you are pedaling now.) Once you get to 15-20 minutes, you can start shifting into "harder" gears (smaller gears on the rear) and keep your cadence (pedal rate) high. You'll be going faster than before. When you start riding up and down hills, shift so you can maintain a cadence of 80-90, so you'll pick harder gears downhill and easier gears uphill. When you spend lots of time riding in the smallest rear gears, and your pedaling really, really fast, you'll want to shift to a larger front gear (and a larger rear gear).

As you get better, you'll want to increase your cadence to 90-100.
2006-06-16 10:48 PM
in reply to: #456981

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Expert
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Malvern, England
Subject: RE: biking for dummies
Up to a couple of months ago I was riding a bike over 20 years old. Although it is easy to say get a new bike and it would feel easier don't let that stop you. In a year or so if you really get into this then think how easy a lighter bike will be and how strong you will be compared with the one you have now. If a new bike is not an option then just don't let that put you off. Of course try and make sure it fits as well as you can so you are comfortable

Go by time and not by miles. Conditions and routes etc are all different and time is so easy to measure and improve on, even if only by minutes each time.

It was drummed into me that cadence was the key for efficiency (read that as less tired legs!) and so last christmas I was given a bike computer which I love. However coming from a beginner point of view, required cadence (which is something over 85rpm) is just "very fast pedalling" (funny it doesn't feel so fast anymore, just normal so you WILL get there).

Take it easy and go for time endurance. All these speed drills etc etc are for when you have the endurance sorted.

Good luck. You can do it - just get out there!
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