How do I Make my Cycling Easier

[Spydaman]

I love my bikes and riding them (all of them) but the older I get the harder it gets. I don't ride every day but ride to work once a week at 12 miles there and 30 miles back. I cant get up early enogh to cycle both ways. I've done the Isle of Wight Randonee a few times and the Jurassic Beast this year but I just don't seem to be able to amble on a bike. It has to be chasing the spec in the distance or pushing the biggest gear or trying to keep up with the stronger fitter rider. I always arrive a breathless, sweating mess when I go out on my bike.
Whats the key to getting and staying fitter and stronger? Losing weight, more expensive bike, ride more often or what?

[curlie467]

Ride more i am afraid, i find this works for me.

[ad551]

I'm sure the real experts will be along soon, but for me the thing that made quite a dramatic improvement for me was just concentrating on getting my breathing right. I found I was tending to either take lots of shallow breaths or even holding my breath for long periods while I was climbing a hill, leaving me trying to recover at the top and consequently slowing down.

[Jimbo.]

Ride more, ride harder. Nothing else to it.

That said, the best thing I've found is to ride with others, be it for the encouragement, the "obligation" to keep with them and/or do some work at the front, the competitive urge to get to the top of a climb first, or catching your breath whilst getting a tow. Suddenly you'll be doing twice the distance without even knowing...

Edited by Jimbo. on Friday 19th August 20:07

[AndrewM]

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

Rule 5.

No matter how many times I think of excuses as to why I'm not faster, fitter, lighter etc. this seems to sum it up perfectly!

[anonymous-user]

Get a bike computer with cadence and also a heart rate monitor. Once you have worked out your real max rate pedal between 85-95 rpm. Have someone look at your seat heat and set it up in the right general area, you could be wasting lots of power. More miles is the only way to build up and make sure you have rest days.

HTH

[bleesh]

AndrewM said:

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

Rule 5.

No matter how many times I think of excuses as to why I'm not faster, fitter, lighter etc. this seems to sum it up perfectly!

Also see rule 10.

Rule 5 and rule 10 keep spiraling onwards and upwards

[MattYorke]

Rule 6 is also key.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Saw someone doing Rule #13 in a race last weekend.

Rule 25 very important.

As above the OP needs to refer to rule 5

[zebedee]

maybe o/p is riding too hard for too long and not recovering? try 3 days a week at that distance, bike radar did a thing recently suggesting different training excercises for each day, each aimed at improving different elements of the cycling 'toolbox'

[khushy]

curlie467 said:

Ride more i am afraid, i find this works for me.

^
THIS!

[khushy]

+ get a proper Bike-Fit + loose some weight!

[Cupramax]

khushy said:

+ loose some weight!

And that lose has one "o"

[fixedwheelnut]

Train hard, ride easy no easy way round it.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Cupramax said:

khushy said:

+ loose some weight!

And that lose has one "o"

Although if the OP has loose weight that won't be helping much.

[Spydaman]

Everything in Velominati is so true. I especially like 4, 10, 12, 26, 35, 41,42, 51, 65, 72, 73, 83, 85 and without question number 5

[Kermit power]

In answer to the OP's question, it's quite simple. Only cycle downhill.

[andySC]

I'm all for training harder...doesn't get easier, you just go faster.,

[WeirdNeville]

Spydaman said:

I don't ride every day but ride to work once a week at 12 miles there and 30 miles back. I cant get up early enogh to cycle both ways.

???? Dungeddit.
Do you work on a cross channel ferry and have to cycle back from Calais or something?

I have never been fitter than when I cycled 13 miles each way to work and back. It is, IMO, the ideal cycle commute distance. You can bang it out in 40 mins or so, meaning 1 hour door to door with shower and changing. You get a good work out but aren't too knackered to be useful at work. You still have energy for a weekend ride. I used to do that all week, then do a 75 miler at the weekend.

My tips would be:
1)ensure your bike is fit for purpose and well maintained.
2)Ride both ways if possible ,or build up to doing so.
3)Eat sensibly, with enough calories to stop you feeling dead on your cranks.
4)set sensible targets and keep reviewing them: more commutes, more miles ,less time, whatever keeps you motivated.
5)If you get bored alter your route slightly to wake yourself back up.

HTH.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Pump your tyres up.