Cycling on a budget - newbie
Discussion
Not been to the gym for about 2 years and feeling rather unfit at the moment, so I decided I wanted to start cycling and at the weekend, I bought a bike from the local auction centre. I have had to change a few bits to get it into a useable state, new inner tube for tyres, new cables for brakes and gears.
All week I have been taking it out and have been cycling a local route, which I used to run about 5 years back, before I got lazy.
The distance started at 3 miles on Monday, 4 on tues and then yesterday and today I have been doing 6.
Not sure what a good time is for that kind of ride but here is what my app is showing me, do you know a better cheap or free app?
Route: New Route
Activity: Cycle
Started: 24 May 2012 19:00:59
Ride Time: 43:06
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 6.08 miles
Average Speed: 8.47 mph
Fastest Speed: 23.45 mph
http://www.cyclemeter.com
Realistically what sort of time should I be aiming for on 6 miles, I did stop once at the halfway point and have about a 5 min break and a drink befor turning back and heading home.
Also a few questions to those in the know, when cycling my palms and wrists really hurt I have to keep taking a hand of the bars to ease the pain, any idea what I am doing wrong, do I need gloves, I don’t really want to spend any more money as I am on an extremely, extremely tight budget at the moment.
The first few days my derriere was really hurting too but I learnt that all I needed to do was shift my weight on the seat during the ride and that has helped, however hoping this is just a short term thing and once my arse get used to the bike seat it wont hurt any more, if it does will have to look for a solution.
The last few mornings I have woken up and found I have got sore shoulders and a sore back but the pain eases during the day, I expect this is just due to the fact that my body needs to get used to the fact that I am doing some exercise again. One thing that does seem to have got acclimatised very quickly is my legs. On Monday when I got home after the cycle I was walking like a cowboy whom had just been violently fisted by the foot of an elephant, or a fist of a god, however today after my ride I was able to walk like a normal person.
Also can you explain how the gears work, I am ashamed to admit I am not sure which gear to use and when.
My bike has 2 twisty grips. On the left the twisty grip controls the cog at the pedals, L for little cog, M for middle cog and H for the big cog. On the right the twisty grip controls the rear cog on the wheel, 1 for the biggest cog through to 6 for the smallest cog.
At the moment when I am on level ground I leave it in M and use 4/5/6 for average resistance
When going down hill I change it to L and use 4/5/6 to give me least resistance and then when up hill I change it to H and use 1/2/3 for the most resistance, is the correct?
All in I must say, great fun really enjoying it so far, more fun then going to a gym and hopefully cheaper after the initial investment, and looking forward to building my self up and then doing longer scenic routes and with proper inclines.
Edited to add, I will probably be laughed at as a lot of people on here seem to spend big bucks on a bike, but i cant afford to at the moment and you have to start somewhere!
All week I have been taking it out and have been cycling a local route, which I used to run about 5 years back, before I got lazy.
The distance started at 3 miles on Monday, 4 on tues and then yesterday and today I have been doing 6.
Not sure what a good time is for that kind of ride but here is what my app is showing me, do you know a better cheap or free app?
Route: New Route
Activity: Cycle
Started: 24 May 2012 19:00:59
Ride Time: 43:06
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 6.08 miles
Average Speed: 8.47 mph
Fastest Speed: 23.45 mph
http://www.cyclemeter.com
Realistically what sort of time should I be aiming for on 6 miles, I did stop once at the halfway point and have about a 5 min break and a drink befor turning back and heading home.
Also a few questions to those in the know, when cycling my palms and wrists really hurt I have to keep taking a hand of the bars to ease the pain, any idea what I am doing wrong, do I need gloves, I don’t really want to spend any more money as I am on an extremely, extremely tight budget at the moment.
The first few days my derriere was really hurting too but I learnt that all I needed to do was shift my weight on the seat during the ride and that has helped, however hoping this is just a short term thing and once my arse get used to the bike seat it wont hurt any more, if it does will have to look for a solution.
The last few mornings I have woken up and found I have got sore shoulders and a sore back but the pain eases during the day, I expect this is just due to the fact that my body needs to get used to the fact that I am doing some exercise again. One thing that does seem to have got acclimatised very quickly is my legs. On Monday when I got home after the cycle I was walking like a cowboy whom had just been violently fisted by the foot of an elephant, or a fist of a god, however today after my ride I was able to walk like a normal person.
Also can you explain how the gears work, I am ashamed to admit I am not sure which gear to use and when.
My bike has 2 twisty grips. On the left the twisty grip controls the cog at the pedals, L for little cog, M for middle cog and H for the big cog. On the right the twisty grip controls the rear cog on the wheel, 1 for the biggest cog through to 6 for the smallest cog.
At the moment when I am on level ground I leave it in M and use 4/5/6 for average resistance
When going down hill I change it to L and use 4/5/6 to give me least resistance and then when up hill I change it to H and use 1/2/3 for the most resistance, is the correct?
All in I must say, great fun really enjoying it so far, more fun then going to a gym and hopefully cheaper after the initial investment, and looking forward to building my self up and then doing longer scenic routes and with proper inclines.
Edited to add, I will probably be laughed at as a lot of people on here seem to spend big bucks on a bike, but i cant afford to at the moment and you have to start somewhere!
Edited by RZ1 on Thursday 24th May 23:25
Where to start?
Ok, firstly: you've done the biggest bit and bought a bike. So well done.
Now: forget how fast you're going. It doesn't matter. The answer is 'not very', but that's fine: you're just starting. I'd suggest downloading the Endomondo app so you can track your progress: one called Strava is good too but you will find it demoralising at your stage so don't bother.
Buying some cheap fingerless mitts was the best thing I ever did: do it. Preferably with gel pads on the hands. Won't cost more than £10 or so and they'll take out the buzz.
Back/shoulder stiffness: usually indicates a badly-fitted bike and either over or understretch to the bars. Make sure you stretch before riding (ask YouTube) but you may need a different bike if it doesn't stop after a while.
Lastly: there is no "correct" gear. Usual recommendation is to try and get a cadence (pedal revolution rate) of about 80-90rpm. Don't sit in a difficult gear turning the pedals once every two seconds; don't run downhill with your legs rattling around like a scarecrow's. Your bike has lots of gears for a reason: use them.
Always remember Rule 10: it never gets easier, you just go faster.
Ok, firstly: you've done the biggest bit and bought a bike. So well done.
Now: forget how fast you're going. It doesn't matter. The answer is 'not very', but that's fine: you're just starting. I'd suggest downloading the Endomondo app so you can track your progress: one called Strava is good too but you will find it demoralising at your stage so don't bother.
Buying some cheap fingerless mitts was the best thing I ever did: do it. Preferably with gel pads on the hands. Won't cost more than £10 or so and they'll take out the buzz.
Back/shoulder stiffness: usually indicates a badly-fitted bike and either over or understretch to the bars. Make sure you stretch before riding (ask YouTube) but you may need a different bike if it doesn't stop after a while.
Lastly: there is no "correct" gear. Usual recommendation is to try and get a cadence (pedal revolution rate) of about 80-90rpm. Don't sit in a difficult gear turning the pedals once every two seconds; don't run downhill with your legs rattling around like a scarecrow's. Your bike has lots of gears for a reason: use them.
Always remember Rule 10: it never gets easier, you just go faster.
Firstly well done!
Don't worry about times at the moment, you will get faster the more you do, your body is in shock and needs to get used to it. As your heart and lungs get fitter you'll start knocking time off.
If you use endomondo you will have a webpage recording your stats daily, it's great to see your progress over time with it.
You can get a cheap pair of gel gloves but you may find it is just a case of getting used to it, the same with your arse, mine hurt so bad when I started I walked in a most peculiar way, now I could sit on a spike without complaint
The back thing could be a bad riding position but equally as you've not done any exercise for 2 years you may just ache all over, there are guides all over the net to help you with bike setup.
I'm not an expert on gearings but I generally don't have them so high it's like running through treacle or so low I'm flailing around like a demented windmill, both of which will see you moving along at around 3mph.
Good luck, I'm off out on the bike
Don't worry about times at the moment, you will get faster the more you do, your body is in shock and needs to get used to it. As your heart and lungs get fitter you'll start knocking time off.
If you use endomondo you will have a webpage recording your stats daily, it's great to see your progress over time with it.
You can get a cheap pair of gel gloves but you may find it is just a case of getting used to it, the same with your arse, mine hurt so bad when I started I walked in a most peculiar way, now I could sit on a spike without complaint
The back thing could be a bad riding position but equally as you've not done any exercise for 2 years you may just ache all over, there are guides all over the net to help you with bike setup.
I'm not an expert on gearings but I generally don't have them so high it's like running through treacle or so low I'm flailing around like a demented windmill, both of which will see you moving along at around 3mph.
Good luck, I'm off out on the bike
just keep riding and enjoy yourself, a lot of people use an app called strava for timing rides and routes but it does generate competition and it sounds like you just want to ride for the sake of it so dont get too worried about time and distance.
find an OS map online (google earth, multimap etc) and have a look for some quiet country roads (you wont go far before you find a pub!)
find an OS map online (google earth, multimap etc) and have a look for some quiet country roads (you wont go far before you find a pub!)
That app looks fine and will help track progress. It's funny how even a mile or so can feel hard when you are out of shape. If you keep at it you'll go further and probably gain some speed. It's early days now though.
Try to relax on the bike as much as you can. Sometimes the shoulder pain and stiffness is caused by tension from holding on with a death grip.
Try to relax on the bike as much as you can. Sometimes the shoulder pain and stiffness is caused by tension from holding on with a death grip.
As has been said already, well done for getting off your ass and getting into the saddle!
Firstly, your lack of budget will only be a short term thing, once you get bitten you will ‘find’ cash for cycle bits, even if it means going without food, clothes, holidays etc........
Rewind 2 years and you sound like me! I spent £250 on a hardtail MTB to get fit again and started off worrying about how fast I was going, what other cyclists thought of me, if I was doing things ‘right’, what gears I should be using etc etc etc.........silly really as I had cycled for years when I was younger but somehow the whole thing seemed much more serious when I got back into the saddle as a 30-something!
You already have lots of good advice on the thread so far, so rather than repeat it I’ll tell you what worked for me.
First off I stopped focussing on speed, which was a bit odd as I like going fast! I quickly figured out that the important element of keeping yourself going forward was consistency in your pedalling (this is where the gears question comes in). I switched my focus from speed to cadence and tried to ensure that my legs more or less always span at the same rate, which forced me to learn to use the gears more efficiently. I am quite serious when I say this will make the single biggest difference to the way you ride, and the average speed you achieve.
I also suffered from a lot of arse pain, leg pain, neck, back and shoulder pain. Initially I believed it was all down to the bike setup, and some of it was – but, (and its a bit but) you are asking your body to adopt a position it is not used to and work hard for an hour or so at a time – it’s gonna hurt! My approach was to get the bike ‘more or less’ setup correctly (having googled countless ‘how to set your bike up articles), riding it for a month and then fettling the riding position. You will be amazed at the difference moving your saddle forward or backwards a couple of cms can make. Don’t make too many setup changes at once or you will never identify what is causing you the biggest issue.
I started out very enthusiastically jumping on the bike at every chance I had, but after a couple of months I didn’t seem to be making any progress so, I set myself some goals. Initially I was only riding circa 8 miles, so I tried to ride the same 8 miles faster, eventually I extended my route further and further. When you can see tangible progress you will be much more motivated to stick at it. I also set myself a ‘big’ goal, and that was to ride to my in-laws house some 60 miles away – which I did, but bloody hell it taught me a lot about being prepared before setting off!
Don’t give a stuff about what other cyclists are thinking, we are all brothers and sisters of the saddle – if you meet some t
twaffle on a bike who looks down at you because of what you are riding, how fast you are going, or how far you have ridden their opinion should not count. Compete with yourself, or find a cycling buddy of a similar ability and ride with them, when you are having a bad day they will encourage you to ride better, and visa-versa.
Three things I wished I had invested in early on, decent mits, decent shorts and a decent helmet! I spent months riding on cheap mitts that gave my hands numb spots, cheap shorts with a bad fitting insert which actually made riding more uncomfortable, and a cheap/ill fitting helmet that meant I constantly had a sweaty head! You don’t need to spend a fortune on the high street, by buying on the internet you will save a small fortune.
One final thing I got wrong for the first year of riding was diet/hydration. I have only experienced a cycling ‘bonk’ once and it was one of the single most painful and confusing things I have ever experienced, all down to eating and drinking the wrong stuff in the saddle. Getting your hydration wrong in the saddle will give you excruciating cramps, they usually come on unannounced and will knock you out of the saddle! Invest £5 in High5 or Nuun hydration tablets (don’t get the caffeine ones), they contain a balance of electrolytes that should help your muscles keep hydrated.
When I started out I would easily drink a litre of juice on a 10 mile ride, I tend to use less than 750mls now on a 50 mile ride (assuming its 15 degrees and not blazing sun!)...
Eat a good breakfast/lunch before you jump in the saddle to make sure your body has some fuel, you don’t need to overdo it though! Steer clear of high sugar stuff while you are in the saddle, you are better off with banana, flapjacks etc, anything that has a balance of carbs and natural, slow releasing sugar is good. For the time being I would suggest steering clear of gels etc, you don’t want to become dependent on them, if you need a short boost during your ride jelly babies are a riders best friend!
Finally, study these (they won’t mean anything to you yet, but in a years time this will become your bible); http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Now, get out there, enjoy the sun and ‘just ride’......
Firstly, your lack of budget will only be a short term thing, once you get bitten you will ‘find’ cash for cycle bits, even if it means going without food, clothes, holidays etc........
Rewind 2 years and you sound like me! I spent £250 on a hardtail MTB to get fit again and started off worrying about how fast I was going, what other cyclists thought of me, if I was doing things ‘right’, what gears I should be using etc etc etc.........silly really as I had cycled for years when I was younger but somehow the whole thing seemed much more serious when I got back into the saddle as a 30-something!
You already have lots of good advice on the thread so far, so rather than repeat it I’ll tell you what worked for me.
First off I stopped focussing on speed, which was a bit odd as I like going fast! I quickly figured out that the important element of keeping yourself going forward was consistency in your pedalling (this is where the gears question comes in). I switched my focus from speed to cadence and tried to ensure that my legs more or less always span at the same rate, which forced me to learn to use the gears more efficiently. I am quite serious when I say this will make the single biggest difference to the way you ride, and the average speed you achieve.
I also suffered from a lot of arse pain, leg pain, neck, back and shoulder pain. Initially I believed it was all down to the bike setup, and some of it was – but, (and its a bit but) you are asking your body to adopt a position it is not used to and work hard for an hour or so at a time – it’s gonna hurt! My approach was to get the bike ‘more or less’ setup correctly (having googled countless ‘how to set your bike up articles), riding it for a month and then fettling the riding position. You will be amazed at the difference moving your saddle forward or backwards a couple of cms can make. Don’t make too many setup changes at once or you will never identify what is causing you the biggest issue.
I started out very enthusiastically jumping on the bike at every chance I had, but after a couple of months I didn’t seem to be making any progress so, I set myself some goals. Initially I was only riding circa 8 miles, so I tried to ride the same 8 miles faster, eventually I extended my route further and further. When you can see tangible progress you will be much more motivated to stick at it. I also set myself a ‘big’ goal, and that was to ride to my in-laws house some 60 miles away – which I did, but bloody hell it taught me a lot about being prepared before setting off!
Don’t give a stuff about what other cyclists are thinking, we are all brothers and sisters of the saddle – if you meet some t
twaffle on a bike who looks down at you because of what you are riding, how fast you are going, or how far you have ridden their opinion should not count. Compete with yourself, or find a cycling buddy of a similar ability and ride with them, when you are having a bad day they will encourage you to ride better, and visa-versa.Three things I wished I had invested in early on, decent mits, decent shorts and a decent helmet! I spent months riding on cheap mitts that gave my hands numb spots, cheap shorts with a bad fitting insert which actually made riding more uncomfortable, and a cheap/ill fitting helmet that meant I constantly had a sweaty head! You don’t need to spend a fortune on the high street, by buying on the internet you will save a small fortune.
One final thing I got wrong for the first year of riding was diet/hydration. I have only experienced a cycling ‘bonk’ once and it was one of the single most painful and confusing things I have ever experienced, all down to eating and drinking the wrong stuff in the saddle. Getting your hydration wrong in the saddle will give you excruciating cramps, they usually come on unannounced and will knock you out of the saddle! Invest £5 in High5 or Nuun hydration tablets (don’t get the caffeine ones), they contain a balance of electrolytes that should help your muscles keep hydrated.
When I started out I would easily drink a litre of juice on a 10 mile ride, I tend to use less than 750mls now on a 50 mile ride (assuming its 15 degrees and not blazing sun!)...
Eat a good breakfast/lunch before you jump in the saddle to make sure your body has some fuel, you don’t need to overdo it though! Steer clear of high sugar stuff while you are in the saddle, you are better off with banana, flapjacks etc, anything that has a balance of carbs and natural, slow releasing sugar is good. For the time being I would suggest steering clear of gels etc, you don’t want to become dependent on them, if you need a short boost during your ride jelly babies are a riders best friend!
Finally, study these (they won’t mean anything to you yet, but in a years time this will become your bible); http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Now, get out there, enjoy the sun and ‘just ride’......
re the time you are doing - was it on / off road?
I do 6.2 miles each way on my road commmute on a Hardtail MTB with winter tyres [for extra drag
] and when I started [Jan 1st ] it took me 36 minutes. Yesterday it took me 20 minutes 40 seconds.
Echoing the posts re your hands, I too had this when I started, even when wearing gloves, but I raised my seat and adjusted my position ever-so slightly and the tingling has completely gone. I do have Ergo bar ends which may also have helped. Also for your butt buy some padded shorts [they are a godsend!]. Your sore shoulder and back may just be down to using muscles you havent used for a while and they are getting used to the new exercise. I used to ride a big gear on the flat as in my mind I was going faster as it was harder to ride; I've learnt that using a gear 1 or 2 lower and pedal faster means less stress on the legs and more capacity to ride faster, longer
I have a Garmin 800 which is great for a stat-man like me, but Strava seems to be one of the best for the more experienced rider
I was 'all the gear no idea' when I bought my bike in August last year; since then I've sold my Exposure 6 pack but kept everything else, and have 'grown' in to the gear over time and not had to buy anything new to keep up with my enthusiasm
I do 6.2 miles each way on my road commmute on a Hardtail MTB with winter tyres [for extra drag
] and when I started [Jan 1st ] it took me 36 minutes. Yesterday it took me 20 minutes 40 seconds.Echoing the posts re your hands, I too had this when I started, even when wearing gloves, but I raised my seat and adjusted my position ever-so slightly and the tingling has completely gone. I do have Ergo bar ends which may also have helped. Also for your butt buy some padded shorts [they are a godsend!]. Your sore shoulder and back may just be down to using muscles you havent used for a while and they are getting used to the new exercise. I used to ride a big gear on the flat as in my mind I was going faster as it was harder to ride; I've learnt that using a gear 1 or 2 lower and pedal faster means less stress on the legs and more capacity to ride faster, longer
I have a Garmin 800 which is great for a stat-man like me, but Strava seems to be one of the best for the more experienced rider
I was 'all the gear no idea' when I bought my bike in August last year; since then I've sold my Exposure 6 pack but kept everything else, and have 'grown' in to the gear over time and not had to buy anything new to keep up with my enthusiasm
Thanks for all the feedback chaps, really appreciated.
I think a lot of you are right in that the pain i am experiencing at the moment is just due to the fact that my body has not adjusted yet, i think i will see how i get on over the next few weeks and then see how i feel, if still in pain maybe i need to look into the bike setup.
The cycling has all been done on road along a nice quite countryside lane with lovely views, not really spent any time on main roads yet, due to living in the countryside, but expect it will be a totally different experience, no pothole and horse st to be constantly swerving around.
I must admit first few times when i went out i was a bit paranoid about what others might think when they see me, especially as others had nice sleek new looking bikes and then you have me on some old thing, but to be honest i dont really care what others think, i am not out to impress others, i am out to get fit and loose some weight.
With regards to the app, will try the other one recommended, at the moment not interesting in racing people, so will give stara a miss, all i want to do at the moment is challenge my own times and get consistently better and quicker and fitter, and enjoy it too.
I think a lot of you are right in that the pain i am experiencing at the moment is just due to the fact that my body has not adjusted yet, i think i will see how i get on over the next few weeks and then see how i feel, if still in pain maybe i need to look into the bike setup.
The cycling has all been done on road along a nice quite countryside lane with lovely views, not really spent any time on main roads yet, due to living in the countryside, but expect it will be a totally different experience, no pothole and horse s
t to be constantly swerving around.I must admit first few times when i went out i was a bit paranoid about what others might think when they see me, especially as others had nice sleek new looking bikes and then you have me on some old thing, but to be honest i dont really care what others think, i am not out to impress others, i am out to get fit and loose some weight.
With regards to the app, will try the other one recommended, at the moment not interesting in racing people, so will give stara a miss, all i want to do at the moment is challenge my own times and get consistently better and quicker and fitter, and enjoy it too.
I have just started on a "last year's model" pov spec roadbike... not totally from scratch because I started from nothing last year on an old MTB, shed 3 stone, and can run 5km and cycle 20km without too much issue. I am training to get better for the London Triathlon in sept.
For me booking an event, a charity ride/run/race was the key to keeping going with the exercise - something to aim for.
Last year I did Blenheim triathlon - I thought it would be daunting with professionals, but it was a reall relaxed atmosphere, and I found myself cruising past people on nice looking bikes, on a cheapo MTB!
For cycling the best thing I have found so far is to use "clipless" pedals. Basically you have cycling shoes that clip into the pedals of the bike - strangely called clipless because it's not toe-clips, straps that hold your foot down. It means you can be much more efficient by pulling up as well as pushing down. I didn't realise how much untill I rode without them and kept pulling my feet up off the pedals!!
I also use a heartrate monitor. It displays a % of your max heart rate... so no matter how fast you're going, you know if you are working hard or not. Sometimes I feel tired, but see I'm not going THAT hard, and manage to speed up. I aim to keep my heartrate in a specific band and I know I am working. You can have days were you go at lower intensity for longer, or go harder for a shorter period, or do intervals etc. I find it great motivation... knowing how hard you're working sometimes feels better than knowing average speed.
That said, I like to track distance and make sure I'm going far enough for my event.
I use mapmyrun which is the same as mapmyride. Free app and the interface has just been updated.
The new website is very good. It shows you your route on a map, with elevation.
It's nice to see where you went, and look at the hills etc.
I'll even brave the PH detectives and link my profile to see if you like it.
http://new.mapmyride.com/profile/5578906/
http://new.mapmyride.com
For me booking an event, a charity ride/run/race was the key to keeping going with the exercise - something to aim for.
Last year I did Blenheim triathlon - I thought it would be daunting with professionals, but it was a reall relaxed atmosphere, and I found myself cruising past people on nice looking bikes, on a cheapo MTB!
For cycling the best thing I have found so far is to use "clipless" pedals. Basically you have cycling shoes that clip into the pedals of the bike - strangely called clipless because it's not toe-clips, straps that hold your foot down. It means you can be much more efficient by pulling up as well as pushing down. I didn't realise how much untill I rode without them and kept pulling my feet up off the pedals!!
I also use a heartrate monitor. It displays a % of your max heart rate... so no matter how fast you're going, you know if you are working hard or not. Sometimes I feel tired, but see I'm not going THAT hard, and manage to speed up. I aim to keep my heartrate in a specific band and I know I am working. You can have days were you go at lower intensity for longer, or go harder for a shorter period, or do intervals etc. I find it great motivation... knowing how hard you're working sometimes feels better than knowing average speed.
That said, I like to track distance and make sure I'm going far enough for my event.
I use mapmyrun which is the same as mapmyride. Free app and the interface has just been updated.
The new website is very good. It shows you your route on a map, with elevation.
It's nice to see where you went, and look at the hills etc.
I'll even brave the PH detectives and link my profile to see if you like it.
http://new.mapmyride.com/profile/5578906/
http://new.mapmyride.com
Edited by Glade on Friday 25th May 14:34
Don't wear underpants. Once you've bought padded shorts, that is. It's amazing the number of people who spend money on a garment specifically designed to be the thing that goes between your body and your saddle, with correct padding, minimal seams and so on, and then slam a pair of Y fronts in the middle of the sandwich!
For some reason, women seem far more prone to this. I rarely ride more than a day or two on my commute without seeing a whale tail poking out of the back of a set of cycling shorts!
For some reason, women seem far more prone to this. I rarely ride more than a day or two on my commute without seeing a whale tail poking out of the back of a set of cycling shorts!
good advice here - I'll add my two cents:
find a way to make it fun! Getting fit is a great goal to have, but if you're anything like me, that won't be enough. You will have 'off' days, so you need a reason to actually enjoy being out. Part of that will come from the sense of freedom you'll get from being able to go further and faster, so vary your route, experimenting with slightly longer routes occasionally, finding local off-road sections you're allowed on, even putting the bike in a car to get somewhere new is fine: pick somewhere say 10-15 miles away ride in the general direction of home then return to the car, eventually you'll feel able to ride there instead, and this gives you a goal to work towards.
quick note on gearing: as others have said, trying to maintain roughly 90 revolutions per minute of the cranks is about right, and more important than outright speed: you can measure this using a cadence meter (best option, but expensive), or (on a deserted road) you can just use a stopwatch and count pedal revolutions for a minute or so - I wouldn't do this all the time, but this can give you an idea of what 90rpm feels like, and thus what you should be aiming for. As for how the gears actually work, selecting a smaller cog on the rear or a bigger cog on the front will make you go faster for the same pedalling rate - which will naturally require more effort, so if you can't maintain 90rpm, change to a bigger cog at the rear (on your shifters, 1-biggest cog, 6-smallest), or smaller front cog (H-biggest cog, L-smallest - it sounds as though you're selecting these the other way around), and vice versa. One last thing: try and avoid riding in the biggest cog at front and biggest at rear (and smallest front-smallest rear). These combinations run the chain at an odd angle which will wear/break it prematurely - you can probably get away with riding just about everywhere in the middle chainring and just swapping the rear cogs, then using the biggest chainring for steep descents and smallest for steep ascents.
Enjoy!
find a way to make it fun! Getting fit is a great goal to have, but if you're anything like me, that won't be enough. You will have 'off' days, so you need a reason to actually enjoy being out. Part of that will come from the sense of freedom you'll get from being able to go further and faster, so vary your route, experimenting with slightly longer routes occasionally, finding local off-road sections you're allowed on, even putting the bike in a car to get somewhere new is fine: pick somewhere say 10-15 miles away ride in the general direction of home then return to the car, eventually you'll feel able to ride there instead, and this gives you a goal to work towards.
quick note on gearing: as others have said, trying to maintain roughly 90 revolutions per minute of the cranks is about right, and more important than outright speed: you can measure this using a cadence meter (best option, but expensive), or (on a deserted road) you can just use a stopwatch and count pedal revolutions for a minute or so - I wouldn't do this all the time, but this can give you an idea of what 90rpm feels like, and thus what you should be aiming for. As for how the gears actually work, selecting a smaller cog on the rear or a bigger cog on the front will make you go faster for the same pedalling rate - which will naturally require more effort, so if you can't maintain 90rpm, change to a bigger cog at the rear (on your shifters, 1-biggest cog, 6-smallest), or smaller front cog (H-biggest cog, L-smallest - it sounds as though you're selecting these the other way around), and vice versa. One last thing: try and avoid riding in the biggest cog at front and biggest at rear (and smallest front-smallest rear). These combinations run the chain at an odd angle which will wear/break it prematurely - you can probably get away with riding just about everywhere in the middle chainring and just swapping the rear cogs, then using the biggest chainring for steep descents and smallest for steep ascents.
Enjoy!
OpulentBob said:
Thanks - I wasn't sure if it was one of those things where it was all sales guff or if it actually made a difference.
Your lube will depend on the type of bike (road, MTB, etc) type of riding you are doing and the chain set and the conditions....Give us an idea of what you are doing ?
Road and some mild off-road stuff, paths through the army firing ranges, so can get a bit muddy, however due to living in a flat I keep the bike in the boot of the car, hosed off after a ride if I've been through puddles, just to keep the car clean more than anything. Obviously I need to lube up before a ride - fnar - so something that is easy on/easy off would be ideal.
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