Few questions from a newbie!

jondom

Hi
I got myself a Boardman Comp Racer (08 Model - http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/comp-08-22946 ) about a month ago.
I'm brand new to this and my fitness levels are average at the moment.
I want to take part in a charity cycle for Chernobyl from Cork - Galway over 2 days in June.
1st Day is Cork - Limerick (62 miles)
2nd Day is Limerick - Galway (62 miles)
I've taken the bike out and done a few 20 miles trips which were fine. And yesterday I did 35 miles in 3 hours. Was completely drained after it though.
Does anyone have any good training tips so I don't make a tit out of myself on this cycle?
How many times per week should I be cycling, how far and how fast etc?
This cycle is 7.5 weeks away so hopefully I could get enough training in to manage the 2 days. At least its not a race!

Also, my arse is in bits, is it worth investigating in a better saddle or should I just bear the pain for a while?
I'll have more questions later!

Thanks for your help!

irishmotorist

I saw this page last year when getting ready for the Sean Kelly tour and I think it gives some good overall advice on how to increase your training towards the goal.

http://www.waterfordcoco.ie/en/tourism/seankellytour/trainforit/

KStaford

irishmotorist wrote: »

I saw this page last year when getting ready for the Sean Kelly tour and I think it gives some good overall advice on how to increase your training towards the goal.

http://www.waterfordcoco.ie/en/tourism/seankellytour/trainforit/

great link IM, thanks very much

rottenhat

jondom wrote: »

Also, my arse is in bits, is it worth investigating in a better saddle or should I just bear the pain for a while?

Bear it for a while - the arse will toughen up to some degree - but if it's still killing you a few weeks down the road then you could start looking to replace the saddle. You are wearing cycling shorts, I take it?

jondom

rottenhat wrote: »

Bear it for a while - the arse will toughen up to some degree - but if it's still killing you a few weeks down the road then you could start looking to replace the saddle. You are wearing cycling shorts, I take it?

Thanks for the help people! Yeah i'm wearing cycling shorts. Just found out you can get Gel covers for saddles? Would they be worth an investment?

Raam

jondom wrote: »

Thanks for the help people! Yeah i'm wearing cycling shorts. Just found out you can get Gel covers for saddles? Would they be worth an investment?

No, probably not. The saddle will take a while to get used to but it will be worth it when you do. Try a chamois cream also. Thread next door about this at the moment.

xz

Surprisingly enough, on road bikes, the stiffer the saddle, the better IMO.
The padding in your shorts should be fine, but if it is just a thin chamois, like the type you would get in Lidl/Aldi shorts, make sure you get out of the saddle often, I found this out to the cost of my sore bum on Saturday wearing tights with just a thin chamois in for a 5-6 hour ride.
If you are just starting out, 35 miles in 3 hours is quite good, thats giving you approx 11.66 mph/18.78kmh, which is faster than when I started out at first.
I advise you to stick to the 20-25 mile spins for a little while, then increase by 5 miles every second week.

SetOverSet

OP, you say you did 35 miles in 3 hours yesterday... Did you eat at all on the bike during the three hours?

jondom

xz wrote: »

Surprisingly enough, on road bikes, the stiffer the saddle, the better IMO.
The padding in your shorts should be fine, but if it is just a thin chamois, like the type you would get in Lidl/Aldi shorts, make sure you get out of the saddle often, I found this out to the cost of my sore bum on Saturday wearing tights with just a thin chamois in for a 5-6 hour ride.
If you are just starting out, 35 miles in 3 hours is quite good, thats giving you approx 11.66 mph/18.78kmh, which is faster than when I started out at first.
I advise you to stick to the 20-25 mile spins for a little while, then increase by 5 miles every second week.

OK great, shorter cycles but more of them is the way forward. Also I heard its way better to keep in the easy gears when starting off?
Regarding the saddle, already I'm getting used to it and its a little bit more bareable!

jondom

SetOverSet wrote: »

OP, you say you did 35 miles in 3 hours yesterday... Did you eat at all on the bike during the three hours?

Had 2 slices of toast when I woke up in the morning then headed out. I didn't eat at all once I was out, had 2 bottles of water though.
Whats the recommended eating habits pre cycle, during cycle and post cycle??? Thanks for your help on this.

rottenhat

Eat small amounts frequently while you're riding. Bananas and bars of various descriptions are popular option because they're easy to stuff in your jersey pockets and eat without stopping (depending on how confident you are in your bike handling skills). It's easier to peel/open them if you make a small cut in the skin/wrapper before leaving the house. I'd certainly bring something with me to eat if I was going to be out for three hours, or else stop at a shop en route.