Newbie looking for advice

civilnug

I broke out my bike (trek 7.5 fx hybrid) last Friday for my first spin of the year. Mainly used it for cycling to work last summer (about a 25km round trip). I'm looking to get a bit more serious about it. On the first trip out I managed to make a 30km trip around the coachford, dripsey, ballincollig area of cork.

Felt a bit knackered towards the end of it but had no stiff legs or anything afterwards (other than a major pain in my arse!)

I'm just looking for a few pointers on the best ways to build up a bit more stamina and if I manage to stick with it at what sort of distance/time in the saddle does a proper road bike become a realistic upgrade target?

I'm not training for anything in particular and just looking to get a bit of fitness back. Any help or advice will be appreciated.

Morrisseeee

Your situation sounds a bit like my own, I started back last August (with a hybrid) looking to get back a bit of fitness (after a LONG time off the bike), but after building myself up to 30/40km spins with some hill climbing I decided to get a bit more serious, and that means getting a road bike. If you felt knackered after that 1st spin, I presume you might have been pushing it, no harm in that, just don't push it too hard straight off, build yourself up and each time you do a certain route try and better it, ie. slowly improve yourself. You should try and build up to doing the Blarney Sportive route: Blarney > Coachford > Dripsey > Macroom > back to Blarney via main road. As for the pain-in-your-arse, get a cycling pants, 'it does exactly what it says on the tin'.

CrankyCod

Lads:

A few of us get together most Sunday mornings for a 50K spin, you're welcome to fall in anytime it suits.

The pace is sporty but no-one gets left behind, so you won't be abandoned!

Take a look at our Facebook page for an idea of the vibe:)

We rotate the starting point between Mallow, Kinsale, Cork City as some of our lads live in North Cork, others are in the west/east etc.

We also go for longer spins durign the summer.

Ardennes1944

this is something like ive been trying to ask about on the langers thread!

civilnug

Cheers.

I reckon I'll be a while before I mange 50km at a decent pace. But I'll definitely keep it in mind.

My 30km the other day took me about an hour and twenty minutes (struggling against a very light breeze going along by the reservoir and inniscarra dam!)

petethedrummer

Doing a reasonable distance but often will get you good and fit. If you don't have any particular sportive or racing goals you don't need to embark on any epic voyages to get in shape. Can you commute to work by bike?

Also buy a road bike whenever you feel like it, there's no minimum fitness requirement.

langdang

That bike should do you fine if tis just for fitness, bate away for this summer anyway and see what you think after that.
You are lucky where you are, there are plenty of choices for routes, flat or hilly.
Decent shorts will help, but you'll toughen up a bit as you spend more time in the saddle.
Long rides on that bike may give you a pain in your hands, a set of bar ends would give you more hand positions to relieve pressure.

civilnug

Yeah cycling to work is definitely an option.

Moved out into the countryside a few months ago so I'm still getting used to the roads around the place. Would be heading into Ballincollig but at the moment there seems to be a fair a mount of fog around in the mornings and I start work fairly early (7.30) so just waiting another week or two til it's bright enough for me.

At least with the extra hour in the evening I can go for a spin after work.

petethedrummer

Yeah well its a good way to get training in. I commute by bike everyday, otherwise I wouldn't be dilligent enough to stick to any training regime.

civilnug

Well I got some bar ends for my hybrid and a pair of cycling pants and did my first commute this morning. Have a GPS tracker thing on my phone so I've measured the distance to work as 17.4km (one-way).

Gonna try to do this 2/3 days a week. I normally play 5-a-side two evenings a week after work on the other side of the city so I'm probably not up for cycling to that, running around for an hour and cycling home again.

I did notice on Sunday, when I was out for a bit I started to get a slight numbness/pins and needles in my left leg. I have a pair of loose toes clips and wear trainers when I'm cycling but I reckon it's because I'm pushing harder on one leg moreso that the other. When I concentrate on pushing more with my right leg things seem to ease out again. Just gotta keep an eye on it a bit more and stop admiring the scenery!

petethedrummer

The pins and needles could be a myriad of things. Check you're pushing down with the ball of your feet. Not the middle or heels. Your leg should be almost straight but with a bit of a bend in the knee when your at the bottom of the pedal stroke. But it could be anything.