Beginner cyclist tips???

Bolger15

Hi I have recently took up cycling for weight lost. I do a circuit around my town of 9.12km and since yesterday I have started to do two laps so that 18.24km. It has 3 good up hills on the circuit!!!
Good I be doing anything to help in terms of weight loss?

Shedite27

Try to do bursts at a high speed (say 1 minute) if ya have a good flat, then a slower pace for 5 minutes, then another burst. Seems to be the key to fat burning while doing any cardio, be in running (Fartlak) or cycling (most spinning classes use this approach).

The fitter you get, increase the time sprinting and lessen the recovery time between them.

Google H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training) for more info.

TinyExplosions

Eat less

Seriously though, there's many, many ways to lose weight, and some may work for you and some may not, but the simplest thing is to eat less calories and do more exercise. Upping the distance on your ride is a good first step, something else that may work (forgive me if you know all this already!) is to do a food diary, write down everything you eat -it may be surprising, but it's the best way to figure out where you are and what can be cut down on.

Aside from that, there's a number of eating patterns you can do to try and help -am currently on a low carb kick, so no bread, pasta, rice, spuds etc etc (though I do have 30g cornflakes for breakfast), and am eating a lot of chicken and veggies, and have dropped 4kg or so in the last couple of weeks with no increase in exercise. (though I suspect that's as much down to portion size and removing salty and sweet snacks too rather than just low carb).

There's also a school of thought that says that there are some ways of dropping weight on the bike too -either long, slow cycles in heart rate zone 2 (65-75% of your max heart rate) should keep you in the fat burning zone, or interval training if you are time limited will also help kick start the process.

The things I seem to have found that work are eating breakfast (I didn't before, but I think it's important to do it), and not eating after dinner -so no evening snacks etc -it means I tend to be a bit hungry going to bed, but am used to it now and the scales are going the right way!

As always though, YMMV, and for everything I've mentioned above, there will most likely be someone around who'll call it all rubbish!

Morrisseeee

It really is as simple as: cycle as much as you can.
You mightn't see weight loss straight away, it takes time, it depends on duration(length of cycle)/intensity(pushing yourself)/regular(every day-week)/diet.
I don't think your diet has to be too strict, if you keep up your duration/intensity/regularity.

hardCopy

If weight loss is your priority try out the myfitnesspal app/website. It makes it relatively easy to track your daily calorie consumption, don't rely on it for calorie expenditure estimates though, something like strava, or ideally a Heart Rate Monitor, would be better.

Don't get into eating loads of energy gels or sports drinks, if you're bonking on your spins just cycle slower. Worry about fuelling yourself for faster cycling once you get to a weight you're happy with.

You can't out-train a bad diet.

Bolger15

Oh diet is not that much of a problem I eat 2 weetabixs with slim-line milk for breakfast and ah healthy lunch such as scrambled eggs or hard boiled eggs with a brown bread!!! And then have whatever the mother cooks for dinner!! Haha but it seems to do me good. It just more improving my cycling I was looking for with this post!!!

AlanD

I'm new enough to cycling and was out doing 20k & 30k by myself on a hybrid. Got myself a road bike, better shoes and pedals and joined up with a group of proper cyclists.

Straight away I moved up to 50k & 60k over hills I wouldn't have touched by myself at speeds I wouldn't have cruised at myself.

4 weekly rides and I was down half a stone.

My tip? Find some people to ride with.

dark_jedi_ire

a bit like ALanD Im stuck at the 30-40K Mark on a Hybrid,, Have changed into road shoes and Pedals on the Hybrid (first run tonight gulp) but now I want to go to a road bike... and use the Hybrid for going to work and back,,, Have been cycling about 2-3 Times a Week on average 35 Km a night and with Diet have lost over 5 Stone in the last 8 months, (saying that Im a bit of a wimp when it comes to the Cold and use the Treadmill duing the winter) but I can now See myself wanting to go more into longer spins,, But I have to admit I enjoy my own spins on my own, I think Im not fit enough and gas out a bit on hills still, but push Myself really hard anyway,,
~
Diet wise Remove all the rubbish.. reduce carbs increase protein and be sensible and it will drop surprisingly fast.. best of luck
Breakfast for Me is the dreaded Porridge with a chopped banana ( enjoy it now and Im always starving in the morning and I never used to eat breakfast) Lunch usually Salads And a Dinner of Fish and Veg or Chicken etc.

I will be looking at Road bikes over the Weekend and coming back to all the great folks here for advise

Bolger15

Well I'd like to thank you all for these tips!!! And thought you like to know I left for a cycle at twelve and wasn't even a quarter way threw when I was coming down down a downhill part of the circuit at about 38-39km/h and what was ahead only a few council workers so I kept anyway and bang dog ran right out in front of me!!! Ouch I know cut open my finger and scraped the whole right side of my body!!! Wanted to kill the dog but of course couldn't for legal reason my bike is broke up wheel bent handlebars bent expensive!!!!

dark_jedi_ire

Crap.. thats Pretty unlucky...

Have been out a Lot, and have to admit that is an issue,, yeh needs eyes in the back of your head,, Dont let it stop you however... for crying out loud,, :-) Hope you patch up and get back on the bike,

Bolger15

Surely dogs aren't aloud out on the road like that though!!! Should I look for some sort replacement for my bike or send then the bill for fixing it???

Bolger15

Like the dog had went for me and all!!!

dark_jedi_ire

Have to admit havnt been in that Situation before, Do you know what house the dog came from? , anyone in the house? Dog shouldnt be out like that ,, not if your a responable owner anyway... Witnesses?

Personally I would be talking to them later that night.. after an event like this, especially after being hurt, If only that is dosnt happen again, But yeh never know with some people, in one ear and out the other just get told to F*** off,,

Im sure there are folks around here With some good advice for yeh anyway

hardCopy

Your first road rash, and your first large bike shop bill, now you really are a cyclist!

That's really unfortunate, the only tips I can give at this stage are:

• Shave the area around the road rash before you apply a sticky dressing
• Rowa-Rolan powder is great if the wounds are weepy

Bolger15

Fell there were 5 co council workers there that witnessed it!!!

Bolger15

Road rash yes big bike bill know unfortunately motocross got the gift of the big bike shop bill when I had to replace a clutch!!!

petethedrummer

Bolger15 wrote: »

Hi I have recently took up cycling for weight lost. I do a circuit around my town of 9.12km and since yesterday I have started to do two laps so that 18.24km. It has 3 good up hills on the circuit!!!
Good I be doing anything to help in terms of weight loss?

So as not to disappoint anyone I'll throw in my two cents:

Eat less carbohydrate(especially sugar) and eat more animal fat. Exercise if you want to get fit. But don't bust yourself more than once a week. Go very handy the rest of the time.

Or

You can go down the avenue of weighing food, doing huge mileage, recording your calories, perhaps putting a calorie app on your phone, buying a heart rate monitor, trying to figure out your Fat burning zones.

One of those is crazy. You can decide which one.

TinyExplosions

petethedrummer wrote: »

So as not to disappoint anyone I'll throw in my two cents:

Eat less carbohydrate(especially sugar) and eat more animal fat. Exercise if you want to get fit. But don't bust yourself more than once a week. Go very handy the rest of the time.

Or

You can go down the avenue of weighing food, doing huge mileage, recording your calories, perhaps putting a calorie app on your phone, buying a heart rate monitor, trying to figure out your Fat burning zones.

One of those is crazy. You can decide which one.

Do a combo of both that suit you! Less carbs and sugar, and a heart rate monitor

ghogie91

Eat more on the bike, travel longer distances, incorporate plenty of hills as you will need that training when (yes when) the bug bites and eat less off the bike. Remember to give yourself goals, like a day long sportive (eg. tour of kilkenny, ring of kerry, tour de burren etc)

You will do it when you start to get the distance in and start dicovering new places and getting a decent gear selection together and plenty of travel pics from your cycles.

My personal favourite was all the training I had done and dropped like 12kgs, ended up completing the Ring of Kerry on Saturday just gone in 5h50 mins and the highlight was reaching the summit of coomistka mountain as from the ground it was covered in cloud and then I dont the long hard slog over the 10k climb or whatever it was and got to the top and was in and above the cloud that spooked me from the ground

Cee-Jay-Cee

I took up Cycling to lose weight and lost 2stone in roughly 7 months BUT it was more to do with diet than exercise. I cut out all junk food, started eating breakfast and a proper dinner. I didn't bother with portion or calorie control, I simply ate at set times and nothing after 6 in the evening. I'd say my weight loss was 90% diet, 10% exercise.

It may differ in your case though siding take that as gospel.

One thing you could do is download a cycling app like strava or cyclemeter etc and time your rides and aim for faster times each time you go out.