I am a slow cyclist

yosser hughes

Hello everyone. I am hoping you can advise me. I started cycling regularly to work a few months ago. My commute is about 11.5 kilometres there and the same back. My outward ride is mostly up hill and the reverse on the way home.
What I've noticed is that quite often I am passed out by other cyclists and I am wondering is it my bike, my technique or what? I am fit, I swim and run several times a week. One thing i will say is that I'm not really au fait with what gears to use etc.
It takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and about 30 minutes on the way home.
Can anyone advise me on what, if anything, I am doing wrong? Perhaps I'm just a rubbish cyclist:(
Thanks in advance

De Bhál

yosser hughes wrote: »

Hello everyone. I am hoping you van advise me. I started cycling regulary to work a few months ago. My commute is about 11.5 kilometres there and the same back. My outward ride is mostly up hill and the reverse on the way home.
What I've noticed is that quite often I am passed out by other cyclists and I am wondering is it my bike, my technique or what? I am fit, I swim and run several times a week. One thing i will say is that I'm not really au fait with what gears to use etc.
It takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and about 30 minutes on the way home.
Can anyone advise me on what, if anything, I am doing wrong? Perhaps I'm just a rubbish cyclist:(
Thanks in advance

what kind of bike are you on?

Lumen

What happens when you pedal faster?

Alek

I am commuting everyday for 3 years now, 10km slightly uphill in the morning and downhill later. It used to take me 35-40 minutes for the first two years, on a heavy bike , starting from zero fitness.

One day I decided to treat my commute as a workout - do it as hard as it is still safe in traffic. My times dropped to about 25min within two months (~20min rolling time). As a matter of fact I got a lighter bike around that time, but it is still not light by todays standards - 14kg with the lock.

If you are fit enough to run a couple times a week, the rest is in your head.

(well, skinny tyres and more aero position did help a bit ;-))

seamus

I'll make a few completely off the top of my head guesses here as to the problem:

1. You're riding a mountain bike with big knobbly tyres and 600mm wide bars.
2. Your saddle is low enough that you can put your foot on the ground while sitting on it
3. You basically never change gear and instead ride everywhere in the highest gear or the lowest gear.
4. You wear baggy clothing which flaps in the wind and/or a high-vis vest which doesn't close at the front
5. Your tyres aren't pumped up enough

rollingscone

In terms of gears etc, it's all about the efficient transfer of energy from your legs through the drivetrain.

You want to spin the cranks (pedals) as fast as you can while still feeling the drive engaging, just like in a car when you are spinning without feeling the power in the bike you can go up a gear until you feel the bite again, lather rinse repeat until you run out of gears or inertia means that you need to gear back down to maintain your correct level of spin.

Get familiar with the gearing on your bike, I would always try to start off on the small or middle chainring (if you have three gears at the front) and go into the larger chainring only after I was about halfway through my range of gears at the back. Remember that changes on the rear cassette make a finer difference whereas changing the chainrings (front gears) makes larger adjustments.

Getting a cheap wired bicycle computer was a major leap forward for me too since I could actually identify my speeds and work towards improving them, just remember that looking at the road and around you is your priority.

yosser hughes

I have the tyres pumped up properly and wear cycling shorts and tight top.
The saddle is correct and I lower the gears when I'm going up steep hills.
Maybe I just need to push myself harder.:D
Thanks for all the constructive replies. I

I think I'll keep a record of my times and really push hard. It's just sometimes I see people sailing past and it seems they aren't expending near as much energy as I am. Maybe I'm not as fit as I think:(

smacl

Sorry, but that bike is a total dog, pretty much everything that could be wrong with it is wrong. Practically any bike with rigid forks and 700mm wheels will be a major improvement, and could be picked up cheap enough second hand. A road bike would be a huge improvement.

Peterx

Assuming you are cycling to work 5 days a week that is over 100km of cycling every week. You will keep getting fitter but not faster if you keep it up.

I find that in order to get faster I need to take rest days. So cycling to work 3 or 4 days a week instead of 5 and then focussing on speed 2 of the days might help you increase your speed.

Of course the actually getting to work and home is the important part so maybe don't go mad with the speedy efforts:P

De Bhál

yosser hughes wrote: »

The bike is a male version of this http://www.sportsdirect.com/mountain-ridge-saturn-932224. (

that's a ****-heap

Get a 2nd hand (or new if you can afford it) road bike and you will see a big difference in your speed.

RunRoryRun

De Bhál wrote: »

that's a ****-heap

Not so sure about that. It's got suspension, which should certainly increase speed.:rolleyes:

yosser hughes

smacl wrote: »

Sorry, but that bike is a total dog, pretty much everything that could be wrong with it is wrong. Practically any bike with rigid forks and 700mm wheels will be a major improvement, and could be picked up cheap enough second hand. A road bike would be a huge improvement.

Sorry actually that is the wrong bike. My one isn't a mountain bike. I'll try and find a link. Mine is a "City bike" whatever that means.
Thanks for the reply.

Lusk_Doyle

smacl wrote: »

Sorry, but that bike is a total dog, pretty much everything that could be wrong with it is wrong. Practically any bike with rigid forks and 700mm wheels will be a major improvement, and could be picked up cheap enough second hand. A road bike would be a huge improvement.

ideal for going over rough terrain

Here's your problem!

macnab

Your bike is probably the main cause of your lack of pace. Its what's commonly known around here as a BSO, which is short for Bike Shaped Object. Its too heavy, its wheels are too small, its tyres are too wide, it has shocks which just add weight and sap energy, its components are low quality so not efficient at converting your energy to forward motion. Your seating position places your body in a very upright position which is about as far from aerodynamic as you can get. In my opinion you will not get a half decent bike for less than €300. On the up side you would be slower walking. Do yourself a favour and have a ride on a road bike with full sized wheels (700c) and skinny tyres (<28mm) then you will see the difference for yourself. You could put 28mm tyres on your own bike, that would release a few more km/h.

Lawrence1895

I'm not the fastest either, 16 kilometers each way. Takes me between 50 and 60 minutes, depending on the weather and traffic lights.

For me the worst thing is, rushing into work, so I just leave a few minutes earlier, when the weather is bad.

It's not a competition or a race, it's all about a safe journey for me.

yosser hughes

Thanks folks. That link I posted isn't quite correct as mine isn't a mountain bike however it does seem quite heavy. I can't seem to get a proper link to my bike.
Anyway, as some of have said it's not a competition and as long as i get in and out safe is the main thing.
I actually really enjoy the cycle and really feel the benefit of it.
If I find a link I'll post it. It was a cheap bike so I guess you get what you pay for. I am loathe to spend a lot to be honest with all the bikes being nicked in Dublin. The Stolen Bikes thread is shocking!
Thanks all for the tips and advice. I appreciate it.

Lusk_Doyle

It's ALWAYS a competition. Even when it's not.

07Lapierre

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

It's ALWAYS a competition. Even when it's not.

yep, and there's always someone faster!

Jabel

Lars1916 wrote: »

I'm not the fastest either, 16 kilometers each way. Takes me between 50 and 60 minutes, depending on the weather and traffic lights.

For me the worst thing is, rushing into work, so I just leave a few minutes earlier, when the weather is bad.

It's not a competition or a race, it's all about a safe journey for me.

It's always a race:D
Any fecker that passes me out is (in my head anyway)
1. 20 years younger than me
2. Completely fresh/very late
3. Taking drugs

Seriously tho OP I went from a mountain bike to a road bike
and the difference is massive, like a hot knife through butter

Boardnashea

yosser hughes wrote: »

It's just sometimes I see people sailing past and it seems they aren't expending near as much energy as I am.(

Don't worry about that. Anytime I overtake another bike I always make sure to put in extra effort just before passing - just so I can sit up and freewheel past and smile at their efforts.:D

macnab

Boardnashea wrote: »

Don't worry about that. Anytime I overtake another bike I always make sure to put in extra effort just before passing - just so I can sit up and freewheel past and smile at their efforts.:D

Other cyclists only overtake you to prove to themselves that they can,
Therefore they see you as a threat,
Therefore you are a threat,
therefore you are awesome. End of.

Budawanny

lots of people wear cleats too , clipless pedals etc. keep an eye for them.. the made a difference. you will see alot of guys overtaking you using them

pelevin

How about getting a motorbike?

lennymc

pelevin wrote: »

How about getting a motorbike?

great for cycle lanes.

Pinch Flat

Fair play for sticking out 11.5 miles uphill on that, as posters said ditch this BSO and get a proper road bike with skinny tyres (debate rages between dropped and straight handlebars and hybrid - I would opt for dropped over straight, as most would, but either option will be a vast improvement).

Wishbone Ash

yosser hughes wrote: »

.... I can't seem to get a proper link to my bike.....

Would it not be easier just to tell us the make/model?

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Fair play for sticking out 11.5 miles uphill ....

11.5kms.

rollingscone

Get yourself a smoother ride and pretty soon you'll be wishing your commute was longer.

Cycling a decent bike is a wonderful thing. Even a decent hybrid can be incredibly satisfying in almost all weathers.

Pinch Flat

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

11.5kms.

Mea Culpa, wouldn't even fancy doing 11.5 metres on that....:eek:

AllWasWell

Reading this thread makes me feel so unfit. I have a 5.5km commute to work and it takes me about 30 mins. On the way home I nearly always have to stop and take a break because I find it so tough (slightly uphill on the way back). Granted my bike is very old, it's a mountain bike which cost about 100 euro over 10 years ago. And i do have a heavy back pack with my laptop and other things in it.

Lawrence1895

Jabel wrote: »

It's always a race:D
Any fecker that passes me out is (in my head anyway)
1. 20 years younger than me
2. Completely fresh/very late
3. Taking drugs

Seriously tho OP I went from a mountain bike to a road bike
and the difference is massive, like a hot knife through butter

I usually see those feckers at the next red traffic lights, some of them roaring at them to change to change

Seriously, had both a road bike and a mountain bike, but I think, mountain bikes are a bit better if you have really bad road surfaces, for example James' Street/Thomas Street or Emmet Road :rolleyes:

Lusk_Doyle

It could always be worse...



Try pushing that up a hill let alone on the flat!!!