Increasing distance?

Those of you who've seen my other postings will know I've only just started
up cycling again. Anyway. When I first started (the 6th of this month),
riding to the nearest village and back (3 1/2 miles or so) was pretty
knackering. Now I can manage 10 miles fairly happily.

Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it plateau
after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or 3 times a week,
generally making each ride a little longer than the last, some off road and
some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a daft question but I don't want to
end up knackered in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi home .

Doki wrote:

Those of you who've seen my other postings will know I've only just started
up cycling again. Anyway. When I first started (the 6th of this month),
riding to the nearest village and back (3 1/2 miles or so) was pretty
knackering. Now I can manage 10 miles fairly happily.

Nice one. I'm in pretty much the same boat, now doing 12-15 miles
without much thought.

Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it plateau
after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or 3 times a week,
generally making each ride a little longer than the last, some off road and
some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a daft question but I don't want to
end up knackered in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi home .

I have no idea about the long run, but as I posted here, I did 33 miles
a few weeks back, about 4-5 weeks after struggling to do 5. I'd only
intended to do 16.5, but couldn't get a train so cycled back. I'm hugely
overweight. If I can do it, I'm sure you could, too. (Mind you, though,
I've not really considered doing it again yet. I'm going to build up to
it, but it's nice to know that it's already possible. Medium term goal
is to cycle back from Brecon, about 45 miles. Long term goal is to cycle
from here to my mate's house in London[1])

[1] Speaking of which, has anyone here done South Wales - London? Any
good routes?

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"I see him with a small but perfectly formed Watteau"

In article ,
says...
Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it plateau
after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or 3 times a week,
generally making each ride a little longer than the last, some off road and
some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a daft question but I don't want to
end up knackered in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi home .


There is no reason at all why not. As your time in saddle increases
though remember that you will need to start eating en-route. This
varies obviously from person to person and depends on what you had pre-
ride and how much effort you put in. I will ride up to 40 miles or so
and then I will consider eating while riding.


What is giving up first when you ride: is it your legs, your lungs or
your arse?


--
Mark (MSA)
This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling
of contents may have occurred during transmission

Keith Willoughby wrote:
Doki wrote:

Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it
plateau after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or
3 times a week, generally making each ride a little longer than the
last, some off road and some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a
daft question but I don't want to end up knackered in the middle of
nowhere and getting a taxi home .

I have no idea about the long run, but as I posted here, I did 33
miles a few weeks back, about 4-5 weeks after struggling to do 5. I'd
only intended to do 16.5, but couldn't get a train so cycled back.
I'm hugely overweight. If I can do it, I'm sure you could, too. (Mind
you, though, I've not really considered doing it again yet. I'm going
to build up to it, but it's nice to know that it's already possible.
Medium term goal is to cycle back from Brecon, about 45 miles. Long
term goal is to cycle from here to my mate's house in London)

snipped footnote

Hopefully I'll be able to manage similar feats. My average speed should
improve now that I've noticed the front brake was binding. The main problem
for me seems to be hills and going up them. Perhaps I should just drive to
Matlock and go up and down Slack Hill so that I know I can climb any hill
I'm liable to come across.

MSA wrote:
In article ,
says...
Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it
plateau after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or
3 times a week, generally making each ride a little longer than the
last, some off road and some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a
daft question but I don't want to end up knackered in the middle of
nowhere and getting a taxi home .


There is no reason at all why not. As your time in saddle increases
though remember that you will need to start eating en-route. This
varies obviously from person to person and depends on what you had
pre- ride and how much effort you put in. I will ride up to 40 miles
or so and then I will consider eating while riding.

I reckon I might stop to do my eating. I imagine eating things whilst
pedalling a bike and managing to not inhale 50% of what I'm trying to eat is
a bit beyond me.

What is giving up first when you ride: is it your legs, your lungs or
your arse?

Legs first and eventually my arse. My lungs feel like they'd go on all day.
I wonder if swapping saddles would help the arse? Squats or something for
the legs?

Doki wrote:
Those of you who've seen my other postings will know I've only just started
up cycling again. Anyway. When I first started (the 6th of this month),
riding to the nearest village and back (3 1/2 miles or so) was pretty
knackering. Now I can manage 10 miles fairly happily.

Am I liable to able to keep up this rate of progress or does it plateau
after a while? I usually manage to get out on the bike 2 or 3 times a week,
generally making each ride a little longer than the last, some off road and
some on-road rides. I know it's bit of a daft question but I don't want to
end up knackered in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi home .

IME there is a kind of watershed at 30-40 miles, and another 60-70
miles. Anything over 70 miles leaves me physically rather drained. I
have to build my way up to the 60-70 mile runs if I'm not very fit, but
the 30-40 I can do with minimal training.

"Doki" wrote in message
...
I reckon I might stop to do my eating. I imagine eating things whilst
pedalling a bike and managing to not inhale 50% of what I'm trying to eat
is
a bit beyond me.

Use a carbo drink additive like High 5.
http://www.highfive.co.uk/
Anyway, eating and riding is just another thing you'll get used to but so
what, if you want to pull over to enjoy the view while you scoff why not?

What is giving up first when you ride: is it your legs, your lungs or
your arse?

Legs first and eventually my arse. My lungs feel like they'd go on all
day.
I wonder if swapping saddles would help the arse? Squats or something for
the legs?

Assuming (no pun intended) your saddle is half decent your arse will get
used to it over time. If your saddle is not half decent then it's paramount
you get one that is, this can be problematical as what suits one may be
torture to another so it's difficult to make recommendations.
However, many people swear by Brooks leather saddles which conform to ones
arse after some use but can initially be not nice.
(I have used them but don't currently, my own road favourite is a Selle
Italia Prolink and for off-road Avocet Air 40).
Avoid squishy saddles, fine for going to the shop on not so fine after a few
hours, like any seat you are looking for support rather cocooning.

The best way of getting your legs tuned for cycling is to cycle I'd have
thought.
--
Regards,
Pete

Doki wrote:

The main problem for me seems to be hills and going up them.

I was at that point a couple of weeks ago. I was just in too high a gear
(I was in too high a gear all the time, not just on hills, mind. It all
got a lot easier once I realised that).

Keep going down gears until it gets comfortable. If you've run out of
gears, then you need either more practice or more gears :-)

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"Not waving, but drowning."

"Doki" wrote in message
...
I know it's bit of a daft question but I don't want to
end up knackered in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi home .

Plan your routes so you go out so far (radially from home) then ride in a
rough arc, keeping home as the centre. Then when you feel you've had your
best head back home, this way you need never be in a situation where you
worry about your ability to get back without being totally knackered.

With increasing fitness you'll be able not only to increase the radius but
also gauge how far out you can go should you prefer not to be tied to an
arc.
And with increasing confidence you won't doubt your ability to get back.
Also, very important, if there is any amount of wind plan your route so that
you'll get blown home if at all possible.
IME there is little worse than setting off with a tailwind, which
exaggerates your capability for the day and lulls you into going out a long
way, and then after turning for home finding yourself fighting a
demoralising headwind.
--
Regards,
Pete

In article ,
says...
Legs first and eventually my arse. My lungs feel like they'd go on all day.
I wonder if swapping saddles would help the arse? Squats or something for
the legs?


Then I don't think you will have any problems, both problems 'should'
disappear with miles under your belt.

Consider changing saddles if your still not happy after say 500 miles.
Give the saddle and your rump time to become acquainted.

--
Mark (MSA)
This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling
of contents may have occurred during transmission