2nd ride beginner question

doobrie said:

fitted my cateye astrale computer and got out for my 2nd ride tonight - didnt use the cadence at
all but had the mph and trip distance as my main displays ... i guess once im upto reasonable
steady milage the cadence comes into play

I'd agree with that.

Quoted message said:

managed 8.4 miles (compared to 5 on my 1st ride) at a whopping 11 point something average mph ...
got to start somewhere, eh ...

Indeed.

Quoted message said:

the darn chain went over too far out on the back cogs (what should i call that area?)

Anything but the dark side, which is already well used around here.

Quoted message said:

at one point and locked onto nothing so my gears are in need of tweaking although it only happened
once and was fairly easy to put right

mmm...

Quoted message said:

i still have the 1 free service from halfords where i got the bike on an impulse buy a couple
months ago so i should get it back there for the tweaking and tightening up after its first few
rides i guess

Yes, get it back there ASAP. You will risk break something if you carry on with it like that. Also,
your first free service is normally expected in the first couple of months to make sure that just
this sort of thing doesn't cause bigger problems.

Quoted message said:

whats the minimum amount of rides per week i should do to gain the benefit from each ride and help
increase distance or overall effort a little each time?

You've made it sound like so far you've only got as far as monthly rides. To make sense as a general
fitness thing, rides of the duration you have already achieved will get you fitter, and building up
to about three a week would be very good. Just making them longer rather than more frequent may only
put you off through discomfort. Once you've got there, it may be time to start paying more attention
to average speed and cadence (especially up hills), and maybe increasing distance if you really get
the bug. By this time, you will have probably got the comfort thing sorted, so longer rides don't
hurt. If they do, ask here and you'll get lots of ideas to try to sort it out - maybe even one which
works. The next thing that usually happens is you step on a scales and find it a pleasant
experience. Then maybe see how far you can get in your normal duration of ride. This is all just
rule of thumb stuff, though, so do what feels good until you fancy a bit more of a challenge.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Aye!.

Quoted message said:

You've made it sound like so far you've only got as far as monthly rides. To make sense as a
general fitness thing, rides of the duration you have already achieved will get you fitter, and
building up to about three a week would be very good.

no, i went out for a tootle around when i first bought the bike a couple months ago and realised
after a block or two that i was well out of shape (it wasnt a surprise!!) so since then ive been
swimming and walking and a bit of gym to get my general fitness up a bit and now that ive done that
i'll be including the bike rides, i went out last week and done 5 mile, bought the cycle computer,
fitted it over weekend and went out last night for the 8.4 miles

longer term i want to do the ride to work thing 2/3 times a week which is a 30 mile round trip and a
longer ride on weekends

Quoted message said:

more frequent may only put you off through discomfort. Once you've got there, it may be time to
start paying more attention to average speed and cadence (especially up hills), and maybe
increasing distance if you really get the bug.

the bug is caught ... just have to build up the physical side to match it

Quoted message said:

By this time, you will have probably got the comfort thing sorted, so longer rides don't hurt. If
they do, ask here and you'll get lots of ideas to try to sort it out - maybe even one which works.
The next thing that usually happens is you step on a scales and find it a pleasant experience.

yes, this is also part of my overall fitness plan ... im not exactly a lightweight ... currently
weighing in @ 22 stone 6 pounds and am surprised my bike can take the weight and not snap like a
litte twig!!

Quoted message said:

Then maybe see how far you can get in your normal duration of ride. This is all just rule of thumb
stuff, though, so do what feels good until you fancy a bit more of a challenge.

well the 8.4 miles was enough last night, i'll aim for 10 next time and keep at 10 for several rides
then but maybe do them over other day to start getting used to it .... and increase after that

doobrie <[email hidden]> wrote:

: whats the minimum amount of rides per week i should do to gain the benefit from each ride and help
: increase distance or overall effort a little each time?

The usual advice is that you have to exercise three times a week to get decent benift. Though you
could probably make one of those a long walk/swim/whatever if you wanted.

Arthur

"doobrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You've made it sound like so far you've only got as far as monthly rides. To make sense as a
general fitness thing, rides of the duration you have already achieved will get you fitter, and
building up to about three a week would be very good.

no, i went out for a tootle around when i first bought the bike a couple months ago and realised
after a block or two that i was well out of shape (it wasnt a surprise!!) so since then ive been
swimming and walking and a bit of gym to get my general fitness up a bit and now that ive done
that i'll be including the bike rides, i went out last week and done 5 mile, bought the cycle
computer, fitted it over weekend and went out last night for the 8.4 miles

longer term i want to do the ride to work thing 2/3 times a week which is a 30 mile round trip and
a longer ride on weekend

From a fitness viewpoint I think it is much better to do shorter rides more regulalry, 5 - 10 miles
is probably just about right for you. But try and do it every day, which = about 4 times a week ;o)

If you make your rides too onerous you'll end up doing none.