Offseason problems

Stop reading magazines, throw on a pair of sweats, get your wife/girlfriend/significant other to lower your woobie off the rack, and go ride your bike. 😉

yjuosj said:

I'm a subscriber to Bicycling magazine, a couple of months ago I read a article written by them where it said that I should take so time off the bike. I did and to my regret I gain 5 pound after being off the bike for 2 months. January has arrived, but now I find it very hard to even put my cycling unifor (or whatever is called, can somebody enlighten me) and even much harder to just lower my woobie off the rack. I don't seem to have any inspiration to get on my bike. WHAT CAN I NEWBIE LIKE ME DO?!!!!!!

This one's easy: R.E.L.A.X.

Assuming you find it more difficult to ride in the winter months (cold, snow, slush, darkness), do what you can to keep from being completely idle. You will gain more weight if you cut down on riding AND keep your diet the same as you had it in the summer (or whenever you were riding); this has been brought up time and time again and is really common sense.

I'd say work more on just accepting the natural weight cycle with folks who are more active in the sprind/summer months. Alternatively, quit riding in the summer and maintain a steady caloric intake. Your weight should stay the same. Others have also suggested that the human body holds on to weight when it's colder just to keep warm(er). Not having data, I say that is bologne. This phenomenon too easily coincides with the reduction in activity level that comes with the inception of cold weather and shorter days.

And if none of these work, join a pro team; that way you can ride year round and get paid for it ..

R.E.L.A.X.

Time off the bike is only good for folks who has been riding A LOT throughout the year. Generally, in between training blocks, 4 days are the most for me. As a transition period to the off season, if you are not on the bike, you should be doing other aerobic activities to maintain your fitness. Time off does not mean inactivities. Seriously, it bothers me if I am off the bike for 4 days.

yjuosj said:

I'm a subscriber to Bicycling magazine, a couple of months ago I read a article written by them where it said that I should take so time off the bike. I did and to my regret I gain 5 pound after being off the bike for 2 months. January has arrived, but now I find it very hard to even put my cycling unifor (or whatever is called, can somebody enlighten me) and even much harder to just lower my woobie off the rack. I don't seem to have any inspiration to get on my bike. WHAT CAN I NEWBIE LIKE ME DO?!!!!!!

yjuosj said:

I'm a subscriber to Bicycling magazine

There's your first problem. Cancel that rag and start reading all of the old posts here in the Training Forum. You'll learn a lot more and won't feel as insecure because your not riding a $3500 tricked out bike in full kit. 😉

Those magazines exist for one reason and that is to sell advertising space. They are not there to enlighten or inform you. I know because I used to work for a subsidiary of VNU Communications where they published magazines.

Quoted post said:

... but now I find it very hard to even put my cycling uniform (or whatever is called, can somebody enlighten me)?

Kit. Consists of helmet, jersey, cycling shorts and cleats. Often just refered to it as jersey as the rest is implied.

Quoted post said:

and even much harder to just lower my woobie off the rack. I don't seem to have any inspiration to get on my bike. WHAT CAN I NEWBIE LIKE ME DO?!!!!!!

Just ride for 20 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week. You'll eventually get the urge back but getting started is the hardest part sometimes. Once you feel some soreness in the legs and the rush of the air clensing your lungs you'll be hooked again.

Time off the bike, HA! They probably also mentioned some crosstraining too no doubt. 🙄

Doctor Morbius said:

Time off the bike, HA! They probably also mentioned some crosstraining too no doubt. 🙄

yeah! how you know?!

Bluejersey said:

Time off the bike is only good for folks who has been riding A LOT throughout the year. Generally, in between training blocks, 4 days are the most for me. As a transition period to the off season, if you are not on the bike, you should be doing other aerobic activities to maintain your fitness. Time off does not mean inactivities. Seriously, it bothers me if I am off the bike for 4 days.

I've been riding pretty darn hard, is just that the cold weather outside makes it more difficult. Specially when is sunny outside but only 39 degrees.

By the way, thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.

yjuosj said:

yeah! how you know?!

I've been riding pretty darn hard, is just that the cold weather outside makes it more difficult. Specially when is sunny outside but only 39 degrees.

39 degrees!? lol, wimp. I've been riding in 20F or lower for the past month now back and fourth to work . You're lucky.

On the other hand, winter time off and crosstraining can be a productive break. A guy I ride with here took two months off last winter due to a knee problem. Not only did his knee finally recover, but he had his best season ever, with a big time reduction on his target mountain challenge century.

If you live where it's cold, running, crosscountry skiing or skating are all great ways to maintain fitness over the winter while letting the bike-specific muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments rest and rebuild. You may even find you enjoy the bike more in the spring after having some time away from it. Unless you're a pro, that's what it's all about anyway.

dhk said:

If you live where it's cold, running, crosscountry skiing or skating are all great ways to maintain fitness over the winter while letting the bike-specific muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments rest and rebuild. You may even find you enjoy the bike more in the spring after having some time away from it. Unless you're a pro, that's what it's all about anyway.

That's pretty much my approach. Time off the bike does not mean time on the couch. I do a lot of cross country skiing and the ocasional roller sesion just to keep my legs from forgeting what a circle is. The off season ends up being more of a mental break than a physical one.

DRLski said:

39 degrees!? lol, wimp. I've been riding in 20F or lower for the past month now back and fourth to work . You're lucky.

Apperantly you never had 30 m/h winds hitting your face! 39 degrees isn't as nice as you might think.

yjuosj said:

yeah! how you know?!

It's just part of their typical vomitus spew.

yjuosj said:

Apperantly you never had 30 m/h winds hitting your face! 39 degrees isn't as nice as you might think.

Most of the people on this forum have trainers so they don't lose conditioning during the crappy Winter months. I've even used mine quite a bit during heat waves like we had last July. I just sat on my bike with a large box fan blowing across me while watching Lance win yet another TdF.

Trainers also come in realy handy when it gets dark. They may not be as much fun but safety comes first. I highly recommend you look into getting one if you don't have one already. They're very chic with the cycling crowd. 😉

Doctor Morbius said:

They're very chic with the cycling crowd. 😉

Yep, all the cool riders are doing it.... 😎

Doctor Morbius said:

I just sat on my bike with a large box fan blowing across me while watching Lance win yet another TdF.

...but in contrast to Dr. M's approach, you actually have to pedal if you want to see any benefit. :p

frenchyge said:

...but in contrast to Dr. M's approach, you actually have to pedal if you want to see any benefit. :p

:eek: I thought I was doing something wrong. I'm guessing the routine 6 packs of beer didn't help either?! :o

Doctor Morbius said:

It's just part of their typical vomitus spew.

Most of the people on this forum have trainers so they don't lose conditioning during the crappy Winter months. I've even used mine quite a bit during heat waves like we had last July. I just sat on my bike with a large box fan blowing across me while watching Lance win yet another TdF.

Trainers also come in realy handy when it gets dark. They may not be as much fun but safety comes first. I highly recommend you look into getting one if you don't have one already. They're very chic with the cycling crowd. 😉

I just finish reading reviews on trainers, which one do you recommend?

How does having a trainer help me get on the bike?

yjuosj said:

I just finish reading reviews on trainers, which one do you recommend?

Sorry if this was directed specifically to Dr. M. I have been using a Kinetic Road Machine since last fall and like it quite well.

yjuosj said:

How does having a trainer help me get on the bike?

It doesn't, but it helps remove certain excuses relating to weather, darkness, traffic, family, etc. Ultimately, the decision to get on the bike remains in your hands.

yjuosj said:

I just finish reading reviews on trainers, which one do you recommend?

I can't make a specific recomendation as I only have experience with the CycleOps Fluid 2. Mine has a small leak. Most of them don't develop that though. I probably just got a lemon. The Kurt Kenetic gets rave reviews but is a little expensive. Mag trainers don't have a "J" power curve but don't cost as much as fluid trainers. Wind trainers have a "J" power curve but can sound like a 747 in your living room.

Quoted post said:

How does having a trainer help me get on the bike?

Well, they won't really motivate you if you feel lazy :p, but it's much easier to hop on a bike in a warm toasty living room and get in a good workout than it is to go outside when the wind is blistering cold and snow and slush is slopping all around you getting you wet and miserable. Who needs that?

Then there is the safety issue. I won't even ride outside when it rains due to safety reasons. There are too many boneheads out there driving that haven't changed their wiper blades in 4+ years or are text messaging their other teen friends for me to risk life and limb when visibility is impaired. Plus tires don't have the same level of traction. Even with a light coat of rain on the road can be slick as hell due to the oils coming to the surface.

Other safety issues are...there aren't any stop lights, no friggin' dogs to chase you, no neigborhood kids chaing balls out into the streets, etc. I've noticed that when you are on a bike you tend to be invisible and drivers that would never think of pulling out in front of an oncoming car will do so if you're on a bike, even though you may be going the speed limit!! 😠 I've exercised my middle finger numerous times over this one. They just think "oh well, it's only a bike. I'll pull out anyway 'cuase I'm a friggin' idiot."

Another advantage that trainers have over riding outside on an open course is it is easier gauge your workouts over time, since you don't have the same distractions. It's easy to compare a 30 minute time trial from one month to the next as wind conditions can neither help nor hinder your ride. All of the variables that change during outdoor rides are now fixed when training indoors. So if you improve you know it's all you and not any external variables.

Intervals are also well suited for indoor trainer workouts for the reasons stated above.

Trainers are better than stationary bikes in most cases as they allow you to keep the same setup or tweak your settings on the bike that you will be using to ride when the weather is nicer or you are in a race. You want your training setup and your actual rig to be as close as possible so why not just use your actual bike? Good stationary bikes are pretty expensive, whereas you can slap a trainer on the back of your bike for under 300 clams.

Trainers are really the chichi tool for Winter cycling workouts. You NEED a large fan and plenty of water. You may prefer a TV or stereo. Other options are power readings, cyclometer and heart rate montitors. Use inexpensive tires or ones that are somewhat worn. No need to use good expensive rubber.

frenchyge said:

Sorry if this was directed specifically to Dr. M. I have been using a Kinetic Road Machine since last fall and like it quite well.

It doesn't, but it helps remove certain excuses relating to weather, darkness, traffic, family, etc. Ultimately, the decision to get on the bike remains in your hands.

How did you manage to say in just 2 sentences what it took me several paragraphs of blather to do?! 😕

Doctor Morbius said:

How did you manage to say in just 2 sentences what it took me several paragraphs of blather to do?! 😕

Doc, you must be thinking and typing fast today. The ample supply of glycogen to your brain tells me your probably not riding enough in the off-season. I just finished a 64 miler today in sunny, 68* weather, so this will be brief.

Agree trainers are great to have when it's cold and dark. Before I retired in fall '03, often rode an old bike set up on a Blackburn trainer in a spare bedroom. It was super-easy that way to go in and ride anytime. This year on the bad days I use the LifeFitness machines at the Y with little bit of core and upper body circuit training.

Doctor Morbius said:

How did you manage to say in just 2 sentences what it took me several paragraphs of blather to do?! 😕

I didn't. I said I liked the Kinetic instead. 😄

Actually, it's probably more related to what DHK mentioned. I'll be working late tonight, so I ran home for a quick VO2 interval session over lunch. At this point, I'm no longer in a blathering mood and I'm in dire need of a nap and a hit of HGH. 🙁