Hi I am a 38 year old female and have just started road cycling.I used to do running until an injury(involving broken bones and metal plates etc in foot!) has made me stop running and so cycling was advised due to the low impact on the bones.Well,I thought I was pretty fit from being very active....my first bike ride changed that view!I have a few questions if thats ok?Firstly,how long very roughly does it take to build up any kind of endurance strength on the bike?I have only been out 3 times so am only just beginning.I live in a very hilly county so am really feeling exhausted when i ride,my first time out I did 20 miles,next ride was 33 and today was 36miles.Am I increasing the distance too fast?The bike computer reckons my average speed was 14mph and each ride it was fairly windy.I enjoy being out on the bike and am hoping to be able to manage more than once a week at some point.Also,does confidence grow?!I cried twice when the cross wind was at its worse because I really felt unsteady and had visions of ending up in a ditch!Its good fun and getting me fit,but I never realised how much hard work it is,or I am just very unfit?Its nice to join this forum for some advice.I go out on my own and am hoping when I get more confident and fitter to find a club possibly.
Women's Cycling · Public discussion
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- Women's Cycling
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- 17 February 2013
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- 26 February 2013
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- daisy1309
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Welcome to the forum. if you are riding a few times a week you should find some bike fitness coming within a couple of weeks. If you've been active in the past, 20-30 miles a ride shouldn't be too much but just let your body confirm with any soreness (or lack thereof). One or two months of regular riding and you should feel stronger. Some of that comes not only from getting fitter, but also from energy management on the bike (not riding too easy - which rarely causes any problems, and not riding too hard). Confidence will also come quickly, as long as your bike is setup right. Sometimes handling can be compromised by being either too upright/too tight in the cockpit, OR being too stretched out. But strong gusts can easily move us around on the bike regardless of how well we are fitted. Clubs can be great and can definitely help keep us motivated with the added comraderie. Good luck!
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Daisy, welcome to our little group. I'd like to add a couple of small pointers as well. For me, it's always been helpful to check the wind direction before heading out on a ride so that I can plan my outward-bound direction with my return trip as it relates to wind. Before a ride I like to get on weather.com, check the expected wind direction, and try to plan the route so that I'm riding into the wind in the first leg of a ride; when I'm the strongest. Then my return trip home (when fairly tired) isn't such a suffer-fest, and I have the wind at my back, or close to it.
As a former runner myself, I also had to get used to cycling being different with regard to food. I always bring something to munch on during the longer rides, having learned the hard way about "energy crashes" while cycling out in the middle of the countryside. Even having a few gels in your back jersey pocket can really make the difference when you've been out hammering away for a couple of hours.
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