Ken M said:Brian Kerr said:I started riding as soon as the weather broke last year (April?) and
rode my first century which was actually 2 on back to back days in the
end of June. To be fair though, I started working out in the middle of
January and had lost all the weight I needed to by the middle of May.
Well I guess my question was kind of silly. There are just to many
variables to factor into how long it takes a person to get to the
century level. Age, weight, cardio vascular condition, frequency of
rides, type of bike etc, etc, etc. But it is interesting to see how I /
you compare to others who ride.
Ken
A lot of it has to do with desire and stupidity as well. <G> I had
absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to do a
century. I hadn't ridden in bike shorts and didn't own a helmet before
my ride. I didn't even own gloves until AFTER the ride. I pinched my
ulnar nerve and lost feeling in 3 fingers of my hand for nearly a month
after the ride, not a good thing for a guy that makes his living using
his hands! So anyway, that's how this stupid guy found out that cycling
gloves aren't just for looks after all.
To try and help answer your question a bit more, I'll add in some more
of my variables and also say that I am a driven, no, maybe "obsessed" is
a better word, I am an obsessed person. When I do something I go all out.
I'm 36 now, 35 at the time. In January I weighed 240 lbs. and by mid
May I was down to 174. In short, my cardio condition in January was
[censored] and in May it was fantastic. My only measurement is cholesterol
because I was in too bad of shape previously to have wanted to check
anything else, but my cholesterol went from 270 to 140 - Look Ma, no
Lipitor!
My frequency of rides, my Dad used to ride TOSRV and other rides like
that years ago and he told me if I rode 20 miles a day I'd be able to
make it. Before my century I had never ridden more than 36 miles at a
time. I rode 20 miles/day anywhere from 2-4 times a week all through
May and June. I also rode an exercise bike in the gym at work for 15
minutes a day and this began in January. As far as cardio fitness I was
in fine shape for the ride, but as for bike readiness I was nowhere near
ready. My fitness saved me in spite of my lack of bike specific
preparedness.
And finally, as for my type of bike, it was certainly nothing special.
A 17 year old Raleigh Capri (paid $160 new for it back in '88) with
conventional pedals, 27" wheels, the old style "10 speed" with 5 gears
on the back wheel.
HTH,
Brian
