New to cycling

The Cyclist's Training Bible
Serious Cycling
Racing Tactics for Cyclists
Training and Racing with a Powermeter
High Performance Cycling
The Ultimate Ride
Food for Fitness

Memorize these books, ride in a group that is just slow enough not to drop you (a lot of this), design a training program from the above books and then enter some races. after tens of thousands of miles and several hundred hours in the saddle, you should be pretty good. sorry this is so summarized, but there isnt a way to answer your question without you having done your homework.

Spend some time scrolling through the posts in the Cycling Training forum and try to take everything with a grain of salt. The same technique or workout that works for one person may not work for you.

Try to avoid doing too much too fast. Base miles are a good thing and skill/power/endurance all come with time in the saddle.

Ride, ride, ride, and keep reading until you've read enough to know what to do with your training next. When you develop specific questions, try to use the Search function on the forums first and then don't hesitate to ask your question if you don't feel you can find an answer. I'm sure the regular forum users get tired of the same old general questions so try to be specific.

Enjoy.

Hey, it's great to see another runner in here. Can't get away from us.

Yes, all those training things are important and whatnot, but when you're just starting out, probably the best thing you can do is log time and miles (try to be somewhat consistent, and don't overexert yourself, but at the same time, don't shy away if you can do more). And while you're doing this, seek out the wisdom of those hwo have been at it quite a bit longer than us. The best advice is usually the very practical stuff taken directly from someone's experience.

The most important thing, though, if you want to keep at it and get good, is make sure you're having fun (or at least you're enjoying it enough to motivate you). Nothing is worse for an athlete than when he is bored of his own sport. If you find this happening to you, take a day or two off, find a new route, maybe change your pace, and it could also be the time to start riding with a group (although it surely can't hurt if you want to start right away).

Thanks for the responses! I understand it's hard to give training advice - I'm sure there are so many different things to be taken into consideration. I'll look into those books and read through the forum posts.

I'll simplify the question - How many miles a week/ride should I log for good training for a beginner(opinions from others experiences)? I run about 35-40 miles a week (3-4 times a week total) to maintain my abilities in that area - I know cycling needs a lot more distance - I just want to know how much. I'm in fairly decent shape - I haven't experienced "bikers leg" or anything making me think I'm over-training. So far, I can go 25-30 miles a ride (no fatigue at all), the only thing keeping me from going further is the irritation (I'm sure you know where)....It's starting to toughen up, though.

Also hoping to know if the bike I purchased is good for what I'm doing. It's a Cannondale CAAD8 R800.

again, appreciate the advice from those who responded 😄

jay_uscg said:

Thanks for the responses! I understand it's hard to give training advice - I'm sure there are so many different things to be taken into consideration. I'll look into those books and read through the forum posts.

I'll simplify the question - How many miles a week/ride should I log for good training for a beginner(opinions from others experiences)? I run about 35-40 miles a week (3-4 times a week total) to maintain my abilities in that area - I know cycling needs a lot more distance - I just want to know how much. I'm in fairly decent shape - I haven't experienced "bikers leg" or anything making me think I'm over-training. So far, I can go 25-30 miles a ride (no fatigue at all), the only thing keeping me from going further is the irritation (I'm sure you know where)....It's starting to toughen up, though.

Also hoping to know if the bike I purchased is good for what I'm doing. It's a Cannondale CAAD8 R800.

again, appreciate the advice from those who responded 😄

About that irritation -- are you using cycling shorts (the ones with the padding in them) and chamois creme (some people say you don't need it for synthetic inserts, but trust me, it helps, at least for me). Rather than building a callous, try those and make sur eyoure sitting on the seat correctly (sit on your "sit bones", there shouldnt be much pressure on soft tissue). I'm certainly not used to the bike seat (2nd week riding this year), and so far this week, ive done 50+ miles no problem.

And imho, how much you ride is entirely up to you. If you can ride 150+ miles a week without burning out (and if you have the time...), go for it. If you want to keep it at 20-30 miles in a sitting, a few times a week, thats good too, just as long as you keep at it. If you keep running that amount, though, i'd take it a bit easier on the cycling-- you've got two endurance sports, and you're already logging a good number of miles running (in comparison, my HS CC team ran about 40-50 miles/week in season). I personally have taken a break from running (I've got bad knees, they really took a pounding this year in track), otherwise i may ot put as many cycling miles in.

Keep us updated on your progress, It's always encouraging to see someone make progress over time.

Arathald said:

About that irritation -- are you using cycling shorts (the ones with the padding in them) and chamois creme (some people say you don't need it for synthetic inserts, but trust me, it helps, at least for me). Rather than building a callous, try those and make sur eyoure sitting on the seat correctly (sit on your "sit bones", there shouldnt be much pressure on soft tissue). I'm certainly not used to the bike seat (2nd week riding this year), and so far this week, ive done 50+ miles no problem.

And imho, how much you ride is entirely up to you. If you can ride 150+ miles a week without burning out (and if you have the time...), go for it. If you want to keep it at 20-30 miles in a sitting, a few times a week, thats good too, just as long as you keep at it. If you keep running that amount, though, i'd take it a bit easier on the cycling-- you've got two endurance sports, and you're already logging a good number of miles running (in comparison, my HS CC team ran about 40-50 miles/week in season). I personally have taken a break from running (I've got bad knees, they really took a pounding this year in track), otherwise i may ot put as many cycling miles in.

Keep us updated on your progress, It's always encouraging to see someone make progress over time.

Thanks - good advice. You're right, I do need to cut back on the running. I'll purchase some of those padded shorts - I've been using the standard bike-brand shorts, and as you probably know, there is no padding. I'll be visiting my local shop to get some of that cream. I lifted my seat and adjusted my handlebars today...it made a slight difference, but I still get sore. Worse case scenario, I'll have to pay to get "fitted" on my bike. Thanks again

cheers
-Jay

Some random observations from my own recent experience. I just bought my first road bike Memorial Day weekend after 20+ years of running; my knees had informed me that I needed to find a new sport ...

-- first, you're bike is an outstanding choice - the CAAD 8 is a great frame and as most will tell you the frame is the most important thing. It was one I looked at & liked very much, but decided to spend a few hundred less for the Tourmalet.

-- after you have 500 to 700 miles under your wheels, I strongly encourage you to find a local shop (LBS) that has a fitter with a good reputation around your town. Pay the $50 to $100 for a full fitting session where he checks for pronation, toe in/out, in addition to the typical fine tuning of seat and stem length. It will be money very well spent.

-- you will probably find that the intensity level between level ground and uphills is dramatically different compared to running; to me, every bike ride is like an interval workout at the track compared to the steady state stress level typical in a long run.

-- unless you've done a lot of gym work or crosstraining, you may find that you have great hamstring strength and underdeveloped quads; in my experience this is probably the greatest physical adjustment to make between the two sports. I completely lacked hill climbing strength, but began noticing an adaptive response within a month or so; hang in there you'll get stronger quick.

-- conversely, if you've been a fairly serious runner you'll probably find you can sustain a decent average speed over a long ride compared to a typical beginning rider. After 6 weeks, in my first 50 mile ride on a fairly flat course I found that I could cruise along at 19 to 20 mph pretty much steady state with no real stress. So you've probably got a real strong aerobic base going for you.

-- in terms of training approach, I was a strong proponent of Jack Daniel's methods and will probably apply what I learned from him to bike training. Others can certainly offer better advice & counsel in that area than I can at this point...

-- oh yeah, one other thing - you actually look forward to downhills now; I used to despise downhills when I was a runner. Ouch.

Other than that, have fun and build the miles slow. I kind of keep the 10% per week rule in mind, but seems like you can get away with pushing that a bit with the running background.

Cheers!

jay_uscg said:

Just a couple of questions here....

1. Just purchased my first bike, a Cannondale CAAD8 R800. Didn't do any research, just rode some bikes from the shop and happened to like it the best. Is it a decent bike as far as quality/durability?

2. I'm a runner at heart...but, I'm growing to like this biking, even after a few days. I've been riding 25-30 miles since I bought the bike this past Sunday. I already want to race (local ones, I'm not getting too ambitious, yet). What is a good training program? Distance and pace are my main concern....there are many hills around here - actually, they're unavoidable...I'm under the impression its good for training...is there any advice on approaching? I'm not sure if I need to go balls-to-the-wall up them, or pace myself.

Any training advice is appreciated! Any additional thoughts are more than welcome! 😎

cheers
-Jay

About 12-15 hours(or more) in the saddle per week should get you ready for racing in 8-10 weeks. But this depends on your current level of fitness. Some can get there in less time, while others might need more time. Genetics also plays a role in this. Some athletes will progress faster than others.

You'll need to work on endurance(distance)....and spend about 2-3 days of the week doing intervals and more intense riding, such as tempo work.

It will also help you immensely to do 1-2 group rides per week with some of the stronger riders. If the ride is hard and fast...then that will count as one of your 2-3 intensity sessions.

I also like to do at least one LSD ride per week(long slow distance). This is my longest ride of the week, but the intensity is really lower than the other rides. I just concentrate on knocking down the mileage target for that ride. I tend to do this ride on saturday or sunday morning. These rides are great for building endurance, base fitness, power...and they will also help you shed some weight.

Tempo work is where you ride just below lactate threshold. This is pretty intense...but still far below your maximum effort. I'll go out and ride my favorite 30 mile loop for this. It's almost like a time trial...but not quite as intense. The pace shouldn't be so high that it is difficult to maintain. I'll generally slow about halfway to recover and hydrate...then pick it back up to tempo pace until I get back home. Your average speed for these tempo rides should be higher than the other rides you do alone. The group rides might be faster average speeds....but that is because you are riding in the vacuum of a group...so it's easier to ride faster. The tempo rides will be more intense though.

Finally, you need to develop good leg speed so that you are comfortable spinning the cranks at high RPM's. This is a stress that you will face often in racing...so the skill has to be developed in training. Fast group rides are great for improving your high RPM spinning. There is a lot of technique to consider...not just raw strength.

Good climbing will come naturally when you develop more power, and lose some weight. Plus your better developed cardio/vascular/ respiratory system will help improve your ability to scale the hills.

The intervals you do in training will prepare you for the intensity of racing. You cannot train intensely every day because your physiology needs to recover from the hard training. You have to back off a bit to let the recovery happen. You will come back stronger after you recover. Give your physiology some room to adapt to the stresses you place upon it.

Make sure you mix in some rest and good nutrition. Keep things balanced. Also focus on the big picture. Don't try to become Lance Armstrong by next month. Think of your progress as as series of advances that occur month to month and year to year. Focus on the big picture. You build a sky scraper brick by brick. It takes time. Plus you always start with a good foundation. I would start there...with the foundation. This means first working hard on building base fitness.

Good luck!

Velo, Radtech -

Thanks for those replies - that’s the kind of content I was looking for. As an update to my progress, I'm moving in a good direction - my avg speed on a light rolling course with lots of flats is 17mph (30 mile rides). After reading those two posts, the obvious finally slapped me - different types of training on the bike! Up to this point, I've been riding the same two courses, doing the same type of riding. It never really occurred to me to change it up. I get tunnel vision easily, sometimes. I think I'm going to make a day of doing sprints tomorrow 😎

jay_uscg said:

Velo, Radtech -

Thanks for those replies - that’s the kind of content I was looking for. As an update to my progress, I'm moving in a good direction - my avg speed on a light rolling course with lots of flats is 17mph (30 mile rides). After reading those two posts, the obvious finally slapped me - different types of training on the bike! Up to this point, I've been riding the same two courses, doing the same type of riding. It never really occurred to me to change it up. I get tunnel vision easily, sometimes. I think I'm going to make a day of doing sprints tomorrow 😎

Are you using clipless pedals or just flat pedals? Theres a whole new world of speed and endurance especially on rolling terrain and hills when you go clipless.