newbie looking for starter advice

Starting off is a lot easier than most people think. Beginners tend to push themselves to hard not realizing how to build your aerobic system properly. My advice would be to get a HR monitor if possible. This is the most valuable tool for a beginning cyclist. For the first month or two jsut target your aerobic system by riding anywhere from 70-85% of your max heart rate. (easiest way to get a ballpark max # is 220-age=maxHR) For example following this formula:

My maxHR
220-21= 199

My aerobic zone
lower limit - .7 (70%) x 199 = 139
upper limit - .85 (85%) x 199 = 169

So to work my aerobic system I would stay in the 139-169 range. Now note, the 220-age method is not a very accurate way to determin maxHR but it gives you a good starting point. Also, as in my example a 30 point range is rather large so you may want to try out different points in those ranges and stick towards one area that feels the most cofortable (say 145-155). Riding ona trainer will help you avoid those nasty hills, but don't become a lb rat and never enjoy riding outdoors. Jsut take the hills nice and slow and try and stay in your ranges. In terms of schedule, try and ride 3-4 times a week for a a month and then maybe take that to 4-5. BUT DONT OVER DO IT. Rest days are just as important and workouts. If you have a really hard workout one day, the next day you may just want to do a recovery ride at 60-70% maxHR, just take it nice and easy, this will help your recovery from the day before.

Good luck.

It sounds like some of those hills have been getting on top of you. Most beginners tend to dread them.
I'm wondering why these hills are so difficult for you. Could it be you haven't developed your climbing leg muscles yet, could you be a little heavy or is your technique in need of some adjustment? Are you fitted to your bike correctly?
Here are some tips from someone who knows what it's like to dismount and walk up a hill as a beginning cyclist.
(1) Make sure your seat is high enough so you get plenty of leverage.
(2) Make sure you're in the right gear when approaching a hill and don't be afraid to stand up and bang the pedals down.
(3) If you need to lose weight, increase your overall cycling and be selective when you eat. Try and train on very low grade hills. Slopes are terrific for fitness till you can graduate to bigger climbs.
(4) Attitude is the main thing. Hills suck but the only way to cope with them is to attack the darned things. If you have to dismount and can't go on, so be it. Just make a note of the spot you dismounted and try to go a little further next time.
Good luck with the cycling and hope it gets a little easier in time.

fatass said:

here is the deal. i just cant run around this town anymore b/c of the hills around here. i just got a trek 1000 and have been riding it but even 2-3mi is wearing me out (lots of uphill). i can run 10 min miles at 2 miles
(flat) with out getting tired but the hills kill me here. just want someone to give me a starter plan on how to build up endurance and get up to 100 to 200 mi/week. i really enjoy cycling but its still hard getting up the hills around here. i just got a mag trainer today so i can get some saddle time with out dealing with the "real world" hills.

the real question:
how do i build up my endurance? can someone give me a workout schedule to help me build my endurance? also any pointers on how to rest and what to eat etc would help too.

thanks from a newbie!

fatass said:

here is the deal. i just cant run around this town anymore b/c of the hills around here. i just got a trek 1000 and have been riding it but even 2-3mi is wearing me out (lots of uphill). i can run 10 min miles at 2 miles
(flat) with out getting tired but the hills kill me here. just want someone to give me a starter plan on how to build up endurance and get up to 100 to 200 mi/week. i really enjoy cycling but its still hard getting up the hills around here. i just got a mag trainer today so i can get some saddle time with out dealing with the "real world" hills.

the real question:
how do i build up my endurance? can someone give me a workout schedule to help me build my endurance? also any pointers on how to rest and what to eat etc would help too.

thanks from a newbie!

Boy can I tell you about hills. Have you ever been to the Gatlinburg Tn area?
All this previous is good advise. Let me ask you are you trying to maintain a high cadence up these hills. Use your momentum but don't push beyond your limit. Relax a little sit back on the seat grab the bars in the middle ,use your arms and make solid even strokes on the pedals. It doesn't have to be a contest just maintain a forward momentum. Standing gives you power but takes more energy.You can attack the hills when you get better. Also check your gear ratio. If you are running like an 11-21 rear cassette on a road bike it is not the ideal choice for climbing but there again I don't know what you are riding. Eat a powerbar or something before riding and get plenty of sleep. Good luck !!!!!!!

Hey Fat Ass, I am just getting back into it myself. I did a few flat runs last weekend and this week. On my block I have a few hills about 200 yards long, I am hitting those hills every night, just for about 15 minutes though, it may not be the way to do it but I find it easier every time I hit one and am damn satisfied when I get to the tops. Works for me in limited time situations.

JMO Tony🙂

well im not fat im only a buck 50 at 5'8''. i am going to start with the HR monitor or at least checking it myself on the bike. dont worry im pretty proficient at checking a pulse...the job sees to it. so how long do i ride at 70-85% AR?

also, thanks for all the help and this is a great board. i am looking forward to riding more and more with every glance of this board.

hills............

what can you say. they are the difference between a good rider and a great one. that's why the tours de france, italy, spain, ect. all have mountain stages.

i have difficulty with hills - i live in a place called the peak district in northern england. everywhere i go from my house means i have a hill to get up! some bigger than others but most of them around the 1in10 mark. i.e. the hill climbs 1 yard for every 10 yards in distance. when i started cycling properly again i knew if i wanted to do any decent rides i would have to go up a hill - often many hills. with this in mind i set off, slowly and easily and crawled up a 2mile climb. i stopped 3 times on the way up and was annoyed at myself. two days later i was back and this time no stops. after the first ride i remembered the hill - where it was tough, where easy, where i could take a drink, ect. the change i made was to go slowly. very slowly sometimes. but it's not a race! i also set myself goals while ascending. if i can make it to that corner......if i can make it to that hut....ect. after achiving one and realising i wasn't gonna die i just tried to press on, enjoyed the scenery and thought about things to take my mind of what i was doing. i also think of the tour riders' faces when they are going up hills and realise that they are having to work damn hard too!

so to summarize:
1 take it easy, very easy.
2 do something to take your mind off the pain
3 remember that if your going up, you'll soon be coming down!
4 and finally, everything takes time, you will get better over time but be patient, look back in a month and think about how much better you are now than then.

well, that's how i get up hills, and get fitter,

good luck and keep at it.

well i puke a lot now, probably from over doing it. i know my "hills" are a more than 1:10. some of these around here (places that are safe for me to ride) are more like 2:10 to 3:10. i will be trying to go slow but even in my hill gear i only move at a few miles/hr. really i only move as i pound down the pedal then i nearly stop as i pound down the next pedal. i know that you are all saying that you need to pull up on the up stroke but by then im beat and cannot do that.