training advice, beginning cyclist.

Original post

kjoel

Archived post

8 March 2005, 19:31 UTC #1

hello all,

I have been a cyclist for most of my life but untill recently not looking to be serious about it. I finally got tired of buying/riding cheap bikes and got a really good deal on a bianchi reparto course frame/fork. so I built up what is my dream cycle. this has inspired me to get serious about cycling, so I am looking for advice on what is the best routine to do for someone who rides, but not competitively.

for transportation, I have ridden about 30-50 miles/week on average. I have the endurance and conditioning to do more with no problem. untill recently did not know at all what my cadence or speed were, but I figured with getting serious this is something I should know. right now, my normal cadence is about 60-65, and my peak speed is about 25 mph(since I have only been a casual cyclist in the past, not trained/conditioned for speed...yet).

anyone have advice on how many miles are good to work with, and what routine is best(combination of endurance/sprints, or? ) also what exercises are best for increacing your speed and endurance?

much thanks all, soon as I get the photos developed I will post the pics of my bike for all to see.

Kevin

Miagi

Archived post

10 March 2005, 02:33 UTC #2

Hey Kevin,

There are a few tips I can give you. You said you don't want to go competitive, but would like a good workout. You said you were doing 30-50 miles with no problem. One way to get a better workout is increase your cadence. Was 60-65 a guess? You should invest in a cadence upgrade. Cateye has some low end cadence/speed sensors that run under $30 new on ebay. Some even at $15. 60-65 is a fairly low cadence for flat or rolling terrain. I believe there was a poll on what cadence people liked best. The general consensus was that people preferred riding at around 85-95 cadence. People like Armstrong try to keep their cadence at 110 through their workout which is crazy. Now obviously cadence will drop in the hills, but try to get the cadence up, that will help with your workout.

Secondly, you can try doing some drills into your regular rides. On flats, you can do 10 second sprints at around 85-95% max heart rate, then 10 second rests. You could do that for however long you feel comfortable. 85-95% max (if you dont have an HR monitor) feels very uncomfortable. You can feel the lactic acid burning.

Hills are tough enough in their own sense, but a good way to mix it up is to rotate standing and sitting. Get a nice tempo pace up a hill, then stand up and accelerate for around 10 seconds, then sit back down and get back into your tempo. Just keep on doing sets like that.

Overall, I'd say just try to get that cadence up first. You can look at your form too which is extremelly important. Try to make nice rotating circles with your legs, while rotating the ankle. Just look up pedaling form on google and it will show some nice diagrams.

MikeHains

Archived post

10 March 2005, 04:39 UTC #3

kjoel,

Join a group that has a coach.

Most of the riders I know who've thought they were fit, and joined the group, suddenly realised there is a whole new world for them to explore.

Regards, 😄

frank200234

Archived post

10 March 2005, 15:33 UTC #4

MikeHains said:
kjoel,
Join a group that has a coach.
Most of the riders I know who've thought they were fit, and joined the group, suddenly realised there is a whole new world for them to explore.
Regards, 😄

I am a begginner But i am almost 25 is that to late to be getting active because I would like to compete eventualy.😕

training advice, beginning cyclist.

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