What should I do?

Ride, ride, ride & then ride some more. Read forums like this one, lots of useful info here.

Like any form of exercise, try to increase your intensity slowly & progressively try harder so your body adapts to the changes.

What type of riding mountain or road or? All forms of riding have their dangers, particularly on the road with other traffic so learn the general rules for your area. Stick to bike paths, if possible, till you master things like hard braking. Your front brake offers most braking, so in an emergency braking situation slide back on the seat, be gentle with the rear brake & give the front plenty. Practice this at slower speeds first, always in a straight line & beware of loose gravel.
Don't do what I did & stop riding when you are 17 then recommence at age 47. Now that is hard work😄

Hi Jyag, glad you've decided to take up cycling.

If you find you enjoy it - join a club.
You'll gain experience and knowledge from other members. You'll also benefit from group rides if that's your thing.

Weight training won't be much use at your stage - it may even be bad for you. Just ride lots and don't be tempted to ride big hard-to-turn gears at first. Use lowish gears and spin faster - that's the way to get cycling legs.

You could even try some interval training once you're confident on the bike. Do a forum search on here for plenty of information.

Don't get too hung up on what kind of bike you ride - as long as it fits you properly. A proper bike shop will give you advice.

Just be sensible with your diet - don't eat burgers every day! Plenty of fruit and veg and make sure you take some food out with you on a long ride. Bananas and energy bars are a great source of fuel on the bike. Oh and make sure you replace fluids you sweat out.

Once you start competing, don't be too hard on yourself if you don't do well straight away - it'll take time...

Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks for the help. I also have another question and it may be hard to answer becuase many people have there prefereances and know how fit they are. I dont know as to how long I should ride or the distance. Earlier today I rode about an hour at the same speed which I dont know what it was. But if you could give me and idea of how long distance wise or time wise I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Jyag said:

Thanks for the help. I also have another question and it may be hard to answer becuase many people have there prefereances and know how fit they are. I dont know as to how long I should ride or the distance. Earlier today I rode about an hour at the same speed which I dont know what it was. But if you could give me and idea of how long distance wise or time wise I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Training is really measured in intenstity - how hard you are exercising. To start with, I'd maybe ride three 2 hour sessions per week at moderate intensity (hard breathing, but able to hold a converstaion). On Saturday or Sunday do a longer ride (maybe 4 hours) at a low intensity. By varying distance and intensity you make sure your cardiovascular and muscle networks get a good workout. Allways spend 10 minutes warming up before a ride and 10 minutes warming down after. This should be done by spinning a really low gear with almost no resistance.

Don't ride the same route all the time either - try a hilly course one day and a flat course another day. Don't wear yourself into the ground. Take time to enjoy your surroundings occasionally and practice a good smooth pedalling technique.

You'll get the hang of it!