Cycling training

[jimmy4237]

Who else here does cycle training to keep them fit?. I work as a trucker and mechanic, so I don't get much time to keep fit the hours I work.

I can do a beginners 10km route consisting of hills, flats and downhills on a road race bike. it takes me 23 minutes considering Im not used to the bike yet. Yep, not good but its a start. That time will go down in good time, as I'm doing that route every second night after work weather permitting

What warm up exercises do the folk who use road cycling bikes do before starting on a run??

[fizzwheel]

What do you want to achieve ?

Get a bit fitter and loose some weight or cover the route faster ? Or a bit of both.

As for warm up I dont do anything. I just tend to cycle the first couple of miles at a moderate pace to get myself warmed up and then ramp up the speed.

If you are new to cycling, I'd just be concentrating on getting out every day like you are and covering the miles off TBH. I'd get some base level of fitness built up that way before I thought about doing anything else.

If you want to go faster you need to look at doing interval training or something similar to that, google for 2 x 20 intervals as that'll explain it better than I can. Substitute the times / milleage for something that you can achieve at the moment.

The Golden rule is to only increase your milleage by 10% ish per week and if you feel tired or knackered then rest. Dont stress your body out to much whilst you are starting out.

[northwind]

I ride bikes despite the fitness benefits :smt012

[MattCollins]

Jimmy, I go hard through a 15km cross country circuit on a MTB every day that I am home. I warm up and warm down on the bike. Because cycling is a very limited range of motion which is bad for flexibility I do post ride stretching to reduce muscle set (don't know correct terminology) in legs and lower body. That is about it. Without it I get very stiff through the hammies, calves and lower back.... but I am also an old git.

Cheers

[philbut]

Just keep plugging away at it, you don't really need to bother with a warm up so long as you don't go straight into a sprint. I cycle about 14 - 20 miles a day to work (mileage depending if I go on or off road). I often find I am quicker the first day back after the weekend as I guess I have built up my energy reserves (well there is a load of energy in beer after all!). Don't forget the effect of the wind either. I am usually one gear down on a windy day and my 7 mile road commute will take me longer. Off road isn't so affected as you aren't going as quick.

The other thing is getting bored. Maybe try a few different routes to keep it interesting. I like to go home via fields etc or it can get really tedious doing the same roads all the time.