cycling question

ninnyfurr74
ninnyfurr74 Posts: 111 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, I just started cycling about a month ago. I've been building up slowly and can now do 4.5 miles in about 25 min. My question deals with lactic acid build up. I've been having more problems with it on like my last 3 rides. Will it ruin the affect of my ride if I stop for a minute to relieve some of the build up? I know this sounds wussy to some, but if I stop and relieve my legs for a minute every so often I can keep going longer.

Replies

  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    I am not a cycling expert but to me it sounds like a run/walk interval philosophy which is widely accepted and suggested to those who are get starting.

    Go for it.
  • Tann19
    Tann19 Posts: 94 Member
    ^^ agreed, Lactic acid should get better with working out not worse, so also ensure that you are well hydrated.
    and maybe slow down your progress a little until the situation gets better.
  • KansasRider
    KansasRider Posts: 76 Member
    Hi all, I just started cycling about a month ago. I've been building up slowly and can now do 4.5 miles in about 25 min. My question deals with lactic acid build up. I've been having more problems with it on like my last 3 rides. Will it ruin the affect of my ride if I stop for a minute to relieve some of the build up? I know this sounds wussy to some, but if I stop and relieve my legs for a minute every so often I can keep going longer.

    Are you hydrated?... that would be my first question.. if you have to rest or spin in an easier gear, thats totally fine. build up no more than 10% a week. you will get there. what kind of bike are you riding?
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    drink more water.
  • Renobiker
    Renobiker Posts: 26
    I have never had pains from riding in my legs I would often get pain in my lower back from riding in intense heat. These are just during like a 15 mile ride round trip on a Mt. Bike.
  • ninnyfurr74
    ninnyfurr74 Posts: 111 Member
    I'm currently riding a beat up old mountain bike. Less problems tonight but I did stop twice for like 30 seconds. I also ate a banana cause my roommate told me too lol. I took a diff rout tonight and I think I know my problem. When I am going around the block the entire first half of the block is solidly up hill and the last half is solidly down hill. Did the same amount of miles tonight but with less lactic acid build up. Will try this again tomorrow and see if it works twice.....
  • ninnyfurr74
    ninnyfurr74 Posts: 111 Member
    oh yeah and I usually do 6 laps around the block....
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    do you know how to shift gears properly? you should drop into a smaller gear in the front, and a bigger gear in the rear, and keep your candance high. let the bike work for you. you're going to really tire yourself out if you are hammering up the hills in hard gears.
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
    glass of tomato juice or a banana before exercise should solve your problem. Its only lack of potassium.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Lactic acid is not the culprit........http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/lactic-acid-really-such-bad-thing?page=single
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Use your gears and keep your cadence up on the hills. With a MTB you should have plenty of gears to choose from!

    Unless you are cycling a really severe hill you shouldn't have to stop - in many ways it's counter productive as you would be better keeping your legs moving and blood pumping to flush any lactic acid (if that's the problem, sounds more like plain fatigue to me).
  • NostalgicGraeme
    NostalgicGraeme Posts: 38 Member
    It's normal, just keep going...eventually you get fitter and it'll take longer for it to build up.
  • cwsikes
    cwsikes Posts: 86
    Usually a run/walk approach is not needed when cycling. When my legs are tired from pushing hard for a few miles or climbing a hill, I have always just shifted to an easier gear to let myself recover by spinning lightly for a minute or two. On long rides, my legs usually hurt the most in the first 30-60 secs of riding after stopping for a few minutes.

    The only time I've really seen people need to stop is on climbs that are too steep. At a certain point, you can actually run out of gears if your legs aren't strong enough for the climb. Most of the time though, you can just shift down and spin lightly to recover.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    As others have said, spin, don't hammer up hills. And on flats, keep your cadence at around 80 rpms. This way, your heart, lungs and legs propel you forward instead of just your legs. Unless you are climbing really steep and long hills, your legs shouldn't be burning after just a few minutes.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    I'm currently riding a beat up old mountain bike. Less problems tonight but I did stop twice for like 30 seconds. I also ate a banana cause my roommate told me too lol. I took a diff rout tonight and I think I know my problem. When I am going around the block the entire first half of the block is solidly up hill and the last half is solidly down hill. Did the same amount of miles tonight but with less lactic acid build up. Will try this again tomorrow and see if it works twice.....

    Maybe take the bike to a bike shop to make sure a mechanical problem isn't slowing you down. Also, if you have not already done so, put street tires on your mountain bike rather than knobbies. Street tires have a smooth tread pattern and are optimized for riding on pavement or paved trails. They are lighter, faster, more comfortable, and safer for riding on the street.
  • ninnyfurr74
    ninnyfurr74 Posts: 111 Member
    Good points all, I know my bike needs some work as the gears are not shifting very smoothly. Does anyone know how you are supposed to adjust them to smooth them out? I know it is possible, I remember my dad doing it when I was little but I don't remember how to do it. About the tire thing, not sure I want to switch. I intend to get a car rack shortly so I can hit some of the trails local to me. I love riding out in the woods. I will look into fixing gears though so I can shift more. Thanks all.
  • larsensue
    larsensue Posts: 461 Member
    Not sure about the gears thing myself.... how would you learn when to switch gears and to what?
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Good points all, I know my bike needs some work as the gears are not shifting very smoothly. Does anyone know how you are supposed to adjust them to smooth them out? I know it is possible, I remember my dad doing it when I was little but I don't remember how to do it. About the tire thing, not sure I want to switch. I intend to get a car rack shortly so I can hit some of the trails local to me. I love riding out in the woods. I will look into fixing gears though so I can shift more. Thanks all.

    Park Tool's website is a good place to start for maintenance tips:
    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

    Slick tires are good for riding on the road, though if your goal is exercise, not speed, it doesn't really matter. You can always get a second set of wheels and keep road tires on one and MTB tires on the other. Or just get a second bike for riding on roads.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Not sure about the gears thing myself.... how would you learn when to switch gears and to what?

    The whole point of gears is to keep your legs spinning at an efficient rate - roughly 60-90 rpm - regardless of wind and terrain. It's not very hard to learn to shift. Basically, if your legs are spinning really fast, shift to a higher gear and your cadence (pedaling speed) will slow down. If they are slowing down (less than 1 revolution per second), shift to a lower gear so that your cadence will go up. On my morning ride today, my speed ranged from 6 to 31 mph, but my cadence was almost always between 80 and 90, except when coasting downhill or taking a short break.

    It's actually slightly more biomechanically efficient to pedal slowly: that is, you go further for the same amount of energy. But it is hard on the muscles and joints, so you can't go as long. If you pedal 60-90 rpm, each pedal stroke doesn't take much out of your legs, so you can keep going longer. Racing cyclists, especially track racers, often pedal significantly faster than 90 rpm, because it lets them put out a lot of power without fatigue setting in prematurely.

    If you have a typical triple crank in front, i.e., there are three toothed rings attached to the right pedal arm, then you can think of the small one as an uphill gear, the middle one as a gear for flat terrain, and the big one as a gear for going downhill, or riding with a strong wind behind you. Then use the gears in back to adjust your speed within those broad areas. Eventually you get the hang of it and it becomes second nature.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Good points all, I know my bike needs some work as the gears are not shifting very smoothly. Does anyone know how you are supposed to adjust them to smooth them out? I know it is possible, I remember my dad doing it when I was little but I don't remember how to do it. About the tire thing, not sure I want to switch. I intend to get a car rack shortly so I can hit some of the trails local to me. I love riding out in the woods. I will look into fixing gears though so I can shift more. Thanks all.

    Not a bad idea to learn how to maintain your own bike, but probably should take it to a bike shop for a tuneup if it is in rough shape, as it may be more than just the gears that need adjustment and lubrication.

    As for the tire issue, fair enough, but you asked about lactic acid buildup after just 25 minutes. Riding on the street in an old out of adjustment mountain bike with knobby tires is like jogging while wearing a 30 lb backpack and wearing hiking boots with ankle weights. While from a certain perspective, doing so would actually increase the calorie burn, you probably wouldn't enjoy it.
  • ninnyfurr74
    ninnyfurr74 Posts: 111 Member
    Love the info on the shifting! Thanks! That was info I had never heard explained before. Turns out one of my roommates used to be a serious biker and knows how to do tune ups so he is going to help me with that, Yeah!. I get the point with the tires but money is kind of an issue atm...soooo. I will have to make do for now and may just buy a road bike when I can and fix up the MTB for the trails :) I really appreciate all the advice and feedback from everyone. From what I'm hearing I was definitely shifting wrong or not shifting enough. It probably doesn't help that I'm 38, 5'2 and 186lbs (as of today). I've just started working to lose the weight and get in better shape and biking seemed like a good idea as it is less hard on my feet and knees. Until about 3 weeks ago I was having so much pain in my feet that just walking around the house was excruciating. Happy to say I haven't had anymore issues with that recently! Once again thanks all for your time and info, keep it coming as I am always willing to learn more!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Love the info on the shifting! Thanks! That was info I had never heard explained before. Turns out one of my roommates used to be a serious biker and knows how to do tune ups so he is going to help me with that, Yeah!. I get the point with the tires but money is kind of an issue atm...soooo.

    Glad to have helped! The late Sheldon Brown's website, which is still being maintained by his widow and a friend, is a fount of knowledge about cycling, and has a section specifically for beginners which I heartily recommend:
    http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html
  • andreashi
    andreashi Posts: 3
    just slow down a bit should relieve that nasty stuff
  • DeniseGiles
    DeniseGiles Posts: 4
    I've been cycling for about 5 years. I do know the more fit you become the more conditioned your legs will be. I find that the stop- go routine really works the legs. Getting started again after a stop can make the legs feel fatigued. I find it easier to keep going rather than the interval type of workout. A cadence of 80 -90 is pretty typical. For the serious athlete who has incorporated sports into their becoming leaner plan with my FitnessPal, Hammer Nutrition makes a wide variety of products and some that will assist with lactic acid buffering, great products for "newbies" as well. They also have an on line library that will provide you with a wealth of information and taking in proper nutrition while exercising and becoming more fit. Nice job ! Keep up the good work!
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Love the info on the shifting! Thanks! That was info I had never heard explained before. Turns out one of my roommates used to be a serious biker and knows how to do tune ups so he is going to help me with that, Yeah!. I get the point with the tires but money is kind of an issue atm...soooo. I will have to make do for now and may just buy a road bike when I can and fix up the MTB for the trails :) I really appreciate all the advice and feedback from everyone. From what I'm hearing I was definitely shifting wrong or not shifting enough. It probably doesn't help that I'm 38, 5'2 and 186lbs (as of today). I've just started working to lose the weight and get in better shape and biking seemed like a good idea as it is less hard on my feet and knees. Until about 3 weeks ago I was having so much pain in my feet that just walking around the house was excruciating. Happy to say I haven't had anymore issues with that recently! Once again thanks all for your time and info, keep it coming as I am always willing to learn more!

    Thats fine, but if money is tight, $50 for tires is a lot less than $800 tp $1,000 you will need to spend for an entry level new road bike.

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