Tips for starting out - C25k equivelant?

trinitrate

Wow, I didn't realize this group existed until I noticed the cycling thread in the general forums... I'm just starting out, and am still about 75lbs above my goal weight, so -any- cycling is a bit of a challenge.

I have a question or two for anyone that is used cycling to drop from a heavy weight:

I bought a steel frame, reasonable cheap old Trek 720 Hybrid ( My theory was strong is better than light when you're a 280lb rider).. I like the bike, but I'm struggling to ride comfortably. After about 5-6 miles I normally head home due to wrist fatigue / tingling in my hands. Any tips on adjustments I can make to lessen this? Any average speeds I should be trying to achieve to maximize the benefits? Ive been maintaining about 13 - 15 mph on most trips and not getting winded as much as getting knee / muscle discomfort in averaging much higher.

On the distance front, I was pretty proud of getting 6-7 miles until I started reading these posts of people doing 35 a day and up! I know I shouldn't expect to be doing 30+ mile rides at this point, but was wondering if anyone knew of any good apps or programs that would assist in reaching that type of objective. Something similar to the Couch to 5K app for runners on the Droid/iPhone would be awesome..

jrrflr

I am not fully aware of any ride training programs, but I would recommend checking out active.com or bicycling.com. Also, I'm sure Google would be able to yield some returns. As of the hand/finger numbness, visit a cycling shop and pick up some gloves with good pads in the palms. The pads are placed in a way that provides extra cushion at the pressure points and nerves that lead to atrophy, I personally prefer the road bike/drop bar setup which allows multiple hand positions and helps me avoid any one position r too long.

As for cycling to lose weight, cycling and eating right helped me lose 121 pounds. It is a great way to burn calories. Look for a cycling club where you live and see if they have beginner-level group rides. It can be a great way to find other cyclists that can help you get out there, even when you don't feel like it. Good luck!

jrrflr

Also, your 13-15mph is very impressive for a beginner. Nice!

trinitrate

Jrrflr,

Thanks for the response. The gloves seem like they would help quite a bit. On the fixed hand position, my thought is I'd eventually move to a true road bike, but most of them I've seen aren't quite designed for a big rider. Figured I'd manage with the hybrid until I get down to maybe 240 - 250 and then see whats possible.

121 lbs biking is pretty impressive! makes my 70-80 look easy right?

DL121004

After about 5-6 miles I normally head home due to wrist fatigue / tingling in my hands. Any tips on adjustments I can make to lessen this?

Improper bike fit at several points can cause a variety of discomfort.

First and simplest is to look at your saddle and ensure it is level -- not tilted down from back to front.

Beyond that, there may be an issue of reach which can be modified by the length of the stem (holding the handlebars) and/or the forward/aft positioning of the seat. Realize, however, that if you alter the seat you may exacerbate knee issues because placement of the seat in relation to the pedals is also important.

While bike shops often offer fittings, they may be expensive. Having said that, it couldn't hurt to walk in to your local bike shop and chat them up. I did that once regarding some pain in my right knee. As we were just standing there talking about it, the guy said "look down". I did, and right away it clicked: my normal standing position had my right foot ever so slightly pointed outwards. I made a small adjustment to my cleat and the issue was resolved.

Best of luck!

sillygoose1977

I agree with going to a bike shop and getting a good fit. I used to have the wrist pain too until I realized I was putting too much weight into my upper body on the handlebars. Most of your weight should stay shifted back into your hips to ease the stress on your wrists. It takes a while to get used to this but it has helped me out a lot.

Good for you for hopping on the bike. It is a great way to melt the pounds!

trinitrate

Beyond that, there may be an issue of reach which can be modified by the length of the stem (holding the handlebars) and/or the forward/aft positioning of the seat. Realize, however, that if you alter the seat you may exacerbate knee issues because placement of the seat in relation to the pedals is also important.

Thanks for the toughts... that seems pretty obvious, but I can honestly say I didn't even think to adjust the stem, even though I did raise the seat by at least 3" or so... I know I lean forward slightly when biking, and leaning down a little to the lower stem is probably making it worse.

unrulygurl

Ive been maintaining about 13 - 15 mph on most trips and not getting winded as much as getting knee / muscle discomfort in averaging much higher.

On the distance front, I was pretty proud of getting 6-7 miles until I started reading these posts of people doing 35 a day and up! I know I shouldn't expect to be doing 30+ mile rides at this point, but was wondering if anyone knew of any good apps or programs that would assist in reaching that type of objective. Something similar to the Couch to 5K app for runners on the Droid/iPhone would be awesome..

I use a lower gear and increased my cadence to avoid knee pain. I'm not traveling as fast as I was before but I can ride comfortably for much longer.

I haven't seen any apps, but the C25K is interval training. You can do the same on your bike, just pedal faster for a couple of minutes than recover for 2 & repeat.

My hands tingle too. I shift positions, shake them out and stretch frequently on my rides. I just bought some gloves & will probably replace my worn out handlebar grips very soon. I read somewhere that strengthening core muscles will help reduce the strain, so I'm going to work that into my exercise routine.

beachgrad05

No expert here....

I am very impressed with your ability to ride at that speed.....

My typical speed is more in the 11 - 12 mph range at the moment. I am using a cadence sensor on my bike that I got when I got my Garmin Forerunner 305 with HR monitor. I wanted that so I could get better data as far as effort. I see my HR and my Avg HR, my cadence and avg cadence and calories burned. I am working to build my endurance as well as lose weight. I will be riding in a 31 mile tour of Long Beach on May 5 so have started training.

I had the numbness issue and still do at times. Not having the racing/drop style bars leaves little room for different positions for the hands. I am working on keeping my weight back on my hips/seat rather than on the hands/wrists. I need new gloves as the pads in mine are worn and not much help. I replaced my handlebars and grips with a set that is suppose to help with numbness/vibration. They helped but were not a cure all.

I haven't lost any real weight yet but I know I will if I just keep at it.

trinitrate

Thanks to everyone for all the help!

I tried adjusting my stem, but was only able to raise it about 1.5" and still keep the hardware secure. It did help for sure. I completed a 12 mile circuit averaging 12 mph and only had light tingling at the end of the session. Thats compared to having a numb wrist after ~6 miles previously. Hopefully with some golves, that'll just about take care of it.

I'm sure others have seen it, but I did try out an app called AllSport GPS. Only used it for a short ride today because of the heavy wind (30+mph) but it works as advertised. Not quite a circuit trainer, but it will record your trip (speed, calories, gps position / map overlay) and allow you to 'race' yourself when repeating the circuit at a later date. Thats the kind of self-challenge I need!

DL121004

I tried adjusting my stem, but was only able to raise it about 1.5" and still keep the hardware secure.

You can also get stems of a different length: they make stems of various sizes and even 10mm may help.

beachgrad05

I'm sure others have seen it, but I did try out an app called AllSport GPS. Only used it for a short ride today because of the heavy wind (30+mph) but it works as advertised. Not quite a circuit trainer, but it will record your trip (speed, calories, gps position / map overlay) and allow you to 'race' yourself when repeating the circuit at a later date. Thats the kind of self-challenge I need!

I have used Runkeeper and Roadbike on my iPhone but they eat up battery. Hence why I got the Garmin with HR sensor and purchased the cadence sensor....I also got the rubber mount for the handelbars so I can see my data as I ride and adjust my cadence etc.

I too tend to need a little external motivation and right now I don't really have anyone I can ride with. I checked with a local riding club but their slowest group rides at about 15-17 mph pace and I am not there yet. So until I can keep up and take my turn in front breaking the wind....I ride solo.

This link takes you to my data from my ride home from work today. It has tons of features and I love to use the player and watch my ride and see my data change depending on where I am on my route.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153307489

DL121004

I too tend to need a little external motivation and right now I don't really have anyone I can ride with. I checked with a local riding club but their slowest group rides at about 15-17 mph pace and I am not there yet. So until I can keep up and take my turn in front breaking the wind....I ride solo.

You are doing well, keep at it and you'll see improvements!

I might suggest that you check a couple of local bike shops and ask around, as they may be aware of more appropriate riding clubs for your needs.

This link takes you to my data from my ride home from work today. It has tons of features and I love to use the player and watch my ride and see my data change depending on where I am on my route.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153307489

Hey, you had a max speed of 93.7 mph!

My only friendly tip is that I see your normal cadence seems to be right around 75-80; I suggest focusing on upping that to 90. You may need to shift into another gear to do that, but that's okay. For the long term, it is best to develop a decent cadence. A higher cadence also works the aerobic system more than the muscles of the legs.

beachgrad05

Hey, you had a max speed of 93.7 mph!

I have no idea where that number came from! :noway:

My only friendly tip is that I see your normal cadence seems to be right around 75-80; I suggest focusing on upping that to 90. You may need to shift into another gear to do that, but that's okay. For the long term, it is best to develop a decent cadence. A higher cadence also works the aerobic system more than the muscles of the legs.

Thanks for the tip. Will try to get there sooner than later. I had read that cadence was an important thing to monitor hence getting the sensor when I got the Garmin.

StuAblett

Bike fit is worth every penny!

Find a good shop, tell them you'd like to arrange a bike fit, tell them what your goals are, for example you want to spend more time in the saddle in comfort and are trying to lose weight, make sure they know that once you do get down, you will be shopping for a new road bike :bigsmile:

You said you are on a Hybrid bike, can I assume it has straight bars? Often having just the one hand position will work against you. If you want to just add something to your bars, I'll recommend these.....



http://www.bikepacking.net/reviews/handlebars/cane-creek-ergo-control-ii-bar-ends/

They really do mimic the hoods on a road bike, which most people find very comfortable.

One quick ballpark way to find out if your position on the bike is close to good, is while you are seated and rolling along, in your usual position, look at the hub of the front wheel, usually your handlebar should block your view of the front hub. If the hub is ahead of your handlebars, you are sitting too far back, if it is behind your bars you are sitting too far forward. Now like I said, this is a ball park thing, not a ballgame thing :bigsmile: There are many factors to fit your bike to you, and as you become more fit and lose weight, your fit on your bike will change, as you become healthier etc. I started out at 136Kg/300lbs, I'm down to about 250lbs and I ride a fair bit.

Cheers!

beachgrad05

Hey, you had a max speed of 93.7 mph!

I have no idea where that number came from! :noway:

My only friendly tip is that I see your normal cadence seems to be right around 75-80; I suggest focusing on upping that to 90. You may need to shift into another gear to do that, but that's okay. For the long term, it is best to develop a decent cadence. A higher cadence also works the aerobic system more than the muscles of the legs.

Thanks for the tip. Will try to get there sooner than later. I had read that cadence was an important thing to monitor hence getting the sensor when I got the Garmin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153558508

My average cadence was 83 this ride. Actively working at keeping at/or near 90. Someone else suggested I get to 100 or 110 but that makes me unstable in the gears it is doable in. I found a good gear for the 90....my large chain ring on the front and my 2nd or 3rd largest rear gear...my crank gear is 48 and the cassette ranges from 11-32 (8 gears)....not using the 32 here but the next two...

My average HR was up too...137 with a max of 150.

zoom2

I tried adjusting my stem, but was only able to raise it about 1.5" and still keep the hardware secure.

You can also get stems of a different length: they make stems of various sizes and even 10mm may help.

Different length AND different angle. You could maybe benefit from a more upward angled stem. I definitely echo the recommendations for a proper fitting.

I also think you shouldn't rule out a road bike. Bike frames can easily support someone much larger than you. Road bikes with drop bars are so awesome for the ability to not be locked into a single position (for hands and upper body).

StuAblett

Hey, you had a max speed of 93.7 mph!

I have no idea where that number came from! :noway:

My only friendly tip is that I see your normal cadence seems to be right around 75-80; I suggest focusing on upping that to 90. You may need to shift into another gear to do that, but that's okay. For the long term, it is best to develop a decent cadence. A higher cadence also works the aerobic system more than the muscles of the legs.

Thanks for the tip. Will try to get there sooner than later. I had read that cadence was an important thing to monitor hence getting the sensor when I got the Garmin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153558508

My average cadence was 83 this ride. Actively working at keeping at/or near 90. Someone else suggested I get to 100 or 110 but that makes me unstable in the gears it is doable in. I found a good gear for the 90....my large chain ring on the front and my 2nd or 3rd largest rear gear...my crank gear is 48 and the cassette ranges from 11-32 (8 gears)....not using the 32 here but the next two...

My average HR was up too...137 with a max of 150.

That is great!

The more practice you have spinning the more comfortable you will be, there is a learning curve, but now that you are aware of it, you can do it, slowly up your cadence over time, and be aware that it is usually not a good idea to be grinding out a slow cadance.

Keep it up! :drinker:

trinitrate

Those grip extensions look like a pretty cool option ... Guess I bought the wrong starter bike since my 720 has grip shifters, I dont think these will work..

RedSunshine365

I've been off my bike for the last 6 months and was also looking for a C25K sort of plan for cycling and what I've found to be close is off the beginnertriathlete website. It's the Beginner Cycling program. I pair it with the Cyclemeter iPhone app which lets me create an entire workout with prompts for intervals. I currently have a Garmin 305 Edge with HRM and Cadence and am going to buy the Wahoo ANT+ key so I can record my HR and Cadence stats on the iphone too.

diddidit

Hey, if you haven't solved your hand issues, I hugely recommend some Ergon grips, like these: http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp3. They're phenomenal - everyone I know who rides a flat bar road bike, hybrid, mountain bike, fatbike, whatever, they all have Ergons.

I have a soft spot for the Trek 720 - I inherited my dad's and converted it to a cyclocross racer and occasional fixed gear dirt road bike. I have no other bike with more bang for the buck than that beast.

did

trinitrate

Thanks for the followups,

For the software, I finally settled on MapMyRide and thats worked pretty well so far at mapping and calculating distances / calories etc. Cadence and HRM would be nice additions, and I think they support some of the HRM gadgets for integration. If you get crazy after a ride, the Google Earth fly-over playback of your trip is pretty cool. (Yes, I am a geek)

For the hands, I will need to check those gloves out, thanks for the suggestion. I got a pair of cheapo gloves that helped some, but the real trick was some bar extensions. Looked at a couple videos and realized I could slide my grip shifters in enough to accommodate the bar ends. Since I added those I've been able to extend my rides out to almost 25 miles. Still not into the 50 mile range like a lot of you guys, but a huge improvement from the 5-6 I started with a few weeks back.

Now my tailbone is letting me know its time to quit after 90 minutes or so..... Is cycling just a never ending puersuit of what the next body-part to complain will be?!

TheBigYin

snip

... Is cycling just a never ending puersuit of what the next body-part to complain will be?!

Yep - it never hurts any less, you just go faster and further.

iTswape

I had a very similar problem with my last bike (a Surly long haul trucker). I was used to the more upright ride of a mountain bike frame and every part of my body screamed in agony with the drop handlebars. My husband and I had planned a cycling vacation at Acadia national park in Maine to test out my new bike and I was in tears after 20 miles on our first day from pain in my hands and my lower back. I stumbled into a bicycle shop and explained my problem to the owner. Thirty minutes later I walked out with a new pair of gloves, a new stem, and no more problems with numb hands or hand pain. I rode that bike across Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town the following year!

As for the sore bum, are you wearing cycling shorts? I resisted the spandex look for awhile but if you plan to go on long rides you really need them. I don't bother for my 7km commute to work, but definitely wear them on my weekend mountain biking rides. I am self conscious about how tight they are so usually wear a pair of shorts over them. My husband also hates the tight spandex look, his chamois is built into what looks like a normal pair of shorts from the outside - like this:
http://www.rei.com/product/809765/novara-metro-gel-double-bike-shorts-mens

bassnutter

I couldn't agree more with the use of bar ends, i use mine all the time because they are so comfortable, plus they are extremely helpful when climbing. just like riding on the hoods but without the drops.
Padded gloves and good quality padded bar tape or soft rubber grips are just what you need for some serious mileage or time spent in the saddle.

TravisBikes

Can check out different seats for saddle soreness, making sure that you have support where you need it.

Also consider ergonomic grips. I don't like much padding in my gloves, so changing grips has really helped. (I use Ergon, but there are many brands/types out there now).

For distances, a nice solid 10% increase in volume (time or distance) week to week is a good place to start