Cycling Question

lee91356
lee91356 Posts: 330 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I just got back on a bike after nearly 8 months and a 50+ weight loss and I was in hell lol. It took me over 20 minutes to ride 2 miles, according to my tracker I biked at a rate of 4.45 miles and hour, what?! I can jog at that rate.

I though that perhaps because of the weight loss and my being more fit riding the bike wouldn't be as hard, though I was wrong lol.

So any tips and advice about what I can do short of returning the bike? i.e. will continuing to ride the bike get easier, did I get the wrong bike (7 speed vs. cruiser) or did I just choose a bad place to ride for my first time (I rode the streets from my house to the library and wore a backpack with my computer and a liter of water), or am I still too heavy (I.m around 200 lbs)

Any help would be useful.

Thank you.

Replies

  • username_misso
    username_misso Posts: 50 Member
    first of all, congratulations on the weight loss! you probably already know that the more you do something the easier it gets*, so absolutely stick with it! i have been doing heaps of weights and while im "strong", i find "bike fitness" a totally different kettle of fish.

    without knowing the area, theres heaps of reasons why your ride could have been slower than expected. when i started riding i suddenly started noticing heaps of inclines on roads and paths i'd been driving and walking over for years. "sneaky wind" can be another culprit - the trees dont look like theyre moving, but thats bc the wind is coming straight at you, and a headwind will definitely slow you down.

    about the bike - it could be a million different things. my road bike weighs half as much as my bike for commuting to work and i definitely notice a difference riding between the two. especially by the time i put a bag full of clothes and crap on my bike to take to work. but thats ok, i realise it will be slower and i leave a bit earlier. you might find if you enjoy it you end up getting another bike which might be more suitable to the style of riding you want to do (watch out, there is a dangerous, well documented addiction known as "N+1", where N is the number of bikes you need lol).

    it could also be the gearing - it could be the ratios, but were you even using the gears? it took me a little while to figure out which was "harder" and which was "easier" so i spent ages riding around in pretty much the same gear, the whole time. i used to think i had to push the "hardest" gear i possibly could, but "spinning" (pedalling faster in an "easier" gear) can actually get you going faster. learning when & how to use the gears will also help heaps :)
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    Without being there it's hard to say what your issue might have been - only that I'd say it's probably just like any other physical activity you start up - really hard at first, but gets easier as you do it more!

    Regarding your bike, did you feel like you were having to work super hard just to peddle? Are there not enough gears for it to be effective for you? I went on a ~18 mile bike ride last weekend with both of my kids in the bike trailer and during that ride I made use of probably 14 different gears. Was your ride hilly? Climbing hills is always an effort no matter how much you weigh or how great of shape you're in!
  • RawTriGal
    RawTriGal Posts: 190 Member
    Hi Lee.... nope, you're not too heavy... I'm 220 and ride just fine... some things to consider: is the bike set up for you? A good fit is key to a good ride. Bike shops will help with that and hopefully you have one close to where you live. Don't let them intimidate you. Any bike shop worth their salt will be happy to help you. Let them know how it feels... where is the discomfort... and what you're trying to do.

    I don't believe that you were only going 4.5 mph... it's actually harder to maintain that speed than it is to go 10mph because you have no momentum. So if you have a cycling computer likely the sensors were off a bit and it was only getting and intermittent reading. Also, some of trackers don't eliminate time stopped at stop lights, signs, etc. My system actually pauses when I do so that all that is getting tracked is ride time/speed/distance (etc)

    Give yourself a few times back in the saddle... you will see your time improve and your form will come back... honest. Riding is one of my very favorite things.... what do you like most about it?
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
    It will get easier. Cycling uses your muscles in a different way to running or walking so you're going to need to give your body chance to adapt to the new exercise. Also check your saddle height, that can make a big difference to efficiency. Do a google search for setting teh saddle height. There are a few methods, but standing over teh saddle with both feet flat on teh floor is not one of them :)

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