Any Cyclists On Here?

Hi there. I love my cycling, and go out on my bike whenever I can. No real tips - other than invest in a gel saddle (very important) and take water with you. I usually take some fruit to snack on as well. I had the most brilliant bike ride yesterday, high up in the Pennines (Peak District, Derbyshire, UK). Lovely sunny weather, nobody much about = fantastic!

Good Luck to you with your college cycling group. It's ways good to go out cycling with a group of friends. My son (he's 28), cycles as much as 100K with his friends at the weekend - all around London and the surrounding counties. He rides a fixed wheel bike (no gears or brakes) - which must be scary!!!

Add me as a friend if you want some support and motivation for your diet quest. I could also do with some, too.......

Best Wishes.

I agree with aareeyesee, don't get a gel seat get fitted to your bike and wear padded bike shorts.

I take cliff bars with me on my rides and also drink Gatorade.

Have fun during the ride

Make sure to stretch after.

Please dont buy a gel saddle we will make fun of you. Go to a real bike store if your saddle is a problem and they have seats for females different pelvic structure and they will measure the distance between your sit bones and get you the correct width. It may be mildly uncomfortable until the 2 patches of skin between the saddle and sit bones adapt but aside from that after a week or so you will be fine. I would suggest being fitted by a professional at a well known bike shop. You will be amazed how comfortable you can be on a bike for 3-4 hours when your hands and toes arnt going numb and the center of your back isnt 1 big cramp. I personally really like speedplay pedals. Here are some of the links I think are very valuable.

http://www.perfectcondition.ltd.uk/Articles/Pedalling/LFC ideas/LFC Notes.htm
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
http://www.bitrot.de/bbook_intro.html
http://www.bonktown.com/
http://www.speedplay.com/

I agree. Gel saddles are only a bandaid to a problem of a bike not fitting right or not having the right seat. Also, they can actually making riding more uncomfortable if they make the seat wider thus causing more area for your legs to cause friction. I'm also a fan of Speedplay pedals, but they are the only clipless pedals I've really tried for an extended amount of time.

There is another thread around here talking about chocolate milk as a perfect recovery drink. That's one of my favorite post-ride meals.

Gosh, I didn't realise that gel saddles are so universally hated! I'm amazed, mine is really comfy and I love it.

I think it is just that gel saddles might be comfortable, but they are masking what might be bigger problems. A poorly adjusted saddle or a poorly fitting bike can mean a lot of pain later.

Gatorade is full of sugar and isn't a good idea when people just drink it to quench thirst. But after strenuous exercise, like a several-hour bike ride, is the one time that your body actually can use that sugar. That's also why chocolate milk is such a good recovery drink.

Thank you Kait - I cycle for miles and miles on my "gel" saddle, and have no bigger problems. For me, it is perfect. I have no pain after.

Personally, I try and avoid sugary drinks after exercise. Sugary isotonic drinks don't do anything helpful other than give you sugar - surely water is a much better option? I am very suspicious of sugary "health" drinks.

I don't think I could manage chocolate milk after a long bike ride either - but hey, we're all different.

Happy cycling, with or without a gel saddle!!!!

Well, i don't drink Gatorade personally because I don't like the taste of it. But I don't think there is anything to be suspicious of when it comes to the idea that a good balance of fast-digesting protein and carbohydrate is optimal for a recovery meal after strenuous exercise. Here is just one article on the matter, something aaareeyesee linked to on another thread: http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/women/post_workout_interview.htm

I think drinks like Gatorade get a bad rap and make us suspicious because they are marketed to the average person (and especially children) who are typically NOT participating in strenuous exercise of over an hour in length so it is going to be just as bad as any other kind of sugary drink. For what it is worth, I've had a doctor tell me after I was queasy in the minutes following a triathlon to guzzle a Coke. Did the trick and I felt better almost instantly. I wouldn't touch the stuff any other time, though, and I'm pretty sure the doctor would agree.

"Recovery" here just means post-workort, since your muscles are recovering and repairing following exertion. I think four hours is a huge amount of exercise! That is longer than any triathlon I've done (they've been of the "sprint" type). But I can only speak from what works for me. It sounds like what you are doing is working well, too.

Partially, I just really like chocolate milk, so knowing that I can have some for "free" after a long workout helps motivate me to get out there and exercise. :happy:

Have fun biking! I actually haven't been in the saddle much yet this year.

After a long trail ride, nothing hits the spot better than a pb and honey sandwich and chocolate milk.

Just stay hydrated. Take a long lots of water and if you drive there put some water in your car. Its easy to get dehydrated on a bike and not really notice it. I have to 2 holders and a aero bottle which sits in the front of the bike with a straw for really long rides and during tris.
DUring rides if over an hour I take a power bar or granola bar of some type. I tend to not eat alot. I sometimes take a bar and cut it in half and eat 1/2 right before and the other after depending on how long I am out there.

If you are cycling vigorously, the "rule of thumb" is a drink of water and a bite of an energy bar every 10 minutes-total 1 bottle water and 1 bar per hour of vigorous cycling. If you are only doing moderate cycling, keep drinking the water, but you can skip the bar if you want or just eat half of a bar or so. I personally like the CLIF bars, but find one with under 350 cals and not too much sugar.

Get your seat fitted by your local bike shop! Also, make friends with the people who work there...they all have connections and somehow really do know everything you need to know about cycling!