New cyclist questions!!!

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time4changexx
time4changexx Posts: 103 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So today was my first day riding outside in forever! Ive used a stationary bike a handful of times. I set a goal of riding a century at the end of september. I know average pace is 14-18mph for a century for an average cyclist. I rode an hr today & did 8 miles. My question is will I get my pace to where it needs to be by september?
Also does anyone use those padded seat covers? I have padded shorts but my butt still kills.
Aside from that any general tips you have for a newbie are greatly appreciated :)
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Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Most cyclists I know don't recommend the padded seats. They are worse for your back. You will get used to the seat.

    As for the rest, I can't help.
  • TravisBikes
    TravisBikes Posts: 674 Member
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    Don't worry about speed at the moment. Don't worry about speed at the moment.

    With that said.

    Just go with the padded shorts, your body will get "used" to riding after a while. It may take some time. No extra padding needed on the seats (and at times can make things worse).

    There are a ton of training plans out there to get you to a century. Are you doing km or mi?

    The quickest and easiest way to plan for a century is to start with your ride date, and back track 2 weeks from that (week of rest before the event), and be able to do at least 75% of the total distance comfortably by then. Then moving each week back, drop the total mileage for your one long ride down 10% until you get to today. Mix in other riding during the week, with adequate rest.

    Also research hydration needs for yourself and calories. I personally use Skratch Labs for endurance events (hydration) and a mix of real foods (allen lim's rice bars) with other easy to eat things like clif blocks, or a very occasional "gu" that has caffeine. Either home-made or store bought.
  • ellycope
    ellycope Posts: 80 Member
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    I would suggest seeing if you can find any cycling training plans online like they have for running as that will give you ways of increasing your power and speed.

    In terms of the saddle - I can't recommend getting a properly fitting saddle highly enough! It made a huge difference to my riding and comfort on the bike and post-ride. Head to a bike shop and ask to be fitted (they'll probably also fit it to your bike as well if you need them to). Actually, thinking about it, the people who work in bike shops tend to be enthusiasts so talk to them about your century goal and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help - they might know of other people who want/need a training partner or something too.

    Good luck!
  • dmeyers1969
    dmeyers1969 Posts: 130 Member
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    For your first ride outside in forever, take the result for what it is - a good start and a way to measure progress going forward
    Your choice on the padded seat cover but I just go with the biking shorts. First few rides are always a bit sore afterwards but then gets better. I know a few people that ride with them and like them - really your call at end of the day
    As to September - yes, you can be ready but you need to ride 3-4 days per week on average between now and then. even if some of it is stil on the indoor trainer, you need to get mileage. See about some rides between now and Sept that are put on by cycling groups in your area. Most areas have a group that does a bunch of rides each year and distances build as they move through the Spring and Summer. Set a mileage goal for yourself for each week / month between now and September and put longer rides on your calendar so you can plan for them, know when they are, how long they will be etc

    Good luck and Enjoy!!
  • bigbear167
    bigbear167 Posts: 39 Member
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    your pace will increase over time,the more you ride.i can only ride my stationary bike right now because of
    a wrist injury.i ride it 4 to 5 times a week.usually do 10 miles in about 35 minutes.just keep riding and you will get there.
    also its important that your bike is adjusted for you.go to your local bike shop they can adjust the bike to fit you properly.
    if your not comfortable riding you wont want to ride!! hope this helps. :)
  • Raptillian_Runner
    Raptillian_Runner Posts: 10
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    If you have been riding a stationary bike and just started to ride outside I believe your goal of riding a century is not a good Idea.
    I can tell you from experience (two centuries and two 50 milers as well as other shorter distances) that the weather, hills, road conditions and other riders will all affect your ride. If you are only doing 8 miles in an hour you are too far behind the power curve to ride a century in September. Most centuries have a check point and if you don't reach the milage for the checkpoint by a certain time you are diverted to a short route or pulled off by the SAG wagon. You should be averaging around 15-20 miles per hour now without any difficulties. I would recommend that you check with the event staff and see if there is a time/distance cutoff for the century. If there is, then tried to ride the distance and time to see how you feel before committing to the full century.

    Good Luck!!
  • ColoradoLes
    ColoradoLes Posts: 13
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    DItto what PPs said - you don't need a padded seat cover, but you might need a better saddle. Look into the women's specific designs. You'll get used to riding and won't be sore anymore.

    Does your planned century have a lot of elevation gain? If so, you need to do some training specifically on hills to build your climbing ability. Look at the ride profile online and gauge your training based on that.
  • terrigrace
    terrigrace Posts: 199 Member
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    I bought this bike seat last year - it made a huge difference for my fanny. Well, those little bones on the inner side of my fanny, anyway. My husband calls it my "bike couch" but too bad for him! I have a bike trailer and my daughter (now 3) and I cruise our town. We even do 11 and 12 mile trips to Walmart and the grocery store when we are in the groove. As for pacing . . .sorry, I'm not one to pace. I just get there when I get there. My average seems to be about 10 miles an hour, and I'm cool with that.

    http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cloud-9-Bicycle-Suspension-Tri-color/dp/B000H87PUI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1365517982&sr=8-4&keywords=padded+bike+seat+women
  • gardnerkennedy
    gardnerkennedy Posts: 69 Member
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    Mostly good advice here but ignore Raptilian's. Training for a century in September is ambitious but doable. It only requires time in the saddle and consistency.

    Like others have said, your body will get used to the saddle soon enough and soreness won't be much of an issue. Do continue to wear padded shorts and consider using chamois cream (to lessen friction down there) as your mileage increases.

    A great thing about cycling is that you tend to see a lot of improvement very quickly. You will see your stamina and speed increase over the next few weeks.

    Lastly, centuries are fun! It's fun to take on a challenge with a large group of people like that, with plenty of encouragement and camraderie.
  • jtgilfoy
    jtgilfoy Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm inclined to say that September is fine for a century, but it really depends on the ride. Consider two local longer rides, Seattle to Portland and RAMROD (Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day). The latter is a 150 mile death slog for only the fittest cyclists, the former a 200 mile party on wheels for 10000 riders with abilities all over the map. Pick your event carefully and you should be fine.
  • BIRDIEBL8
    BIRDIEBL8 Posts: 155 Member
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    You might check your area for cycling clubs. Alot of info you need can come from others in your area about your century ride & the support from doing beginner rides with a group will help you reach your goal.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Congrats on picking up cycling! It is such a great sport, and you can learn so much from doing it and doing it right! I %^&*ing love it!

    Goals are great but if you're doing 8 miles in an hour on a proper road bike you are going to need to give yourself some time to build up. Judging by your ticker and goals I can tell you are carrying some extra weight (not a problem! :). I'm only mentioning this because 90+ lbs of extra weight is going to hinder you in this sport. It's a practical concern due very literally to air resistence, range of motion and balance, required power to maintain speed and overcome gravity/drag, etc...

    I know you can reach the 14-16 mph average in time, but remember those guys are seasoned (to varying degrees) and are not likley carrying more than maybe 10 lbs of extra weight... and likely drafting.

    I totally think joining a cycling club would be a good start for you. It will teach you the basics of riding with others and road safety, and it will give you an idea of what kind of talent is out there, and where you stand so you can better set your goals.

    This sport changed my life. I wasn't overweight but the sort of endurance and mental toughness that it requires, and the opportunity it gives you to explore different locations in such a fullfilling way (even if it's your neighboorhood) just really changed me.

    As for the seat, you will get used to it! Just try to shift around when you can, make sure your bike is adjusted for you properly, and soldier on.
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    A century is a pretty aggressive goal. You're talking about probably 6 to 8 hours in the saddle in 5 months. Not to say it can't be done, just that it will be a lot of work.
    My question is will I get my pace to where it needs to be by september?
    Speed will come with time. The biggest key to sustaining higher speeds is to practice sustaining higher speeds. That does not mean the normal 30-second intervals people do at the gym,.

    It means holding a relatively difficult pace for increasing amounts of time as you get fitter: 5, 10, maybe eventually 30 minutes. You can do intervals that way, 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off. It teaches you how to pace yourself so you don't burn out but can still push yourself.
    Also does anyone use those padded seat covers? I have padded shorts but my butt still kills.

    Not if you paid me.

    Seat comfort comes from 3 things: a seat that fits your body (they vary a lot), good shorts (probably more than $80), and time in the saddle.
    Aside from that any general tips you have for a newbie are greatly appreciated :)

    Look up my profile and my posts on the forum... even if I don't say something intelligent on the threads that I posted to, someone else might.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    DItto what PPs said - you don't need a padded seat cover, but you might need a better saddle. Look into the women's specific designs. You'll get used to riding and won't be sore anymore.

    This. Go to a bike shop and have your sit bones measured, then buy a seat based on the width of that. A good fitting seat will support all your weight on those bones in your butt. That will take all pressure off your "soft tissue". It'll still hurt for a while at the start of each season but once you get used to it again it'll be fine. Big padded seats are actually worse. I've even gotten to the point where I prefer very minimal padding on the shorts. When I first started I got one of those big seats and would buy the biggest chamios I could find.
  • rydn4h2o
    rydn4h2o Posts: 255
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    Mostly good advice here but ignore Raptilian's. Training for a century in September is ambitious but doable. It only requires time in the saddle and consistency.

    Like others have said, your body will get used to the saddle soon enough and soreness won't be much of an issue. Do continue to wear padded shorts and consider using chamois cream (to lessen friction down there) as your mileage increases.

    A great thing about cycling is that you tend to see a lot of improvement very quickly. You will see your stamina and speed increase over the next few weeks.

    Lastly, centuries are fun! It's fun to take on a challenge with a large group of people like that, with plenty of encouragement and camraderie.

    This!
  • slim_photographer
    slim_photographer Posts: 310 Member
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    Like other said. Dont use the padded seat. The padded shorts are enough.
    Speed will come when your legs get stronger and you get slimmer, but doing non-cycling whole body weight training will help too. Your arms and core help you a big deal to have a sweet efficient stride. Don't worry about it too much yet for cycling purposes.
    Keep up the great work!
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    I would say the the padded saddle is not necessary. Some good padded shorts and saddle will work fine. Just have to find the one for you. Although a century by Sept (5-6 months away) is not impossible but you will have to be on your A game from now until then. I would recommend finding a cycling club / group on your area. They are filled with well knowledged people that can recommend gear, training routines, group support, maintenance, ect. I would also recommend a bike fit. I know this sounds crazy but even slight variables (even single digit degrees differences) in your body position greatly effects your comfort and efficiency for your ride, especially on the longer rides. Nutrition and proper hydration will also need to be on par from now until then as well. This is not saying that one can not accomplish your goal on improper diet, but it will be easier if that is in check as well.

    As far as your speed question, I would not worry about that too much. Time on the road will trump speed training on long rides. You will naturally build up speed the longer amount of time training in the saddle.

    Best of luck to you on this aggressive goal of riding the century. Again it is not impossible but it will take a lot of dedication the next 5 months to get there. If I were you I would say to set a goal of 50 miles by August 1st. If you can complete that ride with relative ease then the century should be right in your sights next.
  • narak_lol
    narak_lol Posts: 855 Member
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    Great job in setting this goal!

    It is doable but will require quite a lot of work & planning IMO. Assuming your event is mid September which leaves you 22 weeks from now.

    As improvement is more significant at the early stage so let's say you (can) increase the mileage per ride by 20% in the first 8 weeks (building up from 8 miles so by week 8 one ride = 29 miles.) If you can continue to up by 10%, by week 20 should be able to cover 90 miles.

    I think breaking things down really help to easier identify what one has to do to achieve the goal.

    Good luck!
  • time4changexx
    time4changexx Posts: 103 Member
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    Thanks everyone! To answer a few questions/clarify- i am doing the 100 mile century, I am all ready registered. The course was decribed as flat to slightly rolling. My schedual will be something alone the lines of alternating riding/ running with a rest day after 3 days so bike: run: bike: rest: run: bike: run: rest. (I am also training for a marathon in november) & i do body by you (body weight strength training) 3 days a week. Thanks for all the advice. I know I had ambitious goals but thats the way I stay motivated !! Any more tips always welcome!
  • TravisBikes
    TravisBikes Posts: 674 Member
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    Especially doing alternate workouts, one of those biking days must must be a "LSD" day, Long Slow Distance.

    Make sure you stay on top of your calories and refueling your body, training for both could make you go nuts. You might even want to plan 2 days recovery further into your training as you get over 40, 50, 60 miles on the bike

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