Can we forget about the bike?

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Hey guys! I did a handful of triathlons last year and one this spring. Since then, I have not gotten on my bike. To be honest, I do not like to bike. In my year and a half of really training on the bike I never learned to love it. In fact, I didn't like it at all. By the end of every ride I just wanted to get off the damn thing. I bonked more than once, had a flat that left me walking 6 miles home because patches do not work well with north Florida humidity, most of my rides were miserable. My speed and ability never really improved and I was riding 30+ miles a week (single mom so it was the best I could do). Meanwhile, my running pace has improved tremendously and every time I get in the pool I feel better and better. So, biking was discouraging. Lately I have been walking out into the garage and I see my bike hanging on the wall and I get a little itch to get back on it. I would love to continue to do triathlons. I love love to run and I enjoy swimming as well..... but the bike. Does anyone else have this same kind of thing? Or does anyone have any ideas on how I could start improving my relationship with the bike? I really don't want to hate it. I fear that I will invest more time and *cough* money into biking and end up in the same boat a year from now...

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  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    I can honestly say I have no idea what this is like. Not... enjoy... cycling? Does not compute...
  • ka97
    ka97 Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I've learned to tolerate the bike, though actually I really really hate it. This past summer I decided to do only sprints because I just didn't have the motivation for the bike training. Best I can tell you is that the more you make yourself do it, the more comfortable you'll get. But yeah, I still hate it. Kinda nice to know I'm not the only one. I've always felt like some sort of mutant triathlete for not enjoying the bike.
  • kchang77
    kchang77 Posts: 76 Member
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    If I had to rank them. I'd probably have cycling at the bottom of the list of the 3 as far as what I enjoy doing. However, I use that as a challenge to myself. 1st it's the mental workout that is just a big part of training as anything else. I just did my first century in October, on my trainer, in my garage, because the event I was going to do got cancelled because of stupid Joaquin. It was TOUGH. I didn't HAVE to do it, but I wanted to test my mental strength as well as the physical. You can set smaller goals for the bike and then just add on to them as you go. It sounds like focusing on nutrition may be one thing and after that you can pick something else. I've found that riding on my trainer instead of outside really forces me to focus on my workouts since I don't have outside distractions and once I do hit the road, it feels that much easier than being on the trainer.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    A few things occur to me as I read your post.
    1. How much of your dislike for the bike is related to the mechanical issues you've had? Flat tires and the like? Those things are pretty easily prevented.
    2. How much of your dislike is related to bonking? With some experimentation, that too can usually be prevented.
    3. You mention riding 30 miles per week... is that six 5 mile rides, two 15 mile rides, one 30 mile ride, or... ?

    Also, I feel about swimming the same way you feel about riding, so I can kind of relate.

    Lastly, while I have no data to support this, I feel like of the 3 disciplines, cycling is the least impacted by poor technique. So if your technique is decent but your engine is weak, you're probably OK (as long as you're OK with the resulting bike times).

  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    Thank you guys! Yes, as far as rides go, I need to work on nutrition. Normally, I would ride one 30 miler a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on what my schedule would permit. I think that combination of unsuccessful rides and just being uncomfortable in general made my dislike for biking that much worse. I think I am going to try again. The worse that can happen is that I figure out that I really do not like it and then its over. The best, I figure it out and keep moving forward.
  • sarahz5
    sarahz5 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    I bet if you were able to work in more than one ride a week it would get better. I am not well informed on bike training, but if you analogize to run training, that's probably like doing just a 10 miler every week. You need more base mileage to support a run that long - I suspect the same concept is true in cycling.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    That's probably true. I have thought about investing in a trainer so that I can train more.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i feel the same about running as you do about cycling.

    no, besides bonking and mechanical issues, why don't you like riding? you say you're not improving that much, but can you really be upset about that when you're only doing 30-ish miles a week? thats what, 2-3 hours of riding, tops? you need to get on the bike more often than that to improve.

    last year for about 5 months i did a good cycling program, cycling 3-5 times a week, structured workouts on a trainer. i really improved mostly because my workouts weren't based on distance or time any more. i had heart rate zones and RPM goals to meet. i ditched swimming for a few months as well, as that is my best sport.

    also, a proper fitting might be necessary.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    Thank you! I guess I haven't enjoyed it because its uncomfortable and I haven't felt successful. I do not have a trainer and I am a single mom of two little boys so I was riding as much as I could given the time I had. Maybe a trainer would be worth the investment. Thank you so much! I am riding a (really nice) hand me down man's bike. I have a female seat on it but the bike really is a little too big for me. I think I will give it a whirl again. Maybe if I can pinpoint the parts that I do not like or what makes me uncomfortable I can focus on those and not getting faster or stronger, just getting comfortable and finding enjoyment.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    what kind of bike do you have? a road bike, or more like a cruiser??
  • KathleenKP
    KathleenKP Posts: 580 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Why not just let the bike/triathlons go if you don't like it that much? Don't push yourself to do something you hate. It's one thing to have a bad ride. It's another to dread it every time. All of the things that you mentioned, or variations of them, are part of the learning curve to ride a bike. But if you are checked out mentally, you are going to approach it entirely differently than someone who looks at those things as experiences/opportunities to help them improve.

    Wait a year or three. Then, try it again later. Maybe some of the factors will change - your bike (wrong bike for you?), nutrition (that you may be willing to tackle later, if you are in a better mindframe), and the stage of life you are in. Also, is it particularly unsafe where your ride?

    Just enjoy the running and swimming for now. You like them, and you are getting better at them. You can find lots of events/activities for doing just those two things.

    I love being on a bike. But that wasn't always the case.
  • KathleenKP
    KathleenKP Posts: 580 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Also, do you have access to bike classes at a gym? And if so, do you like them/can you tolerate them? If you want to continue triathlons, that at least will help with some type of cycling base. And probably have child care for you, too.

    I'm going to say no to the trainer option, at least for now. If you find you like bike classes, then revisit that thought later. Given your current frame of mind, I think you will hate your bike even more, and regret the money you spend on one.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    I have a Cervelo road bike. And I do not have access to bike classes because I do not belong to a gym. Finances are a bit tight to belong to a gym.... I'm thinking about getting back on it and seeing how I like it this time....Its been a few months so maybe I needed a little break. We will see..... for now running and swimming keep me going so I am good with that!
  • ephiemarie
    ephiemarie Posts: 264 Member
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    I used to dread swimming. Really, really dread it. It wasn't comfortable or fun or even remotely pleasant, and I spent every single swim session thinking about its suckiness and just wanting to be done. After over year of forcing myself to do it anyhow, I finally (FINALLY! Halle-freaking-lujah!) pushed myself through a long swim workout and managed to mentally checkout for most of it. The freedom to wander mentally is my favorite part of running and cycling, and that was what was missing for my swims. Well, that, and actual skill. :/

    Anyhow, assuming your bike fits you well enough and you are still at least mostly committed to trying it again, you might just need to have that breakthrough moment on the bike where you forget how much you hate it and accidentally start to enjoy it. Personally, my favorite rides are the ones where I'm not actively trying to improve my speed or skillset. Do you have a friend you could take a long ride with some time? Maybe find a sitter and make a day of it? Taking the "training" aspect out might make it more fun for you.

    As for a trainer, I have one and enjoy using it, as it's easy for me to use while the kids play nearby. Now is a good time of year to buy one, so maybe keep an eye on the Amazon lightning deals.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    I'll add my 2 cents since I always hated biking when I first started triathlon. First of all, I did short rides to boost my confidence on the bike. This typically meant 30-60 minutes of just riding around the local roads or a paved trail (I only have a road bike). I would go pretty slow and focus on the following:
    1. Form
    2. Debris in the road
    3. The scenery
    I would limit long rides to the weekend, and they were purely based on time, not distance (initially). My biggest hurdles initially being stable on the bike (did lots of core workouts to help with this) and getting ultra tired and feeling ready to pass out. Therefore, the next thing I focused on was overpacking hydration and nutrition. And I mean overpacking...my initial 2 hour rides I would have 4 water bottles, camel back, and enough nutrition as if I were running 2 marathons back-to-back. Yes, this made my bike a lot heavier, and I was even slower...but I NEVER had issues with energy or feeling like I was going to pass out or bonk. Eventually I trimmed all of this down.

    The next most important thing I did was go to a local seminar on changing a flat tire where you see a demonstration and then perform it on your own bike. Knock on wood, I have only ever had 2 flats, but I was confident enough to change them thanks to the class.

    The more I rode, the more confident I became in my cycling ability. Then out of nowhere I just started liking to bike. Don't get me wrong, it's still my least favorite activity of the 3 sports, but I do enjoy biking now.

    I am not a fan of spending money...so after 5 years I am still using my base Trek 1.2 road bike with no fancy bells or whistles. I have a helmet, reflectors, lights, dual sided clip/flat pedals and shoes, and a bunch of cycling shorts. Other than that, I don't invest in anything else...if my bike lasts, I will be racing in Kona on my bike, haha.

    Good luck!
  • silversurfah
    silversurfah Posts: 71 Member
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    A few additional thoughts...

    1. Fit on a bike is very important If you have your seat height wrong it will ruin a ride and make you very sore. A small investment and time and a little money at a local bike shop will help considerably.
    2. Consider your route... spend some time with google maps and map out a good route with minimal traffic. Go out in your car and check it out before you do the route.. It's worth the investment in time.
    3. Keep your rides short at first .. Do 10 miles 3 times a week if you can swing it... then increase the mileage to 20 twice a week... before you know it you can throw down a 50 or more on a weekend when you have the time.

    Good luck and enjoy !