Best way to train for a bike ride?

david_swinstead · January 2012

hi there,

ive comitted to doing an 80mile bike ride in a few months for charity, with a few friends.in my younger days i was a very strong cyclist but now at 27, having spent the last 10 years in desk jobs, my cardio is bad all round.

last week i started to do some running (interval training) and found that my stamina was going up very quickly this way, whch made me actually enjoy running for the first time ever.

so i was wondering, seeing as running is more intense than cycling, would continuing to improve my running be a good way to train for the bike ride? i sort of figured that if i can handle running a long distance then i can easily handle cycling it.

or is this overthinking it, and is the bst way to train for a bike ride just to get on the bike and practice?

i ask because, as im enjoying my newfound ability to run, i would like to keep up that training, but not if it wont help me with my bke ride.

i know of course that basically any kind of cardio will help to train for any other kind of cardio in some way, but whats best?

cheers- david

david_swinstead · January 2012

ummm.... bump?

oouurr__aayylleeyycan · January 2012

Bump

judgejava · January 2012

The best way to train for a run is to run.

The best way to train for a swim is to swim

The best way to train for a bike ride is to ride a bike.

Dont overthink things too much, anything other than riding a bike is good cross training but your main training bulk should be the activity you are training for.

Do intervals on a bike not running, do fartlek on a bike, do endurance on a bike.

in short, just ride your bike ;-)

Running uses different muscles than a cycling, train the muscles you need for the activity you want to pursue

Cheers

riders999 · January 2012

got to agree , you are going to have to jump on the bike at some point, 80 miles isnt a cake walk, you can mix it up on a bike with intervals too and certainly doing that will benefit you as much as pure endurance rides

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/training-ride-hard-after-work-29934

this article will give you a good idea of how you can break up your riding sessions.

Ant_M76 · January 2012

There's no substitute for time in the saddle. Start on shortish rides and increase the distance week on week, in incriments of 5 miles. When you hit 40 miles, switch to 10 mile incriments. When you can do 60, you can do 80 IMHO.

Good luck

em9371 · January 2012

hi david,
i agree with above, running increases fitness quickly, but its a totally different activity to cycling and uses different muscles, so really to prepare for a long bike ride you need to practice on the bike, try doing intervals / short faster rides to get your stamina up, and longer slower rides for endurance.
cross training is always good, so it wouldnt hurt to mix it up and throw in a few runs too, just make sure most of your training is on the bike!

Tracey_Smith · January 2012

80 miles on a bike is going to seriously hurt your derriere so you need to get used to it and the only way is to get on your bike I'm afraid.

Anyway, cycling can easily be as tough as running, it just depends on the terrain and the amount of effort you want to put in, I actually found that cycling helps my running so you can't lose x

BerryH · January 2012

Get on that bike! Speaking from experience when I first attempted a triathlon running does not in any way prepare you to cycle.

Get the endurance from a long, slow ride at the weekends, and perhaps think about adding a Spin class to build speed.

As it's low impact, it's great to include alongside running.

lawkat · January 2012

You really should bike. I primarily run and I use biking on my cross training day. I find that it helps with my running and I am slowly building up my biking time. You might want to bike a few days a week to get the endurance you need. You use different muscles for biking and to get to 80 miles you need to train to get there. Trust me, I bike maybe about 10-15 miles and one day I decided to reach this one point and back which ended up being 26 miles around trip. Needless to say, I was in a lot of pain by the end, even with all of my running.

grahamwhist · January 2012

definitely a case of stick to the bike. Running and biking are completely different from a muscle perspective. I did a coast to coast (UK) bike ride last year and was doing 60 miles a day comfortably (ish) this was from a base of nothing and 3 months training rides 3x a week. I cycled to work and back twice a week (20 miles each way) and then went for a longer ride on Sundays (max 50 miles).

You also need to make sure that you keep your energy levels up 80 miles will take you quite some time and i found that it was best to eat high energy stuff frequently (before you need it).

If you are not having to get back in the saddle the day after the 80 miles thing your behind should cope....I agree with a post further down, if you can do 50 - 60 miles you can do 80 with a bit of grit and determination

Good luck

mrkp · January 2012

The best way to train for a run is to run.

The best way to train for a swim is to swim

The best way to train for a bike ride is to ride a bike.

Dont overthink things too much, anything other than riding a bike is good cross training but your main training bulk should be the activity you are training for.

Do intervals on a bike not running, do fartlek on a bike, do endurance on a bike.

in short, just ride your bike ;-)

Couldn't agree more! I also did the coast to coast with Graham, but I hasten to add before the dodgy Movember pic. Just get on the bike and ride. I would also add test out any food/gels/sports drinks on some of your longer rides just to make sure they agree with you.

Good Luck

sillygoose1977 · January 2012

*kitten* in saddle. As much as you can. I ride my bike outside or on a trainer in my living room and try to take as many spin classes as I can.

meghan_cr · January 2012

Any type of cardio is better than no cardio!

But I agree, get on that bike! I have a trainer at home and have found it really great when I just want to pop on the bike for a bit and not commit to braving the elements/etc. Also good way to get some cardio in while watching TV.

Good luck with your ride! 80 miles, wow!

DrIanKellar · January 2012

I jumped from furthest distance of 37km, straight to 200km, and from there to 300km and from there to 600km (400km - 4hrs sleep - 200km). You can do it as long as your bike is comfortable. If I were you, I'd invest in a fitting session at a bike shop that knows what it's doing, or even better, a bike fitting specialist. Once that is cracked, 80 miles is a doddle. You'll be fine.

sheclimber · January 2012

It's all about the saddle time. Running and Biking are two different creatures, which while they will both increase your cardio fitness, nothing is going to prepare your sit bones, legs, back, neck and shoulders for what a long day in the saddle is going to take, Start with where you are comfortable and increase a little each week. Whenever possible ride your bike, whether it be on the trainer or outside so you get the feel of your bike (and if you haven't had a professional bike fit be sure you do, it's worth every penny). And most of all: HAVE FUN!!!!

Mbuhler · January 2012

I think everyone has said it but yes, I will agree to that training has to be sport specific to engage and train the muscles for that activity so... get on that bike!! Doing some cross-training with the running to keep up your cardio base is great especially if you enjoy the running but cut back the number of days and make them interval sessions to boost your cardio. Make your other days your bike days and mix it up between short intense rides, some hill rides (never EVER underestimate even small hills on a long ride b/c if your legs aren't used to doing them, you will get tired quick), and then your longer rides. I did a 150k bike over two days for the local MS society which is a great supportive event. I would do short half to one hour rides 2 days a week after work over hilly terrain and then go out on the weekend for longer rides - each weekend, uping my distance. I did over 2-3 months and by the time the ride came, it was easy breezy and enjoyable (also helped that the weather was fantastic, the terrain relatively flat, and no wind!!). Which reminds me, purposely go out and ride on a really windy day against the wind - also great training. I mix it up where I will do a longer ride going out against the wind and then coming back with it and shorter rides where I go out with the wind and come back against it - hence why these are shorter so I know I can make it back to my house because my legs will be burning!! LOL

Good luck!!!

OH, and in addition to getting a proper bike fit, look at some padded cycling shorts. While they don't stop all the pain, the do help a lot, esp in the beginning if you are not used to sitting on a bike for any length of time.

LiveEnjoyEndure · January 2012

I jumped from furthest distance of 37km, straight to 200km, and from there to 300km and from there to 600km (400km - 4hrs sleep - 200km). You can do it as long as your bike is comfortable. If I were you, I'd invest in a fitting session at a bike shop that knows what it's doing, or even better, a bike fitting specialist. Once that is cracked, 80 miles is a doddle. You'll be fine.

^^^^^^^ Dr Mekon ^^^^^^

has been my biggest encourager... he 'forced' me from cycling 10-15 miles to doing a 120 miles with a 2000m ascent in-a-day. The longest I had done before this was 60 miles, and I was fine. My butt was saw at the end, but I was back in the saddle the next day. I was doing around 15-25 miles a day in prep in the run up period....

I personally do not use any padding or gel saddles ... ride on your pelvic bones on a plain saddle. Even if you don't need to stand in the saddle about every 15 miles. I carry little munchies (banana, flapjack, cereal bars, etc...) with me and of course a bottle of water or a sports drink. I usually try to break a long cycle into 20/30 mile legs, stopping at the end of each leg for a meal.

Remember to smile and enjoy the view :-)

IronmanPanda · January 2012

T.I.T.S - Time in the saddle.

there is no substitute.

engineman312 · January 2012

i agree with the others. there is no substitute for riding the bike. 1-2 long endurance rides a week, and 2-3 shorter interval rides a week will help build your speed and endurance.

look into some strength training, but at this distance, you don't need to do more then 2 strength days a week. you want to increase your distance.

Best way to train for a bike ride?

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