Help out a newbie

sancco
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:08 pm

Help out a newbie

Postby sancco » Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:14 am

I ride for 30 mins each afternoon and used to get my heart rate up quite nicely on the hills, and I'd come home after my ride feeling worn out but refreshed. A few days ago I moved from a heavy comfort bike (26" 1.95) to a lightweight road bike (700x28c) and am now having trouble getting that good workout. I've even tried tackling the biggest hills in my area that I wouldn't have dreamed of riding before on my comfort bike, and still I don't feel as good as I did after doing a small hill on my comfort bike.

Am I riding the wrong way? How do I get a good workout on a light and efficient road bike? How do I get my heart rate up on flats? This road bike is too darn efficient!!!

Thanks in advance for the help!
- User587

User avatar
RonK
Posts: 11508
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: If you need to know, ask me
Contact:

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby RonK » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:55 am

At a guess, 30 minutes riding on a roadie would equate to around 12 - 15km.

To me at least, that is barely a warmup.

Ride faster, longer.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

briztoon
Posts: 1451
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:15 am
Location: Brisbane

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby briztoon » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:17 am

Yup, 30 minutes is a warm up. 2 hours ~50km is a good start, from there it's push yourself harder and faster over the same distance or longer and further.

pawnii
Posts: 536
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Macleod, Melbourne
Contact:

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby pawnii » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:38 am

You could always do hill sprints with high cadance.

Keep it above 160bpm and 200watts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
yes, I'm an overweight weight weenie
2012 Scott Foil Premium

sancco
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:08 pm

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby sancco » Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:33 pm

Thanks for the replies. I don't really have time for 2 hours every day. I used to get a good exercise in 30 mins on my old bike, but now (despite how hard I push myself) I don't feel nearly as well exercised. Am I better off with a mountain bike if my primary goal is exercise? Or is this purely a matter of insufficient cadence+resistance? Thanks

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby jasonc » Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:40 pm

purely for exercise? then use the heaviest thing you can find

or use harder gears.

User avatar
Comedian
Posts: 9166
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:35 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby Comedian » Fri Sep 20, 2013 5:02 pm

Ironically I can't seem to get my heart rate up on my heavy commuter... But have no trouble on the roadie. ;)

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby jasonc » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:25 pm

Comedian wrote:Ironically I can't seem to get my heart rate up on my heavy commuter..
because you only do lazy commutes on it :mrgreen:

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby Mulger bill » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:32 pm

Ride it like a singlespeed, don't change gears.
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

User avatar
nickobec
Posts: 2271
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:51 am
Location: Perth or 42km south as the singlespeed flies
Contact:

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby nickobec » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:23 pm

sancco wrote: I used to get a good exercise in 30 mins on my old bike, but now (despite how hard I push myself) I don't feel nearly as well exercised.
I would argue that if you don't feel as well exercised now as before, either:
1. you are not pushing yourself hard enough
2. your fitness has improved

You need some incentives to keep pushing harder, if you have a smart phone, get on Strava.

Next find somebody else's segments or make your own, what you really want for good interval training is, a few different "courses" for different days of the week or mood. Ideally you want:

8 to 12km circuit or there and back course on a quiet road, you can just hammer. You spend 10 minutes warming up, then ride the course as fast as you can, then spend 5 minutes cooling down. Come back often and try to beat your time.

2km to 3km or so of quiet road. Warm up for 10 minutes, ride your course as fast as you can, turn round ride back to the start at half pace, turn round and do it again and then again, each time trying to be you best time.

Finally find a nice hill 300 to 400m, 5 to 7%, that should take you a minute to climb, warm up for 10 minutes, then sprint up the hill as fast as you can, you want to feel like throwing up at the top, then spend 3 or 4 minutes riding back to the bottom of the hill, repeat and repeat until your 25 minutes is up or you do throw up. But always finish with a 5 minute gentle cold down ride.

Always spend at least 10 minutes warming up and 5 minutes cooling own, to reduce your chances of an injury.

Ride hard often, but not every day.

Always have a time you are trying to beat.

Work hard.

User avatar
foo on patrol
Posts: 9008
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:12 am
Location: Sanstone Point QLD

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:27 am

Simple, you're not trying hard enough. :wink:

Pick out power poles, guide posts, short hills and give it some vegimite. Sprint off hard from lights, stop signs and the like. There is plenty of ways to do it and plenty of advice in the section for training so start reading. :idea:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

User avatar
clackers
Posts: 2065
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 10:48 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby clackers » Sat Sep 21, 2013 1:15 pm

sancco wrote:This road bike is too darn efficient!!!

Thanks in advance for the help!
- User587
Your fitness level means this is now no longer a challenge, Sancco. You need to either accept what you do as maintenance activity or alter your routine. Intervals with an HRM are an efficient use of limited time but suburban streets are not the best place for them. :)

GAV!N
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:14 am
Location: Shoalhaven

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby GAV!N » Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:55 pm

How big and steep are these local hills you're talking about?

Hard, fast, constant, hill repeats for 30 mins should get you're legs working and heart rate up, no matter what bike you're on.

Dimis
Posts: 372
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:27 am

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby Dimis » Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:11 pm

Put a clock on it ;)
Race your times or further your distance in the same time.

I can ride 200km in under 7hrs and not be as "well exercised" as when I ride a mere 15km aiming for sub 20mins times.
It's only 20mins of exercise, but by the end of it, I'm fairly cooked and in need of a time out.

Cycling doesn't get easier, you just go faster.

User avatar
singlespeedscott
Posts: 5510
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:35 pm
Location: Elimbah, Queensland

Help out a newbie

Postby singlespeedscott » Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:34 pm

The most painfull way to improve your fitness, when you have a very limited amount if time to train, is to undertake some Tabata sprint intervals.

After a good 10-15 min warm up sprint as hard as possible for 20 seconds. Coast for 10 seconds. Repeat six to eight times. Warm down

Do these properly and I guarantee you will only see stars and will feel like vomiting. You will definitely feel like you have done a proper workout.
Image

sancco
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:08 pm

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby sancco » Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:17 am

thanks for all the posts, appreciate the feedback.

because of how efficient and fast this bike is, i've gone from a 7km ride to a 19km ride (+170%) and it only takes me 50% longer. this might sound kinda cool, but the problem is that i'm way too fast to safely use the shared cyclepaths now. that, and i breeze through hills very easily. at the moment i'm trying to find a safe route with some hills and sprint sections, but it's very tricky! how do you guys balance safety and speed to get those precious bpm? i imagine living in a densely populated area like newtown would make it nearly impossible! btw i live near meadowbank.

thanks again :)

briztoon
Posts: 1451
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:15 am
Location: Brisbane

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby briztoon » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:44 am

You find safe(ish) roads to ride on. Usually the first half hour or so is spent heading out where ever the good, open roads are. Could be a main road that has a wide shoulder, or heading out to slightly rural areas where there is less traffic.

User avatar
RonK
Posts: 11508
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: If you need to know, ask me
Contact:

Re: Help out a newbie

Postby RonK » Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:07 am

Roadies are for riding on roads. Get out of bed early and ride before the traffic builds up.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users