Living Car Free - How much do you ride in a week? How can you adapt to it?

Hi,

I ride about 106km per week.

I am not a cyclist by any means. How can I adapt to it?

I.e stretching and counter balancing exercises?

Diet?

Is that a lot to ride? Should I eat differently? I am eating a lot more bakery goods and high sugar goods

Is that a lot to ride? Should I eat differently? I am eating a lot more bakery goods and high sugar goods

Are you joking? When I started riding a bike as a serious alternative to the auto I could barely make it to the top of the first hill in my neighborhood. Now my riding involves 350km to 450km per week plus riding events. There was a rider on my favorite forum who hit 35,405 km last year; he is 54 years of age. The ability of the body to adapt is amazing.

Hi,

I ride about 106km per week.

I am not a cyclist by any means. How can I adapt to it?

I.e stretching and counter balancing exercises?

Diet?

Is that a lot to ride? Should I eat differently? I am eating a lot more bakery goods and high sugar goods
Your body will eventually adapt to almost anything.

It's probably too late to say this, but I think it's better to start with the most riding you can comfortably tolerate, then gradually increase to reach your target. The usual "rule" is to increase the volume (time and/or intensity) of exercise by only 5 % per week. Everybody says stretching helps, but frankly I think it's optional. I'm not sure what you mean by counter balancing exercises?

It sounds like your diet could use some work. Cut back on the sweets and baked goods. Eat mostly whole foods that are less processed. Fruits, vegetables and nuts contain antioxidants that might reduce inflammation in the muscles and help your body bounce back better from exercise. Try not to go on long rides when you're hungry--you need fuel to get yourself from here to there.

Sounds like you're doing good. May I ask how old you are?

Yes - you will adapt. I started riding 9 miles one way home for a year, 5 days a week. I'd take the bus uphill to work. Then I just started riding the uphill and now do 18 miles a day 5 days a week. (I do average of 3.5 for year - as I don't always ride), but plus errands and commute makes for a lot of miles, and your body will get used to it.

Eat good carbs, potatos, granola, etc. Nothing wrong with donuts occasionally, especially since we all work it off, but keep everything in proportion.

Also tires make a big difference. I get lazy and when I air mine it's amazing

I just began commuting by bike last Dec. I have been biking about 20 miles (32 km) per week and do a lot of Yoga. I went to play basketball yesterday for the first time in a while and was amazed at how week my legs felt. As a result I've begun running a couple times a week to balance my muscles out. Biking and running definitely use muscles differently.

Personally I don't understand how anyone can live without stretching. It will decrease recovery time and soreness and to me it feels great. Do you want to be one of those 65 year old people who can hardly bend over to pick something up from the floor? Just don't stretch too harshly and remember to breathe. You'd be amazed at what 10 minutes a day can do.

I, too, got intense cravings for sweets when I began biking regularly. At first it seemed harmless so I indulged. Four months later I've got a serious sugar addiction going and my digestion has gone haywire. I'll second Rudy's whole food advice. I stick my apple or banana in a wool hat to keep it from getting too smushed in my backpack. Also, use good oils to fulfill your bodies fat requirements, i.e. olive oil, sesame oil, avocados, etc.

I started biking to work last August and average 75-100 miles each week including errands and the like. My body has definitely adjusted, but I have the advantage of having a wife who is really into good quality food. Like Roody, we're pretty well into whole foods and don't eat too much processed stuff. It's interesting, though. I hadn't really noticed any increased interest in sweets until I read it here. Hypochondria? ;-) When my wife was pregnant with our first kid, we learned that your body craves sweets when it's low on protein. I wonder if anyone has noticed that correlation (who isn't pregnant).

I'm completely stressed, haven't quit smoking, drink too much, occasionally do binges of things that I shouldn't. While my relative youth explains away much of my body's adaptability, it has certainly gotten used to cycling. If I need to ride my bike home 10miles at 5am piss-drunk and wacked out after no sleep for 3 days, it will happen, somehow.

Hi,

I ride about 106km per week.

I am not a cyclist by any means. How can I adapt to it?

I.e stretching and counter balancing exercises?

Diet?

Is that a lot to ride? Should I eat differently? I am eating a lot more bakery goods and high sugar goods

100 km/week is a lot. It's far more than the overwhelming majority of the population. There are people who go for a 5 km ride twice a month and list cycling as one of their major hobbies.

100 km/week is minimal. Racers in training, car-free folks who live some distance from work, and various other cycling enthusiasts or fanatics put hundreds of km under their wheels every week.

100 km/week won't take long to adapt to. It doesn't require any adjustments to diet or any training other than just doing it. Still, eating more healthy food is good in its own right.

I'm completely stressed, haven't quit smoking, drink too much, occasionally do binges of things that I shouldn't. While my relative youth explains away much of my body's adaptability, it has certainly gotten used to cycling. If I need to ride my bike home 10miles at 5am piss-drunk and wacked out after no sleep for 3 days, it will happen, somehow.

Dad?

I never did answer the OP's first question. I ride about 75 miles (120 km) a week in the winter. I double that, or more, in the nicer riding weather. Not much compared to most of you, but enough for my needs.

I remember an event that happened a couple years after I started riding that marked a milestone for me. It was late at night, I had just worked a double shift after a long ride that morning, and there was a cold wind against me gusting up to 35 mph. I suddenly decided to ride a few exra miles to a 24 hour store to get milk for my morning coffee. As I passed my house on my way to the store, I realized that I should be very tired, but I was not. My legs just kept going around in fast little circles like a machine, and I hardly noticed that I was working quite hard. I knew then that I could ride as far as I need to, any time and any place. That made me feel real happy and proud!

I found that when I increased my riding my food cravings went towards healthy foods, i.e. fruits. I also wanted water instead of surgary sodas. If you ride long enough and far enough you may start consuming food that will allow you to continue to ride.

I found that when I increased my riding my food cravings went towards healthy foods, i.e. fruits. I also wanted water instead of surgary sodas. If you ride long enough and far enough you may start consuming food that will allow you to continue to ride.

This is very true. I found this as well. Instead of going for a coke or something before a ride, knowing it will dehydrate me or make be have to stop to whiz, I will stay away and eat a few crackers and drink some water and then head out knowing that I can go further eating this rather than some crap. After a ride though, more specifically a long ride, I will get cravings that I sometimes give in to and go to the store to get a chocolate bar. I am up to around 250 km per week now and am eating more fruit than I have most of the winter. I find it refreshing to eat an apple or banana right after a longer ride.

The one thing I have done for most of this semester is drink too much coffee.......get up in the morning and have a cup.....go to class, go fill up go mug.......... go to the lab, go fill up go mug.......... go to seminar, go fill up go mug........ get home rehydrate because I have had too much coffee. Once summer comes around the coffee consumption will go down as it is biking season and early morning rides are a whole lot easier when it is light out.

On the topic of adapting, if you are riding 100 km a week, you are riding quite a bit. Really though that only transfers into roughly an additional 2000-3000 calories a week burned which is a lot but keep that in mind when reaching for those sugary foods and bakery goods. It doesn't take a lot of pastries to equal 3000 calories.

thank you everyone!

Really puts things into perspective - with the counterbalancnig I mean you work certain muscle groups when riding, how do you work the others to balance out your body?

* I shall make some separate threads for my questions

I do circuit training 3 times a week to maintain my core and upper body as well as other muscle groups in my legs.

Dad?

its certainly possible...:o

Dad?

:lol:

How can I adapt to it?
I sometimes think, "I ride so I'll be in better shape to ride."

Everyone is different, so don't measure your improvement by comparing yourself with anyone else. You will improve yourself, and that's what matters. You have to explore your own limits and test them from time to time. Start where you are and stretch your limits.

Rest and recovery is just as important as hard exercise. It's during rest that your muscles are rebuilding themselves to be stronger for the next time out. Eat protein and carbs as part of a balanced diet as soon as possible after riding, before resting. Get enough sleep.

Once in a while, after pushing your limits over and over, you might get really bone tired--the kind of weariness that doesn't go away after a several rest days. If this happens, take it easy and avoid hard workouts until you feel your strength start to come back. (Once, I took six weeks off the bike because I had pushed myself too hard for too long. I try to avoid getting that tired, now.)

Most of all, enjoy yourself. If you enjoy your exercise, you'll look for excuses to get out and do it. If you don't like exercise, you'll find excuses to avoid it, and eventually you'll give it up. Don't let that happen! :D

I used to ride about 15 miles a week. Now I've worked it up to about 60 miles a week.