Fifty Plus (50+) - 50+ Newbie

I'm 56, 5'10" and weigh 225. Trying to lose some weight, as I feel pretty good at 190-200.

I was on here a while back, seeking advise on a bike. Finally bought a Trek 7200 hybrid. I've only had it a couple of weeks but I'm already thinking of another one. :)

I'm only riding between 2-3 miles on it for now, around the neighborhood. The tops of my thighs burn but it eventually goes away.

I'm looking for a training regimen. Recommendations as to how to progress towards doing longer rides. I'm in pretty bad shape, though no injuries. I'm just flabby. I'm a diabitic but mildly so, controlled with pills and no insulin. Bad diet.

I know the suggestion is ride and I'll get in shape. Anything else?

Lastly, I have a computer on the bike. What cadense should I be looking at? My area is relatively hilly but just small hills. Lots of small rolling hills almost anywhere. I live in Fullerton, CA., close to St. Jude hospital.

Thanks,

Mirko

Ride, but mix in some situps and stretching at home. Do some light weights, and stay away from the potato chips.

You sound a lot like me Mirko. I'm 50, 6' tall and weigh 230lbs (according to my converter - I'm 105kg on my girlfriend's scales). Fit? HA!

Firstly, go have a yarn with your doctor. You'll be pushing your heart up to its limits and while this isn't a bad thing, it's not a bad idea to get a regulation reprimand from your doctor.

Second, cycling on its own is not going to take off much weight - you need to sort out what you're eating as well. I'm someone who listens to his body and I've noticed that I'm eating quite differently now, so I'd suggest you just make sure you eat well for the time being. Remember, you need to fuel your body so a 'diet' isn't a good idea.

Now, the fun bit.

Like you, I live in a hilly area though it sounds like my countryside is a bit more aggressive than yours - the only flat bit on my rides is the driveway. If you don't have a bike carrier for the car, get one. It allows you to drive to different places (like FLAT ones) and then go for your ride. Although I base my rides from home, I've used my carrier so much it now lives in the back of the wagon, but it helps that my girlfriend is a learner so we have to go looking for safe, flat, cyclepaths.

I got back on the bike three months ago. On my first ride, I went 3 km (sorry for the metric but it's what we speak here in Oz) - it lasted 11 mins and I was STUFFED. Seriously. Fit I was not. I built that up to 20 min rides and held that until I started to feel the urge to go further. Now I started to think about strategy.

Basically, I ride a standard distance during the week, sometimes slow and easy, sometimes pushing it. Then, on the weekend, I choose a longer distance and go for that. When my body tells me I'm ready, that longer distance becomes my weekly standard and so on.

So, going back to my appalling base, I started riding 20 mins each day (well, most days, let's be honest here eh?). My long distance was 10 km. Pretty soon (you gain leg strength and breathing very quickly), I was doing the 10 km rides during week and planned a 20 km for the weekend. However, I started to chaffe a bit at the 10km rides so extended them a bit to 12 km (just added a dog leg to my loop). When the 20 km ride started to appear during the week, I pushed my long ride up to 30 ... by choosing a loop that featured a climb that was nearly vertical - I don't recommend this (man it hurt).

The 20km loop takes me about an hour. An hour is as long as I can reasonably find during the week so that'll probably remain my mid-week standard. Yesterday (sat), I did a 32 km loop and backed it up today with a 40km loop - all in that hilly country I mentioned earlier. Needless to say, my legs feel a tad weary but when I think that three months ago I struggled to do 3 km, I'm happy.

There are three things that I consider 'secrets' to my success, and I do regard it as success.

Firstly, listen to your body. If your body doesn't want to go for that ride, don't - note, that is different from your mind suggesting a cup of coffee and a chocolate donut as an alternative. My rides after the long trips have all be light sessions, not pushing at all. Mid week, I put in a hard ride. During the week, not thinking I'd get out this weekend, I decided to go for a long ride. About 5km into it, my body just wasn't interested so I turned for home BUT went hard, real hard - got my highest average speed so far of 25km/hr. Your body know's best, learn to read it ... and that takes time.

Second, get your bike fitted properly and keep an eye on it. There is a huge amount of efficiency to be had in a properly set up bike, or rather, a lot of energy wasted if it doesn't fit. Get that right, especially the seat height, even if it means bugging your local bike shop.

Third, cadence. Learning to spin a decent cadence has produced a revolution in my riding. The books all talk about 90 rpm. I don't know where that number comes from but it seems to work for me now. When I first started chasing that cadence, it nearly killed me. My legs were whirling at something the otherside of 'destruct' and I was puffing and blowing like an old steam train. I got around this on a flat ride, very low gears and sheer pig headedness. I wouldn't give up and very quickly, my legs got used to it. I still puff and pant a bit but today I noticed that my breathing was really only laboured on climbs. Use your gears to keep the cadence up and that means changing gears a lot - don't be tempted to just fight your way up the last bit of the climb, change down and then change up again at the top.

My son complained about three weeks back that I was riding too slow. Part of that was the fact that we were riding into a nasty northerly and the little brute was sheltered behind me, but part of it was leg strength. I wanted to keep the cadence up but was also working on keeping my leg effort down - this is how you keep that heart rate down.

For most of the last three months, it's felt like I've been trying hard and, although getting places, it was a struggle just to do the right things - cadence, effort, etc. To be honest, you need a certain level of fitness to be able to ride gently enought to build a certain level of fitness. I'm only now capable of riding basic fitness programs designed for unfit old blokes like me - I believe the people writing them, although very caring, have just forgotten what it's like to be unfit. And you're asking your body to learn a lot of skills it had forgotten.

Keep working at it. Take it easy and listen to your body. Don't be scared to get off and walk (I do it all the time, though a lot less now). Use your bike at every opportunity. You'll get there. Keep a record of every ride - it allows you to look back at how you're improving and reminds you of just how horrid you felt back then.

After that first appalling ride three months ago, I was ready to toss it all in. Today I rode 40 km, was able to modulate my effort so I was able to walk right into the house and talk to Dad on the phone (bragging about my ride of course). My legs are tired, but they were this time yesterday too and look what I did today. I can maintain a decent cadence (in the eighties and low nineties) throughout the ride except for when I run out of gears - bottom gear gets used a lot on my rides, but I don' t have a granny gear. I've already started to plan a 50 km ride for two weekends time - why not next weekend? I can't dammit. On the downside, I've only lost 5kg.

Richard

Only one way to get fitter on a bike and that is to use it. Sounds as though you are doing that as often as you can but it is the only way.

I know when I could not ride a bike through an injury- I had to find an alternative exercise. Walking did that for me. Every day I would walk into town and back. Only a mile or so and the first day I was slow. Then I gradually got faster until I got myself just breathing hard for most of the distance. It got the legs and lungs back into shape, and when I could finally get back on the bike- I had not lost too much fitness.

If you are finding Cycling difficult- Then try walking. 1 mile walking will equal 3 or 4 miles cycling if you put just enough effort into it.

I appreciate you all putting so much effort in answering my post. It really means a lot. I'm going to go 3 miles tomorrow but take it easy at the same time. 80-90 cadense seems like a whole lot! I'll try it though.

Mirko

Don't fuss too much about cadence just yet mate. Get some miles in your legs first and work on using your gears to minimise effort - that's why they're there. Once your regularly doing something like a half hour ride, then you can start fussing with cadence. At this stage, just try to survive the distances you're doing. A cadence of 90 is the goal, not an imperitive.

Richard

Ride, but mix in some situps and stretching at home. Do some light weights, and stay away from the potato chips.

Instead of situps (which can harm one's lower back) do crunches instead, with your feet raised - I put mine at 90 degrees with the heels sitting on a chair, a la George Forman.

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And then, ride, ride and ride some more.

I started riding when I was 58 in March of 1998. I did 7 milers, and when I got to 15 miles I thought I had circumvented the world! Then I rode some more, and by June I had ridden 1,100 miles (on a mtn bike) and participated in the "Ride the Rockies" in Colorado - about 400 miles in one week over Colorado passes. Now I have 30,000+ miles under my wheels.

Ride, ride and ride some more. When you are regularly doing 20 mile rides - this is the time for some more training tips.

And, weight loss will not occur very effectively without a diet change. I use Weight Watchers. Use what you like, but get rid of all junk food, sugar-filled drinks (cokes, orange/apple juice, etc.,) and eat only whole grain carbs, and not too much of that. Veggies and fruit and lean meats are IN.

Weight Watchers has more long-term success than any other program.

The high cadence isn't for everyone, but it is a good way to protect your knees. It has to be learned, and this takes time and practice. Your knees also have to adapt to cycling, give them time. When starting out, a lot of flat rides with a lot of spinning and your knees will thank you later. I'm 210#, heavier than people I ride with, but I can spend 10-12 hours in the mountains and have no knee problems. I believe this in part comes from using low gears and spinning.
Cycling is great because you can do it your whole life and you can ride solo or with friends, so there's no excuse not to.

I often take riders out for their first real ride. I do not know what they are like so I always keep the pace down, until they prove what they can do. I have had a couple that are no where near fit, but within 3 months of getting out they are beginning to make real progress. It is surprising what a difference 3 months can make. I think that with the low milage taht you are doing- the thing is to do it as often as possible. 3 or 4 times a week on a 3 mile circuit and although it may seem hard at first- by the end of a fortnight- you will notice an improvement. That is the time to push a bit harder or increase the milage to a couple more. Take it at your pace- Even if this is just turning the pedals initially. As to cadence- Don't worry about it. Those of us that have been riding years will have a higher cadence and even we have had to learn that. If you just turn the pedals to feel comfortable- even if it is very low- then that is what you do. Now when you start doing the 25 milers- then we will start urging you to get the cadence up. Till then- Just get yourself fit and comfortable on a bike.

All I can add is: if the idea appeals to you, group/club rides at a pace you find comfortable (or just a bit beyond your comfort level) can be an enjoyable way to get more miles in the saddle -- hence more fit. If there are at least a few active clubs in your area you should be able to find rides for any ability level.

The social aspect and regular ride schedule can be good motivators. The regularity in particular might be all the "training regimen" you need, especially living where winter is not an issue (unlike here). As a result of regular club rides 2-4 times a week I am riding more, faster, and farther than I thought possible when I re-entered biking a few years ago.

mirkee,

Based on my experience, there's a lot of good information here. I'm 6'2" and started out at 225 lbs a little over a year and a half ago. I'm now at 170 lbs, and the wife says I'm too skinny. My home is in Louisiana, but I'm working in Arkansas; therefore, I'm not at home eatin' mamma's cookin'. I'm a lousy cook, a cheapskate, and lazy, so I eat Lean Cuisine, and Healthy Choice dinners, and there's not too many dishes to wash. Oatmeal for breakfast. Bananas for snacks at work. I don't do chocolate, junk food, cokes, or snacks, all of which I dearly love, any more. Also, I don't smoke anymore; although I cheat some with chewing tobacco. During daylight saving time, I rode 12 to 20 miles after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I did a good long ride on Saturdays. When I first started riding, I rode for distance and average speed and didn't pay any attention to cadence and still don't. I started out riding whatever I could do. I use the gears to keep from straining the knees and wearing out too soon. I keep a log in a little spiral notebook so I'll know how I'm doing over time. I don't ride from where I live because this town isn't as bike firendly as one just south of here. I'll load the bike in the truck and head for safer environs. Actually, I didn't get back on the bike to lose weight. I did it to have something to do since I have no yard to mow, firewood to cut, berries to pick etc. My better half, my house, my cat, my dog, my boat, my guns, and most of my tools are 8 hours south of here, so I needed something to do to stay reasonably sane. What I've read in the posts above sounds pretty good to me, including rides with a group. Just ride, watch what you eat, and work up to the level you want.

I am also an advocate of high cadence, but if you don't have
fun the biking and what biking can do for you just won't happen.
Mashing (low cadence) works fine for some people. I'd second
the suggestion to see your Doc and make sure you are OK for
strenous work (should I have said play?). After enjoying biking
for a while consider workouts in a gym. The feedback from riding
improvements due to weight training can be addictive.