Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - New Cyclist - A Few Questions

Hi everyone,

I'm brand new to cycling, haven't been on a bike since I was around 12. A couple of months ago me and a friend decided to try and cycle from London to Paris for charity in July. Now I really am ignorant when it comes to any of this so I was wondering if you could help me out.

I'm coming from a year of doing no exercise, smoking 40 cigarettes a day and as I said above no real bike experience so question one is. Am I crazy to think I can get fit enough in time?

Is there any specific way I should set up my training to get the best results in the quickest time or should I just cycle cycle cycle as much as I can?

I have bought the Carrera Crossfire 07 bike from Halfords. Now I know a lot of serious cyclists are not fans of the Carrera brand but this was really all I could afford and I have it now so there we go. I was going to ask if there was anything I can do to the bike to make it easier for me to go further and faster?

These are just random top of the head questions and any advice you feel would help me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Sean.

Get fenders. There's some water between London and Paris. :D

Seriously... what kind of ride is it? How many miles do you estimate you'll cover each day? What kind of pace? Your ability to be ready for it depends on a lot of factors.

Just start out with slow rides.
Rest one day each week
You will get stronger each week
Took 1,000 miles for my legs to get strong, to go fast.

You will have problems and questions.
Ask when they develop.

You dont need to go fast, but you need to keep going for hours on your bike. Extra things to get for your bike - rear rack to carry tools, spare tubes, pump, rainjacket and pants, small handle bar bag for things you want handy (snacks, camera, maps, money), bar ends to give alternate hand position, 2 waterbottles so you can keep sipping as you ride along. Keep riding, increasing saddle time for each ride. Vary the rides some hilly, some flat, and some just slow and easy. Cigarettes wont help your stamina - if you cant quit try nicorette gum. Keep a log of the riding you do. That bike is quite adequate for that ride, but I suggest taking it to a real bike mechanic and have him check the spoke tension in the wheels. Have fun.

I'm not at all familiar with the Carrera brand, it seems to be UK only. But a quick search found some info on it. It doesn't look like an ideal long distance bike, but people have done Paris-Brest-Paris on much worse.

I think the toughest leg will be Dover to Calais. You'll need more than fenders for that, better get water wings for you and the bike. :)

A lot depends on how the ride is structured. Is it in stages, with overnight sleeping arrangements, or is it more like a brevet, where you do the whole thing in one ride? According to Google maps, it's 289 miles from London to Paris, with a 36 mile train ride if you decide not to swim the channel. So that's about 250 miles of actual riding, or about 400km. Not a walk in the park, but plenty of new randonneurs have done 400k brevets in their first year. If it's broken into 2 or 3 days, you certainly should be able to do it.

You should be able to get in shape for that by July, but you'll need to do a lot of riding. Then again, I may not be the most realistic person to listen to, given that I'm planning on getting ready for a 200k in less than 2 months. ;)

First thing to do is to get rid of the cigarettes, though. But I'm sure your Doctor has told you that already. Your cardiovascular system is probably going to be your greatest challenge to get in shape, given your smoking history. I know it's not easy to stop, but you've got to stop doing more damage or you'll probably not be able to get your heart and lungs into condition.

Speaking of Doctors, it would probably be wise to see your Doctor and tell him what you're planning so he can give you a checkup.

As for training, I agree with 10 Wheels. Start out with slow, easy rides 5 or 6 days a week, and build up gradually in both distance and intensity as your body adjusts. Give yourself 1 or 2 days a week of rest. You get stronger when you're resting, not when you're riding. Working out actually breaks down muscles, and they rebuild themselves to be stronger, but they can't do that if they don't get some rest.

If you can, get yourself a heart rate monitor and find info about heart rate training (there's plenty of info on the web). I've seen them as cheap as $35, which would be around 25 UK Pounds. Your heart rate is the best way to see how hard you are really working, and is the best way to make sure you're working hard enough, but not too hard. Given a choice between buying a cyclocomputer to tell you speed and distance, or a monitor to tell you heart rate, you're better off with the heart rate monitor.

Good Luck, and don't hesitate to ask questions as they come up. Also, let us know how things are coming from time to time.

Wow,

Thanks a lot for the fast and detailed replies. I should of explained the ride better. Its 4 days total, 95 miles, 75 miles, 70 miles and 60 miles respectively. I've already quit now. I know, I spent the year travelling around the world and health and fitness gave way to alcohol and dorm rooms lol! Do the wheels make a lot of difference. Is there a type that would make this any easier. Thanks again guys.

Sean.

Wow,

Thanks a lot for the fast and detailed replies. I should of explained the ride better. Its 4 days total, 95 miles, 75 miles, 70 miles and 60 miles respectively. I've already quit now. I know, I spent the year travelling around the world and health and fitness gave way to alcohol and dorm rooms lol! Do the wheels make a lot of difference. Is there a type that would make this any easier. Thanks again guys.

Sean.

What size tires do you now have on the bike?

There's lots of info on my VeloWeb regarding long-distance bikes and riding. Check out the Touring and Randonneuring sections, in particular.

As a two-time cancer survivor, let me congratulate you on giving yourself a better chance of not being one-in-three. (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=915)

If you are under 17 stone (240 lb) the wheels will be OK, provided the spoke tension is up to the max for the rim. Smooth 32 mm tires with pressure 90 psi will give a decent combination of fast rolling and comfort over bumpy sections of the road.

i did london to paris last year in 24 hours. you have plenty of time to get fit. are you doing thios ride in 24 hours (eg non stop) or over a few days?

i'd say just start riding asap. maybe consider getting a training plan to help keep you motivated and on target. you could even target riding a century before hand that way you would be going into the event comfortable that your body is ready for the distances.

Congratulation, which charity are you raising money for and which company has it been booked through. I'm doing the 310 mile route in early June for the MS Trust which is booked through skyline.

I'm not a long distance expert but I do usually ride moderate distances (60-80 miles). Like you I started from an appalling level of fitness and I may actually have been less fit. These are the things I've found in the last 12 months since I started cycling.

1) Get a really comfy saddle - it might cost you £50 but it will be worth it.
2) Get some padded cycling shorts - I've found the decathlon own brand ones to be fine providing you buy the slightly more expensive version.
3) Get some thinner tyres for the bike as they make a real difference
4) Ride lots but don't overtrain.
5) Join a cycling club

It's not so much a case as not being fans of the brand as more the style of bike being less than ideal for long distance road cycling. You'll have considerable extra weight in the suspension and thicker tyres for comfort but increased rolling resistance. Changing these issues would most likely cost nearly as much as you paid for the bike. It's definitely worth training on it but as you put in the miles you'll be able to identify the weak spots and possibly work out what to do with them. If it's not too late could you take the bike back for a refund and try and find a reasonable second hand road bike?