Commuting - Am i trully the worst shape on this board?

I ride 3 miles and thats about it for the day im hurting. Is there anyone in as bad shape as me? I am so frustrated

Baby steps, everybody starts somewhere. Keep up the good work and the miles will add up quickly.

I started at 5 miles and it hurt - a lot. Keep riding, eat right and you will be very happy with what happens.

Also, make sure your bike is adjusted properly. When I first bought a bike I bought one on sale that was a little small for me... the girl who sold it to me mentioned it but I was the next size up wasn't on sale so I went with it. A few days later I figured if I'm riding as much as I planned to I better get a bike that fit me. I went back to exchange it and wanted to go through the fitting process but it there were different people there who said it didn't matter, it was all about "comfort". Honestly I hadn't been cycling in over 10 years so I didn't have much of a basis for what was comfortable. I figured I could ride it without feeling awkward and it was fine. Meanwhile my 4.5 mile ride home from the light rail station, which featured some fairly heavy climbing, was kicking my behind and I figured I was out of shape. After about three weeks it was still killing me and I was really frustrated that I my conditioning wasn't improving. Finally a friend mentioned that the saddle height should be adjusted so you can fully extend your leg on the pedal without shoes, and have it slightly bent with shoes. I adjusted it and immediately it made a huge difference. No more aching knees or fatigued legs. Thinking about it, it makes sense you should be able to get more of your leg into the pedaling stroke... not doing so puts more strain on your knees. Now I'm not even considering taking my bike the light rail and riding 11-14 miles each way on a regular basis.

3 miles is better than no miles.

It's going to get easier. The advice cycronin (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php/306603-cycronin) gave is excellent. I would add to make sure your tires are properly inflated and that you're not riding in too hard a gear (or on a bike suited more for trails than streets). Other than that, it's just time in the saddle. When I first picked up riding again as an adult I decided to start by going to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things. I was red faced, panting and wheezing and dripping in sweat when I got there. The store itself was only two miles away. Now it's just a quick zip up the street.

I promise, it's going to get easier as long as you keep plugging away at it.

I started at 5 miles and it hurt - a lot. Keep riding, eat right and you will be very happy with what happens.

+1

Keep after it, it gets better. I started commuting in May, 6 miles each way. My times have come down and I'm riding in a higher gear most of the time already, but I'm still not quite ready for full time all the time yet. I was really hoping to go 5 out of 5 this week commuting. I have done Mon-Wed, but my legs need a break, I'm going to keep the longer goal of car-free commuting in mind and listen to my body. I need to sleep well tonight and hit it hard again on Friday. I'm already to the point where I need a full mile to get warmed up, but I intend to get much better. Keep after it, you can do it too.

In the next couple of weeks, I hope to beat the 5 commutes in a week goal.

Thank you everyone. I get so frustrated.I am on the bottom of a small hill no matter which way i go i have to go up it. good news its fun on the way back .

When I started commuting, my shortest route was 4.5km each way (a little more than 2.5 miles), and I walked the last 1-1.5km for weeks. I'm now up to a nice long 10km (each way), with barely breaking a sweat, except for the heat, of course. Unfortunately, I still really haven't lost any weight, but my waistline has shrunk a few inches, and I've gained a LOT of muscle. And I feel better, to boot!

When I started commuting, my shortest route was 4.5km each way (a little more than 2.5 miles), and I walked the last 1-1.5km for weeks. I'm now up to a nice long 10km (each way), with barely breaking a sweat, except for the heat, of course. Unfortunately, I still really haven't lost any weight, but my waistline has shrunk a few inches, and I've gained a LOT of muscle. And I feel better, to boot!thats awesume they say cutting the waist line is a very healthy thing to do.mine is still 34 i have a spare tire and a jack in there

Heh, I have no illusion of ever being a 34. My doc says my pelvis will never let me be much smaller than a 36. I'd just like to lose the fat patty above my current 38. The jello between my legs is almost gone, too, but I have huge (Scottish) thighs.

I was 38 inches at the waist and 104kg. Now I'm 32 inches, 85kg have little body fat left (lots of empty skin though), and can ride 100 miles in the weekend and still ride 30km every morning and commute on top of that. It just takes time. But when you get there.... the feeling is great. You also get to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes. It is very nice never to be puffed or tired no matter how fast you walk.

...soooooo....how many miles this year? I get the impression not a lot, so be encouraged the only way anyone gets lots of miles is putting them on one at at time. Some very good advice in the previous posts so I can't add to that. Just enjoy the ride and gradually put 1/2 mile extra on when you are feeling ok.

I ride 3 miles and thats about it for the day im hurting. Is there anyone in as bad shape as me? I am so frustrated

Be patient with yourself. You're out there doing it, which is actually a big deal. It really pays to pace yourself at first. If you're too ambitious all at once, one of two things will happen: you'll hurt yourself and have to stop, or you'll get frustrated and quit. Like the man said: baby steps. My parents in Kentucky have a neighbor who now bicycles 100 miles like it's nothing. He told me that, a few years ago, he couldn't walk around a high school track without getting severely winded and worried that he'd have a heart attack. But he went back to the track every day, started running a bit, and then got on the bike and started working that into his daily schedule as well. It can be done; all you need is persistence, time, and realism. It's not going to happen all at once, but it will happen.

Give yourself six months. In six months you will see a huge improvement if you keep at it. Just keep adding a little more distance and or speed at intervals as you think you can do it. Eventually the distance and speed become normal and you just keep increasing the goals. One month of 3 miles, one month of 5 miles, The next 7-10 miles. eventually you will be covering long distances with ease. :)

patience and perseverance

Thank you everyone. I get so frustrated.I am on the bottom of a small hill no matter which way i go i have to go up it. good news its fun on the way back .



Maybe consider walking your bike up the first hill. You're currently hitting the hill before you're even warmed up, walk it for now as a warm-up and see if that helps with the cycling.

And the only "ranking" here is in the mileage thread, and even in there it isn't a competition for most people.
Enjoy the ride, improve your health, and don't worry about anything else.

If you are riding a mt bike, put some smooth tires on it, huge difference in terms of rolling resistance.

Check your air pressure before every ride. Higher pressure is less resistance. Tires lose a couple of lbs overnight. Other than that just keep riding.

Height and weight? Age? Just cruious I have seen your post about how much you struggle for a while and and I'm just trying to comprehend what the issue is. Stop drinking soda and stop eating junk food.

258776

Jeezy creezy. Just settle down and improve at your own pace. Stop measuring yourself against the hardcore people here.

I came into biking after a few years of running, but I did have a similar experience with running...

When I first started out running, I counted how many telephone poles (on the side of the road) I would run. I would run the distance of two poles, then walk two poles, then repeat. Soon I moved up to run two poles, walk one pole. 6 months later, I ran my first half marathon (13 miles).

Moral of the story: stick with it, you will improve really quickly!

Check Sheldon Brown's page about gears and cadence. I thought that having a higher gear = more effort = more exercise, but apparently, it doesn't really work that way. Find a gear that fits your natural cadence, and things will improve a lot - worked for me!

Edited to add:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

I ran into an older couple the other day who were touring, and they thought 30 miles a day was really pushing it. I commute 30 miles every day without even thinking about it. Everyone has their own pace. Don't worry about it.

I sure was. Hang in there.

2 years ago I started bike riding at age 64. I tried to ride 2 miles and had to stop three times to rest. Today, 2 years later, I am riding 18 miles non stop. Take heart. Keep riding. It only gets better.

Thank you again everyone. Lots of good advice

2 years ago I was in the worst shape on this board. a 3 mile commute one way seemed like a huge accomplishment then. Just pedal at the speed of fun and you will be ready for many more miles in just a few weeks. It gets worse, after a few months you start to daydream about touring on the ride in to work.

Like others have said, it takes time. My first commute was a ten mile round trip. The first couple of times I rode it I could hardly make it up the small hill on the street before I hit home. I had to walk it, and it took me an hour. There was also this huge hill right at the start of my ride that I hated, but I would zoom down at about thirty at the end of my ride. Loved that hill. XD By the time I got to the fourteen mile round trip commute to a different job, I was taking the hills on my highest gear and had cut my time down to half an hour for seven miles. I'm still working on getting back to that from having sat on my butt all fall and winter last year, but the current commute added on another two miles round trip that I'm enjoying.

Point of the babbling is, you're going to make it. And you'll feel awesome when you realized that you plowed up that hill and didn't think about it. :D

OP, you're definitely not alone. In January I started a new job that's 10 miles from home. Before that my job was 3 miles away. I rode there pretty regularly. I tried the 10 mile route and it about killed me. I got discouraged and since have only gone on shorter rides for fun or to the store. I might be starting another new job in August that's again only 3 miles away so I plan on eventually riding almost every day and beginning again to build up my strength and endurance.

Some days 3 miles is all I can do. My average day is 7-16 miles, and I've been riding for years. I do carry a load, at times, though, and even pull a trailer. :)

Keep riding. 3 miles will turn into "just riding around the neighborhood" or "just barely a warm-up".

So what if I said you were the most out of shape here. It may be true, it may not be. Doesn't really matter. "Do your best and forget the rest"1 :) "Get out of your head about it. Just show up."2
This is about you and your goals. It's about you doing them the best you can and at the pace you feel is your best. Everything else is utterly pointless and inconsequential.

1,2These lines unabashedly stolen from Tony Horton ;)

Check Sheldon Brown's page about gears and cadence. I thought that having a higher gear = more effort = more exercise, but apparently, it doesn't really work that way. Find a gear that fits your natural cadence, and things will improve a lot - worked for me!

Edited to add:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

This is pretty important. I actually just switched to a nuvinci, so I'm always at my ideal cadence. I don't usually accelerate as fast, but my top speed is a little higher and I have better endurance. I started biking 3 months ago after a few years off and just yesterday I went 42 miles! (I was exhausted, though)

Anyway, keep it up. Remember that breaks will help your body get stronger faster. Hard day, easy day, medium day, easy day, hard day...

Stick with it. March of 2011 I took up cycling for the first time in a couple of decades and more seriously than ever before. My first rides were 5 miles or so through residential neighborhoods and I would have to flop on the couch and moan when I got home. Had a lot of stiff muscles and went through a lot of Advil the first couple of months. This morning I did 50 miles through rolling hills and feel great. Legs are a bit tired but will be fine by tomorrow morning.

"Get out of your head about it. Just show up."
1,2These lines unabashedly stolen from Tony Horton ;)

Wonderful quote and totally correct. :thumb:

Do what these folks say and in a month there will be lots of us in worse shape than you. We ride because we enjoy it. :thumb:

Jeezy creezy. Just settle down and improve at your own pace. Stop measuring yourself against the hardcore people here.

Yeah, it can be a little discouraging. Be patient w/yourself. Been doing this for over 25 years now and when I think of where I started compared to where I am it makes me thankful that I stuck with it. Vital signs, cholestral numbers, heart and overall health wouldn't be where they are w/o cycling. No doubt.

Over the last 2 years have been through a binary blood clot, bi-polar 2 hypomania episode, head trauma w/brain bleed in 3 places from a car accident(not my fault, thankfully) and this past fall a vicious case of meningitis coupled w/encephalitis that lasted over 6 weeks. Attribute the ability to survive all that to a solid base of conditioning from commuter/utility cycling. My recreation mileage is so negligible I don't even count it towards positive health effects. Though, it probably contributes.

The point I'm trying to make here is one never knows when or where one's consistant cycling will show up in health emergencies. Build up a solid base and enjoy yourself. Try not to look ahead too far.

Keep it up! You'll get there. I started out at 6 miles and that was pretty killer for me. Recently, I was able to do 60 miles comfortably less than a year later. The more you love riding, the better you'll get at it :thumb:

When my wife started, she was all out to do 2 miles. After 9 months, she can do our regular 15 mile evening ride pretty easy. She still needs rest stops to do 30, but it gets easier all the time.

(I started riding with her and being fairly active had a bit of an advantage, but I'm also still steadily improving. And I need to. Went out with my younger brother today and he was riding an old, borrowed mountain bike. He still schooled me. I have a long way to go.)

It will get better, use your bike for everything and it will be less of a chore and more fun.

I'm also working my way up, with my gradual transition into running also helping.

Before a year ago I was super out-of-shape. I was around 215 and wearing 38 pants, using the 4th to last hole on the belt. I was never athletic or really active AT ALL. Then last fall I started walking with some gradual running. I actually went through somewhat of a "life change" last summer in that I now live barefoot almost all the time except while at work. Going barefoot inspired me to get outside and be active more, which led to walking and running. Last fall I could barely run 45 seconds without feeling like I was going to die. Now I have run as much as 14 solid minutes and a complete mile, almost always barefoot.

Then a couple of months ago I started getting heavily obsessed with bike riding, after my nice KHS bike hung up on the wall for most of the last 6 years. No, I don't bike barefoot (that hurts), but I still owe the desire to be on the bike to my change to a barefoot lifestyle last year. I can somewhat easily do 8-10 miles just around town, but I normally barely average 11 mph.

Today I'm down to 193, and my 38 pants literally fall off of me. I'm down to a 36 (34's are still just a tad snug), and down to the second to last or sometimes last hole on the belt with certain pants. I still have a bit of a spare tire, but honestly I'm not sure if I'll ever get rid of that due to the curvature of my spine (family trait).

I really want to get to the point where I feel like I can commute to work, a 29 mile round trip. I think the nature of the roads and terrain is what's holding me back at this point. I live in a pretty hilly area, and the only road choices between home and work is the interstate, or 2-lane rural roads (no shoulder) with a fair amount of traffic going 40-60 mph.

Hey windchaser - just remember: you're on a bike ride! It should be fun, and each ride is rewarding in its own way. Maybe you see some wildlife, maybe you smugly roll by a traffic snarl, maybe you get to the top of that hill in 2nd instead of 1st - seek the reward and it will find you have no doubt.

Best thing to do is keep spinning!

I've been commuting nearly 2 years and I still have plenty of days when my 7 miles kills me. And there's plenty of days (windy wet ones in particular) it's anything but fun. Also I haven't lost any weight, probably even put some on! But I'm not stopping. Sitting in your car, sitting in the office, back in the car, and then sitting on your couch is not the way we're meant to live. Even if you don't see it or feel it, believe it... it makes a difference.

This is pretty important. I actually just switched to a nuvinci, so I'm always at my ideal cadence. I don't usually accelerate as fast, but my top speed is a little higher and I have better endurance. I started biking 3 months ago after a few years off and just yesterday I went 42 miles! (I was exhausted, though)

How do you like the nuvinci hub? It seems like an interesting concept, but I've never ridden one.

The style of bike can impact your comfort too. I can't stand road bikes for example. They hurt my shoulders, neck and elbows very quickly. Give me a mt. bike or my glorified cruiser bike commuter instead.

Consider borrowing bikes of different styles to try 'em out. There might be one that hurts less and is more fun. It IS supposed to be fun after all. Bike fit will make a difference in how efficient and painless your commute can be.

I also like the warm up comments. It takes me at least 15 minutes to get warmed up on the bike and feeling good.

Stick with it. I remember my legs shaking like crazy walking up the stairs after my ride to work when I started commuting. That went away after a few months.

Only fiddle with one thing at a time, but do fiddle. Fiddle with the seat height, stem height and any and all other adjustments you can make on your bike. As you get each adjustment dialed in to fit you riding will feel better and you can move on to the next adjustment. If you fiddle with more than one thing at a time you won't know if it was seat height, seat fore-aft adjustment or seat angle that made the difference.

Little things can make a difference. I have found that I need my feet angled on the pedals to match my natural walking foot placement on the ground. If my feet are straight fore and aft on the pedals it causes twinges in my knees. You will have to experiment to see what fits you.

I once heard that a pro racer's mechanics decided to play a joke on him during a training ride to see if he would notice. They raised his seat height one millimeter. ... He noticed.

Don't quit. You'll get it dialed in. Both the adjustments to the bike; and your own conditioning.

My sweet little 90-year-old grandma did a century this morning in 102 degree heat, and that was right before hitting the weight room for a 3-hour workout. Now, are we motivated? Nothing less than 110% from you will be acceptable!

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6124/5953184798_9e7a413161.jpg

(I hope this helps. Hang in there. If you are in good health, it will only get easier.)