lootcorp

Hi all -

I have recently started cycling (33yo, only previous cycling experience was riding around in college and such 10 years ago). I have read a bunch about long distance cycling and randonneuring, and it appeals to me very much. My immediate goal is to ride a century, which I hope to complete early Spring of 2011. After that, I'd like to start working my way up to brevets and other longer rides.

My question is - what can I do now, when I have just started, to achieve this goal (beyond the obvious "ride your bike!") I guess my fear is falling into bad riding habits now which will make it harder to do long distance rides later on.

I have no experience with group rides, drafting, pacelines, etc... Currently I am working on getting comfortable with my bike (hybrid - Giant Escape), learning my way around clipless pedals, building a base level of fitness (working out both on and off the bike). I have gone from a two mile ride my first day to a twenty mile ride (felt great afterwards), and am now making plans to include a morning 10 mile loop on weekdays combined with gradually longer weekend rides as my schedule permits.

Are there any good training guides out there? I have some from some long distance rides I've found online, but they focus on ride distance and off-bike fitness - they don't talk much about nutrition during training, posture on the bike, and what makes "quality training miles" as opposed to just being out for a ride.

I realize this is a question that cannot really be answered by a quick forum reply - but maybe someone could point me to some good books or websites which can help me on my journey.

Thanks much!!

Jim

StephenH

1) Ride your bike. Get lots of miles on it. Figure out what it's good for, what you don't like. If anything's going to break, let it break now rather than later on your first brevet.
2) Ride on hills, don't avoid them.
3) Work on speed. You don't need to be fast to do randonneuring, but being slow makes it all harder. It also means you ride by yourself all day.
4) Ten miles isn't very much. Get some good lights, go longer.
5) Don't just ride when it's nice, try to ride year-round. If it's too miserable outside, do something inside.
6) For ten miles, you don't need nutrition on a ride. For 20 or 30 miles, you don't need nutrition on a ride.
7) Go ahead and join RUSA (membership will carry over into into next year, I think). That will get you the rando handbook. And you can, at your convenience, check into the shorter permanents (if any) in your area in the meantime.

10 Wheels

Ride as much as you can.

Ask questions when you have problems.

Take a day off when necessary.
You will get stronger each week.

Bacciagalupe

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-.../dp/1579541992

Some of the info is outdated, but it's a pretty good place to start, and will be more organized and comprehensive than just gathering info from a web forum.

10 Wheels

Once you get in some 50-60 mile rides you can join a club.

lootcorp

Cool, thanks guys. I know 10m is nothing, but I'm still learning the area roads, getting used to the bike, etc... so I figured I'd start with a modest loop and expand it from there. How do you guys fit in all the training? I'm working/commuting from 7am-8pm on weekdays, which doesn't leave a lot of time except for early mornings. I'm going to try to utilize that time as much as possible, but that's at max only 1 or 1.5 hours/day (excluding weekends) - is that enough?

Looking into buying a trainer for bad weather days (here in New England I expect to be snowed/slushed/iced in for at least part of the winter) - specifically the Cycleops Fluid 2 - anyone have any experience with these?

I'll check out the book and try and get my hands on the RUSA handbook - thanks for the tips!

seenloitering

If you do about 1 hour 2-4 times a week, hard riding, intervals and so forth, then do a long ride on the weekends, increasing the distance 10% every week, you should be fine. Everyone is different, of course, but this is an average light workout regime that will build what you need to comfortably finish randonneuring events - adjust for your personal needs.

OneIsAllYouNeed

The Cycleops Fluid 2 is a great trainer. Don't buy it, though. Just get out and ride whenever it's practical. Buy warm cycling clothes instead. Here's an approximate shopping list, assuming you already have shorts, a technical shirt or jersey, and cycling shoes:
1. A good cycling-specific rain coat
2. Tights (cycling or running -- you'll wear them over your cycling shorts)
3. Wool socks
4. Winter cap that fits under your helmet (the ones with visors and ear flaps are a good investment)
5. Long sleeve technical base layer (a polyester long undershirt is fine)
6. Water-proof winter gloves (ski gloves are great)
7. Neoprene booties

Visit your local outdoors store (REI, EMS, etc) to see stuff in person. Or shop online and save some money.

Get out and ride. It's better preparation for long distance riding than sitting in your garage on your bike wondering why you're sitting in your garage on your bike.

If you decide you're going to ride on ice, get some studded tires. I'm a fan of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106, which will fit your bike.

When you get to longer rides, bring some food with you, and maybe a sports drink. Granola bars, bananas, trail mix, sandwiches, and energy bars are all good portable foods. Some of them won't be good at extremely low temperatures, but you'll figure that out soon enough.

slide23

I got rid of my car and moved farther away from work. This was while I lived in Vermont. It is entirely doable to keep riding when the weather turns into New England Hell. There is no bad weather, only bad gear.

Regarding that training time, if you remain focused on your training, then yes, that is plenty of training time. Just make sure to get in one good, long ride on the weekends. The aforementioned book on long distance cycling is an excellent resource by some of the original masters. One of the contributors had a schedule about as constricted as yours yet went on to win the RAAM.

Here is another link on how to build up to your target mileage.

bobbycorno

8) Find the nearest rando club (check RUSA.ORG). Find out when their next 200 or populaire is, and set yourself the goal of completing it. That'll give you the incentive you need to get ready for it.

9) RIde your bike.

10) Ride your bike.

11) Ride your bike.

SP
Bend, OR

ps - THe best of success to you. (I'm with Thomas Jefferson on luck, "The harder I work, the more of it I have."

lonesomesteve

Is commuting by bicycle an option for you?

My daily commute is about 16 miles round-trip and it constitutes the vast majority of the "training" I do. My wife is in grad school and working which leaves me to cook, clean and keep the kids out of jail. That leaves very little time for riding, so I make the most of my commute and try to get in a long ride once a month. It was enough training to get me through an SR series and a 1200k this summer.

StephenH

It makes a big difference where you're starting from, too. If you're young, already athletic and fit, then you can probably hop on a bike the first time and outride me. If you're like some of us, old, fat, and out of shape, it takes more doing.

I'm commuting and working from 6-5 basically, sometimes a bit later dependin on traffic. So I can get an hour in easily when daylight savings time is in effect. After that, I'm riding with lights. Kids are out of the house, wife doesn't much care if I'm here or not, so I've got time to ride if I'll only take it. I normally try to do a 20-mile route from my house. And I'm here in Texas, so mostly, there's no snow problems or sub-zero weather.

Don't be afraid to go try longer rides when you have opportunity. Usually, it's not so much a matter of if you can do it, but how long it's going to take you. I rode a lot of charity rides before I got into randonneuring, and they're a good excuse to get out and ride. I've also ridden a non-drop bike shop ride on Saturday mornings off and on. More off than on, here lately. A lot of the local randonneurs came from one of the local bike clubs, and they tend to be better prepared for it than I was.

Carbonfiberboy 

You're starting exactly where I started from when I was 50 and hadn't been on a bike in 30 years. Be prepared for some successes, and some painful failures. Analyze what went right or wrong and apply that to the next ride.

I look at it like this: my bike is the cheapest doctor I could ever have. I do have health insurance, but that's just for when things go badly wrong. What you want is good health, and that is easily lost and hard won. So my biking is a priority. My wife comes before the bike, but she's convinced it's the other way 'round. I try to ride 4 weekdays, and I never miss my Sunday long ride, unless I'm on vacation and I'm either hiking or biking then. I do my biking or gym work right after I get off work and before dinner. Wife usually works out or bikes too, so we make dinner together. We do have a TV, but we only watch DVDs on it. That's the first thing to do. Cancel your cable. Hook the box up to a DVD player and watch a movie a couple times a month.

The only way to get experience biking with others is to show up at a group ride. That's the first rule of life: show up.

valygrl

How about get a road bike.

seenloitering

No! Don't get a road bike! There always needs to be one guy on a hybrid, and you're that guy. You're that bar gripping manic that taunts the dignity of self-respecting randonneurs, that rocks their stagnating boats, that laughs as they whimper for more "hand holds," and rockets past propelled on pure improbability - elbows akimbo. Grit your teeth, lock your elbows and ride that hybrid as far as she'll take you.

Then come to your senses and get a road bike. But later. Oh, and don't lock your elbows.

lootcorp

LOL - I do eventually want to get a road bike, but I want to earn it, and I think my hybrid will suit me well for some time.

A lot of other great responses. OneIsAllYouNeed - thanks for the gear recs. I have a lot of skiing gear, so I should be able to use some of that for winter riding. I'm not really scared of the temperature, more of crashing on ice/snow. Perhaps that will be less of an issue as I gain more confidence in handling the bike.

Unfortunately, commuting to work isn't an option (I live in CT and work in NYC, about 50 miles each way, much more if you can't take the highway). However, I am trying to figure out how to commute back and forth between home and the train station. There are a lot of logistics I need to figure out, but I'll ask around on the commuting forum for that stuff. That would be about a 13 mile round trip, but there are some dicey areas traffic-wise, so I need to go out on the weekends and find a decent route before worrying about the other stuff.

Thanks for the tips - I'll let you know how I make out.

StephenH

FYI- I did my first 200k (actually 211k) brevet on a single-speed Worksman cruiser. So don't be afraid to ride what you got. Don't be afraid to upgrade, either. The best rider I know seems to have about 12 bikes from consecutive upgrades.

OneIsAllYouNeed

Plan to join some brevets in Boston and Westfield, MA. Boston is especially welcoming of newcomers, and the rides from Westfield are beautiful. Check out the New England Randonneurs website at https://www.bostonbrevets.com/ for schedules.

Check out Google Maps bicycling directions for ideas on how to get safely from one point to another. It won't take the most scenic route, but it's a good place to start. Ask your local bike shop for cycling maps of your area. Rubel (https://www.bikemaps.com/) makes wonderful bike maps for Massachusetts, but hasn't come out with one for CT yet.

Progress slowly toward longer rides so you don't injure yourself. Many coaches recommend increasing the length/duration of your longest weekly ride/run by 10% or less while you're ramping up your mileage/hours.

You asked earlier about "nutrition during training, posture on the bike, and what makes "quality training miles" as opposed to just being out for a ride." There are a bunch of great articles on these topics (and more) at ultracycling.com. I'll take quick stab though.

Off the bike, try to eat healthy foods that are high in nutrients -- fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins. On the bike, eat healthy foods that are high in energy. As you ride more, you'll find yourself consuming more calories. You can use that to lose weight, to eat more junk food, or to eat more healthy food -- the choice is yours, depending on your goals.

You'll know that your posture on the bike is wrong if you're in pain during or after the ride. Don't ignore pain; fix the problem instead. This website, https://cptips.com/xtocdet.htm#medical , is good for relating pains to adjustments that you should make. If you want to get faster, you can improve your aerodynamics by getting your back lower. Stop trying to get your back lower when (a) it hurts, (b) your legs hit your torso, or (c) your power output decreases significantly. After you've ridden a whole bunch, and especially if you get a new bike, get an expensive(~$300-400) professional bike fitting.

In training for long distance riding, most miles are quality miles. Some days should be "recovery days" where you don't ride harder than conversational pace. Some times you should ride so hard that you're breathing heavily and your legs burn. Riding "sorta hard" doesn't improve fitness a whole lot, however. On your longest rides, ride at whatever pace you need to.

lootcorp

So - question about changing out the handlebars on the stock Giant Escape... I've been reading a bit and it seems most people would recommend either adding bar ends to my flat bars, or switching to trekking (butterfly) bars. Anyone have pros/cons of each? The trekking bars are pretty inexpensive, so I could easily buy a set and try them out, but not sure if I should wait.

So far, I haven't had any real pain, although my hands do get a bit tired on the flat bars - it would be nice to have another position or few to switch to. Is it worth making a switch right away, or should I ride for awhile until I experience some reason (pain, numbness) to switch?

I assume I could switch to butterfly bars without having to change my shifters/brake levers? Everything I have right now is stock (see this link for the specs: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/....1/7374/44054/ )

Anything else I would need to buy if I decided to make the switch to the butterfly bars (besides grip tape) - I hear some people need a longer stem, how would I know if that's the case? Just trying them out and realizing the fit is incorrect?

Sorry for all the questions - I'm interested in any minor adjustments/replacements to make the bike more comfortable, but don't want to waste money buying stuff that isn't a worthwhile upgrade. Any advice you can offer on bars is greatly appreciated!

Torrilin

Wait until you have reason to switch. Do not fix stuff that works!

Rowan

lootcorp, look at fitting bullhorn or cowhorn bars. They have longer extensions on them than even the longest bar-ends, brake-shifter units are relaitvely easy to fit, and they give you additonal hand positions similar to road bike bars, albeit without drops, You can wrap them in bar tape as opposed to just flat bar grips which makes them more comfortable. They also don't have the "sharp" edges of bar extensions.

Apart from anything else, ride lots. Try to analyse what is happening to your body as you ride along, then research the solutions if there is an issue. But as Torrilin says, don't try to fix stuff for the sake of it. I know there are many who want a short cut to LD success, but there are many here on these forums, me included, who are still working on the micro-adjustments to make ourselves better, more comfortable riders.

valygrl

Dude, don't waste your money upgrading your hybrid. "Earn" a road bike? Any bike that gets ridden as opposed to sitting in your garage gathering dust is earned/deserved.

If you are serious about riding long distances, get an actual road bike, and select it with professional help getting the right size and getting the fit adjusted for you. There's a reason that 95%+ of long distance riders are riding light weight road bikes with road style bars and skinny tires.

All you can accomplish by doing long distance riding on a hybrid is bragging rights to making it harder on yourself than it needs to be, and a whole slew of repetitive use injuries from a bike that doesn't fit well and isn't the right tool for the job.

Rowan

Which sort of makes those who have done PBP on things like old folding bikes, heavyweight step-through bikes, mountain bikes, steel-framed touring bikes with wide tyres, and all sorts in between look a bit stupid, eh? And StephenH... well, he must be a complete loonie for doing a randonnee on a Worksman fixie!!

The OP is starting out in LD. His riding experience on the hybrid between now and his century at least will give him an idea of just what he should be looking for in any new bike into the future. Right now he feels comfortable on it; things might change as the distances increase. But by making adjustments on that bike, he will have a clue what he needs when he does achieve that goal of upgrading to a "proper" roadbike.

Even saying "select it with professional help" is fraught with danger. Who, pray tell, is a professional who knows exactly what an LD cyclist wants? They are few and far between, because the majority of the professional fit experts can't understand what LD fit is all about.

To the OP, I started out on a hybrid. My first century was on that hybrid. My second century was on an MTB converted to a tourer. I learned a lot with those bikes, and was able to convert that knowledge into what I have now -- some 12 years later.

valygrl

Well, I just want to express an opinion from the more century/road rider perspective, and I stand by it.

Sure you can do those rides on whatever kind of bike you want, but IMO you are setting yourself up with an equipment obstacle by doing so.

The right tool for the job is a road bike. Why throw money at a bike that is the wrong tool - then by the time you decide to get a road bike, you have a psychological barrier to getting a new bike b/c you already spent so much upgrading the existing one.

lootcorp

valygrl, I definitely see your point, but Rowan sort of hit it on the head. While I realize a hybrid is not the right tool for the job, it's what I have to work with right now. When I say I want to earn the road bike, it doesn't mean I want to suffer and cross some psychological barrier before I upgrade - the simple fact is I don't have the experience to make that jump right now.

Look at it this way - I am new to being serious about cycling. With cycling comes a slew of things you have to learn - fixing flats, learning to navigate, dealing with traffic, making repairs to the bike and learning how all the systems work, etc... - all stuff the experienced riders know like the back of their hand. So I'm not just learning how to ride long distance, I'm learning the basics. I'd much rather take a wrench to my entry-level hybrid than an expensive road bike.

Also, I just can't justify spending several thousand on a bike when I haven't proven to myself that this is something I will stick with. Sure, I can sit here and dream of making cycling a part of my lifestyle, of doing PBP one day, of racking up the kind of mileage you guys do. Until I make it happen, it's just that - dreams. A year or so from now, when I have put some miles on that hybrid and have learned enough to understand WHY it is not the right machine and what I need in a road bike, I will most likely go and upgrade. Hell, I might do a century and realize I hate LD and want to go into some other discipline! It's not the right time for me, personally. I'm sure you've seen that guy who takes up an interest and goes out and buys the most expensive pro-level gear, without understanding how to use it. I'm not that guy, and I don't want to be. I don't plan to throw tons of money upgrading the hybrid - putting clipless pedals and different handlebars on it does not seem to be a huge investment I would have a hard time justifying down the line.

So, sure, I realize trying to make a hybrid into a long distance touring bike is not ideal - however, I aim to work with what I have. And, down the line, if I stick with this and buy the shiny new road bike and relegate my hybrid to errand/commuting/crusing with the wife duty, I think I will be a better cyclist for it.