Mael

I just started cycling recently and i have a question regarding training should i train hard for an hour or easy for two? For now i am trying to ride about 80% - 82 % of my heart rate with cadence around 88 (this cadence feel best for me) but i dont have much power in my legs and i can keep this temp for about an hour at the end i am slowing down and can't make my legs move as fast as i would like.

1)So i am looking for advice Longer or Faster?

2)Also i have read somewhere that you shouldnt ride 80-85% HR that you should stay below or over. I wont be able to stay over and below i wont feel like i am putting into it all i have.

Homebrew01

There's no right answer ... depends on your goals. Do some of each ... mix it up ....

Mose

Like Homebrew said, if you're that new, pick a goal... if you can decided... mix up your rides between long and steady... and short and fast. The most important thing at this stage in the game is you give yourself enough time to fully recover.

Flatballer

Friel (in the training bible) recommends you "Just Ride Along" in your first year on the bike. Don't focus on training, just ride your bike.

That being said, the longer rides will benefit you more at this point, since the thing you need to do the most is build your base mileage. Basically, figure out how much time you have to ride each week. Then figure out how hard you can ride for that amount of time, and still finish the week, and the next week, and the next week, etc. Fourth week you could do recovery, but that's really getting into more advanced training methods, I wouldn't worry about it right now.

Basically, just ride.

Mael

So what i will gain if i will do it longer but slower with lower HR vs my HR faster?

What are pros and cons?

clausen

1) What are your goals? Getting faster or riding longer

2) Old myth, max heart rate means nothing, Look at sweet spot training.

https://www.freewebs.com/velodynamics2/techarticles.htm

Mael

I can ride 6 days per week for up to 2 hours 4 times and on weekends as much as i wish. I dont want to over do it as well since i heard that it might be even worst.

Mael

My goal is to do climbing but first i need to build my legs for that they dont have enough strength at the moment and i dont want to start with them since i heard that it might ruin my knees if i will go straight to climbing.

ZXiMan

A little of both, but work up to the increased distance and intensity. It's easy for newbies to overtrain.

Flatballer

Just listen to your legs and your body.

there's a quote to the effect of "constant fatigue is a funny way to get fast".

You have to tear down, and then rebuild. That's why we use build periods and stuff. If you want to learn more about all of that, check out the racing subforum, and the training threads.

But for now, just ride as much as you can. If your legs are too tired, take a day off, or cut back on the mileage.

urbanknight

I tried to do faster. That didn't work, so I'm going longer now.

Mael

The funny thing is that my muscle dont hurt they just seem tired and with less life after training not as if i go and climb on the bike then they burn and probably if i would do that a lot they would hurt the next day.

The good side, since i do workout in the morning i started to have way more energy during the day but i eat 3 times more ;/

Sundae

If you've just recently gotten into cycling, cycle however it is that you'll have fun. If that's fast, go for fast. If that's long, go for long. Just do whatever it is you do that gets you out there and putting hours in on the bike. Even if you're going for speed and not distance, if you're having fun with it the miles will add up in a hurry while you're not looking. Focus on the fun for the first year or two, and the rest will fall into place on its own as you learn what you like and what your body can handle.

The people saying to pay attention to your body are absolutely right. Nothing quite like injuries to wreck your plans.

Mael

So now i will try do 1,5 hour each day 20-30 minutes easy, 30-40 minutes hard, and 30 minutes easy to cooldown maybe it will be good.

But i am so slow i want to cry i started last week with 9 mph but after i used to bike i am at 16 but it is nowhere close to where i would even like to start ;p

kleinboogie

If you believe John Howard, check youtube, he'll say to go faster you should spend less time on the bike and more on building your core strength and flexibility. I have recently agreed with him. My legs and glutes got stronger from riding but my core didn't keep up. Without that the legs will cause rocking and back pain because the body can't take the stresses they provide. Starting a core program, i.e. core performance, I gained 1mph after the first week. For me that's huge.

I've recently been doing more interval training which has also helped my speed and climbing power. Have fun.

DScott

Don't wait.

Go climb.

Kagnos

I am pretty much at the same starting position you are. I however have a good solid base from playing soccer all my life...I have legs like tree trunks.

My power is there, but endurance is hurting....I can ride for an hour and a half with an average speed hovering near 17-19mph, so for me building a good amount of base miles is where I need to be.

If I were you, since it is such a distance sport find long routes that will take you over decent rolling hills. The rest once you start getting your muscle development under way then worry about your cardio a little more. You want to train your muscles to be machines and have them act fluidly through pedaling in circles rather then mashing. Long rides with rolling hills will give you basic training of everything, and straight roads allow you to really concentrate on pedaling technique, something that your muscles will need a LOT of development in.

(sorry if grammar/spelling is terrible. I am at work and will reread once I get back from my ride tonight)

clausen

Split your hard efforts in 2, with a easy portion in between. two 15s to start than 20s. Remember when your going easy, go as easy as you can. Plan recovery days, very easy again after hard workouts. You need rest to rebuild muscle and your fresher for your hard workouts.

www.cptips.com

Mael

I was swimming in the past (breast stroker) but overtrained it and my knees started to hurt due to too big stress thats why i dont want to start straight from climbing.

I have nice park with loop 1.1 mile and it's 1/4 flat, 1/4 downhill, 1/2 climb. at least it feels like it ;p so you can tell there is some rolling and i am doing endless circles there. I will try to do it longer maybe less intense i will check how my cadence will go with that i will try to still keep it at 90.

Mael

Good thought if you leave in NJ i owe you a good cold beer.

grwoolf

I'm also new (or at least renewed) to cycling and have been at it about 2.5 months, so take my newbie advice for what it's worth. It is very hilly where I live and climbing was/is my primary goal starting out. Well, having fun/fitness is, but it's just not that much fun if every hill is absolutely killing you (like it was when I started).

Anyway, the hills are already getting much easier on me and I definetely focused on endurance/cadence over power. I believe a beginner starting out can build aerobic endurance much faster than power and this is a much more valuable tool than power to a recreational cyclist trying to have some fun and getting excercise. If you don't like being constantly passed by people, you might not agree and focus more on faster, shorter rides. I don't worry much about how fast I'm going and get passed constantly, but I can now motor up just about any hill in my area with my cadence over 90 (in a low gear) without my HR blowing up. I never get out of the saddle and mash the pedals unless I am near the end of my ride or I'm doing a short ride around the neighborhood. I will probaby start doing more power work at some point, but right now I'm more than happy with my progress as I'm building up my endurance and mileage base.

Mael

I riding in the morning's so there is not too many cyclist where i am riding they are waking up about an hour later : D but it is not the most pleasent thing when someone is passing you . I am still young (22) so maybe in my late 20s i will be able to do racing at least just for fun nor as a pro or at least i wont be a FRED anymore ;p

urbanknight

Bad advice. When I got back into cycling after years off, I got too excited and did too much climbing. My IT band suffered. I had to stop riding for 2 months, then start slowly with 30 min rides, gradually increasing the distance only if the previous ride had no pain. It took months of exercises and stretches to work my way back up.

palesaint

It's sounds like you're riding at a good heartrate and cadence. Just keep at it. My only advise is to mix in the occasional "overreach". This is where you ride considerable more or harder than usual. When I started out I would start feeling crappy around mile 30. So I mostly did 20-30 mile rides. Every couple weeks though I would ride 50-70 miles. I would be COMPLETELY wasted afterwards and hardly able to walk the next day. But then I would start back with the 20 milers and eventually they became way too easy. So I started doing 40 miles. Lather, rinse, repeat. Now (~ 2 years on) I can handle 70 mile rides without too much pain. 100 milers still hurt that last little bit though!

Terex

This is basically what I've done. Rate of increase varies from person to person and with age.