Originally Posted by
luderart
I ride my bike once or twice per week to attend choir practice about 3KM away from my home. My bicycle is a Peugeot demi-course about 40 years old. I have fitted it with a 6-speed gear. But still I become tired with some steep uphill paths on my way back.
What are some ways I can use to prevent getting so tired (short of increasing the gears of my bike)? I would welcome all types of suggestions and tips (i.e. whether having to do with the bike, my body, bike-body fit, etc).
I also sweat a lot. I am interested in whether there are any special sports jackets that let the sweat evaporate while keeping my body warm.
Welcome to the forums! If you are relatively new at riding, it may just be a matter of building up your endurance. By increasing the frequency and distance that you ride, you will build up your aerobic capacity and fatigue won't be as much of an issue. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water when riding and have a snack before riding so that your body has fuel to burn.
I'm not an expert at bike fitting, but the bike should be comfortable for you to ride. The seat should be high enough for you to get almost full extension of your leg on the downstroke of each pedal revolution. Suggest going to a local bike shop (LBS in forum-speak), for them to look at you astride your Peugeot and fit it to your height and riding style.
Not sure of where you are located at, but December can be pretty darn cold in most parts of the country. Your body being cold and uncomfortable can greatly increase the amount of fatigue you experience while riding. I generally ride with a base layer of a long sleeve polypropylene shirt, covered with a short sleeve poly jersey and a fleece jacket. I stay relatively warm down to the low 40's (F), which is about as cold as it gets in my part of southern California. Silk long underwear, (tops and bottoms), are also lightweight, excellent insulators, and wick the sweat away from your body. Hope this helps and I'm sure you will get lots of other posts with great advice that you can use.
Good luck and Happy trails!
Paul