bill_pfaff

Need some help please. I’m fairly new to cycling and am not sure what to expect from myself or how to get the most out of myself. I have been hanging out here hoping to derive this information from the group but I guess I’m too dense and just not seeing it plainly stated so I’ll throw out my questions and see what comes back.

First let me give you some parameters.

1) 60 year old male, 230 lbs. Quit smoking 2.5 yrs ago and generally in good health.

2) Started riding an “old” big-box-store mountain bike last summer. Did not ride between last Oct & this past May but ran ½ hour on a treadmill 4 nights a week during the off season. Bought a Trek 7300 (hybrid) this June and have ridden 478 miles so far this season.

3) Try to ride 4 times per week. Rides generally are between 15 – 20 miles at an average speed of about 12.5 MPH. Rides are in Delaware which is generally pretty flat.

My problem is that I keep reading how people are riding 30, 40, 50, 100 miles and averaging upwards of 17 mph or better. A lot of the rides are no less in what I would consider mountainous areas. I’m like “What’s my problem?”. Why am I not beating my 12.5 MPH average and why is a 20 mile ride killing me?

Toward all this I have a few questions and am open to any words of wisdom to answer them.

1) About my 12.5 MPH average and my 20 mile max. distance. Am I expecting too much out of my bike? Are these numbers about all I’m going to get out of my hybrid, understanding I’m not Lance Armstrong? Would I get better results were I on a road bike? I have looked at, and rode a road bike since ridding my hybrid and it seems it is a lot faster than my 7300.

2) When I ride I try to only stop every 5 miles for a break and then I only take a 6 minute break. I know it is six minutes because I use my bike’s odometer to time it. It shuts off after six minutes with no motion. That’s when I start riding again. Now I can’t imagine I’m not stopping enough so I guess my question is am I stopping long enough? I figure I am but I thought I’d ask how you all manage your breaks.

3) Nutrition. I have read so many things on nutrition that I think I have gained 5 lbs just from reading about it. Is there any magic in what you eat before, during, and after your ride? I’m on the South Beach diet so I’m trying to eat healthy. As far as my rides I usually don’t eat before or during my ride. However, I’m reading how people eat carbs before they ride, energy food while they ride, and protein after they ride. Are my rides too short (20 mile max) to worry about any of this or is my eating habits associated with my rides part of my problem?

Well that’s about it. I’m posting this in two forums, the hybrid and the 50+ so if you’ve seen/responded to this already I apologize. I just figure seeing as I’m over 50 and ride a hybrid the audience for these issues lies between the two groups so the best way to cover all the bases is to post in both groups.

Thanks In advance for any input and may you have a following wind on your next ride. Both out bound and inbound.

Bill

CycleBiker

For a fairly new rider you are off to a good start.

You shouldn't have to stop and rest at all on a 20 mile ride but make sure you drink while riding especially if it is hot. If you stop because you are tired then perhaps you should pace yourself.

Forget the roadies average speeds - you're doing fine.

I'll probably be contradicted here but I would forget about the carbs and nutrition thing - your only doing 20 miles and you will eat enough with your regular meals - especially if the ride makes you hungry.

And there's a reason road bikes are for roads, treat yourself. Try for a 22lb or less bike.

10 Wheels

67 y/o here.
Started riding 22 months ago.
First MTB ride of 6 miles I had to stop 3 times to rest.
186 rides this year, with an average of 70.7 miles per ride.(25 century rides).

Get a road bike, learn to eat, drink and stand up to pedal while you ride.
Try to find a a group to ride with.
Ask your local bike shop for help in finding someone to ride with.

PM me for any questions.

BluesDawg

Congratulations on making lifestyle changes to improve your health. Stopping smoking is a great start. You are already accomplishing more on a bicycle than many would consider possible.

Don't worry about how you compare to others. Some of them are genetic freaks and some others are stretching the truth. Just concentrate on what you want to accomplish on the bike and how to make it happen.

Buy a different type of bike if you wish, but I have seen people ride 50, 60 and even 100 miles on bikes like yours. You can make a lot of progress with the bike you have. Just keep riding and working on your goals. You could start by going further between breaks. It would not be unusual to ride 20 miles without stopping at all. But work towards that gradually. 12.5 mph avg is not unusual for a beginning rider. As you become stronger and more fit by continuing to ride, you can push yourself a little harder and your speed will get faster.

One thing that can tire you quickly is pushing too high a gear. Count how many times your pedals go all the way around in 15 seconds and multiply that by four to measure your cadence. If it is around 60 or lower, you are probably working too hard, not to mention what you are doing to your knees. Somewhere around 80 rpm would be better. Some will suggest trying to spin 100 rpm, but that may be too much to expect until you develop a smooth pedal stroke. Make sure your bike is set up to fit you properly. Many new riders have their seats set too low which can really hurt your performance. There should be just a very slight bend in your knee with the pedal at its lowest position.

If you can find some more experienced riders who don't mind riding with you at your pace, you can learn much from them. More than we can help you. But I would not suggest trying to keep up with much faster riders at this point.

I would not worry about eating during the ride until you are doing at least twice your current distance. But do be sure to drink plenty of water.

Most of all, just keep riding. Good luck.

Retro Grouch 

Do you ride essentially the same route every time you go out? That's bad.

I think that the psychological barriers are harder to overcome than the physical barriers. Try to ride a different route every time that you go out. Explore. If you do that, I think that faster and farther will just happen.

Beyond a wholesome competitiveness, don't think too much about what other riders do or don't do. They're not you.

NOS88

Lots of good advice so far. It can be discouraging if progress is not as fast as you'd like. I echo those who say keep riding, you're doing fine. If you only stopped smoking 2.5 years ago, you may still be clearing out those lungs and building them up to where they should be. Also, at 230 lbs. you are carrying a fair amount of weight. The more you continue your healthy habits and the weight drops off the better you can predict your performance will become. One thing you might try to boost your progress is doing two of your rider each week without stops (or get to that point by cutting out one stop, then another, etc.). Or, alternately, cut your break time by two minutes each week until you no longer need them. The simple formula for improvement is taxing the body beyond the level at which it wants to perform comfortably and then giving it an opportunity to rest and repair itself. At your stage of development, there is no reason to think you shouldn't feel beat after 20 miles. To me one of the most interesting things about cycling (and I suppose any exercise) is that improvement means it never gets easier. You may find a point at which improvement is no longer the goal. Rather, you've shifted to just maintaining the current level of fitness. When this happens it get a bit easier, but never completely easy. So, don't despair. You're on the right path.

Artkansas 

Another perspective here.

The point of bicycling is to have fun. Don't worry about your speed, just enjoy the ride.

And, when possible, include the bike in your daily errands, make it part of your lifestyle.

Tom Bombadil

I started riding again in late 2006. First several rides were quite uncomfortable, with the longest one being 10 miles. Rode very little that winter and started back again in April. Was still doing 8 to 12 mile rides. Then one day I made a 17 mile ride that was pleasant to the end. Surprised me.

I then switched saddles to one that was far more comfortable to me, raised my handlebars a bit, got new gloves, and installed bar ends to give me more hand positions. In short, I made my bike more comfortable for me. This was on a Trek 7600 hybrid.

Within 2 weeks I was riding 25 miles. In a month I did 30 miles. And within 2 months I did 40 miles. My favorite distance to ride is 25-30 miles.

Oh, and I also stop a lot. Usually every 5 to 7 miles. Because I enjoy stopping and stretching and walking around. Even now my longest continuous ride on a bike is only 11 miles.

So I say keep at it, sometimes it is just a matter of getting your body used to riding and a breakthrough can happen at any moment. Also to think about any changes you might make to your bike to make it fit you better. Change the saddle? Change the saddle's position forward or backward? Change the height or length (or both) of the stem. Add bar ends? Make sure that the saddle's height is perfect for you ... this can make a big difference as many people set it too low and that decreases efficiency and affects your comfort on longer riders.

10 Wheels

Good One....

bcoppola

After re-starting bike riding at around age 49 it took me a few years to build up to being able to ride with a fast group, do a century*, etc. In that time I went from a hybrid (Trek 7200) to a road bike. So you're just experiencing what a lot of us have.

Are you using the knobby mountain bike tires? If so, switch to smooth ones if you're mainly on pavement and/or hard packed gravel trails. You'll expend less effort, get less fatigued. If riding with a group appeals to you, try it. Some (me included) find club rides a good way to push yourself & get motivated.

And if you don't want to get a road bike & wear Spandex, don't. Ride what and how you like. The miles & speed will come. Here at 50+ Freds and racers coexist peacefully.

As for nutrition, no need to obsess unless you're a racer. Cut back on fats & sugar, increase veggies & whole grains vs. meat. Practice portion control. In other words, standard mainstream dietary advice. Avoid the common mistake of thinking that exercise gives you license to pig out (took me awhile to accept that!). Don't eat heavy just before a ride - the body has to work surprisingly hard to digest that meal, and you'll tire more easily - maybe even bonk.

And wear clean underwear in case you have an accident.

--

*and not sure I want to do any more!

Barrettscv 

Hi Bill,

I started less than 18 months ago using a new hybrid bike, a Giant Cypress. My experience is much the same as yours. 10 mile rides were possible in the 12 to 14 mph range. I started commuting 3 days a week, this added urgency and structure to my riding. Riding in the morning was great, it boosted my metabolism for the whole day and gave me some needed recreation before sitting at a desk.

I now ride about 12 days a month, but my average ride is 40 miles. I changed to a road bike and now can average 17.5 to 18.5 mph. My longest ride this year was 127 miles, a double metric.

How can you make the jump from your current limits?

Install SPD type "clipless" pedals and get a stiff set of MTB cycling shoes. These pedals make spinning the pedals much easier and more efficient. Install a bike computer with a cadence function. Try to keep the pedals spinning in the 80 to 100 rpm range. This increases your cardio health while reducing stress on your joints and muscles. You will start to use the midrange gears on you bike, the reduction in gain ratio provides a mechanical increase in power.

I think you can average 15 mph with those changes. You will probably increase your distance as well.

Changing to a road bike with thinner high-pressure tires and a more aerodynamic riding position should also improve your speed and riding comfort. I would consider this change in the future, after you have made the changes to your shoes, pedals and added the computer to your bike. These changes will improve your cadence and provide a more efficient use of your effort.

Michael

will dehne

As others said, you need to have fun. Your questions indicate that fun for you means performance.
Oh, most important: Keep biking.

cyclinfool

Bill,

From the mid 90's to about 4 years ago I was riding about 3 days per week from mid May through late Sept. Maybe about 40 to 50 miles/wk. I was using a very good road bike and sometimes a MTB. My longest rides were 30 miles. I felt great if I could average 15 MPH on the road bike - usually it was 13 to 14 over the 30 mile ride. About 6 years ago I started riding with a friend, he was always waiting on me, particularly on the hills. I would reach the top of a hill and he would be riding in circles waiting for me, it made me mad. I decided not to ride with him too much. Then I decided I wanted to improve, so I started loosing weight (I was not that heavy - 190lbs), and riding more. I pushed myself and added "training" rides. I bought an HRM and started to track what zones I was training in. I got a lot faster. It took two full seasons but after the second season and loosing 20lbs I was beating my friend up the hills. Rides where I averaged 14 mph I improved to 18 mph. The down side of this is that I rarely take rides just for fun anymore. Thats not to say I don't enjoy riding but my riding has more than just the purpose of relaxation - it's now about fitness and achievement as well. Just to give you an example, I would have given up my 6AM rides by now due to cold and darkness - this fall I bought good lights and I am out there in the pitch darkness still doing the morning rides and plan to do so until the bike path has snow on it. You get a little finaticaly about it when you start going for performance.

So I would say - if you want to go a lot faster you need to work at it, a road bike will make it easier but you will still need to work at it, maybe loosing some weight (depending on what your size is 230 might be right for you) riding 100 miles/week minimum, interval training and hill climbing. Get Joe Friels book - cycling past 50, it has some good general advice in it. If you get real serious find yourself a professional trainer (others here have had great success with this route). However - if you start down the path of worring about speed it is a slippery slope, you may loose your balance and burn yourself out - so take your time and decide what it is you want out of cycling and optimize for that. If you want training tips and suggestions, you will get as much (or more) than you can take here. We have a diverse mix as you have seen. However, you must understand first what your priorities are otherwise you may go down a strict training regeme and end up totally miserable in the end.

Good luck.

Allegheny Jet

+ 10 to Barrettsvc's comments.

As your speed increases the total mileage will increase at the same time. Even without spending additional time in the saddle you will cover more miles in the same time. At first try to not put too much thought into distance and speed, rather track time spent riding doing the proper technique. Quality riding will enable your to ride longer and faster as your fitness catches up to your desires and expectations.

George

I'd like to add something to this, but everything has been said. Just keep plugging away and it"ll happen.

Loose Chain

Keep at it.

probe1957

Excellent advice offered so far. I have nothing more really to contribute but I want to suggest that your goals are your goals. It seems to me like you're doing just fine.

If your goal is to ride faster, yeah, a road bike might let you do that. But it can be at a significant monetary expense and arguably, at the expense of comfort versus your hybrid. Nothing wrong with any of that, if that is your goal.

Just ride.

oilman_15106

In addition to all the good above advice, only one thing to add from my experience. Your fitness gains through cycling will be(or seem so) slow. Do not become discouraged and best of luck.

stapfam

I know this is an old thread but it was written for new riders like you. Well worth reading through the postings as you will see that some of our current more accomplished riders were not always that.

https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/299032-warning-1st-distance-ride.html

Condorita

Cross train, too. And yes, even Lance cross trains.

eshvanu

I cycle to commute to-and-from school. I ride 10 miles one way, with a load of 35-45 lbs in my paniers and rack trunk. I have no intentions of riding 20-50 mile routes, and the probability of my riding 100 miles in my life is close to that of my winning the Powerball lottery jackpot.

However, I've dropped 37 lbs since mid-May. My bp has gone from 125/80 to 98/68 (approximately). My resting heart rate has gone from 82 to 60. I've dropped 5 inches around the middle, and continue to lose both weight and inches.

I don't need to "get the most out of myself and my bike", because that's not what I want from cycling. I'm a commuter, and I get the savings from using less gas, spending less on insurance (because I don't drive to-from every day and drive less than 5000 miles per year), and the physical benefits I've described above.

So, decide what you want from cycling. If you want to be a road racer, invest the time, energy, and effort in research and development for yourself. If you want to be a cyclist, you already are! Regardless, enjoy the choice you make and do the your best to improve along those lines. Remember, your best might be better than some folks, and still less than other folks.

Keep riding!

jppe

bill-as others have said, you've off to a great start and as you can see there are many of us who have been down the exact same path you're on. Also, there are a number of folks here that are completely content doing the rides you're doing and nothing more.

I would ask you, what are you wanting to do.....just to help us focus our feedback to best help you. Are you wanting to just ride faster but at the same distances? Are you wanting to ride further distances? Or even ride further distances at faster speeds? How about weight loss-are you wanting to reduce weight or maybe just better manage some things like blood pressure, cholestrol, etc. Or maybe all the above??

If we knew that, we could probably better "tailor" our assistance rather than overwhelm you with anecdotal information. Plus if your setting some goals or targets it always helps to be specific on what you're looking to do.

BlazingPedals

+1 to keep up the riding. If you want to go faster, get a shop-quality road bike. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but something with narrow tires and drop bars will be tons faster than a big-box mountain bike; or if you're not up to going fast yet, it'll let you go further with less effort. Ultimately, try to aim for doing a 25-miler with no stops and no nap afterwards; not because you're competing with anyone, but because that's pretty much the point at which you can start stepping off the curb and doing organized rides. Then the fun really starts! Good luck, and report back here on your progress.

cervelo-van

Hi Bill,

You've probably noticed that there are quite a few on this forum who came back/started cycling at a later age. Many of us were dealing with various levels of lack of fitness and excess weight. I see two strong factors in your favor:

1) You seem pretty determined. Thats half the battle right there
2) You want to learn from others.

Here is the progression that I made that helped me. I did however start with a high end bike, but that is not necessary. You will know when its time to upgrade.

So, here is what I did. I joined what is called a leisure cycling club. It gave me an opportunity to learn the basics within a social group. Pace on the rides was about 12/mph. Rides were from 15-45 miles. The group waited at every light and on hills. This pace is also good as it keeps you within the fat burning zone to help with weight loss. Within a few months I was leading, and the rides became slow for me. I then started riding with the bike store groups on Sundays. Yes, there were times when I was just hanging on, but I got better as time went on. Then I was doing bike store rides 3 times a week, some of them after my bike commute, which I also started doing a few months after starting to ride. Some rides were hammering and hard, but exhilarating and confidence building. 10 months after I started riding, I did a 100K and then 2 weeks later a 200K ride, both in decent times. Last summer I averaged 620 miles a month for 4 months, so you got to put the time in the saddle as well.

So, to summarize, just keep putting in the miles. try to join a leisure group, or create your own. Don't worry about others pace, work on your own. Let us know how it goes.

Dellphinus

A thought- if you stop and wait for your computer to shut off after 6 minutes, every 5 miles, does your computer average that 6 minutes of zero speed (x 4) into your average?