alanknm

outwest5, you sounded exactyl like the way I did. However, I'm the only one who rides.

It's so nice to be back in the saddle again. I'm riding 2-5mph faster, I don't run out of gas and bonk on hills, my hands and arms aren't sore and I still have a lot in the tank when I've finished my ride. By the time I got off the bike, I wanted to stay out and go for another ride.

Take today for instance. 1 hr. workout 15 miles, 1250 feet of climbing + 2.8 miles of cool down over 20 minutes. I would have been faster but it was 40F, I was dodging idiots with dogs running off leash (illegally), and my left calf was tying up (instead of my usual right calf ) on my way back.

I wouldn't be able to do that on a hybrid.

One more thing, climbing hills is actually fun on that bike.

outwest5

I'm not sure I would go as far as to say fun, but it certainly is a whole lot easier. The road bike excels on hills and is the place the difference is most noticeable. I remember the first real hill I clombed a couple months ago on the new bike. I stopped at the top, turned around and said outloud, "WOW!" Still, give me a nice slight downhill anyday.

goldfinch

I am thinking of graduating. About five years ago I bought a diamondback hybrid. I hardly rode it for two years, and then started riding a lot in the winter when I am in Texas. It was nice enough for the flats. Now, I am in an area where I would like to ride in the spring, summer and fall. There are many hills where I live. I find the hills tough, but partly it is my weak 56 year old out of shape engine. I am riding 3 to 5 miles a day and it is work.

Part of the summer I will live where there are dirt roads only and a fair amount of hills. This bike isn't that great on loose gravel.

I am not sure what to graduate to. One thing for sure, I do not like my seat and want something else. Plus, I always feel like my body just isn't in the right position unless I am riding on the flats. And even that isn't all that great.

Maybe I'll start a thread asking for ideas. I am seriously considering a trike.

alanknm

Go to a good reputable local bike shop and talk to them.If you're really sure that a new bike will help then they can point you out to the right kind of bike and can fit you to something that will suit your budget. But take your bike and show what you're riding and what your problems are. Sometimes it's also just a matter of having them make some adjustments to your existing bike for a better fitting than you have now. I can't tell you how often I see people riding bikes that have the seat too low, the tires under inflated, the handbars at the wrong height and in the wrong gear, sweating and groaning and eventually giving up.

I don't know what model of bike you're riding and I know that riding a hybrid where it's hilly can be a lot of work and getting the mileage up can take a lot out of you. Just take it one step at a time. If you haven't done a lot of riding before, then it can be a lot harder. There are lots of beginner training programs out there that are quite modest in expectations that can be a good start for getting you bootstrapped with your existing bike.

Keep a log of your rides. Get a cheap bike computer to record your mileage. Once you gain more confidence you'll probably be buying more gizmos to track your performance.

I had an advantage over a lot of people because I was an ex roadie who had been off the bike for 35 years and I knew what to expect when I got back into it.
I worked with what I had for a year or so because I needed to figure out exactly what type of bike I really wanted and I needed to figure out how much money I should spend for what I wanted to do. I wouldn't recommend going out and buying a $3000 bike like I did unless they really knew what they were doing.

Step 1) Work with what you have. Get out and ride. Try to increase your mileage each time, and don't be hill shy. 90% of people I see out there are climbing hills in the wrong gear. There are plenty of websites that can tell you about proper technique. www.bikeradar.com in the UK is good. Go out every other day and try to stay out there a longer on the weekend. Make sure that you take a rest day in between.
Step 2 optional ) If you don't have bike shoes, get them, they don't have to be expensive (for now)/ Make sure that they'll take cleats for clipless pedals (that will come later).
Step 3) Get yourself a bike computer. Like I said, a cheap one will be fine for now.
Step 4) Keep putting on the miles. Nobody should be riding 7 days a week so make sure that you take a rest day.

Riding is something you should enjoy. Right now it seems like a chore but as you get into better shape you'll get a better sense of what sort of bike you'll really need.

For all dirt and lots of hills with loose gravel, you're looking at a mountain bike. If it's only going to be used for part of the year, then I'd look at a cheap hardtail because it sounds like a lot of your riding is going to be on the road.

One more thing, if you get yourself into shape on a heavier hybrid first, you'll be in excellent shape on a roadbike. I know a lot of people who are accomplished athletes who start their training regime in the spring with a heavy clunker for the first month and them move over to their high performance bikes after that.

alanknm

Yeah. No kidding. No downshifting on short hills, you can spin up to the top on long steep ones and still have gas in the tank. My first thought ? "This IS COOL".

goldfinch

Good idea. I did used to ride years ago, but never a lot. I have fussed around with my seat. Back, forth, up, down, etc and still am not happy. Maybe some help would be good. I do keep my tires inflated at the max for riding on pavement and let it out a bit for rougher rides. The handle bars feel too high but they are at the lowest they can go.

Nearly all of my riding is in very low gears. I end up in 2 or 1 going up most of the hills in the area. Some hills I have to walk. I tend to use only the largest three or four sprockets on the back and the smallest two chain rings on the front.

Any idea on beginner training programs? You are talking online I assume?

Excellent! I will do this. I have to say that I have improved a bit in the three months I have been riding. The first two months were mostly on the flats so it felt so easy. But now I am in hilly country so it is hard!

I am having a bit of trouble finding information on proper technique. I think that I am doing it right but I could be wrong so I'd like to read up on the issue. EDIT: I have now read online on several sites about shifting technique for hills. I seem to be doing it right. Pedal easy and fast and be sure to shift soon enough. I don't cross chain. The problem is my engine more than my technique. Though I still need practice getting a nice smooth cadence in all these hills.

Thanks for taking your time with me. It isn't fun right now. It was fun on the flats. But I am stubborn and really want to be able to ride again.

P51

That's what it takes. Keep pushing through the difficult times and don't give up.

alanknm

There are a lot of online training schedules for all kinds of people available online. I'd ask on the Training & Nutrition group about that.

The first few times I went out, I was totally out of gas. I got stronger as time went on and I also changed my eating habits over the winter because I started xc-skiing again and I had to change what and when I was eating or I'd just completely bonk. Eating and drinking fluids are two things that I've had to become far more disciplined at. I've had to forget about what I could get away with in my teens.

The "Little Engine That Could" or "The Big Engine That Can't" can get a lot stronger but it takes time. ..er more time than that.. must have something to do with age.

goldfinch

I took a biking day off yesterday and went for a short ride today. For the first time I was able to do the hill by my home in "2" rather than "1." I am stoked!

alanknm

Told ya !


Sadly .. no rides for me ! Monday was my rest day, Tuesday was a writeoff (no time) and the forecast for Wedneday:
"Increasing cloudiness. 60 percent chance of wet flurries or rain showers in the morning then 60 percent chance of rain showers in the afternoon. High 43F".

Bah!

Neil_B

I did:



To this:

BlazingPedals

I have a pretty low opinion of 'comfort bikes.' Not that they're inherently bad, but they're just mountain bikes with 'road knobbies' (an oxymoron) and cushy seats. It's a contrived name, good for another oxymoron label. I 'graduated' from road bikes to recumbents 14 years ago and never looked back.

Garilia

Is that because looking back is harder on a recumbent?

BluesDawg

Really? These look the same to you? Not from my angle.

Mountain bike


Comfort bike