Haven't been on a bike in 15 years. Been on 5 minute ride up a hill and throat is burning. 15 minutes late still wheezing, is that just because I'm so unfit and will get less the more I do it

Also when I was in gear going up hill inside of smooth pedalling it was like I'd peddle a rotation and then have to start again it wasn't a smooth ride hard to get any rhytmn going when you have to do that. Would that be the poor quality of bike?

Thanks

It could be an issue of fitness, in which case it'll probably get easier the more you ride. Or there could be an underlying medical condition, which I'm thoroughly unqualified to help you with.

The cranks should rotate smoothly even on a low-quality bike unless there's a mechanical problem. There's really not enough information provided to troubleshoot this and I'm not sure I'm interpreting your description correctly, but something like a loose crank arm could cause sort of a "hitch" in the rotation as the crank arm wiggles on the spindle. If this is the problem, the lack of smoothness isn't the biggest problem -- you'll ruin a crank arm in short order if you ride it while loose. As the arm wiggles on the spindle, the hard steel spindle will deform the softer aluminum hole in the crank arm and they'll never mate right again.

There are a variety of reasons for this - derailleur out of adjustment (so a chain keeps trying to jump to another gear - makes things jerky under load) is one common enough cause.

If a bike is in gear and in good tune it should be a smooth pedal action - at least until you run out of juice.

I just expected it to be a smooth ride. Everytime I was pedalling and did a full pedal round I couldn't get momentum as it wasn't smooth and I had to start again. It was like I was in too low a gear if you get me but I wasn't.

It's a brand new bike though

I think it's cos I've not done any exercise for years hopefully

What bike is It?

Can you post a Link to the bike?

Boss Vortex mountain bike only cost 170

Hyper Vortex 26" Men's Mountain Bike - Walmart.com

What area are you in?

What temperature were you riding in?

What kind of bike are you riding?

Cheers

My take, you're probably using a gear that's too high for climbing. And breathing hard in cool weather can irritate the lungs.

Not buying what you're peddling.

I'm in England. Weather is fine. Got a Boss Vortex

For some reason quote isn't working

I had the same feeling in 2014 when I'd ride up hills. Saw my cardiologist said he scheduled me for a heart cath. Even though I'd been riding regularly for 14 years he told me I had a 90% blockage in my LAD. Since they put in the stent I've had no more problems.
Have you seen a cardiologist lately?

Mashing in too hard of a gear is hard on anyone not in good riding condition.

I took off a long time from cycling, got fat, lost all my muscle, heart strength, and lung capacity, and found that a two-percent grade is a serious "hill" to me now.

Also, winter riding is Very tough on my lungs (asthma since age 5 or so.) If you really think it is necessary, visit a doctor for some tests. (Don't mess around if you really think you have issues----when I finally broke down and sawe a doctor he scheduled emergency heart surgery. if I had ignored it a while longer ... there would be a lot fewer pompous, rambling posts on this forum.)

But ... if you feel that what you are experiencing is the product of 15 years on the couch-----and 15 years is a Long time as we age, not like when we were young and could recover from anything right away----well, keep at it. Don't try to do it all at once, pay really close attention to your body, expect to take longer to improve and to recover, and just go out and enjoy riding your bike.

I find my definition of "push" is a Lot different now. I still like to push myself a little---but the gain/recovery ratio is very different. I can push really hard but I might lose all the gains by the time I can get back on the bike safely. Now I "push" by going a tiny bit harder for a very short time, or by trying to go a little farther every now and then. I realize that the biggest gains won't be performance---the biggest gains will be just being able to ride around and enjoy it.

Improvement comes, but so slowly it is no longer worth waiting for. I get my thrills just pedaling around, and when I realize I am a little quicker or that last hill didn't hurt Quite so much as it used to ... great! But just being able to make it up that hill, struggling, wheezing, looking pathetic ... if I make it, I win, no matter how long it takes (if I have to walk---I still win.)

Congratulations for taking up the bike again.

Not seen a cardiologist no. I assumed it was because I started going uphill instead of taking it easy on the flat

Thanks Maelochs
I'll mention it to the Dr
I'm still wheezing 4 hours on although the sore throat has gone

I was naive to think I could get on a bike and be like I was 20 years ago

Sometimes after I go out and ride hard, my throat and lungs feel torn up. That happened a lot more often when I started, and it happens more when I come back after a break from exercising.

You could be a candidate for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction also refereed to as "exercise induced asthma". You can read about it here: Exercise Induced Asthma (EIB) | Causes, Symptoms & Treatment | ACAAI They symptoms you describe fit it to a T. Air pollution and cold air make it worse. Might be worthwhile to see your GP and ask about it.

The fact that it lasted for more than 4 hours is a real warning sign.

Assuming the bike is fine and you get a medical clearance, you probably need to ease into riding more. Climbing a hill on the first ride in 15 years can be very tough. Try going a few minutes on the flats at a nice slow pace. Do that even if it means going in circles near your house. I wouldn't try that hill again until you can do ten minutes or more at a moderate pace without being winded.

Interesting, I've had those symptoms for years. Never knew there was a term for it. I just figured it was ordinary asthma. At age 58, I've just learned to adapt by adjusting my exertion and expectations. In traffic I can tell which scenarios are likely to produce shortness of breath, dizziness, rubbery legs, etc., and either pull over to rest a moment or ride the side roads to avoid situations where I can't ride safely in heavy traffic. To improve conditioning I've picked a few hilly roads with less traffic where I can mash harder and be reasonably safe if there's a sudden onset of gasping for breath or dizziness.

Thanks all

Sounds like exercise induced asthma to me. Even using a daily inhaler I can't ride in cool weather. See a real Dr. and get checked out.

Managed 10 minutes today mostly downhill and flat. No wheezing just sore throat

As soon as sat on the seat was in agony. Not just a bit but real bad. Had to peddle standing up. Are the gel seat covers on ebay any good?

Legs felt like jelly no power in them. Ob2 really unfit. Do I need to get fit some other way before starting cycling? I can't imagine 10 minutes a day going to do much good? I'm totally embarrassed how unfit I am