Homebrew01

You may find this forum useful/helpful, since there may be some other riders going through similar experiences.
https://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdal...-200-lb-91-kg/

noimagination

Sorry, but Spinnaker is right, you gave bad advice in your post. And trying to squirm out of it by playing semantic games is not going to work. The post specifically asked for guidance, you said "if I were you", which is advice.

Telling a beginner who is already exhausting themselves to "dig in" is bad advice. It takes time to develop the musculature and, more importantly, the supporting structures (tendons, ligaments, and sometimes even bone) which allow one to "dig in" without injury. Spinnaker, Vintage Schwinn and others have given KittyBikes good, solid advice. Your advice, if followed, would increase the risk of overuse injury or even acute injury that could knock Kitty off the bike and completely derail her attempt to improve her quality of life.

KittyBikes, congrats, I truly admire what you're doing, and it inspires me to try harder to reach my own goals. You're got lots of good advice, the most important being to talk to your doctor. But also, if you can make cycling fun, you will be more likely to stick with it. I'm not saying that you won't hurt, that you won't get all sweaty and gross or that you won't get tired and discouraged at times. But exercise should be strenuous at most, not torture.

anon06

Hi, Kitty! That's cool that you've gotten into cycling. Don't worry that you made the mistake of leaving your gear on 3, instead of 1; I did the same thing when I first started cycling, again, as an adult. Like you, I also mistakenly thought that keeping it on a higher gear would help me become stronger at climbs.

I've also had challenging hills on my routes; despite having my gears at the lowest, I still had to walk my bike up them, sometimes. But, recently, what helped me finally overcome them without feeling I had to walk my bike up the hills, was allowing myself to cycle up them as slow as I needed (because I usually have a problem of trying to push myself to cycle up them as fast as possible, especially when there's traffic).

That's great that you've already had advice from your doctor, regarding diabetes and cycling. I don't have that, but I've discovered that having enough hydration and snack or two in between riding, when cycling for hours, has helped keep my energy levels up while cycling.

So, I'm sure, with diabetes, it's definitely crucial to keep an eye out on when cycling.

spinnaker

The big question. Where is KittyBikes?

Edit: Oh she posted. So many posts I lost that one.

livedarklions

If you think there is general agreement about that, you need to talk to more people.

I firmly believe that people tend to find their own cadence naturally, and there is nothing magical about that range. Leg muscles and CV systems vary a lot from person to person, so there's no reason to expect that sort of "general" advice to be suited to anyone in particular.

livedarklions

I find these conversations interesting because everyone is so different as to what works for them physically and mentally.

You and I are very similar in that I can easily spend twice or even three times as much time on a bike as I am willing to tolerate in a gym. I love biking so much that I've built up an absurdly high level of endurance, more than I ever could do on a stationary machine. So obviously, we are at very different stages in our development as riders, but I think we're similar in what motivates us.

I don't know if any of this applies to your situation, but the way I ramped up my riding was by taking advantage of what I see as the main appeal of cycling, unlike other forms of exercise, this one happens to be a pretty good form of transportation. So, what I would do is pick a destination I wanted to go to anyway (usually lunch in my case, but there's been zoos, sightseeing, stores, etc.), plan on cycling there, stop at the destination for an hour or two, then return on the bike. I started with destinations that were about 10 miles away, and gradually, they just got further and further away. Last Saturday, I did one that was 65 miles away (130 round trip) and it was only about my 5th longest trip this year. The destination has two advantages for me--motivating me to want to get there, and the extended break lets me regroup for a long ride home. For me, at least, two rides of 50 miles in a day is a lot easier than one ride of 100 miles, and that scales up and down.

Here's the thing for me--because I get the kid-like feeling like I'm going somewhere fun, it doesn't feel at all like training and exercise. Sure I can feel it physically, but I don't mind it as much as I would just churning something stationary. I don't do all that HR monitoring and timing my cadence stuff because that too would make me feel like this is a task rather than an outing. I do monitor my speed and distance, but that's just because I love the geography aspect of things and I also like to see how fast I can go (it's pretty damn fast, BTW).

I just realized that "if I were you" is one of the silliest expressions in the English language. None of us can tell what might work for you, but I think it's important to see the big range of ways people approach this--I've gotten really good at riding by ignoring a lot of people telling me it must be done one particular way.

BirdsBikeBinocs

If one is out of shape, there will be pain getting back into shape. Let's see, I played team hockey, football, baseball and that led to biking and hiking. And carrying canoes. And I love to eat. I can estimate how much weight I've lost at different periods of my life....a total of at least 200 lbs. Being an athlete taught me a lot. I've played on championship teams. It hurt. Double sessions in August sun. Injuries.?? None that I remember. I think I did it right although the arthritis has settled in pretty good. If one wants to lose weight and get in shape, It's Going To Hurt. And then it will feel better.

A coach asking a player to go hard for a long/short distance every mile over 6 to 8 miles Is Not Torture. ROTFL. Further more, only the OP can gauge those distances. It might start at 20 yards....or less.!!! As we often say....whatevah.... Only the OP can be the hero here.

livedarklions

Oh lord, not this "no pain no gain" crap again!
Incremental progress does not require pain, it's absurd.

Kedosto

I'm willing to bet you didn't get into your current shape in only a few months. It's more likely been years in the making. It can't be undone in a mere couple months worth of cycling. It's best to set small, achievable goals and focus on an overall lifestyle approach to your health and fitness. Throw away the calendars, scales, and agendas and just enjoy the rides. Destinations make great goals. Pick a few and if you can't make it... no worries. Maybe next time. All you really have to do is make sure there is a next time. Keep the "next times" coming and the details will work themselves out. Honestly.


-Kedosto

livedarklions

My 145 pound weight loss and restoration to fitness was all done incrementally over years, without setting any fixed goals other than try to lose a steady amount of about 3 pounds a week. I did have a number in mind as sort of a limit to the weight I thought I could reasonably lose, and my workouts started at half an hour a day, and just sort of spontaneously increased as I went along. The irony is that if I had set fixed goals and stuck to them, I'm fairly sure I'd weigh about 25 pounds more and not be able to do anywhere the amount of physical activity that I do.

Cyclist03516

A couple of you have mentioned the inside vs outside exercising. One of those things where I thought it was just me. I hate gyms! I have come to believe that the air is stale. Too much CO2, methane from the yoga class, or hot humid air from those who occupy the C suite all day. Not sure, but fresh air makes it all seem to go away.

Kitty, don't over think it, is my worthless advice. For now just ride. You are not a diabetic until you are thin and a diabetic. Get the weight off, build fitness, set little goals and for the love of god keep it fun and not a chore.

bruce19

This is true in my experience. I know people who spin up hills and people who can't spin but can apply power. I can do a little bit (but not a lot) of both and I use what works in various situations. It really does depend on body type and how your body functions.

LaurieD

Hi Kitty, I am 55 years old and have struggled on and off with weight my entire adult life. While I’m not diagnosed as T2D, I am the only woman in my family who hasn’t been. However, I am insulin resistant (started out with all the signs of metabolic syndrome,) so when you come right down to it, I need to lead a lifestyle as if I were diagnosed T2D.

Here is what I do now: I get out on my bike and have fun. Left to my own devices, I can be a severely obsessive, over-thinker. This trait helps in my profession, but as far as the rest of my life, it can be a real joy stealer. I am new to cycling. I have been cycling for one month. That’s it. During that month, I have challenged myself some because it’s in my nature, but not obsessively so. Instead, my main goals are to enjoy being out and about (I mostly work from home) and to get some more exercise. I started out being able to go five miles. I’m now up to 12 on most days. However, I don’t force myself to do big hills. When I am ready, I will conquer those bigger hills. I’m learning and exploring and enjoying. And I love it. One thing I have learned is that, if I make something a chore, it’s not going to be fun anymore. I won’t let my own head steal the joy from this new thing I’m doing.

As far as energy, it has improved a lot over the past few months. A lot. Before getting into cycling, I had gotten back on a good diet (had fallen away from that and was feeling crummy.). Being on a healthful diet, which for me is rather low carb, made me feel more energetic and I started to naturally want to become more active. So I began walking on a treadmill desk while working. Then, as I felt even better, I found cycling. Please note: I am NOT one of those types who thinks my diet is the way for everyone. I think we all have to find what works best for us. It’s a journey. Over the years, I have found that a rather low carb diet just works best for me for all the results I am after, so that’s what I do. YMMV. However, I did want to share that I’ve have no problem with stamina on low carb. At this point, I frequently can come in from my hour or so of cycling and go straight to the treadmill desk (gotta get back to work) and walk a few more hours with no problem, and still feel well. So, if you need to be low carb, you might find it can be compatible with cycling for you. For me, I feel that the thing that has improved my cycling/exercise ability the most has been consistently getting out there and doing what I can. And not pushing myself to the point of frustration (and subsequently giving up) has allowed me to keep doing just that. The more I do this cycling thing, the more I’m able to do more OF it. I know it’ll take time before I’m strong enough to do some of the stuff that the folks who’ve been cycling for years can do. That’s okay. The good news is, I don’t have to be on par with them right now. Or ever. I’m beating my own records, getting healthier and having fun. How freeing!

Sorry this his is so long. I just want to share, though, that cycling has been so fun for me, that I’m choosing to just enjoy it, even though it is also clearly a tool in my health arsenal. In the past few months, I have been able to lose weight, too. I’m down 39 lbs, so about halfway to my goal weight. That’s another journey that I’m just trying to take as it comes, even when it feels frustrating. I will get there, just as my strength, energy and stamina continue to improve just by getting out there, doing what I can, and enjoying it.

Best to you, Kitty!

SpectrumTi

I have had type 2 diabetes for over 20 years. Regular exercise needs to be a regular part of your lifestyle to control your blood sugar. Here is my best advice. First, how often you ride, as long as you are going for at least 30 minutes, is more important than how far you ride. Muscle contraction allows your body to take up glucose in the absence of insulin. The benefit can last over several days. Better to ride 5x a week than 3x. Second, there is no need to overdo it as far as exertion goes. If you go fairly easy, your body will primarily use fat for fuel. If you go hard, it will use glycogen. You can ride all day on your fat stores, but once you use up all your glycogen, you’re done. At first your blood sugar will drop very low and then your liver will start compensating by pumping out sugar. I’ve gone on rides where I’ve ridden very hard and come home with my blood sugar higher than when I left. Better to go easy. You will get nearly all the benefits of the exercise and begin to have much better glycemic control. Third, check your sugar before you go out to ride. If it’s relatively low, eat something first. I carry a couple glucose tablets in my saddle bag just in case. Finally, be patient. It probably took you quite a while to get out of shape. You should expect it to take a while to get back into shape. The key is to enjoy it. Don’t make it drudgery. In six weeks you’ll begin to see a difference. In twelve you definitely will. In a year, you’ll need a whole new wardrobe. I wish you all the best!

Darth Lefty 

@KittyBikes persevere! 2 months is barely started.

Daniel4

Don't think of your 6-8 mile rides as the exercise you have to do. That'll put a drag on your goals just as that New Years gym membership does.

Think of where you want to go and get there by bike. Get a map and plan your route checking for bike lanes, safe roads and gentle hills. Go visit a friend, go get a coffee, hang out and get back home.

Next time go a little further.

If work isn't too far away, try bike comuting. Ten miles one way isn't unheard of. The ride in the morning is gentler than the people rushing in their cars going nowhere. You'll have a blast when you ride past them during traffic jams and collisions. The evening ride is a great stress reliever. Some people right here on BikeForums drive part of the way (or bus it) and ride the rest of the way to work.

Don't over exert yourself. Ride at your own pace but get to where you want to go.

livedarklions

Wow, I think we must be genetically related somehow, because you almost explained how I lost the weight and became a long-distance bicyclist to a T, both with food and exercise.

For me, fitness activities are pretty much divided into three groups--ones I won't do because I hate doing them or they don't interest me, ones I can tolerate enough so they can do me some good (or I can watch movies while doing them), and ones I actually enjoy so doing them becomes its own motivation. So far bicycling is the thing that fits into that last category, and I do absurd amounts of it.

We get plenty of contradictory advice on what should work for us. I've decided it was my job to try things and see what actually worked for me.

You are a perfect example of why I get so mad at the "no pain no gain" guys--you will get up that hill in your own time without pushing yourself to the point you hate what you're doing. A lot of these trainer types are really great at getting fast results for their clients then burning them out by making them miserable. Boot camp is just not sustainable.

bobwysiwyg

Good plan and approach.

Leisesturm

The air may be stale but it probably is safe to breathe. All of us, but especially a diabetic should have a significant amount of weight bearing exercise added to their lifestyle. Diabetics are always told to 'exercise' and to most of us that means: running, cycling and/or elliptical machine. Possibly rowing machine. Running and cycling can be done in a gym or outside.

However, if a diabetic can add significant amounts of new lean muscle tissue to their body it is sometimes possible to actually reverse the progress of the disease. That means a gym. No getting away from it. 20 miles of cycling takes 2:00hr to possibly 3:00. That is a lot of hours per day to devote to one activity. It won't be sustained. Certainly not after September/October. Then what?

Cyclist03516

Didn't mean to imply I was any sort of expert. A little knowledge and a little dangerous. Gym....necessary evil...got it. I was making your point less eloquently and just trying to help.

Daniel4

Definately in September/October and later. If you keep up the outside cycling to your favourite destinations, you'll be burning a lot more calories because it's so much more challenging - and rewarding.

Indoor cycling can be so boring as you check your watch wondering when it's going to be all over.

friday1970

Longer distances. Music to my ears.
Learn to spin. Keep the chainrings in 1 and 2. I use 1 for climbing and when I climb, I spin around 100rpm. And when on the flats, I use chainring 2. I never the chainring 3 unless I am on a descent.
Also, use less energy up hills. Save your energy for downhills and flat terrain. Keep hydrated. Keep your tires inflated. Drink water, even when you're not thirsty.
I hope to see you out there someday on a long tour. Keep at it!

livedarklions

Or she could just buy a set of dumb bells and do some simple exercises at home. I use the gym, but I don't have an aversion to it. Telling people they have to go somewhere they hate to do the exercise they need really isn't helpful.

BTW, that 2-3 hours figure seems really slow to me, even for a beginner. Most beginners I've seen can average better than 12 mph, which would beat that, and with some normal progress would go faster after a few weeks. And how did 20 miles get to be a magic figure?

I agree you need a secondary activity if you have a winter you won't ride in, but again implying it has to be the gym is not going to lead to anything sustainable for someone who hates the gym.

CAT7RDR

Kitty, sounds like you are doing great in your new cycling venture.

We all have to start from somewhere at our differing fitness levels. Try to think of your progress in years and a permanent lifestyle change.

Muscle soreness is part of recovery and usually relents after 48 hours. You may want to consider adding strength training to your fitness regimen to help with climbing hills. I include hiking in the local hills and moderate weight squats, lunges, shoulder presses, leg raises as great ways to build leg strength, core strength and endurance. You can start with light dumbbells 10 - 15 lbs at home.

Speed will come as you build your base miles. I started off at 13 mph on a 40 mile flat ride on a heavy mountain bike and can now average 20+ mph over the same course four years later on my road bike.

As long as you remain constant you will experience some real tangible results.

My brother was a Type 2 diabetic and obese. He died of a massive heart attack at work at 46 y/o. I remember talking with him before his death that he could learn to manage his diabetes. Sadly, he did not seem to comprehend he had a choice in his own health outcome or lacked the motivation to make changes.

Truly, you have made a great decision to ride your bike as a form to manage diabetes.

Leisesturm

Read the o.p. again to see where I got the 'magic' 20 mi. figure. Since you use a gym you 'get it'. That disqualifies you from criticising my advice. At least I am not a hypocrite. This "I'm o.k., you're o.k" only helps those who are really o.k. Averaging 12mph is not as easy as it sounds. My numbers are realistic. Of course it doesn't have to be a gym but ... dumbells? Is that what works for you? I keep asking you to put me on ignore. I might have to insist.