strike_balance

Hi there,

I just bought my first bike since I was a little kid, and I really enjoy going out on it, but I find I am really really out of shape. Am I to assume that the more I go out the better I'll get? Any tips would be great.

manual_overide

Tip: ride as often and as long as you can.

CRUM

Actually, depending on how new you are to cycling this time, I may disagree with manual overide. If you are brand new, just back in the saddle, limiting your first few weeks of riding to 3 to 4 rides/week of an hour or less will ease the adjustment your body needs to take you to the next level. Slowly increase your rides to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. A slower process for sure but I have found that people who follow this method tend to enjoy the activity longer. The trick is the regularity, not the time or distance when you are a newbie. Once you have your legs, lungs and butt acclimated, go for it. Ride whenever possible. But be sure to give yourself some recovery time, no matter what level you are at.

roadfix

Do some running if you can if you want to see a significant increase in your cycling endurance in a very short period of time.

atbman

Agree with CRUM. One point - recovery time is active time. ride the bike for about 20-30 min but at a boooringly slow pace in a really low gear. Turning the legs over like that gets rid of fatigue by-products by pumping blood thro' the muscles while not stressing them

CRUM

Good point. Or walk, or some yard work. Swimming is a great one also. Recovery does not mean laying on the couch. Although after today's ride it does for me.

superstar4410

does that also work(or is it a good practice) for regular rides. Say I'm riding in an average gear and I start getting tired after riding for a while so I decide to downshift and spin a bit for recovery and later upshift again to the higher gear after my legs have refreshen up.